Tag Archives: EPA Libraries

EPA’s National Environmental Publications Internet Site (NEPIS)

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NSCEP/NEPIS – EPA’s Gateway to Free Digital & Paper Publications

"This site is EPA’s premier site for accessing EPA publications, with more than 7,000 in stock and 35,000 digital titles, free of charge! EPA’s print publications are available through the National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP), and EPA’s digital publications are stored in the National Environmental Publications Internet Site (NEPIS) database! You can search and retrieve, download, print and/or order only EPA publications from this site. "

Some of these reports will be also listed in various government databases, like NTIS, NTRL, MarciveWeb DOCS, and also in WorldCat and Google. (NTIS does not provide links or access to the full text.)

The EPA National Library Network has updated its Core List for an Environmental Reference Collection

EPA Libraries re-opening September 30, 2008

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HTML – http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-22468.htm

PDF – http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-22468.pdf

“SUMMARY –
EPA is enhancing access to library services for the public and Agency staff. EPA will open previously closed libraries in its National Library Network, with walk-in access for the public and EPA staff. Other library locations will expand staffing, operating hours, or services. This notice [from the Federal Register] provides information regarding how members of the public can access the libraries and services beginning September 30, 2008.”

With thanks to Dorothy Alibrando, from the NJ Dept. of Environmental Protection, who sent this information to the Special Libraries group, Environment & Resource Management Division.

EPA Libraries’ Roller Coaster Ride

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Barbie E. Keiser, a resources management consultant in Washington, D.C., has written a review of the EPA libraries experience of attempting to close several libraries in the wake of a declining budget, but in the face of greater demand. She also writes about recommendations for best practices concerning its “second life”. She says that the website has improved.

The article can be found at www.epa.gov/libraries

One will be able to access the full article soon from Online Information Review, vo. 32(5): 25-29, Sep.-Oct. 2008. “EPA Libraries’ Roller Coaster Ride”

EPA Regional and Headquarters Libraries to reopen

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The EPA National Library Network Report to Congress has been released.

It is dated March 26, 2008.

http://www.epa.gov/natlibra/documents/LibraryReportto_Congress.pdf

In the report it states that the EPA will receive S1 million to reopen the following libraries, which it hopes to do by September 30, 2008:
EPA Libraries in Regions 5, 6 & 7, Chicago, Dallas, & Kansas City respectively, and the EPA Headquarters Repository and Chemical Library in Washington, D.C.

EPA Libraries — Best Practices & summary

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Environmental Protection: EPA Needs to Ensure That Best Practices and Procedures Are Followed When Making Further Changes to Its Library Network. GAO-08-304, February 29.

http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-304 (60 pages)

Highlights –
http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08304high.pdf (1 page)

Thanks to Ruth Gustafson from UC Davis reporting to the Environment & Resource Management Division of Special Library Association

Congress Directs EPA to Re-open Its Libraries

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For Immediate Release: December 21, 2007
Contact: Carol Goldberg (202) 265-7337
http://www.peer.org/news/newsid.php?rowid=964

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

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

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

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Can Google Spiders find EPA-archived Documents?

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Marydee Ojala. Information Today. Medford: Jul/Aug 2007. Vol. 24, Iss. 7; pg. 13, 1 pgs

To read all of her article, click here.

Mike Flynn, deputy director of the Office of Information Analysis & Access at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), was a guest at SLAs Public Policy Update session at the SLAAnnual Conference in June in Denver.

The following excerpt expresses a concern about the “accessibility”/”findability” of the EPA documents archived online:

“It’s a key strategy of the EPA, said Flynn, to put more documents relevant to the topic online. Will Google be able to find EPA-archived documents, or will they be protected by a robots. txt file? Flynn gamely admitted his ignorance about robots.txt files and thought Google could find EPA documents, but knowledgeable librarians in the audience were skeptical. Is EPA a closed system? Are there opportunities to work with U.N. initiatives to open up EPA information to the world? Flynn’s answers weren’t the epitome of clarity, although he opted for openness.”
– Marydee Ojala

Source: www.infotodayblog.com

EPA bill to increase their budget headed to Senate

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PUBLIC POLICY UPDATE

EPA Bill Heading to Senate Floor- ACTION ALERT!
The House Appropriations Committee recently approved a bill to increase the EPA’s budget. That bill is now headed to the full Senate. This is good news for EPA’s libraries and laboratories, which were subject to downsizing attempts in anticipation of significant 2007 budget cuts. Visit SLA’s Legislative Action Center to find out how you can help support the EPA libraries in this bill.

Language from the Senate version of the bill states that “$2,000,000 shall be used to restore the network of EPA libraries recently closed or consolidated by the administration. While the committee approves of efforts to make environmental data collections available electronically, the committee does not agree to further library closures or consolidations without evidence of how the public would be served by these changes” Read full Appropriations Act S.1696

The House version of the FY 2008 Interior Appropriations bill does NOT include any language about the EPA libraries. Visit SLA’s Legislative Action Center to find out how you can help support the EPA libraries in this bill.

Related Article in Library Journal

Related Article by OMB Watch