Freedom of Information and Privacy
“Nothing could be more irrational than to give the people power and to withhold from them information, without which power is abused. A people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives. A popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both.” ~ James Madison
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is recognized by libraries throughout the United States, including Clark College Libraries. Since 1967, FOIA has advocated for the public the right to request access to records from any federal agency. Through FOIA, you can access records held by federal agencies except those that are confidential to protect personal privacy, national security, or financial and commercial interests. Additionally, FOIA does not give access to Presidential, Congressional, or federal court records.
How could this apply to you? Perhaps you want to know about government knowledge and involvement surrounding Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). You can go to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and find UFOs: Fact or Fiction or Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Roswell UFO.
On the other hand, good questions to ask yourself are, “How much personal privacy are you entitled?” “Who has the right to access your records?”
In the month of May we celebrate Choose Privacy, an annual event held by the American Library Association (ALA) that promotes the importance of individual privacy rights, celebrates libraries, and librarians’ role in protecting privacy in the library. The American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, professional ethics, and Clark College Libraries advocate for personal privacy.
Your privacy rights are increasingly being challenged, for example, through accessing the Internet, online tracking, cloud-based tools, mobile apps, and social media. Here are a few resources where you can read more about the subject:
