Thursday, March 27, 2008
Country Pages for the World Completed
The Government Publications Library at the University of Colorado at Boulder is happy to announce that its country pages for ALL countries of the world are now complete. You can access the pages directly from the Government Publications website (http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/foreigngovt.htm) OR by searching the Research & Subject Guides Database (http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/research/guides/index.cfm) by country name.
For ease of use, each page is arranged in a consistent manner. A navigation menu at the top provides quick access to frequently-requested information:
Government Information Country Profiles Articles & Databases Diplomatic Relations Health Peacekeeping & Military Information Resources in the Catalog Related Topics.
Selecting one of the Resources in the Catalog links generates a live Chinook search for country-specific e-resources on economics, history, or politics. There's also an option to limit your search to government information only.
A number of instructors direct their students to use the guides. The country pages are also among the most frequently-searched-for items in the guides database.
Although some of the links are limited to CU-Boulder because of license restrictions, a majority of the links are to freely available resources.
The Government Publications Library at the University of Colorado at Boulder is happy to announce that its country pages for ALL countries of the world are now complete. You can access the pages directly from the Government Publications website (http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/foreigngovt.htm) OR by searching the Research & Subject Guides Database (http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/research/guides/index.cfm) by country name.
For ease of use, each page is arranged in a consistent manner. A navigation menu at the top provides quick access to frequently-requested information:
Government Information Country Profiles Articles & Databases Diplomatic Relations Health Peacekeeping & Military Information Resources in the Catalog Related Topics.
Selecting one of the Resources in the Catalog links generates a live Chinook search for country-specific e-resources on economics, history, or politics. There's also an option to limit your search to government information only.
A number of instructors direct their students to use the guides. The country pages are also among the most frequently-searched-for items in the guides database.
Although some of the links are limited to CU-Boulder because of license restrictions, a majority of the links are to freely available resources.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Washoe County is surveying citizens for budget priorities and comments. If you, as a citizen, want to let your commissioner(s) know where you think County budget should be cut/spent/increased, what's important to you, etc., fill out their survey at:
http://www.washoecounty.us/index/surveys.html~survey_dept=&sid=5
Hint, hint - increase library budget
http://www.washoecounty.us/index/surveys.html~survey_dept=&sid=5
Hint, hint - increase library budget
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Monday, March 17, 2008
Iraqi Perspectives Project Saddam and Terrorism: Emerging Insights from Captured Iraqi Documents
Volume 1 (Redacted)
http://a.abcnews.com/images/pdf/Pentagon_Report_V1.pdf
The related article "Report Shows No Link Between Saddam and al Qaeda is available http://blogs.abcnews.com/rapidreport/2008/03/report-shows-no.html
Volume 1 (Redacted)
http://a.abcnews.com/images/pdf/Pentagon_Report_V1.pdf
The related article "Report Shows No Link Between Saddam and al Qaeda is available http://blogs.abcnews.com/rapidreport/2008/03/report-shows-no.html
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
The Nevada Health Division has removed from its Web homepage a report detailing the status of its on-going inspections of 50 surgical centers in Nevada.Spokeswoman Martha Framsted said the division is working to make the report more user-friendly, concerned the public might not understand all of the terminology in it.She said the new report is expected to be posted to the web site by Thursday morning.
The report has been posted at Ambulatory Surgical Center Actions
The report has been posted at Ambulatory Surgical Center Actions
Decisions of the Interior Board of Indian Appeals have been made available on the Internet again.
The new web site was originally set up by the now deceased Administrative Judge Anita Vogt of the Office of Hearings and Appeals last year. At the time it started, Judge Vogt felt strongly that these decisions should be made available to the public, despite the limitations involved with the Cobell case. As you know, the Cobell case had shut down access to the Office of Hearings and Appeals website several years ago, including access to a database that had been set up on their website of IBIA and IBLA decisions.
The new site ( http://www.ibiadecisions.com ) is now being regularly updated by another Administrative Judge in the Office of Hearings and Appeals and will continue to be updated by her for the foreseeable future. A librarian at the Office of Hearings and Appeals believes it is reliable and can be referred to when searching for these decisions.
This site contains decisions issued by the Interior Board of Indian Appeals (IBIA)
from its inception in 1970, and includes some decisions of the Interior Board of Land
Appeals, volumes 125-173, and Indian Self-Determination Act Decisions. It also
includes surveys of IBIA decisions on three subjects: Land Acquisition (Updated
version, April 1, 2004), Probate (August 22, 2000), and Tribal Government (July 13,
1998). These surveys were prepared by Interior Department Field Solicitor Priscilla
A. Wilfahrt, who has graciously permitted their inclusion here.
Judy Din
Technical Services and Systems Support Manager U.S. Dept. of the Interior Library MS 1151
1849 C. St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20240
(202) 208-3402
Judy_L_Din@nbc.gov
The new web site was originally set up by the now deceased Administrative Judge Anita Vogt of the Office of Hearings and Appeals last year. At the time it started, Judge Vogt felt strongly that these decisions should be made available to the public, despite the limitations involved with the Cobell case. As you know, the Cobell case had shut down access to the Office of Hearings and Appeals website several years ago, including access to a database that had been set up on their website of IBIA and IBLA decisions.
