5.1 What’s New or Important

5.1.A The Transition in Federal Depository Collections

• Since 1996 with changing agency publication practices and the increasing availability of online publications, the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) has migrated to an increasingly electronic collection. Although many depository libraries, particularly Regional libraries, will continue to maintain large print and microform collections, the Government Printing Office (GPO) has made great strides in disseminating government information in electronic-only formats.
• The implications of this significant change will vary depending upon the type of depository library you currently manage. Regional depositories will continue to build and maintain comprehensive depository collections and acquire government information products in all formats while selective depositories may choose to build primarily electronic depository collections. See chapter 13 in this Handbook for more information on transitioning depository collections. Selective depositories have the option to collect an electronic item in lieu of the paper equivalent as detailed in the FDLP Guidelines on Substituting Electronic for Tangible Versions of Depository Publications. This change alone will have significant impact on such important issues as storage, service, length of retention of electronic items, and bibliographic access.

5.1.B Approaches to Collection Development and Management

• Cooperative collection development to support interlibrary loan, virtual reference, and other collaborative efforts is vital since no one depository library can meet the Federal Government information needs of a varied population, whether local or remote users.
• Given the new electronic milieu, your depository library is likely increasing its reliance on networking to share collections, to provide access to users, to practice cooperative collection development and to perform mutual bibliographic control. The challenges in your physical space may be overcome by the management of electronic resources. Specifically, access to the digital collection will require different approaches to collection development and management. Some portion of your collection will be accessible 24/7 for users in the library and users accessing the library resources remotely. As a result, you may see reference responsibilities change as well. Virtual reference, chat, and instant messaging (IM) expand the range of service models available to provide reference to remote users seeking information about depository materials.
• Additionally, the evolving role of depository librarians within their respective institutions and changes in organizational models for libraries may be reflected in changes in collection management and staff roles. You may be designated specifically as the depository coordinator or you may be a part of the larger library staff, but you serve as the contact for the depository collection and maintain responsibility for training staff throughout the library on depository materials and operations.
• Although many new changes have manifested themselves over the past several years, there are still some constants about being a depository library. For example, while electronic information now dominates as the main means of dissemination, collection development still remains relevant. Federal depository libraries build and maintain a depository collection in order to provide access to and services in the use of Federal government information products that meet the needs of its local community. Acquiring electronic information that falls outside the purview of GPO should be factored into any policies or any guidelines you develop as part of an overall collection development policy. Also, the challenges of item selection when developing an electronic collection should be considered when developing your depository library’s collection development policies. GPO continues to reexamine and evaluate the item selection mechanisms. Keep informed of the changes to item selections at the FDLP Selection Mechanisms web page.
• The needs of your user community are still one of the most important criteria used in collection development. You should continually assess user and community needs and provide access accordingly. This doesn’t mean you have to re-invent the wheel each time. Instead, you should continue to review federal, local, state, and regional web sites to provide new resources and links to your users.
• Finally, as more and more government information is available only in an electronic format, remember that providing access to a depository collection for your local community will offer new and different challenges. As explained in more detail below, the suggestions and guidelines offered should be used as a means to enhance collection development activities in your depository library.

5.1.C Scope of Your Depository Collection

The depository collection provides government information resources that meet the needs of both your primary and general public users. Therefore, the scope of your collection should be broad enough in subject, format and age-appropriateness to meet those needs while being sufficient in depth to accommodate reference and research services. Some titles for government information resources are considered essential; others are basic to a collection and still others are highly recommended. Your depository should include government information resources specific to your state, region, or congressional district.

5.1.D Purpose of Your Depository Collection

The FDLP is based upon the principle that citizens have “free, unimpeded, local access to official information produced by their Government.” Enabling legislation for the depository libraries and their collections resides in Title 44, chapter 19 of the U.S. Code. Historically, depository collections have been developed with two major purposes:

1. To serve the local clientele of the Congressional District, and
2. To provide public service for U.S. Government publications collections

Providing no-fee public access to Federal Government information is the guiding principle under which public officials designate depository libraries; therefore, the Federal Government information needs of the general public MUST influence the collection development of depository libraries.

