Open Government/Right To Know
Definition
The right to know is a fundamental governing principle in Canada. It is enshrined in the Access to Information Act and it ensures that Canadian citizens have access to information about their government and its activities. It also allows Canadians to hold their government accountable and participate fully in the Canadian democratic system.
UVic Libraries, the Right to Know and Universal Access to Information
Libraries of all types play a vital role in ensuring that everyone has access to information. They provide a safe and inclusive space for people to learn, explore, and discover. Libraries also offer a range of services that can help people exercise their right to access information.
UVic Libraries provides its on- and off-campus stakeholders (students, faculty, and the wider community) with essential information around the right to know. Not only does UVic Libraries provide free and comprehensive access to its holdings and services beyond the campus community to all members of the public. It also makes an important contribution as a regional memory institution by preserving and providing access to relevant materials on local and regional history in its collections. This involves preserving and indexing traditional library holdings and archival materials but also systematically archiving websites that have local community relevance.
Resources provided by UVic Libraries to help exercise one’s right to know
Subject-based LibGuides – detailed resources developed and maintained by UVic librarians – were created specifically to educate the campus community as well as the wider public about pathways to information around their civil rights, government activities, the history of democracy, Indigenous governance, and other related topics.
Such LibGuides exist on British Columbian and Canadian Government Information, including knowledge around open government and access to information and freedom of information requests (Contact: David Boudinot).
Additional LibGuides with a focus on the right to know developed by librarians at the UVic Law Library provide information on A Legal History of the Right to Vote, Constitutional Law in Canada, Legal Information Services in Victoria, Indigenous Law / Indigenous Legal Traditions, including by the Coast Salish peoples, and Municipal Law, with a focus on British Columbian municipalities (Contact: Emily Nickerson and Jessie Lampreau).
These library-curated resources contribute to exercising the right to know and universal access to information and are a good example of how core values and ideas of open scholarship – transparency, accessibility, openness – can have an impact beyond the scholarly community.
Uvic Libraries’ contribution to providing universal access to information and supporting the right to know is guided by its Strategic Directions 2018-2023, which emphasize its role in:
- providing differentiated approaches to […] digital citizenship, and the critical and creative inquiry skills needed to navigate complex, information-rich environments in order to nurture adaptable, resilient, life-long learners
- providing experiential learning opportunities for students and the broader community
- investing in preservation expertise, infrastructure, and partnerships in order to provide sustainable access to knowledge
UN, UNESCO and the Right To Know / Universal Access to Information
International Day for Universal Access to Information & Right To Know Week
Similar right to the Canadian 'right to know' exist in other countries around the globe. Therefore, United Nations’ installed two annual events to celebrate these rights. International Day for Universal Access to Information and Right To Know Week are closely related, and they both are held around September 28 every year. These events promote the right of citizens to access information created and held by public bodies. They also raise awareness about issues such as freedom of information, open government, and access to public services and they are meant to encourage people to not only know about but use their right to access government resources and other related information.
UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Universal Access to Information
Ensuring public access to information is one of the targets of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG 16, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions declares to “Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements” as its target 16.A (formerly target 16.10).
By providing the above-mentioned services and resources around universal access to information, UVic Libraries contributes to the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.