In 2004, the Superintendent of Documents convened the Ad Hoc Committee to Define Criteria for Disposal Prior to a 5 Year Retention. The Committee's charge was to develop guidelines that would support implementation of a proposed amendments to the 44 USC 1911 and 1912. If Congress enacted the legislative change, it would remove the mandate for selective depository libraries to retain all tangible depository items for a minimum of 5 years. The Committee prepared the guidelines in the event of the amendment's passage, to define criteria for the disposition of materials prior to the 5-year requirement.

Although the amendments did not pass, the Superintendent of Documents is using the recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee in a review of changes she could make within the current statutory limitations.

The following are documents that were released by the Ad Hoc Committee:

• Ad Hoc Committee Charge
• Letter of Transmittal
• Final Report
• Letter from the Superintendent of Documents to the Ad Hoc Committee

In FY2009, the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) developed and implemented a formal Customer Relations Program (CRP) for Federal depository libraries.

The CRP allows GPO to better serve depository library needs based upon unique characteristics (e.g., library segment) and data analysis. It also allows GPO to monitor and document its business operations to ensure the agency is supplying good customer care, responding to mission requirements, and requesting performance feedback from depository libraries.

Developing such a program is consistent with GPO’s and the FDLP’s strategic planning for the future. The program will also help GPO's aims to strengthen collaborative relationships with depository libraries.

The goals of the CRP are:

• Identify needed improvements in services for and communication with Federal depository libraries, address identified needs, and use quantitative metrics for success measures.
• Identify, report, and address needed improvements in business processes that support services provided to Federal depository libraries.

Actions Taken

GPO contracted with Outsell, Inc. to develop and administer data gathering for these activities:

• Segmentation Survey (May/June 2009)

  To develop an understanding of the number and characteristics of various types of libraries that make up the Federal Depository Library Program and to map these libraries to specified library types.

  • FDLP Libraries Segmentation Analysis
  • FDLP Segmentation Mapping Raw File
  • FDLP Segmentation Mapping Definitions
• Needs Assessment Survey (October 2009 - February 2010)

  To learn “how well we are doing” with the services GPO provides to depositories and to determine “what we need to do next”, from the perspective of depository library staff, in order to better support depository library needs. GPO incorporated the needs assessment into an abbreviated 2009 Biennial Survey.

  •  Full Report
  •  Report with Aggregate Overview
  • Reports by Library Segment: Academic | Public | Federal | State
  • Individual Responses Raw File
  • Question Value Map (can be used to decipher library responses contained in the individual responses raw file)
  • Comments Raw File

• Depository Library User Survey (October 18, 2010 – March 4, 2011)

  In its efforts to address the value of FDLP membership and to determine baseline outcomes-based performance measures, GPO, working with Outsell, Inc. and the Depository Library Council, developed a survey for depository library users. The survey garnered over 3,300 responses from users of nearly 550 depository libraries, yielding a 95% confidence level ±1.7%. Submissions were well distributed both geographically and across different library types. The final report conveys the overall survey results and compares results by library segment and by selective and regional designations:

  • FDLP Users Speak: The Value and Performance of Libraries Participating in the FDLP (July 28, 2011)

  Outsell generated Individual library reports conveying the results of the depository library user survey. The reports contain charts that compare the library’s results with the aggregated results for its state or territory, library sector, and for all libraries. Any comments made by users are included. Though not all depository libraries had users who participated in the survey, all libraries have a report available to them. If your library had no respondents, the report conveys aggregated results for your state or territory and for all libraries.

  • For more information and downloading instructions, see "Library Reports for Depository User Survey Available".

  The survey instrument was available in the askGPO Knowledge Base.

In its mission to provide comprehensive and permanent access to all formats of U.S. Government publications, the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) contracted with the Center for Research Libraries (CRL) to develop a decision framework and baseline requirements for a tangible documents repository. In 2004, the CRL prepared two documents for GPO to use in future preservation planning: Federal Document Repositories: Decision Framework for Tangible Repository Type and Baseline Requirements for Digital Reformatting and Delivery of Legacy Federal Documents Collection.

Baseline Requirements for Digital Reformatting and Delivery of Legacy Federal Documents Collection is a reference document in which CRL recommends that GPO set minimum requirements for digital reformatting and delivery for print and microfilm legacy materials.

CRL designed the Decision Framework for Tangible Repository Type to frame the specifications for a system of regional repositories for tangible Federal documents. Draft versions (including remarks) of the Decision Framework are available for archival purposes in the File Repository.

When CD-ROMs became popular in the early 1990s, GPO used CD-ROMS quite often to distribute Federal information to depository libraries. Later in the 1990s, the Web became the global medium for content dissemination and GPO stopped distributing CD-ROMS.

In April 2011, the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) staff began a review of CD-ROMs distributed on behalf of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). GPO's goal was to determine if equivalent versions exist on Web sites. GPO staff members asked depository librarians to volunteer help with the review, and GPO used the FDLP Community site to collaborate with the volunteers. Librarians compared content from CD-ROMs in their collection to potentially equivalent material on Federal government web sites and/or official partners’ sites. GPO's role was to provide a quality check of the comparison data and provide feedback to project volunteers.

To assist in this review, GPO posted master lists of CD-ROMs to the FDLP Community site’s forum. The master lists contained some duplicate records found in both the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications and DDM2. Here are the most recent versions of the archived master lists.

• [bulleted list of master lists here]

GPO suspended the review effort in April 2012 due to staffing changes.

The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) regularly evaluates the needs of libraries in the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) and develops solutions to improve services. As part of funding received in March 2009 from H.R. 1105, the Omnibus Appropriations Act of FY 2009 (P. L. 111-8), a portion was allocated to support GPO’s Cataloging and Indexing (C&I) program and an initiative to distribute cataloging records to depository libraries.

