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. .