[Asis-l] NSB's flawed Infrastructure Report

[Albert Henderson]

Are science libraries part of science? 

The National Science Board Seeks Comment on its report titled

	"Science and Engineering Infrastructure for the 21st 
	Century, the Role of the National Science Foundation."  

The Board welcomes comments on this report by January 9.

The report asserts:

	"A number of themes emerged from the diverse input 
	received. Foremost among them was that, over the past 
	decade, the funding for academic research 
	infrastructure has not kept pace with rapidly changing 
	technology, expanding research opportunities, and 
	increasing numbers of users."

Too true! Unfortunately, the report fails to recognize libraries 
(other than digital and data libraries) as a part of research 
infrastructure! 

Are science libraries part of science? 

The law establishing the National Science Foundation sought" to 
foster the interchange of scientific and engineering information 
among scientists and engineers in the United States and foreign 
countries.

In 1975, NSF was subjected to Congressional criticism by a special 
subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare. 
Nonetheless, for the last 30 years it has not addressed the 
effectiveness of academic libraries in support of research 
authorship and peer review. 

Are science libraries part of science? 

Isn't it about time information scientists spoke up?

The report can be viewed at the following site:
http://www.nsf.gov/nsb/documents/2002/nsb02190/nsb02190.htm

The closing date for comments is January 9, 2003.  
Write to nsb-inf at nsf.gov

Albert Henderson
Former Editor, PUBLISHING RESEARCH QUARTERLY 1994-2000
<70244.1532 at compuserve.com>