Alabama Library Association Government Documents Roundtable July 2020 Volume 3, Issue 2
GODORT Connection Moderator’s Corner What a mess! COVID-19 infections and deaths keep rising with Alabama, alas, being one of the “hot spots;” racial unrest embroils the country in the face of what seems like an endless series of white police officer killings of unarmed black men and women; our national politics continues to be polarized and angry, and the terrible economic fallout caused by the loss of over 40 million jobs due to the virus crisis is just beginning. Despite all of this, libraries and librarians continue to serve our patrons as we gradually reopen and/or continue to provide a whole host of services via electronic means. Government documents/government information is more important than ever as we all seek to understand our situation and do our best to function in “the new normal.” I am happy to report that the Alabama Library Association is in good financial condition and this includes GODORT. This helps make it possible for us to make plans for projects and initiatives. Consequently, as we now embark on another membership year, our round table, although small in numbers, will have a positive impact via the following plans and projects I hope we can accomplish. I’m hoping we can host one or two webinars in late 2020 and/or early 2021 as we have done in recent years. Thanks to Editor Kelly Wilson, we can look forward to the production of several issues of the GODORT Connection. The newsletter is one of our most valuable tools for helping our non-government documents colleagues in the Association understand just how useful and fascinating this field within librarianship really can be. If YOU are not yet a member of GODORT, please consider joining. You do NOT need to have a government documents background to join and participate. Whether or not the ALLA annual convention for 2021 is in-person or virtual or a combination, we will want to start planning a convention program before too long. I also plan to produce a brief item to send out via the AlaLA-L listserv perhaps a couple of times a month, relating to government documents. This will be rather informal and might be anything from a short history of a federal agency to a short piece on an unusual government document to the importance of government documents/information to our current realities mentioned above. The GODORT Note will be an additional way to help encourage ALLA member interest in government documents. It will not be a scholarly production, but I will strive for accuracy and, perhaps, occasionally, a little entertainment as well. Tim Dodge Auburn University
Emergency hospital during Influenza epidemic, Camp Funston, Kansas, circa 1918. Retrieved from Wikimedia Commons.
Inside this issue ALLA GODORT Steering Committee….….…….2 Book Review……………………………….......…3 Gov Docs and the Influenza Pandemic of 1918…..4 Changes…………………………...........................5 Race Riots & Covid-19 Resources………………..6
Officers
Tim Dodge, GODORT Moderator 2019 - 2020 He has been employed at Auburn University Libraries since 1992, starting out as a government documents reference librarian. Since 2000, he has been serving as History and since 2008 as Political Science Subject Specialist in the Reference Department at Auburn. Tim held previous positions as a special collections librarian and archivist, serials librarian, and reference librarian at the University of New Hampshire (twice) and at Barry University (Miami, Fla.). Tim has held numerous offices in the Alabama Library Association including President (2004-2005) and ModeratorElect and Moderator of GODORT in
1994-1996. He has also held numerous offices in the Alabama Association of College and Research Libraries including President (20002001 and 2008-2009), and is currently President of the Southeastern Library Association. Under the name Dr. Hepcat, Tim Dodge has hosted the Golden Oldies radio show on WEGL – Auburn FM 91.1 since May 1998. His radio career extends back to 1975, and Tim is the author of The School of Arizona Dranes: Gospel Music Pioneer (Lexington Books, 2013). He is also the author of Rhythm and Blues Goes Calypso (Lexington Books, 2019)
OPEN POSITION: GODORT Moderator-Elect, 20192020 We are currently looking for someone to volunteer for the Alabama Library Association’s GODORT Moderator-Elect position. According to the GODORT Bylaws, the official role of the Moderator-Elect is as follows: “The Moderator-elect shall perform the duties of the Moderator in the absence of the Moderator; shall be a member of the Steering Committee; shall be responsible for the program at
the annual meeting; shall serve as Membership Chairperson; and shall serve as an aide to the Moderator.” Furthermore, the Moderator-Elect takes part in the Steering Committee which provides leadership for the round table, which includes meeting regularly. For more information, please contact Tim Dodge at dodgeti@auburn.edu.
Rickey Best, GODORT Secretary 2019 - 2020 Rickey Best has been employed at Auburn University, Montgomery since 1986. He is also the contact for one of the two FDLP Alabama Regional depository libraries— AUM. He received his MLIS from the University of California, Berkeley in 1986. He also has a Masters of Arts degree in Historic Resources Management—Archives from the University of California, Riverside.
