New Study on Information Management in the Government of Canada

Isla Jordan, of the Carleton University Library, and Ulla de Stricker of de Stricker and Associates have co-authored a report on Information Management in the Canadian Federal Government: Principles, Practices and the Role of Information Professionals.

From the abstract:

"Information management (IM) in the Canadian public sector is a complex area involving many professions such as librarians, archivists, records managers and information technology professionals. This exploratory study looks at the literature and experiential (qualitative) evidence from IM professionals in order to paint a picture of information management principles and practice in the Canadian federal government. Personal interviews were conducted with 20 librarians, information managers, records managers and other information professionals. Responses indicated that although the public sector has made tremendous strides in IM, there is often a gap between IM policy and practice as shown by inconsistencies and confusion in day to day operations compounded by the decimation of federal libraries (which are repositories of external as well as government information). The study also looks at roles of librarians and other IM professionals now and in the future. These professionals are well positioned to help close the gap between information policy and practice, moving forward toward more coordinated and integrated practices in information management as well as making information accessible and usable for their clients. Such functions aid the Canadian public sector in becoming a more effective knowledge organization."

April 2013 Issue of Connected Bulletin on Courts and Social Media

The April 2013 issue of Connected is available online. The bulletin covers news about the impact of new social media on US courts.

In this issue:

• AOCs [administrative offices of the courts] and high courts using social media: an update
• Oregon juror jailed for texting during trial
• Courts on Yelp
• Michigan launches latest video in Court Stories series

It is published by the Virginia-based National Center for State Courts and the Conference of Court Public Information Officers.

Twitter Hashtags for Upcoming Library Conferences

The blog of the CLA Govt Library & IM Professionals Network, part of the Canadian Library Association, has published a useful post listing the Twitter hashtags for many upcoming library conferences.

It missed one: the hashtag for the 2013 conference of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries next week in Montreal. It will be #callacbd2013

Statistics Canada Profile of Child-Related Family Law Cases, 2011/2012

Juristat, a Statistics Canada publication, has published an article on the characteristics of civil court family law cases in 2011/2012 related to child protection, custody, access and child support:

"Family law cases involving children are a particular concern for Canadians and Canadian policy-makers who want to reduce the impact of family breakdown on the children involved. The federal and provincial governments have worked together for many years to improve family justice policies and services with a focus on children ...  Since 2009, the federal 'Supporting Families Experiencing Separation and Divorce Initiative' has provided funding to support various provincial and territorial family justice services such as mediation, parent information programs and support to help families develop agreements that are in the best interests of the child."

"In addition, family law includes cases involving child protection, where the government applies to the court to determine whether a child is in need of protection due to maltreatment (ex. physical, sexual, or emotional abuse or neglect), with the result that parents may be supervised, or children are taken into government care. For the most part, child protection cases are not connected to family breakdown situations."

"This article uses information from the Statistics Canada Civil Court Survey (CCS) to examine the characteristics of family law cases related to the child-related issues of child protection, custody, access and child support in civil courts in the eight provinces and territories included in the survey. The survey does not collect data from Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and courts in Moncton, New Brunswick.The report examines family and child-related cases in the overall context of the civil court system. It then provides a more focused look at cases involving at least one child-related issue, examining their complexity (if they involve multiple issues), their activity in the first year, and how they tend to progress over time."

AALL Spectrum's 13th Annual Issue on Law Library Architecture

The May 2013 issue of the AALL Spectrum, the monthly publication of the Association of American Law Libraries, is devoted to law library architecture south of the border. Nice pix.

From the presentation:

"The 13th annual architecture series features two new buildings and four remodels/renovations from two public law libraries, one law firm, and three academic libraries. Both new buildings aim to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certifications. In Baltimore, the library transitioned from occupying two floors to being spread over six, and in Denver, the new library bridges print and electronic."

"In Seattle, the law firm library shrank and kept satellite libraries because users wanted them. In San Diego, the library staff imagined a future law library where both Aristotle and Lady Gaga could enjoy reading."

"In Kansas City, students can now easily enter the library from the law school classrooms, while in Boise the library expresses the vision of its founder and the community."

Supreme Court of Canada: New Library Titles

The list of new library titles added to the Supreme Court of Canada collection for the period of April 1st to 15th, 2013 is now available on the Court website.

The web page explains: "The Supreme Court of Canada Library does not lend materials from this list, which is provided for information only."

