Abstract
Universal access to and sharing of scientifically-sound research helps to promote rational decision-making about environmental and related societal concerns (e.g. transportation, land use and development, public health). The preservation of any state's natural heritage depends largely on the ability of government policy makers to plan and to allocate resources for both preservation and remediation. The New Jersey Environmental Digital Library is a cooperative venture of the Rutgers University Libraries and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Their shared goal: to deliver usable and timely data to state and local government officials who bear the major responsibility for environment-related planning within their communities, as well as to the citizens, researchers, and environmental organizations who work to influence environmental policy.