Administrative Notes 

Newsletter of the Federal Depository Library Program

Vol. 29, no. 09-10 GP 3.16/3-2:29/09-10 Sept 15/Oct. 15, 2008 

HIGHLIGHTS 

2008 Library of 

the Year 1 

Depository 

Conference 2 

LSCM Year in 

Review 3 

New Promotional 

Products 3 

CGP 

Enhancements 3 

New Browse 

Feature 4 

Claiming 

Publications 4 

Labels for 

Shipment 

Boxes 5 

Designation 

Handbook 6 

GPO OPAL 

Archive 6 

Remarks / Ric 

Davis, Fall 2008 

Council Meeting 

& Conference 7 

California Law Library Named 

2008 Library of the Year 

Public Printer Robert C. Tapella named California’s Law Library for San 

Bernardino County as the 2008 Federal Depository Library of the Year at 

the annual Fall Federal Depository Library Conference, held in Arlington, 

VA. The library, which services the largest county, in land area, in the 

United States, has made great strides in offering its residents resources to 

government information. To meet the needs of its patrons, the library 

developed a new and improved user-friendly website and offers the 

AskNow Law Librarian online reference service, as well as extended 

public service hours. The library staff also conducts extensive public 

outreach by promoting law library materials and services to civic and 

community organizations. 

Left to right: Public Printer Robert C. Tapella, Lawrence R. Meyer, Director, Law Library for San 

Bernardino County, Judge Keith D. Davis, President, Library Board of Trustees, George Carter, 

San Bernardino County Law Library, Richard G. Davis, Acting Superintendent of Documents and 

Director, Library Services and Content Management 

“The Law Library for San Bernardino County has done an outstanding job 

of providing the public access to the documents of our democracy,” said 

Public Printer Robert C. Tapella. “For nearly 200 years, depository 

libraries have safeguarded the public’s right to know and are one of the 

vital links between the public and its government.” 
AN-v29-#09-10-10/15/08 

2 

“We are deeply honored and privileged to 

receive the award,” said library director 

Lawrence R. Meyer. “We appreciate its 

significance to the depository community and 

the recognition the award conveys 

specifically to the Law Library for San 

Bernardino County as well as the recognition 

it places upon all Law Libraries that 

participate in the FDLP as selective 

depositories or through shared housing 

arrangements. In particular this award 

emphasizes the importance of publicly 

accessible county law libraries to the FDLP.” 

Previous winners of the Federal Depository 

Library of the Year award include the 

Middendorf-Kredell Branch Library in 

O’Fallon, MO, Benton Harbor (MI) Public 

Library, New Mexico State Library, Southern 

Oregon University’s Lenn and Dixie Hannon 

Library, and Tulsa City-County Library. 

2008 Federal Depository Library Conference 

443 participants gathered in Arlington, VA 

for the 2008 Federal Depository Library 

Conference and Fall Depository Library 

Council meeting on October 20-22. 

Depository library staff and other information 

professionals participated in discussions of 

Government information management and 

developments in the Federal Depository 

Library Program; heard peer reports on many 

aspects of depository librarianship, including 

training, consolidating collections, and 

promotion; and learned about Federal agency 

information from agency experts. 

Representatives from the U.S. Copyright 

Office, GSA’s Federal Citizen Information 

Center, the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. 

Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Department of 

Energy’s Office of Scientific and Technical 

Information, the National Agricultural 

Library, the National Library of Medicine, 

and GSA’s Regulatory Information Service 

Center showcased their agency databases, 

demonstrated search strategies and answered 

audience questions. 

The conference provided plentiful 

opportunities for depository staff to meet and 

network, with the ultimate goal of providing 

improved public service in Federal 

Government information. This goal was met 

for at least one attendee, who wrote: 

All in all, very energizing! Renews my 

enthusiasm for working with documents 

in my home library, and further promoting 

the awareness and use of these 

materials there as well. 

The spring 2009 Depository Library Council 

meeting will be held in Tampa, Florida, on 

April 20-22. 
AN-v29-#09-10-10/15/08 

3 

LSCM FY2008 Year in Review Released 

LSCM is pleased to announce the release of 

the 1st annual LSCM FY2008 Year in 

Review at 

http://www.fdlp.gov/home/about/yir08.html. 

The Year in Review chronicles LSCM 

activities for the past fiscal year and was 

unveiled at this year's Fall Depository Library 

Council Meeting and Conference. 

This document, classed GP 3.1/3:2008, was 

distributed to all libraries under item 0556-C 

on shipping list 2009-0037-P, dated 11/4/08. 

Introducing the New Easy As FDL 

Promotional Products, Including Video 

As part of the new FDLP marketing 

campaign, GPO is proud to announce the 

release of the new Easy as FDL promotional 

products, available from the FDLP Desktop. 

Order now at 

<http://www.fdlp.gov/order/index.html>. 

For marketing ideas on how to use these 

products, as well as information on other 

methods by which to market depository 

services to the general public and nondepositories, read the FDLP Marketing Plan 

at 

<http://www.fdlp.gov/promotion/marketingpl

an.html>. 

First Video Release 

GPO has released the first video of its Easy 

As FDL campaign. Go to the FDLP Desktop 

<http://www.fdlp.gov> to view and download 

the video that describes what makes Federal 

depository libraries so unique and essential to 

the American public. 

We encourage you to spread the word about 

the FDLP by sharing the video on your 

library's Web site, various social media sites, 

social networking sites, or in your 

presentations. You may also ask local 

government offices and educational 

institutions to place it on their Web sites. 

CGP Enhancements Improve Access 

Enhancements recently made to the Catalog 

of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) 

include: 

• Easier navigation - The navigation bar 

now appears on the basic search page. 

