Part-Time Policy Wonk

From Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility:

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is rapidly downsizing its environmental capabilities by forcing scores of Denver-based specialists to go into retirement under threat of layoff, according to documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). This massive lame duck restructuring will force the next administration to contract for the eliminated functions.

Reclamation manages millions of acre feet of water, primarily with dams and reservoirs, in 17 Western states. Job reductions are concentrated in its Technical Services Center (TSC) in Denver where nearly one-third of the 500 jobs are now or will soon be eliminated. Among the services being cut are –

• Drinking Water Protection. The Expeditionary Unit Water Purification program creates potable water following disasters, such as the Hurricane Katrina aftermath, but has lost key staff;
• Scientists, Laboratories and Library. The Center’s world renowned library and laboratories are being drained of all employees. In addition, the ax is falling heavily on science positions, such as hydrologists, soil scientists and seismologists; and
• Environmental Studies. Reclamation is rapidly discarding both its capacity to assess environmental effects of its water projects and its ability to analyze impacts on recreation, historical and cultural resources, as well as the social and economic consequences of its actions.

Posted by Anne at 08:12 PM | Permalink

From Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility:

Beginning in 2006, EPA management began a stealth campaign of closing its regional and technical libraries, ultimately eliminating library service in 23 states and scattering invaluable scientific collections. In December 2007, Congress ordered EPA to re-open the libraries, but by this spring it became apparent that EPA would only grudgingly comply, restoring only minimal holdings in small spaces, in some cases no larger than the lavatories in the buildings they occupied.

In February 2008, a Federal Labor Relations Board arbitrator sustained grievances filed by the American Federation of Government Employees Council 238 on behalf of all affected agency employees, finding that EPA acted “unilaterally without the benefit of” employee input in reducing access to seven of its ten regional libraries. The arbitrator ordered EPA to bargain with AFGE Council 238 on library conditions.

The two parties reached a Memorandum of Agreement on July 10, 2008 which became final today [August 11th].

Posted by Anne at 08:10 PM | Permalink

From AALL's Washington Blawg:

As Congress heads home for August recess, please considering contacting your House Representative with an urgent request to co-sponsor H.R. 6589, the Charles H.W. Meehan Law Library Improvement and Modernization Act. This bill, which AALL and the American Bar Association have been working toward for years, will authorize a one-time, additional $3.5 million for the Law Library of Congress and its own separate line item in the Federal budget beginning in FY 2010. It will also establish the Charles H.W. Meehan Law Library Support Program, which will allow outside funding to be raised and provided to the Law Library for new enhanced services, such as interlibrary loan and electronic document delivery.

Posted by Anne at 07:49 PM | Permalink

From the SLA Public Policy blog:

On 6 June 2008, SLA sent a letter to David Williams, Director of Information Solutions and Services Center at Sandia National Laboratories, requesting information and/or documents detailing Sandia’s library development strategy, plans to continue or discontinue access, or an implementation timeline.

Read the letter.

Posted by Anne at 08:00 PM | Permalink

From OMBWatch:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced May 21 that it is eliminating the only program that tracks pesticide use in the United States. The USDA claimed it can no longer afford the program, known as the Agricultural Chemical Usage Reports. Consumers, environmental organizations, scientists, and farmers oppose the move.

The Agricultural Chemical Usage Reports, collected by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), are the only publicly available data on pesticide use in the country. Since at least 1991, NASS has produced the detailed annual report widely used for scientific, consumer, and business research. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and local governments have also depended on this information in developing chemical risk assessments and pesticide use policies.

The USDA announcement marks the final blow to a program that has been steadily eroded over the last few years.

Posted by Anne at 08:27 PM | Permalink

From Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility:

Ordered by Congress to re-open its shuttered libraries, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is grudgingly allocating only minimal space and resources, according to agency documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). At the same time, EPA is issuing a series of edicts placing virtually every aspect of library operations under centralized control of a political appointee.

