Office of the Secretary Defense has released its new "Unmanned Systems Roadmap, 2007-2023." This is the first integrated report and includes Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Unmanned Ground Systems and Unmanned Maritime Systems.
The report is available directly at
http://www.acq.osd.mil/usd/Unmanned%20Systems%20Roadmap.2007-2032.pdf
Some highlights from the executive summary:
As of October 2006, coalition Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs), exclusive of hand-launched systems, had flown almost 400,000 flight hours in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) had responded to over 11,000 Improvised Explosive Device (IED) situations, and Unmanned Maritime Systems (UMSs) had provided security to ports. As a result of these successes, the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) emphasized the importance of unmanned systems in the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT).
Unmanned systems are highly desired by combatant commanders (COCOMs) for the many roles these systems can fulfill. Tasks such as mine detection; signals intelligence; precision target designation; chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosive (CBRNE) reconnaissance; and communications and data relay rank high among the COCOMs' interests.
These unmanned capabilities have helped reduce the complexity and time lag in the "sensor" component of the sensor-to-shooter chain for prosecuting "actionable intelligence." Unmanned systems are changing the conduct of military operations in the GWOT by providing unrelenting pursuit combined with the elimination of threats to friendly forces; including injury, capture, or death.

Current U.S. National Strategies
from http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/archive.html
National Strategy for Homeland Security July 2002 White House Office of Homeland Security http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/book/index.html
National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace February 2003 White House http://www.whitehouse.gov/pcipb/cyberspace_strategy.pdf
National Strategy for the Physical Protection of Critical Infrastructure and Key Assets February 2003 White House http://www.whitehouse.gov/pcipb/physical_strategy.pdf
National Military Strategy February 2004 (March 2005?) Joint Chiefs of Staff http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Mar2005/d20050318nms.pdf
National Defense Strategy March 2005 (April 2005?) Office of the Secretary of Defense http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Apr2005/d20050408strategy.pdf
National Intelligence Strategy October 2005 Office of the Director of National Intelligence http://www.dni.gov/publications/NISOctober2005.pdf
National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza November 2005 Homeland Security Council http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/nspi.pdf
National Strategy for Victory in Iraq November 2005 National Security Council http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/iraq_national_strategy_20051130.p
df
National Military Strategy to Combat Weapons of Mass Destruction February 2006 Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff http://www.defenselink.mil/pdf/NMS-CWMD2006.pdf
National Military Strategic Plan for the War on Terrorism February 2006 Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/pdfs/2006-01-25-Strategic-Plan.pdf
National Strategy for Combating Terrorism September 2006 National Security Council http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/02/counter_terrorism/counte
r_terrorism_strategy.pdf
The National Security Strategy
http://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/nss/2006/nss2006.pdf
http://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/nss.pdf
National Counterintelligence Strategy March 2007 Office of the Director of National Intelligence http://www.ncix.gov/publications/policy/FinalCIStrategyforWebMarch21.pdf

FEDERAL DEPOSITORY LIBRARIES OFFER FREE ACCESS TO COURT E-RECORDS
The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) and the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) have entered into a two-year pilot project with the Administrative Office of the U. S. Courts (AOUSC) to provide access to its PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) service.
The PACER system can provide remote access to case and docket information from the Federal Courts via the Internet. Records include information from the Appellate, District and Bankruptcy Courts. Users of PACER are able to access information about a case including the names of all the parties, judges and attorneys involved in the case, case history and status as well as many of the documents submitted by the parties to the court.
Seventeen depositories, representing diverse types and sizes of libraries as well as different geographic locations, were selected to take part in the PACER pilot. With these libraries promoting the PACER service to the public, we anticipate the pilot will determine that Federal depository library access to PACER expands usage to those who currently do not have it available to them or would be inhibited by going to a court house to use the service.
The Federal depository libraries participating in the PACER pilot are:
* Alaska State Court Law Library (Alaska)
* Sacramento County Public Law Library, (California)
* San Bernardino County Law Library (California)
* Library of Congress/Law Library of Congress (District of
Columbia)
* Nova Southeastern University Law Library (Florida)
* 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Library (Illinois)
* Northern Kentucky University Steely Library/Chase Law Library
(Kentucky)
* Portland Public Library (Maine)
* University of Michigan Law School Library (Michigan)
* Wayne State University Arthur Neef Law Library, (Michigan)
* Rutgers University, Newark Law Library (New Jersey)
* New Mexico Supreme Court Law Library (New Mexico)
* Fordham University School of Law Leo T. Kissam Memorial Library (New York)
* State Library of Ohio (Ohio)
* Rogers State University Stratton Taylor Library (Oklahoma)
* University of Tennessee College of Law Joel A. Katz Law Library (Tennessee)
* Lee College Library (Texas)
The Government Printing Office thanks these libraries, and the other Federal depository libraries that volunteered for the pilot project, for their enthusiasm to provide PACER to their users. For more information about the project please contact Cindy Etkin at cetkin@gpo.gov.

The Defense Science Board has posted a new report on the Deployment of Members of the National Guard and Reserves in the Global War on Terror.
The report can be found at on the DSB reports page -- http://www.acq.osd.mil/dsb/reports.htm or directly at
http://www.acq.osd.mil/dsb/reports/2007-11-National_Guard_and_Reserve_in_the_Global_War_on_Terrorism.pdf
The task force examined the question of optimal length and frequency of deployment of members of the National Guard and reserve. According to the report, the task force found "that there is a general consensus that the guidelines for the reserve components satisfy their needs for predictability and sustainability. However, given current levels of operational demand, today's Army active National Guard, and reserve force structure will not support DoD's policy. Nor can it be supported when planned increases in end-strength are reached."
The report also expressed concern about the availability of Guard and reserve personnel and equipment to meet homeland security, civil support and domestic emergency requirements along with the robust overseas deployments.
Various charts and graphs are included.

Launch of the Government of Canada Web Archive (GCWA)
Library and Archives Canada (LAC) will launch the "Government of Canada Web Archive" on November 20, 2007. The site can be found at:
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/webarchives/
The Library and Archives of Canada Act received Royal Assent on April 22, 2004, allowing Library and Archives Canada (LAC) to collect and preserve a representative sample of Canadian websites. To meet its new mandate, LAC began to harvest the Web domain of the Federal Government of Canada starting in December 2005. As resources permit, this harvesting activity will be undertaken on a semi-annual basis. The harvested website data is stored in the "Government of Canada Web Archive" (GCWA). Client access to the content of the GCWA is provided through searching full text by keyword, by department name and by URL.
It is also possible to search by specific format type, (e.g., *.PDF). By the fall 2007, approximately 100 million digital objects (over 4
terabytes) of archived federal government website data will be made accessible via the LAC website.
Library and Archives Canada (LAC) has implemented this first significant Canadian Web archive through the use of open source tools, developed by the International Internet Preservation Consortium (http://www.netpreserve.org), of which LAC is a member. The goal of this organization is to collect, preserve and ensure long-term access to Internet content from around the world through the collaborative development of common tools and techniques for developing Web archives.

From
Grace York, Coordinator,
Documents Center &
Political Science Librarian
University of Michigan Library


Elections 2008 is up and running at UMich:
http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/elec2008.html
Even though it is very early in the election process, there is a critical, if not overwhelming, mass of material. Using the quick jumps at the top of the page, you can navigate to presidential match sites, political advertising, likely Congressional candidates, campaign finances, public opinion polls, election calendars, and historic Presidential votes by Congressional District.
Multi-purpose election web sites are analyzed. Campaign finances appear in LEXIS Congressional as well as the FEC, advertisements in National Journal as well as the Livingroom Candidate, and the text of preconvention debates on the CNN and MSNBC sites.
There is some quirky material under issues, such as the roll call votes on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which states support stem cell research, and Eliot Spitzer's concession speech on driver's licenses for illegal aliens. If you are a Michigan voter, we're covering the Presidential primary situation.
Ray Walling and Alex Watson are going to help me upgrade the issues section over the next few weeks, and the web site will be continually updated over the next year.
Have fun with it and feel free to contribute your own favorite political web sites.

