[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 111 (Friday, June 9, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 30609]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-14091]



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NATIONAL COMMISSION ON LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION SCIENCE


Principles of Public Information

AGENCY: National Commission on Libraries and Information Science.

ACTION: Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In 1989 and 1990 the National Commission on Libraries and 
Information Science (NCLIS) developed and adopted Principles of Public 
Information and offered them as a foundation for governmental decisions 
about public information, for use in developing information policies, 
and for use in creating, using, disseminating and preserving public 
information. The Commission is reviewing these Principles of Public 
Information and invites public comment on their current application, 
relevance and usability.

DATES: Comments should be received by July 15, 1995.

ADDRESSES: All comments should be sent to Peter R. Young, Executive 
Director NCLIS, 1110 Vermont Avenue, NW., Suite 820, Washington, DC 
20005-3522. Comments can be sent by fax to 202/606-9203. Comments can 
be sent by electronic mail to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Peter R. Young or Jane Williams, tel. 202/606-9200.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Following are the principles as adopted by 
the Commission on June 29, 1990.

Principles of Public Information

Preamble

    From the birth of our nation, open and uninhibited access to public 
information has ensured good government and a free society. Public 
information helps to educate our people, stimulate our progress and 
solve our most complex economic, scientific and social problems. With 
the coming of the Information Age and its many new technologies, 
however, public information has expanded so quickly that basic 
principles regarding its creation, use and dissemination are in danger 
of being neglected and even forgotten.
    The National Commission of Libraries and Information Science, 
therefore, reaffirms that the information policies of the U.S. 
government are based on the freedoms guaranteed by the constitution, 
and on the recognition of public information as a national resource to 
be developed and preserved in the public interest. We define public 
information as information created, compiled and/or maintained by the 
Federal Government. We assert that public information is information 
owned by the people, held in trust by their government, and should be 
available to the people except where restricted by law. It is in this 
spirit of public ownership and public trust that we offer the following 
Principles of Public Information.

Principles

1. The Public Has the Right of Access to Public Information
    Government agencies should guarantee open, timely and uninhibited 
access to public information except where restricted by law. People 
should be able to access public information, regardless of its format, 
without any special training or expertise.
2. The Federal Government Should Guarantee the Integrity and 
Preservation of Public Information, Regardless of its Format
    By maintaining public information in the face of changing times and 
technologies, government agencies assure the government's 
accountability and the accessibility of the government's business to 
the public.
3. The Federal Government Should Guarantee the Dissemination, 
Reproduction, and Redistribution of Public Information
    Any restriction of dissemination or any other function dealing with 
public information must be strictly defined by law.
4. The Federal Government Should Safeguard the Privacy of Persons Who 
Use or Request Information, as Well as Persons About Whom Information 
Exists in Government Records
5. The Federal Government Should Ensure a Wide Diversity of Sources of 
Access, Private as Well as Governmental, to Public Information
    Although sources of access may change over time and because of 
advances in technology, government agencies have an obligation to the 
public to encourage diversity.
6. The Federal Government Should Not Allow Cost to Obstruct the 
People's Access to Public Information
    Costs incurred by creating, collecting and processing information 
for the government's own purposes Should not be passed on to people who 
wish to utilize public information.
7. The Federal Government Should Ensure that Information About 
Government Information is Easily Available and in a Single Index 
Accessible in a Variety of Formats
    The government index of public information should be in addition to 
inventories of information kept within individual government agencies.
8. The Federal Government Should Guarantee the Public's Access to 
Public Information, Regardless of Where They Live and Work, through 
National Networks and Programs like the Depository Library Program
    Government agencies should periodically review such programs as 
well as the emerging technology to ensure that access to public 
information remains inexpensive and convenient to the public

Conclusion

    The National Commission on Libraries and Information Science offers 
these Principles of Public Information as a foundation for the 
decisions made throughout the Federal Government and the nation 
regarding issues of public information. We urge all branches of the 
Federal Government, state and local governments and the private sector 
to utilize these principles in the development of information policies 
and in the creation, use, dissemination and preservation of public 
information. We believe that in so acting, they will serve the best 
interests of the nation and the people in the Information Age.

Invitation to Comment

    Interested persons are invited to submit comments and 
recommendations regarding these principles. All comments submitted in 
response to this notice will be available for public inspection, during 
and after the comment period, in Suite 820, 1100 Vermont Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays.

    Dated: June 1, 1995.
Peter R. Young,
NCLIS Executive Director.
[FR Doc. 95-14091 Filed 6-8-95; 8:45 am]
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