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.

Environmental Impact Statements Environmental Impact Statements can be found full-text on the EPA's National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP) Go to their advanced search and type "final environmental impact statement"--be sure to select exact phrase and uncheck hardcopy publications. You might need to check additional dates as well.

Armed Forces Medical Library Closing ? A letter from Patrick R. Walz Hello! I am a Tech Info Specialist at the Army Surgeon General's Armed Forces Medical Library. We are currently in a battle to save our Library which has been an esteemed part of the US Military Medical Corps since 1836. We perform research for the Surgeons General of all the Military Branches, as well as soldiers overseas in Germany, Great Britain, Iraq and Afghanistan. Recently, the Military has been forced to make some budget cuts, and as is usually the case, the "easy target" library has come under the microscope. We were suddenly and inexplicably placed under a highly aggressive "work-group" comprised of Lean Six-Sigma-ready business ninjas. They want to close/move/consolidate or minimize our already scant resources. As is always the case, our customers know the value of the Library. We've already received official letters, memos, testimonials etc... from a wide-range of military historians, commanders, executive officers and researchers, but it seems to be not enough. FY 06 marked the closings of nation-wide EPA Libraries and the Air Force has decided to close all of its Medical Libraries. We're getting a little freaked out. We must prove to the current bureaucracy that after 171 years, we are still an asset to the organization. We have a plan of attack, we're wearing out a copy of MAKING THE CASE FOR YOUR LIBRARY. What we lack is information. That's all this workgroup wants. Graphs, charts, spreadsheets and death by PowerPoint. If we could argue the entire case using ones and zeros we'd be in good shape. We are hoping that you may have researched, or know someone who has researched the impact of closing a library. We'd like to know the cost differences between reciprocal document delivery and independent research contractors. Physical Librarian vs.. 100% automated databases. The bosses are looking for short-term cost avoidance, and if they can save FY07 funds by canning the Library they won't hesitate. We wouldn't ask you for this if we had time to compile the data, but we don't have time. They want everything immediately. It's like an information ambush: defend your library with some annual usage stats that mean nothing to the workgroup and a wet noodle. Good luck! If you have any research or know anyone that's recently fought the good fight, the help would be greatly appreciated. I was the Director of Medical Library in Germany prior to my coming here. I lost that fight and the library there is no more. Many thanks! Patrick R. Walz Technical Information Specialist Armed Forces Medical Library 5109 Leesburg Pike, Room 670 Falls Church, VA 22041 E-mail: Patrick.Walz@tma.osd.mil Phone: 703-681-8028; FAX: 703-681-8034 Armed Forces Medical Library

New GAO Report on FOIA The GAO released a report today on FOIA entitled "Processing Trends Show Importance of Improvement Plans." [PDF] From the "Highlights" page: The improvement plans submitted by the 25 agencies mostly included goals and timetables addressing the four areas of improvement emphasized by the Executive Order: eliminating or reducing any backlog of FOIA requests; increasing reliance on dissemination of records that can be made available to the public without the need for a FOIA request, such as through posting on Web sites; improving communications with requesters about the status of their requests; and increasing public awareness of FOIA processing. Most of the plans (20 of 25) provided goals and timetables in all four areas; some agencies omitted goals in areas where they considered they were already strong. Although details of a few plans could be improved, all the plans focus on making measurable improvements and form a reasonable basis for carrying out the goals of the Executive Order.

A report from the Congressional Research Service RL33889 *U.S. Attorneys Who Have Served Less than Full Four-year Terms, 1981-2006* February 22, 2007 The report can be accessed here: http://www.opencrs.com/document/RL33889/

