GovDocs @ Gelman

This is the Modern World

2009-01-21T16:33:00.003-05:00

The govdocs community is all in a tizzy at the moment, at a change that happened while we were all watching Barack Hussein Obama become the President of the United States of America: the switchover at www.whitehouse.gov. While some of us may be wondering if this switch happened immediately at 12:01pm on 1/20/2009, others are wondering how the Bush website will be preserved for posterity. Normally the task of the National Archives, this time around, we're going to be thinking of "archiving" in a whole new way.

Everywhere you go, always take the weather*

2009-01-16T15:43:00.002-05:00

The National Weather Service (part of the great NOAA umbrella) has provided us with Inaugural weather of the ages. Will next week's events be likened to Reagan's 1985 swearing in, the coldest in history (7 degrees!!), or will there be gridlock a la Kennedy's 1961 snowstorm that caused a massive traffic jam?

One last directive...

2009-01-14T16:18:00.003-05:00

Typical of administrations as they leave the White House, the Bush administration has relased a directive for just how we should deal with Arctic Terrorists. That's right-- the Arctic region of These United States is vulnerable to more than just ice. Released on January 9th the National Security Presidential Directive and Homeland Security Directive will establish a policy that-- at least for the next week-- will be how the United States will deal with threats to the areas visible from the Russian border.

ch-ch-changes

2008-12-15T11:28:00.002-05:00

Need a way to keep track of the transition? Check out change.gov, the official website of the President Elect. Submit your own ideas as well as apply for a job, and keep track of events so you can determine the best way to avoid Metro during the Inaugural Celebrations.

"Every Dick and Tom with a demo in his palm*"

2008-11-24T10:08:00.006-05:00

Want to work for the Obama administration? If you answered "yes" to that, get in line behind every other policy wonk. How might one improve the chances of actually scoring one of these coveted positions? Check out the Plum Book, so named for it's, er, purple cover (trust me, you have to see it in person). This document, released every four years, details the job listings in each of the government's executive branches. So get to working on that resume!

*thanks to De La Soul for this post's title.

Transition Tradition

2008-11-07T09:33:00.003-05:00

In two and a half months, a whole new administration is going to be leading this great country of ours. It's going to be a little bit daunting, what with the crazy economy and two wars going on. Traditionally, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) assists with admin-to-admin transitional matters to ensure that everything goes smoothly. And no, this doesn't mean removing the W from keyboards (as was rumored White House staffers did during the 2001 transition); it means making sure that the new kids on the block know what's up. Visit the GAO's 2009 Transition Website to see how it's going to go down this time, and who knows... you might find yourself so informed you could get a job working for President Barack Obama!

transition

2008-11-05T12:21:00.000-05:00

from whitehouse.gov:

Mash*Up

2008-06-21T14:38:00.004-04:00

I am a huge fan of Google Maps Mash-ups, so you know how happy I had to be when I was led to (thanks Regina!) the Google Maps Elections '08 Map Gallery. Maps are as simple as state-by-state primary results and as plugged in as Twitter. You can even embed one of 'em into your own blog, like this:

We'll miss you, Tim Russert

2008-06-14T09:37:00.003-04:00

As avid readers of GovDocs@Gelman know, I like to point out the moments when government information takes on a different form than the publications that come out of the GPO. And every Sunday at 11:30, Tim Russert delivered government information to us in a way that everyone can understand. He was the cross-examiner of the country, questioning politicians and officials and getting down to what really mattered: the truth. He'll be remembered by many this weekend, but see for yourself-- Meet The Press transcripts are available in Lexis/Nexis Academic. Limit your search by the program starting with 1991 (you can do this in the Power Search-- just look for "Meet the Press") and you'll get the transcript for each program.

Thanks TR... November 4th just isn't gonna be the same without you.

get your navy bean soup while it lasts

2008-06-09T11:38:00.002-04:00

A story in today's Post says that the famed Senate dining room is about to go private contract. While the House's in-house eateries have been contracted out since the 80s, the Senate's facilities have remained within the confines of the government, but are pretty much in the red. What does it mean for the most pampered politicians in all the land, their staffers and interns? It basically means more J Street and less tradition. It also means a decrease in wages for all food service employees who will serve you your overpriced jumbo slices and salad by the pound. My recommendation: who cares-- Firehook is right there!

our thoughts are with you, Senator Kennedy!

2008-05-20T14:36:00.003-04:00

As everyone has probably heard, the senior Senator from Massachusetts has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Our thoughts here in govdocs land go out to the Kennedys. Elected in 1962, the younger brother of JFK and RFK cast his 15,000th vote. Here's an expert of Senator Kennedy's speech from the Congressional Record (153 Cong Rec S 110388-- find it in Lexis/Nexis Congressional!) commemorating that occasion:

...I could not take this moment without thinking back about, personally, the service in this Chamber. When I first arrived in this Chamber, I was fortunate to have two brothers, one a President and another an Attorney General. I had the opportunity to work with them on those responsibilities in that regard. Then, to have a brother who served in the Senate was a golden time for me during that period of time.

I have been enormously proud of the work my nephew, Congressman Kennedy, serving in the House of Representatives, and now Patrick, my son, who serves in the House of Representatives and is a leading voice in terms of the mental health issues for our country-I am so proud of all his good work.

We grew up in a family that believed in public service, that elective office can make a difference but also understood that other people make extraordinary differences in advancing the cause of fairness and decency in the Nation. I think of the work of my sisters in that undertaking, all of whom have been involved-whether Special Olympics or Very Special Arts or other programs in which they have all been involved.

We still believe in the importance of public service and the honor, the high honor that one has in elective office. There are many of those who dismiss that concept as an old-fashioned viewpoint, but I think any of us who have read the history of this Nation and who understood its history know there is no higher personal honor than to have that opportunity.

More fun with the Congressional Record

2008-04-02T17:37:00.003-04:00

Yes, gentle readers, it's been quite some time since an update. But don't think I've been hardly workin'! There's been govdocs galore around these parts, and now I'd like to share.

Say you want to look up something in the Congressional Record. Say it's a remark a Senator or Congressperson made. Say it took place in the 1940s, a period of time for which the CR does not exist electronically. What would you do?

If you answered: ask my friendly government information reference librarian, you'd be on your way! But let's say your friendly government information reference librarian was trapped under a pile of Current Industrial Reports, then what would you do?

