ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES

Newsletter of the Federal Depository Library Program

Vol. 16, no. 10 GP 3.16/3-2:16/10 August 15, 1995

You Can Help Plan the 1996 Federal Depository Conference

We want to make the 1996 Federal Depository Conference the best one yet, and you can

help! The 1996 conference, regional meeting, and Depository Library Council will be held

in the Washington, DC metro area during the week of April 15-18, 1996.

Participants in the 1995 Federal Depository Conference placed the highest value on the

Federal agency presentations, especially those with the latest information on electronic

products and services. The repeated agency sessions drew high praise. The "new documents

librarians" session and agency demonstrations of automated databases and online services

were hits as well.

The Library Programs Service (LPS) is once again seeking assistance from the depository

community to identify topics and speakers for the 1996 Federal Depository Conference.

Suggestions already received include the following:

• additional agency on-site demonstrations of their electronic products.

• additional agency training sessions such as REIS. Due to equipment and space

limitations in potential conference hotels, such sessions would have to be at an

agency's own training facility.

• a new librarians' "track" during conference week to include a tour of LPS; "new

documents librarians" session; small break-out sessions with GPO staff, etc.

• presentations by statistical gathering associations, including Association of Public Data

Users, Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics, etc.

LPS needs names of specific agencies, speakers, and products to implement these

suggestions. And we need more ideas from you to create a successful conference.

If you would like to volunteer as a speaker or can identify potential speakers, please

contact Sheila McGarr by telephone on (202) 512-1119; by fax on (202) 512-1432; or by

e-mail on < inspect@access.digex.net > no later than October 13.

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Coming Soon! Shipping Lists on U.S. Fax Watch

LPS is pleased to announce the debut of a service long desired by depository librarians:

shipping lists on demand. Beginning September 5, 1995, shipping lists will be available to depository libraries through the Superintendent of Documents service called U.S. Fax Watch.

(For information on U.S. Fax Watch, see Administrative Notes, v. 16, # 7.) The initial file will begin with shipping lists dated September 1, 1995.

The file will maintain copies of shipping lists for 60 days, and new lists will be loaded and

available every week. All categories of LPS shipping lists will be available through this

service: paper, microfiche, electronic, and separates.

Libraries should use the U.S. Fax Watch system to obtain copies of shipping lists that

were previously requested from LPS via fax, phone, e-mail and mail. LPS will not fill requests for shipping lists during the 60 days they are available on U.S. Fax Watch. After

60 days, requests for shipping lists will be accepted only by e-mail or by fax. Detailed

instructions on how to use the U.S. Fax Watch system to obtain shipping lists were sent in

depository shipment boxes on August 8, 1995.

Please note: the quality of the copy will vary from one fax machine to another. LPS will

make every effort to provide a legible copy.

Further, the copy of the shipping list sent via the U.S. Fax Watch system will not

include claiming information. LPS requests that if this copy is used to claim missing items,

libraries should be sure to annotate the shipping list with the depository library number to expedite the claim.
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Handling Copyrighted Material from FBIS

It has come to the attention of the Library Programs Service that there is a serious

question concerning copyright infringement pertaining to FBIS publications. The materials in

these publications are translations of text from foreign open source media, which are, or are presumed to be, copyrighted. Because of legal issues involved in copyright, depository

libraries must treat this material as it would other copyrighted material in the library. This

stipulation does not imply impeded access, but prohibits the printing or photocopying of the

material.

Title Changes for 3 FBIS Publications

Most of the materials formerly found in the FBIS JPRS Reports have been merged into

the FBIS Daily Reports or have become supplements to the corresponding Daily Report. The

titles affected are:

1. Central Eurasia FBIS Report (FBIS-USR) has become a Supplement to the Central

Eurasia Daily Report

2. Central Eurasia Military Affairs: Aviation & Cosmonautics (JPRS-UAC) and Central

Eurasia Military Affairs: Foreign Military Review JPRS Report (JPRS-URM) have

been merged and named the Central Eurasia Military Affairs Report, which has

become a Supplement to the Central Eurasia Daily Report.

3. Near East and South Asia JPRS Report (JPRS-NEA) has now merged with Near East

and South Asia Daily Report.

Effective July 1, 1995, all other JPRS Reports will be renamed FBIS Reports to reflect a

single product line. New class numbers and item numbers are being developed. Further

information will be announced as soon as the process has been completed.
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Fall 1995 Depository Library Council Meeting

Memphis, Tennessee! Where the Mississippi River rolls majestically past a 32-story steel

pyramid. Where W.C. Handy first pushed the blues through a horn and Beale Street still keeps the beat. Where Elvis revolutionized pop music and built his home. Where the

Depository Library Council will hold its fall 1995 meeting.

COME, JOIN US IN MEMPHIS!

