Home Page > FDLP Desktop > Administrative Notes > Mar. 15 - Apr. 15, 2007

Administrative Notes: Newsletter of the FDLP

Annual Item Selection Update Cycle Begins June 1, 2007

An opportunity to add item numbers to depository library selection profiles will take place in June and July 2007. From June 1 through July 31, depositories may make additions, which will take effect on October 1, 2007. The Annual Item Selection Update Cycle will follow existing procedures used for previous update cycles.

GPO recommends that libraries review their current selections in terms of their communities' government information needs and change their selections accordingly.

GPO strongly encourages libraries to select electronic information products whenever they are available, when they fit the library's collection plan for Federal Government information.

The Annual Item Selection Update Cycle period is the only time that items may be added. Items may be dropped at any time. Adds will not take effect until October 1.

Complete information and instructions on the Annual Item Selection Update Cycle appears on the FDLP Desktop, News and Updates, at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/index.html.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Making Amendments to Selections
Libraries enter their amendments to selections using the Web site Amendment to Item Selections on the FDLP Desktop Web site at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/tools/amendment.html.

On this Web site, you will control the input, and the changes will be sent to GPO immediately, upon submission, for processing by GPO.

You will need your depository library number and internal password to submit your additions or deletions.

Contact Information
To report inputting errors, request your password, get help with access, or to ask any other question about the update cycle, please contact the GPO online help service at: http://gpo.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/gpo.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php.

To ensure that your question is routed to the correct area, please choose the category Federal Depository Libraries and then, under the subcategory DEPOSITORY MANAGEMENT, choose Annual Item Selection Update Cycle.

NOTE: If you mistakenly delete an item number or select an item number that you really wanted to delete, you must contact GPO. Do not try to re-input the correct selection by entering another transaction on the Web Amendment to Item Selections form.

Suggestions for Changing Formats
If you want to change from paper to microfiche for dual distribution items, GPO suggests the following procedure to reduce gaps in holdings:

• Add the microfiche item during the update cycle.
• Once the new selection is distributed in April, delete the paper item.

For example, to change the Federal Register selection from paper to microfiche, add item 0573-D in December or January, for implementation in April. Then use the Web Amendment to Item Selections form to delete item 0573-C after you begin receiving microfiche copies.

Items Distributed to All Libraries
Titles distributed under item numbers 0154-B, 0556-C, and 1004-E are distributed to all depository libraries whether your library selects these items or not. GPO will distribute other titles under these item numbers throughout the year if the informational content is deemed relevant to all depository libraries. Please do not drop these item numbers from your selection profile.

Regionals Only
Reminder: Item 0993-A-01, Congressional Record (bound) 1985 and forward, SuDocs Class X 1.1:, and Item 1008-F, Serial Set (bound) 105th Congress and forward, SuDocs Class Y 1.1/2:, can be selected by regionals only.

Automatic Confirmation of Selections
Automatic confirmation of the changes you input is a function of the Web application. If you enter your e-mail address along with your depository library number and internal password when filling out the online selection update form, an e-mail confirmation of your transactions should be sent to you. However, for your records you may want to print out and/or save the Web page confirmation that appears as soon as you hit the Submit button. When you save the file, change the file name extension from .cgi to .html to view the page in a Web browser.

Tools to Help Evaluate Your Selection Options
Tools to help evaluate your selection options are listed on the FDLP Desktop at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/tools/index.html.

Tools include:

List of Classes
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pubs/loc/2006dec.pdf

Administrative Notes Technical Supplement, Update to the List of Classes,
New Item Numbers
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pubs/techsup/index.html

WEBTech Notes database
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/tools/webtech.html

Documents Data Miner
http://govdoc.wichita.edu/ddm/GdocFrames.asp

Documents Data Miner 2 (DDM2)
http://govdoc.wichita.edu/ddm2/gdocframes.asp

EFFECTIVE DATES:

Deletions
If you have deleted item numbers for paper and electronic titles, GPO will stop shipping the publications within 1-2 weeks of your Web transaction. You should not claim publications listed under these items on shipping lists dated after the date you submitted the deletion.

Deletion of microfiche item numbers will take effect beginning the week after the amendment was submitted.

Deletions can be submitted to GPO throughout the year.

Additions
Libraries will be able to make additions to their selection profile only during the Annual Item Selection Update Cycle (June 1 through July 31, 2007).

All additions must be posted to the Web site by July 31, 2007.

All additions remain pending until they are activated on October 1, 2007. Libraries will begin to receive new publications with shipping lists dated October 2, 2007 and after.

Claims
Do not base your claims for missing depository publications on additions made during this update cycle period until the first shipping list is distributed after October 1, 2007. If you do, the claims will not be honored.

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Federal Depository Libraries and CALEA

Recently GPO has received questions regarding depository libraries, public access workstations, and the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA).

What Is CALEA?
CALEA was passed in 1994 and required telecommunications carriers upgrade their equipment to allow for compliance with surveillance requests from law enforcement. September 2005 and May 2006 Orders from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) extended coverage to broadband Internet service and interconnected voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) providers. Whether an institution must comply with CALEA depends upon how it connects to the Internet.

Among the results of the FCC Orders, by May 2007, providers must be able to intercept communications and provide communications identifying information (CII) to law enforcement.

This legal requirement raises the question of user authentication for Internet access at those institutions with CALEA obligations. At present, the FCC provides a CALEA exemption for libraries that are not Internet service providers. In the First Order http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-05-153A1.pdf (p. 19), the FCC stated:

“... establishments that acquire broadband Internet access service from a facilities-based provider to enable their patrons or customers to access the Internet from their respective establishments are not considered facilities-based broadband Internet access service providers subject to CALEA ...”

Footnote 99 of the First Order lists hotels, coffee shops, schools, libraries, or book stores as examples of the types of exempt establishments. In this same footnote, the FCC concludes, “that the public interest at this time does not weigh in favor of subjecting such establishments to CALEA.”

Federal Depository Libraries and User Authentications
Federal depository libraries are obligated to provide Internet access. Required log-ins or sign-up sheets may be used by libraries to authenticate users. The confidentiality of these records must be assured and consistent with applicable privacy statutes. More information can be found in the FDLP Internet Use Policy Guidelines and the Depository Library Public Service Guidelines for Government Information in Electronic Formats. These guidelines are on the FDLP Desktop at:

http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/mgt/iupolicy.html

http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/mgt/pseguide.html

More Information
This is for informational purposes only and should not be viewed as legal advice. Questions about your library's obligations under CALEA should be addressed to your institution's legal counsel.

For more information about CALEA and libraries see the following Web sites:

http://www.ala.org/ala/washoff/WOissues/techinttele/technologyinternet.htm

ARL - Association of Research Libraries (hotlinked due to lengthy URL)

http://www.fcc.gov/calea

http://www.askcalea.net

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GPO LOCKSS Pilot Project Report now on GPO Access

The final analysis report of the GPO LOCKSS Pilot Project is now available on GPO Access at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/lockss/index.html.