Online access to federal records lags,study says Few agencies comply with electronic FOIA, research institute says The Associated Press Monday, March 12, 2007 Federal agencies have dragged their feet on implementing a 10-year-old law that requires them to use the Internet to make government documents easily available, a new study says. The result is that the public is blocked from easier access to information, the report says, and the cost of answering information requests is driven up. The study by the National Security Archive, for official release today, found widespread failure among federal agencies to follow the Electronic Freedom of Information Act amendments that took effect in 1997. The changes constituted some of the most significant modernizations of the original 40-year-old law that first guaranteed citizens the right to government information. "Federal agencies are flunking the online test and keeping us in the dark," said Thomas Blanton, director of the independent, nongovernmental Washington-based research institute. The study was funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which focuses on journalism. The archive's review of all 91 federal agencies with chief FOIA officers, along with 58 components of agencies (such as the Air Force within the Department of Defense) that handle more than 500 documents a year, found: Just 22 percent of federal agencies and components fully followed the law and posted on the Web all the required categories of documents (agency opinions and orders; frequently requested records; policy statements; staff guidance). Just over one-third of agencies and components provided an index of their records, as required, to help locate documents. Only a quarter of agencies provided online forms for submitting FOIA requests. Many of the record-related Web links that do exist are wrong or missing, Blanton said. A few agencies bucked the trend and showed the benefits of using the Internet, particularly the Education Department and NASA, the study found. NASA is an example of effective use of the Web, Blanton said. The agency posts comprehensive guidance on FOIA for visitors, links all its component FOIA Web sites, and also has posted many documents on the Columbia space shuttle disaster, a tragedy that had drawn many inquiries for information. "They don't get FOIA requests on Columbia anymore, because it's up on the Web," Blanton said. If an agency would follow the law, "it dramatically lowers the cost for government, not just for FOIA but for all the handling of records." The costs of handling FOIA - estimated at $319 million in 2005 - could be sharply curtailed if agencies relied more on the Web, since frequently requested documents would already be public and electronic records could more easily be shared, Blanton said. Backlogs could be reduced, too. Congress shares some of the blame for the failure of the law because it did not create enforcement provisions, he said. The result is that the public is blocked from easier access to information, the report says, and the cost of answering information requests is driven up. The study by the National Security Archive, for official release today, found widespread failure among federal agencies to follow the Electronic Freedom of Information Act amendments that took effect in 1997. The changes constituted some of the most significant modernizations of the original 40-year-old law that first guaranteed citizens the right to government information. "Federal agencies are flunking the online test and keeping us in the dark," said Thomas Blanton, director of the independent, nongovernmental Washington-based research institute. The study was funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which focuses on journalism. The archive's review of all 91 federal agencies with chief FOIA officers, along with 58 components of agencies (such as the Air Force within the Department of Defense) that handle more than 500 documents a year, found: Just 22 percent of federal agencies and components fully followed the law and posted on the Web all the required categories of documents (agency opinions and orders; frequently requested records; policy statements; staff guidance). Just over one-third of agencies and components provided an index of their records, as required, to help locate documents. Only a quarter of agencies provided online forms for submitting FOIA requests. Many of the record-related Web links that do exist are wrong or missing, Blanton said. A few agencies bucked the trend and showed the benefits of using the Internet, particularly the Education Department and NASA, the study found. NASA is an example of effective use of the Web, Blanton said. The agency posts comprehensive guidance on FOIA for visitors, links all its component FOIA Web sites, and also has posted many documents on the Columbia space shuttle disaster, a tragedy that had drawn many inquiries for information. "They don't get FOIA requests on Columbia anymore, because it's up on the Web," Blanton said. If an agency would follow the law, "it dramatically lowers the cost for government, not just for FOIA but for all the handling of records." The costs of handling FOIA - estimated at $319 million in 2005 - could be sharply curtailed if agencies relied more on the Web, since frequently requested documents would already be public and electronic records could more easily be shared, Blanton said. Backlogs could be reduced, too. Congress shares some of the blame for the failure of the law because it did not create enforcement provisions, he said. The full NSA report is at http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB216/index.htm

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the DOT reading room is being downsized and threatened with closure. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the Department of Transportation reading room located at 400 7th St. SW in Washington, D.C. is being downsized and threatened with closure. Regular researchers report that documents that they have used for years are suddenly not there. They have been told that older material is being sent to NARA storage center in Suitland even though that information is not available on the NHTSA web site. Access at Suitland is difficult for the public. The reading room includes the following kinds of information in its collection: 1) Technical Information Services (TIS) information, 2) dockets and NHTSA comments to dockets, 3) research note books that help users find Federal Register notices and identify dockets relevant to their research, 4) papers from the Society of Automotive Engineers, 5) service bulletins for vehicles, 6) NHTSA news releases, 7) motor vehicle recalls, defects investigations, 8) NHTSA sponsored research, 9) presentations to 1988-89 series of meetings on roll over prevention and much more. Please let the Department of Transportation know about the value of this reading room.

