Save the Data

The Sunlight Foundation is tyring to ensure government transparency.

Some of the most important technology programs that keep Washington accountable are in danger of being eliminated. Data.gov, USASpending.gov, the IT Dashboard and other federal data transparency and government accountability programs are facing a massive budget cut, despite only being a tiny fraction of the national budget. Help save the data and make sure that Congress doesn’t leave the American people in the dark.

Related articles

• Save The Data! Save the Data! (theartofaccess.com)
• US gov 'transparency' websites targeted for big, fat budget cuts (go.theregister.com)
• Data.gov & 7 Other Sites to Shut Down After Budgets Cut (readwriteweb.com)

Information Standards Quarterly

Image via WikipediaNISO’s first open access issue of Information Standards Quarterly (ISQ) is now available. The full issue as well as individual articles are available for free download in PDF format. Some of the content is:

• NISO Year in Review 2010 by Karen Wetzel
• TC46 Year in Review 2010 by Cynthia Hodgson
• SUSHI Implementation: The Client Side Experience by Omar Villa
• SUSHI Implementation: The Server Side Experience by Brinda Shah
• Dedicated to Standards by Andrew Pace
• Standard Spotlight: The OpenURL Maintenance Agency: Extending and Promoting the Use of OpenURL by Phil Norman and Jeff Young
• Member Spotlight : American Psychological Association: Using Standards to Improve the Dissemination of Knowledge by Linda Beebe
• Establishing Suggested Practices Regarding Single Sign On (ESPReSSO) Working Group by Heather Ruland Staines, Harry Kaplanian, and Kristine Ferry

Social Networks and Archival Context Project

The Social Networks and Archival Context Project (SNAC) sounds interesting.

Leveraging the new standard Encoded Archival Context-Corporate Bodies, Persons, and Families (EAC-CPF), the SNAC Project will use digital technology to “unlock” descriptions of people from finding aids and link them together in exciting new ways. We will:

• Create efficient open-source tools that allow archivists to separate the process of describing people from that of records.
• Create a prototype integrated historical resource and access system that will link descriptions of people to one another and to descriptions of resources in archives, libraries and museums; online biographical and historical databases; and other diverse resources.

Related articles

• SNAC :: Social Networks and Archival Context Project (socialarchive.iath.virginia.edu)

Statistical Abstract

The U.S. Census Bureau is considering stopping compiling and publishing the Statistical Abstract. There is a petition drive going on to save it.

Related articles

• The end of the Statistical Abstract of the United States? (flowingdata.com)
• Update on Statistical Abstract | Free Government Information (FGI) (freegovinfo.info)