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Library of the Year Award
Inaugurated

The U.S. Government Printing Office is pleased to announce that it is accepting nominations for its first annual Federal Depository Library of the Year Award.

GPO recognizes that Federal depository libraries invest significant time and resources in their public services. This award will provide special recognition for a library that furthers the goal of the Federal Depository Library Program; by ensuring that the American public has free access to its Government's information through:

• Outstanding service to meet the Federal government information needs in the library’s service area
• Creativity and innovation in developing specific community programs for use of Federal government information or a dramatic increase in their community’s usage of Federal government information
• Leadership in creating public service programs that can be emulated by other Federal Depository Libraries

You are invited to nominate your library, or any other Federal Depository Library, regardless of its size or type.

The Federal Depository Library of the Year demonstrates the following attributes:

• Documented knowledge of the Federal government information needs in the library’s service area;
• Knowledgeable depository staff to assist patrons in the identification and use of the Federal government information that best meets their needs;
• Excellent bibliographic control practices that enhance public access;
• Outstanding public services, including significant promotion of the collection and services in the library and in the community;
• Substantial cooperative efforts with other depository and non-depository libraries to share knowledge and resources with a larger community;
• Access to a well-defined collection of Federal depository tangible and electronic resources adequate to meet the needs of the library’s service area;
• Exceptional care and preservation of the depository collection.

The nomination should focus on the above attributes. You are encouraged to discuss any innovations, collaborations with other libraries and community organizations, and other accomplishments that greatly enhance access to Federal government information at the nominated library. You are welcome to reference online information, such as the library’s home page and collection development or other policies, by providing their Web addresses. You may also submit copies of policies, testimonials, promotional materials, or other information that document superior service within the past 12 to 18 months. The U.S. Government Printing Office will retain the nominations and any attachments.

The nomination deadline is June 30, 2003. The selection committee will be comprised of the Superintendent of Documents, the Director of Library Programs Service, and the Chair of the Depository Library Council to the Public Printer.

The award-winning library will be notified by the end of August and will be recognized at the 2003 fall Federal Depository Library Conference, which will be held October 19-22 in Arlington, Virginia. GPO will provide travel and lodging to the Conference for the depository coordinator and the library director from the winning library to accept a certificate honoring their recognition as Federal Depository Library of the Year. The annual Conference is the largest gathering of government documents librarians in the country and is a wonderful opportunity for the depository coordinator and director from the winning library to highlight their library’s best practices and outstanding service.

Each entry must include the following information:

1. Name, address and phone number of nominated library and the name of the person to contact should the library become a finalist, as well as contact information for the submitter if different from the library contact.
2. A written explanation of up to several pages, or a list of bulleted narrative points, that clearly enumerates how the library's accomplishments fit the criteria for the award listed above. (Note: Entries that describe programs and their effects on the community will be especially helpful to the judges in rendering a decision. While supporting materials, such as brochures, testimonials, press clippings, etc., may be included and are helpful, they are less important than the written narrative.)
3. Statistical data, if available, including the population served; number of staff dedicated to the use of Federal government information; percentage of the dedicated staff who are professional librarians; and usage of the Federal government information collection by the community. (Note: The judges do not make selections based on numbers, though they are helpful in giving context to the written submission.)

Please submit the nominations to:

Judy Russell:
ALA GODORT Introductory Speech
January 25, 2003

I am delighted to be back at GPO and working with all of you again. I am honored that I was chosen by Bruce James to be the first woman and second librarian to serve as Superintendent of Documents. Wayne Kelley and Fran Buckley are a tough act to follow, but I look forward to the challenge.

If you saw Bruce James’ statement at his confirmation hearing, you know that he comes to GPO to improve permanent public access to government information and effect Federal information policy, not to run a printing plant. He recognizes the great value of the FDLP and the library community and partners with and advocates for GPO, now and in the future.