A majority of libraries that are designated depositories have, as their primary mission, a commitment to serve a particular patron group (students, judges, etc.). While these libraries focus collection development more closely on the needs of their primary patrons, they MUST also serve the Federal Government information needs of the general public. The Collection Development Guidelines for Selective Federal Depository Libraries, although dated, still represents a comprehensive guide to collection development and the issues that MUST be considered when developing policies.

Collection development program and performance goals include:

• Each depository library should maintain the titles in the FDLP Basic Collection available for immediate use;
• Each library should acquire and maintain or otherwise provide access to the basic catalogs, guides and indexes, retrospective and current, considered essential to the reference use of the collection. This should include selected non-Governmental reference tools.
• Although more details follow, in general, each depository should maintain a specific written collection development policy (or include in the larger library collection development policy) the following:
  
  
  • the selection of frequently used and potentially useful materials based on the objectives of the library;
  • the selection of materials responsive to the Federal government information needs of the users in the Congressional district and local area where the library is located
• Each depository library should conduct a comprehensive review of its selections regularly in order to insure that needed materials are selected and that materials, no longer of use, are deselected.
• Depository libraries, either solely or in conjunction with neighboring depositories, should make demonstrable efforts to identify and meet the Government information needs of the Congressional district or local area.
• Depository libraries should coordinate item selections with other depositories in the Congressional district and local area to insure adequate coverage that meets local needs

Most depositories are designated to serve a particular U.S. Congressional District. The number of depositories in a congressional district, the geographic area of the congressional district, the type of library, and even the existence of established interlibrary cooperative arrangements, could dictate a local public service area other than the U.S. Congressional District. These local public service areas, if different from the congressional district, should be negotiated among neighboring depositories to ensure all areas of the congressional district are served.

With agencies publishing in multiple, but primarily electronic formats, management of a depository collection shifts to ensuring access to government information in all formats. Regardless of the format, the purpose of the depository collection resides in offering unrestricted use of Federal government information. As technologies advance, depository collections will continue to provide one-stop access for patrons in using, accessing, and understanding government information in any format and to serve as a gateway for all users.

5.1.E Importance of Collection Development Policies

Your collection development policy should be documented. This is important for both regional and selective depositories. For regionals, it may be helpful that the policy includes the formats in which they will collect Federal Government information resources and it may discuss how the regional will supplement and promote those resources. The policy may also include how the depository will best meet user information needs. Although applicable to all depositories, a collection development policy is particularly important to your depository library if it is a selective depository where the selection of appropriate government information resources is more critical to building a relevant depository collection for your users. It is important to work within your larger library’s collection development policy parameters, making sure the depository has its own separate policy that fits into the overall library policy, or that the policy for the depository integrates well into the one for your larger library. Collection development policies may discuss retention, disposal, and maintenance of a dynamic depository collection.

Also, your collection development policy should address issues in managing electronic information as well as paper and microform tangible information products. As GPO develops requirements for the Future Digital System (FDsys), discussions with the community about the need for and the feasibility of digital distribution continue.

There are resources available for those interested in digital distribution and transitioning depository collections. For those seeking information on transitioning to a more online depository collection, review “Considerations in Selecting Online Publications” (see Administrative Notes, July 15, 2003, Vol. 24. no. 9) and the "Tips to Effectively Transition to a More Online Federal Depository Collection" document released in November 2005. For those seeking information on FDsys digital distribution, see the Fall 2006 Depository Library conference session on "Digital Distribution to Depository Libraries: Exploring the Issues". Additionally, the conference included a session on "Trials, Tribulations, and Triumphs of Transitioning Depository Collections" with practical advice from depository coordinators.