United States
                     Environmental Protection
                     Agency
              Information Resources
              Management
              (PM-211D)
           November 1991
v>EPA         Public Information Center
                    PIC FOCUS
                      Public Access to Environmental Information
                    Through EPA's Public Information Center (PIC)
       THE NEW PIC:
     A SHOWCASE FOR
      EPA MULTIMEDIA
         PRODUCTS
  One of the special features
 of the new, improved Public
 Information Center will be its
 emphasis on displaying
 information in multimedia
 formats, including video-
 tapes and computer data-
 bases. Suzanne Annand of
 EPA's Information Access
 Branch is assembling a
 variety of EPA-produced
 videos and databases to
 showcase in PIC's new
 facility.
  Some of the videos that
 Suzanne has collected are
 "Big Apple, Hot Apple," a
 documentary of an EPA
 emergency removal of radio-
 active and toxic waste from a
 site in Queens, New York;
 and "Estuary", a video that
 presents the ecological and
 human significance of
 estuaries. "Overview of the
 United States Environmental
 Protection Agency" shows
 how EPA operates, and
 "Pollution Prevention"
describes some of the
 benefits for companies that
 reduce pollution.
  PIC will also have several
 computer terminals that
 visitors can use to access
 databases containing EPA
 data and bibliographic infor-
 mation. Already planned for
      The new PIC
     will showcase
    EPA videos and
       databases.
inclusion at PIC are the
Information Systems
Inventory, which contains
summary information on
approximately 500 of EPA's
databases and models;
PEST-BANK, a set of
commercial databases that
covers 45,000 U.S.
registered pesticides used in
agriculture and industry; and
Tree Game, developed by
EPA's Region 1 as an
educational tool for children.
  These are just a sampling
of videos and databases that
will be on display at the new
PIC. However, we need
more. So if your office has
 produced, or will produce in
 the near future, videos or
 databases containing
 information suitable for the
 public, including researchers,
 consumers, students, and
 others, please contact
 Suzanne Annand of the
 Information Access Branch,
 at 260-8298.
      "We need to
   emphasize better
      outreach to
        affected
  constituencies and
  develop new modes
   of working with
     other federal
   agencies, states
   and localities,
 governments abroad,
  and our many  other
      partners."

    - From EPA's Meeting
    the Environmental
    Challenge. December
    1990.
          INFORMATION
          ACCESS BRANCH
          FTS (202) 260-8710
     Clearinghouses
     Databases
     Dockets
Libraries
Publications
Records

-------
PlC SUCCESS STORY :
Last month’s issue of PIG FOCUS gave an
overview of the Government Printing Office
(GPO). The GPO publications sales program
embraces only a fraction of the titles issued
by government agencies. To ensure public
access to a wealth of information, the Gov-
ernment Printing Office administers the
Federal Depository Library Program.
Each year nearly 1,400 Depository Librar-
ies select titles relevant to their local needs
from the thousands of new publications
issued by the Federal Government and its
agencies. More than 50 Regional Depository
Libraries receive every unclassified govern-
ment publication of interest to the public and
retain them permanently, in either paper
copy, microfiche, or CD-ROM.
Federal Depository Libraries are open to all
who wish to visit and use their collections.
Users can also take advantage of reference
assistance and other services that may be
available. For more information about the
Depository Libraries, please contact:
Media Coordinator, Stop SM
Federal Depository Library Program
U.S. Government Printing Office
Washington, DC 20402
For a list of the 50 Regional Federal
Depository Libraries contact PIG at 260-2080.
The next issue of PlC FOCUS will cover
the services of the National Technical
Information Service (NTIS) in this column.
For more information, please contact Ann
Dugan, Public Access Librarian, (Contractor),
at 260-5935.
PlC, EPA Publications and
Information Center. and
Your Program Office;
Perfect Together
PlC has successfully installed EPA’s
Master Automated Inventory System (MAIS),
developed by OARM-Cincinnati. MAIS allows
PlC staff to electronically process bulk orders
of documents stored at the EPA Publications
and Information Center (EPIC) in Cincinnati.
PlC uses MAIS to browse an inventory of
over 31,000 EPA document titles. Through
MAIS, staff can order documents to fill bulk
requests, send documents directly to EPA
staff at conferences, and restock PlC’s supply
of documents.
191
PlC works with EPA programs and EPIC to
coordinate storage of documents at the
clearinghouse in Cincinnati. The documents
can either be placed in PlC’s account or in
your office’s account. For details about
establishing an account with EPIC, contact
Earl Eastwood or Deborah McNealley at FTS
684-7980. For more information on
distribution of your general-interest
documents through PlC, please call Alison
Cook, PlC Manager, (Contractor), at FTS
260-2080.
PlC FOCUS Page 2
PU BLO C
ACCESS
UPDATE
The Public Information Center is
operated by LABAT-ANDERSON
Incorporated (LAI) through EPA’s
Information Services Contract.
If you have comments or sugges-
tions about PlC FOCUS, please
contact Kevin Rosseel, PlC Director,
(Contractor), at 260-1755.
Printed on Recycled Paper

-------