Read EPA memo allocating limited space to “restored” libraries

See edict on the new centralized library authority

Peruse detailed rules on how librarians are supposed to respond to requests

Posted by Anne at 09:07 PM | Permalink

From the California Library Association:

Yesterday afternoon, the Senate Appropriations Committee met to consider its so-called "Suspense File." You may recall that the "suspense file" system is a process that has been implemented by the fiscal committees in each house, to allow the committees to annually prioritize each bill costing $150,000 or more (this year, $50,000). Several weeks ago, SB 1516 by Senator Simitian, was sent to the "suspense file" due to its significant costs. SB 1516 is sponsored by the California Library Association, and the measure seeks to place a $4 billion public library construction and renovation bond on the November 2010 ballot. Due to the state's dismal fiscal picture, we knew there would be a real possibility that the bond measure would be held in committee, despite its 2010 date. However, close to 2 p.m. today, the members of the Senate Appropriations Committee voted to approve SB 1516-Simitian and send the measure on to the Senate Floor.

Posted by Anne at 09:03 PM | Permalink

From SLA:

On 15 May 2006, SLA wrote a letter to the Chairwomen and the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Agriculture, Rural Development, and Related Agencies urging support for a more fully funded Fiscal Year 2009 appropriation for the National Agriculture Library (NAL). The President’s proposed FY2009 Budget request of $18 million will significantly affect the NAL’s ability to maintain services at the current level, and is $4 million (18.8%) less than the 2008 budget and $6 million (25%) less than the 2007 budget. SLA states that the proposed reduction in funding will have a severe impact on the NAL. Read letter.

Posted by Anne at 08:48 PM | Permalink

From SLA’s Legislative Action Center:

Please contact your members of Congress today and ask them to OPPOSE the proposed FY2009 budget cuts to the National Agricultural Library (NAL). The President's FY2009 budget request of 18 million dollars for US National Agricultural Library is 4 million dollars (18.8%) less then the 2008 budget, and 6 million dollars (25%) less the 2007 budget.

The NAL is the largest agricultural library in the world and has been serving agriculture since 1862. Established by Congress, its mission, stated simply, is "to ensure and enhance access to agricultural information for a better quality of life." NAL's work in collecting, preserving, and making agricultural information available is fundamental to the continued well being and growth of U.S. agriculture, and the development of food supplies for the nation and the world.

Posted by Anne at 08:52 PM | Permalink

Here we go again. . .

From the Washington Post:

One thing we do still have is the National Agricultural Library in Beltsville, signed into being by Abraham Lincoln in 1862. It is the greatest agricultural library in the world. Through its document delivery system, its vast collections have long been available to other libraries all over the country and around the globe. It is the hub. . .

. . . Another presidential pen may soon bring this buzzing network of information flow to an abrupt standstill. Flat-lined for years, the National Agricultural Library's budget is slated for drastic cuts in the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. The cuts could end the acquisition of new printed works, endanger the preservation of its special collections, halt document delivery and turn a national library into a local one. Unless Congress votes to restore the money, a farmer or researcher will soon have to travel to Beltsville to investigate a new soil amendment, study an old crop rotation scheme or gauge the progress of an invading weed.

Won't all this knowledge soon be digital? Not soon enough. That's a worthy but expensive goal, unlikely to be accomplished in my lifetime, let alone by October.

Posted by Anne at 08:37 PM | Permalink

Posted to STS-L:

I am forwarding this message, which you may have received on other lists, on behalf of the STS Government Information Committee. It is a lengthy, and important, message regarding the appropriations proposed (representing a decrease of $2.9 million) for NBII: National Biological Information Infrastructure.

-----------

Thank you very much to those of you who have written support letters. We appreciate your help and your sending us copies. For those of you who haven't yet written, we need your help before May 23rd. Here's why:

As you know, the President's Budget Request for the NBII for FY 2009 is currently under consideration by the House and Senate Interior Appropriations subcommittees. The President has requested a $2.9 million cut to NBII.

Posted by Anne at 08:46 PM | Permalink

From Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has told Congress that it will re-open its shuttered libraries in some form by September 30, 2008 but the libraries will not be restored to their former status and capabilities, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Several of the libraries will re-open with only minimal collections and any new holdings will be subject to a centralized, political approval process.

Posted by Anne at 06:33 PM | Permalink

SLA Press Release:

The Special Libraries Association (SLA) today met with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials to review the agency's report to the U.S. Congress on the future direction of its library network. The report, submitted on 26 March, explains the steps EPA intends to take to reopen libraries closed over the last two years, and details how the agency will allocate an additional $1 million dollars for libraries provided in the FY08 EPA budget earmarked for that purpose.