Bruce expects to spend the next year gathering information in order to prepare a strategic plan for GPO. Your participation in that process is essential to its success. Together we need to develop a vision of the FDLP of the future and identify what we need to do to get there, including legislative changes that may be necessary. As part of the process, there will be a change in the format of the Depository Library Council meeting in Reno. Monday, April 7^th will be a day dedicated to discussions of the future.

In the meantime, while planning for the future, we will continue to work on the delivery of current services and providing outstanding service to you, Documents’ most important customers.

When I was director of LPS, you often heard me say that the FDLP was a delicate balance between the self-interest of the library and the public interest in access to Federal information. Electronic dissemination—or more accurately the loss of paper distribution—has disturbed the balance in significant ways. Together we need to identify the services that GPO can deliver, now and in the future, that will restore the balance, and that is likely to be different for each type and size of library. I encourage you to start discussions among yourselves and with us on this topic.

We also need to look at the work of the SOAR committee, to learn what we can about the reasons that libraries leave the program. Preliminary data indicates that many of the libraries that withdraw are small libraries, both academic and public, in economically disadvantaged areas — the very areas that most need government information for economic development. Stronger libraries, with more experience and resources, can help the more vulnerable ones by working with us to develop a recommended collection and set of services for small libraries specifically targeted to economic development. This will help these at risk libraries help their communities and give them reasons to stay in the program. We will work with STAT-USA, the Small Business Administration and other agency partners in this effort in order to offer special training and other assistance, but we need your expertise to help define and implement this plan. This is an example of targeting FDLP services to different sizes and types of libraries.

Before I turn this over to the panel to answer your questions, let me share with you the fact that T.C. Evans has agreed to serve as my Deputy Superintendent of Documents. The appointment is effective tomorrow. He will also continue to serve as Acting Director of Sales until that position is filled.

A few weeks ago when Bruce asked me to join him at GPO, he said that he expected me to spend 80% of my time on operations (today’s issues and opportunities) and 20% working with him on the future. Already he has asked that I change that to 50-50. Having T.C. as the Deputy Superintendent, handling many of the operational issues, will allow me additional time to work with Bruce and with you on the strategic vision for the future of GPO and the FDLP.

Again, I am honored and delighted to be your new Superintendent of Documents, and I look forward to working closely with you to improve permanent public access to government information.

Thomas C. (T.C.) Evans III, a 22-year veteran of the Government Printing Office (GPO), has been named Deputy Superintendent of Documents, the second-ranking position in the organization overseeing GPO's information dissemination programs. The appointment was effective January 26. He reports directly to Superintendent of Documents Judith C. Russell.

Evans began his GPO career in 1981 as a Supply Systems Analyst in the Superintendent of Documents Technical Support Group and became head of the Documents Planning and Development Branch in 1988. In 1994, he joined GPO's Office of Electronic Information Dissemination Services and was named Assistant Director in 1996. He was appointed Director of the Office in 2000.

In making the appointment, Public Printer of the United States Bruce R. James said, "We're very fortunate to have an individual of T.C.'s experience and capabilities to help manage our information dissemination programs. Our Superintendent of Documents operations will be critical in our efforts to transform the GPO into an information factory designed to meet the demands of the 21^st century."

Through its Superintendent of Documents programs, the GPO disseminates the largest volume of U.S. Government publications and information in the world. The foremost program is GPO Access (www.gpo.gov/gpoaccess), the only Government Web site that provides easy, one-stop, no-fee access to information from all three branches of the Federal Government. Today, GPO Access links the public to more than 225,000 Federal titles, and more than 31 million documents are retrieved from GPO Access every month.

Providing online access is only one of the Superintendent of Documents' responsibilities. Under one of the Government's longest-standing programs, the Superintendent of Documents disseminates Government information in both print and electronic formats to more than 1,200 Federal depository libraries nationwide for the free use of the public. For those who wish to purchase Government documents, the Superintendent of Documents offers nearly 9,500 individual titles for sale via online, phone, fax, or mail order, and operates the well-known Consumer Information Center in Pueblo, CO.

