Government Information Round Table (GIRT)
The Best of Eagle PressNewsletter of the WLA Government Information Round Table August 2004From the ChairBy Michael WatkinsAs I write this, we are in the midst of the summer, and for academic librarians this is the time of tying up loose ends and preparing for the forthcoming semester. It is a time of renewal and rejuvenation. It is also a quiet time for government information librarians, when many of the tasks such as weeding and filing of maps are undertaken as there are not as many distractions (in an academic library) during this time of the year. This is also a time for planning and in particular "strategic planning" of and for the Government Information Roundtable (GIRT). At the GIRT business meeting on June 4, I outlined an initiative that I would like to see undertaken as an overall GIRT strategic planning initiative: development of a list of "Information Competencies" for government information librarians working in the state of Wisconsin. A few years back the Wisconsin Association of Academic Librarians (WAAL) developed a list of "Information Literacy Competencies" that students in academic libraries should possess. I think this is an excellent model to follow. Surprisingly, this summer's edition of Documents to the People has an article entitled "Information Literacy for Government Documents (pt. 1)." ALA's Government Documents Round Table (GODORT) also has a list of e-competencies which relate almost entirely to technical issues related to computer access to government information. GODORT's list can be accessed at: http://www.library.ucsb.edu/ala/gitco/ecomp1.html. The first question that government information specialists might ask themselves is "Why do government information librarians need to have information competencies outlined for them?" My answer is that much of what government information specialists have learned in relation to the information they help others access is learned through on-the-job training. I think that, due to the nature of government information, this will always be true to some extent. Some government information librarians have had the opportunity to take a government information course as part of the curriculum at their library school. Many government information librarians working with federal documents also have had the opportunity to participate in GPO's annual "Interagency Depository Seminar." None of the training offered is all-inclusive. In addition, with the transition to the all-electronic federal document program, it is difficult for one person to be aware of and master many of the more important agency web sites and databases. Developing expertise with the myriad of government information resources available in all formats can be a daunting task. So too is providing effective user guides and handouts for those resources. There are also government information competencies specific to Wisconsin government information that should be identified. By developing a list of information competencies, new government information librarians can more quickly develop the skills and knowledge to be effective in helping patrons access government information. We would also be developing standards that would provide benchmarks for government information librarians to serve as guidelines for self-assessment. By establishing the competencies, user guides and handouts can be created to assist those who are new to this field. A network can be established in the state of Wisconsin such as the GODORT Handout Exchange, where handouts and user guides can be shared and exchanged. In order to facilitate the development of this competencies list, I will be working over the next several weeks to develop a survey to be sent out to all state government information librarians to determine what information competencies Wisconsin librarians think that government information specialists should possess. I'll make this a directed survey using my knowledge of government documents to develop effective questions to ascertain what the consensus is among state librarians. I'll work with the GIRT Planning Committee and the GIRT Board to get feedback and suggestions on the development of the survey. I would like to thank everyone who attended Government Information Day at UW-Madison's Memorial Library on June 4. In particular I would like to thank the members of the GIRT Board who made the conference possible. The conference Clearing the Haze from the Statistical Maze had 38 registrants. Programs on census and statistical information were presented by Bob Naylor from the Demographic Services Center of the Department of Administration, James Beaudoin from the UW Extension, and Peter Cupery from UW-Madison CIMC. In the afternoon Heidi Yelk from the Wisconsin State Law Library presented a program titled "Essential Legal Resources for Your Library." The programs were well-received by the participants and attendees were able to enjoy a glorious spring day during the lunch break. I am looking forward to the rest of my tenure as Chair of the Government Information Roundtable. GIRT is sponsoring and co-sponsoring programs at the WLA, WAPL, and WAAL conferences. We are again sponsoring the "Library Legislative Day" scholarship at the beginning of next winter. In September elections for the various Divisions, Sections, and Roundtables of WLA will be held. I am sure that as a result of the elections, the new GIRT leadership will provide the direction and continuity that has provided this unit with the energy and impetus it has had in the past.
