RE: Libraries as Repositories - more thought

[Charlie Atherton <charlie@structurex.net>]

I DON'T KNOW ANY WAY TO SHOW MY COMMENTS TO THE QUESTIONS ASKED, BUT TO TYPE MY COMMENTS IN CAPITAL LETTERS.  PLEASE DO NOT THINK THAT I AM SHOUTING.  I AM NOT KILLING MOSQUITOES WITH A SHOTGUN, JUST NOT VERY GOOD WITH A COMPUTER.  Charlie Atherton

I'm a facilitator by nature so I'm going to "flip chart" what I've heard so far about the libraries as repositories. 

1. Train the librarians so they will know what the info is and where it is in the library system.

THIS WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.  TRUSTING THE LIBRARIANS SHOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM AS THEY WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE INFORMATION, ONLY BE ABLE TO PUT THE INFORMATION INTO PEOPLE'S HANDS.  ONLY TECHNICAL PEOPLE CAN REALLY UNDERSTAND THE DOCUMENTS.  

2. For local projects/issues, have the info placed in a local library.

ONE OF OUR PROBLEMS IS THAT THERE ARE MULTIPLE LIBRARIES IN OUR PARISH AND WHAT FEW DOCUMENTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE ARE SCATTERED OVER MANY LIBRARIES.  FOR INSTANCE, DOCUMENTS RELATED TO ONE INDUSTRIAL FACILITY ARE LOCATED IN THREE SEPARATE LIBRARIES AND ALSO THE LOCAL COLLEGE.

WHERE ELSE COULD DOCUMENTS BE MADE AVAILABLE RELATIVE TO STATE AND NATIONAL PROGRAMS IF THESE DOCUMENTS ARE NOT IN THE LOCAL LIBRARY?

3. Simplify the documents that are in the repository.

WE BELIEVE THAT EVERY DOCUMENT SHOULD HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, INCLUDING DATA DOCUMENTS.  WE DON'T CARE WHO PREPARES THE SUMMARY AS LONG AS WE KNOW WHERE THEY LIVE AND CAN FIND THEM TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE.

4. Have 2 sets of documents so one can stay and one can be checked out.

THIS IS A MUST... THE MUST BEING... THAT PEOPLE MUST BE ABLE TO CHECK OUT THE INFORMATION SO THAT THEY CAN STUDY IT WHENEVER THEY HAVE TIME OR THE GROUP HAS TIME.  PEOPLE THEN USUALL CAN COPY KEY DOCUMENTS AT NO COST.
ONE COPY IS OK IF THE DOCUMENT CAN BE CHECKED OUT.
WHAT WE HAVE FOUND IS NO ONE CAN CHECK OUT THE DOCUMENT, AND NO WORKING PEOPLE HAVE THE TIME AVAILABLE TO GO TO THE LIBRARY WHEN IT IS OPEN.  SO THE DOCUMENT IS BASICALLY USELESS.
PERSONALLY I HAD AN AGREEMENT WORKED OUT WITH A LIBRARIAN WHERE I CHECKED OUT THE DOCUMENTS AT LIBRARY CLOSING TIME AND BROUGHT IT BACK AT LIBRARY OPENING TIME... BUT WHEN THE LIBRARY MANAGER FOUND OUT SHE STOPPED IT.  I EVEN TOLD THE LIBRARY THAT I WOULD LEAVE MY DRIVERS LICENSE AND/OR HUNDRED DOLLAR BILLS FOR COLADERAL.

NOTE*** EPA MIGHT NOT REALIZE WHY THIS IS SO IMPORTANT.  IN ANY GIVEN LOCATION THE PEOPLE ARE LUCKY IF THERE IS EVEN ONE TECHNICAL PERSON THAT KNOWS HOW TO UTILIZE THE DOCUMENT.  IN REALITY WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT THE PEOPLE OR GROUP GET THE DOCUMENT INFORMATION IN THEIR HAND AND THEN GET ONE TECHNICAL PERSON (WE GET WILMA SUBRA OUT OF NEW IBERIA 1 1/2 HOURS AWAY) USUALLY OUT OF TOWN, TO GET WITH THE GROUP TO EXPLAIN THE DOCUMENT AND THE PROCESS TO THE PEOPLE.   WE HAVE WORKED ALL NIGHT LONG MANY TIMES, ONLY BECAUSE THAT WAS THE ONLY TIME WE HAD THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE.

PUT ONE HARD COPY AND ONE CD OF THE DOCUMENT IN THE LIBRARY.  THEN CHECK OUT WHICH EVER ONE SOMEONE NEEDS.  MUST HAVE A CONTACT NAME AND NUMBER TO CALL WITH QUESTIONS.

THERE IS NO WAY TO TELL IF A DOCUMENT GETS A LOT OF USE BECAUSE NO ONE KEEPS TRACK OF HOW MANY TIMES IT IS READ INSIDE THE LIBRARY.

5. Leave the information in the repository indefinitely.

LEAVE THE INFORMATION IN THE LIBRARY AS LONG AS THE INFORMATION IS VALID AND AS LONG AS OTHER DOCUMENTS REFERENCE BACK TO THE DOCUMENT.  IF THE INFORMATION IN THE DOCUMENT IS TRULY OUTDATED AND USELESS, THEN IT CAN BE REMOVED BY EPA, NOT THE LIBRARY.  

HOWEVER THE LIBRARY MUST KEEP A REFERENCE RECORD OF ALL DOCUMENTS (BY A UNIQUE IDENTIFIER NUMBER) THAT WERE EVER IN THE LIBRARY. 

IT IS OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT IN LOUISIANA THE LADEQ REMOVES THE INFORMATION.  OUR EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THAT NEEDED, GOOD, USEFULL, INFORMATION IS REMOVED FOR NO REASON.  WE NEEDED SUCH  INFORMATION TO PREPARE FOR A PUBLIC HEARING.  AT LEAST THE LIBRARY KEEPS A RECORD OF THE INFORMATION THAT IS REMOVED.  WE HAD SUCH A REMOVAL OF INFORMATION WITHIN THE LAST YEAR (A TRUCKLOAD) AND ASKED LADEQ TO RETURN THE INFORMATION AS IT WAS RELEVANT TO CURRENT PERMITS.  AS TO DATE THE INFORMATION HAS NOT BEEN RETURNED. Charlie Atherton