Background
The ideas behind the Government Information Locator Service have many roots. One of these is ongoing work concerning data management for Global Change research, which focuses on topics such as Global Warming and Loss of Biological Diversity. These are aptly named "Grand Challenges", especially as it has now become obvious that Earth systems are intrinsically entwined with many other kinds of systems--social, economic, political, etc.
One of the fundamental realities in this arena is that researchers and policy-makers today and in the future will need access to long baseline data. There is a fundamental need for continuity not only among world data centers, but with the vast treasure-houses of literature and other information maintained by libraries, museums, and archives worldwide. Current and future records must also be managed appropriately, but it is fundamentally not possible to fully anticipate what data and information will be needed. In some areas of basic research today, it may be 40 years until societies know the right questions to ask and what crucial data and information should have been maintained.