Administrative Notes 

Newsletter of the Federal Depository Library Program

Vol. 19, no. 13 GP 3.16/3-2:19/13 November 5, 1998 

Library Programs Service 

Fiscal Year 1998 Report 

Summary

During Fiscal Year (FY) 1998 the Library Programs Service (LPS) made significant progress in 

its efforts to incorporate electronic Federal Government information products into the Federal 

Depository Library Program (FDLP). These efforts reflect LPS’ initial realization of the policies 

and plans for the FDLP Electronic Collection. 

As might be expected in any transition period, LPS’ work was divided between maintaining and 

enhancing the traditional functions that relate to the management of tangible Federal 

Government information products, and developmental activities. The developmental efforts 

focused on expanding the FDLP Electronic Collection and implementation of information 

technology solutions to improve services to the depository library community and the public. A 

substantial amount of staff time was devoted to developing and implementing programs that 

enhanced communications between LPS, depository libraries and other program participants. 

Several new partnerships and agreements were forged among GPO, other Federal Government 

agencies, information-related organizations and depository libraries, in order to produce, make 

available, and permanently store a wide range of electronic Federal Government information 

products. 

LPS 1998 highlights include: 

 Refining the "FDLP Electronic Collection" concept 

 Developing askLPS 

 Increased distribution of tangible products, especially microfiche 

 Increased cataloging output 

 DOE Information Bridge partnership 

 Using PURLs to improve access to Internet resources 

 Continued outreach activities 

 LPS employee orientation program 

 New Web applications developed by LPS staff 
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FDLP Electronic Collection 

LPS staff continued to refine a policy defining GPO’s management of the various electronic 

Federal Government information products made available through the FDLP as a library-like 

collection. 

The policy is documented in a paper entitled “Managing the FDLP Electronic Collection: A 

Policy and Planning Document,” (the Plan). The Plan provides a foundation for policies and 

procedures, and defines organizational responsibilities for managing the Collection. It was 

developed by a team led by LPS, joined by staff from EIDS and the GPO Production 

Department. In April it was presented to GPO upper management, and subsequently was 

discussed at the spring Depository Library Council (DLC) meetings. In May a draft was 

reviewed by the DLC members, who provided significant input. Additional discussions took 

place at the American Library Association Annual Conference in June. In July, GPO staff met 

with Dr. Lewis Bellardo, Deputy Archivist of the United States, and members of his staff, to 

discuss GPO and the National Archives and Records Administration's (NARA) common 

interests. Copies of the draft plan were shared with NARA. Overall, NARA’s reaction was 

supportive, and their comments helped us further clarify the difference between NARA’s 

responsibility for the preservation of Federal records and GPO’s permanent public access role for 

FDLP publications. 

We have published the Plan on GPO Access <www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/dpos/ecplan.html>, 

and we will distribute a copy to every depository library. Even though not yet published, the 

Plan is shaping how we in LPS think about our role in developing the FDLP Electronic 

Collection, the relationship between the Collection and our cataloging and locator services, and 

our role in ensuring current and permanent public access to information provided through the 

FDLP. 

The following activities exemplify how the FDLP Electronic Collection is being built: 

 FDLP Electronic Collection on the Web 

Based on components of the Collection, these pages, developed by Cynthia Etkin, provide 

links to full text resources from GPO, FDLP partner sites, and other Federal Government 

agencies. A collection of finding tools will assist users in locating tangible electronic 

products in depository libraries, as well as products on other agency sites that GPO identifies, 

links to and describes. 

 FDLP/ERIC Digital Library Pilot Project 

GPO, the National Library of Education, and OCLC signed an agreement to make public 

domain reports from the Educational Resources Information Clearinghouse (ERIC) available 

online through the FDLP. All 300 libraries in the FDLP/ERIC Digital Library Pilot Project 

received their authorizations and passwords this past summer and are making public domain 

ERIC reports available free via the OCLC FirstSearch interface. Reports from January 1997 

forward, previously provided to the FDLP in microfiche, are converted to TIFF image format 

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and stored at OCLC. This pilot will provide the project participants with useful information 

on managing a large, high-demand electronic collection. The project is currently scheduled 

to conclude December 31, 1998, and data will be analyzed in the first months of calendar 

year 1999. 

 DOE Information Bridge 

An interagency agreement was signed between GPO and the Department of Energy 

(DOE)/Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI) in December 1997 that 

provides depository libraries and the public with electronic access to more than 26,000 

reports that have been produced by DOE/OSTI since January 1996. OSTI staff introduced 

the depository library version of its electronic dissemination system, Information Bridge, 

during the April Federal Depository Conference. Since that time over 5,000 documents have 

been added to the system. The OSTI staff also provided training to the GPO Access User 

Support Team. During its first month of operation to the depository community, Information 

Bridge was a "Pick of the Week" from Yahoo!, the Web navigation and indexing site. In 

September the Information Bridge Project Team at OSTI was selected to receive a FY 1998 

DOE Information Management Quality Award for Technical Excellence. This award is 

designed to recognize those individuals, organizations, teams and/or groups who have made 

significant quality contributions to DOE's Information Management Program. 

 NTIS Pilot Project 

In December 1997, GPO and the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) signed an 

historic interagency agreement that enables depositories to have free online access to 

scientific and technical documents that are currently available in electronic format from the 

NTIS collection. The University of California, Davis and the University of Nevada, Reno 

have participated in a pre-pilot test. This past summer, 20 libraries, out of a group of 31 

volunteers, were chosen by LPS staff to take part in the pilot project. LPS and NTIS staff 

have been working out the details for the project start-up. In mid-September a listserv was 

set up through which the project participants and LPS and NTIS staff will be able to 

communicate during the pilot phase. 

 Electronic Content in the FDLP 

Identifying and reviewing products available from Federal Government Internet sites has 

expanded traditional acquisitions duties. By September 1998, the Browse Electronic Titles 

page had over 2200 electronic product titles listed on the page. These products are classified 

and the information is sent to the Cataloging Branch, which provides cataloging records for 

them in the Monthly Catalog. Weekly updates, performed each Monday, add an average of 

over 30 titles a week to the Browse Electronics Title page. 

Electronic Transition Staff 

A number of the electronic collection projects involve the LPS Electronic Transition Staff (ETS), 

which consists of four individuals; two permanent GPO staff members, Joe Paskoski and Lee 

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Morey and two "expert consultants" from the depository library community. George Barnum

joined ETS in July 1997 and has been reappointed for a second one-year term. He continues to 

concentrate on the issue of permanent public access for electronic Federal Government 

information. He is working on creating partnerships between depository libraries, Federal 

agencies, information-related organizations, and GPO, and on the development of the 

management plan for the FDLP Electronic Collection. Judy Andrews came to GPO in July from 

James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA on a one-year appointment. One of her first 

projects was to review and define LPS’ responsibilities regarding GILS records. The initial 

conversations about GILS has grown into investigating all the Locator Services and examining 

how they fit with one another and the FDLP Electronic Collection Management Plan. She is 

currently working on a report about the Locator Services with suggestions about future 

implementation. She is also working on the NTIS pilot project with Sandy Schwalb and 

exploring the possibilities of a partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration (NASA). 