GPO launched the GPO LOCKSS Pilot Project in June 2005 to investigate how LOCKSS might be used for digital distribution. LOCKSS (for "Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe") is open source software that provides institutions with a way to collect, store, and maintain access to their own local copy of e-journal content. LOCKSS was developed by Stanford University, and it is currently maintained by the Stanford University LOCKSS Program Management Office with support from the LOCKSS Alliance. LOCKSS runs on standard desktop hardware and requires minimal technical administration. Once installed, the LOCKSS software converts a personal computer into a digital preservation box that creates low-cost, persistent, accessible copies of e-journal content as it is published. The accuracy and completeness of content stored in a LOCKSS box is assured through a robust and secure, peer-to-peer polling and reputation system.

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To Request GPO Participation in Library Functions, Submit Form

To handle an increase in requests for GPO staff participation at library functions, we have created a submission form. If you would like a GPO representative to attend a function at your library, please complete the form located at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/gporequest.html.

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Promotional Material Available for Depository Libraries

Public service begins with public awareness, so any activity that increases the visibility of the depository, its resources and its services is encouraged. Depository promotion needs to extend to all potential user groups. The resources located on the link below provide ideas for publicizing your collections and services and will assist you in this effort. For promotional information please go to http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pr/index.html.

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Digital Access to WWII Documents Provided through GPO-SMU Partnership

Digitized copies of more than 300 World War II documents are now available to the public thanks to a partnership between the U.S. Government Printing Office and Southern Methodist University Central University Libraries. The collection, accessible at http://worldwar2.smu.edu/, includes informational pamphlets, government reports, regulations, and instructions. GPO distributed the material during the course of the war to depository libraries, including SMU, through the Federal Depository Library Program.

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Women in Congress, 1917-2006 Recently Released

Women in Congress was released in March 2007 to tie in with Women's History Month. Women in Congress is a substantial reference volume that will be distributed soon to all depository libraries. It is classed as part of the Serial Set, under SuDocs Y 1.1/2:SERIAL 14903, Item 1004E. It is also available for sale through the GPO Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov/collections/women-in-congress.jsp.

Women in Congress is the first reference work published in the Minorities in Congress series. Additional volumes in the series are expected to include other minority groups, such as African American leaders, Hispanic leaders, etc.

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William H. Turri Acting Public Printer
Remarks Before Spring Depository Library Council Meeting
Denver, CO - Monday, April 16, 2007

Good morning and thank you for inviting me.

I've been serving at GPO since 2003, when former Public Printer Bruce James appointed me as Deputy Public Printer. My primary responsibility was to manage GPO's day-to-day operations, including the functions of the FDLP.

With Bruce's departure from office this past January, I became Acting Public Printer. I will continue serving this capacity until a new Public Printer is appointed following confirmation by the Senate. Although I believe the White House is searching for a suitable candidate, at this date there has been no announcement of intention to nominate anyone, and I am not a candidate for the nomination. The staff we assembled is largely still in place, so I'm getting plenty of help in running the GPO.

As you know, Judy Russell ended her duties as Superintendent of Documents at the end of February and we appreciate the outstanding job she did. My view is that it's appropriate for the next Superintendent to be appointed by the next Public Printer. I've named Ric Davis, whom all of you know, as Acting Superintendent. Ric is an outstanding manager with a depth of experience in the Documents area, especially electronic dissemination. I have full confidence in his abilities to carry out the FDLP and other Documents programs.

Support for FDLP
Like Bruce, I strongly support the longstanding partnership between GPO and the depository library community. This partnership is the keystone for providing comprehensive and equitable public access to Government information. GPO's foundations and its future lie in working with the library community to make Government information available to the public, in the forms and formats most useful to the people the libraries serve. Working with the libraries, GPO has a strong record of achievement and commitment and I expect to see that record continue.

What I would like to do this morning is review for you where we are today and what's going on with our budget request that's currently pending before Congress, which contains a number of items of interest to the depository community. I'd also like to go over the status of our oversight committee, the Joint Committee on Printing – and other issues of interest.

GPO Annual Report 2006
I hope you have seen our annual report for 2006. In it we reported that our six new business lines are in place, as described in our Strategic Vision for the 21st Century : Security and Intelligent Documents, Digital Media Services, Customer Services, Library Services and Content Management, Publication and Information Sales, and Official Journals of Government.

We reported that over the past 4 years GPO has become a more efficient operation, our organizational structure has been streamlined for faster decision-making. We have implemented enterprise-wide planning for our information technology systems, and redundant facilities across the country have been consolidated or closed.

Most importantly, our finances have been restored to a positive basis, reversing a pattern of financial losses resulting from operational losses as well as adjustments to GPO's long-term liability for Federal workers' compensation in previous years. For the year we reported a net income of $9.8 million from operations, compared with a $6.1 million gain the year before. This was the third straight year of positive financial results for GPO.

Restoring our finances was achieved principally through 3 early retirement incentive programs in 2003, 2004, and 2005, using authority provided through various Legislative Branch Appropriations Acts. These programs reduced staffing at GPO by more than 600 positions, for an annual savings of approximately $40 million. Using those savings, we were able to carry out necessary investments in technology and services and reshape our workforce to provide the skills and capabilities GPO needs today and in coming years. I'd like to thank all of you in the depository community who have worked with us to help achieve these significant results.

110th Congress
The change in political leadership in both houses of Congress has led to major changes in the personnel who oversee and work with GPO on Capitol Hill.

This is perhaps the first time in GPO's history where, with a few exceptions, most of the primary congressional leadership positions affecting GPO are held by women. Starting with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, we have Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald (CA) as Chairwoman of the House Administration Committee, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL) as Chair of the newly reconstituted House Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee, and Lorraine Miller as Clerk of the House of Representatives.

On the Senate-side, we have Senator Dianne Feinstein (CA) as Chairman of the Rules and Administration Committee, Senator Mary Landrieu (LA) as Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Legislative Branch Appropriations, with Nancy Erickson as Secretary of the Senate. We are looking forward to working with all of them, and to date have either met with or appeared before a number of them.

Both the House and the Senate have named their Members to the Joint Committee on Printing. These include Senators Feinstein , Inouye (HI), Murray (WA), Bennett (UT), and Chambliss (GA). From the House, Representatives Millender-McDonald, Brady (PA), Capuano (MA), Ehlers (MI), and McCarthy (CA). The JCP is planning an organizational meeting for this week to elect a Chairman and Vice Chairman, adopt committee rules, and approve a pending GPO wage contract. In the 110th Congress, the leadership of the JCP will be on the House side. Some of the staff of the House Administration Committee and the Senate Rules and Administration Committee who have worked with JCP issues in the past will continue to be on hand for the 110th Congress. These include Mike Harrison and Bryan Dorsey on the House Administration Committee and Matt McGowan on the Senate Rules and Administration Committee.

