Date: Thu, 22 Dec 1994 09:43:26 -0500 (EST)
From: James McDonough <epin@access.digex.net>
Subject: EPIN Summary


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     SUMMARY OF ELECTRONIC PUBLIC INFORMATION NEWSLETTER
                  VOL. 4, NO. 24; December 16, 1994
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INDEX:

1. OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET SIGNS GILS BULLETIN
2. OMB WATCH CALLS FOR A MORE COMPREHENSIVE GILS
3. NARA DEVELOPS A STANDARD GILS LANGAUGE, OFFERS TRAINING CLASSES
4. PETERS PRAISES CHRISTAIN'S ROLE IN GILS DEVELOPMENT
5. OMB TO ISSUE A NOTICE OF INQUIRY ON INFORMATION DISSEMINATION

1. OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET SIGNS GILS BULLETIN: On December
7, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Alice M. Rivlin
signed an OMB Bulletin setting forth goals and timetable for the
establishment of a networked-based Government Information Locator
Service (GILS) that holds the promise of public access to the vast
information holdings of the federal government. The Bulletin will
require all federal agencies by December 31, 1995 to compile a
GILS-compatible inventory of its 1) automated information systems,
2) Privacy Act systems and 3) locators that cover all its
information dissemination products. Later in the day at a
"roll-out" ceremony--moved to the auditorium of the U.S. Department
of Interior in Washington, D.C., to accommodate public--federal
officials and others hailed the GILS bulletin as an important step
in the creation of a National Information Infrastructure (NII) and
eventually a Global Information Infrastructure.

2. OMB WATCH CALLS FOR A MORE COMPREHENSIVE GILS: OMB Watch, a
public interest organization, reported last week that the Office of
Budget and Management's (OMB) Government Information Locator
Service (GILS) Bulletin does not go far enough in making government
information available to the public. Calling the GILS Bulletin, a
"useful, but limited first step," OMB Watch Policy Analyst Patrice
McDermott stated the Bulletin must move to include government
information holdings beyond automated systems and information
products for dissemination.

3. NARA DEVELOPS A STANDARD GILS LANGAUGE, OFFERS TRAINING CLASSES:
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) announced
at the GILS roll-out (12/7) that it would take responsibility for
the development of standardized description language for Government
Information Locator Service (GILS) Core. The GILS Core are the
descriptive elements that will define each information document of
an agency. At the same time, Acting-Archivist Trudy Peterson said
that NARA would begin to train agency personnel in the use of the
description language. She said he training sessions would start 
"early next year."

4. PETERS PRAISES CHRISTAIN'S ROLE IN GILS DEVELOPMENT: Paul Evan
Peters, Executive Director of the Coalition for Networked
Information, at the "roll out" of the Government Information
Locator Service (12/7) took special pains to single out the work of
Eliot Christian of the U.S. Geological Survey. Peters said, "We may
not have heroes as we approach the end of the 20th Century, but we
sure do have champions ... at least I do. And, the champion of the
GILS concept is Eliot Christian. GILS may be happening now because
it was simply time for something like GILS to happen, but it is
happening the way it is because of Eliot Christian. The Nation owes
you big for this one, Eliot. What's more, Eliot is the best of a
new breed of government information officer that is growing in
numbers and influence. This is something that makes me sleep at
little better each night." Bruce McConnell, Chief, Information
Branch of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office
of Management and Budget, seconded Peters endorsement of Christian,
and added he hoped U.S. Geological Survey official would be
available for future collaboration.

5. OMB TO ISSUE A NOTICE OF INQUIRY ON INFORMATION DISSEMINATION:
Sally Katzen, Director of the Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs (OIRA), Office of the Managment and Budget (OMB), announced
at the GILS kick-off (12/7) that OMB will soon issue a Notice of
Inquiry "to solicit views on how to enhance information
dissemination." She said OMB is looking for "concrete steps" by
which to improve the dissemination of government information. Bruce
McConnell, Chief of OIRA's Information Branch, said the Notice of
Inquiry would probably be ready in 60 days.


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