Good morning, and welcome. I am happy to be here in Mobile today, and I am very pleased to see all of you here too. I would like to begin my remarks in a rather unusual way. I’d like to pay a tribute to one of us, a former documents librarian and, I’d say, citizen activist, Lois Mills. She was also a former member of this Council and a faithful attendee of these meetings both while she was working and after she retired. She passed away in December 2000.

I was privileged to attend a small memorial service for Lois last week as she was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. As the government documents librarian at Western Illinois University, she was renowned for the service she delivered to students, faculty, and the public. But her zeal for public causes, including the right for access to government information, led her to be active in state and local politics and in organizations ranging from the American Library Association, ACLU, and the Freedom to Read Foundation to educational, ecological, and animal rights organizations.

Now I’d like to talk about some of the accomplishments of the Federal Depository Library Program and some of the issues facing us. Federal depository libraries serve an estimated 9.5 million people each year, not counting those who use GPO Access outside the libraries. In FY 2001, GPO distributed 5.9 million copies of approximately 14,700 tangible products in print, microform, and CD-ROM formats to depository libraries.

Virtually every depository library also has access to the vast range of information made available online via GPO Access. In FY 2001, over 15,200 online titles and over 7,600 links to agency titles were added to GPO Access, for a total of well over 22,000 new online titles that year alone. There were 355 million document retrievals from GPO Access in FY 2001. All of this equates to a greatly expanded delivery of government information to users.

The goal for the FDLP for many years has been to be as inclusive as possible while operating within our defined scope and principles, to identify public interest materials produced through GPO or agency publishing channels, to provide bibliographic control for the materials, and to provide the publications to depository libraries for public access. Following the events of September 11, our mission has not changed, but agency sensitivity to what should be distributed to the public is heightening.

The struggle to balance such liberties as freedom of speech and the right to know with concerns for public safety and national security is an old one. I would like to share a quotation with you from the eighteenth-century author and lexicographer, Samuel Johnson: "Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful."

Without free access to knowledge, the integrity of our nation and its citizens would be "weak and useless" indeed. However, recent events have demonstrated just how "dangerous and dreadful" that same knowledge can be when it is not coupled with integrity. We must not make our citizens and fellow agencies weak through lack of knowledge. But we must not put that knowledge into the hands of those who lack integrity, because they are indeed "dangerous and dreadful" if they use sensitive public information for destructive purposes.

The depository program and the sales program have been at the center of some concern about access to unclassified materials which have been distributed but which may be used improperly. Since last September, agencies on their own initiative have been reviewing their titles to determine which are "sensitive," and which non-classified information the agency had published should be withdrawn in the interest of national security. When and if agencies decide specific titles are "for official use only," or "for administrative use only," then that title no longer meets the criteria outlined in Section 1902 of Title 44, and therefore it is no longer in the scope of the program.

To establish general guidelines and criteria for this process, on March 19 of this year, the White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card issued a memorandum to the heads of executive departments and agencies calling for "action to safeguard information regarding weapons of mass destruction and other sensitive documents related to homeland security."

He transmitted guidance from the NARA Information Security Oversight Office and the Justice Department’s Office of Information and Privacy for "reviewing Government information in your department or agency regarding weapons of mass destruction, as well as other information that could be misused to harm the security of our Nation and the safety of our people."

He asked all departments and agencies to review their record management procedures and, when appropriate, their holdings of documents to ensure that they are acting in accordance with the guidance. In addition to discussing the extension of classification and reclassification of information "that would assist in the development or use of weapons of mass destruction," the guidance establishes a new category of "Sensitive but Unclassified Information."

This category is addressing "sensitive information related to America’s homeland security that might not meet one or more of the standards for classification…" The guidance suggests, "the need to protect such sensitive information from inappropriate disclosure should be carefully considered, on a case-by-case basis, together with the benefits that result from the open and efficient exchange of scientific, technical, and like information."

But the guidance goes on to say, "All departments and agencies should ensure that in taking necessary and appropriate actions to safeguard sensitive but unclassified information related to America’s homeland security, they process any Freedom of Information request for records containing such information in accordance with the Attorney General’s FOIA Memorandum of October 12, 2001, by giving full and careful consideration to all applicable FOIA exemptions."

Some agencies are in the process of adopting specific procedures to determine what publications may be released to the public. We’ll hear about several of their efforts during this conference.

As you know, since the September 11 attacks, the U.S. Geological Survey CD-ROM entitled Source Area Characteristics of Large Public Surface-Water Supplies in the Conterminous United States: An Information Resource for Source-Water Assessment, 1999 is the only tangible publication that we have requested be withdrawn from depository libraries.

Concerns have been raised regarding the sensitivity of some technical report titles in depository libraries. Some people have suggested that users of certain collections should be screened. There is no statutory basis, nor is it consistent with the public purpose of the FDLP, to impose access controls or restrictions on particular public documents.

Unless the publishing agencies ask that their titles be withdrawn from depository collections, depository libraries are required to provide full public access to all the depository material. There are no varying levels of access to Government information included in the Federal Depository Library Program; either it is a freely accessible public document, or it is not part of the program.

Security concerns also have great implications in the online environment. Government information on the web in electronic format is widely accessible, heretofore considered a good thing, but now it is being reconsidered.

In response to agency publishing on the web, the FDLP is identifying, pointing to, acquiring, creating metadata for, and in many cases archiving electronic publications from the agencies to provide ongoing free public access to these resources. This move towards a more electronic FDLP, coupled with heightened security awareness, has brought out concerns specific to titles distributed electronically. We are working to provide permanent preservation of and access to the Government information in our electronic collection.

In the print world, it is possible to assume that the document found in a depository library is as it was published, and that it is an official publication of the source agency. With our electronic collection, we must go to great lengths to ensure that all of our electronic titles are, and remain, the official content issued by the publishing agency.

The events of September 11 clearly demonstrate the strong need for redundancy of data storage at remote sites. We are in the process of establishing a geographically separate backup facility and mirror site for GPO Access. T.C. Evans will say more about this later.

But the FDLP/EC includes, in addition to the extensive data on GPO servers, pointers to thousands of titles on agency websites. We have addressed the issue of instability of agency site location by our use of Persistent Uniform Resource Locators (PURLs), and by capturing a copy of the online publication at the time of cataloging in a digital archive. If the link to the title is broken, we try to find the current one and redirect the PURL there, or redirect to an archived version if the title is no longer available at the agency site.

Since September 11, we have added one step to this process: before redirecting to our archived version, we must contact the originating agency to determine why the site is no longer available. If the site was removed because the agency deemed it to be sensitive material, then it has moved out of the scope of the program. If the site was removed for other reasons, such as lack of server space, then it remains part of the program and the PURL redirects to our archived version.

Less than 50 agency titles we cataloged and linked to as part of the FDLP/EC have been withdrawn by their originating agencies for a security review. However, we are aware that many more titles have been withdrawn on agency websites, including on some of the partnership sites we link to on GPO Access, such as the DOE/OSTI Information Bridge.

