[AAACE-NLA]FW: [NIFL-COALITION:930] ERIC: MUCH more than a database!

[David Collings]

Please consider contacting the U.S. Dept. of Ed. about this matter.

David Collings

-----Original Message-----
From: nifl-coalition at nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-coalition at nifl.gov] On Behalf
Of Frances Keenan
Sent: Friday, April 18, 2003 5:32 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [NIFL-COALITION:930] ERIC: MUCH more than a database!



I just learned something alarming. 

The ERIC clearinghouse system, established in 1966 and supported since
then by your tax dollars administered by the U.S. Department of
Education, is at risk of being shut down by the U.S. Department of
Education. This week, the department has proposed to continue ERIC as a
database--but to do away with the comprehensive information and referral
services and high quality peer-reviewed educational publishing handled
now by 16 clearinghouses around the country.

Instead of having access to a reliable distributed system staffed by
human beings with subject expertise, teachers, parents, and students--as
well as other professionals and the general public--will have to make do
with just the technology--a database. 

Please read the information below and if what you read here concerns
you, submit your comments on this proposal to the U.S. Department of
Education by May 9th to Jeff Halsted at the address below. Contact your
representatives in the government at the same time.

If you are not familiar with ERIC's system of clearinghouses here's a
link. http://www.eric.ed.gov/ 
If the ERIC system has helped you as an educator, now is the time to let
the Department of Education and your lawmakers know!

Sincerely,

Fran Keenan
PBS Adult Learning Service
fkeenan at pbs.org

p.s. Feel free to cross post this message to other education lists!
Thanks.

-------------------------------------------------------
from the website of the ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management:

All ERIC Clearinghouses are in the final year of their 5-year contracts.
The U.S. Department of Education has released a draft RFP (request for
proposals) that outlines the scope of work for the ERIC system beginning
January 2004. According to the draft, all Clearinghouses will be
eliminated, and their indexing and abstracting functions will be
centralized. 

All Clearinghouse's website, publications programs, and user-support
services will cease to exist as of January 2004. The new contractor will
launch a new website with a bibliographic and full-text database search
engine 
You may view the draft RFP during a public-comment period that ends May
9, 2003, at: 

http://www.eps.gov/spg/ED/OCFO/CPO/Reference%2DNumber%2DERIC2003/listing
.html 

You may address comments to: 

Jeff Halsted, Contract Specialist 
E-mail: Jeff.C.Halsted at ed.gov 
Telephone: (202) 708-8283 
Fax: (202) 708-9817 
U.S. Mail: U.S. Department of Education 
Contracts and Purchasing Operations 
Regional Office Building, Room 3069 
7th and D Streets, SW 
Washington, DC, 20202 

Fran Keenan
PBS Adult Learning Service
fkeenan at pbs.org




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