March 16-22 is Sunshine week and Freedom of Information Day is March 16. Together these events support the need for open government and freedom of Information. Below is information about the efforts of organizations to ensure government transparency and accountability.

Sunshine Sunday began in Florida 2002, led by the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors. National Sunshine Week launched in 2005 by the American Society of Newspaper Editors with the support of the James L. Knight Foundation. In 2019, the American Society of News Editors merged with the Associated Press Media Editors to become the News Leaders Association. Sunshine Week is in mid-March to coincide with James Madison’s birthday, March 16th (1751). Madison was a driving force for the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and presented the 1st draft of the Bill of Rights to Congress. (from About Sunshine Week)

The American Library Association (ALA) is a Sponsor of Freedom of Information Day. The celebration of banned books is part of a broader effort to ensure that all types of information remain accessible, which is also goal of Freedom of Information Day and Sunshine Week.