Starting over 20 years ago, GPO encouraged depository libraries and state library agencies to work together to develop state plans for the delivery of depository services within their states or service areas. Since then, much has changed in the FDLP and in the way libraries receive and deliver information in general.

Now more than ever, it is essential that depository libraries work together to redefine program relationships, and to develop a support network that places initial reliance on state and regional resources. The transition to the E-FDLP has caused a major re-examination of the roles and responsibilities of GPO, and the regional and selective depositories. Users’ expectation of instant gratification and immediate access to all information has put stresses upon traditional library services as well as government information programs in depository libraries.

A state plan is not a requirement of the program, but I believe that when libraries develop state plans, they are better prepared to provide information services to patrons, and the cooperative system it establishes among libraries implements, in a practical sense, the philosophy of the FDLP. State planning is one way that libraries can come together, in the spirit of resource sharing, to come up with ways to help each other, improve service delivery to their users, and stretch limited resources.

Last week I attended a meeting of the depository librarians in Georgia as they reviewed a final draft of a new state plan among themselves and with library directors and the state librarian. The synergy from the dialog there is going to lead to increased outreach activities in a joint effort between depository libraries and the State Library.

In today’s dynamic environment of information access, it is crucial to the future of the FDLP that both the library community and the public at large understand and appreciate its value as an information resource and point of service for everyone.

In response to the need for higher visibility for the program, and in response to a recommendation from the Council, we have drafted a new promotion plan for the FDLP. The goal of this plan is to increase public awareness of the unique contributions and benefits of Federal depository libraries, especially in this time of increased availability of Government information online. Target audiences for this plan include the general public, business, government, and the library community.

The plan has a proposed campaign theme: "U.S. Government Information – Make the Connection at a Federal Depository Library." The focus will be on free access to the public, the quantity and variety of Government information available in print and electronic formats in depository libraries, and the services provided by depository librarians in finding this information. Print and broadcast public service announcements, news releases and feature articles, and a variety of promotional materials will be used to publicize the campaign. Depository librarians, GPO bookstores and congressional offices will also use the promotional materials. We look forward to your comments regarding this new promotion plan.

For those who want to purchase Government publications, many of the titles that we distribute to depository libraries are also available through GPO’s Sales Program. Approximately 9,500 titles are available for sale at any given time, including books, CD-ROMs, and other electronic formats.

Publications are sold principally by mail, telephone, fax, and through our bookstores located in the Washington, DC area and around the country. Publications are also sold through the Consumer Information Center in Pueblo, CO. More than 1,800 sales orders are processed every day. Also, more and more orders are being placed through GPO's secure Online Bookstore site at: <http://bookstore.gpo.gov>. The Online Bookstore’s Sales Product Catalog is searchable by publication title, subject, and keywords. All titles available for sale can be ordered through the Online Bookstore.

Unfortunately, as a result of the public’s increased ability to access Government publications free of charge over the Internet, as well as a reduction in the number of publications produced to sell, the Sales Program has been losing money for several years. Efforts to reduce costs, hold vacancies due to attrition, and raise prices have not been sufficient to keep pace with declining revenues. Many of you are aware that we have closed GPO Bookstores in six locations, and we are now considering closing as many more.

The decision to close locations is based on program performance. Despite increased marketing attempts, these locations have continued to have low sales volumes and do not generate sufficient revenue to recover even direct expenses. Residents of the areas served by these bookstores will not be deprived of access to U.S. Government publications.

Press releases announcing the closings encourage the use of local Federal depository libraries, the Online Bookstore, and telephone ordering via our toll free number.

In the evolutionary development of the FDLP and our distribution programs, we have seen many milestones and many changes, some more welcome than others. However, amid all this change, some things are not changing. The FDLP, GPO Access, and our sales program, as well as you and your libraries, remain committed to provide public access to official, public Government information.

Depository Library Council Meeting
Mobile, AL
April 22, 2002

Good morning! It’s a pleasure to see you here today, and especially so many new faces in a Council meeting. Your presence demonstrates the reason we hold these meetings around the country--so depository librarians can come who might be unable to attend a distant meeting.

Many of you know I like to have a theme for my presentation; I feel it establishes a foundation for what you will hear. Today my topic is "This what the future looks like," but since I was an undergraduate history major, we are going to start with a bit of program history.

Seven years ago (not fourscore and seven, just plain old seven), GPO was required by the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 1996 to perform a study. The outcome of that broadly participatory effort was our report to the Congress, the "Study To Identify Measures Necessary For A Successful Transition To A More Electronic Federal Depository Library Program."

Embedded in this tome was a timetable for the transition. The input we had received from publishing agencies and depository libraries indicated a five to seven year transition would be realistic since it would allow GPO to migrate to the use of electronic information at the same pace as publishing agencies that produce it. More importantly, the five to seven year plan gave depository libraries and the public a reasonable time to adapt. Consequently, the report proposed, and Congress accepted, a transition period extending through FY 2001.

By that reckoning we must be done now, so just as Washington Redskins’ Hall of Fame football coach George Allen once said, "the future is now." So the FDLP of the future looks like this – a work in progress and all about access.

It’s about access to online information, provided through resource discovery, bibliographic control, and cataloging. It’s about permanent public access provided through an interlocking set of procedures and partnerships. It’s about access to libraries and their public computer workstations. And most recently it’s been about the tension between unfettered access to information and the need to secure some information that could be disastrous in the wrong hands.

But sometimes it’s not all about us. The FDLP is also affected by the larger environment. In recent months the most obvious example is the withdrawal of some previously public information in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. And while the information security issue has received a great deal of publicity, it is by no means the only external factor operating on the program. In recent months we have heard that the funding pinch at the state level is hurting libraries, and this has become a contributing factor to libraries leaving the program.

The FDLP is also a work in progress. We all know the transition to a more electronic program isn’t finished, and that there is still more work to be done to improve our cataloging efforts, to protect free public access, and to enhance the infrastructure that provides reliable and secure permanent access.

The 2001 Biennial Survey of Depository Libraries was conducted beginning last November. As required by law, the Biennial Survey gathers data every 2 years to report on conditions in the depository libraries. Your responses supplement the more in-depth site visits and self-studies that are performed every 6 or 7 years.

As we have done for several years, the complete Biennial Survey data set will be posted on the Federal Bulletin Board. But in the meantime, I wanted to mention some Survey highlights from the 1294 responses tallied so far. By the way, that’s a pretty good response rate, much better than prior years.

We always ask "Do you want to remain in the Federal Depository Library Program?" This time, 1,286 said "yes" and only 6 said "no." We hope this is an accurate reflection of intent to stay in the Program, because as you may know, a very significant number of libraries have already given up depository status, and we hate to lose any more. Unfortunately, four of the six have already advised us that they are dropping depository status, and recently two more libraries relinquished status out of the blue.

