This page is for news and publications hot off the press.

In case you haven’t seen the following on the GovDoc-L listserv or on the Free Government Information blog, Daniel Cornwall posted a new, exciting project:

The ALA GODORT 50-State Agency Databases Registry, which I coordinate, has launched a new set of subject-focused database collections under the heading of history:

* Biographical Databases – Databases that provide biographical sketches of authors, state officials, famous state residents, etc.
http://wikis.ala.org/godort/index.php/Biographical_Databases

* Historical Media Databases – Databases that provide online access to photographs, video, or audio.
http://wikis.ala.org/godort/index.php/Historical_Media_Databases

* Historical Newspaper and Magazine Indexes – Databases that index articles in older newspapers, journals and magazine that contain historical information. These databases will usually lead one to microfilmed items that may be obtainable through Interlibrary Loan.
http://wikis.ala.org/godort/index.php/Historical_Newspaper_and_Magazine

* Museum Collection Databases – Catalogs of state museum holdings which often have historical notes. Museums listed here are either run by a state or by one of the state’s political subdivisions http://wikis.ala.org/godort/index.php/Museum_Collection_Databases

* Official Records Databases – vital records, (birth, death, etc), war pensions, etc.
http://wikis.ala.org/godort/index.php/Official_Records_Databases

These pages just launched, so they are a little light on content. The Registry volunteers will be adding to these pages in the next few weeks.

If you are registered with the ALA GODORT wiki and would like to help the effort along, please browse the state pages or search for words from the historical categories and copy and paste databases from the state pages to the appropriate subject page.

If you would like to help and have questions about what to do or want more information, feel free to post questions here.

E-Government Citizen Satisfaction Declines for Third Straight Quarter (PDF: 17 KB)
Source: American Customer Satisfaction Index

Citizen satisfaction with e-government slips for a third straight quarter, according to the fourth quarter report of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) E-Government Satisfaction Index. The cross- departmental measure of over 100 federal websites fell 0.5 percent to 72.9 on the ACSI’s 100-point scale, the Index’s lowest score since the second quarter of 2005.
…
With the decline in satisfaction, e-government is losing ground to its private sector counterparts. E-business scored 75.2 in its annual ACSI measure in the second quarter (down 1.7 percent over last year), and e-commerce scored 80 (up 0.5 percent) in the fourth quarter report.

The good news is that despite declining scores for e-government, satisfaction with federal online services still outperforms satisfaction with the overall federal government by a considerable margin. E-government scored 8 percent higher than overall federal government, which scored 67.8 on the ACSI’s annual study of federal government satisfaction released today. The latest ACSI data supports the importance of the web in delivering a satisfying interaction with the government: the subset of citizens who used the web as part of their interaction with the government has a satisfaction score of 73.4.

+ E-Gov Scores (xls; 33 KB)

DocuTicker / Thu, 20 Dec 2007 02:48:43 GMT

CDT and OMB Watch Release Report on Searchability of Government Information (PDF; 44 KB)
Source: Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) and OMB Watch

Vital government information appears “invisible” to millions of Americans who are combing the Internet and looking for answers via the most popular search engines, according to a report released today by the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) and OMB Watch.

The report, “Hiding in Plain Sight: Why Important Government Information Cannot Be Found through Commercial Search Engines,” highlights the shortcomings some federal agencies exhibit when trying to comply with the mandates of the E-Government Act of 2002, a landmark law that promotes access to government information and services.
…
While the report points to critical gaps in online access to government information, it makes no judgment call as to the reason this information is inaccessible, other than to expose a simple technological roadblock as the culprit; an equally simple technological fix is also noted in the report.

+ Hiding in Plain Sight: Why Important Government Information Cannot Be Found through Commercial Search Engines (PDF; 5.4 MB)

EPA proposes fines against Anchorage Alaska Developer for Clean Water
Act Violations

(Anchorage, Alaska – Dec. 18, 2007) The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) has commenced an administrative penalty
action against Anthony Lerma for violations of the federal Clean
Water Act (CWA). The violations occurred at Lerma’s construction site
located at 5151 Lake Otis and East 52nd Avenue in Anchorage, Alaska.
Under the CWA, EPA may assess administrative civil penalties within a
range up to $157,500.

