United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
agement
(PM-211D)
Information
Management
and Services
V>EPA EPA LIBRARY NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS
INF
.Issue 1-January 1991
mimKmiiiiiiiS^iiSm
Welcome to the 1991 EPA IMSD Conference
Welcome to the EPA Information
Management and Services Conference
in Cincinnati, Ohio! The theme of this
year's conference is Federal Informa-
tion Access, whichcomplementsEPA's
goal to improve public access to envi-
ronmental information. Conference
sessions will discuss the role of the
Federal government in information
transfer, incorporating a variety of is-
sues such as interagency information
access, public access to information.
and technology for information shar-
ing.
Theagenda features speakers from
EPA, other Federal agencies, and in-
formation professionals from the pri-
vate sector. Several of the EPA librar-
ians are also participating as speakers,
panelists, or moderators in a variety of
sessions. Naturally, the focus of all the
sessions is environmental information.
INFOACCESS—An Information-sharing
Tool for the Library Network
This is the first issue of
INFOACCESS, a new bimonthly
publication for EPA information re-
sources management professionals. It
has been created to encourage and
develop the exchange of information
and experience on all matters relevant
to the EPA Library Network.
This publication is intended to
function as an outreach mechanism
which will support and facilitate ex-
panded communications among the
The conference is a key communi-
cation mechanism for the EPA infor-
mation management community. It is
an event which facilitates networking
and the sharing of information among
the participants. It provides a unique
opportunity to make personal and
professional contacts, since many of
the attendees are located at remote
sites.
The conference is also a place to
share problems, ideas, and triumphs.
If one librarian has achieved some-
continued on page 5
members of the EPA Library Network
and throughout the EPA information
management community.
INFOACCESS will provide a fo-
rum for the discussion and analysis of
continued on page 2
1991 EPA IMSD Conference pg. 1
INFOACCESS pg.l
Using E-mail Effectively pg. 2
William Henderson Interview pg. 3
Center for Environmental Research Information ....pg. 3
Meeting Highlights pg. 4
Technical Information Center pg. 5
AWBERC pg.6
New Faces at the Conference pg. 7
Directory of EPA Librarians pg. 8
-------
INFOACCESS/rom
page I
significant library and information is-
sues. Readers are invited to share their
professional experiences, ideas, and
concerns with their colleagues through
INFOACCESS. As R. Rajagopal states
in the premiere issue of the publica-
tion Environmental Professional:
"We can realize our central pur-
pose only through the active partici-
pation of our readers."
These are the primary goals of our
publication:
^Facilitate communication
among members of the EPA Li-
brary Network.
A Inform readers of information-
One of the best communication
tools available to the Network, aside
from the telephone, is electronic mail.
Most of the librarians have access to
E-mail either in the library or in an
adjacent office. In addition to one-
to-one communication, it is also
possible to send messages to a clus-
ter of boxes, for example, to the en-
tire Library Network.
These two clusters can be used
to send the same message to mul-
tiple people.
Use ALL.LIBRARIES to send a
message to the entire Network, in-
cluding all Regional and Labora-
tory libraries.
Use REG.LIBRARIES to send
messages to the libraries in Regions
1 through 10.
Remember that not all librar-
ians have their own E-mail boxes.
Be sure to use the heading ATTN:
EPA LIBRARIANS when sending
messages.
For a full listing of all Network
Librarians, see page 8.4
—Mary Hoffman
INFOACCESS is produced
by the Information Access
Branch of the Information
Management and Services
Division, Washington, DC
Staff
Mary Hoffman
Meg Schwind
Please send your comments
and suggestions to:
Mary Hoffman
Network Coordinator
Headquarters Library,
PM211A
US EPA
401M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
FTS 382-5930 //// BPA30360
related news and activities around
the Network.
A Engage library managers and
other information professionals
who are interested in information
access and technology issues.
A Provide technical information
and assistance to the readers.
A Create paths for effective infor-
mation snaring throughout the
EPA information resources man-
agement community.
A Foster pride and enthusiasm
for our role in supporting the
Agency's mission.
