Contributing Editors

  • Anne Bardolph
    Acquisitions Librarian
    email

    Pat Bingham-Harper
    Cataloging Librarian
    email

    Margaret Clark
    Reference Librarian
    email

    Marin Dell
    Reference Librarian
    email

    Elizabeth Farrell
    Reference Librarian
    email

    Robin Gault
    Associate Director
    email

    Faye Jones
    Professor and Director of Law Library
    email

    Jon Lutz
    Electronic Services Librarian
    email

    Mary McCormick
    Assistant Director for Public Services
    email

    Trisha Simonds
    Reference Libriarian
    email

May 2008

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CVM and Animal Cloning

On animal cloning, the FDA has issued a report that concludes that meat and milk from cow, pig and goat clones and the offspring of any animal clones, are safe.Cowpiggoat_3

The FDA has produced a report titled: Animal Cloning: A Risk Assessment. (This document is 968 pages long and may take several minutes to download.)
More information can be found on the FDA cloning web site here.

Posted by Jon Lutz

 

Cloned Livestock Poised To Receive FDA Clearance

According to a Wall Street Journal online report the FDA is getting ready to declare that milk and meat from cloned animals is safe to eat.

Read the article here.

Posted by Jon Lutz

Battle Looms Over EPA Library Closure

From the Humanities and Social Sciences Net Online:

BATTLE LOOMS OVER EPA LIBRARY CLOSURE
The battle in Washington is escalating over a move by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to close its nationwide network
of scientific libraries.  EPA began closing some of its regional branch
libraries and one at its Washington, D.C. headquarters earlier this
fall.  The agency is not only closing the facilities, but also has
reportedly begun to destroy documents or shipped them to repositories
where they are uncataloged and inaccessible to EPA employees,
scientists, and the general public.  In addition, EPA has authorized
the U.S. General Services Administration to begin selling off library
equipment.

This week, four Democrats who will likely chair key House committees in
the 110th Congress sent what amounted to a cease and desist letter to
EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson urging him to halt the library
closures.  In the letter, Ranking Members Reps. Bart Gordon (D-TN),
John Dingell (D-MI), Henry A. Waxman (D-CA) and James Oberstar (D-MN) expressed their serious concerns over the current implementation of "library reorganization" plans and the "destruction or disposition" of library holdings.  "It is imperative that the valuable government information maintained by the EPA's libraries be preserved," wrote the Ranking Members.

In September, the four Democrats asked the Government Accountability
Office to initiate an investigation of the impact of EPA's proposed
library closures.  They want Johnson to halt his reorganization until
the GAO issues its report.  The closure of the libraries was included
in the administrations' proposed FY 2007 budget for EPA.  The
initiative is estimated to save EPA $2 million annually.  However,
since the federal government is operating under a continuing
resolution, Congress has not technically signed off on the proposed cuts.

Read it online here.

Plus, from Mary McCormick a link to the EPA FY 2007 Library Plan: National Framework for the Headquarters and Regional Libraries.

Posted by Jon Lutz

Whistleblower Program Needs Improvement

Whistleblowers act in many cases as the publics first line of defense against wrongful conduct of public officials.  But a recent audit overseen by the Office of Financial Management for the State of Washington suggests that a lack of follow through and an inability to protect whistleblowers weakened the program.  Read the report here.

Posted by Jon Lutz

Striking a Balance: Drug Labeling and the FDA

Today's pharamaceutical warning labels contain little useful information for consumers; rather, they attempt to over-warn of every potential side effect so as to protect manufacturers from getting sued.  A new Food and Drug Administration labeling rule could provide better information to consumers and prevent hyperactive litagation.  An American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research publication.  Read the whole essay here.

Posted by Jon Lutz