Many of our questions relate to issues about access. For example, 903 libraries have a written access policy for the depository collection. Developing such policies helps articulate the value of the depository library collection to your community, and while a 70% positive response is pretty good, it could be better. We encourage you to develop a written access policy if you do not have one.

Furthermore, access policies need to reflect the electronic environment. Just under half (642 of 1,294)) of the respondents report having a written policy regarding public services for Government information in electronic formats. There is no question that developing such policies is hard work, and we commend those libraries that have a policy for electronic FDLP services in place.

This time we asked specifically if the library provides access to the World Wide Web, and 1,282 said they did. The ubiquitous level of service is very encouraging, and demonstrates the overall ability of depository libraries to function in the electronic arena. Overall, depository libraries are playing a role in bridging the digital divide. As for the 12 libraries that do not offer the public access to the Internet, you are missing out on the bulk of what is in today’s FDLP.

We also asked if your library uses filtering or blocking software on the public access workstations, and 181 replied yes. We only hope that, consistent with the FDLP Internet Use Policy Guidelines <www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/mgt/iupolicy.html> policy, you can disable the filtering if a user searching FDLP information so requests.

In the fiscal year 2002 appropriation, GPO received general approval from Congress for systems modernization. LPS intends to acquire a commercial off-the-shelf Integrated Library System (ILS) within the next year. We want to bring our own operation up to the level of performance that nearly all of you now enjoy. All but 10 depositories use some type of ILS, with the most frequently mentioned being Innovative Interfaces Millennium (360), Endeavor’s Voyager (167), Sirsi (127), and the ever-popular "other" (140).

LPS operations will change to make use of the capabilities of a new system. In the environment of managing the FDLP Electronic Collection, our goal is make our services and operations as standard brands library-like as possible. It is especially likely that the way in which we distribute the dwindling number of physical products in the program will have to change. We are still maintaining the distribution infrastructure from the days when we shipped six times as many physical products.

LPS expects to use the ILS to support cataloging, classification, acquisitions, serial check-in, library directory maintenance, and to provide distribution information to the distribution system. We anticipate that public access to the Federal Government will be improved through use of a standard Web interface catalog. In addition, much of the product status information you now ask us for should be accessible to you directly through the system.

To date, a working group of LPS staff has:

• Looked at current systems in use by LPS and their functions.

• Developed a statement of work to obtain the services of a library automation consultant. The consultant will assist us with defining our user requirements and with developing the criteria for selecting between competing systems.

• Begun to define system requirements.

• Begun to define data migration strategies.

• Begun investigating existing ILS offerings.

• Begun investigating training opportunities to prepare for an ILS.

• Queried other libraries that have obtained and implemented an ILS.

• Received input from the depository library community regarding interface requirements and service needs.

• Begun to work with Materials Management Service, Network Systems, the Office of Information Resources Management, and other GPO personnel.

• Developed material to request project approval from the Joint Committee on Printing. And I’m happy to say that on Friday [April 19, 2002] that approval was granted.

Last fall I briefed Council on the unprecedented personnel turnover in LPS, both among the managers and operational staff. We have been working intensively to fill these vacancies and I am now able to report some progress.

James Mauldin is now the Chief of the Depository Distribution Division, and I’m very glad to have him there. James is also very savvy technically, and he is still acting as our network administrator. James is backed up by LPS veterans Cornelius Greene, Joe Powell, and James Brevard, all of whom have begun new positions this year.

Within a one-year span, LPS has lost four people to the Library of Congress, two to the Defense Technical Information Center, and one each to the Internal Revenue Service and the National Library of Education. These moves don’t count retirements and other causes. The impact of this out-migration has been particularly marked among the library inspectors, Cataloging Branch staff, and in the Depository Distribution Division.

We’ve recently filled our two vacant Cataloging Section Chief positions, by selecting Michael Levinson and Jennifer Davis. Both Mike and Jennifer have previous experience as serials catalogers in LPS, and are very savvy about processing electronic products.

Since the last Council meeting we have brought one cataloger on board, and extended offers to two more. At this moment, we have 14 catalogers on board, and we still have six cataloging positions yet to fill. We’ve also hired one library inspector, for a total of four, and three more program analysts. Most of these are backfilling behind people who left, and LPS staffing remains significantly below our budgeted level. We are also in the process of recruiting for a new librarian position that will augment Betty Jones’ operation in the Depository Administration Branch. As always, you can keep track of LPS staff moves by using the "Contacts" page on the FDLP Desktop <www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/tools/contacts.html>.

We have been working successfully with the "Electronic Documents Working Group." Volunteer members of the depository library and law library communities are assisting GPO in its efforts to bring fugitive online documents into the FDLP Electronic Collection (FDLP/EC). Fugitives are those documents of public interest or educational value, and not classified for reasons of national security, which have not been acquired for distribution to Federal depository libraries or made accessible through the Catalog of U.S Government Publications (CGP).

There are two volunteer groups, one comprised primarily of American Library Association Government Documents Round Table people, and one of members of the American Association of Law Librarians. Three of their main functions are to:

• Identify electronic titles that are not yet in the program, and evaluate them for inclusion in the FDLP/EC.

• Identify online titles currently in the program in tangible format for possible migration to "e-only".

• Identify titles/products that are currently in the program that have become fugitive, and determine their status and availability.

To support this activity we first established the Working Group site on the FDLP Desktop <http://ww1.access.gpo.gov/gpoaccess/fdlp/tools/ewgroup/ewg_memb.html>, including lists of the participants, what agencies they are each looking at, project resources, and more. We have asked contributors to supply some basic bibliographic elements, suggest a SuDocs class stem, and so on. So there’s more involved in this project that just the resource discovery phase. To support that, the various policies and processing guidelines that we use in LPS are available on the FDLP Desktop. So far we have received over 350 submissions. A few of these concern URLs that might be added to existing records, but most are identifying electronic fugitive documents.

Recently, LPS established a new email address, <lostdocs@gpo.gov>, for reporting fugitive documents. Previously the Electronic Documents Working Group and other members of the depository community sent all such notices to askLPS. The increasing volume of submissions to that location prompted the decision to separate the fugitive documents reports. This address, or its corresponding Web page <www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/tools/lostdocs.html>, should be used to notify LPS of any fugitive documents, regardless of format.

Partnerships remain an important component of carrying out our commitment to permanent public access. We’re pleased that we have nearly wrapped up two more partnerships, both of which have been under discussion for some time.

The first, between GPO and the libraries of Indiana University, Bloomington, establishes permanent public access provisions for a collection of electronic publications originally distributed to depository libraries on floppy disk. IU, as part of a consortium effort within the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), has mounted the content on servers for Web access. Many of the floppy disks were 5.25", and the drives are increasingly rare. The project relieves individual depository libraries of the burden of making older floppy disk media and outdated operating systems continuously available, as well as assuring that the information will be preserved in a stable environment.