While it's still early in the 110th Congress – it is clear that issues involving improving public access to congressional and other Government information — whether as part of lobby reform measures to expand the use of online information, or for other reasons — are getting increased attention. We're hopeful that this will translate into increased support for a number of our initiatives, including our Future Digital System, electronic projects for the depository program, and technology improvements to our information production systems.

Whether that support translates into dollars remains to be seen. From our standpoint, the overall budget outlook, at least for legislative branch agencies, is very tight.

GPO, along with the rest of the Government, is operating under a continuing resolution for 2007 that essentially flat funds us at 2006 levels, with an incremental increase for mandatory wage and salary costs plus some retraining funds. As a result, we now have a large gap to cover as we try to restore our funding to the levels we need for 2008. With other agencies competing for the same dollars, and in a budget environment with a range of other costly national priorities, it's going to be an uphill climb to close that gap. This makes us appreciate even more the support we've already gotten from the library community for our request.

FY 2008 Budget Request
For 2008, we've submitted a sizeable budget package – about $182 million, representing an increase of nearly 50% over our current level of funding ($122 million). Our request breaks down this way:

For Congressional Printing and Binding, we're asking for $109.5 million, up from $87 million this year, primarily to recover a projected shortfall of several million dollars this year under the current continuing resolution, and to pay for essential publications like the new edition of the U.S. Code and other products Congress is projected to order.

For the Salaries and Expenses Appropriation of the Superintendent of Documents, we're requesting $45.6 million, up from the current level of about $33 million, to cover mandatory pay increases and pay for upcoming projects, including the distribution of the U.S. Code as well as electronic projects to expand public access. Of the total request, $33 million is for the depository program, $11 million is for cataloging and indexing, and the rest is for international exchange and statutory distribution.

The money we're seeking for Documents is a big increase – $12.5 million or nearly 40%. Of that amount, we've included $7.4 million for new projects and initiatives, many of which will benefit the depository library program, including data migration and processing new digitized and harvested content for access, FDLP outreach and assessments, expanding cataloging and indexing for web harvesting, data storage, capital expenses associated with authentication, modernization of our tangible products distribution system as well as our international exchange program, and CD-ROM data migration. Many of these projects are the same as those we presented last year, when they won approval from the Senate Appropriations Committee. Regrettably, that approval didn't last as the original FY 2007 bill was replaced with the continuing resolution we're now operating under.

The rest of the overall appropriations increase we're seeking is for our revolving fund, where we're requesting about $27 million. Of that, $10.5 million is to complete our Future Digital System project, which the library community has been so supportive of. We've already spent about 2/3 of the system development cost and Release 1 of the system will be ready to go public later this year. The money we're seeking in our request is for Releases 2 and 3, which are enhancements to the system that Mike Wash will be discussing later in this conference.

The rest of our revolving fund request is for various IT projects, including funds to begin replacing our automated composition system and provide for Web content management, continue with our Oracle enterprise project, and carry out a variety of IT needs supporting our agency infrastructure. We're also seeking funds for various needed building repairs including a new roof, and to complete workforce retraining. As you may know, one of our workforce training projects over the past year was a pilot demonstration of digitizing legacy content. We're going to be discussing the results of that project with the JCP and seeking a continuation of legacy digitization to support improved public access to Government information.

New Building
We've been keeping you informed on the status of our plan for a new building. This plan essentially involved moving out of the current structure on North Capitol Street in Washington, relocating to a smaller, more efficient, and better designed and equipped facility in the DC area, and leasing out the current structure for development. We envisioned using the proceeds of that lease to fund the new facility and contribute to GPO's revolving fund, where it could help offset the need for increases in future appropriations.

We drafted legislation to accomplish this plan, since it would be necessary to authorize GPO to dispose of the current facilities and retain the redevelopment proceeds, and we fully briefed our authorizing and appropriations committees.

Unfortunately, the Congressional Budget Office is not enthusiastic about this kind of real estate transaction for Federal building, known as third party financing. Under Congressional Budget Office's scoring rules, the resulting score was significant – by that I mean it was so expensive, around $320 million – that it essentially ended the legislative prospects for this plan.

However, there remains significant interest in determining the future of our building in both our appropriations and oversight committees, and there are conceivably other building options we could take. We plan to present the situation to the incoming Joint Committee on Printing and seek guidance on the direction we should now take.

Passports
We've also been keeping you informed on our passport production efforts. As you know, today we're in an environment that requires incorporating computer chips into the new generation of passports.

Public demand for passports is skyrocketing as the documents are now required for North American and Caribbean travel. The State Department is issuing 44% more passports this year compared to last, and a week ago reported issuing more than 400,000 passports in just one week.

This demand is affecting GPO. Not too long ago GPO produced in the neighborhood of 8 million blank passports annually. Last month we produced more than 1.1 million of the new Electronic Passports, and this month we're being asked to provide a target of 1.2 million – while continuing to produce the Legacy, Non-Electronic Passport version. At the current rate they are being issued by State, annual production levels at GPO may have to climb to 20 million and beyond.

To accomplish this feat we have assigned more staff, expanded production shifts, and are acquiring more equipment. Passports, once a simple blank book product of GPO operations, are rapidly becoming one of GPO's largest products, in terms of production volume, costs, and revenues.

GPRA
We've also been reporting to you on our performance measurement efforts. These stem from an interest expressed to us a couple of years ago by the former Chairman of the Senate Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Allard, in the use of the Government Performance and Results Act to measure GPO operations and outcomes. Although GPO is not covered by the Act, which applies only to the executive branch, we pledged at the time to review it for opportunities to set up comparable performance management systems for our functions.

Where the depository program is concerned, Ric's group has developed the following initiatives, and will be working on indicators to measure progress:

•  Implement training modules to expand training coverage for the Federal Depository Library Program

•  Expand content and service partnerships with Federal depository libraries

•  Expand collaboration and outreach to Federal depository libraries

Ric and his staff will be discussing these initiatives during the conference.

Authentication of Government Documents
There are some developments of note in regard to GPO's authentication initiative. As most of you know, the primary objective of GPO's authentication initiative is to assure users that the electronic information made available by GPO to the FDLP is authentic. GPO's authentication initiative will allow users to determine that the files we make available are unchanged once GPO has authenticated them.

I am pleased to say that we plan a beta test of an authenticated GPO Access application in May, and where we are right now technologically is a precursor to more advanced offerings that will be made available through the Future Digital System. Ric and Mike will be touching on the specific details with you.

Changes to Title 44
One final thought: regarding any possible changes in Title 44, my sense is that we need to have discussions with the new JCP before making any proposals.

