ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY LIBRARY NETWORK

CONTENTS

PREFACE

WHY GAO DID THIS STUDY*

WHAT GAO RECOMMENDS

WHAT GAO FOUND

ABBREVIATIONS

RESULTS IN BRIEF

BACKGROUND

SOME LIBRARIES INDEPENDENTLY DECIDEDTO CLOSE, REDUCE THEIR HOURS, OR TAKEOTHER ACTIONS, BUT THE FINAL NETWORKCONFIGURATION IS STILL UNCERTAIN

SOME LIBRARIES INDEPENDENTLY DECIDED TO CLOSE, ANDOTHERS REDUCED THEIR HOURS OR CHANGED THE WAYTHAT THEY PROVIDED LIBRARY SERVICES

EACH EPA LIBRARY INDEPENDENTLY DECIDEDWHICH MATERIALS SHOULD BE SELECTED FORDIGITIZATION, DISPERSAL, OR DISPOSAL

EPA IS DRAFTING PROCEDURES FOR THELIBRARY NETWORK, AND THE NETWORK’SFINAL CONFIGURATION IS UNKNOWN

EPA DID NOT EFFECTIVELYJUSTIFY ITS DECISION TO REORGANIZEITS LIBRARY NETWORK

EPA DID NOT FULLY INFORM ORSOLICIT VIEWS FROM THE FULL RANGE OFSTAKEHOLDERS ON THE REORGANIZATIONBUT IS NOW INCREASING ITSOUTREACH EFFORTS

EPA DID NOT ADEQUATELY INFORM STAKEHOLDERS

EPA LACKED AN AGENCYWIDECOMMUNICATION STRATEGY, AND THE EXTENT TOWHICH IT INVOLVED EPA STAFF AND STAKEHOLDERSTO OBTAIN THEIR VIEWS WAS LIMITED

EPA DID NOT SOLICIT THE VIEWS OF EXPERTS

EPA LACKS A STRATEGY TO ENSURECONTINUITY OF LIBRARY SERVICES ANDDOES NOT KNOW WHETHER ITSACTIONS HAVE IMPAIRED ACCESS TOENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION

EPA DOES NOT HAVE A STRATEGY TO ENSURE THECONTINUITY OF LIBRARY SERVICES

EPA MADE SEVERAL CHANGES THAT MAY HAVEIMPAIRED THE PROVISION OF MATERIALS AND SERVICES

EPA PROGRAM OFFICES ARE RESPONSIBLEFOR FUNDING THEIR LIBRARIES ANDTHEIR REORGANIZATION THROUGHTHEIR SUPPORT BUDGETS

CONCLUSIONS

RECOMMENDATIONS FOREXECUTIVE ACTION

APPENDIX I: OBJECTIVES, SCOPE,AND METHODOLOGY

APPENDIX II: KEY PRACTICES ANDIMPLEMENTATION STEPS FOR EFFECTIVEMERGERS AND ORGANIZATIONALTRANSFORMATIONS

APPENDIX III: COMMENTS FROM THEENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

REFERENCES

INDEX