2
Book Review
By: Liza Weisbrod, Auburn University Brown, Christopher C. Mastering United States Government Information: Sources and Services. Santa Barbara, California: Libraries Unlimited, 2020. ISBN 978-1-4408-7250-1 (paperback), $75.00; 978-1-4408-7251-8 (ebook), $75.00-$225.00. Navigating government information sources can be an overwhelming task. Often, as document librarians, we are asked to be familiar with (and find) information of all sorts—legal materials, technical reports, legislation, statistics, maps, regulations, and more—on topics in a multitude of subjects. There is an old saying that the ‘U.S. government is the world’s largest publisher’ and, whether it’s true or not, there’s a lot of material to learn and understand. That is why Christopher Brown’s new book, Mastering United States Government Information, is so important. Brown, a documents librarian at the University of Denver, begins by defining how government information is structured, followed by a brief history of how government information has been disseminated over the years. The book is organized by the governmental entity that publishes the information, rather than by subject; for example, ‘Documents of the Presidency,’ ‘The Regulatory Process,’ ‘Statistical Sources (Not Including Census),’ ‘Economic Census and Related Business Data,’ are a few chapter titles. There is a terrific chapter on legislative histories and how to find them (even if your library doesn’t have the ProQuest Legislative Insight database), and information-filled chapters on finding statistics of all types, including the census. Each chapter can be read independently and can serve as a reference work to consult when you need a refresher in a particular area. Among the book’s strong points are the clear definitions of information sources. Publications like the Serial Set, the Code of Federal Regulations, the Census, and the different legislative materials are all carefully described along with their history and relationship to other publications. Brown provides several different ways that information can be found. He relies heavily on free resources like the HathiTrust, the Internet Archive, university databases, and governmental websites, while still including important commercial and subscription databases. He addresses one of the big pitfalls of online resources—link rot—in a practical way. To get around the problem of shifting URLs, he often provides a Google search, or the HathiTrust record number, for a particular document. Furnishing a Google search has the dual purpose of providing access to a specific document along with teaching the user an effective method of internet searching for government information. Rather than just providing a list of documents, the author provides strategies and tools to locate information. This approach should keep the book current longer than most works of this sort. Brown also provides helpful practice exercises at the end of every chapter.
Book cover image retrieved from https://products.abc-clio.com/abccliocorporate/product.aspx? pc=A6153P
Liza Weisbrod Music & Government Documents Librarian Auburn University
Mastering United States Government Information is filled with practical, clear, concise information about government resources. The book is well-written and readable and provides sensible advice about finding and using government information. While written for government document librarians, it is a great resource for any librarian who has occasion to work with government information. I highly recommend it for all public and academic librarians.
3
Government Documents and the Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1919 By Tim Dodge, Auburn University
The Public Health Service also produced at least three posters for public display. Much as the use of facemasks today, this 12.6” x 11.9” poster encourages the use of handkerchiefs when appearing in public.8
References 1. John M. Barry. The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History. New York: Viking. 2004, 171. 2. Ibid., 4 3. “Influenza Pandemic of 1918-19,” Britannica Academic, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 4 Mar. 2020 academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/aarticle/ influena-pandemic-of-191819/2537. Accessed 9 Jun. 2020 and Ibid., 450. 4. “Influenza a Probable Cause of Fever of Undetermined Nature in Southern States,” Public Health Reports, Vol. 33, No. 25 (June 21, 1918), 1003. 5. “Measures for the Prevention of the Introduction of Epidemic Influenza,” Public Health Reports, Vol. 33, No. 37 (Sept. 13, 1918), 1540-1544. 6. “Epidemic Influenza (‘Spanish Influenza’): Prevalence in the United States,” Public Health Reports, Vol. 33, No. 39 (Sept. 27, 1918), 16251626. 7. See “Epidemic Influenza: Prevalence in the United States,” “Equipping Emergency Hospitals,” “American Public Health Association Meeting Postponed,” and “Home Nursing Should Be Encouraged.” Public Health Reports, Vol. 33, No. 42 (October 18, 1918), 1763-1769. 8. Monthly Catalogue United States Public Documents, No. 287, (Nov. 1918), 243. 9. “Sure Cures for Influenza,” Public Health Reports, Vol. 33, No. 46 (Nov.8, 1918), 1932. 10.Ibid., 1933.
