Maine Library Association

MLA is a member of the The Maine Freedom of Information Coalition (MFOIC), a broad based group of individuals and organizations advocating for open government. This press release was issued during Sunshine Week in March, 20101.

MFOIC is pleased to announce that its third annual Maine Sunshine Award is awarded to Sen. David R. Hastings III for his steadfast support of open government.

“Senator Hastings has been the go-to member of the legislature’s Judiciary Committee as they review proposed exceptions to the state’s public records and open meetings laws,” said Mal Leary, President of the MFOIC. “He has kept the committee on track as they review proposals to make sure exceptions are as narrowly crafted as possible and that the public’s right to know is protected.”

The award was presented to Hastings at a State House news conference.

In addition to his work on the Judiciary Committee implementing the review process, the MFOIC cited the legislation Hastings sponsored and successfully got enacted into law that allows a judge to award legal fees in cases where government agencies are found to deliberately violate the state right to know laws.

“As an attorney, Sen. Hastings understands how reluctant some people can be to assert their rights because they cannot afford the legal costs associated with a civil case,” said MFOIC Vice President Judy Meyer. “His diligence in pursuing some financial relief for people who have been denied access to public records or meetings provides a fair and meaningful process for Mainers to assert their right to know.”

The MFOIC Sunshine Award is intended to honor citizens, journalists, media organizations, or community groups that have, during the past year, championed, protected, and promoted public access to government meetings, public records, and court proceedings, or otherwise promoted the public’s right to know and to publish, broadcast, and speak freely about issues of public concern.

March 14-20 is national Freedom of Information Week. By proclamation of Gov. John Baldacci, it is also Sunshine Week in the State of Maine.

The nationwide observance of FOI Day on March 16 commemorates the birth date of President James Madison, a strong advocate of the public’s right and duty to know what its government is doing.

The Maine Freedom of Information Coalition is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation representing individuals and organizations committed to open access to public information in print, electronic and digital formats. The Coalition involves media representatives, attorneys, librarians, state and local government officials, educators and others who care about transparency in government, information access and the role of an informed citizenry in a democracy.

By now, you have probably heard that Congress extended the sunsettng provisions of the PATRIOT Act without any changes for a year. ALA and many individual librarians lobbied heavily for changes to the three expiring provisions but Congress was too busy with other matters and the parties too unwilling to compromise to make any changes, and so simply extended the provisions for a year. for the ALA position on the extensions, see http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=4458.

As libraries come under more and more budget pressure, some are beginning to experiment with new procedures that are designed to reduce staff time but which may have unintended consequences. One such new process is putting books that are on hold in a public area so that patrons can pick them up rather than asking a staff person at a desk to go and find them. Efficient and convenient? Yes? Troubling from a privacy perspective? Probably. Here is an interesting discussion about such a program at the Chicago Public Library: http://infinitemonkeys.tumblr.com/post/450789162/self-service-hold-systems-and-patron-privacy.

The American Library Association (ALA) Washington Office is calling for nominations for two awards to honor individuals or groups who have championed, protected and promoted public access to government information and the public’s right to know.

The James Madison Award, named in honor of President James Madison, was established in 1986 to celebrate an individual or group who has brought awareness to these issues at the national level.  Madison is widely regarded as the Father of the Constitution and as the foremost advocate for openness in government.

The Eileen Cooke State & Local Madison Award honors an extraordinary leader who has built local grassroots awareness of the importance of access to information. Cooke, former director of the ALA Washington Office, was a tireless advocate for the public’s right to know and a mentor to many librarians and trustees.

Both awards are presented during Freedom of Information (FOI) Day, an annual event on or near March 16, Madison’s birthday.

Nominations should be submitted to the ALA Washington Office no later than February 6, 2010.  Submissions should include a statement (maximum one page) about the nominee’s contribution to public access to government information and why it merits the award and one seconding letter. Please include a brief biography and contact information for the nominee.

Send e-mail nominations to Jessica McGilvray, Assistant Director for the ALA Office of Government Relations, at jmcgilvray@alawash.org. Submissions can also be mailed to:
James Madison Award / Eileen Cooke Award
American Library Association
Washington Office
 1615 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20009-2520

The Google Books Settlement is a big deal for libraries. In fact, it may have more long-term impact on the future of libraries, especially here in the United States, than any other policy issue now before the courts, Congress, or even local or state funding agencies. That’s a big claim – what is behind it?
Briefly put, the Google Books Settlement, even as currently modified, could significantly alter the landscape for gaining access to books. It could also change the landscape for patron privacy in a way that libraries would have no control over. And it could provide control over access to millions of works in the hands of a single body of unelected and unaccountable people. Here are some sites that can provide useful information on both the general intellectual freedom issues and on potential effects on libraries and our patrons.

http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/currentnews/newsarchive/2009/november2009/revisedgoogle111809.cfm

http://wo.ala.org/gbs/

http://www.openbookalliance.org/2009/11/is-the-google-settlement-worth-the-wait/