The seven articles in this symposium review the Office of Technology Assessment report, Informing the Nation: Federal Information Dissemination in an Electronic Age. Symposium contributors comment on the recommendations and conclusions of the report, and offer suggestions to improve the federal information policy system. (CLB)

Describes a study that examined the time lag between the receipt of depository publications and the availability of the Government Printing Office's cataloging records made available on Monthly Catalog tapes. Findings are reported for high cataloging priority titles, monographs versus monographic serials, paper versus microfiche publications, and…

Although the goal of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is to make government more open and accountable, a number of unintended effects have resulted. Amendments are proposed to prevent the use of the FOIA by criminals and foreign agents and to place the cost of administering the law on the user. (FMW)

Traces trends in the federal government's policy toward publication of statutes and publication practices from the time of the colonies to the present administration. The impairment of the publication of federal administrative law is then discussed in the context of the rise of a national security state. (118 notes with references) (CLB)

Several sources of nutrition information are available on the Internet. Good online sources include the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Consumer Service bulletin board, the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, and the IFIC (International Food Information Council) Foundation On-Line. E-mail addresses…

Examines the major producers of U.S. federal government scientific technical information, principal data categories, and the role of the National Archives in documenting scientific data. Discusses appraisal, accessioning, and preservation of scientific data by the National Archives and Records Administration. (Author/AEF)

Reports results of a survey of depository libraries that gathered information on which CD-ROM databases distributed by the Government Printing Office are received and public access to these databases. Addresses and details of equipment used for public access for the 41 responding libraries are provided, and a list of selected databases is…

Proposes an infrastructure to provide organizationwide access in a large university to government statistical databases issued on CD-ROM. Topics addressed include characteristics of government numeric data on CD-ROM, networked options, desired characteristics of networked CD-ROM access, hardware and network configurations, a prototype system, and…

Discussion of the planned transformation of the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) from a printer to a multimedia disseminator of information products and services considers the need for a governmentwide publishing policy; the underlying principles that define the GPO's role; and strategies for providing access to online data. (six references)…

Includes three papers that discuss government publishing in developing countries and its effects on library collection development. Highlights include national information policies; user expectations; the role of culture; bibliographic control; acquisition and access to publications from Africa and Asia; and an indexed bibliography of 236 works…

Addresses issues related to the dissemination of federal government information in both print and electronic formats. Highlights include the variety in user needs; value versus cost; the lack of uniform policy among government agencies regarding pricing; information versus publication; and private sector information providers. (LRW)

Provides an overview of security classification reform for consideration by the Clinton administration and the 103rd Congress. Historical background and current issues related to the security classification of information, personnel security clearances, and industrial safeguarding of classified information are discussed. A checklist of basic…

Includes five articles that discuss the public's access to information from the federal government, especially electronic information. Perspectives are provided from the viewpoints of librarians, industry, public interest research groups, publishers, journalists, and private non-profit foundations; and the Freedom of Information Center at the…

Libraries assume a significant financial obligation in the provision of government publications and products. The Government Printing Office (GPO) service roles, service pledges, and depository library service roles are discussed. The GPO's Superintendent of Documents (SUDOCS), an electronic depository program, will place a significant financial…

This paper describes two mini-workshops that professors can use with undergraduate marketing students to help students learn how to locate and creatively use readily available secondary data for market research. The first mini-workshop, "Searching for Buying Power Concentration in Industrial/Organizational Markets," uses information from…