Looking for background information on a complicated issue? Your new best friend: Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports. These reports are written by Library of Congress staff members and are intended to keep our members of congress up-to-date on current affairs. In the words of the CRS:

With public policy issues growing more complex and political debate turning more contentious, the need for insightful and comprehensive analysis of the issues has become vital. Congress relies on CRS to marshal interdisciplinary resources, encourage critical thinking and create innovative frameworks to help legislators form sound policies and reach decisions on a host of difficult issues.

Recent titles include:

• February 05, 2010 – Al Qaeda and Affiliates: Historical Perspective, Global Presence, and Implications for U.S. Policy
• February 01, 2010 – Campaign Finance Policy After Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission: Issues and Options for Congress
• January 28, 2010 – The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases
• January 26, 2010 – Climate Change and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS): Looking to 2020
• January 22, 2010 – Charitable Contributions for Haiti’s Earthquake Victims

While there is no central distribution point for providing public access to all CRS Reports, there are many entities that collect these reports and offer access. Here are some of the places where you can search by keyword for a CRS report on your topic:

• LexisNexis Congressional (you can limit your search in “Advanced Search” to just find CRS Reports)
• OpenCRS
• University of North Texas

For the backstory on CRS’s controversial distribution policy, see the FAQ at OpenCRS.

Find out more about Gleeson Library’s government information collection by visiting our homepage or contacting Carol Spector (the Government Information Librarian) at csspector@usfca.edu.

Gleeson Library wants your help celebrating National Poetry Month! We are currently accepting submissions for our 2nd annual Faculty & Staff poetry reading.  The reading will be on Thursday, April 29, 2010 from 5:30-7 pm in the Rare Book Room (3rd Floor) of Gleeson Library.

Last year’s NPM event was a success: we asked five of our favorite USF poets to read a selection of their work in the library, and they did…to a very good crowd.  This year we are looking to make the event even more diverse and inclusive so we are opening it up for submissions. If you are a USF Staff or Faculty member and are interested in participating, please email the selection committee (gleesonpoetry@gmail.com) the following information:

The deadline to submit is March 17, 2010.

Please understand the number of readers on the program will be limited and the selection committee is seeking a diverse representation of USF faculty and staff. We anticipate not being able to accept all applicants. Decisions of the selection committee are final.

Thank you! We look forward to reading your work.

Sincerely,

The Gleeson Library Poetry Selection Committee
gleesonpoetry@gmail.com

“To the people of Haiti, we say clearly, and with conviction, you will not be forsaken; you will not be forgotten. In this, your hour of greatest need, America stands with you. The world stands with you. We know that you are a strong and resilient people. You have endured a history of slavery and struggle, of natural disaster and recovery. And through it all, your spirit has been unbroken and your faith has been unwavering. So today, you must know that help is arriving — much, much more help is on the way.”

– President Barack Obama, January 2010

Four weeks of Library fines and fees collected at the Gleeson Library in conjunction with generous donations from Library patrons  netted $4,144.00 which is being donated to the people of Haiti (via Jesuit Refugee Service:  http://www.jrsusa.org/).