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ADMINISTRATIVE NOTESNewsletter of the Federal Depository Library Program[ Back Issues ]
October 15, 1996 IssueDepository Library Council Agenda: Fall 1996. . . . 1 Responses to Council Recommendations . . . . 5 Depository Library Council Members, October 1996. . . . 18
October 20-24, 1996
Salt Lake City, Utah
Final Agenda
Orientation to the Fall Meeting of the Depository Library Council. This session is designed to acquaint first time attendees with how Council works and to preview the activities of the next four days
.5:30-7:00 .Reception at University of Utah's Marriott Library
(hors d'oeuvres and dessert)
.Monday Registration and Coffee with Council and GPO Staff. .8:30
Welcome & Introductions .8:45
Remarks .9:00
GPO Update .10:00 .10:30 .11:30
12:00 .Monday .1:30-3:15
Committee Reports/Meetings Ad Hoc Committee on FDLP Statistical Measurement .
2:00-3:00 . .3:15 .3:30
.3:30-5:00 .
4:00
4:30 .5:15 .6:00
.Tuesday .8:00 .Coffee with Council and GPO. .8:30-8:45
8:45-10:00
8:45
8:45 .10:00 .10:30-12:00
.
10:30 .12:00 .Tuesday .2:00-3:00 .2:00-3:00 .GPO Information Exchange .2:00-3:00 GPO Access(Demonstration)
.3:00 .3:15-4:00
.3:15-5:00 .Wednesday .8:00 .8:30 .8:30
Using the WWW to Ease the Transition to a More Electronic
Federal Depository Library Program .10:00 .10:30
10:30 .12:00 .Wednesday
1:00 Tour of Temple Square
.1:30 .2:00 .3:00 .3:30 .5:00
.Thursday .8:30 .10:15
Concluding Remarks .10:30
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE SPRING 1996 MEETING
OF THE
DEPOSITORY LIBRARY COUNCIL TO THE PUBLIC PRINTER
1. Council commends the Government Printing
Office for
completing the Congressionally-directed
Study to Identify Measures for a Successful Transition to a More
Electronic Federal Depository Library Program
(FDLP), for
including representatives from the library community on the Study
Executive Working Group and Advisory Group, and for carefully
considering the input of depository libraries throughout the
study process.
2.. Council supports the "Principles for
Federal Government
Information" and the "Mission and Goals for the FDLP," as stated
in the draft Report to Congress, and Council recommends the
adoption of these statements for the FDLP.
3. Council commends GPO for adopting a
five-year time frame for
the initial transition to a more electronic FDLP, and recommends
that GPO continue to work with the library community, Federal
agencies, and other appropriate parties, to assess the
capabilities of program partners, and their progress towards
implementing and expanding access to electronic Government
information.
RESPONSE [to 1, 2, and 3]:
The Government
Printing Office (GPO) appreciates the participation, advice, and
support of the Council throughout the process which culminated in
the Study to Identify Measures for a Successful Transition to a
More Electronic Federal Depository Library Program: Report to the
Congress (Study). The future direction and
timetable for
incorporating electronic information into the FDLP has been
developed and generally accepted by the Congress and the
depository library community. As a result of articulating the
principles and goals, and the short- and long-term planning
efforts, the Library Programs Service (LPS) is better able to
balance the complex issues attending the transition to
electronic information dissemination and our ongoing traditional
services.
4. Council recommends that the Public Printer
seek common ground
with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on Federal policy
that would achieve an appropriate degree of government-wide
coherence in public information as has traditionally been
accomplished through centralized cataloging.
RATIONALE: Given the huge volume and diversity
of information produced and/or disseminated by the Federal
Government, descriptive cataloging which continues to allow
libraries and other information providers to incorporate
electronic resources
into existing location mechanisms is of fundamental importance
for public access. This is an even greater imperative as more
information moves toward intangible electronic products. Yet it
does not seem that the OMB legislative proposal specifically
addresses how the cataloging function would be achieved without
GPO in the publishing loop. Council is hopeful that a
constructive discussion with OMB on this specific topic of
cataloging would provide important insights on all sides of the
issue.
