Library Programs Service
Fiscal Year 1998 Report

During Fiscal Year (FY) 1998 the Library Programs Service (LPS) made significant progress in its efforts to incorporate electronic Federal Government information products into the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). These efforts reflect LPS’ initial realization of the policies and plans for the FDLP Electronic Collection.

As might be expected in any transition period, LPS’ work was divided between maintaining and enhancing the traditional functions that relate to the management of tangible Federal Government information products, and developmental activities. The developmental efforts focused on expanding the FDLP Electronic Collection and implementation of information technology solutions to improve services to the depository library community and the public. A substantial amount of staff time was devoted to developing and implementing programs that enhanced communications between LPS, depository libraries and other program participants. Several new partnerships and agreements were forged among GPO, other Federal Government agencies, information-related organizations and depository libraries, in order to produce, make available, and permanently store a wide range of electronic Federal Government information products.

LPS 1998 highlights include:

• Refining the "FDLP Electronic Collection" concept

• Developing askLPS
• Increased distribution of tangible products, especially microfiche
• Increased cataloging output
• DOE Information Bridge partnership
• Using PURLs to improve access to Internet resources
• Continued outreach activities
• LPS employee orientation program
• New Web applications developed by LPS staff

LPS staff continued to refine a policy defining GPO’s management of the various electronic Federal Government information products made available through the FDLP as a library-like collection.

The policy is documented in a paper entitled "Managing the FDLP Electronic Collection: A Policy and Planning Document," (the Plan). The Plan provides a foundation for policies and procedures, and defines organizational responsibilities for managing the Collection. It was developed by a team led by LPS, joined by staff from EIDS and the GPO Production Department. In April it was presented to GPO upper management, and subsequently was discussed at the spring Depository Library Council (DLC) meetings. In May a draft was reviewed by the DLC members, who provided significant input. Additional discussions took place at the American Library Association Annual Conference in June. In July, GPO staff met with Dr. Lewis Bellardo, Deputy Archivist of the United States, and members of his staff, to discuss GPO and the National Archives and Records Administration's (NARA) common interests. Copies of the draft plan were shared with NARA. Overall, NARA’s reaction was supportive, and their comments helped us further clarify the difference between NARA’s responsibility for the preservation of Federal records and GPO’s permanent public access role for FDLP publications.

We have published the Plan on GPO Access www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/dpos/ecplan.html, and we will distribute a copy to every depository library. Even though not yet published, the Plan is shaping how we in LPS think about our role in developing the FDLP Electronic Collection, the relationship between the Collection and our cataloging and locator services, and our role in ensuring current and permanent public access to information provided through the FDLP.

The following activities exemplify how the FDLP Electronic Collection is being built:

• FDLP Electronic Collection on the Web

• FDLP/ERIC Digital Library Pilot Project

• DOE Information Bridge

• NTIS Pilot Project

• Electronic Content in the FDLP

A number of the electronic collection projects involve the LPS Electronic Transition Staff (ETS), which consists of four individuals; two permanent GPO staff members, Joe Paskoski and Lee Morey and two "expert consultants" from the depository library community. George Barnum joined ETS in July 1997 and has been reappointed for a second one-year term. He continues to concentrate on the issue of permanent public access for electronic Federal Government information. He is working on creating partnerships between depository libraries, Federal agencies, information-related organizations, and GPO, and on the development of the management plan for the FDLP Electronic Collection. Judy Andrews came to GPO in July from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA on a one-year appointment. One of her first projects was to review and define LPS’ responsibilities regarding GILS records. The initial conversations about GILS has grown into investigating all the Locator Services and examining how they fit with one another and the FDLP Electronic Collection Management Plan. She is currently working on a report about the Locator Services with suggestions about future implementation. She is also working on the NTIS pilot project with Sandy Schwalb and exploring the possibilities of a partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Ms. Schwalb was reappointed for a second one-year term in August 1997, but left ETS when she was selected for a permanent position in LPS as a management analyst. She continues to work on implementing and managing projects that were negotiated with DOE as well as the NTIS pilot project.

ETS continues to work with other staff from LPS, the Office of Electronic Information Dissemination Services (EIDS) and the Production Department on a number of Web projects, such as the item selection update process and the creation of askLPS, a Web-based inquiry and answer module for the depository community. Other projects being examined relate to Web claiming and related issues of electronic shipping lists.

• The LPS Virtual Tour went "live" in April, linked from the FDLP Administration page. The virtual tour, in words and photos, follows the order in which tangible Federal Government information products are processed in preparation for dissemination to depository libraries.

• The Documents Data Miner (DDM) is a collection management tool for depository libraries. A partnership of Wichita State University, the National Institute for Aviation Research, and the FDLP, DDM gives depository librarians, FDLP staff, and other users electronic access to various FDLP administrative information that has previously been available on a limited basis. Files from the Federal Bulletin Board downloaded into the DDM's search engine include: List of Classes of United States Government Publications (LOC), Current Item Number Selection Profiles for Depository Libraries, the Federal Depository Library Directory, and the List of Inactive or Discontinued Items.

LPS staff are examining how the suite of cataloging and locator services work together to determine user presentation, comprehensiveness and possible consolidation in relation to the FDLP Electronic Collection.