No-Fee Access to NTIS Online Reports Through the FDLP The Government Printing Office (GPO) and the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) are pleased to announce that Federal depository libraries now have access to online technical reports from NTIS. The pilot project, first announced last October, provides access to bibliographic records for approximately 240,000 publications from 1964-2000 from the NTIS data storage and retrieval system. Through "DARTS: Depository Access to Reports, Technical & Scientific," depository libraries are able to download at no charge the full-text electronic documents for which links are available and, in the near future, they will have the option to purchase print, microfiche or CD/DVD copies from NTIS. This is the first time that NTIS content has been available to the entire depository library community. The technical reports found in this NTIS collection span more than 35 years and provide depositories with unique online content. Through DARTS it is believed that a substantial number of fugitive documents are now available through the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). As was explained when the announcement was made last fall, the responsibility for providing this content to depository libraries lies with the publishing agencies and not with NTIS as an aggregator. NTIS is exempt from FDLP obligations by the provisions of Title 44, United States Code, Section 1903 because its products and services "must necessarily be sold in order to be self-sustaining." NTIS receives no appropriations and must recover all its costs from sales. During the pilot, information will be gathered and reviewed, including any impact on the financial stability of NTIS. Some adjustments may have to be made in the pilot if a negative financial impact is realized, since we cannot undermine the financial stability of NTIS. However, both NTIS and GPO expect that the pilot will validate the assumption that NTIS can participate in the FDLP with its electronic content without suffering an economic loss that would be in violation of its legal requirements to be self-sustaining. GPO is very pleased that NTIS has such a positive view of the value of participating in the FDLP. Now that the beta test period is over, DARTS is open to all regional depository libraries and all libraries that volunteered to participate in the beta test. Instructions for signing up will be available to other selective depositories by the end of next week and will require submission of a verification form signed by the library director. Libraries signing up for access to the NTIS database will be placed in a queue based on the date and time of GPO's receipt of the signed verification form. NTIS will provide access instructions to approximately 200 libraries every other week until all selecting libraries have access. This schedule will allow NTIS staff sufficient time to establish the depository library accounts. If you need more information about the NTIS pilot project, the initial FDLP-L posting is available at: http://listserv.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0611&L=gpo-fdlp-l&D=0&P=721

Psychological Needs of Military Personnel & Families are Increasing FYI - a new report developed by an APA Presidential Task Force on Military Deployment Services for Youth, Families and Service Members was just released by the American Psychological Association. The report "The Psychological Needs of U.S. Military Service Members and Their Families: A Preliminary Report" is available at http://www.apa.org/releases/MilitaryDeploymentTaskForceReport.pdf The press release and information about the report is available at http://www.apa.org/releases/military_health.html

U.S. Forest Service documentary to air Check your local PBS listing Greatest Good Sunday, February 25, 2007 3 - 5:00 pm (San Antonio) THE GREATEST GOOD chronicles the rich history of the U.S. Forest Service in celebration of the agency's centennial. The documentary, narrated by CBS News veteran Charles Osgood, uses rarely seen footage and photography, sweeping aerial shots and dozens of interviews to tell this complex and compelling American story. The story of the U.S. Forest Service turns along this axis of exploitation and protection. Founded in 1905 - before environmentalism and the National Park Service - the U.S. Forest Service mission was twofold: manage public lands by conserving natural resources and maximizing their social benefits. The two-hour film traces the Forest Service's efforts to deliver the most benefits to the most people, while still remaining conscientious stewards of the land. THE GREATEST GOOD also profiles the Forest Service employees who developed ways of addressing major natural resource issues, including grazing, fire, wilderness, game and wildlife, watershed protection, recreation and timber.