RESPONSE: GPO is committed to working with the
library community, Congress and Federal agencies, public access
groups, and others to implement a program of public access to
Government information for the 21st century that will be both
workable and cost-effective. GPO has, on many occasions,
provided input to OMB on the development and implementation of
information policies for the executive branch, such as the
revision of OMB Circular A-130. Recently, OMB participated on
the working group of the Study, and assisted GPO in gathering
information
regarding the inclusion of executive agency CD-ROM products in
the FDLP. GPO reviewed and commented upon the OMB draft
"Electronic Depository Library Act of 1996."
More recently, OMB
supported the strategic alliance between GPO and the Department
of Commerce to produce the Commerce Business
Daily electronically. This alliance places GPO in a
centralized role for electronically collecting and disseminating
Government procurement notices.
GPO will continue to seek common ground with OMB on Federal
policy that would achieve an appropriate degree of Government-
wide coherence in public information as has traditionally been
accomplished through cooperative cataloging. However, to date
OMB fundamentally refuses to concede the utility of a centralized
mechanism in the Superintendent of Documents to facilitate public
access to Government information through depository libraries,
despite the conclusion of the recent Study.
5. Council commends GPO for its aggressive and
creative
proposals for expanding access to Government information and
providing access to previously fugitive Government information.
RESPONSE: We will continue to pursue creative,
cost-effective solutions which employ electronic technologies in
order to increase the information available through the FDLP.
6. Council supports the Technical Implementation
Analysis
outlined in the draft Report to Congress and urges GPO to
continue to pursue the means for conducting this analysis.
RATIONALE: Council remains concerned that the
transition to a more electronic Federal Depository Library
Program continues to proceed without fundamental data necessary
to determine the most cost-effective and feasible alternatives
for providing access to electronic Government information to the
public through the FDLP.
Data is needed for analysis: from publishers in all three
branches of Government to determine their expected current and
long-term electronic publishing plans; and from depository
libraries to determine their present and near-term technological
capabilities, including equipment, skills of staff, and
electronic technologies best suited to meet user needs. Data is
also needed to address issues raised in the Technical
Implementation Assistance (Appendix A) section of the draft
Report to Congress.
RESPONSE: The Study concluded that additional research and
analysis
in the area of electronic information product standards would
facilitate the transition to a more electronic FDLP. The
effective use of electronic Government information products could
be enhanced by the greater utilization of standards in the
creation and dissemination of information. A central
implementation issue is the identification and utilization of
standards for creation and dissemination of electronic Government
information products. These standards would enhance access to
and use of Government information by both the Government and the
public.
Therefore, GPO is proposing an Assessment of Standards for
Creation and Dissemination of Electronic Government Information
through a joint effort with the National Commission on Libraries
and Information Science (NCLIS). The proposed assessment
replaces the Technical Implementation Assistance statement of
work in the March 1996 draft Report.
The assessment will determine the range of formats Federal
agencies currently use in the creation and dissemination of
information and to assess the de facto or actual standards that
are in use for each major type of data. It will also identify
areas where there is no standardization, or such limited
standardization that the effect is virtually the same, and it
will evaluate standards utilized by private sector and other non-
governmental publishers. This information will provide the basis
for an assessment, in consultation with the depository library
community, of the usefulness and cost-effectiveness of various
electronic formats for depository library dissemination or
access. It will also be the basis for a dialog with the National
Archives and Records Administration (NARA), NCLIS, the National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and others with an
interest in establishing and promulgating Government-wide
standards for information creation and dissemination.
1. Council supports in concept the definitions
of Government
information, Government information product, and Government
electronic information services as articulated in the draft
Report to Congress. Council recommends that GPO continue to work
with Congress and the library community to identify and recommend
legislative changes necessary for a successful transition to a
more electronic FDLP.
