Product Description

Who Needs to Know? The State of Public Access to Federal Government Information will help readers begin to assess the impact of the various trends and forces on the ability of the public to find, obtain, and use federal government information.

In recent years, there has been a lot of debate about the suppression of federal government information on the basis of national or homeland security. While this book will look at those concerns and attempt to present some of the recent history of withdrawn access, it will also draw a wider picture and look at the controls that have been imposed on public access in a variety of arenas.

Additionally, this book will explore the tension between the efforts of government officials to provide meaningful public access in non-security related areas and the concerns of the private sector about the impact of such efforts.

This publication will also provide an analysis of the current state of public access to federal government information from the perspective of the person who wants to understand what his or her government is doing; how to interact with it; how to engage with public policy decision-making; and how to hold government, and those who act on its behalf or under its regulation, accountable.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1252662 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 304 pages

Review
McDermott examines the current state of public access to federal government databases, publications, and employees. It s a lively, ambitious work that is recommended for academic law libraries, government documents librarians, and anyone with an interest in government access policy issues. McDermott is uniquely qualified to tackle this complex subject, having spent the majority of her career on the front lines of government information advocacy... Throughout the book, the author s conversational, relatable style illustrates not only why a longtime activist like McDermott cares about these issues, but rather why everybody should. --AALL Spectrum, March 2008

Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels. --CHOICE, June 2008

About the Author
Patrice McDermott, Ph.D., director of OpenTheGovernment.org, is a leading expert on federal government information issues and privacy policy concerns. She is a former deputy director of the American Library Association s Office of Government Relations, where she was responsible for directing ALA s involvement in federal information, e-government, and government privacy policy concerns. Prior to joining ALA, Dr. McDermott worked for OMB Watch, a government watchdog organization, and the National Archives and Records Administration. Her professional background also includes work at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and academic teaching positions at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, Georgetown University, and Clark Atlanta University. She has testified before the U.S. Congress on e-government and other related issues and was inducted into the Freedom of Information Act Hall of Fame in 2001. Dr. McDermott holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Arizona, a M.Ln. in library and information management from Emory University, an M.A. in political science from Brown University, and a B.A. in international affairs from Florida State University.