Ms. Schwalb was reappointed for a second one-year term in August 1997, but left ETS when she 

was selected for a permanent position in LPS as a management analyst. She continues to work 

on implementing and managing projects that were negotiated with DOE as well as the NTIS pilot 

project. 

LPS Web Applications 

ETS continues to work with other staff from LPS, the Office of Electronic Information 

Dissemination Services (EIDS) and the Production Department on a number of Web projects, 

such as the item selection update process and the creation of askLPS, a Web-based inquiry and 

answer module for the depository community. Other projects being examined relate to Web 

claiming and related issues of electronic shipping lists. 

 The LPS Virtual Tour went “live” in April, linked from the FDLP Administration page. The 

virtual tour, in words and photos, follows the order in which tangible Federal Government 

information products are processed in preparation for dissemination to depository libraries. 

 

 The Documents Data Miner (DDM) is a collection management tool for depository libraries. 

A partnership of Wichita State University, the National Institute for Aviation Research, and 

the FDLP, DDM gives depository librarians, FDLP staff, and other users electronic access to 

various FDLP administrative information that has previously been available on a limited 

basis. Files from the Federal Bulletin Board downloaded into the DDM's search engine 

include: List of Classes of United States Government Publications (LOC), Current Item 

Number Selection Profiles for Depository Libraries, the Federal Depository Library 

Directory, and the List of Inactive or Discontinued Items. 

Cataloging and Locator Services 

LPS staff are examining how the suite of cataloging and locator services work together to 

determine user presentation, comprehensiveness and possible consolidation in relation to the 

FDLP Electronic Collection. 

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 Cataloging and Indexing Program 

The electronic transition has produced a complex assortment of interrelated works in all media. 

We are challenged by a workload that is both heavy and complex. During FY 1998 the 

Cataloging Branch received approximately 39,000 pieces of work in all media, including 

thousands of Internet related titles. Catalogers processed approximately 29,000 pieces of work. 

Most works in paper and CD-ROM and available via the Internet are being cataloged within one 

or two weeks of receipt. Between 80% and 90% of our cataloging is original. A significant 

initiative that has helped to keep cataloging of most Internet related resources current is the use 

of our ALA GODORT Cataloging Committee approved Collection Level Record (CLR) 

cataloging policy. To date, we have produced more than 70 records that lead users to several 

hundred collected works available from Federal agency Web sites. These records provide a 

reasonable level of access that is consistent with the manner in which many Federal agencies 

post electronic works to their sites. At present, all but 186 of the 3,336 Browse Electronic Title 

entries have been cataloged. Of this number, 113 are electronic serials. 

Our current backlog consists of approximately 10,000 pieces, most of which are serials 

distributed in microfiche. Given the importance of maintaining current cataloging we are 

investigating the potential use of modest-size cataloging contracts for selected materials which 

would supplement the efforts of our staff. 

Two new catalogers joined LPS in FY 1998, which brings the number to 18. We also have 

hired an administrative librarian to work on initiatives associated with our transition to a 

more electronic FDLP. 

 New Cataloging Developments 

LPS now assigns persistent uniform resource locators (PURLs) in the cataloging records for 

electronic resources listed in GPO’s Browse Electronic Titles (BETs). A PURL provides a 

mechanism to forestall broken URLs by providing a seamless, automatic interface to the 

most recent URL. Working with OCLC, GPO staff have participated in the development of 

software that contains features that are essential for large scale use of PURLs, such as an 

integrated URL checker application, the ability to machine generate unique, consecutively 

assigned accession numbers, and a report module that identifies broken links. PURLs are an 

essential component of our efforts to bring continued access and bibliographic control to 

products in the FDLP Electronic Collection. The PURLs application is also significant for 

the many library catalogs that contain URLs. In this new environment, libraries with record 

update services will not need to update records locally when URLs change. 

GPO’s PURLs applications were the subject of a membership news article titled, GPO 

Improves Access to Government Internet Resources in the July/August 1998 edition of the 

OCLC newsletter. 

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 Electronic Access and Dissemination of Monthly Catalog Records 

The GPO Access Web edition of the Monthly Catalog contains approximately 103,000 

records representing titles cataloged since 1994. Approximately 4350 of these records 

contain PURL or URL data. Most GPO Monthly Catalog Web site records with URLs 

provide hot-linked access to the electronic publications. 

Each issue of the CD-ROM edition of the Monthly Catalog now contains approximately 

46,000 records cumulated since 1996 and includes the Periodicals Supplements for 1996, 

1997 and 1998. This version of the Monthly Catalog has been enhanced by a new interface 

that makes the product more user friendly and by features that enable users to simultaneously 

search more databases than had been possible with the original software. 

LPS staff worked closely with data processing personnel of GPO and the Cataloging 

Distribution Service (CDS), Library of Congress, to rectify the delays in distributing GPO 

cataloging data that occurred during the first quarter of 1998. These efforts to re-establish 

effective services have succeeded. From April 1998 (when all data sets from January 

through April were issued, including the 1998 Periodicals Supplement) through August 1998, 

prompt service has been restored. Monthly data sets are being distributed to CDS via tape 

cartridges within two days of production at GPO. For their part, CDS staff has expeditiously 

disseminated data to customers within one or two days of the receipt and additional 

processing of GPO-produced records. 

Although tape cartridges remain a viable means of transferring data from GPO to CDS, all 

parties recognize that a more convenient and potentially more effective method would be to 

employ an FTP (file transfer protocol) service. Personnel from GPO and CDS are testing and 

evaluating such an option as an alternative to the continued use of cartridges.

 Pathway Services 

Pathway Services, which assist users in locating Federal Government information products 

on the Internet, continued to expand during 1998. The Pathway Indexer search engine is 

maintained using Harvest, a freeware product. This effort will continue until the Federallyfunded Advanced Search Facility (ASF) is available. The ASF is an effort to create an 

information community architecture based in part on GILS as well as other related 

technologies. Lee Morey is in the process of installing and alpha testing the ASF software. 

Currently, the Pathway Indexer indexes at any given time between 150,000 and 200,000 Web 

pages from over 1600 different servers. New sites are added on a daily basis. 

The initial collection of sites for over 170 Topics in the Subject Bibliography-based Browse 

Topics is almost complete. Volunteers from the depository and information communities 

maintain over 75 topics, with links created from Topics to relevant Subject Bibliographies. It 

is the goal of the staff responsible for this site to update the topics on at least a quarterly 

basis. 

