Copies | FY1995
|
FY1996 |
Paper | 7,162,418 | 6,084,337 |
Tangible Electronic | 231,269 | 275,815
|
Microfiche | 9,583,575 | 7,112,794
|
TOTAL | 16,977,262 | 13,472,946 |
In FY 1996, depository libraries also received 1,832,298
microfiche copies of 14,102 Department of Energy (DOE) reports
distributed
directly from the DOE facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. FY 1996
is the
final year of the distribution of the DOE reports in microfiche,
as the
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI) is
terminating
its microfiche operations and beginning its own transition to an
electronic information management system. DOE/OSTI and GPO are
working
together to develop an electronic replacement that will keep this
content
available to depository libraries. In addition, there were
228,096 copies
of 11,665 maps distributed directly from the U.S. Geological
Survey.
Nearly all depository shipments continue to be delivered
by
commercial carriers. GPO awarded a new delivery contract to
United Parcel
Service, which now delivers nearly all depository shipments from
LPS.
Delivery by the U.S. Postal Service still accounts for less than
10% of
all depository shipments.
The Lighted Bin System (LBS) was enhanced by linking the
Texas
Instruments Model 872 minicomputer that drives the LBS to a 486
PC. This
allowed LPS to eliminate the obsolete and expensive cost to
repair the
tape drive system. LPS is now able to update the LBS with a
daily
download from GPO's mainframe of item selection files from DDIS
(the
Depository Distribution Information System).
In addition, the reliability of the LBS relating to the
lamp
drivers and LED displays at each throwing zone was upgraded. The
display
units at each of the throwing zones were replaced with new,
commercially
available, off-the-shelf equipment. The equipment was integrated
with
custom firmware as needed to provide a fully functional, more
reliable
system. By making this upgrade LPS has reduced the annual
maintenance
contract for the LBS by 50%.
Acquiring Content for the FDLP
Traditional acquisitions duties have been expanded by
identifying
and reviewing products available from Government Internet sites.
By
September 1996, the Browse Electronic Titles page had over 500
electronic
product titles listed on the page. These products are classified
and sent
for cataloging into the Monthly Catalog. Weekly updates to the
Browse
Electronics Title page are done each Monday, with an average of
over 50
titles added each week.
The number of tangible electronic products, a category
that is
virtually all CD-ROM titles, continues to grow in the FDLP. New
CD-ROM
products include the Tide Tables from the National Oceanographic
and
Atmospheric Administration, FBIS (Foreign Broadcast Information
Service)
from the Central Intelligence Agency, and USAPAT from the Patent
and
Trademark Office. LPS has received the first CD-ROM from the
National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that is not connected
to the
Magellan series.
Recent discussions with staff from the National Technical
Information Service (NTIS) has included depository requirements
for paper
copies of the U.S. Industrial Outlook and the Medical Subject
Headings.
NTIS also provided depository copies of the Big Emerging Markets
and the
Government Applications of Computer Card Technology for the FDLP.
Copies of the Population of States and Counties of the
United
States: 1790-1990 and the Current Population Report,
Hispanics-Latinos:
Diverse People in a Multicultural Society were obtained from the
Census
Bureau for replication and distribution to the depository
libraries. We
are continuing discussions with these and other agencies to
ensure receipt
of depository copies when the products are produced.
Depository Inspections
In FY 1996 the Depository Services Staff (DSS) conducted
on-site
inspections in 217 depository libraries, 13 more than the 204
inspected in
FY 1995. The number of depositories examined reflected the full
travel
schedule by the 2 inspectors hired in the Spring of 1995.
However, one
inspector was reassigned to the Electronic Transition Staff and
another
inspector resigned in August 1996. Four libraries were
designated
depositories in FY 1996. Fourteen libraries relinquished their
depository
status, an increase of 8 over FY 1995. Only one library cited
lack of
electronic equipment as the reason for terminating status.
At year's end there were 1,376 libraries in the FDLP, a
reduction
of 10 from a year earlier. Twelve libraries were placed on
probation
because of deficiencies discovered during inspections, while 5
others were
removed from probationary status based on improvements in
compliance,
which were observed during the re-inspection.
