ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES Newsletter of the Federal Depository Library Program --------------------------------------------------------------------- February 15, 2000 GP 3.16/3-2:21/04 (Vol. 21, no. 04) --------------------------------------------------------------------- [Handout] Electronic Transition Activities Update January 2000 Prototype Electronic Archive LPS and GPO's Production Department have built a prototype electronic archive to be used specifically for publications added to the FDLP Electronic Collection (FDLP/EC). During this prototype phase, LPS is developing procedures, based on the principles outlined in Managing the FDLP Electronic Collection: A Policy and Planning Document for identifying, capturing and organizing electronic resources for the electronic archive. Initial efforts are focused on capturing electronic publications for which no tangible equivalent has been located or identified by LPS for distribution. The initial hardware configuration includes twin DEC Alpha 1200 computers running at 533 Mhz with 1.088 GB each of RAM and 58 GB of storage. The twin machines will be operated as mirrors to provide necessary redundancy for security purposes. The configuration is very flexible, and can be immediately expanded from GPO stock by 18 GB. The initial phase has included the setup and testing of the hardware configuration, development and implementation of communication procedures between LPS and the Production Department for the transfer of data and operation of the system, and initial experimentation with methods and routines for capture, documentation, and processing of titles for the archive. We anticipate that we will move from prototype to full production in the first half of calendar 2000. The lifecycle of electronic publications in the archive has been outlined thus far: At the evaluation phase in the acquisition process, remotely served electronic publications will be identified as candidates for the archive based on attributes described in the collection policy. Content will be captured as part of the accession process, and reference is made (in the BET description or successor database) that an archival copy is being preserved. When the PURL is assigned, users will be directed to the official agency site. At the point that the official site is found to be no longer available, the PURL will be modified to direct the user to the archive copy, with a notice appearing detailing the date of archiving and other pertinent information. Migration from Microfiche to Online Distribution LPS is evaluating titles that are currently distributed in microfiche format for migration to online dissemination. Most of the titles under consideration are selected by fewer than 500 depository libraries. If an official, reliable version of the publication is available online, LPS will decide if it is appropriate to make only the digital version available to depository libraries. A primary consideration is whether permanent public access to the product can be assured, typically by including the online publication in the GPO electronic archive. Electronic Transition Staff Appointment Steven Kerchoff joined the LPS staff as an Electronic Transition Specialist for a one-year term in October 1999. Kerchoff, a librarian from the Library of Congress Federal Library and Information Center Committee (FLICC), will use his extensive knowledge of Federal libraries and information resources to assist in increasing awareness about GPO's Electronic Collection activities and in developing additional partnership opportunities with agencies. Electronic Collection Manager George Barnum returned to the Library Programs Service (LPS) in late September in his new position as Electronic Collection Manager. He is responsible for all initiatives related to the FDLP/EC and permanent public access to electronic resources in the collection. He is continuing to develop the partnership concept for the FDLP. Partnership Activities Libraries in the FDLP continue to express interest in becoming FDLP partners. The Electronic Collection Manager has been concentrating on developing contacts within agencies with which to build partnership agreements. Excellent discussions have taken place with staff from the Census Bureau, U.S. Institute of Peace, National Library of Education, and others. Among existing projects are: o NTIS Based on the very positive response of participants, the NTIS Pilot Project has been continued indefinitely. o NRC LPS has worked with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to produce a cooperative plan to ensure public access to a body of NRC information (previously distributed by NRC in microfiche) that would no longer be accessible through the NRC Local Public Documents Room (LPDR) program as of September 30, 1999. In August, the Superintendent of Documents accepted the legacy microfiche collections from LPDR libraries into the FDLP. LPS and NRC staff have been working with the librarians at the 18 regionals receiving materials, and transfers are nearly complete. NRC's ADAMS document retrieval system became publicly available during the Fall, and NRC staff will give training at the fall 2000 Federal Depository Conference.