The fall 1995 meeting of the Depository Library Council (DLC) to the Public Printer

will convene in Memphis, Tennessee from Monday, October 16 through Wednesday noon,

October 18. The location of the meeting will be at the East Memphis Hilton. The hotel is located in the Clark Tower Complex in East Memphis, and the address is:

East Memphis Hilton

5069 Sanderlin Avenue

Memphis, TN 38117

A block of rooms has been retained for the attendees. Special room rates are $57 per

night, guaranteed through September 25, 1995. This special rate cannot be guaranteed after

September 25. Reservations must be made by calling (901) 767-6666 or 1-800-HILTONS*

or by fax at (901) 683-8563. Please specify the Depository Library Council when you contact

the hotel.

* If you are advised on the 800 number that all of the special rate rooms are gone prior to September 25, please call the East Memphis Hilton Sales Manager, Ms. Amy McDaniel, on

(901) 767-6666.

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REGISTRATION FORM FALL 1995 COUNCIL MEETING

E-mail, fax or mail to:

Mr. William Thompson Fax: (202)512-1432

Library Programs Service (SL) E-mail: staf1lps@access.digex.net

U.S. Government Printing Office

Washington, DC 20401

Yes, I plan to attend the Fall 1995 meeting

of the Depository Library Council in Memphis, Tennessee.

I will need a name badge. Preferred first name:

Optional Tours * D I am interested in taking a night tour of

Memphis (indicate night, Sunday, Monday,

Tuesday or Wednesday) .

I am interested in taking an afternoon tour

of Memphis (specify day, Sunday or Wednesday)

* GPO will not arrange the tours but work with the hotel in scheduling. Information on

discounted tour packages, with prices, will be available through the hotel, if there is an interest.

Please type or print clearly:

LPS will seek to make accommodations for

attendees with disabilities. Please specify

needs when returning this registration.

Institution

Address

City/State/Zip Code

Telephone (include area code)

Name

Library/Office

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GPO Access Training Scheduled

• Thursday, October 5 Augustana College

• (Tentative) Sioux Falls, SD

Session 1: To be announced

Session 2: To be announced

(Coinciding with the Mountain Plains Library Association annual conference, October 4-7)

• Sunday, October 15 University of Memphis Libraries

Room 226A

Memphis, TN

Session 1: 12:00 noon - 2:30 p.m.

Session 2: 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

(Coinciding with the fall Depository Council meeting, October 16-18)

• Thursday, October 19 University of Kansas Regents Center

Kansas City, MO

Session 1: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon

Session 2: 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

(Coinciding with the Kansas Library Association/Missouri GODORT meeting)

• Friday/Saturday

November 10-11 Orradre Library

University of Santa Clara

Both days Session 1: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon

Session 2: 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

(Coinciding with the California Library Association Conference)

• Wednesday/Thursday

November 15-16 Los Angeles, CA

• (Tentative)

• Friday, Saturday

November 17-18 Phoenix, AZ

• (Tentative) Arizona State University

• (Further details will be released when available)

To reserve a place, or for more information, contact:

John Berger

Office of Electronic Information Dissemination Services

E-mail: john@eids05.eids.gpo.gov

Telephone: (202) 512-1525

Fax: (202) 512-1262

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Microfiche Distribution of Bound Congressional Record Resumes

The bound Congressional Record in microfiche is currently being distributed to depository libraries under item 0993-A. The bound Congressional Record has not been

available in this format since the late spring of 1988. Since June 1, 1995, Information

Resources, Incorporated has been converting the bound Congressional Record to microfiche

format and distributing it to depository libraries.

The SuDocs classification stem X.: is being used for volumes 131-134. The class

stem was changed to X 1.1: with volume 135 to accommodate the requirements of the inhouse automated system.

Microfiche for the bound Congressional Record have been produced without dates

and page numbers for vol. 131, parts 1-10 due to contractor error. The Library Programs

Service regrets that these fiche cannot be reissued. The affected volumes are listed below,

with page numbers noted for each volume. Steps have been taken to ensure that future fiche are issued correctly.

SuDocs Shipping List Beginning Date Ending Date Page

Numbers

Y QQ/1 -1^1 /nt 1 CK OAQQ M January j, lyoj January jvj, 17OJ 1 tn 1359

X.99/l:131/pt.2 95-05 19-M January 31, 1985 February 20, 1985 1361 to 2875

X.99/l:131/pt.3 95-05 19-M February 21, 1985 February 28, 1985 2877 to 4274

X.99/l:131/pt.4 95-0525-M March 4, 1985 March 19, 1985 4275 to 5671

X.99/l:131/pt.5 95-0525-M March 20, 1985 April 1, 1985 5673 to 7007

X.99/l:131/pt.6 95-0525-M April 2, 1985 April 18, 1985 7009 to 8539

X.99/l:131/pt.7 95-0525-M April 22, 1985 April 30, 1985 8541 to 9980

X.99/l:131/pt.8 95-054 1-M May 1, 1985 May 8, 1985 9981 to 11236

X.99/l:131/pt.9 95-054 1-M May 9, 1985 May 20, 1985 11237 to 12701

X.99/l:131/pt.l0 95-0546-M May 21, 1985 June 4, 1985 12703 to 14265

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Correction to 0PM Mainstreet Phone Number

The July 15 issue of Administrative Notes (v. 16, #9) contained an incorrect phone

number for the OPM Mainstreet bulletin board. The correct phone number is: (202) 606-4800.