• Cataloging and Indexing Program

• New Cataloging Developments

• Electronic Access and Dissemination of Monthly Catalog Records

• Pathway Services

In April 1998, LPS inaugurated askLPS, a feature of GPO Access designed to expedite the submission of inquiries and enhance communication to appropriate LPS personnel. Inquiries received via askLPS are given priority over inquiries submitted via fax, phone, or regular mail, although fax continues to be an important mechanism for providing additional information necessary for the completion of an inquiry (such as photocopies of title pages, introductory pages, etc.). Users have been encouraged to check WEBTech Notes and the FAQs & News weekly postings before submitting their inquiry, as the question may already have been researched and the response posted to the database.

Since March over 12,400 inquiries have been received through all LPS channels with some 11,600 responses sent, generally within the 10 working day time frame.

The number of tangible electronic products, a category that is virtually all CD-ROM titles, continued to grow in the FDLP in FY 1998.

• A retrospective two-disc CD-ROM set of the Federal Energy Guidelines that replaces paper volumes 1-81 was sent to libraries. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and selecting depository libraries will continue to receive the FERC Reports in paper format. They will be mailed directly from the FERC contractor, CCH.

• The Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 1996, in CD-ROM format was distributed to libraries in June. Survey data on this CD-ROM includes easy-to-read profiles of communities and population groups, Summary Tables similar to the decennial census Summary Tape Files, and Public Use Microdata for researchers to create their own custom tables.

• The TIGER/Line 1997 CD-ROM was distributed.

• Copies of the 1997 World Factbook were distributed to libraries in both paper format and CD-ROM in March 1998.

• Committee Print 105-P, Documents Relating to the Proposed Tobacco Settlement, was shipped in both paper and CD-ROM in March 1998.

• The U.S. Industry and Trade Outlook, 1998 was sent to libraries in November. This title replaces the Industrial Outlook, last published in 1994. Over 1100 libraries received copies of this title provided to us by NTIS.

• In September, copies of the North American Industry Classification System Manual (NAICS) were provided to LPS by NTIS for distribution to 889 depository libraries.

• The LandView III CD-ROMs were distributed in February 1998 from the Census Bureau. A desktop mapping system, LandView III includes database extracts from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Bureau of the Census, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Department of Transportation, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

• USAMARK: Facsimile Images of Registered United States Trademarks is a new CD-ROM product that contains facsimile images of U.S. registered trademarks from 1884 to the present. This CASSIS product was distributed to libraries in May.

• The Daily Treasury Statements (DTS) are being uploaded on a daily basis to the Federal Bulletin Board (FBB).

• The National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) is providing no fee access to the Online Document Library (ODL) for FDLP libraries. The ODL includes the Monthly Climatic Data for the World, Storm Data, and Local Climatological Data. The user must be in a depository library to access the database, and libraries must protect the passwords. At this time there is no limitation on the number of concurrent users able to access the database. GPO staff is working with NCDC to develop a CD-ROM product to be distributed to the depository libraries, but it has not yet been completed.

• List of Government Authors -- users of the electronic version of the List of Classes available from the FBB will now be able to download a current version of the List of Government Authors (Appendix I of the List of Classes) in ASCII comma delimited format. This 31-Kb file is located in the CLASS library of the FBB.

• The Union List of Item Selections has been placed on the FBB and it is now available for download in ASCII comma delimited or fixed length field formats. The Union List will be uploaded to the FBB on a monthly basis on the first Friday of each month. Until December 1997 this title was produced in microfiche format and distributed to all libraries.

• First Web Survey -- Survey 98-001 relating to CASSIS CD-ROM products and the Monthly Catalog Periodicals Supplement in paper format closed March 30, 1998. All libraries received notice of the survey and were required to respond via the Internet. The response rate was 94%, which far exceeds the results of other surveys. In addition to the excellent response, this was the first on-line only GPO selection survey. Since the selection change data did not have to be keyed in, LPS staff time was saved and accuracy was improved.

The following figures do not represent the total number of products distributed to depository libraries. The FDLP total includes an additional 1,147 titles mailed directly from printing contractors (direct mail titles). The total also includes distributions from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Imagery and Mapping Administration (NIMA) directly to depositories. Data for the USGS and NIMA distributions was not available at the time this report was prepared.

Following is the FY 1998 distribution of tangible FDLP products from LPS. These figures do not include direct mail distributions (mail list), or distributions made by other agencies, such as the U.S. Geological Survey or the National Imagery and Mapping Administration, on LPS’ behalf

Effective June 1, 1998, Potomac Business Center (PBC) and the United States Postal Service (USPS) became the primary carriers of depository materials. PBC subcontracts delivery of packages through the United Parcel Service (UPS). Delivery of packages sent through PBC is made by UPS directly to the depository library's shipping address of record. Prior to June 1, Roadway Package System (RPS) and the USPS made depository library deliveries.

As of September 1, 1998, Depository Services Staff (DSS) conducted on-site inspections in 102 depository libraries. In addition, 170 self-study Evaluations were compiled which summarized the strengths and weaknesses of the depository operation.