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The 1998 annual revision of the Recommended Specifications for Public Access Work 

Stations in Federal Depository Libraries is available in Administrative Notes (v. 19, no. 8, 

6/15/98) on the FDLP Administration Page of GPO Access. 

askLPS and Other Inquiries 

In April 1998, LPS inaugurated askLPS, a feature of GPO Access designed to expedite the 

submission of inquiries and enhance communication to appropriate LPS personnel. Inquiries 

received via askLPS are given priority over inquiries submitted via fax, phone, or regular mail, 

although fax continues to be an important mechanism for providing additional information 

necessary for the completion of an inquiry (such as photocopies of title pages, introductory 

pages, etc.). Users have been encouraged to check WEBTech Notes and the FAQs & News 

weekly postings before submitting their inquiry, as the question may already have been 

researched and the response posted to the database. 

Since March over 12,400 inquiries have been received through all LPS channels with some 

11,600 responses sent, generally within the 10 working day time frame. 

Product Update 

The number of tangible electronic products, a category that is virtually all CD-ROM titles, 

continued to grow in the FDLP in FY 1998. 

 A retrospective two-disc CD-ROM set of the Federal Energy Guidelines that replaces paper 

volumes 1-81 was sent to libraries. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and 

selecting depository libraries will continue to receive the FERC Reports in paper format. 

They will be mailed directly from the FERC contractor, CCH. 

 The Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 1996, in CD-ROM format was 

distributed to libraries in June. Survey data on this CD-ROM includes easy-to-read profiles 

of communities and population groups, Summary Tables similar to the decennial census 

Summary Tape Files, and Public Use Microdata for researchers to create their own custom 

tables. 

 The TIGER/Line 1997 CD-ROM was distributed. 

 

 Copies of the 1997 World Factbook were distributed to libraries in both paper format and 

CD-ROM in March 1998. 

 Committee Print 105-P, Documents Relating to the Proposed Tobacco Settlement, was 

shipped in both paper and CD-ROM in March 1998. 

 The U.S. Industry and Trade Outlook, 1998 was sent to libraries in November. This title 

replaces the Industrial Outlook, last published in 1994. Over 1100 libraries received copies 

of this title provided to us by NTIS. 

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 In September, copies of the North American Industry Classification System Manual (NAICS) 

were provided to LPS by NTIS for distribution to 889 depository libraries. 

 The LandView III CD-ROMs were distributed in February 1998 from the Census Bureau. A 

desktop mapping system, LandView III includes database extracts from the Environmental 

Protection Agency, the Bureau of the Census, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Nuclear 

Regulatory Commission, the Department of Transportation, and the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency. 

 USAMARK: Facsimile Images of Registered United States Trademarks is a new CD-ROM 

product that contains facsimile images of U.S. registered trademarks from 1884 to the 

present. This CASSIS product was distributed to libraries in May. 

 The Daily Treasury Statements (DTS) are being uploaded on a daily basis to the Federal 

Bulletin Board (FBB). 

New Services via the Web 

 The National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) is providing no fee access to the Online 

Document Library (ODL) for FDLP libraries. The ODL includes the Monthly Climatic Data 

for the World, Storm Data, and Local Climatological Data. The user must be in a depository 

library to access the database, and libraries must protect the passwords. At this time there is 

no limitation on the number of concurrent users able to access the database. GPO staff is 

working with NCDC to develop a CD-ROM product to be distributed to the depository 

libraries, but it has not yet been completed. 

 List of Government Authors -- users of the electronic version of the List of Classes available 

from the FBB will now be able to download a current version of the List of Government 

Authors (Appendix I of the List of Classes) in ASCII comma delimited format. This 31-Kb 

file is located in the CLASS library of the FBB. 

 The Union List of Item Selections has been placed on the FBB and it is now available for 

download in ASCII comma delimited or fixed length field formats. The Union List will be 

uploaded to the FBB on a monthly basis on the first Friday of each month. Until December 

1997 this title was produced in microfiche format and distributed to all libraries. 

 First Web Survey -- Survey 98-001 relating to CASSIS CD-ROM products and the Monthly 

Catalog Periodicals Supplement in paper format closed March 30, 1998. All libraries 

received notice of the survey and were required to respond via the Internet. The response 

rate was 94%, which far exceeds the results of other surveys. In addition to the excellent 

response, this was the first on-line only GPO selection survey. Since the selection change 

data did not have to be keyed in, LPS staff time was saved and accuracy was improved. 

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Distribution of Tangible Products by LPS 

The following figures do not represent the total number of products distributed to depository 

libraries. The FDLP total includes an additional 1,147 titles mailed directly from printing 

contractors (direct mail titles). The total also includes distributions from the U.S. Geological 

Survey (USGS) and the National Imagery and Mapping Administration (NIMA) directly to 

depositories. Data for the USGS and NIMA distributions was not available at the time this 

report was prepared. 

Following is the FY 1998 distribution of tangible FDLP products from LPS. These figures do 

not include direct mail distributions (mail list), or distributions made by other agencies, such as 

the U.S. Geological Survey or the National Imagery and Mapping Administration, on LPS’ 

behalf 

Product Type Titles % Change Copies % Change 

 from FY 97 from FY 97 

Paper 12,759 6,143,271 

CD-ROM 836 334,795 

Microfiche 25,394 7,961,654

Total 38,989 + 28.6% 14,439,720 + 15.8%

Effective June 1, 1998, Potomac Business Center (PBC) and the United States Postal Service 

(USPS) became the primary carriers of depository materials. PBC subcontracts delivery of 

packages through the United Parcel Service (UPS). Delivery of packages sent through PBC is 

made by UPS directly to the depository library's shipping address of record. Prior to June 1, 

Roadway Package System (RPS) and the USPS made depository library deliveries. 

Self-Studies and Inspections 

As of September 1, 1998, Depository Services Staff (DSS) conducted on-site inspections in 102 

depository libraries. In addition, 170 self-study Evaluations were compiled which summarized 

the strengths and weaknesses of the depository operation. 

In March 1998, 233 documents librarians and their directors whose depository operations were 

last inspected in 1992 were notified to submit a mandatory self-study. The states included 

California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, New York, Oregon, 

Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. The due date for these self-studies was June 

15. 

A centralized information page for self-studies and inspections was created on the GPO Web 

site. Links are provided to the self-study template, sample self-studies, and the Writing the GPO 

Self-Study presentation with accompanying slides in .pdf format. 

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Federal Depository Library Directory 

The Depository Library Directory is a new feature on the FDLP Administration Web page. 

Depository libraries can view Directory and Item Lister data on any library by keying in a 

combination of data elements, such as depository number, size and type of library, state, etc. 

Depository librarian e-mail and item selections are also hot-linked. Directory changes can only 

be made by using the library’s password. Directory data is used to correct addresses for 

shipments as well as the “Locate Libraries” function on GPO’s Web site, U.S. Fax Watch, and 

the printed Federal Depository Library Directory. 

Two editions of the print version of the Federal Depository Library Directory were produced in 

February and August 1998 and distributed to depository libraries, GPO bookstores and the 

General Services Administration’s (GSA) Consumer Information Center. The February 1998 

issue was also mailed to the 535 Members of Congress. 