LPS Can No Longer Process Inquiries on

Publications Cataloged Prior to July 1976

The Library Programs Service currently has a backlog of 500 depository library inquiries

that need to be researched. In light of existing staff limitations and effective immediately,

LPS can no longer research classification number inquires for publications cataloged prior to July 1976.

Depository libraries are advised to add another digit to the class number, based on the

procedures for locally assigned classification numbers outlined in the GPO Classification

Manual (GP 3.29:P 88/993). All inquiries which fall into this category and have not yet

been researched will be returned to the libraries.

When submitting inquiries for publications or for direct mail claims, please use GPO Form

3794 and completely fill out the library's name, address, and telephone number. For

publications with classification problems, or to inquire about inclusion of specific titles in the

Federal Depository Library Program, please include photocopies of title pages, etc., to help

LPS staff clearly identify publications. Inquiry forms should be sent to:

Library Programs Service (SLLA)

Depository Administration Branch

U.S. Government Printing Office

Washington, DC 20401

Fax: (202) 512-1636
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New Feature Now Available on GPO Access:

Adobe Acrobat PDF Files for the

1995 Congressional Record Online

Effective immediately Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) files are available

for the 1995 Congressional Record Online via GPO Access. Users who connect to GPO

Access via the Web or with WAIS client software can view and print typeset pages of the

Congressional Record using the Acrobat Reader software.

Update Schedule

The PDF files will usually be available at the same time as the ASCII text files for the

Congressional Record. Occasionally there may be a delay of a few hours to accommodate

production schedules. If the PDF files for the current day are not yet available when you

select the PDF option for viewing, a message will appear saying "No PDF file available for

this document." If this occurs, please wait for at least 15 minutes and try again. The PDF

files will be posted as soon as they are available. DO NOT CALL the GPO Access User

Support Team to report missing PDF files unless the missing files are from an old issue or

there has been a delay of over three hours on posting files from the current issue.

Reminder

The Congressional Record published on Friday, July 28, 1995, will be the issue dated July

27, 1995, and will report the actions of Congress from Thursday, July 27.

Obtaining the Acrobat Reader: If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat Reader, a free copy

can be downloaded by anonymous FTP from ftp.adobe.com/pub/adobe/applications/acrobat

or through the Web site at http://www.adobe.com/software.html. Readers are available for

Macintosh, Windows and some Unix systems.

For Assistance

Contact the GPO Access User Support Team by Internet e-mail at help@eids05.eids.gpo.gov; fax at (202) 512-1262 or phone at (202) 512-1530. The User

Support Team is available from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday,

except Federal holidays.

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Wayne P. Kelley

Superintendent of Documents

Prepared Statement before the

Committee on House Oversight on

Revision of Title 44, U.S.C.

Tuesday, August 1, 1995

1310 Longworth House Office Building

10 A.M.

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, I appreciate the opportunity to appear

before you today in the context of Government printing reform. As the Superintendent of

Documents of the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), I manage two of the basic

programs by which the American public gets information from and about our Government:

the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), and the Documents Sales Program. I will

concentrate today on the depository library program, as it is the fundamental means which

guarantees to the public equitable access to Government information, at no charge to the

user. In reality, the 1,391 depository libraries, and the expert staff in those libraries, are the

Government information infrastructure for the Nation. It should be noted that changes which

affect the FDLP may also affect the Documents Sales Program, which employs similar

mechanisms to obtain publications.

A 1989 study, performed under contract by Information Management Consultant Services,

Inc., collected data from about 80% of the academic and public depository libraries. Based

on this partial subset of the depository system, "the results from this survey estimate a minimum of 167,000 users, per week, of Government depository material in academic and

public libraries." Depository libraries also serve the American people in ways that we in

Washington could never anticipate. I want to recount for you just two living examples of

what this Program means.

Citizens Get Assistance

The depository at the Arcadia, California, Public Library recently had a dramatic impact

on the life of a two year-old child. His mother, seeking information on how to locate

abducted children, was referred to the library by local officials. The child's father had

kidnapped him from his home and taken him to Iraq.

