ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES 

 Newsletter of the Federal Depository Library Program

Vol. 17, no. 04 GP 3.16/3-2:17/04 February 15, 1996 

 Periodicals Suffering Effects of Federal Funding 

Lapse

 Because of the recent furloughs and partial funding experienced by many agencies, lapses have 

occurred in the production and dissemination of some periodicals. Some combined issues are 

being produced, while in other cases issues will be skipped. For some periodicals, decisions on 

production are still pending. 

 The Depository Administration Branch acquisitions staff will make information available to 

depository libraries as it develops. We request that depository library staff be patient with late 

receipts of periodical titles. We also ask that you send requests for information on Federal 

Depository Library Program publications to LPS (rather than to the agencies) via the GPO Inquiry 

Form and e-mail. Please provide titles, SuDocs classification numbers, item numbers, and date of 

last issue received. 

 The following list will also be printed in the Whatever Happened To ...? column in the 

Technical Supplement, v. 3, # 2. 

Class no. Item no. Title/Format Status

C 59.11: 0228 Survey of Current Business Jan. & Feb. 1996 combined 

GS 12.10/2: 0853-B Federal ADP and 

Telecommunications Standards 

Index 

April 1995 not produced 

GS 12.15/2: 0559-J-01 GSA FIRMR/FAR Regulations 

 CD-ROM 

Jan. 1996 not produced. Next 

issue will be Spring 1996 

HE 20.3624: 0508-V Entrez: Sequences CD-ROM Delayed 

HE 22.8/22: 0444-P-03 HCFA's Laws, Regulations, 

Manuals 

Feb. 1996 will not be produced 

S 1.3/5: 0864 Dispatch Last regular issue was v. 6, no. 45, 

dated Nov. 6, 1995, and Index v. 6, 

Jan.-June 1995. Balance for 1995 

undetermined. 

S 1.8: 0865 Diplomatic List Last issue was Aug. 1995. Balance 

for 1995 undetermined. 

S 1.40/5: 0876-B Key Officers of Foreign Service 

Posts 

Last issue was July 1995. Balance 

for 1995 undetermined. 

1
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Class no. Item no. Title/Format Status

C 59.11: 0228 Survey of Current Business Jan. & Feb. 1996 combined 

GS 12.10/2: 0853-B Federal ADP and 

Telecommunications Standards 

Index 

April 1995 not produced 

T 17.6/3-4: 0950-D Customs Bulletin Vol. 30, nos. 4 & 5 will be 

combined in 1 issue dated 31 Jan. 

1996 
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3 Shipping Lists Delayed

 Please do not submit claims yet for the following three separate shipping lists dated December 

11, 1995: 96-0020-S; 96-0021-S; and 96-0022-S. 

 DDD, our mailing contractor since December 1, 1995, had difficulty in obtaining the postage 

meter permit from the U.S. Postal Service. The delay in actual shipment was further compounded 

by inclement weather on the east coast during the week of January 8, 1996. 

 As soon as DDD received the permit, the contractor mailed the shipments during the week of 

January 22. Please allow 2 weeks from January 29 before submitting claims to the Library 

Programs Service (LPS). 

 Claims submitted before February 6 will not be processed because LPS believes that most will 

be void as the items are already in the mail stream. If your library has not received shipments 

from these three separate lists by February 12, please resubmit a claim. 

 LPS regrets any inconvenience caused by these technical difficulties. If you have any questions, 

please contact Colleen Davis, Chief, Depository Processing Branch, by telephone on 

202-512-1007 or Carl Redd, Chief, Depository Distribution Division, by telephone on 

202-512-1014. They can also be reached by fax on 202-512-1429. 

 Older Issues of Bound Congressional Record on 

 Microfiche Now Being Issued

 Some issues of the Bound Congressional Record on microfiche for 1982-1984 were not 

distributed during the initial distribution period. The missing volumes (Item 0993-A, SuDocs X.) 

are now being distributed to libraries currently selecting item 0993-A. The volumes in question are 

as follows: 

 Year Vol. No.

 1982 128 13 

 18 

 20 

 24 

 1983 129 18 

 22 

 26 

 1984 130 17 
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 If your library did not select this title during this period, please treat these as secondary 

publications. We appologize for any inconvenience, but feel this is the best way to correct the 

earlier incomplete distribution. 
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5

 New GPO Access Leaflet Issued

[The following text is from the revised leaflet distributed at the ALA midwinter meeting.] 

GPO Access 

A Service of the U.S. Government Printing Office 

The Pathway to Federal Information

Online, On-Demand and Locator Services 

Use Internet or Dial In 

Federal Databases Online:

Use these official Government databases and many others free of charge via the Internet or dial-in: 

 Federal Register 

 Congressional Bills 

 Congressional Record 

 GAO Reports 

 GILS Records 

 Privacy Act Notices 

 Monthly Catalog of Government Publications 

 Public Laws 

 U.S. Code 

Complete - Full-text and graphics for all databases. All databases are available as ASCII text files, 

and most databases also provide ADOBE Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) files. Users 

with the free Acrobat Reader software can display and print typeset pages, including embedded 

graphics. For some 1994 databases and those with no equivalent printed product, graphics are 

provided as individual files in TIFF format. 

Timely - Most databases are updated by 6 a.m. daily. The Congressional Record is usually 

available by 11 a.m. depending on when Congress adjourns the previous day. 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

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Federal Databases Online:

Government databases can be reached via the Internet or by dial-in in the following ways: 

Full Text and Graphics

# With a World Wide Web browser through the Superintendent of Documents home page: 

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

# With a WAIS client and a full Internet connection. Customized EINet WAIS client software 

for Windows or Macintosh is available for $15 per copy. (Source files and user aids arc available 

via The Federal Bulletin Board.) 

Text Only

Telnet: swais.access.gpo.gov; login as guest 

Dial-in through modem (Settings 8, N, 1) 

(202) 512-1661; type swais; login as guest 

Free Public Access at Federal Depository Libraries

Public access workstations on-site at participating Federal Depository Libraries. Listings of 

"electronic" depository libraries can be found through the Superintendent of Documents' home 

page. 

Users with modems can connect to GPO Access through depository library "gateways" with a local 

phone call. Listings of depository library "gateways" can be found through the Superintendent of 

Documents' home page. 

Federal Locator Services:

The Pathway To Government Information 

The Superintendent of Documents' World Wide Web home page offers an array of services for 

helping users locate and access a variety of Federal information resources: 

Information For Sale

Research and order printed publications, CD-ROM titles, and on-demand electronic products; 

link to the Consumer Information Center, and locate GPO Bookstores across the U.S. 

Information For Free Use In Federal Depository Libraries

Search for Government publication titles by subject or agency, then locate publications of interest 

in nearby Federal Depository Libraries. 

Full-text Databases Online
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

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Search and retrieve official Federal information online via GPO Access.
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Government Internet Sites

Search for, identify, and connect with other Federal information resources on the Internet. 

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

On-Demand Information Services:

More than 7,500 files from over 25 Government agencies representing all three branches of the 

Federal Government are available on The Federal Bulletin Board in a variety of formats and on a 

wide variety of subjects. Including information from: 

 The White House 

 The Supreme Court 

 The Treasury Department 

 The Department of State 

 The Merit Systems Protection Board 

 The Environmental Protection Agency 

 The Federal Labor Relations Authority 

Federal Bulletin Board Access:

Telnet: fedbbs.access.gpo.gov 

FTP: fedbbs.access.gpo.gov 

Dial in to (202) 512-1387 

(Settings: 8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, full duplex) 

Enter your User-Id or type "new" 

A User-ID must be established to access the FBB through FTP. To establish a User-Id, telnet or 

Dial In, type "new", and follow the resulting instructions. 

For assistance with GPO Access:

Convenient links on our World Wide Web pages lead to additional information or helpful hints 

to follow in searching and retrieving the information you need from GPO Access. 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

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A fully searchable GPO Access user guide is available through the World Wide Web, WAIS, or 

SWAIS. 

A fully searchable set of Helpful Hints for each of our databases is available through the World 

Wide Web, WAIS, or SWAIS. 