But, once the material goes into the general collection, after about a month, the works do become available for inter-library loan to authorized libraries.

It is possible to subscribe via e-mail to receive the list.

Library of Parliament Updated Research Publication on Official Languages Act

The Library of Parliament recently updated its research publication The Official Languages Act: Understanding Its Principles and Implementation:

"The Canadian Constitution does not contain any provisions relating to jurisdiction in matters of language. In a 1988 decision, the Supreme Court of Canada affirmed that the power to legislate in matters of language belongs to both the federal and provincial levels of government, according to their respective legislative authority. "

"The first Official Languages Act (OLA) was passed by the federal government in July 1969, in response to the work of the Royal Commission of Inquiry on Bilingualism and Biculturalism. In 1982, the entrenchment of language rights in the Constitution opened a new chapter in the evolution of this issue. The OLA was revised in 1988 to take into account the new constitutional order. The new Act expanded the legislative basis for linguistic policies and programs adopted by the federal government. The OLA was revised again in November 2005 to clarify the duties of federal institutions with respect to enhancing the vitality of official language minority communities and promoting linguistic duality (...) "

"Since amendments were made to the OLA in November 2005, federal institutions have had a duty to take positive measures to follow through on the commitment set out in section 41 of the OLA. These positive measures may vary according to the mandate of each institution. Their implementation must respect the provinces’ areas of jurisdiction and powers."

"Consultations were launched in the spring of 2012 to identify the current challenges and priorities relating to linguistic duality and to develop a future federal strategy on official languages. The Roadmap for Canada’s Linguistic Duality 2008–2013 came to an end on 31 March 2013. The new Roadmap for Canada’s Official Languages 2013–2018 came into force on 1 April 2013 with three priority sectors for action: education, immigration and communities."

"On 16 May 2012, a bill on amending provisions dealing with communications with and services to the public was tabled in the Senate. A similar bill had been introduced in a previous Parliament; however, it died on the Order Paper. "

Supreme Court of Canada Justice Morris Fish Announces Retirement

Supreme Court of Canada Justice Morris Fish has announced that he will be retiring from the court at the end of the month of August:

• Supreme Court justice, defender of rights of the accused, announces retirement (Globe and Mail): "Judge Fish, a colourful personality on the court and a tireless defender of the rights of the accused, would have reached his mandatory retirement date on Nov. 16, his 75th birthday (...) A recognized expert in evidence and practice of criminal law, he has written numerous significant decisions involving criminal rights in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Last year, he was awarded the most prestigious honour in the criminal law world – the G. Arthur Martin Medal – for his contribution to criminal justice in Canada."
• Fish announces retirement from Supreme Court (Canadian Lawyer): "Ottawa lawyer and long-time Supreme Court agent Eugene Meehan commented on Fish's announcement: 'In Canada’s national court he always stuck his juridical neck out for the little guy – Canada’s best defence judge has now ‘gone fishing'. "
• Cour suprême: le juge Fish tire sa révérence (La Presse): "Cette vacance marquera la sixième occasion pour le gouvernement de Stephen Harper de nommer un magistrat au plus haut tribunal du pays. Sa dernière nomination était le Québécois Richard Wagner (...) Diplômé de l'Université McGill et de l'Université de Paris, Morris J. Fish s'est spécialisé en droit pénal et a pratiqué au sein de l'étude Cohen, Leithman, Kaufman, Yarosky & Fish, en plus d'enseigner le droit dans diverses universités montréalaises. Il a été conseiller juridique spécial à la Commission d'enquête sur l'industrie de la construction au Québec, la Commission Cliche."
• Morris Fish to retire from Supreme Court of Canada (Financial Post)
• Supreme Court Justice Morris Fish retiring (CBC News)

Authentication of US Legal Materials Moving Forward With Uniform Electronic Legal Material Act

There is an interesting post on the In Custodia Legis blog of the Law Library of Congress about the Uniform Electronic Legal Material Act (UELMA).

The Act was drafted by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws as a model that state legislatures can adopt to designate their online legal materials as official.

"Digital technology makes documents easy to alter or copy, leading to multiple non-identical versions that can be used in unauthorized or illegitimate ways. Unfortunately, the ease of alteration has introduced doubt in users’ minds about the authenticity of many of the digital documents they encounter (...)"