The second, between GPO, the University Library of Case Western Reserve University, and the Census Bureau, establishes a Web site specifically for depository library access to Census 2000 data issued by the Census Bureau in comma- delimited ASCII format. Similar files were disseminated on CD-ROM for the past two censuses, and were made available over the Internet by FTP for the first time for Census 2000. To answer concerns within the FDLP community regarding download times and permanent public access, Case Western Reserve University will operate an FTP site for the files that will be specifically designated for FDLP users, and will assure that permanent public access provisions are in effect for these files.

These projects fill in more squares in the permanent public access matrix, and we thank Lou Malcomb of IU-Bloomington, and Tim Robson of Case Western, for being champions of these partnerships in their institutions.

Years ago the FDLP was sometimes referred to as the best-kept secret in Washington. We’re sure not a secret anymore! Recently the program has gotten more publicity and attention than any of us could have imagined. It’s true that maybe it hasn’t been all we could have wished for, since we’ve gotten more attention over one withdrawn CD-ROM than we ever did over hundreds of thousands of publications distributed and cataloged, or users served.

What we would like to do, however, is to improve the positive awareness of the FDLP through a combination of national and local publicity efforts. And there is definitely room for improvement. In the Biennial Survey you told us that only 202 of you engage in active, on-going promotion to the general public. The overwhelming majority admit to either infrequent promotion or no promotion to the general public. We want to help you promote the value of depository libraries more effectively.

In early November, 2001, a GPO working group was convened to develop a marketing strategy to increase awareness of the FDLP among various constituencies. Led by the Chief of the Promotion and Advertising Branch, with representation from the Library Programs Service (LPS) and the Office of Electronic Information Dissemination Services (EIDS), the Group has drafted a marketing plan around the theme "U.S. Government Information: Make the Connection at Federal Depository Libraries." Examples of the graphic design associated with this campaign are here. We are also working within GPO to make sure that you can request promotional information easily, and that fulfillment is quick.

Once again, on behalf of the entire LPS staff, it’s a pleasure to be here and talk with you. Please give us your feedback, and ask any questions that are on your minds.

Depository Library Council Meeting
Mobile, AL
April 22, 2002

I appreciate the opportunity to update the Depository Library Council and the library community on the current and future state of GPO Access. Hopefully, you have a copy of our printed GPO Access update [see page 18]. It contains a variety of statistical information on GPO Access, as well as what is new and on the horizon.

The vast amount of information available on GPO Access continues to grow, and more users are finding their way to our applications. Unfortunately, there was a lengthy period where system performance problems were severely limiting the amount of usage possible and frustrating large numbers of users. Time-out and other types of errors were far too common, particularly during the busiest hours of the workday, and even successful transactions took far too long. While I deeply regret this period of poor service to GPO Access users, particularly those who have come to rely on our Federal Register and Code of Federal Regulations applications, I am pleased to report that diligent work by our Production department has resulted in making tremendous progress towards overcoming many of these problems. As a result, system performance has improved dramatically in recent weeks.

Through a performance measurement service contract with Keynote Systems, Inc., we track performance from the user perspective around the clock. We accomplish this by monitoring actual use of the Code of Federal Regulations application by agents located in 10 major cities in the United States.

The agents load the main CFR application page, perform a search for "hazardous wastes," and retrieve a Title 40 document from the results list. The computer agents are set up to act as users with common technology performing through connections commonly available through a variety of Internet Service Providers (ISPs), or parts of the Internet backbone. Each agent makes multiple attempts each hour and both the time required for the agent to execute each part of the transaction and any errors encountered are recorded and the data is made available to us for analysis in a variety of ways.

The measurements helped to pinpoint problems being reported by users. Specifically, we found that errors frequently occurred in the search and retrieval portions of the transaction and that most of these errors involved time-outs, particularly during prime usage hours. It is important to note here that Keynote considers a lack of success after two minutes a failure at any of the three points of the measurement transaction. In addition, we found that a significant number of users who succeeded in getting their search completed then encountered an error in attempting to download the target file. Even successful transactions were taking an unacceptably long time to complete. There were no particular patterns emerging regarding regions of the country or parts of the backbone, so we knew that the problem resided with us.

These findings gave us new tools to add to the feedback we had been getting from disgruntled users and both were shared with our Production department who went to work to use what we had learned to improve performance. I am pleased to say that they have succeeded in eliminating almost all of the error problems and the results are showing dramatically reduced completion times for successful transactions.

On average, successful transactions are now taking less than 10 seconds from start to finish, with slightly longer times during our busiest hours. This means that an agent can load the CFR application page, perform a search and receive the results of that search, initiate a download from the results and get the first byte of the target file on their machine very quickly. Much faster than I could do myself, but that can be blamed on my typing skills, not GPO Access.

While these changes should greatly enhance the user experience on GPO Access, we will continue to work towards even more improvement in performance. In addition to adjusting the operation of the current system and adding more resources to make the system deliver better response to users, there are efforts underway to identify a successor platform to the Wide-Area Information Server (WAIS) technology currently in use. Funds have been included in the FY 2003 budget to acquire this, and it is hoped that a rapid deployment of the platform selected can be effected after it has been purchased.

These improvement efforts also include work towards establishing a geographically separate mirror site and backup facility for GPO Access in Pueblo, Colorado. Based on a recently conducted onsite inspection of the facility, work will begin as soon as practicable. This effort will be funded in part by the $4 million Congress provided to GPO in supplemental transfer authority for emergency preparedness (P.L. 107-117) following the events of September 11, 2001, in addition to other project funding from the Salaries and Expenses appropriation to the Superintendent of Documents.

Beginning with the most frequently used GPO Access resources, GPO will steadily add to the resources and data at this facility until it is a complete mirror site for GPO Access. This will include the portion of the FDLP Electronic Collection Archive maintained by GPO.

We have continued our work with maximizing our visibility in major Internet search engines. In particular we have been testing paid keyword positioning for the U.S. Government Online Bookstore through the Overture service. While we had some success, the results pointed out that more research was needed. Therefore we contracted with Overture for a detailed analysis and recommendations for maximizing the visibility of the GPO Access main page, the Online Bookstore, and the Code of Federal Regulations main page. The results of these efforts contained the following information:

• A list of keywords to be bid on

• Suggested bidding strategies

• Total amount we could expect to spend each month, based on our budget and the position in Overture's search results (first or third, etc.)

• Suggested language to appear with the links to GPO Access pages on Overture's search results

We are currently analyzing these proposals and hope to take action on them in the near future.

We have also continued to monitor the latest developments in the search engine industry, including sending staff to participate in the Search Engines Strategies Conference recently held in Boston, Massachusetts. A good example is our examination of the offerings from the newly emergent Teoma engine. Owned by Ask Jeeves, this search engine offers several new ways of searching for information. Along with the regular results, it also provides suggestions for refining your search to obtain more specific results.