Using information provided through the Federal Depository Library Program, the library

was able to provide the child's mother with expert sources to identify names and addresses of

government offices in Iraq and names and addresses of Foreign Consular offices in the

United States. She also used a U.S. Department of State document entitled International

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Parental Child Abduction, which includes chapters on abduction abroad, searching abroad,

the role of the U.S. Central Authority and a step-by-step guide on how to conduct a search.

Forms for photocopying include the Department of State form "Application for Assistance

under the Hague Convention on Child Abduction. " The connections made through the

library's depository collection were instrumental in helping this young mother locate and

ultimately recover her son.

Business Saves Jobs

Another example illustrates the value of the FDLP to the business sector. Southern New

England Telecommunications (SNET) uses the documents collection at Yale University in

New Haven, Connecticut. SNET, which employs over 9,000 workers in Connecticut, is being downsized because of increased competition in a changing industry. Connecticut's

recession has resulted in the loss of 156,000 jobs between 1989 and 1993, more jobs lost

than in the three previous recessions combined. In order to preserve jobs, SNET has

embarked on a full-fledged effort to reduce overhead costs where possible. This means that

cost-effective access to publicly-available information, such as subscriptions to periodicals, census data, and economic statistics issued by the Government is crucial.

SNET reports that the depository library staff at Yale has been extremely helpful in

helping fully utilize Government information resources that no longer can be purchased by

SNET due to budget constraints. Whether it is data from the Regional Economic Information

System, Department of Defense reports, the Monthly Labor Review, the National Trade Data

Bank or others, businesses need depository services more than ever. SNET, and many other

companies facing economic hardships, cannot afford to purchase Government information in

the open market.

Depository libraries have helped many Americans use Government information to find

jobs, plan a small business, become U.S. citizens, research material for importing/exporting

and read daily reports from the Federal Register and Congressional Record. Depository

librarians provide excellent assistance to users seeking the best sources to meet their needs.

They maintain a useable collection and network with other congressional district depositories

in the surrounding areas to ensure the public's access to material. The FDLP is an important

information resource for the public, and its effectiveness should be studied carefully before

any changes are made.

Principles of Free Access

Although the Government Printing Office (GPO) has administered the FDLP for one hundred years, providing Government information to selective libraries can be traced nearly

to the founding of our Nation. In 1813 Congress passed legislation [3 Stat. 140] to ensure

the provision of the House and Senate Journals and other Congressional documents to certain

libraries. Originally vested in the Secretary of State, and later the Secretary of the Interior,

the responsibility for distributing publications was transferred to GPO by the Printing Act of

1895. This law, the direct antecedent of Title 44, United States Code, centralized printing,

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transferred the office of Superintendent of Documents to GPO from the Department of the

Interior, and expanded the scope of publications and types of libraries in the Program.

From the beginning the Federal Depository Library Program has been built upon these

underlying principles:

• A well informed citizenry, cognizant of the policies and activities of its representative

Government, is essential for the proper functioning of democracy; information

provided by Government documents is a primary means for citizens to keep informed;

• The public has a right to Government information which has been prepared and

published at public expense;

• The Government has an obligation to ensure availability of, and access to, this

information at no cost to the user;

• The material provided through the FDLP is a permanent and official source of Federal

information; and

• The public, the participating libraries, and the Federal Government all benefit from

the efficiencies afforded by a centralized distribution system, such as the Federal

Depository Library Program, which ensures wide availability of Government

publications at no charge to the user.

Federal Depository Library Program

Today there are 1,391 depository libraries, with one in nearly every Congressional district.

Fifty-three "regional" depositories receive virtually all publications distributed through the

Program for permanent retention to ensure that archival resource collections of Government

documents remain available throughout the United States.

The remaining "selective" depositories may choose to receive only specific categories of

publications to meet local needs of their clientele and Congressional District. In return for

receiving Government material at no cost, the depository libraries must make the information

available to the public, and provide appropriate assistance to users.

As authorized by the "GPO Access" Act, P.L. 103-40, GPO is providing online

Government information to depositories and the public. The GPO Access online interactive

system, which began operating in June 1994, is provided to depository libraries at no charge,

with the costs paid from the Superintendent of Documents' Salaries and Expenses

Appropriation (S&E). GPO Access databases include the Federal Register, the Congressional

Record, the Legislative Service, and the General Accounting Office reports. We expect to have the House and Senate Reports available online soon.

Over 500 depositories offer the GPO Access system. Depository libraries may provide

GPO Access to the public at differing levels of service, ranging from on-site use within the

library; to gateway services, for off-site public users who connect from their classroom,

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home, or office. With the gateways, GPO and the FDLP are breaking down the traditional

barriers of distance and time, giving users free use of GPO Access 24 hours a day, seven

days a week. Twenty gateways are open in 18 states and the Nation's capital. GPO's goal is to have at least one public gateway in each state. Over 15,000 users per month use GPO

Access through depository gateways.

