Scientists want libraries? What next?

Here’s a bright idea: Close he EPA scientific libraries so regulators can’t get at the science that, under law, they are supposed to base their decisions on. No worries, a flack told the Washington Post–all that stuff is going to be digital anyway. Except that there’s no money for that either. All but eliminating the agency’s library network saves $2 million; according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, the EPA estimates that “providing full library access saves an
estimated 214,000 hours in professional staff time worth some $7.5
million annually.”