Government Information and
Official Publications Section

Strategic Plan
2004-2005

Mission

Governments, intergovernmental organizations, and public non-governmental organizations generate large quantities of documents and information which shape our lives and mold the societies in which we live. The Government Information and Official Publications Section promotes the discovery, collection, bibliographic control, preservation, and dissemination of information from and about all these bodies. Persons interested in the Section are drawn from the world community of specialists in access to public documents, public data, and public policy. They share the mission of promoting the free and equitable access to quality information in order to assure accountability from governments and other public bodies to the people they serve.

Goals

1. Continue the Section's ongoing series of professional seminars and training programs in different regions of the world.

[Professional priorities: (a) advocacy, (b) partnerships and alliances, (c) continuing professional development.]

Action

1.1 Continue work with our colleagues in the Latin America and the Caribbean Section to develop and seek funding for a seminar targeted to government information specialists, data specialists, and their user constituencies in South America on the issues, challenges, opportunities, and requirements electronic government services, programs, and information create, and on the role these specialists can play in fostering the information literacy essential to maintaining and furthering sound governance practices, accountability, and effective use of these resources.

1.2 Negotiate with the Economic Commission for Africa (EAC) to include in its Conference on Information for Governance a jointly developed seminar and workshop on the role, place, challenge,s and opportunities provided by the Internet and digitized government information to foster improved regional governance. The seminar and workshop will also highlight how information and data specialists in the region, working cooperatively with their user constituencies and key decision makers, can help to shape the information agenda governments in the region pursue, and provide practical guidance on how to accomplish this.

1.3 Explore the possibility of working with the Committee on Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE) to develop a joint workshop with the United Nations on one or more issues associated with the creation, promotion, use, support, control, accessibility, preservation, and dissemination of government information globally.

1.4 Explore the possibility of working with the Committee on Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE) to develop and offer a pre or post conference in time for Oslo on the challenges, changes, and issues affecting the free dissemination, access, and use of government information.

2. Expand and enhance the educational tools to users and information professionals in the means of accessing, promoting, organizing, maintaining, using, and preserving government information.

[Professional priorities: (c) continuing professional development]

Action

2.1 Review, revise, update, maintain, promote, and expand the Government Information and Official Publications Section's (GIOPS) Web-based guides and related resources. Continue to explore opportunities to leverage its potential and develop new products based on it.

2.2 Migrate the GIOPS electronic list from its current home. Consolidate and maintain it in a manner more consistent with IFLA requirements, and explore the possibility of opening its membership to a wider audience in order to broaden the base of interest in the work of the Section.

2.3 Disseminate the proceedings and findings of the 2nd IFLA/GIOPS Eastern Europe Seminar, Crimea 2003, by making them available through the GIOPS electronic list.

2.4 Participate in, and contribute to the development of a guide to promote standards and best practices for Government Libraries and Information Centers led by the Government Libraries Section.

3. Examine methods of electronic access to information produced by governments, intergovernmental organizations and public non-governmental organizations.

[Professional priorities: (a) advocacy]

Action

3.1 Develop a conference program for the annual conference in Buenos Aires to promote and highlight the value of government information in fost ering education and development.

4. Review the role and place of the Government Information and Official Publications Section within IFLA.

[Professional priorities: ( a) advocacy, (b) partnerships and alliances]

Action

4.1 Review the mission, mandate, scope and objectives of the Government Information and Official Publications Section to ensure that the interests, needs and concerns of international non-governmental bodies can be legitimately covered within the Section. Address any concerns identified.

4.2 Lay the foundations for the Review of Sections and Core Activities to take place by 2007, and initiate a debate on the future, place, and role of GIOPS.

5. Complete a review of the development and publication of position papers, including the Position Paper on Copyright, finalize and implement an approach.

[Professional priorities: (a) advocacy, (c) continuing professional development]

Action

5.1 Initiate a discussion of the role and place of position papers within GIOPS, and arrive at a decision on the action to be taken with regards to the Position Paper on Copyright, and the definition of government documents.