The annual James Madison Award for 1996 was given to the National Information Infrastructure Advisory Council, comprising 36 members from business, entertainment, government, education, libraries and the nonprofit sector, during a March 15 ceremony at the Library.
The council worked for two years to develop models by which communities can achieve public access to government information and services over the Information Superhighway.
Delano Lewis, CEO and president of National Public Radio, who co-chaired the council with Ed McCracken, CEO and chairman of Silicon Graphics, accepted the award during the program.
The award was begun in 1989 by the Coalition on Government Information (CGI), founded by the American Library Association, to recognize outstanding efforts by an individual or groups who work to protect and promote public access to government information.
"Thanks to your efforts, issues of equity, universal service, citizen participation in government, access to government information and connectivity for all Americans were not forgotten as media giants fought for their stake in the communications future of tomorrow," said Nancy Kranich, chairperson of the CGI's Steering Committee.
"We did have a great time in those two years, and work has just begun, even though we are formally out of business," said Mr. Lewis, who was invited to co-chair the council by Vice President Albert Gore. In developing its report, A Nation of Opportunity, the council focused on five critical areas: universal access and services, privacy and security, intellectual property, education and lifelong learning, and electronic commerce. It also developed Operation Kickstart.
"We spent a great deal of time reaching out to communities around this country, listening and learning," said Mr. Lewis. "The Operation Kickstart initiative is an illustration of practical ways to connect schools, libraries and community centers - and we put together blueprints for success." Two of those blueprints - the Maryland Sailor Project and the Seattle Public Library - are previous Madison Award winners.
The coalition also gave honorary citations to:
- The Library of Congress for its THOMAS system that makes congressional and other legislative information available free through the World Wide Web (http://www.thomas.gov/).
- Mike Tankersley of the Public Citizen litigation group, who led legal battles to gain access to government computerized information, including White House e-mail files.
- OMB Watch, the Unison Institute and the Bauman Family Foundation, sponsors of the Right to Know network for environmental information.
- Investigative reporters Donald Barlett and James Steele for their books America: What Went Wrong? and America: Who Really Pays the Taxes?
- The Consortium of Law Schools (Villanova, Emory, Cornell, Georgetown and Pace universities, the Turoro Law Center and Tarlton Law Library), which voluntarily provides the public with free Internet access to federal appellate court information and opinions.
- The National Security Archive and its director, Tom Blanton, who wrote a White House e-mail book after leading a legal battle to gain public access to the information.
The Madison Award was named after the fourth president, who championed individual rights and universal access to knowledge. This was the first time the awards ceremony took place at the Library's James Madison Memorial Building. However, CGI has always chosen the national observation of Madison's birthday, which is also Freedom of Information Day, to present awards.
Dr. Billington noted in welcoming members and honorees that as they entered the building they may have seen Madison's words etched on a wall. "Popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it is but a farce, or a tragedy, or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance and people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power that knowledge gives."
