Home Page > FDLP Desktop > Administrative Notes > July 15 - Aug. 15, 2008

Administrative Notes: Newsletter of the FDLP

Another Successful Interagency Seminar Completed

Fifty-eight librarians and other staff from 45 depository libraries in 23 states attended the week-long Interagency Depository Seminar which concluded August 1. Twenty GPO staff covered the history, operations, and new initiatives of the U.S. Government Printing Office, as well as technical services procedures and requirements of the Federal Depository Library Program. The majority of the information-dense week was devoted to presentations on Federal information products by 17 representatives from 9 other Federal agencies, including:

• Defense Technical Information Center
• Library of Congress
• Office of the Federal Register
• Consumer Product Safety Commission
• Office of Head Start
• STAT-USA (Dept. of Commerce)
• U.S. Bureau of the Census
• U.S. Copyright Office
• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Participants overwhelmingly rated the seminar as good to excellent (4.5 out of 5) in their evaluations. One enthusiastic librarian commented:

I feel honored to be at this seminar – even though some sessions were more interesting to me, all the sessions were exceptionally well taught. As a new government documents librarian, these sessions are a key component in jumpstarting my thought processes to provide informative and innovative services to students, faculty, and the public. It is important to be aware of what the GPO & FDLP partnership is and how depository libraries and librarians are part of this partnership. One of the important aspects of this seminar is meeting and forming bonds with other depository librarians. I was fortunate in finding several other librarians with whom I will continue to form dynamic relationships.

If you or other staff in your library would benefit from this experience, mark your calendar: the 2009 seminar will be held in Washington, DC on July 27-31. Look for announcements and the registration form on the FDLP Desktop early in 2009. We look forward to seeing you!

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New Self-Study Public Services Module Drafted

GPO has issued a draft of an update of the Self-Study of a Federal Depository Library (Federal Depository Library Manual, Supplement 3, Revised 1999). The new Self-Study of a Federal Depository Library is designed to enable depository coordinators to become more familiar with their depository operations and to determine areas needing improvement or change.

We encourage you to review the module, and we welcome your comments. We will give your feedback careful consideration as we continue the Self-Study revision process.

The Public Services module contains a list of questions on depository public services, suggestions on evaluating your responses, and a section on tracking progress where change is warranted. An overview of legal authorities, a list of GPO and library resources for review, and definitions of terms are also included.

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CGP Enhancements Implemented

GPO has recently implemented enhancements made to the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP). The enhancements include:

• Easier navigation - The navigation bar now appears on the basic search page.
• Improvements in the CGP "Help" section - More specific, customized assistance is now available.
• Links to the Federal Depository Library Directory have been added.
• GPO PURLs have been established for all search pages.

Complete description of the enhancements.

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Registry of U.S. Government Publication Digitization Projects Relaunched

The U.S. Government Printing Office has launched an enhanced version of the Registry of U.S. Government Publication Digitization Projects. All listings from the previous iteration have been incorporated into the new site.

The enhanced Registry provides the ability to:

• Browse digitization projects by category or alphabetically by title.
• Search the entire Registry or filter searches by category or fields.
• Quickly access new and recently updated listings.
• Utilize RSS feeds to keep informed of new and updated projects.
• View listings by contributor.
• Contact fellow digitization participants.
• Recommend listings to others.
• Report broken links.

And much more!

GPO hopes that the robust features and easy-to-use nature of the enhanced Registry encourages fellow digitization participants to build a comprehensive listing of all Federal digitization projects. Project listings derive from voluntary and solicited contributions from Federal depository and other libraries, Federal and other government agencies, and other non-profit institutions.

If you have a project you would like to add to the Registry, apply to become a contributor. Once an account has been created, users can add and edit projects. Additions and updates are reviewed by GPO staff prior to publishing.

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Federal Bulletin Board Migration Planned

Library Services and Content Management (LSCM) has announced the anticipated migration of the Federal Bulletin Board (FBB) application to a new electronic environment. The FBB is a free electronic bulletin board service of the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO). The service enables Federal agencies to provide self-service access to Federal information in electronic form to the public. Agencies use the FBB as a means to distribute electronic files in various file formats.

The FBB is a component of the GPO Access service and provides utility and support files for use with GPO Access online, searchable databases.

Senate Report 103-27 incorporated the FBB into GPO Access.

GPO is testing a new environment residing on a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server that will provide enhanced stability and functionality for downloading and uploading. This site will have a similar look and feel to the current FBB and will be easy to use. The new environment supports a clean interface, while at the same time, providing a modern infrastructure to accommodate changing technology. The FBB will continue to serve in its capacity as a quick, easy way to share information with GPO and others, and also as a simple and efficient archive.

