Government Publications

WILDLIFE~ NATURAL RESOURCES~ AND

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION SERIALS PUBLISHED

BY THE U.S . GOVERNMENT AND THE

COUNCIL OF EUROPE

Edited by Elizabeth Lang With contributions from Jim Beasley, Rosamond Jacob,

Dick Maxwell, Hans L. Raum, and Helen M. Sheehy

In recent years, concern for the environment has become widespread as the deleterious effects upon wildlife, natural resources, and the human environment of decisions made in the past become known and as well-publicized environmental disasters take place with increasing frequency. The Council of Europe and several U.S. government agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the National Park Service, are involved with studying, protecting, or celebrating the earth's natural heritage.

Each of these organizations communicates its activities to the public in effective attractive serial formats. Consideration of these titles promotes a sense of optimism about the future because they demonstrate that environmental concerns are being addressed on a number of different fronts.

Endangered Species Technical Bulletin

Jim Beasley

Lang was medical librarian at Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Lexington, Kentucky when this article was written. She is currently studying law at University of Kentucky, Lexington.

Endangered Species TechnicalBulletin, 1974-. M. Not for sale. U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. Ed.: Michael Bender. Indexed: Energy Info. Abstr., Environ. Abstr., Ind. U.S. Gov.Per. LC 78-2295. ISSN 0145-9236. SUDOCS 149.77: Depository Item 611-L. OCLC 02584686.

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Endangered Species Update 1983-. M. $23 U.S.; $28 foreign. University of Michigan, School of Natural Resources, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Ed.: Suzanne Jones. Circ.: 900. Formerly Endangered Species Technical Bulletin Reprint. OCLC 11717735.

Endangered Species Technical Bulletin summarizes activities carried out under the Endangered Species Program and provides information on action taken to protect endangered and threatened animal, plant, and insect life. Each issue of the Bulletin includes a feature article focusing on a particular program, species, or event. A recent contribution, "Endangered Species in the Wake of Hurricane Hugo," summarizes the hurr- icane's effects on such animals as the red wolf and the Puerto Rican parrot. "Regional News," a regular feature, briefly summarizes developments related to endangered species in six separate regions of the United States. "Box Score" lists the number of mammals, birds, plants, and insects listed as endangered or threatened in the United States and in foreign countries.

Endangered Species Technical Bulletin is published in a newsletter format. Each issue consists of twelve pages and includes several black-and-white photo- graphs. The Bulletin is technical in nature but articles are written with a minimum of scientific jargon. Those with a professional interest in the status of wildlife will find the Endangered Species Technical Bulletin an essential tool for tracking U.S. efforts in the protection of plant and animal species. The student or general reader will also find much of interest in the publication.

Note: Until 1981, Endangered Species Technical Bulletin was sent at no charge to anyone requesting it. In 1981, budget cuts made it necessary to limit distribu- tion to federal and state agencies, depository libraries, and "official contacts of the Endangered Species Program." In 1983, The University of Michigan established Endangered Species Update to fill the void created when the Bulletin became unavailable for widespread distribution. Each Update includes a reprint of the latest issue of Endangered Species Technical Bulletin as well as a feature article addressing research, management, and policy issues concerning endangered species protection. The Update also includes "Opin- ion/Technical Notes," which provides a forum for the exchange of ideas concerning endangered species, and a "BulletinBoard" listingupcoming meetings and other news items.

Beasley is government documents librarian, I.D. Weeks Library, University of South Dakota, Vermil- lion, South Dakota.

Handbook

Rosamond Jacob

Handbook (United States. National Park Service. Division of Publications). 1980-. Irreg. Sold on an individual basis by Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. SUDOCS 1 29.9/5: Depository Item 649.

Federal depository librarians and travelers know that the National Park Service is a prolific publisher of handsome brochures and booklets. In almost any national park, one can pick up maps and other informa- tive publications about the park and the activities conducted there. Not every park, however, is blessed with its own monograph in the handbook series. These substantial little books are the jewels of the National Park Service publishing enterprise. Some handbooks cover themes transcending park boundaries such as the exploration of the West; others describe parks with particularly notable features; and many re-create historical events or the lives of famous people. Varying in length from 48 to 300 pages and in price from $2 to $ I 1, the handbooks share a striking uniformity of design (the familiar 6" by 8 1/2" format, a black panel across the top lettered in white Helvetica), beautiful color photography, maps, illustrations, and historical black-and-white pictures, well-written informative texts by experts in their fields, and an impressive attention to detail.