The EPA Library Network de-
pends on effective communication
between and among its members. The
Information Exchange, which was ed-
ited by Dick Fandel until the Spring of
1990, helped establish lines of com-
munication throughout the network.
INFOACCESS will build on that base
and expand the communications links
to the boundaries of the EPA informa-
tion resources management commu-
nity.
It is appropriate that the inaugu-
ral issue of INFOACCESS focuses on
Network communications, with fea-
tures on the Information Management
and Services Division Conference,
electronic mail, information sharing,
and information transfer.
INFOACCESS Editor
The editor of INFOACCESS is
Mary Hoffman, the Network Coordi-
nator. The Network Coordinator posi-
tion will work to facilitate more effec-
tive communication within the EPA
Library and Records Networks. She
will work with the Networks to coor-
dinate communication to the library
and record center sites; to strengthen
both networks; to develop a strong
interactive network among the record
centers; and to facilitate information
sharing among the members of both
continued on page 6
INFOACCESS
JANUARY 1991
-------
EPA's Center for Environmen-
tal Research Information (CERI), lo-
cated in Cincinnati, Ohio, at the A.W.
Breidenbach Environmental Re-
search Center (AWBERC), is a key
source of environmental informa-
tion. CERI is the focal point for the
exchange of scientific and technical
environmental information pro-
duced by EPA. It supports the ac-
tivities of EPA's Office of Research
and Development (ORD), its labora-
tories, and associated programs na-
tionwide.
CERI's technical information
components are responsible for the
production and distribution of scien-
tific and technical reports, and for re-
sponding to requests for publications.
CERI is an important referral source
for the Library Network in response to
requests from the public as well as
from other Federal agencies.
Information professionals can ob-
tain access to a computerized file of
EPAreports through theORD-Bulletin
Board System (BBS), which is main-
tained by CERI. [Contact Dennis
Lussier at 513-569-7354 for more in-
formation.] The ORD-BBS contains
bibliographic information for all EPA
reports produced since 1976. More
recent reports are available from
CERI, but the majority of the reports
can be obtained for a fee from the
National Technical Information Ser-
vice (NTIS), a unit of the Department
of Commerce, located in Springfield,
Virginia.*
—Mary Hoffman
An Interview with William Henderson on Information Sharing—An Issue for
Today and Tommorow
William Henderson, the Director
of the Office of Administration and
Resources Management at the Andrew
W. Breidenbach Environmental Re-
search Center in Cincinnati, has
worked with the Environmental Pro-
tection Agency for seven years. He
served as the Deputy Comptroller and
then as the Director of the Office of
Human Resources Management in
Washington before moving to his cur-
rent position in 1988. Mary Hoffman
conducted this interview with Mr.
Henderson by telephone for
INFOACCESS.
Q Mr. Henderson, what is the mis-
sion of the Office of Information
Resources Management (OIRM) in
Cincinnati?
A To provide good administrative
support to the Agency program of-
fice components at Cincinnati and
elsewhere in the Agency. The OIRM
supports components of the Office
of General Counsel, Office of Civil
Rights, Office of Research and De-
velopment, Office of Water and an
Emergency Response Team. In ad-
dition, the OIRM provides pro-
curement service for the Office of
Water in Washington and all EPA
Research Laboratories with the ex-
ception of Research Triangle Park.
The OIRM also provides architec-
tural and engineering services to
the Agency. •
Q What would you consider to be
the most significant achievements
of the Environmental Research
Center (ERC) during the last few
years?
A The first would be an increased
emphasisonhuman resource issues,
at all levels. The OIRM has estab-
lished a wellness center in Cincin-
nati for the employees, and has re-
cently broken ground fora day care
center at the same location. The
OIRM in Cincinnati has become the
secondary computingcenter for the
Agency. It is now the backup di-
saster computer center for EPA.
Third, there has been tremendous
growth in all areas of environmen-
tal research, especially new and ex-
citing fields, like pollution preven-
tion and ecological biomarker re-
search. Research is high on the list
of Agency priorities.
continued on page 4
JANUARY 1991
INFOACCESS
-------
A Each morning before ses-
sions begin, a continental
breakfast will be available for
conference attendees.
