Chairmen Dingell, Gordon, Waxman and Oberstar write EPA Administrator Johnson in regard to the library system at the EPA

We are writing to request an updated on your management of the library system at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In particular, we are interested in understanding how the Agency is complying with your commitment not to close any additional EPA libraries and not to dispose of any additional EPA materials….

+ Read full text of letter (PDF; 144 KB), which requests specific information about EPA libraries’ status and requests a reply “no later than May 4, 2007.”
+ Read ALA press release about the letter.

Some of you might remember the Television Archive’s collection of TV coverage of the events of September 11, 2001. The archive went live in October, 2001 and was available until 2003.

Recently, the video archive became available again at: http://www.archive.org/details/sept_11_tv_archive

The Internet Archive brings back this historically significant collection presenting news coverage from six networks for the first three days following the first attack. It is made available for non-commercial research purposes only

The content runs from September 11, 2001-September 13, 2001. Material comes from:
+ ABC
+ BBC
+ CBS
+ CNN
+ NBC
Additional material will be uploaded soon.

Source: The Internet Archive

Googling state government document (via News.com)
Quick Notes:
A) USASearch.gov
Contains both federal and state documents. Dynamic clustering by topic, source, direct links to FAQ’s, specialty databases, etc. Example search.
B) The database is also available in Spanish.
C) Archive-IT from The Internet Archive is archiving documents from several state governments and other organizations. Over 270 collections as of today.
D) Ask.com* offers linked filled guides to various state and city info sources including the National Center for Educations database, chamber of commerce info and city home page. Examples:
Pittsburgh, PA ||| Pennsylvania

* Gary is Director of Online Info Resources at Ask.com

+ Google Earth moves a village to Argentina (via News.com)
It’s all about choices and the right tool at the right time. If interested, NASA’s World Wind digital globe is worthy of attention. For the U.S. take a look at SkylineGlobe.

+ Fast Search & Transfer offers search and marketing bundle
FastMedia software is designed to boost advertising dollars at media Web sites.

+ Reuters Acquires Text Analytics Company ClearForest, Will Power Reuters Search Backbone
From the news release:

Reuters believes that search will be a pivotal element to the future of how financial information is sourced and consumed. As part of its drive into this space, it has created a new strategic group within Reuters and appointed former head of search for AOL, Gerry Campbell, who will oversee the integration of ClearForest and drive this innovation.

Danny Sullivan has more about the acquisition.

+ New York Public Library Acquires Gay Rights Archive (via AL)

More to Do With Your Wireless Device or Phone: Paying by mobile, that’ll do nicely

Not satisfied with replacing your landline, MP3 player, camera and alarm clock, mobile phone manufacturers have now set their sights on supplanting your wallet. Their new generation of phones will link to your credit or debit account as part of a joint initiative with phone operators, banks and credit card companies. They predict this one-swipe payment technology will potentially replace cards and cash and make it possible to go shopping armed only with a mobile phone.

A “pay-by-mobile” system already operates in Japan, where it is nicknamed “o-saifu keitai” (mobile wallet), and trials are under way in the United States, France and Sweden.

Source: Sunday Times (UK)
Thanks to Pete Weiss for the news tip.

See Also: In Partnership with go2, MasterCard Offering New Mobile Info Service (ATM Locations, Merchants Special Offers, etc.)

See Also: Insert Card, Press Keys, Get Money: Find ATMs Around the Globe via Four Locator Databases

See Also: New Bar Codes Can Talk With Your Cellphone

+ Japan: Telecommunications Market
4 pages; Word Document.
The telecom equipment market in Japan has leveled off from 2004 to 2006. Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) indicated that (as of December 2006) there are 30 million broadband users in Japan. The broadband users include users of DSL, CATV, FTTH (Fiber To The Home), FWA and public Wireless LAN. This widespread accessibility of broadband continues to facilitate the use of other applications such as Voice/Video over IP and video-on-demand.

+ The German Market for Native American Products
Word document.

+ Pharmaceuticals in Germany
11 pages; PDF.

+ Venture Capital in the EU
6 pages; PDF.

+ Publishing Sector in the Czech Republic
5 pages; PDF.

+ Airport & Aerospace/Maritime & Port/High Threat Targets in Jordan

+ Search for More Reports and Country Commercial Guides

Source: U.S. Commercial Service

Financial Aid Glossary

Dear Student,
Unfortunately, financial aid has become so complicated that it has developed a secret language of its own. Use this dictionary to translate the jargon, acronyms and buzzwords into plain English.

Source: FinancialAidLetter.com

Posted 29 April 2007 on DocuTicker:
+ Education Under Attack (UNESCO)
+ Death penalty on the decline (Amnesty International)
+ Hispanic Attitudes Toward Jews (American Jewish Committee)

Looking for a Link: Comparing Faculty Citations Pre and Post Big Deals
by Donald Taylor (2007)

Abstract: Big Deals expand an institution?s access to scholarly literature, with usage statistics showing that previously unavailable journals receive significant usage. To determine if faculty use these new e-journals in their research, the Simon Fraser University (SFU) Library analyzed SFU citation data to journals from selected Big Deals for two years prior to signing a major Big Deal (1993 and 1998) and for two consecutive years following the Big Deal (2004 and 2005). Pre Big Deal, the percentage of citations to journals that are part of Big Deals but were previously not subscribed to was an average of 2.6%. Post Big Deal this increased to an average of 6.1%.

