Information Rights Week Highlights Access

Education and Culture Minister Wayne Gaudet announced today that Monday, March 22, will mark the beginning of Information Rights Week in Nova Scotia. The week is intended to raise public awareness and provide information on such issues as the Internet, protection of privacy and access to government information. Information Rights Week was established in 1994 by the Canadian Library Association.

Mr. Gaudet spoke of free access to information for Nova Scotians, as he reflected on the theme, Information Technology -- Put People in the Picture. "All of our libraries and schools are now connected to the Internet, and more public access for rural Nova Scotians is on the way through government's increased technology investment," said Mr. Gaudet.

The province's 75 libraries offer public access to the Internet through Ednet, the Department of Education and Culture's wide-area network. Through technology investments, all schools now have Internet access, and the number of community access sites will soon increase to more than 200.

The Nova Scotia Provincial Library is an ardent supporter of access to information and has co-ordinated a campaign to create awareness of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The Act is built on the premise that every document, record or file held by government, regardless of format, is subject to release to the general public. Exemptions from release are few and narrow in their scope.

"Nova Scotians are very interested in accessing government information sources," said Marion Pape, provincial librarian. "The province's public libraries, as well as the many government libraries across the province, are in a unique position to fill these needs."

Librarians are experts at locating information and help direct inquiries on documents that may be held by government departments and agencies.