EPA National Library Network Report to Congress (March 26, 2008)

Posted by Anne at 08:30 PM | Permalink

From Federal Computer Week:

The Environmental Protection Agency moved too quickly in closing some of its research libraries and may have lost some files as a result, government auditors recently testified before a House panel.

EPA’s push to digitize its libraries led to the rushed closings, said John Stephenson, director of natural resources and environment at the Government Accountability Office in testimony March 13 before the House Science and Technology Committee’s Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee.

Posted by Anne at 08:51 PM | Permalink

From the Billings Gazette:

Air Force budget cuts have forced F.E. Warren Air Force Base to close its library facility, base officials said.

Col. Mike Morgan, 90th Space Wing Commander, said the base lost $814,600 in service programs as part of military-wide budget revisions.

Posted by Anne at 07:35 PM | Permalink

From ALA:

On Thursday, March 13, ALA President-elect Jim Rettig will testify before the U.S. House of Representatives on the impact of library closings at the Environmental Protection Agency. Speaking to the House Committee on Science and Technology's Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, Mr. Rettig intends to address several of the developments of the past two years, specifically the loss of access to vitally import scientific and environmental government information, and also the necessity of the information specialist - the staff librarian - to ensure the most effective access to this information.

Posted by Anne at 08:43 PM | Permalink

From Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility:

A federal arbitrator has found the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guilty of unfair labor practices and acting in bad faith in its national series of library closures, according to a ruling posted today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). EPA is ordered to bargain with affected public employee unions before making any further changes in its library network.

Posted by Anne at 09:45 PM | Permalink

From the ALA:

The American Library Association (ALA) applauds the funding increases for libraries proposed in President Bush's fiscal year (FY) 2009 budget, released this morning. The increases in library funding proposed by the President will mean that many of America's libraries can continue to provide key programs and services to their communities, like bookmobiles and public access to the Internet. In a budget where domestic discretionary spending was severely restricted and funding for 151 programs was cut or eliminated, the Library Services and Technology Act saw several key increases.

Posted by Anne at 08:53 PM | Permalink

From the Special Libraries Association:

Concern has also been aired that the EPA may not resume physical library operations in all the regions. On 17 January 2008, SLA received clarification regarding the future physical presence of EPA Libraries.

Molly O'Neill, Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Environmental Information and Chief Information Officer, stated: "EPA intends to fully comply with the Congressional instructions included in our FY08 Appropriations Bill. In accordance with the Bill, the Agency will complete a Report to Congress on our plan for reestablishing a physical presence to complement our existing library services in the Regions. We remain committed to improving the EPA library network to enhance access to environmental information."

Posted by Anne at 06:05 PM | Permalink

From Government Executive:

In response to a congressional mandate that the Environmental Protection Agency restore closed libraries, the agency said it will proceed with modernizing its library network, leading some people to believe the EPA will not resume physical library operations.

Molly O'Neill, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Environmental Information, issued a statement Monday that said, "EPA continues to modernize its library network to enhance access to information for EPA employees and the public."

Posted by Anne at 07:31 PM | Permalink

From Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility:

Buried within the omnibus appropriations bill Congress sent this week to President Bush is a Christmas present for the beleaguered library network of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Congress ordered EPA to restore library services across the country and earmarked $3 million for that purpose, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).

Beginning in early 2006, without public announcement or congressional approval, EPA began dismantling its network of technical and research libraries. Altogether EPA has closed regional libraries serving 23 states and its headquarters library in Washington, D.C. It has also reduced services and hours in libraries covering another 14 states. In addition, EPA has shuttered several of its specialized, technical libraries, such as its unique library dedicated to the effects of pesticides and new chemicals.

The report language attached to the omnibus appropriations bill for the remainder of the 2008 fiscal year directs EPA to use $3 million to “restore the network of EPA libraries recently closed or consolidated by the Administration…” and to report within 90 days on its plans to “restore publicly available libraries to provide environmental information and data to each EPA region…”

Posted by Anne at 07:58 PM | Permalink

From the Albuquerque Journal: (Subscription required)

The books have been given a reprieve.

In response to outrage from scientists, books may once again be checked out from the Sandia National Laboratories library. . .