The new site ( http://www.ibiadecisions.com ) is now being regularly updated by another Administrative Judge in the Office of Hearings and Appeals and will continue to be updated by her for the foreseeable future. A librarian at the Office of Hearings and Appeals believes it is reliable and can be referred to when searching for these decisions.
This site contains decisions issued by the Interior Board of Indian Appeals (IBIA)
from its inception in 1970, and includes some decisions of the Interior Board of Land
Appeals, volumes 125-173, and Indian Self-Determination Act Decisions. It also
includes surveys of IBIA decisions on three subjects: Land Acquisition (Updated
version, April 1, 2004), Probate (August 22, 2000), and Tribal Government (July 13,
1998). These surveys were prepared by Interior Department Field Solicitor Priscilla
A. Wilfahrt, who has graciously permitted their inclusion here.
Judy Din
Technical Services and Systems Support Manager U.S. Dept. of the Interior Library MS 1151
1849 C. St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20240
(202) 208-3402
Judy_L_Din@nbc.gov
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Washoe County Quick Map Debut
A new simple Web search application has been added to the county’s GIS toolsets. It was developed to assist county front-line staff in answering questions from citizens, such as which Commissioner District, Precinct or General Improvement Districts they reside.
Users can search by address, parcel number or street intersection. The program will search the map layers related to that address and present results in a table format. The table lists planning area, Voter Precinct, Senate District, Assembly District, Board of Education, University Regent, Commission District, City Ward, Standard Trustee, General Trustee, General Improvement District, township and zip code. With one additional click, users can get detailed parcel information through Assessor’s Office Quick Info and map detail through the Map Warehouse. Here is the link to Quick Map: http://wcgisweb.washoecounty.us/website/QuickMap/. Or you can go to the GIS homepage and click the Quick Map icon. If you have any suggestions or run into technical problems, please contact Matt Lawton at mlawton@washoecounty.us. Happy Clicking!!
A new simple Web search application has been added to the county’s GIS toolsets. It was developed to assist county front-line staff in answering questions from citizens, such as which Commissioner District, Precinct or General Improvement Districts they reside.
Users can search by address, parcel number or street intersection. The program will search the map layers related to that address and present results in a table format. The table lists planning area, Voter Precinct, Senate District, Assembly District, Board of Education, University Regent, Commission District, City Ward, Standard Trustee, General Trustee, General Improvement District, township and zip code. With one additional click, users can get detailed parcel information through Assessor’s Office Quick Info and map detail through the Map Warehouse. Here is the link to Quick Map: http://wcgisweb.washoecounty.us/website/QuickMap/. Or you can go to the GIS homepage and click the Quick Map icon. If you have any suggestions or run into technical problems, please contact Matt Lawton at mlawton@washoecounty.us. Happy Clicking!!
WASHOE COUNTY BUDGET HEARINGS TO BE BROADCAST LIVE ON CHANNEL 17 AND AVAILABLE ON VIDEO ON DEMAND
Reno, Nevada March 7, 2008. Washoe County Department budget presentations are scheduled for March 10, 17 and 24 and will be broadcast live on WCTV-17 as well as posted on the County’s video-on demand website by the next day at the latest. To get each Department’s live budget presentation date and time and video on demand schedule, go to www.washoecounty.us and click on the WCTV-17 online link for video on demand and www.washoecounty.us/finance/budget.html for budget information.
Washoe County elected officials and Department heads will present these strategies to the Board of Commissioners about how they will meet the projected $20.7 million deficit in the 2008-09 budget within their individual departments. Recommended reductions range from 2.5% for public safety, 5% for judicial/health/social services, 10% for administrative/executive/legal/operations and 15% for cultural/educational.
The spending reductions are necessary because sales tax revenues, which make up nearly 40% of the County’s general fund, are lower than projected. In fact, County Commissioners recently received a report from County Finance staff that 16 of the last 17 months have sales tax revenues lower than the same period a year ago—the longest sustained decrease in decades.
Related Links:
Budget Overview (http://www.washoecounty.us/finance/budget.html)
Reno, Nevada March 7, 2008. Washoe County Department budget presentations are scheduled for March 10, 17 and 24 and will be broadcast live on WCTV-17 as well as posted on the County’s video-on demand website by the next day at the latest. To get each Department’s live budget presentation date and time and video on demand schedule, go to www.washoecounty.us and click on the WCTV-17 online link for video on demand and www.washoecounty.us/finance/budget.html for budget information.