A The IRM Chiefs will join
the librarians for selected ses-
sions throughout the confer-
ence.
A On Tuesday evening, the
group will dine in the Taft
Room at the Westin. Dinner
will be served at 7:00 pm.
A Wednesday's lunch will
be catered in the AWBERC
Library by Petersen's, a local
restaurant known for its sal-
ads, sandwiches, and great
desserts.
A Plan to unwind after the
second day of sessions at a
hospitality reception from 6-
8 pm in the McKinley Room at
the Westin.
A AWBERC staff will pre-
pare a daily bulletin for con-
ference attendees on impor-
tant activities.
A Look for a display of pho-
tographs of the network li-
braries prepared by the
AWBERC staff.
William Henderson lnterview,/r0mW3
Q What do you see as the major
issues which need to be addressed
by the OIRM during the next five
years?
A People and facilities. Space is a
major concern, especially for the
research laboratories. The Agency
must ask itself how it can provide
space and appropriate laboratory
facilities to meet the growing needs
of the research staff. Recruiting is
the other major concern: How do
we recruit the best and brightest?
The issue of diversity is also ex-
tremely important. How will we
cope with an increasingly diverse
workforce?
Q Where do you find the informa-
tion you need to make decisions
and function as the director of
OIRM?
A I am in Washington about twice
a week, so I get a considerable
amount of information from
Headquarters. In Cincinnati I get
information from my counterparts
at other agencies, from newsletters,
and from the AWBERC Library and
information center. We have an
extremely good library system and
I can obtain anything! need through
the library. Jonda Byrd and the li-
brary staff can produce anything I
need almost instantaneously. The
system has a tremendous capacity
for information transfer, and has
been helpful. I also feel that it is
extremely important to look out-
side the Agency for additional in-
formation.
Q How is information shared at
theERC?
A The ERC staff are leaning more
toward the electronic transfer of in-
formation. I would not be surprised
if electronic methods of informa-
tion transfer replaced the use of
hardbound books at EPA during
the next 20 years. That is the chal-
lenge for the libraries and informa-
tion centers: To find out the research
and database needs of the Agency
for the next 5-10 years and deter-
mine how to provide information
to fulfill those needs. I also feel that
individual employees will usemore
technology outside of work during
the next 5-10 years.
Q What is your view of Federal
information sharing?
A This is an extremely important
issue that the Agency is beginning
to focus on. When talking to my
counterparts at other agencies, I re-
alize that there is a need for us to do
more. The Administrator is-inter-
ested in this topic and the Agency
recognizes the need for informa-
tion sharing. I would say that we
are headed in the right direction as
an Agency, but we have a long way
to go. The Agency needs to con-
tinue to share information, espe-
cially with agencies like the US.
Geological Survey, National
Oceanographic and Atmospheric
Administration, and the Fish and
Wildlife Service. It is important to
recognize that the need to share
information exists on all levels, from
the education of children to the
sharing of technical expertise be-
tween scientists. The information
should flow outward, from the
Federal agencies to the state and
local agencies, to the universities,
and outward from there>
—Mary Hoffman
INFOACCESS
JANUARY 1991
-------
IMSD Conference
', from page I
thing important, the members of the
network can also benefit from that
achievement. If a significant problem
has been solved by one member, the
sharing of it greatly enhances its im-
portance.
Conference sessions are designed
to stimulate discussion among the
participants—not only during the ses-
sions themselves but after the day's
events have ended and, ideally, after
the attendees have returned to their
libraries and information centers. The
conference planners hope to create an
atmosphere where attendees can es-
tablish a rapport which will link them
together and open lines of communi-
cation to bind the Network into a
cohesive unit.*
—Mary Hoffman
The Technical Information Unit
(TIU) was established in 1986 by the
Environmental Criteria and Assess-
ment Office (ECAO). TIU's mission
is to provide technical support within
the discipline of the information sci-
ences to ECAO staff. The TIU is re-
sponsible for acquiring, processing,
and maintaining a collection of
documents, references, and court file
materials relating to the risk assess-
ment of environmental pollutants in
human health. The files maintained
by the TIU are used as the basis for
established and pending EPA regu-
lations. In addition, the TIU provides
other special services and overseas
special projects for the ECAO staff.
