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TARP Bailout Information
The "Troubled Assets Relief Program" (TARP) (Public Law 110-343, 122 STAT. 3765, DOCID: f:publ343.110) is the financial "bailout." ProPublica has a lot of useful information on the bailout:
- Map: Show Me the TARP Money
- Show Me the TARP Money (a running count of the TARP $700 billion funds, updated regularly. includes Amount, Date, Bank Name, Background Profile.)
- Continuing Coverage
- RSS feed
- Bailout Widget you can put on your site.
Reauthorization of the E-Government Act on Hold
Attempts to reauthorize the E-Government Act of 2002 (116 Stat. 2899, Public Law 107–347, Dec. 17 2002) are being held up, apparently because of an amendment that would require federal agencies to conduct privacy impact assessments before using outside contractors to manage personal information.
- Amendment likely to prevent e-gov act reauthorization, By Andrew Noyes, CongressDaily, 12/11/2008.
Library of Congress Issues Report on Its Flickr Project
Library of Congress Photos on Flickr. The Library of Congress has prepared a report on the results of the first nine months of it use of Flickr. The report: For the Common Good: The Library of Congress Flickr Pilot Project, by Michelle Springer, Beth Dulabahn, Phil Michel, Barbara Natanson, David Reser, David Woodward, and Helena Zinkham. October 30, 2008
This project significantly increased the reach of Library content and demonstrated the many kinds of creative interactions that are possible when people can access collections within their own Web communities. The contribution of additional information to thousands of photographs was invaluable. Performance measures documented in this report illustrate how the project has been successful in achieving the objectives and desired outcomes of the Library’s strategic goals. The Flickr project increases awareness of the Library and its collections; sparks creative interaction with collections; provides LC staff with experience with social tagging and Web 2.0 community input; and provides leadership to cultural heritage and government communities.Near the end of the report, the authors quote some of the typical fears about projects like this and say that experience has not borne out the concerns of critics.
At the start of the pilot, critics pointed out several risks often expressed as questions. Experience so far has not borne out their concerns. The skeptics wondered: Would the public conversation contribute to a better understanding of the photos or would fan mail, false memories, fake facts, and uncivil discourse obscure knowledge? Would a public-commercial partnership undermine the Library’s reputation for impartiality? Would the Library lose control of its collections? Would library catalogs and catalogers become obsolete? Would the need to moderate and respond to comments overwhelm all other work? Would history be dumbed-down? Would photographs be disrespected or exploited? Would entire collections be welcome or would selection of safe content border on censorship of historical information?This is an interesting, well done report with specific details that should be useful to others thinking about how to expand their library services. Continue reading
Atlas of True Names
Break time! If you work with government information in a library, you probably also either work with maps or work with someone who does. So, you may be interested in The Atlas of True Names, which "reveals the etymological roots, or original meanings, of the familiar terms on today's maps of the World and Europe." Even if you are not a map librarian, you may be interested in this book if you are a science fiction fan (see True Names by Vernor Vinge) or religious, or a fan of Tolkien. Anyway, enjoy, and check out the map! Continue reading
State Dept: Crisis in the “Foreign Relations” Series
State Dept: Crisis in the “Foreign Relations” Series, by Steven Aftergood, Secrecy News, December 11, 2008. Steven reports on a recent meeting at the State Department in which the chairman of the Department’s Historical Advisory Committee warned that the future of the Department’s Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) series is in jeopardy due to mismanagement by the Office of the Historian and announced his resignation from the Committee. William Roger Louis also said in a written analysis that "This year alone the office has lost 20% of its FRUS staff (7 of 35 members) and 30% of its FRUS staff experience (64 of 212 years)." Steven has links to the analysis and other related documents. Continue reading
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