7.4 Other Helpful Information About the PAA Program

LSCM continues to take a functional approach to individual library assessment. The method your library selects to meet the public access requirements of a Federal depository remains a local determination. For example, public access to online resources at computer workstations within your library building may be provided through a combination of several mechanisms. Your depository library may provide access to all online depository resources on all of its public access computer workstations in the building. Or, there may be some stations set aside specifically for Federal depository researchers. In some areas of the library, you may ask researchers to log on to computers through a patron authentication mechanism. You may also provide mediated access to Federal resource information at the public services desks. This is just a sampling of possible scenarios. As long as public access is attained, without any “chilling effect” that may inhibit potential depository usage, the outcome is achieved.

If your library has encountered some challenging circumstances that have resulted in areas of non-compliance with legal or program requirements but you are working to make improvements, PAA librarians certainly acknowledge and support these demonstrable efforts and will account for these in a PAA. In some cases, PAA librarians will ask the depository coordinator to communicate with LSCM about certain issues within a specified time period, e.g., 3 or 6 months.

LSCM encourages you to share information about depository assessments with your library’s administration and colleagues as a way to emphasize the importance of the FDLP, to reinforce the library’s commitment to provide public access to U.S. Government information, and to improve access and services at your depository.

PAA is a great opportunity for you to share information with LSCM. LSCM looks upon PAA as an information exchange with the personnel in individual depository libraries. We welcome suggestions for improvements within the FDLP as we continue to build a more effective and efficient Program.