 

1997 Biennial Survey 

The Superintendent of Documents is responsible for conducting the Biennial Survey of 

Depository Libraries. Required by Title 44, United States Code, section 1909, the Biennial 

Survey provides LPS with important information used to administer the Federal Depository 

Library Program. In FY 1997, the Biennial Survey was conducted on the World Wide Web for 

the first time. Each depository, using its unique password, entered data electronically. This 

application allowed more timely cumulating and release of data. 

The raw data from the 1997 Biennial Survey of Depository Libraries is available for 

downloading from the FBB. The files include the text of the Biennial Survey, data conversion 

table, and the answers from each depository in comma-delimited format. 

The following are highlights of the 1997 Biennial Survey responses: 

 1,213 or 89.3% of the libraries report having Internet tools available at public access 

workstations, 57 or 4.2% plan to have Internet available within six months and 57 or 4.2% in 

one year. 

 1,227 or 90.3% provide GPO Access to the public through the World Wide Web; 386 or 

28.4% through another institution’s gateway; and 91 or 6.7% do not provide it. 10.7% lack 

Internet at public access workstations. 

 Of the 1,359 libraries responding, 695 or 51.1% have an adequate budget for computer 

hardware and software replacement. 517 or 38% report an inadequate budget and 147 or 

10.8% report no budget for this equipment. 

 Of the 1,269 or 93.4% of the libraries having an on-line catalog, 1,034 or 81.5% are 

accessible from the Internet. 

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 Only 194 or 14.3% of the libraries report "hot linking" current bibliographic records for 

"Internet only" documents in the library’s on-line catalog. 709 or 52.1% of the libraries plan 

to do so in the future. 

 94.6% of the depositories have CD-ROM capability. Of the remaining 5.4%, 43 or 3.1% of 

the libraries have CD-ROM capability but do not select CD’s; 23 or 1.7% select CD-ROMs 

but do not have CD-ROM capability; and seven or .05% do not have CD-ROM capability nor 

select any CD’s. 

 Only 271 or 19.9% of the libraries report active, ongoing promotion of the depository to the 

general public; 862 or 63.4% infrequent promotion, and 226 or 16.6% no promotion to the 

public. 

 441 or 32.4% of the libraries charge a fee for printer paper, 388 or 28.5% for formatted 

floppy diskettes, 312 or 22.9% for fax services, and 657 or 48.3% do not charge at all for 

these services. 

Conferences 

DSS is responsible for organizing continuing education efforts for documents librarians. The 

two premier events are the annual Federal Depository Library Conference, which is conducted in 

conjunction with the spring Depository Library Council meeting, and the annual Interagency 

Depository Seminar. 

To continue the momentum from the 1997 Regional Librarians Conference, a one-day regional 

program was held on April 19 at the University of Maryland. 

The 7th annual Federal Depository Library Conference and spring meeting of the DLC was held 

April 20-23 in Arlington, VA. It was, again, an overwhelming success. There were over 550 

attendees and 70 speakers. For the third successive year the Conference was held at the 

Washington National Airport Hilton. Registration by the Web was provided and used by over 

90% of the participants. As in previous years, the agenda allowed the attendees to choose among 

a number of simultaneous sessions in addition to the plenary sessions. The conference 

Proceedings were distributed in paper to all depositories, and they are also loaded on the FDLP 

Administration Web page. 

DSS also coordinated the weeklong 11th Annual Interagency Depository Seminar held from May 

27-June 3. Intended for those documents librarians with three or fewer years' experience, this 

seminar is designed as basic training. Sessions were conducted by GPO, Library of Congress, 

Patent & Trademark Office, Copyright Office, U.S. Geological Survey, National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration, General Accounting Office, Department of Energy, Office of the 

Federal Register, and the Bureau of the Census. 

The 8th annual Federal Depository Library Conference and Depository Library Council meeting 

is scheduled for April 12-15, 1999 at the Holiday Inn in Bethesda, MD. The Regional Librarians 

meeting is planned for April 11. The preliminary agenda will be announced in the December 15, 

1998 Administrative Notes. 

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The 12th annual Interagency Depository Seminar is scheduled for June 2-9, 1999 in Washington, 

DC. The preliminary agenda will be announced in the October 15, 1998 Administrative Notes. 

DSS also developed programs for the concurrent sessions held at the fall 1997 Depository 

Library Council in Clearwater Beach, FL and the fall 1998 Council meeting in San Diego, CA. 

Outreach 

The LPS staff was quite active in FY 1998 in expanding its outreach activities to the 

library/information communities and beyond. 

Gil Baldwin presented an Update on Title 44 Revision and the Electronic Transition on Federal 

Depository Libraries before the Government Documents Interest Group, Maryland Library 

Association (MLA) in November 1997 in College Park, MD and in May 1998 he spoke about 

Future Challenges for the FDLP to the same organization, MLA, in Ocean City, MD. 

Sheila McGarr provided LPS tours to a variety of groups including members of the Federal 

Library and Information Center Committee (FLICC); Kent State University library school 

students; J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College librarians, and the Law Librarians Society of 

DC. 

Gail Snider presented Hints on Writing the GPO Self-Study to the Federal Depository Library 

Conference in April and in September 1998 to VA GODORT at the University of Virginia in 

Charlottesville. Ms. Snider and Tom Oertel attended the Kansas GODORT meeting in 

conjunction with library inspections in October 1997. 

Cynthia Etkin presented Hints on Writing the GPO Self-Study to the Kentucky Government 

Documents Round Table (GODORT) in May 1998. She represented GPO at the May 29th 

reception honoring Senator Wendell H. Ford sponsored by GODORT of the Kentucky Library 

Association. Senator Ford, the ranking member of the Joint Committee on Printing and Senate 

Rules and Administration Committee, will be retiring at the end of the current (105th) session of 

Congress. Ms. Etkin also represented GPO at the dedication of the Young Library on the 

University of Kentucky campus. 

During the May 7-8 Spring Forum at Mankato State University (MN), Ms. Etkin presented "CDROMs in a Webbed World." The forum was a joint meeting of Minntro Docs, Minnesota 

Library Association GODORT and a regional meeting that included South Dakota documents 

librarians. 

 

Robin Haun-Mohamed made a presentation to the Association of Public Data Users (APDU) in 

October 1997 in Washington DC and to the Cartographic Users Advisory Council in May 1998 

at the U.S. Geological Survey, Reston VA. She visited the U.S. Agency for International 

Development in July 1998 to discuss their electronic database. 

 

In May, George Barnum gave a presentation on the FDLP Electronic Collection concept at the 

DOE/OSTI Inforum '98 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. In June he moderated a panel discussion on 

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permanent access to electronic government information, sponsored by the Federal Documents 

Task Force of the American Library Association. 

Many LPS staff members worked at the GPO booth at both the ALA mid-winter (January) and 

annual meetings (June), as well as during the Computers in Libraries Conference in March. 

NCLIS Assessment 

Pursuant to the January 1997 interagency agreement between GPO and the National Commission 

on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS), a contract was awarded to Westat Inc., a social 

science research firm, in June 1998. Westat is tasked with conducting the basic research and 

producing a report of findings for the NCLIS/GPO Assessment of Government Electronic 

Information Products. 

