outside the wall: homeland security digital initiatives

Outside the Wall: Homeland Security Digital InitiativesCindy Sheffield, NBACCGreta E. Marlatt, HSDL

American Libraries Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, July 12, 2009

“Outside” the Wall: NBACC Library & Information Center

American Library AssociationAnnual Conference

July 12, 2009

National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC)

Mission: Providing the nation

with the scientific basis for awareness of biological threats and bioforensic analysis to support attribution of their use against the American public.

The DHS, an FFRDC, in biodefense strategy provides several strategic benefits:

• NBACC is a DHS-owned, BNBI-operated laboratory.• BNBI, LLC, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Battelle.• An expert and sustainable workforce with career

focus on biodefense for homeland security, approximately 120 employees.

• Attention to project-level quality, including vigilant adherence to regulatory compliance processes.

• Operational on March 5, 2007.

NBACC is a critical partner in the NICBR and NIBC at Fort Detrick

National Interagency Confederation for Biological Research

National Interagency Biodefense Campus

The Dream for NBACC’s library:unfettered access to key resources

Databases Journals

The reality of NBACC’s library

• Small budget, a fraction of the size of most research libraries.

• Small number of researchers: 4 with an anticipated growth to about 15.

• Small number of users does not mean a small investment for resources.

Potential partners

Environmental Measures Lab

Transportation Security Lab

Barriers to providing access

• NBACC is not currently on Ft. Detrick ...yet.• NBACC has a very secure network system.• NBACC does not have access to DHS

Online ...yet.• DHS Online did not offer many of the S&T

resources that NBACC needs.• DHS did not have an established budget to

increase S&T resources.

Needs Assessment

• Analyzed the references used by scientists in the field.– DHS had already conducted two Needs

Assessments.– NBACC Library conducted a Needs Assessment.

• Determined which vendors supplied the majority of journals we would need.

• Began looking at ways to make those acquisitions happen.

Desired databases(examples)

Literature review databases for searching

• PubMed• Agricola• SCIRUS• US Patents

Desired journal titles(examples)

• Infection and Immunity• Journal of Bacteriology• Journal of Biological Chemistry• Journal of Infectious Diseases• Journal of Virology• Nature• Proceedings of the National Academy of

Sciences, USA

Creating an electronic footprint

• Establish a reasonable budget.• Identify common needs within DHS.• Collaborate to develop an agreeable purchase

plan for DHS S&T divisions.• Establish agreements with publishers.• Implement the technical requirements to

make these resources accessible to users.

Realistic goals

• Acquire key journal titles.• Provide a small-scale electronic infrastructure

to support library services.• Continue to rely heavily on previously

established Federal Library services:– PubMed– USAMRIID– OpenSource– DTIC

NBACC Library website

Recommendations for starting a collection

• Conduct a complete Needs Assessment.• Be willing to learn new skills.• Formulate relationships and develop

opportunities.• Communicate effectively.• Be flexible.• Be patient.• Be realistic.• Never give up!!!

September 11, 2001

DHS Libraries• Customs & Border Protection• Citizenship & Immigration History Center• Citizenship & Immigration Refugee & Asylum Information

Center• Immigration & Customs Enforcement Legal Office• Intelligence & Analysis Information Center• National Biodefense & Countermeasures Center• Plum Island Animal Disease Center• Federal Law Enforcement Training Center• FEMA National Emergency Training Center• U.S. Coast Guard Academy• U.S. Coast Guard Law Library

Workforce Characteristics

• Highly information intensive population: –22.7 hours per week average for

information tasks–75% don’t have enough time to

find what they need• Wide diversity of information needs• Self-serve is the preferred model:

– 87% seek information themselves

Virtual Library

• Integrated Online Catalog• Four of the 14 libraries have online catalogs in different

electronic formats,• Other libraries are at various stages of automation• Single integrated catalog will consolidate all library holdings• @400,000 print vols.

• Federated Database Service• Central Search enables users to search across 50 licensed

commercial databases. Directly links to full-text articles when available.

• Electronic Collections• 300,000 e-journals• 20,000 e-books

Homeland Security Research

• Border demarcations• First responder protection• Safety glass & building design• Infectious diseases• Standards & specifications• Case law• Languages & terminology• LOTS of internal memorandum!

https://www.hsdl.org

Background

Project began in 2002 along with the Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS)

Focus is on policy, strategy and management documents

Not publicly available but widely available to those with HS related needs for research, analysis, and policy & strategy development

Individual or agency-wide access available

Military

Government

Law Enforcement

Emergency Management

Public Health agencies

Educational institutions with HS curriculum

Depositories – GPO Partnership

Others as appropriate

Who Can Access?