4
The coronavirus pandemic has redefined our lives in 2020. Although states are reopening in an attempt to counteract the disastrous economic fallout caused by the pandemic, as of this writing, confirmed cases of COVID-19 and deaths are still rising in many states including Alabama. The pandemic is truly international in scope but just looking at the United States, one sees a confused and inadequate federal response. Most unfortunately, the disease has become politicized as is seen most starkly in the conflicting messages of those who would totally reopen the economy versus those who advocate caution. The pandemic has also revealed longstanding racial disparities in terms of access to healthcare. As of this writing there is no proven cure nor a vaccine available. As we struggle to maintain our health, our economy, and, perhaps, our sense of national unity, it might be instructive to see how the federal government responded to a similar pandemic a century ago. This will be done via a sampling of federal government documents. Although sometimes referred to as the Spanish flu, the influenza pandemic appears to actually have started in the United States with Philadelphia being one of its first identified locations in March 1918. John M. Barry suggests the disease became known as the Spanish flu because, as a neutral nation during World War I, Spain’s newspapers were not being censored. Thus, they ran numerous stories about the disease when King Alfonso XIII fell ill. Other countries became aware of the Spanish newspaper stories and people started calling the disease the Spanish flu.1 In terms of magnitude the 1918-1919 pandemic was extraordinary with worldwide deaths estimated at anywhere from 20 million to 100 million, although 50 million seems to be the most likely number. 2 Estimates of the number of deaths in the United States range from 550,000 to at least 675,000 with the latter figure being most commonly cited. 3 One also needs to bear in mind the population of the world and the United States was considerably smaller than today, perhaps, only about one-third the population of today, so these numbers reflect a truly horrific rate of mortality. The most frequent mention of influenza appears in the weekly Public Health Reports (HE 20.30: from the U.S. Marine Hospital Service). The first hint that something was amiss appears in the June 21, 1918, issue with a very short notice under the title “Influenza a Probable Cause of Fever of Undetermined Nature in Southern States.”4 Nothing concerning influenza appears until September 13 when an in-depth article appears reporting on the appearance of “the so-called Spanish influenza” in a number of European countries and in some ships appearing in U.S. ports. 5 One might say the epidemic officially arrived when reported in the September 27 issue of Public Health Reports as a front page article although it notes, “influenza is not a reportable disease in most of the States.”6 The epidemic was a full-blown crisis starting with the October 4 issue. By October 18 every single state was reporting cases. In addition, Public Health Reports started featuring articles that went beyond reporting prevalence to things such as setting up emergency hospitals, the postponement of conferences, and “an effort to reduce unnecessary calls on the overworked physicians” (this was an era when doctors still made house calls).7 All of this resonates with our situation in 2020. Congress produced a number of documents concerning the pandemic. This includes three hearings (two by the Senate Committee on Appropriations and one by the House Committee on Appropriations), eleven House and Senate Documents ranging from agency reports to authorization for statistical compilations, 21 documents pertaining to the introduction of bills concerning influenza between October 1918 and February 1920, and dozens of references found in the Congressional Record during the years 1918-1920. References to the pandemic also appear in the Naval Medical Bulletin (N 10.11/1:) in rather technical articles as well. Just as there have been some misleading claims for the curing of the disease today (hydroxychloroquine being the most obvious example), so too were there such “sure cures” for influenza debunked by Public Health Reports in November 1918. Among the “sure cures” were “isotonic sea water,” “ozone therapy,” and “harmonic vibrations.”9 In another eerie parallel to the present, the article also seems to address the politicization of the disease: “Comes also the mental scientist who regards the epidemic as engendered by fear. ‘This sort of infectious suggestion is a crime against the public, is treason to our Government, and the traitors responsible for it shall not be allowed to go unpunished.’” While this is only a brief summary, anyone wanting to do research on the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic will find government documents to be of use and interest with Public Health Reports probably the most useful publication of all.