A list of suggested keywords refining your search will appear on the right side of the screen. Clicking on one of these keywords will add them to the search terms you have entered and provide you with a new set of results. The refinement process they offer and its ability to get at specific GPO Access resources looks promising. In fact, we are adding it to the list of search engines that we regularly examine.

My staff has been working hand-in-hand with STAT-USA to improve the availability and usability of their information products at depository libraries and as such will be including information on STAT-USA’s State of the Nation (SOTN) and Global Business Opportunities (GLOBUS) & National Trade Data Bank (NTDB) products in GPO Access training classes.

EIDS Staff also worked with STAT-USA representatives on the development of a special insert for the GPO Access Training Manual and a new flyer to promote the partnership. It is also expected that STAT-USA representatives will participate in GPO Access booth exhibits.

It is hoped that these cooperative efforts can promote and improve the use of these products in depositories as well as build a case for the possible addition of other products from STAT-USA in the future.

In addition to the previously mentioned products, two other services are currently available from STAT-USA. These are USA Trade Online and EuroTrade Online.

While there are barriers to offering free public access to these two products at Federal depository libraries, it is hoped that our working relationship will assist in overcoming them. In the meantime, the information contained in USA Trade Online is available in the monthly U.S. Imports of Merchandise and U.S. Exports of Merchandise on CD-ROM. Both are distributed through the Federal Depository Library Program.

There are a number of recent changes to GPO Access that should be mentioned. The most notable are:

• The Budget of the United States Government for FY 2003 is now available. It was transmitted to Congress on February 2, 2002, and covers the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2002.

• The new edition of the Congressional Directory for the 107th Congress is also available.

• The 2002 Economic Report of the President is now available on GPO Access.

• Volume I of the 2000-2001 Public Papers for William J. Clinton is now available online.

• Two Independent Counsel reports are available:

• The Final Report of the Independent Counsel In Re: Madison Guaranty Savings & Loan Association Regarding Monica Lewinsky and Others

• The Final Report of the Independent Counsel In Re: Madison Guaranty Savings & Loan Association (The Madison Guaranty/Whitewater Investigation)

• Riddick's Senate Procedure-Precedents and Procedures are now available via GPO Access.

• Two new topics have been added to the New Titles By Topic E-mail Alert Service available through the U.S. Government Online Bookstore:

• Employment and Occupations

• Federal Statistics.

As always, work is under way to add more content to GPO Access and to refine access to the materials already provided. Some key examples of current efforts are:

• An interactive site guide is being developed to help users find their way to the resources of GPO Access. Users will be able to follow a pathway of links in an exploration of the rich set of resources that GPO Access offers. It will provide an augmented assistance tool that lets users learn more about what is available when the regular navigation paths fail to get them where they need to go.

• Making use of what has been learned from our work with users in open forums, usability studies, and through regular feedback channels, work toward an enhanced look and feel for GPO Access has begun. Please play a role in this process by attending the GPO Access Open Forum sessions this afternoon (Monday, April 22, 2002, at 2:00 pm and 3:30 pm) and reacting to some prototype pages created to show our current approach.

• Future enhancements for the U.S. Government Online Bookstore include improved online ordering for foreign customers and providing third-party hand off of orders for those who are unable to directly purchase from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore.

It is almost survey time again. In the next few days the annual online GPO Access user survey will become available. I hope you all will assist us by participating and alerting other users to this opportunity to play a role in the ongoing development of GPO Access.

Several new features have been added to the U.S. Government Online Bookstore in order to enhance usability and expedite orders:

• The various browse features on the Online Bookstore have been enhanced so that price and status information is updated daily. In addition, customers may now use the search and browse features to add publications to their shopping cart for a fully integrated shopping experience.

• While the Online Bookstore has safeguarded a customer's personal information through online encryption since 1999, the service was recently changed so users do not have to enter the secure environment until they have finished shopping and need to enter personal information when completing the order.

As you can tell, change is a constant with GPO Access. As its offerings and popularity continue to grow, our efforts to provide the best possible service will make every effort to keep pace. Once again I remind you that your feedback plays a vital role in this development process. Participation in this afternoon’s open forum is an excellent opportunity to add your voice to the process, but a comment or suggestion sent to the GPO Access User Support Team serves well at any time. Thank you and I look forward to talking with you during the conference.

It has recently become apparent that system performance problems have been severely limiting the amount of usage possible and frustrating large amounts of GPO Access users. Time-out and other types of errors were far too common, particularly during the busiest hours of the workday, and even successful transactions took far too long. Through a performance measurement service contract with Keynote Systems, Inc., we are tracking performance of the Code of Federal Regulations from the user perspective from ten major U.S. cities. The findings from this service and problem reports from users were shared with the GPO Production Department, who have begun work to eliminate these problems. They have succeeded in virtually eliminating the error problems, and results are showing that successful transactions during peak times are now taking on average less than 10 seconds from start to finish, down from over 42 seconds previously. We will continue to monitor performance with an eye towards improvement.

• Since 1994, GPO Access retrievals have exceeded 1.2 billion. This is equivalent to over 29 billion typewritten pages.

• GPO Access has averaged close to 32 million document retrievals in the last six months, and reached an all-time high of almost 36.5 million document retrievals in October 2001.

• GPO Access contains over 133,000 electronic titles and points to over 89,000 others for a total of more than 222,000 titles.

• GPO Access provides use of almost 2,400 databases through more than 80 applications.

• The new edition of the Congressional Directory for the 107th Congress is available at <http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/cong016.html>.

• The 2002 Economic Report of the President is now available on GPO Access at <http://www.gpo.gov/eop>.

• Volume I of the 2000-2001 Public Papers for William J. Clinton is now available online at <http://www.gpo.gov/nara/pubpaps/srchpaps.html>.

• Final Report of the Independent Counsel In Re: Madison Guaranty Savings & Loan Association Regarding Monica Lewinsky and Others

• The Final Report of the Independent Counsel In Re: Madison Guaranty Savings & Loan Association (The Madison Guaranty/Whitewater Investigation)

• Riddick's Senate Procedure-Precedents and Procedures is now available via GPO Access at <http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/senate/riddick/index.html>.

Several new features have been added to the U.S. Government Online Bookstore in order to enhance usability and expedite orders:

• The various browse features on the Online Bookstore have been enhanced so that price and status information is updated daily. In addition, customers may now use the search and browse features to add publications to their shopping cart for a fully integrated shopping experience.

• While the Online Bookstore has safeguarded a customer's personal information through online encryption since 1999, the service was recently changed so users do not have to enter the secure environment until they have finished shopping and need to enter personal information when completing the order.

