Administrative Notes 

Newsletter of the Federal Depository Library Program

Vol. 23, no. 13 GP 3.16/3-2:23/13 October 15, 2002 

HIGHLIGHTS

2003 

Interagency 

Seminar 1

MF Claims 4 

CEU for LPS

Programs 5 

Medical 

Textbook Now 

Available 6 

LPS FY 2002

Annual 

Report 6 

Sign Up for FDLP 

Announcement 

Service 19 

16th Annual Interagency Depository 

Seminar Announced for 

May-June 2003 

The 16th Annual Interagency Depository Seminar will be held in 

Washington, DC from May 27 through June 4, 2003. The weeklong 

seminar will consist of an overview of various agencies' information 

products and activities as they relate to Federal depository libraries. The 

seminar is being presented by many Federal agencies, including: 

• Bureau of the Census • Patent and Trademark Office 

• Copyright Office • Government Printing Office 

• Library of Congress • and more to be announced. 

• Office of the Federal Register 

At the Interagency Depository Seminar, representatives from Federal 

Government agencies showcase their products and services. The seminar 

consists of presentations that focus on the content of and access to these 

products and services, interspersed with tours and question and answer 

sessions. It offers the opportunity both to acquire information and to 

discuss and exchange ideas with colleagues, agency representatives, and 

Library Programs Service staff. The intended audience is documents staff 

with three years or less of recent experience with Federal Government 

documents. Attendees with reference or public service responsibilities 

will find these sessions particularly useful. Attendance is limited to 60, so

registration preference will be given to those outside the Washington, DC

area and to those who have not previously attended the seminar. 

There is no charge for the seminar. However, librarians attending the 

seminar must cover their own travel and subsistence expenses, as no 

government funds are available for that purpose. 
AN-v23-#13-10/15/02 

Prospective attendees should complete the 

registration form and fax it to the Library 

Programs Service by March 14, 2003. 

Librarians who are officially registered for 

the seminar will be notified first by e-mail 

immediately and then receive a packet by 

mail in mid-April 2003. As there is usually a 

waiting list, a helpful hint is to submit the 

registration form to reserve a place first, then 

try to obtain full or partial funding from your 

library administration later. If you wait until 

funding is assured, the limited slots for the 

seminar may be filled. 

If you have any questions about the seminar, 

please contact the Chief, Depository Services, 

by telephone on (202) 512-1119; by fax on 

(202) 512-1432; or by e-mail at <rhaunmohamed@gpo.gov>. 

16th Annual Interagency Depository Seminar 

Preliminary Agenda 

Tuesday, May 27, 2003 

There will be an informal get-together of 

seminar participants in the lobby of the 

Churchill Hotel at 6:00 p.m. Librarians will 

be able to meet some colleagues and 

Depository Services staff in an informal 

setting. Those who are interested may enjoy 

dining together in the area with a member of 

the Depository Services inspection team. 

Wednesday, May 28 

Government Printing Office 

The Library Programs Service (LPS) of the 

Government Printing Office will host the first 

day of the seminar. LPS staff will be 

available to answer questions about how GPO 

acquires, classifies, catalogs, and distributes 

and disseminates government information 

products in all media. There will be a 

comprehensive tour of the LPS facility and an 

opportunity to network. 

Thursday, May 29 

Federal Register 

The Office of the Federal Register (OFR), of 

the National Archives and Records 

Administration, will present this morning’s 

program on the Federal regulatory system. 

The workshop covers the rulemaking process, 

including the relationship between laws and 

regulations; the important elements of the 

Federal Register and the Code of Federal 

Regulations; using the finding aids of the 

Federal Register/CFR publication system; 

and an overview of electronic access to 

certain publications of the OFR. 

GPO Access 

In the afternoon, GPO's Office of Electronic 

Information Dissemination Services will 

demonstrate the variety of GPO Access online services, including the Federal Register, 

Congressional Record, U.S. Code, 

Congressional bills, and other databases. 

Friday, May 30

In the morning, four different Federal agency 

representatives will discuss their products, 

services, and electronic initiatives. For 

maximum flexibility in program planning, 

Federal agencies will be confirmed in spring 

2003. 

Library of Congress 

In the afternoon, there will be a tour of the 

Library of Congress and a presentation on the 

National Digital Library activities. 
AN-v23-#13-10/15/02 

Monday, June 2 

Bureau of the Census 

Staff of the Census Bureau will present 

product information for the 2000 Census, 

American Community Survey, American 

Factfinder, etc., and demonstrate other 

products on DVD or CD-ROM and the 

Census home page. Bureau staff will provide 

a variety of handouts and answer questions 

about the availability and uses of Census 

data. 

Tuesday, June 3 

Intellectual Property 

A full day workshop will cover the basics of 

intellectual property: patents, trademarks and 

copyrights, featuring speakers from the U.S. 

Patent and Trademark Office and the 

Copyright Office of the Library of Congress. 

Attendees will learn to differentiate between 

three types of Federal protection for 

intellectual property and the methods by 

which this information is accessed by the 

public. Publications and search methods, 

where applicable, will also be discussed. 

Wednesday, June 4 

In the morning, agency representatives from

additional Federal publishers will discuss 

their products, services, and electronic 

initiatives. 

The seminar will conclude at noon. 

