Burning the libraries? What is all this about?

[Michaelangelica]

This is an email I have just received from the Union of Concerned Scientists. Does anyone know what is going on in Yankee land?

 

The EPA Closes its Libraries, Destroys Documents

EPA Libraries

Dear Michael,

 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has begun closing its nationwide network of scientific libraries, effectively preventing EPA scientists and the public from accessing vast amounts of data and information on issues from toxicology to pollution. Several libraries have already been dismantled, with their contents either destroyed or shipped to repositories where they are uncataloged and inaccessible.

 

Members of Congress have asked the EPA to cease and desist. Please call EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson at (202) 564-4700 and tell him that scientists and the public should retain access to this information. Urge him to immediately halt the dismantling of the library system until Congress approves the EPA budget and all materials are readily available online.

 

Please note: The EPA may tell you that the Union of Concerned Scientists has its facts wrong. Click here to see the abundant evidence for yourself.

 

Sincerely,

 

Michael Halpern

National Field Organizer

Scientific Integrity Program

 

Instructions:

Click here to take action on this issue.

 

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Background:

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintains a nationwide network of 27 libraries that provide critical scientific information on human health and environmental protection, not only to EPA scientists, but also to other researchers and the general public.

 

The libraries represent a unique and invaluable source of scientific knowledge on issues from hazardous waste to toxicology to pollution control. Additional benefit to scientific researchers is gained from the expertise of a dedicated library staff, who in 2005 fielded more than 130,000 database and reference questions from EPA scientists and the public. More...

 

 

 

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[InfiniteNow]

According the words coming from the horse's mouth, it appears it's already begun.

Also, they seem cautious to classify with the term "physical" libraries, so my inclination is that the data will still be available, just in online form (I've included links below, but haven't read them top to bottom, so please correct me if I'm wrong should you find an alternate understanding).

 

Libraries and Repositories | US EPA

Beginning October 1, 2006, EPA is transitioning to the new National Framework for the Headquarters and Regional Libraries. This document describes the new model EPA will implement to ensure that the public continues to receive quality library services.

 

[.pdf] http://www.epa.gov/natlibra/Library_Plan_National_Framework081506final.pdf

EPA currently uses many different mechanisms to get information to the public, such as the EPA Web site and response to information requests via phone, e-mail and postal mail. EPA libraries have also played a role in providing public access to environmental information. With tightened security at EPA facilities, there has been a drop in the number of physical walk-ins to EPA’s libraries. EPA has also found that most of its requests for information come to the Agency via phone, not walk-ins. Due to these trends, EPA is moving toward providing public access to environmental information through more electronic means. The following is a description of how EPA will provide library services to the public.

The public will be able to continue accessing the documents previously held by those closing regional and HQ libraries either electronically from NEPIS or physically via ILL from the repositories.

 

Another quick source:

Frequent Questions | EPA Public Access - Contact Us | US EPA

[Cedars]

Interesting bit of information there Michaelangelica.

 

I did a bit of googling and found a few related articles and it seems a number of congressmen/senators are requesting the ending of this. Probably the most significant:

 

"In September, several House Democrats asked the Government Accountability Office to examine the library closures plan. A GAO spokesman confirmed that an investigation will be conducted, but could not say when the results would be available. "

 

Keep the E.P.A. Libraries Open - New York Times

 

Senators call for delay in closing EPA libraries (11/6/06)

 

There are some pretty good laws regarding the destruction of documents by government. But they are not air tight.

 

From what I read, it seems we may have lost some data that could be useful, but it also doesnt sound like there was a targeted effort to disrupt certain information to protect some particular interest (say a chemical corp). There is also the potential that much of the data tossed on the fed level is still available on the state level. Much of the information from our lawsuit was held by the MN Pollution Control Agency, who then sent copies of all this to the Feds, so I know of a few boxes of duplicate info right there.

 

For every one box of information from our lawsuit that we held personally, the MN PCA had two other boxes of equal size from the other entities in our lawsuit. It was an amazing amount of information, much of it duplicative.

 

I also worked with someone who came to our office after having put in many years at the MN PCA. We talked much about data management and I can say, from her comments about that office, is there is much duplicative data held in boxes for many years due to government policies on how long to keep data. It is amazing the amount of paper that one small office can pile up. I can only imagine the mess at such a large government entity.

 

Our own office was required to keep every piece of paper or microfilm everything sent in by one of our clients. Address changes, notes for copies of documents, every correspondence was required to be kept forever, until we updated our own data practices policy. Our upgraded computer system allowed much of this to be discarded because the database keeps everything entered into it, somewheres within. There was only 1 or 2 people in the office who had the ability to delete data that had been entered.

 

 

But that doesnt mean there shouldnt be a closer scrutiny to what is occuring in this particular branch of the government. I think I will write my congressman this weekend and let him know that I think he should join the list of congressmen calling for some oversight into the plans of the EPA.

[hallenrm]

After looking at the links provided by infinitenow, I fail to see what is the rant about. Everything is destined to change with time, the way we access information is no exception:)