7.1 What’s New or Important

The Public Access Assessments (PAA) Program fulfills the Superintendent of Documents’ responsibility to conduct “firsthand investigations of conditions” at individual depository libraries (44USC§1909); it is one of the primary ways the GPO learns about and monitors individual depository library activities. Library Services and Content Management (LSCM) may conduct individual library assessments at any time upon request, or as need is determined. Scheduled assessments for individual depository libraries are planned to start in winter 2009.

The PAA program focuses upon outcomes. The process selected by your depository library to meet public access requirements continues to be a local determination. If your depository library follows the legal and program requirements, as outlined in Title 44 of the U.S. Code and the Federal Depository Library Handbook to ensure free public access, it is in compliance with the law and shall be successful in a PAA.

PAA emphasizes the general public user and the role Federal depository libraries play in providing access to and services in the use of Federal Government information for this user group. Assessments are organized around the major responsibilities of depository libraries, which fall into the broad categories of access, collections, service, and cooperative efforts.

• Access: Depository libraries provide free public access to Federal Government information products regardless of format.
• Collections: Federal Government information products in all formats are maintained so they are accessible and meet the Federal Government information needs of the general public. Federal depository libraries select and manage collections.
• Service: Activities and professional expertise, oriented to the Federal Government information needs of the local community and surrounding areas, are provided to support the visibility and use of the Federal Government information products of the depository library.
• Cooperative efforts: Activities libraries undertake to participate effectively with LSCM and all libraries in the nationwide network of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). Federal depository libraries cooperate as partners in the FDLP.

In general, PAA is a progressive review process, although an onsite assessment may be requested at any time. An initial assessment of all depository libraries is conducted offsite by PAA librarians through a review of your individual library Biennial Survey responses and your corresponding library and institution Web pages. If LSCM determines that a more detailed review, or a clarification, is needed to confirm that public access is being provided by your depository library in accordance with legal and program requirements, a PAA librarian will contact you. Additional documentation, such as policies not posted online, may be requested. LSCM may also request that your library revise a policy or procedure within a specified timeframe, e.g., three months. If needed, LSCM may also schedule an onsite visit to your depository library. When an official assessment is conducted, LSCM will provide a written report after the assessment is completed.

When appropriate, PAA activities also include consultation with other library personnel to share best practices in depository management to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of ongoing individual depository operations, and, thus, the FDLP. LSCM’s PAA librarians are experienced former depository coordinators who, through the process of reviewing the activities of many individual depositories, are able to exchange information about those activities and practices that have proven to be successful in similar types of depositories.

Additional information in support of the PAA program is available on the FDLP Desktop. On this site you will find a Request for GPO Participation. While this form has many purposes, it may be used to request a public access assessment. Continue to visit the PAA Web page as GPO will continue to add to the PAA pages as additional resources become available in 2008.