The purpose of the assessment is to: 

 Identify medium and format standards that are the most appropriate for permanent public 

access. 

 Assess the cost-effectiveness and usefulness of alternative medium and format standards. 

 Identify public and private medium and format standards that are or could be used for 

products throughout their entire information life cycle. 

During the summer, Westat, NCLIS, and GPO identified 24 agencies in all three branches of the 

Federal Government that will participate in the study, selected nearly 400 information products, 

developed the survey instrument, held numerous briefings for the participating agencies’ 

personnel, and distributed the survey instrument to the agencies. Our goal is to have a report of 

the project’s findings available for publication and distribution by the end of February 1999. The 

Assessment will provide important baseline information on the Federal Government’s electronic 

product plans and practices, information that will enable GPO to improve its ability to advise the 

depository library community about the types of products that they may expect to receive. In 

addition, results will also assist GPO to provide permanent public access to FDLP electronic 

information, and will identify possible areas for future standards and policy development 

discussions. 

Y2K 

LPS staff have analyzed all of our legacy mainframe applications and local personal computer 

(PC) applications to determine steps necessary to ensure that the various systems and services are 

year 2000 (Y2K) compliant. 

The PCs used for the Shipping List (SL) application need to be replaced, and orders for new 

machines were placed in August 1998. The existing shipping list program needs minor 

modifications and the work should be done by October 1, 1998. Another option under 

examination for the shipping list is to modify programming for ACSIS (Acquisition, 

Classification and Shipping Information System) to allow staff from the Depository 

Administration Branch (DAB) to pull shipping list data off the mainframe into a shipping list 

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template for the paper shipping list distribution. This will also allow the data to be posted to the 

Web site more easily than is currently possible. The most important aspect of this solution is to 

reduce the need to re-key data, which is part of the current process. GPO’s Office of Information 

Resources Management (OIRM) staff completed an assessment of the requirements for the two 

mainframe systems in DAB, ACSIS and the Depository Distribution Information System 

(DDIS), and expect the changes to be implemented by November 1998. 

In the ACSIS system, the fields with two digit years will be increased to four digits. For DDIS 

only a few date calculations are used in the system as it currently exists. OIRM is working to 

identify those areas needing "fixes." 

Fourteen 486-chip computers used in DAB are not Y2K compliant, and orders will be placed for 

new ones in October or November. The other 20 PCs in DAB are Y2K compliant. Overall, 

there are some 41 systems in LPS that need to be replaced with Y2K compliant systems. The 

process of replacing the systems is underway and will be completed well in advance of the year 

2000.

As the cartridge system used to produce the List of Classes is not Y2K compliant, DAB 

requested programming changes to the List of Classes to obtain the data for the Alphabetic List 

of Government Authors (Appendix I) and Classes No Longer Active with Explanation 

(Appendix II). These programming changes have been completed. A final product, Inactive or 

Discontinued Items from the 1950 Revision of the Classified List, is scheduled for conversion 

from the cartridge format in March 1999. 

All of the Microsoft Office 97 software on the Windows NT network is Y2K compliant. These 

software packages are upgraded as new versions are made available. The Windows 95 operating 

system is also compliant with one minor exception. A patch for Windows 95 has been made 

available to make the Windows Explorer in Windows 95 Y2K compliant. This patch was 

installed on all systems this past summer. 

LPS Orientation Program 

An orientation program was developed and implemented during FY ’98 to provide current LPS 

and EIDS employees with an overview of basic job functions within all work areas of LPS. 

Managers and supervisors from LPS worked together on developing the program. Although the 

orientation is not mandatory, employee participation has been strongly encouraged. 

The ultimate goal of the program is to build a stronger work force that better understands the 

mission of LPS. By participating in the orientation, staff has gotten an understanding of how 

each individual position makes a difference in the accomplishment of the LPS mission. The 

program has fostered positive working relationships among employees in both LPS and EIDS. 

Managers and supervisors have received feedback and recommendations so that they may 

continually improve their efforts in serving the depository library community. 

There have been six sessions since the program began in January 1998. Consisting of eight halfdays, the program has been held over a two-week period. In FY 1998, 31 employees participated 

with five to six employees from various work areas within LPS and EIDS in the sessions. 

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[Handout] 

Cataloging Branch Update 

Fall 1998 Depository Library Council Meeting 

October 19 – 22, 1998 

PURLS

Our Cataloging and Locator Services have now produced more than 1,800 PURLs (Persistent 

Uniform Resource Locators). PURLs provide electronic access to hundreds of works associated 

with the online version of the Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications 

(MOCATWeb) records and with their Browse Electronic Title equivalents. Our leadership in the 

wide-scale application of PURLs to Library Programs Service (LPS) operations has been 

recognized by the ALA Government Documents Round Table (GODORT) Cataloging 

Committee and by a recent "Membership News" article entitled, "GPO Improves Access to 

Government Internet Resources," which appeared in the July/August OCLC Newsletter. PURLs 

effectively support efforts to maintain seamless hot-linked access to the many electronic works 

made available by the cataloging and locator services components of GPO Access. GPO and 

OCLC are proud of a cooperative effort that has made PURLs applications suitable for large 

scale use within LPS. 

CATALOGING OPERATIONS

The addition of Regina Koo and Jennifer Davis as monographs and serials catalogers and the 

recent appointment of Theodore Defosse as an administrative librarian working on information 

dissemination initiatives has helped us to meet many of the challenges associated with a more 

electronic Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). The electronic transition has produced a 

complex assortment of interrelated works in all media. We are challenged by a workload that is 

both heavy and complex. During FY 1998 the Cataloging Branch received approximately 

39,000 pieces of work in all media, including thousands of Internet related titles. Catalogers 

processed approximately 29,000 pieces of work. 

Most works in paper and CD-ROM and available via the Internet are cataloged within one or two 

weeks of receipt. Between 80% and 90% of our cataloging is original. A significant initiative 

that has helped to keep cataloging of most Internet related resources current is the use of our 

ALA GODORT Cataloging Committee approved Collection Level Record (CLR) cataloging 

policy. To date, we have produced more than seventy records that lead users to several hundred 

collected works available from Federal agency Web sites. These records provide a reasonable 

level of access that is consistent with the manner in which many Federal agencies post electronic 

works to their sites. At present, all but 186 of the 3,336 Browse Electronic Title entries have 

been cataloged. Of this number, 113 are electronic serials. 

Our current backlog consists of approximately 10,000 pieces, most of which are serials 

distributed in microfiche. Given the importance of maintaining current cataloging, we are 

investigating the potential use of modest-size cataloging contracts for selected materials which 

would supplement the efforts of our staff. 

