We know how fragile the right to know is with unusable formats, high fees, self-destructing materials, proprietary restraints and market driven limits on production and access. Knowing this we must act. As follow-up to Nancy Kranich's presentation, a panel moderated by Daria Bossman , Morningside College continued the discussion of librarians' working to ensure the public's right to know in a digital age. Beth Clausen , University of Northern Iowa, Carolyn Kohler , University of Iowa, and Linda Scarth , Mount Mercy College shared some of their approaches to providing access especially to government documents and information. In spite of size differences there are underlying similarities among the three institutions based on the principles mentioned by Nancy Kranich.
Electronic access is very important to each institution and to their users.
Educating about the fragility of that access is important if we are to build coalitions of and with our users. The speaker and audience engaged in a lively question and answer session at the end. Following the presentation, several members of the audience suggested possible contacts. Gordon Rowley , Collections Officer, resigned in May to accept a position as University Bibliographer and Head of Collection development for the University Libraries, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Pamela Rebarcak , Principal Bibliographer for the Social Sciences, resigned in August to accept a position with Congressional Information Services.