6.9 Claiming Missing Publications in Depository Shipments

• Items missing from your depository shipment may be claimed as missing.
• The items should be claimed immediately.
• You should claim missing publications as soon as possible or within 60 days of receipt of the shipment.
• Both individual publications and entire shipments may be claimed.
• You may only claim publications currently identified on your depository item selection profile.
• Claims may not be made to replace publications that you received and later lost.
• It is possible to file a claim for a replacement copy of defective publications or publications damaged in shipment.
• If LSCM is unable to fulfill a claim, the claim will be returned and marked “Exhausted”.
• Claims for material from LSCM-issued shipping lists are handled by LSCM.
• Microfiche claims MUST be made through the appropriate microfiche contractor and claims for USGS maps must be sent to USGS.
• Always provide complete information when contacting Library Services and Content Management (LSCM) about missing depository publications such as item numbers, correct series or title, issuing agency, depository library number, SuDocs classification number, and shipping list number.
• LSCM prefers all claims to be made online but claims may be faxed if the online forms are unavailable to you.

LSCM maintains Claims Copies Exhausted Web page that lists publications that are deemed exhausted after initial distribution. As a result no claims copies are available for those publications. The Web page is updated periodically as Depository Distribution Division exhausts its claims/surplus stock of a title, please review this page before filing a claim with GPO. If you see that the needed publication appears on the list, GPO will not be able to fill the claim. If GPO is unable to fill a claim, your depository library may be able to acquire a needed publication through the Needs and Offers list.

To file a claim for material from a GPO-issued shipping, complete the Web Claim form. Issues of the Federal Register or the Congressional Record on microfiche can also be claimed through GPO. In the comments area of the form, note that you are claiming the microfiche version of the title.

Claims for microfiche, except those noted above, and USGS maps should not be sent to GPO. To file a claim for missing microfiche or USGS maps, circle the missing titles on the microfiche or USGS shipping list and provide your depository number and mailing address. Then mail or fax the shipping list to the appropriate microfiche contractor or USGS.

Processing of depository materials includes those technical services tasks or activities which prepare material for public access and use. These tasks may include

• receiving depository shipments and opening shipment boxes;
• comparing the contents of the boxes to the shipping lists to ensure you received the appropriate item numbers and materials according to your current item number selections;
• marking or stamping all depository materials regardless of format to distinguish them from non-depository materials;
• dating depository materials with the date of receipt or date of processing to identify materials eligible for discarding five years after receipt;
• placing SuDocs classification numbers on materials, and
• arranging the materials in a manner convenient for practical use by staff or users while awaiting cataloging.

The SuDocs classification number should be placed on all documents even if other classification systems are used. Use of the SuDocs number helps to identify materials from SuDocs citations and facilitates updating and discarding procedures. As the SuDocs number is commonly used by many other depository libraries, it provides a specific identification for borrowing and simplifies compiling or checking discard lists.

Remember many titles are time sensitive, so shipments should be unpacked and processed as they are received. Also items not awaiting full cataloging should be processed within 10 working days from the date the shipment was received.

To help you with processing, LSCM compiles Administrative Notes Technical Supplement (ANTS) which is available online. It contains corrections to previous shipping lists, changes to the List of Classes, and other important announcements pertaining to the FDLP.

As an interim to the restoration of a searchable WEBTech Notes application, an Excel file containing the WEBTech Notes dataset is available. The full dataset from January 1994 through current and selected data from 1991 to 1994 is now available in this Excel file.