Updates to the GPO Access Training Manual were recently posted on the GPO Access help page. Approximately 33 pages were changed, including URL updates, new diagrams for tracking legislation, regulations, and Federal publications, and updated U.S. Government Online Bookstore information. In addition, a special insert has been added that discusses Federal depository library access to STAT-USA/Internet, which is provided through a partnership between the U.S. Government Printing Office and the Department of Commerce. These updates may be found at <http://www.gpo.gov/gpoaccess/help/trainingbk>.

• An interactive site guide is being developed to help users find their way to the resources of GPO Access. Users will be able to follow a pathway of links in an exploration of the rich set of resources that GPO Access offers. It will provide an augmented assistance tool that lets users learn more about what is available when the regular navigation paths have failed to point them in the right direction.

• Making use of what has been learned from our work with users in open forums, usability studies, and through regular feedback channels, work toward an enhanced look and feel for GPO Access has begun. Please play a role in this process by attending the GPO Access Open Forum sessions this afternoon (Monday, April 22, 2002, at 2:00 pm and 3:30 pm) and reacting to some prototype pages created to show our current approach.

• Future enhancements for the U.S. Government Online Bookstore include improved online ordering for foreign customers and providing third-party hand off of orders for those who are unable to directly purchase from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore.

EIDS personnel will be attending and displaying the GPO booth at the following shows:

http://www.gpo.gov/gpoaccess

1. Scheduling

Council recommends that the Government Printing Office (GPO) implement the following schedule changes beginning with the Fall 2003 Council Meeting:

1. Retain the Sunday night through Wednesday afternoon meeting schedule, but move the Fall Orientation session for new Council members to the Thursday immediately following the meeting;
2. Consider concurrent or consecutively scheduled meetings with other library conferences (e.g. state associations, Public Library Association, Association of College and Research Libraries).

Rationale: Moving the orientation to Thursday would provide more time for this valuable session, and would give new Council members background information from their first meeting to help them better understand GPO operations before their visit. This schedule change would also not require non-Council members, many of whom pay some or all of their own expenses, to spend more money to stay additional time.

Having Council sessions in conjunction with other organizations’ meetings might increase the size of the audience, including librarians not primarily responsible for government information in their respective institutions. Program opportunities might be enhanced by collaboration with these other organizations as well.

Response: Scheduling for the Council and Fall Conference Meetings requires a great deal of coordination and planning, not only with Council members and GPO staff, but also in relation to other activities in the greater Washington metropolitan area. The nation’s capital can be a difficult place in which to schedule meetings, and GPO tries to be as flexible as possible in order to obtain the best possible rates for the council/conference meeting rooms and hotel rooms for those registrants who require overnight accommodations.

The orientation session for new Council members is most effective at the beginning of the Council meeting, thus allowing new Council members to be better informed of the mission and operation of the Library Programs Service (LPS). Moving the orientation session to Thursday extends the Council members’ stay by at least one more day, thus incurring additional costs for GPO and for Council members in the length of time they must spend away from their institution. Therefore, we plan to retain the Sunday night through Wednesday afternoon meeting schedule, but move the orientation session for new Council members to Sunday afternoon.

We believe the problems arising from scheduling Council/Conference to run concurrently or consecutively with other organizations’ meetings would exceed the benefits, and could present unworkable scheduling difficulties for attendees, presenters, and LPS. LPS reviews the evaluations after each Council/Conference meeting, and a frequent comment is that there are too many competing events and sessions. Many attendees also mention that it is difficult for them to be away from their libraries for the full duration of the Conference. GPO now contracts for hotel space and Conference facilities up to three years in advance, another factor that makes concurrent or consecutive scheduling with other events problematic. GPO believes that it is in the best interest of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) and the majority of attendees to continue scheduling our Conference as a stand-alone meeting.

2. Virtual Depository Collections

Council recommends that GPO study the feasibility of a virtual depository library collection. If feasible, Council further recommends that GPO draw on the expertise of the depository library community to serve their Congressional district through an online depository collection and supporting services by carrying out a pilot project.

Rationale: In light of the increasing predominance of online resources in the FDLP, GPO should consider the possible modification of the depository relationship. Exploring the concept of virtual depository collections with the depositories GPO could positively publicize the electronic transition, the fact that the majority of the new depository materials (60%) are now disseminated online, and the new roles that libraries have in building web and catalog resources for the distance learner/customer.

Response: FDLP program managers have discussed the concept of a depository library selecting only those items made available in online format. Nothing in the statute or practice categorically precludes such a selection profile once a depository library has been established. According to 44 U.S.C. 1909, libraries must have at least 10,000 books, other than government publications, to remain a depository library. As the law has not changed, this is still a requirement, even for a library that wishes to adjust its item selection profile to receive only online titles.

GPO is working with the regional librarian at the Arizona State Library, with whom the idea for this recommendation originated, and the University of Arizona in Tucson, which has expressed interest in focusing on online only resources. We have also had discussions with two other libraries in Arizona that may be interested in collecting only electronic resources once the project has been developed. We will be working to develop an evaluative framework to ascertain that the needs of the immediate user community and the Congressional district are adequately met, and that a depository which establishes an all-electronic item selection is able to be evaluated in the Biennial Survey, self-study, and inspection on an equal and fair footing with a traditional depository.

The pilot project is expected to begin in fall 2002, with staff from the University of Arizona Library, the University of Arizona School of Information Resources and Library Science, and the Library Programs Service working together to develop plans to implement and evaluate the one-year project. Periodic progress reports will be developed during this period. A baseline initial assessment will be followed by informal subsequent assessments during the year, and a final assessment will take place by the end of the pilot project. Council will be kept abreast of the progress of the pilot project on a regular basis.

3. Integrated Library System (ILS)

Council recommends that GPO provide a written update by the Spring 2002 Depository Library Council meeting on the progress of the potential acquisition of an Integrated Library System.

Rationale: In the 1999 spring meeting Council recommended that GPO investigate the feasibility of acquiring an Integrated Library System. Council continues to believe that benefits to both GPO and the depository community exist. Additionally, GPO was receptive to the idea of an Integrated Library System but was unable to make a full resource commitment to an Integrated Library System acquisition due to its involvement with the Year 2000 compliance efforts. It is also likely that the migration from GPO’s use of a variety of legacy systems to a single Integrated Library System would help streamline internal processes as well as increase responsiveness to the Depository Community.

Response: In the fiscal year 2002 appropriation, GPO received general approval from Congress for systems modernization. LPS intends to acquire an up-to-date cataloging and library data management system. Our goal is to decide what to purchase, and to commit the funds necessary to purchase a commercial off-the-shelf Integrated Library System (ILS) within the next year.

LPS operations will undoubtedly change to make use of the capabilities of a new system, although all of the details of such changes cannot be predicted at this time. LPS expects to use the ILS to support cataloging, classification, acquisitions, serial check-in, preparation work for conversion contracts, library selection and address information, and to provide distribution information to the Lighted Bin System.