In March 1998, 233 documents librarians and their directors whose depository operations were last inspected in 1992 were notified to submit a mandatory self-study. The states included California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. The due date for these self-studies was June 15.

A centralized information page for self-studies and inspections was created on the GPO Web site. Links are provided to the self-study template, sample self-studies, and the Writing the GPO Self-Study presentation with accompanying slides in .pdf format.

The Depository Library Directory is a new feature on the FDLP Administration Web page. Depository libraries can view Directory and Item Lister data on any library by keying in a combination of data elements, such as depository number, size and type of library, state, etc. Depository librarian e-mail and item selections are also hot-linked. Directory changes can only be made by using the library’s password. Directory data is used to correct addresses for shipments as well as the "Locate Libraries" function on GPO’s Web site, U.S. Fax Watch, and the printed Federal Depository Library Directory.

Two editions of the print version of the Federal Depository Library Directory were produced in February and August 1998 and distributed to depository libraries, GPO bookstores and the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Consumer Information Center. The February 1998 issue was also mailed to the 535 Members of Congress.

The Superintendent of Documents is responsible for conducting the Biennial Survey of Depository Libraries. Required by Title 44, United States Code, section 1909, the Biennial Survey provides LPS with important information used to administer the Federal Depository Library Program. In FY 1997, the Biennial Survey was conducted on the World Wide Web for the first time. Each depository, using its unique password, entered data electronically. This application allowed more timely cumulating and release of data.

The raw data from the 1997 Biennial Survey of Depository Libraries is available for downloading from the FBB. The files include the text of the Biennial Survey, data conversion table, and the answers from each depository in comma-delimited format.

The following are highlights of the 1997 Biennial Survey responses:

• 1,213 or 89.3% of the libraries report having Internet tools available at public access workstations, 57 or 4.2% plan to have Internet available within six months and 57 or 4.2% in one year.

• 1,227 or 90.3% provide GPO Access to the public through the World Wide Web; 386 or 28.4% through another institution’s gateway; and 91 or 6.7% do not provide it. 10.7% lack Internet at public access workstations.

• Of the 1,359 libraries responding, 695 or 51.1% have an adequate budget for computer hardware and software replacement. 517 or 38% report an inadequate budget and 147 or 10.8% report no budget for this equipment.

• Of the 1,269 or 93.4% of the libraries having an on-line catalog, 1,034 or 81.5% are accessible from the Internet.

• Only 194 or 14.3% of the libraries report "hot linking" current bibliographic records for "Internet only" documents in the library’s on-line catalog. 709 or 52.1% of the libraries plan to do so in the future.

• 94.6% of the depositories have CD-ROM capability. Of the remaining 5.4%, 43 or 3.1% of the libraries have CD-ROM capability but do not select CD’s; 23 or 1.7% select CD-ROMs but do not have CD-ROM capability; and seven or .05% do not have CD-ROM capability nor select any CD’s.

• Only 271 or 19.9% of the libraries report active, ongoing promotion of the depository to the general public; 862 or 63.4% infrequent promotion, and 226 or 16.6% no promotion to the public.

• 441 or 32.4% of the libraries charge a fee for printer paper, 388 or 28.5% for formatted floppy diskettes, 312 or 22.9% for fax services, and 657 or 48.3% do not charge at all for these services.

DSS is responsible for organizing continuing education efforts for documents librarians. The two premier events are the annual Federal Depository Library Conference, which is conducted in conjunction with the spring Depository Library Council meeting, and the annual Interagency Depository Seminar.

To continue the momentum from the 1997 Regional Librarians Conference, a one-day regional program was held on April 19 at the University of Maryland.

The 7^th annual Federal Depository Library Conference and spring meeting of the DLC was held April 20-23 in Arlington, VA. It was, again, an overwhelming success. There were over 550 attendees and 70 speakers. For the third successive year the Conference was held at the Washington National Airport Hilton. Registration by the Web was provided and used by over 90% of the participants. As in previous years, the agenda allowed the attendees to choose among a number of simultaneous sessions in addition to the plenary sessions. The conference Proceedings were distributed in paper to all depositories, and they are also loaded on the FDLP Administration Web page.

DSS also coordinated the weeklong 11th Annual Interagency Depository Seminar held from May 27-June 3. Intended for those documents librarians with three or fewer years' experience, this seminar is designed as basic training. Sessions were conducted by GPO, Library of Congress, Patent & Trademark Office, Copyright Office, U.S. Geological Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, General Accounting Office, Department of Energy, Office of the Federal Register, and the Bureau of the Census.

The 8th annual Federal Depository Library Conference and Depository Library Council meeting is scheduled for April 12-15, 1999 at the Holiday Inn in Bethesda, MD. The Regional Librarians meeting is planned for April 11. The preliminary agenda will be announced in the December 15, 1998 Administrative Notes.

The 12th annual Interagency Depository Seminar is scheduled for June 2-9, 1999 in Washington, DC. The preliminary agenda will be announced in the October 15, 1998 Administrative Notes.

DSS also developed programs for the concurrent sessions held at the fall 1997 Depository Library Council in Clearwater Beach, FL and the fall 1998 Council meeting in San Diego, CA.

The LPS staff was quite active in FY 1998 in expanding its outreach activities to the library/information communities and beyond.