Presentations during the seminar week will be 

held in the Carl Hayden Room of the main 

building of the Government Printing Office 

and the Library of Congress. Presentations 

will begin promptly at 8:30 a.m. and will last 

until 4:00 p.m., unless otherwise stated in a 

detailed program supplied to the registrants in 

mid-April 2003. All participants are 

expected to attend all presentations.

Accommodations 

A block of rooms has been reserved for 

seminar participants at the historic Churchill 

Hotel. The hotel is located in Embassy Row, 

at 1914 Connecticut Avenue, NW, in 

Washington, DC. The hotel is four blocks 

from the Dupont Circle Metro Station, and is 

close to such attractions as the National Zoo, 

the Smithsonian, and the National Gallery of 

Art. Attendees can take the Metro subway 

train from the Washington Reagan National 

Airport to the hotel as well as to Union 

Station, a block from GPO. The Library of 

Congress can be reached by Metro or by 

walking (about twenty minutes) from GPO. 

For information about the hotel, see its 

Website at <www.thechurchillhotel.com>. 

For a map of the Washington, DC, Metro 

system, see: 

www.wmata.com/metrorail/systemmap.cfm. 

Rooms are available for the single room rate 

of $119.00, double room rate of $139.00, not 

including tax. Parking at the hotel is $19.00 

per day, or $9.00, in and out. If you wish to 

reserve a room at the Churchill, you should 

call as soon as GPO confirms your seminar 

reservation. Hotel reservations at the 

Churchill must be made no later than April 

11, 2003. After that date, the Churchill does 

not guarantee room availability or the 

seminar rate. If you choose to make other 

hotel arrangements, be sure the hotel is near a 

Metro subway stop for ease of transportation 

to and from seminar sites. 

The phone number of the reservation desk at 

the Churchill Hotel is 202-797-2000. The fax 

number is 202-462-0944. Please tell the 

reservation clerk that you are attending the 

GPO Interagency Depository Seminar and 

quote the above room rate. If you are 

interested in sharing a room with another 

librarian attending the seminar, Robin HaunMohamed at LPS will try to match up 

roommates. You may contact her by 

telephone on 202-512-1119 or via email at 

<rhaun-mohamed@gpo.gov>.

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INTERAGENCY SEMINAR REGISTRATION FORM

Fax to: Chief, Depository Services Fax by: March 14, 2003

Library Programs Service (SLLD) 

 202-512-1432 

____ I would like to attend the May 27-June 4, 2003 Interagency Depository Seminar. 

____ I need lodging and will contact the hotel directly. 

____ I have not previously attended this GPO-sponsored seminar. 

Please type or print clearly: 

Depository #_____________

Name________________________________________________________________________________________

Institution Name________________________________________________________________________________

Library Name__________________________________________________________________________________

Street Address__________________________________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip Code + 4__________________________________________________________________________

Telephone (include area code)______________________________________________________________________

Internet E-mail Address___________________________________________________________________________________ 

Feedback Requested on Microfiche Claims 

During the spring and summer of this year, LPS 

received multiple complaints from depository 

libraries concerning the failure of the microfiche 

contractor, Court Reproduction Services, Inc. 

(CRS), to fill microfiche claims. The complaints 

were submitted to GPO’s Term Contracts 

Division for follow-up. Contractual obligation 

requires CRS to fill valid claims in a timely 

manner. 

In early September, CRS responded with a letter 

to all depository libraries assuring that measures 

would be taken to resolve the microfiche claim

problem. These measures included additional 

CRS personnel to fill claims and a methodology 

for libraries to follow-up with second claims. 

It has been approximately one month since 

distribution of the CRS letter. We have received 

reports on microfiche claims from a few libraries 

and would like to hear from others. Please send 

your fax or email to: 

Betty M. Jones 

Chief, Depository Administration Branch 

(202) 512-1432 (FAX) 

bjones@gpo.gov

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AN-v23-#13-10/15/02 

LPS Program Participants Will Earn CEU 

For the first time, GPO will award CEU 

(Continuing Education Units) for LPSsponsored programs, starting with the 2002 

Federal Depository Library Conference. 

CEU certificates will be available to all those 

who register for the conference by the cut-off 

date of October 11, 2002. 

Background 

For some years, depository librarians 

have been asking LPS to award 

Continuing Education Units (CEU) for 

the Interagency Seminar, Federal 

Depository Library Conference, and

Depository Library Council meetings. 

Awarding CEU for these LPS programs 

is consistent with the guidelines

established by IACET (International 

Association for Continuing Education 

and Training). Though GPO has not 

sought IACET certification, its 

programs meet IACET’s conditions for 

awarding CEU: “quality training and 

instruction by responsible, qualified 

organizations.” 

One CEU is awarded for 10 hours of 

instruction. Instructional hours do not 

include time spent on breaks, meals, 

social activities or business and 

committee meetings. 

Procedures

LPS will prepare the CEU certificates in 

advance, based on registrations. The number 

of CEU awarded will be pre-determined, 

based on the total length of the program, not 

fine-tuned to each participant. CEU will be 

awarded to participants in LPS-sponsored 

events as follows: 

• The fall Federal Depository Library 

Conference 2002/Depository 

Library Council meeting and the 

spring Depository Library Council 

meeting, with its associated 

programs, will receive 1.5 CEU. 

