Introduction

The workshop "Making USGS Information Effective in the Electronic Age" is one part of an on-going process to make USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program (CMGP) data, information, and knowledge more accessible and more useful to both internal and external stakeholders. We are focused on information for two reasons: (a) As government science comes under greater public scrutiny, we must engage a wider audience in using and valuing our work; and (b) we must respond to the 1999 National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council review of the USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program, which challenged the program to "create a National Knowledge Bank on the Geologic Framework of the US Coastal and Marine regions" (National Research Council, 1999, p. 48).

The recently released NRC review of the entire USGS (National Research Council, 2001) recognized that the USGS is both a natural science and information agency, and highlighted the need to change how we manage information and knowledge resources. Some excerpts from the report demonstrate these points: "The USGS is a vitally important provider and coordinator of information related to critical issues in the natural sciences…information management at the USGS should shift from a more passive role of study and analysis to one that seeks to convey information actively in ways that are responsive to social, political, and economic needs…The USGS is well positioned to provide the framework for a geospatial information depository and portal for the DOI and other federal department, providing access to a range of natural science information and derivative products that can support effective decision making" (NRC, 2001, p. 3, 4, 6). Our interest in knowledge and information management is therefore both timely and consistent with broader USGS goals.

The CMG Program funded a planning year in FY2001 to define the scope, goals, audience, necessary resources and support required for a National Knowledge Bank. "Making USGS Information Effective in the Electronic Age" was the first workshop, held in Woods Hole, MA on 6-8 February, 2001. The workshop included 28 people from the three Coastal and Marine Geology teams, 2 people from Reston, and 8 non-USGS personnel. This report describes the workshop and outcomes.