Gil Baldwin presented an Update on Title 44 Revision and the Electronic Transition on Federal Depository Libraries before the Government Documents Interest Group, Maryland Library Association (MLA) in November 1997 in College Park, MD and in May 1998 he spoke about Future Challenges for the FDLP to the same organization, MLA, in Ocean City, MD.

Sheila McGarr provided LPS tours to a variety of groups including members of the Federal Library and Information Center Committee (FLICC); Kent State University library school students; J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College librarians, and the Law Librarians Society of DC.

Gail Snider presented Hints on Writing the GPO Self-Study to the Federal Depository Library Conference in April and in September 1998 to VA GODORT at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Ms. Snider and Tom Oertel attended the Kansas GODORT meeting in conjunction with library inspections in October 1997.

Cynthia Etkin presented Hints on Writing the GPO Self-Study to the Kentucky Government Documents Round Table (GODORT) in May 1998. She represented GPO at the May 29th reception honoring Senator Wendell H. Ford sponsored by GODORT of the Kentucky Library Association. Senator Ford, the ranking member of the Joint Committee on Printing and Senate Rules and Administration Committee, will be retiring at the end of the current (105^th) session of Congress. Ms. Etkin also represented GPO at the dedication of the Young Library on the University of Kentucky campus.

During the May 7-8 Spring Forum at Mankato State University (MN), Ms. Etkin presented "CD-ROMs in a Webbed World." The forum was a joint meeting of Minntro Docs, Minnesota Library Association GODORT and a regional meeting that included South Dakota documents librarians.

Robin Haun-Mohamed made a presentation to the Association of Public Data Users (APDU) in October 1997 in Washington DC and to the Cartographic Users Advisory Council in May 1998 at the U.S. Geological Survey, Reston VA. She visited the U.S. Agency for International Development in July 1998 to discuss their electronic database.

In May, George Barnum gave a presentation on the FDLP Electronic Collection concept at the DOE/OSTI Inforum '98 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. In June he moderated a panel discussion on permanent access to electronic government information, sponsored by the Federal Documents Task Force of the American Library Association.

Many LPS staff members worked at the GPO booth at both the ALA mid-winter (January) and annual meetings (June), as well as during the Computers in Libraries Conference in March.

Pursuant to the January 1997 interagency agreement between GPO and the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS), a contract was awarded to Westat Inc., a social science research firm, in June 1998. Westat is tasked with conducting the basic research and producing a report of findings for the NCLIS/GPO Assessment of Government Electronic Information Products.

The purpose of the assessment is to:

• Identify medium and format standards that are the most appropriate for permanent public access.

• Assess the cost-effectiveness and usefulness of alternative medium and format standards.

• Identify public and private medium and format standards that are or could be used for products throughout their entire information life cycle.

During the summer, Westat, NCLIS, and GPO identified 24 agencies in all three branches of the Federal Government that will participate in the study, selected nearly 400 information products, developed the survey instrument, held numerous briefings for the participating agencies’ personnel, and distributed the survey instrument to the agencies. Our goal is to have a report of the project’s findings available for publication and distribution by the end of February 1999. The Assessment will provide important baseline information on the Federal Government’s electronic product plans and practices, information that will enable GPO to improve its ability to advise the depository library community about the types of products that they may expect to receive. In addition, results will also assist GPO to provide permanent public access to FDLP electronic information, and will identify possible areas for future standards and policy development discussions.

LPS staff have analyzed all of our legacy mainframe applications and local personal computer (PC) applications to determine steps necessary to ensure that the various systems and services are year 2000 (Y2K) compliant.

The PCs used for the Shipping List (SL) application need to be replaced, and orders for new machines were placed in August 1998. The existing shipping list program needs minor modifications and the work should be done by October 1, 1998. Another option under examination for the shipping list is to modify programming for ACSIS (Acquisition, Classification and Shipping Information System) to allow staff from the Depository Administration Branch (DAB) to pull shipping list data off the mainframe into a shipping list template for the paper shipping list distribution. This will also allow the data to be posted to the Web site more easily than is currently possible. The most important aspect of this solution is to reduce the need to re-key data, which is part of the current process. GPO’s Office of Information Resources Management (OIRM) staff completed an assessment of the requirements for the two mainframe systems in DAB, ACSIS and the Depository Distribution Information System (DDIS), and expect the changes to be implemented by November 1998.

In the ACSIS system, the fields with two digit years will be increased to four digits. For DDIS only a few date calculations are used in the system as it currently exists. OIRM is working to identify those areas needing "fixes."

Fourteen 486-chip computers used in DAB are not Y2K compliant, and orders will be placed for new ones in October or November. The other 20 PCs in DAB are Y2K compliant. Overall, there are some 41 systems in LPS that need to be replaced with Y2K compliant systems. The process of replacing the systems is underway and will be completed well in advance of the year 2000.

As the cartridge system used to produce the List of Classes is not Y2K compliant, DAB requested programming changes to the List of Classes to obtain the data for the Alphabetic List of Government Authors (Appendix I) and Classes No Longer Active with Explanation (Appendix II). These programming changes have been completed. A final product, Inactive or Discontinued Items from the 1950 Revision of the Classified List, is scheduled for conversion from the cartridge format in March 1999.

