Amy Dewey (sp?) at the EPA press office told me that "nothing is being destroyed" (except "duplicates") because "everything" is being put on the website. They are in the process of putting a [damage control?] notice on the website (epa.gov) about this. She says it's a "budget-cutting" item.
I didn't get a chance to express my concern over the destruction of "duplicates," however, or about the actual numbers with respect to net "savings" when costs are subtracted from them. Rather than destroy physical documents, and perhaps place government documents at the mercy of computer-only storage, one would hope that an alternative to the landfill or furnace could be found. And, when such a momentous action is undertaken without consultation with the affected parties, not to mention the public interest at large, it seems to me that an advance notice, well-publicized by the press office, for example, could have been the best possible damage control--unless the motive was to just do it and "explain" it later. This "destruction of duplicates" habit is going hog-wild among librarians everywhere. Much as I love librarians, I despise their ignorance of the value of existing records in their present form. (I must say, however, that I have picked up some real treasures at library disposal sales.) How much might EPA have netted by selling off its records and documents. Ms. Dewey stayed professionally "on-message" for a good five minutes, then had to take yet another call from the likes of us, so keep on calling--please. They gotta know we're out here, at least! WT At 09:23 AM 12/1/2006, Val Smith wrote: >Dear Colleagues: > >Without authorization from Congress, the Environmental Protection >Agency (EPA) has slashed operating funds for its nationwide network >of scientific libraries, forcing libraries to close and effectively >preventing EPA scientists and the public from accessing vast amounts >of data and information on issues from toxicology to pollution. > >The critical scientific information contained in the EPA libraries is >essential to the agency's ability to make fully informed decisions >that carry out its mission of protecting human health and the environment. > >I urge you to please call EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson today or >Monday at (202) 564-4700 and leave message with the receptionist >urging him to halt the dismantling of the EPA library system >immediately. It will only take a couple of minutes, and your phone >call could make the difference. > >Best regards, >Val Smith >University of Kansas > > >Val H. Smith >Professor >Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology >University of Kansas >Lawrence, KS 66045 >785-864-4565 >FAX: 785-864-5321 >e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
