RE: EMPACT: Libraries involvement lacking (Reply to: Effectiveness of the New EPA Office of Environmental Information

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

Fred,

Can't we have another week of discussion?  Actually, my staff would do away with me if I was unavailable much longer.

This is a great point, I am really enjoying your postings - they are packed with good information and recommendations.  It may be that a few visible projects need to happen so libraries are comfortable that they can compete for the funds.  I know of a few public librarians and school librarians that are hesitant to spend any time on a grant application for a program they aren't familiar with.  They aren't sure they stand a chance to get the money, and grant applications are not a part of the job they enjoy.  To effectively target grants to public libraries, we probably need to market the programs and availability more directly by involving key parts of the IMLS grant programs dissemination route - State Library Commissions and Regional Library Systems.  This is in addition to listserv postings and pro-active marketing to high visibility libraries.

I think another issue involved is that many communities do not see public libraries as a resource for local government.  There is a disconnect between these local governments and their public libraries.  It is my view that a public library should play a much more critical role supporting the local government with specialized information services, much like special libraries do for their clients.  Also, local government should use the public library as a means of making information available (which is often a requirement in local charters and/or bylaws anyway).  This is probably a much broader issue than this dialogue can or should handle.