Vincent Gleason, chief of the Park Service's Division of Publications in Harpers Ferry and, one senses, the man who is the most responsible for the uncompromising quality of these publications, says that the current handbook series builds on the history and natural history handbook series that the service began to publish in the late 1940s. In the late Sixties and early Seventies these handbooks began to blossom individual- ly as greater attention was paid to design. In the mid- Seventies, at the same time the National Endowment for the Arts was campaigning at the instigation of President Nixon to improve the federal design environ- ment, the National Park Service engaged noted Italian graphic designer Massimo Vignelli to provide a set of graphic design guidelines for their brochures and handbooks. This system, which came to be known as Unigrid, coupled with an extraordinary attention to details of paper, printing, color reproduction, writing, and illustration--every aspect of publishing--has for over ten years given most NPS publications their striking design and clear identity.

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Each handbook opens with an introductory section, an illustrated welcome, or a prologue to the whole--to get the reader involved. The major content is a well- illustrated, informative, and lively account of the person, event, natural features, or processes that distinguish the park. Most include a final section that serves as a guide to the park itself. Many handbooks include bibliographies, glossaries, and indexes. Subjects vary: Handbook 102 is a guide to Washington, DC, Handbook 105 is a history of overland migration, Handbook 132 is a detailed guide to the Battle of Little Bighorn, and Handbook 117 consists of an essay on Carl Sandburg by his granddaughter.

Handbook 138, Yosemite (GPO Stock Number 024-005-01046-7), exemplifies the series. The introduc- tion is a lyrical fifty-page photo/text essay on Yosemite National Park as seen by John Muir and explorers, historians, painters, and photographers who succeeded him in the early days. Included is a two-page panoramic view of the park (also available as a poster) by artist Heinrich Beram of Austria, a chronology of the park's early history, paintings, sketches, and rare early photographs. The geology, flora and fauna, and early human history of the park are also covered. The handbook concludes with a map and explanations of park features, activities, and recreational opportunities.

The handbooks do not constitute a serial but an irregular monographic series of such variety that, if it were not for their unifying format and numbering, they might notbe considered a series at all. Cataloging of the individual volumes varies considerably and acquisition must perforce be on a title-by-title basis if they are not selected as depository documents. "Publi- cations from the National Park Service," a pamphlet that lists the handbooks available with annotations and order blanks, is obtainable from the Park Service's Division of Publications, Sales Information Desk, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia 25424.

Jacob is government publications librarian, St. Paul Public Library, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Earthquakes and Volcanoes

Dick Maxwell

Earthquakes and Volcanoes. 1967-. (Earthquake Information Bulletin 1967-1985). Bi-M. U.S. Geologi- cal Survey, Reston, VA 22092. For sale by Superinten- dent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Indexed: Coal Abstracts, Energy Info. Abstr., Energy Res. Abstr., Environ. Ab-

str., GeoRef, Ind. U.S. Gov. Per. SUDOCS I 19.65: Depository Item 191-A. OCLC 1504127 (earlier 02476881).

Earthquakes and Volcanoes attempts to "provide current information on earthquakes and seismology, volcanoes, and related natural hazards of interest to both generalized and specialized readers."

Most articles are readily accessible to general readers and coverage of current topics, such as the Armenian earthquake, is quite thorough. Contributions are generously illustrated with photographs, charts, and color graphics. Most include references. Historical topics such as the eruption of the volcano at Krakatau, the Tunguska event, and the New Madrid earthquakes are covered frequently.

Regular features include

"Bulletin Board"--reprints, news in brief, and notes about professional activities and publica- tions;

"Earthquakes"--short accounts of the location, magnitude, and effects of seismic events covering a two-month period and arranged by geographic area;

• "From the Bulletin Board Ten Years Ago"; and

Irregular lists and/or reviews of publications from the U.S. Geological Survey and other sources on relevant topics.

Earthquakes and Volcanoes also includes some surprising touches, such as brief sidebars with personal reminiscences and articles on such topics as "Jesuits in Seismology" and "Jack London and the San Francis- co Earthquake."

The editors welcome contributions. Writers have included Earthquakes and Volcanoes staff, U.S.G.S. personnel, scientists, and historians.

Maxwell is a graduate student at the College of Library and Information Science, University of Ken- tucky, Lexington, Kentucky.