Well, I'll tell you.

First, it will help to know that Gelman has the CR upstairs on the third floor, in microfilm. This will require you to do your research old school style, but most of you are wearing your vintage Air Jordans and dressing like Molly Ringwald from Pretty in Pink anyway, so you should be down with that. You would probably want to start with the index for that year, so you could find the exact issue and pages of the CR you need.

Next, you would load the reel of film onto the microfilm reader (those machines that look like they might be a computer but don't seem to have a keyboard that are right in the front of the third floor... by the red help me phone). Locate the pages you need and the corresponding reel of film, and load that onto the machine (wait! take off the other real first!). Find your pages, and print 'em off!

Sounds like a piece of cake, right? Right!

Of course, if the CR you need is from 1985 and beyond, you can always check out the Lexis Nexis Congressional database in the ALADIN Research Portal. But then, you wouldn't be able to brag that you did your research totally 80s style.

it has begun!

2008-01-04T11:01:00.001-05:00

The season is finally here! As of yesterday, the theater that is the American Presidential Election has raised it's curtain. After Iowa, it's New Hampshire and South Carolina... but then what? When is my primary? Well, look up your state on this list from the Federal Elections Commission to find out.

Now, you just need to register to vote. Perhaps you already are, thanks to the National Voter Registration Act (a.k.a. "Motor Voter"), but remember students: unless you change your residency to the District of Columbia, you gotta do it by absentee ballot. Check for your state on this list here to make sure you are on the rolls for your primary and the general election in November!

Happy voting, people... if you don't do it, you can't complain!

Iran's nuclear capabilities

2007-12-04T11:07:00.000-05:00

As you may have read in today's Post, Iran's halted nuclear program is causing concern. Here is the 9-page, unclassified report--Iran: Nuclear Intentions and Capabilities, as compiled by the US Office of National Intelligence.

elections!

2007-11-26T16:15:00.000-05:00

Even though we're already sick of hearing about what we'll be doing on 11/4/2008, Grace York, University of Michigan's Government Documents Librarian and her trusty staff have compiled this Elections 2008 guide-- everything you ever wanted to know about running for higher office!

love in the time of terrorism

2007-11-08T12:47:00.000-05:00

Hot out of the FBI and Justice Department's hands is the latest reportage of terrorism activities in the US: Terrorism 2002-2005. It's been published since the mid-1980s, which is quite useful if you'd like to see how America has approached this issue before and after 9/11. Very useful information, particularly pertaining to how these two agencies define terrorism.

wash your hands!!

2007-10-17T17:02:00.001-04:00

This morning's news roundup included a little tidbit about how staph infections are now the new superbug. Being that I hate being a slave to my hand sanitizer, I decided to see what information might be available from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Unfortunately, nothing on their home page seems to address this topic, or at least obviously, as I was hoping they might do (considering this bug kills more people a year than AIDS, at least, according to the Today Show). And I was also a bit disappointed that the Post's own links to the CDC from this article didn't even include this particular government entity, at all. What gives? I'm afraid that the time it takes me to find this overview of resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, it might be too late.

alms for the Census

2007-10-09T13:19:00.000-04:00

We're fast approaching a year ending in a zero, which means: it's Decennial Census time! And, according to the New York Times, the most well-known and mandatory survey in the land is already underfunded: "Whether by intention or neglect, the Bush administration omitted the census from a list of several activities that needed to be exempted from that limit."

Way back when he was running for president the first time, Bush the second let it be known that he probably wouldn't fill out the long form, either, but hopefully somebody reminded him that it's actually illegal to neglect to do so.

homeland security strategy, 2007 version

2007-10-09T13:15:00.000-04:00

The White House's latest Homeland Security Strategy is out and it's here. Anybody up for annotating the differences between this one and the last one?

govgab

2007-09-27T15:34:00.000-04:00

USA.gov, America's Home Page, has introduced Gov Gab: Your U.S. Government Blog. It's a new feature written by what seems to be five different people (a new blogger for each day of the work week). Entries seem to be mildly entertaining (check out what Nancy has to say about copyright-free images), to somewhat useful (Marybeth provides good-to-know info about international travel), to unfortunately boring (Monday blogger Jake opens with: "I look forward to writing, but I didn’t really know what to do my first blog about..." um, get to the point, Jake). Not sure what the point of it all is. I mean, who wants to read a blog about government information. Oh, wait...

Law Library of Congress

2007-09-19T15:50:00.000-04:00

In celebration of Constitution Day yesterday, the Library of Congress relaunched it's Law Library of Congress website. This portal for the place (it's up on the Hill, folks, so don't hesitate to make a visit if it's research of the legal kind you're up to) is a plethora of all sorts of national and international legal information. Links to useful documents are provided, such as the U.S. Code, and some selected hearings... an interesting way to track our nationa's legal progress.

government information in the news

2007-08-25T08:18:00.000-04:00

This week's news has been dominated by the National Intelligence Estimate on the Status on the Stability of Iraq. A regular report issued by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, it caused quite a stir this week-- Senator John Warner (R-Va) recommended a pull out of troops, and even the president realized the correlation between Iraq and Vietnam.

Government Documents In Crisis

2007-08-03T09:09:00.000-04:00

Our hearts in DC goes out to the folks in Minneapolis, particularly our librarian colleagues at University of Minnesota (the law school's location is right near the 35W bridge collapse). Amy West, the Data Services Librarian at U of M has posted this list of government reports continually referred to by the news media.

cybercensus?

2007-07-25T16:36:00.000-04:00

Senator Tom Coburn has voiced his opinion that the 2010 Census should be conducted on-line. According to an article on FCW.com, the Senator from Oklahoma is appauled at the Census Bureau's lack of vision when it comes to being able to utilize the internet for the country's largest (and required!) survey. Perhaps he didn't realize that the head of the bureau is uncomfortable with the security of the format (Title 13, anybody?). Or, maybe he and Ted Stevens of Alaska got to talking in the cafeteria one day.

govdocs lite

2007-06-26T16:13:00.000-04:00

Not all government publications are serious. While Congress and the Supreme Court are getting down to the end of their sessions, let's take a gander at Senate Document 109-19: A Botanic Garden for the Nation, the United States Botanic Garden. Like most on-line docs, the PDFs can get out of hand, but at least they're nice to look at.

