---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ####### ######## ######## ########### ### ### ## ### ## # ### # Interpersonal Computing and ### ### ## ### ## ### Technology: ### ### ## ### ### An Electronic Journal for ### ######## ### ### the 21st Century ### ### ### ### ### ### ### ## ### ISSN: 1064-4326 ### ### ### ## ### October, 1993 ####### ### ######## ### Volume 1, Number 4 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Published by the Center for Teaching and Technology, Academic Computer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC Additional support provided by the Center for Academic Computing, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 This article is archived as BRADLEY IPCTV1N4 on LISTSERV@GUVM ---------------------------------------------------------------- ACCESS TO U.S. GOVERNMENT INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET C. Diane Bradley, Auburn University Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day. Thomas Jefferson in a letter to Du Pont de Nemours (April 24, 1816) INTRODUCTION The right to government information is an inherent, if not Constitutional, right of the American public. Current government policy is providing more access to government information than ever before. Millions of computer users now have access to dozens, if not hundreds of government databases, free of charge (except to the institution or to commercial bulletin board users) over the Internet. This article describes several of the databases and how to access them. Additional information is provided to aid in accessing other databases. AN OVERVIEW OF GOVERNMENT INFORMATION POLICY The controversy over whether or not U.S. citizens have an absolute right to access to information collected by the federal government is almost as old as the nation itself. Some authors such as Kenneth Allen (1992) argue that access is a "fundamental tenet of American democracy" although the Constitution does not make a direct reference to the right of access to government information. The establishment of the position of Superintendent of Public Documents by an act passed on March 3, 1869 (15 Stat. 292), points to the government's official recognition of the right since the official was given the responsibility of distributing certain publications to depository libraries and other institutions authorized by law. However, according to Mary Fetzer and Joe Morehead (1992), the latter the author of several editions of a major government documents textbook, until the courts hold that "access to public information is a constitutional right by virtue of unenumerated and unspecified guarantees that antedate the basic instrument itself...the hopes of documents librarians will probably be dashed again and again." The controversy is further complicated by new technological developments. Until quite recently whether or not electronic publications fall under the auspices of Title 44 of the U.S. Code, which stipulates the kinds of publications that are to be distributed by the Depository Library System, was still undetermined. However, the outlook for access to government information, particularly electronic information, is more promising today than it has been in recent years due to the Clinton Administration's attitude about dissemination of public information. On February 22, 1993, the Administration released a document that included the statement: ...Promote dissemination of Federal information. Every year, the Federal government spends billions of dollars collecting and processing information (e.g. economic data, environmental data, and technical information). Unfortunately, while much of this information is very valuable, many potential users either do not know that it exits or do not know how to access it. We are committed to using new computer and networking technology to make this information more available to the taxpayers who pay for it. In addition, it will require consistent Federal information policies designed to ensure that Federal information is made available at a fair price to as many users as possible while encouraging growth of the information industry. (Clinton, 1993) The revised OMB Circular A130, reaffirms this commitment (FR July 2, 1993). The circular also identifies electronic products as candidates for distribution through the Depository Library Program. The GPO Access Law, signed by President Clinton on June 8, 1993, "requires the Superintendent of Documents, under the direction of the Public Printer, to establish a means for providing the public with online access to electronic public information of the Federal Government." (PL 103-40) It will come as no surprise to readers who are familiar with its history, that there are dozens, even hundreds, of government databases already on the Internet. The Internet began about 20 years ago, as a network called the ARPAnet which was an experiment of the U.S. Defense Department designed to build networks that could still function under extreme conditions such as those created by combat. (Krol, 1992) Other governmental departments' use of the Internet is a recent development in relation to the Department of Defense. It is only in recent years that these databases have been made accessible to the public. In addition, while some departments of the federal government have led the way in the use of computer technology, others are far behind. However, we hope that, through the encouragement of the Clinton Administration, more and more advances in this area will be made. Indeed, the recently released report of the National Performance Review task force led by Vice-President Al Gore, addresses the need throughout the government for more efficient use of information technology. (Red Tape, 