Data lost in rush to close libraries.

• Author: Swartz, Nikki
• Position: UP FRONT: News, Trends & Analysis

Facing massive budget cuts, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2006 decided to close some of its physical research libraries and make the data available online instead. However, in its haste to do so, the EPA may have lost some files, according to government auditors.

Testifying before the House Science and Technology Committee's Investigations and Oversight Committee, Government Accountability Office (GAO) auditors said the EPA's push to digitize its libraries led to hasty closings, which lawmakers criticized.

"No library should be closed until its holdings have been effectively catalogued, evaluated, and digitized," said subcommittee Chairman Brad Miller (D-N.C.).

Molly O'Neill, the EPA's assistant administrator for the Office of Environmental Information (OEI) and chief information officer, testified that most of the information should currently be accessible and that any lost files most likely have redundant copies somewhere in the library network.

"Where we had journals and copies in other locations, they were tagged for recycling and offered up to other libraries," she said.

However, the GAO disagreed and argued that poor planning has caused confusion about the location of some files.

"We don't know if they've thrown out materials. Ms. O'Neill doesn't know if they threw out materials because EPA never made an inventory of the materials," said John Stephenson, director of natural resources and environment at the GAO.

Stephenson said OEI budget cuts were...