Changes
By: Kelly Wilson, Troy University This year has turned into one of many changes. The pandemic has induced changes in how we live, work, and play. For almost every person, COVID-19 has flipped their lives upside down, whether it was for a brief time or a permanent change. While this virus is wreaking havoc across the world, social unrest which has been building over centuries has erupted. Black people have been harassed, beaten, and murdered simply for the color of their skin and it is now time for them to demand, not ask or beg, but to demand equality. An equality that they should already have because they are human. Nevertheless, the time has come for everyone to stand up and demand equality for every human being and this equality should not be dependent upon race, sex, creed, gender, or sexuality. While these monumental changes are taking place, there are a few changes occurring to a smaller extent right here in Alabama that I would like to focus on for this article. The first I would like to highlight is that our own Vicki Tate has joined the Depository Library Council of which she will serve a 3-year term. Vicki is the Federal Depository Coordinator and Head of the Government Documents and Serials Department at the University of South Alabama. She recently served as the Archivist for ALA GODORT (20 years), and will continue to serve as one of the GOVDOC_L moderators (17 years and counting). Though this next change is not directly related to government documents, I wanted to briefly tell you about the resurrection of The Alabama Librarian, a peer-reviewed, open access journal. This effort is being led by Editor-in-Chief Jessica Platt from Alabama State University, and her amazing group of six peer-reviewers and four proofreaders: Charlotte E. Ford (University of Montevallo), Kathy Wheeler (University of South Alabama), Tim Dodge (Auburn University), Jessica Hayes (Auburn University at Montgomery), M. Delores Carlito (University of Alabama at Birmingham), Peggy Kain (UAB), Lori Northrup (Samford University), Jodi Poe (Jacksonville State University), Michelle Hamrick (Irondale Public Library), and yours truly (Kelly Wilson). For more information on this journal, click here! The last change is personal, but directly related to this newsletter. After living in Alabama for 34 years (all my life), I have decided to move across the country to Chino Hills, California. My husband and I (along with our dog and cat) will begin our 3.5 day journey (yes, we’re driving with our babies, both of which hate car rides) on August 3rd. This move is something we have been wanting for some time, and we have finally reached that point where it has become financially possible to do so. Thankfully, the amazing Tim Dodge has already received approval with ALLA for me to continue working as the editor for this newsletter. I plan to continue semesterly publications and to endeavor to always provide our readers with quality (and interesting) articles. I have worked with government documents for many years, and I hope to return to them in the future as they are near and dear to my heart. Above all I will miss you, the librarians, who I have worked with for many years. I am grateful to have worked with each and every one of you. As we all struggle to see this year through, I hope we all continue to learn and grow into better human beings. Remember to love one another, and continue to fight the good fight against intolerance, ignorance, and forever-decreasing budgets. Until next time, when I will be writing to you from across the U.S., this is your editor signing off.
Submission Guidelines for The Alabama Librarian Send manuscripts to
Vicki Tate
Kelly M. Wilson, Editor
thealabamalibrarian@gmail.com as attachment to an email, preferably in MS Word. Manuscripts must be written in APA style and include an abstract and keywords. Although longer or shorter works may be considered, 2,000- to 5,000-word manuscripts are preferred. The name, position, and professional email address of the author should appear in the bottom left-hand corner of a separate title page. The author's name should not appear anywhere else in the document. Submissions will undergo a double blind peer review process. Photographs and other images relevant to the submission will be accepted for consideration but cannot be returned. Digital images are preferred. No other publisher should be simultaneously considering a manuscript submitted to The Alabama Librarian. If the manuscript includes analyses of survey results, please acknowledge approval by the appropriate Institutional Review Board either through direct reference in the manuscript or acknowledgement as part of the manuscript submission. Upon receipt, manuscripts will be acknowledged by the Editor-inChief, who will then assign manuscripts to two reviewers. The reviewers who receive the manuscript will have no direct information on the author or the author's affiliation. Following the review, a decision will be communicated to the writer. Upon acceptance, publication can be expected within six months.
5
Race Riots, Racial Injustice, and Police Brutality are NOT new problems. They are engrained in the US history, and will stay there until drastic changes are made… Alabama Library Association GODORT Provides a forum for librarians working with government documents. Objectives also include the promotion of availability, use and bibliographic control of documents; and the promotion of communication between documents librarians and other librarians. GODORT is an affiliate of the American Library Association. Membership is open to any member of the Association who subscribes to the objectives of the roundtable.
Part of district burned in race riots, Tulsa, OK, June 1921. Retrieved from: https:// www.loc.gov/item/2017679766/
African American demonstrators with signs protesting police brutality and demanding the right to vote. 1960-1970. Retrieved from https://www.loc.gov/resource/ds.05267/ George Floyd protest against police brutality in Dallas, June 6, 2020. Retrieved from Wikimedia Commons.
COVID-19 Government Resources Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “Coronovirus (COVID-19)” https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
Submit Your Work Do you have an interesting experience with local, state or federal government information? Write up an article and share it with us! You can send it to: Tim Dodge:
Alabama Public Health—https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/covid19/ index.html Office of Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, Newsroom—https:// governor.alabama.gov/newsroom/covid-19/ Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, COVID-19 Response—https:// www.alea.gov/covid-19-response CDC Covid-19 “Cases in the U.S.” - https://www.cdc.gov/ coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html
dodgeti@auburn.edu
Occupational Safety and Health Administration “COVID-19” - https:// www.osha.gov/SLTC/covid-19/
Kelly Wilson:
Coronoavirus (COVID-19) - https://www.coronavirus.gov/
kelly.m.wilson2011@gmail.com