1993) DATABASES ACCESSIBLE THROUGH THE INTERNET Five major databases or sites have been selected for the purpose of illustrating the types of government information that are already available on the Internet. They are presented according to the author's opinion of how important they are to the general public. The "public" is broadly defined as 'anyone with access to a computer that is connected to the Internet and who could not ordinarily use the database as a part of his or her job (i.e. is not a government employee)." Some of the sources the author has selected are actually comprised of more than one database. FedWorld, a project of the National Technical Information Service, will also be described because it provides Internet access to over 100 other government databases. It is assumed that readers have some knowledge of Internet terminology and procedures such as telnet, ftp, Gophers, and WAIS (see Collins, 1993). Readers who are not familiar with the terminology or how to access the information are encouraged to contact the networking specialists at their respective institutions. Those who access the Internet through commercial gateways may be able to find online documentation. WHITE HOUSE ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING PROGRAM During the 1992 Presidential campaign, the Communications Office used electronic mail to distribute more than 200 speeches and position papers to the Internet and to several commercial bulletin boards. A similar program has been instituted in the Office of Media Affairs in the Clinton Administration. By the end of August, 1993, more than 1000 speeches, press briefings, executive orders, and other major documents from the Executive Office of the President had been electronically disseminated. While most of the President's speeches are printed in the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, the electronic messages are received much more quickly. The text of press briefings has been available in the past through expensive online searches, but excluding the cost of the Internet to the home institution, the electronic service is free. Commercial bulletin board users may pay for individual messages as they would for messages from other services, depending on the bulletin board involved. There are several ways of obtaining the material that is posted through the Electronic Publishing Program. One way is to subscribe to a service developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. To receive ALL of the material--an average of four or five messages daily--send an email message in the following form: To: clinton-info@campaign92.org Subject: receive all Do not include a message. To receive only messages in a particular subject area, you can substitute any of the following phrases for "all" in the subject line : economic policy foreign policy social policy speeches news help (for more detailed instructions) This service is a temporary one and is not designed for high traffic. It should be used primarily for redistribution. As soon as possible, the server will be moved to the Communications and Media Affairs Office. Those who have subscribed through the MIT service will be carried over to the new server. There are several other options for retrieving the material for computer users who do not wish to receive the material on a daily basis. CompuServe, America Online, and several other commercial bulletin board services have forums on which the electronic publications are posted. Alt.news-media and several other USENET newsgroups receive the material directly. In addition, the Office For Information Technology at the University of North Carolina maintains a comprehensive archive of the material which is available and/or searchable through telnet, Gopher, WAIS, and ftp access. Their telnet/Gopher address is sunsite.unc.edu. For WAIS access to the political archives, login as politics. To browse the Sunsite archives, login as gopher. To retrieve documents via anonymous ftp ftp sunsite.unc.edu directory /pub/academic/political-science/whitehouse-papers/1993 or /pub/archives/whitehouse-papers/1993 A more complete FAQ (frequently asked questions) document is available in the subdirectory for August. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS When Vice-President Al Gore speaks of his vision of an electronic superhighway, he often describes his goal for school children to be able to search the vast resources of the Library of Congress (LC). Part of this goal, already in the planning stages at the Library of Congress before the election, was realized during the summer of 1993 when the Library of Congress made several databases available to the public over the Internet. Together, these databases are called LOCIS: Library of Congress Information System. More than 26 million records are included. To access the Library of Congress, telnet to locis.loc.gov. Many Gophers also have a link to LC. No password is necessary. The initial menu will include the option to select one of the following databases: LC Catalog, Federal Legislation, Copyright Information, Braille and Audio, Organizations, or Foreign Law. The LC Catalog provides access to bibliographic records on the library's holdings. The LOCI file includes English language books cataloged from 1968 to the present, French books from 1973, German, Portuguese, and Spanish since 1975, other European languages since 1977, and non-European languages since 1979. Some microforms cataloged since 1984 are also included. The file PREM is the retrospective catalog for this material. It also includes some serials, maps, music and audiovisual items. The LOCM file includes serials cataloged by the Library of Congress and some other libraries since 1973. LOCM includes