GPO is requesting comments on the first module, Public Services, 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.

 Self-Study of a Federal Depository Library - Public Services

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.

We encourage you to review the module, and we welcome your comments. The deadline for comments is Monday, August 18, 2008. We will give your feedback careful consideration as we continue the Self-Study revision process.

Background on the Revised Self-Study

The Self-Study is a tool for your library’s voluntary, internal use for educational or strategic planning purposes. Each module includes constructive advice on how to address different situations in the library. Future plans call for interactivity in the online resource to accompany static sections that can be printed for use offline.

Modules under development will expand upon topics in the 1999 Self-Study. A new module under consideration is Strategies for Improving Services, where we hope to share constructive and effective strategies for different library situations that cover aspects of more than one module. Examples of strategies include how to manage the depository during library financial difficulties and how to improve the visibility of the depository collection within the library building.

We plan to disseminate draft versions of each module as they are fully developed. When all the modules are finalized, we encourage you to review each one, and to complete those where it could lead to improvements in the library’s depository operations. Each module is designed so that it can be worked through in one continuous review, or section by section, as time permits. For libraries that have a Shared Housing Agreement with another library, the review of the main library and the SHA library may be conducted together or separately.

We envision the Self-Study as a tool that will ultimately enhance public access to U.S. Government information and increase information-sharing among libraries, as depositories continue to evolve, face new challenges, and collectively share solutions.