"While not proscribing any particular preservation or authentication method or technology, the law establishes a digital preservation framework for official electronic legal materials moving forward."

"If legal material defined by the act is published only electronically it must be designated 'official' and meet the requirements of the act. If there is a print version of the legal material, an official publisher may designate the online version 'official,' but the requirements of the act to authenticate, preserve, and provide access must be met. Once designated 'official,' the Act requires the legal materials be:

• Authenticated, by providing a method to determine that it is unaltered;
• Preserved, either in electronic or print form; and
• Accessible, for use by the public on a permanent basis."

There is more discussion of the UELMA on Slaw.ca.

Library of Parliament HillNote on Under-Reporting and Low Conviction Rates for Sexual Assault

The Library of Parliament earlier this week published a HillNote on Under-Reporting and Low Conviction Rates for Sexual Assault. HillNotes are brief analyses of current or emerging issues:

"In practice, the experiences of victims of crime depend not only on the laws and institutions in place, but also on the individuals victims encounter throughout their interaction with the justice system."

"From the police officer receiving the complaint to the judge at trial, everyone in the justice system has a part to play. This is reflected in the theme of this year’s National Victims of Crime Awareness Week from April 21–27, which is We All Have a Role."

"To illustrate the significance of this theme, this HillNote examines difficulties faced by victims of sexual assault, an offence ranging from sexual touching to what was previously called rape. In particular, it examines factors behind under-reporting and low conviction rates."

Law Commission of England Consultation on Patents, Trade Marks and Design Rights: Groundless Threats

The Law Commission of England and Wales is undertaking a consultation on what are known as groundless threats in patent and trade-mark cases:

"Intellectual property rights are a vital foundation of economic growth.  Patents, trade marks and design rights ensure that innovation is rewarded and encouraged.  If misused, however, they can stifle new ideas and inventions.  Infringement litigation can be disruptive and expensive.  The law provides a remedy in the shape of the threats provisions.  Where a threat is made without a genuine intention to litigate; where there has been no infringement or where the right is invalid the threat is said to be groundless (or unjustified).  Any person aggrieved by a groundless threat may apply to court for an injunction, declaration or damages."

"There are problems with the current law.  The provisions do not distinguish well between the trade source of the infringement and others with a lesser connection, such as customers.  Groundless threats actions can also be used tactically to drive a wedge between legal advisers and their clients or to drive cases to court rather than encourage negotiations over settlement."

The consultation is part of the Commission's Patents, Trade Marks and Design Rights: Groundless Threats project.

Canadian Bar Association Paper on Access to Justice Metrics

The Canadian Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Access to Justice has published a consultation document on Access to Justice Metrics. It is one of five discussion papers in its Envisioning Equal Justice initiative:

"The Envisioning Equal Justice initiative aims to tackle four barriers that currently impede sustainable an d sustained improvement to access to justice: lack of political profile, inadequate strategy and coordination of access initiatives, absence of mechanisms to measure change, and identifiable gaps in our knowledge as to what actually works to improve access."

"This discussion paper is designed to directly address the third barrier to progress: the absence of common terminology about access to justice, mechanisms to measure change, and a practical definition of success. It explores the conceptual foundation for access to justice metrics and identifies some approaches taken in other jurisdictions and by international organizations. It also presents a summary of findings from consultations held with focus groups concerning how they perceive access to justice, as one important perspective in formulating practical components of access to justice."

"The paper concludes with consultation questions designed to elicit feedback and discussion on the issues and options canvassed. Your input will assist the CBA Committee to develop its report and recommendations to be tabled at the Canadian Legal Conference in August 2013."

The Canadian Bar Association website has more background on the Envisioning Equal Justice Project.

What Would You Tell Your Past MLIS-Student Self?

Last week, the SLA (Special Libraries Association) organized an #SLAtalk on Twitter.

Participants were asked to go on Twitter and answer 4 questions relating to "What Would You Tell Your Past MLIS-Student Self?" People used the hashtag #SLAtalk.

The SLA has summarized the results on its blog.

The 4 questions were:

1. What subjects or skills do you wish you were taught or exposed to in library school?
2. What was your favorite class or project in LIS school? How have you applied what you learned to your career?
3. What formal supplemental education, if any, did you pursue after library school?
4. What recommendations would you give a library school student?

CLA Government Library Network Interview With Michelle Gabourie

The CLA Government Library and Information Management Professionals Network, part of the Canadian Library Association (CLA), has launched 13 Questions With..., a new series on its website that profiles a member of the Canadian library and IM community every week.