As noted in the news -- the Joint Economic Committee Majority Staff has just published a report on the Cost of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
They estimate it could exceed $3.5 trillion.
"November 13: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) will join Joint Economic Committee
(JEC) Chairman Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), and JEC Vice Chair Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) today released a new report exposing the hidden costs of the war in Iraq. The Joint Economic Committee report investigates the costs of the war in Iraq that are not included in direct budgetary appropriations, including long term veteran's health care, foregone investment, oil market disruptions and interest payments on borrowed war funding. The JEC estimates these costs could total in the trillions of dollars."
Joint Economic Committee -- "War at Any Price?-the Total Economic Costs of the War Beyond the Federal Budget" and it is available at http://jec.senate.gov/Documents/Reports/11.13.07IraqEconomicCostsReport.
pdf
The press release includes a brief summary
http://jec.senate.gov/Documents/Releases/11.13.07IraqReportRelease.pdf
Individual charts are available as follows:
* The American Family Will Bear Heavy Burden to Pay for Wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan
http://jec.senate.gov/charts/Iraq%20Economic%20Cost%20Report/Chart2.pdf
* With No Change in Course, Total Costs Incurred per Family
Reach Almost $50,000 by 2017
http://jec.senate.gov/charts/Iraq%20Economic%20Cost%20Report/chart1.pdf
* The Projected Interest Costs of Iraq War Alone are Higher than
the Cost of Children's Health Program and Health Research and Training http://jec.senate.gov/charts/Iraq%20Economic%20Cost%20Report/chart3.pdf
* Taxpayer Spending on Iraq War vs. Federal Spending on Other
Priorities
http://jec.senate.gov/charts/Iraq%20Economic%20Cost%20Report/chart4.pdf
* Breaking Down the Costs of War in Iraq
http://jec.senate.gov/charts/Iraq%20Economic%20Cost%20Report/chart5.pdf
* Total Economic Costs Under Future Scenarios
http://jec.senate.gov/charts/Iraq%20Economic%20Cost%20Report/chart%20a-1
.pdf
* State-by-State Heat Map: States Bear Billions in Iraq War
Costs
http://jec.senate.gov/charts/Iraq%20Economic%20Cost%20Report/state%20by%
20state%20new.pdf
The response from the Joint Economic Committee Republicans can be found at http://www.house.gov/jec/news/2007/Nov/JEC%20GOP%20Response.pdf
They say the report should be withdrawn -- that it is politically motivated and filled with errors and poor methodology.
A second press release from them indicates that some errors were quietly corrected on the web version.
http://www.house.gov/jec/news/2007/Nov/JEC%20GOP%20Response%2011-14.pdf

WASHOE COUNTY prepared to serve homeless in overflow shelter
Reno, Nevada. November 13, 2007. In today’s Washoe County Commissioners Board meeting, Commissioners voted to approve the overflow homeless shelter’s lease agreement at 85 Edison Way in Sparks. They also approved the additional $17,236 provided to the Reno-Sparks Gospel Mission to support the operation.
Since its opening on December 8, 2006, the homeless overflow shelter has served hundreds of homeless individuals that may have been turned away due to full capacity at the men’s drop-in shelter at 315 Record Street and the women’s drop in shelter at 355 Record Street. "The necessity of this shelter is obvious," Gabrielle Enfield, Washoe County Community Support Administrator states. "These folks would be out on our streets, possibly freezing to death if it were not for this overflow facility." Enfield anticipated the need and began looking for county space for overflow shelter in the fall of 2006. Working with County resources, and with the cooperation of the Flood Control Project, she was able to identify and convert the vacant building at 85 Edison Way.
The overflow emergency cold weather shelter at 85 Edison Way will provide shelter for up to 60 men from November 15th through March 31, 2008. Individuals in need of shelter will receive an evening meal, an opportunity to shower, shelter for the night and a light breakfast in the morning.
The women’s shelter facility is expected to be completed this December and single women will be provided cold weather overflow shelter at the Reno Sparks Gospel Mission Women and Family Shelter and the Reno Sparks Gospel Mission building on the Record Street Site. The Reno Sparks Gospel Mission will provide the same services to homeless women during the cold months that are provided to men.
Washoe County is committed to addressing our community’s homeless issue and since 1996, has provided more than $3 million in funding.
###

The FBI has published its newest edition of its report summarizing terrorist activities in the US. The newest report - "Terrorism 2002-2005" can be found as follows and the previous reports are listed
below:
PDF -- http://www.fbi.gov/publications/terror/terrorism2002_2005.pdf
HTML -- http://www.fbi.gov/publications/terror/terrorism2002_2005.htm
According to the forward the report "provides an overview of the terrorist incidents and preventions designated by the FBI as having taken place in the United States and its territories during the years
2002 through 2005 and that are matters of public record. This publication does not include those incidents which the Bureau classifies under criminal rather than terrorism investigations. In addition, the report discusses major FBI investigations overseas and identifies significant events-including legislative actions, prosecutorial updates, and program developments-relevant to U.S. counterterrorism efforts."
The report includes a chart of "casualties of terrorism 1980-2005" as well as a chronological summary of the terrorist incidents in the US
1980-2005 which includes the date, location, incident type, perpetrator, killed or injured.

If you toil in the fields of government information, you may be interested to know that an urgent campaign is underway to strike language from the Senate version of the Farm Bill which would create a substantial new FOIA exemption and severely restrict public access to important information about farm animal health under a National Animal Identification System (NAIS).
OpenTheGovernment.org has written a letter to Senators expressing opposition to the non-disclosure language in the Senate version of the bill, and the American Library Association, Special Libraries Association, and American Association of Law Libraries are among the 28 organizations to sign on. Please see the letter at:
http://www.openthegovernment.org/otg/farm_bill_letter.pdf
As the letter states, Section 10305 of the Livestock Title of the Farm Bill approved October 25 by the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee gives the Secretary of Agriculture broad authority to restrict and control disclosure of NAIS information, and imposes "disproportionately harsh penalties for press activities protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution." The letter seeks to strike Section 10305 from the bill.
As always, it's important that legislators hear from THEIR constituents.
If you wish to lend your voice to this effort, please call or fax your Senators and let them know that you support the principles of transparency and disclosure expressed in the OpenTheGovernment.org letter, and urge them to oppose any version of the bill which includes
the non-disclosure provisions. Senate phone numbers are available on
the Senate website, and fax numbers are available from the sites of individual members:
http://senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm . A complete reiteration of all the points made in the letter isn't necessary - what's most important is that they hear from you, their constituents, that you want the non-disclosure language of Section 10305 removed. Senate floor action could come at any time this week, so please act quickly.

Librarians Say Surveillance Bills Lack Adequate Oversight
By Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, November 2, 2007
A little-remarked feature of pending legislation on domestic surveillance has provoked alarm among university and public librarians who say it could allow federal intelligence-gathering on library patrons without sufficient court oversight.
Draft House and Senate bills would allow the government to compel any "communications service provider" to provide access to e-mails and other electronic information within the United States as part of federal surveillance of non-U.S. citizens outside the country.
The Justice Department has previously said that "providers" may include libraries, causing three major university and library groups to worry that the government's ability to monitor people targeted for surveillance without a warrant would chill students' and faculty members' online research activities.
"It is fundamental that when a user enters the library, physically or electronically," said Jim Neal, the head librarian at Columbia University, "their use of the collections, print or electronic, their communications on library servers and computers, is not going to be subjected to surveillance unless the courts have authorized it."
Under the legislation, the government could monitor a non-U.S. citizen overseas participating in an online research project through a U.S.
university library, and gain access to the communications of all the project participants with that surveillance target, said Al Gidari, a lawyer with the Perkins Coie firm who represents the Association of
Research Libraries and the American Library Association.
The bills, which would replace a temporary law amending the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, would not require the government to demonstrate "probable cause" that the foreign person targeted is a terrorist or a spy or to let the FISA court, which grants surveillance warrants, know that the tap will be on a library. Under the Senate bill, a general surveillance program may be authorized yearly by the attorney general and the director of national intelligence. The House's version would require the FISA court to authorize surveillance directed at people overseas.


<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/
article/2007/11/01/AR2007110102233.html>