The US Botanic Garden sits in the shadow of the Capitol, 100 Maryland Avenue, SW, and check 'em out on line at www.usbg.gov. Take your next house/dorm guest!

blogit

2007-06-21T14:19:00.000-04:00

A new site from the GSA (the Government Services Administration (i.e. that building down the street from Thurston) compiles government agency blogs that are actually... interesting!! While the list is paltry (at best), the ten blogs listed cover current events from the Peace Corps, the Smithsonian, and even the flu panedemic.

Virginia Tech Presidential Report

2007-06-19T13:31:00.000-04:00

Long time no update! There's been some summer colds and some vacation here in Gelman Govdocs land, but we'll make up for that in the next few weeks, with with lots of Govdocs frenzy before sessions are out for summer.

Today's post brings you a newly published tome on what happened in Blacksburg this past spring: Report to the President on Issues Raised by the Virginia Tech Tragedy. Published by the Department for Health and Human Services, the report is a joint effort from DHHS, the Department of Education, and the Justice Department. The report does not investigate the incident, but merely serves as recommendations on how to avoid such a devastating tragedy in the future.

is your government information glass half full or...

2007-04-24T12:10:00.000-04:00

half empty? Well, if you are using Google to search specific government agency websites, you'd be looking at a pretty half empty glass! According to this article, only about half of the information on an agency's website will be revealed by a specific domain search. As a remedy, it seems, some agencies are building site maps o be compatible with the Google algorhythm. So, depending on how many agencies comply, this may end up being a case of the government going to where the people are instead of expecting the people to be able to figure it out.

what's in your food?

2007-04-11T15:02:00.000-04:00

A neat source from the Agricultural Research Service, the What's in the Food You Eat Search Tool is an engine designed to find out what kind of nutrients. You can search by keyword or food code (kinda sorta like NAICS codes), and it really helps if the term you enter into the search box is exactly how it's used in the database. For example, "hotdog" won't work, but "hot dog" will yield 35 food codes, including number 25210150 (frankfurter or hot dog, cheese filled). So, the next time you find yourself at J Street eating a slice of 58106210 or a 58100140 (hold the guac), you might want to have a looksee to find out what you're really eating.

using myspace and facebook in the library?

2007-04-10T11:20:00.000-04:00

Of course you are, and don't worry-- I'm not going to stop you.

But, the United States government might. If you happen to be under 18, Congress is worried about protecting you from social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook. HR 5319 from the 109th Congress is an amendment to the Communications Act of 1934 and specifically seeks to "protect against access to a commercial social networking website or chat room unless used for an educational purpose with adult supervision."

Sounds like that idea on how to work FaceBook into your UW 20 paper might not be such a bad idea after all.

aviation security three ways

2007-04-04T16:28:00.000-04:00

The executive branch of the government has just released the National Strategy for Aviation Security, a 29-page document that should explain just why we need to put our contact lens liquid and hair product in a plastic bag not even big enough for a sandwich. The White House has released this document on their website, along with its own spin, while the Department of Homeland Security goes into a bit more detail.

Who is Number One?

2007-04-04T10:46:00.000-04:00

According to George Mason University's Mercatus Center, the Government Agency who is best at informing the public is (drumroll...) the Department of Transportation, with the Department of Labor and Veterans Affairs (a good thing, with all that identity theft experienced last year). Who scored poorly, you ask? Well, oddly enough, it's the agencies we might need the most: Health and Human Services scored lowest, with Office of Personnel Management (i.e., the government's Human Resources division) all the way at the bottom.

Want to read the whole report? Click here.

still unprepared

2007-04-02T15:30:00.000-04:00

The Senate Committee on Homeland Security has created a web page for items related to their Hurricane Katrina report Hurricane Katrina: A Nation Still Unprepared (yet another in the long line of reports from the White House and House of Reps). This page contains links to documents requested to create the report, as well as additional points of view from some select senators.

what would Jack Bauer do?

2007-03-29T11:02:00.000-04:00

Hot off the GPO Press: The National Counterintelligence Strategy of the United States of America.

the grant maker

2007-03-26T09:54:00.000-04:00

Always an untapped resource, government grants can be a great way to get funding for projects that might otherwise never happen. Check out grants.gov, where you can apply for all sorts of government-funded money for projects ranging from arts, to the environment, to community development

so now we're calling it a civil war?

2007-03-15T15:21:00.000-04:00

The March 2007 edition of Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq has just been released. What makes it so different this time? Well, this time, right there on page 14, the Defense Department-- for the first time--is referring to the situation a civil war:

"Some elements of the situation in Iraq are properly descriptive of a
"civil war," including the hardening of ethno-sectarian identities and
mobilization, the changing character of the violence, and population
displacements."

Open Sesame...

2007-03-14T11:20:00.000-04:00

Actually... Open Congress a new website brought to us by the . And it is Sunshine Week, after all (a week dedicated to bringing government information to the public). This site is a federated source of Congressional information and news/blog coverage about the particular legislation going through Congress.

C-Span + Copyright

2007-03-08T11:40:00.000-05:00

Encouraging news on the Fair Use front! Cable network C-SPAN has decided to change it's copyright policy so to permit non-commercial copying of materials. According to a New York Times article, this will affect about half of what's on the C-SPAN website, some of which dates back to the 70s. This opens up a great opportunity for bloggers and academics alike!

Hot off the GPO Presses

2007-02-05T14:18:00.000-05:00

the 2008 Budget.

states of the union

2007-01-22T19:37:00.000-05:00

Or, would the plural be "State of the Unions?"

Grammar aside, every single address of this nature is available and searchable at askSam. This search function is a pretty powerful feature-- let's say you want to see how many presidents made reference to "war" or "peace" or, potentially, both in the same speech? The search is a bit clunky, but well worth it to appease the lexicographer and political scientist in all of us.

And, for your reading pleasure, here's a paragraph from Thomas Jefferson's State of the Union, November 8, 1808:

Considering the extraordinary character of the times in which we live, our attention should unremittingly be fixed on the safety of our country. For a people who are free, and who mean to remain so, a well organized and armed militia is their best security. It is therefore incumbent on us at every meeting to revise the condition of the militia, and to ask ourselves if it is prepared to repel a powerful enemy at every point of our territories exposed to invasion. Some of the States have paid a laudable attention to this object, but every degree of neglect is to be found among others. Congress alone having the power to produce an uniform state of preparation in this great organ of defense, the interests which they so deeply feel in their own and their country's security will present this as among the most important objects of their deliberation.

a website, by any other name...

