Wisconsin: Libraries on the Front Lines of Advocating for Freedom of Information

From The Oshkosh Northwestern:

The Forrest R. Polk Library at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh serves as a repository for state and federal documents, including papers on government funded research and records from legislative hearings.”One of the major battles being fought now is in the area of open access to research funded by the federal government (that) isn’t made available to the general public except through commercial publications, at times,” said Polk Library Director Patrick Wilkinson
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A wealth of information is available to the general public for free online today, but libraries have the advantage of knowledgeable staff members able to find credible and relevant information tailored to individuals’ needs, said Jeff Gilderson-Duwe, director of the Winnefox Library System and Oshkosh Public Library.”The Internet beats us on quantity of information, but a library is selected by librarians to meet the needs of a community,” he said. “The collection has gone through some sort of editorial screening to meet the needs of the community as opposed to the Wild West of the Internet, where anyone can say anything.”

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