It is my understanding that the ERIC Clearinghouses are slated for closure=
=20
because the current administration is seeking to consolidate the work of=20
building the ERIC database in a single place (Washington DC). Currently,=20
the ERIC Clearinghouses publish ERIC Digests, resource lists, etc. The=20
publishing function will not continue. Some of that has already taken=20
place. ERIC Digests used to be available on the US Education website, but=20
they are no longer available there. Each individual clearinghouse still has=
=20
a website and still makes them available.
An announcement on March 26th indicated there would be a place for public=20
comment on the program being developed to replace the 16 Clearinghouses.=20
This "Draft Statement of Work" was posted on April 10th, along with a=20
second announcement that people could submit comments to Jeff Halsted via=20
e-mail: Jeff.C.Halsted@ed.gov by May 9, 2003, 4:00 PM EST.
I use ERIC digests published in the various clearinghouses extensively in=20
my teaching. They are a valuable resource that is going to disappear. And,=
=20
I have additional concerns about the scope of documents that will be=20
entered into the database once this new program is in place. These concerns=
=20
are based on the administration's narrow emphasis on standards and=20
empirical research.
I hate to see the Rural Clearinghouse go down, because it is the one that=20
tends to publish material on Native Americans.
Isn't this listserv (LM-NET) maintained by one of the ERIC Clearinghouses?!=
=20
I've no doubt the many lists maintained by ERIC staff would also go away.
I used to work for ERIC several years ago, as one of those people in the=20
AskERIC system. Individuals trained to do this learn early on that the list=
=20
of citations provided to the requester must be a balanced set that include=
=20
articles from a pro and a con point of view on whatever the topic happened=
=20
to be. The ERIC database currently casts a wide net that allows ERIC to=20
provide people with a range of perspectives. I believe having 16=20
Clearinghouses meant a wide range of perspective was likely. With a=20
centralized system, I fear that the net will turn into one of those little=
=20
ones we use in household aquariums, and the end---information=20
dissemination---will be narrow.
I invite everyone on the list to submit public comments to Halsted by May=20
9th. Librarians have proven, in the past, that they are a force to be=20
reckoned with. Again, his address is: Jeff.C.Halsted@ed.gov.
The website with the announcements and work statement is=20
http://www1.eps.gov/spg/ED/OCFO/CPO/Reference-Number-ERIC2003/listing.html
Debbie Reese
____________________________________________________
Debbie Reese, (Namb=E9 Pueblo), Ph.D.
Post Doctoral Research Associate
Department of Educational Policy Studies
Committee on Native American Programs
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
360 Education Building, MC 708
1310 South Sixth Street
Champaign, IL 61820-6990
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