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Library Programs Service FY 2000 Annual Report

The pace of change in the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) accelerated dramatically in FY 2000, caused by a combination of emerging technologies used by Federal publishing agencies and funding constraints imposed on the Government Printing Office (GPO).

In the emerging Electronic FDLP, the Library Programs Service (LPS) is increasingly engaged in managing an Electronic Collection (EC). This is done through updated versions of several of our traditional functions: to identify, evaluate, select, organize, and catalog Government information products in all formats, and assure that they remain permanently accessible to the public. These services will continue, and are critical elements of our Electronic Collection management activities.

In the last fiscal year, more business was conducted with depositories via the Internet. Although some libraries are finding it expedient to leave the depository program, there is still strong commitment to public service among the more than 1,300 libraries that remain part of the FDLP. Indeed, depository libraries are helping to build and use the FDLP Electronic Collection; 95% meet minimum technical requirements and more than 1000 have web-based catalogs.

However, there is still a significant tangible products component in the FDLP, and a large amount of LPS’ resources remain devoted to the acquisition, classification, format conversion, cataloging, and distribution of tangible products. Reshaping the organization remains a key challenge for LPS as major elements of the work evolve.

LPS Highlights for 2000 include:

• Rapid growth of online electronic content delivery
• Reduced distribution of tangible products
• Electronic archive
• Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government Information
• New content partnerships
• FDLP Desktop
• Permanent Public Access Website
• Digital archiving project with OCLC

FY 2000 expenses for the four Salaries & Expenses programs (FDLP, Cataloging & Indexing, By-Law, and International Exchange) are expected to use all of the available appropriated funds, or $29.9 million. But for FY 2001, these same programs will have $2 million less, as well as significant additional expenses, including $1.6 million for the 2000 edition of the bound U.S. Code.

Two of our biggest expense categories are printing and shipping costs, so we must realize savings in those areas. LPS staff are searching for print products that are also available electronically and changing them to online electronic dissemination. The program is simply not being funded at a level that permits us to continue to make dual format distribution on a routine basis.

There are two major reasons for speeding up the transition to the EFDLP:

• The $2 million funding reduction to $27.9 million in FY 2001.

• Both the House and the Senate have told GPO to emphasize electronic dissemination. This was articulated most recently in the Conference report [House report 106-796], which said "[e]mphasis should be on streamlining the distribution of traditional paper copies of publications which may include providing online access and less expensive electronic formats."

LPS is implementing a policy on distribution to Federal depository libraries that will accelerate the transition to a primarily electronic program. As an operational guideline, U.S. Government publications will be furnished to Federal depository libraries solely in online electronic format unless certain criteria or circumstances exist.

Many format changes are already underway. LPS has established the requirements for depository copies for many products that will be printed under GPO term contracts beginning in FY 2001. LPS reviews each term contract annually, and typically the quantity requested for the FDLP rises or falls only slightly. But this year, in order to save printing and shipping expenses, we are checking each term contract to see if that title or set of products is available online. If it is, and it does not fall into one of the exception categories, LPS is changing the depository dissemination to electronic only. Recently LPS reviewed about 700 annual term contracts, and decided to change about 25% of them to solely electronic dissemination. Many of these term contracts cover multiple products or titles. Announcements that products formerly available in a tangible format are changing to solely online dissemination are listed in WEBTech Notes at <www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/tools/webtech.html>.

A critical element of the FDLP Electronic Collection is permanent public access to distributed content at FDLP partner sites.

GPO and the National Library of Medicine (NLM) have reached an agreement that assures permanent public access to many of NLM’s most popular and important titles. Included in the agreement are PubMed and NLM Locator Plus, online resources that will take the place of at least eight titles formerly represented in the FDLP in paper or microfiche. The agreement is actually the result of a depository librarian query to both LPS and NLM, and the outcome is very positive for the Electronic Collection.

Similar agreements are under review with the Census Bureau, General Accounting Office, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

In October, 1999, GPO and the Department of Energy (DOE) launched PubSCIENCE, an electronic system that provides public access to a DOE database of scientific and technical literature. The PubSCIENCE database contains bibliographic records from approximately 1,000 peer-reviewed journals provided by more than 20 publishers with a focus on the physical sciences and energy-related disciplines. PubSCIENCE enables users to identify journal articles, view bibliographic citations, and hyperlink to the publisher's site for full retrieval (if unrestricted), or through a site license, an electronic subscription, or pay-per-view access.

GPO and DOE are also involved in two new services that significantly expand public access to Federal Government scientific and technical research information. Developed by DOE’s Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI), the GrayLIT Network <www.osti.gov/graylit> and Federal R&D Project Summaries <www.osti.gov/fedrnd> allow users to search with a single query across multiple databases. The general public as well as users of the FDLP can link to these services through GPO Access.

The U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) has become a partner with LPS to bring additional completely Internet based publications into the FDLP Electronic Collection. A group of USIP "born digital" publications is serving as a testbed for improving metatagging and new cataloging practices. The project is expected to continue for the next several months, and a progress report is anticipated at the Federal Depository Conference in October.