This week's interview is with Michelle Gabourie, Owner, MB Knowledge Solutions.

Excerpt:

"Career advice – what’s your top tip?
Keep trying, even if it means taking chances or re-inventing yourself. If I didn’t work at DeBeers [summer job during her Masters program] I never would have learned how much I enjoy information management (specifically SharePoint). I have had a lot of different jobs that I thought were the right ‘fit’ for me, but in the end I’ve ended up creating my ‘right fit’. In a lot of the jobs I held I never felt fully utilized, I always wanted to do more and learn more. Many times I was told to just ‘let things happen’ even if it meant being in-efficient. Instead of sitting back, I took on extra work, took extra courses and networked as much as I could. Now, I have a full schedule, work that I find rewarding, and rarely am I underutilized or bored."

Law Reform Commission of Ireland Report on Jury Service

The Law Reform Commission of Ireland today published a Report on Jury Service. From the press release:

"The Report forms part of the Commission’s Third Programme of Law Reform and examines a number of topics concerning jury service including: whether qualification for jury service should be extended beyond Irish citizens; the categories of persons who are ineligible for jury service; persons who are excusable as of right from jury service; deferral of jury service; disqualification from jury service arising from criminal convictions; jury tampering; juror misconduct, including independent investigations such as internet searches; juror expenses; lengthy and complex jury trials; and empirical research on the jury process (...)"

"The Report takes account of concerns that the existing law and processes for jury selection do not involve selection of juries from panels that are representative of the community. For example, the current jury panels compiled under the Juries Act 1976 are limited to Irish citizens and exclude long term residents including EU citizens; by contrast, Irish citizens resident in England are qualified for jury service there. The 1976 Act also allows a wide group of persons, such as doctors, nurses, teachers and public servants, to be excused “as of right” from jury service in Ireland."

"Other concerns include the extent to which the availability of wireless technology might allow jurors in the jury room to search online for information about an accused rather than limit their decision to the evidence presented. There is also concern that the general right to inspect jury panel lists runs the risk that jury members are open to intimidation or jury tampering. The Report also examines reforms that might be required to deal with lengthy or complex criminal trials."

The Commission looked at the situation in many other jurisdictions, including England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States

Canadian Association of Law Libraries Letter on Federal Budget Cuts

Annette L. Demers, President-Elect of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries, has written a letter to the Canadian government in which she argues that recent federal budget cuts could jeopardize long-term access to Canadian legal information:

"Publications currently slated for migration to electronic-only formats include the Debates of the House of Commons and the Debates of the Senate, the Journals of the House of Commons and the Journals of the Senate, bills, Committee Reports and other Parliamentary publications.  So far, the Gazette, the Statutes of Canada, the Supreme Court Reports, the Federal Court Reports and the Treaty Series will continue to be disseminated in print.  Although the DSP [Depository Services Program of Public Works and Government Services Canada] will continue to disseminate information through publications.gc.ca, there is no evidence that the government has a long-term strategy for archiving legislative information."

"The 2013 budget now promises more of the same, by promising that 'the Government will take steps to modernize the production and distribution of government publications by shifting to electronic publishing and making print publications the exception. The President of the Treasury Board will develop and implement new procedures that will require all publications to be available electronically and will allow printing only under specific circumstances,' and fails to provide any hard web-archiving strategy.  The Treasury Board's current web archiving strategy absolutely is not designed to provide Canadian Citizens with perpetual historical access to essential government documents (...)"

" ... the government’s responsibility to provide access to the law and to legislative information should be considered constitutionally protected as a necessary precondition to fundamental justice.  Legislative information is the spring from which all rights flow in our democracy."

"If implemented without a comprehensive, properly resourced, long-term strategy to preserve legislative information, these budget cuts and policy directions will have an irreversible effect on our democracy for years to come."

Law Commission of England and Wales Analysis of Responses to Consultation on Unfitness to Plead

This is a follow-up to the Library Boy post of November 3, 2010 entitled Law Commission of England Consultation on Fitness to Stand Trial.

The Commission has compiled an analysis of the responses:

"We published our consultation paper on 27 October 2010, which contained our provisional proposals for comprehensive reform of the law on unfitness to plead in England and Wales. We received over 50 responses and we have published our analysis of those responses. We are now preparing our final recommendations for reform in light of the responses."