Originally conceived as a 

quantitative measure of successfully 

completed continuing education, the 

CEU has evolved into a hallmark of 

quality training and instruction by 

responsible, qualified organizations. 

One (1) CEU is equal to ten (10) 

contact hours of continuing 

education. This is based on a 

conservative count of the 

instructional hours from Monday 

morning through Wednesday 

morning. The Council working 

sessions on Sunday and Tuesday 

nights, and the final Council plenary 

session on Wednesday afternoon are 

not counted, as they not 

instructional hours. CEU 

certificates for the Conference 

and/or Council meetings will be 

made available on Tuesday 

afternoon through Wednesday. 

• The annual Interagency Seminar 

will accrue 3.8 CEU, based on the 

expected number of instruction 

hours. CEU certificates for the 

Interagency Seminar will be made 

available on the last day. 

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Military Medical Textbook Now Available 

Medical Aspects of Harsh Environments, v.1,

the latest volume in the Textbooks of Military 

Medicine series, is now available to the 

public. Published by the Borden Institute, 

Office of The Surgeon General, U.S. Army, 

this new title is the first in a series of three 

volumes dealing with harsh environments, 

and includes topics ranging from heat illness 

prevention to the treatment of accidental 

hypothermia. 

Previously available only to the military, this 

volume is available to the public in 

microfiche through the Federal Depository 

Library Program. Paper copies are for sale 

by the Superintendent of Documents. 

Title: Medical Aspects of Harsh 

Environments, v.1 

SuDocs: D 104.35:EN 8/V.1 

Item: 0352-F 

Shipping List: 2002-0412-M 

Stock #: 008-023-00121-9 

Price: $67.00 

Volume 2 is in the process of being 

microfiched. 

Library Programs Service 

FY 2002 Annual Report 

The Library Programs Service (LPS), U.S. 

Government Printing Office, administers two 

major programs: the Federal Depository

Library Program (FDLP), and the Cataloging 

and Indexing Program (C&IP). 

The FDLP and the C&IP work in concert to

provide timely, permanent, no-fee public 

access to U.S. Government publications. LPS 

achieves this mission by:

• Coordinating a network of libraries that 

assist the public in using FDLP 

collections of U.S. Government

publications; 

• Creating and maintaining tools to

identify, describe, locate and obtain

publications; and 

• Maintaining permanent collections of

U.S. Government publications. 

These functions are accomplished through the

basic operations of LPS: 

• Acquiring, classifying, and cataloging 

U.S. Government publications in all

formats; 

• Disseminating U.S. Government 

publications in all formats; 

• Assuring permanent public access to all 

publications in FDLP collections, with 

particular attention to archiving online 

U.S. Government publications; 

• Inspecting depository libraries for 

compliance with statutory 

requirements;

• Providing continuing education and 

training opportunities to depository 

library personnel.

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AN-v23-#13-10/15/02 

SUMMARY

The transition to a predominantly electronic 

FDLP, begun in 1996 at the direction of 

Congress, continued throughout FY2002. 

The mix of product formats distributed to 

libraries or made directly accessible to the 

public stabilized at the FY2001 level, with 

about 60% of new FDLP titles being 

available online. However, behind the 

scenes, LPS made significant progress in 

revamping its workforce to deal with the 

challenges of electronic information and 

moving toward the acquisition of an 

Integrated Library System (ILS). 

Long recognized as the national authority for 

cataloging Government publications, LPS is 

also gaining recognition as a center of 

excellence in other aspects of managing an 

electronic collection for permanent public 

access. LPS’ management of the FDLP 

Electronic Collection was notable in FY2002 

for expanded use of the GPO archive servers 

and our participation in the beta test phase of 

the OCLC Web Document Digital Archive 

initiative. 

FY2002 also saw multiple instances of FDLP 

resources being withdrawn or otherwise made 

unavailable to the public. Security concerns 

caused product withdrawals and Website 

“scrubbing,” and other actions, including 

court-directed Web site closures, resulted in 

previously public information becoming 

unavailable. 

LPS HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2002 

• LPS staff rebuilding 

• Archiving digital resources 

• ILS procurement progress 

• New promotional campaign for the 

FDLP 

• Email announcement service launched 

• Shrinking number of FDLP libraries 

• Some FDLP information made 

unavailable to the public

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

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AN-v23-#13-10/15/02 

8 

The Office of the Director consists of 12 

full-time equivalent employees (FTE), 

including the LPS Director, secretary, 

Electronic Collection Manager, and the LPS 

Analysis Staff. Functionally, this office: 

• Administers the Federal Depository 

Library Program (FDLP), and the 

Cataloging and Indexing Program. 

• Arranges content and service 

partnerships with external 

organizations, including libraries, 

Government agencies, and private 

sector entities. 

• Manages the FDLP Electronic 

Collection to ensure permanent public 

access to electronic Government 

information products. 

• Manages overall directions for LPS 

automated systems. 

• Advises upper management on 

program legislative and policy issues. 

• Oversees service-wide planning and 

budget development. 

• Develops and operates LPS Web 

applications. 

• Responds to external inquiries. 

The Library Division, under the general 

oversight of the Division Chief, consists of 

three organizations: the Depository Services 

Staff, the Cataloging Branch and the 

Depository Administration Branch. 