When Visiting D.C. The US Census Bureau is pleased to announce that the Census Bureau Library will be installed in its new quarters in time for ALA 2007. To celebrate the newest federal library in the Washington DC area, the Library has scheduled 2 open houses to coincide with this June's convention. ALA has placed a notice on its website: http://www.ala.org/ala/eventsandconferencesb/annual/2007a/otherevents.htm Tour the Newest Federal Government Library ALA-FAFLRT Friday, June 22, 1:00-3:00 pm OR Tuesday, June 26, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm The U.S. Census Bureau Library is celebrating the Grand Opening of our new building. Come join the Census' Library staff in touring our new facility. The new Bureau of the Census facility is a state of the art structure with 1.5 million square feet, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, who also designed America's tallest building, Chicago's Sears Tower. Glass and green-tinted concrete walls have a shield of willow farmed tropical species wood. The U.S. Bureau of Census is the largest statistical agency of the federal government and premier source of information about the American people & the economy. Bring Photo ID. Address is 4700 Silver Hill Rd., Suitland, Maryland, 20746. Take Green line Metro to Suitland- Federal Center stop and meet at Bureau of Census Security Gate. Circulation desk number - 301-763-2529 and Reference desk number 301-763-2511. Tickets: This event is free, but limited space is available. Please note: Two tour days are available. On behalf of the rest of our staff, I would like to take the opportunity to invite any of our colleagues who will be in Washington for the conference to attend one of the open houses. We're rather pleased with out new digs. Dan Clinton Technical Services Librarian U S Census Bureau Library Suitland, MD

WASHOE COUNTY BUDGET SHORTFALL PRESS RELEASE Media Contact: Kimberly Evans For Immediate Release tel. (775) 328-2730 Website: www.washoecounty.us 07-054 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS CONCUR WITH RECOMMENDATIONS TO SLOW SPENDING TO MEET PROJECTED REVENUE SHORTFALLS Reno, Nevada. February 13, 2007. The Washoe County Board of Commissioner voted to accept the recommendations proposed by staff to slow spending to meet a projected $12 million revenue shortfall in the 2006-07 budget. The projected budget shortfall is primarily due to two significant events: 1) consolidated tax revenues (principally sales taxes) are slowing down and as of December 31, 2006 were 9.1% below budget, and 2) a recent State Supreme Court decision regarding Incline property taxes could potentially reduce property tax revenues by $4.6 million. Washoe County Director of Finance John Sherman said, "The goal in making the following recommendations is to minimize the impact these two events will have upon our current budget by implementing some spending constraints now. We hope that slowing expenditures gradually now will reduce the likelihood of dramatic expenditure reductions next fiscal year." Some of the spending constraints that have been used in the past that the Board approved today include: 1) Reduce capital outlay spending. Achieve an overall 25% reduction in this area and ask that departments defer all non-emergency capital outlay. Deferring some budgeted capital projects that have not yet started construction will yield approximately $2.7 million in savings. Emergency items will still be considered for possible funding. 2) Reduce services and supplies expenditures by 5%. In past years, actual expenditures have always been below budgeted expenditures by nearly 6% which has provided a cushion if revenues fall short of budget. However, with 7 months into the 2006-07 fiscal year, actual expenditures are tracking 100% of budgeted expenditures leaving little cushion for declining revenues. 3) Add 30 days to hiring process. By adding on an additional 30 days to the hiring process of vacant positions, savings will approach $1 million. Departments will work with Human Resources to determine their individual impact. By adding 30 days to the recruitment process already in place, officials hope to avoid a hiring freeze next year. 4) Reduce overtime and temporary worker expenses. As of December 31, 2006, about 60% of the 2006-07 overtime budget had already been spent ($1.8 million compared to $3 million budgeted). Departments work with Human Resources to ensure that if current vacancies are extended by 30 days and the vacancies are not compensated for with overtime or hiring of temporary workers as this would defeat the effort to realize salary savings. .