All of the Microsoft Office 97 software on the Windows NT network is Y2K compliant. These software packages are upgraded as new versions are made available. The Windows 95 operating system is also compliant with one minor exception. A patch for Windows 95 has been made available to make the Windows Explorer in Windows 95 Y2K compliant. This patch was installed on all systems this past summer.

An orientation program was developed and implemented during FY ’98 to provide current LPS and EIDS employees with an overview of basic job functions within all work areas of LPS. Managers and supervisors from LPS worked together on developing the program. Although the orientation is not mandatory, employee participation has been strongly encouraged.

The ultimate goal of the program is to build a stronger work force that better understands the mission of LPS. By participating in the orientation, staff has gotten an understanding of how each individual position makes a difference in the accomplishment of the LPS mission. The program has fostered positive working relationships among employees in both LPS and EIDS. Managers and supervisors have received feedback and recommendations so that they may continually improve their efforts in serving the depository library community.

There have been six sessions since the program began in January 1998. Consisting of eight half-days, the program has been held over a two-week period. In FY 1998, 31 employees participated with five to six employees from various work areas within LPS and EIDS in the sessions.

[Handout]
Cataloging Branch Update
Fall 1998 Depository Library Council Meeting
October 19 – 22, 1998

Our Cataloging and Locator Services have now produced more than 1,800 PURLs (Persistent Uniform Resource Locators). PURLs provide electronic access to hundreds of works associated with the online version of the Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications (MOCATWeb) records and with their Browse Electronic Title equivalents. Our leadership in the wide-scale application of PURLs to Library Programs Service (LPS) operations has been recognized by the ALA Government Documents Round Table (GODORT) Cataloging Committee and by a recent "Membership News" article entitled, "GPO Improves Access to Government Internet Resources," which appeared in the July/August OCLC Newsletter. PURLs effectively support efforts to maintain seamless hot-linked access to the many electronic works made available by the cataloging and locator services components of GPO Access. GPO and OCLC are proud of a cooperative effort that has made PURLs applications suitable for large scale use within LPS.

The addition of Regina Koo and Jennifer Davis as monographs and serials catalogers and the recent appointment of Theodore Defosse as an administrative librarian working on information dissemination initiatives has helped us to meet many of the challenges associated with a more electronic Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). The electronic transition has produced a complex assortment of interrelated works in all media. We are challenged by a workload that is both heavy and complex. During FY 1998 the Cataloging Branch received approximately 39,000 pieces of work in all media, including thousands of Internet related titles. Catalogers processed approximately 29,000 pieces of work.

Most works in paper and CD-ROM and available via the Internet are cataloged within one or two weeks of receipt. Between 80% and 90% of our cataloging is original. A significant initiative that has helped to keep cataloging of most Internet related resources current is the use of our ALA GODORT Cataloging Committee approved Collection Level Record (CLR) cataloging policy. To date, we have produced more than seventy records that lead users to several hundred collected works available from Federal agency Web sites. These records provide a reasonable level of access that is consistent with the manner in which many Federal agencies post electronic works to their sites. At present, all but 186 of the 3,336 Browse Electronic Title entries have been cataloged. Of this number, 113 are electronic serials.

Our current backlog consists of approximately 10,000 pieces, most of which are serials distributed in microfiche. Given the importance of maintaining current cataloging, we are investigating the potential use of modest-size cataloging contracts for selected materials which would supplement the efforts of our staff.

In recent years, several people have been helpful in notifying us of materials that have been received by depositories but which, after four or five months, have remained uncataloged. Many of the most recently identified uncataloged works were distributed to depositories during the several months in mid-1997 when we were "in transit" as our permanent worksite was being renovated. Of approximately 200 known uncataloged titles, in various media, approximately 120 have been cataloged to date.

MOCATWeb, the online version of Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications, now contains more than 103,000 records. With more than 1,800 records with PURLs and an estimated 4,000 older records with URLs, an ever increasing number of records represent electronic resources. As links to older records with URLs are restored, they are updated via the assignment and use of PURLs.

In response to Council's recommendation, we are making a "user friendly" display available as an option for MOCATWeb users. This medium length record display uses field names rather than numerical tags, and offers users an alternative to brief and full record displays.

The CD-ROM edition of the Monthly Catalog now contains approximately 46,000 records. Given that we have used all available disk space, we expect to issue a one-time special edition that will contain records for January 1996 through December 1997 and the Periodicals Supplements for 1996 and 1997. This edition should be kept as a final cumulation for the years 1996/1997.

Beginning very soon, the remaining CD-ROM issues for 1998 will contain only records produced during 1998 and the 1998 Periodicals Supplement. Monthly issues published in 1999 will contain cumulations from January, 1998 through the most recent 1999 monthly issue and the Periodicals Supplements for 1998 and 1999.

We expect to publish the 1999 edition of the Periodicals Supplement in January, 1999, in paper and CD-ROM formats. Many, if not most, of the records published in these editions are expected to contain PURL/URL data.

