11.8 Collaboration among Federal Depository Libraries

The FDLP functions best as a system of cooperating libraries. No single depository can meet all potential community needs. Frequent communication among neighboring depositories is strongly encouraged. Depository collection development, promotional activities, and continuing education activities should be accomplished in conjunction with neighboring depositories.

LSCM encourages depositories to collaborate on projects such as digitization, retrospective cataloging, and storage of tangible collections. A variety of depositories have pursed projects that enhance the FDLP. Here are a few of those efforts:

• Five Colleges of Ohio: The Five Colleges Documents group (Denison, Kenyon, Oberlin, Ohio Wesleyan, and Wooster) have worked together to provide current and retrospective cataloging of U.S. Government publications.
• Government Information Online (GIO): Over 30 depositories participated in this pilot project to establish a model for virtual reference for government information.
• Various depository libraries have provided copies of Web sites and handouts to the GODORT Handout Exchange.

There are many innovative projects underway in the depository library community. GPO’s Registry of U.S. Government Publication Digitization Projects is a good place to start a search for digitization projects. If your library is unable to take on a project, consider contacting a depository managing a project and offer to contribute. The opportunity for contributions is unlimited.