ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES Newsletter of the Federal Depository Library Program --------------------------------------------------------------------- July 25, 1999 GP 3.16/3-2:20/12 (Vol. 20, no. 12) --------------------------------------------------------------------- Depository Library Council to the Public Printer April 14, 1999 Recommendations, Action Items, and Commendations Recommendations 1. Cease Production of Most Availability Records Council recommends that GPO eliminate the production of availability records for all non-map serial and multi-part monograph products (tangible and electronic) for the Monthly Catalog. Rationale: Availability records are currently created only for annual and semiannual serials. This practice is a procedural holdover from the pre-automated Monthly Catalog era. Elimination of production of these availability records would free up GPO cataloging resources to be allocated to other work and would eliminate the confusion that these duplicate records create. 2. Replace Periodicals Supplement Council recommends that GPO replace the Periodicals Supplement with a more comprehensive tool, which will list all serials in the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) and all serials cataloged in the preceding year. Rationale: The Periodicals Supplement of the Monthly Catalog currently contains serial titles issued three or more times a year; serial titles issued once or twice a year receive availability records and appear in the regular monthly issues of the Monthly Catalog. Council has recommended elimination of the production of these availability records. Therefore, all serials, regardless of frequency, should now be included in an enhanced Periodicals Supplement. 3. Integrated Library System Council recommends that GPO investigate the feasibility of acquiring an Integrated Library System that would represent bibliographic records and holdings for all pieces distributed to depository libraries (e.g. serial check-in, individual volumes of a multi-volume set) and be available for public online inquiries. Council also recommends that in its investigation, GPO consider the cost savings to be gained from acquiring an Integrated Library System, including savings gained from the elimination of inquiries about holdings on AskLPS. Rationale: Council believes that both GPO and the depository community would benefit from an Integrated Library System which would reflect holdings to the piece level. Such a system would provide current awareness for materials processed by the Cataloging Branch and would eliminate any need for availability records. 4. Fee-based products Council recommends that GPO strengthen its efforts to bring fee-based electronic products into the FDLP at no cost to the library. Rationale: Council believes that fee-based electronic Government information products and services should be made available to depository libraries at no cost, in compliance with Title 44, and other laws and regulations. In addition, Council has noted the increased use of limited passwords for fee-based products and services. Council strongly encourages GPO to aggressively pursue no-fee access to fee-based databases for depository libraries, including a sufficient number of passwords so that depositories can provide adequate access to their user communities. Alternative approaches of acquiring no-fee access for depository libraries should be explored with agencies that are not now complying with the law. 5. GPO Access and Search Engines Council recommends that GPO investigate and implement strategies to include top level GPO Access pages on popular Internet search engines, e.g. Yahoo!, NorthernLights, and Lycos. Rationale: The general public often relies on popular Internet search engines and services to locate information. Therefore the inclusion of GPO Access pages into these services will achieve two very positive goals: first, it will promote the GPO Access system and its related services; and second, it will link citizens to the official versions of the Government information they need. 6. NRC Public Document Room Collections Council recommends that GPO work with depository libraries to continue its planning with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to assure permanent public access to NRC documents. GPO should identify a small group of depository librarians, including LPDR (the NRC’s Local Public Document Room program) and regional libraries, to work with them on final guidelines and procedures. Rationale: GPO and NRC have entered into discussions about moving the NRC microfiche depository collections under the auspices of the FDLP, since the NRC’s LPDR program is being phased out at the end of fiscal year 1999. The LPDR program was designed to provide information to citizens in the immediate vicinity of nuclear power reactors throughout the licensing and operating life of the reactors. The LPDR collections have some overlap with FDLP collections, but also include many unique materials. The focus of the current discussions is 73 collections of microfiche from 1981 to date. While some LPDRs may choose to retain their collections, others may choose to withdraw them. Designating these collections as part of the FDLP program and finding homes for an appropriate number of those withdrawn from LPDRs will preserve public access to these valuable materials across the country. 7. Migration of Physical Format Products to Online Distribution Council recommends that GPO test the policies, procedures, and criteria for migrating titles to online electronic delivery only, as outlined in the document "Migration of Physical Format Products to Online Distribution," (Administrative Notes, v. 20, no. 4, Feb. 15, 1999, p. 4) and report back to Council within an appropriate time frame. Rationale: This document provides useful guidelines for evaluating FDLP titles which have been identified for conversion from physical to electronic format. Prior to any implementation of these guidelines, Council asks GPO to conduct one or more pilot projects to evaluate the effectiveness of these criteria and procedures. Of special interest to Council would be procedures for FDLP input on the title selection process and the management plan and procedures for the digital archive. Council expects that GPO will be able to report on its progress in testing these guidelines at the next Council meeting. 8. Federal Agency Outreach Council recommends that GPO accelerate its outreach efforts to agencies to inform them of the mutual benefit that agencies, GPO, depository libraries, and the American public derive from the dissemination of information through the FDLP. Rationale: Our democratic system depends on ready public access to Federal Government information as has been provided through the FDLP. The loss of electronic Government information products from agency Web sites is a widespread, yet unrecognized, problem and perhaps the greatest challenge of the change in Government publishing from the print to the electronic environment. Accelerated outreach efforts, such as promoting the "Internet Information Product Notification Form," will impress upon agencies the significant steps GPO is taking to address this great challenge and to make Federal electronic information readily available to the public through the FDLP. 9. Partnerships Recognizing that permanent public access to electronic Government information is an essential element of the FDLP Electronic Collection, Council recommends that GPO allocate the resources necessary to accelerate the process of identifying new partnership models and potential agency and institutional partners. Rationale: The strategic plan identifies as a priority that GPO establish a distributed system for ensuring that Government information products available via Government information services are maintained permanently for public access through the FDLP. Council recognizes that GPO has initiated some efforts toward this goal. However, Council believes that, since partnerships are essential to a successful FDLP Electronic Collection, GPO must work more aggressively with agencies to develop partnership opportunities for libraries, consortia, and other institutions. 