WASHOE COUNTY AND NEVADA LAND CONSERVANCY BEGIN HAWKEN FIRE BURN AREA REHABILITATION WORK
Reno, Nevada. October 31, 2007. Nevada Land Conservancy and Washoe County announced today the beginning of rehabilitation and restoration efforts for the Hawken Fire burn area, with the construction of sediment basins and the application of hydro mulch seed over 40 acres.
In late July, the Hawken Fire devastated 2,700 acres in southwest Reno, 72% on federal land and 28% on private land. In the aftermath, the burn area threatens the quality of the community’s drinking water, the safety of nearby homes from future fires, recreational access, and hundreds of acres of crucial winter habitat for mule deer along the Carson range of the Sierra. With the input of federal, state and county agencies, a plan has been created to rehabilitate soils and restore critical habitat in the burn area. This plan includes treatments to stabilize soils, clear stream channels, construct sediment basins, remove hazardous trees, replant 300 Ponderosa and Jeffrey pine trees, erect fences and signage, and reseed more than 500 acres.
The Hawken Fire recovery efforts on private land were initiated by local resident Jeannie Cassinelli, who leads the Hawken Fire Recovery Team consisting of roughly 75 individuals actively supporting the recovery process. Through their efforts, local non-profit Nevada Land Conservancy was brought on board to lead fundraising efforts, recruit volunteers, and provide project oversight. The Team has raised $470,118 for the total project (restoration on both public and private lands). Of the total amount of $470,118, $364,518 comes from the community as grants and donations from the groups listed below, and the remaining $105,600 is federal money.
Washoe County leads the design and implementation of the immediate treatments needed to prevent erosion and reseed habitat through the efforts of several departments, including Parks and Open Space, Public Works, and Fire Services. The U.S. Forest Service Humboldt-Toiyabe District is coordinating the treatments on federal land. Other project partners in this effort include the Caughlin Ranch Homeowners’ Association, City of Reno, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Nevada Fire Safe Council, and several funding partners.
Time is of the essence – many of the treatments need to be in place before winter precipitation, so work is now beginning with the construction of sediment basins and the hydro mulching of 40 acres behind homes. Tree removal will begin in November, aerial seeding later this winter, and hand planting of 300 trees in early spring.
"It is so crucial that we provide erosion control measures now," states Sonya Hem, Deputy Director of Nevada Land Conservancy. "We would hate to see part of the mountain slide into the Truckee River through Alum Creek. And that could impact the water quality for the entire Truckee Meadows."
In addition to water quality, the burn area is located directly in the middle of the winter range of the Truckee-Loyalton Mule Deer herd. Already stressed by previous fires on Peavine Mountain, the herd is receiving support from Nevada Bighorns Unlimited in the form of a $20,000 contribution towards the forage reseeding efforts. Aerial seeding of 500 acres in the upper elevations with sagebrush, bitterbrush and other forage species will occur this winter.
The threat of invasive grass species colonizing the burn area is also a serious threat, according to Kurt Latipow, Washoe County Fire Services Coordinator. "We have a one-year window of opportunity to combat the extremely invasive cheat grass that will grow in the burn area if we do not come in aggressively now," states Latipow. "Cheat grass is extremely flammable and it increases the intensity and spread of fires, which results in an increased threat to lives and property."
Hawken Fire Restoration Effort Donors
Truckee River Fund
Nevada Bighorns Unlimited
City of Reno Ward One Neighborhood Advisory Board
City of Reno Ward Five Northwest Neighborhood Advisory Board
The Phil and Jennifer Satre Family Charitable Fund at the Community Foundation of Western Nevada
The Ranson and Norma Webster Foundation at the Community Foundation of Western Nevada
Sierra Pacific Resources Foundation
Robert Z. Hawkins Foundation
Gaston & Wilkerson Management Group
Scenic Nevada
Lahontan Audubon Society
...and many donations from generous individuals!
###

The Defense Science Board (DSB) has posted a new report.
The report on "Mission Impact of Foreign Influence on DoD Software can be found at http://www.acq.osd.mil/dsb/reports/2007-09-Mission_Impact_of_Foreign_Inf
luence_on_DoD_Software.pdf.
According to the memorandum of endorsement by Dr. Schneider, this report "was established to complement the 2005 DSB study on High Performance Microchip Supply which focused on the implications of semiconductor fabrication in foreign countries. The task force found that the DoD faces similar consequences from the possible exploitation of software, increasingly developed outside of the United States, it its systems."
The 2005 report can be found at
http://www.acq.osd.mil/dsb/reports/2005-02-HPMS_Report_Final.pdf
If you have trouble with the link wrapping go to http://www.acq.osd.mil/dsb/reports.htm and you can retrieve both from there.

WASHOE COUNTY SUPPORTS COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS TO ADDRESS URBAN BEAR INCIDENTS
Reno, Nevada. October 23, 2007. At their October 23 Board meeting, Commissioners authorized Washoe County staff to devote resources and staff time to the Sierra Front Bear Working Group plan. The Sierra Front Bear Working Group consists of multiple state and local agencies with a common goal to address the increasing problem of human-bear contacts and activity in Washoe County.
Due to the dramatic increases in bear complaints in 2007, the Washoe County Board of Commissioners directed staff to reconvene the Sierra Front Bear Working Group. Washoe County’s contribution to the group’s plan is to dedicate $5,000 to a community-wide education and awareness program and, as funds become available, contribute a minimum of $50,000 for the installation of wildlife proof trash enclosures at Davis Creek Park. This effective community plan will be implemented by the participating multiple agencies with varying responsibilities. These include education, public safety, ordinance enforcement, natural resource management, community planning, legislation and funding.
Over the next year, the Sierra Front Bear Working Group will prepare a Community Bear Management Plan and implement an initial education and awareness campaign. The group includes representatives from Washoe County Animal Control, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Washoe County Community Relations, Community Development and Health Department, Washoe County Manager’s Office, Nevada Department of Wildlife, Douglas County Code Enforcement, Incline Village General Improvement District and Waste Management.
Citizens are reminded to call 911 for any encounter with a bear that threatens human life. All other bear-related calls should be made to the Nevada Dept. of Wildlife at (775) 688-1331.

Cabinet members blogging



Leavitt's blog: http://secretarysblog.hhs.gov/my--weblog/
Chertoff's blog:
http://www.dhs.gov/journal/leadership/2007--10--01--archive.html

New Maritime Strategy



The Navy, the Marine Corps and the Coast Guard have released a new cooperative Maritime Strategy. The report entitled "A Cooperative Strategy for the 21st Century Seapower" was released at the International Seapower Symposium at the Naval War College today.
The report can be found at
http://www.navy.mil/maritime/MaritimeStrategy.pdf or from main site http://www.navy.mil/maritime/.
A video of the conference can be found at http://www.navy.mil/media/video/live/newport-webcast.asx

The Veteran's Disability Benefits Commission has released their report "Honoring the Call to Duty: Veterans' Disability Benefits in the 21st Century." The report can be accessed from http://www.vetscommission.org/reports.asp
The PDF of the full report is available at http://www.vetscommission.org/pdf/eReport_prepub_9-27.pdf
The executive summary is available at
http://www.vetscommission.org/pdf/ExecutiveSummary_eV_9-27.pdf
Excerpt from the Exec Summary:
The Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission was established by Public Law 108-136, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2004.
Between May 2005 and October 2007, the Commission conducted an in-depth analysis of the benefits and services available to veterans, service members, their survivors, and their families to compensate and provide assistance for the effects of disabilities and deaths attributable to military service. The Department of Veterans Affairs expended $40.5 billion on the wide array of these benefits and services in fiscal year 2006. The Commission addressed the appropriateness and purpose of benefits, benefit levels and payment rates, and the processes and procedures used to determine eligibility. The Commission reviewed past studies on these subjects, the legislative history of the benefit programs, and related issues that have been debated repeatedly over many decades.
The Commission identified eight principles for guiding the development and delivery of future benefits for veterans and their families.
1. Benefits should recognize the often enormous sacrifices of military service as a continuing cost of war, and commend military service as the highest obligation of citizenship.
2. The goal of disability benefits should be rehabilitation and reintegration into civilian life to the maximum extent possible and preservation of the veterans' dignity.
3. Benefits should be uniformly based on severity of service-connected disability without regard to the circumstances of the disability (wartime v. peacetime, combat v. training, or geographical
location.)
4. Benefits and services should be provided that collectively compensate for the consequence of service-connected disability on the average impairment of earnings capacity, the ability to engage in usual life activities, and quality of life.
5. Benefits and standards for determining benefits should be updated or adapted frequently based on changes in the economic and social impact of disability and impairment, advances in medical knowledge and technology, and the evolving nature of warfare and military service.
6. Benefits should include access to a full range of health care provided at no cost to service-disabled veterans. Priority for care must be based on service connection and degree of disability.
7. Funding and resources to adequately meet the needs of service-disabled veterans and their families must be fully provided while being aware of the burden on current and future generations.
8. Benefits to our nation's service-disabled veterans must be delivered in a consistent, fair, equitable, and timely manner.

A couple of new reports by Anthony Cordesman at the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) might be of particular use with some interesting graphs and charts on various topics.
Pandora's Box: Iraqi Federalism, Separatism, "Hard" Partitioning and US Policy.
http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/071009_pandorasbox.pdf
This working draft report from Oct 9, 2007 looks at federalizing or partitioning Iraq. Useful graphs/charts include topics such as:
refugees and displaced persons, maps of threats and ethno-sectarian violence, Iraqi military and civilian casualties, public opinion, demographics, infrastructure and more.
Political, Military and Economic Dynamics in Iraq: A Graphic Overview.
http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/071005_iraqoverview.pdf
This revised October 2007 report shows, through the use of graphs and maps, topics such as: sectarian & ethnic divisions, oil fields, weekly attack trends by type, high profile and IED attacks, major threats and the state of Al Qaeda, insurgent concentrations, US aid status, crude oil production and more.