The Depository Services Staff, with 1 

supervisory and 5 non-supervisory FTE, is 

responsible for: 

• Inspecting depository libraries for 

compliance with the law. 

• Reviewing library self-studies and 

reporting results. 

• Designating new depository libraries. 

• Terminating the status of libraries 

leaving the FDLP. 

• Organizing continuing education and 

training events, including the Federal 

Depository Conference, the 

Interagency Depository Seminar, and 

meetings of the Depository Library 

Council to the Public Printer. 

• Publishing administrative publications 

and newsletters, including 

Administrative Notes, the Federal 

Depository Library Manual, and the 

Instructions to Depository Libraries. 

• Conducting the mandatory Biennial 

Survey of Depository Libraries and 

reporting results. 

• Responding to external inquiries. 

The Cataloging Branch, with 3 supervisory 

and 22 non-supervisory FTE, is responsible 

for: 

• Cataloging U.S. Government 

publications in all formats in 

accordance with national standards. 

• Building the Federal Depository 

Library Program Electronic 

Collection by discovering, classifying, 

cataloging, and archiving online 

publications. 
AN-v23-#13-10/15/02 

• Participating as a full member with all 

of the national level cooperative 

cataloging programs. 

• Developing and publishing GPO 

Cataloging Guidelines and related 

policies. 

• Producing Web and print versions of 

the Monthly Catalog of U.S. 

Government Publications. 

• Producing the U.S. Congressional 

Serial Set Catalog. 

• Responding to external inquiries. 

The Depository Administration Branch, 

with 3 supervisory and 30 non-supervisory 

FTE, consists of the Acquisitions and 

Classification Section and the Micrographics 

Section. The DAB staff is responsible for: 

• Acquiring U.S. Government 

publications in all formats. 

• Classifying U.S. Government 

publications in all formats. 

• Preparing Daily Depository Shipping 

Lists. 

• Following up on fugitive publication 

notifications. 

• Managing contracts for the 

preparation and distribution of 

microfiche. 

• Managing libraries’ selection profiles. 

• Responding to external inquiries. 

The Depository Distribution Division, with 

4 supervisory and 31 non-supervisory FTE, 

consists of three units, and is responsible for: 

Distributing tangible products to FDLP and 

International Exchange Program (IES) 

libraries. 

The Depository Receiving Section is 

responsible for: 

• Receiving Government publications in 

all formats from issuing agencies.

• Determining if correct quantity of

stock was received.

• Making up daily depository shipping 

boxes. 

The Depository Processing Branch is 

responsible for: 

• Performing stock control. 

• Preparing shipment boxes from library 

selection profile data. 

• Processing the shipment boxes via the 

Automated Depository Distribution 

System (ADDS). 

• Fulfilling claims for missing 

publications. 

• Monitoring shipments for timely and 

cost-effective delivery. 

• Distributing International Exchange 

Program publications for the Library 

of Congress. 

• Responding to external inquiries. 

The Depository Mailing Section is 

responsible for: 

• Preparing shipment boxes for mailings.

• Metering mail.

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AN-v23-#13-10/15/02 

10 

• Creating depository library mailing 

labels. 

PROGRAM LEGAL AUTHORITY

The enabling legislation for the programs 

administered by LPS is included in Title 44 

of the United States Code (USC), Public 

Printing and Documents. Specifically, the 

cataloging program is authorized in Sections 

1710 and 1711, the FDLP is covered in 

chapter 19, and the authority for electronic 

dissemination, locator services, and digital 

archiving is in Chapter 41.

LPS STAFF DEVELOPMENTS

LPS’ unprecedented personnel turnover in 

FY2001 led to yearlong efforts in FY2002 to 

fill vacancies and to rebuild the staff to better 

meet the challenges of electronic information 

delivery. Among LPS’ new hires were 

library inspectors, catalogers, program 

analysts, distribution staff, and replacement 

supervisory personnel. 

As attrition occurs in positions that deal 

primarily with processing physical products, 

some of those FTEs are reallocated to 

positions that emphasize the management of 

electronic resources, services to libraries, 

collection development, cataloging, and 

locator tools. New LPS positions in FY2002 

include: 

• Catalogers, who will be primarily 

engaged in identifying, describing, 

and archiving online resources in the 

FDLP, and 

• An additional librarian in the 

Depository Administration Branch, 

who will focus on collection-building 

activities. 

FDLP PUBLICATION DISSEMINATION

Government publications are generally 

furnished to Federal depository libraries 

solely in online electronic format. SOD 71, 

the “Dissemination/Distribution Policy for 

the FDLP” guides format changes for many 

publications from print to online 

dissemination. New and existing products 

are checked to see if they are available 

online. If so, and unless certain criteria or 

circumstances exist, LPS changes the 

depository dissemination to electronic only. 

The 43 publications on the list of “Essential 

Titles for Public Use in Paper Format” will be 

distributed in paper as long as the agency 

publishes them in ink-on-paper format. 