We have recently opened the "Pathway to Government Information," our new

Superintendent of Documents World Wide Web site. This Internet site connects users to GPO Access and to other Government online resources. By using our locator service, users can identify all depositories in their area, or pinpoint those which offer GPO Access online.

They can identify publications of interest to them, and then be directed to specific depository

libraries which have selected those publications. Or they can identify items of interest in our

Sales Program and be directed to one of GPO's 23 bookstores.

Program Expenses and Efficiencies

For FY 1996 we have requested $30,307 million for the Salaries and Expenses

Appropriation (S&E) of the Superintendent of Documents, consisting of:

Depository Library Distribution Program $25,618,000

Cataloging and Indexing Program $3,354,000

By-Law Distribution Program $836,000

International Exchange Program $599,000

The core of the FDLP has been, and continues to be, print format publications distributed

in either paper or microfiche, which provide permanence, ease of use, and equitable access to the public at large. In FY 1995, we estimate that depository libraries will receive over 21.5

million copies of over 64,400 individual Government publications, in addition to the GPO

Access online services. Based on the total budgets for the Depository Library Distribution

and Cataloging and Indexing Programs, this means that GPO delivers these publications to depository libraries, fully cataloged so that the public can identify and locate them, for an

average cost of $1.36 per copy, or roughly the price of a child's comic book. In FY 1996,

we expect to do even better for the taxpayer, delivering each copy at an estimated average

cost of $1.25 per copy.

One hundred and thirty-two FTEs are allocated to these two programs, so each employee

serves about 10 of the 1,391 depositories. The efficient use of funds and FTEs is possible

because of the close historic linkage between the production of publications through the GPO

and acquiring and cataloging those publications for libraries. Should this linkage be severed

a probable outcome is that an enormous amount of Government information will no longer be

available to the public through the FDLP.

Centralized Collection Works

As the Public Printer has noted, we have very serious concerns with some of the

legislation being considered by this Congress, and the potential damage to public access to

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Government information which could result. GPO does not believe that erecting additional

barriers to citizen access to Government information is in the Nation's interest.

Centralizing Government printing through the GPO has proven an effective mechanism to obtain Government information for the FDLP and the Documents Sales Programs. Agencies

are required by 44 U.S.C. Sections 1901, 1902, and 1903 and by the policy guidance

expressed in OMB Circular A-130, to make their information products, with very few

exceptions, available to the Superintendent of Documents for distribution to depository

libraries.

Agencies do not bear the printing and binding costs or CD-ROM replication costs for

depository library copies if the product is printed or procured through GPO. If deliverables

are not printed or procured through GPO, the agency must pay for the printing and binding

costs, software licensing, etc., of depository library copies. In all cases, GPO bears the

expense of distributing the publications.

When agencies produce or procure their information products through GPO, our staff

decides which products to acquire for the different dissemination programs, and how many

copies to order. We obtain copies by attaching "riders" to agency print orders. This rider

process is an economical and effective means for the Superintendent of Documents to obtain

publications, and is virtually transparent to the publishing agencies. Keeping this effective

system working is one reason to critically examine any proposal which separates GPO's

dissemination programs from the printing and production processes. Severing this vital link

would lead to additional administrative costs while risking timely and cost-effective public access to the information.

Electronic Safeguards Needed

The context of this Hearing is revision of Title 44 of the U.S. Code. Despite my interest

in revising the statute, we must exercise caution in this process.

The need for caution arises out of the emergence of electronic information dissemination

technologies. These technologies will revolutionize the businesses of printing and publishing.

They will shrink the time between authoring and information delivery much like moveable

type, electric power, and air mail delivery did in the past. They will eliminate the

disadvantages of distance and office hours.

But for a democracy with an open government these technologies also present certain

dangers. These dangers arise out of the potential loss of safeguards that have been built into

the printing process over the years. In the course of its production, a publication printed at GPO becomes "official "-it is cataloged into the Government database of official publications,

it serves as the reference against which other editions are compared. It is made available to

all citizens equally.

Technology now presents us with the ability to record congressional activity live, transmit

it from the floor to an online service, and make it available instantaneously to networked

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computer users around the world. Against the benefits inherent in this arrangement, though,

are some very real dangers.

A publishing entity may exert control far beyond creation and initial transmission of a document. It would be possible to alter the record to favor a particular point of view, to give

prominence to some documents and to "hide" others, to delay transmission, to change history

with a keystroke. And whatever the controlling organization said was the "official" version

would be the official version—just because that agency said it was. The specter of novelist

George Orwell's fictional government "Ministry of Truth" could easily become a reality in

the public mind.

Current Protections

The current safeguards against these dangers reside in the process by which printed

publications are produced. They are proofread by their publishing components. They are cataloged and readily located in a compilation of Government publications. The printed

edition becomes the "official" text that rules in event of discrepancies between editions.

