Fuel for the Information Age: a Guide to Nuclear Energy Issues and Information
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Robert B. Humphreys, Jr. Fuel for the Information Age: A Guide to Nuclear Energy Issues and Information. A Master’s paper for the M.S. in L.S. degree. April 2001. 57 pages. Advisor: Jerry D. Saye Nuclear energy information tends to be polarized into two camps: anti-nuclear and industry-sponsored, pro-nuclear materials. There is a need to identify sources on both sides and guide readers and researchers to materials that will lead to independent analysis. The need for nuclear energy information has intensified due to recent energy shortages, dramatic price increases, and a renewed debate on the future role of nuclear energy in supplying power for the electronic revolution of information. This paper is a guide for librarians and information specialists who need to assist patrons in locating and analyzing non-technical information dealing with the origins, history, use, and future role of nuclear energy. It presents a history of nuclear energy with a focus on its impact on library science, followed by a timeline of nuclear energy information and an annotated bibliography of selected works. Headings: Nuclear energy information Collection development--scientific and technical libraries Information systems--special subjects--nuclear energy Special librarians--science librarians Special libraries--scientific and technical libraries Special collections--special subjects--nuclear energy FUEL FOR THE INFORMATION AGE: A GUIDE TO NUCLEAR ENERGY ISSUES AND INFORMATION by Robert B. Humphreys, Jr. A Master’s paper submitted to the faculty of the School of Information and Library Science of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Library Science. Chapel Hill, North Carolina April, 2001 Approved by: ________________________ Jerry D. Saye TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction........................................................................................................................1 The Energy-Hungry Information Revolution.....................................................................2 Nuclear Power: Retreat or Renaissance?............................................................................6 The Atomic Roots of Modern Libraries............................................................................10 Costly Mistakes: Three Mile Island and Chernobyl..........................................................13 Nuclear Waste Storage.......................................................................................................17 Lessons for Library Science...............................................................................................20 Sources Cited.....................................................................................................................23 Nuclear Information Timeline...........................................................................................26 Selected Annotated Bibliography of Nuclear Information................................................37 Anti-Nuclear History.............................................................................................37 Atomic Age--History.............................................................................................37 Atomic Scientists...................................................................................................38 Alvarez, Luis..............................................................................................38 Bush, Vannevar..........................................................................................38 Curie, Marie...............................................................................................39 Einstein, Albert..........................................................................................39 i Fermi, Enrico.............................................................................................39 Meitner, Lise..............................................................................................40 Oppenheimer, J. Robert.............................................................................40 Szilard, Leo................................................................................................41 Teller, Edward............................................................................................41 Bibliographies........................................................................................................42 Chernobyl.............................................................................................................. 43 Deregulation of Electric Utilities...........................................................................44 Manhattan Project..................................................................................................44 Nuclear Energy--An Introduction..........................................................................46 Nuclear Energy Information on the Web...............................................................46 Anti-Nuclear..................................................................................46 Government....................................................................................47 Industry Sponsored........................................................................49 Medical..........................................................................................50 Nuclear Navy.........................................................................................................50 Nuclear Power--the Future.....................................................................................51 Periodicals..............................................................................................................53 Ready Reference....................................................................................................53 ii Records Management.............................................................................................54 Rosenbergs.............................................................................................................55 Three Mile Island...................................................................................................56 United Nations and International Organizations on the Web................................56 International Atomic Energy Agency’s “World Atom”................56 International Nuclear Information System Web Services.56 International Nuclear Societies Council........................................57 Nuclear Professionals’ “Action Plan”................................57 Nuclear Energy Agency.................................................................57 iii 1 INTRODUCTION This paper is a brief explanation of nuclear energy history, issues, and information, followed by a timeline of nuclear energy information and an annotated bibliography of selected works. It seeks to be a guide for librarians and information specialists who need to assist patrons in locating and analyzing primarily non-technical information dealing with the origins, history, use, and future role of nuclear energy. The paper does not cover resources that are highly technical or scientific; it focuses on resources understandable to the general reader. 2 THE ENERGY-HUNGRY INFORMATION REVOLUTION The explosive growth of information technology during the past decade has transformed the work and lives of millions of people. In companies where secretaries once used typewriters to create paper documents, employees now maximize their productivity through Intranets, using desktop computers to create their own electronic documents, send and receive email, store and retrieve information, schedule meetings, consult corporate and public libraries and records centers, and connect to the Internet. A trip to the local public or university library to thumb through the card catalog is now replaced by an online search of the holdings, saving time, money, and increasing the accuracy of the search by eliminating the use of cards that can be misfiled or damaged. In addition to their traditional functions, librarians have taken the lead in introducing their patrons to the wealth of information stored in databases, on compact discs, videos, and other formats. The information revolution has made resources available simultaneously to multiple users, where previously these sources may have been limited to one user at a time. Although the book is here to stay, the work of librarians is increasingly related to electronic resources. Universities are in the midst of major educational innovations using technology, such as digital libraries and distance learning. Even the smallest libraries have access to funding for computers and hardware through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the largest foundation in the world (Camarena 28-29). It is difficult to imagine an area of professional life that has not been revolutionized by information technology. “The emerging digital library has reshaped the core skills needed by library professionals,” writes Christine Lind Hage, a public library 3 director. “No longer solely managers of paper publications, librarians now administer computers, phone lines, and video and audio resources as well as human resources,” she explains (Hage 79). All of these marvelous tools, however, would become immediately useless without one basic necessity: electricity. Leslie Lamarre, Senior Feature Writer for EPRI Journal, writes, “The electric power industry is integrally involved in the digital