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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- November 15, 2000 GP 3.16/3-2:21/15 (Vol. 21, no. 15) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [HANDOUT] LIBRARY PROGRAMS SERVICE UPDATE STAT-USA Effective October 1, 2000, depository libraries have two free subscriptions to the STAT-USA online service. Libraries do not need to register for the increased access to the STAT-USA service. The current passwords in use by libraries registered for this service allow the extra user to access the database. Libraries are reminded they must abide by the agreement signed by each library director upon registering for STAT-USA. The users must be in the library when accessing the database. The library must protect the passwords. Passwords should not be disclosed to faculty, students, or patrons. The National Trade Data Bank (NTDB) (C 1.88:, Item 0128-L) on CD-ROM is no longer be sent to libraries effective with CD-ROMs published as of October 2000. This is the final step in the agreement to increase online access to STAT-USA. USA Trade CD-ROM (C 1.88/3:, Item 0128-L-01) is no longer distributed to libraries in CD-ROM format. The information in this title is also included in the monthly U.S. Imports of Merchandise (C 3.278/2: Item 0154-D) and U.S. Exports of Merchandise (C 3.278/3: Item 0154-D) on CD-ROM. A new paid portion of the STAT-USA online database, USA Trade Online, with the detail level equivalent to the CD-ROM product is not included under the agreement for free depository access, however, abbreviated 2-digit detail is available under your depository subscription to STAT-USA. Depository libraries wishing to access the detailed USA Trade Online on the STAT-USA website must pay for access under terms set by STAT-USA and the Census Bureau. Format Changes to Electronic (EL) LPS is moving forward with numerous changes in the distribution format of FDLP titles. These changes mean that depositories will have current and permanent public access to online versions of content that was previously distributed in paper or microfiche. The notices of the change of format are posted in Administrative Notes Technical Supplement and the online WEBTech Notes, located at . Libraries will continue to see physical distribution of many of these products in the shipment boxes for titles that have been changed to EL format. The contracts under which these products are ordered are in the process of being changed, and it may take the Federal agencies some time to make the changes. The changes will eventually catch up with each title, and the title will then be disseminated only online. Self-Studies Staff vacancies contributed to postponing the submission of self-studies to LPS by some libraries last inspected in 1994. Two selections have been made to fill Cynthia Etkin's and Thomas Oertel's positions. Gail Snider resigned in October and her position likely will not be filled. Once the new inspectors are trained, Depository Services hopes to resume requesting self-studies in spring 2001. Outreach The 14th annual Interagency Depository Seminar will be held from May 30 - June 6, 2001 at the U.S. Government Printing Office. The preliminary agenda and registration form appeared in the October 15, 2000 issue of Administrative Notes. The spring 2001 Depository Library Council meeting will be held from April 1-4. The Four Points Sheraton Riverwalk North in San Antonio, TX has been awarded the contract. The preliminary agenda and registration form will appear in the January 15, 2001 issue of Administrative Notes. Publications The August 2000 edition of the Federal Depository Library Directory was recently distributed to all depositories. The Instructions to Depository Libraries, July 2000 edition, was distributed to all depository libraries in September. The Instructions are available for downloading from the FDLP Desktop at in MS Word, HTML, and PDF formats. Federal Depository Libraries As of September 30, 2000, there are 1,328 Federal depository libraries of which 53 are regionals and 1,275 selectives. Nineteen libraries voluntarily relinquished depository status while one joined the program. PURLs and Access to Online Resources At present, approximately 11,000 online resources are made available through GPO produced bibliographic records. Most records are accessible via OCLC's Persistent Uniform Resource Locator (PURL) software. As URLs change, the PURL that is input into a record seamlessly re-directs users to the most recent active link. Use of PURLs allows catalogers to spend their time cataloging rather than maintaining links by changing URLs in bibliographic records. As with many services associated with technology, GPO's use of PURLs software has rapidly evolved during recent years. The Library Programs Service (LPS) began using PURLs in March 1998. PURLs Assignment Selected personnel within LPS are authorized to assign PURLs to online resources that are announced in the New Electronic Titles (NET) application. PURLs are also used for providing access to cataloged works that are not listed on NET. Online works that are available via both NET and the Catalog of United States Government Publications should share the same PURLs. Determining Where PURLs Should Take Users LPS practices for assigning PURLs to online resources have evolved as experience has been gained and as Internet publishing practices have evolved. The first choice for assigning PURLs in serial records is to take users to a page through which all issues are accessible. The second choice for serials is to take users to the most recent issue. The choice of formats is in accordance with choices for monographs (see below). The first choice for monographs (non-congressional) is to take users to a page on which they may choose formats (PDF, HTML, text, Word/WordPerfect). If a user-initiated option is not available, the following formats are preferred (in order) PDF, HTML, text, Word/WordPerfect. Our current practice for assigning PURLs to congressional monographs (GPO Access) is to assign a PURL that takes users directly to the publication in both PDF and text if both are available. If PDF and HTML are available, we assign PURLs to these formats in preference to assigning PURLs to PDF and text formats. In those instances in which we assign a PURL to a resource at a House or Senate site (for recently published documents that are of public interest but not yet on GPO Access) we must choose from the best available options. GPO does not control how non-GPO sites make information available. Links Checking Each weekend, PURLs link checking software is run to identify PURLs with broken links. Personnel attempt to restore access and also attempt to discover more direct links to publications than may have been present when the document was cataloged. People who know of broken links and who know of better, more direct access to online works are encouraged to send this information to Theodore Defosse at: . Information Displays and Cataloging Policies and PURLs/URLs GPO's cataloging policies for providing online access have evolved during recent years. Much of this evolution is in response to evolving national level cataloging standards. Given evolving standards, it is important that libraries display 500, 530, and 538 notes fields and the 856 online access field, with subfields u and z, in their online catalogs. Libraries that display these elements will provide patrons with electronic access to online resources and/or essential information concerning access or dead links even if the exact wording of notes may differ. Current Practices - Access and Access Related Information Current practice is to record the URL address of an online work in the 530 (also available) and 538 (online only) fields of records, as appropriate. This address is for information only and refers to the URL and the date on which a PURL was established for the title. This policy was undertaken in response to a recommendation from the Depository Library Council. Access to online publications is accomplished through assignment of PURLs to the 856 field of records. Subfield u of the 856 field is used to convey access-related information. Such information may include a note indicating a need for an Adobe Acrobat reader and/or may describe how a link to a title may be established from an index or similar page. Subfield z of the 856 field is used to indicate that a work is no longer accessible via the Internet. Policies - Information Concerning Dead Links When personnel are unable to restore a link, GPO's established policy, since 1995, has been to indicate "No longer available via the Internet" in a 500 note. This policy is contained within GPO's Cataloging Guideline for Computer Files, No. 1A, located at: . This policy has not been uniformly applied in every instance and some exceptions have been discovered. Although most "no longer available" notes are in the 500 field (and the 856 subfield z), some of these notes also appear in the 530 and 538 fields. Some slight variation in the language of some notes also has occurred over time. These variations should not be a problem if catalogs provide record displays for 500/530/538/856 fields.