RATIONALE: The definitions make useful
distinctions which should be incorporated in revisions to Title
44. They are not technology-specific and will permit the
statutory definitions to continue to provide direction even as
technological changes occur in information formats. GPO has the
experience, broad perspective, and involvement with the user
community that are essential for productive revision of Title 44
to ensure effective access to Government information.
2.. Council affirms the role of the
Superintendent of Documents
in the Government-wide coordination of public access to
Government information, including the preservation, retention,
and long-term access of Government information, as articulated in
the draft Report to the Congress.
RATIONALE: Historically, GPO has provided the
central coordinating authority for distribution of print products
and has recently moved into a new role as a provider of online
information services. The Superintendent of Documents (SOD) has
a proven history of strong and effective involvement with its
user community. The SOD has provided bibliographic access and a
mechanism for long-term access to Federal Government information
for more than one hundred years. No other Federal agency has the
experience and commitment to broad public access that the SOD can
provide. Throughout this period of rapid transition and changing
technologies, the guidance and assistance of the Superintendent
of Documents is critical in order to meet the challenge of
maintaining public access to Government information.
RESPONSE [to 1 and 2.]: Substantial changes in
the FDLP already are underway within the structure of the
existing statute. GPO is acting upon its existing statutory
authority to incorporate electronic Government information
products into the FDLP. In addition, we are pleased with the
strong support which emerged in the working group discussions
concerning the value of having the authority for a broad-based
public information program rest in the Legislative Branch.
Nearly all of the participants felt that this model has served
the public well. High value was placed on the presence of the
FDLP in every Congressional district, to directly serve the
public in local library settings.
However, certain amendments to Chapter 19 of Title 44 would
facilitate the transition. For example, it should be established
without question that electronic Government information must be
included in the FDLP, to establish authority and responsibility
for the FDLP to ensure that both tangible and electronic
Government information products are maintained permanently for
depository library and public access, and to authorize the
Superintendent of Documents to request that the originating
agencies provide electronic source data files of their
information products. Some suggestions for legislative changes,
which incorporate the advice of various program stakeholders, are
included in the Study Report. At the request of the Senate
Committee on Rules and Administration, a detailed proposal for
revising Chapter 19 was prepared and forwarded to the Committee
for consideration. This proposal was published in its entirety
in a special issue of
Administrative Notes dated August 30, 1996, and is
also
available at the GPO World Wide Web (WWW; Web) site.
1. Council commends GPO for a timely test of
the accuracy,
feasibility, and cost implications of scanning paper publications
for electronic dissemination to depositories. The depository
library community is concerned about GPO's conclusion that
graphic-intensive publications of less than thirty pages in
length are candidates for electronic conversion. Council notes
that these publications are often intended for public
dissemination for informational purposes by the agency. These
titles may not be suitable for their intended audience in
electronic format and may present printing problems for
depository libraries and users.
RESPONSE: GPO has concluded that scanning
documents is not a cost-effective mechanism for disseminating
Government information products. Scanning was being explored as
a mechanism for implementing an aggressive approach to changing
the FDLP to a predominantly electronic program in
2.5 years, as
discussed in "The Electronic Federal Depository Library Program:
Transition Plan, FY 1996 - FY 1998." Comments from
depository libraries and agency publishers suggested that a 5 to
7 year time frame was more realistic, and this time frame was
subsequently accepted by the Congress. Consequently, we plan to
focus our efforts on following the lead of agency publishers as
they make the transition from paper and microfiche to electronic
products, rather than forcing the migration through expensive or
inappropriate technologies. GPO will convert to electronic
information at the same pace as publishing agencies can produce
it and depository libraries can absorb it. It would be
substantially more costly for GPO to convert agency print
publications to electronic formats than it will be to work in
partnership with the agencies, assisting them in accelerating
their own electronic publishing initiatives.
However, cases will occur when we are unable to obtain adequate
copies of graphic-intensive products for distribution to
depository libraries. Such products are often ill-suited for
conversion to microfiche. In order to bring these fugitive
products into the FDLP, LPS and GPO's Production Services have
been investigating alternative formats for making these products
accessible via the World Wide Web. In order to evaluate the
usability and acceptance of these alternatives, seven titles have
been converted to ASCII text files and JPEG and PDF image files.