10. Substituting Electronic for Tangible Versions Council recommends that GPO finalize and distribute the FDLP Guidelines on Substituting Electronic for Tangible Versions of Depository Publications. In publicizing the guidelines, GPO should emphasize that depository libraries should review their collection development and public service policies to ensure appropriate user services as they make decisions about substituting electronic formats for tangible versions of publications. Rationale: The draft guidelines presented at this meeting provide a reasonable procedure for beginning the process of substituting reliable and permanently accessible electronic publications for tangible products. The guidelines include appropriate cautions about considering user needs, as well as requirements for following disposal guidelines of the Regional depository. Implementation of these guidelines will allow depositories to begin a reasoned process of collection management that includes fully electronic versions of products. The initial list of official GPO databases provides a good starting point, and will be expanded as appropriate. Council suggests that it is not necessary to append a List of Official GPO Partnership Sites to this document in its initial distribution. 11. Permanent Public Access Archive Council recommends that GPO develop a prototype of an archive of FDLP electronic products to ensure Permanent Public Access (PPA). Rationale: The archive prototype is a critical component of the life cycle process within a Permanent Public Access system. The archive must demonstrate success before other aspects of PPA are implemented. Ideally, the archive prototype should be developed by summer 1999. 12. Outreach to Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) Council recommends that GPO broaden its contact with the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA). Rationale: Council is encouraged by, and very supportive of, GPO’s outreach efforts. The Chief Library Officers are responsible for overarching library technology planning at the state level. Therefore, it is essential that they are part of the planning for the FDLP and are involved in how that might relate to other statewide electronic information planning needs. Chief Library Officers meet at least once annually in the Washington, DC area and participate in National Legislative Library Day. Chief Library Officers work with their Congressional delegations on an ongoing basis. These officers are responsible for organizing the rapid and pervasive pace of technological change. Many state library agencies are regional depository libraries and most are at least selective depository libraries. The Chief Officers therefore understand the importance of citizen access to, and interest in, electronic Government information. Many state document programs benefit from and are related to Federal document activities and services. Chief Library Officers participate in and lead statewide technological interaction among libraries in their states. Under the Federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), Government information support is an allowable activity. Access to Government information will increasingly depend on library building level technological capacity as well as the focal role of technologically sophisticated regional and selected depositories. The State Library Officers should be included in the planning for future Government options and services. 13. Congressional Information/Comparative Web Site Analysis Council recommends that GPO continue efforts to improve coverage of Congressional and other legislative information on GPO Access. To this end, Council recommends that GPO conduct a comparative analysis of the legislative branch information available through GPO Access with that of THOMAS, committee Web sites, and other relevant Government and non-government sites. Council anticipates that GPO staff will provide a report on this topic at the fall 1999 Council meeting. Rationale: Council reiterates the Fall 1998 action item on congressional information and continues to emphasize the importance of expanded GPO Access to current and archival legislative branch information. Council believes the report will facilitate better understanding of the competitive position of GPO Access vis-à-vis other related Web sites for legislative branch information. This will also provide a test case of comparative analysis of GPO Access and implementation of the Electronic Collection plan. Commendations 1. Council commends GPO on their latest marketing efforts that include a new Web design, booth display, and promotional materials. Council is especially pleased with efforts to promote the full range of GPO services to existing and new constituencies. Council encourages GPO to continue broadening their marketing efforts to new audiences and industries. 2. Council commends Nan Myers and Ablah Library, Wichita State University, for taking a leadership role in developing and improving the Documents Data Miner, a Web-based, interactive tool integrating GPO-provided and other data elements. The DDM provides significant benefits to individual depository libraries, their ability to network and coordinate collection development, referral and other services. Action Items 1. Council will work with GPO to plan a report on methods and metrics for measuring usage of the GPO Access Web site and major components thereof. 2. Council will work with GPO staff to identify resources available for evaluating the value of depository collections of various sizes and ages. Libraries that have gathered information will be invited to share it, to be combined with cost information that GPO can supply. 3. Council will continue, through its Operations Committee, to consult with GPO on specific electronic products that present difficult software or usage challenges for GPO and depositories. 4. Council Operations Committee will explore with GPO, depository libraries, and vendors the current functions of item numbers for online electronic formats and consider alternatives. 5. Council has received the Report on the Assessment of Electronic Government Information Products commissioned by GPO to assist in planning and implementing the transition to a more electronic FDLP. Council will work with GPO in the analysis of the key findings and data. 6. The Electronic Transition Committee will analyze the Council Discussion Paper Completing the Transition to a More Electronic FDLP and will report that analysis to GPO. 7. Council will respond to the University of California San Diego summarizing our discussions of UCSD’s correspondence regarding their suggestion that source files be made available for depository library selection.