Government Information Management in the 21st Century provides librarians, information professionals, and government information policy leaders with a comprehensive and authoritative state-of-the-art review of current issues in government information management with a global perspective. The widespread use of the Internet to provide government information and services has altered the landscape dramatically for those who organize, store, and provide access to government content. Technical challenges include digital preservation, authentication, security, and accessibility for a diverse user base. Management challenges include changes to costs, workflow, staff skills and resources, and user expectations. Public policies based on distributed paper collections must also change to address issues that are inherent to digital, networked, public content; such issues include the maintenance of personal privacy, re-use of government information, and the digital divide. The authors in this timely book are practitioners, scholars, and government officials. Together they provide an informed look at how managing government information is being tested at a time of rapid change. Part I addresses key issues for public, academic, and government libraries in organizing and providing access to government information. Part II features chapters on the diverse information issues facing governments, such as managing Freedom of Information requirements, opening government data to the public, and deploying new online technologies.
'This book has something for everyone - those who are looking for practical advice on how to manage a local collection (whether they work in libraries or other information environments) as well as those who are thinking about the broader issues involved in the availability and management of information worldwide. Complex processes are described in very accessible language, so that novices can digest the content just as well as folks who've been working with this information for several years. It will be an asset to any collection that includes the fields of information policy, information management, and government information'. Valerie Glenn, Maine Shared Collections Strategy, University of Maine, USA 'This book needs to be read by policy makers and practitioners responsible for ensuring that government information in any format is accessible to people both now and in the future. It considers critical issues and the increasingly urgent need to address them. It offers case studies that provide valuable insights into what works and what does not. And while its specific focus is on government information, it will be of value to anyone dealing with digital information of almost any type'. Jeffrey Griffith, Senior Advisor, Global Centre for ICT in Parliament 'This book is recommended to anyone interested in the fields of information policy, information management, and government information.' Collection Building