EPA alleges that Lerma violated the National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System (NPDES), Storm Water Construction General Permit
(CGP). CGP authorization is required for discharges of storm water
from any construction site with at least one acre of disturbed land.
Violations included:

· failure to prepare and implement an adequate Storm Water
Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP);
· failure to have adequate storm water control measures;
· failure to conduct inspections; and
· failure to properly implement stabilization measures.

“Storm water runoff from construction sites can significantly harm
water quality,” said Marcia Combes, Alaska Operations Office Director
for EPA. “Managing storm water responsibly at construction sites
should be a key part of every developer’s site plan.”

The receiving water for the storm water discharges from the Site is
Campbell Creek. Campbell Creek is a tributary of Campbell Lake.
Campbell Creek and Campbell Lake are “navigable waters” and are
waters of the United States.

The NPDES permit program, established under the CWA, controls water
pollution by regulating sources that discharge pollutants to waters
in the United States.

For more about EPA’s storm water discharge permitting program, visit:
http://cfpub1.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=6

American Indians and Alaska Natives have the third highest rate of HIV/AIDS diagnosis in the United States, according to a new Indian Health Service report. They are also more likely than individuals with HIV/AIDS from other racial and ethnic groups to receive treatment at later stages of the disease and have shorter life spans. The Indian Health Service (IHS), located within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), provides health care services, including HIV/AIDS treatment, …

GAO Reports / Thu, 13 Dec 2007 23:00:00 GMT

What are you doing Spring Break? Federal Depository Library Council Meeting, Spring 2008–from GPO: “The Federal Depository Library Council Meeting will be held at the Westin Crown Center Hotel in Kansas City, MO, from Monday, March 31 to Wednesday, April 2. The meeting will begin on Monday with registration at 8:00 a.m. and wrap up Wednesday, April 2 at 5:00 p.m. An educational track will be run in conjunction with the council sessions to provide an opportunity for peer sessions on topics of interest to the depository community. ..For additional event information, including links for the educational programs proposal form and vendor information, go to the FDLP Desktop at <http://www.fdlp.gov/events/spring08dlc.html.”

Coming soon, or check the FDLP Desktop if you want to know immediately: 

Get Your FDLP Account: New Registration Process

Want More Access to National Technical and Science Reports? NTIS Expanding DARTS

Not just in, but close enough: What’s Your Handle?

Comments Sought: Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program Draft Procedures

Contacts: (Media only) Dale Kemery, (202) 564-4355 / kemery.dale@epa.gov
(Other inquries) William (Bill) Wooge, (202) 564-8476 / wooge.william@epa.gov

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is calling for comments about draft policies and procedures for the initial screening of pesticide chemicals under the agency’s Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP). The comments should focus on the specific policies and related procedures that EPA will follow to impose data requirements, minimize duplicate testing, promote equitable cost-sharing, and protect confidential business information.

The EDSP was established in response to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which requires EPA to develop a screening program to identify pesticide chemicals that may have effects on the endocrine system. This provision was enacted in response to growing scientific evidence that humans, domestic animals, and fish and wildlife species have exhibited adverse health consequences from exposure to environmental chemicals that interact with their endocrine systems.

EPA will require the use of validated assays to screen pesticides, commercial chemicals, and environmental contaminants in relation to estrogen, androgen, and thyroid hormones.

EPA will also be holding a public meeting to discuss the draft policies and procedures on Monday, Dec. 17, 2007 at its Crystal City facility in Arlington, Va.

For more information: http://www.epa.gov/scipoly/oscpendo/pubs/regaspects/index.htm

Hi all, I want to alert you to a site that pulls together information that I think we all may find useful and interesting for our patrons. The message below is the email I received today through the site’s subscription service.

There are reports on privacy and public access, criminal victimization, Attorney General firings, a Homeland Security Achievements fact sheet, and Military Base closures information. The site as a whole has consistently good legal, government and technical information. If you know of a similiar site, I would be interested in knowing about it.

Thanks!

Anastasia

For a report on the United Nations Law of the Sea convention, link here.

For in-depth publications, link here.

What is your depository’s preservation plan? What formats do you store and what are the options for those formats? Our blog’s newly created Digital Preservation page has potential to be a very useful resource for sharing resources and strategies among Alaska depositories. I have posted a few resources and have pointed out some of the features I find useful in understanding formats and options and for formulating a plan. In the interest of preserving knowledge for future generations, we need to get this discussion going.