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Remarks by Richard G. (Ric) Davis
Director, Library Services and Content Management
Acting Superintendent of Documents
Spring Depository Library Council Meeting
Denver, CO - Monday, April 16, 2007

Good morning. I am pleased to join Bill Turri, Bill Sudduth, and the Depository Library Council in welcoming you to Denver for the Spring Depository Library Council meeting.

I am very happy that so many of you were able to join us here. There are over 200 people registered for this meeting. As always, in knowing that many of our colleagues aren't able to be with us today, I want to encourage you to share all of the information gathered at the conference with those in your institution and in your community. The GPO Update will be posted on the FDLP Desktop, as well as the other presentations you will see, and we are also recording the sessions and making them available as podcasts. I welcome and value your feedback and viewpoints, and I will be accessible throughout the conference. I also want to encourage you to attend the Council Session: Open Forum tomorrow from 3:30pm – 5:00pm, where Council members and GPO staff will be present for a Q&A session.

On March 1st , I began serving as Acting Superintendent of Documents, in addition to my permanent full-time position at GPO as Director of the Library Services and Content Management business unit. As Bill Turri mentioned, I will continue to serve in this Acting capacity of Superintendent as well, until a permanent replacement is named. I am confident that the Federal Depository Library Program can only strengthen as we work together to fulfill our shared mission of "Keeping America Informed". Both the GPO staff and I look forward to continuing our efforts with you to modernize and improve permanent public access to Government information. I also want to emphasize that GPO's commitment to provide the public with no-fee access to government information through the FDLP, including GPO Access, remains the same. GPO will not allow access to content available through GPO Access to be restricted or diminished for the FDLP. The public will be able to print and download this information through the FDLP without restriction.

The theme of this conference is partnerships. Many of the activities that we are now engaged in at GPO and the sessions you will be able to attend during this conference build upon what we are doing together in relation to partnerships. I want to talk to you first about partnership activities and measurements related to the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) and the FDLP. Following this, I would like to give you updates on specific project activities, all of which build upon the partnership theme. This includes 1) Authentication; 2) Harvesting; 3) Legacy Digitization; 4) Catalog of Government Publications; 5) FDLP Desktop; 6) PURLs; 7) askGPO; 8) Assessments; 9) Metrics; 10) NTIS and PACER. You will also be hearing more details about each of these from our staff who are here today.

GPRA (including OPAL and Partnerships)
Tying back to the GPRA initiatives Mr. Turri described, we will be focusing our efforts in five main areas during FY07 to achieve the GPRA goals.

Three of the GPRA initiatives deal with education and outreach. First, we are developing a plan for FDLP educational opportunities and outreach in order to expand outreach to Federal depository librarians and staff. Currently, we are in the process of identifying points to incorporate in the plan, and our team is beginning consultations with the FDLP community to ensure that all important aspects are captured.

Secondly, we are implementing an online educational and outreach program for Federal depository librarians and staff. In efforts toward this objective and to improve service to our library partners, GPO has procured OPAL (Online Programming for All Libraries), an interactive Web-based meeting and conferencing service, for FDLP training with Federal Depository Library participants. Some of you in the audience took part in our beta testing of this before we procured it. With OPAL, GPO can now provide training that users can access in their own facilities. GPO's first online educational presentation, on the functionality of the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications, was produced and is now archived on the OPAL website. The GPO OPAL project team recently participated in a Library of Congress/FLICC live OPAL presentation to learn about practical aspects of hosting a live event. Additional plans are being developed to present several live educational sessions this spring and summer.

The third GPRA initiative dealing with education and outreach involves developing a plan for educational opportunities through collaboration with FDLP stakeholders for depository librarians. We've set a target for completion by August 2007 for this plan, and we are currently in the researching and consulting phase. We are consulting with internal GPO experts, as well as members of Council, GODORT, and other library groups in order to develop the best plan of action for future collaboration in regard to educational opportunities.

Our fourth and fifth GPRA initiatives deal with partnerships. Specifically, we are working on increasing the number of new content and service partnerships. In December, GPO signed an agreement with the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and the University of Maryland Thurgood Marshall Law Library to provide access to electronic copies of Commission publications. Hundreds of historical Civil Rights publications have been scanned to make this digital collection possible. We are also in the final stages of completing a partnership agreement with Southern Methodist University for permanent public access to the library's World War II digital library. SMU has digitized over 300 U.S. Government publications distributed by the FDLP.

Our second goal for partnerships is documenting and formalizing the partnership process, working toward implementing standard operating procedures for all partnerships, which will standardize and streamline how partnerships are developed and maintained with the community. We have a target of July 2007 for implementation of these procedures. A draft of these procedures has been written, and comments have been collected. Currently, the draft is being revised and reviewed by our management.

I would now like to talk to you about some of our specific initiatives that you will hear more about during this conference.

Authentication
As you just heard from Mr. Turri, our authentication initiative is making progress. Starting in May, GPO will begin authenticating PDF files for the 110th Public and Private Laws in a testing capacity. The authenticated files will be accessible to the public through a separate, beta application on GPO Access . This has been closely coordinated with the Office of the Federal Register. Releasing a beta authenticated 110th Public and Private Laws application will enable GPO to collect valuable input and comments from all audiences (i.e., agencies, Congress, libraries, and general public). This is particularly important as we plan for more enhanced authentication functionalities through the Future Digital System.

Harvesting
In working toward this goal of building a comprehensive collection of content available through its dissemination programs, GPO recently completed its first automated publication harvesting pilot project. The goal of the pilot was to test and develop automated and accurate tools and technologies to discover, assess for scope determination, and harvest online publications from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). GPO will continue to develop more fully automated publication harvesting tools and methodologies as part of the Future Digital System. With the completion of GPO's initial harvesting pilot and the ongoing harvesting efforts, GPO is in the process of developing an overall plan to manage the acquisition, classification, cataloging, and storage of all Web-harvested content, including publications acquired through the pilot and providing access to them. I encourage you to attend the Council session on Web Harvesting, to hear more about what we are doing and how you may be able to help us.

Legacy Digitization
In regard to Legacy Digitization, GPO has embarked on several activities in conjunction with the FDLP Digitization plan. Priorities for digitization included legislative and regulatory material that expands the coverage of the most popular GPO Access databases. Library Services staff have been working with GPO's Chief Technical Office to develop specifications for converted content for the Future Digital System and testing those specifications by conducting a demonstration that was presented to a library focus group. GPO staff are currently finalizing a briefing for our oversight committee on a proposed role for GPO and other partners in continuation of this effort based upon our demonstration project. Additionally, GPO staff is now participating with the National Digital Strategy Advisory Board, with the focus of developing Federal digitization standards. There will be a Council session on Digitization that I also encourage you to attend.

