1. New Electronic Titles - December 2008

New Electronic Titles (NET) are now available for December 2008. These files are accessible from the New Titles section of the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP).

Monday, 05 January 2009 | 101 hits

2. Converting the Historic GPO Shelflist

GPO is pleased to announcement that Progressive Technology Federal Systems, Inc. (PTFS) of Bethesda, Maryland has been selected to assist GPO with the process to convert the historic GPO shelflist. This contract, a one-year project with four option years, will convert approximately 600,000 cards in the historic card catalog, covering U.S. Government documents from the 1870's through October 1992, to machine-readable metadata (MARC21). These metadata records will be available in the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP). The records generated by this contracting activity will be available to libraries in the FDLP and the wider library community to assist in their efforts to identify and catalog previously un-cataloged materials in their library collections. This will, in turn, provide greater exposure to collections of U.S. Government publications and improve awareness of resources available in the FDLP libraries.

Thursday, 10 April 2008 | 43 hits

3. SuDoc Classification Practice Change

Effective immediately, GPO will cease using cutter numbers on the Hearings issued by the Joint Economic Committee: SuDoc Y 4.EC 7: Item nos. 1000-B (P), 1000-C (MF) GPO will use the serial number that is on the Hearing as the suffix for the SuDoc class. This new procedure is consistent with the classification numbers assigned to other Congressional Committee Hearings. Chapter 5 of the GPO Classification Manual outlines this practice. Publications classified prior to this announcement will not be changed to reflect this new practice. For example: Title: Evolution of an Economic Crisis?: The Subprime Lending Disaster and the Threat to the Broader Economy, Hearing Before the Joint Economic Committee, Congress of the United States, 110th Congress, 1st session. Serial no. 110-250 SuDoc Class: Y 4.EC 7:S.HRG.110-250 PURL:

Wednesday, 26 March 2008 | 18 hits

4. GPO Cataloging Practice Change

The U.S. Government Printing Office is modifying a cataloging practice for serial titles. This change will impact fields of the MARC cataloging record. Staff will now be using the 776 MARC field to link records for serial titles in various formats. The use of the 780/785 MARC field will not be used, as was past practice, unless one version actually is discontinued and is continued by a new version. The change in practice is consistent with CONSER practice as stated in the CONSER Editing Guide and CONSER Cataloging Manual. New instructions outlining this practice change have been written and are designed to supplement the section titled "Linking Fields" in the GPO Cataloging Guidelines. The GPO Cataloging Guidelines as well as updates are available as a single file with bookmarks on the FDLP Desktop . Effective immediately, all new serial records created will have this change. Modifications to previous serial records with 780/785 links will not be made unless staff is modifying the record for other purposes.

Friday, 28 March 2008 | 46 hits

5. New Electronic Titles - August 2008

New Electronic Titles (NET) are now available for August 2008. These files are accessible from the New Titles section of the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP).

Thursday, 04 December 2008 | 65 hits

6. New Electronic Titles - July 2008

New Electronic Titles (NET) are now available for July 2008. These files are accessible from the New Titles section of the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP).

Wednesday, 06 August 2008 | 50 hits

7. New Electronic Titles - October 2008

New Electronic Titles (NET) are now available for October 2008. These files are accessible from the New Titles section of the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP).

Thursday, 06 November 2008 | 50 hits

8. New Electronic Titles - November 2008

New Electronic Titles (NET) are now available for November 2008. These files are accessible from the New Titles section of the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP).

