Some Next Steps

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

Here are my suggestions on what EPA should do after this dialogue:

Immediately put together a national workgroup with topical and
regional subgroups to begin development of a National Environmental
Information Action Plan.

Summarize this dialogue and provide the summary with an appendix
containing the entire content to each workgroup, post it on the
web, and provide copies (or email the url) to anyone who registered
for the dialogue.

In the meantime, here are some suggestions for actions that don't
have to wait for the plan.  I hope other participants will also
suggest other steps that should be taken while the plan is being
developed:

Target surplus computer donations to libraries, schools, and
community centers in communities that have the lowest computers/Internet
access per capita and the highest environmental problems per capita.
Configure these computers in advance with adequate software and
environmental bookmark pages that can be automatically updated from
the web.  Provide Internet Training, including general use, research
skills, and overviews of environmental information sources to these
communities - especially public and school librarians, community
leaders, and any interested member of the public.  This is similar
to identifying Environmental Justice communities.

Initiate the development of one web page on the EPA site that lists
and links to all environmental clearinghouses and information
centers that receive EPA funds.  You could also list any other
government, academic, or ngo environmental clearinghouses that you
can come up with.

New users of search engines or indexes need the vocabulary to search
effectively, and that language is not well known outside professional
communities. Most users also are unaware of how much their search
language affects their results. (As more and more people become
web users, this may decline as a problem -- IF people learn to use
search engines on-line.)

Development of a "street" vocabulary to ease this access problem
should build on keywords already in use by EPA libraries in
cataloguing material.  This would allow EPA to pursue integrating
the website metadata into the EPA Online Library System so you
could search in one place and get your answer whether it is on the
web or in a library.  This isn't difficult: metadata really is just
a form of bibliographic record and the capability is in most mid
to high end integrated library system software off the shelf systems.
It may or may not mean a software upgrade for the library system,
but the tech folks should be alright with this, because some of
the best  off the shelfs have industry standard back-ends (such as
Oracle).  Note that Z39.50 compliance is also in these software
packages.

Fully fund a pilot program in an EPA region that creates a network
of Federal, State, and Academic Environmental Libraries.  This
network should initiate resource sharing by making member catalogs,
Interlibrary Loan Services, and Reference Services available to
each other and for public and school libraries.

Continue it current efforts to improve information services, but
ensure that these are coordinated and listed in one place on the
EPA web site.

The new EPA Office of Environmental Information should develop
policies regarding information services related to EPA funded
activities.  This office should develop guidance to implement the
information services and outreach elements that were supposed to
be part of the Performance Partnership Grants.


And finally, one last comment on making data available through the
web:

Don't just make data available - make the data access interactive.
Set up the ability for users to set preferences that customize the
data access to meet individual needs, such as chosing from a menu
of facilities based on area, pollutant or chemical, business sector
or SIC code, or by name, available data, etc...  Provide the option
of signing up for e-mail based on their preferences, so when data
is updated, they are notified.