Copies are made and are available at colleges, universities, and public libraries across the

country.

The public may purchase copies at reasonable cost from the Government Printing Office

and its bookstores. Private sector distributors also have a central, reliable source for

obtaining copies with customer service assistance for electronic publications.

In revising Title 44 to incorporate electronic publishing, these safeguards should be

preserved. An "official" edition, with necessary protections against manipulation, should be

produced. Cataloging will help people find items and will help assure all publications are equally accessible. There should be a guarantee of long-term preservation of electronic

publications in formats acceptable for final delivery to the National Archives. And some

mechanism is required to ensure that the people who do not have access to these wonderful

computer technologies — and today that is most Americans—will still have access to the

written record of their Congress and the published works of their Government.

There is no evidence that print documents are disappearing from the scene. The Library

of Congress, for instance, reports that its print acquisitions are growing. Increasingly, it has

been shown that electronics are supplementing, rather than supplanting, print formats. It is not clear that electronics provide a cost and utilization advantage over print in every case. For example, low cost consumer-oriented publications in print format are not easily or wisely

replaced by computer-based information programs. It is not clear that depository libraries,

and most importantly their patrons, view electronic formats more favorably than paper

formats in every case. In many cases, particularly for information of an archival nature,

paper is still the preferred format. Not every depository library currently has the capability

to access electronic information. For example, using the World Wide Web, a graphical user

interface to the Internet, requires a fairly high-end PC. Only half of the depositories have even one 486 class PC available for public users; and only 9% have more than four 486s for

public use.

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Transition to Electronics

We are already moving on a transition in the FDLP, from the delivery of Government

information to depository libraries in paper and microfiche to electronic formats. We are

also shifting, where appropriate, toward on-demand or just-in-time delivery of electronic

information to depository libraries and to the public from centralized Government Printing

Office (GPO) resources or through secondary connections to other Government information

providers.

Ultimately, tax dollars, whether local, state, or Federal, support most libraries. The

depository program, with centralized procurement and distribution and 1,391 local outlets,

exemplifies a working Federal/state/local partnership, in which the direct service to the public

has already been devolved from the Federal level. Depository libraries match every Federal

dollar spent with three to five dollars of their own to pay for their share of the programspace, utilities, staff, training, equipment, and so on. The drive to push electronics at the

expense of print media will in effect push an unfunded mandate back on the libraries if they

have to buy unplanned-for equipment and damage the partnership they have shared with GPO

in this program for a century. A change of this magnitude in the FDLP should only be made

following full consultation with all the partners in the depository program—publishing

agencies, GPO, depository libraries, and library users—and this hearing is a good first step in

that process.

The transition to electronic formats should not be done precipitously or without adequate

funding necessary for an orderly transition. Otherwise there may be a substantial loss of

information entering the depository program, severely undermining the public's right of

access to Federal information. We intend to increase dissemination of electronic information

by implementing plans previously announced to the depository libraries for a measured

transition over the next three years.

The first stage of this transition will consist of a study of the options for the methods and

formats of electronic dissemination, the costs and benefits of various distribution options, the

capabilities and resources required of depository libraries, the electronic dissemination plans

and needs of publishing agencies, and the needs of users. We intend to present the results of

this study and an implementation plan in 1996.

The Federal Depository Library system of 1,391 community libraries nationwide has been

America's way of providing public access, cost-effectively, for more than 100 years. The

depository program, with its history of local support exceeding Federal contributions, is truly a national treasure. It should be used to assist citizens who have neither the computers nor

the skills to access electronic information on their own.

I urge the Committee to consider the vulnerability of electronic publications to manipulation and control as it works to bring Title 44 into the electronic era. The integrity

of Government information is as critical to the Members of Congress and to the legislative

process as it is to the American public.

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Depository Law Libraries Serving the Public

Remarks by

Greta Boeringer, Library Inspector

Before the American Association of Law Libraries,

Government Documents Special Interest Section

July 16, 1995

Pittsburgh, PA

I am a law librarian, with both the MLS and the JD and two years of law library

experience. As a Federal depository library inspector for the past three years, I have

inspected 228 depositories, 41 of them law libraries. Federal depository law libraries include

court libraries, both Federal and State, Federal agency depositories, and academic law

libraries. Some other types of libraries have well developed law collections. I'd say that

some of the finest depositories out there are law libraries, but I may be a little prejudiced.

Unfortunately, we have a bad reputation for not being accessible by the public. I think

this reputation is unfair given the service most law libraries offer. Unfortunately, however, even I have been turned away at the door of several Federal depositories, some of them law

libraries. The Chief of Depository Services asserts that most complaints from the public concern law libraries and how to gain access to them. This may reflect the sophistication,

shall we say, of our patron base, but it is also evidence of the desperate need that law library

depositories serve. So, while the reputation may have a grain of truth in it, we, dedicated

depository law librarians, are the ones who can see to it that the bad part of our reputation

isn't deserved. Maybe we can even turn it around and finally get the credit we deserve.