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CATALOGING OF UNCATALOGED DISTRIBUTED PUBLICATIONS

In recent years, several people have been helpful in notifying us of materials that have been 

received by depositories but which, after four or five months, have remained uncataloged. Many 

of the most recently identified uncataloged works were distributed to depositories during the 

several months in mid-1997 when we were "in transit" as our permanent worksite was being 

renovated. Of approximately 200 known uncataloged titles, in various media, approximately 120 

have been cataloged to date. 

MOCATWEB

MOCATWeb, the online version of Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications, 

now contains more than 103,000 records. With more than 1,800 records with PURLs and an 

estimated 4,000 older records with URLs, an ever increasing number of records represent 

electronic resources. As links to older records with URLs are restored, they are updated via the 

assignment and use of PURLs. 

In response to Council's recommendation, we are making a "user friendly" display available as 

an option for MOCATWeb users. This medium length record display uses field names rather 

than numerical tags, and offers users an alternative to brief and full record displays. 

MONTHLY CATALOG CD-ROM EDITION

The CD-ROM edition of the Monthly Catalog now contains approximately 46,000 records. 

Given that we have used all available disk space, we expect to issue a one-time special edition 

that will contain records for January 1996 through December 1997 and the Periodicals 

Supplements for 1996 and 1997. This edition should be kept as a final cumulation for the years 

1996/1997. 

Beginning very soon, the remaining CD-ROM issues for 1998 will contain only records 

produced during 1998 and the 1998 Periodicals Supplement. Monthly issues published in 1999 

will contain cumulations from January, 1998 through the most recent 1999 monthly issue and the 

Periodicals Supplements for 1998 and 1999. 

1999 EDITION OF THE PERIODICALS SUPPLEMENT

We expect to publish the 1999 edition of the Periodicals Supplement in January, 1999, in paper 

and CD-ROM formats. Many, if not most, of the records published in these editions are 

expected to contain PURL/URL data. 

MONTHLY CATALOG CDS TAPES

Production and distribution of Monthly Catalog tapes via the Cataloging Distribution Service 

(CDS) of the Library of Congress are on schedule. Problems that caused delays of several 

months during the early part of this year have been solved and tapes have been made available in 

a timely manner since April of this year. We continue to work with CDS personnel to establish 

an FTP (file transfer protocol) service between GPO and CDS as a better alternative to the use of 

tape cartridges for data transfer. Upon implementation, we expect to make this service available 

free of charge to all interested parties. 

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[Handout] 

LPS CONSER Update 

Fall 1998 Depository Library Council Meeting 

October 19 – 22, 1998 

The Library Programs Service (LPS) annual report to CONSER is provided below as an adjunct 

to the Cataloging Branch update. 

The CONSER (Cooperative ONline SERials) program is a major international cooperative effort 

that produces high quality serial records and makes them available in the CONSER database 

within the OCLC Online Union Catalog. An early member of CONSER, the LPS Cataloging 

Branch has assumed an increasingly visible presence among the national libraries and other 

major institutional members of CONSER as a consequence of our leadership in the field of 

cataloging Internet related serials. 

The Cataloging Branch of the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), Library Programs 

Service, identifies, catalogs, and authenticates serial publications issued by the U.S. Federal 

Government for the CONSER database. 

In May 1998, a fourth full time serial cataloger joined the LPS cataloging staff. Our catalogers 

continue their efforts to reflect the current bibliographic status of Federal Government serials in a 

timely manner. 

GPO cataloging of Internet resources became an increasingly significant part of our work during 

this period of transition to a more electronic Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). We 

have either added as original or updated 1,477 titles to the CONSER database since June 1996. 

Of these, 1,012 have been added with either URL or PURL data. Electronic titles now account 

for 70% of our serial work. To aid with this workload we have extensively used Module 31 of 

the CONSER Editing Guide as the basis for relevant portions of the GPO Cataloging Guidelines. 

GPO cataloging staff has applied newly developed guidelines in their efforts to achieve 

bibliographic control of Internet serials published by Federal Government agencies. 

Serial related guidelines include: 

GPO Cataloging Guidelines for Computer Files No. 1A at: 

www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/dpos/cgcomp01.html 

GPO Cataloging Guidelines for Linking Fields No. 1 at: 

www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/dpos/catguide.html 

An increasing number of serial titles are appearing electronically. Some are also issued in a 

tangible form, and some never were, or are no longer, produced in a tangible form. Catalogers 

have spent considerable effort with all these electronic serials to determine the URL that accesses 

the whole run of the serial for inclusion in tag 856. 

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GPO also has an active program using OCLC PURL Software in a server environment to redirect 

users to the most recent address. Data appearing in subfield u of the 856 field are an increasingly 

important component of continued access to electronic serials. Electronic serials are creating a 

more complex decision-making environment for our serial catalogers than is true of serials in 

tangible formats. We have found that our staff must perform Internet searching and careful 

review of resources as an essential aspect of producing high-quality bibliographic records. 

Considerable judgement is required to identify, evaluate, and properly represent many electronic 

serials. 

SERIAL CATALOGING: JULY 1997 – JUNE 1998 

Original CONSER level records produced: 344 

Authenticated existing records to CONSER level 366 

Total numbers of records added to CONSER database 710 

Maintenance of titles in Periodicals Supplement 1998 1,013 

Database maintenance transactions 1,723 

Maintenance of non-CONSER records 126 

Number of serial records with URL/PURLs 617 

Series authority records created 80 

Series maintenance transactions 82 

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[Handout] 

Depository Administration Branch Update 

Fall 1998 Depository Library Council Meeting 

October 19 – 22, 1998 

NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES UPDATE

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) manual was distributed to libraries 

in both hardbound and soft copy formats under item 0854-A, on shipping lists 98-0049-S and 98-

0052-S. The hard copy version, which is identical in content to the soft copy version, was 

provided to LPS by the National Technical Information Service. 

O*NET, the Occupational Information Network, is a comprehensive database system for 

collecting, organizing, describing and disseminating data on job characteristics and worker 

attributes. O*NET replaces the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT). O*NET 98 Version 

1.0, including a Viewer and User's Guide, Database and Data Dictionary, is planned for release 

in late October 1998. Federal depository libraries will receive the CD-ROM and no-charge 

access to the online database. Further information will be conveyed to the depository 

community as it is made available. 

Access to the National Climatic Data Center Online Document Library is available at no charge 

for the Federal depository libraries. Located at <www5.ncdc.noaa.gov/pubs/publications.html>, 

libraries may access the Monthly Climatic Data for the World, Storm Data, and Local 

Climatological Data via this controlled access site. The user must be in the library to access the 

database, and libraries must protect the passwords. At this time there is no limitation on the 

number of concurrent users able to access the database. Contact LPS for the user ID and 

password. Do not give them out faculty, students, or patrons. 

USA Trade, a new CD-ROM product from the Census Bureau and STAT-USA, will be 

distributed to libraries currently receiving the NTDB, under the new item number, 0128-S. With 

USA Trade, libraries have access to 17,000 import and 9,000 export commodities at the first 

level of detail. You can select, sort, and analyze trade statistics using the Beyond 20/20 

software. The August issue, due in late October, will be the first issue distributed to depository 

libraries. 

