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.

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