• Improvements in the CGP "Help" 

section - More specific, customized 

assistance is now available. 

• Links to the Federal Depository Library 

Directory have been added. 

• GPO PURLs have been established for 

all search pages. 

For a more complete description of the 

enhancements, visit: 

<http://www.fdlp.gov/latest/cgpenhancements.html> 
AN-v29-#09-10-10/15/08 

4 

New Browse Feature Implemented for 

Congressional Committee Prints and 

Congressional Reports 

A new browse feature for the Congressional 

Committee Prints and Congressional Reports 

applications on GPO Access is available at: 

http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cprints/browse.ht

ml and 

http://www.gpoaccess.gov/serialset/creports/b

rowse.html. 

The browse feature is available for the 110th 

Congress, 1st Session (2007-2008) forward. 

At this time there are no plans to apply the 

browse feature to prints or reports from 

previous Congresses. 

Prompt Claiming Speeds Claims Fulfillment for 

Missing Publications

The Claims section in Depository 

Distribution Services is dedicated to filling 

your claims for missing depository material 

as quickly as possible. Claims fulfillment is 

delayed, however, when depositories do not 

identify themselves, wait till the end of the 

60-day claiming period before submitting 

their claim, or do not specify the individual 

titles being claimed. 

When a claim is taken out of the processing 

queue for further research, the chances 

increase that claims copies will be exhausted 

before the claim can be filled. 

To help GPO fill your claim promptly and 

accurately, please: 

1. Provide your Depository library number 

on all claims (including faxed claims). 

• Your claim will be delayed if we 

have to research your identity. 

2. Claim as soon as possible. 

• Only a small number of claims 

copies are available, and prompt 

claiming will improve your 

chances of receiving the material. 

3. Identify the specific titles you are 

claiming, and include SuDocs numbers. 

If your selection profile includes only 2 

items out of 10 on a list, claim those 2 

individually. 

4. Claim an entire shipping list only if 

your selection profile includes every 

item on that list. 

For more details, see the sections on claiming 

in chapters 5 and 6 of the Federal Depository 

Library Handbook at 

http://www.fdlp.gov/handbook/index.html

• Chapter 5 – Depository Collections: p. 

5-18—5-19, Claiming Depository 

Publications 

• Chapter 6 – Technical Services: p. 6-

6—6-8, Claiming Missing Publications 

in Depository Shipments 
AN-v29-#09-10-10/15/08 

5 

GPO Will Provide Labels for Forwarding or 

Returning Misdirected Shipment Boxes 

A misdirected depository shipment box is one 

you receive that: 

• Does not have your library number on 

it. 

• Has your library number on it but the 

contents are not items that you select. 

• Has your library number on it and the 

contents are duplicates of items you 

have already received. 

If you receive a misdirected depository 

shipment box, describe the problem in 

askGPO at http://gpo.custhelp.com/cgibin/gpo.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php. Please 

include: 

• Your library number 

• The library number on the shipping 

label 

• The library number on the inside flap 

• The library number on the side of the 

box under the shipping label 

• The box’s weight 

• The ID number in Reference field 2 

Return Labels 

Request a return label when: 

• The contents are duplicates of items 

you have already received 

• You can’t identify which library the 

box belongs to 

The return label will be sent by email, or by 

mail to those libraries that receive their 

depository shipments via the US Postal 

Service. 

Forwarding Labels 

Request a forwarding label when you can 

identify the owner of the box. The forwarding 

label will be placed in your regular shipment 

box or mailed to you in an envelope via the 

USPS. 

Label processing 

The forwarding label will be placed in your 

regular shipment box, sent electronically to 

your e-mail account or mailed to you in an 

envelope via the USPS. 

If you receive an electronic forwarding label 

via email, scroll down to the end of the 

message to see the label and to print. 

Place the label on the box and place it at your 

UPS pick up point. If you do not provide the 

weight of the material, the label will show a 

default weight of 15 pounds. UPS will weigh 

the box at the time of pick up. 
AN-v29-#09-10-10/15/08 

6 

Revised Designation Handbook for Federal 

Depository Libraries Now Available Online 

A revised online version of the "Designation 

Handbook for Federal Depository Libraries" 

has been posted to the FDLP Desktop at 

<http://www.fdlp.gov/home/about/designatea-library.html>. This revised version includes 

a new section on the designation of libraries 

as regional depositories. It also includes 

sections that a library or designator can refer 

to that outline the complete steps for 

designation. 

The purpose of this document is to provide in 

one location the steps necessary to initiate, 

carry through, and conclude the designation 

of a library as a new Federal depository. The 

intended audience is library administrators 

and staff seeking depository status as well as 

elected and appointed government officials, 

including U.S. Senators, U.S. 

Representatives, the Public Printer, the 

Superintendent of Documents and State 

Librarians involved in the designation 

process. 

This revised publication supersedes the 

"Designation Handbook for Federal 

Depository Libraries" dated 1995, 2003 

printing (slightly revised). 

Five Online Training Sessions Added to 

GPO OPAL Archive 

Five FDLP Web-based training sessions have 

been added to the GPO OPAL site at 

<http://www.opalonline.org/archiveGPO.htm> this fall. 

Three of the presentations provide an 

overview of the Federal Depository Library 

Handbook and highlight some of the 

handbook’s special features and critical 

content. These sessions provide an excellent 

introduction to Federal depository operations, 

including legal and program requirements, 

best practices, and tips. All three are highly 

recommended for new depository 

coordinators and also for experienced 

coordinators who would like refresher 

training. 

A fourth FDLP training session provides an 

overview of the process for designating 

libraries as Federal depositories. It supports 

the recently released online Designation 

Handbook. 

