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Communicate your deadline up front. Exactly when do you need this information? This way we can tell you right away if we can accommodate you or perhaps refer you to someone who can. The thing about librarians is that once we get started — it’s hard for us to stop. So, if you don’t give us a deadline you may end up receiving emails with additional resources for weeks afterward.
Can you share examples of records or databases that journalists can access through their local libraries without submitting an open records request?
Hines: I always recommend that journalists go to their local library’s website and look at the digital databases and resources they offer — many of which can be used remotely just by logging in with a library card number. You may be surprised by the selection.
I know of public libraries that subscribe to databases for finding full-text scholarly research like Academic Search Complete and platforms for finding background data on newsworthy topics like Gale’s Opposing Viewpoints. Many provide access to robust news archives, allowing you to easily search for prior coverage without hitting a paywall.
Several public libraries pay for tools like Data Axle which is a directory of business, healthcare, and residential listings.
If you have access to an academic library — many public academic libraries will give you guest access to their subscription databases while in the building. You can see if they have databases like Policy Commons — a platform that preserves and curates reports from NGOs, think tanks, and government agencies.
What advice do you have for journalists for reviewing a large number of files or data on a tight deadline?
Hines: I often tell journalism students to look for secondary sources that may have already synthesized a large amount of data for you.
For example, a systematic review paper gathers and analyzes all the published scholarship surrounding a particular research question and provides a consensus and key takeaways. Or you can sometimes find government and industry reports related to large data sets that have pulled together trends and themes complete with nice visualizations.
How does one find such sources? You know what I’m going to say — ask a librarian! Many academic libraries have data analysis guides like this one from the University of Texas at Austin.
Go deeper: See our previous Sunshine Week content for more guidance on open records.
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