"The project draws on relevant empirical evidence and comparative jurisdictions in an attempt to identify better and more up-to-date legal tests and rules for determining fitness to plead and the subsequent procedure for the examination of the facts."

"Other important questions to be answered include: How do special measures relate to the test of unfitness? Should the procedure in the magistrates’ courts mirror that in the Crown Court? What should the process for dealing with a defendant be when he or she has been found unfit to plead? At a hearing to deal with a defendant found unfit, what issues can be raised by the defendant? In particular, can the 'defences' of accident, mistake and self-defence be raised? "

"We anticipate that our next publication on this project will be a report towards the end of 2014."

Justice Canada Report on Economic Impact of Spousal Violence in Canada, 2009

The most recent issue of the Weekly Checklist of Canadian Government Publications lists a 2012 study entitled An Estimation of the Economic Impact of Spousal Violence in Canada, 2009. It was published by Justice Canada:

"The more Canadians understand about the costly and serious impact of spousal violence, the better prepared we are to continue efforts to prevent it and where it does occur, to protect and assist victims, to hold perpetrators accountable, and to take measures to break the cycle of violence. Estimating the economic impact of a social phenomenon such as spousal violence, a process known as costing, is a way to measure both the tangible and intangible impacts of that phenomenon. By placing a dollar value on the impact, a common unit of measurement is provided. The dollar value for the economic impact of spousal violence can then be compared to the corresponding estimates of other social phenomena. Proponents of costing contend that the understanding of economic impacts and the comparison of different social issues in the same units are important to policymakers, activists, social workers, and the public by assisting in the proper allocation of resources, and in evaluating the effectiveness of programs (...)"

"This is the first study which provides a comprehensive estimate of the economic impact (costs) of spousal violence in Canada. All incidents of spousal violence that were reported in 2009 are taken into account, and all costs that could be reasonably attributed to these incidents are included, whether the costs were realized in 2009 or at some later date."

"The Uniform Crime Reporting Survey 2 (UCR2) reports that 46,918 spousal violence incidents were brought to the attention of police in 2009, 81% involving female victims and 19% involving male victims. According to the 2009 General Social Survey, Cycle 23, Victimization (GSS), 335,697 Canadians were victims of 942,000 spousal violence incidents in 2009; 54% of the victims were female, and 46% of the victims were male. More victims were victimized by current spouses (69%) than by ex-spouses (31%)."

"Including the impact borne by the justice system, the impact borne by primary victims, and the impact borne by third parties and others, the total economic impact of spousal violence in Canada in 2009 is estimated at $7.4 billion, amounting to $220 per Canadian."

"The justice system bore 7.3% ($545.2 million) of the total economic impact, with $320.1 million borne by the criminal justice system (police, court, prosecution, legal aid, and correctional services) and $225.1 million borne by the civil justice system (civil protection orders, divorce and separation, and the child protection system)."

"Victim costs ($6.0 billion) accounted for the largest proportion (80.7%) of the total economic impact for cost items such as medical attention, lost wages, lost education, the value of stolen/damaged property, and pain and suffering."

"Third-party costs ($889.9 million) represented 12.0% of the total costs. Substantial costs included social service operation costs ($410.6 million), losses to employers ($77.9 million), the negative impact on children exposed to spousal violence ($235.2 million), and other government expenditures ($116.3 million)."

"The majority ($5.5 billion) of the economic impact of spousal violence in 2009 were in the form of intangible costs borne by victims (pain and suffering and loss of life) and their family members (loss of affection and enjoyment)."

"For the $1.7 billion of tangible costs (excluding lost future income of children), the state paid 63.8%, individuals (mainly victims) paid 29.4%, and the private sector paid 6.9%."

"Due to data unavailability and the limitations of existing data in many areas of research, the estimate of $7.4 billion is a conservative estimate."

The Weekly Checklist includes a listing of titles made available by the Parliament of Canada, federal departments, and Statistics Canada to the Depository Services Program for distribution to a network of Depository Libraries in Canada and abroad.

New United Nations Research Guides

The United Nation's Headquarter Library in New York has launched several new research guides to honour the 60th anniversary of the appointment of Dag Hammarskjöld as Secretary-General.

He took the oath of office on April 7 1953 and served as Secretary-General until the 18th of September 1961, when he died in a plane crash while on a peace mission in the Congo.