The most recent session, Cooking with 

Content - Creating Successful OPAL 

Presentations, was presented in October 2008 

by Diane Hutchins, Program Manager, 

Preservation and Access Services, at the 

Washington State Library. Using an earlier 

presentation as a model, this session 

summarizes techniques and tools that help 

create successful online training programs. 

The Depository Library community is invited 

to present education and training programs 

relevant to depository library operations via 

OPAL. To submit a proposal, complete the 

Online Educational Program Proposal Form 

at 

http://www.fdlp.gov/learning/opalproposal.ht

ml. 
AN-v29-#09-10-10/15/08 

7 

Remarks By Ric Davis 

LSCM Director 

At the 

Fall Meeting, Depository Library Council 

And 

Federal Depository Library Conference 

October 2008 

Good morning! First I want to extend my 

welcome to all of you and say how happy I 

am to be here with you for another Federal 

Depository Library Conference and Council 

meeting. Throughout the Conference, as 

always, I want to encourage you to approach 

me or any member of my staff and talk with 

us about any of the initiatives you hear about 

today. I am always available for questions or 

comments, and if you think of any after you 

return home, you can always e-mail me 

directly at rdavis@gpo.gov. And again, I 

encourage you to network with each other 

and GPO staff while you are here. 

I want to thank our esteemed Council 

members who ended their tenures this fall: 

Peter Hemphill, Marian Parker, Mark 

Sandler, and our former chair, Geoff 

Swindells. Your service and dedication is 

enormously appreciated. I would also like to 

take this time to welcome our new Council 

members: David Cismowski, Carlene 

Engstrom, Sally Holterhoff, Justin Otto, and 

Suzanne Sears. From all of us at GPO, we 

welcome you, and we are excited to be 

working with you. 

I would also like to take a moment to 

welcome Professor Nobuhiro Igawa to our 

GPO family. Mr. Igawa is an Associate 

Professor from The International University 

of Kagoshima in Japan. In conjunction with 

the Library of Congress and GPO, Professor 

Igawa is studying how the United States 

Government distributes Government 

information to its citizenry through the 

FDLP. Professor Igawa is researching the 

organizational structure, governing bodies, 

legal, and program requirements of the 

FDLP. He is looking at how a similar model 

may be applied in Japan. 

Now I would like to take a moment to 

recognize a special member of our GPO 

family who retired on October 3, 2008 after 

35 years with GPO, Mr. Gil Baldwin. I 

worked for and then with Gil for many years, 

and I want to thank him today for his public 

service on behalf of the Federal Depository 

Library Program. Gil, we are so grateful for 

all you have done for the FDLP and GPO. 

You were instrumental in helping to bring the 

FDLP to where it is today. Congratulations 

on your retirement. You are wholeheartedly 

missed already, and if you get bored, please 

give us a call! We can still use your help. 

Before I update you on some of the exciting 

initiatives going on within Library Services 

and Content Management (LSCM), I would 

like to update you on a few items of note. 

Substitutions 

At the regional library meeting in Kansas 

City it was brought to our attention that the 

"Substitution List: Official FDLP Permanent 

Full-Text Databases" was causing confusion, 

and certain interpretations were in conflict 

with other FDLP guidance. To remedy this 
AN-v29-#09-10-10/15/08 

8 

situation, the FDLP Guidelines on 

Substituting Electronic for Tangible Versions 

of Depository Publications were recently 

revised, and the substitution list was 

eliminated. With GPO's harvesting and 

archiving activities, the substitution list was 

never meant to be a comprehensive list of all 

the titles that can be substituted. The revised 

guidelines permit Selectives to substitute 

when the online version is complete, official, 

permanently accessible, and their Regional 

has been consulted. While the list no longer 

exists, categories and examples of 

publications meeting the substitution criteria 

are included in the revised guidelines. The 

guidelines can be found on the new FDLP 

Desktop under the "Manage Your Collection" 

tab. 

GPO’s Federal Digital System (FDsys) 

Tomorrow, you will have the opportunity to 

attend two separate FDsys sessions. At 8:30 

a.m., there will be a FDsys Technical 

Session, and at 10:30 a.m., there will be an 

Overview of FDsys. I want to encourage you 

to attend these important sessions. I want to 

commend the Program Management Office 

under Mike Wash, who are working hard to 

deliver this important system to us, and you 

will hear more about how it will benefit GPO 

and the library community. 

Budget 

Now for an update on GPO’s funding for 

FY2009: GPO has requested a total of 

$43,426,000 in funding for FY2009. 

Requested increases relate to funds for 

digitization, data storage under Fdsys, and 

cataloging and indexing in particular. 

At present, we are operating under a 

Continuing Resolution until March 6, 2009. 

The Continuing Resolution will not affect the 

work we are doing now. There will be no 

scaling back on any of our current initiatives. 

We have been through this before, and we 

will continue our work with no scaling back 

or trade-offs on any of our current initiatives. 

More money means we can always do 

more.....but without it, we are not stopping 

our progress. 

And now for some updates on LSCM 

initiatives... 

The Value of the FDLP and the Future of 

the FDLP 

I am pleased to tell you about a new Web 

page on the FDLP Desktop, "The Value of 

the FDLP." This page offers a venue to 

highlight the value of being a Federal 

depository library including services GPO 

provides FDLP members, the expertise and 

services FDLP members provide one another 

as part of the larger network, and the local 

value individual libraries place on the FDLP 

within their institution. This was something 

that many of you asked me for at our last 

meeting, to help in your discussions with 

Library directors, particularly as part of the 

budget review process. 

The web page provides a mechanism for you 

to submit success stories that GPO will use to 

build a repository for sharing across the 

FDLP. I encourage you to submit all types of 

successes, large or small. Submissions may 

include any manner of information that 

conveys how your users, your institution, or 

your library finds value in the FDLP. Send us 

your press releases, interesting activities, 

community feedback, video or news stories. 

