The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "libraries" ...
-
Wired for Waste
A Charleston Gazette investigation found the state of West Virginia used $24 million in federal stimulus funds to buy oversized routers that weren't needed. The high-end routers were designed to serve research universities, corporations and major medical centers, but the state installed the pricey devices primarily in small schools and libraries. The routers cost $22,600 each. The newspaper discovered that a high-ranking state technology office administrator warned that the routers were "grossly oversized," but the state's homeland security director and commerce secretary ignored the warning and authorized the purchase.
Tags: Federal funds; routers
-
Inside and Out
Three years after Illinois broke off its youth prisons from the adult system, WBEZ set off to see what changed and found very little. Libraries without proper books, a locked computer lab, abysmal vocational education, and increasing suicide attempts characterized the youth prisons.
Tags: youth prison; juvenile; prison; jail; treatment
-
"It's Your Money"
Several agencies in Kentucky that are funded by taxpayer money came under fire last year when the Herald-Leger revealed records of agency official's extravagant travel costs and other outrageous expenditures. The agencies, including the Lexington Public Library, the Kentucky Association of Counties and the Kentucky League of Cities, were operating with "little oversight" until their excessive use of taxpayer money was exposed.
Tags: Kentucky League of Cities; Lexington Public Library; Lexington's Blue Grass Airport; Kentucky Association of Counties; expenditures; Sylvia Lovely
-
Freedom/Fear
"This story is a comprehensive survey of how post-September 11th security measures have impacted life in all its facets across New York City, from the workplace to the library to the airport to the courtroom to Muslim neighborhoods to political protests."
Tags: Arabic; NYPD; anti-terrorism; civil liberties; Patriot Act;
-
Subtraction by Addition: A watchdog report on MPS' failed construction program
The series focused on a failed $102 million neighborhood school building program to add classrooms, gyms, libraries, labs and entire schools for Milwaukee schoolchildren. The investigation found that tens of millions of dollars of classrooms added since 2001 sit empty or severely underused.
Tags: school district; construction; enrollment; classroom; academic; test score
-
Bush Library Scandal
The three parts of the series deal with indications that senior White House officials in the administration of George W. Bush were being made available to foreign politicians and making policy announcements in return for donations to the Bush library fund.
Tags: lobbying; Bush administration; misuse of funds; money laundering; library fund; politics; international policy
-
Department thrifty despite salary growth
"The impetus for the project was Florida's budget crisis. Governments are cutting services like libraries and street sweeping to help balance the state's budget. But between 2001 and 2006, governments were overloaded with money, and we wanted to see what they spent it on. Sheriff's Offices seemed like a logical case study. Some offices were judicious in their spending; others, such as the Manatee County Sheriff's Office, bought souped-up SUVs for high ranking officers."
Tags: police; government spending; budget; salary; perks; sheriff; Florida
-
Blueprint Failure
"After nearly 10 years on the drawing board, a $102 million renovation and expansion of the city's Central Library went from being hailed as the most significant contribution to Indianapolis' civic architechture in decades to the worst public construction debacle in history."
Tags: library; formwork; steel; taxpayer; engineering
-
Sinkhole
"Sinkhole" examines how public pensions are drastically underfunded all over the country. In order to meet legal obligations to cover pension funds for teachers, firefighters, police and other public employees, local governments are facing some very tough budgetary decisions. Tax increases, cutting teaching staff and closing libraries are some of the measures being taken.
Tags: employee pensions; public employees; retirement; city government; county government; state and federal government
-
Watchdog Report: Digging into City Hall's Money Mess
A two-month investigation found that the city of San Diego did not have records showing how much land it owned or how it was being used. The city did have an inventory of property, but it was in complete disarray. Not only was it missing land, but it also included property the city didn't own. And the city's records didn't always reflect how the land actually was being used. For instance, one parcel labeled as a street was actually a vacant lot. We found that the city also was neglecting some of its most valuable land. It owned a rat-infested house in La Jolla that had been vacant for more than a decade. A lot that a woman had bequeathed to the city to benefit parks and libraries was covered with trash.
Tags: land records; San Diego; La Jolla; abandoned land; vacated land; city land; public land; public property