-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Fwd: Further restrictions in access to government information
Date: Tue, 19 Mar 2013 12:43:22 -0400 (EDT)
From: Paige G Andrew <[log in to unmask]>
To: Angie Cope, American Geographical Society Library, UW Milwaukee
<[log in to unmask]>
Angie,
This continues an alarming trend in Canada regarding access to
information, public or otherwise. Would you share on MAPS-L please? Thanks,
Paige
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*From: *"Colleen Beard" <[log in to unmask]>
*To: *[log in to unmask]
*Sent: *Tuesday, March 19, 2013 12:39:29 PM
*Subject: *FW: Further restrictions in access to government information
*From:*Canadian Association of Public Data Users [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
*On Behalf Of *Walter Piovesan
*Sent:* Tuesday, March 19, 2013 11:06 AM
*To:* [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
*Subject:* Fwd: Further restrictions in access to government information
FYI
Begin forwarded message:
*From: *Carla Graebner <[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
*Subject: Further restrictions in access to government information*
*Date: *18 March, 2013 11:17:43 PM PDT
*To: *"Academic Women's Departm Women" <[log in to unmask]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>, [log in to unmask]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Dear Colleagues,
The Government of Canada (GoC) has recently acknowledged plans to reduce
the number of government websites to 6 and then to 1. This
acknowledgement has come in response to an article and leaked documents
produced in the Huffington Post: "Harper Government Centralizing,
Slashing Federal Web Info"
[http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/vincent-gogolek/harper-government-websites-access-to-information_b_2838916.html].
The GoC has also indicated it will no longer produce content in print
and will remove content deemed "redundant, old or trivial". In
anticipation of the web site convergence, various departments have
already started 'cleaning up' their websites by removing content. Any
guidelines indicating what content should be removed are vague. The
immediate result is that the Aboriginal Canada Portal was taken down on
February 13th despite evidence that usage was going up, not down. Thanks
to efforts by the University of Alberta Libraries and University of
Toronto Libraries, this website--and associated publications--was archived.
The reduction, or in some cases elimination, of access to government
information will have profound impacts on anyone doing research.
There is more. Library and Archives Canada now requires its employees to
adhere to a new code of ethics: 'On occasion, LAC employees may be asked
by third parties to teach or to speak at or be a guest at conferences as
a personal activity or part-time employment... Such activities have been
identified as high risk to LAC and to the employee with regard to
conflict of interest, conflict of duties and duty of loyalty.” While
Federal Government employees are required to privilege some information,
this new requirement goes far beyond what has been mandated in the past.
And, to the best of my knowlege, this code is only being introduced at
Library and Archives Canada.
I encourage you to let others know since the mainstream media is largely
overlooking these very important developments and our MPs need to hear
from us.
Thank you,
Carla
Links:
Publications Canada e-publication announcement:
http://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/news/2012/2012-006-eng.html
Reduce Redundant, Outdated and Trivial Content:
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/ws-nw/wu-fe/rot-rid/index-eng.asp
Aboriginal Canada Portal (defunct):
http://www.aboriginalcanada.gc.ca/acp.nsf
Archive of Aboriginal Canada Portal:
http://wayback.archive-it.org/2901/*/http://www.aboriginalcanada.gc.ca
<http://wayback.archive-it.org/2901/*/http:/www.aboriginalcanada.gc.ca>
Locate Your Member of Parliament:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Compilations/HouseOfCommons/MemberByPostalCode.aspx?Menu=HOC
Federal librarians fear being muzzled
http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/03/15/library-and-archives-canada/
Library and Archives Canada Code of Conduct
http://clagov.wordpress.com/2013/03/15/lac-canada-code-of-conduct/
=//=//=//=//=//=//=//=//=//=//=//=//=//=//=//=//=//=//=//=//=//
Carla Graebner
Liaison Librarian: Economics and Government Information;
Data Curator and Digital Preservation Project Manager
W.A.C. Bennett Library, Simon Fraser University
8888 University Drive, Burnaby, B.C. V5A 1S6 Canada
Email: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Tel: 778.782.6881
Fax: 778.782.6926
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