While working on new initiatives, GPO continues to improve and enhance existing services.

CGP
The Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP), using the OPAC module of the integrated library system, has been live for just more than a year. We went live March 6, 2006. In the first thirteen months the CGP has had 17,427,481 successful requests, a daily average of 44,345. The Z39.50 implementation will be facilitated by a new automation librarian who joined the GPO staff earlier this month. Testers of the Z39.50 gateway received their instructions last week. You can hear about the new library directory at the Electronic Services session this afternoon.

FDLP Desktop
Last fall, we unveiled our preliminary beta of the FDLP Desktop redesign, and based on your valuable feedback, we now have a new version to present to you this week. This innovative design offers the use of the latest Web tools to enhance your interaction with GPO and your colleagues. The redesign of course will have all your favorite content from the old desktop, but in a friendly and reorganized manner with customization options, a site search, and more. We invite you to come and view the new FDLP Desktop Beta 2.0 at the Electronic Services session being held today, from 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Other features that will be shown at the session include Browse Topics and OPAL.

PURLs
A working group within the library unit was established to develop a plan to address a number of issues related to persistent identifiers. The plan will include a strategy for migrating from PURLs to handles. Handles was identified as the persistent identifier of choice for the Future Digital System and scheduled as part of the public release in December. Beta testing will begin soon.

askGPO
GPO recognizes the importance of responding quickly to the depository community. The best, and most visible, way we can be responsive is to answer the questions you submit to askGPO in a timely manner. We are working on a redesign of the backend workflows of the current system, providing additional training for staff, and receiving more comprehensive system administration training. I am confident that after completing these measures you will see an improvement in the askGPO service. Staff have heard me say that this is the most important thing we must do well. In addition to the Contact Center staff in GPO's Sales operation responsible for routing these questions, I have appointed a full-time staff member in the Library unit to monitor this service more closely, and to resolve issues and problems. If, of course, you ever feel you are not getting the assistance you need, you may contact me directly at rdavis@gpo.gov.

Assessments
At the conference last fall there was a Council session on Library Assessments. GPO took away from that session a priority to revitalize ongoing library assessments to determine conditions in libraries, as mandated by Title 44 mandates. A project plan for doing this has been developed and we want to share information. There will be a Council plenary session on public access assessment activities and plans on Wednesday morning.

Metrics
Last fall I mentioned that the Library unit has taken a project management approach to our work so that we can better monitor the progress of each initiative. Performance metrics are an integral part of this, as they are to our day-to-day operations. Since December monthly statistical summaries of the activities of the Federal Depository Library and the Cataloging and Indexing programs have been posted to the FDLP Desktop. Look for announcements on FDLP-L for new postings. We hope you find this data useful.

I've talked about new initiatives and improved services. We also have new content for your library users.

NTIS
Last fall at the last Depository Library Council meeting, Ellen Herbst, Director of the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), announced that NTIS wished to provide access to its electronic content to the Federal Depository Library Program. As most of you probably know, at the end of February after beta testing, we successfully launched depository access to DARTS: Depository Access to Reports, Technical and Scientific, which provides access to bibliographic records and links to online versions of approximately 240,000 publications from 1964-2000. At present there are more than 200 libraries registered for access to DARTS, and more depositories are signing up every day. More information about the NTIS project will be included in the digitization presentation on Wednesday morning at 8:30.

PACER
GPO has been working for a long time to gain depository access to Public Access to Court Electronic Records, commonly known as PACER. Last October GPO made a presentation to the working group requesting that it reconsider GPO's request for access. As a result, the working group recommended that the Judiciary initiate a one year pilot project to assess the effect of free public access through the FDLP. The pilot proposal must be approved by the Committee on Court Administration and Case Management at its June 2007 meeting. If approved, it will be recommended to the Judicial Conference in September 2007. Meanwhile, GPO and the staff of the Administrative Office are working together to define the scope of the project and the procedures for its implementation, so it can begin quickly once the necessary approvals are hopefully received. GPO will be surveying libraries to determine item selection figures to share with the Court Administration and Case Management Committee before its June meeting.

There are a couple of final housekeeping items of note to mention before I wrap up. The Doubletree Hotel in Arlington, Virginia will be the site of the next Fall DLC Meeting, and those dates have changed from October 21st – 24th to October 14th – 17th.

I would also like to remind you that we are now accepting nominations for the 2007 Depository Library of the Year Award. The chosen library will be announced at an award ceremony during the Fall 2007 Federal Depository Library Conference and meeting of the Depository Library Council. Information and instructions for submitting a nomination are on the FDLP Desktop News & Updates Archive for January 2007.

Additionally, I would like to remind everyone that all depository libraries should have at least one staff member subscribed to GPO-FDLP-L, since this is currently our primary vehicle for communicating with the depository community.

In closing, GPO staff will be available throughout the meeting. Lance Cummins, Nick Ellis, Yvonne Louden, and Marian MacGilvray have done an incredible job putting this together for us. Feel free to engage all of us in conversation or ask questions about the activities and projects on which we are working. I am fortunate every day to be working with such a dedicated group of professionals on our team, and the way we think about and approach our work revolves around the partnership theme I have been discussing today.

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Remarks by Ted Priebe
Director of Library Planning and Development
Library Services and Content Management
Spring Depository Library Council Meeting
Denver, CO - Monday, April 16, 2007

Good morning and welcome. I am Ted Priebe, and I serve as the Director of Library Planning and Development. I have been at GPO for over sixteen years now, and have been fortunate enough to be involved with projects associated with LS&CM over the past several years, and I have been in my position within Library Planning and Development since last March. I am excited to be here today to talk with you about our organization, as well as some exciting initiatives going on right now. Our work in Library Planning and Development is focused on conceptualizing, planning, and implementing new initiatives for tangible, electronic, and Web collections, along with strategically planning and coordinating the execution of GPO responsibilities under Title 44 for the FDLP, the Cataloging and Indexing Program, the International Exchange Service Program (IES), and the By-Law Distribution Program. Additionally, we are responsible for managing and developing many of the online services provided by GPO, including the FDLP Desktop, GPO Access, Ben's Guide to US Government, and the US Government Bookstore.

Library Planning and Development takes a disciplined approach to the principles of project management, and we focus much of our time on applying those principles to support the operational units within LS&CM, as well as other units within GPO.

Our unit is divided into three groups:

•  Library Services, led by Janet Scheitle
•  Content Management, led by Lisa Russell
•  and Web Content Management, led by Karen Sieger

The functions of Library Services include: working with operational areas to develop policies and achieve strategic goals, performing work to modernize and develop new models for LS&CM programs, developing partnerships, and revising depository administration publications and policies.

The staff in Content Management focuses on: planning new GPO Access products and initiatives and expanding existing GPO Access content and services, analyzing existing and potential search technologies and capabilities for GPO, developing strategic and operational plans pertaining to LS&CM, and performing analyses on costs and benefits of potential and existing initiatives.

