Government Information Management in the 21st Century: International Perspectives

Citation

Martinez, S. (2013), "Government Information Management in the 21st Century: International Perspectives", Collection Building, Vol. 32 No. 3, pp. 122-122. https://doi.org/10.1108/CB-02-2013-0005

This work presents librarians, information professionals and government information policy leaders with a complete and scholarly review of current issues in government information management from a global perspective. Editor Peggy Garvin has spent 20 years managing electronic information products and services, and following government publishing trends and designs. The contributing authors are practitioners, scholars and government officials. They provide 14 new essays covering issues that many countries have in common. Freedom of information, open government, legal authentication of digital government documents and accessibility are current issues which the authors examine.

The book is arranged into two parts titled, respectively, “Libraries as Stewards and Access Points for Government Information”, and “Governments as Information Managers and Providers”. Libraries and government institutions share some of the same challenges regarding government information. The authors provide first‐hand accounts, international overviews, case studies, and arguments for best practices related to their topics. They call on librarians and their professional organizations, as well as leaders from other disciplines, to advocate authenticating and preserving government digital information. This book will provide readers with practical advice on managing local collections, as well as information about broader topics involved in the availability and management of information worldwide.

Other reviewers of this book point out that it is written in very accessible language. Complex processes are described and defined so that even newcomers to the subject can understand the content. It certainly needs to be read by professionals involved in making government information accessible. Each individual essay thoroughly explains and describes the issues, problems, and possible solutions. It includes accounts and best practices from some Eastern European countries, Canada, Mexico, the UK, and the USA. However, there is no mention of any Middle Eastern or African nations, and only a line or two about a few Asian countries.

This book is recommended to anyone interested in the fields of information policy, information management, and government information.