From ALA's Action Alert:
The Presidential Records Act Amendments bill
(H.R.1255)
is currently being prevented from a vote in the U.S. Senate by Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY). He has not stated his reasons for doing so. H.R.1255 removes restrictions placed by President Bush's 2001 Executive Order 13233 and enhances the Presidential Records Act, one of the nation's most important open-government laws.
On March 14, 2007, by a vote of 333-93, the U.S. House of Representatives approved H.R. 1255.
More information is available at:
http://www.capwiz.com/ala/issues/alert/?alertid=10372136
*****************************************************
Further Background:
In November 2001, President George W. Bush issued Executive Order 13233, which gave current and former Presidents and Vice Presidents broad authority to withhold Presidential records or delay their release indefinitely. The Presidential Records Act Amendments (H.R.1255) would nullify the Bush executive order and restore the principle that the records of our highest elected public official belong to the people. This bill passed the House of Representatives with broad bipartisan support by a vote of 333-93 on March 14, 2007, but it is now held up in the Senate by a hold placed by Sen. Jim Bunning of Kentucky. ALA supports H.R.1255 and has issued an action alert seeking the release of Sen. Bunning's hold so the bill can move forward.
This National Action Alert Network (NAAN) release is intended to support that effort.

Action:
*****KENTUCKY RESIDENTS: Your participation is doubly critical. Your junior Senator, Jim Bunning, is responsible for the hold on the bill, and your senior Senator, Mitch McConnell, has a special responsibility as Minority Leader to help move the bill through the Senate. Please call Sen. Bunning's office and ask that he release his hold on the bill so it can be scheduled for a vote. His direct office number is 202-224-4343. Please ask Sen.
McConnell to urge Sen. Bunning to take these steps; his direct office number is 202-224-2541. Hearing from as many of *their* constituents as possible will be crucial. Talking points and a sample email/fax are below.


*****Other States: Please call, fax, or e-mail your Senators (do not use U.S.
mail). Their contact information is available from the U.S. Senate website:


<http://senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm>
http://senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
<http://senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm>

<http://senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm>
Talking Points:
I'm calling to ask Senator _____________ to urge his/her colleague, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, to have Sen. Bunning release the hold on H.R. 1255, Presidential Records Act Amendments bill, so it can be brought to the senate floor. HR 1255 will nullify Executive Order 13233, signed by President Bush in 2001. E.O. 13233 amended the Presidential Records Act of 1978, restricting the public's access to presidential records after a president leaves office. H.R. 1255 will do the following to restore the public's
access:
- Establish a Deadline for restriction of release. Under EO 13233,
records are released when both the current and former president approve the
release. If neither approves the release, the records stay hidden from
public view. H.R. 1255 will set a time period of 40 business days to
raise objection to the release of the records. If no objections are raised,
the records are presented to the public.

- Limit the power of former presidents to withhold records. EO 13233
allows the former president to withhold his/her records from public view
unless a court ordered them released, placing the burden of proof on the
public. HR 1255 will reverse this process: the former president will need
to get a court order to prevent the records from being released, placing the
burden of proof on the president.

- Limit Vice Presidential Power. Under EO 13233, the vice president
may claim executive privilege and withhold presidential records, an
unprecedented step. H.R. 1255 will restore the long standing
precedent that executive privilege resides with the president, and not the
vice president.

- Only the President has the power to make privilege claims. EO 13233
allowed for the former president to bequeath executive privilege to
assistants, relatives or descendants, thus allowing the designate to keep
the records hidden from the public indefinitely. HR 1255 will nullify this
claim and allow only the current president to restrict access to records.


Email/Fax:

To the Honorable Senator ___________
I am writing to express my support for the Presidential Records Act Amendments (H.R. 1255) and to ask you to urge your colleague, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, to have Sen. Bunning release the hold on this important bill. I support this bill because it will nullify Executive Order 13233, signed by President Bush in 2001, and re-establish procedures to ensure the timely release of Presidential records.
The records of the highest elected public office in the country, the President of the United States, belong to the people and are official evidence of government activities. Presidential records, preserved and made accessible by the National Archives, document the decisions and operation of the executive branch and contribute to cultural and historical understanding and scholarship.
Access to these records is a basic element of citizenship in a government by the people. I urge you to add your influential voice to those who are calling for this principle to be restored to our Nation's laws.
Sincerely,

Congress and
Private Military Contractors



"Blackwater USA: Private Military Contractor Activity in Iraq and Afghanistan" House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Hearing, October 2, 2007 [not much there yet but more will be added after the hearing]
http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1509
"Additional Information about Blackwater USA." House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Memorandum from the Majority Staff -.
October 1, 2007
http://oversight.house.gov/documents/20071001121609.pdf
"Private Military Contractors in Iraq: An Examination of Blackwater's Actions in Fallujah." House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Majority Staff report. Sept 2007
http://oversight.house.gov/documents/20070927104643.pdf
"War Profiteering and Other Contractor Crimes Committed Overseas."
House. Committee on the Judiciary. Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. June 19, 2007
http://judiciary.house.gov/oversight.aspx?ID=338
"Iraqi Reconstruction: Reliance on Private Military Contractors " House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Hearing - Feb 7, 2007 [includes links to the video of the hearing, witness statements, and more]
http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1165
Various letters to and from the Committee, the State Dept and Blackwater

http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1497
CPA Memorandum 17 - Registration Requirements for Private Security Companies (PSC) with Annexes including Annex A-
Rules for the Use of Force by Contractors in Iraq and Annex B - Code of Conduct for Private Security Companies Operating Iraq
http://www.iraqcoalition.org/regulations/20040626_CPAMEMO_17_Registratio
n_Requirements_for_Private_Security_Companies_with_Annexes.pdf
"Abuses in Private Security and Reconstruction Contracting in Iraq:
Ensuring Accountability, Protecting Whistleblowers." Senate Democratic Party Committee Hearing. September 21, 2007. [includes statements and links to the video of the hearing]
http://democrats.senate.gov/dpc/dpc-hearing.cfm?A=40
Selected other sources:
"The Private Military Firms: Historical Evolution and Industry Analysis." NPS thesis. June 2007.
http://bosun.nps.edu/uhtbin/hyperion-image.exe/07Jun%5FAlabarda%5FMBA.pd
f
"Analysis of Security Contractors in Deployed Environments." NPS Thesis.
December 2006
http://bosun.nps.edu/uhtbin/hyperion-image.exe/06Dec%5FHerron%5FMBA.pdf
"A Critical Analysis of the Coordination, Command and Control of Contractors in Iraq." NPS Thesis. December 2006
http://bosun.nps.edu/uhtbin/hyperion-image.exe/06Dec%5FButkus%5FMBA.pdf
"Outsourcing Small Wars: Expanding the Role of Private Military Companies in U.S. Military Operations." NPS Thesis. September 2005.
http://bosun.nps.edu/uhtbin/hyperion-image.exe/05Sep%5FJorgensen.pdf
"Rebuilding Iraq: Actions Needed to Improve Use of Private Security Providers." GAO July 2005
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05737.pdf
"Private Security Contractors in Iraq: Background, Legal Status, and Other Issues" CRS report updated July 11, 2007
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL32419.pdf
DCAF Backgrounder "Private Military Companies" April 2004
http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/files/portal/issueareas/security/security
_pdf/2006_DCAF.pdf
"The Private Military Industry and Iraq: What Have We Learned and Where to Next?" DCAF Policy Paper. Nov 2004
http://www.dcaf.ch/_docs/pp04_private-military.pdf
"Phasing Out Private Security Contractors in Iraq" USAWC Strategic Leadership Course paper. March 2006
http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/ksil520.pdf
"Private Security Contractors on the Battlefield." USAWC Strategy Research Project. March 2006
http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/ksil320.pdf
"Operational Implications of Private Military Companies in the Global War on Terror. Army Command and General Staff College, 2005
http://stinet.dtic.mil/dticrev/PDFs/ADA436294.pdf
"Public War, Private Fight? The United States and Private Military Companies" Global War on Terrorism Occasional Paper no. 12. Fort Leavenworth Combat Studies Institute. 2005
http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/download/csipubs/kidwell.pdf

The Board of County Commissioners has proclaimed Wednesday, October 3 as ENERGY STAR Change a Light Day.
Take the Change a Light Pledge, learn what Washoe County is doing to conserve, preserve and restore resources and find out how you can too and save money in the process!
When: Wednesday, October 3
Where: Building A Lobby
When: 11 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Lots of fun giveaways! Enjoy a complimentary dessert while you learn!
Who will be there?

Sierra Pacific Power, RTC, Truckee Meadows Water Authority, Washoe County Cooperative Extension, Environmental Health Services, Regional Parks and Open Space, the Flood Project, Water Resources, Air Quality Management, the Quality of Life Task Force, Community Relations, Purchasing, Facility Management and YOU!!!