Referral from Independent Counsel Kenneth W. Starr in Conformity with the Requirements of 

Title 28, United States Code, Section 595(c)... was distributed to all libraries under item 1004-E, 

SuDocs classification number Y 1.1/7:105-310. This House Document, commonly known as the 

Starr Report, was distributed on SL 98-0050-S, dated September 14, 1998. The Appendices to 

the Starr Report, issued as House Document 105-311 (Parts 1 and 2) were distributed to libraries 

according to their item selection profile on SL 98-0053-S. Those libraries selecting House 

Documents in paper or microfiche received the documents in the appropriate format. 

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OPERATIONS UPDATE

New item selection additions from the FY 1999 Annual Item Selection Update Cycle went into 

effect October 1, 1998. 1061 libraries made a total of 70,408 changes to the item selection 

profile with deletions accounting for over 38,000 of the transactions. 

Beginning October 1, 1998, the shipping list numbers for all formats changed to reflect the new 

fiscal year number. Thus the first paper shipping list for FY 1999 reads 99-0001-P 

On the Federal Bulletin Board (FBB), the individual shipping list files will continue to use the 

990001P.DBF format, but the file directories for the FY 1999 shipping lists will be new. 

Libraries will not need to modify any bookmarks for the older material, but will need to add new 

ones for FY 1999. 

The Enhanced Shipping List Service is now located at <http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/units/ 

cts/acq/gpo/>. Citing other priorities, the University of Texas at Arlington has withdrawn from 

the service partnership with the University of Buffalo and LPS. The University of Buffalo 

continues to offer access to the Enhanced Shipping List Service and shipping lists are available 

the same day the lists are posted to the FBB. The keyword search option is no longer available, 

but University of Buffalo staff are examining restoration of this option. An announcement will 

be posted on askLPS and GOVDOC-L if keyword searching again becomes available. 

New additions to the List of Classes library available in ASCII format on the FBB 

<ftp://fedbbs.access.gpo.gov/gpo_bbs/class/> include Appendix I, the Alphabetic List of 

Government Authors (LOGA.TXT); Appendix II, Classes No Longer Active with Explanation 

(LODC.TXT); and the List of Items and Class Stems (LODI.TXT). The Inactive or 

Discontinued Items from the 1950 Revision of the Classified List (INACTLS.TXT) is also now 

available as an ASCII file in the List of Classes library on the FBB. 

LPS continues to work with Term Contracts to monitor the full distribution microfiche contracts. 

All libraries should receive a copy of all shipping lists, regardless of format and item selection 

profile. If you are consistently requesting shipping lists from the microfiche contractors, please 

contact Michele Harris at (202) 512-1060 or by e-mail at <mharris@gpo.gov>. 

The List of Contractor-Issued Microfiche Shipping Lists, located at <www.access.gpo.gov/ 

su_docs/dpos/msl.html> is another new administrative service available to depository libraries. 

The page is updated the first Friday of each month in coordination with the other monthly 

updates, the Item Lister and the List of Classes and associated files. 

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[Handout] 

Depository Distribution Division Update 

Fall 1998 Depository Library Council Meeting 

October 19 – 22, 1998 

Distribution of Materials by LPS

Titles Distributed 

Tangible Product FY 1998 FY 1997 

Paper 12,759 13,216

Electronic 836 741

Microfiche 25,394 16,347

Total 38,989 30,304

Copies Distributed 

Tangible Product FY 1998 FY 1997 

Paper 6,143,271 6,123,497

Electronic 334,795 341,105

Microfiche 7,961,654 6,001,858

Total 14,439,720 12,466,460

Depository Deliveries

Potomac Business Center, Inc. (PBC) of Washington, DC began handling outgoing shipments 

June 1, 1998. PBC has secured United Parcel Service (UPS) as a subcontractor. Nearly all 

depository shipments should be received through UPS delivery. Delivery by the U.S. Postal 

Service accounts for less than 10% of all depository shipments. Libraries should receive 

shipments within seven working days after they are picked up from LPS. 

CFR AND OFFICIAL GAZETTE DELIVERY

As postage costs increase, it has become necessary to distribute some copies of the Code of 

Federal Regulations and the Official Gazette in regular shipment boxes as well as in 

congressional boxes, as this reduces mailing costs. Some copies will continue to be mailed as 

separates. Libraries should not be adversely affected by this change. 

CLAIMING MATERIALS

All libraries should use (202) 512-1429 to claim materials via fax. Please mail claims to the U.S. 

Government Printing Office, Library Programs Service (SLDM), Washington, DC 20401. 

Claims may not be made electronically at this time. 

Please claim only those items your library has selected to receive. All incoming claims are 

verified through DDIS. Claims must be submitted within 60 calendar days from the date on the 

shipping list. 

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During the annual update cycle the number of invalid claims increases drastically. Additions

remain pending until they are activated at the start of a fiscal year. Your library will begin to 

receive the added publications at this time. Do not base your claims for missing depository 

publications on additions made during the update cycle period until you receive a shipping list 

dated on or after October 1, 1998. Deletions can be submitted to LPS throughout the year. If 

your library has deleted an item number, LPS will stop shipping the publication within 72 hours 

after receipt of your library’s deletion request. Do not claim deleted items. 

In most instances it is not necessary for your library to submit a duplicate claim. Claims are 

filled from the original request. If your library makes the decision to send a duplicate please 

identify duplicate claims as DUPLICATE. 

Also, libraries automatically receive a rain check item once receipt of that item is made through 

LPS. Please do not claim short shipments or rain checks. 

The following notations, found on the shipping list, should alert you to the publications’ status. 

 Check your shipping list for notations 

‘+’ - SHORT – Rain checks will be issued. 

**Note: Libraries will automatically receive the item as additional copies 

are obtained. 

‘%’ - SHORT – No rain checks will be issued. DO NOT Claim. 

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[Handout] 

Depository Services Update 

Fall 1998 Depository Library Council Meeting 

October 19 - 22, 1998 

OUTREACH

The 8th annual Federal Depository Library Conference and Spring Depository Library Council 

meeting will be held in Bethesda, MD from Monday, April 12 through Thursday noon, April 15, 

1999. The all-day Regional librarians meeting will take place on Sunday, April 11. The Holiday 

Inn-Bethesda is the meeting site for the first time. A preliminary agenda for the conference will 

be announced in the December 15, 1998 issue of Administrative Notes. Online conference 

registration will be available in December 1998 from the FDLP Administration Web page. 

The 12th annual Interagency Depository Seminar is scheduled for June 2-9, 1999 in Washington, 

DC. The preliminary agenda was announced in the October 15, 1998 issue of Administrative 

Notes. The deadline for registration is March 12, 1999. 

BIENNIAL SURVEY 1999

Depository Library Council’s Statistical Measurement Committee has volunteers from 

Depository Services, current and former Council members, and interested documents librarians 

serving on two subcommittees. Both the Cost Benefit and Biennial Survey Content groups are 

formulating questions. Two programs are planned at the Fall Council meeting, “Biennial 

Survey” and “How to Determine Costs of Being a Depository.” LPS plans to notify depositories 

by the end of 1998 about specific questions for the 1999 Biennial Survey. 