Source: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship 8(1) (via E-LIS)

The Fully Networked Car
Will automobiles of the future include buttons to access virtual reference services, library databases, etc.?

The number of cars continues to rise around the globe. In 2006 alone, some 46 million passenger vehicles were produced worldwide, according to OICA (Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d’Automobiles), which comprises national associations of manufacturers. These cars need to share roads and resources efficiently. The environment needs to be protected, traffic flows controlled and people kept safe. And increasingly, drivers expect to keep in touch with the outside world when travelling.

Part of the answer to these issues will come from advances in information and communication technologies (ICT). To examine how cars and ICT are converging, a workshop was held in March by World Standards Cooperation — which brings together ITU, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

See Also: Papers Presented at the Conference

Source: ITU News

See Also: Traffic.com Offers Real Time Traffic Info Delivered via E-mail, SMS, RSS, and Voice
For example in the U.S., dial 1-866 MY-TRAFC for real time, personalized info.

See Also: See the Roadways with Trafficland
This service (one of many) aggregates traffic cams for cities in the U.S., Canada, UK, New Zealand, and Denmark.

Privacy: New, Enhanced Web Site: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services: Office for Civil Rights - HIPAA: Compliance and Enforcement

The Privacy Rule requires health plans, most health care providers and health care clearinghouses to comply with its standards. The rule is enforced by the Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Enforcement of the Privacy Rule began April 14, 2003. Over the last four years, HHS enforcement has obtained significant change that has improved the privacy practices of covered entities through its enforcement program. As discussed in the announcement, corrective actions obtained by HHS from these entities have resulted in change that is systemic and affects all the individuals they serve.

See Also: Health Info Privacy Fact Sheets

See Also: HHS Joins International Partners to Promote Electronic Health Records Standards
Source: Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

+ A name server transfer alerts us to SharePedia.com. A “social 2.0 site” in Spanish and Portuguese for sharing MS tech info.

+ Discoverhotmail.com (.net)
Registered on April 26, 2007
Currently redirects to Windows Live Messenger overview page.

+ Silverlightstreaming.net, .org
Registered on April 23, 2007 and April 26, 2007.

+ xbox360missions.com, .net, .org
Registered on April 26, 2007.

+ Migrerversvisualstudio.com (.net)
Redirects to MS home page. Registered on April 26, 2007

Posted 28 April 2007 on DocuTicker:
+ The Broadband Fact Book (Internet Innovation Alliance)
+ Fact Sheet: Providing Continued Assistance For Gulf Coast Hurricane Victims (FEMA)
+ The Utilization of Women-Owned Small Businesses in Federal Contracting (RAND Corporation)

Two recent releases from Footnote. Both free and fee-based content available. Footnote is working closely with the National Archives (NARA).

++ Footnote begins releasing Project Blue Book for free as worldwide interest in UFOs increases

If you’re interested in examining the evidence for UFOs, you can now access for free the Project Blue Book report documents compiled by the US Air Force from 1947 to 1969. A little more than half of the 130,000 documents are available now but we’re hard at work to bring the complete NARA collection to the web for the first time.

++ Footnote.com Releases Original Lincoln Assassination Trial Papers
Footnote.com has released its new collection, The Investigation and Trial Papers Relating to the Assassination of President Lincoln. Available for the first time on the Web, these original records provide a unique view into one of the last major events in the American Civil War…To view free samples of the trial papers, visit www.footnote.com/lincoln.php. Footnote members can sign-in and examine the entire collection. To become a member, register on the Footnote site, www.footnote.com.

Digital Libraries in the Developing World with Teresa Hackett
The webcast is set for April 30, 2007 at 12:30PM EDST, 16.30 GMT. From the Berkman Description:

The role and mission of libraries is to collect, organize, preserve and make available the world’s cultural and scientific heritage for current and future generations. Publicly funded libraries operating for the public benefit support access to knowledge, as well as education and training, critical to developing nations whose human resource is central to their advancement. Digital technologies are transforming the way that libraries work. What new opportunities are being created? What challenges do we face and how is eIFL.net addressing them?

Teresa Hackett runs eIFL-IP “Advocacy for Access to Knowledge: copyright & libraries”, a programme to raise awareness in copyright issues for libraries in 50 developing and transition countries.

Webcast viewers can join the discussion through IRC text chat or in the virtual world Second Life. If you miss the live chat, catch the podcast audio & video at MediaBerkman. RSVP to rsvp at cyber.law.harvard.edu.

Source: Berkman Center for Internet & Society, Harvard Law School

Canadian Association of Research Libraries E-Lert #225
A roundup of library and library-related news from a variety of sources.

Source: Canadian Association of Research Libraries