Other members of the FDLP can benefit from 

how you are discovering and growing the 

value of the FDLP in your community. 

In August, I sent a letter to your library’s 

director, asking them to identify the value 

Federal depository designation creates at the 

local level for the library, its staff, and users. 

The letter also actively sought out success 

stories and anecdotes about the value of the 
AN-v29-#09-10-10/15/08 

9 

depository. The response was overwhelming, 

and I was so pleased to read all of the 

glowing remarks about the FDLP. The stories 

we received were helpful in our strategic 

planning process for the future. I hope you 

will please join us at the Future of the FDLP 

council session, today at 1:30pm, to join in 

the discussion of the future of this rich and 

valuable Program. 

Regional Study 

I want to take a moment to speak on the 

Study on the Conditions of Regional 

Depository Libraries. As we all know, The 

FDLP operates under the authority and 

mandates of Title 44, U.S. Code. The existing 

structure of selective and regional depository 

libraries dates back to the Depository Library 

Act of 1962, which established regional 

depository libraries. Over the years, there 

have been attempts to revise Chapter 19, and 

variations within the regional/selective model 

have been implemented. 

GPO’s September 2007 request of the Joint 

Committee on Printing (JCP) to approve a 

proposed shared regional designation across 

state lines highlighted the growing challenges 

confronting regional depositories in 

maintaining and supporting effective public 

access through the FDLP. 

GPO was subsequently directed by the JCP to 

conduct a study on the conditions of regional 

depository libraries. The purpose of the study 

was to evaluate the extent to which public 

access to Federal depository resources may 

be impaired by current or projected 

organizational, financial, technological, or 

other conditions affecting regional libraries. 

After consultation with and input from 

depository libraries, in June 2008, GPO 

released a draft report entitled, “Regional 

Depository Libraries in the 21st Century: A 

Time for Change?” and made it available for 

depository comment. All comments were 

reviewed, and a final report of findings was 

created. This report is currently going 

through final review and approval by senior 

management at GPO, and we plan to submit 

it to the JCP soon after this meeting, and then 

share these findings along with their approval 

for specific actions. I don’t think there will be 

any surprises here. We all recognize what the 

challenges are from the initial report, and we 

need to take steps to address them not only 

for regionals, but for selective depository 

libraries as well. 

Authentication 

Exciting progress is continuing in regard to 

our authentication initiative. 

As you know by now, GPO is implementing 

digital signatures to certain electronic 

documents on GPO Access that not only 

establish GPO as the trusted information 

disseminator, but also provide the assurance 

that an electronic document has not been 

altered since GPO disseminated it. A digital 

signature, viewed through the GPO Seal of 

Authenticity, verifies document integrity and 

authenticity on GPO online Federal 

documents, at no cost to the end user. 

This year alone, we have: 

• Implemented an Automated PDF 

Signing System, which allows 

documents to be authenticated in bulk, 

• Digitally signed and certified the FY 

2009 Budget of the U.S. Government, 

and 

• Launched authenticated Public and 

Private Laws as a permanent application 

on GPO Access. 

As a next step, we are embarking upon a soft 

launch of Congressional Bills on GPO 

Access. We have received approval from the 

House and Senate to begin signing bills. We 

are going to start making these available after 
AN-v29-#09-10-10/15/08 

10 

conference, with the formal rollout with the 

new Congress in January. 

Since Depository libraries are our partners; 

we want to hear your feedback as we 

continue the path to expand our 

authentication initiatives. 

For more information on GPO’s 

authentication initiative, I encourage you to 

attend the Authentication council session on 

Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. 

ILS 

The overall goal of the implementation of 

GPO’s Integrated Library System (ILS) is the 

provision of access to depositories and the 

public to bibliographic records of Federal 

government publications, many containing 

links to the electronic version of the 

publication, and the use of the system’s 

power and capabilities to provide services to 

depository libraries and to the public. The 

goal is also to streamline workflow and 

internal activities in support of the FDLP, and 

to reduce use of and dependency on legacy 

systems. A lot of new and exciting things 

have been happening in regard to the ILS. 

The ongoing development of the Aleph 500 

integrated library system at GPO enhances 

GPO’s ability to perform statutorily 

authorized functions of the Federal 

Depository Library Program and the 

Cataloging and Indexing Program. Several 

ILS features and functions have been recently 

developed and released: 

1. Desktop access was granted to all staff 

in GPO’s Library Technical 

Information Services to the Aleph staff 

client through Citrix; 

2. The new Federal Depository Library 

Directory administrative module was 

released, enabling depository libraries 

to edit their own directory information; 

3. The public interface to the new Federal 

Depository Library Directory launched; 

4. Access to the Catalog of U.S. 

Government Publications (CGP) via the 

Z39.50 communications protocol for 

search, retrieval, and download of 

bibliographic records was granted to 

depository libraries; 

5. Acquisitions, phase 1: monographic 

materials workflow changes/brief 

records was implemented; 

6. The Aleph software was upgraded from 

version 16.02 to version 18; 

7. A requirements document was created, 

vendor selection was made, and a 

contract was awarded for authorities 

cleanup and ongoing authority control; 

8. CGP Web interface enhancements were 

made to improve functionality and ease 

of use. 

9. For ease of navigation between the 

Federal Depository Library Directory 

and the FDLP Desktop, the depository 

eagle symbol in both the FDLD 

administrative module and the public 

interface links to the FDLP Desktop and 

opens a new browser window. The 

FDLD public interface in the left 

navigation menu also has a text link to 

the FDLP Desktop. 