Introducing Gov Gab – Your U.S. Government Blog!
We are very pleased to announce that USA.gov and the team at the Office of Citizen Services at GSA have just launched a blog. Gov Gab <http://www.govgab.gov/> is a blog for all Americans to share all our government information. Check it out at http://www.govgab.gov <http://www.govgab.gov/> .
Gov Gab <http://www.govgab.gov/> is written by a team of five bloggers with different backgrounds and interests, all experts on government information via their jobs at USA.gov, Pueblo.gsa.gov, or 1 (800) FED-INFO. Gov Gab <http://www.govgab.gov/> offers a new post each weekday, and readers are encouraged to join the conversation by leaving comments or sending e-mails. The Gov Gab <http://www.govgab.gov/> team will key off the conversation going on in the blogosphere and use their own experiences and expertise as government information managers to blog about the services and great information from the U.S. government that are helpful to Americans in their everyday lives.
Check out our first posts <http://www.govgab.gov/> and read the "meet the bloggers <http://blog.usa.gov/roller/govgab/page/bios> " section for a short, fun autobiography of each writer. With their varying backgrounds and stories, the bloggers have something for everyone. This personal element lets Gov Gab put a "face" on the federal government, and makes it easier for readers to ask questions, share experiences, and join the conversation.
Find out who’s talking, what’s being said, and offer your two cents on Gov Gab.gov—Your U.S. Government Blog <http://www.govgab.gov/> .
And, please, help us spread the word!
Thanks!

Bev Godwin <mailto:beverly.godwin@gsa.gov> Director, USA.gov and Web Best Practices Federal Citizen Information Center, Office of Citizen Services U.S. General Services Administration
For all your government information needs:
Click on USA.gov <http://www.usa.gov/>
or Call 1-800-FED-INFO

This month marks the official debut of The Dirksen Congressional Center's new online version of Congress in the Classroom -- http://moodle.congressclass.org/ -- an award-winning course for teachers.
Do you teach social studies, American government, American history, or civics? Are your lessons about the U.S. Congress out of date? Is it hard to engage your students in learning about the House and Senate? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then Congress in the Classroom Online is the course for you!
Congress in the Classroom Online will help you understand today's Congress and suggest ways to teach about it. The self-paced online course is organized around the twin responsibilities of Congress members:
representation and lawmaking. There are more than a dozen individual units on such topics as "What Makes for Effective Members of Congress?" "How Representative is the Membership of Congress?" and "Lawmaking: Understanding the Basics." All the information you need to complete the course is available with just a few mouse clicks.
This improved version of Congress in the Classroom Online uses a more interactive approach, featuring many options to engage you (and the
instructor) in the course materials.
We welcome your participation! Take a look -- http://moodle.congressclass.org.
Sincerely,
Cindy Koeppel
The Dirksen Congressional Center
2815 Broadway
Pekin, IL 61554
Phone: 309.347.7113
Fax: 309.347.6432
E-mail: ckoeppel@dirksencenter.org http://www.dirksencongressionalcenter.org

Washoe COUNTY FUEL Reduction PROJECTs planned for mt. rose-Galena Creek area
Reno, Nevada. September 25, 2007. Sierra Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Michael Heikaa announced today that two wild land fuel reduction projects are planned for the Mt. Rose/Galena Creek area. These projects are planned to reduce hazardous fuels on Washoe County open space that potentially threaten the communities of Rolling Hills and Galena Forest Estates. The goal of these projects is to provide a fuel break and better access for firefighting equipment and personnel to defend the public and structures from the threat of wildfires.
The first project is located in the Rolling Hills subdivision and is scheduled to begin on October 1st. This project will involve mechanical thinning of brush located in the common areas and surrounding open space. This project will also begin to locally address one of the great issues facing the Fire District, which is the unnatural build-up of fuels on County open space that increases the risk of a catastrophic wildfire.
The second project is located along Galena Creek in the Galena Forest Estates and will reduce high hazardous fuels along Galena Creek. This work is to be completed with a combination of hand and mechanical equipment and is aimed at reducing the threat of wildfire in the Galena Forest Estates.
The Sierra Fire Protection District (SFPD) was formed on July 1, 2006 as the result of Washoe County assuming the Sierra Forest Fire Protection District from the State of Nevada. The newly formed SFPD is comprised of 50 paid, professional firefighters, 5 Volunteer Fire Departments and 50 pieces of firefighting apparatus working from 9 Fire Stations located in West Washoe Valley, Galena, Verdi, Anderson Acres and the west side of Cold Springs.
For more information contact Sierra Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Michael Heikka at (775) 849-1108. Email mheikka@washoecounty.us

Washoe County registrar of voters to review operations for vote counting system
Reno, Nevada. September 18, 2007. At their September 18th Board meeting, Commissioners agreed to reconvene the Elections Task Force to review Washoe County’s operations and security features currently in use for its voting systems. A facilitator will be hired for $2500 to assist the citizen-based Election Task Force in conducting the meetings and final report writing.
In 1999, an Elections Task Force was formed to review Washoe County operations following the elections held in 1998. After meeting for four months, the task force made 19 recommendations for improvements, of which 15 were implemented by the Registrar prior to the 2000 elections and the other 4 implemented prior the elections in 2002.
"The systems and procedures to be reviewed by this citizen-based Task Force are those designed to protect the integrity of elections conducted in Washoe County," said Registrar of Voters Dan Burk. "In light of the recent decision by the California Secretary of State to suspend use of all touch-screen technology for their 2008 elections, we felt it necessary to review the operating procedures for the reliability, security and accuracy of our own similar systems."
Voting systems are certified for use in Nevada by the Office of the Nevada Secretary of State. Currently, Sequoia software and hardware systems are used by all counties in Nevada and are the only voting programs currently certified by the Secretary of State for use in Nevada.

EPA Libraries Update


Copyright 2007 Inside Washington Publishers All Rights Reserved
Risk Policy Report
August 21, 2007
SECTION: Vol. 14 No. 34
LENGTH: 743 words
HEADLINE: EPA Union Says Decision Bolsters Its Position In Library Closure Talks
BODY:
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.
Earlier this month Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) Administrative Law Judge Richard Pearson ruled that he would indefinitely postpone an Aug. 14 hearing on the union's complaint that the agency failed to respond to its requests to select an arbitrator for union-agency negotiations over the controversial library closures.
In June, Pearson initially called for a hearing to be held in Chicago Aug. 14 to address the union's complaint that the agency failed to respond to its requests to select an arbitrator (Risk Policy Report, July 10, p5).
But after reviewing the case Pearson changed his mind about the hearing, and in an Aug. 7 decision wrote, "It does not appear that a hearing in this case will be necessary" because he has enough information to reach a decision. Instead, he ordered the union to file a motion for summary judgment by Aug. 17.
EPA has until Aug. 31 to file any cross-motions or a motion to pursue a hearing. The decision is available on InsideEPA.com.
One union official says the decision to order summary judgment may signal an upcoming win for the union because Pearson "is going to rule on the facts of the case as they are," which the union says are in its favor.
Although EPA has subsequently selected an arbitrator to begin negotiations next month over the closures, the source says the union is still pursuing the unfair labor practice claim in the hopes of securing a win that "will get the word out to all EPA employees nationally" about the agency's failure to address union requests to appoint an arbitrator.
EPA and its union ultimately agreed June 25 to appoint George Edward Larney as arbitrator -- four months after the union filed its Feb. 5 unfair labor practice complaint with the FLRA. An FLRA ruling in favor of the union "would lend credence to our claims" in the upcoming arbitration talks that EPA did not consult with the union prior to closing libraries and did not adequately consider or address the impact that closures would have on employees, the union official says EPA last year developed a plan to close its library network and transfer huge volumes of written materials into an electronic format, partly in response to an expected $2 million cut to the Office of Environmental Information's budget in the then-pending fiscal year 2007 appropriations bill. EPA has already closed the libraries at its Dallas and Chicago offices, agency sources say.
Union officials say employees need access to EPA's libraries for research to support agency regulatory positions, to understand the science behind rulemakings, and for a host of other reasons. Several officials say they oppose the plan to restrict access to only an electronic format because there is no guarantee all existing documents will be transferred and the process for converting and making available the documents may take too long.
The union source is hoping for a favorable FLRA ruling ahead of the arbitration talks, slated to take place in Chicago beginning Sept. 25. The union pushed for Chicago as the venue for the two-day negotiations because EPA has already closed the library there and "we could bring in [regional EPA] witnesses who will talk about the impacts on employees" as a result of the closures, the source adds.
The arbitration talks, which the source describes as a "quasi-trial," are ultimately aimed at forcing EPA to negotiate over addressing the union's concerns about the impact of the closures on agency employees, and at trying to win the reopening of the Chicago and Dallas libraries.
An EPA spokeswoman did not return calls by press time.