2006 Elections and the Internet The Pew Internet & American Life Project has once again released a thorough report: this time on a study of the Net's role in the 2006 elections. Here's the summary: Twice as many Americans used the internet as their primary source of news about the 2006 campaign compared with the most recent mid-term election in 2002. Some 15% of all American adults say the internet was the place where they got most of their campaign news during the election, up from 7% in the mid-term election of 2002. A post-election survey shows that the 2006 race also produced a notable class of online political activists. Some 23% of those who used the internet for political purposes actually created or forwarded online original political commentary or politically-related videos. The full report adds a lot of context to this, of course. For example, 31% of Americans gathered info about the races online and talked about the elections via email. And for those under 36 who have broadband, 35% said the Internet was their main source of information about the races. And Republicans and Democrats were equally likely to rely on the Net for campaign news Thank you to James Jacobs of Free Government Information(FGI)

USA.GOV Firstgov has changed its name to USA.gov

News from the TSA TSA TO CUT NUMBER OF NAMES ON 'NO-FLY' LIST By Chris Strohm, National Journal's Technology Daily January 17, 2007 The chief of the Transportation Security Administration told senators Wednesday that his agency will cut in half the number of names on the government's "no-fly" list but cautioned lawmakers against requiring the inspection of all cargo being put on aircraft. A TSA spokesman said the number of people who will be left on the list is classified. The spokesman added that it would be wrong to assume that half the names on the list were wrongly placed there. "TSA has worked with the Terrorist Screening Center to ensure that all the individuals on the list currently pose a threat to aviation," he said. More The Department of Homeland Security also will begin a Traveler Redress Inquiry Program under the TSA on Feb. 20, creating a one-stop process for requesting corrections for people who have been subjected to additional screening or been denied or delayed boarding or travel to or from the United States, he said.

Whats new from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services USCIS Issues Questions and Answers for New Pilot Naturalization Exam (30KB PDF)November 30, 2006 - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Emilio Gonzalez said, "When you raise your hand and swear allegiance to the United States, you really ought to know what you are swearing allegiance to. You ought to internalize by that time, the very values that make this country what it is, the very reason why you are raising your right hand. ... Citizenship is not test taking." Facts About USCIS Naturalization Test Redesign (51KB PDF)USCIS is revising the naturalization test to create a test and testing process that is standardized, fair and meaningful. A revised test, with an emphasis on the fundamental concepts of American democracy and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, will help to encourage citizenship applicants to learn and identify with the basic values we all share as Americans. Questions and Answers for New Pilot Naturalization ExamRead the 144 questions and answers.

Wishing for Peace and Good Will for All

Wishing for Peace and Good Will for All

2010 Census Website The Census Bureau has launched a 2010 Census website where you can access information about the upcoming 2010 Census. The URL address is: http://www.census.gov/2010census/

The Iraq Study Group Report

FCC LAUNCHES “RURAL HEALTH CARE PILOT PROGRAM” WEBSITE Washington, DC -- The FCC has launched a website (http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/rural/rhcp.html) that provides a consolidated source of information about the FCC’s recently announced Rural Health Care Pilot Program. The website includes the Order adopting the pilot program and the accompanying news release, a PDF slide presentation giving an overview of the program, and frequently asked questions (FAQs), The website will be updated periodically, as appropriate. The FCC’s pilot program is an innovative, enhanced funding initiative intended to help public and non-profit health care providers construct state- and region-wide broadband networks to provide telehealth and telemedicine services throughout the nation. The program will fund up to 85% of the costs of constructing those networks, as well as the costs of advanced telecommunications and information services that will ride over these networks. If selected, up to 85% of the cost of connecting to Internet2, a dedicated nationwide backbone, may also be funded by the pilot program. Connection to Internet 2 is not required, but may be requested by the applicants. Applications for the program must be filed no later than 30 days after the Commission receives approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of the information collection requirements contained in the FCC’s Order announcing the pilot program. (The Paperwork Reduction Act collection requirements were published in the Federal Register on October 18, 2006.) The FCC will issue a Public Notice announcing OMB approval once that has occurred. - FCC - Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau Contact: Robert Somers at (202) 418-1483. Wireline Competition Bureau Contact: Erika Olsen at (202) 418-2868.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING !!!