Last but not least, the Web Content Management staff is responsible for the maintenance and future design and architecture of GPO Access , the FDLP Desktop, U.S. Government Online Bookstore, and Ben's Guide to U.S. Government, based on Web standards, agency goals, and the living Web. Web Content Management is working toward the goal of having subject matter experts update content on a real-time basis, based on clearly defined workflows and content submission guidelines, in order to ensure consistency, an appropriate public face, and adherence to Web standards.

Now I'd like to take a few minutes to talk about some key initiatives that are being addressed and worked on in Library Planning and Development.

There are a couple of technology-based, behind-the scenes, initiatives of note that directly impact the online services that LS&CM provides.

First off, in immediate efforts toward a GPO Access upgrade, we are finalizing a server consolidation as an interim resolution as we are working to replace Wide Area Information Server (WAIS) data. This is not an ultimate solution, but it should provide improved search functionality and a bridge for development of the Future Digital System (FDsys). This work will also aid efforts to migrate content into FDsys. During this process, we certainly value your input, thoughts, and opinions. Each day, we are actively engaged in testing the GPO Access Web site, so that we may identify current issues and resolve them promptly. If you come across problems, either with search functionality or with the data that is retrieved, we ask that you submit an inquiry to us via askGPO from the following web link: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/help/.

Moving on, as many of you know, GPO has awarded a disaster recovery contract that will result in the migration of all WAIS data, consisting of over 2,800 databases across more than 40 applications. Objectives of the contract will include providing a complete backup system to assure availability to all of GPO's web services. GPO has completed the first phase of its DR project, which includes initial high availability and distributed content delivery for portions of GPO Access applications.

The next phase of the contract has just recently been awarded, and will migrate the remaining applications to a consistent dataset using customer parsers that will enable indexed searchable data in a non-proprietary format, as well as enhanced components and features for GPO Access applications. This also will assist GPO in developing a streamlined workflow using current search engine technology for its online data dissemination and deliver the content to FDsys in the required format / structure.

There are also many initiatives underway that relate to our direct communication and collaboration with the community.

As Ric mentioned, one LS&CM area of focus is partnerships, which Library Planning and Development has the lead in developing. Partnerships are agreements between GPO and a depository library or a Federal agency for joint projects that benefit the FDLP. We currently have 13 partnerships, and to date, most partnerships have fallen into two categories, content and service.

Content partners, such as the University of North Texas CyberCemetery, assist GPO with providing permanent public access to electronic U.S. Government information. Partners agree to provide storage capacity and free, public access to the material covered by the partnership. In the event the partner is no longer able to do this, the partnership agreement requires the agency or library to transfer a copy of the content to GPO, which then makes the content available either through GPO Access or in cooperation with another partner. Service partners assist GPO by providing enhanced services to depository libraries. These partnerships can focus on repurposing GPO provided information, as with the Enhanced Shipping List Service, or on providing other services to depository libraries and the public, such as Browse Topics. With the redesigned Browse Topics, we have already received over 80 new submissions.

Partnerships are not, however, limited to these categories, and we will always consider partnership proposals that fall outside of these categories. We are always interested in developing new FDLP partnerships, so I encourage anyone with a project that they think may make a good candidate to contact us.

Next, I'd like to touch on the new Federal Depository Library Handbook, as work on that is steadily progressing. As you may recall, the FDL Handbook combines and updates the existing Federal Depository Library Manual and Instructions to Depository Libraries into one online document. Seven chapters have been through the complete review process, and five additional chapters were posted for public comment earlier this month. These are:

•  the Introduction
•  Chapter 3 on Depository Status
•  Chapter 12 on Regional Services
•  Chapter 15 on Federal Libraries
•  and Appendix D, in reference to Selective Housing Agreement

Monday, May 7, 2007, is the last day to submit comment on these chapters.

A few chapters remain to be completed. Among these is a chapter on Assessments that will be drafted based on input from this conference. There is a Council session scheduled for Wednesday at 10:30am to assist us in defining the future for Assessments of depository libraries. I encourage you to attend, and provide us with all of the feedback you can. For more information on the Handbook, please visit the Federal Depository Library Handbook page, accessible from the FDLP Desktop.

GPO plans to post final versions of the majority of chapters by this summer. At the time of final publication, the existing manual and instructions will be superseded by the complete FDL Handbook. We will certainly notify you in advance with the final completion date related to having the previous material superseded, so depository coordinators can begin to follow the FDL Handbook as policy and guidance for the FDLP.

Next, I'd like to talk a little bit about metrics reporting. LS&CM has answered a critical need by developing performance metrics reporting, as Ric mentioned. Internally, the performance metrics provide GPO management with a tool to evaluate key relevant indicators of success in accordance with our strategic goals. Library Planning and Development is coordinating a cross-functional team with a goal of enhancing the performance metrics Executive Summary that is currently being provided to the community. As we continue to release the monthly Executive Summary, we are working on other ways to utilize these metrics in the future. In the coming months we plan to release up to two years' worth of legacy metrics that we collected prior to our official launch of summary releases this past December.

Next, I'd like to talk about policies. As mentioned, we know there are many policies that require updating and others that need to be developed to support future and on-going operations. A group of LSCM managers met before this conference to discuss polices and procedures needed to support operations. These will be prioritized for development.

Policies and procedures are being considered in some of the following areas:

•  Administration of the programs under the Superintendent of Documents;
•  Cataloging and Acquisitions;
•  Collection Management;
•  Education and Outreach
•  Digitization;
•  Distribution Modernization; and
•  Authentication.

These encompass critical issues such as defining “Within Scope” and procedures such as web harvesting. We will also be working on policies such as persistent identifiers for web content, separate bibliographic records, and maintenance of the web-based Federal Depository Library Program Handbook.

Throughout the conference, Lisa, Karen, and I will all be accessible. Please feel free to engage us about the exciting initiatives going on right now in Library Planning and Development, and to express any suggestions or questions that you may have.

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Update on Activities and Projects of the Library
Technical Information Services
Remarks by Laurie Hall
Director of Library Technical Information Services
Spring Depository Library Council Meeting
Denver, CO - Monday, April 16, 2007

Good morning, I'm Laurie Hall, Director of Library Technical Information Services (LTIS). This business unit in Library Services and Content Management is closely aligned with traditional library services performed by a Technical Services unit in a ‘real' library. LTIS is responsible for acquisitions, classification, cataloging, authority control, purl creation, shipping list creation, item number maintenance, microfiche contracts and the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications and other ILS applications and services, plus a whole range of tasks and projects associated with these major functions. In my brief remarks this morning, I will be highlighting many of the projects currently underway in my area.