Washoe County invites citizens to subscribe to free "cmail" service
RENO, Nevada. Aug. 22, 2007. Citizens interested in receiving immediate information about Washoe County are encouraged to subscribe to the new, interactive "cMail" (County Mail) subscription service. This new program allows citizens to subscribe to a specific County Commissioner’s District, all Districts and/or emergency information announcements. To subscribe, simply visit the webpage www.washoecounty.us/bcc <http://www.washoecounty.us/bcc> and click on a Commissioner’s picture.
Washoe County Webmaster Chris Matthews explained the value of the service to citizens. "This is one of the best ways to receive immediate District specific County information that will be sent directly to your home, office or email enabled portable device. The system is completely secure and will only collect email addresses, therefore assuring anonymity for the subscriber."
Citizens can also respond to a cMail they receive for additional information and/or answers to questions they may have on a particular topic. Washoe County does not provide citizen email lists to outside parties and the subscription can be changed or cancelled at any time. Future enhancements to the county’s "cMail" service include topic specific notifications.
For more information about the Washoe County cMail service, contact PIO Kim Evans at 775-328-2730 or 775-813-6787.

A report from the New York Police Department (NYPD)



Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION BILL PASSES SENATE Open Government Advocates Overcome Secret Hold
Key Reforms Fix Delay Problems Identified by Archive Audits; Better Tracking, Reporting, Processing Fees and Ombuds Office
Washington DC, August 4, 2007 - The United States Senate yesterday joined the House in passing bipartisan legislation that will fix several of the most glaring problems with the U.S. Freedom of Information Act that were identified in six government-wide audits of FOIA practice carried out by the National Security Archive. The legislation, authored by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tx.), overcame a hold placed by Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Az) on behalf of Alberto Gonzales' Justice Department. It passed late Friday evening by unanimous consent, on the last day of the Congressional session before the August recess.
After a conference to reconcile provisions between the House and Senate versions, the new law will mandate tracking numbers for FOIA requests that take longer than 10 days to process so they will no longer fall through the cracks, require agencies to report more accurately to Congress on their FOIA programs, create a new ombuds office at the National Archives to mediate conflicts between agencies and requesters, clarify the purpose of FOIA to encourage dissemination of government information, and provide incentives to agencies to avoid litigation and processing delays.
"These are commonsense reforms that will finally force agencies to fix egregious backlogs and reporting problems," said Archive staff counsel Kristin Adair. "But, remarkably, it took several congressional terms to get these straightforward adjustments into the law, with obstruction from the executive branch all along the way, including, ironically, a secret hold by a Senator acting at the behest of the Department of Justice."
Similar legislation passed the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly during Sunshine Week in March 2007, but progress on the Senate bill has been halted for months by a hold placed by Sen. Kyl on behalf of the Justice Department. After multiple editorials, including several in Sen. Kyl's homestate Arizona Republic, assailed Kyl's position and nicknamed him "the Secrecy Senator," Kyl's staff negotiated new compromise language and allowed the bill to reach the floor today.
"This is a small step for open government, but a giant leap for the United States Senate," said Tom Blanton, director of the National Security Archive. "We applaud Congress' action to fulfill the intent of the Freedom of Information Act. This legislation will correct many of the deficiencies in FOIA that the Archive's audits have revealed."
The most recent audit by the Archive, the Knight Open Government Survey released in July 2007, found that the oldest still-pending FOIA requests had languished in federal agencies for as long as 20 years.
The previous Knight Open Government Survey, released in March 2007, found that only one out of five federal agencies had complied fully with the last FOIA reform legislation, the Electronic FOIA Amendments passed in 1996, intended to post so much government information on the Web that many FOIA requests would become unnecessary.
The Archive's audits of federal government FOIA practice are supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Archive partners in the efforts to reform the FOIA include the OpenTheGovernment.org coalition, the Sunshine in Government Initiative, the Coalition of Journalists for Open Government, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Public Citizen and Public Citizen Litigation Group, and dozens of other groups that signed on to support the House and Senate bills this year.
The full text of the Senate legislation and the Kyl amendment were posted today on the Archive's Web site:
http://www.nsarchive.org
________________________________________________________
THE NATIONAL SECURITY ARCHIVE is an independent non-governmental research institute and library located at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. The Archive collects and publishes declassified documents acquired through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). A tax-exempt public charity, the Archive receives no U.S. government funding; its budget is supported by publication royalties and donations from foundations and individuals.

Links to the Federal Highway Administration, its Bridges site and the National Bridge Inventory data files, plus MN Department of Transportation materials can all be found at University of Minnesota Government Documents.

The Dirksen Congressional Center is pleased to announce the completion of their Editorial Cartoon Collection project:
http://www.congresslink.org/cartoons/index.htm
The editorial cartoons and related lesson plans from The Dirksen Center will teach students to identify issues, analyze symbols, acknowledge the need for background knowledge, recognize stereotypes and caricatures, think critically, and appreciate the role of irony and humor.
- About the Collection -
Editorial cartoonists loved Everett Dirksen (1896-1969)-his position of influence as Minority Leader in the Senate (1959-69), his way with words, and, of course, his distinctive appearance. Over the years, Senator Dirksen's staff compiled a scrapbook containing more than 300 editorial cartoons. Topics covered include Vietnam, civil rights, Republican Party politics, the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, reapportionment, Taft-Hartley 14(b), school prayer, Dirksen's recording career, Senate procedures, congressional pay, presidential appointments, and Dirksen's legacy. Naturally, cartoonists also used these topics to depict Dirksen's relationship with President Lyndon Johnson, with his Democratic colleagues in the Senate, and with the Supreme Court. In addition, cartoonists sent Dirksen between 50 and 60 original sketches on equally diverse topics.
Among the scores of cartoonists represented in the collection are Herblock, Gib Crockett, Hugo, Bill Mauldin, Gene Basset, Pat Oliphant, Al Capp, Wayne Stayskal, Jim Berry, Guernsey LePelley, Tom Engelhardt, Paul Conrad, and Jim Berryman.

Two FREE Programs for the Public at Washoe County Law Library

RENO, Nevada. July 23, 2007. The Washoe County Law Library will host a public tour of their facility July 28. The tour and class, titled “Introduction to the Law Library and Legal Resources”, is for people interested in becoming familiar with the law library and what resources are available.
The tour will cover what law is, where it comes from, and how to find it. Also covered will be how to access laws and other materials in the library and on the internet.
These tours will be given on July 28 and Sept. 8 from 10:15 to11:30 a.m. and Aug. 2 and Sept. 13 from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. in the Washoe County Law Library, located in the Old Courthouse at 75 Court Street.
Space is limited. Please reserve your spot by contacting the Washoe County Law Library at 775-328-3250.
The Law Library will also host the free public legal seminar “A Consumer’s Guide to the Debt Collection Process, July 2007” on Thursday, July 26, 2007. Thomas Brooksbank, Esq. will present the seminar.
The seminar is held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the law library, located at the District Courthouse, 75 Court Street. Space is limited. Please reserve a spot by contacting the law library at 775-328-3250. The presentation is part of an ongoing series of free monthly community service seminars for the public.

FREE Tour and Class “Introduction to the Law Library and legal resources” AT WASHOE COUNTY LAW LIBRARY

RENO, Nevada. July 16, 2007. The Washoe County Law Library will host a tour of their facility July 28 for lawyers and the public. The tour and class, titled “Introduction to the Law Library and Legal Resources”, is for people interested in becoming familiar with the law library and what resources are available.
The tour will cover what law is, where it comes from, and how to find it. Also covered will be how to access laws and other materials in the library and on the internet.
These tours will be given on July 28 and Sept. 8 from 10:15 to11:30 a.m. and Aug. 2 and Sept. 13 from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. in the Washoe County Law Library, located in the Old Courthouse at 75 Court Street.
Space is limited. Please reserve your spot by contacting the Washoe County Law Library at 775-328-3250.
The mission of the law library is to assure equality of access to the law for the public, attorneys, judges and government employees by providing an array of legal materials and resources in a variety of formats as well as provide research instruction and assistance.
The Washoe County Law Library, established in 1915, is the main source of legal information for Washoe County and provides information to other libraries in Nevada through inter-library loans. The law library collection includes a full range of books and technologically enhanced services that provide timely, accurate and efficient access to the law, including local, state and federal government resources.
The staff also maintains the LEAN (Legal Assistance to Nevadans) searchable website www.nvlawdirectory.org. The website provides contact information on all agencies that provide free or low cost legal information in Nevada.
The Washoe County Law Library is open to the public Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information call 775-328-3250 or email: lawlib@washoecounty.us.