These test files are accessible from the
Browse Electronic Titles page on the Web. We urge
depository
librarians to evaluate these alternatives and forward their
comments and reactions to LPS.
2.. Council reaffirms the principle that paper
is a viable format
for disseminating Government information. When choosing
publications for scanning, Council reminds GPO that a basic
assumption stated in the Strategic Plan is that paper and
microfiche will continue to be distributed when appropriate for
user needs.
RATIONALE: Council remains concerned that,
while GPO and the other participants of the Study process have
formally recognized the importance of paper as an appropriate
format, the short term economic benefit of electronic conversion
will overshadow this principle. Council, as an advisory body to
the Public Printer,
wishes to keep the issue of appropriate information media
squarely before GPO, and recommends that this principle be
reinforced during any deliberations and plans regarding
dissemination formats.
RESPONSE: According to the Strategic Plan included in the Study
Report, the
FDLP will continue to offer information products in a variety of
formats and media, including paper, microfiche, CD-ROM, video,
slides, floppy diskettes, or solely electronic products. GPO has
included in the Strategic Plan a group of core titles that must
remain in the FDLP in paper, even if they also are published as
either tangible or remotely accessible products. These titles
support the public's right to know about the essential activities
of their Government. GPO has requested funding to continue
providing these titles in paper format as long as they are
published in paper.
Plans to move products from paper and microfiche to a largely
electronic format have been made in relation to a five to seven
year transition period, which allows time for term contracts to
be modified as agencies move to electronic dissemination of
content. Current conversion of products to electronic formats
generally occurs in conjunction with agency publishing decisions,
such as when an agency discontinues a paper or microfiche product
and LPS is offered only an electronic format. We are also
reviewing the
List
of Classes to identify inactive item numbers and
classification numbers. At the present, newsletters and current
awareness products are subject to being discontinued when the
content is located on an electronic site, and telephone books and
directories are being discontinued when a CD-ROM is distributed
through the FDLP or when we point to an electronic site. Council
and the depository community will be advised before any large
categories of material are identified for conversion to an
electronic format.
1. Council applauds the efforts of the
Electronic Transition
Staff and the Cataloging Branch to develop diverse and creative
approaches toward providing bibliographic access to Government
information in electronic formats. However, Council recommends
that GPO provide a mechanism that will search these multiple
directories simultaneously. Alternatively, Council suggests
merging the files of the Pathway List of Titles and the
Bibliographic Records Project so that those items residing at GPO
sites will be searched along with those items residing at other
Federal Government agency sites.
RATIONALE: Council sees significant advantages
in providing for such simultaneous searching capabilities. As
the amount of Government information on the Internet increases,
it will be increasingly difficult to track or separate, for
searching purposes, information residing at GPO sites and
Government information residing elsewhere. There are potential
advantages for GPO in this approach as well. Since the Pathway
List of Titles and the Bibliographic Records Project both provide
title-level access to electronic Government information products,
the efforts directed toward the two projects could be
consolidated to create one unified title index.
RESPONSE: We appreciate Council's
recommendation to provide a single search option for various
locator related services. Our decision to catalog remotely
accessible electronic titles at non-GPO Internet sites
establishes the
Monthly Catalog as a single source of this
information and
meets the need for a coordinated search platform for Internet
titles.
The suite of
Pathway Services includes the Browse Electronic Titles Page that includes
documents
located at GPO and at other agency web sites. Materials
identified for inclusion on the Browse Electronic Titles page are
also cataloged into the
Monthly Catalog, thus meeting Council's
recommendation to
provide direction to resources located at other Federal
Government agency sites. LPS staff are also working with staff
in Production to develop a program to take the user from the
Browse Electronic Titles page individual title entry directly to
the
Monthly Catalog record without re-keying on the
MoCat search
page. This will allow the Browse Electronic Titles page to fulfill the
announcement of electronic access to depository libraries for
individual products, while relying on the flagship application of
the online
Monthly Catalog to meet bibliographic information
needs as it
has done for print products.