The redesign of the inspection program began in FY 1996,
in the
planning process associated with the Study. This will permit
some of the
resources devoted to periodic inspections to be reallocated to
FDLP system
support and related services for depository libraries. With the
adoption
of the DSS-initiated depository library self-study as an
evaluation tool
for use by the libraries, the basis for inspections will be that
which is
specified in 44 U.S.C. 1909, which states that "the
Superintendent of
Documents shall make firsthand investigation of conditions [in
depository
libraries] for which need is indicated . . . "
DSS has worked extensively with the Depository Library
Council
(DLC) and the library community to develop, field test, and
refine the
self-study. The "Self-Study of a Federal Depository
Library" was
issued
as Federal Depository Library Manual Supplement 3 in September
1996 and
the template was available for downloading from the Federal
Bulletin Board
(FBB) and FDLP Administration Web page. It will be put into
regular use
in FY 1997, beginning with those libraries that were last
inspected in
1989 and 1990.
Within LPS, DSS takes the lead in organizing continuing
education
efforts for documents librarians. The two premier events are the
annual
Federal Depository Conference, which is conducted in conjunction
with the
spring DLC meeting, and the annual Interagency Depository
Seminar. The
planning and organization of these events, as well as the
coordination of
GPO Access training and demonstrations with EIDS, have taken an
increasing
proportion of the staff time in DSS.
The 1996 Conference, held from April 15-18, was an
overwhelming
success, with over 600 attendees, exceeding the prior year
attendance by
nearly 50%. The Conference location shifted to the Washington
National
Airport Hilton, which provided excellent facilities and service.
The
agenda again allowed the attendees to choose among a selection of
simultaneous sessions in addition to the plenary sessions. The
DLC
plenary sessions occupied the mornings of the first two days, and
then DLC
continued as a separate "track," enabling some of the attendees
to pursue
other interests. The "new librarians' track" begun in 1995 was
expanded
and was well received in the 1996 Conference. As requested by
Council,
the spring DLC meeting was extended to 3.5 days, allowing
additional time
for librarian participation and DLC deliberation. The
Proceedings of the
5th Annual Federal Depository Library Conference, which is also
available
electronically on the FDLP Administration Web page, was shipped
to all
depositories in September.
DSS also coordinated the week-long 9th Annual Interagency
Depository Seminar held in late May 1996, which was attended by
over 50
librarians. This seminar is designed as "basic training" for new
documents librarians. It was presented by GPO, Library of
Congress,
Patent & Trademark Office, Copyright Office, Office of the
Federal
Register, Bureau of the Census, Bureau of Labor Statistics, etc.
Responses from the 1995 Biennial Survey of Depository
Libraries
were collected by LPS by the end of December 1995. Because the
data was
collected and compiled using the Teleform fax software, results
were
available to LPS sooner than any previous year. The survey data
on the
number of users served by the depository libraries, and on the
libraries'
utilization of electronic products and services, was timely and
extremely
useful in the Study process. Summary data from the Biennial
Survey
appears on pp. A-161-165 of the Study. Only 5.2% of the Federal
agency
depositories provide access to electronic Government information
for both
their primary clientele and the public. The ability to support a
graphical user interface to the Internet (i.e., World Wide Web)
is
available at 50.4% of all depositories for primary patrons and
37.6% for
the public. CD-ROMs are accessible at 82.9% of depositories from
stand
alone work stations. Given the emphasis on electronic Government
information in the intervening 9 months, we expect that all these
percentages would be higher today.
DSS issued a variety of products throughout the year.
The
"Guidelines for the Federal Depository Library Program" was a
collaborative effort among 3 DLC members, DSS, and 6
representatives from
the depository community. The text was printed in February 1996
as
Federal Depository Library Manual Supplement 2.
The revised Superseded List, published in
September 1996,
was
compiled from contributions from 27 depository librarians, and
edited by
DSS. It, too, is available for downloading from the FBB and the
FDLP
Administration Web page.
DSS received permission from the Joint Committee on
Printing (JCP)
to publish a Federal Depository Library Directory as the JCP had
no
current plans to update the 1994 committee print entitled A
Directory of
U.S. Government Depository Libraries. This directory was
supplied to the
Federal Information Centers, GPO Bookstores, JCP, depositories,
and other
users in September.
Cataloging and Indexing Program
LPS completed the modernization of the Monthly Catalog of
U.S.
