RE: let's get real

[Fred Stoss <fstoss@acsu.buffalo.edu>]

There are times when EPA may not be the BEST place to get the 
information that is needed. Too often librarians hear the words
"environmental information" and simply point the person to the
EPA or the proper state environmental agency.Take the example of
the "environmental" issue of global climate change. There are 
ten (10)individual federal departments and independent agecies 
involved in the U.S. Global Change Research Program.

A person has a question? To which agency(ies) should the 
librarian direct the user? There is the U.S. Global Change 
Research Program's Global Change Data and Information System 
(GCDIS)that provides cross-agency/department access to the data 
and information base for the topics related to global change
research and policy. (see "The Heat Is On! U.S. Global Change
Research and Policy," August 2000, EContent [formerly Database]).

Nearly every single environmental issue or information need has 
more than one place that should be searched or to which we
librarians must refer users of our libraries.

The great learning tree MUST see that librarians at all levels 
and in all settings have the requisite skills to know abut the
full spectrum of resources that are available.

EPA would be served well by providing continuing education 
opportunities to train librarians. They maintain a well-
establsihed national library network and information infra-
structure and SHOULD be able to provide a comprehensive look at
that full spectrum of sources of environmental information and
make those sources highly visible on their Web site.

Fred Stoss
Science and Engineering Library
University at Buffalo