Help! I'm an Accidental Government Information Librarian Webinar Series

Help! I'm an Accidental Government Information Librarian

The Government Documents Round Table welcomes you to a series of webinars designed to help us all do better reference work by increasing our familiarity with government information resources, and by discovering the best strategies for navigating them. These sessions will be recorded and made available after the live sessions on our The Help! Webinars YouTube Channel.

Coming up next:

The Right to Know: Protecting and Expanding Access to Public Records

March 19, 2025, 12-1pm EST.

In a democratic society where access to government information is vital for informed civic engagement, barriers to transparency remain a persistent challenge. This panel will explore the evolving landscape of government transparency and the fundamental role that information access plays in maintaining an accountable democracy. The discussion will address key topics such as the legal framework behind freedom of information, the obstacles faced by journalists, librarians, researchers, and citizens in securing public records, and the implications of government secrecy on public trust.

Through an insightful exchange of ideas, the panelists will share their expertise on both the progress made in open government initiatives and the ongoing challenges that prevent full transparency. The panel will also examine how technological advances, changing legal standards, and shifting political environments shape the accessibility of government data. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how to navigate the complexities of information access, the importance of protecting transparency laws, and how these laws serve as a crucial check on power.

Panelists:

  • David Cuillier, Ph.D., is director of the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project, and co-director of the Brechner Center for Advancement of the First Amendment, at the University of Florida. Before joining the University of Florida in July 2023, Dr. Cuillier taught access to public records, data journalism, and other courses at the University of Arizona School of Journalism for 17 years, where he also served as director of the school and director of graduate studies. He has published peer-reviewed research on freedom of information and co-authored, with Brechner alum Charles N. Davis, the books “The Art of Access: Strategies for Acquiring Public Records,” and “Transparency 2.0: Digital Data and Privacy in a Wired World.” Dr. Cuillier currently serves on the Federal FOIA Advisory Committee under the National Archives and Records Administration and has testified three times before Congress regarding FOIA. He writes the FOI Files column for the Investigative Reporters & Editors Journal, and since 2004 has trained more than 12,000 journalists and citizens in how to acquire public records.
  • Dr. Kenneth Evans: Ph.D. is a scholar in science and technology policy at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy and assistant director for innovation policy at Rice University’s Office of Innovation. He serves as the program manager and co-founder of the White House Scientists Archive, a digital heritage collection housed in Rice University’s Woodson Research Center Special Collections and Archives, which preserves materials related to U.S. presidential science advisors. Evans also leads the Baker Institute Research Security Program and is a member of the Forum for Responsible Internationalization and Research Security at KTH Royal Institute of Technology. His research focuses on the contemporary history of U.S. science policy, the governance of the global research enterprise, and the politics of scientific expertise. He holds a PhD in applied physics from Rice University and a BS in physics and BA in mathematics from the University of Virginia.
  • Frank D. LoMonte J.D. is an adjunct instructor at the University of Georgia School of Law and serves as legal counsel at the Cable News Network, where he advises and trains the global media company’s journalists on a variety of legal compliance issues, emerging legal risk areas and best legal practices for their careers. He also reviews sensitive material prior to publication. Dr. LoMonte previously worked as a professor at the University of Florida where he directed the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information. He also taught graduate and undergraduate media law courses while at Florida. His other teaching experience has been at the University of Georgia, where he served as the Brumby Distinguished Visiting Professor at the School of Law and a lecturer at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Dr. LoMonte earned his law degree magna cum laude from UGA, where he served as senior articles editor of the Georgia Law Review and was inducted into the Order of the Coif. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Georgia State University.
Registration Link: https://ala-events.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_G-4TnlNaT1aZUYjmYMyNoQ

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