F e d e r a l D e p o s i t o r y L i b r a r y P r o g r a m ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES Newsletter of the Federal Depository Library Program ------------------------------------------------------------------------ October 15, 2000 GP 3.16/3-2:21/14 (Vol. 21, no. 14) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2000 Minimum Technical Requirements in Effect New minimum technical requirements for workstations in Federal depository libraries went into effect October 1, 2000. The proposal for new requirements and the Depository Library Council's recommendation to implement them was published in the May 1, 2000 issue of Administrative Notes (v. 21, # 9) . All Federal depository libraries must meet the minimum technical requirements to keep pace with technological change in order to fulfill their Title 44 obligation to provide access to Government information products. These requirements were originally issued as the "1999 Recommended Specifications for Public Access Workstations in Federal Depository Libraries" in the June 15, 1999 Administrative Notes. The Library Programs Service (LPS) will continue to issue Recommended Specifications for Public Access Workstations in Federal Depository Libraries each spring to assist depository library staff in planning for new computer purchases. As another step in the transition to an e-FDLP and in accordance with Depository Library Council recommendations from its spring 2000 meeting, a schedule was established to regularly increase workstation requirements. Fifteen months after issuance, recommended specifications will become minimum technical requirements. The requirements, the recommended specifications, and the schedule are all available from the FDLP Desktop at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/computers Having a DVD drive is a major change included in the 1999 recommended specifications. At present the only DVD products distributed through the FDLP are from the Patent and Trademark Office. LPS has learned that the Census Bureau will be producing DVD products for distribution, the first of which will be the Census Tract Street Index.