This bibliography accompanies a presentation for the 2016 Texas Library Association Conference in Houston, TX, April 19-22. The bibliography contains citations regarding assessment of professional development programs within academic libraries.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Daniel Henshaw. Henshaw joined the Army Air Forces in March of 1942. He served as a C-47 pilot with the 434th Troop Carrier Group, 19th Bomb Wing. Henshaw was stationed in England, and completed missions over France, including flying combat paratroopers on airborne assaults during the invasion of Normandy. He continued his service after the war ended, serving in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars, retiring as a colonel in 1974.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Billy Sherrill. Sherrill was born in Houston, Texas in 1926 and joined the US Marine Corps on 26 December 1941. After undergoing boot training at San Diego, he was assigned to the 1st Marine Defense Battalion stationed on Palmyra Atoll for sixteen months. In 1943 he returned to the United States where he underwent six months of advanced training. Sherrill was then sent to Bougainville where he joined the 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division. He describes landing on the beach on Guam in an LVT and recalls combat situations in which he was involved that resulted in large numbers of dead and wounded. After the campaign, the division remained on Guam training for the invasion of Iwo Jima. He tells of landing on Iwo Jima on the third day of the invasion and gives a vivid description of actions in which he was involved. Sherrill was wounded on Iwo Jima and was sent to Oakland Naval Hospital where he spent a year in recovery. In 1946 he received a medical discharge.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Richard Feddersen. After finishing college in Iowa, Feddersen entered the Army with a ROTC commission in May 1941. He received further infantry training at Fort Benning. In March 1943, he went overseas and was assigned to the 162nd Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Division, which was engaged in combat in New Guinea. He stayed with the same outfit throughout the New Guinea campaign and headed for the Philippines with them. He had a few interactions with General MacArthur. When the war ended, he was at Subic Bay studying the plans for the invasion of Japan. His unit went to Japan for occupation duty at Kure. Feddersen was on hand when the Japanese surrendered their naval academy. He also visited Hiroshima and comments on the destruction. He also relates several other stories about being in occupied Japan before returning home in early 1946.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Amos McGinnis. McGinnis was working in a factory when he was drafted into the Army in December, 1942. He trained as a combat engineer and went to England before heading out for Normandy five days after D-Day. McGinnis shares several anecdotes about his experiences building bridges across Europe. He was in Germany when the war ended and was discharged in December, 1945.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Howard Opheim. Opheim joined the Army Air Forces in August, 1942. He qualified for pilot training. He went overseas to England in November, 1944. He recalls ferrying troops and supplies to the continent during the Battle of the Bulge and making a combat drop over the Rhine River area. When the war ended in Europe, Opheim went to Brazil to ferry troops back to the US to prepare for the invasion of Japan.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an oral interview with Margaret Heartfield. Upon high school graduation in 1939 she completed 3 years of nurse training in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at Allegheny General Hospital. She joined the Army as a nurse in January 1943. She completed basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky and Fort Polk, Louisiana. Heartfield provides detail on her issued Army uniform. She was transported overseas to England on a troop ship in January 1944. She remained in Manchester for one year, volunteering in a British civilian hospital. Her unit was the 101st Evacuation Hospital unit in Patton’s Third Army. After the Battle of Normandy she was moved to the Cherbourg Peninsula in France, and for the remainder of the war assisted in surgeries. She describes her M.A.S.H.-like unit in detail. From there her unit went to Luxembourg, and was involved in the Battle of the Bulge. Her outfit returned to the states November 1945. She married, started a family and went to work for Mobil Oil in 1948 as an Occupational Health Nurse.

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether article 42.12, sec. 15(h) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which authorizes a judge to award confined defendants time credit for participation in an educational, vocational or treatment program, violates the Texas Constitution (RQ-1 094-GA).

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether a commissioners court may change the designated day of the week it convenes during the current fiscal year under section 81.005 ofthe Local Government Code (RQ-1 095-GA).

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Earl B Barnawell. Barnawell joined the Navy around 1942. He graduated from Hospital Corps School. Beginning April of 1944, Barnawell served as an operating room technician aboard USS Herald of the Morning (AP-173). They traveled to the Marianas, transporting supplies, debarking troops and evacuating the wounded. Barnawell additionally served with occupation forces in the Far East.

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "As consumer debt has risen to historic levels, a growing number of for-profit debt settlement companies have emerged. These companies say they will negotiate with consumers' creditors to accept a lump sum settlement for 40 to 60 cents on the dollar for amounts owed on credit cards and other unsecured debt. However, there have been allegations that some debt settlement companies engage in fraudulent, abusive, or deceptive practices that leave consumers in worse financial condition. For example, it has been alleged that they commonly charge fees in advance of settling debts or without providing any services at all, a practice on which the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently announced a proposed ban due to its harm to consumers. The Committee asked for an investigation of these issues. As a result, GAO attempted to (1) determine through covert testing whether these allegations are accurate; and, if so, (2) determine whether they are widespread, citing specific closed cases. To achieve these objectives, GAO conducted covert testing by calling 20 companies while posing as fictitious consumers; made overt, unannounced site visits to several companies called; interviewed industry stakeholders; and reviewed information …

This report identifies areas of research for understanding the impact of climate change on human health. Research areas include respiratory, cardiovascular, and mental health, as well as infectious diseases, nutrition, and others.