Tuesday, 02 December 2008 | 62 hits

9. New Item Number Procedure for Selected Congressional Publications

GPO has begun to create separate item numbers for the online only (EL) format of U.S. Congressional Committee publications known as “Y 4s”, or those listed as “Hearings, Prints, Miscellaneous Publications” in the List of Classes. This does not apply to Committee Rules or Calendars or other Congressional publications. Separate item numbers are already available for paper (P) and microfiche (MF). These changes to the item numbers do not affect SuDocs classification stems. All changes will be announced in WebTech Notes and Administrative Notes Technical Supplement. For example: Select Committee on Intelligence (Senate) Y 4.IN 8/19: Hearings, Prints, and Miscellaneous Publications (P) ESSENTIAL TITLE    1009-B-07 Y 4.IN 8/19: Hearings, Prints, and Miscellaneous Publications (MF) ESSENTIAL TITLE    1009-C-07 Will now include: Y 4.IN 8/19: Hearings, Prints, and Miscellaneous Publications (EL) ESSENTIAL TITLE    1009-D-07 GPO sees two significant potential impacts on libraries from this procedure Selective libraries may opt to drop from their item selection profile tangible Hearings, Prints, & Miscellaneous Publications. This may affect a state or region’s access to these types of publications in the future. Libraries are reminded that they may not claim a print or microfiche format if they do not select it. Alternatively, libraries that do not normally select these publications may choose to acquire them for their electronic collection. Selective libraries may opt to assess their existing tangible Hearings, Prints, & Miscellaneous Publications collections and request official substitution to withdraw tangible versions in favor of providing access through the electronic versions. This will also affect a state or region’s access to these publications. New cataloging policy and impact It is the policy of GPO to create separate cataloging records for each individual format of a publication. The single record approach is no longer being used. As a result, libraries getting their catalog records directly from GPO that do not select the new EL formats of the Hearings, Prints, & Miscellaneous Publications will no longer receive the PURL or URL in their catalog records. If a library wishes to have PURLs in their catalog records, they will likely need to modify their tangible format records by adding an 856/PURL field to the record. For more information, see the article entitled “Separate Record Cataloging Policy” at http://www.fdlp.gov/cataloging-news/new-cataloging-p.html. GPO continues to distribute hearings and prints from earlier Congresses as they become available and will process these incoming publications using the separate record cataloging approach and assign new item numbers. What it means for item selection profiles If your library currently selects either a P or MF format (or both P and MF if a regional depository library), a new item number for the EL format will automatically be added to your item selection profile. If you do not want to select the EL format, you must deselect those item numbers. Selectives may select one tangible format in addition to the electronic format. You may deselect any unwanted item numbers at any time. Drops become effective within 2 or 3 business days. Additions to your item selection profile may be made during the next Item Selection Update Cycle in mid-year 2009. Adds will take effect on October 1, 2009. If your library wants to rely only on the electronic format, it may drop the P or MF format, however it should have copy cataloging procedures for the EL format in place prior to the drop, and/or have commercial vendor services arranged for EL records, if applicable. Otherwise a gap may occur in collections between when tangible distribution ceases and electronic access begins. (Note: regional depository libraries must select at least one tangible format.) Libraries that purchase cataloging records from commercial vendors may wish to contact their vendor to arrange for the addition or deselection of these new EL item numbers from their batch loads. It is not sufficient to just select an EL item number and not provide access to individual publications through your catalog or Web site. Libraries that choose to provide electronic only access to Hearings, Prints, & Miscellaneous publications should plan on promoting the electronic collection through their catalogs and/or Web pages. Caveats on dropping a tangible format item number in favor of an online only (EL) format Some Committees do not issue electronic equivalents of their Hearings, Prints, & Miscellaneous Publications. A separate item number for the online only format will not be created for these publications. Some Hearings, Prints, & Miscellaneous Publications are incomplete online. The Congressional Committee determines if the publication is disseminated online. Online and tangible formats do not necessarily have a one to one correlation; there are tangible versions of Hearings, Prints, & Miscellaneous Publications that have no online equivalent. If a library needs to provide access to all Hearings, Prints, & Miscellaneous Publications for a particular Congressional Committee, selecting the EL item number will merely supplement existing collections, but cannot replace it. If you choose to deselect an item number associated with the paper format, deselection takes approximately 2-3 days. Deselection of microfiche typically takes a bit longer, approximately 1-2 weeks, as we work to notify the microfiche contractors and they make changes to their records. Substitution considerations Selective depository libraries may officially substitute publications when the EL version is complete, official, and permanently accessible. Because online electronic Hearings, Prints, Miscellaneous Publications is not a complete “series”, libraries must verify the completeness of each individual Hearing, Print, & Miscellaneous Publication in the electronic format before substituting them. GPO suggests you compare the full-text of each publication you have identified for potential substitution by identifying them on GPO Access or in the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications. Compare the pagination of PDF versions and examine the electronic file to determine if all images, tables, and other graphics are included. If the electronic version is incomplete, it cannot be used for official substitution. The superseding instructions must be followed. Libraries must ask for permission from their regional library to substitute Hearings, Prints, Miscellaneous Publications that have not been superseded per the Superseded List (very few are ever updated, revised or corrected). Regionals may not substitute P or MF with EL formats. Depository libraries should consider patron characteristics, usage patterns, community needs, research requirements, and the library’s collection development policy when determining which format of these Congressional publications best meets the U.S. Government information needs of the library users. Libraries may select one tangible format in addition to the electronic format if they so choose. If changes are made to the House and/or Senate committee structures with the 111th Congress, GPO will make corresponding revisions in the List of Classes. Related information Considerations in Selecting Online Publications, Administrative Notes. July 15, 2003, Vol. 24, No. 9. Separate Record Cataloging Policy Federal Depository Library Handbook Substituting Electronic for Tangible Versions of Depository Publications Additional reference information Costello, Barbara. “Moving in the right direction: Developments in the online availability of full-text Congressional committee hearing transcripts.” Government Information Quarterly 25 (2008): 104-117.