Coming later this year, we have several 

enhancements planned: 

• Implementation of a login page 

specifically for depository libraries to 

take advantage of authenticated services 

in the CGP. This will include 

configuration of the circulation module 

and the creation of depositories as 

patrons. An example of an authenticated 

service will be the ability for FDLP 

libraries to set up their own search 

criteria for email notification from the 
AN-v29-#09-10-10/15/08 

11 

CGP when records meeting those 

criteria are added to the catalog; 

• Ability of the CGP to display 

authorities cross-references; 

• Page design and configuration of 

resources for federated searching 

(MetaLib); 

• Serials control (check-in of individual 

serials issues). All active serials are the 

ultimate goal. We will start with a 

subset and work forward; 

• The addition to CGP records of 

searchable serial issue-level 

Superintendent of Documents 

classification numbers and shipping list 

numbers for distributed titles and issues 

For more information and updates on the ILS 

and to get answers to questions you may 

have, I hope you will attend the LTIS Update 

session, tomorrow at 10:30am. 

Digitization 

As most of you know by now, GPO has been 

working with the library community, other 

Federal agencies, and the public on a national 

digitization project with the goal of digitizing 

all retrospective federal publications back to 

the earliest days of the Federal Government. 

The project includes the digitization of the 

complete legacy collection of tangible U.S. 

Government publications most of which are 

held in libraries participating in the FDLP. 

The objective is to ensure that the digital 

collection is available, in the public domain, 

for no-fee permanent public access through 

the FDLP. The goal of the project will ensure 

that the collection is digitally reformatted for 

both preservation and access purposes. 

GPO envisions a cooperative, mutually 

beneficial relationship with a private or 

public sector participant(s) where the 

uncompressed, unaltered files created as a 

result of the conversion process are delivered 

to GPO at no cost to the Government. These 

files will serve as the digital master copies 

that will be preserved and used for the 

creation of access derivatives within FDsys. 

In exchange, the contractor or contractors 

shall be able to maintain a collection of files 

produced in the process for inclusion in their 

collections (e.g., search indices, book search 

sites). This content will be made available 

online, free of charge from GPO. 

To help meet this challenge, A Statement of 

Work was created, and a Request For 

Proposal was posted to Federal Business 

Opportunities. Proposals were accepted 

through late September 2008. The review of 

the proposals has begun. Once GPO makes a 

selection for award, JCP must then approve 

that selection before work can begin. We will 

certainly update you on this process and 

things progress. 

In the meantime, we are continuing down 

additional paths. This past year, worked with 

other Federal agencies on the National Digital 

Standards Advisory Board, Federal Still 

Image Digitization Working Group. The goal 

of this project is to establish common 

standards, methods, practices, and guidelines 

for the digitization of visual material 

(excluding motion picture images). Common 

digitization standards will enhance the 

exchange of research results and 

developments, encourage collaborative 

digitization practices among Federal agencies 

and institutions, provide the public with a 

product of uniform quality, and set a common 

benchmark for digitization service providers. 

The Web site for the Federal Agencies 

Digitization Guidelines Initiative is now 

available at 

<http://www.digitizationguidelines.gov>. The 

initiative represents a collaborative effort to 
AN-v29-#09-10-10/15/08 

12 

establish a common set of guidelines for 

digitizing historical materials. 

The Web site currently features two 

documents developed by the Still Image 

Digitization Working Group that are open for 

comment until mid-November. The first 

proposes a minimal set of embedded TIFF 

metadata for use in historical and cultural 

heritage digital imaging. The second two-part 

document presents a taxonomy of digital 

image characteristics and provides 

corresponding metrics and criteria to describe 

and validate imaging performance and 

quality. The Web site also provides a glossary 

of digitization terms and concepts, and 

presents digitization-related news and events 

on the subject from the participating 

agencies. 

I’d like to ask that you please visit our 

Digitization and Preservation Initiatives Web 

page at 

<http://www.gpoaccess.gov/legacy/index.htm

l> and review our list of priorities for 

digitization. If you have any materials we can 

utilize in coordination with that list, please 

contact Robin Haun-Mohamed or James 

Mauldin through the LSCM Contact Form at 

<http://www.fdlp.gov/contacts/index.html>. 

You can speak with both of them in person 

here at the Meeting. 

Finally, I want to encourage you to share with 

us any collaborative efforts in regard to 

digitization. We recently launched an 

enhanced version of the Registry of U.S. 

Government Publication Digitization Projects 

at <http://registry.fdlp.gov>. Some notable 

features of the new Registry include the 

ability to: 

• Browse digitization projects by 

category or alphabetically by title. 

• Search the entire Registry or filter 

searches by category or fields. 

• Quickly access new and recently 

updated listings. 

• Utilize RSS feeds to keep informed of 

new and updated projects. 

• View listings by contributor. 

• Contact fellow digitization participants. 

• Recommend listings to others. 

• Report broken links. 

Project listings derive from voluntary and 

solicited contributions from Federal 

depository and other libraries, Federal and 

other government agencies, and other nonprofit institutions. 

Ben’s Guide 

Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government, which was 

created in 1999 as the educational component 

of GPO Access, will soon be getting a new 

look. 

We will be soliciting feedback from the Ben's 

Guide user community in the form of a web 

site usability survey. The goal is to find out 

what Ben's Guide users think of the 

site, address any concerns, and also receive 

suggestions users have for improvements. 

The survey will last for a 30 day 

period. Information regarding access will be 

publicized before the survey is available to 

the public. Links to the survey will be 

available on the FDLP Desktop, GPO Access, 

and the Ben's Guide main page. The survey 

will be open to any who wish to participate. 

After survey results are compiled, planning 

will continue to determine the next steps for 

Ben's Guide.

