What is Sunshine Week?
Sunshine Week is a national initiative promoting public dialog about the importance of government transparency and freedom of information. The American Society of News Editors established this weeklong initiative since 2005, choosing mid-March because it coincides with President James Madison’s birthday. The founding father was a key proponent of the U.S. Bill of Rights and a champion of government checks and balances.
Government transparency is an important part of democracy, which is what Sunshine Week aims to celebrate and protect. The public’s right to know creates accountability for organizations and keeps citizens informed about how their government is operating. To celebrate, media outlets, government agencies, universities, nonprofits, civic organizations, libraries, archivists, and individuals participate by uniting to promote access to public information.
Laserfiche is proud to be a part of Sunshine Week again this year. Freedom of information is our collective right as a nation – it’s important to cultivate this freedom so it remains a keystone to our democracy. Technology can help bridge the gap between government and citizens alike by providing solutions to make public records easily accessible. Given that the citizen experience is the ‘new normal,’ we are pleased to share resources that lend itself to transparency, open data, and effective service delivery.
“Transparency is extremely important in public service. We use technology to deliver increasing levels of transparency, public safety and reliability, while also ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and accessibility of the information we’re entrusted to protect,” says Mike Almvig, Director of Information Services, at Skagit County, WA.
For more engaging content on Sunshine Week and government transparency, check out the list of shared resources below:
- Sunshine Week: 2 Stories Promoting Government Transparency and Citizen Engagement– Find out how two organizations promote government transparency and citizen engagement using Laserfiche ECM.
- 3 Ways to Promote Government Transparency Using Laserfiche ECM this Sunshine Week– Learn three strategies that can promote government transparency and save time for your organization.
- The Role of Government Transparency in Public Emergency Response– Find out the role transparency plays in public agency operations, particularly in emergency management and incident response.
