Editor’s Corner: Keep Shining

As I noted in my editorial in our Spring 2025 issue, the current federal administration’s actions have been troubling, with large impacts throughout the government information landscape. At that time, I encouraged readers to focus on the lights in the darkness and how small efforts could culminate into larger impacts.¹ I would like to extend that message of hope to this editorial as well.

Within DttP, I am proud that our Summer 2025 issue helped shine light on contemporary efforts to resist censorship² and to connect users to government information and data rescue projects³ as federal information becomes increasingly removed and fragmented. I am equally proud that, in this issue, we have the privilege of sharing student papers on AMBER alerts, election fraud, and government surveillance in U.S. libraries. These students’ early engagement with government information shows a spark that we will hopefully encourage to grow.

I would also like to highlight some recent resources that highlight how we must continue to stay abreast of new developments related to government information in the current administration. First, the Union of Concerned Scientists published a report indicating that 182 final rules from six science agencies have “bypassed the public notice and comment period,” which are legally required.⁴ Second, Nature published an article highlighting efforts from scientists, including grant tracking and letter writing, made in response to changes in the federal government.<⁵ Third, Pride in Exile (PIE) maintains a list of restored government information and Trump administration information related to equal access employment for LGBTQ1 individuals.⁶ Finally, a draft report from the Department of Energy, A Critical Review of Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions on the U.S. Climate,⁷ led to published criticism from both scientists and legislators⁸; the panel that produced this draft report has been disbanded.⁹

To conclude, I would like to once again encourage our engagement with contemporary government information and challenges, both within GODORT and beyond. I acknowledge that doing so can be stressful or difficult, both personally and professionally. We may be legally limited in what we are able to say or do. We may be able to concentrate on only one, small area. We may need to disengage, for a time, to protect our well-being. None of these situations, however, diminish the importance or potential impact of our efforts. Let us keep shining, in whatever means we can.

The views expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government Documents Round Table (GODORT), the American Library Association (ALA), Lamar University, or any other entity.

Elizabeth Sanders (esanders5@lamar.edu), Director of Learning & Research, Lamar University

Notes

1. Elizabeth Sanders, “Editor’s Corner: A Light in the
   Darkness,” DttP 53, no. 1 (2025): 2-3, https://doi.org/10.5860/dttp.v53i01.8452.
2. Lisa Schiff, “Resisting Censorship and Defending the
   Integrity of Federally Supported Information,” DttP 53, no. 2 (2025): 9-14, https://doi.org/10.5860/dttp.v53i2.8521.
3. Olivia Ivey, Jessica Breen, Sarah Gilchrist, and Gwendolyn
   Reece, “On the Same (Web)Page: Using LibGuides to Connect Researchers to Government Information and Data Rescue Projects,” DttP 53, no. 2 (2025): 15-18, https://doi.org/10.5860/dttp.v53i2.8522.
4. Darya Minovi and Alexander Choiniere. Access Denied: How the Trump Administration Is Eliminating Public Input, Union of Concerned Scientists, September 9, 2025, https://doi.org/10.47923/2025.15971.
5. Dan Garisto, Max Kozlov, and Heidi Ledford, “Scientists Take on Trump: These Researchers Are Fighting Back,” Nature 645 (September 10, 2025): 298-300, https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-02811-4.
6. “Information,” Pride in Exile, https://www.prideinexile.org/.
7. Climate Working Group, U.S. Department of Energy, A Critical Review of Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions on the U.S. Climate, U.S. Department of Energy, July 23, 2025, https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2025-07/DOE_Critical_Review_of_Impacts_of_GHG_Emissions_on_the_US_Climate_July_2025.pdf.
8. Andrew E. Dessler and Robert E. Kopp, eds., Climate
   Experts’ Review of the DOE Climate Working Group Report, accessed September 16, 2025, https://sites.google.com/tamu.edu/doeresponse/home; “Whitehouse and Murray Demand DOE’S Sham Climate Report Be ‘Withdrawn in Shame,’” U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works, press release, September 5, 2025, https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2025/9/whitehouse-and-
   murray-demand-doe-s-sham-climate-report-be-with
   drawn-in-shame.
9. Jeff Tollefson, “Trump Team Disbands Controversial US Climate Panel,” Nature, September 11, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-02942-8.