PUBLIC DOCUMENTS

HIGHLIGHTS

GP 3.27:2 OCT.. 1973

Assistant Public Printer (Superintendent of Documents) Appointed

SUPERINTENDENT'S LOG

Thanks to all for the excellent response ^-e received on

circulation of the first edition of "Public Documents

Highlights." "Highlights" ser\'es as the first official tool of communication between librarians and the Public Documents Department. As a result of the first issue we re- ceived many letters from librarians with suggestions for improvements in the Depository System, along with comments on what subjects you would like to see included. We appre'Jate your valuable comments and will consider your suggestions with our overall plans for continuing

improvements to the Depository Library operation. We received several requests for information on our Documents Library function at the Government Printing

Office. You will find several items on this subject, written by our Documents Librarians, in this issue of "Public Documents Highlights."

The Documents Department looks forward to hearing your comments on "Highlights." Suggestions on improve- ments to the Depository Program or the services of the Documents Department are appreciated, as well as material for publication in "Highlights."

If there are any special procedures used in your library to handle the depository function more efficiently, which

might benefit other documents librarians, please write to the editor of "Public Documents Highlights" whose address is listed below.

BIENNIAL REPORT OF DEPOSITORY

UBRARIES

The current law governing the Depository Librar)- Pro- gram requires designated Depository Libraries to report to 5ie Superintendent of Documents every two years. The

purpose of the report is to determine whether the libraries are providing proper custody of publications furnished

to them under the Program, and how the material is being

used. The ref)ort is made through the use of a questionnaire which is prepared under the direction of the Superin- tendent of Documents. The Superintendent of Documents

also uses the questionnaire as a means of obtaining other information from the Depositor)- Libraries which is beneficial in administering the Depository Program.

The Biennial Report Questionnaire (Report Series No. 12) will be mailed to all Depositor)- Libraries on

October 15, 1973, and will be due back in the Office within 30 days. Watch for your copy in the mail.

"Public Documents Highlights" is circulated on an

irregular basis by the Superintendent of Documents,

Washington, D.C. 20102, and is mailed at first class postage rates. "Public Documents Highlights" is intended

primarily for librarians of the Federal Depository Librar)- Program. Materi.il projxjscd for circulation may be sub- mitted to the Editor, "Public Documents Highli>;hts", Public Documents Department, Bo.x 1333. Washington,

D.C. 2001 3- The Superintendent of Documents, however,

retains the right to accept such material, to edit it, and to assign priorities of circulation.

On June 24. 1973 Public Printer Thomas F. McCormidc, appointed Mr. Wellington H. Lewis as the new

Assistant Public Printer (Superintendent of Documents)

This position is a new one and includes within its responsibilities the duties of the Superintendent of Documents. The former Acting Superintendent of Documents, Rowland E. Darling, has recently retired. Mr. Lewis, as Assistant Public Printer, will retain the title Superin- tendent of Documents.

Lewis came to the Government Printing Office follojving a career of 23 years service in the U.S. Navy.

Prior to his appointment here at GPO, he was Commanding Officer of the Na%y Publications and Forms Center

in Philadelphia. Mr. Lewis has been with GPO since 1970. Our new Superintendent of Documents intends to carry forward the spirit of cooperation between the Documents

Department and the Expository Libraries. He wiil work

closely with the newly established Advisory Council to the Public Printer on Depository Libraries.

Public Printer meets with Depository Library

Council at Las Vegas

Public Printer Thomas F. McConnick met with the Advisory Council to the Public Printer for Depository

Libraries on June 28, 1975 in Las Vegas, Nevada, during

the Annual Conference of the ALA. The Advisory- Council, comprised of 15 members of the library community,

is charged with providing the Public Printer with a means of communication between hbrarians and the GPO

in order to improve service to depository hbraries and to effectively implement the depository library program.

Attending the meeting w-ith the Public Printer were Mr. W. G. Tonner, Jr., Chief, Planning EHvision, and Mr. Rowland E. Darling, then Acting Superintendent of Documents. The Public Printer announced at the meeting

that it was with regret that he had accepted Mr. Darling's

request for retirement after 32 years service with GPO.

The Council membership elected Dr. Ralph E. McCoy,

Southern Illinois University, as Chairman for an annual

term. Copies of the draft text of the revised "Instructions

to Depository Libraries" were passed to each member for comment and/or recommendation via Dr. McCoy. Dr. McCoy has received many member statements and by the time this newsletter reaches you, we hope to be in the process of coordinating the "returns."

Subjects covered at the meeting included suggestions

concerning the "Monthly Catalog", bibliographic tools, systematic review of depository libraries, improved docu- ment deliver)- and serv ice, and determination of the needs of the librar)' conimunic}' in the areas of microcop)" /micropublishing. With the valuable assistance of the Council, we hope to resolve so.ue of the existing problem areas

in the Depositor)- Librar)" Program.

SURVEY OX MICROFORM COPIES

Plans are underway in the Public Documents Depart- ment to conduct a survev of Federal Depository Libraries

interest/utility for spccirk categories of publications in microform. The survey will be conducted to determine if there will be sufficiently wide interest, at least in the library communit)', to distribute microforri) copies. A definite format and distribution on the survey have not been determined

at this point. More information to come.