FDLP Marketing Plan 

In the recent months, LSCM disseminated 

our new FDLP Marketing Plan and launched 

our new “Easy as FDL” marketing campaign. 

Our main goal in this initiative is to assist 

FDLs in marketing their unique and valuable 

services to the widest audience possible, as 

well as to provide FDLs with the tools 
AN-v29-#09-10-10/15/08 

13 

necessary to market their own services to 

both the general public and non-Federal 

depository libraries. 

I encourage you to visit the FDLP Desktop, 

review the Plan, order the new “Easy as 

FDL” promotional products, and use the tips 

and strategies provided to promote your 

library. 

Additionally, we are débuting our first FDLP 

promotional video here at the Meeting. You 

will soon be able to view and download that 

video from the FDLP Desktop. Additionally, 

we have a film crew here today filming 

segments for our second FDLP promotional 

video. I hope you will attend the “Easy as 

FDL” session tomorrow at 3:30pm to learn 

more. 

FDL Handbook 

I am also pleased to tell you about the release 

of the first revision of the Federal Depository 

Library Handbook (January 2008). The 

September 2008 revision has been posted to 

the FDLP Desktop at 

<http://www.fdlp.gov/handbook/index.html>. 

This revised version includes: 

• A new chapter, Chapter 7: Public 

Access Assessments, 

• A new Table of Contents with 

hyperlinks to the actual chapters or 

sections in the Handbook, 

• New pagination by chapters, 

• Footer that displays and is printable that 

identifies the original publication date 

of the FDL Handbook (January 2008) 

plus the latest revision (September 30, 

2008), 

• References to the Substitution List have 

been deleted; references now refer to 

the Substitution Guidelines. 

The FDL Handbook provides the latest legal 

and program requirements, guidance, and 

best practices for operating a depository. The 

intended audience for this Handbook is 

library administrators, depository 

coordinators, and library staff seeking 

information about depository operations. 

For version control and to monitor all 

changes made to the FDL Handbook, we 

have also designed and included a Change 

Control Log as Appendix F in the Handbook. 

This log will be updated to list all major 

changes made to the Handbook since release 

of the original version in January 2008. 

This revision supersedes the "Federal 

Depository Library Handbook" dated January 

2008. For historical research, the January 

2008 release will be archived and made 

available on the Desktop. 

FDLP Desktop 

The FDLP Desktop is continuing to evolve 

with the latest Web technologies and your 

input. As part of the evolution of the FDLP 

Desktop, the site is being divided into 

fdlp.gov and community.fdlp.gov. 

This final redesign of fdlp.gov will provide 

dissemination of Program related content, 

services and news. Community.fdlp.gov will 

provide social networking tools which will 

enable registered individual members to 

communicate and network with others in the 

community. 

While content is the first and foremost focus 

of the new Desktop, we also want to provide 

you with the latest and greatest social 

networking technologies to help everyone in 

the community collaborate together. 

To learn more, and to see the new and 

upcoming Desktop features, attend the FDLP 

Desktop session, today at 3:30 p.m. Also, 
AN-v29-#09-10-10/15/08 

14 

please take a look at the new flyers included 

in your Conference Books. 

Automated Metadata Extraction 

In late 2007, GPO entered into an Interagency 

Agreement with the Defense Technical 

Information Center (DTIC) in collaboration 

with Old Dominion University (ODU) to 

create cataloging records using automated 

metadata extraction software tools and 

processes currently being used by DTIC. 

ODU will determine if the engine component 

developed for the DTIC and NASA projects 

can be used for GPO collections, including a 

sample of the GPO EPA harvested collection. 

However, GPO collections differ 

significantly from the DTIC and NASA 

collections and therefore, the scope of the 

work will be expanded to take the domain 

into account and answer questions as to what 

metadata can be extracted. 

ODU will also conduct a feasibility study and 

exploratory prototyping of major types of 

documents from GPO’s collections to 

determine if automated metadata extraction is 

a viable method for creating metadata for 

these materials. 

The Automated Metadata Extraction 

agreement is being conducted in two phases 

over two years, with project completion 

expected in October 2009. The first phase of 

the agreement, which focuses on GPO EPA 

harvested documents, is almost 

completed. During the first phase: 

• GPO identified and provided FDLP, inscope, harvested EPA PDF files to 

ODU for analysis. 

• Directly working with GPO, ODU 

analyzed the documents to identify 

major classes of documents in the 

collection, metadata elements present in 

each class, and issues with existing 

template language for extracting 

metadata. 

• ODU provided GPO with a report on 

the findings of this analysis and made 

enhancements to the automated 

metadata extraction software. 

• ODU made several refinements to the 

templates, software, and engine. 

• GPO has received an initial batch of 

extracted metadata and is conducting an 

internal review of this data. 

• Final testing and evaluation of the phase 

one extracted metadata produced 

through this tool is expected to be 

completed in late 2008. 

As part of the second phase of the agreement, 

GPO has identified and provided 1,000 FDLP 

in-scope Congressional PDF files to ODU for 

analysis. ODU is expected to analyze the 

documents and provide GPO with a 

characterization and feasibility report in late 

2008. 

Shelflist Conversion Project 

This past year, GPO contracted with 

Progressive Technology Federal Systems, 

Inc. (PTFS) to acquire bibliographic metadata 

transcription services for the estimated 

600,000 non-OCLC cataloging cards in its 

million-card historic shelf list. These cards 

contain brief bibliographic metadata captured 

as part of the cataloging activities of the 

Cataloging and Indexing Program and the 

FDLP from approximately the 1870’s 

through October 1992. 

