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U.S. Geological Survey Improves Processing
for Federal Depository Library Shipments
[The following announcement was prepared by the USGS.]
The Branch of Information Services (BIS) supports the dissemination of products and information for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). BIS receives shipments monthly, and distributes the new and revised map products to depository libraries in compliance with an Interagency Agreement between the USGS and the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO).
In June 2003, BIS implemented a new order processing system specifically developed for depository library sendings. The previous system, although effective, was a tedious and complicated manual process. The new system creates a custom Pick Sheet consisting of products specific to the recipient’s ordering criteria. The Pick Sheet is a new feature providing the following benefits:
- Helps USGS pull the correct products for each recipient in a more timely manner
- Informs recipients what materials should be contained in their order
- Greatly improves USGS’s ability to efficiently resolve and process claims
- Enables USGS to better handle package returns as a result of shipment problems
[The electronic Federal Depository Library Ship List is sent to GPO to be posted on the Federal Bulletin Board at: <http://fedbbs.access.gpo.gov/fdlp01.htm>. The ship list provides all the new and revised GPO items for that specific shipment.]
Customers receiving multiple series products may receive multiple packages of various sizes.
Questions or comments on these new processes, as well as claims related to sendings should be directed to the following:
U. S. Geological Survey
Branch of Information Services
Federal Center, Box 25286, MS 306
Attn: Receiving
Denver, Colorado 80225
Phone 303-202-4703
Fax 303-202-4694
Email: GS-N-RMMC Inventory Management ACL@usgs.gov
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Readers Exchange
Acquiring Federal Depository Status
By Ray Dickinson
Government Documents Specialist
Ferris State University
In July 2001, Ferris State University, in Big Rapids, Michigan was awarded Federal depository status after a pursuit of almost 30 years. We understood the rules and procedures for acquiring such status, but because there were already two Congressionally designated depository libraries in our Congressional District, (one at Central Michigan University, and one at Alma College) we knew that something extraordinary would have to happen before we could hope for depository status.
This came in April of 2001 when Alma College decided to withdraw from the depository system. Mrs. Anne Marie Sanders, the Regional Depository Librarian at the Library of Michigan in Lansing, gave me a call as soon as she heard the news, and told me that if we wanted to become a Federal depository library we would have to move very quickly to acquire it. The reason for the speed was that Michigan had lost a seat in the House of Representatives, and redistricting by Governor John Engler was imminent. We had to put everything into motion before that happened. In order to get our request in to our Congressman, Representative David Camp of Midland, we would have to move quickly.
Part of my job was to convince the administration of Ferris that acquiring Federal status was good for the university. It wasn't that they were opposed to the change, rather that they wanted to see some savings in resources and an increase in service to our students, faculty and staff. While I was writing a proposal to the Dean of the Library, Dr. Richard Cochran, and to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Barbara Chapman, Mrs. Sanders was contacting necessary state personnel who could assist us in this endeavor. She contacted the remaining depository in our Congressional District, Mr. David Shirley at Central Michigan University, and got a letter of his approval for the designation for Ferris, and she also contacted the State Librarian, Ms. Christie Pearson Brandau and received her approval.
Once I had convinced the administration at Ferris that acquiring Federal depository status would be beneficial to the university, I then had to contact Mr. David Camp’s representative in Midland to see if Mr. Camp would write a letter to the Superintendent of Documents, Mr. Francis Buckley, in support of the transfer of depository status from Alma to Ferris. I was assured that Mr. Camp would be happy to assist us.
Most of this work was done in May of 2001, while we were under the gun of a possible change in the Congressional district's map. We did not know if all of our work would be in vain, or if we in fact would be able to meet an invisible deadline.
As it turned out, we did, and all of the support that we sought from various librarians and others around the state of Michigan was given wholeheartedly. In July 2001, Mr. Buckley signed the designation papers, and we became a Federally Designated Depository Library at last.
Pre-Depository Status
At the time of our designation, Ferris had been in existence for 117 years. We were founded by Mr. Woodbridge N. Ferris (who later was Governor of the State of Michigan, 1913-1917 and U.S. Senator, 1922-1928) in 1884 as the Big Rapids Industrial School. We became a state school in 1949 after a number of name changes. We have also been called Ferris Institute, Ferris State College (starting in 1965), and in 1986, Ferris State University.