EPA Journal

Hans L. Raum

EPA Journal. 1975-. Bi-M. $8. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Waterside Mall, 401 M St. SW, Washington, DC 20460. For sale by Superintendent

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of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Ed.: John Heritage. Circ.: 30,000. Indexed: Abstr. Bull. Inst. Pap. Chem., Acid RainAbstr. , Acid Rain Ind., C.LJ.E., Environ. Abstr. , Environ. Ind., Excerp. Med., Gen. Sci. Ind., Ind. U.S. Gov. Per., MEDOC, P.A.L S. , Pollut. Abstr. , Soc. Sci. Ind. LC 78-643560. ISSN 0145-1189. SUDOCS EP 1.67: v./no. Depository Item 431-1-66. OCLC 2663078.

EPA Journal provides brief, authoritative, and well-written articles on a broad range of environmental issues affecting the United States. Each issue focuses on a particular theme, such as Earth Day, garbage disposal, the greenhouse effect, or the marine environ- ment. Contributors include EPA officials, members of Congress, governors, mayors, professors, and well- known environmentalists. Diverse viewpoints are presented, including those of industrial polluters who have found ways to clean up their acts. Success stories and case histories provide an encouraging ray of hope to counterbalancepredictions of pending environmental disasters found in other media.

Each issue of EPA Journal typically runs 44 to 56 pages and includes 15 to 16 articles ranging from two to six pages in length, accompanied by black-and- white photographs. An occasional cartoon deftly reinforces the message being conveyed. Many issues include a forum of responses from prominent observers invited to contribute their opinions on a topic of general interest, such as recycling, coastal development, or setting environmental priorities. Articles are not usually footnoted but occasionally a name and address are provided for the benefit of readers who would like additional information or are interested in becoming involved in a particular project. An "Appointments" section provides brief biographies and photographs of persons who have been appointed to key positions in the EPA. Except for this feature, the EPA Journal clearly transcends the limitations one might expect if the journal was assumed to be a house publication.

The intended audience for the EPA Journal is quite broad; the fact that it is widely indexed could result in frequent requests for the title in any library where patrons might have environmental concerns. Recom- mended for all but the smallest school, public, and academic libraries that subscribe to the appropriate index services. In 1989, its frequency changed from 10 issues per year to six issues per year, and its price dropped from $11 to $8 annually, making it very affordable. EPA Journal has been printed on recycled paper since 1989.

Raum is associate college librarian, Starr Library, Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont.

Naturopa

Helen M. Sheehy

Naturopa. no. 20-, 1974-. 3/yr. Free. Council of Europe, Centre Naturopa. BP 431 R6, F-67006 Strasbourg Cedex, France. Ed.: Hayo H. Hoekstra. Circ. :21,000. Indexed: Excerp. Med., Ocean. Abstr., Pollut. Abstr. , Biol. Dig., Curr. Adv. Ecol. Sci. , Deep Sea Res. & Oceanogr. Abstr., Environ. Per. Bibl., Geo. Abstr. , Rural Recreat. Tour. Abstr. , World Agri. Econ. & Rural Sociol. Abstr. LC Card No. 75-644343. ISSN 0250-7102. OCLC 2241778. Formerly: Nature in Focus.

Humankind's impact on the environment is of international concern. Such problems as air and ocean pollution, the declining diversity of the world's flora and fauna, and the impact of development on the environment inevitably have consequences spanning national boundaries. Naturopa focuses on worldwide environmental issues from the perspective of Council of Europe member countries (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Portu- gal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom). Naturopa also discusses how member countries are working to solve these problems within their own borders, and occasionally compares European policies with those of the United States.

Each issue is devoted to a specific topic such as the trade in exotic and endangered wildlife, the plight of the world's oceans, the impact of tourism on the environment, the need for implementing environmental education programs, and the effect of European land use policies on plant and animal life. The legal, historical, economic, development, and social aspects of the topics are all explored. Each issue also includes information on recent activities of the Council of Europe related to the environment.

The articles, which cover complex subjects in a readable and easily understandable manner, are written by a variety of authorities including government officials, representatives of intergovernmental organiza- tions, members of environmental groups, and university professors. The magazine is beautifully illustrated with both black-and-white and color photographs.

A recent issue of Naturopa was devoted to the Centre Naturopa's campaign for wildlife and was designed to draw attention to the relationship between

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