GPO is working with PTFS to convert the 

bibliographic metadata on these cards into 

machine-readable records in MARC21 format 

so they can be loaded into GPO’s ILS and 

made accessible to the public through the 

CGP. This work will be performed in a 

phased approach. Each phase will be 

complete over four option years after the 
AN-v29-#09-10-10/15/08 

15 

initial phase is completed in May 2009. The 

later phases may not be required depending 

on the priorities set by LSCM’s Library 

Technical Information Services. 

The initial phase will concentrate on the 

conversion of 100,000 shelf list cards. PTFS 

is digitizing the shelf list cards and creating 

PDFs of each card. Using the PDF images, 

PTFS will convert the text on the cards into 

MARC21 records. The newly created records 

will contain at least the same level of 

bibliographic description as the original shelf 

list card. GPO is also acquiring the PDF 

images of the cards. The images will be 

stored offline for preservation purposes. 

Most currently, PTFS has transcribed 

MARC21 records for a test batch of shelf list 

cards. A quality assurance team in LTIS is 

currently reviewing the records and providing 

feedback to PTFS. Once the quality assurance 

process is completed, the records will be 

loaded into the ILS and will be made 

accessible to the public through the CGP. 

They will be identifiable by the word “PTFS” 

in a 955 field. Federal depository libraries 

will be able to retrieve these records for their 

own use via Z 39.50 access. 

CD-ROM Assessment 

I wanted to take a moment to speak on the 

CD-ROM assessment project. 

In September, GPO sent out a call for 

volunteers to participate in a project to assess 

depository CD-ROMs and identify discs at 

risk for content loss. 

The project involves reviewing CD-ROMs in 

depository library collections for system 

requirements, file formats, proprietary 

software, and other factors that could 

jeopardize access to the content. 

GPO has begun an initial assessment based 

on GPO catalog records, and through 

volunteers, is getting assistance from Federal 

depository libraries that have the discs in 

their collections in order to get a complete 

assessment and categorization of at-risk 

content. We are now in the process of 

forming our working group, and we will soon 

be having a brainstorming session to 

collaborate with libraries in order to get a 

thorough assessment of CD-ROM collections 

and identify first, those at the highest risk. 

Once high risk discs have been identified, 

GPO will use this information to approach 

content originating agencies to discuss how 

the content of these discs can be made 

available for permanent public access. GPO 

will coordinate with Federal agencies to 

assure permanent public access to the 

content. There will be more to come soon on 

this. 

PACER 

Now for a brief update on PACER... As you 

know, in 2007, GPO and the Administrative 

Office of the United States Courts undertook 

a pilot to provide free public access to 

Federal court records at 17 Federal depository 

libraries through Public Access to Court 

Electronic Records (PACER), an electronic 

public access service that allows users to 

obtain case and docket information from 

Federal Appellate, District and Bankruptcy 

courts, and the U.S. Party/Case Index via the 

Internet. 

The pilot has been temporarily suspended by 

the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts, 

pending an evaluation. What we know at this 

point is that the AOC believes the security of 

the PACER service was compromised. The 

FBI is conducting an investigation. Once the 

evaluation is complete, the Judiciary and the 

GPO will determine what steps need to be 

taken in order to move forward. I feel that we 

have the commitment from the AOC that 
AN-v29-#09-10-10/15/08 

16 

once this investigation is completed, we will 

resume our pilot activities. 

Community Outreach 

Finally, there are several facets of community 

outreach that I would like to touch on today. 

• Outreach Travels of GPO Staff; 

• Public Access Assessments; 

• Partnerships; 

• Online Training; and 

• Upcoming Meeting. 

 Traveling 

Recently, many GPO staff members have 

been on the move, participating in outreach 

events around the country. Locations include 

Phoenix, Arizona; Seattle, Washington; 

Anaheim, California; Rapid City, South 

Dakota; Portland, Oregon; Iowa City, Iowa; 

Boston, Massachusetts; Gainesville, Florida; 

Trenton, New Jersey; and Ottawa, Ontario to 

name a few. We also participated in a 

depository anniversary celebration for the 

first time via a presentation on DVD to the 

University of Louisiana Monroe, University 

Library. If you would like to request GPO 

participation at your library, for special 

events such as anniversaries, or perhaps if 

you need assistance from GPO with an 

assessment of your library's adherence to the 

FDLP, there is a form available on the 

Desktop to request GPO personnel to visit 

your institution. You can locate this form 

from the “Outreach & Education” tab from 

the main page of the Desktop.

Public Access Assessments 

In regard to Public Access Assessments, In 

August and September, a test of the PAA 

procedures and documentation was conducted 

with 14 different sizes and types of volunteer 

libraries. The program is centered on the 

document “Focus on Access, Collections, 

Service & Cooperative Efforts,” which was 

developed last fall and reviewed by the FDLP 

community. Assessment reports have gone 

out to the volunteer libraries, and the 

outcomes of the test are being reviewed by 

Education & Outreach staff for any changes 

that may be made in the program. 

We anticipate most assessments will be 

conducted by state or region, and you will be 

notified before these start in your area. If you 

wish to have current depository management 

activities documented by GPO and your state 

or region is not part of an upcoming round of 

assessments, you may also request one at any 

time through the Request for Participation 

Form on the FDLP Desktop. 

Education & Outreach welcomed a new staff 

member, Ashley Dahlen, this spring. Ashley 

comes to us from the regional depository 

library at the University of Maryland, College 

Park and is working with Public Access 

Assessments and other outreach activities. 

Partnerships 

GPO has been developing partnerships with 

Federal depository libraries and other Federal 

agencies to increase access to electronic 

Federal information since 1997. With an 

increasing amount of Federal information 

available electronically, partnerships ensure 

permanent public access to electronic content 

and provide services to assist depositories in 

providing access to electronic material and in 

managing their depository collections. 

