Advocating for Transparency and Access to Information

In late 2016, I contributed a chapter to Susanne Caro’s edited volume Government Information Essentials in which I explore aspects of advocacy as it applies to government information librarianship.

Excerpt:

The challenge and reward of government information librarianship stems from the diversity of activities and intellectual work demanded by the intersection of subject and functional expertise with institutional and professional responsibilities. Many who work with government information are motivated by the “thrill of the chase” that comes with digging out and tracing content through complex government organizations, forward and backward in time, and across disciplinary boundaries; many are also motivated by belief in the right of the public to freely access and use government information. Government information in the library setting creates an opportunity to position advocacy as a core component of library work.

Advocacy is the intentional practice of identifying, articulating, and amplifying reasons and motivations for a desirable course of action that serves a given vision. In libraries, advocacy is both iterative and creative: it is often independent work undertaken as situations arise and adapted as situations change. It can also be collective work for change at a higher level, whether within public policy or professional practice. Working with government information in a library setting asks for the development of one’s capacity for advocacy. If we agree that access to government information is a public good, there is reason enough to consider adopting advocacy as part of our professional identity. But the history of government document collections and services in libraries has led to a present in which this content area is misunderstood, neglected, or besieged, often in service of narrow, short-term goals. Libraries are frequently organized based on services to particular user communities, such as academic disciplinary areas or groups defined by age. Government information often lacks a core and vocal constituency, so it is necessary to identify and then listen to a diffuse and heterogeneous group of users in order to understand current requirements and predict future needs. For an institution to fulfill its obligations to its user communities, librarians must translate and articulate these needs as actionable steps to improve and maintain services.

As advocates, government information librarians speak up for collections and services within an institution, to peers and to administrators. We collaborate on projects that improve access and preservation for these resources. We pursue public policy advocacy that improves access to government information, which can include requests for changes in policy and practice that promote transparency, as well as funding requests that support information dissemination and preservation. We also advocate within professional communities for resources to support our work.

Full chapter:

Laster, Shari. “Advocating for Transparency and Access to Information” In Government Information Essentials, edited by Susanne Caro, 179-188. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2018.

Preprint available