As with the current FBB interface, the public will be guaranteed all read access permissions of the material. Authorized users with a username, password, and FTP client who wish to upload data to the site will have read, add, and update permissions. An FTP client can also be used to download multiple files from FBB directories at one time.
Features like sorting files by preference and minimal file naming restrictions will be available, in addition to other comparable functionalities the current FBB environment possesses.

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What Will the Future of the FDLP Look Like?

Richard Davis
Acting Superintendent of Documents
& Director, Library Services and Content Management

Before the Joint Meeting of ALA and GODORT Legislation Committees
Deliberative Dialog on the Future of the FDLP
American Library Association 2008 Annual Conference
Anaheim, California
June 28, 2008

Good afternoon. Before I gaze into my crystal ball I want to thank the ALA Washington Office for inviting me to participate in this discussion on the future of the Federal Depository Library Program. I also want to thank ALA’s Committee on Legislation and GODORT’s Legislation Committee for devoting their valuable meeting time to this topic.

Introduction

This is an opportune time for this meeting, as GPO has embarked on very different yet related activities: development of a strategic plan for the FDLP, revitalization of the inspection program into public access assessments, as well as continuing work on the study of regional depository libraries for the Joint Committee on Printing.

Charles Darwin said that it is not the strongest or most intelligent species that will survive but the one that can best adapt to change. Similarly, organizations that adapt to change while at the same time retaining their core ideology are the most successful and lasting. As we near 2013, the bicentennial of the roots for the FDLP, GPO wants the Program to continue to last and be successful. I believe this is what you all want as well. In order to have a sustainable FDLP, we need to be transparent in our exchange of ideas with each other. We need to work together as a FDLP community, not as separate entities. Recognizing that while we will never agree 100 percent of the time, we need to work to reach consensus and build coalitions with each other, in order to make sound decisions for the FDLP of today and tomorrow.

What will the future of the FDLP look like? That is the $64,000 question.

Assumptions

As we look to the future, there are several assumptions that we can make about the depository library program of tomorrow:

• Developments in the larger library world are informing the future of the FDLP;
• Fewer Federal depository library professionals will be steeped in the FDLP or in Federal resources;
• Depository libraries must be allowed to adapt to technological and program changes to perform their roles;
• Competencies to lead and manage the Federal depository of the future will be different than those of the traditional depository library;
• Collaboration and cooperation are essential;
• Government agencies and the private sector will continue to independently develop tools and resources to locate government information;
• Partnerships between the government and the private sector will continue to develop and increase;
• GPO needs to promote depositories, its resources and tools outside of the FDLP;
• An enhanced system is needed to ensure the persistent identification and description of Government information products available via Government electronic information services;
• A primarily electronic FDLP offers opportunities to make more information locally available to the public, with enhanced functionality; and
• As an unintended consequence of technology, the trend to shift costs from agencies to the user or to libraries will continue to occur.

It Is All About Access

It's all about access. The statutory mandate, the foundation, and our reason for being, is to provide no-fee access to the Government's information. This has not and it will not change. The core ideology behind the Federal Depository Library Program can be summed up with these five principles of Government information:

• The public has the right of access to government information;
• Government has the obligation to disseminate and provide broad public access to its information;
• Government has an obligation to guarantee the authenticity and integrity of its information;
• Government has an obligation to preserve its information; and
• Government information created or compiled by government employees or at government expense should remain in the public domain.

The American Library Association, American Association of Law Libraries, other library associations as well as the Office of Management and Budget have principles of Government information as did the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. While they may not all share the exact wording, the intent is the same ― the Government must make its information available to the public in order to have a more informed citizenry to participate in the democratic process. This belief dates back to our Founding Fathers and will not change with time nor will the principles of Government information.

GPO’s vision of the Federal Depository Library Program is to provide Government information when and where it is needed. And the mission of the FDLP is to provide for no-fee ready and permanent public access to Federal Government information, now and for future generations. This is achieved through:

• Organizing processes that enable desired information to be identified and located;
• Expert assistance rendered by trained professionals in a network of libraries;
• Collections of publications at a network of libraries; and
• Archived online information dissemination products from GPO Access, Federal agency Web sites, and partner Web sites.

Collections, services, and communication support each other and provide or facilitate the means for access. Additionally if we are to achieve the mission, the FDLP must exist in a collaborative and flexible environment.

