APPOINT AN INFORMATION RIGHTS WEEK CO-ORDINATOR

This will help to focus attention on Information Rights Week within your organization. A list of CLA Information Policy Committee members from each province is included in this mailing* so you will be able to contact someone for assistance or additional information. All the provincial library associations are also being notified and many of them will take a leadership role in co-ordinating activities.
(* contact provincial library associations or [email protected] for list)

1. INFORMATION RIGHTS WEEK PROCLAMATION

Have your Board endorse the Information Rights Week proclamation and forward it to your municipal, town or regional councils for official proclamation. The February Board meeting would be the best time to get endorsement as it then allows time to get it before your local City Council. Use the proclamation as an opportunity to draw attention to information policy issues. The proclamation can also be incorporated into your displays. Arrange for a press conference or media event where the mayor presents the proclamation to the library or local coalition supporting Information Rights Week.

2. LIBRARY DISPLAYS

Most of the information policy issues regarding public access and privacy are unknown to the public. Displays of books, graphs, and legislation which highlight the issues would increase the profile and understanding of these issues. A bibliography of some of the material in this area is attached for your information.

An excellent display could be newspaper headlines and articles relating to the CRTC, the Information Highway Advisory Council, the recent hearings regarding deregulation of the telephone system and the increase of local telephone services, the cable industry's recent increase in prices and the use of negative option marketing and articles relating to Free-Nets/Libraries work on behalf of public access. Articles pertaining to local telecommunications policy and provincial developments could also be used to provide local as well as national issues.

Industry Canada has put out a variety of publications which Libraries can receive and incorporate into displays. Information on contacting Industry Canada is contained on page 2.

3. CREATION OF BIBLIOGRAPHIES AND SELECTED READING LISTS

Preparation of bibliographies based on your library's holdings will allow library users to follow up on information policy issues. The bibliographies can be used as part of the Information Rights Week displays and programs. Bibliographies prepared by the National Library for the National Information Summit and by the Ontario Library Association can be used as the basis of local preparation. An important part of any bibliography will be a list of Federal, Provincial, and Municipal legislation.

4. LIBRARY PROGRAMS

There will be people in every community concerned about public access to information and privacy issues. Among them will be librarians, library school students and academics, civil libertarians, journalists, lawyers, FOI advocates, socially conscious computer science people, sociologists, communications experts, a very broad range of community groups, and individuals involved in organizing FreeNets and many others. Programs involving these individuals will highlight both the issues and profile librarians and your library as leaders in protecting public access to information.

Some suggested program topics:

• The Crisis in Local Telephone Service
The current telephone system has been deregulated. The CRTC and Federal cabinet have approved a $2.00 per month local phone increase. Hearings are now being conducted to determine how local services and subsidies will be arranged. Budget Services limiting the number of free calls to 30 per month, no access to long distance service, targeted subsidies, and local metered services are among the options being debated. Education programs and discussions can be arranged with local telephone companies and advocacy groups.

• Government Information: Who owns it? Who should have access to it?
  Many provinces have a government depository system. How is it functioning? Does it meet the needs of the library community? Does it meet the needs of the public? Does it include electronic and alternate formats? Does the government have plans to disseminate government information electronically? Is it being sufficiently funded? The same questions exist for the Federal Depository program. Bruno Gnassi, Assistant Director, Depository Services Program (819-956-4802) of the Federal Government may be available to speak. The CLA Government Documents Interest Group can also assist in providing possible speakers and background information.

• What is the new electronic highway and who will be driving it?
  Who is funding and who will control The Canadian Network for the Advancement of Research, Industry and Education (CANAIRIE). How will it link to the provincial telecommunication networks that are being proposed? What is its relationship to Internet? How will public institutions such as the library and community groups access the high speed network? Will users have to pay? This is your opportunity to work with local Freenets.

• What is the Information Highway Advisory Council? What are its Policy Recommendations?
  IHAC is a council appointed by the Minister of Industry consisting of representatives of industry and community groups who have been assigned the responsibility of developing policies for the government to consider. Representatives come from all provinces in Canada. Four preliminary reports have been issued and are contained in the bibliography. To arrange for a speaker from the Information Highway Advisory Council or to receive copies of reports, you can contact the Information Highway Advisory Council at (613) 990-4268; FAX (613) 941-1164; electronic mail [email protected], or by conventional post, Industry Canada, 300 Slater Street, Room #640, Journal Tower North, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0C8.

• Literacy, Adult Basic Education, and English as a Second Language Programs and Information Policy
  Literacy is the basic element for access to any of the higher technologies. Why are these issues dropped whenever information policy issues are raised? How can we spend money on high technology when we haven't solved fundamental problems? This is an opportunity to work with literacy groups.

• What are our provinces' telecommunication plans?
  Literally every province has plans for a telecommunications network and high technology industry. What are the plans in your province? How do they mesh with the plans from other provinces? How and on what terms will public institutions, community groups, and members of the public have access to these telecommunication networks? What about rural and remote areas? How will they be served? While everyone is talking about access to the high-speed highway, who will provide the terminals and the training for public use?

