[AAACE-NLA]Opposing proposed changes to ERIC

[Gail Spangenberg]

George, David, and others -- The more I think about this, the more I 
realize  that the universities (which house most of the ERIC regional 
components), the NEA, and other national education organizations 
should weigh in.  This "minimizing" or loss of the ERIC system (the 
Library of Congress of the adult education and literacy field) would 
set the field back decades.  The field already suffers from lack of 
comparable, meaningful state-level data to enable effective state, 
local, and national planning, and without electronic and paper access 
to carefully-organized and assessed materials at ERIC, we'll be left 
with precious little, ironically at the very time when the 
administration is calling for more "evidence-based" research.  Some 
parts of the field, now apparently being dismantled, can be put back 
together at some future date,   But the loss or major dimunition of 
ERIC would be rather like the fall of Humpty Dumpty -- it couldn't be 
put back together again.  Gail S


>Hello George and others,
>
>As you requested, George, below is a copy of a letter I sent to 
>Senator Kennedy.  It is short, and to the point. I drew heavily from 
>information which was posted by Debra Hargrove on the AALPD list. I 
>sent similar letters to Kerry and Capuano, and a different letter to 
>Rod Paige. It only takes a few minutes to do this, but we must not 
>let ERIC -- or LINCS -- be dismantled.
>
>All the best,
>
>David
>
>David J. Rosen
>
>---------------------
>
>
>The Honorable Edward Kennedy
>Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
>315 Russell Senate Office Building
>Washington, DC 20510
>
>April 21, 2003
>
>Dear Senator Kennedy:
>
>As an educator who frequently uses the Education Resources Information
>Clearinghouse (ERIC) I am distressed to learn that the U.S. Department
>of Education has issued a draft plan for a "New ERIC" system which
>eliminates all 16 Clearinghouses and their services and proposes a
>dramatic change in the content of the ERIC database.
>
>I understand that the plan for the "New ERIC" makes the following changes:
>
>- Closes all 16 ERIC Clearinghouses
>- Eliminates personalized reference and referral services
>- Terminates AskERIC and clearinghouse question-answering services
>- Ends all networking and outreach activities, including ERIC-sponsored
>     electronic lists
>- Shuts down Clearinghouse Web sites currently visited by 22.5 million
>     unique  visitors  a year
>- Eliminates ERIC Digests, books, and other synthesis publications
>- Reduces coverage of the journal literature from 1100 journals to an
>     estimated 400
>- Restricts consumer access to information, limiting ERIC database
>coverage to "approved lists" of journals and document contributors
>
>I urge you to oppose this plan and to keep the ERIC system - one of
>the most valuable resources for educators who wish to leave no family
>behind  -- as it is.
>
>Thank you very much
>
>Sincerely,
>
>
>
>David  J. Rosen, Ed.D.
>7 Newsome Park
>Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
>02130
>
>
>
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-- 
Gail Spangenberg
President
Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy
1221 Avenue of the Americas - 50th Floor
New York, NY 10020
212-512-2362, fax 212-512-2610