Funded by the DHS National Preparedness Directorate FEMA, our mission is to support local, state, tribal and federal analysis and decision-making needs and assist academics of all disciplines in homeland defense and security related research.

The collection provides quick access to important U.S. policy documents, presidential directives, and national strategy documents as well as specialized resources such as theses and reports from various universities, organizations as well as local and state agencies.

HSDL Mission & Content

Premier repository of strategy and policy related documents.

Central repository of web-enabled materials

Unique taxonomy and categorized search results

Newly added synonyms list

Tools and services to facilitate effective research and collaboration in the area of homeland security

Blog with HS related information and reports

Restricted documents collection

HSDL: Why Do You Care?

“Securing the Homeland Through the Power of Information”

Locally held content

Public repositories/databases

Agency sources [federal, state, local and tribal]

Legislative information

Organization sources

Universities, think tanks and more

Types of Content

HSDL – What’s Inside?

Advanced Search

Search Results

Blog – On The Homefront

Homeland Security Blogs

Restricted Section – FOUO Documents

Acronym Soup

USSS

TIC TCLHSEEPFEMANPR

DOD

CHDSMIPT

ICE

USCG

ICTAP

HSIN

RKBFLETC

PCII

ATTF

CBP

CBRNHSIN

CBIRF

CSI

CEMP

CERT

CIAO

CONPLAN

CDC CSEEP

TKB

RKB

DART

DFO

DOJ

EASFBI

EBSECC

ECS

EMS

ESF

FRP

FSIS

HSAS

HSPD

HSC

IAIP

ICP

IMS

JTTF

NAIC

NCERTNCP

NIMS

OEM

SHSEEP

TSA

UASI

USCIS

USCS

USFANORTHCOM

UTL

US-VISIT

WTC

Lessons Learned Information Sharing (LLIS)https://www.llis.dhs.gov/index.do

Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism (MIPT)http://www.mipt.org/library

Responder Knowledge Base (RKB)https://www.rkb.us/

SEL & AEL [emergency equipment standards/lists]https://www.rkb.us/lists.cfm

Other Resources of Interest

NAL Cataloghttp://agricola.nal.usda.gov/

FEMA Libraryhttp://www.fema.gov/library/index.jsp

DTIC Onlinehttp://www.dtic.mil/dtic/search/tr/

National Emergency Training Center (NETC)http://www.lrc.fema.gov/index.html

Other Resources - Catalogs

Government Accountability Office (GAO)http://www.gao.gov/

National Criminal Justice Research Service (NCJRS)http://www.ncjrs.gov/library.html

Other Resources

PubMedhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez

PubMed Central http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/

TOXNEThttp://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/

Other Resources - Medical

Transportation Resarch Board (TRB)http://www.trb.org/TRB/publications/Publications.asp

National Transportation Library (TRIS Online)http://ntlsearch.bts.gov/tris/index.do

Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)http://www.bts.gov/

Other Resources - Transportation

Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START)http://www.start.umd.edu/start/

Worldwide Incidents Tracking System (WITS)http://wits.nctc.gov/

HAZDAT Databasehttp://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/hazdat.html

HAZ-MAP Databasehttp://hazmap.nlm.nih.gov/

Other Resources - Databases

Rand http://www.rand.org/

Homeland Security Institute (HSI)http://www.homelandsecurity.org/

PPRO Homeland Security DEMINhttp://ccs.tamu.edu/homeland_security/

Center for Catastrophe Preparedness & Response http://www.nyu.edu/ccpr/

Other Resources – Think Tanks

FedStatshttp://www.fedstats.gov/

Bureau of Justice Statisticshttp://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/

Federal Justice Statistics Resource Centerhttp://fjsrc.urban.org/index.cfm

CDC Data & Statisticshttp://www.cdc.gov/DataStatistics/

Other Resources – Statistics

Ready.govhttp://www.ready.gov/

DisasterAssistance.govhttp://www.disasterhelp.gov/

USA.govhttp://www.usa.gov/

Other Resources – Government

CQ Homeland Security

Praeger Security International

Jane’s Terrorism & Insurgency Centre

Ebsco – International Security & Counter-Terrorism Reference Center

InsideDefense

WorldCat

Lexis Nexis

Newsbank

Stratfor

IHS Global Insights

Other Resources of Interest - Commercial

http://www.nps.edu/Library/Research%20Tools/Subject%20Guides%20by%20Topic/index.html

Greta E. Marlattgmarlatt@nps.edu

(831) 656-3500