Production and distribution of Monthly Catalog tapes via the Cataloging Distribution Service (CDS) of the Library of Congress are on schedule. Problems that caused delays of several months during the early part of this year have been solved and tapes have been made available in a timely manner since April of this year. We continue to work with CDS personnel to establish an FTP (file transfer protocol) service between GPO and CDS as a better alternative to the use of tape cartridges for data transfer. Upon implementation, we expect to make this service available free of charge to all interested parties.

[Handout]
LPS CONSER Update
Fall 1998 Depository Library Council Meeting
October 19 – 22, 1998

The Library Programs Service (LPS) annual report to CONSER is provided below as an adjunct to the Cataloging Branch update.

The CONSER (Cooperative ONline SERials) program is a major international cooperative effort that produces high quality serial records and makes them available in the CONSER database within the OCLC Online Union Catalog. An early member of CONSER, the LPS Cataloging Branch has assumed an increasingly visible presence among the national libraries and other major institutional members of CONSER as a consequence of our leadership in the field of cataloging Internet related serials.

The Cataloging Branch of the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), Library Programs Service, identifies, catalogs, and authenticates serial publications issued by the U.S. Federal Government for the CONSER database.

In May 1998, a fourth full time serial cataloger joined the LPS cataloging staff. Our catalogers continue their efforts to reflect the current bibliographic status of Federal Government serials in a timely manner.

GPO cataloging of Internet resources became an increasingly significant part of our work during this period of transition to a more electronic Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). We have either added as original or updated 1,477 titles to the CONSER database since June 1996. Of these, 1,012 have been added with either URL or PURL data. Electronic titles now account for 70% of our serial work. To aid with this workload we have extensively used Module 31 of the CONSER Editing Guide as the basis for relevant portions of the GPO Cataloging Guidelines.

GPO cataloging staff has applied newly developed guidelines in their efforts to achieve bibliographic control of Internet serials published by Federal Government agencies.

Serial related guidelines include:

An increasing number of serial titles are appearing electronically. Some are also issued in a tangible form, and some never were, or are no longer, produced in a tangible form. Catalogers have spent considerable effort with all these electronic serials to determine the URL that accesses the whole run of the serial for inclusion in tag 856.

GPO also has an active program using OCLC PURL Software in a server environment to redirect users to the most recent address. Data appearing in subfield u of the 856 field are an increasingly important component of continued access to electronic serials. Electronic serials are creating a more complex decision-making environment for our serial catalogers than is true of serials in tangible formats. We have found that our staff must perform Internet searching and careful review of resources as an essential aspect of producing high-quality bibliographic records. Considerable judgement is required to identify, evaluate, and properly represent many electronic serials.

[Handout]
Depository Administration Branch Update
Fall 1998 Depository Library Council Meeting
October 19 – 22, 1998

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) manual was distributed to libraries in both hardbound and soft copy formats under item 0854-A, on shipping lists 98-0049-S and 98-0052-S. The hard copy version, which is identical in content to the soft copy version, was provided to LPS by the National Technical Information Service.

O*NET, the Occupational Information Network, is a comprehensive database system for collecting, organizing, describing and disseminating data on job characteristics and worker attributes. O*NET replaces the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT). O*NET 98 Version 1.0, including a Viewer and User's Guide, Database and Data Dictionary, is planned for release in late October 1998. Federal depository libraries will receive the CD-ROM and no-charge access to the online database. Further information will be conveyed to the depository community as it is made available.

Access to the National Climatic Data Center Online Document Library is available at no charge for the Federal depository libraries. Located at www5.ncdc.noaa.gov/pubs/publications.html, libraries may access the Monthly Climatic Data for the World, Storm Data, and Local Climatological Data via this controlled access site. The user must be in the library to access the database, and libraries must protect the passwords. At this time there is no limitation on the number of concurrent users able to access the database. Contact LPS for the user ID and password. Do not give them out faculty, students, or patrons.

USA Trade, a new CD-ROM product from the Census Bureau and STAT-USA, will be distributed to libraries currently receiving the NTDB, under the new item number, 0128-S. With USA Trade, libraries have access to 17,000 import and 9,000 export commodities at the first level of detail. You can select, sort, and analyze trade statistics using the Beyond 20/20 software. The August issue, due in late October, will be the first issue distributed to depository libraries.

Referral from Independent Counsel Kenneth W. Starr in Conformity with the Requirements of Title 28, United States Code, Section 595(c)... was distributed to all libraries under item 1004-E, SuDocs classification number Y 1.1/7:105-310. This House Document, commonly known as the Starr Report, was distributed on SL 98-0050-S, dated September 14, 1998. The Appendices to the Starr Report, issued as House Document 105-311 (Parts 1 and 2) were distributed to libraries according to their item selection profile on SL 98-0053-S. Those libraries selecting House Documents in paper or microfiche received the documents in the appropriate format.

New item selection additions from the FY 1999 Annual Item Selection Update Cycle went into effect October 1, 1998. 1061 libraries made a total of 70,408 changes to the item selection profile with deletions accounting for over 38,000 of the transactions.

Beginning October 1, 1998, the shipping list numbers for all formats changed to reflect the new fiscal year number. Thus the first paper shipping list for FY 1999 reads 99-0001-P

On the Federal Bulletin Board (FBB), the individual shipping list files will continue to use the 990001P.DBF format, but the file directories for the FY 1999 shipping lists will be new. Libraries will not need to modify any bookmarks for the older material, but will need to add new ones for FY 1999.