To date a working group of LPS staff has:

• Looked at current systems in use by LPS and their functions.
• Developed a statement of work to obtain the services of a library automation consultant. The consultant will assist us with defining our user requirements and with developing the criteria for selecting between competing systems.
• Begun to define system requirements.
• Begun to define data migration strategies.
• Begun investigating existing ILS offerings.
• Begun investigating training opportunities to prepare for an ILS.
• Queried other libraries that have obtained and implemented an ILS.
• Received input from the depository library community regarding interface requirements and service needs.
• Begun to work with Materials Management Service, Network Systems, the Office of Information Resources Management, and other GPO personnel.
• Developed material to request project approval from the Joint Committee on Printing.
4. Superseded List

Council recommends that GPO develop principles that clearly articulate how depository libraries should manage editions of superseded, tangible materials for which the current edition now appears solely in an electronic format. Further, Council urges GPO to provide links to URLs in the electronic Superseded List.

Rationale: Because the last compilation of the Superseded List is approximately 5 years old and more products once distributed in a tangible format have migrated to the electronic environment, the need for an updated Superseded List is critical. Council believes that a statement directing the management of tangible superseded material now available in an electronic only format is necessary, particularly when the tangible material is less than 5 years old. Linking URLs will assist depository libraries in the maintenance of material that is superseded on a regular basis.

Council appreciates the time and effort of GPO and volunteers from the depository community and is looking forward to the new, electronic list in the very near future.

Response: LPS has worked with depository librarians to update the printed 1996 Superseded List, and the revised version is available on the FDLP Desktop at < http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pubs/suplist/index.html > . This data is an extension of the 1996 List as records from the revised Superseded List are complemented with information from the Substitution List.

LPS has revised the preliminary pages of the 1996 Superseded List to develop the "FDLP Guidelines for Determining Superseded Materials," available at <http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/coll-dev/supersede.html>. The Guidelines provide guidance on product retention for superseded titles, including the case when a tangible title has been superseded by an online product. These Guidelines were also published in the March 15, 2002 issue of Administrative Notes.

For the future, LPS is investigating the possibilities of attaching supersession information and other FDLP-specific data to the bibliographic records in the ILS.

5. Awareness

Council recommends that GPO expand efforts to increase awareness among library administrators as well as library users of the unique contributions and benefits of the FDLP in the continuously changing information environment.

Rationale: Council recognizes that diverse constituencies may be unaware of the Program’s contributions and benefits. In light of recent trends that include more information offered virtually and a decline in the number of depository libraries nationally, increased promotional and marketing efforts are vital. These efforts should not only be aimed at the various constituencies in the library community (administrators, reference staff, and bibliographers) but at the faculty, business, students, government, and the general public.

Response: In early November 2001 a GPO working group was convened to develop a marketing strategy to increase awareness of the FDLP among various constituencies. Led by the Chief of the Promotion and Advertising Branch, with representation from Library Programs Service (LPS) and the Office of Electronic Information Dissemination Services (EIDS), the Group has drafted a marketing plan around the theme "U.S. Government Information: Make the Connection at Federal Depository Libraries."

6. Inspections

Council recommends that GPO continue to reorient the depository "inspection" process as mandated in 44 U.S.C. 1909 to a more positive learning and training experience. Whenever possible, the designated inspector should request that a representative from the depository’s regional and/or a local peer expert be included as part of the visiting team. Moreover, GPO should train inspectors how to conduct sessions with ranking library officials to the best advantage for depository operations.

Rationale: Council recognizes concerns among certain libraries regarding the inspection process, noting that nomenclature and emphasis may contribute to a negative perception. It is the sense of Council that a change in the use of the word "inspection" to a more positive term, such as "site visit" may facilitate the sharing of expertise, best practices, and other positive outcomes. These outcomes can be further served by requesting the presence of a regional or local peer expert during the visit, as that person can provide support for the depository coordinator. Finally, Council believes that specialized training will allow inspectors to communicate with library officials on a more equal basis.

Response: The depository library inspection is the "firsthand investigation of conditions" required of the Superintendent of Documents in 44 U.S.C. 1909. The "firsthand investigation" or site visit has two major components. GPO staff act as consultants to the depository staff and administration, offering insights about best practices and suggesting alternatives in the operation of the depository. GPO staff also examine the depository to ascertain compliance with fundamental program requirements, such as free public access and proper maintenance of the depository collection. GPO views the on-site inspection as a time for depository staff to learn more about the FDLP and the depository community, and GPO staff make every effort to emphasize the consultation function of the visits.

GPO always contacts the regional library prior to inspecting in that state, and encourages regional librarians to accompany the LPS inspector for on-site evaluations. The regional librarian has always had the option of sending another person when he/she is not available on the day of the inspection.

Training depository library inspectors is an on-going process. LPS is in the process of training two new inspectors, and will schedule training sessions as appropriate. While the inspectors continue to look at all the areas shown in "Preparing for a Library Inspection," there has been a change in emphasis from strict adherence to the Guidelines, Federal Depository Library Manual and Supplements, and the Instructions, to a more results-oriented approach. Emphasis is placed on access—physical and bibliographic—to depository resources located in the library and available via the Internet. In response to this recommendation, a session entitled, "Discussion Session: Inspections & Addition of Peer Experts to Accompany Inspectors for On-Site Library Inspections" has been included as part of the Spring 2002 Council meeting. This session builds upon several other training sessions and presentations on the inspections and self-study processes that have been included in the Federal Depository Library Conference and Council meetings.

7. Self-Studies

Council recommends that GPO assess the value and effectiveness of the self-study process for depository librarians and GPO.

Rationale: Council would like to know whether the self-study process is working to improve depository library operations and the inspection process as anticipated by GPO and depository community. Council also would like to know if the self-study adequately helps GPO determine whether or not a formal inspection is warranted.

Response: In December 2001, libraries in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Michigan were requested to submit self-studies of their depository operations. Most of the self-studies from those states have been received and LPS’ Depository Services staff are reviewing the studies as well as evaluating the effectiveness of the self-study process. While the self-study has been helpful in helping new librarians understand the role of their depository collection in their library and the FDLP, it is an extremely time-intensive undertaking for all parties. A minimum of six months elapses from the time a self-study is requested until the earliest date that the library could be inspected. Libraries are generally given three months to return the self-study, then two months are taken to receive and evaluate the self-studies for a contiguous area, and then inspections are scheduled, providing at least four weeks advance notice for the libraries.

Out of 63 self-studies called for review, 60 libraries returned the self-study on time. Three libraries have been contacted and advised their self-study submission is late.

In response to this recommendation, a session has been scheduled for the discussion of the self-study process and its relation to library inspections during the Regional Meeting at the Spring 2002 Council meeting.

8. Geographically Separate Backup for GPO Access

Council recommends that GPO proceed as quickly as possible to create a geographically separate backup for GPO Access and the Electronic Collection. Council also recommends that GPO begin working toward a complete mirror site, with full content and functionality, for GPO Access and the Electronic Collection.

