March 6, 2006	Volume 5, Number 7

Sunshine week is March 12-18

The first national "Sunshine Week: Your Right to Know" was launched in March 2005. Sunshine week is being celebrated this year from March 12-18. Sunshine Week's intent is to raise awareness of the importance of open government to everyone in the community.

On March 13, from 12 to 1:30 pm, a panel discussion will start in Washington, DC, and link via satellite to locally hosted discussions in communities across the country. A panel of experts will discuss open government and secrecy; the problems we are facing, how it impacts communities, and what the public can do. After the panel discussion, locally sponsored programs will discuss issues of access in their communities and how to keep all levels of government open.

Information can be found at the American Library Association website at http://www.ala.org/. For other ALA Sunshine Week events, including the Madison and the Cooke awards, go to http://www.ala.org/ala/washoff/washevents/events.htm. Sponsors of the events include the American Library Association, American Association of Law Libraries, American Society of Newspaper Editors/Sunshine Week, Association of Research Libraries, Coalition of Journalists for Open Government, League of Women Voters, National Freedom of Information Coalition, OpenTheGovernment.org, and the Special Libraries Association.

Last updated on 3/6/2006