Nevada Population Estimates and Projections From The State Data Center : Estimates to July 1, 2005 Projections through 2030 Mona Reno, Nevada State Data Librarian, has developed a great site and I will post more links in the near future.

From Free Government Information (FGI) blogs : American Indian Heritage Month November is American Indian Heritage Month. Following are some federal sites that offer excellent information about American Indians: Federal Resources for Educational Excellence, American Indian Heritage Month Resources The National Museum of the American Indian Smithsonian Education, American Indian Heritage Teaching Resources FirstGov, Native American and Tribal Cultural Resources And, if you’d like to include some Native American foods in your Thanksgiving celebration, the Native American Nutrition Education Database from the National Agricultural Library includes some sources with recipes. Mitsitam! (Which, to the Delaware and Piscataway people, means "Let’s eat!") Thanks to Lori Smith, FGI's guest blooger for this entry !!!

NEW ELECTION INFORMATION TO BE AVAILABLE ON WASHOE COUNTY WEBSITE AT CLOSE OF ELECTION DAY Reno, Nevada. November 6, 2006. Voters will be able to track more election result information than ever before on Washoe County’s website, http://www.washoecounty.us/voters/ By simply going to this link, or just logging onto the county’s main page at http://www.washoecounty.us/ and clicking on the link there, citizens can access up-to-date election result information as it is posted by election officials. Examples of data available on this site include: · number of the 1358 cartridges that have been recorded to date (new) · latest election numbers (results) by race (this was available in 2004) · Real-time election results mapping (new) · Link to statewide election information (new) · Link to Clark County election information (new) The real-time election results mapping is a new feature offered on the County’s website this election. Thanks to work done by the County’s Geographic Information System staff, this website will show voting results for 21 selected races and four state ballot questions (questions 2, 5, 6, and 7) as well as the County advisory question. The website displays results by precinct in a map format as voting counts are uploaded throughout the night. The site will be available at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday. Voters are once again reminded to bring their sample ballots to their polling places to expedite voting tomorrow, although registered voters will be allowed to vote without their sample ballot in hand. Voters can go to the county’s website at http://www.washoecounty.us/voters/go to the YOUR Voter Registration Info link, enter their name and birthday (ex. 10-16-1961) to find out if they are properly registered and where they go to vote. Or, they can call the Registrar’s office at 328-3670.

GAO PROBES EPA LIBRARY SHUTDOWN From : Patrice McDermott, Director, Open the Government.org The Government Accountability Office is now investigating why EPA is closing its libraries, after Congress members, EPA employees, open government groups, and the Society of Environmental Journalists raised concerns. EPA Deputy Administrator Marcus Peacock is now publicly promising that EPA library material will be available digitally in the very near future - even as branch after branch of the EPA library system is being closed. "I have asked anyone to inform me, anonymously or otherwise, of any instance where they are unable to obtain a document they need that was previously available. And I am not aware of a single instance where that is happened, but I am all ears." Peacock can be reached at 202-564-4711 or by email. Still, Greenwire's Darren Samuelsohn reports that "The Bush administration has already shuttered EPA's Washington headquarters' library and regional posts in Chicago, Dallas and Kansas City. And there are reduced hours and public access in EPA's regional libraries in Boston, New York, San Francisco and Seattle." How the public or EPA employees are to access the documents Peacock promises them remains an unresolved question. Those who want documents from EPA's library will want to know that the digital system is already online and working - to the degree that some documents have already been digitized. A user can point his/her Web browser here to search for relevant documents, some of which will be available online. The Catch-22 is that paper copies of undigitized documents must in many cases be obtained through the EPA library holding them - which will in many cases now be closed. How long will digitization take? Peacock claims that all paper documents from now-closed branches will be digitized by January 2007 or sooner. Complete digitization of all documents in the system could take 2-3 years, Peacock says. He says he expects no restriction of public access during the interim.

