[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 227 (Friday, November 24, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70625-70626]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-30063]


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NATIONAL COMMISSION ON LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION SCIENCE


Public Meeting

    Date, Time, and Place: Monday, December 4, 2000 from 1:00 p.m. to 
5:00 p.m., 342 Dirksen Senate Office Building, First Street and 
Constitution Avenue, NE., Washington, DC.
    Matter To Be Discussed: The public is invited to comment on the 
proposed recommendations of the National Commission on Libraries and 
Information Science (NCLIS) resulting from the comprehensive assessment 
of public information dissemination policies and practices. Information 
about the assessment is available on the Commission website at http://www.nclis.gov/govt/assess/assess.html. The Commission's final report to 
Congress must be completed by December 15, 2000.
    Written comments must be received not later than 9 a.m. Monday, 
December 11, 2000. Comments may be submitted to the Commission by mail 
at 1110 Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20005-3552, Attn: F. Woody 
Horton, Ph.D., by fax to 202-606-9203, or by e-mail to 
[email protected].
    Individuals and organizations desiring to participate in the public 
meeting should contact NCLIS Deputy Director Judith C. Russell by fax 
at 202-606-9203 or by e-mail to [email protected], identifying the 
speaker and the organization(s) represented by the speaker. Each 
speaker should bring at least thirty copies of their statement to the 
meeting as well as providing an electronic copy to the Commission, 
preferably by e-mail to [email protected]. Oral presentations will be 
limited to five minutes. There will be an opportunity to respond to 
questions from the Commission, and if time permits, there will be an 
opportunity for further comments from the audience once all scheduled 
speakers have made their presentations.
    The Commission will select speakers to represent the widest 
possible range of organizations and points of view in the available 
time. The Commission is particularly interested in hearing from end 
users of government information, such as students from elementary 
school through graduate school, senior citizens, individuals with 
disabilities, individuals from rural communities, individuals who are 
economically disadvantaged, researchers, employees of state, local or 
tribal governments, and small business owners. Other speakers are also 
welcome, including intermediaries who assist users with government 
information, such as librarians, information specialists and value-
added providers, and representatives of Federal agency information 
dissemination programs.

Background

    The assessment was initiated by NCLIS at the request of Senator 
John McCain, Chairman, Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation and Senator Joseph Lieberman, Ranking Minority Member, 
Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs. The Commission was asked to 
identify reforms necessary in the federal government's public 
information dissemination policies and practices.
    The Commission's proposed strategic recommendations were presented 
at the Commission meeting on November 15, 2000. As a result of that 
meeting, the Commission decided to hold a public meeting on the 
December 4th to provide for additional public comment.
    In this report the Commission states that the Federal government's 
public information is a critical national resource that must be 
exploited to the fullest extent possible. The Commission contends that 
public information resources are no less important to the nation's 
economic and social livelihood than are its human, financial, capital, 
and natural resources. However, exploiting the full potential benefits 
and values of this resource has not been given top-level national 
focus, attention, and support.
    The Commission believes that there is a missing building block in 
the nation's public information statutory foundation. A new law is 
needed, not only to put in place the concept of treating public 
information as a strategic national asset, but also to make clear the 
obligation of all government agencies with respect to their public 
information resources. To that end, every mission agency's authorizing 
legislation should have a standard clause mandating the dissemination 
of information to the public, and agencies should directly budget for 
the cost of implementing that recommendation in their annual budgets.
    Diffusing the government's public information resources 
proactively, broadly, and pervasively throughout all sectors of the 
economy and the society, for the benefit of all Americans, is a 
positive, social and moral construct which must be crafted in crystal 
clear terms in new legislation which spells out both agency obligations 
and overall national policy leadership and oversight needs.
    The complete draft report should be available on the Commission 
website by Monday, November 27, 2000. A draft Executive Summary of the 
final report is available at http://www.nclis.gov/govt/assess/execsum.pdf.
    The proposed legislation should be read and evaluated in the 
context of the strategic recommendations in the Commission's draft 
report. The purpose of the proposed legislation is to bring

[[Page 70626]]

together in a systematic fashion all of the key elements necessary for 
comprehensive public information resources management and to elevate 
the importance of Federal government public information resources to 
the status of a strategic national asset. It also includes the creation 
of government-wide information dissemination budget line item in the 
President's budget and in each agency budget. The Commission believes 
that this legislative proposal is the best means for implementation of 
its recommendations because it will draw attention to the issues and 
create a debate about appropriate solutions. However, many of the 
Commission's recommendations can and should be implemented, whether or 
not the proposed legislation is acted upon by the Congress.
    Excerpts from the Commission's proposed legislation, The Public 
Information Resources Reform Act of 2001, are available at http://www.nclis.gov/govt/assess/legisum.pdf, as are related fact sheets. In 
this legislative proposal, the Commission recommends establishment of a 
public information resources agency in each branch of government. A 
Fact Sheet summarizing the duties and responsibilities of each agency 
and explaining how inter-branch coordination is to be accomplished can 
be found on at http://www.nclis.gov/govt/assess/branch.html. A second 
fact sheet summarizing the Commission's recommendations for 
strengthening of the Federal Depository Library Program is available at 
http://www.nclis.gov/govt/assess/fdlpfact.html. Additional fact sheets 
may be added as needed.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request further information or to 
make special arrangements for persons with disabilities, contact Judith 
C. Russell by telephone at 202-606-9200, by fax at 202-606-9203 or by 
e-mail to [email protected], no later than Wednesday, November 29, 
2000.

    Dated: November 20, 2000.
Robert S. Willard,
NCLIS Executive Director.
[FR Doc. 00-30063 Filed 11-22-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7527-01-P