I want to begin by talking about how law libraries got into the Federal Depository Library

Program (FDLP) to begin with. The law library with the oldest designation date in our system is Louisiana State University, designated in 1929. What an auspicious year to be

designated! Just before the Government began to expand in the 30 's and 40' s! Before the

Depression, -before the New Deal!

Forty-two law libraries were designated prior to 1978, which is the year that academic law

libraries were added to the list of libraries that can be designated under 44 U.S. C. 1916. So

those 42 libraries were designated another way, perhaps as a Representative or Senatorial

designation. Some of those libraries are still so designated.

If your library has other than a law school designation, you may want to change your

designation to "law school" in order to free up a designation for another library, particularly

the 4 that are Senatorial designations, which can be placed anywhere in a state. Something to think about. It is only a procedural change by GPO for the Directory of U.S. Depository

Libraries. It does not affect shipments or services.

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Let's talk about 1978. Four bills were introduced in the 95th Congress, first session, to designate law libraries as depositories: HR 4748, HR 4751, HR 5352, and HR 6033. Each

bill died in committee. Documents to the People (DTTP) reported on a hearing held by the

House Administration Committee's Subcommittee on Libraries and Memorials on HR 4751

on June 22, 1977. Present at the hearing were: Francis Buckley from Detroit Public

representing ALA, Kenneth Pye, Chancellor of Duke University representing AALS, Jane

Hammond from Cornell representing AALL, and Margaret Leary representing her own

institution. The hearing was also attended by Eileen Cooke of the ALA Washington Office.

Because this bill died, the hearings were never published and Buckley's piece in DTTP is the

only published record of the hearing. I contacted Margaret Leary and AALS and obtained

written statements, including Jane Hammond's. They make very interesting reading.

When the academic law libraries were added to the list of libraries permitted to become

depository libraries, I believe it was intended that law libraries make their entire collections

available. Law library collections provide a context for the primary sources available

through the Federal Depository Library Program in the form of cases interpreting the laws

and regulations and law reviews and treatises discussing them. I believe that this was the

legislative intent. I believe this was what those law librarians speaking at the hearing on the

law envisioned: That only law libraries that could open their libraries to the public would

contemplate and/or retain depository status.

Listen to the witnesses in 1978:

Jane Hammond: "I believe the depository library system should include law school

libraries as a specific category in order to assure access by the general public to specialists in

legal materials who can guide them in their search for answers to their legal problems."

Margaret Leary: "The public's ability to use documents would be enhanced particularly to the extent that users of documents also need access to non-documental, commercial

supplemental material.

All the witnesses assumed that academic law libraries that were designated depository

would open their entire collections to the public. A number of depositories, including some

law libraries, especially those in urban areas, are restricting public access to depository

materials only. Now you and I know that one cannot do legal research using only depository

materials. Supporting reporters, and indexes, and annotations are needed. I would urge any

library that cannot open its entire collection to the public to seriously reconsider its participation in the Federal Depository Library Program.

Finally, still in the 95th Congress, 1st session, HR 8358 was introduced and House Report

95-650 was published. It states: "Law school libraries increasingly assist members of the

public in the use of Government documents. The ready availability of digests, indexes,

treatises, hornbooks, encyclopedias, law reviews and periodicals, as well as of librarians who

are specialists in legal research, enhance both the use of Government documents and the

interpretation of their contents. Law School libraries, with their wealth of supporting

materials and personnel, not only make Government documents available to the public, they

make them useful to the lay researcher.

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This should really be our goal as Federal depository libraries. And most of us see our mission in this way and are doing this.

The bill passed as P.L. 95-261 and was published at 92 Stat. 199 (1978) and was codified

at 44 U.S.C. 1916. And the rest is HISTORY!!

What does our history tell us? What is the moral imperative? As law libraries, we have

more to offer the Federal Depository Library Program than any other type of library.

Legislative materials form the core of the FDLP. They are the real reason the program was

begun. We law librarians have the skills and the expertise to ensure that these vital resources

are fully exploited.

We can teach others to more fully utilize the depository resources they receive. Some

examples: Offering legal research training to other depository librarians as part of local

cooperation, state GODORT meetings, etc. Offering legal research training to non-law

librarians of all types and explaining the FDLP as part of that training. We stand to benefit

from our own efforts because we empower the librarians in question to fully exploit the resources in their own libraries. They will be able to find all the answers their own

collections hold. Additionally, when they refer a patron to the law library, the patron will

have a much more developed question and will already be clear on the limits of legal advice

we can give, etc.

