Approved-By:  RAED@VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.govdoc-l
Date:         Fri, 11 Dec 1992 11:16:36 CST
From:         KESSLER <KESSLER.DAVIS@mhs.unc.edu>
Subject:      Congressional Letters

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Dear Andrea and Colleagues,
Here is a copy of a recent letter I sent to a Congressman.  I am going to
modify it and send it to another Congressman.  I also will send copies to
Ford and Rose.  I would suggest to all of you that you hype the importance
of the Depository System and quote as many figures as possible and really
hit on your own districts!!  This letter went to the Congressman with a
personal letter from a constituant.  Good luck all.
Ridley Kessler
University of North Carolina
kessler.davis@mhs.unc.edu

Dear Congressman:

Recently the United States Government Printing Office surveyed the 1400
depository libraries nationwide asking those libraries to substantially
reduce the number of federal documents they receive in paper or microfiche
formats.  Such a reduction means most depositories, including those in
North Carolina, are having to give up some important publications
altogether and to accept others in less desirable formats for public use.
The ultimate result of this action is less public access to less
information.  The accompanying letter informed depositories that
publications such as U.S. Reports, slip treaties, and slip Supreme Court
opinions would now be sent to all libraries only in microfiche.  It further
elaborated that the distribution of Department of Energy and National
Aeronautics and Space Administration microfiche, the bound version of
Treaties and Other International Acts, and the bound versions of U.S.
Congressional Serial Set would be limited solely to the 52 national
Regional Depository Libraries.
These cuts to the Depository Library Program are necessary because of a
$3,500,000 shortfall in the GPO 1993 budget appropriation.  They had
originally needed $32,546,000 in their Salaries and Expenses Appropriation
which covers the Federal Depository Library Program.  This amount was
sufficient to maintain its operations at the existing level of service and
allow libraries some choice of format in their selections in order to meet
their own local needs.  However, the actual fiscal year 1993 S & E
Appropriation was only $29,082,000, thus the shortfall.
Early in November of this year I was one of five Regional Depository
librarians who were invited to Washington as a focus group to discuss this
budget crisis with GPO personnel and evaluate their options.  We agreed
that the problem is real and that if no more money is forthcoming then they
indeed would have to make severe cuts in their services to stay within
budget.  We made several broad conceptual options for GPO to consider and I
have enclosed a copy of the report that this group sent out to the other
Regional Librarians.
While depository librarians are willing to make sacrifices as a short term
solution to an emergency condition, they are aware that if these cuts
become permanent, the long term impact will mean less access to
publicly-supported information.
In North Carolina there are thirty-four depository libraries that serve Tar
Heel citizens.  These libraries provide free access and service for their
constituencies at great expense to themselves.  It is estimated that for
each federal dollar spent on depository appropriations, ten more were
invested by each library participating in the program to provide adequate
service.  In the fifth district you have three depository libraries
including the Forsyth County Public Library, Wake Forest University, and
the Wake Forest University Law School Library.  In the first six months of
this fiscal year the Documents Department at Wake Forest University
answered almost 1900 reference question for the campus and community of
Winston-Salem.  They have circulated or had used in- house 2358 federal
publications.  The Forsyth County Public Library also has a high level of
service.  Last fiscal year they answered 1250 federal documents related
questions, and their patrons used over 5000 documents during the same time
period.  These two fine libraries are very typical and you would find that
all of the North Carolina Depositories provide a similar level of service
for the public.  They answer thousands of reference questions and circulate
thousands of documents each year.
A study done in 1987 at the request of the Government Printing Office found
that were a minimum of 167,000  users of academic and public depository
libraries per week.  So you can see that the Depository Library Program is
an important source of information throughout the nation as well as in
North Carolina and that it does fulfill its mission by bringing this
information to all who want to use it free of charge.  We strongly feel
that the benefits of the program far exceed the costs.  Specifically we ask
for your help is seeing that the Depository Library Program is adequately
funded so that it can continue to serve the citizens of North Carolina.  We
also hope that the Government Printing Office delay the immediate
implementation of these cuts to allow an opportunity for the appropriate
committees of Congress and the depository community to consider the impact
on the depository system and on the general public.  We also hope that a
new administration and a new Congress will help to improve this vital
program.  Any help you can give us in this matter will be greatly
appreciated and will help everyone in this state and in your own home
district.
I am enclosing the letter from the Government Printing Office and their
survey, a copy of the report of our regional focus group to our colleagues,
and a listing of North Carolina Depositories for your information.  Thank
you very much for your time and consideration of this matter.

Sincerely,



Ridley R. Kessler, Jr.
North Carolina Regional Librarian
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