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For Your Information

PUBUC DOCUMENTS DEPARTMENT

LIBRARY

The Public Documents Department Library is now a

library in name only. It does not operate as a library or provide interlibrary loans, and at the present time contains only more recent publications. A collection of Government publications was started in 1895 when the "Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government'

Publications" began publication. All publications listed in the catalog were classified and filed by Superintendent of IXxuments classification number, until the collection numbered over two-million documents. The Library was

not open to the public, and the books were rarely used

except by Government Printing Office personnel. In 1972,

the entire collection was transferred to National Archives where the publications are available to the public for

on-site research. The primary task of the Public Documents Department

libraty is publication of the "Monthly Catalog." In addition to the "Monthly Catalog", the Library also issues for each session of Congress the "Numerical Lists and

•Sdiedule of Volumes", which is, in effect, a check list of aO ref)orts and documents ordered printed by Congress

during that particular session.

All depository operations, with the exception of actual mailing of publications, are under control of the Library. Operations include preparation of the "Classified List of

Publications Available for Selection by Depositor)' Li- braries," surv'eys for new items being added to the list, recording selections for new items, recording all selections by depositories, technical review of publications being

diistributed, preparation of the Daily Depositor)' Shipping

List, and handling claims for nonreceipt of depository

publications. , As of June 1973, the staff of the library consisted of 30

professional, subprofessional, and clerical employees under the direction of a Chief of the Library. Although the Library is not open to the public, we are glad to have Depository Librarians visit and see our

operations. It is t>est to call in advance for an appoint- ment and directions. The telephone number is (202)

541-2015.

Monthly Catalog of United States Publications: Cataloging

The "Monthly Catalog" published by the Superintendent of Documents is prepared in the Public Documents

Library.

All publications showing an agency of the Government

as its publisher, received in the Library, with the exception of administrative or official use only documents, are entered in the Catalog. We do not enter reprints in the Catalog if they were entered at the time of the original

printing. The question arises from time to time concerning the number of publications librarians receive which they never

find listed in the "Monthly Catalog." In most cases omission is not because we decided against listing the publication, but that we never have received it for cataloging. We enter in the Catalog only publications which we have

in our possession, since we must see them to catalog them

properly. We are working on this problem of supply, and hope to procure more publications in the future. Each month's issue of the Catalog contains prcxiews and ordering information as well as the regular publication entries and an index. Each year the February issue contains a directory of periodicals; the September issue, a current list of depository libraries; and the December

issue, a cumulative index to cover all entries for the calen- dar year. • We hope to begin computerized preparation of the Catalog very soon. It will help our small Library staff considerably in the preparation of copy, but only a few

changes will be visible to the reader. The size and style of type, and method of printing the Catalog will remain

the same, but some of the distribution symbols will be changed. The biggest change which will affect the reader

is the change in the index. The index will consist of three

parts: a regular subjert index, a separate personal author

index, and a separate title index. We are anticipating that

this will improve the usefulness of the "Monthly

Catalog."

COMiNUTTEE PRINTS

Several Depository Libraries have recjuested infor.mation on the availability of Committeee Prints from the Sufjerintendent of Documents. Committee Prints are considered administutive matter and are not made available regularly to Depository Li- braries. Committee Prints are the properly of the Committee that issues thrm, and can only be distributed to Depository Libraries at the sp>ecific request of that particular Committee. When the Committee wishes to distribute Committee Prints to the Depository Libraries, we are usually notified the same day that they are send- ing the material to press, so that we will be able to order depository copies. Even though all Committee

Prints are printed by GPO, and some are sold by the Superintendent of Documents, we can only send copies

to the Depository Libraries at the request of the Committee preparing the publication. BOOKSTORES

GPO Bookstores, although not directly assodated with

the Depository Program, are willing to aid depository

librarians whenever they can. A listing of the Bookstores

can be found inside the cover of the "Monthly Catalog." Our 21st GPO Bookstore opened in Seattle, Washington in July. We now have stores ser\'ing 16 major cities throughout the country, plus five stores in the Washington

D.C. metropolitan area. The Philadelphia store has been moved to larger quarters in a new Federal Building at Fourth and Arch Streets, near Independence Hall. GPO Bookstores have available free brochures contain- ing the phone number, location, and hours of operation of

the store. For copies of these brochures call the GPO

Bookstore in your city. SELECTED UJS. GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS

The Superintendent of Documents publishes a biweekly

list of new and relevant titles, of general interest, available' for purchase. "Selected U.S. Government Publications"

is a 16 page booklet containing short descriptions of over 100 books on business, health, education, agriculture, and many other fields. At present "Selected U.S. Government

Publications" is sent free on request to over 1.35 million

people. You can offer this free service to users of your

Depository Library through the use of postage paid

"Selected List Cards" available from the Superintendent

of Documents. If you are interested in offering these cards

to users of your library send your request to:

Selected List Cards

P.O. Box 1821 Washington. D.C. 20013

GPO S70-e6O
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