2. Council recommends that GPO develop and
incorporate, within
its suite of Pathway Government Electronic Products, records that
communicate "continues" and "continued by" notes, as well as
previous format statements. Council further recommends that
depository libraries be notified when print/microfiche titles are
replaced by electronic, Internet-accessible titles.
RATIONALE: In this very dynamic environment of
electronic Government information, it is essential that records
contain sufficient information for depository librarians to
provide accurate and efficient service. This includes, but is
not limited to, being able to tell a patron that prior to this
date this title was distributed to depository libraries in
paper/fiche or after this date this title was made available via
the Internet at this URL (universal resource locator).
Communication of this information is also necessary so that
similar notations may be made in local shelflists and/or OPAC
(online public access catalog) entries.
RESPONSE: We appreciate Council's interest in
policies that link and describe the relationship between records
for physical forms and electronic equivalents. Our policy is to
link records for the most recently published physical forms to
records for their remotely accessible electronic versions.
Serials records have been produced in accordance with this
practice for several years. Because of Council's concerns, this
practice is being expanded to provide links between monograph
records for tangible products and monograph records for their
electronic equivalents.
3. Council supports the Library Programs
Service (LPS) proposal
that a Superintendent of Documents classification stem and an
accession number be assigned to each Government information
product accessible via GPO Access to partially serve
as a unique locator.
RATIONALE: Provision of a classification number
with a stem represents a transitional middle ground which will
assist depository librarians to relate Internet sources to
previously printed information and help to identify the
provenance of
electronic publications. It is anticipated that in the future
this program may be superseded by other programs, such as the
Persistent Uniform Resource Locator (PURL) that is under
development internationally.
RESPONSE: LPS appreciates Council support of
this proposal, and notes the value of the discussions which took
place at the Spring 1996 Council meeting in refining this
concept. When a new product is classified, an appropriate
classification number stem is utilized and an accession number
from ACSIS (LPS' Acquisition, Classification and Shipment
Information System) is assigned to the product. LPS continues to
discuss with other agencies the need for a persistent name to be
attached to electronic information products from the beginning of
the life cycle of the product to the end, but a specific project
has not yet been established. This is one of the issues that
will be considered in the assessment of standards to be done by
NCLIS, in coordination with NARA and NIST.
1. Council affirms that the Federal Government
has the
responsibility to ensure that Government information is
preserved. All Government information made available to the
public through GPO Access, as well as information at Federal
agency sites to which the public is directed by GPO Pathway
services, should be considered Federal depository information and
should be preserved in perpetuity unless determined otherwise by
the Superintendent of Documents.
RATIONALE: In the increasingly decentralized
electronic environment within the Federal Government, it has
become increasingly difficult to ensure that all Government
information is identified and becomes a candidate for retention,
access, and
preservation. Consequently, a centralized coordinating authority
such as the Superintendent of Documents is more necessary than
ever. In the absence of a central authority that identifies
Government information worthy of retention, much valuable
information may be lost forever.
RESPONSE: GPO agrees with the underlying
principle of this recommendation. In the Study Report we stated:
Government information is part of our national heritage ...
Therefore, it is a Government obligation to guarantee the
preservation of Government information for future
generations of Americans ... Despite changing times and
technologies, public access to these types of information in
a meaningful format must be maintained in perpetuity to
ensure the continued accountability of the Government to its
present and future citizens.
As the agency responsible for administration of the FDLP, GPO
assumes responsibility for coordinating a distributed system for
the provision of permanent access to Government information
products made available through the FDLP, including -- when
appropriate -- information products that Federal agencies post to
agency Internet sites. The word appropriate is used because it
is recognized that not all Federal information posted to the
Internet is within the definition of Federal Government
information products for which the GPO assumes responsibility.
Furthermore, given our commitment to providing permanent,
meaningful access to FDLP information resources, GPO fully
intends to provide access in perpetuity to GPO
Access databases and all Federal Government
information
products within the custody of the GPO or GPO partner
institutions.
