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<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Dear members of the Consortium for
Language Policy and Planning: </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>If you have not yet reacted to the U.S.
Department of Education's draft plan to eliminate all 16 ERIC Clearinghouses
along with many of the publications and services they provide, please do so till
today, May 9.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>The Action Alert is appended below. To
view a sample letter that you can conveniently use go to:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><A href="http://www.languagepolicy.org/ericsample.html"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"
size=3>http://www.languagepolicy.org/ericsample.html</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>AF</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><STRONG> </STRONG>
</FONT></FONT>
<CENTER><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT color=#ff0000>ACTION
ALERT<BR></FONT>ERIC Clearinghouses on the Chopping
Block!</FONT></FONT></CENTER><BR><BR><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">The U.S. Department of Education has issued a draft plan
for a "New ERIC" system. Unless this plan is modified, all 16 ERIC
clearinghouses will be eliminated along with many of the publications and
services they provide. The public has an opportunity to comment until May 9,
2003. <BR><BR>The plan for the "New ERIC" does the following: <BR><BR><B>The
Good News </B><BR><BR><B>·</B> Calls for the streamlining of database
processing, the establishment of clear and rigorous standards for the selection
of documents, and the inclusion of the full text of documents whenever possible.
<BR><BR><B>The Bad News </B><BR><BR><B>·</B> Calls for a single contractor to
operate the ERIC database, with no provision for the continuation of the 16
subject-specific clearinghouses-hence, no more ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages
and Linguistics.<BR><BR><B>·</B> Eliminates clearinghouse Web sites currently
visited by 22.5 million unique visitors a year.<BR><BR><B>·</B> Calls for no
question answering, reference and referral services, or publications during the
first year of the contract, then leaves it up to the contractor to decide
whether or not to provide such services at all.<BR><BR><B>·</B>Makes no
provision for access to ERIC information by those without access to a computer
and the Internet. <BR><BR><B>·</B>Calls only for materials written in English to
be acquired for the database, representing a significant loss of valuable
information for language education professionals.<BR><BR><BR><BR><B><FONT
color=#ff0000>There is still time to change it!</B></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> <BR><BR>If the proposed changes do not reflect
your vision of ERIC, ask your legislators and Secretary Paige to maintain the
ERIC Clearinghouses with their information services and user-friendly products
and Web sites, and to continue comprehensive coverage of the education
literature. Please make your views known no later than May 9 to: <BR><BR>Your
Senators: Please </FONT><A
href="http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3>click here</FONT></A><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> for the listing of Senators. <BR><BR>Your Congressional Representative:
Please </FONT><A href="http://www.house.gov/writerep/"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3>click here</FONT></A><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> to find your Representative. <BR><BR>Send a copy of each letter to
Secretary of Education Rod Paige at fax number 202-401-0596 (or via email to
Rod.Paige@ed.gov) and to Jeff Halstead (the contract specialist collecting
official responses to the draft statement) at fax number 202-708-9817 or via
email at Jeff.C.Halsted@ed.gov <BR><BR><B>To view a sample letter, please <A
href="http://www.languagepolicy.org/ericsample.html">click here</A>.</B>
<BR><BR>Faxed letters on institutional letterhead are best. If you need to send
your letters via email, be sure to include your full name and postal address.
<BR><BR>For additional up-to-date information on ERIC, please visit: </FONT><A
href="http://www.lib.msu.edu/corby/education/doe.htm"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3>ERIC Reauthorization News</FONT></A><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3>. <BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
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