plans to drastically shrink the ERIC system

["Hamaker, Chuck" <cahamake@email.uncc.edu>]

>From the Education and Behavioral Sciences Section/ALA ACRL

Subject:  ERIC Reauthorization News

-----Original Message-----
From: Corby, Kate
To: EBSS-L@LISTSERV.UNCC.EDU
Sent: 3/13/03 1:37 PM
Subject: ERIC Reauthorization News

I think Scott is close to having our committee about this issue ready, and
I'm glad because there's enough going on, that I am not keeping up.

Right now I'd like to ask you all to consider writing to Secretary of
Education Rod Paige (Room Number 7W301, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW,
Washington, DC 20202 )and/or your Congress persons. (See list of
especially influential Congress members at
http://www.lib.msu.edu/corby/education/eric/congressmembers.htm)  I have a
sample letter posted at
http://www.lib.msu.edu/corby/education/eric/paigeletter.doc The formal
announcements are not yet out, they will come out in the next month.
Unfortunately at that point changes will be already decided.  Apparently
there are plans to drastically shrink the ERIC system and centralize many
functions including Web information and indexing for the ERIC database so
that the remaining clearinghouses will not be posting information on their
own. I know many of you can think of an ERIC Clearinghouse web page that
serves a valuable function in your life. Please write and express your
concern that it might be removed, or put into less capable hands without
any chance for comment by you.  A decision has been made to go ahead with
these changes without asking for input from users/the public.  So at this
point all we need to do is express our concern and ask for a public
comment period before these changes are set.  The person who has made
these decisions is apparently the head of the new Institute of Education
Sciences, Dr. Grover Whitehurst.  I am recommending that you write to
Secretary Paige or your congress person (especially if you are from one of
the states represented on the relevant committees) because those are the
people who might see fit to encourage Dr. Whitehurst to change his mind.

I keep hearing that this cleansing of educational information is simply an
effort to put forward only information that meets "rigorous research
standards"  which will help the states improve their schools.  We need to
be clear and forceful in making the point that ideas feed on each other
and eliminating access to certain kinds of information will stifle all
research progress, including the types they hope to encourage.

A reminder that the main page of all this information is at
http://www.lib.msu.edu/corby/education/doe.htm Anyone who runs across news
items, quotes, information of relevance is encouraged to forward to me.  
Please don't assume I've already seen it.

Thanks for your help.  Forward/ distribute this as the spirit moves you.

Kate Corby 
Education and Psychology Reference Librarian 
Michigan State University Libraries 
100 Library 
East Lansing Michigan 48824 
(517) 432-1442 
FAX (517) 432-8050 
http://www.lib.msu.edu/corby