Table 1. Distribution of FDLP publications 

FY 2001 FY 2002 

Media Titles Titles 

Online (GPO Access) 15,235 10,931 

Online (other agency sites) 7,630 9,654 

Paper (includes USGS maps) 9,522 8,307 

Microfiche 4,726 5,525 

CD-ROM, DVD 480 483 

Total 37,593 34,900
AN-v23-#13-10/15/02 

11 

CATALOGING: GATEWAY TO THE E-FDLP 

With the advent of a more electronic FDLP, 

the LPS cataloging staff has expanded the 

range of its cataloging and locator services 

efforts, and moved beyond the traditional 

Monthly Catalog as its principal output. 

Cataloging now also functions as a gateway 

for bringing online titles into the FDLP 

Electronic Collection, and then for 

disseminating them under the program’s 

auspices. The Cataloging and Indexing 

Program provides access to online, as well as 

tangible, resources through bibliographic 

control. 

LPS catalogers discover, evaluate, select, and 

archive most online resources, in addition to 

creating bibliographic records that enable the 

public to search for, identify, and obtain 

access to all program publications. Locating 

and describing online resources for the FDLP 

has significantly broadened the range of 

decision-making required of the cataloging 

staff. Catalogers now play a critical role in 

enhancing current and permanent public 

access to the FDLP Electronic Collection. 

Table 2. Titles Cataloged 

FY 2001 FY 2002 

Titles Cataloged 15,364 13,857 

The loss of experienced cataloging staff in 

the past two years, coupled with the 

increasing complexity of the work, has had a 

marked impact on cataloging production. 

During the past twelve months, nearly 50 

candidates have been considered for 

cataloging positions. Seven persons have 

been hired. Thirty-one candidates (as of 

9/19/02) have declined interviews, declined 

further consideration, or declined 

appointments that have been offered to them. 

Five cataloging vacancies remain to be filled, 

and the recruiting process continues. 

In addition, both of the first line supervisors 

were newly hired in FY2002. This turnover 

has created a need for training and orienting 

new staff. Training that was carried out in a 

one-on-one mode has been transformed to a 

combination of classroom instruction and 

practical application. 

FEDERAL DEPOSITORY LIBRARIES

There are two types of depository libraries: 

regional and selective. The 52 regional 

depositories, roughly distributed one per state, 

receive copies of every physical title 

disseminated by LPS, and maintain those 

copies in perpetuity. Regional depositories 

serve as “field offices” in the FDLP, backing 

up the other depositories in their service area 

to answer inquiries, supply copies of desired 

publications, and provide advice and expertise 

on depository operations. As authorized by 44 

U.S.C. 1912, U.S. Senators designate regional 

depositories. 

The 1,248 selective depositories choose the 

kinds of publications they wish to receive 

based upon the needs of their local 

constituencies. A selective library must retain 

the publications selected for a minimum of 

five years, and may then dispose of those 

publications, subject to the statutory 

requirements and the directions of their 

regional. Up to two selective depositories in 
AN-v23-#13-10/15/02 

12 

each Congressional district are designated by 

the U.S. Representative, while several types, 

such as law school and court libraries, are 

established by specific language in Title 44 

Chapter 19. 

The number of depository libraries continues 

to decline, with 19 selective depository 

libraries leaving the system in FY2002. In 

most cases this occurred with no advance 

notification to LPS that relinquishing status 

was under consideration. Regional 

depositories are also reconsidering their 

status. In September, the Wisconsin 

Historical Society, a regional depository, 

relinquished its status. Other regionals are 

considering becoming selectives. 

This is a serious situation that in the short term 

impairs public access at the local level. In the 

longer term it may erode political support for 

the FDLP. LPS has conducted several 

discussions intended to identify the cause of 

libraries leaving the program. One of the 

principal reasons expressed is that so much 

information is now available on the Internet 

that the traditional program paradigm of GPO 

providing free publications to libraries in a de 

facto exchange for maintaining the collections 

and serving the general public has broken 

down. 

LPS is moving toward approval of electroniconly depository library collections, meaning 

that a depository library may select only those 

items made available in online format and still 

maintain its status in the FDLP. Nothing in 

the statute or practice categorically precludes 

such a selection profile once a depository 

library has been established. LPS is working 

with several institutions to develop an 

evaluative framework to ascertain that the 

needs of the immediate user community and 

the Congressional district are adequately met, 

and that a depository which establishes an allelectronic item selection is able to be 

evaluated in the Biennial Survey, self-study, 

and inspection on an equal and fair footing 

with a traditional depository. The pilot project 

is expected to begin in fall 2002, with staff 

from the University of Arizona Library, the 

University of Arizona School of Information 

Resources and Library Science, and the 

Library Programs Service working together to 

develop plans to implement and evaluate the 

one-year project. 

Table 3. Depository Library System Operations 

FY 2001 FY 2002 

FDLP libraries 1,313 1,297 

New depository designations 3 2 

Libraries leaving the FDLP 18 19 

Libraries placed on probation 1 1 

Libraries inspected 36 44 

Self-studies evaluated 96 114 

INFORMATION WITHDRAWN FROM THE 

FDLP 

In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, 

several agencies reviewed their public 

information from the perspective of a 

heightened need for national security. This 

resulted in the withdrawal of some 

information products previously in the FDLP. 