. . . Restoring access to the library books will cost Sandia about $500,000 per year, Williams said. Given rising costs and budgets that are flat or declining, Williams acknowledged that the long-term fate of the library book access remains uncertain.

"We still have to look at an alternative there, quite frankly," Williams said Monday.

Posted by Anne at 08:48 PM | Permalink

From the Chicago Sun Times:

Lambasted for saddling beleaguered Chicago taxpayers with an unprecedented $293 million burden, Mayor Daley fired back today: He called it an "insult" for anyone to suggest it means he doesn't care that working people are struggling. . .

. . . "If you ever use the library. If you've ever gone into a library, [you know] how important libraries are to the future of this city. Libraries, schools and parks are the key to . preventing children [from] going into gangs, guns and drugs. . Immigrant families go to libraries. Kids whose parents are working have to go to libraries for homework. . Libraries are anchors in communities. None of you people have to use them. You're wealthy. But, a lot of people do in Chicago."

Posted by Anne at 07:42 PM | Permalink

From The Boston Globe:

A big, red "Closed" sign has been plastered across the front door of the library here since mid-April, when Jackson County ran out of money to keep its 15 branches open.

In a few weeks, though, the sign will come down and the doors will be flung open again, now that the county has come up with an unusual cost-saving solution: outsourcing its libraries.

Posted by Anne at 08:31 PM | Permalink

From the New York Times:

Members of the military and their families are among the Americans who are at risk of being undercounted in the next census in 2010 unless Congress and the White House act now to secure adequate funding for the Census Bureau.

The problem grows out of ongoing budget wrangles between Congress and the White House. Last month, Congress passed a stopgap funding measure that holds most government spending through mid-November to last year’s levels. Whether by intention or neglect, the Bush administration omitted the census from a list of several activities that needed to be exempted from that limit. Congress also failed to press for full funding.

Posted by Anne at 08:30 PM | Permalink

From the Guardian Unlimited:

The public's free access to many of the most important original documents in world literature held at the British Library is under threat because of funding cuts.

In an article in The Observer, the chief executive of the world-renowned institution today urges the government to protect the centuries-old resource - 'the mind and memory of the nation'. In a strongly worded public plea to make the preservation of standards at the library a priority in the expected round of spending cuts, Lynne Brindley warns that Britain will soon be left without a resource that it has come to take for granted.

Posted by Anne at 05:41 PM | Permalink

From the Contra Costa Times:

The 2007-08 state budget is bad news for public libraries. Two major library programs suffered significant cuts, apparently in an effort to accomplish a budget with zero deficit. In Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's words: "I am deleting the discretionary $1 million legislative augmentation to the Public Library Foundation. ... In addition, I am deleting $7 million in order to further build a prudent reserve in light of the various uncertainties in revenues and spending that we face this year."

Posted by Anne at 07:23 PM | Permalink

From the Risk Policy Report: (Subscription required)

In a case brought against EPA by an agency union challenging a decision to dismantle a library network widely used to research health risks and regulatory issues, union officials say they are confident about succeeding with their argument that the agency engaged in unfair labor practices in dismantling the libraries, citing an administrative law judge's recent ruling that he has enough information to decide the case without holding a formal hearing.

If they win, the union officials say, it could bolster their position in subsequent arbitration talks. Union representatives have said the libraries are essential to the agency's work and are used by program staff to research chemical health risks and environmental impacts of new technologies. The library closures impede the ability of EPA staff to access library data necessary to carry out their jobs, union officials argue.

Posted by Anne at 09:15 PM | Permalink

From ALA's District Dispatch:

Members of the library community (representing ALA, SLA, AALL, MLA, and FLICC) met with representatives of EPA on July 25, 2007 at ALA's Washington Office. While the EPA seems to be making efforts to be more transparent and include the library community in the planning, they seem to have a long way to go. See the notes from 7/25/2007 meeting.

Posted by Anne at 08:07 PM | Permalink

From Eye Weekly:

. . . Augimeri is also on the board of the Toronto Public Library (TPL), which, just this morning, approved $1.23 million in cuts to staff, services and programs for the rest of 2007 (from September to December, to be exact).

It’s worth pointing out that Toronto’s library system — named the world’s second most used public library by circulation after Hong Kong — had already cut the equivalent of 200 full time staff members since amalgamation despite total activity increasing by over 30 percent.

