ABSTRACT
Information about human and economic activities relative to the location and character of natural and cultural resources is essential to making decisions in every day life. Geographic information system (GIS) spatial information infrastructure is an institutional concept being advanced in order to better respond to needs for spatially referenced information in various problem-solving domains. The US Freedom of Information Act and the open records laws of the individual states create a balance between the right of citizens to be informed about government activities and the need to maintain confidentiality of some government information. The GIS literature surrounding benefits from the use of GIS addresses two primary issues, the classification of the benefits of GIS and the methods that are acceptable for the measurement and valuation of those benefits. Research on spatial information infrastructures and geolibraries spans a broad range of technical, social, and institutional issues.
