My question refers to one little CDC publication, now ceased, but the
question could be more general, too.  Injury Control Update was a
silly little newsletter, and short-lived.  Five issues were published
irregularly between 1996 and 2000, dealing with such topics as the
need for bicycle helmets.  Sometime before 2002, the issues were
posted online, and we withdrew our print copies (we might withdrawn
them even if there hadn't been online access).

Now our link just leads to a "not found" page.  One bibliographic
record I found gave http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS5733 as the
correct link to the electronic version of the newsletter.  It's
not.  That link leads to an injury-related section of the CDC web
site, but unless I've overlooked something (and I really searched),
the newsletter with that title is completely gone from the site.

My library's mission doesn't include rescuing obscure government
publications from extinction, so suppressing our record is sufficient
action for us.  For any library out there that does have such a
mission, please note that the PDFs of all five issues can be viewed
(and printed out) at <http://www.archive.org/web/web.php>Internet
Archive, using the old URL
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/newslett/newslett.htm (not the PURL).

Thank heaven for Internet Archive.  But is that enough?  Might other
libraries be fooled and toss their print copies, thinking that online
access is currently and permanently available?  Will Internet Archive
still be around the next time someone wants to read a 1996 CDC
article on bicycle helmets?  And, of course, there are many other
(and more important) "disappeared" government documents besides this
one.  I know GODORT and others are documenting the problem, but is
anyone rescuing and collecting the material?  SW

Susan Wishnetsky
Electronic Resources Librarian
Galter Health Sciences Library
The Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
303 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611-3008

(312) 503-9351
FAX (312) 503-1204
pasiphae@northwestern.edu