[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 73 (Monday, April 15, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16470-16471]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-8753]



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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

National Library of Education Advisory Task Force; Meeting

AGENCY: National Library of Education Advisory Task Force, Education.

ACTION: Notice to solicit public comments.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary solicits written public comment on the 
development of the National Library of Education, authorized under Part 
E of the Educational Research, Development, Dissemination, and 
Improvement Act of 1994 (Act). Comments will be used to help the 
National Library of Education Advisory Task Force make recommendations 
to the Assistant Secretary regarding the activities that the National 
Library of Education will carry out, as well as establish priorities 
for its future work.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 15, 1996.

ADDRESSES: All comments concerning this notice, as well as requests for 
copies of Part E of the Act, should be addressed to Dr. E. Stephen 
Hunt, National Library of Education, Room 203, 555 New Jersey Avenue, 
NW., Washington, DC 20208-5523. Comments on this notice may also be 
sent in facsimile format to the facsimile transmission telephone number 
(202) 219-1970, and to the Internet electronic mail address stephen 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: E. Stephen Hunt, National Library of 
Education, Room 203, 555 New Jersey Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20208-
5523. Telephone: (202) 219-1882; fax: (202) 219-1970; Internet 
electronic mail address: [email protected]. Individuals who use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8:00 a.m. 
and 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 13, 1994, President Clinton signed 
Public Law 103-227, which contains the Educational Research, 
Development, Dissemination, and Development Act of 1994. That Act, 
under Part E, Section 951, authorizes the National Library of Education 
(20 U.S.C. 6051). Part E, Section 951 (h) of the Act creates the 
National Library of Education Advisory Task Force (Task Force), a 
temporary Federal advisory committee charged with preparing a set of 
recommendations on the establishment and development of the National 
Library of Education for presentation to the Assistant Secretary for 
the Office of Educational Research and Improvement.
    The mission of the National Library of Education as defined by law 
is to: (1) Become a principal center for the collection, preservation, 
and effective utilization of the research and other information related 
to education and to the improvement of educational achievement; (2) 
strive to ensure widespread access to the Library's facilities and 
materials, coverage of all education issues and subjects, and quality 
control; (3) have an expert library staff; and (4) use modern 
information technology that holds the potential to link major 
libraries, schools, and educational centers across the United States 
into a network of national education resources. Among the statutory 
functions of the National Library of Education are: (1) Providing a 
central location within the Federal Government for information about 
education; (2) providing comprehensive reference services on matters 
related to education to employees of the Department of Education and 
its contractors and grantees, other Federal employees, and members of 
the public; and (3) promoting greater cooperation and resource sharing 
among providers and repositories of education information in the United 
States.
    The statute requires that the National Library of Education create 
and operate a ``one-stop information and referral service'' to respond 
to telephonic, mail, electronic, and other inquiries from the public 
that will provide information on programs, activities, products, 
publications, and statistics available from the Office of Educational 
Research and Improvement, the National Center for Education Statistics, 
the Regional Education Laboratories and National Research Institutes 
and associated Centers, the ERIC Clearinghouses, the national education 
dissemination system, other offices of the Department of Education, 
education related publications produced by other Federal departments 
and agencies, and referrals to additional sources of information and 
expertise outside the Federal Government, both public and private. A 
toll-free telephone number shall be part of the information and 
referral service.
    Among the reference and research services that the National Library 
of Education is required to provide, either alone or in cooperation 
with other major libraries and archives, are: specialized subject 
searches, search and retrieval of electronic databases, document 
delivery by mail and facsimile transmission, research counseling, 
bibliographic instruction, user training, interlibrary loan services, 
selective dissemination of information services, information and 
resource sharing networks, a national union list of education journals 
held by U.S. education libraries, directories and indexes to 
specialized subject collections throughout the United States related to 
education, and cooperative efforts to preserve and maintain

[[Page 16471]]

accessible collections of valuable historical materials.
    As required by law, the National Library of Education has already 
developed a preliminary collection development policy which will be 
refined in conjunction with the recommendations of the Task Force. 
Plans for completing the cataloging of arrearage in the former 
Education Research Library collection and for the preservation of 
historical materials are also being formulated in cooperation with the 
Task Force.
    The Task Force is charged with developing a plan to implement 
requirements stated in the law. In addition, it is expressly 
authorized, at its discretion, to ``identify other activities and 
functions for the Library to carry out, except that such functions 
shall not be carried out until the Library is established'' and has 
implemented the requirements expressly stated for it in Section 951 of 
the Act.
    In seeking public comment, the National Library of Education 
Advisory Task Force and the Assistant Secretary for Educational 
Research and Improvement are committed to fulfilling the requirements 
of the law authorizing the National Library of Education and to 
developing a world-class education library providing useful and high-
quality electronic and traditional information services to the American 
people. The Office of Educational Research and Improvement and the 
National Library of Education are also committed to supporting 
Executive Order 12862, Setting Customer Service Standards, which 
provides that the Federal Government be ``customer driven.'' To 
delivery the highest quality service, the National Library of Education 
and its Advisory Task Force must understand the needs and interests of 
the Library's customers and how it can be most responsive to them.

Invitation to Comment

    Interested persons are invited to submit comments and 
recommendations regarding this notice.
    All comments and recommendations will be available for public 
inspection, during and after the comment period, in Room 202, 80 F 
Street, NW., Washington, DC between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 
p.m. Monday through Friday of each week except Federal holidays.
Sharon P. Robinson,
Assistant Secretary, for Educational Research and Improvement.
[FR Doc. 96-8753 Filed 4-12-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-M