The Superintendent of Documents is the 

GPO official who by law is responsible for 
AN-v23-#13-10/15/02 

the operation of the FDLP, under which the 

GPO distributes copies of Federal 

publications to designated libraries for the 

use of the public. Under the FDLP, the 

Government may request the removal of 

materials from depository libraries, since the 

law (chapter 19 of Title 44) indicates that all 

FDLP materials remain Government

property. Requests to withdraw happen 

rarely, however. Since FY 1995, the GPO 

has distributed 230,019 tangible (print, 

microfiche, and CD-ROM) product titles to 

depository libraries, and recalled just 20 (16 

to be destroyed, 3 returned to the agency, 1 

removed from shelves). Such actions are 

taken only on the request of the issuing 

agency, most commonly because the titles 

contain information that is erroneous or has 

been superseded. The Superintendent of 

Documents has no statutory ability to deny 

agency document withdrawal requests, but 

instead serves as the statutory conduit for 

carrying them out. Prior to initiating any 

withdrawal request, the Superintendent of 

Documents' policy is to carefully review each 

request and ensure that all such requests to 

GPO are made in writing. 

During FY2002, information withdrawals 

have been widely discussed and debated in the 

library community, in a sense reflecting the 

larger public dialog over the issues of 

homeland security. Several other situations 

have affected LPS and the FDLP: 

• Ongoing discussions with the Nuclear 

Regulatory Commission (NRC) 

whether or not any NRC titles might 

be withdrawn. To date, the NRC has 

made no requests of GPO to withdraw 

any depository title. 

• Several of the Department of Energy 

laboratories have removed technical 

reports deemed to be sensitive from

their Web sites. This action reduced 

the size of the FDLP Electronic 

Collection by nearly 6,000 titles. 

• A single General Accounting Office 

report, entitled Brady Act Instant 

Background Check Is Not Applicable 

to Antique Firearms was removed 

from GPO Access at GAO’s request. 

• Several Interior Department Web sites 

were unavailable for varying periods 

following a judge’s order concerning 

the security of Indian Trust Fund data. 

• PubSCIENCE, an online index to 

scientific journal literature sponsored 

by the Energy Department’s Office of 

Scientific and Technical Information 

and GPO was withdrawn from public 

use after intense industry criticism that 

the product unfairly competed with 

private sector offerings. 

• The most contentious situation from

GPO’s perspective involved the 

request to Federal depository libraries 

to withdraw and destroy their 

depository copies of a USGS CDROM entitled Source Area 

Characteristics of Large Public 

Surface-Water Supplies in the 

Conterminous United States: An 

Information Resource for SourceWater Assessment, 1999. 

The Superintendent of Documents' request 

followed established policy for the withdrawal 

of documents from the FDLP. This policy, 

Agency Request to Withdraw Information 

Products from Superintendent of Documents 

Programs, is known internally as SoD 72. 

GPO takes very seriously any Federal 

agency's request to restrict access to 

Government information that has been made 

public. However, the GPO also has a duty 

13 
AN-v23-#13-10/15/02 

14 

under the law to cooperate with Federal 

agencies in the appropriate distribution of the 

official information they publish. Since the 

September 11 attacks, the USGS CD-ROM is 

the only document that the Superintendent of 

Documents has requested to be withdrawn 

from depository libraries. Any future agency 

withdrawal requests will be handled in 

accordance with law and established policy. 

NEW FDLP PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN

Recently, a GPO working group led by the 

Chief of the Program Awareness Office, with 

representation from LPS and the Office of 

Electronic Information Dissemination 

Services (EIDS), developed a marketing 

strategy to increase awareness of the FDLP 

among various constituencies. The revised 

marketing plan features the theme “U.S. 

Government Information: Make the 

Connection at a Federal Depository 

Library.”

This campaign recognizes that diverse 

constituencies may be unaware of the 

Program’s contributions and benefits. In 

light of recent trends that include more 

information offered online and a decline in 

the number of depository libraries nationally, 

increased promotional and marketing efforts 

are vital. GPO’s efforts, while aimed 

primarily at the various constituencies in the 

library community (administrators, reference 

staff, and bibliographers), also reach out to 

faculty, students, business, government, and 

the general public. 

In addition to developing new marketing 

materials for librarians to use, GPO has taken 

an active role in promoting the FDLP. LPS 

purchased the services of the North American 

Precis Syndicate (NAPS), who provides 

information about the FDLP to daily and 

weekly newspapers and radio stations across 

the country as Public Service 

Announcements. One and two-column filler 

pieces and a radio spot were developed for 

distribution to these media outlets. With the 

campaign still in its early stages, the pieces 

have already seen much use by the media 

with a wide range of audiences. 

During the first month, the radio spot was 

broadcast at least 188 times on 85 radio 

stations in 40 different states, which 

cumulatively serve 3,280,224 listeners. Of 

those broadcasts, 50% were in the top 50 

markets and include the listening areas of 

New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, 

Detroit, Atlanta, Seattle, San Antonio, and 

Las Vegas. One hundred and twelve were in 

the top 100 markets. During the same time 

frame, the one-column ad that uses the new 

campaign graphic generated 276 known 

newspaper articles in 20 different states with 

a readership of 10,000,576. This release has 

had 44 placements in the top 50 markets, 220 

in the top 100 markets and 276 in the top 300 

markets. 

Librarians may request new posters, 

bookmarks, brochures, ads and other FDLP 

promotional materials from the FDLP 

Desktop Web site at 

<http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pr/ 

order.html>. 