2.. Council recommends that the Public Printer
coordinate with
the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to
develop plans for preserving material and to determine the
categories of material that NARA will maintain.
RATIONALE: NARA's current practices and
policies probably would not ensure that all important public
information in electronic formats would be preserved for
posterity. For instance, NARA does not currently retain
electronic information for which there
is no source documentation. Further, NARA converts information
to the lowest common source format, such as ASCII, and does not
retain distinct software interfaces for databases. Council
recommends that GPO, in discussion with NARA, adopt the principle
that information retired to NARA will, insofar as possible, be as
accessible as before it was retired; in other words, the
information should be complete, searchable, and available when it
is needed by the user. For electronic information that NARA will
not be maintaining, or for information to which NARA cannot
ensure adequate access, GPO and the depository library community
should look for other partners willing to maintain access to the
information.
RESPONSE: The need for coordination with NARA
on a variety of topics is a significant concern to the GPO. The
GPO believes that to ensure permanent public access to official
electronic Government information products, NARA, NIST, and other
appropriate stakeholders must be consulted to establish
authenticity, provide persistent identification and description
of Government information products, and establish appropriate
arrangements for continuing accessibility. The Electronic
Transition Staff (ETS) has been given the responsibility for
coordinating a dialog with NARA to identify common issues and to
discuss measures which might be taken to address these issues
jointly.
GPO shares Councilþs concern that electronic Federal Government
information products be preserved, and that preserved products be
readily available in a useful format. GPO perceives the specific
function of preservation to be within the mission of NARA.
However, much as regional libraries provide permanent access to
FDLP information products issued in tangible formats, the GPO
plans to provide ready and useful permanent access to electronic
Government information products either through GPO or though FDLP
partner institutions, particularly for products that would be
less available or useful through preservation programs. We have
met with NARA concerning these issues, and have come to a general
agreement that GPO and NARA will cooperate in planning for
permanent access to and preservation of electronic Government
information products.
3. In providing guidance on partnerships
between libraries and
other non-governmental entities (as recommended by Council in
Fall 1995), GPO should stress the importance of providing for
long-term access and identifying responsibilities for archiving
data.
RATIONALE: Council recognizes the number of
partnerships being formed between depository libraries and
Federal agencies for accessing electronic information. Council
views these arrangements as a positive trend in the transition to
an electronic depository library system. Increasing the number
of sites housing electronic Government information can help
ensure long-term access. However, Council believes LPS should
develop model agreements which libraries can use in negotiating
with
Federal agencies. The model agreements will help ensure that
libraries and agencies consider minimum standards for technical
and service issues including archiving data for long-term access.
In addition, model agreements will allow LPS to serve as a
central source for information on electronic partnerships for
Federal Government information.
RESPONSE: GPO has recognized the need for
partnering to ensure permanent access to FDLP information
products and has assigned the task of further developing the
concept of FDLP partnerships to the ETS. Immediate objectives of
the ETS include the creation of model agreements that identify
major criteria and responsibilities for FDLP partners, the
establishment of several prototype partnerships with FDLP
libraries, and the exploration of partnering agreements with
Federal agencies. ETS plans to hold a focus-group session at the
Fall 1996 Depository Library Council Meeting in Salt
Lake
City to
discuss major issues and criteria pertaining to the permanent
access and partnership concepts.
.
1. Council recommends that GPO offer a training
component at the
Fall Depository Library Council Meeting in Salt Lake City.
Council offers its assistance with planning and, as appropriate,
providing some of the training.
RATIONALE: Training continues to be eagerly
sought by Government information specialists. The success of the
1996 spring Conference is ample testimony to this fact. In its
Strategic Plan FY 1996 - FY 2001, GPO
identified training as one
of several support services it should provide to libraries and
librarians (p. 11). Council recognizes that the training
sessions at the fall meeting probably cannot be as elaborate as
those provided at the spring Conference. However, with the
addition of an extra half day to the schedule to accommodate
Council's need for daytime work sessions, extra time could also
be devoted to training. Council believes that with creative
planning the costs of providing training sessions could be
minimized. Providing such opportunities for professional growth
would also enhance GPO's image within the depository library
community.