LPS and OCLC, Inc. have developed high-level user requirements for a system to locate, identify, process, describe, catalog, and archive electronic publications. The proposed system will incorporate a mix of new and existing solutions in an effort to refine and integrate LPS workflow and routines for processing and storing e-titles for the long term.

GPO is a full partner in this project, and staff have worked closely with OCLC, providing

input in the development process. The initial application of the project will be based on the CORC interface, with an archiving option added. In the initial version that archiving function will likely direct the captured files to GPO's e-archive.

LPS’ own archive of electronic publications continues to evolve and grow. The highest priority candidates for this "in-house" solution remain agency publications that are primarily textual or images of text, and which have no tangible counterpart in the FDLP. Information about the operation of the FDLP/EC Archive can be found at <www.gpo.gov/ppa/resources.html>.

The FDLP Desktop was unveiled in July 2000. Comprised of more than 700 pages, the "desktop" is an enhanced version of the Website formerly called "FDLP Administration." It is now available at <www.gpo.gov/fdlpdesktop>. The FDLP Desktop provides an improved structure and better navigation tools, information about the FDLP, glossary, site index and more resources available for use by depository library staff. The site also contains the most frequently used services in a more convenient location on the page.

A new service, New Electronic Titles (NET), located at <www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/locators/net>, was inaugurated in July 2000. The NET is a weekly "new accessions list" of Federal Government online products that are new to the FDLP. The new accessions listed in NET represent products not previously included in the FDLP Electronic Collection. An NET listing is linked to the online resource by a PURL (Persistent Uniform Resource Locator) or a URL. PURLs are assigned as part of the archiving process, and most NET listings will contain a PURL. NET replaces the old Browse Electronic Titles (BET) locator service.

Full bibliographic information for the new titles and former BET entries is available in the online Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) <www.gpo.gov/catalog>. The CGP is the prime resource for identifying, locating, and accessing both tangible and online U.S. Government information products.

The other locators, including Browse Topics and Federal Agency Internet Sites, have also undergone facelifts to match the look and feel of GPO Access. All the locator services are accessible from the "Findings Aids" page at <www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/tools.html>.

Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids is a Website designed for students, parents, and teachers. Found at <http://bensguide.gpo.gov>, it provides a fun and educational introduction to how the U.S. Government works based on information resources available through GPO Access.

Produced by a team from LPS and the Office of Electronic Information Dissemination Services (EIDS), Ben's Guide has been received positively by the library and education communities. A prototype of Ben's Guide was critiqued at the American Association of School Librarians conference in November 1999, where it received excellent reviews. The Newsletter of the Documents Interest Group of Oregon (December 1999) described Ben's Guide as a "well-designed children's Website" that "could be useful for reference questions as well," and characterized it has having "an attention to detail and to readability that is exemplary in web design."

It has been featured on <http://homeworkspot.com>, selected as a Notable Children’s Website for the year 2000 by the American Library Association, was included in the Scout Report and was a "Hot Site" in <usatoday.com>. Other kudos have come from the Philadelphia Inquirer and Access America, an electronic newsletter of the National Partnership for Re-Inventing Government, which called Ben’s Guide "exciting" and a "powerful resource."

The LPS Cataloging Branch processed more than 27,000 publications, including materials distributed to depository libraries in paper, microfiche, and CD-ROM. The Cataloging Branch also processed thousands of online resources made available to the public via GPO Access.

There are more than 11,000 online titles accessible via the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications, located at <www.gpo.gov/catalog>. More than 6,000 PURLs have been assigned to these resources. The online Catalog provides the public with access to more than 140,000 bibliographic records that represent recent holdings in all formats in the FDLP.

The quality of the work produced by GPO catalogers was recognized during this past fiscal year. The Library of Congress invited GPO to become a member of BIBCO (Bibliographic Cooperative Program), one of several national cooperative cataloging programs. This now makes GPO a member of all the national cooperative cataloging programs and recognizes that GPO produced bibliographic records meet all national cataloging standards administered by the Program for Cooperative Cataloging.

GPO catalogers were granted National Enhanced Status by OCLC. This authorizes GPO catalogers to modify all OCLC records, including those produced by the Library of Congress and the other national libraries.

GPO catalogers advised OCLC on the development of its CORC (Cooperative Online Resource Catalog) application. GPO was an early contributor to this application and staff continue to advise OCLC personnel on the development of data collection and cataloging applications software that are expected to assist GPO personnel in cataloging online resources selected for the FDLP Electronic Collection.

The Public Printer and the Superintendent of Documents have hosted a series of meetings to discuss permanent public access to Federal Government information. The participants represent U.S. Federal agencies, the national libraries, Congressional committees, public interest groups, and other organizations interested in issues regarding the preservation of, and access to, Government information published electronically.