The newly approved cost-saving measures came as a result of Mayor David Miller’s declaration — made the day after the vote to defer the proposed new taxes won — that all city divisions and agencies, boards and committees find ways cut their costs. TPL is one of the first agencies to approve cuts, and they aren’t pretty.

Posted by Anne at 08:20 PM | Permalink

From Library Journal:

New Jersey library advocates are scrambling to respond to legislation that cuts database funding and caps municipal spending increases. The New Jersey Knowledge Initiative (NJKI), launched in 2005, aims to help entrepreneurs, small business owners, researchers, and students with free web access to science, technology, medical, and business databases. However, the FY08 budget provides only $2 million to continue the initiative, $1 million less than needed to maintain the program. The State Library and the NJKI Task Force aim to use the funds to maintain access for as long as the money lasts, likely until Feb. 28, 2008.

Posted by Anne at 07:40 PM | Permalink

From Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is finalizing procedures that may lock away a large portion of its library collections from access by the public, according to agency documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Compounding the inaccessibility of physical collections, the public’s ability to electronically search digitized EPA holdings is problematic as well.

Posted by Anne at 08:22 PM | Permalink

ALA Press Release:

Today, the American Library Association (ALA) reaffirmed its support of three vital government services to the United States Congress. In letters sent to all Members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, ALA included resolutions in support of:

• The Government Printing Office (GPO), a vital source for government information;
• The National Library Service (NLS), which provides Talking Books services to the visually impaired; and
• The National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP), the goal of which is to develop a national strategy to collect, archive, catalog and preserve the rapidly increasing amount of digital content for current and future generations.

Posted by Anne at 08:34 PM | Permalink

The fiscal year (FY) 2008 Interior Appropriations bill which includes language restoring the EPA libraries is now headed to the full Senate for consideration. The House-passed FY 2008 Interior Appropriations bill doesn’t contain the EPA library language. We need to insure that the final Senate bill contains the EPA library language when the House and Senate meet in conference to negotiate differences.

Contact your Senator now and tell them to pass the FY 2008 Interior Appropriations bill with this important language included.

Posted by Anne at 08:28 PM | Permalink

From the American Library Association Washington Office Newsline District Dispatch:

After considerable pressure by librarians, researchers and the public, Congress has ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to restore its library network. In the fiscal year (FY) 2008 Interior Appropriations bill, the Senate Appropriations Committee orders EPA to reopen the closed libraries. Last year, EPA closed its Headquarters Library in Washington, DC, to visitors and walk-in patrons. EPA also closed several regional libraries, the toxics and pesticides library and the Ft. Meade Environmental Science Center Library.

The language reads:

"$2,000,000 shall be used to restore the network of EPA libraries recently closed or consolidated by the administration. While the Committee approves of efforts to make environmental data collections available electronically, the Committee does not agree to further library closures or consolidations without evidence of how the public would be served by these changes. Therefore, the Committee expects the EPA to restore publicly available library facilities in each region. EPA is directed to submit a plan on how it will use this funding increase to reopen facilities and maintain a robust collection of environmental data and resources in each region by December 31, 2007."

The bill is now headed to the full Senate for consideration. The House-passed FY 2008 Interior Appropriations bill doesn't contain the EPA library language.

Read the full Appropriations Act, S.1696.

Posted by Anne at 08:22 PM | Permalink

From OMB Watch:

On June 7, the House Appropriations Committee approved a $27.6 billion Interior-Environment spending bill that increases the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) FY 2008 budget to $8.1 billion, a $361 million increase over current spending. It is also $887 million more than President Bush's budget request, which will likely trigger a veto threat.

The appropriations bill currently allocates $788 million for core scientific research. This may be welcome news for EPA's network of libraries and laboratories, which have suffered from downsizing attempts in anticipation of significant 2008 budget cuts. The budget restoration may allow EPA to abandon its controversial plans for closings and consolidations.

