|
Proceedings of the 6th Annual
Federal Depository Library Conference
April 14-17, 1997
[ Back to the Table of Contents
]
Building Library-Agency Partnerships
Stuart M. Basefsky
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY
I. Why partnerships?
A. Seek win-win relationships for agencies and libraries in times marked by budget constraints, technology transitions, institutional re-organizations, and policy gaps.
1. Commonly, libraries lose access and control of information in these situations, and agencies focus on re-organization rather than dissemination.
2. Opportunities are created for both parties to solve their respective problems through cooperation and sharing of skills and technological know-how.
B. Share the burden and the risks of developing long-term policy solutions for information dissemination and access.
C. Enhance reputations for efficiency and meeting bottom-line demands.
1. Libraries need to seek additional public and private support. Maintaining a high profile through association with key agencies can help.
2. Agencies need to demonstrate their ability to function in a cost-effective, efficient manner. By partnering with key libraries in possession of cutting edge technology and information skills, agencies prove themselves creative and innovative.
II. Different types and approaches for partnerships
A. Library initiated
B. Agency initiated
C. Need driven
D. Policy driven
III. The Catherwood Library example—"Public Service Privatization"
- The electronic archive at Catherwood:
http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/lib/e_archive/
- Considerations for start-up: "Beyond the Hype: Using Internet in Libraries"
http://www.lib.lsu.edu/govdocs/
paperele.html
- Outcome for public and library
http://www.news.cornell.edu/general/Jan96/CatherwoodInitiative.dg.txt
IV. Developing a culture of entrepreneurship in libraries
V. Federal depository libraries are cooperative (not exclusive) agents for Government dissemination of information in an Internet environment.
A. Many libraries capable of providing effective partnerships are not Federal depository libraries. These libraries should cooperate with GPO and the depository community via GOVDOC-L and e-mail to insure access.
B. Many Federal depository libraries cannot afford partnerships based on technological innovation. These depositories should seek out technologically capable libraries in their Congressional districts to partner with agencies akin to their interests.
C. Libraries no longer have walls. As long as the information is freely available through a government monitored access system, it does not matter whether the physical library in which it resides is a designated depository. Agencies should be directed to request assurance of long-term cooperation and free access before entering into partnerships of this nature. Preference should be given to Federal, state and municipally supported libraries when these alternatives are available. Certainly, association and industry supported libraries are often equally reliable.
Go to: http://www.lib.lsu.edu/govdocs/paperele.html for a Web version of the following which was presented at Syracuse University on August 10, 1995.
______________________________
Beyond the Hype: Using Internet in Libraries [Name of Conference]
Cooperative Collection Development of Important Government Information in Electronic Form by Subject Specialty Libraries
Presented by Stuart M. Basefsky, Reference Librarian, Martin P. Catherwood Library, School of Industrial & Labor Relations, Cornell University
August 10, 1995
3:45 pm, Room 123, ES Bird Library, Syracuse University
______________________________
I. Government Information and the Internet
A. Problems
- Finding Internet Sources--lack of publicity
- Archiving or "after release" retrieval--find the reference more than 6 months after release
- Reliability of data or verification of edition-- especially if not on agency's own Internet site
- Citing original documentation for later retrieval
- Fugitive documents--not referenced by traditional databases or indexes; not cataloged
- Non-standard presentation of data--information created for industry (subject) specific clientele
- Questionable role of depository libraries
B. Prospects
- Library creates partnership(s) with agency or its divisions for distribution and archiving of information--offer services free of charge, at least initially; push for "public service privatization"
- Collect information (commit to long-term, electronic storage) and disseminate it--no copyright concerns
- Collaborate with other library and information centers for cataloging, archiving, publicity, authenticity, recommended forms of citation, and reliable linkage
II. Why libraries should follow up on the prospects
A. Funding opportunities are created--industries, associations, foundations, and even the government agency itself may find that funding this operation is advantageous as well as prestigious. Multi-media element of Internet makes advertising of donor generosity easy.
B. Answers the question, "Where's the beef?"--biggest complaint about the Internet is the lack of substantive information. This provides some of that information (original source documentation).
C. Attracts users to your Web site, which you have produced at great cost--advertising your Web site is easy when users find useful information. This increases your user count.
D. Traditional, client-oriented and scholarly reasons for collecting
III. Concrete examples of collecting
A. Monitor press releases and news stories
B. Use directories to contact offices holding information useful to your library
C. Be careful about what you ask for, you might get it.
1. Start off with limited goals--experiment with the agency and your Web to see the result. How does this affect reference services? Are you getting new and different kinds of questions? What are the staffing consequences of collecting electronically formatted materials?
2. Choose government publishing projects with short lives to start with. Commissions, task forces, and short-term projects are ideal--to do otherwise potentially jeopardizes your relationship with the agency if you find you cannot perform. Keep your library's image in mind.
D. "Sell" your service to the agency by explaining that you are providing publicity, cataloging, archiving, and other traditional types of library packaging that neither governmental nor commercial agents are willing to offer. Furthermore, you are giving free access to users and the service is "free of charge" to the agency.
E. Ask your contacts to keep you in mind for other publications or projects.
F. Example from the Martin P. Catherwood Library, School of Industrial & Labor Relations, Cornell University
Go to URL:
http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/lib/e_archive/
IV. Need for library community cooperation
A. A clearinghouse for monitoring the collection and distribution of official government publications on the Internet by libraries is needed--this is something that GODORT in ALA or GD/SIS in AALL should work on. Perhaps a collection development listserv for Internet accessible government publications should be established. Why not invite Marcive, CIS, or other commercial services to help with the monitoring for the good of everyone?
B. Establish an entrepreneurial spirit among government collection development librarians. Rely on this competitive enterprise to gather publications in a diverse spectrum of subject specialties--it is too difficult to coordinate collection efforts nationwide. After a publication is collected, report it to the clearinghouse.
- Turn this initiative into a public policy coup
--Demonstrate to Congress and the American people that free enterprise is alive and well in libraries.
A. Tell all that this is a payback for past and future government support of libraries. Libraries will voluntarily take over certain areas of government responsibility in collection and dissemination of information.
B. Tell industry to support libraries which aid their future information needs by collecting in this manner.
VI. Additional Spin-offs
A. Nation-wide electronic reserves become a possibility--well-crafted, reliable sites holding original, government documentation can be "pointed to" by any school or library as part of an electronic reserve reading list.
B. Produce instant bibliographies with full-text pointers--the all-in-one library becomes a reality. Use a pathfinder (at least with government materials) to produce your own instant, subject specialty library on your desktop. After using the materials, trash them but keep the bibliography with pointers for instant retrieval if necessary.
[ Back to the Table of Contents
]
|
![[ Click Here For Information About the FDLP Desktop ]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081106032642im_/http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/images/fdlpdskz.jpg)