cartographic items that have been cataloged since 1968 by the Library of Congress and by other research libraries since 1985. The records can be accessed by several keys including author, title, Library of Congress subject heading, and keyword browsing. Useful online help screens are provided. A quick search guide to this database as well as the others included can be obtained through anonymous ftp to ftp seq1.loc.gov directory pub/LC.Online/quick-search.ascii. The Federal Legislation database provides information on Congressional action since the 93rd Congress (1973). The data is divided into sections according to Congress. Search keys include bill or resolution number, Congressman or Senator's name, keywords, and subject search. The history of the bill is included as well as a digest and list of cosponsors. The Copyright Information database includes information about works that have been registered for copyright since 1978. It includes information on published and unpublished texts, sound recordings, music, motion pictures, graphic arts, etc. Copyright renewals are also included. Author, claimant, title and registration number access is provided. The Braille and Audio database includes information on Braille, audio, some large-print, and other items in the National Library Service/Blind and Physically Handicapped program. The file is searchable by author/narrator name, title, subject, and keyword. The Organizations database includes descriptions of over 13,000 social science, science, and technology associations. The list is searchable by name of organization, location, and subject. Finally, the Foreign Law database has two major files. The first is LAWL which consists of abstracts of legislation from over 30 countries, primarily Hispanic. HISS contains citations for articles in selected legal publications relating to Hispanic legal systems. Searching is by subject or country. The Library of Congress also has an Internet accessible Gopher. To access it: telnet marvel.loc.gov login: marvel Only ten users can connect directly to this Gopher. If you are not able to get into the Gopher directly, point a Gopher client to the same address, or check your local Gopher Server's menus. The LC Gopher provides access to LOCIS and other information databases at the Library of Congress. In addition, links are provided to information about the U.S. Congress and other government information databases. THE SUPREME COURT A few years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court began an endeavor called Project Hermes. It was an attempt to distribute its opinions electronically. Case Western Reserve University was one of the primary participants in the experiment which has now been declared a success by the Court. To access Supreme Court opinions, anonymous ftp ftp ftp.cwru.edu directory /hermes/ascii. You need to know the docket number to access the file you want. Current decisions are posted to USENET group courts.usa.federal.supreme. Many Gophers have links to the material, and they are available in the "Courthouse Area" of the Cleveland Free Net. To do a WAIS keyword search for opinions(telnet to quake.think.com. ECONOMIC BULLETIN BOARD The Commerce Department's Economic Bulletin Board has been accessible through the Internet through most of the summer of 1993. This is a pilot project that is scheduled to end in September. Internet access will still be available, but there will be a charge for access. However, the University of Michigan downloads information from the bulletin board on an almost daily basis and makes it accessible through both ftp and Gopher. The address for both connections is una.hh.lib.umich.edu. If you use anonymous ftp, ftp una.hh.lib.umich.edu directory /ebb There are numerous subdirectories. If you telnet, the path is Social Science Resources Economics Economic Bulletin Board Some of the files are text files, but many others are data files which can be imported into spreadsheet applications programs. Agencies contributing to the EBB include the Bureau of the Census, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Department of the Treasury, the Agriculture Department, and the Federal Reserve Board. An online manual for the dial-up EBB is available, and there are lists of files that are helpful when searching through the Gopher. The following is a list of a few of the files that are available: Consumer Price Index Daily Treasury Statement Foreign Exchange Rate Gross Domestic Product Housing Starts and Building Permits Local Area Employment and Unemployment Personal Income and Outlays FEDIX FEDIX is an online service which includes participation by the Department of Energy, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Education and several other agencies. The telnet address is fedix.fie.com. There are several types of information on the FEDIX system. The database MOLIS provides information about minority institutions, and scholarships and other financial assistance for minorities. The FEDIX database provides information on higher education opportunities for women and minorities, also. The FEDIX database also provides information from several technology-oriented agencies. For example, the Department of Energy file includes such information as how to get reliable used research equipment. Research program information is also available. The NASA file includes information on research, educational, and minority programs as well as information on space centers. FEDIX is a user-friendly system that has much to offer for the Internet explorer who is willing to spend time discovering its many resources. LOCATING OTHER GOVERNMENT INFORMATION RESOURCES The databases described up to this point are obviously only the tip of the iceberg. Rather than try