Since April 1998, the raw data from the 1997 Biennial Survey has been available for 

downloading from the Federal Bulletin Board at <fedbbs.access.gpo.gov/libs/lps_info.htm>. 

Only 12 downloads have occurred since the data became available. 

RETENTION OF TANGIBLE PRODUCTS

LPS is formulating guidance to the depository community on the retention of tangible products 

when official and reliable electronic alternatives are available. At LPS’ request, the GPO 

General Counsel is reviewing the legislative history and extant opinions relevant to retention of 

publications also available via online databases. In our discussions, the General Counsel has 

advised LPS that incorporating an online electronic product into a depository collection by 

substituting it for a tangible product is acceptable providing that certain conditions are satisfied. 

First, the electronic product must be a complete and official version. Second, permanent 

accessibility to the electronic version must be assured. Third, the library must be able to offer 

unimpeded access to any electronic product incorporated into the library’s depository collection. 

And fourth, procedures for disposition of the tangible product copies shall conform to the 

requirements established by the Superintendent of Documents and the regional depository 

library. 

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SELF-STUDIES

In March, 233 depository libraries last inspected in 1992 were notified to submit a mandatory 

self-study. The inspectors are writing self-study evaluation reports for each library and 

scheduling follow-up inspections as needed. 

In October, 196 depositories last inspected in 1993 were notified to submit a mandatory selfstudy. The states include California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New 

Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and Virginia. 

The due date will be January 15, 1999. 

A centralized information page for self-studies and inspections was created at 

<www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/dpos/selfstudy/>. Links are provided to the self-study template, 

sample self-studies, and "Writing the GPO Self-Study" presentation with accompanying slides in 

.PDF. 

INSPECTIONS

During FY 1998, 114 depository libraries were inspected and 179 Self-Study Evaluations were 

completed. Based on the on-site inspections, seven depositories were placed on probation. 

Seven other libraries were removed from probation due to improvements made in the depository 

operation. During the year, two new depositories were designated and eight voluntarily 

relinquished depository status. 

PUBLICATIONS

The Federal Depository Library Directory, August 1998, was recently distributed to all 

depositories. The “Locate Libraries” page on GPO Access contains a subset of the Directory 

information. Federal depository libraries can be located by State or telephone area code at 

<www.gpo.gov/libraries>. 

 

The Proceedings of the 7th Annual Federal Depository Library Conference are available on the 

FDLP Administration page at <www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/dpos/98pro.html>. The paper 

publication has been distributed to all depositories. 

The FDLP Electronic Collection on the Web provides links to full text resources from GPO, 

FDLP partner sites, and other Federal Government agencies at 

<www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/dpos/ec/>. It also lists a collection of finding tools. 

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[Handout] 

ETS Update 

Fall 1998 Depository Library Council Meeting 

October 19 - 22, 1998 

COLLECTION PLAN

GPO staff met in July with Dr. Lewis Bellardo, Deputy Archivist of the United States, and 

members of his staff, to discuss the common interests of GPO and National Archives and 

Records Administration (NARA) in preserving Federal Government information. NARA's 

comments were particularly useful in making the distinction between an FDLP publication and a 

Federal record. This distinction is reflected in the latest version of the paper, entitled Managing 

the FDLP Electronic Collection: A Policy and Planning Document. The paper is currently under 

final review by GPO management. 

NTIS PILOT PROJECT

The National Technical Information Service (NTIS) has been working with Linda Kennedy 

(University of California, Davis) since 1997 on a project to test the technological viability of 

making electronic documents from NTIS available through depository libraries. Duncan Aldrich 

(University of Nevada, Reno) joined the effort in 1998 to help conduct a 'pre-pilot' test. NTIS 

found the 'pre-pilot' successful and is now preparing an interactive Web page as part of the pilot 

project. 20 additional libraries have been selected by GPO and will be added to the pilot project. 

We expect the NTIS/GPO pilot project to begin in November and continue for one year. 

FDLP/ERIC 

The FDLP/ERIC Digital Library Pilot Project making depository ERIC microfiche available in 

full-text electronic format through the OCLC search engine is well underway. 305 participating 

sites were phased in over the last three weeks of July. A significant increase in use is expected in 

August and September as participants become familiar with the service, and as classes resume at 

colleges and universities. In September GPO distributed a short survey to gather information on 

reaction and user satisfaction. Early comments from participants have been favorable. 

ADVANCED SEARCH FACILITY

ETS is in the process of installing and alpha testing Advanced Search Facility (ASF) software. 

ASF is an effort to create an information community architecture based on the Government 

Information Locator Service/Global Information Locator Service <www.gils.net/> and related 

technologies (official ASF site: http://asf.gils.net). Lee Morey of ETS, and Frank Boyd and 

Karen Sieger of EIDS are exploring the possibilities of using the ASF in-house in conjunction 

with GPO's GILS efforts. Replacing the Pathway Indexer with the ASF is also being considered. 

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WEB.GOV

ETS and EIDS staff attended an initial discussion of the proposed Web.Gov site. The Web.Gov 

initiative is sponsored by the National Partnership for Reinventing Government (NPR), and most 

of the preliminary site design is being performed by General Services Administration staff. Still 

in its early design phase, Web.Gov is variously envisioned as a gateway site to other Federal 

Web resources, as an indexer, or as a topical approach to Government information. GPO 

Pathway Services on GPO Access already provide models for similar services, and we are 

encouraging the Web.Gov designers to incorporate Pathways. 

CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE

A team created by EIDS with ETS and Office of Congressional, Legislative and Public Affairs 

staff is monitoring the activity on legislation that would provide public access to Congressional 

Research Service (CRS) reports and issue briefs. The team is investigating alternatives that 

might be employed in the existing statutory environment. These alternatives include pointing to 

publicly released reports on Web sites of Members of Congress, or putting these reports and 

issue briefs on GPO Access. 

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Shortcuts to GPO Access Pages 

www.gpo.gov/catalog 

Monthly Catalog search page 

www.gpo.gov/libraries 

Locate Federal Depository Libraries page 

www.gpo.gov/sales 

Sales Product Catalog search page 

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28 

Table of Contents 

LPS FY 1998 Report..................................................................................................................... 1 

Cataloging Branch Update, Council Meeting, 10/98.................................................................. 15 

LPS CONSER Update, Council Meeting, 10/98 ........................................................................ 17 

Depository Administration Branch Update, Council Meeting, 10/98 ........................................ 19 

Depository Distribution Division Update, Council Meeting, 10/98........................................... 21 

Depository Services Update, Council Meeting, 10/98................................................................ 23 

ETS Update, Council Meeting, 10/98......................................................................................... 25 

Shortcuts to GPO Access Pages.................................................................................................. 27 

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 via World Wide Web at URL: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/dpos/adnotes.html 

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