The National Museum of the Pacific War presents an interview with Robert Wesley Clum. Clum joined the Army Air Forces in February of 1943. He served as a Bombardier aboard a B-24 Liberator with the 484th Bomb Group, 827th Bomb Squadron. In October of 1944 they traveled to Bari, Italy to the headquarters of the 15th Air Force. They completed 25 combat missions, traveling over Germany, Czechoslovakia, northern Italy and Libya. Clum was honorably discharged from active duty as lieutenant in 1945, and honorably discharged as Captain in 1959 from the Air Force Reserves.

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2010, GAO is required to assess the extent to which the campaign plan for Iraq and supporting documents adhere to military doctrine, including the extent to which they (1) identify and prioritize the conditions that must be achieved in each phase of the campaign plan, (2) report the number of combat brigade teams and other forces required for each campaign phase, and (3) estimate the time needed to reach the desired end state and complete the military portion of the campaign. This report must be provided to Congress no later than 180 days after the enactment of the NDAA, or by April 26, 2010. The NDAA also states that GAO should notify Congress in writing if a previously submitted report meets the requirements to report on the campaign plan for Iraq. Further, the act requires that GAO submit an updated report when the campaign plan is substantially updated or altered, with the requirement ending on December 31, 2011. Our September 2009 classified report--Securing and Stabilizing Iraq: U.S. Drawdown Plans Should Include Contingency Plans for Use If Key Assumptions …

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) primary mission is to protect investors and maintain the integrity of securities markets. As a part of its responsibility to protect investors, SEC seeks to ensure that individuals who violate federal securities laws and regulations take responsibility for their misdeeds. Specifically, when individuals or firms are found to have violated securities laws, SEC may order civil monetary penalties and seek ill-gotten financial gains, or disgorgement, from the violators. For its enforcement actions to be successful, SEC must have a collection and distribution program for both civil monetary penalties and disgorgement that functions effectively. In 2002, Congress passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act to address corporate malfeasance and restore investor confidence in the U.S. securities markets. This legislation established numerous reforms to increase investor protection, including Section 308(a), the Federal Account for Investor Restitution provision, commonly known as the Fair Fund provision. This provision allows SEC to combine civil monetary penalties and other donations to disgorgement funds for the benefit of investors who suffer losses resulting from fraud or other securities violations. Fair Funds may be created through either SEC administrative proceedings or litigation in …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The U.S. Postal Service's (USPS) financial condition and outlook deteriorated significantly during fiscal years 2007 through 2009. USPS was not able to cut costs fast enough to offset declines in mail volumes and revenues resulting from the economic recession and changes in the use of mail, such as electronic bill payment. In July 2009, GAO added USPS's financial condition to its high-risk list and reported that USPS urgently needed to restructure to improve its financial viability. The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) of 2006 required GAO to evaluate strategies and options for USPS's long-term structural and operational reform and report by December 2011. Because of USPS's financial crisis and the need for urgent action, GAO accelerated its work and issued a report (GAO-10-455) on April 12, 2010. This testimony provides (1) information on USPS's financial condition and outlook and (2) GAO's perspective on the actions that are needed to facilitate progress toward USPS's financial viability. This testimony is based on GAO's recently issued report and recent testimonies on USPS's financial condition and outlook."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pays billions of dollars in compensation and pension benefits to disabled veterans and their dependents. For those beneficiaries who are unable to manage their own affairs, VA appoints a third party, called a fiduciary, to manage their VA funds. Congress, VA's Office of Inspector General (OIG) and GAO have noted that VA does not always have, or adhere to, effective policies for selecting and monitoring fiduciaries and therefore, does not fully safeguard the assets of beneficiaries in the Fiduciary Program. GAO was asked to discuss the Fiduciary Program and possible ways that it could be improved to better serve veterans, their families, and survivors. This statement is based on GAO's February 2010 report (GAO-10-241), which examined (1) VA policies and procedures for monitoring fiduciaries and safeguarding beneficiary assets and (2) challenges VA faces in improving program performance and oversight. To conduct that work, GAO reviewed program policies and relevant federal laws and regulations, analyzed a nationally representative random sample of case files, interviewed Central Office managers and staff, and conducted three site visits to Fiduciary Program offices, which accounted for 25 percent …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Air ambulance transport is widely regarded as improving the chances of survival for trauma victims and other critical patients. However, recent increases in the number of air ambulance accidents have led to greater industry scrutiny by government agencies, the public, the media, and the industry itself. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and others have called on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which provides safety oversight, to issue more stringent safety requirements for the industry. This testimony discusses (1) recent trends in the air ambulance industry with regard to its size, composition, and safety record; (2) recent industry and government efforts to improve air ambulance safety; and (3) potential strategies for improving air ambulance safety. This testimony is based primarily on GAO's February 2007 study on air ambulance safety (GAO-07-353). To update and supplement this 2007 report, GAO analyzed the latest safety information from NTSB and FAA, reviewed published literature on the state of the air ambulance industry, and interviewed FAA officials and industry representatives. GAO provided a copy of the draft testimony statement to FAA. FAA provided technical comments, which GAO incorporated as appropriate."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Deepwater Program is intended to recapitalize the Coast Guard's fleet and includes efforts to build or modernize five classes each of ships and aircraft, and procure other key capabilities. In 2002, the Coast Guard contracted with Integrated Coast Guard Systems (ICGS) to manage the acquisition as systems integrator. After the program experienced a series of failures, the Coast Guard announced in April 2007 that it would take over the lead role, with future work on individual assets to be potentially bid competitively outside of the existing contract. A program baseline of $24.2 billion was set as well. In June 2008, GAO reported on the new approach and concluded that while these steps were beneficial, continued oversight and improvement was necessary. The Coast Guard has taken actions to address the recommendations in that report. This testimony updates key issues from prior work: (1) Coast Guard program management at the overall Deepwater Program and asset levels; (2) how cost, schedules, and capabilities have changed from the 2007 baseline and how well costs are communicated to Congress; and (3) Coast Guard efforts to manage and build its acquisition workforce. GAO …