All user aides can be downloaded from The Federal Bulletin Board 

A wide variety of Government information is available on-line, on CD-ROM, diskette and 

magnetic tape. For additional information: 

Phone: (202) 512-1530 

Fax: (202) 512-1262 

Internet e-mail: gpoaccess@gpo.gov 

U.S. FaxWatch: (202) 512-1716 

World Wide Web: 

http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

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Spring 1996 Depository Library Council Meeting 

and Federal Depository Conference: 

Revised Agenda 

April 15 - 18, 1996 

Washington National Airport Hilton 

(formerly Stouffer Renaissance Crystal City Hotel) 

2399 Jefferson Davis Highway 

Arlington, Virginia 

Sunday, April 14

Afternoon 

Location 

4:00-5:00New Documents Librarians TBA 

Orientation to Council and Conference 

6:00Informal pre-dinner get-together to network by food preference Hotel 

lobby 

Monday, April 15 

Morning 

8:00Registration and Coffee 

8:30 Welcome & Introductions - Plenary session 

8:45 Welcome & Government Information Initiatives Update 

 •Michael F. DiMario, Public Printer 

Decatur/ 

Farragut 

9:15 GPO Update 

 •Wayne Kelley, Superintendent of Documents 

 •J.D. Young, Director, Library Programs Service (LPS) 

 LPS Staff 

 Electronic Transition Staff 

 

•Judith Russell, Director, Office of Electronic Information 

Dissemination Services (EIDS) 

10:00Break 

10:30 GPO Update (continued) 

12:00Working Lunch 

 In order to foster networking, librarians are requested to lunch with 

other librarians from similar types of institutions. 

 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

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Afternoon 

2:00-5:00 Depository Library Council 

 Committee Reports and Recommendations for Council Action 

Decatur 

2:00-5:00New Documents Librarians 

 Informal session to answer questions from mundane to complex about 

depository issues. For new documents librarians or those who feel 

"new" to any aspect of depository librarianship. Veteran documents 

librarians from a variety of backgrounds plus GPO staff will be 

available. 

Dewey I-II 

2:00-3:00Overview of Compact Disc Standards Including CD-ROM, CD Write 

Once, and Photo CD 

 •William Reilly, Technical Writer/Editor, Graphic Systems 

Development Division, GPO 

Farragut 

2:00-3:00GPO Access Demonstration: Federal Register Dewey III 

 •EIDS staff 

2:00LPS Tour GPO 

2:00Patent Public Search Room Tour *PTO 

3:00-4:00Preservation and Archival Issues for Electronic Records 

 •Theodore Hull, Archives Specialist, Center for Electronic Records, 

NARA 

 •Fynnette Eaton, Chief, Technical Services Branch, Center for 

Electronic Records, NARA 

Farragut 

3:00-4:00GPO Access Demonstration: Congressional products 

 •EIDS staff 

Dewey III 

4:00-5:00Access to and Services for Federal Information in the Networked 

Environment 

 •Joan Cheverie, Visiting Program Officer, Coalition for Networked 

Information 

Farragut 

4:00-5:00GPO Access Demonstration: All Other Databases 

 •EIDS staff 

5:30Dinner with Council [Informal groups meet in hotel lobby] 

Dewey III 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

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Tuesday, April 16 

Morning 

8:00Coffee with Council & GPO 

8:30Depository Library Council/Conference - Plenary Session 

 Taking the Next Step: Preparing Libraries for a More Electronic 

Federal Depository Library Program 

Decatur/ 

Farragut 

10:00Break 

10:30Depository Library Council/Conference 

 Focus Discussion Sessions 

 

12:00Working Lunch 

In order to foster networking, librarians are requested to lunch with 

other librarians from similar sized institutions 

Afternoon 

2:00Scientific and Technical Information Center Tour *PTO 

2:00-5:00Depository Library Council working session 

 

Decatur 

2:00-3:00Knowing Your Local Community: Using Federal Information to Learn 

About Community Change 

 •Vicky York, Acting Associate Dean, Montana State University Library 

Farragut 

2:00-3:00GPO Access Demonstration: Federal Register 

 •EIDS staff 

Dewey III 

2:00-3:00Using Older U.S. Documents for Historical Research: Serial Set and 

Congressional Record 

Dewey I 

•Judith M. Feller, Documents Librarian, East Stroudsburg University 

2:00-3:00LPS Information Exchange (Drop-In) Dewey II 

3:00-4:00Internet as a Shared Community/Library Experience in Michigan 

 •Carolyn Gaswick, Documents Librarian, Albion College 

•Carolyn Price, Documents Librarian, Flint Public Library 

Farragut 

3:00-4:00GPO Access Demonstration: Congressional Products 

 •EIDS staff 

Dewey III 

3:00-4:00FinanceNet 

 •Glynis Long, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission 

Dewey I 

3:00-4:00 DTIC: The Source for Defense Information Dewey II 

4:00-5:00How to Utilize Internet, WWW, and Enhance Services to Patrons 

Seeking Government Information 

Farragut 

 •Doreen L. Hansen, University of Minnesota, Duluth 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

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4:00-5:00 GPO Access Demonstration: All other databases 

 •EIDS staff 

Dewey III 

4:00-5:00 ERIC in the Electronic Age 

 •Dr. Lawrence Rudner, Executive Director, ERIC Clearinghouse 

on Assessment and Evaluation 

•Tamara Westover, Outreach Coordinator 

 

Dewey I 

4:00-5:00 Federal Statistical Policy 

 •Edward J. Spar, Executive Director, Council of Professional 

Associations on Federal Statistics 

•Stephen Dienstfrey, Vice-President, Association of Public Data Users 

 •Thomas Brown, Past President, International Association for Social 

Science Information Service and Technology 

Dewey II 

Wednesday, April 17 

Morning 

8:00Coffee with Council & GPO 

8:30-12:00Depository Library Council working session 

Draft Recommendations and Action Items 

Dewey I 

8:30-10:00 Handout Exchange (Drop in) 

•Facilitator: Larry Romans, Documents Coordinator, Vanderbilt University 

•GPO Marketing 

Dewey II 

8:30-9:30Working Toward a Virtual Library 

 •Laurie E. Stackpole, Chief Librarian, Naval Research Library 

Decatur 

8:30-9:30Pathways Demonstration Dewey III 

•Raeann Dossett, Internet Specialist, GPO 

8:30-10:00REIS CD-ROM **BEA 

8:30-10:00Regional Program 

Welcome and Introductions 

The World Wide Web: Four Perspectives on Its Use 

•Kenneth Mortensen, Director of Operations, Villanova Center for Information 

Law and Policy 

•Anna Sylvan, GIS/Documents Librarian, St. Charles City-County Library District 

•Larry Schankman, Documents Coordinator, Mansfield University 

•Maggie Parhamovich, Internet specialist, GPO 

10:00Break 

Farragut 

10:00-12:00Federal Publishers Committee Decatur 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

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 An opportunity to meet representatives from Federal agency publishers 

to find out about their latest techniques/practices in electronic 

information dissemination 

10:00LPS Tour GPO 

10:00Patent Public Search Room Tour *PTO 

10:30-11:30Pathways Demonstration 

•Raeann Dossett, Internet Specialist, GPO 

Dewey III 

10:30-12:00Regional Program 

Automated Check-in of Documents at Regional Depositories: 

OPAC and Innovative Interfaces 

•Jerry Frobom, Federal Documents Librarian, University of Nebraska-Lincoln 

PC-based USDOCS and Bernan 

•Lily Wai, Head, Government Documents, University of Idaho 

USDOCS and Marcive 

Farragut 

•Elizabeth Baur, Documents Librarian, University of Memphis 

10:30-12:00REIS CD-ROM Training Session **BEA 

10:30-12:00LPS Information Exchange (Drop in) 

•LPS staff and contractors 

Dewey II 

12:00Working Lunch 

In order to foster networking, librarians are requested to lunch with other librarians 

from the same geographic region 

Afternoon 

1:30-3:00REIS CD-ROM Training Session **BEA 

2:00-5:00Depository Library Council working session Dewey I 

2:00-3:00Regional Program 

Working Groups, Committees, Associations, Task Forces, Coalitions: What Have 

We Been Doing for the Past Few Years? 