Let me first update you on the LTIS organization itself. Currently, LTIS has 54 staff members handling the operational workload. Additionally, many LTIS staff serve on library planning teams working on a wide-range of projects including web harvesting, PURL migration, FDSys integration and other projects headed by Ted Priebe and Robin Haun-Mohammed's units. There really is never a dull moment in LTIS. We recently welcomed a new senior automation librarian to our staff, Mr. An Lui, who joined us from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. He has extensive hands-on experience with Aleph 500 Integrated Library System and we are very glad to have him on board to help us move forward with many of our planned ILS projects.

We also welcomed back, Joe McClane. Joe is now working in LTIS as the FDLP Services Operations manager and will be handling products and services developed and created for the FDL's. Joe's major project is the migration of our legacy system DDIS, that's the system that handles your item selection profiles, the creation of item numbers and new SuDoc numbers and feeds your selection information to the “Lighted Bin” for shipment. This is a significant project and undertaking as DDIS is the foundation for FDLP administration and management.

ILS projects: Linda Resler, who is here at the Conference, is the Manager of the Automation Librarian staff and responsible for the ILS projects. We are making progress on loading the Citrix client on LTIS workstations to enable desktop access to Aleph for all staff in LTIS. Access to the Aleph client has been a IT security issue for several years which has delayed the implementation of many features and functions of Aleph. Staff in LTIS is moving forward on deployment of the Acquisitions module and other planned workflow enhancements. The Z39.50 gateway, which will enable libraries to download cataloging records, has passed the GPO IT security scan and the instructions for library volunteers have just gone out. Testing is expected to be conducted through the middle of May.

LTIS automation staff (including An Lui, Patricia Duplantis and Violet Lee) is also planning for the deployment of MetaLib version 4. Ex Libris has just announced that version 4 will be available shortly after testing by initial volunteers is completed. We have just begun the planning to upgrade our Aleph software from version 16.02 to version 18 during the course of this year, as well. Automation librarians are also testing a URL/PURL checker enhancement product that was developed by our ILS contractor, to help us better manage the PURLs in the CGP.

CGP Enhancements: Several enhancements are coming soon to the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) (http://catalog.gpo.gov) which will enable users to email themselves records from the CGP in the additional formats of .mrc (MARC) and Aleph sequential. This enhancement and the testing of the Z39.50 gateway are our first steps for making GPO cataloging records available to FDL's through the CGP.

The automation staff is also involved in the planning and implementation of the new Federal Depository Library Directory assessable through the CGP. This new application will be released in phases and will replace existing functionality on the FDLP Desktop and the Federal Bulletin Board. There is a detailed information brief handout available that outlines the phases. This handout will also be posted on the FDLP Desktop. Basically, we have created a new database of information for each depository library in the FDLP. This new database is being used to create a suite of services including the Locate in a Federal Depository Library, an administrative module that will enable libraries to edit their own FDLP information in real time, a new public interface that replaces the old directory database application and the PDF version currently on the FDLP Desktop. As well, this database will enable libraries to directly export data in several formats. This feature will replace the directory files currently on the Federal Bulletin Board.

We will be asking libraries in early May to edit their library information in the new administrative module and there will be forthcoming information about how to do this. There are some general instructions available as a handout to give you an idea of how this will work. Linda Resler and I will be on hand at the Electronic Services session at 1:30 today to discuss the new Library directory product in greater detail and there will be additional FDLP listserv messages posted after the conference.

Our Cataloging and Acquisitions units are also working diligently on many projects acquiring and cataloging documents. The LTIS, Acquisitions Section, headed by Jeff Horbinski, keeps very busy identifying new titles for the FDLP. The acquisitions staff played a key role in the EPA web harvesting pilot project and will be working on the web harvesting team as we move forward with the next steps to include that material in our acquisitions and cataloging workflow. Acquisitions staff members work with other GPO staff members from Customer Services and Sales to meet with Federal agency publishing staff agencies about their new products and publications and to discuss the requirements of the Title 44. We routinely work with agencies when documents are migrated from printed products to online to ensure that content is permanently accessible to the FDL's.

GPO Express and LostDocs continue to be a great source for identifying fugitive documents. LTIS averages between 50-75 in scope titles each month from GPO Express and we continue to rely on your submissions through LostDocs to ensure that we don't miss acquiring and cataloging critical federal documents.

Our cataloging staff, managed by Jennifer K. Davis, and Team supervisors Valerie Martens and Steve Uthoff, continues to increase the number of documents cataloged per month, while actively participating in major workflow changes resulting from the ILS implementation. FY 2007 Mid-year totals (since Oct. 2006) indicate that we have cataloged over 8,565 titles, created over 5,565 PURLS and created over 502 authority headings.

We recently expanded the number of documents receiving abridged cataloging and modified our Abridged Cataloging Guidelines. This effort began with discussions at the October 2006 Fall Depository Conference/Council meeting. Comments were received from the community and incorporated into the new Guidelines . The Cataloging Staff begins using the new guidelines today, April 16. These new guidelines are posted on the National Bibliography web page. The Cataloging Section, as a member of CONSER (Cooperative Online Serials) will be implementing the CONSER standard level record for serials when CONSER determines an implementation deadline, which looks to be sometime after the May 2007 CONSER meeting.

We are conducting a test project to create brief bibs in the ILS. We will be posting more information about this project shortly and hope to have a few sample records for your review in the coming weeks. This is a major project for LTIS as we are testing the use of the Acquisitions module, testing our workflow using the ILS only, and examining migration issues for several existing legacy systems that the ILS will replace. Additionally, we are also testing batch record loading to OCLC.

We are also finalizing our practices for including Congressional Serial Set information in the CGP. We are now checking-in serial set volumes and updating cataloging records with serial set information and are now tackling serials in the serial set. We will be updating the Congressional Serial Set information brief that outlines our practices sometime in May. This revision will be posted on the National Bibliography section of the FDLP Desktop.

We are also developing our strategy to begin checking in and managing all active serial titles . This is a major undertaking as it will involve a total revamping of our existing workflow, deployment of the acquisitions/serial modules in the ILS, significant time and training to handle the approximately 5000 active serials that we manage.

LTIS staff are playing an active role in the integration of the ILS with FDsys. We are active participants in discussions with FDsys staff about metadata exchange, developing FDsys workflows that exchange data in real-time between the FDsys and ILS. We are also ensuring that the decisions we make as we deploy the ILS in LTIS and LSCM operations work in our operations and enable a smooth integration for future releases of the FDsys.

Secondly, GPO and Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) have been working on a draft interagency agreement for automated metadata extraction that was briefly previewed at the October 2006 Fall Depository Conference/Council meeting. We are nearing the final review process and hope to have a signed document by the end of April early May. When finalized, we intend to use a sample set of documents from the EPA pilot project to develop the automated metadata extraction process.