In FY 2000, the meetings were held quarterly. In March staff from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) gave a presentation about their Electronic Records Archives Program – Building the Archives of the Future. George Barnum and Steve Kerchoff from LPS provided an update on the implementation of GPO’s Electronic Collection Plan and our digital archive.

The June roundtable discussion brought some new perspectives to the discussion. Participants included a mix of people from both within and outside of the government, including staff from the Digital Library Future Federation and John Stevenson, a new member of the Depository Library Council.

Staff from LPS and EIDS, in conjunction with GPO’s Production Department, set up a public Website on GPO Access that includes information about the Permanent Public Access group and its members, its goals, and links to resources relevant to the topic. It can be found at <www.gpo.gov/ppa>. The activities related to the permanent public access meetings and creation of the Website increase GPO’s visibility in this area.

GPO has developed a new streamlined printing procurement process for use by Federal agencies. This process, called "SPA", or the "simplified purchase agreement," provides streamlined procurement procedures for Federal agencies to acquire printing and information products and services up to $2,500 in value from local commercial sources. Agencies using simplified purchase agreements cut their administrative costs and expand procurement opportunities for local small businesses. The process began with GPO working with the Department of Energy (DOE) Savannah River Operations Office as a partner to finalize the criteria for the new procedure. Agency use of simplified purchase agreements help to combat the problem of "fugitive documents" by ensuring that products ordered under the agreement are included in the FDLP, unless agencies indicate the products are only for internal administrative use or have no public or educational value. In September we received 42 notifications from GPO’s SPA partners.

The distribution of tangible products through the FDLP continues to decrease, with a particularly sharp decline in the number of microfiche titles. The only category of FDLP titles that increased was titles that GPO links to at other agency sites, which rose by over 45% compared to FY 1999. Overall, 53% of the titles disseminated this year were online. The estimated distribution of products in the FDLP in FY 2000 is:

Media	Titles	Copies	% of FDLP Titles
Online (GPO Access)	11,715	n/a	19.2
Online (other agency sites)	20,591	n/a	33.7
Paper (includes direct mail & USGS maps)	13,660	6,281,669	22.3
Microfiche	14,572	5,684,430	23.8
CD-ROM	617	240,965	1.0
Total	61,155	12,207,064

In mid-September, FedEX Ground (formerly Roadway Package System) became LPS’ contractor for depository delivery services, replacing Potomac Business Center. The new depository shipping contract was significantly strengthened from the previous version, and provides superior monitoring, tracking, and performance criteria. Shipment "batching" is expressly prohibited under the terms of the new contract, and shipments should be dispatched to libraries on a daily basis.

Depository Services Staff (DSS) developed programs for the concurrent sessions for both the fall 1999 Depository Library Council meeting held at the Hotel Phillips in Kansas City, MO and the spring 2000 meeting held at the Hyatt Regency in Newport, RI.

DSS has planned the agenda for the 9^th annual Federal Depository Library Conference and fall meeting of the Depository Library Council being held October 22-25, 2000 at the Holiday Inn Rosslyn Westpark in Arlington, VA. A projected number of attendees is 500 with over 50 speakers. Registration by the Web has been provided. As in previous years, the agenda will allow attendees to choose among a number of simultaneous sessions in addition to the plenary sessions.

DSS also coordinated the weeklong 13th Annual Interagency Depository Seminar held from May 31-June 7 at GPO. Intended for documents librarians with three or fewer years' experience, this seminar attracted 60 documents staff for "basic training." GPO, Patent & Trademark Office, and Bureau of the Census conducted all-day sessions. Many other agencies described their electronic products and services in 45-minute segments during the remainder of the workshop.

As of September 30, 2000, DSS conducted 120 on-site inspections of depository libraries. In addition, 145 self-study evaluations were compiled, summarizing the strengths and weaknesses of each depository operation. The number of self-studies completed in 2000 was down from 1999 due to staff vacancies and the hiring and training of a new inspector, Charles Bradsher, who joined DSS in January 2000.

In July 2000, DSS announced that the schedule for submitting self-studies was postponed until further notice. Staff vacancies were the contributing factor. In spring 2000, Cynthia Etkin transferred from being an inspector to a program analyst and a new inspector has not yet been hired. Thomas Oertel resigned his position in early September and Barbara Gail Snider left LPS in early October. Two selections have been made to fill Etkin’s and Oertel’s positions, and LPS expects these new personnel during the first quarter of FY 2001.

The 2000 update of the Recommended Specifications for Public Access Work Stations in Federal Depository Libraries appeared in the June 15, 2000 Administrative Notes. Libraries use this guidance for new computer purchases. A proposal submitted by DSS to the Depository Library Council in April 2000 was approved, establishing the 1999 Recommended Specifications for Public Access Work Stations as minimum technical requirements beginning October 2000. These requirements will be updated and upgraded on an annual basis.

The Instructions to Depository Libraries was revised in July 2000 and distributed to all depositories in paper in September. The Instructions are available on the FDLP Desktop in MS Word, HTML, and PDF formats also.