Rationale: Preservation of electronic government publications in GPO archiving initiatives is vitally important for guaranteeing permanent public access to these core government publications and other content-rich government information resources. The events of September 11^th clearly demonstrate the strong need for redundancy of data storage at remote sites. A complete geographically separate backup and mirror site will allow GPO to better serve the needs of a growing user base.

Response: Pursuant to our goal of establishing a geographically separate mirror site and backup facility for GPO Access, an onsite inspection of potential locations in GPO facilities was recently completed. Based on what was learned, a cost benefit analysis is being performed to determine the optimal location for this new facility. When this analysis has been completed, the location for the new site will be selected and work will begin as soon as practicable.

In late 2001, in the aftermath of September 11, Congress provided $4 million to GPO in supplemental transfer authority for emergency preparedness (P.L. 107-117). Establishing a geographically remote mirror site and backup facility for GPO Access will utilize a portion of these funds, in addition to other project funding from the Salaries and Expenses appropriation to the Superintendent of Documents. Beginning with the most frequently used GPO Access resources, GPO will steadily add to the resources and data at this facility until it is a complete mirror site for GPO Access. This will include the portion of the FDLP Electronic Collection Archive maintained by GPO.

9. Geographically Separate Backup for Partners

Council recommends that GPO investigate the feasibility of providing a geographically separate site for the FDLP partners and agency partners to store data contained on the partner sites.

Rationale: If partners are responsible for locating their own geographically separate storage sites, GPO may or may not have easy access to the data or know where the backup is located in the event of a disruption at a partner site. By providing a data storage site for the FDLP and agency partners, GPO enables the partners to store data contained on their sites in a geographically separate facility. In the event of a disruption at a partner site, GPO can easily retrieve the stored data and assist the partner site with restoring public access to the data.

Response: Two options for providing a geographically separated backup storage site are being investigated at this time. GPO is currently investigating the establishment of a backup facility separate from GPO Central Office in Washington, DC, and as development of that facility progresses, possibilities may exist to include partner data.

GPO is also actively working with OCLC, Inc. on the establishment of OCLC’s Digital Archive services. GPO expects to store material in OCLC’s Digital Archive with supporting preservation metadata, and could conceivably place partner material in this arrangement as well.

Both these options are developing rapidly, but some details remain to be clarified, particularly with regard to costs. We will continue to monitor developments and communicate with Council and our partners as it is feasible and appropriate.

10. Distribution of Electronic Publications

Council recommends that GPO and a working group of Council examine the concept of establishing the systematic distribution of Federal government electronic publications through the FDLP in order to assure further redundancy in free public access to that body of information.

Rationale: In response to concerns for permanent public access to electronic government information expressed by some in the depository community, Council believes that GPO and the Council working group should examine the following issues: legal issues; issues including technology; authenticity and data integrity; feasibility; and the nature and level of interest in pursuing the proposed distribution concept in the depository community.

Response: LPS staff is participating in the discussions of the Electronic Distribution Working Group that is examining the concept of establishing the systematic distribution of Federal Government electronic publications through the FDLP.

One of the Working Group’s tasks is to develop a model or a proposal describing the ideal system for the distribution of electronic publications to depository libraries. The proposal should address the purpose and goals of electronic document distribution through the FDLP, the short and long-term responsibilities of participating libraries, and technological issues including authenticity, security, and data integrity.

GPO has reviewed the legal issues for an FDLP electronic publication distribution system. The salient point is that the law governing the FDLP has not changed. Consequently, the responsibilities of libraries for their depository collections have not changed either. Therefore, under existing law every regional depository would be required to participate, and would have to permanently preserve, maintain, and provide access to every electronic publication in the FDLP. This requirement may place a disproportionate burden on regional depositories in an area of responsibility and development that differs significantly from earlier expectations. The impact of this must be addressed in any proposal.

One of the Working Group’s tasks is to determine the nature and level of interest in pursuing the proposed distribution concept. It has been suggested that libraries be surveyed as to whether they favor a program of electronic distribution that emulates the traditional FDLP for tangible publications. Before any such survey can be responsibly conducted, the Working Group must clarify what responsibilities would be incumbent upon participating libraries from a program designed in accordance with existing law. Library administrations should not be expected to commit their libraries' resources to an electronic version of the traditional FDLP without knowing the scope of their responsibilities.

11. Shared Bibliographic Information

Council recommends that GPO appoint a working group to examine options for Federal Depository Libraries to share bibliographic information about government publications with GPO Cataloging Branch with the goal of sharing this cataloging information with all participants in the FDLP via GPO cataloging records. Options to be considered might include:

1. Sharing information to aid in the identification, description, and subject cataloging of Federal government publications via the process developed for the Electronic Publications Working Group;
2. A pilot project in which national libraries would contribute cataloging records for online publications to GPO Cataloging Branch; and
3. A pilot project in which other Federal Depository Libraries would contribute cataloging of Federal publications to GPO Cataloging Branch.

For options 2) and 3), only libraries currently qualified to participate in the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) would be eligible for participation in pilot projects.

Rationale: Council appreciates the panel discussion by representatives of the Program for Cooperative Cataloging held at this Depository Library Conference. This presentation stimulated discussions of the several options for Federal Depository Libraries to share cataloging records or bibliographic information needed to create cataloging records with other FDLP participants via GPO cataloging records. A working group is needed to examine the feasibility of these options, weighing the benefits of augmenting the cataloging available for government information products outside the current GPO cataloging workflow and distribution of that cataloging to FDLP participants against possible negative impact on GPO Cataloging Branch’s workload.

Response: GPO’s Cataloging Branch, as the national authority for cataloging U.S. Government publications in all formats, actively supports the goal of sharing bibliographic information with other libraries through participation in all national cooperative cataloging programs. However, the administration of a cooperative cataloging program requires a different level of commitment and resources than does participation in such projects. Council’s recommendation to establish a working group to investigate options for sharing bibliographic data is not feasible at this time, in part because the acquisition and implementation of an ILS may bring significant changes in LPS’ ability to share bibliographic data.

Not only is LPS devoting significant resources to planning for and acquiring an ILS, but LPS lacks sufficient personnel to establish and successfully work with such a group. The Cataloging Branch has experienced a serious loss of staff and has yet to replace a number of essential staff members. Within the past twelve months the Branch has lost both of its section chiefs (one to promotion, one to retirement) and 30% of its catalogers (all to promotions elsewhere). The Cataloging Branch’s current top priority is to address this crisis of recruitment and retention, and LPS is working closely with GPO’s Office of Personnel Service to develop solutions.

GPO intends to defer any action on this recommendation until such time as LPS’ Integrated Library System is in place, and the Cataloging Branch is fully staffed. However, this deferral should not impede depository or other libraries from joining together to share bibliographic data, as the panel discussion suggested during the October 2001 Federal Depository Library Conference.