•Julia Wallace, Documents Coordinator, University of Minnesota 

Dewey II 

2:00-3:00GPO Access Demonstration: Federal Register 

 •EIDS staff 

Dewey III 

2:00-3:00Facilities Planning for the Electronic Age 

 •Robert Hinton, Documents Librarian, Indiana University-Purdue 

University at Indianapolis 

Decatur 

2:00-4:00WAIS, Lynx, WWW, and S-WAIS Gateways: Origins and Evolution 

 •Bert Chapman, Government Publications Coordinator, Purdue 

University Libraries 

 •George Barnum, Documents Coordinator, Case Western Reserve 

University 

 •Walter Newsome, Documents Coordinator, University of Virginia 

Farragut 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

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 •Suzanne Holcombe, Assistant Documents Librarian, Oklahoma 

State University 

 •Ellen Dodsworth, Documents Librarian, Georgetown University 

 •Debora Cheney, Head, Documents and Maps, Penn State 

University 

2:00LPS Tour GPO 

2:00Scientific and Technical Information Center Tour *PTO 

3:00-5:00Regional Program 

Open Discussion: Transition to an Electronic Federal Depository Library Program 

 •Facilitator: Cass Hartnett, Documents Coordinator, Detroit Public 

Library 

Dewey II 

3:00-4:00GPO Access Demonstration: Congressional Products 

 •EIDS staff 

Dewey III 

3:00-4:00Regional Input-Output Modeling System Multipliers and Regional 

Economic Projections and Gross State Product Data 

•Andrew Bernat, Chief, Analysis Branch, Bureau of Economic Analysis, 

Department of Commerce 

•George Downey, Chief, GSP & Projections Branch, Bureau of Economic 

Analysis, Department of Commerce 

Decatur 

4:00-5:00 NOAA Electronic Products and Services 

 •Anna Fiolek, Documents Coordinator, NOAA Central Library 

•Doria Grimes, Chief, Contract Operations, NOAA Central Library 

•Dottie Anderson, Reference Librarian, NOAA Central Library 

Farragut 

4:00-5:00GPO Access Demonstration: All Other Products 

 •EIDS staff 

Dewey III 

4:00-5:00 GPO Pathway Services Focus Group 

•Raeann Dossett, Internet Specialist, GPO 

•Maggie Parhamovich, Internet Specialist, GPO 

Decatur 

 

 
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Thursday, April 18 

Morning 

8:00Coffee with Council & GPO 

8:30Council Report on Draft Recommendations and Action Items (including 

audience response and comments) - Plenary Session 

Decatur/ 

Farragut 

10:00Conclusion of Council 

10:30Break 

10:45Federal Information Policy 

 •Patrice McDermott, Information Policy Analyst, OMB Watch 

 

11:15Speaker TBA 

12:00Adjourn 

* PTO: Patent and Trademark Office, Crystal Plaza 3, 2011 South Clark Place, Arlington, VA. 

** BEA: Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Dept. of Commerce, 1441 L Street, NW, 

Washington, DC. 

Register Now for Spring 1996 Council Meeting 

and 1996 Federal Depository Library Conference 

 The spring 1996 meeting of the Depository Library Council and the 1996 Federal Depository 

Library Conference will be held jointly in Arlington, VA on April 15-18, 1996. The Washington 

National Airport Hilton has been selected as the meeting site. A block of rooms at $114 per night 

is being held for Council/Conference attendees; however, to receive this rate, you must register by 

April 1. Be sure to mention the GPO Conference when you register. 

 To register, call the reservations desk at 703-418-6800, or fax 703-418-3763. The hotel address 

is: 

 Washington National Airport Hilton 

 2399 Jefferson Davis Highway 

 Arlington, VA 22202 

 Non-smoking rooms are available on request, and the hotel provides free transportation to and 

from Washington National Airport. Metro's Crystal City subway station is three blocks from the 

hotel and one stop from Washington National Airport. 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

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 Registration Form 

 

 Return by March 15, 1996 

Yes! Register me for the 1996 Federal Depository Conference and 

Spring 1996 Depository Library Council Meeting, to be held at the 

Washington National Airport Hilton, Arlington, VA, on April 15-18, 1996. 

(For hotel reservations, see previous page.) 

PLEASE TYPE: 

Depository Library Number (if applicable): 

Name: 

Institution: 

Address: 

 

City: State: Zip 

Phone: 

Internet Address: 

 I am new to U.S. Government documents (3 years or less) 

Library Type:  Academic  Public  Law  Other 

Library Size:  Small (0--150,000 vols.) 

  Medium (150,000--600,000 vols.) 

  Large (600,000+ vols.) 

Mail, fax, or e-mail to:

 Chief, Depository Services Fax: 202-512-1432 

 Library Programs Service (SLLD) inspect@access.digex.net 

 U.S. Government Printing Office 

 Washington, DC 20401 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

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Responsibilities of the Federal Government 

In the Electronic Information Era

Remarks by Wayne Kelley 

Superintendent of Documents 

Federal Documents Task Force 

Government Documents Round Table 

American Library Association Midwinter Meeting 

Saturday, January 20, 1996

 It is a great pleasure to be here with you this morning. Those of us who believe in free, equitable, 

public access to Federal Government information have important issues to discuss. 

 I'm going to talk about the responsibilities of the Federal Government in the electronic 

information era. But first, let me tell you why I chose that topic. And why I believe that 

understanding responsibilities is important to all of us. 

 The current Government information environment is changing so rapidly, it is impossible to 

describe. You are familiar with the forces at play: electronic technology, shrinking budgets, 

government restructuring, new leadership in the House and Senate, conflicting legislative priorities, 

the clash of fundamentally different philosophies about the purpose and goals of government. On 

one hand, Government agencies as competitors, to each other and to private enterprise, using their 

information as a source of revenue. On the other, agencies cooperating to serve the public, 

providing free access to information. 

 The scene is like an action movie on fast-forward. It does no good to freeze the frame and try to 

draw an impression. What we see in that suspended moment is not an accurate take on the whole 

picture. It gives us no plot, no story line, no uplifting message. 

 Perhaps it is easier to describe things this way. As far as Government information policy goes, we 

have a new set of rules. And the first rule is--that there are no rules. 

 Let me give you an example. I have here a book titled "The Big Emerging Markets, 1996 

Outlook" produced by the U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration. 

In an introduction, the Secretary of Commerce says Big Emerging Markets or BEMs are "a key 

focus of our National Export Strategy." He goes on to say that "Our success in these dynamic 

markets will largely determine the United States' position as the world's economic leader." The 

book lists U.S. and foreign trade contacts for American businessmen. It is a handsome 480-page, 

three-color volume. It was printed in September, and it might have appeal to users of your library. 

 But you won't get it from the Depository Library Program. 

 It is not a Federal Government document. Although all the editorial work was done at 

Government expense, the book was published by a private press under a partnership agreement 

with the National Technical Information Service. The price, including delivery, from the private 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

20

publisher is $43.95. You can purchase it from NTIS for $45. Had a book like this been available 

for sale from GPO it would have cost $40. Had GPO handled the competitive bid for printing this 

book, any Federal agency wanting copies could have placed a "rider" order at the cost of only 

printing, paper and binding. Had GPO handled the procurement, any private sector publisher 

could have obtained the reproducible materials to print and sell the book themselves. Had GPO 

handled the book, it would have been distributed to depository libraries free of charge. 

 Here is another example. Subscribers to an important regulatory publication, the Export 

Administration Regulations, were informed a few weeks ago that publication and distribution of 

that government document was being removed from GPO and placed with NTIS. According to 

the Under Secretary for Export Administration, NTIS, which he described as our "sister agency" in 

Commerce, "is uniquely qualified to be the exclusive provider of the EAR." Over the years, GPO 

had built up a list of some 9,000 subscribers to the Export Regulations. About 500 depository 

libraries have selected the publication and have been receiving it free of charge. We have had no 

word from the agency what it intends to do about depository libraries. 

 None of this is really very surprising. I am aware that NTIS has statutory authority for partnership 

agreements. I was reminded of this recently when I read an NTIS solicitation for a private sector 

partner to publish the next edition of the U.S. Industrial Outlook. Under this solicitation, the U.S. 

Industrial Outlook will no longer be a Government document. NTIS does say, however, it expects 

the new book to be "an annual high profile, high-volume publication with private-sector sales 

ranging between 25,000 to 40,000 copies the first year it is marketed." 

