U.S. Government

j Printing Office October 1976

Number 18 GP 3:27:18

Publicizing

Documents

How are depositories publicizing

documents? This is a question fre- quently asked of depository library

inspectors as they make their

rounds.

Most depositories begin by let- ting other libraries in their area know they are a documents depository. This tends to promote referral, as in the case where a local public

library which is not a depository will refer a patron to the nearby univerlity library which is. And it facili- tates interlibrary loan of documents

from depositories to non-depositories. Also, a very good idea is to re- mind the local community from time

to time that documents can be

found in the library. A variety of ap- proaches are possible.

An occasional article in the area newspaper is helpful. This may

focus on documents of timely interRegional Libraries

Are Still Needed!

One year ago HIGHLIGHTS' fea- ture article was entitled "Regional

Libraries Needed." Since that time

two libraries have taken on the re- sponsibility of regionals for their

states. This brings the number of states with regionals to 38, and the

mber of states served by re- ionals to 40.

We extend a hearty welcome to the Libraries of the University of

est, such as agricultural material

during the gardening and home can- ning seasons. Some depositories

tell of excellent stories with photos

growing out of documents relating

to "Watergate" when that was

newsworthy.

Radio also holds many possibilities. Both FM and AM stations try to make available airtime for public

service announcements. Quite a few

libraries are preparing "spots" for broadcast.

Television, too, is being utilized both for spot announcements and,

occasionally, for a special program

on library services including documents.

Displays are a regular feature of many libraries. During this year dis- play cases and bulletin boards are showing a colorful array of documents relating to the Bicentennial.

Library newsletters are highlightAssistant Public Printer (Superintendent of Documents)

ing recent acquisitions in the documents area. These are especially

favored by university libraries which

send them regularly to faculty. But

they are also used by public li- braries which send them to people

in city government and in local busi- ness. Another standby of many libraries

is the topical bibliography which can

easily include relevant documents.

In the case of large depository col- lections, entire bibliographies gen- erated from documents are not un- common.

Word soon gets around. Libraries

have documents as well as books,

newspapers, and magazines. The

end result is an increased use of documents by the public. And that

is what the depository library pro- gram is all about!

Mississippi, a depository since

1883, and the University of Kansas,

whose depository began in 1869.

Now serving as regional depositories are 23 university libraries, 13

state libraries, 4 public libraries,

and 2 state library commissions.

Regionals are still needed to serve 10 states. We look forward to hearing the good news of regionals

for: Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware,

Georgia, Hawaii, Missouri, Rhode

Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Tennessee.

1
Finding Depository Library

Missing Publications Inspections

Are you missing any publications? Maybe one or more of your

selected items has been lost or just worn out? Possibly it is an item you

did not select but could use. Among

the recourses open to depositories

with missing items are: (1) asking

the Regional about possible copies;

(2) writing directly to the issuing

agencies; (3) checking to see if it

is a current sales item with a GPO

bookstore near you, or writing to the

Superintendent of Documents

(Government Printing Office, 710

North Capitol Street, Washington,

D.C. 20402); (4) trying the Universal Serials & Book Exchange (3335

V Street, Washington, D.C. 20018);

(5) taking advantage of the serials

search service provided to subscribers of the Documents Expediting Project (Exchange & Gift Divi- sion, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540); (6) obtaining a photocopy or microform from the

National Archives & Record Service

(Printed Archives Branch, General

Services Administration, Washington, D.C. 20408).

At present there are two Depository Library Inspectors for almost

1200 libraries in the United States and Territories. Both are widely

experienced librarians who have

worked with documents, and were

listed on an appropriate Civil Service Register when hired.

Inspectors must submit plans for three months ahead, usually for 1, 2, or 3 week inspection tours. Time is allowed between trips for the follow- up of library needs and the inevi- table paperwork involved. For 26

weeks or more of the year, the in- spectors are "on the road." They fly into unfamiliar cities, rent cars and

begin rounds of visits which usually

include two libraries a day and fre- quently involve a change of hotel or motel each night.

They try and respond to the special needs of documents librarians

by assisting to solve problems that

may occur in connection with the

Depository Library Program. During

their visits they meet with indivi- dual librarians, groups of librarians,

and directors of libraries. From January through August of 1976, the two Inspectors visited 222 libraries across the country. For additional information on the

growing inspection program, contact: John D. Livsey, Director

Library and Statutory

Distribution Service (SL)

Government Printing Office

Washington, D.C. 20401 (

An eye-catching red, white, and blue Bicentennial mobile floats over the documents reading area of Alverno College Library in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

2
Questions and Answers

Q. Many librarians inquire about

items requested in the past tiiat do

not come, or cancellations that have

not been made. A repeat request or repeat cancellation on the new amendment selection forms is the

step to take. One such inquiry from

Beth Larson at the lacaboni Library

=1 Lakewood, California, was

iswered by LSDS Director Jim

Livsey as follows:

A. I can give you no satisfactory reason as to why your prior selec- tions were not carried in the appropriate Item Books. I can assure you

that this problem is one I have been

battling for almost two years. On the

basis of a single sample taken more

than a year ago, I was appalled to learn that one out of every three

Claims were not previously selected

by the library concerned. The selec- tion could have been made, but not received by our staff. The staff too could have made a wrong entry or not made the entry at all. There is also the possibility that when we up- date a Book from one to another, one or two could be dropped.