RESPONSE: A 3-hour demonstration of GPO Access
will be conducted during the fall 1996 Council meeting in Salt
Lake City. Computer facilities were not available to conduct
"hands on" training classes as contractual obligations were in
place before this recommendation was received and computer labs
at area depositories were not available. In planning for future
fall Council meetings, the need for a "hands on" training site
will be considered.
2.. Council encourages the GPO staff involved
in writing
documentation for electronic products to work with gateway
libraries and other interested librarians (i.e. technical support
personnel) to create user-friendly documentation. Council is
pleased to offer its assistance in the organization of such a
group which would develop a mechanism for facilitating
coordination and communication between those individuals involved
with writing user-friendly documentation and others who would
advise them.
RATIONALE: Council is mindful of the dedication
and effort that the GPO staff exert in the writing of
documentation for electronic information products. We believe
that with greater involvement from the user community, the task
would be less burdensome for GPO and provide an increased amount
of user-friendly documentation.
RESPONSE: GPO's Office of Electronic
Information Dissemination Services (EIDS) provides GPO Access
training, documentation and user support for depository
librarians and other users. We welcome user input and comments
regarding our training products, and make every attempt to
address such feedback when these products are revised. Documents
librarians and other GPO Access users are encouraged to send any
comments or suggestions for improving the GPO Access service or
training products by using the e-mail address fdlphelp@gpo.gov
located at the
bottom of our Web pages.
3. Council recommends that GPO establish an
official mechanism
that enables them to communicate electronically with depository
libraries.
RATIONALE: This "official" communications
channel should have the capability to enable GPO to disseminate
official, system-wide communications as well as receive
information from the depository libraries. Types of
communication activity should include (but not be limited to)
conducting surveys in a timely manner, posting Administrative
Notes and other information tools, initiating claims,
disseminating news releases and announcements, etc. This
mechanism is not intended to be used as a discussion forum.
RESPONSE: LPS inaugurated an FDLP Program
Administration page on GPO's Web site in August. The direct link
is
http:/www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/dpos/fdlppro.html.
LPS publications, such as the
"Guidelines
for the Federal Depository Library
Program",
Administrative Notes and
Administrative Notes Technical Supplement, and the
"Superseded List" are available for viewing or
download.
Meeting announcements and key LPS
staff lists, linked with e-mail addresses, are also
available.
Beginning January 1, 1997, LPS will upload only the Tables of
Contents from Administrative Notes and Administrative Notes
Technical Supplement to the GOVDOC-L listserv. Those interested
in the complete electronic text must use our Web site. A printed
copy of these publications will continue to be distributed to all
depository libraries in the shipment boxes.
We are currently in the early stages of planning and developing
applications which will allow the receipt of FDLP-related
information via Web forms transactions. Applications under
consideration include selection surveys, conference
registrations, claims, etc., from depository librarians, and
electronic information product notifications from agency
publishers.
1. Council recommends that GPO set as a high
priority supplying
GPO cataloging personnel with adequate computer equipment,
Internet accessibility, and appropriate software so that they can
carry out their responsibilities.
RATIONALE: As the central coordinating
authority for bibliographic access to electronic Federal
Government information, it is imperative that GPO staff have the
necessary technical infrastructure, equipment, and support in
place in order to identify, catalog, and monitor Government
Internet sources and provide necessary bibliographic access to
these sources for libraries and users.
RESPONSE: Staff in LPS have access to computer
equipment with Internet capability. While the number of
computers actually connected to the Internet does not yet equal
the number of staff, this number has increased greatly from last
spring and we are awaiting placement of wiring and equipment for
connection to a LAN to provide the rest of the requisite Internet
connections.
2.. Council recommends that GPO take full
advantage of its World
Wide Web site to provide the broadest access to information about
the Federal Depository Library Program and databases and
resources such as the Publications Reference File (PRF).