to go into detail about more of the databases, the author will provide information about how to find more online resources. FedWorld became available on the Internet in September, 1993. Main menu choices include a public mail forum to correspond with other FedWorld users, a library of files, and access to federal job announcements. Information about the National Technical Information Service is also provided as is a patent search bulletin board. In addition, FedWorld provides a gateway to over 100 other databases. Government databases are not known for their ease of use and commands vary from database to database. However, gateway access eliminates the necessity of knowing the addresses to each database. In fact, many of the databases are not yet directly available on the Internet. The user can also retrieve a list of several other dial-up bulletin boards which are not available on FedWorld. The telnet address is fedworld.doc.gov. Some of the databases for which a link is provided are: ALF National Agricultural Library BBS CABB Passport information and travel alerts from the State Department CIC-BBS Consumer Information Center CRS-BRS Americans with Disabilities Act Information EPUB Energy information and data FDA's BBS FDA information and policies Federal BBS Government Printing Office information Labor News Department of Labor information and files NCJRS National Criminal Justice Reference System OASH-BBS Health and AIDS information and reports SBA Online Small Business Administration information STIS Science and Technology Information System Other ways to access government information include performing Veronica and WAIS searches. In addition, there are several remote sites that are gathering information for special government information Gophers. One of the most comprehensive is at the University of California-Irvine. The telnet address is cwis.oac.uci.edu. Login as gopher. When you reach the menus, the path is The World Internet Assistance GOPHERS: United States GOVERNMENT... The author believes that Internet explorers can take the information provided in this article to develop their own lists of favorite government information resources. The five databases described at the beginning of the article are some of the most valuable databases of governmental information that are currently available on the Internet. In addition, FedWorld, and the Gopher at the University of California-Irvine will provide access to numerous other databases. Use of Internet search tools such as Veronica and WAIS will provide access to even more databases. NETIQUETTE AND DISCLAIMERS Please remember that when you connect to a computer center at an educational institution you are probably using the same computer that is used by the institution's employees. Some actually restrict anonymous ftp access to their off-peak hours. Do your best to use the files between 6:00pm and 8:00am (local time) during the week or on week-ends. Download large files during those times, also, when possible. The Internet is an dynamic, fast growing and fast changing organism. A database that is at one level of a Gopher one day, may be at another level a few days later. The author believes the information provided to be accurate at the time of writing. If you encounter trouble, she can be contacted at bradlcd@auducadm.auburn.edu. _____________________________________________________ References Allen, K. B. (1992). Access to government information. Government Information Quarterly, 9, 67-80. Clinton, B. (1993). Technology for America's economic growth: a new direction to build economic strength. (available through anonymous ftp at sunsite.unc.edu as /pub/academic/political-science/whitehouse- Papers/1993/Feb/Technology-for-Americas-Economic-Growth. Collins, M. (1993) Networks and networking : A primer. Interpersonal Computing and Technology Journal, (1)1. Archived as COLLINS IPCTV1N1 at LISTSERV@GUVM.GEORGETOWN.EDU Krol, E. (1992). The whole Internet: user's guide & catalog. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. Morehead, J. and Fetzer, Mary. (1992). Introduction to Unitet States government information sources (4th ed.) Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, Inc. National Performance Review. (1993). From red tape to results: creating a government that works better & costs less. (available through anonymous ftp at sunsite.unc.edu as /pub/academic/political-science/whitehouse-papers/1993/Sep/National-Pe rformance-Review-Report...) Office of Management and Budget (1993, July 2). Management of federal information resources. Federal Register, 36068-36086. ---------------------------------------------------------------- BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Diane Bradley has been a Social Sciences Reference Librarian at Auburn University Libraries for almost five years. Her major responsibilities include collection development and bibliographic instruction for the areas of Political Science and Sociology. In addition, she has nine years of experience as a Government Documents Librarian. This article combines her two great interests in librarianship--exploration of the Internet and government information policy. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Interpersonal Computing and Technology: An Electronic Journal for the 21st Century Copyright 1993 Georgetown University. Copyright of individual articles in this publication is retained by the individual authors. Copyright of the compilation as a whole is held by Georgetown University. It is asked that any republication of this article state that the article was first published in IPCT-J. Contributions to IPCT-J can be submitted by electronic mail in APA style to: Gerald Phillips, Editor IPCT-J GMP3@PSUVM.PSU.EDU