Photocopy of an envelope addressed to Texas Stonewall Democratic Caucus Al Daniels at Dallas, Texas.

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 2008, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that it had obtained the voluntary recall of 563 unsafe or potentially unsafe products by the companies that manufactured, imported, distributed, or sold the products--the largest number for the agency in the past 10 years. In the prior year, CPSC announced 472 recalls--which was also an increase from the previous year and included some high-profile recalls of lead-tainted toys--leading some consumer groups to call 2007 the "year of the recall." Consumer products can be recalled for a variety of reasons, including violations of safety standards, incidents of injuries that can occur from the design or manufacture of a product, or other conditions that present an imminent or substantial hazard to consumers. Since 1979 there have been few instances in which CPSC could not obtain cooperation from manufacturers or importers to conduct recalls, either because these companies did not have the financial resources to conduct a recall or because the companies refused to assume responsibility for a recall. This included troubled recalls involving more than 1.5 million imported cribs associated with multiple deaths of children. Another recall of imported tires, …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses GAO's recently issued report on the North American Aerospace Defense Command's (NORAD) and the Department of Defense's (DOD) air sovereignty alert (ASA) operations. According to the National Strategy for Aviation Security, issued in March 2007, and officials from U.S. intelligence agencies with whom we met, air attacks are still a threat to the United States and its people. To address this threat, NORAD and DOD have fully fueled, fully armed aircraft and trained personnel on alert 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, at 18 ASA sites across the United States. Of the 18 sites, 16 are maintained by Air National Guard (ANG) units and 2 are maintained by active duty Air Force units. If warranted, NORAD can increase personnel, aircraft, and the number of ASA sites based on changes in threat conditions. The Air Force provides NORAD with personnel and equipment, including F-15 and F-16 aircraft, for these operations. ASA units are tasked to conduct and train for both expeditionary missions (e.g., military operations in Iraq) and ASA operations. This testimony will discuss whether (1) NORAD routinely conducts risk assessments to determine the …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 2001, GAO identified human capital management as a governmentwide high-risk area because federal agencies lacked a strategic approach to human capital management that integrated human capital efforts with their missions and program goals. Progress has been made. However, the area remains high-risk because of a continuing need for a governmentwide framework to advance human capital reform. The importance of a top-notch federal workforce cannot be overstated. The federal government is facing new and growing challenges coupled with a retirement wave and the loss of leadership and institutional knowledge at all levels. The issues facing agencies are complex and require a broad range of technical skills that are also highly sought after by the private sector. This testimony, based on a large body of completed work issued from January 2001 through March 2009, focuses on executive branch agencies' and the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) progress in addressing strategic human capital management challenges in four key areas: (1) leadership; (2) strategic human capital planning; (3) acquiring, developing, and retaining talent; and (4) results-oriented organizational culture. In prior reports, GAO has made a range of recommendations to OPM and …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO's work over the past several years has demonstrated that improper payments are a long-standing, widespread, and significant problem in the federal government. The Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 (IPIA) has increased visibility over improper payments by requiring executive branch agency heads, using guidance from the Office of Management and Budget, to identify programs and activities susceptible to significant improper payments, estimate amounts improperly paid, and report on the amounts of improper payments and their actions to reduce them. This testimony addresses (1) progress made in agencies' implementation of IPIA for fiscal year 2008, and (2) several major challenges that continue to hinder full reporting of IPIA information. GAO was also asked to provide an overview of Medicare and Medicaid programs' implementation of IPIA. This testimony is based primarily on GAO products, Office of Inspector General (OIG) audit reports, and agencies' fiscal year 2008 reported improper payment information, including information reported by the Department of Health and Human Service's (HHS) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). GAO also analyzed fiscal year 2008 governmentwide improper payment information to identify trends and reviewed Medicare and Medicaid programs' reported …