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June 29, 2007

EPA Library Closings--Update

After considerable pressure by librarians, researchers and the public,
Congress has ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to
restore its library network. In the fiscal year (FY) 2008 Interior
Appropriations bill, the Senate Appropriations Committee orders EPA to
reopen the closed libraries. Last year, EPA closed its Headquarters
Library in Washington, DC, to visitors and walk-in patrons. EPA also
closed several regional libraries, the toxics and pesticides library and
the Ft. Meade Environmental Science Center Library.

The language reads

"$2,000,000 shall be used to restore the network of EPA libraries
recently closed or consolidated by the administration. While the
Committee approves of efforts to make environmental data collections
available electronically, the Committee does not agree to further
library closures or consolidations without evidence of how the public
would be served by these changes. Therefore, the Committee expects the
EPA to restore publicly available library facilities in each region. EPA
is directed to submit a plan on how it will use this funding increase to
reopen facilities and maintain a robust collection of environmental data
and resources in each region by December 31, 2007."

The bill is now headed to the full Senate for consideration. The
House-passed FY 2008 Interior Appropriations bill doesn't contain the
EPA library language.

Posted by Donna Braquet at June 29, 2007 05:51 PM