Washoe County elected officials and Department heads will present these strategies to the Board of Commissioners about how they will meet the projected $20.7 million deficit in the 2008-09 budget within their individual departments. Recommended reductions range from 2.5% for public safety, 5% for judicial/health/social services, 10% for administrative/executive/legal/operations and 15% for cultural/educational.
The spending reductions are necessary because sales tax revenues, which make up nearly 40% of the County’s general fund, are lower than projected. In fact, County Commissioners recently received a report from County Finance staff that 16 of the last 17 months have sales tax revenues lower than the same period a year ago—the longest sustained decrease in decades.
Related Links:
Budget Overview (http://www.washoecounty.us/finance/budget.html)
Census 2010 in Trouble
http://govexec.com/dailyfed/0308/030508n1.htm
Census Bureau facing huge cost increase, possible delays in 2010 effort By Gautham Nagesh *gnagesh@govexec.com*March 5, 2008
The 2010 Census is at serious risk of massive cost increases and delays caused by problems with a contract to develop handheld computers that the Census Bureau plans to use to collect data.
Because of the problems, costs for the decennial census could increase by between $600 million to $2 billion, according to testimonygiven by the Government Accountability Office Wednesday at a hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The increase would be on top of the $11.8 billion the bureau estimates the census will cost.
The problems with the contract are so great that the GAO took the unusual step of adding the project to its list of high-risk programs during mid-year. Typically, GAO adds programs to its risk list every two years at the beginning of new Congresses. GAO has added programs during mid-sessions only four times.
"So serious is the crisis that if it is not dealt with immediately, it could threaten the integrity of the 2010 count," said Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., in his opening statement at the hearing. "We now find ourselves facing a situation in which we might have to revert to conducting the census entirely by paper -- no differently than it was done in the 19th century."
The source of the trouble is the Field Data Collection Automation Contract, which the bureau awarded in 2006 to Harris Corp. for $595 million. Under the contract, Harris is developing handheld computers for 525,000 enumerators who will use them to collect data from Americans who do not send in their census forms. Since awarding the contract, the project has experienced problems <http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0108/010208h1.htm>, including changing system requirements, which have caused costs to increase and the bureau to miss deadlines.
At the hearing, Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez acknowledged in blunt terms that "significant miscommunication concerning technical requirements between the Census Bureau and Harris" were a main reason for the failings.
David Powner, director of information technology management issues at GAO, said final requirements for the FDCA program were not delivered to Harris until Jan. 16.
For years, the bureau's top executives have downplayed any perceptions that the contract was in trouble. Most recently, at a Dec. 11 hearing of the House Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census and National Archives, former Census Director Charles Louis Kincannon blamed the delays on Congress' inability to pass the bureau's budget and downplayed the nature of the program's shortcomings.
However, at Wednesday's hearing, Gutierrez testified that "the problem was more significant than had been conveyed in the Dec. 11 hearing" and admitted that the Census Bureau and Harris "could have done things differently and better over the past couple years."
"This is a case of classic risk mismanagement," said Bob Charette, a risk management expert who consults with federal agencies. "Very early in the contract, [the Census Bureau] should have realized they did not do some of things they should have for a large-scale automation like this. Doing it now is like locking the barn door after the horse is gone."
Gutierrez and Steven Murdock, who recently replaced Kincannon as head of the bureau, offered four options to fix the contract's problems. Under one, called the baseline option, Harris and the Census Bureau would complete the FDCA project as planned, while each of the other options progressively remove a number of functionalities of the handhelds, with those functions being completed by paper. The $600 million to $2 billion estimate of the cost increase depends largely on which option is chosen. But sources expressed doubt about that estimate because the bureau cannot accurately predict the cost and timeframe of the 2010 census at this time.
http://govexec.com/dailyfed/0308/030508n1.htm
Census Bureau facing huge cost increase, possible delays in 2010 effort By Gautham Nagesh *gnagesh@govexec.com*
The 2010 Census is at serious risk of massive cost increases and delays caused by problems with a contract to develop handheld computers that the Census Bureau plans to use to collect data.
Because of the problems, costs for the decennial census could increase by between $600 million to $2 billion, according to testimony
The problems with the contract are so great that the GAO took the unusual step of adding the project to its list of high-risk programs during mid-year. Typically, GAO adds programs to its risk list every two years at the beginning of new Congresses. GAO has added programs during mid-sessions only four times.
"So serious is the crisis that if it is not dealt with immediately, it could threaten the integrity of the 2010 count," said Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., in his opening statement at the hearing. "We now find ourselves facing a situation in which we might have to revert to conducting the census entirely by paper -- no differently than it was done in the 19th century."