The guides include:

• a research guide about Dag Hammarskjöld
  
• a guide to online UN information resources 
• a new UN Documentation Research Guide

Supreme Court of Canada: New Library Titles

The list of new library titles added to the Supreme Court of Canada collection for the period of March 16-31, 2013 is now available on the Court website.

The web page explains: "The Supreme Court of Canada Library does not lend materials from this list, which is provided for information only."

But, once the material goes into the general collection, after about a month, the works do become available for inter-library loan to authorized libraries.

It is possible to subscribe via e-mail to receive the list.

CLA Government Library Network Interview With Tanya Snook, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

The CLA Government Library and Information Management Professionals Network, part of the Canadian Library Association (CLA), has launched 13 Questions With..., a new series on its website that profiles a member of the Canadian library and IM community every week.

This week's interview is with Tanya Snook, Senior Project Officer, Information Management, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Excerpt:

"Career advice – what’s your top tip?
Developing an online presence can establish your authority and help build your reputation related to skills that may not be entirely relevant to your degree or even to your first job. By researching and writing about topics that interest you or in which you may be knowledgeable, you can demonstrate how multifaceted your skill set really is (vs. how it might appear on your resume). Case in point: my LinkedIn profile is full of endorsements for social media, but my work history includes far more web management, analytics and e-marketing. The social media rep has grown from my involvement in the medium and the community, especially ranting away on my blog and Twitter accounts. Those have led to pro bono projects and speaking engagements that, at the time, were entirely unrelated to my day job — another great way to build skills and reputation to further my knowledge base, and in turn my career. It’s important to remember that your current (or first job is not going to define your career; it’s a stepping stone. Whether you blog your obsession with video games or you offer insightful critiques of world events, you are developing a persona and a voice (and probably skills) that can make you even more attractive to future employers. Branching out and demonstrating your capacity beyond the job, through social media and especially blogging, can open up your network and potential future career opportunities."

Supreme Court of Canada Hearings Calendar for April 2013

The Supreme Court of Canada has published its calendar of appeal hearings for April 2013.

To find out more about any particular case, the Court's website has a section that allows users to find docket information, case summaries as well as factums from the parties. All you need to do is click on a case name.

Canadian Library Association Feliciter April '13 Issue - Beyond Books

The April 2013 issue of Feliciter, the monthly journal of the Canadian Library Association, is available on line. The issue's major theme is Beyond Books.

From the guest editorial:

"The theme for this issue of Feliciter is 'Beyond Books,' and it’s dedicated to exploring the very meaning of that concept, alongside examples of libraries as institutions, and the library community as whole, engaging in programs, events, services, advocacy, and activism that go beyond, but are by no means removed from, the central mission of providing access to books."

"The six theme articles included in this issue examine many different ways in which libraries, library workers, library associations, and the library community as a whole are embracing these changing information needs and demands of our public. They range from the street-level information services offered to engaged activists via Radical Reference, to the innovative use of social media for providing up-to-date services at the Canadian Grain Commission Library; from the extensive community networks reached through Winnipeg Public Library’s outreach services, to the Manitoba Library Association’s Prison Library Committee’s work on establishing traditional, and essential, library services in truly underserved communities; and from the notion that we must leave the physical space of our libraries and truly engage with and understand our user communities in order to properly and effectively provide them with the services they desire, to the conceptualization of our libraries as not just a space designed for the consumption of information, but as spaces that actively promote creativity, production, and synthesis."

"Initiatives such as these are by no means new, as libraries have been offering services beyond providing access to books for many years. Nonetheless, libraries in all sectors are dealing with the rapidly evolving means by which people access, use, and create information. The notion that libraries need to continue to explore, adopt, and develop services that go outside of the typical does not in my mind imply that they will in any way abandon their role in providing access to books or to information, regardless of medium or format. Rather, these libraries recognize that their value and importance to the community is so much larger."

