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Summary, 2002 Fall Meeting
Depository Library Council
October 20-23, 2002
Arlington, VA
Sunday, October 20, 2002, 7:15 p.m.
Council Members present:
Paul Arrigo, Pennsylvania State University, Shenango;
Daniel C. Barkley, University of New Mexico;
Charlene C. Cain, Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center Library;
Cathy Nelson Hartman (Chair), University of North Texas Libraries;
Doris Small Hefner, California State University, Northridge;
Dena Hutto, Reed College, Portland, OR;
John C. Kavaliunas, U.S. Census Bureau;
Greta E. Marlatt (Secretary), Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA
Michele T. McKnelly, University of Wisconsin - River Falls
John Phillips, Oklahoma State University
Mary W. Prophet, Denison University
Laura Saurs, Newark Public Library
Lynn Siemers, Washington Hospital Center
John A. Stevenson, University of Delaware Library
Barbara J. Ford, Chicago Public Library was excused due to a conflict and arrived Tuesday morning.
Chair Cathy Hartman welcomed everyone and the Council members introduced themselves. John Stevenson volunteered to take notes and give a brief overview at Monday’s plenary session.
Michael F. DiMario, Public Printer
Mr. DiMario said he would continue as Public Printer until the nomination of Mr. Bruce James was completed. He announced that Senator Mark Dayton, Chairman of the Joint Committee on Printing, would address the plenary session on Monday. Senator Dayton had been involved in hearings regarding the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposal that Executive Branch agencies do not have to use the Government Printing Office. Language requiring agencies to follow the provisions of Title 44 was added to the continuing resolution.
John Kavaliunas asked what the consequences would be if an agency did not use the Government Printing Office, and Mr. DiMario responded that the individual who authorized the outside printing would be personally liable, and that there was some thought about putting that specific language into law.
Francis J. Buckley, Jr., Superintendent of Documents
Mr. Buckley addressed the issue of information security and said agencies were being encouraged to be cautious regarding the release of information. He said GPO was renegotiating the lease of a facility in Pueblo, CO, prior to creating a GPO Access mirror site there.
He spoke about marketing and the development of publicity for the FDLP, and about efforts to recruit new products and negotiate new services for the sales program. He said GPO was creating a backup production line at Laurel, MD.
Gil Baldwin, Director, Library Programs Service
Mr. Baldwin reported that the new annual report was out, and that LPS was recruiting new staff. They are working with consultants from RMG to develop the requirements for a new Integrated Library System (ILS). The new marketing campaign has been launched with the theme "U.S. Government Information: Make the Connection at a Federal Depository Library." He also encouraged everyone to sign up for the new email service GPO-FDLP-L. The Library Programs Service staff will post exclusively to this list to announce time-sensitive information.
T.C. Evans, Director, Office of Electronic Information Services
Mr. Evans indicated they now have the ability to authenticate bills and hope to have the technology ready for use at the beginning of the 108th Congress. They will use PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) technology to authenticate PDF files.
Committee Reports
Electronic Preservation Committee – Paul Arrigo provided Council members with copies of his report. The main issues that are being reviewed include:
- Congressional text files, some of which have portions of files missing
- Some PDF files are so large they take forever to load – if at all
- NTIS (National Technical Information Service) is now charging a fee to download electronic files
- The need to monitor the progress being undertaken by Delaware, North Carolina and Wyoming’s Archival Electronic Documents program
- The need to monitor the National Archives and Records Administration’s (NARA) redesign of their Federal records management program.
Mr. Buckley indicated that NARA is trying to encourage the archiving of more formats. John Kavaliunas asked about them not wanting to accept PDF files. Andrea Sevetson attended a meeting where they indicated they were beginning to accept all formats since they are not getting a lot of important information.
Operations Committee – Dan Barkley reported that the CRS microfiche problem has been resolved. The committee has been looking at the recruitment of new depository libraries and the standardization of procedures for withdrawal from the program. He also reported on the Subcommittee on Attrition and Retention (SOAR). 160 libraries have dropped in the past 12 years. The 4 groups within the subcommittee were each assigned various areas of responsibility:
Group 1: establish a profile of those most likely to drop from the program
Group 2: suggest ways GPO could facilitate a program to reach out to Regionals and library directors and provide training and mentoring and encourage housing agreements with Regionals
Group 3: establish a program whereby Council members would serve as liaisons to depository libraries within established areas and encourage support at the local level
Group 4: look at what vendors could provide as "shelf ready" and list which products could be leveraged since they are free only through depository libraries.
