ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES NEWSLETTER OF THE FEDERAL DEPOSITORY LIBRARY PROGRAM Vol. 20, no. 04 GP 3.16/3-2:20/04 February 15, 1999 DEPOSITORY SERVICES UPDATE [HANDOUT ( ALA ( 1/30/99] OUTREACH The 8th annual Federal Depository Library Conference and the spring meeting of the Depository Library Council to the Public Printer are scheduled for April 12-15 in Bethesda, Maryland. A one-day meeting for Regional librarians will be held on April 11. The Holiday Inn-Bethesda will be the conference hotel. The preliminary agenda appeared in the December 15, 1998 Administrative Notes along with hotel and conference registration forms and area maps. You may register on the Web at . The 12th annual Interagency Depository Seminar is scheduled for June 2-9, 1999 in Washington, DC. The preliminary agenda was announced in the October 15, 1998 Administrative Notes. The registration and hotel information was also included. The deadline for registration is March 12. SELF-STUDIES In October 1999, depository librarians and their directors whose depository operations were last inspected in 1994 will be notified to submit a mandatory self-study. The states include Arkansas, California, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The due date for these self-studies will be January 15, 2000. SELF-STUDY REVIEW COMMITTEE A group of volunteers, including a member of the Depository Library Council, regional librarians, selectives, a selective housing site, and Depository Services Staff are reviewing the text of the Self-Study of a Federal Depository Library. This short-term assignment's goals are eliminating some questions, shortening or clarifying others to elicit more appropriate answers, and adding questions to address issues not envisioned in 1996. The revised Self-Study will be available by late summer 1999. 1997 BIENNIAL SURVEY Staff is compiling Findings of the 1997 Biennial Survey for publication in 1999. The raw data files, including the survey text, data conversion table, and responses in comma-delimited format, have been available since April 1998 from the Federal Bulletin Board at . 1999 BIENNIAL SURVEY The Statistical Measurement Committee of the Depository Library Council and Depository Services Staff have prepared questions for the 1999 Biennial Survey of Depository Libraries. The survey will include optional questions to elicit basic cost data of being a depository, e.g., salaries, equipment, etc. In order for depository staff to begin gathering figures for the optional cost questions, the text of the Biennial Survey will be released in spring 1999. The submission of the Survey answers via the WWW will occur in fall 1999. FDLP INTERNET USE POLICY GUIDELINES GPO has issued new FDLP Internet Use Policy Guidelines in the January 15, 1999 Administrative Notes. All depository libraries must offer free access to online Federal Government information provided through the Federal Depository Library Program. This follows the same principle of free access that governs the use of traditional depository materials, as provided in Section 1911 of Title 44, United States Code. GPO's Office of General Counsel has reviewed the policy for consistency with Title 44, United States Code, and with the earlier issued Depository Library Public Service Guidelines for Government Information in Electronic Formats which appeared in the September 15, 1998 issue of Administrative Notes. STATE PLANS GPO encourages each state to prepare a plan to coordinate the Federal Depository Library Program within each state or region and to outline strategies to reach those goals. A State Plan can foster communication and cooperation, promote partnerships, and distribute responsibilities among the depositories in the state. "How to Draft a State Plan," was presented by Paula Kaczmarek, Detroit Public Library, and Stephen Henson, Louisiana Tech University, at the April 1998 Regional meeting. Their checklist of activities appeared on pages 3-5 in the Proceedings of the 7th Annual Federal Depository Library Conference that was distributed to all depositories in paper and is available at: . FEDERAL DEPOSITORY LIBRARIES As of January 15, 1999, there are 1,353 Federal depository libraries of which 53 are regionals and 1,300 selectives.