2007-01-22T15:38:00.000-05:00

Apologies for the lame Shakespeare reference notwithstanding, just a heads up that firstgov has changed it's name to the more obvious usa.gov. While the site still looks and feels the same, the new and improved version touts a real-time "chat with government" feature where English-speaking citizens can IM representatives regarding the agencies, benefits, programs and services offered by the federal government.

couldn't have said it better myself

2007-01-19T13:22:00.000-05:00

LLRX is a blog, of sorts, that's a must read for those who are fascinated with the law. This post is a great explanation of how things happen in Congress, specifically the authorization/appropriation conundrum that is essentially the entirety of the legislative house of our government.

interrogation techniques

2007-01-16T13:21:00.000-05:00

The Federation of American Scientists released a report about interrogation techniques-- or, more accurately, the lack thereof. The report, titled Interrogation: Science and Art, Foundations of the Future (be careful opening this 374 page PDF; it may take a while if your connection is slow) was published by the the Defense Intelligence College and explains that there's not really a whole lot of information out there regarding interrogation. While the Bush administration supports "aggressive interrogation tactics," the report essentially states that there hasn't been enough research to prove whether or not it works. For more information about the report, read about it in the Washington Post.

wikileaks

2007-01-16T11:01:00.000-05:00

A new website, wikileaks, has pretty huge ambitions. The site, which visions itself to be a resource for bringing unclassified government documents of all nations to light, has the idea that it "may become the most powerful "intelligence agency" on earth -- an intelligence agency of the people." The site's FAQ explains that this site, run by 22 people, is born out of the Chinese dissident community. While the launch is set for sometime in February or March, there's already a media buzz. The interface is familiar, though there seems to be some elements to be worked out (for example: in order to download the sample leaked document, you're going to have to unzip a few files and save to your hard drive). In any case, with articles in the Post and the folks over at Secrecy News commenting, this is a site to keep on your watch list for the near future.

dramatic readings from the Congressional Record

2007-01-11T14:47:00.000-05:00

In an homage to the start of the 110th Congress, and the debates that will be taking place over the First 100 Hours, we're starting a feature here at GovDocs@Gelman: Stage Your Own Dramatic Readings from the Congressional Record. The first installment comes from the 30-Something Working Group's meeting January 10th, 2007 (found in the print version on page H324).

Mr. Delahunt, Uncle Bill, we are so happy, sir, that you are a part of the 30-Something Working Group. We are so happy that this is your inaugural night in the 110th Congress, where we are in the majority, your joining us here on this floor.
We talked about your contributions last night. We said that we have a Medicare recipient within our midst. We talked about individuals that are drawing down on one of the pensions that maybe you received in your long career of public service. But we appreciate the fact that you are continuing, and we said we will continue our commitment.
Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Long, long, long years.
Mr. DELAHUNT. Well, again, I am honored to be here. I heard that last evening my name was mentioned here in the House, and I presume that it was mentioned in a way that was kind and generous to a senior citizen, a senior citizen that has the Medicare card to prove that.
Talking about Medicare, we are going to address Medicare in this session of Congress, and we are going to do something about that so-called prescription drug benefit program that was passed over the objections of almost every Democrat and a few courageous Republicans several years ago. Because as you know, Mr. Meek, and you know, Tim Ryan, there was a provision in that particular legislation that prohibited the Medicare Trust Fund from negotiating with the large pharmaceutical companies for a discount.
In other words, whoever is the director of the Medicare Trust Fund can't go into a room and sit down with the drug companies and say, ``Let's discuss a fair price, because we are going to purchase in large quantities prescription drug benefits,'' for people like myself, ``and we are going to effect real savings, like they do in the Veterans Administration.''
I have seen estimates of savings that range from 30 to 80 percent on drugs where discounts could be made available and effected, drugs that save the lives of people and enhance the quality of life for those of us who have reached the golden years.
It is extraordinary in terms of helping people who have worked hard all their lives from not having to make those tough choices between food and heat, or air conditioning in the case of Mr. Meek and the young lady who just became the chair of a very powerful subcommittee here in the House, who is now known as Cardinal Wasserman Schultz.
Mr. MEEK of Florida. She is a rabbi.
Mr. DELAHUNT. I guess. I am just using a term that we often use here. But she is certainly dressed like a cardinal this evening.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you, Mr. Delahunt.
Mr. DELAHUNT. But I have to tell you, I am really proud of the work that your generation has done over the course of the 109th Congress to bring home that message to the American people. You did it effectively. You are helping my generation and you have our profound gratitude. Because it was clear the message that the three of you and other colleagues of ours in the Democratic Caucus spoke to over the course of 2 years resonated with the American people.
I am so proud of each and every one of you. Congratulations. I think we can all share great pride in what has been accomplished since we took our oath of office just a week ago. It is extraordinary. There is a new tone.
You know what is particularly gratifying to me is to see so many of our colleagues, our Republican colleagues, our good friends, our dear friends, join with us in really moving forward an agenda that benefits all Americans.

just what did he say?

2007-01-11T09:48:00.000-05:00

While this should end up in the Public Papers of the President, read and listen to President Bush's prime time address to the nation.

government docs in the news: more on signing statements

2007-01-05T13:42:00.000-05:00

A month ago, the President signed H.R. 6407 into law, otherwise known as the The Postal Enhancement and Accountability Act. According to an article in the Washington Post (1/5/07), Bush's signing statement (which have already come under scrutiny) hints to the idea that this Bill will allow the reading of personal mail without a search warrant. The key phrase in question:

"... which provides for opening of an item of a class of mail otherwise sealed against inspection, in a manner consistent, to the maximum extent permissible, with the need to conduct searches in exigent circumstances, such as to protect human life and safety against hazardous materials, and the need for physical searches specifically authorized by law for foreign intelligence collection."

While the original law does provide for circumstances which may involve explosives or powdery substances that may, in fact, harm human life, that last part might need to be unpacked a bit.

What happens when America's Attic Gets an Overhaul?

2007-01-04T11:11:00.000-05:00

D.C.'s own Smithsonian Institution is in some luke warm water over a deal made with Showtime (luke warm because it's pretty much a done deal), essentially giving the media company exclusive rights to the institute's films. A report published by the Government Accountability Office, released last month details that the deal is unfair filmmakers. Boiling it down: filmmakers have about a 30% change of being able to use important, historic material.

