FLICC Forum 2005
Should the public have to pay private sector publishers to learn about research supported by tax dollars? This and other questions about access to federally funded health and medical research in the wake of increased national security were explored at the 22nd Annual FLICC Forum, held in March and sponsored by the Federal Library and Information Center Committee of the Library of Congress.
Following opening remarks by Librarian of Congress James H. Billington and Kathryn M. Mendenhall, interim executive director of FLICC, forum participants explored the implications for federal librarians in an evolving information environment that offers unprecedented access to information generated by government funding but denies access to information historically available to all.
Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), discussed a new NIH policy to make some manuscripts available online during his keynote address. (See story on page?) The policy applies to peer-reviewed manuscripts that report results of research supported in whole or in part by NIH funding, which NIH makes available through its digital repository, PubMed Central.
Jane Bortnick Griffith, assistant director of the National Library of Medicine, moderated a panel that reviewed the arguments for and against broad and open access to health and medical research funded by taxpayers. Panelists included Brian Nairn, CEO of Elsevier Health Sciences Division, and David Stern, director of Yale Science Libraries and Information Services.
The afternoon sessions began with an executive keynote address by J. William Leonard, director of the Information Security Oversight Office of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). He discussed the struggle to balance a citizen's right to access with the government's responsibility to protect certain categories of information.
An afternoon panel, moderated by Kathy Eighmey, coordinator of Library Services, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), discussed initiatives to protect information. Panelists included Sharon Fawcett, the deputy assistant archivist at NARA, and Elizabeth Withnell, the chief counsel of DHS. Following the panel discussion, Jeffrey Seifert, an analyst in information science and technology policy in the Congressional Research Service in the Library of Congress, wrapped up the day's discussions with a review of how these new policies affect the federal library and information center community.
The Federal Library and Information Center Committee fosters excellence in federal library and information services through interagency cooperation and provides guidance and direction for the Federal Library and Information Network (FEDLINK). Created in 1965 and headquartered at the Library of Congress, FLICC also makes recommendations on federal library and information policies, programs and procedures to federal agencies and to others concerned with libraries and information centers.
Immediately following the FLICC Forum, a 40th anniversary reception was held to honor FLICC's history of serving the federal library and information center community. (See story on page 91)
A webcast of the 22nd Annual FLICC Forum is accessible on the Library's Web site at www.loc.gov/flicc/vidlib.html.