Posted by Anne at 08:15 PM | Permalink

ALA Press Release:

Robert Kennedy, Jr. will join American Library Association (ALA) President Leslie Burger for a discussion on the important role of our nation's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) libraries. The program titled "A Contract With Our Future," will be held on June 24 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. during the ALA Annual Conference held June 21 to 27 at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

Posted by Anne at 08:14 PM | Permalink

From the Sunlight Foundation:

Last week, I wrote that the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee had restored the funding for the Office of Technology Assessment, a nonpartisan technology research agency that was defunded in 1995. Initially we were told that the subcommittee reestablished the OTA with $2.5 million in funding but as more information has come out I have to change what was reported last week. According to Technology Daily's Aliya Sternstein, the $2.5 million appropriated by the subcommittee was directed to the General Accounting Office to do technology studies. This is still a great step forward as the GAO is respected for it's research and, unlike CRS, posts all of its research online for the general public.

Posted by Anne at 07:18 PM | Permalink

The InfoToday blog has a bit more detailed report on the EPA update at the SLA Conference:

MIke Flynn, Deputy Director of the Office of Information Analysis & Access at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, was the invited guest at SLA’s Public Policy Update session. . .

Posted by Anne at 09:57 PM | Permalink

Jill Hurst-Wahl, digitization consultant and owner of Hurst Associates, Ltd., has posted a summary from the EPA library policy update program at SLA.

Mike Flynn, Deputy Director of the Office of Information Analysis & Access for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) spoke to a group of more than 50 people at the Special Libraries Association Annual Conference during a policy update. In the audience was the new national program manager for the national EPA library system (Deborah Balsamo). There were also several EPA librarians and those who work in EPA libraries on a contract basis. I also had the privilege to have lunch with Mike, Deborah and a few others. So what did I hear?

Posted by Anne at 08:14 PM | Permalink

From Hometown Life:

As the Michigan House and Senate discuss next year's budget, libraries across Michigan are bracing patrons for a possible 50 percent cut in funding.

If approved, the cuts will affect the quality of library services statewide, said Doreen Hannon, Director of the Salem-South Lyon District Library.

Consequences of the budget cuts may include the elimination of interlibrary loan and delivery services, disruption of shared catalog systems and loss of summer reading programs. Local libraries are posting signs to let people know about the proposal and encourage them to contact their state legislators and protest the cuts.

Posted by Anne at 09:08 PM | Permalink

From Government Executive:

As lawmakers and the library community continue prodding the Environmental Protection Agency for details about its plans to consolidate the regional EPA library system, one organization has launched a collaborative "wiki" to let federal librarians anonymously air what they know about the changes.

Since the 109th Congress, House Democratic leaders have expressed fears that library documents will become inaccessible as the agency shutters many physical facilities and shifts to a primarily digital library set-up. After the president's fiscal 2007 budget recommended major cuts in library funding, EPA closed three regional libraries and its headquarters library.

In response to confusion about the EPA's plans, the American Library Association recently created a Web site that uses wiki software so anyone with an Internet browser can add to or modify information about threatened federal libraries.

Posted by Anne at 07:46 PM | Permalink

From the Contra Costa Times:

New technologies push digital data into extinction, and the U.S. government is cutting funding from efforts to preserve it

It is commonly agreed that the destruction of the ancient Library of Alexandria in Egypt was one of the most devastating losses of knowledge in all of civilization. Today, however, the digital information that drives our world and powers our economy is in many ways more susceptible to loss than the papyrus and parchment at Alexandria.

Posted by Anne at 07:39 PM | Permalink

Like every other federal agency, the Government Printing Office has been operating under a continuing resolution which has held it to FY 2006 funding, and here we are just 5 months from FY 2008.

On May 1, 2007, Mary Alice Baish of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) testified in support of full funding for the Government Printing Office (GPO) before the House Committee on Appropriations for AALL and the Special Libraries Association (SLA).

Read Baish's full statement then contact your Members of Congress and insist they fully fund the GPO so that "it is able to fulfill its mission of disseminating the Federal government information of all three branches of Government."

A vote on this budget request is expected before Memorial Day, but it could come any time.

For more information, including a sample letter, see the GOVDOC-L message available at http://lists.psu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0705c&L=govdoc-l&T=0&P=2760.

Posted by Anne at 07:51 PM | Permalink

From The Oregonian:

Jackson County voters rejected a new property tax that would have reopened their libraries, as voters in four other timber counties soundly turned back similar tax increases Tuesday.

The 15 library branches in Jackson County were closed last month to address a budget shortfall. The levy, defeated 59 percent to 41 percent, would have raised about $24.9 million over the next three years and had the libraries up and running again by next month.

Posted by Anne at 07:42 PM | Permalink