The Smithsonian offered a response to the report

what color is your journalism?

2007-01-03T15:53:00.000-05:00

How many of us read blogs to get our news? Several, I'm sure. The Blog-o-lution, particularly in the field of journalism, has proven a small but mighty sword (okay, perhaps maybe more like a Swiss Army knife) for all that media deregulation.The Daily Kos is getting in on that action with the Congressional Committees Project. Read the blog entry that started it all for all the details, but the short version: some people decided to take news reporting in their own hands by creating this wiki in order to keep tabs on the new committees once the new Congress starts. Heck, you can even pick your favorite committee and contribute.

you want cloned fries with that

2006-12-29T11:20:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, the Food and Drug Administration announced that the meat and milk produced by cloned cows was of no threat to humans. It took a whole 678 pages to detail the arrival to this decision, but really what you want to know is: so what happens now?

A great question, and one that will allow me to demonstrate just what happens when a new regulation is proposed. See, before the FDA can get cloned cows to fly, the proposed regulation (that's what this is, because the agencies can't make laws, only Congress can do that) must be subject to comments from the public first, and a notice published in the Federal Register (which hasn't actually happened yet). Right now, this regulation is in the comment phase, and that means that the public gets to weigh in on this issue. So go ahead and exercise your right as a citizen of these United States and tell the FDA yay or nay. But do it quick! You've only got 90 days!

Gerald R. Ford: 1913-2006

2006-12-27T10:29:00.000-05:00

The only president not officially elected to the office, President Ford leaves behind a legacy of leading the nation under a time of stress, most of which he inherited from the Nixon. The Gerald R. Ford Library and Museum provides a highlight reel of Ford administration documents.

is it 2010 yet?

2006-12-18T18:36:00.000-05:00

The Census Bureau is gearing up for the next Decennial Census electronically by posting the 2010 Census page on their website. At this point, it's just an offering of information about the 2008 Dress Rehearsal and how to get a job as an enumerator. What it doesn't cover: how they're going to negotiate this being the first Decennial with no long form questionnaire!

what's your sign?

2006-12-11T21:17:00.000-05:00

In another case of newspapers-as-government information portal news, check out the Washington Post's Votes Database, a list of all Congressional votes back to the 102nd Congress (that's 1991, for those of you keeping score). What does this site do that, say, Thomas doesn't? Well, aside from the regular, Democrat and Republican denominations, you can see how the votes split according to geography, age (though here, it's called "boomer status"), gender, and astrological sign. For example, we all know how HR 810 split along party lines, but betcha didn't know that the Tauruses had the most number of nays.

newspapers as government documents

2006-12-06T11:24:00.000-05:00

A visit to the Library of Congress' Newspapers and Current Periodicals Reading Room might allow you to look at Colonial newspapers, particularly those that printed versions of state constitutions and the Declaration of Independence. These documents are pretty spectacular pieces that indicate the use of something we expect to show up on our doorstep (or in our internet browser these days) can function as a vehicle for posterity.

While perhaps not as dramatic, today's Washington Post includes a PDF of the Iraq Study Group Report's Executive Summary. A tiny morsel to give the general public information about those that govern.

For those who want to read the whole thing, go here

the Gates

2006-12-06T11:05:00.000-05:00

Georgetown's Law Library has compiled everything you ever wanted to know about Robert M. Gates, the nominee to succeed Donald Rumsfeld as Secretary of Defense.

World AIDS Day

2006-12-01T12:00:00.000-05:00

December 1st is the day we pause to honor those who have passed away and to recognize the efforts fighting this deadly disease. aids.gov details the government information about research, awareness, and resources.

Just Say No

2006-11-30T09:31:00.000-05:00

Today, as proclaimed by President Bush, is National Methamphetamine Awareness Day. Meth use has increased greatly, particularly on the East coast (as opposed to the Midwest, where the most cases of meth abuse occur). The Justice department has published information on it's website educating the public about the drug and it's terrifying effects. Meth Awareness which gives users some pretty graphic illustrations (and I mean graphic! This site may not be suitable for folks with an aversion to disgusting images) of what meth can do to a person, and the more blog-like Meth Resources.

Yesterday, in Congress...

2006-11-16T09:31:00.000-05:00

the House passed a resolution congratulating the St. Louis Cardinals on their World Series victory.

Presidential Press Conference

2006-11-08T15:43:00.000-05:00

Today's was a big one... watch it here.

good fences make good neighbors...

2006-10-27T15:57:00.000-04:00

As of yesterday, the Secure Fence Act of 2006 is now the law of the land. While we have to wait for this week's Weekly Comp comes out to read President Bush's Signing Statement, we have the transcript of what he said available on whitehouse.gov, along with video of the moment, and a handy fact sheet for the newly passed law.

social explorer

2006-10-23T09:15:00.000-04:00

The Social Explorer is a joint effort from the National Science Digital Library and CUNY Queens College (with some funding from the New York Times, too). The idea is to provide visual maps of Census data, but with oomph than American Fact Finder. This is a dream come true for demographers who have probably been itching for some kind of visual tract representation for data other than the most recent Decennial. Social Explorer handles all sorts of socio-economic information dating back to the 1940 Census all the way down to the tract level. The result? an incredibly useful tool!
(this map is a visualization of Subway Development Contributions to City Expansion: 1905-1940)

now serving 300 million

2006-10-20T15:14:00.000-04:00

In grand fanfare, the Census Bureau announced that the population of the United States has now reached 300 million. The arrival of this American on October 17th, complete witha countdown/tote board that would rile the envy of Jerry Lewis, displayed some fancy estimates and data the Census demographers.

nonproliferation in Korea

2006-10-16T16:05:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, Congress can work fast! Note S 3728, a Bill to Promote Nuclear Nonproliferation in Korea. It was introduced in July and passed last Friday. All actions of the bill, as listed on thomas.gov are:

7/25/2006:
Submitted in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S8206-8208; text as passed Senate: CR S8207; text of measure as introduced: CR S8202)
7/25/2006 8:19pm:
Received in the House.
7/25/2006:
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
7/25/2006 9:07pm:
Held at the desk.
9/30/2006 12:36am:
Mr. Royce asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table and consider.
9/30/2006 12:36am:
Considered by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR 9/29/2006 H8044-8048)
9/30/2006 1:04am:
On passage Passed without objection. (text: CR 9/29/2006 H8047-8048)
9/30/2006 1:04am:
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
9/30/2006:
Cleared for White House.
10/5/2006:
Presented to President.
10/13/2006:
Signed by President.