The TIU's collection includes
over 900 ECAO reports and docu-
ments, and over 50,000 references
used in ECAO's development of
those reports and documents.
A significant portion of the col-
lection consists of the background
and documentation used to support
the Integrated Risk Information Sys-
tem (IRIS) database, which was de-
veloped and is maintained by ECAO.
There are currently over 900 chemi-
cal-specific IRIS hardcopy files.
Other special collections main-
tained by the TIU staff include ECAO's
Selected Risk Assessment Publications
and Methodology Collections (articles
written by ECAO staff and the sup-
porting references); ECAO's slide li-
brary; the Core Collection of com-
monly cited references; and over 300
National Toxicology Program (NTP)
bioassays.
In addition to maintaining the
documents and special collections, the
TIU provides the following services
for ECAO staff:
A Retrieval and circulation
services, including interlibrary
loan.
A Online database searches on
TOXLINE, TOXLIT, MEDLINE,
HSDB, and DIALOG databases.
A Customized current aware-
ness related to ECAO research
needs.
A Assistance with some of
ECAO's graphic needs using the
Macintosh Desktop Publishing
System.
The TIU generally does not re-
spond to requests from outside ECAO,
but it does distribute copies of
ECAO's MIXTOX database—which
contains summary information of
toxicological interactions—and the
Selected Risk Assessment Publica-
tions and Methodology Collections.
Reference citations to ECAO
documents are indexed on REFEREE
for timely, efficient subject-specific
retrieval. The TIU provides records
maintenance service for ECAO, in-
cluding the maintenance of special
storage for court files, with an index
maintained in dBase. The contents of
the IRIS hardcopy files are indexed
in a dBase file in both a comprehen-
sive, all-inclusive database and a
quick-reference listing.
TheTIU serves ECAOon a direct
and specialized basis. It has become
a customized source of information
for ECAO to use in its mission of
preparing human health-based risk
assessment documents, risk assess-
ment methods, and the development
of research initiatives.*
—Sue Arentsen
JANUARY 1991
INFOACCESS
-------
INFOACCESS
', from page 2
networks. The Coordinator also hopes
to enhance the information and com-
puter literacy of the Network mem-
bers by sharing the services and prod-
ucts developed by Network.
Future Issues
Future issues of INFOACCESS
will be topic-oriented. This issue fo-
cuses on the Information Management
and Services Division Conference and
information resources at the A.W.
fcreidenbach Environmental Research
Center in Cincinnati. Some possible
themes for future issues are Interna-
tional Environmental Information,
^ublic Access to Information, Special
Collections, Space Planning and De-
-'jn, New Information Technology,
and CD-ROMs.
Also planned are features on vari-
ous aspects of information access and
technology; profiles and interviews of
key information players; reviews of
new information resources; and any-
thing else that might be of interest to
the readers. In addition, fact sheets on
technical issues—such as database
searching, acquisitions, information
systems, and special reference
services—will be included in later is-
sues.
INFOACCESS will be a good fo-
rum for introducing new members of
the Network, as well as reporting on
the accomplishments and special tal-
ents of the existing members.
Anyone who is interested in con-
tributing to INFOACCESS, or has a
suggestion should contact the editor,
MaryHoffman,NetworkCoordinator,
at FTS 382-5930; E-mail box
M.HOFFMAN/EPA30360>
—Mary Hoffman
"I would not be sur-
prised if electronic
methods of information
transfer replaced the use
of hardbound books at
EPA during the next 20
years. That is the chal-
lenge for the libraries
and information centers:
To find out the research
and database needs of
the Agency for the next
5-10 years and deter-
mine how to provide
information to fulfill
those needs"—William
Henderson
All About AWBERC
The Andrew W. Breidenbach En-
vironmental Research Center is com-
prised of several components:
A Center for Environmental Re-
search Information (CERI).