Tuesday, 25 November 2008 | 78 hits

10. Display of Additional Federal Depository Library Directory Field

As of December 1, 2008, in response to requests from the depository community, more fields will display in the FDLD. These will include the Library Director's title and name and the Depository Coordinator's name and telephone number. These fields will be available to view, print, and export for both depository library users and for public users. Thank you for your support as we strive to improve our services to the depository library community and to the public.

Monday, 24 November 2008 | 52 hits

11. Separate Record Cataloging Policy

At the request of the Federal Depository Library community, the Government Printing Office, Library Services & Content Services, Library Technical Information Services (LTIS) staff has formulated a policy for creating separate records for every manifestation of a document. This policy follows an internal review of the current approach of single record cataloging. Below is LTIS’ proposed policy for metadata creation for individual formats. Background In the 1980s, GPO began adding distribution notes for microfiche versions to records for the print publications. The first GPO procedures for cataloging electronic resources were developed in the early 1990’s, and focused on resources available from the Federal Bulletin Board (FBB). The FBB resources were cataloged separately from the tangible versions of those publications.  In 1995 CONSER adopted the single record approach, which is described in the CONSER Cataloging Manual module 31. GPO began applying this approach in the same year, and developed the first set of comprehensive instructions for cataloging electronic resources, Preliminary Instructions on Recording Access Information for Remotely Accessible Files. These instructions were designed to minimize the amount of time devoted to cataloging remote electronic resources because of their transitory nature, and called for the inclusion of 530 and 538 notes in the tangible record. With GPO’s adoption of the FDSys, and its need to meet the requirements of FDSys for individual records, as well as GPO’s adoption of an integrated library system (ILS) with which GPO could finally record comprehensive holdings, GPO found a greater use for the separate records. Implementation Depository libraries have the option of adding print holdings to their electronic resources records when desired, or creating single records on their own by adding GPO’s electronic metadata to their monograph records. Serials will retain the information about the electronic form of document in the tangible document’s record just as it looked under the single record policy, but a separate electronic record will also be created for the CGP. GPO must catalog serials this way to be in compliance with CONSER policy. Monograph records, however, will remain distinctly separate for format. A monograph record for a paper document will only contain information about the paper document. All cataloging records will include the note “Also available in [other formats]. For example, 500    Also available in microfiche and PDF. 500    Also available in paper and microfiche. 500    Also available in paper and HTML. Records that GPO links to will be modified by the addition of the linking field (776) only if GPO is not distributing that document to depositories. That is, if GPO has not sent a paper document out to the FDLs, GPO will not add the 086 or the 856 to that paper record. The 776 link will be added to both the paper and the electronic record for the electronic version in order to alert users of the bibliographic record that another format is available; since GPO is not distributing the tangible format, however, other links will not be added. Any format that GPO does distribute to the FDLs will be cataloged with all of GPO’s information, i.e., the 086, the 074, etc. GPO will not create separate records for microfiche if microfiche is used to distribute three issues or less of a document that is otherwise distributed in tangible format. In the case of a “fill” microfiche distribution, a note about the microfiche distribution for those issues will be added to the tangible document. When GPO is cataloging electronic resources that have older cataloging copy available in OCLC and were coded type M (appropriate at that time, but no longer valid), GPO must change those type codes. In those cases, GPO is notifying OCLC and requesting that the type code be modified. If a library is requesting that an electronic resource item be cataloged, cataloging of those items may occasionally take more time to complete if that request needs to be made. This policy will not be applied to documents already cataloged; we will not take links out of a monograph that was cataloged for both electronic and tangible formats in a single record. However, retrospective cataloging of documents will follow the new policy standard. The policy is effective as of October 1, 2008. Questions Please direct all questions concerning this policy to Ms. Jennifer K. Davis, Manager, Bibliographic Control.