Collections. Options for building depository collections will increase. There has been a paradigm shift in preservation of depository materials. Regional depositories have the responsibility for permanent public access in the tangible publication environment. In the online information environment, GPO has assumed primary responsibility for ensuring content availability and permanent public access, the requirements for which are included in GPO’s Federal Digital System. We have asked the developers of this system to also enable the capability to push preservation or access level derivative digital files to depository libraries. Collaboration and partnerships with libraries and agencies for digitizing and permanent public access for depository content will be the norm. Just last week GPO announced the launch of a “new and improved” Registry of U.S. Government Digitization Projects (http://registry.fdlp.gov/), from which one can determine digitization projects that are completed, in process, or identify potential digitization partners. We are also leading an effort to release a request for proposal for the mass digitization of the FDLP legacy collection of documents.

Services. In the FDLP of the future, GPO will continue to support depository libraries as they provide access to Government information to the American public through traditional services as well as through enhanced or new services made possible by the digital age.

GPO has developed a marketing plan, portions of which already have been implemented. If you haven't already, you can take a look at the plan on the FDLP Desktop and you can see some new promotional materials at the GPO booth here at the conference. GPO is continuing its authentication activities so users will have a visual clue to the authenticity of the online resources depositories advertise. We must continue work with Federal agencies, so they likewise authenticate content at the point of creation, to establish the official nature of content throughout the information lifecycle.

As most of you probably know, GPO procured OPAL (online programming for all libraries), a Web-based training service. We have facilitated depository community use of OPAL. The most recent program was “The Conservation Kitchen: Basic Tools for Any Preservation Recipe” presented by the Washington State Library. One of the strengths of the FDLP has always been the dedication and expertise of the depository coordinators and the staff of depository libraries. Librarians are striving to serve users with content and/or help at their point of need. Depository librarians have a presence in Second Life, Facebook, Myspace, and other social networking applications. GPO sent staff to the Consortium for Federal Virtual Worlds Expo at the end of April in Washington, DC, and we are now brainstorming on how GPO and the FDLP might have a presence in this 3-D space. To leverage the network and expertise of Federal depository librarians, GPO recently entered into a partnership with Government Information Online: Ask a Librarian (GIO), a chat and Web-based e-mail reference service.

Communication must exist between and among GPO, depository libraries, other Federal agencies, and the public and communities served by depository libraries. Among GPO’s planned efforts to foster communication and collaboration are creating shared working spaces and discussion forums as well as other Web 2.0 social networking applications on the FDLP Desktop. Depository librarians are creating wikis, blogs, and rss feeds. Examples of these communications are Free Government Information (FGI) and the University of Alabama’s rss feed of recently cataloged titles.

GPO is actively communicating and collaborating with other external stakeholders in the standards and government information policy arena. We participate in CENDI, the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP), Government Information Preservation Working Group (GIPWOG), and others.

In today’s online environment, change is happening at such a rapid rate that a “blur” is created. The blur is described by Davis and Meyer, in their book by the same name, as the convergence of speed, connectivity, and intangibles that create indistinguishable lines between products and services and buyers and sellers. Let’s put this in the context of the FDLP using the example of the National Atlas of the United States of America. In the tangible world the National Atlas is a book of maps; online it is more. It is a service that allows users to download data into GIS applications. It also allows users to create customized maps by choosing which elements to include and the elements can come from multiple agencies; the user becomes the creator/publisher.

It is not business as usual. A different model or perhaps multiple models are required for the FDLP. The future of the FDLP can be depicted as a pyramid. Services, collections, and communications each are represented as a face of the pyramid, and the base or foundation of the pyramid represents access. As one “climbs” the pyramid the distinctions between collections, services, and communications blur. Necessarily collaboration and flexibility encompass and permeate the entire pyramid – no one library can “do it all.”

Depository libraries will continue to facilitate access to the American public. GPO working actively with depositories will ensure accessibility, findability, and usability of government information dissemination products. GPO will ensure permanent public access to, provide version control of, and authenticate digital content. GPO will also notify depository libraries of content availability and changes to content when made by our Government.

Title 44 and the Future

GPO will administer the FDLP in a manner that allows depository libraries the most flexibility within the mandates of Title 44, United States Code. The current law has served us well over the past decades. It is a tremendous challenge, however, to operate in today’s environment under legislative directives designed for a print-on-paper based world. While the GPO Access Act and the movement to a primarily electronic FDLP created many opportunities to enhance access and services to Government information dissemination products, there have not been corresponding revisions to Chapter 19 to provide regional and selective depository libraries the flexibility required to operate in an online and networked environment.