Government Publications (MoCat) product line. The first edition
of the
CD-ROM MoCat was published and distributed in late July. This
issue,
consisting of 9,778 records, contained the 1996 Periodicals
Supplement and
edited records corresponding to the January through June 1996
printed
catalogs. Featuring both DOS and Windows user interfaces, the
CD-ROM
accumulates data on an ongoing basis through the subscription
year, with
each issue replacing the previous disc. The changes that LPS
made to the
contents, organization, and indices of the paper MoCat
substantially
reduced the size and cost of the paper product, beginning with
the January
1996 issue. These changes enabled LPS to produce the CD-ROM
edition
without a significant cost increase.
In addition, the Superintendent of Documents' Web site
includes
MoCat
data online, with the capability to identify specific
libraries that
selected that information. Procedures are in place to load MoCat
records
into the MoCat Web application on a daily basis, and the MoCat
file now
contains approximately 66,000 records published from January 1994
through
as recently as two days ago. URLs (Uniform Resource Locators)
are being
included in MoCat records and hot linked to the electronic texts
of
products available via Federal Government Internet services.
Well over
300 MoCat records are hot linked. Verifying these links and
maintaining
linkage related information in MoCat records is a new and
evolving
responsibility.
Policies for transcribing URL data within the 856 field
of MoCat
records have been implemented as have policies for the inclusion
of
Internet related notes. URLs are now entered in the 856 field of
MoCat
records in conformity with recently established CONSER policies.
Implementation of these policies is in accordance with the
expressed
wishes of Council.
During FY 1996 approximately 32,000 titles were received
for
cataloging, and approximately 35,000 titles were processed. By
the end of
FY 1996 the cataloging backlog stood at some 500 tangible product
titles
and about 500 Internet-accessible Government information
products. An
increasingly complex part of the Cataloging Branch workload
involves the
periodic verification and updating of URLs in the cataloging
records.
Even with the use of URL checking software significant human
intervention
is required to determine the current location of a given product.
Handling of Online Electronic Products in the FDLP
During the 1996 meetings of the Depository Library
Council and the
American Library Association, discussions occurred which assisted
LPS in
establishing policies for how electronic Government information
products
are incorporated into the FDLP. These policies, which were first
published in May 1996, include online electronic products that
are
available on the GPO Access Internet site or on other agencies'
electronic
information services. LPS worked to develop a consolidated
approach to
presenting and identifying online electronic products. This
approach
carried forward some familiar elements of the paper-based model,
adapted
to fit the needs of the electronic environment.
For example, in order to assist librarians and users with
the
transition to a more electronic FDLP, classification numbers will
be
assigned to electronic titles. This use of the classification
system
should also assist in relating electronic products to their print
antecedents. The application of the Superintendent of Documents
classification system to physical products will be continued.
New online electronic titles will be assigned item
numbers, which
will represent the electronic products of an agency. This will
assist
depository libraries in establishing profiles with vendors so
that only
selected categories of bibliographic records will be added to
their online
public access catalogs.
Once these policies had been developed, LPS was well
equipped to
visit information-producing agencies and explain to them the
changes in
the FDLP resulting from the transition to a more electronic
program. LPS
staff have arranged outreach calls at NASA, the Bureau of the
Census, and
the Small Business Administration to discuss in detail how the
FDLP can
assist them in accomplishing their public information
dissemination
missions.
Financial Situation
Significant progress toward a more electronic FDLP is
being made
with essentially flat, or declining, funding. Congress has
authorized an
FY 1997 appropriation of $29.077 million for the Salaries and
Expenses
(S&E) of the Superintendent of Documents, which funds four
programs:
Depository Library Distribution, Cataloging and Indexing,
International
Exchange, and By-Law Distribution. GPO's FY 1997 funding request
of $30.8
million for the S&E Appropriation assumed some FDLP expenses,
especially
those associated with acquiring and shipping printed products,
will
decline as the use of electronic information dissemination
technologies
increases. However, we expect that there will be offsetting cost
increases in other areas, such as expanding the capacity of the
GPO Access
system, acquiring and converting electronic source data files,
and CD-ROM
software licensing fees.
Since December 1, 1995, when the GPO Access service was
made
available at no charge, costs associated with public use of the
service
have been borne by the FDLP. During FY 1996, FDLP funds have
been used
for such GPO Access system enhancements as additional storage
capacity,
dedicated servers for new databases and the Pathway indexer, and
enhanced
telecommunications capabilities.
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