The 1999 Biennial Survey of Depository Libraries was issued in October 1999 with a due date of December 1. Libraries entered their responses via a web application. A substantial amount of data correction is still required, especially on the "free form" answers. The raw data files were posted on the Federal Bulletin Board for downloading in April 2000. A written report on the survey results will be issued later.

In addition to the usual appearances at American Library Association conferences and Depository Library Council meetings, LPS staff made presentations on various aspects of the FDLP in a variety of venues, including:

• George Barnum spoke on the OCLC/GPO Archiving project at the Federal Library and Information Center Committee (FLICC) quarterly meeting, September 2000.
• Gil Baldwin made two presentations ("GPO Update" and "Benefits of FDLP Collections") to the Five State Depository Library Meeting, Flagstaff, AZ in August 2000.
• Sheila McGarr delivered the "FDLP Update" and was on a panel discussing "Reconsidering Depository Status" at the American Association of Law Librarians meeting in Philadelphia, July 2000.
• Cindy Etkin made a presentation on "Collection Development and Reference Service in the Electronic Information Environment" at the FLICC Reference Institute, July 2000.
• Barnum spoke on "Archiving and Authentication," at the FLICC Reference Institute, July 2000.
• McGarr spoke at the "lunch and learn" program of the Federal Law Librarians Section of the Law Librarians Society of the District of Columbia, June 2000.
• Tad Downing presented two workshop sessions at the North American Serials Interest Group, San Diego, California, June 2000.
• Baldwin and Barnum spoke to the National Archives and Records Administration’s Archives Assembly (their professional association) on the "FDLP Electronic Collection" May 2000.
• GPO staff made the following presentations at the GPO Interagency Depository Seminar in May:

• "Service in an Electronic Environment: Workstation Specifications" and "Your Depository's Web Presence" (Etkin)
• "Impact of the Electronic Environment on Collection Development, Public Service, and a Depository's Web Presence" (Etkin with Thomas Oertel and Gail Snider)
• "Depository Self-Study Process and Depository Responsibilities." (McGarr)

• "Guidelines for Substitution of Electronic for Tangible Versions of Depository Publications" (Oertel)
• "The Electronic Transition" (Barnum)
• "The Ins and Outs of LPS Processing" (Vicki Barber, Robin Haun-Mohamed, Downing)

• Barnum presented "From Shipping Boxes to Browsers: The Digital Library Concept and Federal Government Information," Case Western Reserve University Symposium on Digital Libraries, April 2000.
• Etkin spoke on "The Federal Depository Library Odyssey: The New Century" at the Southwestern Association of Law Libraries annual meeting in San Antonio, TX, March 2000.
• Barnum and Kerchoff spoke and gave a slide presentation on "The FDLP Electronic Collection: What's New?" to the Permanent Public Access Working Group, at GPO, March 2000.
• Haun-Mohamed worked with members of EIDS in staffing the GPO booth at the Public Library Association meeting, Charlotte, NC, March 2000.
• Barnum presented a lecture for the Government Documents Class, San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science, February 2000.
• Oertel spoke before the Northwest Government Information Network meeting in Seattle, WA on the topic of the "Guidelines for Substitution of Electronic for Tangible Versions of Depository Publications," December 1999.
• Etkin staffed the GPO booth at the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) annual conference in Birmingham, AL in November 1999.
• Etkin discussed "New Roles for Federal Depository Libraries in the Next Century" Illinois Library Association, joint presentation with John Shuler, University of Illinois, Chicago, October 1999.
• Throughout fiscal year 2000, McGarr conducted LPS tours for a variety of groups:

• Eight librarians from Russia sponsored by the U.S. Department of State
• Depository librarians visiting Washington, DC on vacation
• Law students from Georgetown University

• Downing and Sandy Morton-Schwalb continued to serve as chairs of two FLICC working groups; Downing with the Personnel Working Group and Morton-Schwalb with the Education Working Group. Etkin is a member of the Education Working Group.
• A number of LPS staff members worked at the GPO booth at both the ALA mid-winter (January) and annual meetings (June).

GPO and Energy Department Launch New Links To Federal Scientific And Technical Information

The Government Printing Office (GPO) and the Department of Energy (DOE) have initiated two new services that significantly expand public access to Federal Government scientific and technical research information.

Developed by DOE’s Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI), the GrayLIT Network (www.osti.gov/graylit) and Federal R&D Project Summaries (www.osti.gov/fedrnd) provide users with the capability to find information regardless of where it resides—by searching for documents across multiple databases of many Federal agencies—in response to a single query. With these new tools, it is no longer necessary for a user to know which agency is working in a particular area or discipline.

The general public as well as users of the more than 1,300 Federal depository libraries nationwide can link to these services through GPO’s award-winning Web site, GPO Access <www.access.gpo.gov>.

The GrayLIT Network provides a portal to more than 100,000 full-text technical reports located at DOE, the Department of Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Collections in the GrayLIT Network include DOE’s Information Bridge (also currently available through GPO Access), the Defense Technical Information Center’s Report Collection, EPA’s National Environmental Publications Internet Site (NEPIS), NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab Reports, and NASA’s Langley Technical Reports.