 I am also aware that the Office of Management and Budget, effective June 25, 1993, issued a 

Revised Circular No. A-130 on Management of Federal Information Resources. OMB told 

agencies to "avoid establishing, or permitting others to establish on their behalf, exclusive, 

restricted, or other distribution arrangements that interfere with the availability of information 

dissemination products on a timely and equitable basis." 

 OMB's Revised A-130 also directed agencies to "ensure that government publications are made 

available to depository libraries through the facilities of the Government Printing Office, as 

required by law (44 U.S.C. Part 19)." 

 You would think that A-130 established the rules for agencies. But remember rule number one. 

There are no rules. Or at least the rules are different under different circumstances. I guess we 

can forget that part about not permitting others to establish exclusive distribution arrangements on 

their behalf. 

 I do not want to leave you with the impression that NTIS is the whole picture, It is nothing more 

than a few frames in the movie. Many other, larger factors are at play. 

 Hoping to sort out the current environment by rules, laws, policies and the like, just does not 

seem very realistic right now. We are going to have a period of confusion. Is chaos too strong a 

word? And we must quickly adjust to it. 

 That is why I want to talk about Government responsibility as it applies to information. 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

21

 Each Federal agency has a mission and certain responsibilities in carrying out that mission. If we 

look at the current information environment in that light, we can avoid surprises and establish a 

frame of reference for useful discussion. 

 Government agencies produce information at taxpayers' expense in pursuit of their core missions. 

 As their first priority, agencies make this information available to a specific, targeted audience 

most affected by agency activities. When an agency's resources are stretched thin, it uses them in 

its own best interests. That is a law of nature that outranks Title 44 of the U.S. Code. The agency 

may seek authority to sell its information products and use the revenues to support operations. It 

may cease publishing certain titles. Agencies using GPO to contract for publishing have never 

before had to pay for distribution of that information to depository libraries. 

 The Federal Depository Library Program has a different mission. We seek to guarantee access of 

the general public to a broad range of Government information preserved over a long period of 

time. Our appropriation has paid costs of reproducing and distributing agency information to 

depositories. 

 In the electronic information age, the roles played by Government agencies, the Government 

Printing Office, and the depository libraries are changing. 

 Federal agencies are producing a rapidly growing volume of information in electronic formats. In 

some cases these formats are information products such as CD-ROMs which are distributed to 

depository libraries. In other cases, the agency stores information on its own computers and 

provides access online. Agency online services are often, but not always, available free to the 

general public, not just to a targeted audience. Just how far agencies are willing to go in expending 

resources for the general public is an unanswered question. But serving the general public is not a 

primary responsibility. 

 The agencies are responsible, however, for the authenticity, currency and availability of their own 

electronic information products. There is a need for an authoritative study on how agencies are 

addressing these responsibilities. 

 Historically, depository libraries have been responsible for storing Government information onsite 

and providing free access directly to the public. In the electronic age, a great deal of information 

will be stored by the agency which created it, by GPO, or by agreement with a third party. The 

responsibilities of depositories are changing. They will provide access to electronic information 

stored elsewhere. 

 Now here is a sensitive subject. The Congress, OMB, and the National Archives all have 

responsibilities. I'll leave it to them to define those areas of responsibility. But it is clear that 

GPO's oversight and appropriations committees are taking a close look at the Depository Library 

Program. 

 The House and Senate Appropriations committees, in a Conference Report adopted in July 1995, 

directed the Public Printer to initiate a study, under the direction of the committees, to identify 

measures necessary for a transition to a more electronically based Depository Library Program. 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

22

 The Conferees also adopted language, offered by House conferees, requiring GPO to submit a 

budget last December assuring "substantial progress toward maximum use of electronic 

information" in the depository program. Agencies failing to make this progress must pay for print 

or microfiche even if they procure these formats through GPO. 

 It is the responsibility of the Congressional authorizing committees to define GPO's mission and 

authority. It is the responsibility of the appropriations committees to set the level of funding for 

our programs. 

 As I said at the beginning, we are going through a patch of chaos. When we come out the other 

side, it is important that the American public have equitable and free access to information about 

what its Government is doing. Now is the time for people and organizations who care about 

libraries and care about access to government information to make their views known to the 

responsible government officials. 

 If the legacy of the electronic information era is to pull the plug on public access to Government 

information, it will not serve either our country or the democratic process. The low level of public 

confidence in government is already a very serious problem in the United States. 

 Thank you for listening to me. I expect to spend the rest of my time at this conference listening to 

you. 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

23

The Federal Depository Library Program in 

Transition

Remarks by Gil Baldwin 

Chief, Library Division 

Federal Documents Task Force 

Government Documents Round Table 

American Library Association Midwinter Meeting 

Saturday, January 20, 1996

 It's obvious that we have been well and truly cursed to "live in interesting times," as we face the 

most profound changes in the long history of the Federal Depository Library Program. Now 

change is not new to us; either in documents librarianship, Government information policy, or in 

the library profession as a whole. If you scan across the topics and themes of this Conference, it's 

readily apparent that the sea change from collections to connections that we're facing in the 

depository program parallels developments throughout our profession. At least from my point of 

view, just four short years from the millennium, the questions we have to deal with are no longer 

"Will we go electronic?" or even "Should we go electronic?" Today the issues have become "How 

fast should we go electronic?" and "How electronic will we go?" But even more closely focused; 

"What will be the effects of going electronic on libraries and users; and who's going pay the bill?" 

 Section 210 of Public Law 104-53, the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act from FY 1996, 

required the Public Printer to include a plan for a rapid transition to an electronic Federal 

Depository Library Program in the fiscal year 1997 requests for the Superintendent of Documents 

Salaries and Expenses Appropriation. We developed the plan based on the discussions which 

have occurred during the GPO Study to Identify Measures Necessary for a Successful Transition 

to a More Electronic FDLP. We also used the input from the discussions which occurred at the 

fall 1995 meeting of the Depository Library Council in Memphis. Many of the points included in 

the plan were raised in Memphis and are expressed in the Council's recommendations to the 

Public Printer. It is a "tactical" plan, which covers the remainder of FY 1996 through FY 1998. 

One of the goals of this plan is to assist the Study Working Group in completing the study report 

and the longer-range strategic plan called for in Senate Report 104-114. 

 The plan is based on our understanding of Congressional intent and direction, technological 

developments, and operational and budgetary realities. For the context of our FY 1997 budget 

request, we laid out our basic assumptions and policies and outlined actions necessary to 

accomplish the rapid transition to an electronic FDLP. Having lived through the scare of the 

proposed 50% cut in our budget that was incorporated in the House of Representatives version of 

our funding bill, we were absolutely convinced that our plan had to demonstrate aggressive 

movement toward the use of electronics. Although the planned transition may seem too fast to 

you now, just think where this program would already be if the House position had prevailed. 

With this plan we have bought time, and given us all two and a half years to accomplish these 

changes. 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

24

 All of the partners in the electronic FDLP will be significantly impacted in terms of new resource 

requirements, roles, and responsibilities. Many depository libraries will have to accelerate their 

plans to obtain public access work stations, and deal with the demand for local printing and 

downloading. They will have to balance the need to provide users with assistance in using 

electronic access services while at the same time providing access to the historical Government 

information contained in their pre-electronic documents collections. In the electronic 

environment where the FDLP information is free to all, public service, or intermediary role of the 

librarian, becomes the defining characteristic of a depository library. Therefore, libraries which 

intend to continue as depositories should have a strong commitment to public access. 

 Any written plan reflects your best thinking and knowledge on the day it is completed; after that it 

begins to grow, evolve, and be modified. We have already received some thoughtful comments 

and input which could not be included in the original plan because of its tight deadline. I'm sure 

that we'll receive some more. We are very aware that there are some areas which the plan does 

not emphasize, largely because of its origination as a budget document. 

 For example, we are very interested in comments on these two general areas: 

 -the impact of this transition on the users of Government information, on libraries in general, and 

specifically on depository libraries; 

 -the role of the agencies and GPO's relationship with, and services to, them. 

Plan Highlights

 I hope by now you all have taken the opportunity to read the plan. We published it in a special 

issue of Administrative Notes (v. 16, #18) and it's been posted on GOVDOC-L. There are also 

copies of the Administrative Notes issue here. As I said, we felt driven to put forward an 

aggressive plan for a fast transition. However, we made every effort to also be responsible. 