The Right to Be Forgotten on the Internet

The UK newspaper The Guardian has published a series of articles on Internet privacy – the right to be forgotten which addresses many of the issues surrounding the (occasionally embarrassing) traces we leave as we use online services:

The internet has a long memory. But what if the pictures, data and personal information that it can pull up about you appear unfair, one-sided or just plain wrong? More and more people are claiming they have a "right to be forgotten" and are even trying to delete themselves from the web. The issue appears poised to generate legal, technological and moral wranglings for years to come

Among the articles in the series are:

• How easy is it to delete yourself from the web – your experiences : "There are many reasons you may want to try and delete yourself from the web from fake social media accounts and compromising photographs to long outgrown views. Guardian readers share their experiences of attempts to delete an unwanted online presence."
• Right to erasure protects people's freedom to forget the past, says expert: "He describes himself as the 'midwife' of the idea of the right to be forgotten. And for Viktor Mayer-Schönberger , it's not just about the legal, moral and technical arguments – but about what it is to be human."
• How to delete your digital life: "Wiping away your digital life means getting rid of the traces you've left – the mistakes you made, the embarrassing photos, the unwise comments, the flawed social media profiles where you've left too much visible. But how easy is that? The following steps provide a start to reducing your digital footprint and taking back control of your online life."
• Do below-the-line commenters have the right to remove their own comments?: "A politician makes a joke which she later regrets. A footballer says something on the pitch which he quickly realises was unfortunate. A person leaves a comment beneath an article which he then wishes he hadn't made. All can now be found reported online accurately. All of these people have all expressed an opinion they later regret. Which of them have the legal right to have their words deleted upon request?"

[Cross-posted to Slaw.ca]

Fair Use/Fair Dealing Handbook

The infojustice.org website has just compiled a list of the fair use or fair dealing provisions in the copyright laws of 40 countries (including Canada).

The infojustice.org site is part of a project dedicated to the free flow of innovation among creators and consumers, issues related to international IP, open access initiatives, and efforts to expand access to knowledge-based goods. It includes academics in Brazil and the USA (American University and Columbia).

[Source: E-lerts, Canadian Association of Research Libraries]

Canadian Library Association Response to 2013 Federal Budget

The Canadian Library Association (CLA) has published its response to the recent federal budget:

"In its written submission for the government’s pre-budget consultation, CLA called for re-investment in federal libraries including Library and Archives Canada, support for broadband connectivity, targeted policies to ensure that Canadians have both access to emerging and digital technology, a role for libraries in research and development, and support to national organizations for non-regulated professions to evaluate foreign-trained workers."

"CLA is pleased to see a number of these issues addressed in the budget, including support for broadband and connectivity, and assessment and recognition of foreign qualifications (though it is unclear whether the expanded list will include any LIS-related occupations). We are also pleased that funding has been allocated to support library services to persons with print disabilities. "

"However, CLA would like to see increased government investment and clearer, more open communication regarding modernization strategies at Library and Archives Canada. CLA continues to be very concerned about the 2012 federal budget cuts to Library and Archives Canada and its subsequent capacity to fulfill its legislated mandate to preserve the documentary heritage and memory of Canada for the benefit of present and future generations, especially as it adapts to the realities of the digital environment. Additionally, CLA will continue to appeal for policies that enable Canadians to access and use digital technologies made available through the investment in broadband."

International Comparison of Gun Control Laws

The Law Library of Congress in Washington has published a report entitled Firearms-Control Legislation and Policy: Comparative Analysis:

"This survey describes the different legal approaches taken by eighteen countries and the European Union (EU) with regard to ownership, possession, and other activities involving firearms. The individual reports cover laws, regulations, and directives, in addition to statistical and other relevant information on gun control. The reports also address the availability or lack thereof of a constitutional right to bear arms under foreign law; the scope of firearms-related activities that are subject to licensing; conditions for the issuance of licenses, including background checks of the applicant’s mental and criminal history; training, testing, and storage requirements; weapons bans; and registration procedures, including the use of a central register in some of the countries surveyed. Many reports describe legislative history and trends, which in some cases were influenced by rising crime levels or incidents of mass shootings. A bibliography of selected recent English language materials is included."

The jurisdictions included are Australia, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Germany, Great Britain, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Russian Federation, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, European Union (minimum standards for members).

Canadian Government Information Management Priorities for 2013-2014

The CLA Government Library & IM Professionals Network, part of the Canadian Library Association, has compiled a list of information management related priorities developed by individual federal government departments and agencies.

They are contained in the 2013-14 Reports on Plans and Priorities (RPPs) tabled last week in the House of Commons for 93 government departments and agencies.

These RPPs set out departmental/agency priorities, provide performance measurement indicators, and explain expected results.

The Supreme Court of Canada's full Report and Plans and Priorities for 2013-2014 is available on the Court's website.