Knowing that the Item Books

were not in good shape, I have

honored all Claims in the past while we eliminated some of the other

nroblems facing us. Now today, we

amine every Claim against the

Item Books. If the appropriate mark

has not been entered, those Claims

are returned with the Code "NS"

upon them. We must have your feed- back to update those Books before we automate the system.

In a year I will be able to call up

your library number and get a print- out of all your selections. This will be mailed to you for validation pur- poses. Today that is not possible.

Below is a rundown of the "NS"

Claim Situation:

7/30 427 Checked 147 NS 34.4%

8/4 262 Checked 54 NS 20.6%

8/5 593 Checked 203 NS 34.2%

8/9 226 Checked 113 NS 50.0%

8/11 306 Checked 131 NS 42.8%

8/13 1245 Checked 317 NS 25.5%

8/19 1432 Checked 371 NS 25.9%

8/25 1098 Checked 346 NS 31.5%

9/2 135 Checked 67 NS 49.6%

9/3 584 Checked 168 NS 28.8%

I can live with the problems the

Postal Service presents me on whole

shipments being destroyed. I cannot

live with a primary data base that is almost useless. Please bear with me

for another six to eight months while

the "NS" situation is cleaned up.

Q. A documents librarian in Long

Beach, California, writes: "All indi- cations read that the backlog has

been eliminated at GPO. However,

many of us still have gaps in our

periodical holdings. Are we to as- sume that backlog items we have

never seen on a shipping list are

out-of-print and no longer avail- able?"

A. It is true that the backlog has

been eliminated, but it is not necessarily true that the missing issues are not available. As gaps come to our attention, we contact the GPO

sales personnel and attempt to se- cure enough copies to make complete distribution. If we cannot obtain a sufficient quantity for complete distribution, we try to get

enough for the regional libraries. Continued on page 4

3
Special Needs

If your depository library has some

special needs of a general or specific nature, let us know. Below are some recent requests. If you can

offer discards, write the requesting

depository a letter (sending a copy

to your regional). The library accepting the material agrees to pay any

postage and packing costs that may

be necessary.

Specific needs

Any documents pertaining to the

impeachment proceedings of President Andrew Johnson.

State Bulletins, SI. 3: . . . vols. 70/1829, 1830; 73/1902; 74/

1908, 1909, 1910.

Ms. Dona Lesh

Government Documents Librarian

Baker University Library

Baldwin City, Kansas 66006

Discard & gift lists wanted

Government Publications Department

University of Wisconsin

at Green Bay Library

1276 Main Street Green Bay, Wisconsin 54302

Depository discard lists offered

Canal Zone Library/Museum

Balboa Heights

Canal Zone

Depository discard lists offered

Ms. Kathryn A. Hollenhorst

Documents Librarian

North Dakota State University

Library

Fargo, North Dakota 58102

Depository discard lists offered

John A. Peters Documents Librarian State Historical Society Library

816 State Street Madison, Wisconsin 53706

Depository discard lists offered

Ms. Phyllis Peterson

Documents Coordinator

Documents Division

Milwaukee Public Library

814 West Wisconsin Avenue

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53233

Continued from page 3

When the publication is not avail- able through GPO sales, we try and

obtain copies from the issuing

agency. Again, we try for enough for complete distribution, or at least a

sufficient number for the regionals.

It is permissible, and sometimes

rewarding, for a librarian to write

directly to the issuing agency for missing publications. But it is the

responsibility of the Library and

Statutory Distribution Service to obtain copies for complete distribution, if at all possible.

Let us know if we have missed

any issues you need.

( Gremlins Again!

GPO gremlins were active during

production of August's Highlights.

One waved his mischievous wand

over the paper and took the color

out! Another had the entire issue sent off to HEW! Your Editor would

like to tie a knot in their tails!

^,o^o^^^ Public Documents Highlights is |»'^| circulated bi-monthly by the Super-

\\lx)J intendent of Documents, Washing-

' ton, D.C. 20402, and is mailed at

first class postage rates. Public

Documents Highlights is intended

primarily for librarians of the Federal Depository Library Program.

Material proposed for circulation

may be submitted to the Editor,

Public Documents Highlights, Li- brarv and Statutory Distribution

Service, Government Printing Office,

Washington, D.C. 20401. The Superintendent of Documents, however,

retains the right to accept such material, to edit it, and to assign prio'

ties of circulation. v__

il U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1976—0-2 10-569 #31

4 G PO 9 1 0-336