Where's ERIC Headed?Find out at the WLA Conference!Most government information librarians are familiar with the ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center). The ERIC program, which has been around since 1966, gathers important research documents and information related to educational topics through a clearinghouse program. The documents are made available by the federal government to the public as microfiche documents (and more recently online PDF documents) which are purchased by many educational institutions on a subscription basis. There are tremendous changes occurring with this familiar program and indeed with the nation's educational programs and agencies. The ERIC clearinghouse system, which had been responsible for gathering the resources provided by ERIC, has been dismantled. During the last couple of years several scenarios about the status of the ERIC program have been released through official and unofficial channels. It is difficult to follow exactly what is happening, but in the latest disclosure it was announced that July 2004 was the last month that the ERIC documents on microfiche would be released. It has also been announced that documents released under the new administration of this program will be provided online free of charge in the near future. What has brought about the demise of the ERIC clearinghouses? What is the future of ERIC? What is the future of the federal government's education programs? Have all of these changes been the result of just one presidential administration? In response to the interest that has been aroused by the wholesale changes that have taken place, the Government Information Roundtable (GIRT) is co-sponsoring a program that will be given by Jo Ann Carr, director of the UW-Madison's Center for Instructional Materials and Computing. The tentative title of the program is ERIC, ENC, NLE - What Works Now?: The changing face of education information. By the time the program is held during the WLA Conference, the status of the ERIC program should be clearer. In addition, information will be provided on how other federal government education agencies are being affected by the policies of the current administration. It's a must-see program for those of us who have worked with ERIC and are interested in what the future holds for government education programs.
WLA Conference '04: Choices Galore!The theme for this year's WLA Conference on November 2-5 in Lake Geneva is "Your Library, Your Choice." With GIRT sponsoring programs on three of the four days of the conference, our members definitely have a choice as to what they will attend! This year we are pleased to sponsor programs that will appeal to a variety of librarians and be relevant to government documents librarians too. Penny Boyle, a librarian with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Library in the Region V office in Chicago, is the presenter for Information to Protect the Environment: EPA Web and Library Resources on Friday, November 5, from 8:45 to 10 a.m. We first contacted Boyle over a year ago when GIRT was planning the 2003 Government Information Day conference on water resources. She was unable to be a presenter at that event, but she readily agreed to present a program at this fall's WLA conference. Not only will she share with us excellent tips on how to navigate the EPA web site and locate essential EPA publications, but Boyle plans to describe her experience as a solo librarian and how the 22 research libraries in the EPA Library Network work together to support the EPA. Also included in her presentation will be a discussion of the EPA Library Network's recommended Core List for an Environmental Reference Collection. The second program that GIRT is sponsoring at the WLA conference is ERIC, ENC, NLE - What Works Now?: The Changing Face of Education Information presented by Jo Ann Carr, director of the UW-Madison's Center for Instructional Materials and Computing library, on Wednesday, November 3, from 10:45-noon. (See article on page 5 for more on this program.) The third program that GIRT is sponsoring is Redheaded Schoolmarm and Associates: Early Wisconsin Teachers Speak, presented by Cathy Palmini, documents librarian at UW-Stevens Point, on Thursday, November 4, from 8:45 to 10 a.m. Palmini will present excerpts from letters and diaries, and photographs held at the Wisconsin Historical Society Archives to portray the experiences of teachers and the condition of public education in 19th and early 20th century Wisconsin. Don't forget the GIRT Business Meeting on Thursday, November 4, from 2 to 3:15 p.m. GIRT has big plans for the coming year and this is your opportunity to get involved. We will be discussing plans to create a list of "government information competencies" that could be used as a foundation for establishing professional standards and to educate librarians new to government documents librarianship. We will also be creating a committee to establish criteria with which to evaluate web sites for GIRT's Distinguished Document Award.
|
 
|