The Joint Committee on Printing (JCP), in the same letter which directed GPO to conduct the study of conditions in regional depository libraries, asked that GPO recommend any legislative changes that would improve the Program. The narrow time frame required to present findings and recommendations to the JCP did not allow the opportunity for GPO to undertake discussions and deliberations necessary to make informed decisions and suggested revisions to Title 44. This is not a process to be hurried, which is why GPO recommended continued dialog with the depository community, a more in-depth study of the FDLP, and if necessary, have the outcomes of these activities drive Title 44 revisions.

GPO does not intend to open the door to sweeping revisions of Title 44 or Chapter 19. As the Depository Library Council wrote in their Knowledge Will Forever Govern, “Current regulations governing the FDLP should be changed only in consultation with participating libraries. For libraries, the costs and benefits of federal depository status are a careful balance. The impact of any regulatory changes to the FDLP should be thoroughly reviewed by the library community”.

I have followed the Title 44 discussion on GOVDOC-L. The discussion illustrates the challenges GPO faces in achieving consensus to administer a program that must meet diverse needs. The postings were well thought out, all made very good points, and the directions proposed in the messages were varied. This is exactly the kind of discussion and deliberation we were hoping to have when, in Regional Depository Libraries in the 21st Century: A Time for Change?, GPO recommended:

Continuing the dialog between GPO and the depository community about the outcomes of this study and to undertake a more in-depth look at the organizational, financial, and technological issues affecting the FDLP in its entirety, not just the regional depository libraries.

During the course of the regional study GPO found that ten regional depository libraries are reconsidering regional designation and an additional three regionals are neutral on this issue. If the budget pendulum swings in a different direction or some other circumstances change, we could potentially lose 13 regionals ― that’s 25%. In fact one of the 10 libraries is now in the process of relinquishing its regional status.

The library community commented on the draft shared regional guidelines this time last year. GPO reviewed all the comments. Though we did not incorporate all the comments we received ― if we had, the guidelines would be full of contradictions ― I believe we reached a very good and workable compromise. As a matter of fact, after GPO released the final guidelines, I received several calls and e-mails praising the final version. Some of those communications were from people who were very vocal about not approving of them. This is why we consider the Guidelines as having the acceptance of the library community.

Conclusion

There is not one correct answer to the question of what the future of the FLDP will look like or how we should get there. To be sure, the future requires flexibility and collaboration to accommodate the varied needs of our users and the varied needs of our depository libraries. I guarantee that GPO will not consider any scenarios for the future where access to Federal Government information is diminished. We are a creative community that is passionately dedicated to our mission. Through continued open dialog, such as we are engaged in today, and collaboration we can all be winners. More importantly, the public we serve will be the biggest winner.Again, thank you very much for organizing this forum on the future of the FDLP and for asking me to participate. While I would like to stay and listen, I have a previous commitment at GODORT’s Federal Documents Task Force meeting, which is at this same time. I am accessible by e-mail. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at rdavis@gpo.gov.

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[Handout]
GPO Update

Ric Davis
Acting Superintendent of Documents &
Director, Library Services and Content Management

Federal Documents Task Force Meeting
ALA 2008 Annual Conference
Anaheim, CA
June 28, 2008

Regional Study

• GPO was directed by the Joint Committee on Printing (JCP) to determine the extent to which public access via the FDLP may be impaired by current or projected organizational, financial, technological, or other conditions affecting regional depository libraries.
• GPO has completed the report. It is entitled, Regional Depository Libraries in the 21st Century: A Time for Change?
• The JCP has now asked GPO to make it available as a draft and to seek comments from the depository community. Comments may be submitted until June 30, 2008.

Authentication

• Digitally signed the PDF files for the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget of the United States Government on GPO Access for the first time, released on February 4, 2008.
• GPO used the newly deployed Automated PDF Signing (APS) system to sign these files.
• The APS system has been integrated into the beta Authenticated Public and Private Laws application that was released in May 2007.
• Planning is underway for authentication of additional GPO Access applications, particularly Congressional Bills.

FDLP Marketing Plan

• Plan released via the Desktop in May 2008. Three components to the Plan: 1) launch of a new marketing campaign to support the promotion of Federal depository libraries, 2) tips and strategies to empower FDLs to promote themselves to non-FDLs, and 3) tips and strategies to empower FDLs to promote themselves to the general public.
• Campaign is currently being launched. Visit GPO booth for more details. There will also be marketing programs at Interagency and Fall Council.
• New promo products soon available for order from the Desktop (two of which are available at the booth right now).
• FDLP promotional videos are currently in production. Soon will be available from Desktop, and libraries can take these videos and place them on their library Web sites.