Federal R&D Project Summaries include more than 240,000 research summaries and awards by three of the major sponsors of research in the Federal Government. The Federal databases available via this tool are DOE’s R&D Project Summaries, the National Institutes of Health’s CRISP (Computer Retrieval of Information on Scientific Projects) Current Award, and the National Science Foundation’s Award Data.

This is the third major project that GPO and DOE have undertaken to expand public access to Government scientific and technical information. In June 1999, GPO and DOE jointly earned a Hammer Award from Vice President Gore's National Partnership for Reinventing Government for the Information Bridge, a service that makes available thousands of unclassified DOE scientific and technical reports in electronic image format via GPO Access. In October, 1999, GPO and DOE launched PubScience, an online system that provides public access to bibliographic records from more than 1,000 peer-reviewed journals with a focus on the physical sciences and energy-related disciplines.

2000 Minimum Technical Requirements in Effect

New minimum technical requirements for workstations in Federal depository libraries went into effect October 1, 2000. The proposal for new requirements and the Depository Library Council’s recommendation to implement them was published in the May 1, 2000 issue of Administrative Notes (v. 21, # 9) <http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pubs/adnotes/ad050100.html>.

All Federal depository libraries must meet the minimum technical requirements to keep pace with technological change in order to fulfill their Title 44 obligation to provide access to Government information products. These requirements were originally issued as the "1999 Recommended Specifications for Public Access Workstations in Federal Depository Libraries" in the June 15, 1999 Administrative Notes. The Library Programs Service (LPS) will continue to issue Recommended Specifications for Public Access Workstations in Federal Depository Libraries each spring to assist depository library staff in planning for new computer purchases.

As another step in the transition to an e-FDLP and in accordance with Depository Library Council recommendations from its spring 2000 meeting, a schedule was established to regularly increase workstation requirements. Fifteen months after issuance, recommended specifications will become minimum technical requirements. The requirements, the recommended specifications, and the schedule are all available from the FDLP Desktop at:

Having a DVD drive is a major change included in the 1999 recommended specifications. At present the only DVD products distributed through the FDLP are from the Patent and Trademark Office. LPS has learned that the Census Bureau will be producing DVD products for distribution, the first of which will be the Census Tract Street Index.

FedEx Ground (formerly Roadway Package System) is the Library Programs Service's new contractor for depository delivery services. FedEx Ground picked up the first depository shipments from the Government Printing Office on September 18 for delivery to Federal depository libraries. Separate shipments have been added to FedEx Ground delivery as well. FedEx Ground will begin delivery of USGS maps by the end of October.

The new depository shipping contract has been significantly strengthened from the previous version, and provides superior monitoring, tracking, and performance criteria. Shipment "batching" is expressly prohibited under the terms of the new contract, and shipments should be dispatched to libraries on a daily basis.

Libraries may still be receiving shipments sent through the USPS prior to September 18. Depending on its item selection rate, a library may experience a gap in shipping list numbers between 2000-0354-P and 2000-0359-P. Please do not claim these shipping lists unless they are still missing as of October 31. In addition, please hold claims for separates shipments 2000-0041-S, 2000-0042-S, and 2000-0043-S. Unfortunately, the shipping lists were sent to libraries before the items were processed. These separate shipments were mailed through FedEx Ground on Thursday, September 28^th and should have been received by mid-October.

If you have questions or concerns about depository shipments or deliveries, please contact Ms. Vicki A. Barber, Chief of LPS' Depository Distribution Division, via e-mail at <vbarber@gpo.gov> or by phone at (202) 512-1014.

Online National Land Cover Dataset Now Available

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has produced a National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD) for the conterminous United States. At 30-meter resolution, the NLCD is the most detailed land cover information ever compiled at a national level. The NLCD contains 21 categories of land cover information that can be used for a variety of State and regional applications, including watershed management, environmental studies, transportation modeling, and land management.

The first datasets available are for States east of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. These files have been put through an accuracy assessment process and are in "final" status; the file names for these State datasets reflect this. "Preliminary" datasets for western States, which have not yet been checked for accuracy, are also online. "Final" datasets for the remaining States will become available in the next six months.

The NLCD is based on 1992 Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery and is part of the USGS Land Cover Characterization Program. In addition to the satellite data, scientists at USGS used a variety of supporting information such as topography, census, agricultural statistics, soil characteristics, and wetlands data to determine and label the land cover type for each 30-meter pixel. The NLCD was designed to be compatible with the earlier Land Use/Land Cover data set compiled from 1970’s and 1980’s aerial photography. NLCD data are free online in 8-bit binary, single band files or for sale on CD-ROM in GeoTIFF format. For information about the NLCD visit the National Land Cover Characterization website <http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/programs/lccp/natllandcover.html>.

