United States 1-| "I 1 • Government Printing Office FUDIIC UOCUmeiltS

April 1983 Highlights— ~

No. 58 (GP 3.27:58)

Documents Librarians Called Lax

In Providing Referral Services

A library user wanting information on Government documents stands little chance

of having the inquiry properly referred if the answer is not forthcoming immediately.

And if the inquiry is referred, that effort is limited at best. These are some of the conclusions from a study conducted in the fall of 1981 by profes- sors Peter Hernon and Charles R. McClure. Hernon is with the Graduate School of Li- brary and Information Science at Simmons

College, and McClure is with the School of Library Science at the University of Oklaho- ma.The study posed a set of 20 pretested ref- erence questions to documents personnel at

17 academic institutions in the Northeast and Southwest. Half of the questions were

asked in person and the other half over the

telephone.

While every library tested was located in a state that has regional depositories, few

referrals were directed to these more complete collections, according to the study re- sults. Of all 340 questions administered by

students of the two professors, referrals were suggested in only 59 instances. It did not make any difference where the library was located, nor how many times the origi- nal inquiry was made.

In a number of instances, Hernon and McClure found, documents people did not know

the answer and had no idea about where

else to try to obtain the desired information. However, the longer the inquiry was pressed the more likely a referral would be suggested. No Differences The questions also revealed that it did not make much difference whether the aca- demic institution offered doctoral degrees or

not.The survey noted that just because one

library selected more depository documents

than another this did not have any bearing on referral service. Nor did the number of

staff members influence the willingness to engage in referral. The study did find that

library people in the Southwest were more

likely to make referrals to other members of the same library staff, while those from the Northeast made the majority of outside re- ferrals. Another discovery was that staff members

who work in separate collections suggest re- ferral only infrequently. Even when these people could not find the answer, they did not consult with other members of the li- brary staff. The study further noted that documents people may not believe that other members of the library staff can cope with Government-related questions. In any event, the professors conclude that a more active dialogue is needed between

documents staff members and general refer- ence personnel because library college pro- grams are not cohesive. Hernon and McClure suggest that libraries cannot afford to operate one collection development policy

for Government publications and another

for other library resources. One of the problems compounding the sit- uation, according to the study, is that those seeking information about the Government

lack a clear understanding of Government

structure and therefore do not know where

to look, or at times what they are looking

for. Not Considered Integral

The researchers found as very disturbing an indication that referral service was not considered an integral part of reference

service. Also, depository collections should

be regarded as part of an interlocking net- work, they asserted. Both library staff members and library users must learn to associate Government

publications with specific information needs and then investigate the various formats in which the information might appear, accord- ing to the two professors. For example, in- formation often is available in paper, microform, audiovisual and machine-readable for- mats, they explain. Documents staff members must have a more complete awareness of library and

other local resources, as well as alternative methods of obtaining desired information, Hernon and McClure stated. For example,

while librarians might not be allowed to make long-distance telephone calls on behalf

of an inquirer, they can refer the person to a Federal Information Center, Government

Printing Office bookstore, or area agency. Further, they suggest that libraries devel- op collections of agency telephone directories as well as lists of Government agencies

where specific data is readily available, such

as the Bureau of the Census. The two professors declared that docu- ments staff members must fully realize their role as disseminators of information and assume the responsibilities that profes- sionalism demands. They urged additional research in the overall referral system area. Hernon and McClure recommend that li- braries reexamine standards for acceptable

levels of reference performance and develop

written policy statements that provide clear guidelines covering referral activity.

(Article is excerpted with the authors' per- mission from Improving the Quality of Referral Service for Government Publications by Charles R. McClure and Peter Hernon.

Published by the American Library Association, it is 260 pages. It will be out in late April or early May.)

THE "NEW LOOK" . . . The "new look" of Public Documents

Highlights is a development of the Typography and Design Division of GPO's Customer Service Department. Not only is Highlights being issued more

regularly but the typeface and type size are

different. The text is set by electronic photocomposition in Century, with the headlines

in Helvetica. The text is set in 8-point on a

10-point line, in contrast with the previous

10-point on a 12-point line. As with anything new, we would appreci- ate your comments. Please identify yourself

when you write. Thank you. The editor.

1
Congressional Reports, Documents

Compiled Into "New Look" Serial Set

Public Documents Highlights is circulat- ed regularly primarily for librarians of the Federal Depository Library Program, and

mailed at first class rates. Material for use in this publication should be sent to the Editor, Public Documents

Highlights, c/o Superintendent of Docu- ments (SD), Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20401.