 In my view, the two key strategic issues embodied in this plan are maintaining long-term access 

and ensuring equitable public access. As we work through the plan's contents we'll see these 

themes played out in several areas. As you can see, there's a lot covered in the plan, and I want to 

go over some specific areas this morning and give you some additional detail about what our 

thinking was, and the processes involved. 

Even though there's a lot of detail in the plan, it's important to remember that this plan is at the 

"what" level. It describes what we're going to do. It does not address the "how" or the "who." We 

expect some of that to come out of the discussions at this conference and some of the details are 

being worked out back at LPS. In the broadest strokes, this is what we think will happen. 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

25

Transition to the Electronic 

Federal Depository Library Program 

The FDLP Today: 

Focus on Products 

The Electronic FDLP: 

Focus on Services 

Dissemination Access 

 - to information at SOD sites 

 - to agency databases 

 LPS ships out physical 

 products 

 Users electronically connect to 

 databases 

 Information is in physical, 

 tangible format 

 Information is online, available 

 via Internet 

 GPO's responsibilities are GPO assumes responsibility 

 short-term for long-term access 

 However, before we review some of the plan's elements, I thought it would be useful to walk 

through the assumptions that guided us. In many ways, these assumptions are an extension of 

those which Mr. Kelley laid out to guide the discussions at Council. 

Basic Assumptions for the Transition to an Electronic FDLP

1. Based on our direction from Congress, we expect that nearly all of the information provided 

through the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) will be electronic by the end of fiscal 

year 1998. 

Information which has been distributed to depository libraries in paper and microfiche formats will 

be available instead via remote electronic access or will be disseminated in a physical electronic 

format for local access at a depository library. To some extent this shift will occur regardless of 

how we manage the FDLP, as Federal agencies in all three branches of Government increasingly 

originate and publish their information electronically. In addition, during the transition period, we 

intend to convert publications received in paper to an electronic format for availability through the 

GPO Access services. 

2. Typically, the information provided through the FDLP will be electronic, with the exception of 

a few select titles which must be available in paper as well as electronically. This assumption was 

predicated on our understanding of Congressional direction, and resulted in the development of 

the paper title core list. More on that later. 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

26

3. The costs of the transition to the electronic FDLP will be funded by reducing the distribution of 

paper and microfiche. We understand that showing some kind of savings is a critical consideration 

in this environment. This assumption drives the "Eliminating Duplication" segment of the plan. 

4. In an electronic FDLP, the responsibility for ensuring long-term access shifts from the 

depository libraries to the Superintendent of Documents (SOD). In the electronic FDLP, 

connections to electronic access services operated under the authority of the SOD replace the 

geographically-dispersed collections of books and microfiche. 

This implies new and different tasks and expenses. To provide long-term access to data, SOD 

assumes such costs as data preparation for mounting, maintenance, storage, and ongoing costs to 

minimize deterioration and assure technological currency. It will be interesting to see if providing 

long-term electronic access proves to be cheaper or more expensive to the Government than the 

traditional print-based program. 

 Let's take a minute here to define what we mean by long-term access. As expressed in the SOD 

policy statement incorporated in the plan, electronic information under the custody of the SOD 

will be maintained for access as long as usage warrants. This differs from the National Institute of 

Standards and Technology (NIST), which we're told defines long-term as 100 years or more. 

 For practical purposes this means at least 5 years, with the upper limit based on an assessment of 

demand. We intend to coordinate with the National Archives and Records Administration 

(NARA) to offer electronic information which no longer warrants maintaining at SOD sites for the 

FDLP to NARA. However, we believe transfer to NARA for permanent preservation is the legal 

responsibility of the originating agency. 

5. The GPO Access services, including the on-line service, storage facility, locator service, and the 

Federal Bulletin Board, will be the foundation for providing electronic access to Federal 

information for the FDLP. 

6. Direct, no-fee access to Government information will be provided to the public by the GPO 

Access services as a function of the FDLP, and be funded by the Program. 

7. We will coordinate with other agencies for depository library access to their electronic data. In 

the case of some agency databases which must be sold to be self-sustaining, the FDLP may not 

necessarily provide for direct, no-charge public access. However, depository libraries will be able 

to provide public access to these databases, either on-site, or by connecting through a gateway. 

8. Some depositories need assistance in order to serve the public in an electronic FDLP 

environment. We are requesting funding earmarked for "technology grants" sufficient to assure at 

least one electronically-capable depository in each Congressional district. 

9. Priority in this transition will be given to electronic access to materials already in the FDLP, with 

highest priority on high-demand titles. Current electronic information not presently in the FDLP 

will be given the next priority, with retrospective data receiving the lowest priority. We're aware 

that this approach has implications for fugitive information, and some of the comments we've 

gotten expressed disappointment that we didn't make fugitives a higher priority. Our reasoning 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

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here is that our first effort ought to be to prevent the information we already have some control 

over from going fugitive as the agencies migrate to electronic publishing. 

10. This transition will require certain legislative changes. These are a key portion of the plan, 

since without these changes to the law, our ability to accomplish the transition will be limited. 

11. Accomplishing this transition by the end of FY 1998 will require funding of the 

Superintendent of Documents Salaries and Expenses Appropriation at approximately the FY 1996 

level. To this end we've requested $30.8 million for FY 1997. However, we expect that much of 

this money will be spent in different ways, to support the electronic transition. For example, much 

of what we previously spent on procuring paper or microfiche products for depositories will by FY 

1997 be spent on preparing electronic files for inclusion in the GPO Access services, additional 

system capacity, and so on. 

 

 

KEY FEATURES OF THE TRANSITION PLAN

Assistance to Libraries

 We intend to devote additional resources to promoting training and continuing education 

opportunities for depository librarians, to raise the level of knowledge and skills with electronic 

information resources. This approach will guide the development of future "Federal Depository 

Conferences" as we will provide hands-on training in the use of the GPO Access on-line services 

and facilitate training on other agencies' systems. Sheila will provide you with additional details on 

the conference plans in a few minutes. 

 To the extent that public service and "intermediation" (I think I made up a word) characterize 

depository libraries in the electronic environment; we want to do as much as possible to assist 

librarians in obtaining additional training. So that we might better allocate our time and travel 

resources, we've put together some guidelines on "How to Request GPO Access Training or 

Demonstrations" [printed in Administrative Notes, v. 17, #2]. 

 We feel there is potential for leadership growth among the librarians at the 53 regionals. Closer 

cultivation and coordination with the regional depository libraries and their directors should lead 

to a greater ability to rely upon the regional librarians as field coordinators for the FDLP. To this 

end, GPO is requesting that the statutory limitation on S&E travel be raised by $20,000 to 

$150,000 in FY 1997. If approved, we propose to bring the regional librarians together for a onetime conference, at our expense, for training, discussion of state planning initiatives, and a 

clarification of the regionals' role in the administration of the technology grants. We're thinking 

about an August or September 1997 time frame. The location is to be arranged, but we're open to 

having it outside of Washington. 

Minimum Technical Requirements
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

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 Depository libraries are expected to provide access to electronic information identified in SOD 

Pathway services as well as information made available directly through the FDLP at no charge to 

the public. Fulfilling this expectation requires depository libraries to offer users access to work 

stations with a graphical user interface, CD-ROM capability, Internet connections, and the ability 

to access, download, and print extensive documents. Depository libraries are responsible for the 

startup and maintenance costs associated with equipment and Internet connectivity required to 

provide access to Federal Government information in electronic formats. However, depository 

libraries may charge users to recover the cost of printing information accessed electronically. 

 These electronic capabilities are in accordance with the revised "Recommended Minimum 

Technical Guidelines" published in the January 15, 1995 issue of the Administrative Notes 

newsletter. Following the advice of the Depository Library Council to the Public Printer, these or 

updated capabilities will become requirements for all depository libraries in 1996. We know we 

need to revise these technical requirements to bring them closer to the current state of technology. 

 In addition, we're grappling with the quantity issue; which is often expressed as "How many of 

these work stations should I have?" Some suggestions have included tying the number to the 

percentage of selections, to the numbers of users served, or to the average wait time of users in the 

queue at peak service hours. Again, I'd really welcome your thoughts on both of these issues. 

