[Asis-l] Questions for candidates

[Michel J. Menou]

I am glad to see that Nick and I share the same desire for more active
collaborations with other societies, hopefully not restricted to the
policies fronts.
I agree with Nick that issues of information policies are well
represented in the publications and sessions at the annual meeting.
Though in the latter case sessions are not necessarily among th emost
popular.
This discussion should nevertheless help us identify those new targets
that can make ASIS&T even more responsive to the needs of its members
and the public.
Policies are not a special area of interest, not something that is
taken care of by specialists and sort of hit or miss each of us.
Poicies are, or should express our common vision of a better state of
affaires and do affect us all. Thus the need to reconnect this theme
with all the others at all levels.
Michel


Tuesday, September 2, 2003, 8:30:39 PM, you wrote:

nb> I believe that ASIS&T already does some quite substantial activities
nb> with respect to both of the issues raised by Professor Carbo. Education
nb> in information policy issues is served through the Annual Review of
nb> Information Science and Technology, which almost every year has quite
nb> strong chapters on information policy-related issues. Education has also
nb> been served through several JASIST "Perspectives" issues, and through
nb> focus on policy-related issues in the Bulletin of the ASIS&T. And, it
nb> has been addressed through relevant sessions in the Annual Meetings. I
nb> believe that ASIS&T has also had some influence on information policy
nb> through official statements made with respect to specific issues that
nb> have arisen, and membership on government and quasi-government
nb> organizations concerned with information policy, although these have
nb> primarily been only with respect to information policy in the USA.

nb> I believe that with respect to educating the members about information
nb> policy issues, ASIS&T is doing a pretty fair job already. Its activities
nb> could be improved, of course, perhaps through a regular column on the
nb> topic (probably by guest columnists, rather than one person) in the
nb> Bulletin. With respect to influencing information policy, I believe that
nb> ASIS&T could do better than it has done. This could perhaps be
nb> accomplished by such means as entering into more active collaborations
nb> with relevant national and international organizations to develop joint
nb> positions on issues of significance to information policy, and
nb> establishing a responsibility (perhaps through the SIG IFP) for making
nb> sure that the Board of Directors is kept current on information policy
nb> issues, such as proposed legislation, on which ASIS&T should consider
nb> taking an official stance. In cases where ASIS&T does take an official
nb> stance, it should be made widely available to the members, and they
nb> should be encouraged to add their individual support, as appropriate.
nb> Direct lobbying is probably not something that ASIS&T could, or should
nb> do on its own.

nb> Nick Belkin

nb> Toni Carbo wrote:
>> 
>> I am pleased that we have the opportunity to pose questions to the
>> candidates for ASIS&T offices. I would like to pose the following question
>> to the two candidates for President-elect:
>> 
>> In light of the many critical information-policy issues facing the
>> information profession, what can ASIS&T do to strengthen its role in
>> educating members about information policy issues and in influencing
>> policy?
>> 
>> Toni Carbo, Ph.D., Professor
>> School of Information Sciences and
>> Graduate School of Public and International Affairs
>> University of Pittsburgh
>> and Editor, The International Information and Library Review