We began acquiring U.S. and Michigan government documents in the early 1960's. Our first Government Documents Librarian, Mr. Glenn Fox would order government documents from the Monthly Catalog, submit his list to the Director of the Library, Mrs. Goldie Nott for approval, and then order from various individual Federal departments. When I came on board in 1968, I was not involved with documents at all, but had other jobs in the library, i.e., cataloging, and serving in the multi-media area. When Mr. Fox retired, I was asked to replace him. This was in 1976. At that time, we became a State of Michigan Depository Library, and have continued with this designation ever since.
The quality of the material published in U.S. and Michigan government publications greatly impressed me, and I worked to provide as many appropriate materials as I could find that were published by the government. I not only selected the documents, I also cataloged them, so I became much more familiar with the subject matter and other specifics of the documents.
In 1985 we became a depository library for the Bureau of the Census, and in 1991 we became the third Patent and Trademark Depository Library in the State of Michigan, the other two being the Detroit Public Library and the Engineering Library at the University of Michigan.
For many years I collected government publications from wherever I could, however I could. Sometimes I got on a mailing list for a certain agency, and would receive everything they published, and sometimes, as with the U.S. General Accounting Office, I would receive a monthly listing, and then order specific reports that would be of interest to our students and others. There were a couple of years when I added between 12,000 and 16,000 documents each year. This also included cataloging them, and this was before OCLC and its automated cataloging services that are now used by most academic libraries. The cataloging of all government documents has generated significant interlibrary loan traffic for our library.
GPO is not the only provider of documents to libraries. What I have found over the years, i.e., 1976-2003, is that government agencies that produce documents are very happy to share their work with libraries that want their documents. They will send them free of charge, and postage free.
Surfing the Internet via GPO Access, or Google Unclesam, etc., will find many documents, both in paper and in electronic format. We add many electronic-format-only documents to our OPAC, as well as adding URL's to cataloging for paper or microfiche documents.
If anyone wants more information about how to go about acquiring non-Federal depository government publications, please feel free to contact me. My phone number is: 231-591-3730. My email address is: <dickinsr@ferris.edu>.
©2003
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Readers Exchange
Documents Librarians Inspire Poetic Tribute
Lucia Orlando, Reference Librarian at the University of California at Santa Cruz, writes:
My name is Lucia Orlando and I'm contacting you at the encouragement of Linda Resler. Ms. Resler conducted our inspection this year and suggested we submit to Readers Exchange, a poem that was written to our Government Publications staff. The poem was written by students from Environmental Studies 140, National Environmental Policy. It was a grueling assignment, and we were honored the students thought so highly of our service and collection that they wrote the poem for us. The poem was written in 1997, but the class is still being taught and the students are still just as appreciative.
Lucia Orlando
University Library
UC Santa Cruz
1156 High Street
Santa Cruz, California 95064
Voice: 831-459-1279
Fax: 831-459-8206
Hanging out at the Government Pub
Ode to the Women at Government Publications
By Laura McLaughlin and Marie Liu
It's only October, and such a hard week!
With a policy brief looming, my life looks bleak.
The commodity research is causing me stress.
My ideas and thoughts - "Boy, what a mess!"
There's only one way to relieve it all,
To the Gov. Pub where problems are solved.
Stumbling around from aisle to aisle,
In a desperate search for a government file,
It seemed I'd been wandering for over a mile,
When a friendly woman appeared with a smile.
"Are you from ES140, taught by Daniel Press?"
It's all such a blur, but I think I said, "Yes!"
She chuckled then replied, "Man, what a mess!"
Behind her were others who were once also stressed.
"We've got bullets, tobacco, coffee, and plastic bottles,
Can I help you with something? a flow-chart? a model?
I'm looking for a SIC code for my commodity."
She said, "In this blue book, is where it ought to be."
I got myself together and found my code.
2211, the gateway to the Yellow Brick Road!
Two weeks later, I was nearly done.
In fact, this was becoming sort of fun!
But there were numbers and charts that my policy lacked.
I knew the Gov. Pub would have my stats.
"I'm looking for pollution emissions, where do they lie?"
"I think you should try the TRI".
We could go on for hours and hours,
Telling the tale of the Pub and its powers.
But our project is finished, and it's time to sleep,
While we've left the Pub with a mess miles deep.
We thank the Pub for relieving our fears
("Hopefully, ES140 will be neater next year!")
So when you're feeling down and you're stressin' out,
You don't know where to go, and are wondering about,
Remember, Monday to Friday, nine to five,
Come to the Gov. Pub, where "spirits" are high!
Thank you!
ES140 Fall 1996
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