Technology Grants

 Some depositories lack the resources to acquire the requisite computer or telecommunications 

resources necessary to adequately serve the public in the electronic FDLP. Based on our most 

recent analysis of the responses to the 1995 Biennial Survey of depository libraries, nearly 25% of 

the depositories do not have public access work stations connected to the Internet. Many of these 

libraries are planning to offer public Internet access within two years, but over 12% (169 of 1,372 

responding libraries) have no plans to provide Internet access to the public. The lack of public 

Internet access in depository libraries is a critical missing "last mile" in making Government 

information available electronically. 

 If our plan is approved and fully funded, GPO intends to expend up to $500,000 in FY 1997 for 

"technology grants" to depository libraries. The technology grants are intended to ensure 

reasonable public access and proximity to at least one electronically-capable depository in every 

Congressional district. Based on preliminary returns from the 1995 Biennial Survey of 

depositories, LPS estimates that there are 11 Congressional districts in which no existing 

depository offers public Internet access. In addition, there are still 22 other Congressional districts 

in which there is no depository library. The technology grants, at up to $25,000 each, are to be 

used to acquire public access work stations and Internet connections in depository libraries. This 

one-time financial assistance will enable libraries to achieve a minimum level of capability to serve 

the public with on-line electronic Government information. 

Inspection Program

 Assuming that this plan is approved, the depository library inspection program will be redesigned, 

so that the resources devoted to periodic inspections can be reallocated to FDLP system support 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

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and services to depository libraries. Over the last eight years, 95% of the depository libraries 

inspected have been found in compliance with the requirements of the FDLP. Now that the 

depository library self-study has been adopted as an evaluation tool for use by the libraries, LPS 

intends that the basis for inspections will be that specified in 44 U.S.C. 1909, which states that "the 

Superintendent of Documents shall make firsthand investigation of conditions [in depository 

libraries] for which need is indicated ..." [emphasis added]. 

 LPS will concentrate on site compliance inspections of those libraries which submit unsatisfactory 

self-studies, have major changes in staffing or facilities, have prior records of non-compliance, or if 

complaints are received from the public concerning depository library services. The LPS 

Depository Services Staff (DSS) will also be available to visit, consult with, and assist a depository 

library upon request. This change will permit the DSS resources to be reallocated to providing 

assistance to libraries during the transition to a more electronic FDLP. 

Paper Core List 

 During the Congressional actions leading up to the FY 1996 Legislative Branch Appropriations 

Act there was considerable discussion of the use of electronic information technologies in the 

FDLP. Initially, the House of Representatives would have restricted GPO's authority to pay for 

depository library information to electronic information only, with the originating agencies being 

responsible for costs of print products. Another frequently expressed belief was that all 

information provided to the depositories should be in electronic format. 

 It has become clear in planning for the transition to a more electronic FDLP that there is a core 

group of publications which must remain in paper. There are significant socioeconomic and 

technical impediments to a broad-based public ability to effectively access electronic information. 

There are other important considerations as well, such as the "official" nature of the information, 

and issues of long-term access and preservation. 

 The "Paper Core List" titles contain information which is vital to the democratic process; 

information critical to an informed electorate. They support the public's right to know about the 

activities of their government. Maintaining these titles in paper format, whether or not they may be 

available electronically, is essential to the purpose of the FDLP. GPO's funding request includes 

dollars earmarked to continue providing these titles to depository libraries in paper format as long 

as they are published in paper. 

 I want to give you background on how we went about this paper core list development. We 

started this process right after the fall Council meeting, and we pulled together a group within LPS 

that included over a dozen current and former documents librarians. I asked the group to identify 

titles which had such obvious importance that even the most ardent supporter of electronics would 

be convinced. We had some heart-rending sessions as numerous favorite titles were pushed out of 

the lifeboat, but I was convinced that we had to limit our list to truly high-impact titles, in order to 

prove the point that at least some print distribution was still valid. 

Transition Chronology 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

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 Obviously this is going to be a complex transition to manage on the operational level, and some 

preparatory activities are necessarily already underway. 

 For the remainder of FY 1996, LPS will concentrate transition activities on materials under our 

control. We will: 

 -Begin elimination of duplication by offering only an electronic format except for core paper titles. 

 We are beginning the process of identifying candidate titles that can be responsibly 

phased out, especially periodicals as the come to the end of a volume or year. 

 -Develop initial standards for the format(s) of data to be mounted on the GPO Access service. 

Right now we expect that we will be using ASCII and Adobe PDF formats, which will 

support a wide range of functions, such as full-text searching, facsimile printing, and 

compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act for use by the visually-impaired. 

 -Obtain contractual technical implementation assistance to accomplish the transition. We would 

still like to have the contracted study performed, to assist us in gathering data and 

taking an outside look at the best solutions for presenting information electronically. 

The much-revised statement of work for the contracted study is appended to the 

Transition Plan. 

 -Establish one or more contracts to scan monographs which would have been distributed in paper 

or microfiche. Currently we are working with GPO Production Services on some 

tests of scanning. These results will assist us in developing the technical specifications 

for the statement of work in the event that a contract is required to absorb our 

projected workload. 

 -Encourage agencies to provide SOD with electronic source files, particularly for serials or series 

publications. 

 -Develop guidelines for technology grants. 

 These two items have not yet been started, pending some feedback from Congress on whether 

this plan will be accepted and funded. We should have a better feel for this by the 

end of February, as our hearing before House Appropriations is scheduled for Feb. 

21. 

 -Inform the depository library community about the transition plan. 

FDLP System Requirements for Electronic Access

Electronic information for the FDLP will be prepared for inclusion in the GPO Access service in 

two basic ways: scanning print format products, and from agency-supplied electronic source data 

files. 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

31

We require the capability to accept scanned information and mount it on our system. This will 

pertain primarily to monographs which would have been distributed in paper or microfiche 

format. Serial or series publications will be maintained in their present format until a dependable, 

ongoing supply of electronic source files is assured. Scanning will be a short-term, transitional 

requirement assuming that the law is changed beginning in FY 1997 to require agencies to provide 

SOD with their electronic source files. However, even during the transition period, our scanning 

requirements could be very extensive. 

When agencies supply electronic files in a variety of formats, we require the capability to accept the 

various file formats, and to take whatever steps are necessary to mount them on our system. In 

order to gain the widest cooperation from agencies, we anticipate accepting data in whatever file 

format the agency offers. 

 As an incentive for agencies to provide their data, SOD will not dictate a file format to the 

agencies. This approach is a direct outcome of the discussions held by the FDLP Study Working 

Group, which strongly indicated that we could not dictate specifications to the publishing agencies 

for their electronic files and still hope to get anything. However, based on a preliminary analysis, 

standard data formats for the GPO Access services are expected, in the near term, to be ASCII 

and Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format). In order to fully implement the use of the Open 

Text (GPO Access Phase II) software, SGML formatted files are required. 

 In addition, there is a potential requirement to establish, at an SOD facility, on-line or "near line" 

access to CD-ROMs which have been, or could be, physically distributed through the FDLP. 

Before defining applications or candidate CD-ROM products for such a service, we need to 

identify, investigate and test appropriate technologies, and to explore the costs and benefits of 

alternative delivery mechanisms. 

 I'm not going to go into the details of the requirements today. Rather, I want to make the point 

that the real value of this was for Documents, in the context of the FDLP, to express a set of 

general system requirements to GPO's Production Department. I don't know if you all are aware 

that Production actually operates the GPO Access services, runs the servers, modifies software, 

updates the data, and so on, with Documents in a customer role. This was a good opportunity for 

us to shape the development of GPO Access, which will be the principal vehicle for the electronic 

FDLP. 

Classification System Issues

 We are beginning to take a hard look at the Superintendent of Documents classification system, 

and how the transition will affect it. SuDocs classification has long been one of the hallmarks of 

our program. By assigning these unique identifiers to physical items, GPO has enabled libraries to 

shelve and provide access to their physical collections. However, such requirements are no longer 

valid when working with intangible electronic data. GPO expects that the application of the 

classification system will be reduced as the number of physical products in the FDLP declines. 