Another way this is done is a model used in New York City. They have an active training

program. Librarians are even invited to audit legal research classes taught to law students by

the law librarians. In addition, METRO has a legal reference hotline. Law libraries sign up

to be available to member libraries to help them with legal reference questions. This

program is described in detail in the Proceedings of the 3rd Annual Federal Depository

Library Conference (1994) at pages 39 and 45. One last element of the METRO program is a union list of law holdings called the lex locator.

Don't just assume that this type of work is only relevant in the big city atmosphere of the

"big apple." In Arkansas, we had similar programs, but not the hotline, since our library

was WIDE open to the public. Before I left Arkansas I was the program chair for GODORT

and we offered a joint program with the Reference Round Table on legal research that was

very well attended and taught by law librarians. We had a union list of legislative research

materials. Contributing libraries included law libraries and depositories. We distributed to law firm libraries and other libraries in addition to the participants. No place that has a law

library depository is too small to benefit from an active outreach program.

How is dropping depository status done?

There have been discussions on both the LAW-LIB and GOVDOC-L listservs concerning

the pros and cons of remaining a depository and how to go about relinquishing depository

status. The procedure is simple.

Write a letter addressed to the Superintendent of Documents telling why your library

wishes to relinquish its status and give an effective date. GPO will send letters regarding

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disposition of the collection to the Regional and your library. The library will contact the

Regional, listing what materials they wish to retain. The Regional can take any materials it wants, and will provide directions for disposition of the remainder. Yes, it is that simple!

And yes, the Regional can have anything it wants, anything that came depository.

Mixed messages about selecting

Selections for law libraries is a sticky issue. Law libraries as a group probably tend to have our most expensive profiles. The hardbound books like the United States Code and the

Serial Set are the most expensive things we distribute. You can actually see them on a pie

chart of our costs. [See Administrative Notes, v. 13, #16, 8/15/92, p. 9.] So our bean

counters would like to see law libraries go wholesale in microfiche only, or to reduce

selections of expensive titles.

Law libraries are also one of the most consistent types of depository libraries that we have.

Unlike public or academic libraries which range in size and depth and emphasis, academic

law libraries tend to hover right around 300,000 volumes and be serving similar clientele.

Often a larger law library just means additional sets of the National Reporter System, or an

older treatise collection, it doesn't affect depository selections. The average item selection

rate for a small academic law library with between 0-150,000 volumes is 7%; for medium

size with between 150,000-600,000 volumes it's 13%; for large with over 600,000 volumes

it's 16% (see Administrative Notes, v. 13, #22, 11/15/92, p. 5).

So when I see a law library with a selection rate that is much lower than other similar law

depositories, I look for a reason which should be written in the collection development

policy, or in a written agreement with a nearby depository library.

If the library can't articulate a reason for a low selection rate, I can't help but suspect that

the depository is replacing expensive subscriptions. Then I look to see if the library has

made a commitment to the FDLP, whether there is outreach, is the public welcome, does the

community use this library, does the librarian stay in touch with other documents librarians?

So those are the two pressures that result in mixed messages about selections. First, the

expense of having law libraries in the program is palpable, and all of us are looking for ways

to reduce costs. However, if a law library has reduced selections below a certain point, no

doubt retaining the most expensive titles, does the depository operation lose effectiveness as a depository? A certain level of selections has to be maintained to do this. And that is what

we are striving for. It is important not to become so caught up in reducing costs that we lose

sight of our mission. When we no longer serve, we no longer deserve funding, no matter

how little we cost. So no false economy. Don't wastefully select, but get what you need to be effective.

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Table of Contents

You Can Help Plan the 1996 Federal Depository Conference 1 Coming Soon! Shipping Lists on U.S. Fax Watch 2

Handling Copyrighted Material from FBIS . 3

Title Changes for 3 FBIS Publications 3

Fall 1995 Depository Library Council Meeting Scheduled 4

Fall 1995 Depository Library Council Meeting Registration Form 5

GPO Access Training Scheduled 7

Microfiche Distribution of Bound Congressional Record Resumes 8

Correction to OPM Mainstreet Phone Number 9

LPS Can No Longer Process Inquiries on Publications Cataloged

Prior to July 1976 9

New Feature Now Available on GPO Access: Adobe Acrobat PDF Files

for the 1995 Congressional Record Online 10

SuDocs Statement before the Committee on House Oversight on

Revision of Title 44,U.S.C 11

Depository Law Libraries Serving the Public / Greta Boeringer 18

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

Documents, Library Programs Service, Government Printing Office, for the staffs of U.S. Federal Depository Libraries. It is published on the 15th day of each month; some months have additional issues. Postmaster send address changes to: The Editor, Administrative Notes

U.S. Government Printing Office

Library Programs Service, SLLD

Washington, D.C. 20401

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