Thursday, 20 November 2008 | 51 hits

12. New Electronic Titles - September 2008

New Electronic Titles (NET) are now available for September 2008. These files are accessible from the New Titles section of the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP).

Wednesday, 01 October 2008 | 41 hits

13. MARC Cataloging Practice Change for Serial Titles

The U.S. Government Printing Office is modifying a cataloging practice for serial titles. This change will impact fields of the MARC cataloging record. Staff will now be using the 776 MARC field to link records for serial titles in various formats. The use of the 780/785 MARC field will not be used, as was past practice, unless one version actually is discontinued and is continued by a new version. The change in practice is consistent with CONSER practice as stated in the CONSER Editing Guide and CONSER Cataloging Manual. New instructions outlining this practice change have been written and are designed to supplement the section titled “Linking Fields” in the GPO Cataloging Guidelines. The GPO Cataloging Guidelines as well as updates are available as a single file with bookmarks. Effective immediately, all new serial records created will have this change.  Modifications to previous serial records with 780/785 links will not be made unless staff are modifying the record for other purposes

Thursday, 27 March 2008 | 100 hits

14. Converting the Historic GPO Shelflist

GPO is pleased to announce that Progressive Technology Federal Systems, Inc. (PTFS) of Bethesda, Maryland has been selected to assist GPO with the process to convert the historic GPO shelflist. This contract, a one-year project with four option years, will convert approximately 600,000 cards in the historic card catalog, covering U.S. Government documents from the 1870’s through October 1992, to machine-readable metadata (MARC21). These metadata records will be available in the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP). The records generated by this contracting activity will be available to libraries in the FDLP and the wider library community to assist in their efforts to identify and catalog previously un-cataloged materials in their library collections. This will, in turn, provide greater exposure to collections of U.S. Government publications and improve awareness of resources available in the FDLP libraries.

Thursday, 10 April 2008 | 41 hits

15. Additional Brief Bibliographic Records in the CGP

With the completion of GPO’s initial harvesting pilot involving the Web site of the Environmental Protection Agency and the ongoing manual harvesting efforts, Library Services and Content Management (LSCM) is in the process of developing a comprehensive workflow to manage the acquisition, classification, cataloging, and storage of all Web harvested content, including publications acquired through the pilot.  As part of this workflow, LSCM staff have begun processing a sample of the results from the harvesting pilot. As this processing continues, users of the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP), will see an increase in the number of brief bibliographic records included in the database. These records will be identifiable by the phrase “EPA Pilot Project” in the 590 field of the MARC record display. Please keep in mind that brief bibliographic records are only available through the CGP and are not included in OCLC. More detailed information regarding this project will be posted to FDLP-L and the FDLP Desktop once processing of the sample has been completed.