ENHANCEMENTS TO WASHOE COUNTY WEBSITE MAKE VOTING EASIER SUNDAY VOTING ALSO ENCOURAGES TURNOUT Taking advantage of technology, Washoe County is making voting even easier by posting information on the county’s website that voters can access 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For the first time, voters are able to go to WASHOE COUNTY REGISTRAR OF VOTERS OFFICE and view a copy of their sample ballot, track their absentee ballot request, and view candidate profiles as well as other information that was previously available. Simply click on the "YOUR Voter Registration status, sample ballot, polling place and absentee information" from the left side of the Voters’ page and enter your last name and birthday (ex. 05-16-1961). Your unique voter information including party affiliation, polling place location and even directions (when available) will appear. You can view a copy of the sample ballot and by clicking on the links PDF 1 and PDF 2, sample ballot pages unique to your precinct will appear. "By providing this information conveniently from the comfort of citizens’ home or office computers, we hope to encourage voter turnout as well as helping the voters become more informed before they go to the polls," said Registrar of Voters Dan Burk. According to Burk, 8,600 people have cast their ballots since early voting began on Saturday, October 21st. He estimates that 25,000 to 30,000 voters will choose to vote early before early voting ends on November 2nd. This compares with 34,000 early voters in the 2004 Presidential Election year which traditionally draws more voters. Burk attributes the impressive turnout so far to early voting availability on Sundays at six selected Scolaris grocery stores…a first for Washoe County. He anticipates voters will take advantage of the three-day holiday, including Sunday, to cast their early ballots. Early voting locations and times are also available at WASHOE COUNTY REGISTRAR OF VOTERS OFFICE. "In addition to viewing their voter information online, the most important thing voters can do is bring their sample ballots with them," Burk adds. "Scanning the bar code on the back of the ballot speeds up the processing time." Burk reports that to date, not a single early voting location has reported a delay of longer than 5 minutes for those who have opted to vote early.

Real Property Assessment Data

The Washoe County Assessors Office has a user friendly site to search property records at
http://www.washoecounty.us/assessor/cama/search.php

Give it a try.

EPA Libraries Update From Bernadine Abbott Hoduski



Not only does EPA shut down its libraries but it now is eliminating
electronic access to much information needed by its scientists to do their
job. Bernadine Abbott Hoduski, ALA Councilor at Large, 312 N. Howie,
Helena, Montana
Sent: Monday, October 09, 2006 3:36 PM
From: "Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)"
info@peer.org>
Subject: PRESS RELEASE: EPA Scientists Losing Access to Journals Monday,
October 9, 2006
Contact: Carol Goldberg (202) 265-7337
EPA SCIENTISTS LOSING ACCESS TO JOURNALS
Cuts in Subscription Budgets Take Scientific Journals and Eco-News Offline
Washington, DC ? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is sharply
reducing the number of technical journals and environmental publications to
which its employees will have online access, according to agency e-mails
released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).

This loss of online access compounds the effect of agency library closures,
meaning that affected employees may not have access to either a hard copy or
an electronic version of publications. Citing budgetary shortfalls,
cancellations of online subscriptions will be felt more sharply in some EPA
offices and regions than others. For example,
one e-mail notes: ?Region 3 [Mid-Atlantic Region] needs to cut its journal
renewals about in half and the journals in question are very expensive.?
Other offices will face cuts of as yet unspecified but likely comparable
dimensions.

In addition to technical journals, EPA is also canceling its subscriptions
to widely-read environmental news reports, such as Greenwire, The Clean Air
Report and The Superfund Report, which summarize and synthesize breaking
events and trends inside industry, government and academia. Greenwire, for
example, recorded more than 125,000 hits from EPA staff last year.
As a result of these cuts, agency scientists and other technical specialists
will no longer have ready access to materials that keep them abreast of
developments within their fields. Moreover, enforcement staff,
investigators and other professionals will have a harder time tracking new
developments affecting their cases and projects.