Stay tuned for GPO's posting of the signing statement in the Weekly Comp!

read it in the manual

2006-10-09T10:37:00.000-04:00

The U.S. Government Manual is a yearly output that details what the agencies (and quasi-agencies) are doing. Browse it, or search it!

surpeme arguments

2006-10-02T10:27:00.000-04:00

It's the first Monday in October, the traditional opening for the new session of the Surpeme Court of the United States. Want to know what's on the books for 2006-07? Read the SCOTUS Argument Calendar for what we'll be talking about this Fall.

Google your tax dollars!

2006-09-30T10:40:00.000-04:00

A bill sponsored by Senators Obama (D-IL) and Coburn (R-OK) is set to create a searchable database for citizens to track government spending. According to Obama's press release, Bill S. 2590 (which became Public Law 109-282 a couple of days ago) a.k.a. the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006. The database "will list every entity receiving federal funds, along with information about the amount and purpose of the spending." Though don't expect to see any action on this until 2008, the time frame stipulated by the law on how long they can take to actually provide this service to the public.

long time, no update

2006-09-27T12:56:00.000-04:00

Yes, it sure has been a while! Congress is back in session, the first Monday in October is nigh... we're just churning things away here in govdocs land.

The next few posts in the next few days will serve to keep track of what's going on up on the Hill, starting with this first report, from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: al-Quada: The Many Faces of an Islamic Extremist Threat. See how it compares to what President Clinton said on Fox News and what President Bush is saying in response to that!

conspiracy this!

2006-09-05T12:51:00.000-04:00

The State Department debunks September 11th conspiracy theories. Complete with explanations and links for further review.

revisiting the axis of evil

2006-08-24T15:22:00.000-04:00

Now that Iran has announced it has no plans to reduce it's nuclear capability, the House of Representatives' Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has released a 29 page report that concerns the country's initiatives against the U.S. Titled Recognizing Iran as a Strategic Threat: An Intelligence Challenge for the United States, the report, released August 23rd, offers significant information (including photographs) regarding this potential danger.

by the numbers

2006-08-15T09:28:00.000-04:00

The Census Bureau has released some numbers today that could potentially change everything! Well, perhaps not that dramatic, but the American Community Survey is an attempt to get more stats out there, faster than you can say Decennial Census (which, by the way, happens every ten years). This ACS 2005 release contains social and demographic data for all 50 states and DC, and marks the first time that this survey reached areas with populations less than 250,000. This is huge, since the idea is that in four years, the ACS will replace the long form, and data that demographers, lobbyists, and social programmers depend on for funding will not come from a survey mandated by the Constitution.

code plaid

2006-08-10T10:00:00.000-04:00

This morning, after hearing the news about the foiled terror plot in England and the elevation of the terror threat level, I decided to check some agency websites to see how this information was being disseminated. Particularly, I wanted to check the graphic each agency is allegedly supposed to display.

Here's a tally of what I found when I checked the sites at 9:45am on August 10th, 2006:

--Customs and Border Patrol: reported the level at orange
--Office of Personnel Management: holding steady at yellow
--Federal Aviation Administration: the agency you'd think most effected, does not display the color code but did indicate, via a link on the home page: "Homeland Security raised the threat level for aviation and imposed new restrictions on carry on items."
--White House: off on the right side, you can read about the elevetad level, and also watch Tony Snow's press conference
--The Senate and the House: no display of the threat level
--Department of Homeland Security: displays the threat level at yellow, though the first entry on the home page describes the situation-- code red for flights traveling between the UK and the US, code orange for all commercial flights and those bound for the US, yellow for everyone else.

This is a prime example of how government agencies lack consistency for disseminating information that's pretty confusing to begin with.

Of course, you can always keep track of the threat level with the muppets:

interdepository library extravaganza!

2006-08-09T11:14:00.000-04:00

Last week, I attended the Interdepository Library Seminar over at the Government Printing Office. An extravaganza for those librarians who provide reference service regarding government documents. My apologies to my co-horts who toughed it out in the extreme heat of DC (being a local, I feel somewhat responsible). In the coming weeks I'll be posting some of the resources I learned about, and (hopefully) some pictures.

that's so meta!

2006-08-09T10:10:00.000-04:00

Text mining is the idea of extracting information from texts and indexing the results. I like to think of it like an electronic concordance (which may or may not be correct, but that's how my analog brain works). It's used a lot in security, but databases also like it because it's basically what allows you to search for a term in the entirety of an article.

Recently, some folks decided to data mine the Congressional Record. Ars Technica reported on a group of political scientists who wrote a formula to mine the CR, just to see exactly what it is that gets discussed on the House and Senate floors. What did they find? Read their report!

a congressional stroll down memory lane

2006-07-26T10:02:00.000-04:00

When the House and the Senate come to some kind of a compromise on a law, a conference report is published with all the details. As we prepare to say "don't let the door hit you on the way out" to the 109th Congress, the GPO has posted both sessions Conference Reports, which includes some great moments in legislation like the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, the USA Patriot Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005, and the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

sign here

2006-07-24T15:14:00.000-04:00

When the president signs a bill into law, it is sometimes customary that he includes a little message to go along with it: a signing statement. They don't become part of the law, but are findable on the GPO's electronic version of the Weekly Comp (just put "signing statement" in the search box).

This is a presidential privilege that kind of functions like having the last word. It's used more by some than others, particularly the current administration, it seems, to a degree that the custom was not intended. So... the American Bar Association issued a task force to determine the constitutionality of this practice: the Task Force on Presidential Signing Statements and the Separation of Powers Doctrine. Download the PDF of the task force's recommendations, or attend the ABA's annual meeting in Honolulu next month.

stem cell

2006-07-20T11:09:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, the president vetoed HR 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005.

Read Bush's veto as published in the Daily Digest, and all actions on the bill, as well as how each rep voted on Thomas.

