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Closure of 6 federal libraries angers scientists

posted by Blake on 08:32 AM December 8th, 2006
from the Cost-cutting dept. The EPA story seems to be getting some traction, this time it's The LA Times. Officials say the cutbacks have been driven by tight budgets, declining patronage and rising demand for online services. And they say leaner operations will improve efficiency while maintaining essential functions. "We are trying to improve access and ... do more with a little less money," said Linda Travers, acting assistant administrator for the EPA's office of environmental information. Trackbacks:

Op/ed on the quick action against the EPA library 5 comments Fang-Face writes "There is a piece reprinted at AlterNet.org, originally published at TruthOut.org, titledA Step Shy of Book-Burning. It is about the closure of the EPA library, and the author, Kelpie Wilson, basically accuses the Bush administration of attempting to implement a new Dark Age. Given that:

. . . I can certainly see her point; although I do think the title is a touch over the top myself." EPA Libraries Closing Follow Up: Ramifications Fang-Face writes "An article titled Shutdown of EPA Libraries Worries Scientists, Advocates has been reposted at CommonDreams.org. It looks at how some academics and scientists view the closing. Best quote: Francesca Grifo, a botanist and the director of scientific integrity at the Union of Concerned Scientists : "Nobody is against modernization, but we don't see the digitization. We just see the libraries closing. We just see that public access has been cut off."" Continued Backlash Against EPA Library Closings & The Digitization Award Goes to... 1 comment WASHINGTON - Concerned about the kinds of pollutants spilling into your local rivers and streams and how they could affect your health?As the Environmental Protection Agency closes some scientific libraries around the country, EPA scientists and other environmental advocates worry whether that kind of information could become harder to find.They fear that the agency's plan to save money by replacing printed resources with digitized versions on the Internet could make information less - not more - accessible. This information was reported by HPC Wire.
Why Are EPA Libraries Purging Records and Selling Bookcases for One Cent on the Dollar? According to this article from Yubanet, "in defiance of Congressional requests to immediately halt closures of library collections, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is purging records from its library websites, making them unavailable to both agency scientists and outside researchers, according to documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). At the same time, EPA is taking steps to prevent the re-opening of its shuttered libraries, including the hurried auctioning off of expensive bookcases, cabinets, microfiche readers and other equipment for less than a penny on the dollar.
"No one believes that EPA is closing libraries and crating up irreplaceable collections for fiscal reasons," PEER Director Jeff Ruch concluded. "Instead, the real agenda appears to be controlling access by its own specialists and outside researchers to key technical information."
ALA Prez Berger Speaks Out on the EPA Libraries in an Op Ed letter in Friday's New York Times (registration required). Features: Ten Stories that Shaped 2006 6 comments Another year, another recap! Read on for a look back at the good, the bad, and the ugly library stories of 2006. This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted. Closure of 6 federal libraries angers scientists | Log in/Create an Account | Top | Search Discussion Threshold: The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.

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