All submissions may be edited or con- densed for space consideration. Comments

are most welcome and may be. printed if the sender is clearly identified. DANFORD L. SAWYER, JR. Public Printer of the United States MICHAEL F. DiMARIO Superintendent

of Documents

Monthly Catalog Fiche

Sample Sent Out

A sample set of the March 1983 Monthly

Catalog of United States Government Publi- cations in microfiche has been sent to all depository libraries, with a request for comments. Plans call for the catalog to be avail- able in fiche on a regular basis starting this July.

Although the March issue in fiche does

not contain the usual preliminary pages, subsequent fiche issues will have them. A

novel feature is the separation in the fiche of the index section from the record entry

section. This will enable librarians to easily discard the January-June indexes when the 6-month one is issued; likewise, the JulyDecember indexes will be replaced when the 12-month one becomes available. There are a number of advantages to

fiche: Space-saving. The standard version of the

catalog with supplements and indexes occupies about 3 feet of shelf space and weighs

about 65 pounds. In fiche, it would take up some 3 inches of 5 x 8-inch card file space and weigh around 3 pounds.

Mailing costs. Since the fiche version is less bulky, it will cost considerably less to mail. Production costs. It costs 49 cents to pro- duce the 98-page catalog in standard printed

form. All of those pages can be produced on

one fiche at a cost of 7 cents. Timeliness. Because the Government

Printing Office produces its own camera

masters directly from a computer tape, pro- duction will be even more timely than the paper version and of very high image quality. The reduction is a standard 24X and the image negative.

For 166 years, the bound and numbered

volumes of Congressional reports and docu- ments distributed to depository libraries and

bylaw recipients have not had an official

title. That has changed with their designation as the "U.S. Congressional Serial Set." This culminates a 4-year effort by the Government Printing Office, which produces

these items, and the Joint Congressional

Committee on Printing (JCP), which authorizes the program, to also improve the Set's physical appearance and also to facilitate access to its contents while reducing production costs. Acting upon the recommendations of an

advisory committee authorized by the JCP

in 1979, the Government Printing Office has made significant changes in the production

and distribution of the Serial Set; 'Depository libraries and bylaw recipients

have their choice of hard copy or microfiche,

which has resulted in savings of approximately $1.7 million in fiscal year 1982. Projected savings for fiscal year 1983 are esti- mated at nearly $3 million. *An elaborately bound posterity edition previously distributed to 22 bylaw recipients has been eliminated, adding to overall savings.

* Bylaw recipients now get the more eco- nomically-produced depository library edi- tion, which has been greatly improved with

a stronger buckram binding, acid-free end

papers and other features designed to in- crease its durability.

*The format, style and binding of this ediMurphy's Law . . . If anything can go wrong, it will—and did

in the February issue. The February issue was incorrectly listed as January GP 3.27:55 when it should have

read GP 3.27:56. This is the edition with a Page 1 photo of Public Printer Danford L. Sawyer, Jr. and new Library Programs Service Director Sarah T. Kadec. We apologize for the error. The editor.

The photograph of the Depository Library

Council which appeared on Page 4 two

issues ago did not have complete identification, which should have read: Left to right

Council members Jeanne Isacco, Sandra K.

Faull, Steven D. Zink, Nancy P. Johnson; Deputy Public Printer William J. Barrett; and Council members Johanna Thompson,

Dennis L. Bruce and Sandra K. Peterson.

tion have been standardized to increase its usefulness as a library and general refer- ence tool in the most cost-effective way possible. "Both the Government Printing Office and the Joint Committee on Printing are

gratified to report that these valuable

records touching upon the legislative intent

of statutes will continue to be available to posterity without imposing an undue burden

on today's taxpayer," comments Public Printer Danford L. Sawyer, Jr. (For further reference, see the October 1980 and June 1981 issues of Public Documents

Highlights.)

Lynn McDonald Joins

FEDLINK

S. Lynn McDonald, a member of the Li- brary of Congress 1982-83 Library Intern Program, has joined FLC/FEDLINK as a network librarian. A native of Olathe, Kans., she served as an assistant at the University of Kansas

from 1973 to 1981. Her work included posi- tions in the Catalog Department and the

Serials Department, Watson Library, the Department of Special Collections, Kenneth

Spencer Research Library and the English

Department.

McDonald earned her bachelor of arts and

master of arts degrees in English, both from

the University of Kansas in Lawrence. She

also received a master of library science degree from Rutgers University in New

Brunswick, N.J.

HIGHLIGHTS needs material from you,

the reader. What kind of material? Headlines from the February issue of the Li- brary Journal can be used as a guide: "Co- lumbus, Ohio Library Undergoes Major Reorganization," "Arkansas Library School Takes On Research and Training Role". "Seton Hall and Chinese Libraries Initiate International Staff Exchange".

Well, documents librarians, how about

what is going on in your location? You do

not have to submit a polished finished product; the essential facts are what we

need. And please send along a photograph,

especially if you are submitting a review or any other signed article. Thank you for helping to make HIGHLIGHTS your publication.

2