The source of the trouble is the Field Data Collection Automation Contract, which the bureau awarded in 2006 to Harris Corp. for $595 million. Under the contract, Harris is developing handheld computers for 525,000 enumerators who will use them to collect data from Americans who do not send in their census forms. Since awarding the contract, the project has experienced problems <http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0108/010208h1.htm>, including changing system requirements, which have caused costs to increase and the bureau to miss deadlines.
At the hearing, Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez acknowledged in blunt terms that "significant miscommunication concerning technical requirements between the Census Bureau and Harris" were a main reason for the failings.
David Powner, director of information technology management issues at GAO, said final requirements for the FDCA program were not delivered to Harris until Jan. 16.
For years, the bureau's top executives have downplayed any perceptions that the contract was in trouble. Most recently, at a Dec. 11 hearing of the House Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census and National Archives, former Census Director Charles Louis Kincannon blamed the delays on Congress' inability to pass the bureau's budget and downplayed the nature of the program's shortcomings.
However, at Wednesday's hearing, Gutierrez testified that "the problem was more significant than had been conveyed in the Dec. 11 hearing" and admitted that the Census Bureau and Harris "could have done things differently and better over the past couple years."
"This is a case of classic risk mismanagement," said Bob Charette, a risk management expert who consults with federal agencies. "Very early in the contract, [the Census Bureau] should have realized they did not do some of things they should have for a large-scale automation like this. Doing it now is like locking the barn door after the horse is gone."
Gutierrez and Steven Murdock, who recently replaced Kincannon as head of the bureau, offered four options to fix the contract's problems. Under one, called the baseline option, Harris and the Census Bureau would complete the FDCA project as planned, while each of the other options progressively remove a number of functionalities of the handhelds, with those functions being completed by paper. The $600 million to $2 billion estimate of the cost increase depends largely on which option is chosen. But sources expressed doubt about that estimate because the bureau cannot accurately predict the cost and timeframe of the 2010 census at this time.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
The C-SPAN Campaign 2008 Bus will stop at two Washoe County libraries during its visit to northern Nevada. The 45-foot, mobile, multi-media demonstration center and TV production unit brings the world of public affairs to communities nationwide. Educators, media specialists, high school and middle school students, college students, legislators and voters are all welcomed aboard. The bus is intended to engage voters in the presidential election process.
The library schedule is as follows:
Saturday, March 15, 10 a.m.-noon
Spanish Springs Library (Lazy 5 Park)
7100A Pyramid Lake Highway, Sparks
424-1800
Saturday, March 15, 1-3 p.m.
Northwest Reno Library
2325 Robb Drive, Reno
787-4100
The purpose of the bus is to introduce students, teachers and bus visitors to C-SPAN as an educational resource. Visitors learn about the importance of media literacy and the historic 2008 presidential race. A typical visit to the C-SPAN Campaign 2008 Bus includes an interactive demonstration about C-SPAN programming, media literacy skills and the 2008 presidential election.
Everyone is welcome to visit the bus and enjoy a multi-media political experience. Please see www.campaign2008bus.org for more information on the C-SPAN Campaign 2008 Bus.
The library schedule is as follows:
Saturday, March 15, 10 a.m.-noon
Spanish Springs Library (Lazy 5 Park)
7100A Pyramid Lake Highway, Sparks
424-1800
Saturday, March 15, 1-3 p.m.
Northwest Reno Library
2325 Robb Drive, Reno
787-4100
The purpose of the bus is to introduce students, teachers and bus visitors to C-SPAN as an educational resource. Visitors learn about the importance of media literacy and the historic 2008 presidential race. A typical visit to the C-SPAN Campaign 2008 Bus includes an interactive demonstration about C-SPAN programming, media literacy skills and the 2008 presidential election.
Everyone is welcome to visit the bus and enjoy a multi-media political experience. Please see www.campaign2008bus.org for more information on the C-SPAN Campaign 2008 Bus.
Based FY2000 National Defense Authorization Act (Section 1202) DoD is required to submit a report "...on the current and future military strategy of the People's Republic of China. The report shall address the current and probable future course of military-technological development on the People's Liberation Army and the tenets and probable development of Chinese grand strategy, security strategy, and military strategy, and of the military organizations and operational concepts, through the next 20 years."
The 2008 DoD Report to Congress on the Military Power of the People's Republic of China for has been released and is available at http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/pdfs/China_Military_Report_08.pdf
Previous reports can be found at
http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/china.html
The 2008 DoD Report to Congress on the Military Power of the People's Republic of China for has been released and is available at http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/pdfs/China_Military_Report_08.pdf
Previous reports can be found at
http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/china.html
Monday, March 03, 2008
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