EMAIL ANNOUNCEMENT SERVICE

Recently LPS initiated the FDLP 

Announcement Service to provide depository 

libraries with time-sensitive FDLP 

information. Through this free email service, 

LPS is providing depository libraries with 

timely announcements relating to the 

program. The FDLP Announcement Service 

was created in response to years of 

suggestions that LPS and the FDLP should 

have an "official" email communication 

channel for program announcements, instead 

of using one or more of the several discussion 
AN-v23-#13-10/15/02 

lists. Initially, LPS continues to post the 

same announcements to discussion lists such 

as GOVDOC-L and DocTech-L, but 

ultimately the FDLP Announcement Service 

will be the sole email source for these 

notices. As of 9/20/02 there were 761 

subscribers to the list. 

DIGITAL ARCHIVING

GPO guarantees the public will have 

permanent access to the online titles in the 

FDLP, in similar fashion to the assurance that 

physical products in the FDLP will be 

permanently accessible at the regional 

depository libraries. Permanent public access 

for online electronic files entails an 

organizational commitment to preserving and 

maintaining the data, beginning with capturing 

the non-GPO Access content, and including 

refreshing files to prevent deterioration of 

storage media, migrating files to newer file 

formats to prevent technological obsolescence, 

managing backup and mirror sites, and other 

ongoing activities. GPO’s responsibilities for 

permanent public access are described in LPS’ 

1998 report Managing the FDLP Electronic 

Collection: A Policy and Planning Document

<http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pub

s/ecplan.html>. 

LPS has thus far pursued three approaches to 

providing permanent public access:

1. Digital archiving using partner sites, 

through contractual partnership 

agreements with depository libraries 

and/or publishing agencies. 

2. Digital archiving on GPO servers. 

3. Developing a processing “tool kit” of

software for archiving digital objects, 

and an off-site archival storage 

capability with the Online Computer 

Library Center, Inc. (OCLC). 

Presently all three of these approaches are 

underway. LPS’ own archive of electronic 

publications provides a first level of security 

for agency publications that are primarily 

textual or images of text, and which have no 

tangible counterpart in the FDLP. Information 

about the operation of the FDLP/EC Archive 

can be found at 

<www.gpo.gov/ppa/resources.html>. 

LPS staff routinely downloads copies of 

online titles for which there are no analogous 

print versions in the FDLP. These files are 

eventually stored on GPO’s archive server, as 

a security measure. Their active use begins 

only when the original agency version is no 

longer available. As of August, there are 

approximately 4750 titles stored in the 

archive server, with 77 archived titles being 

served up to users. 

GPO and OCLC, Inc. have completed the 

first phases of testing of a system to locate, 

identify, process, describe, and archive 

electronic publications. The Web Document 

Digital Archive Pilot Project includes several 

other partners, including the state libraries of 

Connecticut, Michigan, Arizona, and Ohio, 

and the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. 

The system incorporates a mix of new and 

existing solutions in an effort to refine and 

integrate LPS workflow and routines for 

processing and storing e-titles for the long 

term. 

GPO is a full partner in this project, and staff 

has worked closely with OCLC, providing 

input in the development process. LPS’ 

Director and Electronic Collection Manager 

were instrumental in conceptualizing this 

project, convincing OCLC of the value and 

importance of digital archiving, and in 

prototyping the features and the user 

interface. The resulting product, while 

initially a reflection of GPO's high-level 

requirements for an archiving system, is 

15 
AN-v23-#13-10/15/02 

making a significant contribution to the 

ability of libraries worldwide to manage and 

expand access to digital resources. 

As an outgrowth of the digital archive 

project, GPO is a charter member of the 

OCLC Digital and Preservation Cooperative, 

which will advance research and 

development of digital preservation and 

archiving solutions for libraries worldwide. 

PARTNERSHIPS

A guiding principle of LPS' transition efforts 

has been that a system of shared 

responsibility for building capacity, storing, 

disseminating, and preserving Government 

information will produce the greatest benefit 

in return for resources invested. The goal of 

establishing partnerships with agencies, 

depository libraries, and other organizations 

builds on the successful model of the FDLP 

sharing responsibility for access and 

preservation. 

Partnerships have taken various forms. Six 

libraries provide services or tools for locating 

Government information or managing 

depository library collections. In 2002, 

responsibility for one of GPO's original 

Pathway locators, Browse Topics, passed to 

new management at Oklahoma State 

University. 

Nine partners manage content with specific 

permanent public access safeguards 

contractually defined. Among these are 

depository libraries including: the University 

of Illinois at Chicago, which hosts 

Department of State material; Indiana 

University, which hosts an online server of 

publications previously distributed in the 

FDLP on unstable floppy disk media, and the 

University of North Texas, which houses the 

Cybercemetery, a site which collects and 

preserves the web sites of Government 

agencies and commissions that have ceased 

operation. In the past year the 

Cybercemetery has been averaging 510,160 

hits per month. Several Government

agencies, including the National Renewable 

Energy Laboratory and the National Library 

of Medicine, maintain agreements through 

which GPO is assured that web content will 

be maintained on agency servers 

permanently, thus relieving GPO of the 

burden of capturing and archiving their 

content. 

