Benefits of Being a Federal Depository Library
Prepared by SOAR
Depository Library Council ·
Subcommittee on Attrition and Retention
Depository libraries benefit because the Federal Depository Library Program:
- Enhances the status of the institution through:
- greater service to & resources for the entire community
- political good will of the Congressional delegation
- a public collection of government information, employing knowledgeable people to serve that collection
- Raises the level of visibility and status of the entire library locally, regionally, and nationally
- Provides primary source material that is invaluable to researchers
- Links a community of government information professionals who understand governmental organizational structure, the information publishing practices of governmental agencies, and the multiple contexts in which these agencies produce this information
- Provides a centralized process for locating, acquiring, cataloging, and disseminating information produced by the various government entities
- Automatically distributes publications that libraries may otherwise find difficult to obtain, due either to price or availability
- Pushes member libraries to the forefront of technology
- Raises the service level of the library in order to comply with FDLP standards
- Produces guides such as the "Recommended Specifications for Public Workstations" that help to ensure that library workstations are always up-to-date
- Provides information & training with programs such as the Interagency Seminar and the Depository Library Conference
- Extends limited book budgets by providing valuable material at no cost
- Supplies materials that support various curriculum areas
- Distributes regular updates on government information issues from the GPO, other government agencies, and other entities
- Enables libraries to have input in the policies and procedures of the Federal Depository Library Program
- Allows indefinite retention of the Federal depository collection, whereas libraries leaving the program may be required to dismantle it
3/12/2003 |