Under other programs, the Superintendent of Documents provides for the cataloging and indexing of Government information, distributes Government publications to recipients designated by law, operates a reimbursable distribution service for Federal agencies, and distributes official U.S. Government publications to foreign countries under document exchange agreements pursuant to international treaty.

Evans earned his B.S.B.A. degree at East Carolina University in 1979 and his M.B.A. at Marymount University in 1988. He resides in Silver Spring, MD.

GPO Access Workshop Offered in Reno
Tuesday, April 8, 2003 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Held in conjunction with the Spring Depository Library Council Meeting in Reno, Nevada, at:

GPO Access training classes involve hands-on use of GPO Access by participants at individual computer workstations. The hands-on training provides an in-depth review of all facets of the GPO Access services, including GPO Access components, interfaces, methods of access, general searching strategies, Web interfaces, etc. The hands-on and practical experience the training session provides will allow you to take full advantage of GPO Access services. The knowledge that you gain will prove invaluable, whether you are training another librarian, assisting a patron or conducting research.

Registration:

Only 25 seats are available, so make your request as soon as possible.

To register for the GPO Access workshop, send your contact information:

to:

Interagency Depository Seminar
Coming Up in May

A few spaces are still open to attend the 16th Annual Interagency Depository Seminar scheduled for May 27 through June 4, 2003, in Washington, DC. Registration for the seminar has been extended to April 11, 2003.

The weeklong seminar, offered at no charge, is designed to acquaint newer depository library staff with the information products and services of a multitude of Federal Government agencies.

There will be an informal get-together of seminar participants in the lobby of the Churchill Hotel at 6:00 p.m. Librarians will be able to meet some colleagues and Depository Services staff in an informal setting. Those who are interested may enjoy dining together in the area with a member of the Depository Services inspection team.

The Library Programs Service (LPS) of the Government Printing Office will host the first day of the seminar. LPS staff will be available to answer questions about how GPO acquires, classifies, catalogs, and distributes and disseminates government information products in all media. There will be a comprehensive tour of the LPS facility and an opportunity to network.

The Office of the Federal Register (OFR), of the National Archives and Records Administration, will present this morning’s program on the Federal regulatory system. The workshop covers the rulemaking process, including the relationship between laws and regulations; the important elements of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations; using the finding aids of the Federal Register/CFR publication system; and an overview of electronic access to certain publications of the OFR.

In the afternoon, GPO's Office of Electronic Information Dissemination Services will demonstrate the variety of GPO Access on-line services, including the Federal Register, Congressional Record, U.S. Code, Congressional bills, and other databases.

The morning session will feature the products and services of four national libraries: National Agriculture Library, National Library of Medicine, National Transportation Library, and the National Education Library.

In the afternoon, there will be tours of the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building Great Hall and of the Serial and Government Publications Division, and a National Digital Library Learning Center demonstration.

Staff of the Census Bureau will present product information for the 2000 Census, American Community Survey, American Factfinder, etc., and demonstrate other products on DVD or CD-ROM and the Census home page. Bureau staff will provide a variety of handouts and answer questions about the availability and uses of Census data.

A full day workshop will cover the basics of intellectual property: patents, trademarks and copyrights, featuring speakers from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the Copyright Office of the Library of Congress. Attendees will learn to differentiate between three types of Federal protection for intellectual property and the methods by which this information is accessed by the public. Publications and search methods, where applicable, will also be discussed.

In the morning, the Environmental Protection Agency, and one more agency to be announced, will discuss their products, services, and electronic initiatives.

The seminar will conclude at noon.

A block of rooms has been reserved for seminar participants at the historic Churchill Hotel. The hotel is located in Embassy Row, at 1914 Connecticut Avenue, NW, in Washington, DC. The hotel is four blocks from the Dupont Circle Metro Station, and is close to such attractions as the National Zoo, the Smithsonian, and the National Gallery of Art. Attendees can take the Metro subway train from the Washington Reagan National Airport to the hotel as well as to Union Station, a block from GPO. The Library of Congress can be reached by Metro or by walking (about twenty minutes) from GPO. For information about the hotel, see its Website at <www.thechurchillhotel.com>. For a map of the Washington, DC, Metro system, see: <http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/systemmap.cfm>.