The White House has released and posted it "Initial Benchmark Assessment Report" on Iraq. The report and information as well as the press release are available as follows:
Report
PDF version
http://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/iraq/2007/FinalBenchmarkReport.pdf
HTML version
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/07/20070712.html
President's press conference --
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/07/20070712-5.html

FREE MONTHLY LEGAL SEMINAR: “A Consumer’s Guide to the debt collection process, july 2007,”AT WASHOE COUNTY LAW LIBRARY

RENO, Nevada. July 12, 2007. The Washoe County Law Library will host the free public legal seminar “A Consumer’s Guide to the Debt Collection Process, July 2007” on Thursday, July 26, 2007. Thomas Brooksbank, Esq. will present the seminar.
The seminar is held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the law library, located at the District Courthouse, 75 Court Street. Space is limited. Please reserve a spot by contacting the law library at 775-328-3250. The presentation is part of an ongoing series of free monthly community service seminars for the public.
The mission of the law library is to assure equality of access to the law for the public, attorneys, judges and government employees by providing an array of legal materials and resources in a variety of formats as well as provide research instruction and assistance.
The Washoe County Law Library, established in 1915, is the main source of legal information for Washoe County and provides information to other libraries in Nevada through inter-library loans. The law library collection includes a full range of books and technologically enhanced services that provide timely, accurate and efficient access to the law, including local, state and federal government resources.
The staff also maintains the LEAN (Legal Assistance to Nevadans) searchable website www.nvlawdirectory.org. The website provides contact information on all agencies that provide free or low cost legal information in Nevada.
The Washoe County Law Library is open to the public Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information call 775-328-3250 or email: lawlib@washoecounty.us.

The ALA Washington Office has posted an action alert on EPA Libraries
funding:
Ask Senate to Support EPA Libraries: FY 2008 Interior Appropriations Bill
http://www.capwiz.com/ala/issues/alert/?alertid=9998231
The capwiz site makes it easy to take action -- enter your zip and click Go. Please take a few minutes to let your Senators know these libraries are valuable to you, your patrons, and your country.

Washoe County Social Services EXPANDS RESPONSE TO REPORTS OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT

RENO, Nevada, July 10, 2007. Beginning today, the community can make reports of child abuse and neglect through the Washoe County Social Services Department 24 hours a day. Social Services can also now initiate an immediate and direct response by a child protective services emergency response worker 24 hours a day.
“We see an average of about 375 investigations a month from phone calls and reports right now,” Mike Capello, Director of Social Services for Washoe County said. “There is a need for a more timely and effective response to reports of child abuse and neglect after hours so we expanded operational hours to respond directly to reports of child abuse and neglect 24 hours a day.” Prior to this, Social Services was only fully operational from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except for emergency or high-risk cases.
Washoe County’s child protective services emergency response unit staff was doubled to cover the additional hours of operation. Reports of abuse and neglect can be made to 785-8600 at any time. If a child is in immediate danger, citizens should call 911.
This increase in the Department’s ability to receive calls and respond 24 hours a day is made possible through collaboration with the Crisis Call Center and the approval of additional funding by the Washoe County Board of County Commissioners.
The call is received at Washoe County Social Services until 10 p.m. and after that calls are automatically routed to the Crisis Call Center who then contact the on-call Social Services emergency response workers.
Any person who has reasonable cause to believe child abuse or neglect may be occurring or has occurred may report to Child Protective Services or a law enforcement agency. A report of suspected child abuse or neglect is only a request for an investigation. The person making the report does not need to prove or provide proof that abuse has or may have occurred. Investigation is the responsibility of Child Protective Services and/or law enforcement.
In Nevada, abuse or neglect of a child includes physical and/or mental non-accidental injury; sexual abuse or sexual exploitation; or negligent treatment or maltreatment of a child under age 18 caused or allowed by a person responsible for their welfare.
Neglect or maltreatment of a child occurs if a child has been abandoned, is without proper care, control and supervision or lacks; food, education, shelter, medical care or other care necessary for the well being of the child. This includes leaving young children unsupervised or alone, locked in or out of the house.
Some of the warning signs and symptoms of physical child abuse include cuts, bruises, welts in the shape of an object and resistance to going home. Emotional abuse includes signs of apathy, depression, hostility, and difficulty concentrating.
Phil Ulibarri, Development Coordinator, who spearheads child abuse prevention efforts through the Washoe County District Health Department, said the message to the public is consistent throughout the State – if child abuse is suspected, always report it, for the sake of the child. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
For more information on child abuse/neglect reporting or other social services in Washoe County visit the Washoe County website at www.washoecounty.us/socsrv.
For more detail on recognizing the warning signs and symptoms of the various types of child abuse, another good source of comprehensive information is PCA America’s website: www.preventchildabuse.org. Citizens may also contact Ulibarri at 328-2448 for information on how to get involved in a child abuse prevention program, coordinate a community event or participate in 2007-2008 prevention activities.

NEW GUIDE TO GETTING FBI FILES: Get Grandpas FBI File dot com
A noncommercial, educational web site to help you get FBI Files for any deceased family member, entirely free of charge.
The site is designed to generate a printable letter that asks the FBI to search their files for records concerning a specified deceased family member, or for that matter any other deceased person.
The site is at:
http://www.GetGrandpasFBIfile.com

This site is a hoot !!

WASHOE COUNTY IMPLEMENTS EMERGENCY FIRE PREVENTION MEASURES
RENO, Nevada. June 27, 2007. In response to the extremely high fire danger this season, Washoe County Manager Katy Singlaub has requested all 3,000-plus county employees to implement the following procedures as soon as possible.
1) All future Public Works Department and Water Resources Department construction contracts with outside vendors must include an approved fire safety plan.
2) A fire safety handout will be included in all building permit application materials through the County’s Permit Plus Zone, and a discussion of fire safety will occur with all permit applicants.
3) A fire safety training course will be provided to all County employee field personnel (this was done last year too).
4) All field vehicles are to be equipped with fire safety equipment, including a shovel, water, a hand-pump sprayer or other means of spraying water, and a fire extinguisher.
Additionally, the County’s Sierra Forest Protection District, which serves the communities of West Washoe County, has enacted the following fire restrictions for their service territory. A Special Order approved by the State’s Forester Firewarden authorizes these restrictions.
1) No building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire or stove fire, except a portable stove using gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel, outside an established fireplace in a picnic area or campground or places of habitation.
2) No smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building or in an area that is barren or cleared of all flammable vegetation.
3) No operating vehicles or other motorized equipment off of existing paved, gravel or dirt roads.
4) No operating vehicles or other motorized equipment in wildland areas without an axe, shovel and at least one gallon of water.
5) No setting off fireworks.
6) No operating a welding torch or any other device that may cause a fire.
7) The only exemption to the above is for a person(s) with a valid permit specifically authorizing the otherwise prohibited act or omission.
For additional information about the Sierra Fire Protection District, visit their website at www.washoecounty.us/sierrafire <http://www.washoecounty.us/sierrafire> or call Chief Michael Greene at (775) 849-1108.

FREE MONTHLY LEGAL SEMINAR: “Landlord tenant matters in reno justice court,” AT WASHOE COUNTY LAW LIBRARY

RENO, Nevada. June 22, 2007. The Washoe County Law Library will host the free public legal seminar “Landlord Tenant Matters in Reno Justice Court, June 2007” on Thurs., June 28, 2007. The Hon. Harold G. Albright will present the seminar.
The seminar is held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the law library, located at the District Courthouse, 75 Court Street. Space is limited. Please reserve a spot by contacting the law library at 775-328-3250. The presentation is part of an ongoing series of free monthly community service seminars for the public.
The mission of the law library is to assure equality of access to the law for the public, attorneys, judges and government employees by providing an array of legal materials and resources in a variety of formats as well as provide research instruction and assistance.
The Washoe County Law Library, established in 1915, is the main source of legal information for Washoe County and provides information to other libraries in Nevada through inter-library loans.

The law library collection includes a full range of books and technologically enhanced services that provide timely, accurate and efficient access to the law, including local, state and federal government resources.

The staff also maintains the LEAN (Legal Assistance to Nevadans) searchable website www.nvlawdirectory.org. The website provides contact information on all agencies that provide free or low cost legal information in Nevada.

The Washoe County Law Library is open to the public Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information call 775-328-3250 or email: lawlib@washoecounty.us.

Presidential Records Bill Approved by Senate Committee, Despite Threat of Veto


CQ TODAY - GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
June 13, 2007 - 2:02 p.m.
By Martin Kady II, CQ Staff

Defying a veto threat from the White House, a Senate committee approved legislation Wednesday that would overturn a Bush administration order that made more presidential records secret.
The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved the presidential records bill (S 886 ) by voice vote, but only after some senators said they had problems with the legislation and would seek to amend it on the Senate floor.
The bill would rescind a 2001 executive order that requires both the current and former presidents to sign off on the release of presidential papers and extends that authority to vice presidents as well. The White House opposes the bill and has threatened to veto the legislation in its current form.
The House passed its version of the bill (HR 1255 ) in March with a veto-proof margin, 333-93, but it's not clear whether the bill has that level of support in the Senate.
Sen. George V. Voinovich, R-Ohio, said he was against President Bush's executive order but worried about the breadth of the legislation since it could force presidents to reveal communications with aides.
"I'm not real happy with the executive order, but this legislation may go too far," Voinovich said. He did not offer specifics on how he would seek to amend the bill.
The White House has argued that it has released 2.5 million pages of presidential documents, and only 64 pages have been sealed under Bush's 2001 order.
Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, I-Conn., the chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, may not have a veto-proof margin when the bill heads to the Senate floor.
"I'm honestly not sure," Lieberman said. "There are concerns in the committee, so we'll have to negotiate some amendments before we get to the floor."
Senate leaders have not indicated when the bill would come to the floor.
In other action, the committee yanked a bill (HR 1254 ) that would require presidents to reveal donors to their presidential libraries.
Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, a committee member, objected to the legislation because he thought it would unfairly force Bush to disclose donors for his presidential library while he's in the middle of the fundraising process. Stevens argued that the legislation should either apply only to future presidents or to all presidential libraries, past and present.
"I don't understand why it would apply to the incumbent president," Stevens said. "We should clarify that it should apply to all presidents."
Lieberman agreed to pull the bill from the committee agenda and reconsider it later.

Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq


The newest version [June 2007] of the quarterly report on "Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq" can be found at:
http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/pdfs/9010-Final-20070608.pdf The prior ones can be found as follows:
July 2005 through Nov 2006 --
http://www.defenselink.mil/home/features/Iraq_Reports/Index.html
March 2007
http://www.defenselink.mil/home/pdf/9010_March_2007_Final_Signed.pdf

EPA Halts Library Closures

EPA halts library closures By Courtney Holliday First Amendment Center Online intern 06.08.07
After releasing a plan in August 2006 that would restructure its library system and eliminate several locations, the Environmental Protection Agency has halted further closures of the libraries in response to heavy criticism from lawmakers and advocacy groups.
“EPA is in the process of reviewing its methods of delivering library services. No changes are being made in the EPA Library Network at this time; no changes will be made until we have completed stakeholder input and review,” the EPA said in a May 8, 2007, report to the American Library Association.
EPA’s controversial library plan was developed after the Bush administration’s budget for the 2007 fiscal year left the EPA library system, which is funded through the Office of Environmental Information, with just $500,000 for operations.
The plan would eventually close 10 regional libraries and the headquarters library in Washington, D.C. (The Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City and D.C. libraries were shut down before the closures were halted.) The EPA said these closures were part of a plan to modernize their collections by converting them to digital formats. EPA spokespeople said this digitization process would allow the agency to reach a broader audience.
“By modernizing our libraries, EPA is bringing our cutting edge science to your fingertips, whether you live across the street or on the other side of the world,” Deputy Administrator Marcus Peacock said in a Dec. 6 press release.
However, opponents of the plan have reservations about whether the closures are beneficial and whether the digitizing is being handled well.
In her Feb. 6 testimony before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, ALA President and Princeton Public Library Director Leslie Burger raised two concerns with the EPA’s plan for library closure and digitization of the collections.
“In the course of shutting down these libraries, valuable, unique environmental information will be lost or discarded,” she said in her testimony. Burger added that with fewer libraries and staff, “scientists and the public will (also) have limited access to this information. We have a deep concern with limitations these closings would place on the public’s access to EPA library holdings and the public’s ‘right to know.’”
Burger also noted that because current and future equipment compatibility and copyright information, among other factors, have to be considered when digitizing material, the process is slow. However, she said she was especially concerned with the way in which the EPA was handling this process. Materials from the already closed libraries were “dispersed” for digitizing to Research Triangle Park or the National Environmental Publications Internet Site in Cincinnati, but details about how the information was handled were not released. Burger said librarians were concerned that this dispersion may have done long-term damage to the effectiveness of the EPA.
“Unfortunately, there continues to be a lot that we don’t know: exactly what materials are being shipped around the country, whether there are duplicate materials in other EPA libraries, whether these items have been or will be digitized, and whether a record is being kept of what is being dispersed and what is being discarded. We remain concerned that years of research and studies about the environment may be lost forever,” she said.
She noted that overall, there seemed to be no clear plan for the digitization and that the closure of the libraries was done too quickly to evaluate potential concerns.
Despite the concerns raised, the EPA maintains that greater access will be allowed through the online services, and that materials from closed libraries are still available.
“EPA has been establishing a working group of librarians, which includes EPA employees, to ensure the agency’s online library services accomplish our goal of bringing greater access to a broader audience,” EPA Press Officer Suzanne Ackerman told the First Amendment Center. “At the five libraries that no longer have physical space, library services remain available online or through interlibrary loans.”
The EPA acknowledges that the process is complicated and that assessment is needed. Speaking to the Special Libraries Association, Mike Flynn, EPA deputy director of the Office of Information Analysis and Access, reiterated the EPA’s goal of eventually providing a national unified data system for EPA staff, scientists and the community at large but reminded the audience that the changes will be painful and do not happen overnight.
In his speech Flynn discussed the misperceptions about the EPA’s library network recreation, explaining that the changes will enable more efficient distribution of information, especially in the future as more employees become accustomed to working with electronic forms. While correcting misperceptions, however, he says that the agency’s current review of the library network will allow it to determine whether or not the plan should be altered to completely meet future needs.
The EPA did not have much time to respond to initial criticism of its plan. Shortly after the plan was unveiled last fall, Reps. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.), Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), and John Dingell (D-Mich.) requested in a Sept. 19 letter that the Government Accountability Office investigate the cuts. The GAO granted the request and in November began a review, which remains in progress, of the EPA’s actions.
Under pressure from members of Congress and groups such as the ALA, the EPA announced in January that it would not close additional libraries until more public outreach was done, according to the Library Journal.
In a Jan. 12 letter to House Committee Chairmen Gordon (Science and Technology), Dingell (Energy and Commerce), Waxman (Oversight and Government Reform), and James Oberstar (D-Minn.) (Transportation and Infrastructure), EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson agreed to a 90-day moratorium on both the closure of additional EPA libraries and disposal after digitization of EPA library materials.
Shortly after, on Feb. 6, Johnson testified before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and said that the EPA would close no more libraries and would not dispose of any documents.
The library system is home to more than 350,000 reports, books, technical journals, audiotapes and videotapes, along with 50,000 primary-source documents not available anywhere else. A 2004 EPA Library Report, “Business Case for Information Services,” said librarians in the system saved EPA staff more than 214,566 hours of research time that year. In addition to providing the agency’s staff with information, the library system serves the public as an access point to EPA information regarding environmental health hazards, technologies, regulations and litigation. The EPA and other government agencies are required, with few exceptions, to make information and records available for the public under the Freedom of Information Act.
The EPA chief information officer issued an interim library policy on April 16 that explains the library network’s responsibilities and governance. External stakeholders such as scientists, researchers and attorneys who use the library’s resources, will review draft procedures developed by EPA library managers on library usage statistics and dispersion procedures, and an independent third party will review the EPA’s draft digitization procedures. Digitization expert Cathy Hartmann of the University of North Texas, will advise the agency in its procedures and techniques at the suggestion of the ALA. While digitization is occurring, physical materials will not be discarded until the procedures are fully reviewed.
Gordon, Dingell, Waxman and Oberstar, in an April 26 letter to EPA administrator Johnson, requested that “all EPA libraries and library materials be preserved intact until the [GAO] investigation is completed and EPA undertakes an appropriate public process (including consultation with Congress) to decide whether and how to proceed with a library modernization process.” In the letter, they refer to the investigation’s tentative findings as revealing what was originally a “severely flawed library closure planning process.”
The EPA will participate in several external conferences over the summer to exchange information and receive further advice from stakeholders, including exhibiting at the June ALA meeting.
Courtney Holliday is a junior majoring in economics and public policy at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.

Now online: Great Basin Land and Water Study Final Report

From Amy Shannon, Life Sciences Librarian, University of Nevada, Reno (UNR)

Thanks to the folks at USDA/NRCS Nevada State Office, we now have the entire text of the Great Basin Land and Water Study Final Report available on the Nevada Rangelands site.

You can find a link on the right-hand side of Nevada Rangelands: http://www.library.unr.edu/subjects/guides/range/Default.htm
Or you can bookmark it directly at: http://www.library.unr.edu/subjects/guides/range/gblw.html

This is an important study that may be in high demand by anyone looking for information related to Nevada water policy. It is also known as: “Issues and Opportunities for Acquiring Water from Willing Sellers to Increase Walker Lake Inflows.”

War Records Online

From Yahoo.com: Ancestry.com puts 90M war records online

San Francisco Earthquake Anniversary Today is the anniversary of the Great San Francisco earthquake and resulting fire. Learn what happened with archival photos, movies and eyewitness stories aggregated in this web site. http://www.awesomestories.com/disasters/san_francisco/san_francisco_ch1.htm Examine the U.S. Geological Survey maps of the quake itself - the shaking was recorded halfway around the world at the Gottingen observatory in Germany - plus USGS maps of current California and Nevada quakes, updated hourly. Group access to the site is free for all schools, libraries and educators. Obtain group access with this form. It is also free for library patrons, individual students, their parents and members of the general public. Select an individual password with this form. The site's privacy policy is strictly enforced.