9/11 Commission Report becomes a Comic Book

2006-07-17T11:35:00.000-04:00

It happens quite often with government documents... since they are in the public domain, there is a tendency to repackage the information found within the items and sell them for a fee. Sometimes, with databases like Lexis-Nexis Congressional (which is now available through Aladin!), it actually makes the information easier to find. With the case of a new version of the report released by the 9/11 Commission, a republishing might actually make it easier to comprehend. The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation by two greats of the comic industry, Sid Jacobson (who created Richie Rich) and Ernie Colon (he drew Richie Rich and Casper). It will be available next month from Hill & Wang.

protecting the assets

2006-07-14T14:30:00.000-04:00

What's does the Hoover Dam, METRO, and a high stakes bingo palour have in common? Well, according to the National Asset Database, these are places that the DHS is concentrating on protecting from terrorist activity. This report details how it's all coming along. It's good to know that those keeping us safe are treating petting zoos and national monuments the same.

"it's a series of tubes"

2006-07-11T16:32:00.000-04:00

The above title is a direct quote from Senator Ted Stevens' explanation of his vote on a recent net neutraility bill last month. While his written testimony gives some hint of his perception of the internet, it's his comments published by wired.com that are incredibly intriguing. It seems the Senator from Alaska feels that his own personal internet is getting tangled up with people who are watching ten movies at a time, and that the internet is not a truck, it's a series of tubes, and the Defense department has their own Internet "because they have to have theirs delivered immediately. They can't afford getting delayed by other people."

there oughta be a law...

2006-07-07T09:38:00.000-04:00

The Law Librarian's Society of Washington DC has created a website called the LLSDC's Legislative Source Book, with a page all for laws related to federal agency operations. The interface is a little too simple, and kind of suggests that you should know what you're looking at before you look at it. Still, if you're wanting lots of information all in one place, this is as good as it gets. Examples of laws and bills featured: the E-Government Act of 2002, the Sunshine Act of 1976, and the Freedom of Information Act.

GovDocs in SecondLife

2006-07-05T15:53:00.002-04:00

The MMORG Second Life (think World of Warcraft without so much of the Dungeons and Dragons) is in the process of building an on-line virtual library for those avatars who want a little education mixed in with their gaming. One of the stories in the brand new, ten-story building that sits upon info island is exclusive to government documents. It's maintained by Alaskan Nighbor, a.k.a. Daniel Cornwall, a GovDocs librarian in Alaska (of course!). So if you happen to be "in-world" fly on up ton the sixth floor for a looksee.

hurricanes by the numbers

2006-06-29T11:52:00.000-04:00

Earlier this month, the Census Bureau released Hurricane Data and Emergency Preparedness, an electronic resource showing the impact of last year's storms. This source includes estimates of the population of the affected areas, and compares the data to the 2005 American Community Survey.

check out my stat abs!

2006-06-19T09:46:00.000-04:00

The Census Bureau has taken my beloved favorite, the Statistical Abstract of the United States into the 21st Century!

The home page for this source, subtitled The National Data Book, has gotten a facelift to include more web-friendly navigation (note the side menu of categories) and even excel files to download. These improvements are only applied to the most recent edition (2006), which means you might could create a real pretty pie chart displaying Household Pet Ownership in 2001, but you couldn't create a chart to assess trends in pet ownership over a decade or so unless you wanted to plug in the numbers yourself.

Of cousre, the best use of this amazing source is by browsing the print... the most recent edition lives on the Ready Reference shelf (sandwiched in between the Reference and Circulation desks) and on the fourth floor of Gelman under the call number HA205 .A51.

because a duck may be somebody's mother

2006-06-15T15:19:00.000-04:00

Brand spankin' new today! Google announces that they've launched a new U.S. Government Search!

But really, how new is it?

Not so new, really. Some of you might be familiar with Google/Unclesam, which the company hasn't really done a whole lot to promote. It searches across federal and state government websites, along with agencies and other "selected" pages. This seems to be the same M.O. for this new fangled search, so I tested it. I generically searched for "immigration bill" and you know what happened? I got the same exact results from both engines.

So what's the deal? Is Google just recycling an underused engine, or do they really mean to do something different? And also, what's the difference between this and FirstGov's Clustered search powered by Vivisimo?

And more importantly, it just begs for me to point out that it's not really so much about the search engine, but about what data government agencies are making available on their websites. These entities are notoriously stingy with what they make available electronically. It's what I call "the love you make is equal to the love you take" theory of information dissemination. If the agencies actually want us to find stuff, first, they gotta get it out there!

100 Years of Consumer Spending

2006-06-14T16:45:00.000-04:00

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has just released 100 Years of U.S. Consumer Spending: Data for the Nation, New York City, and Boston, a report with some fantastic data about life in America (full disclosure: I'm thanked in the acknowlegements!). This time, the writers of the report took a longitudinal approach to incorporate significant events in time and effects on demographics and the economy.

2005 Report on Religious Freedom

2006-06-05T11:31:00.001-04:00

The House of Representatives' Committee on International Relations relased this report in April, which is a country-by-country tally of religious freedom. Appendicies include an overview of U.S. refugee policy, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Department of Homeland Security's stance on the International Religious Freedom Act.

for the journalist in all of us

2006-06-01T14:59:00.000-04:00

Loyal Govdocs@Gelman reader Heidi Glenn alerted us to the Senate Periodical Press Gallery. Designed for reporters who cover the Senate, it's a one-stop for daily events and conferences and all sorts of things that make the press drool (like contact information for press secretaries!)... put on your scoop hat and get to it!

Meausring Stability and Security in Iraq

2006-06-01T09:53:00.000-04:00

The May edition of Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq, was just released by the Department of Defense. This report features charts and graphs, some depicting election turn out and the growth of electoral participation. Other reports can be found here.

global warming

2006-05-30T20:39:00.000-04:00

The U.S. Climate Change Science Program just relased the first of hopefully more "interpreted products" (meaning that it does not reflect policies, just the facts ma'am): Temperature Trends in the Lower Atmosphere: Steps for Understanding and Reconciling Differences. Downloadable all in one swoop as an 180-page PDF; or, as individual sections and chapters. Notable features include a glossary and acronyms section so you can impress your friends with your knowledge of the technical side when you go see Al Gore's new movie.

S.2611 makes its way through the Senate

2006-05-26T11:15:00.000-04:00

Last night, the Senate passed S.2611: A bill to provide for comprehensive immigration reform and for other purposes.

There were 62 yays, 36 nays, and 2 Senators who didn't vote. For the breakdown by vote, party, and state, go here.