The "locating" function of the traditional classification system will be replaced by including the URI 

(Uniform Resource Identifier) data element in our records. 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

32

 We invest a substantial amount of resources in administering the SuDocs classification system and 

the related item number system. In managing this transition to electronics, we are faced with the 

necessity to redirect the efforts of our ever-declining staff. Many of the same personnel who are 

engaged in classification, shipping list preparation, item number system maintenance, microfiche 

contracting, etc., will be the same ones who must contact agencies and acquire electronic files. We 

must simplify our application of the SuDocs system, in order to reduce the amount of our 

resources currently devoted to it. This will mean changes must be responsibly thought out and 

implemented. Robin Haun-Mohamed, Chief of our Depository Administration Branch, will be 

the point person on scaling down the use of SuDocs classification system, but we cannot and 

should not do this alone. I'm here to ask GODORT to establish a work group or committee to 

work with us to develop some reasonable approaches, and to act as a sounding board for ideas that 

we may consider. 

Legislative Changes

 If we are to successfully accomplish this ambitious transition plan, it is imperative that certain 

legislative changes be enacted. To assure long-term access to electronic Government information, 

we proposed specific language for five new sections for Chapter 19 of Title 44. In my view, the 

most critical is the proposed Section 1921, the definitions. We took this opportunity to establish 

that electronic information, either in a tangible format, or online, is clearly in scope for the FDLP. 

 And we defined the term "on-line public access" which is critical to the success of the plan. In the 

proposed language, "on-line public access" means that information is made accessible electronically 

over the Internet, or any successor network, without regard for the storage media which holds the 

data, or the searching mechanisms employed to access it. 

 I thank you for the opportunity to give you this overview on the Electronic Transition Plan. We 

welcome your input and comments, and will make every effort to factor them into our efforts. 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

33

Depository Services Update

 Remarks by 

 Sheila M. McGarr 

 Chief, Depository Services 

Federal Documents Task Force 

Government Documents Round Table 

American Library Association Midwinter Meeting 

January 20, 1996

 Good morning. I would like to bring you up-to-date on the activities of Depository Services. 

While other units of the Library Programs Service are primarily oriented toward the processing 

and distribution of publications, the focus of Depository Services is on the functioning of the 

individual libraries and their relation with each other and GPO. 

Outreach

 The 9th annual Interagency Depository Seminar is planned for May 29-June 5, 1996 in 

Washington, DC. "New" documents staff (3 years or less experience in this field) are the target 

audience for the program. Sessions are conducted by GPO, Bureau of the Census, Office of the 

Federal Register, Patent and Trademark Office, etc. The preliminary agenda and registration form 

was announced in the October 15, 1995 issue of Administrative Notes. There are still openings 

for "boot camp" and the closing date for registration is February 29. 

 The 5th annual Federal Depository Library Conference will be held from April 15-18, 1996 at the 

Washington National Airport Hilton in Crystal City. The Depository Library Council will meet 

concurrently with the conference. The preliminary agenda for the conference was announced in 

the December 15, 1995 issue of Administrative Notes and on GOVDOC-L. A revised agenda will 

appear in the February 15, 1996 issue of Administrative Notes and on GOVDOC-L. The 

program is a mixture of Federal agency electronic initiatives and presentations from documents 

librarians on their use of electronic Government information. Proceedings from this conference 

will be issued in mid-1996. 

Publications

 The Depository Library Council endorsed the work of a Council subcommittee who revised the 

nearly 20-year old Guidelines. The Guidelines for the Federal Depository Library Program will be 

printed shortly as Federal Depository Library Manual Supplement 2. Each depository will receive 

a copy and it will be posted on the Federal Bulletin Board for downloading. The Guidelines are 

also supplied to potential depository libraries. Given the transition to electronics, we will 

reevaluate the Guidelines every 2 years. 

 Twenty-seven depository librarians volunteered to evaluate documents for a revision of the 

Superseded List. Their names, addresses, and agency assignments appeared in the January 15, 

1996 issue of Administrative Notes. Documents staff are encouraged to contact the committee 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

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members with suggestions for the Superseded List. With evaluation, compilation, and review 

stages, the enlarged list will likely be available by Fall 1996. 

At the recommendation of the Depository Library Council, the draft self-study, to be used in 

advance of an inspection, was printed in the November 25, 1994 issue of Administrative Notes. 

Many librarians whose documents operations were inspected throughout 1995 completed the selfstudy and found the process good preparation for the on-site inspection. We plan to issue the selfstudy as Federal Depository Library Manual Supplement 3 by June 1996. 

 For the first time in anyone's memory, GPO was included in the Federal Agency Reports section 

of the 1995 edition of the Bowker Annual. We have submitted an article which we anticipate will 

appear in the 1996 edition of the Bowker Annual this summer. 

Inspection Activities 

 Libraries which were last inspected in 1989 and 1990 are tentatively scheduled for inspection for 

the remainder of fiscal year 1996 in the following states: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Maine, 

Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Vermont, and 

Virgin Islands. Inspectors will contact depository librarians by telephone approximately 6 weeks in 

advance to confirm the date for the compliance review. 

 As recommended by the Depository Library Council at its October 1995 meeting, the 

"Recommended Minimum Technical Guidelines" for computer work stations will be required of 

all depositories by October 1, 1996. This information was distributed to library directors by first 

class mail, to documents librarians in depository shipments, and in the December 15, 1995 issue 

of Administrative Notes. You may be wondering how this change will affect a compliance review 

by the depository library inspectors. The lack of suitable computer equipment will be evaluated in 

the same manner as a lack of map, CD-ROM, or microfiche cabinets; insufficient shelving or 

microfiche readers and reader/printers; water damage, etc. The depository operation will be rated 

as being in non-compliance with the Physical Facilities portion of the audit. A library will not be 

placed on probationary status because of one deficiency. Three categories out of seven must be 

deficient to warrant probation. 

Biennial Survey 

 Under Title 44, U.S.C. section 1909, "designated depository libraries shall report to the 

Superintendent of Documents at least every two years concerning their condition." Since 1947, the 

Biennial Survey of Depository Libraries has been that instrument. 

 

 As my telephone number was the "Biennial Survey Hotline," I can report on a few amusing 

incidents. Even though we required that only the 2 page answer sheets be faxed, several libraries 

also faxed back the entire 12 page booklet. Some libraries still do not know their depository 

library number! A library reported multiple congressional districts as their service area while we 

asked in which district is the library located. We also noted a number of discrepancies in reported 

congressional district from the 1993 to 1995 surveys. When that happened, I requested that the 

library fax back the page from the Congressional District Atlas with "x marks the spot" of their 

library. 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

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 Some librarians called me to report spilling coffee or making errors on the answer sheets. Using 

U.S. Fax Watch to quickly obtain replacement copies of the booklet and answer sheets was a 

success and speedier than our mailing out new sets by "snail mail." 

 After a successful pilot test in 1993 using the Teleform software, responses to the 1995 Survey 

were received by fax. On the whole the fax software worked well. There were, however, 

irreconcilable differences between our equipment and some libraries' fax machines which crashed 

our system. In those cases, they either mailed the survey back or faxed to another machine and we 

manually transferred the information to blank answer sheets and refaxed it to the Teleform 

machine. Because of its tabulation feature, I can report on some highlights today. 

 After notices in Administrative Notes, shipment boxes, and GOVDOC-L, plus telephone calls by 

my staff and nagging by the regionals on our behalf, we are only missing 9 Surveys out of 1381 

depositories. We still have to clean up the data especially on those questions which were not 

answered at all or too many answers were marked. We plan to issue a publication similar to the 

1994 Electronic Capabilities Survey for the 1995 Biennial Survey. 

[A handout showing preliminary results of the 1995 Biennial Survey was distributed at the 

GODORT meeting and appeared in Administrative Notes, v. 17, #2 (1/15/96).] 

 There was interest in updating the estimated number of users per week [167,700] reported in the 

Users of Academic and Public GPO Depository Libraries" study conducted by Peter Hernon and 

Charles McClure in 1988. But we had no time and no funding to pre-test or conduct sampling. 

Instead, we asked, "on average, how many patrons use the depository each week?" Based on the 

responses from all types of libraries, the estimated magic number is 188,203. 

 

 The final Biennial Survey question asked "[I]f electronic media and online services replace most 

paper and microfiche distributed through the FDLP in the next 2 years, would your library retain 

depository status?" 95 libraries answered no and 42 left it blank. On December 7, we sent out 

letters to each of those libraries asking them to clarify their reasons. To date, 62 libraries (45.2%) 

responded. 