FDLP Desktop

• The FDLP Desktop provides the community with the latest news and updates regarding the FDLP.
• More interactive features will continue to come online that will allow our users to interact not only with GPO, but with the community as a whole. This interaction is coordinated through individual user accounts.
• Registration is open to the public and unlocks features such as the ability to receive automated, customized news alerts through FDLP Express; order FDLP promotional materials; add your library events to our community calendar; register/unregister for conferences; and more.

Digitization

• GPO is working with staff at the Library of Congress (LC) on two important digitization projects. GPO is assisting LC in the digitization of the Bound Congressional Record from the 43rd Congress through the 105th Congress.
• LC is digitizing the material to meet GPO’s specifications for converted content for preservation masters. This material will be ingested and made available as part of the FDsys. In addition to this material, GPO and LC collaborated on the digitization of the Statutes at Large, which will also be made available through the FDsys.
• GPO continues to work with other agencies on the National Digital Standards Advisory Board, Federal Still Image Digitization Working Group. The goal of this project is to establish common standards, methods, practices, and guidelines for the digitization of visual material (excluding motion picture images).
• Common digitization standards will enhance the exchange of research results and developments, encourage collaborative digitization practices among Federal agencies and institutions, provide the public with a product of uniform quality, and set a common benchmark for digitization service providers.
• This highly collaborative project team, involving multiple Federal agencies and inviting input from outside organizations and corporate entities, meets on a regular basis. Tools for collaboration and for communication will be identified, defined, developed, and promoted as a project priority. These may include such vehicles as wikis, listservs, Web sites, conference calls, or conference collaboration applications. A public Web site will be made available in the near future to communicate the objectives, methodology, progress and conclusions of the working group, as well as to solicit public input.
• GPO staff members are currently working on a Statement of Work and expect to post a Request For Proposal in the next week for digitization of the legacy collection at no cost to the Government.

Digital Registry

• Recent re-launch of an enhanced Registry of U.S. Government Publication Digitization Projects
• The new Registry is powered by a platform that allows for better functionality by the contributors, users, and GPO staff.
• The enhanced Registry allows:
• Viewing digitization projects by category or alphabetically by title
• Searching the entire Registry as well as searching by category or fields
• Viewing a list of new or recently updated projects
• Adding new projects to the Registry
• Adding our RSS feed to your reader and staying informed of new listings
• Viewing listings by contributor

Partnerships

• GPO is continuing to expand its partnership efforts.
• On June 4, information on how to request access to the Homeland Security Digital Library was announced on FDLP-L.

Online Learning

• GPO continues to provide education and outreach on topics related to the FDLP through Online Programming for All Libraries (OPAL), a Web conferencing service.
• The first GPO/OPAL presentation by depository library staff took place in May 2008, when Washington State Library Preservation and Access Services staff demonstrated practical book conservation techniques to a live audience. The 40-minute program is archived for public access, along with other presentations on FDLP topics. A series of presentations on the Federal Depository Library Handbook is planned for this summer.
• Depository library staff who would like to present educational and training sessions for the benefit of the community should complete the Online Educational Program Proposal Form.

Upcoming Meetings

• The 2008 Annual Interagency Depository Seminar will be held July 28 - August 1, 2008 in Washington, D.C. The free seminar, open to depository library staff, provides an opportunity for both new and experienced documents personnel to review basic materials and learn about new products directly from Federal agency staff.
• The Fall 2008 Federal Depository Library Conference & Fall Depository Library Council Meeting will be held October 20 – 22, 2008 in Arlington, Virginia at the Doubletree Hotel.
• The Spring 2009 Depository Library Council Meeting will be held April 20 – 22, 2009 in Tampa, Florida at the Hyatt Regency Tampa.
• Both DLC meetings are free and open to the public.
• Registration information for all.

Library of the Year Award Nominations

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Questions?

If you have questions or comments on any of the content in Administrative Notes, please send them to askGPO, the online help service at:
http://gpo.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/gpo.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php

To ensure that your question is routed to the correct area, please choose the category "Federal Depository Libraries" and the appropriate subcategory, if any.

You may also contact the GPO Customer Contact Center at 866-512-1800 (Toll-free), or at 202-512-1800 (DC Metropolitan Area), Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., EST.

A service of the U.S. Government Printing Office.

Last update Date: August 18, 2008
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