Join IRE and NICAR in Phoenix for the 2010 Computer-Assisted Reporting Conference. The annual event, which offers hands-on training, panels on the latest trends and insight into cutting-edge developments, will be hosted by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University from March 11-14.

IRE training director Jaimi Dowdell and NICAR academic adviser David Herzog have assumed responsibilities for the IRE and NICAR Database Library.

Like many companies and nonprofits, IRE has seen a drop in revenue this year. As a result, we were forced to cut expenses. As part of that reduction, we eliminated funding for the Database Library director position. We’ll miss the contributions of Jeremy Milarsky, who held the position since early last year.

Possibly the most venerable tool in investigative reporting is campaign cash. "Follow the money" is not only an axiom in the journalism trade but a reminder of the historic events that motivated many of us to become reporters in the first place.

Since its inception, IRE and NICAR's Database Library has collected electronic campaign data from the Federal Elections Commission, cleaned it up and made it available to members for a modest fee. Continuing that tradition, we have today added the 2010 election cycle data to the collection.

The Red River in Fargo, N.D., has reached record heights and is still rising. IRE has compiled a list of resources to help you cover this flood, localize the story for your area and assess whether your community is prepared for a similar disaster.

The NICAR Database Library has updated two key datasets in our collection – both of which are, quite frankly, a challenge to obtain.

After several years of negotiations, the NICAR Database Library has updated its copy of the FAA Enforcement Information System. This useful database documents cases where airlines, airports and pilots are accused of breaking FAA Regulations — examples include drug-test failures and alcohol abuse on the job.

The SEC disclosure filings have been a valuable resource for reporters searching for information about companies. And, in the current economic climate, business stories are drawing people's attention.

NICAR has recently updated its SEC administrative proceedings database.

You can use this database to help reporting on consumer fraud, corporate accountability and other dealings between the SEC and the entities it regulates.

Current as of September 2008, the data includes 51,730 records of cases.

Our copy of the National Bridge Inventory database has been updated. For more information, please check this page.

Additionally, you can buy state slices of this dataset online -- a first for this site. If you wish to purchase only the bridge information for your state, please check this page.

NICAR has added a new database to our collection- Airport Crime Statistics. Using this database, reporters can search for how frequently incidents happen at their local airport and compare those numbers to airports across the country. Reporters also can compare the average claim amount paid across several airports.

As many of you know, for years the NICAR Database Library has kept more than 40 federal databases useful to investigative reporters covering a variety of topics. One thing that hasn’t changed over the years is our mission of expanding the library collection. We continue to look for new and different datasets that can be useful to a reporter digging for information.