These partnerships also allow GPO to take 

advantage of the expertise of Federal 

depository librarians and the services they 

have developed. FDLP partnerships generally 

fall into three categories: Content 

Partnerships, Service Partnerships, and 

Hybrid Partnerships. Partnerships are not 

limited to these categories, however, and 

GPO will consider partnership proposals that 

fall outside of these categories. 
AN-v29-#09-10-10/15/08 

17 

• Content partnerships assist with 

providing permanent public access to 

electronic U.S. Government 

information. Partners agree to provide 

storage capacity and user access 

without restrictions on re-dissemination. 

In the event the partner is no longer able 

to provide free, public access to this 

electronic information, the partnership 

requires the agency or library to transfer 

a copy of the content to GPO. GPO will 

then make the content available either 

through GPO Access or in cooperation 

with another partner. 

• Service partnerships assist GPO to 

provide enhanced services to Federal 

depository libraries. These partnerships 

can focus on repurposing GPOprovided information or on providing 

other services to depository libraries 

and the public. These services may 

provide assistance to librarians with 

administering their depository 

collections. 

• Hybrid partnerships are a mixture of 

content and service partnerships. For 

example, providing permanent public 

access to electronic U.S. Government 

information and also offering a service 

important to the administration of the 

FDLP collection. 

GPO developed two new partnerships in 

FY08. The first, with the Naval Postgraduate 

School, allows depository libraries to gain 

access to the Homeland Security Digital 

Library (HSDL). 

In the second partnership for FY2008, GPO 

joined with the University of Illinois at 

Chicago and the other participating Federal 

depository libraries to promote the 

“Government Information Online: Ask a 

Librarian” (GIO) service. 

If you would like to propose a partnership 

with GPO, please submit a partnership 

inquiry form to us via the FDLP Desktop 

under “Outreach and Education” and 

“Partnerships.” 

OPAL 

I wanted to also take an opportunity to 

remind everyone that Online FDLP learning 

is available for Federal depository library 

participants via OPAL (Online Programming 

for All Libraries), an interactive Web-based 

meeting and conferencing service. 

The educational sessions may be live or 

prerecorded. In addition, training events are 

archived to allow those unable to attend a live 

event to replay the event at their convenience. 

Past presentations can be accessed through 

the OPAL site, which is linked from our 

Outreach & Education link on the Desktop. 

This past year GPO opened up its OPAL 

room to members of the depository library 

community who would like to present 

additional educational and training sessions 

for the benefit of the community. Proposals 

should focus on a specific aspect of U.S. 

Government information, FDLP issues, or 

depository library operations and 

management. I encourage you to submit a 

proposal to participate by completing the 

Online Educational Program Proposal Form, 

found on the FDLP Desktop under “Outreach 

and Education” and “Online Learning.” 

To learn more about OPAL, to obtain URLs 

to archived GPO OPAL presentations, or to 

learn how to provide feedback for GPO’s 

OPAL presentations, please visit the FDLP 

Desktop. 

Upcoming Meeting 

Finally, I’d like to remind you of our next 

important event: 

• The Spring 2009 Depository Library 

Council Meeting will be held April 20 – 

22, 2009 in Tampa, Florida at the Hyatt 

Regency Tampa. 
AN-v29-#09-10-10/15/08 

18 

Registration and hotel information will be 

announced on GPO’s FDLP-L listserv and on 

the FDLP Desktop. Please visit the FDLP 

Desktop for more information and the 

complete “events countdown” calendar. 

I want to commend Lance Cummins and his 

Education & Outreach staff for putting 

together this wonderful Fall Conference and 

Meeting. Without them, this Conference 

wouldn’t be possible. 

Also, please be advised that all conference 

proceedings will be added to the FDLP 

Desktop. 

Finally, I want to thank each and every one of 

you for being here today and for your 

continued support of the FDLP and 

dedication to Government documents. 

Questions? 

If you have questions or comments on any of the content in Administrative Notes, please send them to askGPO, the 

online help service at: 

http://gpo.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/gpo.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php

To ensure that your question is routed to the correct area, please choose the category "Federal Depository Libraries" 

and the appropriate subcategory, if any. 

You may also contact the GPO Customer Contact Center at 866-512-1800 (Toll-free), or at 202-512-1800 (DC 

Metropolitan Area), Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., EST. 
AN-v29-#09-10-10/15/08 

19 

Table of Contents 

California Law Library Named 2008 Library of the Year...................................................... 1 

2008 Federal Depository Library Conference ........................................................................ 2 

LSCM FY2008 Year in Review Released.............................................................................. 3 

Introducing the New Easy As FDL Promotional Products..................................................... 3 

CGP Enhancements Improve Access...................................................................................... 3 

New Browse Feature Implemented for Congressional Committee Prints and 

 Congressional Reports .......................................................................................................... 4 

Prompt Claiming Speeds Claims Fulfillment for Missing Publications................................. 4 

GPO Will Provide Labels for Forwarding or Returning Misdirected Shipment Boxes ......... 5 

Revised Designation Handbook for Federal Depository Libraries Now Available Online.... 6 

Five Online Training Sessions Added to GPO OPAL Archive.............................................. 6 

Remarks by Ric Davis, LSCM Director, at the Fall Meeting, Depository Library 

 Council and Federal Depository Library Conference........................................................... 7 

Administrative Notes Cumulative Table of Contents 

http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pubs/adnotes/adnotes_toc.pdf 

Updated with each issue 

Searchable by keyword 

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

Government Printing Office, for the staffs of U.S. Federal Depository Libraries. 

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

send address changes to: Administrative Notes 

 U.S. Government Printing Office 

 Stop IDED 

 Washington, DC 20401 

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