Thursday, 30 August 2007 | 18 hits

16. Automated Metadata Extraction Project

Library Services and Content Management (LSCM) is pleased to announce the signing of an Interagency Agreement with the Defense Technical Information Service (DTIC) and Old Dominion University (ODU) to begin a 2 year project to use automated metadata extraction software tools to create metadata for groups of electronic documents in GPO’s electronic collection. LSCM and ODU will be testing the software tools using a small portion of the material acquired through GPO’s Web harvesting pilot project. LSCM expects to leverage the knowledge acquired through this automated metadata extraction project to: evaluate alternative methods of creating metadata for U.S. Government documents, investigate cost and staffing implications for using automated tools vs. manual metadata creation methods, and to develop detailed requirements and specifications for long-term use of automated metadata extraction tools for Web-harvested content gathered through the capabilities of the Future Digital System (FDsys). The project kick-off meeting is scheduled for October 18.  LSCM will keep the FDLP community informed of the progress of the project through postings to FDLP-L and presentations at upcoming meetings and conferences. If you have questions, please contact: Laurie B. Hall .

Thursday, 04 October 2007 | 22 hits

17. Foreign Relations of the United States Typographical Error

The State Department has informed Library Services and Content Management of an error in a volume of the Foreign Relations of the United States. The error is in: S 1.1:969-76/V.17 Item No.: 0872-B Title: Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969 - 1976, Volume XVII; China, 1969 - 1972 Shipping List No.: 2007-0032-P Shipping List Date: October 30, 2006 The error is on the title page of this volume. The title on this page should read "Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969 - 1976" instead of "Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969 - 1972". Please make this pen and ink correction on the Title page.

Monday, 22 October 2007 | 20 hits

18. CGP "Locate in a Library" Enhancements

Library Services and Content Management is pleased to announce that the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications’ (CGP) "Locate in a Library" feature has been enhanced to display two new fields: the "Catalog Website" and "Public Notes", providing additional depository-related information to assist users searching for a library that has their publication of interest. We also want to thank all of the libraries who updated their data in the new Federal Depository Library Directory (FDLD) during our data update period. GPO is working toward the release of the public version of the FDLD in a few weeks, to provide the public the second option of searching the FDLD directly for library directory information, in addition to using the "Locate in a Library" feature of a bibliographic record.

Thursday, 10 January 2008 | 19 hits

19. CGP Z39.50 Update

Library Services and Content Management (LCSM), with the assistance of volunteer libraries in the FDLP, tested Z39.50 access through the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) earlier this spring. Several volunteers commented that they would like to be able to retrieve bibliographic records from the CGP using the GPO item number. In order for the GPO item number to be a Z39.50 attribute, GPO needed to submit a proposal to the Library of Congress, Network Development and MARC Standards Office for review and approval. The proposal submitted by GPO can be reviewed on the Library of Congress' Web site. Approval is expected after October 10th.

Thursday, 27 September 2007 | 20 hits

20. SuDoc Classification Practice Change for House Foreign Affairs Hearings

Effective immediately, Library Services and Content Management (LCSM) will cease using cutter numbers on the hearings issued from the House Committee on Foreign Affairs: SuDoc Y 4.F 76/1: Item nos. 1017-A-07 (P), 1017-B-07 (MF) LSCM will use the serial number that is on the hearing as the suffix for the SuDoc class. This new procedure is consistent with the classification numbers assigned to other Congressional committee hearings. Chapter 5 of the GPO Classification Manual outlines this practice. Publications classified prior to this announcement will not be changed to reflect this new practice. For example: Title: U.S. Security Assistance to Mexico: Hearing before the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Tenth Congress, first session, October 25, 2007. Serial no. 110-115 SuDoc Class: Y 4.F 76/1:110-115 PURL: http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS89770

Thursday, 07 February 2008 | 18 hits