Rooms are available for the single room rate of $119.00, double room rate of $139.00, not including tax. Parking at the hotel is $19.00 per day. If you wish to reserve a room at the Churchill, you should call as soon as GPO confirms your seminar reservation. Hotel reservations at the Churchill must be made no later than April 11, 2003. After that date, the Churchill does not guarantee room availability or the seminar rate. If you choose to make other hotel arrangements, be sure the hotel is near a Metro subway stop for ease of transportation to and from seminar sites.

The phone number of the reservation desk at the Churchill Hotel is 202-797-2000. The fax number is 202-462-0944. Please tell the reservation clerk that you are attending the GPO Interagency Depository Seminar and quote the above room rate. If you are interested in sharing a room with another librarian attending the seminar, Robin Haun-Mohamed at LPS will try to match up roommates. You may contact her by telephone on 202-512-1119 or via email at <rhaun-mohamed@gpo.gov>.

Interagency Seminar Registration Form

Fax to: Chief, Depository Services        Fax by: April 11, 2003

Library Programs Service (SLLD)

Depository #_____________

Name________________________________________________________________________________________

Institution Name________________________________________________________________________________

Library Name__________________________________________________________________________________

Street Address__________________________________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip Code + 4__________________________________________________________________________

Telephone (include area code)______________________________________________________________________

ILS Selection Process Underway

LPS, together with other areas of GPO, has completed the initial steps towards procurement of an Integrated Library System (ILS). GPO staff, with the assistance of RMG Consultants, performed a detailed review of written vendor submissions in December and January, comparing and contrasting vendor capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Many questions and requests for further information resulted from this review.

Vendors had a chance to respond both in writing and in intensive 2-day on-site visits, which were completed on February 12. GPO is now in the final evaluation stage prior to selecting a vendor to implement the ILS.

LPS has unique requirements, including preparation of a printed catalog, distribution of thousands of documents, and maintenance of item selection profiles, that existing off-the-shelf systems were not designed to address. The evaluation therefore involves determining which vendors have the capacity and flexibility to meet these extraordinary requirements, while meeting GPO’s needs for traditional library functions.

Managers and staff from every area in LPS were involved in the review process, which was organized by the analyst staff, with Laurie B. Hall serving as ILS Project Manager. GPO expects to make a final selection by the first week of April 2003.

Floppy Disk Data Now Available Online

With the addition of the CIC/Indiana University Floppy Disk Project to GPO’s roster of Permanent Public Access Partnerships, the note shown below is being inserted into the FDLP Guidelines for Determining Superseded Materials <http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/coll-dev/supersede.html>.

Please note that the amendments to the Substitution List are pending, and a revision of that list will appear in a forthcoming issue of Administrative Notes.

As reported in the September 15, 2002 Administrative Notes, Library Programs Service (LPS) contracted with the North American Precis Syndicate (NAPS) to provide information about the FDLP to daily and weekly newspapers and radio stations across the country. Since this campaign began in August 2002, more than 1,000 articles have run and more than 250 radio spots have aired. The media is still using these materials.

LPS is interested in knowing if you have seen the ads, heard the radio spot, or had patrons mention them. Please share this information with Cynthia Etkin at cetkin@gpo.gov. The text of the ads is available for you to download for local use from the FDLP Desktop at < http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pr/psa-text.html >.

Promote Government Documents!
Ideas Galore at
Government Documents Display Clearinghouse

That many fascinating and even beautiful documents chock full of information can be found in Federal depository collections is proved by the displays featured at the Government Documents Display Clearinghouse. Images of actual library displays, often accompanied by bibliographies of Federal documents (complete with SuDocs numbers) cover a wide range of topics. You can find displays on archaeology, biotechnology, the census, space exploration, Spanish language documents, weather and natural disasters, and much more. You can get ideas and inspiration for your own library displays, and the Clearinghouse sponsors welcome new submissions. Use your imagination and display documents!