Highlights for August 6, 1999
USGS Center for Biological Informatics

• USGS Librarians Improve Services Through Cooperation. About 20 librarians representing the USGS Library Services Group and each of the four divisions are scheduled to meet September 21-23 in Reston. Organized by Nancy Blair, USGS Acting Head Librarian, and Susan Fayad, BRD Technical Information Specialist, this is the first meeting of all USGS librarians since the Biological Resources Division was incorporated into the USGS. Participants will explore ways in which USGS libraries can improve services through cooperation. In addition, the librarians will be examining their role related to one of the key functions of USGS, information management and delivery. The draft agenda includes examining the barriers and benefits of working cooperatively, exploring the role of USGS libraries in support of USGS initiatives (integrated science, Gateway to the Earth, NBII, 1-888-ASK-USGS), reviewing current projects that might be the basis for expanded cooperative projects, investigating possible new cooperative projects, improving interlibrary loan policies and practices, cooperating with non-USGS libraries to improve services, and sharing best practices for various common functions. (Susan Fayad, Denver, 303-202-4224)
• USGS Provides Technical Support to NPS. David Duran of the USGS Center for Biological Informatics provided NPS Headquarters with technical support during a week-long detail August 2-6. Duran assisted NPS staff with the installation of their new Web server. (David Duran, Denver, 303-202-4248)

• NBII Metadata Training Comes to Reston. On August 25-26, Jennifer Gaines of the USGS Office of Biological Informatics and Outreach will host a two-day NBII Biological Metadata Profile and MetaMaker software training workshop in the Reston vicinity. The workshop will begin at 8:00 a.m. August 25, concluding August 26 at 4:30 p.m. An overview of the workshop can be found at http://www.nbii.gov/about/pubs/factsheet/factsheet8.html. Participants are encouraged to bring information to create a metadata record. (Sharon Shin, Denver, 303-202-4230)

• Metadata Workshops at GAP, American Fisheries Society, and Wildlife Society Annual Meetings. On August 5, the USGS Office of Biological Informatics and Outreach will present "Discovering Biological Data--FGDC/NBII Clearinghouse" at the 9th Annual Gap Analysis Program Meeting in Duluth, Minnesota. On August 29, this one-day workshop will be presented at the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina; on September 7, it will again be presented at the Wildlife Society Annual Conference in Austin, Texas. A live demonstration of metadata development is provided during the workshops, using MetaMaker, an ACCESS and Windows95 tool, relying on workshop participation for creation of the metadata file. Remaining time is used to cover metadata verification and preparation for serving on the Internet and a demonstration of the NBII Clearinghouse. (Sharon Shin, Denver, 303-202-4230)

III. Notable Congressional Activity: No report.

IV. Press/Media Inquiries: No report.

V. FOIA Requests: No report.