RE: EPA Supporting Libraries

[Tom.Hughes, Mass Environmental Library <Thomas.Hughes@state.ma.us>]

These recommendations are excellent.  I am interested that a common theme is money.

EPA has treated information differently from all its other programs. EPA has looked at protection of the air, waste, and water as something it needs to implement in cooperation and in combination with State, Local, And Tribal Government. They put alot of effort and money into delegation and integration with all levels of government to carry out these programs.

Information Resources are treated differently. There is far less coordination, funding, etc... put into working with State, Local, And Tribal Government to implement this program. Ongoing funding for State, Local, And Tribal Governments is centered around other EPA programs, and Information Resources are generally seen as something funded out of the overhead, like accounting, administration, etc...

I believe that EPA must make its information access an explicit and visible part of funding for State, Local, And Tribal Governments before meaningful change can happen. In addition many of the cooperative library systems are funded through the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS). I think EPA needs to work with IMLS as one means of funding for its efforts.

I am interested in what people think about this. Does EPA need to reform the way it funds Information Resources?