To view, order a CD, or download, select "View & Order NLCD Products." Click on the map or choose from the menu to get the appropriate information for the given State. "Readme" files containing instructions for bringing the data into common GIS software packages and information on classification, legend, and geographic coordinates are included on the website.

14th Annual Interagency Depository Seminar Announced

The 14th Annual Interagency Depository Seminar will be held in Washington, DC from May 30 through June 6, 2001. The weeklong seminar will consist of an overview of various agencies' information products and activities as they relate to Federal depository libraries. The seminar is being presented by many Federal agencies, including:

• Bureau of the Census
• Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Copyright Office
• Library of Congress
• Office of the Federal Register
• Patent and Trademark Office
• Government Printing Office
• and more to be announced.

The Interagency Depository Seminar is the most comprehensive introduction to U.S. Government information now offered (see the attached schedule of events). It is aimed at documents staff with basic working experience in a depository. In the 13 years that it has been offered, the seminar has been very popular with the Federal documents community. As attendance must be limited to 60, preference will be given to those who have not previously attended the seminar and whose libraries are located outside the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

Costs for the seminar are being kept as low as possible. A $18.00 registration fee will be the only charge which covers coffee and donuts in the morning and sodas in the afternoon. Librarians attending the seminar must cover their own travel and subsistence expenses, as no government funds are available for that purpose.

Prospective attendees should complete the registration form and mail it, along with a check for $18.00 postdated after January 1, 2001 and made out to "GPO Cafeteria Service" to the Library Programs Service by March 13, 2001. Librarians who are officially registered for the seminar will be notified first by e-mail immediately and then receive a packet by mail in mid-April 2001. As the 2000 seminar had a waiting list of 18 people, a helpful hint is to submit the registration form to reserve a place first, then try to obtain full or partial funding from your library administration later. If you wait until funding is assured, the limited slots for the seminar may be filled.

If you have any questions about the seminar, please contact the Chief, Depository Services Staff , by telephone on (202) 512-1119; by fax on (202) 512-1432; or by e-mail at <rhaun-mohamed@gpo.gov>.

There will be an informal get-together of seminar participants in the Dogwood Room of the Holiday Inn - Rosslyn Westpark 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 Rosslyn or Georgetown areas.

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. LPS staff will also discuss writing the self-study and responsibilities of Federal depositories. 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.

In the morning, four different Federal agency representatives will discuss their products, services, and electronic initiatives. For maximum flexibility in program planning, Federal agencies will be confirmed in spring 2001.

In the afternoon, the Serial and Government Publications Division will conduct a tour of its operation, including the government publications stacks and reference. There will be a presentation on the National Digital Library activities. There will be the opportunity to tour key areas of the restored Jefferson Building.

Staff of the Census Bureau will present a product preview of 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, agency representatives from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and one additional publisher will discuss their products, services, and electronic initiatives.

The seminar will conclude at noon.

Presentations during the seminar week will be held in the Carl Hayden Room of the main building of the Government Printing Office and the Library of Congress. Presentations will begin promptly at 8:30 a.m. and will last until 4:00 p.m., unless otherwise stated in a detailed program supplied to the registrants in mid-April 2001. All participants are expected to attend all presentations.

As May and June are peak tourist periods for Washington, accommodations can be very hard to find. A block of rooms has been reserved for seminar participants at the Holiday Inn - Rosslyn Westpark Hotel. The hotel is located at 1900 North Fort Myer Drive, Arlington, VA. This hotel is 1 block from the Rosslyn Metro station. Attendees can take the Metro subway train from Washington’s Reagan National Airport to the hotel and also to Union Station, which is about a block from GPO. The Library of Congress can be reached by Metro or by walking from GPO.

A room is available for the government rate of $119.00 per night for single or double occupancy. The room rate is subject to additional taxes that are currently 9.75% per night. Overnight parking is free. If you wish to reserve a room at the Holiday Inn - Rosslyn Westpark Hotel, you should call as soon as GPO confirms your seminar reservation. Hotel reservations must be made no later than May 4, 2001. After that date, rooms will be subject to availability at the best available rate. If you choose to make other hotel arrangements, be sure the hotel is near a subway stop for ease of transportation to and from seminar sites.

The phone number of the reservation desk at the Holiday Inn - Rosslyn Westpark is (703) 807-2000. 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 e-mail at <rhaun-mohamed@gpo.gov>.

_________ I would like to attend the May 30-June 6, 2001 Interagency Depository Seminar.

_________ I need lodging and will contact the hotel directly.

_________ I have not previously attended this GPO-sponsored seminar.

Enclosed is my check for $18.00 payable to "GPO Cafeteria Service."

Draft Superintendent of Documents Policy Statement on Dissemination/Distribution Policy for the FDLP

Overview.

Information content remains the primary selection criteria for inclusion of a U.S. Government information product in the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). Regardless of format, publications must conform to the definition in 44 U.S.C. Sec. 1901.

