Since 1975, the Washington Information Directory has been an essential resource for locating information on governmental and nongovernmental organizations in the national capital region. This trusted and user-friendly directory helps researchers find the right contact at the right organization, whether their interest is consumer product and food safety, equal employment opportunities, finance and investments, housing, nuclear energy, or a wealth of other timely topics. The directory allows the user to locate accurate, current information quickly and easily in a way that free Internet searches or a single phone call to a switchboard cannot.

In updating the Washington Information Directory every year, we research each existing entry to provide current addresses; phone, fax, TTY, and toll-free numbers; e-mail and Web addresses; and key officers and descriptions. Obtaining this information requires calling each organization and speaking with a member of its Washington office. In directory listings, we include contacts' direct lines whenever possible (many organizations do not publish these numbers on their Web sites in an attempt to channel all calls through an operator or answering service). When a federal department reorganizes, we assess the new divisions and directorates and reorganize the book accordingly. New government offices and nongovernmental organizations are added each year. Entries are arranged by topic, subtopic, and organization type. The result is an indispensable reference engine that makes finding up-to-date information easy, whether you are using the print or the online edition.

Some of the most notable changes made to this edition of the Washington Information Directory include updated and complete coverage of the new Obama administration and fully updated contact information for the 111th Congress, based on the results of the 2008 elections. Users will continue to find a handy “Resources in Congress” box at the beginning of each chapter, listing new and relevant committees and subcommittees for that chapter's topic, along with their Web site and phone number. Users may also turn to the first appendix, which offers a complete listing of each Congress committee, including its full contact information, leadership, membership, and jurisdictions.

Among reorganizations documented in this edition are realignments for the Defense Department, the Housing and Urban Development Department, the Labor Department, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Treasury Department. There are also new and expanded entries in the Education, Government Operations, and Housing and Development chapters, including updates on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

In addition to adding new entries and updating and expanding coverage of existing entries, we enhance each edition of the Washington Information Directory by focusing on topics of new or renewed importance. We continue to emphasize Web-based government resources and to research new developments affecting the Freedom of Information Act and privacy legislation. In Chapter 1, Agriculture, Food, and Nutrition, we now include a reference box that not only has agency and organizational resources for food safety but also lists FDA and USDA hotlines for concerned consumers. In the “Chief Information Officers at Federal Departments and Agencies” reference box in Chapter 3, Communications and the Media, we include the key point people in the new administration. In Chapter 11, Housing and Development, we provide the new entry for the Real Estate Assessment Center within the Housing and Urban Development Department and the new Making Home Affordable Web site, both of which were created in response to the financial crisis.

The fully updated chapters of the Washington Information Directory are supplemented by two appendixes that include a guide to the members and committees of Congress; a directory of government Web sites; a list of governors and other state officials; a section on foreign diplomats and embassies, U.S. ambassadors, and State Department country offices; and current information on legislation pertaining to the Freedom of Information Act and USA PATRIOT Act. Users can search the edition in three ways: through the name index, the organization index, or the subject index.

CQ Press seeks to maintain the Washington Information Directory's reputation as the most valuable, comprehensive, and authoritative reference of its kind. We welcome feedback, as it will help us to continue to improve the book's quality and functionality and to meet your needs as users. If you have general comments or suggestions for future editions, please share them by sending an e-mail to wideditor@cqpress.com.