Homeland Security Digital Library

2006-05-22T13:52:00.000-04:00

The Department of Homeland Security has released an electronic library of sorts, or at least a portal for information for policy issues. It requires a log-in (no gmail or yahoo, please-- you need to prove your academic or professional need for the material), but once you're there, it's free! And, it utilizes a pretty fancy cross-database search engine called SeekOnce (based on a really cool National Library of Medicine developed tool called ToxSeek), which allows you to search in more than once place all at once (get it-- Seek Once?!). Some of the HSDL's functions are available without the log-in,

A review of the library can be found here.

No hablo Ingles

2006-05-19T13:26:00.000-04:00

Lots of immigration action on the Senate floor yesterday, including this amendment submitted by Ken Salazar (D-CO) to ammend the immigration bill to include English as the country's national language and some redesign of the citizenship test.

From the Congressional Record (links to key documents provided by me):

SA 4067. Mr. SALAZAR submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 2611, to provide for comprehensive immigration reform and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: §161. Declaration of English

English is the common language of the United States that helps provide unity for the people of the United States. §162. Preserving and enhancing the role of the national language

The Government of the United States shall preserve and enhance the role of English as the national language of America. Unless otherwise authorized or provided for by law, no person has a legal entitlement to services authorized or provided for by the Federal Government in any language other than English.

(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.--A The table of chapters for title 4, United States Code, is amended by adding at the Language of the Government of the United States.

Section 767. Requirements for Naturalization

(a) FINDINGS.--The Senate makes the following findings:

a. Under United States law (8 USC 1423 (a)), lawful permanent residents of the United States who have immigrated from foreign countries must, among other requirements, demonstrate an understanding of the English language, United States history and Government, to become citizens of the United States.

b. The Department of Homeland Security is currently conducting a review of the testing process used to ensure prospective United States citizens demonstrate said knowledge of the English language and United States history and government for the purpose of redesigning said test.

(b) DEFINITIONS.--for purposes of this section only, the following words are defined:

(1) KEY DOCUMENTS.--The term `key documents' means the documents that established or explained the foundational principles of democracy in the United States, including the United States Constitution and the amendments to the Constitution (particularly the bill of rights) Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers, and the Emancipation Proclamation.

(2) KEY EVENTS.--The term `key events' means the critical turning points in the history of the United States (including the American Revolution, the Civil War, the world wars of the twentieth century, the civil rights movement, and the major court decisions and legislation) that contributed to extending the promise of democracy in American life.

(3) KEY IDEAS.--The term `key ideas' means the ideas that shaped the democratic institutions and heritage of the United States, including the notion of equal justice under the law, freedom, individualism, human rights, and a belief in progress.

(4) KEY PERSONS.--The term `key persons' means the men and women who led the United States as founding fathers, elected officials, scientists, inventors, pioneers, advocates of equal rights, entrepreneurs, and artists.

(c) GOALS FOR CITIZENSHIP TEST REDESIGN.--The Department of Homeland Security shall establish as goals of the testing process designed to comply with provisions of [8 USC 1423 (a)] that prospective citizens:

a. demonstrate a sufficient understanding of the English language for usage in everyday life;

b. demonstrate an understanding of American common values and traditions, including the principles of the Constitution of the United States, the Pledge of Allegiance, respect for the flag of the United States, the National Anthem, and voting in public elections;

c. demonstrate an understanding of the history of the United States, including the key events, key persons, key ideas, and key documents that shaped the institutions and democratic heritage of the United States; and

d. demonstrate an attachment to the principles of the Constitution of the United States and the well being and happiness of the people of the United States; and

e. demonstrate an understanding of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in the United States.

(d) IMPLEMENTATION.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall implement changes to the testing process designed to ensure compliance with [8 U.S.C. 1423(a)] not later than January 1, 2008.

In the News

2006-05-17T15:42:00.000-04:00

According to OMB Watch, Congress is about to vote on legislation that would change the reporting schedule and what actually gets reported for the EPA's Toxic Release Inventory Public Data Report (click for the 2004 Report, the most recent edition), and read the whole appropriations bill here.

Yesterday was a big day for immigration legislation

2006-05-16T11:14:00.000-04:00

The Senate began consideration of bill the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 (S.2611) and took a few actions on it. Read the debate as it appears in the Congressional Record here. And read the President's prime time speech here.

Thermy Thermometer

2006-05-16T10:56:00.000-04:00

The wonderful folks at Evergreen State College have just released a new website featuring scans of coloring books published by government agencies: http://www.evergreen.edu/library/govdocs/coloringbooks.html

I highly recommend the Food Saftey Mobile Coloring Book.

a must read before summer break

2006-05-12T14:20:00.000-04:00

The White House, along with the Department of Homeland Security, has released the National Strategy for Pandemic Influence Implementation Plan. This link will take you to a 233 page PDF of what to do in case of an outbreak of Bird Flu.

Spies Like Us

2006-05-09T11:24:00.000-04:00

Michael V. Haden, Bush's new nominee to head the C.I.A., is the chief architect for the NSA's wiretapping project. The 2005 report of this project was recently released, and you can read all about it here: http://www.uscourts.gov/wiretap05/contents.html.

Previous wiretap reports are also online.

Happy Birthday, America's Highways!

2006-05-03T10:24:00.000-04:00

The Eisenhower Interstate Highway System turns 50 next month, and to celebrate, The Federal Highway Administration has created a website! Lots of neat history about how we travel our great nation, and a really cool interactive road density map that shows the development of highways over the decades. And, maybe you'll want to play some of the songs from FHA's list of car/travel songs during your summer road trip!

Track that Legislation!

2006-05-02T13:04:00.000-04:00

Occasionally, non-government organizations will figure out a way to get government information out into the ether in a more efficient format than good old Uncle Sam. One such website is GovTrack.us, a site that provides access to info about bills and legislation that, according to creator Joshua Tauberer, is less biased than the media and less boring than C-SPAN. Information can be sent via email, RSS/ATOM feeds, or you can even embed code into your own website. Now that's some useful government!

Jane Jacobs Legacy in Action

2006-04-27T16:17:00.000-04:00

Legendary urban planner Jane Jacobs passed away earlier this week. She's most noted for her book Death and Life of Great American Cities (NA 9108 .J3, on the 5th floor of Gelman) and for her activisim during Robert Moses' reign on New York City.

To see her legacy in action, read about the Federal Transit Administration's Livable Communities Initiative.