A free society is predicated on transparency and access to information. The ability to examine records generated by public entities can help expose controversies and keep people in power in check. Moreover, a well-informed society is better equipped to make good decisions regarding its future. These public records laws, known as “sunshine laws”, set ground… Read more »
Tag: government information
Election Preparation
Election Day is November 8th in the United States, when a free people have the power to decide who serves in their government, at the federal, state, and local levels. There are several useful tools that registered voters can use to prepare for their civic opportunity – some would say civic duty – to vote. … Read more »
Celebrating family history
The U.S. Senate passed a resolution in 2001 to establish October as Family History Month. In the FamilySearch blog “Why We Need Family History Now More Than Ever” Rachel Coleman explains that “Knowing our cultural background and where we came from can help us develop a strong sense of who we really are. The way… Read more »
Remembering 9/11, twenty years later
On the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, New York was going about its business. As the city that never sleeps, people were already on board the subways, taking buses and heading up the elevators to their offices. The streets were bustling as usual with shop owners, clerks, tourists, locals, children – everyone who had… Read more »
Counting on the Census
With a count of 331,449,281 residents, the 24th decennial Census of the United States is beginning to release the newest data about the current demographics of our country. This procedure, a Constitutionally-mandated enumeration of the citizens and residents of the country, is a vital research tool – but it is also a source of conflict… Read more »
Legislature in Action
On April 4, IU East is hosting two retired members of the U.S. House for the Congress to Campus event. David Minge, (D) Minnesota (1993-2001) and Steven T. Kuykendall, (R) California (1999-2001), will visit classrooms and talk with students interested in the democratic process. There will also be a reception from 5-6 pm in the… Read more »
Government Information Day
May 7th is Government Information Day at the Indiana State Library! The ISL is using this opportunity to highlight what is available and how to use the wealth of information collected and published by the U.S. and state governments, whether you access that information through libraries or directly from government agencies. One huge area of… Read more »
Disappearing Statistics: Why it should matter to you and what you can do about it
Some of you who have come to the library needing statistics for your research may have seen me reach for a book called Statistical Abstract of the United States. The Census Bureau, which has published it annually since 1878, has announced that it will discontinue producing it. It is, in the Census Bureau’s words, a… Read more »