EPA?s professionals need current information in order to do their jobs, but
with each passing month, even these basic tools are being put off limits,
stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch, whose organization has been
drawing attention to EPA?s shuttering of its technical libraries. EPA is
entering its own Dark Age, where both the inward and outward flows of
information are being strained through an ever-narrowing sieve.

Ironically, EPA managers had sought to ease employee concerns about library
closures by claiming that the agency is implementing a new library plan to
make environmental information more accessible to employees, according to a
mid-September e-mail sent to all Headquarters employees concerning the
closure of the Headquarters library. Contrary to these assurances, however,
the way in which the agency is implementing budget reductions portends that
employee access to materials will markedly decline. In addition,
cancellation of hard copy subscriptions occasioned by library closures has
actually driven up online subscription costs, as online discounts for hard
copy subscribers have been forfeit.

Overall, EPA?s research budget is also being reduced, even though President
Bush is seeking selected increases in EPA research for topics such as
nanotechnology and drinking water system security as part of an American
Competitive Initiative.
Without libraries and scientific journals, EPA may have to drop out of the
President's Competitive Initiative, Ruch added.



.

American Library Asscociation (ALA) Promotes Online Voter Registration



In a joint effort to make registering to vote easier and more convenient for eligible Americans, the American Library Association (ALA) is participating in GoVote, a project of Working Assets and Mobile Voter. Throughout the 2006 national election season, ALA will host on its Web site a link to the GoVote.org initiative, where individuals can click to register to vote or update their voter registration information.
Using the bilingual, nonpartisan site, people can register any time, from virtually anywhere—via conventional web browser, mobile phone browser and text messaging. People also can send email reminders to family and friends and sign up for information about volunteer opportunities in their local communities. Deadlines for voter registration vary by state, and a full list of registration deadlines can be found at: www.eac.gov/register_vote_deadlines.asp.“Libraries are a vital part of the American democratic landscape,” said ALA President Leslie Burger. “They serve the public by connecting citizens to valuable information regardless of economic status.” Beyond providing library users with the resources they need to make smart and informed voting decision, ALA encourages its members to become registered voters and to promote the GoVote.org voter registration site in their local libraries. Working Assets is a long distance, wireless, and credit card company. In 2003 and 2004, Working Assets launched and ran a campaign that registered over 1 million new voters. Founded in 2004, Mobile Voter is a non-profit, non-partisan organization seeking to facilitate the process of civic participation via mobile technology. For more information about ALA’s participation in GoVote.org, please contact Joan Claffey at 1-800-545-2433, extension 3215. If you have technical questions about using the GoVote.org site, contact GoVote by email at govote@workingassets.com or by phone at 1-877-205-8683.

American Library Association position on EPA library closures



ALA supports congressional effort to investigate closure of EPA libraries
(WASHINGTON) The Environmental Protection Agency has announced that it has begun closing its libraries in response to the Bush Administration's planned $2 million cuts to the agency's 2007 federal budget. As of October 1, 2006, the EPA Headquarters library will be closed to the public. The American Library Association (ALA) disagrees with the EPA's claims that closing the libraries-which field more than 134,000 requests a year from the agency's own staff in addition to requests from the public-will not impede the agency's mission to provide environmental information to its staff and the public.


ALA supports Ranking Democratic members of the House Science Committee in their effort to have the General Accounting Office (GAO) investigate the EPA's plans to shutter the libraries. Representatives Bart Gordon (D-TN), John Dingell (D-MI) and Henry Waxman (D-CA) made the request for an investigation in a letter to GAO on Monday, September 18th.


"Closure of the EPA libraries will make it extremely difficult-and in some cases impossible-for constituents and even EPA staff to find reliable information on a wide range of sensitive environmental issues," said Leslie Burger, President of the American Library Association. "The EPA libraries are essential government services, and they house an estimated 50,000 documents on environmental issues that are available nowhere else," she continued. The American Library Association has taken a position against closure of the EPA libraries urging its members to write to members of Congress and the Bush Administration.

Just in from the USGS

Water-Table Levels and Gradients, Nevada, 1947-2004

Quality of Nevada's Aquifers and Their Susceptibility to Contamination, 1990-2004