The Enhanced Shipping List Service is now located at http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/units/cts/acq/gpo/

Citing other priorities, the University of Texas at Arlington has withdrawn from the service partnership with the University of Buffalo and LPS. The University of Buffalo continues to offer access to the Enhanced Shipping List Service and shipping lists are available the same day the lists are posted to the FBB. The keyword search option is no longer available, but University of Buffalo staff are examining restoration of this option. An announcement will be posted on askLPS and GOVDOC-L if keyword searching again becomes available.

New additions to the List of Classes library available in ASCII format on the FBB ftp://fedbbs.access.gpo.gov/gpo_bbs/class/ include Appendix I, the Alphabetic List of Government Authors (LOGA.TXT); Appendix II, Classes No Longer Active with Explanation (LODC.TXT); and the List of Items and Class Stems (LODI.TXT). The Inactive or Discontinued Items from the 1950 Revision of the Classified List (INACTLS.TXT) is also now available as an ASCII file in the List of Classes library on the FBB.

LPS continues to work with Term Contracts to monitor the full distribution microfiche contracts. All libraries should receive a copy of all shipping lists, regardless of format and item selection profile. If you are consistently requesting shipping lists from the microfiche contractors, please contact Michele Harris at (202) 512-1060 or by e-mail at mharris@gpo.gov.

The List of Contractor-Issued Microfiche Shipping Lists, located at www.access.gpo.gov/

su_docs/dpos/msl.html> is another new administrative service available to depository libraries. The page is updated the first Friday of each month in coordination with the other monthly updates, the Item Lister and the List of Classes and associated files.

[HANDOUT]
Depository Distribution Division Update
Fall 1998 Depository Library Council Meeting
October 19 – 22, 1998

Distribution of Materials by LPS

Depository Deliveries

Potomac Business Center, Inc. (PBC) of Washington, DC began handling outgoing shipments June 1, 1998. PBC has secured United Parcel Service (UPS) as a subcontractor. Nearly all depository shipments should be received through UPS delivery. Delivery by the U.S. Postal Service accounts for less than 10% of all depository shipments. Libraries should receive shipments within seven working days after they are picked up from LPS.

As postage costs increase, it has become necessary to distribute some copies of the Code of Federal Regulations and the Official Gazette in regular shipment boxes as well as in congressional boxes, as this reduces mailing costs. Some copies will continue to be mailed as separates. Libraries should not be adversely affected by this change.

All libraries should use (202) 512-1429 to claim materials via fax. Please mail claims to the U.S. Government Printing Office, Library Programs Service (SLDM), Washington, DC 20401. Claims may not be made electronically at this time.

Please claim only those items your library has selected to receive. All incoming claims are verified through DDIS. Claims must be submitted within 60 calendar days from the date on the shipping list.

During the annual update cycle the number of invalid claims increases drastically. Additions remain pending until they are activated at the start of a fiscal year. Your library will begin to receive the added publications at this time. Do not base your claims for missing depository publications on additions made during the update cycle period until you receive a shipping list dated on or after October 1, 1998. Deletions can be submitted to LPS throughout the year. If your library has deleted an item number, LPS will stop shipping the publication within 72 hours after receipt of your library’s deletion request. Do not claim deleted items.

In most instances it is not necessary for your library to submit a duplicate claim. Claims are filled from the original request. If your library makes the decision to send a duplicate please identify duplicate claims as DUPLICATE.

Also, libraries automatically receive a rain check item once receipt of that item is made through LPS. Please do not claim short shipments or rain checks.

The following notations, found on the shipping list, should alert you to the publications’ status.

• Check your shipping list for notations

‘+’ - SHORT – Rain checks will be issued.

‘%’ - SHORT – No rain checks will be issued. DO NOT Claim.

[Handout]
Depository Services Update
Fall 1998 Depository Library Council Meeting
October 19 - 22, 1998

The 8th annual Federal Depository Library Conference and Spring Depository Library Council meeting will be held in Bethesda, MD from Monday, April 12 through Thursday noon, April 15, 1999. The all-day Regional librarians meeting will take place on Sunday, April 11. The Holiday Inn-Bethesda is the meeting site for the first time. A preliminary agenda for the conference will be announced in the December 15, 1998 issue of Administrative Notes. Online conference registration will be available in December 1998 from the FDLP Administration Web page.

The 12th annual Interagency Depository Seminar is scheduled for June 2-9, 1999 in Washington, DC. The preliminary agenda was announced in the October 15, 1998 issue of Administrative Notes. The deadline for registration is March 12, 1999.

Depository Library Council’s Statistical Measurement Committee has volunteers from Depository Services, current and former Council members, and interested documents librarians serving on two subcommittees. Both the Cost Benefit and Biennial Survey Content groups are formulating questions. Two programs are planned at the Fall Council meeting, "Biennial Survey" and "How to Determine Costs of Being a Depository." LPS plans to notify depositories by the end of 1998 about specific questions for the 1999 Biennial Survey.