In late 2002, a content partnership between 

the U.S. Census Bureau, GPO, and the Case 

Western Reserve University Libraries 

(CWRU) was begun. CWRU will operate a 

site specifically geared to depository libraries 

offering the 2000 Census Summary Files for 

download by File Transfer Protocol (ftp). 

INTEGRATED LIBRARY SYSTEM

In the fiscal year 2002 appropriation, GPO 

received general approval from Congress to 

acquire a commercial off-the-shelf Integrated 

Library System (ILS). LPS will use the ILS 

to support cataloging, classification, 

acquisitions, serial check-in, preparation 

work for format conversion contracts, library 

selection and address information, and to 

provide distribution information to the 

Automated Depository Distribution System. 

The ILS public catalog interface will offer 

enhanced information identification and 

location capabilities to all users. Depository 

library staff will, for the first time, have direct 

access to the processing and product status 

information that is the bulk of their inquiries 

to LPS. 

Two important milestones in the acquisition 

process have taken place this fiscal year: 

16 
AN-v23-#13-10/15/02 

• LPS obtained spending approval from 

the Joint Committee on Printing for 

the ILS. 

• GPO has contracted and begun work 

with a library automation consulting 

firm, RMG, Inc., of Chicago, IL, to 

analyze functional requirements, 

review available systems for “fit” 

with those requirements, and 

recommend the best system to meet 

LPS’ needs. 

PARTICIPATION IN OUTREACH AND 

CONTINUING EDUCATION

10/01 - Federal Depository Conference (10th

annual)/Fall Depository Library 

Council Meeting. In addition to 

planning and sponsoring these 

meetings, LPS staff did several 

content presentations. The 

Conference proceedings are online 

at 

http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs

/fdlp/pubs/proceedings/01pro.html. 

- LPS’ Director met with the directors 

and documents coordinators of the 

Federal depository libraries in 

Maine, Hew Hampshire and 

Vermont, to discuss the future of 

the FDLP, with special emphasis on 

role of the regional depository 

libraries. 

11/01 - Presentation on digital archiving 

projects at the Coalition for 

Networked Information annual 

meeting. 

12/01 - University of Maryland regional 

depository library session for 

MD/DC/DE depositories. 

1/02 - American Library Association 

Midwinter Meeting, New Orleans, 

LA, with multiple presentations at 

the Government Documents Round 

Table (GODORT) sessions. 

2/02 - Courtesy visit to the Newburgh Free 

[Public] Library, Newburgh, NY. 

- Courtesy visits for West Virginia 

Regional and selective library 

focusing on electronic-only 

resources. 

3/02 - Attendance at Public Library 

Association Conference; met with 

Arizona library staff in the Phoenix 

area and with the University of 

Arizona staff for discussion of a 

virtual collection pilot project. 

4/02 - Depository Library Council to the 

Public Printer, Mobile, AL. LPS 

coordinates these meetings and 

makes multiple content 

presentations. 

5/02 - Regional Depository Library 

Meeting, Minneapolis, MN. 

- Regional Depository Library 

Meeting, VA. 

- Regional Depository Library 

Meeting, IL

6/02 - Interagency Depository Seminar, an 

LPS-sponsored training event for 

depository library staff. 

- American Library Association 

Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA, 

with multiple presentations at 

GODORT sessions. 

17 
AN-v23-#13-10/15/02 

7/02 - American Association of Law 

Librarians, in Orlando, FL. Update 

on GPO’s appropriation, FDLP 

operations, and the cooperative 

efforts to locate fugitive documents. 

8/02 - Los Angeles, CA, Depository 

Library Meeting. SelfStudy/Inspection Preparation 

presentation. 

9/02 - Regional Depository Library 

Meeting, College Park, MD. 

- Announce awarding of CEU 

(Continuing Education Units) to 

participants in LPS programs, 

beginning with Federal Depository 

Library Conference in October 

2002. 

- Rotary Club meeting, College Park, 

MD

18 
AN-v23-#13-10/15/02 

Sign Up for the 

FDLP 

Announcement 

Service! 

 Free! 

 Fast! 

 Timely! 

 Official! 

To subscribe, go to <http://listserv.access.gpo.gov/>. Click on <Online 

Mailing List Archives>. Click on <GPO-FDLP-L>. Click on <Join or 

leave the list> and follow the instructions. 
AN-v23-#13-10/15/02 

20 

Table of Contents 

16th Annual Interagency Depository Seminar Announced .......................................................... 1 

Feedback Requested on Microfiche Claims ................................................................................. 4 

LPS Program Participants Will Earn CEU ................................................................................... 5 

Military Medical Textbook Now Available.................................................................................. 6 

Library Programs Service FY 2002 Annual Report ..................................................................... 6 

Sign Up for FDLP Announcement Service ................................................................................ 19 

Administrative Notes is published in Washington, DC by the Superintendent of Documents, 

Library Programs Service, Government Printing Office, for the staffs of U.S. Federal 

Depository Libraries. 

It is published on the 15th day of each month; some months have additional issues. 

Postmaster send address changes to: The Editor, Administrative Notes 

U.S. Government Printing Office

Library Programs Service, SLLD 

Washington, DC 20401 

Internet access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pubs/adnotes/index.html 

Editor: Marian W. MacGilvray (202) 512-1119 mmacgilvray@gpo.gov