Cataloging and Locator Committee – Dena Hutto reported that the committee is evaluating the need to provide more education on cataloging depository materials. They are questioning whether there is any relationship between cataloging requirements and libraries dropping out.
Communications and Information Committee – Charlene Cain indicated the committee is waiting for the confirmation of the new Public Printer before making any more changes to the letter to welcome him. They are monitoring the Federal Enterprise Architecture Program Management Office (FEAPMO). The concept is to apply a business model or framework to improve government. <http://www.feapmo.gov/>
The committee is also revising the Council manual and website and considering whether to revise the old bylaws or incorporate them into the manual. They are also looking at ways to improve media relations and to give Council members guidelines for responding when approached by the media.
Paul Arrigo complimented Chair Hartman for putting together an agenda that didn’t have overlapping committee meeting times, since many Council members are on more than one committee.
Chair Hartman led a discussion of GPO’s responses to the spring recommendations.
Monday, October 21, 2002, Plenary Session, 8:30 a.m.
Council Members present:
Paul Arrigo, Dan Barkley, Charlene C. Cain, Cathy Nelson Hartman, Doris Small Helfer, Dena Hutto, John C. Kavaliunas, Greta E. Marlatt, Michele T. McKnelly, John Phillips, Mary W. Prophet, Laura Saurs, Lynn Siemers, and John A. Stevenson
Opening Remarks
Robin Haun-Mohamed, Chief, Depository Services Branch, welcomed everyone and went over logistics. Chair Hartman called the session to order at 8:35 a.m. She thanked Robin and the GPO staff for putting together a wonderful program and thanked Willie Thompson for all his behind the scenes work. She encouraged the audience to talk with GPO staff and had them stand. Council members introduced themselves.
Chair Hartman announced that Senator Mark Dayton was expected and that it was the first time the Chair of the Joint Committee on Printing (JCP) had been able to attend a Council meeting. She recognized Julia Wallace (University of Minnesota) and Joan Cheverie (Georgetown University) for testifying before the JCP. The usual "Council Aerobics" included first time attendees and a look at the "graying" of depository librarians by eligibility for retirement increments: those eligible in 5 years, 5-10 years, 10-20 years and those who will not retire for more than 20 years.
John Stevenson gave a brief overview of Sunday evening’s meeting.
Welcome and GPO Update by the Honorable Michael F. DiMario, Public Printer
Mr. DiMario expressed his honor at being at the meeting. He confirmed that Senator Mark Dayton, a friend of the Federal Depository Library Program, would be arriving to speak. He recognized the devotion of the depository library community to the program and its willingness to attend the Council and Conference despite last year’s September 11 terrorist attacks and this year’s sniper attacks.
Mr. DiMario gave a brief overview of the status of the Appropriation bills. He also spoke on the status of the OMB’s attempts to bypass GPO for printing. Mr. Mitchell Daniels, OMB Director, sent a memorandum to all executive agencies indicating they no longer had to use GPO for their printing needs as of 1 September. The JCP held a hearing on this proposal.
Regarding the status of Mr. Bruce James’ confirmation as Public Printer, the Rules committee held hearings but had announced no action. Mr. DiMario will continue to serve until the confirmation and appointment of the new Public Printer.
Mr. DiMario thanked everyone for allowing him to continue to serve. He then introduced Senator Mark Dayton, (D-MN) Chairman of the Joint Committee on Printing.
Senator Dayton expressed his honor at being invited to address this conference. He paid tribute to Mr. DiMario for being "extraordinary in steadfastness and loyalty especially in the recent trying times."
Senator Dayton talked about the importance of the government providing information to the public. He said the Founders of our country understood that power/knowledge needed to be protected and that a lack of information cuts off the democratic process. As citizens and taxpayers, we have a right to the information, and this should not be simply at the discretion of those in government, since the law requires wide distribution.
Senator Dayton also spoke about the OMB memorandum that seeks to allow printing outside GPO. He said OMB has made no attempt to change the law administratively or legislatively, but has presumed license to determine what is constitutional, and Congress has taken issue with this and made a pretty emphatic statement, an unusual consensus of Democrats and Republicans agreeing that "the law is the law."
Senator Dayton thanked Mr. DiMario and the GPO staff for doing a great job.
Mr. DiMario thanked Senator Dayton for his comments and support of GPO. He also thanked Matt McGowan, the staff director of the JCP, as well as Andy Sherman, GPO Public Affairs Office, for their support.
Francis J. Buckley, Jr., Superintendent of Documents
See remarks, Administrative Notes, November 15, 2002, (v. 23, no. 14)