Principles of access to government information
Preamble
Government information helps to educate people, stimulate progress and solve complex economic, scientific and social problems. With many new technologies, however, government information has expanded so quickly that basic principles regarding its creation, use and dissemination are in danger of being neglected and even forgotten.
The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) believes government information should be recognised as a national resource to be developed and preserved in the public interest. ALIA defines government information as information created, compiled, commissioned and/or maintained by all levels of government. ALIA asserts that government information should be publicly available except where restricted by law and offers the following Principles of Access to Government Information.
Statement of principles
- The public has the right of access to government information. Government agencies should guarantee open, timely and uninhibited access to government information regardless of format.
- Governments should guarantee the integrity and preservation of government information, regardless of format (for example, electronic formats). By maintaining government information in the face of changing times and technologies, government agencies assure government accountability and the accessibility of government business to the public.
- All levels of government in Australia should guarantee the production and dissemination of government information. Any restriction of dissemination or other function dealing with government information must be strictly defined by law.
- Governments should safeguard the privacy of persons who use or request information, as well as the privacy of persons about whom information exists in government records.
- Governments should ensure access through libraries as well as through normal departmental sources to government information.
- Governments should not allow cost to obstruct individual users' access to government information. Costs incurred by creating, collecting and processing information for governments' own purposes should not be passed on to people who wish to utilise government information.
- Governments should ensure that information about government information is easily available and in a single comprehensive catalogue (for publications) and a directory (for information). These catalogues and directories should be accessible in a variety of formats. The comprehensive government directory of government information should be in addition to inventories of information kept within individual government agencies.
- Governments should guarantee public access to government information regardless of where individuals live and work, through national networks, exchange programs between governments in Australia and programs like the Legal Deposit System. Government agencies should periodically review such programs as well as the emerging technology to ensure that access to government information remains inexpensive and convenient to the public.
Conclusion
The Australian Library and Information Association offers these principles of access to government information as a foundation for the decisions made throughout Australia relating to issues of government information. ALIA urges all branches of the federal, state and local governments, and the private sector to utilise these principles in the development of information policies and in the creation, use, dissemination and preservation of such information.
Developed by the former Australian Council of Library and Information Services.
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