Since April 1998, the raw data from the 1997 Biennial Survey has been available for downloading from the Federal Bulletin Board at fedbbs.access.gpo.gov/libs/lps_info.htm. Only 12 downloads have occurred since the data became available.

LPS is formulating guidance to the depository community on the retention of tangible products when official and reliable electronic alternatives are available. At LPS’ request, the GPO General Counsel is reviewing the legislative history and extant opinions relevant to retention of publications also available via online databases. In our discussions, the General Counsel has advised LPS that incorporating an online electronic product into a depository collection by substituting it for a tangible product is acceptable providing that certain conditions are satisfied. First, the electronic product must be a complete and official version. Second, permanent accessibility to the electronic version must be assured. Third, the library must be able to offer unimpeded access to any electronic product incorporated into the library’s depository collection. And fourth, procedures for disposition of the tangible product copies shall conform to the requirements established by the Superintendent of Documents and the regional depository library.

In March, 233 depository libraries last inspected in 1992 were notified to submit a mandatory self-study. The inspectors are writing self-study evaluation reports for each library and scheduling follow-up inspections as needed.

In October, 196 depositories last inspected in 1993 were notified to submit a mandatory self-study. The states include California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and Virginia. The due date will be January 15, 1999.

A centralized information page for self-studies and inspections was created at www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/dpos/selfstudy/. Links are provided to the self-study template, sample self-studies, and "Writing the GPO Self-Study" presentation with accompanying slides in .PDF.

During FY 1998, 114 depository libraries were inspected and 179 Self-Study Evaluations were completed. Based on the on-site inspections, seven depositories were placed on probation. Seven other libraries were removed from probation due to improvements made in the depository operation. During the year, two new depositories were designated and eight voluntarily relinquished depository status.

Publications

The Federal Depository Library Directory, August 1998, was recently distributed to all depositories. The "Locate Libraries" page on GPO Access contains a subset of the Directory information. Federal depository libraries can be located by State or telephone area code at www.gpo.gov/libraries.

The Proceedings of the 7th Annual Federal Depository Library Conference are available on the FDLP Administration page at www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/dpos/98pro.html. The paper publication has been distributed to all depositories.

The FDLP Electronic Collection on the Web provides links to full text resources from GPO, FDLP partner sites, and other Federal Government agencies at www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/dpos/ec/. It also lists a collection of finding tools.

[Handout]
ETS Update
Fall 1998 Depository Library Council Meeting

GPO staff met in July with Dr. Lewis Bellardo, Deputy Archivist of the United States, and members of his staff, to discuss the common interests of GPO and National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in preserving Federal Government information. NARA's comments were particularly useful in making the distinction between an FDLP publication and a Federal record. This distinction is reflected in the latest version of the paper, entitled Managing the FDLP Electronic Collection: A Policy and Planning Document. The paper is currently under final review by GPO management.

The National Technical Information Service (NTIS) has been working with Linda Kennedy (University of California, Davis) since 1997 on a project to test the technological viability of making electronic documents from NTIS available through depository libraries. Duncan Aldrich (University of Nevada, Reno) joined the effort in 1998 to help conduct a 'pre-pilot' test. NTIS found the 'pre-pilot' successful and is now preparing an interactive Web page as part of the pilot project. 20 additional libraries have been selected by GPO and will be added to the pilot project. We expect the NTIS/GPO pilot project to begin in November and continue for one year.

The FDLP/ERIC Digital Library Pilot Project making depository ERIC microfiche available in full-text electronic format through the OCLC search engine is well underway. 305 participating sites were phased in over the last three weeks of July. A significant increase in use is expected in August and September as participants become familiar with the service, and as classes resume at colleges and universities. In September GPO distributed a short survey to gather information on reaction and user satisfaction. Early comments from participants have been favorable.

ETS is in the process of installing and alpha testing Advanced Search Facility (ASF) software. ASF is an effort to create an information community architecture based on the Government Information Locator Service/Global Information Locator Service www.gils.net/ and related technologies (official ASF site: http://asf.gils.net). Lee Morey of ETS, and Frank Boyd and Karen Sieger of EIDS are exploring the possibilities of using the ASF in-house in conjunction with GPO's GILS efforts. Replacing the Pathway Indexer with the ASF is also being considered.

ETS and EIDS staff attended an initial discussion of the proposed Web.Gov site. The Web.Gov initiative is sponsored by the National Partnership for Reinventing Government (NPR), and most of the preliminary site design is being performed by General Services Administration staff. Still in its early design phase, Web.Gov is variously envisioned as a gateway site to other Federal Web resources, as an indexer, or as a topical approach to Government information. GPO Pathway Services on GPO Access already provide models for similar services, and we are encouraging the Web.Gov designers to incorporate Pathways.

A team created by EIDS with ETS and Office of Congressional, Legislative and Public Affairs staff is monitoring the activity on legislation that would provide public access to Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports and issue briefs. The team is investigating alternatives that might be employed in the existing statutory environment. These alternatives include pointing to publicly released reports on Web sites of Members of Congress, or putting these reports and issue briefs on GPO Access.

Shortcuts to GPO Access Pages

Monthly Catalog search page

Locate Federal Depository Libraries page

Sales Product Catalog search page