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

[David J. Rosen]

David, Fran and others,

I have contacted Senators Kennedy and Kerry and Congressman Capuano as 
well as Secretary of Education, Rod Paige, to urge that ERIC -- which 
provides such important services to all educators -- not be changed.  I 
urge others to make this a priority, too.

David J. Rosen

David Collings wrote:

>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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