 Types of libraries getting letter # % 

 Law school .......................................... 28.........................17.9 

 Federal.................................................. 5.......................... 7.5 

 Federal court ........................................ 9.........................13.6 

 Public................................................... 30.........................10.6 

 Academic............................................. 55.......................... 7.2 

 State or county law ................................ 3...........................5.4 

 State library........................................... 3.......................... 6.3 

 Special .................................................. 4.........................16.0 

Of the 137 libraries, three were regionals (1 state library and 2 public). 

 The librarians commented on the FDLP no longer being an exclusive source for Government 

information; obligations remain but costs [primarily equipment] increase; FDLP will be a 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

36

misnomer as it gravitates toward an electronic access program; access will likely be restricted to the 

computer literate; and the Federal Government is shifting the financial burden to the local and 

state governments. 

 % 

 Staffing Implications .................................................................17.5 

 Lack of Public Service staff 

 Lack of patron expertise 

 Training 

 of patrons 

 of staff to use new systems 

 GPO subsidize travel for training 

 

 Financial 

 Budget shortfall-not keeping pace with inflation...............26.3 

 Mushrooming costs for equipment 

 Hardware acquisition and upgrades 

 Software acquisition and upgrades 

 Telephone line installation 

 Internet fees 

 Printers 

 GPO subsidize toll free number to Internet 

 Higher salaries for staff expertise 

 Costs: toner, diskettes, paper....................................................12.3 

 Need technology grants ..............................................................8.8 

 Products 

 Uniform graphical interfaces...............................................8.8 

 Software standardization 

 Identify/Archive/Preserve.........................................................10.1 

 Other library priorities................................................................8.8 

 Automation 

 Upgrading OPAC 

 Installing LAN 

 In conclusion, many depository libraries will have to accelerate their plans to obtain public 

access computer work stations and deal with the demand for local printing and downloading. The 

need to provide users with assistance in using electronic access service must be balanced with 

providing access to historical Government information in print and microformats. In the 

electronic environment where the FDLP is free to all, public service [the "intermediary" role] 

becomes the defining characteristic of a depository. Libraries which intend to continue as 

depositories should have a strong commitment to public access. 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

37

Pathway Project Update and Demonstration

Remarks by 

Maggie Parhamovich Farrell and Raeann Dossett 

Internet Specialists, Electronic Transition Staff 

Federal Documents Task Force 

Government Documents Round Table 

American Library Association Midwinter Meeting 

January 20, 1996

 Good morning. Despite government furloughs, technical difficulties, and nearly 2 feet of snow, 

Raeann and I remain undaunted by our project. We are halfway through our one year project at 

GPO and we would like to show you some results of our work. 

 Raeann and I are part of the Electronic Transition Staff or ETS within the Library Programs 

Service. At the fall meeting of the Depository Library Council, ETS highlighted several of our 

projects. However, this morning, we will only be discussing the Pathway Project. ETS has 

developed an experimental Web page to demonstrate our concepts 

(http://www.access.gpo.gov/ets/). The Web page is a place where we will experiment with ideas 

and test Internet applications. The experimental site is our frame for developmental work. We 

encourage you to check it out occasionally as it is ever changing. 

 The goal of the Pathway project is to develop Internet resources which facilitate access to 

government information. While the target audience of our project is Federal depository librarians, 

we believe the project will assist the general public as well. One aspect of our work is to develop a 

system which applies some of the characteristics of research in a traditional library to the electronic 

 environment. Library patrons typically find information by two methods: 

 Browsing through the stacks or card catalog 

 or 

 Searching for a specific concept or keyword. 

 We have applied these patterns to our project. Raeann and I are in the process of building the 

Pathway Index. This will facilitate searching by keywords across government databases. Currently, 

we are using the Harvest software and the database is still in a developmental stage. 

 Using the Pathway index, people can search using specific keywords. For instance, if you need 

some information on fish, the Pathway indexer will locate specific information on your term. The 

search results will provide an active link to the file. The results go beyond an introductory Web 

page to a specific file or document located on the server. 

 Currently, the indexer is in a testing phase. Over the next few months, we will be migrating the 

Pathway index to the Open Text software which is the phase II software for GPO Access. That 
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38

way, Pathway will be running the same software as GPO Access providing for smooth transition 

between GPO databases. 

 People also find information by browsing by subjects. We are using the subject topics from the 

Subject Bibliographies and analyzing sites by subjects. Government Internet sites are then listed 

under the appropriate topic. Users can browse through the topic list and select a topic which 

interests them such as “agriculture.” The list will be an active list of agency sites which contain 

information on agriculture. We will continue to work on adding additional listings this spring and 

will add new sites as they become available. 

 Recently, we did a demonstration project with GILS. Under GILS, The Government 

Information Locator Service, Federal agencies are mandated to create records which describe their 

information holdings. GILS is a decentralized locator system which can be tailored for specific 

information and audiences. 

 On our Web site, we have a list of the agencies for which we have created what we are calling 

Pathway GILS records. These are simply records, in the GILS format which describe agencies 

and point to their GILS and main Web sites. We have also customized the records to point to 

resources in the Federal Depository Library Program. As you see, the records include a link to 

the Monthly Catalog and provide the SuDocs classification. 

We value your input and insights into our work. We encourage you to take a look at the 

Pathway tools and let us know what you think. We will be organizing a focus group in April during 

the GPO Annual Conference to discuss ways to improve Pathway. We will announce the time 

and location when the final conference schedule is released. Thank you. 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

39

 Library Programs Service Directory

 Revised February 1996 

Voice Fax E-mail 

DIRECTOR'S OFFICE

James Young 202-512-1114 202-512-1432 direclps@access.digex.net 

William Thompson 202-512-1125 202-512-1432 staf1lps@access.digex.net 

LIBRARY DIVISION

Gil Baldwin 202-512-1002 202-512-1432 manage@access.digex.net 

CATALOGING BRANCH

Tad Downing 202-512-1121 202-512-1432 catlps@access.digex.net 

DEPOSITORY ADMINISTRATION BRANCH

Robin HaunMohamed202-512-1071 202-512-1636 chiefdab@access.digex.net 

Mike Clark 202-512-1619 202-512-1636 staf1dab@access.digex.net 

Nick Ellis 202-512-1060 202-512-1636 lpsmail@access.digex.net 

Laurie Hall 202-512-1062 202-512-1636 staf3dab@access.digex.net 

Earl Lewter 202-512-1063 202-512-1636 acqclass@access.digex.net 

DEPOSITORY SERVICES STAFF

Sheila McGarr 202-512-1119 202-512-1432 inspect@access.digex.net 

Greta Boeringer 202-512-1122 202-512-1432 inspect@access.digex.net 

Carole Callard 202-512-1123 202-512-1432 inspect@access.digex.net 

Gail Snider 202-512-0883 202-512-1432 inspect@access.digex.net 

DISTRIBUTION DIVISION

Carl Redd 202-512-1014 202-512-1432 lpsmail@access.digex.net 

Colleen Davis 202-512-1007 202-512-1429 

(actual claims 

only) 

202-512-1432 

(other messages) 

lpsmail@access.digex.net 
AN-v17-#04-2/15/96 

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Table of Contents

Periodicals Suffering Effects of Federal Funding Lapse ............................ 1 

3 Shipping Lists Delayed ................................................................. 2 

Older Issues of Bound Congressional Record on Microfiche 

 Now Being Issued ....................................................................... 2 

New GPO Access Leaflet Issued ........................................................ 3 

1996 Federal Depository Conference and Spring Depository 

 Library Council Meeting: Revised Agenda......................................... 7 

Register Now for Spring 1996 Council Meeting and 1996 Federal 

 Depository Library Conference.......................................................13 

Responsibilities of the Federal Government In the Electronic Information 

 Era: Wayne Kelley......................................................................15 

The Federal Depository Library Program in Transition: Gil Baldwin............19 

Depository Services Update: Sheila M. McGarr .....................................29 

Pathway Project Update and Demonstration: Maggie Parhamovich Farrell 

 and Raeann Dossett .....................................................................33 

Library Programs Service Directory (Revised February 1996)....................35