A Environmental Criteria and
Assessment Office (ECAO).
A Environmental Monitoring
Systems Laboratory (EMSL).
A Emergency Response Team
(ERT).
A Office of Administration and
Resources Management (OARM).
A Office of Civil Rights (OCR).
A Office of the Senior Office of
Research and Development
(OSORD).
A Office of Water, Technical
Support Division.
A Risk Reduction Engineering
Laboratory.
The building that houses
AWBERC—located at 26 W. Martin
Luther King Jr. Drive—was designed
and constructed as a laboratory. The
entire complex, except for the second
floor, is laboratory space. The second
floor is office space. The building fea-
INFOACCESS
JANUARY 1991
-------
Since the January 1990 meeting in
Atlanta, there have been a number of
staff changes around the Network.
New faces that you may see at the
Cincinnati meeting include the fol-
lowing people.
Magi Malone, Region 2,
New York
Ann Johnson, Central Re-
gional Lab, Annapolis
Lois Ramponi, OTS Li-
brary, Washington
Kevin Rosseel, Public In-
formation Center, Wash-
ington
John Bankson, Environ-
mental Research Lab,
Duluth
Joyce Bergin, Kerr Lab,
Ada
Barbara MacKinnon, Re-
gion 7, Kansas City
Barbara Wagner, Region 8,
Denver
Finally, we will certainly
miss Dick Fandel at the meeting
this year, remembering espe-
cially his irreverent sense of hu-
mor and his invaluable contri-
bution to the "network person-
ality."
AWBERC, continued
tures modular segments which can be
moved to expand or contract indi-
vidual laboratories. It also has a 280-
seat auditorium.
The AWBERC Library
The AWBERC Library, which
serves all AWBERC components,
houses the largest collection in the
EPA Library Network. The collection
contains more than 16,000 books, 1,000
journal subscriptions, ISOaudiovisual
items, and over 200,000 technical re-
ports. The Library, with its collections
and staff, supports the laboratories
and research programs of the Center.
In addition, the Library is open to the
public for reference use.
Since the environment is a broad
multi-disciplinary field of study, the
AWBERC library contains informa-
tion spanning a variety of subject ar-
eas. Environmental topics covered in
the collection include water pollution,
water quality, hazardous waste, bio-
technology, and thebasic sciences. The
Library also maintains a collection of
books on management and career de-
velopment.
Special collections in the library
focus on the topics of hazardous waste,
law, and risk.*
—Mary Hoffman
The AWBERC Library
houses the largest collec-
tion in the EPA Library
Network..£nvironmental
topics covered in the
collection include water
pollution, water quality,
hazardous waste, biotech-
nology, and the basic
sciences.
JANUARY 1991
INFOACCESS
-------
LIBRARIAN
EMAIL NAME/NUMBER
TELEPHONE (FTS)
Annand, Suzanne, IAB, DC
Bankson, John, Duluth
Bergin, Joyce, Ada
Biggs, Dorothy, NEIC, Denver
Byrd, Jonda, Cincinnati
Gamache, Rose, Narragansett
Garrison, Linda, IAB, DC
Hoadley, Dave, IAB, DC
Hoffman, Mary, DC
Johnson, Ann, Annapolis
Knight, John, RTF, NC
Lane, Leticia, Dallas
MacKinnon, Barb, Kansas City
Malone, Magi, NYC
McCreary, Diane, Philadelphia
McVeety, Renie, Corvallis
Morrison, Barbara, Law Lib, DC
Nelson, Peg, Boston
OAQPS,RTP
Flatten, Joan, Legislative, DC
Pinnell, Liz, Gulf Breeze
Poole-Kober, Evelyn, ASRL, RTP
Pride, Priscilla, Atlanta
Ramponi, Lois, OTS, DC
Rapp, Brigid, IAB, DC
Ross, Debbie, IAB, DC
Rosseel, Kevin, PIC,DC
Sears, Julienne, Seattle
Sims, Janice, Athens
Sunnen, Linda, San Francisco
Szefczyk, Dorothy, Edison
Talsma, Debbie, Ann Arbor
Thorn, Rosemary, RTP,NC
Tilley, Lou, Chicago
Wagner, Barbara, Denver
Wickman, Doreen, Las Vegas
Young, Lisa, DC
S.Annand
ERL/Duluth
EPA/Ada
Library.NEIC
J.Byrd
ERL/Narragansett
L.Garrison
D.Hoadley
M.Hoffman
Ann.Johnson
J.Knight
R6.Library
Library.Reg?