Library Program Service (LPS) will determine the best method for making government information products available to the depository libraries. When more than one format exists for a product, LPS will determine how to best provide the information by assessing the following: the cost of providing the material, how the product will be used, and the specific characteristics of the online and/or tangible product.

As directed by Congress, the primary method of making publications available to the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) is online dissemination. Specific product characteristics may dictate that an alternate method needs to be used. LPS will use the following guidelines to determine the most appropriate method.

Document Terminology.

Dissemination The act of making government information products accessible. This is done by using a government electronic information service, and/or by distributing tangible products to depository or program libraries.

Distribution The act of sending out a tangible product.

Product A publication regardless of presentation media or format.

Tangible Product Information presented in a physical format, i.e., paper, microfiche, video, diskette, CD-ROM, or optical disk successor technology.

Guidelines.

1. When a product is only available online, it will be disseminated in online format.
1. When a product is only available in tangible format, then LPS will distribute it in that format.
2. When the product is available both online and in a tangible format the standard practice will be to disseminate the online version to depository libraries. A tangible product will be distributed only if the online version is:
1. incomplete. For example:
1. online products that contain only selected or abstracted portions of the content provided in its entirety in the tangible product, or
2. kits comprised of mixed media tangible products where only a portion of the title is online.
2. not recognized as official by the publishing agency. For example, this can occur when the electronic version is on a non-verifiable or unofficial website.
3. located in an online site where products are known to be changed randomly. For example, this would occur when the product content may be overwritten by different content.
4. very difficult to use, thus impeding access to data or content. For example, this can occur when the product design imposes technological barriers to usage.
5. not cost-effective. The costs associated with disseminating the online product exceed those for the tangible product. For example, this situation may arise with fee-based online services.
6. fee-based, and created, all or in part, through the use of non-appropriated funds. For example, this can occur when the publishing agency designates the product as cooperative under 44 U.S.C. Sec. 1903.
3. If a product is disseminated to depository libraries online and a tangible format is available, the tangible product will be distributed only if the tangible product meets special conditions or needs, i.e., when:
1. there is a legal requirement to distribute the product in tangible format.
2. the tangible product is of significant reference value to most types of FDLP libraries, as may be the case with certain compilations, legal resources, permanent legal records or products of historical importance.
3. the tangible product is intended to serve a special needs population. For example, this could occur when the publication is in Braille or large print.
4. the commonly-accepted medium of the user community is tangible format. For example, this could apply to maps and/or charts.
5. the product is essential to the conduct of Government. In the 1996 "Study to Identify Measures Necessary for a Successful Transition to a More Electronic Federal Depository Library Program," GPO identified a core list of "Paper Titles in the FDLP." When the following titles are published in paper format they will be distributed to depository libraries in paper.

These essential titles are:

- Budget of the United States Government

- Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

- Code of Federal Regulations

- Congressional Directory

- Congressional District Atlas*

- Congressional Record (final bound edition)**

- County and City Data Book*

- Economic Report of the President

- Federal Register

- Foreign Relations of the U.S.

- List of Sections Affected (CFR)

- Public Papers of the President

- Statutes at Large

- State & Metropolitan Area Data Book

- Statistical Abstract of the U.S.

- Treaties and Other International Acts of the United States

- Treaties in Force

- U.S. Government Manual

- United States Code

- United States Congressional Serial Set (bound edition)**

- United States Reports

- Vital Statistics of the U.S.

* Most recently published in CD-ROM format.

** Distribution is already limited to regional depository libraries and one library in each state without a regional.

4. When a tangible product is to be distributed, the following format rules will be applied.
1. The product will be distributed in the format issued by the publishing agency, except if the format is paper.
2. A paper product will be reviewed for suitability for conversion to microfiche. If suitable, it will be converted; if not, it will be distributed in paper.
5. LPS will not convert products that are issued solely in tangible format to electronic format. This approach may be reevaluated as circumstances warrant. The costs of the conversion process, and the official status of the resulting online version, are important factors to consider.
6. When products are made available to depository libraries in multiple tangible formats, regional depositories will generally retain the option to receive multiple formats. Reviews of multiple format distribution to selective libraries will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Scope.

This policy pertains to all U.S. Government information products subject to dissemination/distribution to depository libraries. 44 U.S.C. Sec. 1901

Application.

The Director, Library Programs Service, is responsible for ensuring that all publications are disseminated and/or distributed to depository libraries in the most effective manner.

Related Policy.

This policy relates to and augments the policy established in SOD 13, Format of Publications Distributed to Depository Libraries. August 22, 1983.

"Depository Library Program," Title 44 U.S. Code, Sec. 1901-1916, 1994 ed.

"Format of Publications Distributed to Depository Libraries:" Superintendent of Documents Policy Statement No. SOD-13, August 22, 1983.

MacGilvray, Marian W. and John M. Walters. Electronic Capabilities of Federal Depository Libraries, Summer 1994. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1995.

"Priorities for Disseminating Electronic Products and Service from the U.S. Government Printing Office." Documents to the People, 20, no. 2 (June 1992): 78-79.