Finally, additional information about the conversion of the GPO historic shelflist. After careful evaluation, GPO determined that there was a vast difference in strategies for managing the conversion of the one million card shelflist. GPO has decided that a new Statement of Work was justified and we expect to have the new solicitation for work on the shelflist out by the end of April.

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Update on Collection Management and Preservation
Remarks presented by James Mauldin
Manager, Office of Archival Management

for Robin Haun-Mohamed
Director, Collection Management and Preservation
Spring Depository Library Council Meeting
Denver, CO - Monday, April 16, 2007

Digitization of the Legacy Collection
The Library Services and Content Management (LSCM) business unit has embarked on several activities in conjunction with the GPO's vision and strategic focus for a digitized collection of legacy government publications held in Federal Depository Libraries. GPO continues to work with the library community to acquire and convert legacy publications into searchable digital files to ensure permanent public access to these important materials. Important steps that have been taken include:

1. Developing specifications for converted content and quality control in conjunction with the FDsys archival information package (AIP). The specifications have been developed through internal and external reviews by Federal agencies and universities involved in preservation-quality digitization. The specifications reflect proposed standards that were discussed at GPO's Meetings of Experts on Preservation, as well as the Digital Library Federation (DLF) and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) recommended standards.
   
2. Testing the specifications for converted content by conducting a pilot demonstration that was presented to a library focus group. The six month demonstration project concluded in December 2006.
   
3. Acquiring FDLP publications for conversion based on the digitization priorities survey.
   
4. Developing a project plan for the legacy digitization.
   
5. Cooperating with the NDSAB (National Digital Strategy Advisory Board) in developing Federal digitization standards.

Online Education with Opal
LCSM's first online educational presentation, on the functionality of the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications, was produced and is now archived on the OPAL website. Plans are being developed to present several more educational sessions this spring and summer. Among the first will be a demonstration of the new online depository library directory, including instruction on how each library can update its information in real time. We also expect to present a session on balancing security needs in a library with FDLP access requirements, i.e., dealing with problem patrons. There are many topics to cover, and we welcome suggestions.

Fall Conference
The 2007 Fall Depository Library Council Meeting and Federal Depository Library Conference will be held from Sunday, October 14 through Wednesday, October 17, 2007, at the Doubletree Hotel Crystal City located in Arlington, VA. Due to increased conference activity in the DC metro area, it was necessary to move the meeting up a week from the original date, and to look outside the downtown DC area. A call for presentations and a preliminary agenda will be made in the near future.

Spring 2008 Depository Library Council Meeting
Education & Outreach staff are finalizing arrangements for the spring 2008 DCL meeting. Location and dates will be announced shortly. For those of you not familiar with our meetings, the spring meetings are usually held outside the greater Washington, DC area. The spring 2005 meeting was held in Albuquerque, NM and 2006 was held in Seattle, Washington.

Interagency Seminar
The 2007 Interagency Depository Seminar will be held in Washington, DC during the week of July 30 through August 3. This valuable seminar is absolutely free (except for your travel and lodging expenses), and brings participants face-to-face with Federal agency speakers who present news about developments in their information products and training in how to use them. The sessions are geared for new depository coordinators and those who would benefit from a refresher in government publications issues and services.

Requests for GPO Speakers
LSCM is happy to provide speakers for depository library events and promotions, as resources and schedules permit. If you would like a GPO representative to attend a function at your library, please complete the submission form linked to from the FDLP Desktop. Events can range from training workshops, to local area depository meetings, anniversary celebrations, and even informal assessments of your library's adherence to the FDLP. With current budget limitations, we are focusing on attendance at events in which we have a large number of projected attendees, areas that have not had GPO visitations in recent years, and those that are coordinated with regional or statewide library events.

Depository Distribution
Depository Distribution has been focusing on decreasing the amount of time necessary to process materials for shipment to the libraries. Despite staff shortages, the claims processing backlog has been down for the last three months. On average we are processing claims within three days of receipt. If your library is having problems with distribution of boxes or receipts of claims, please use the askGPO service to notify the Depository Distribution of the problem. Recently GPO has been working with FEDEX on problems associated with the master library address file. If you have made an address change but continue to receive material at the old address, please let us know.

The Depository Distribution Services organization is under review. This review includes determining what staff skills are needed and the number of FTEs required to meet these needs. The end result should be better service to the libraries. The organization review also includes an assessment of our aging equipment and the need for replacements. As has been discussed previously, the continuing resolution does have an impact on our ability to move forward on all of the many actions we have identified as necessary for the FDLP.

Public Access Assessments
A renewed focus is being put forward for GPO's responsibilities under Title 44 to ascertain the materials distributed under the FDLP are accessible being maintained to ensure continued access by the general public. Working with staff throughout LSCM and our library partners, GPO seeks to reestablish and reaffirm the assessment program. Many of you may know of this effort as it was done under the inspection program. Onsite visitations, conference calls, web site reviews and review of self-study evaluations will provide opportunities for library and GPO staff to work together to ensure an accessible and usable depository operation. Please attend the council session Wednesday morning at 10:30 for a discussion of our efforts to re-establish library assessments. We look forward to your input into this important process.

Communication with Depository Libraries
LSCM continues to review its communications effort to identify new and improved methods of keeping the depository community informed of events associated with the FDLP. One area of review is the way Administrative Notes is presently used to convey information that is shared via one of the other mechanisms — the discussion lists, fdlp-l, rss feeds, and special announcements. Another area being reviewed is new ideas — for example, the postcard format sent out via FDLP-L reminding libraries of this council meeting. Look for more information on this project as we continue to coordinate our efforts associated with our communication policy and the FDLP Desktop update.

Federal Depository Library of the Year
Finally, I would like to remind you of the upcoming deadline for Federal Depository Library of the Year. The process for applying for this award is simple and can be found at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/fdlofyear/index.html. The Federal Depository Library of the Year award provides special recognition for a library that furthers the goal of the Federal Depository Library Program by ensuring that the American public has free access to its Government's information through:

•  Outstanding service to meet the Federal government information needs in the library's service area;

•  Creativity and innovation in developing specific community programs for use of Federal government information or a dramatic increase in their community's usage of Federal government information; and

•  Leadership in creating public service programs that can be emulated by other Federal Depository Libraries.

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Questions?

If you have questions or comments on any of the content in Administrative Notes, please send them to askGPO, the online help service at:
http://gpo.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/gpo.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php

To ensure that your question is routed to the correct area, please choose the category "Federal Depository Libraries" and the appropriate subcategory, if any.

You may also contact the GPO Customer Contact Center at 866-512-1800 (Toll-free), or at 202-512-1800 (DC Metropolitan Area), Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., EST.

A service of the U.S. Government Printing Office.

Last update Date: May 15, 2007
Page Name: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pubs/adnotes/ad3_4_1507.html