In October 2009, GPO announced the launch of a one-year pilot project to address the need for the distribution of cataloging records produced by GPO to libraries in the FDLP. The pilot project would test the MARC21 record distribution process and determine compatibility between catalog records and FDLP workflows. GPO contracted with MARCIVE, Inc. using MARCIVE’s existing MARC record distribution infrastructure to deliver cataloging records from GPO’s Integrated Library System (ILS) to 48 participating depository libraries.

Goals

• Implement a documented and well-supported solution that interfaces with GPO's systems (legacy and new) to ensure the automatic dissemination of cataloging records to FDLP libraries.
• Deliver cataloging records that satisfy FDLP customer needs.
• Gain feedback from the FDLP community on the success of the project.
• Provide an automated communication mechanism to alert users of distributions.
• Continue to develop an automated delivery solution that is viable and realistic.
• Establish and fully document a process to sustain the workflow in conjunction with GPO's operations.

Accomplishments

• The pilot phase of the project ran for one year, from October 1, 2009 through September 30, 2010.
• GPO cataloging data provided in the delivered catalog records consisted of MARC records for books, serials, maps, audiovisual materials, computer files, streaming videos, etc. cataloged by GPO in the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP).
• Individual pilot profiles allowed participating libraries to tailor the delivery of their distributed records across new records, updated records, and brief records (e.g. from GPO’s Historic Shelf List project) in addition to other custom options.
• During the course of the pilot, GPO evaluated the delivery mechanism, surveyed the participating libraries, and modified processes based on lessons learned during the trial phase.
• GPO staff were able to compile, retrieve, and deliver specific monthly catalog record sets from the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) to MARCIVE for dissemination to library participants without significant addition to their workload.
• A survey of the 48 participating libraries was conducted in June 2010 indicating an overwhelming satisfaction with the cataloging record distribution process. Libraries agreed that the range of services offered met library needs. Suggestions for improvements included a capability for specifying which records not to receive and tweaking of delivery-related technical issues. MARCIVE and GPO efforts to communicate and provide assistance were commended.
• Overall, participating libraries found the service beneficial and were able to use cataloging records delivered during the pilot to populate their online catalogs and create greater access to government documents.
• Based on library participant feedback from surveys, emails, and online forums, in addition to on-going evaluations by the GPO project team, it was determined that the MARCIVE record distribution project was a success.

Lessons Learned

• Timely delivery of records, cost efficiency, clear instructions, and communication of available resources remain a significant priority for participating libraries.
• This type of service improves access for patrons to government information and improves the internal workflows within depository libraries.
• Technical challenges can occur during the process but are easily addressed through communication between MARCIVE, GPO, and the participating libraries.
• GPO may explore other innovative options for cataloging records as the program evolves and participation increases.

Next Steps

A third year implementation will run from October 2012-September 2013. Participation in the program is being expanded to a total of 80 libraries.

Special Thanks to Participating Libraries!

San Francisco State University, J. Paul Leonard LibraryBuffalo and Erie County Public Library

City of Inglewood, Inglewood Public LibraryDepartment of Cultural Resources, State Library of North Carolina

Stetson University College of Law LibraryUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Walter Davis Library

Lake-Sumter Community College LibraryState Library of Ohio, Government Information Services

Nova Southeastern University, Law Library and Technology CenterUniversity of Dayton, Roesch Library

University of Georgia, School of Law LibraryOberlin College Library

University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Government Documents LibraryYoungstown State University, William F. Maag Library

Olivet Nazarene University, Benner Library and Resource CenterLangston University, G. Lamar Harrison Library

Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, Lovejoy Memorial LibraryTulsa City-County Library

Indiana State LibraryLawton Public Library

Indiana Supreme Court, Law LibraryScranton Public Library, Albright Memorial Building

Davenport Public LibraryWinthrop University, Dacus Library

Loras College LibraryTennessee State Library and Archives

Baker University, Collins LibraryTennessee Technological University,
Angelo and Jennette Volpe Library and Media Ctr.

University of Kentucky, William T. Young LibraryLambuth University,
Luther L. Gobbel Library

Troy University LibraryPublic Library of Nashville and Davidson County, Nashville Public Library

Michigan Department of Education, Library of MichiganMemphis Public Library and Information Center

Delta College LibraryTexarkana College, Palmer Memorial Library

Schoolcraft College, Eric J. Bradner LibraryLamar University, Mary and John Gray Library

Oakland University, Kresge LibrarySaint Mary's University, Sarita Kenedy East Law Library

Fort Peck Community College, Fort Peck Tribal LibraryEl Paso Public Library, Main Library

University of Virginia's College at Wise, John Cook Wyllie Library

Administrative Notes Technical Supplement (ANTS) served for nearly 30 years, from 1980 to 2008, to inform the depository library community of technical changes. GPO distributed the bi-monthly paper issues to all libraries in regular depository shipments.

Depository libraries used ANTS to get information about libraries entering and leaving the FDLP; classification, item number and cataloging changes; and updates to the List of Classes. Library staff members frequently checked publications to identify issues that might affect their collection and materials, and made changes to the publications and associated catalog records as appropriate using the information from ANTS.

Currently, librarians make updates directly in the Web-based system called WEBTech Notes as needed. ANTS was not as current as the real-time updates that the Web makes possible. For that reason, the U.S. Government Printing Office ceased publication of ANTS with the final print version issued, which was Volume 15, No. 11-12, November (64 KB)

View back issues of ANTS View the cumulative table of contents of ANTS