U.S. Government Printing Office. Report to the Congress: Study to Identify Measures Necessary for a Successful Transition to a More Electronic Federal Depository Library Program, as required by Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1996, Public Law 104-53. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1996.

U.S. Government Printing Office. Library Programs Service. Managing the FDLP Electronic Collection: A Policy and Planning Document. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1998.

U.S. House. Making Appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the Fiscal Year Ending September 30, 2001, and for Other Purposes. Conference Report (H. Rpt. 106-796). Washington: Government Printing Office, 2000.

U. S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. Report on the Assessment of Electronic Government Information Products, prepared by Westat, Rockville, Md. Washington: Government Printing Office, March 30, 1999.

Readers Exchange

At the Five State Depository Library Meeting in Flagstaff, AZ in August 2000, Sean Evans, of the Cline Library, Northern Arizona University (NAU), presented Gil Baldwin, Director of GPO’s Library Programs Service, with a list of the "Best 100 Documents of the Century, 1900-1999." Librarians nationwide had been solicited for their nominations, which were then winnowed down to 100 by a 4-member panel. The nominations are available for viewing at <http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~rse/y2kdocs.htm>.

The following e-mail exchange between Baldwin and Evans sheds light on the list’s background and on how it was compiled.

BALDWIN: Who are the members of the esteemed panel?

EVANS: Myself (Cline Library, Reference-Documents Specialist, Senior History Subject Specialist)

Gary Gustafson (Cline Library, Reference History Subject Specialist)

Janet Fisher (Arizona Regional Librarian)

Dr. Charley Seavey, (Professor, School of Information Resources and Library Science, University of Arizona)

Vince Garcia (Cline Library Specialist, Reference) also assisted us by pulling the nominees from our collection, and acted as tie breaker on a few titles.

BALDWIN: What criteria were applied to select the best 100?

EVANS: This was left as open as possible to find out what specific titles most affected folks without generating "proper" responses. It caused quite a few e-mails, but I think in the end we wound up with people's favorites (and that was fine) as well as titles which would stand the test of significance no matter how one defined that. Looking at the list, it is clear that micro-format was largely ignored, and CDs were treated more as a technological signpost rather than a viable format. I was very surprised that only one e-doc made the list. Folks did nominate across the serial-monograph divide with titles like the FR and CR.

BALDWIN: Why and when did you decide to compile the list?

EVANS: The notion was first kicked about on the road on the way back from the 1998 Arizona-New Mexico Depository Library Meeting, when my then supervisor Rebecca Harner (now at Colorado College, Colorado Springs) decided NAU would host the 2000 meeting. I think we were cruising through Gallup, NM at the time. It did not really take off however until the New York Times had the run of the best 100 novels of the century last year. That list convinced us that there were so many significant document titles that could be drawn into such a list that all ought to be read by people, perhaps just as the TIMES 100 ought to be. We began with a solicitation on GOVDOC-L, and our state listserv, AZDOC-L. We followed up with e-mails to the 5 State Regionals. We followed up a couple of times to each listserv to keep things moving. We actually completed the list of nominees about three weeks ago (we had quite a few "last minute" entries...). We worked hard here not to pre-load the list with our favorites.

BALDWIN: Where was the list presented, and does it represent the views of the 5 states, or a wider geographic consensus?

EVANS: Well, you were the first (and only) official presentee, and as to whose views it represents, I would hope that, as it drew from not only the 5-State region, but the rest of the country as well (via GOVDOC-L), that it does in fact represent a wider consensus, but who knows. Gary, Charley and I are all History folk, and that has probably skewed the list some. There were several regional titles that got in (like the Farmington Report), but others which we rejected just because they were regional.

BALDWIN: How did you make the final cut down to 100?

EVANS: Lots of beer. Actually, we looked at a combination of things: "test of time", relevance to history, "hot" documents, significant trend setter (whether topic or format), significance to the notion of "Madison's Vision" (if you will), and naturally the number of votes for any given title. We did have to do some interpretation--instead of listing individual significant court cases for example, we listed the U.S. Reports, and instead of individual volumes of the U.S. Army in WWII, we listed the set. Where we had similar documents listed, we selected a representative one, and finally, it really helped if individuals told us why they were nominating a title instead of simply providing a title. If you check out the nomination list, I think you will see some of the comments range from dead on, to humorous to strange, but at least they provided some depth to why the title wound up on our list. I think the significant thing is that this is not the end all of best documents lists, but it does resemble the opinions of those who responded (I would have to look over the nominations, but I would guess we had about 50 submitters). I would doubt that everyone who submitted will agree with the final list (especially if their title did not make the cut), but hopefully it would approximate their list of the 100 best if they complied one.

R. Sean Evans

Reference Specialist Senior-Government Publications

Cline Library, Box 6022

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, AZ 86011-6022

Best 100 Documents of the Century, 1900-1999

Listed below are the 100 best documents of this century as so judged by an esteemed panel of librarians, documents specialists and faculty.