• What does the information revolution mean to libraries and you?
  How are libraries coping with these issues? Most members of the public are not aware of the stresses and strains on libraries caused by the changes in computers and telecommunications. This is you chance to tell them.

• What is our municipal government doing to make information available to the public?
  Does your municipality have a Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy by-law or does it come under provincial legislation? How widely is it known and how heavily is it used? If your municipality does not have such legislation, why not? What types of by-laws do other municipalities have?

• What is our provincial government doing to make information available to the public?
  What are the directions of your provincial information policy? Is the unit/department/taskforce which makes information policy clear? Is there a public process? What are the policies of the other provinces?

• What is our federal government doing to make information available to the public?
  Janice E. Hatt, Senior Advisor, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (613) 957-2465; FAX: (613) 957-8020, is willing to provide speakers on the development of the Federal Government Information Policy. Industry Canada has just released a study, by Bernard Ostry entitled The Electronic Connection: An essential key to Canadian survival, and should be approached to provide speakers. They have offices in every province.
  What is the CRTC doing with the telephone system now that it is de-regulated? Will the costs of local phone systems increase dramatically as they did in the U.S. and if so, how will that affect telephone use by the poor, those in rural and isolated areas, and those community organization such as libraries, Freenets, and information and crisis centres who depend on the telephone. Public Interest Advocacy groups, poverty groups, seniors organizations, and consumer groups are all interested in these issues.

• What is an information policy and who are the players developing the policy?
  Contact your local cable and telephone company (or Stentor - a consortium of Canadian telephone companies) to involve them in a panel on their differing visions of the telecommunications future. What other government departments, local companies, and international companies are involved?

• What privacy do I have in an age of large computer systems and telecommunications networks?
  The Federal government, through Industry Canada, has recently released Telecommunication Privacy Principles. There were debates across Canada as to whether there should be privacy regulations or industry guidelines. What should be protected? What privacy protection should the public have to pay for? Civil Liberties associations and many legal organizations are interested in these issues. So are the Federal and provincial privacy commissioners. University computer/communications/or sociology departments may have individuals interested in this issue.

• What is the role of community computing networks such as freenets?
  Freenets are one of the natural allies of libraries. Many communities in Canada are in the process of building one. What is their relation to the library? To commercial bulletin boards? How will Freenets and community networks be implemented through libraries?

• What are the new copyright rules and how do they affect libraries and the distribution of information?
  Librarians and creators appear to be on opposite sides of the fence on copyright issues. Are there compromises? What is the basis of each position? What is the directions of government policy?

• Freedom of Information & Privacy legislation in your province: What is its impact on you?
  How is it being used? How can it be improved? How does it affect police; the professions such as doctors and lawyers; institutions such as hospitals, schools, universities and libraries; and how strong are the privacy provisions? Journalists in particular are knowledgeable about the access part of any legislation and always anxious to stretch the legislation.

5. TRAVELLING PROGRAMS

Library associations, regional library organizations can develop a program which can be used at a number of libraries over Information Rights Weeks. This allows a more efficient use of source resources on specific issues.

6. STAFF STUDY SESSIONS

Information Rights Week is a good opportunity to provide staff educationals on Information Policy issues. Much of the information provided here can be used for in-house workshops. One might focus on the draft information access principles which are included in this packet.

7. COMMUNITY COALITIONS

Take advantage of Information Rights Week to co-sponsor programs with other organizations and begin building community-based coalitions to support libraries and other community organizations concerned about protecting access to information. These groups can become an important focus for lobbying politicians and educating the community on information policy issues.
Working with other groups will also broaden your understanding of the many issues involved in information policy and the different angles taken by various groups. The groups might also want to discuss and support the draft information access principles.

8. PUBLICITY

PRESS CONFERENCE

Libraries and community groups in every municipality should hold a press conference to announce Information Rights Week. The CLA office in conjunction with Provincial library associations will try to organize simultaneous press conferences across Canada in the provincial capitals to focus attention on the issues at both the provincial and national level.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Writing a letter to the editor about Information Rights Week and current issues regarding information policy was very successfully used by Atlantic libraries during Information Rights Week in 1994. Individual Librarian, Library Boards or groups can put information into the letter that makes a direct connection to individuals in their area.

HOLD A MEETING WITH THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER EDITOR

Holding a meeting with the local newspaper editor and providing them with information on Information Rights Week and information policy issues serves the double function of getting coverage and educating the local press. This can be most successful with local and regional newspapers.

PRESS RELEASE AND AUDIO TAPE.

Many local papers and radio stations are anxious for content to fill up their pages or air time. By providing them with already prepared information, it is often published with very little alteration.

9. INFORMATION RIGHTS WEEK LUNCHEON

Organize a luncheon and invite prominent politicians or information rights advocates to speak at it. The luncheon need not be an elaborate affair and can be self-funding or can be simply a brown bag event. Remember to invite the press.

10. LOBBY POLITICIANS

Arrange for library and community group representatives to lobby local and provincial politicians on issues such as FOI legislation, funding for libraries, community access to high-speed networks, support for community computer networks, ending the tax on books, and government depository programs.

This page last updated 3 March 1996.

Copyright © 1995 BCLA Information Policy Committee

Back to Information Policy Home Page