Library .Reg2
Library.Reg3
ERL/Corvallis
Law.Library
Library.Regl
Libby.Smith
J.Platten
E.Pinnell
MAD/ESRL
Library.Reg.IV
Library.TSCA
B.Rapp
D.Ross
KRosseel
Library.Reg.X
ERL/Athens
Library.Reg9
C.Equo
OMS/AMS
R.Thorn
Library.RegS
Library.Reg.Vm
Library.LV
L.Young
EPA3726
EPA8451
EPA8441
EPA2339
EPA3141
EPA8641
EPA3546
EPA3744
EPA30360
EPA93078
EPA3129
EPA9692
EPA9743
EPA9258
EPA9337
EPA8421
EPA2808
EPA9128
EPA3128
EPA1011
EPA8478
EPA8491
EPA9415
EPA7565
EPA3735
EPA3821
EPA3734
EPA9085
EPA8431
EPA9956
EPA9299
EPA6476
EPA3025
EPA9559
EPA9869
EPA8239
EPA3729
475-8671
780-5539
743-2241
776-5122
684-7707
838-6025
382-6939
475-8672
382-5930
266-9180
629-2784
255-6444
276-7241
264-2881
597-0580
420-4731
382-5919
835-3300
629-5514
382-5425
686-9011
629-4536
257-4216
382-2321
475-8710
475-7705
475-7751
399-1289
250-3324
556-6597
340-6762
374-8311
629-0094
353-2022
330-1444
545-2648
382-3021
Remember:
Use E-mail box name "alllibraries" to send messages to all EPA libraries, including all regional and laboratory sites.
Use E-mail box name "reg.libraries" to send messages to all regional EPA libraries.
Please send any changes or corrections to Mary Hoffman at M. Hojfman/EPA30360 or call FTS 382-5930.
INFOACCESS
JANUARY 1991
-------
\ UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
§ WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460
OFFICE OF
ADMINISTRATION
AND RESOURCES
MAR I 5 199! MMttflaeir
MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT: /"iNFOACCES^
FROM:
Information Management add Services Division
TO: Assistant Regional Administrators
Senior Information Resource Management Officials
Administrative Council Members
IRM Branch Chiefs
The Information Management and Services Division is
pleased to present INFOACCESS, a new bulletin which has been
created to improve communication among the members of the EPA
Library and Records Networks and throughout the EPA
information resources management community.
Attached for your information are the first two issues
of INFOACCESS. Monthly issues will alternately focus on
library and records topics such as imaging, space planning,
training, and information sharing. INFOACCESS replaces
Information Exchange, our bulletin previously oriented to
only the Library community. The primary goals of INFOACCESS
are the following:
• Create paths for effective information sharing
throughout the EPA information resources management
community.
• Engage information professionals interested in
information access and technology issues.
• Provide technical information and current news about
activities and projects of the Records and Library
Networks.
j^ Printed on Recycled Papei
-------
INFOACCESS will provide a forum for the discussion and
analysis of significant information issues. Readers will be
asked to share their professional experiences, ideas and
concerns with their colleagues.
I hope you will find INFOACCESS useful and informative.
If you have any questions about INFOACCESS/ please contact me
at 8-382-5914 or Brigid Rapp, Chief, Information Access
Branch, at 8-475-8710.
Attachments
cc: Al Pesachowitz
William Henderson
OIRM Division Directors
Information Delivery Order Project Officers
Docket Managers
Librarians
Records Contacts
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