RESPONSE: Programming has been done to bring
the PRF online via GPO's Web site. As stated above, LPS has
developed and mounted the FDLP Program Administration page,
through which we intend to provide depository libraries future
online access to their item selection profiles.
3. Council recommends that GPO invest in
Universal Resource
Locator (URL) verification software.
RATIONALE: The present World Wide Web URL
technology is not designed to have any reliable amount of
persistence. Consequently, a significant portion of the
information referenced with URLs becomes lost on a weekly basis.
The URL verification software cannot fix broken URLs, but it can
at least demonstrate
which URLs seem to have become obsolete at the time the URL
verification is attempted. These URLs might then be considered
for elimination or re-location to the new URL.
RESPONSE: LPS staff have acquired a URL checker
that is run on the Browse Electronic Titles list on a regular
basis. As the URLs in the online MoCat are CGI (Common Gateway
Interface) script, the regular URL checkers will not work for
this resource. Cataloging Branch staff are working with
programmers to develop a program to check the URL's in the online
Monthly Catalog.
1. Council will submit a written response with
comments to GPO
regarding the draft Report to Congress within the 60 day comment
period. Copies of these comments will be forwarded to the
appropriate Congressional committees.
2.. Council will conduct an orientation session
at the Fall 1996
DLC meeting in Salt Lake City to introduce new documents
librarians and first-time attendees to the mission, organization,
meetings, and work of the DLC.
3. Prior to the Fall 1996 Council meeting,
Council should
examine the issue of service expectations for depository
information in online electronic formats. The lack of
selectivity for online formats and its relationship to collection
development should also be considered, as well as the relative
responsibilities of regional and selective depositories for
depository information in online electronic formats.
4. Statistical Measurement Committee
Charge: Support the efforts of GPO in gathering, analyzing, and
disseminating statistical information in support of the Federal
Depository Library Program. A progress report of actions of the
Committee will be provided at the Fall 1996 meeting of the
Depository Library Council.
Tasks:
a. To develop a statistical survey that can be used annually.
5. Council will develop guidelines for the new
DLC web site and
will develop mechanisms for adding/updating information on the
web site.
1. The Depository Library Council commends
Wayne Kelley, Chair
of the Study; Judy Russell, Chair of the Working Group; Jay
Young, and Gil Baldwin for their leadership and hard work in the
production of the "Report to the Congress: Study to Identify
Measures Necessary for a Successful Transition to a More
Electronic Depository Library Program."
2.. The Depository Library Council commends
Julia Wallace, of the
University of Minnesota, for representing the depository library
community on the GPO Study Work Group.
3. The Depository Library Council commends
Maggie Parhamovich
Farrell and Raeann Dossett for assisting in the development of
GPO Pathway services.
4. The Depository Library Council commends
Kathryn McConnell of
GPO Creative Services for her graphic design and assistance on
Council's project, "Fulfilling Madison's Vision."
5. The Depository Library Council commends Sheila McGarr and GPO
staff for their extraordinary planning and organization of a
very, very successful 1996 Depository Library Conference.
6. The Depository Library Council commends GPO
for providing and
distributing diskettes of the American Library Association
Government Documents Round Table Handout Exchange at the 1996
Federal Depository Library Conference.
7. The Depository Library Council wishes to
thank the Public
Printer, Michael F. DiMario, for extending Council sessions by an
extra day to allow time for Council input, deliberations, and
development of recommendations.
TERM EXPIRES SEPTEMBER 30, 1996
Cynthia Etkin
Linda M. Kennedy
Wilda Marston
Daniel P. O'Mahony
Bobby C. Wynn
TERM EXPIRES SEPTEMBER 30, 1997
Phyllis R. Christenson
Susan Dow
Janice Anita Fryer
Stephen M. Hayes
David R. Hoffman
Eliot J. Christian
Dan Clemmer
Lynn G. Walshak
Anne Watts
Dr. Richard Hume Werking
TERM EXPIRES SEPTEMBER 30, 1999
Thomas K. Andersen
Carol Bednar
Denise Davis
Diane Eidelman
Margaret S. Walker
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