From lpsmail@access.digex.netTue Jun 11 11:40:53 1996 Date: Tue, 11 Jun 1996 09:56:19 -0400 From: Shipment Reply to: Discussion of Government Document Issues To: Multiple recipients of list GOVDOC-L Subject: ADNOTES: SPRING 1996 COUNCIL RECOMMENDATIONS THE MESSAGE BELOW IS FROM ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES, VOL. 17, #08 (June 15, 1996) RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE SPRING 1996 MEETING OF THE DEPOSITORY LIBRARY COUNCIL TO THE PUBLIC PRINTER GPO STUDY ISSUES 1. Council commends the Government Printing Office for completing the Congressionally directed Study to Identify Measures for a Successful Transition to a More Electronic Federal Depository Library Program, for including representatives from the library community on the Study Executive Working Group and Advisory Group, and for carefully considering the input of depository libraries throughout the study process. 2. Council supports the "Principles for Federal Government Information" and the "Missions and Goals for the FDLP," as stated in the draft Report to Congress, and Council recommends the adoption of these statements for the FDLP. 3. Council commends GPO for adopting a five-year time frame for the initial transition to a more electronic FDLP, and recommends that GPO continue to work with the library community, federal agencies, and other appropriate parties, to assess the capabilities of program partners, and their progress towards implementing and expanding access to electronic government information. 4. Council recommends that the Public Printer seek common ground with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on federal policy that would achieve an appropriate degree of government-wide coherence in public information as has traditionally been accomplished through centralized cataloging. RATIONALE:: Given the huge volume and diversity of information produced and/or disseminated by the federal government, descriptive cataloging which continues to allow libraries and other information providers to incorporate electronic resources into existing location mechanisms is of fundamental importance for public access. This is an even greater imperative as more information moves toward intangible electronic products. Yet, it does not seem that the OMB legislative proposal specifically addresses how the cataloging function would be achieved without GPO in the publishing loop. Council is hopeful that a constructive discussion with OMB on this specific topic of cataloging would provide important insights on all sides of the issue. 5. Council commends GPO for its aggressive and creative proposals for expanding access to government information and providing access to previously fugitive government information. 6. Council supports the Technical Implementation Analysis outlined in the draft Report to Congress and urges GPO to continue to pursue the means for conducting this analysis. RATIONALE: Council remains concerned that the transition to a more electronic Federal Depository Library Program continues to proceed without fundamental data necessary to determine the most cost-effective and feasible alternatives for providing access to electronic government information to the public through the FDLP. Data is needed for analysis: from publishers in all three branches of government to determine their expected current and long-term electronic publishing plans; and from depository libraries to determine their present and near-term technological capabilities, including equipment, skills of staff, and electronic technologies best suited to meet user needs. Data is also needed to address issues raised in the Technical Implementation Assistance (Appendix A) section of the draft Report to Congress. REVISION OF U.S.C. TITLE 44 1. Council supports in concept the definitions of government information, government information product, and government electronic information services as articulated in the draft Report to Congress. Council recommends that GPO continue to work with Congress and the library community to identify and recommend legislative changes necessary for a successful transition to a more electronic FDLP. RATIONALE: The definitions make useful distinctions which should be incorporated in revisions to Title 44 of the United States Code. They are not technology-specific and will permit the statutory definitions to continue to provide direction even as technological changes occur in information formats. GPO has the experience, broad perspective, and involvement with the user community that are essential for productive revision of Title 44 to ensure effective access to government information. 2. Council affirms the role of the Superintendent of Documents in the government-wide coordination of public access to government information, including the preservation, retention, and long-term access of government information, as articulated in the draft Report to the Congress. RATIONALE: Historically, GPO has provided the central coordinating authority for distribution of print products and has recently moved into a new role as a provider of online information services. The Superintendent of Documents (SOD) has a proven history of strong and effective involvement with its user community. The SOD has provided bibliographic access and a mechanism for long-term access to federal government information for more than one-hundred years. No other federal agency has the experience and commitment to broad public access that the SOD can provide. Throughout this period of rapid transition and changing technologies, the guidance and assistance of the Superintendent of Documents is critical in order to meet the challenge of maintaining public access to government information. APPROPRIATE FORMATS 1. Council commends GPO for a timely test of the accuracy, feasibility, and cost implications of scanning paper publications for electronic dissemination to depositories. The depository library community is concerned about GPO's conclusion that graphic-intensive publications of less that thirty pages in length are candidates for electronic conversion. Council notes that these publications are often intended for public dissemination for informational purposes by the agency. These titles may not be suitable for their intended audience in electronic format and may present printing problems for depository libraries and users. 2. Council reaffirms the principle that paper is a viable format for disseminating government information. When choosing publications for scanning, Council reminds GPO that a basic assumption stated in the Strategic Plan is that paper and microfiche will continue to be distributed when appropriate for user needs. RATIONALE: Council remains concerned that, while GPO and the other participants of the Study process have formally recognized the importance of paper as an appropriate format, the short term economic benefit of electronic conversion will overshadow this principle. Council, as an advisory body to the Public Printer, wishes to keep the issue of appropriate information media squarely before GPO, and recommends that this principle be reinforced during any deliberations and plans regarding dissemination formats. BIBLIOGRAPHIC ACCESS ISSUES 1. Council applauds the efforts of the Electronic Transition Team and the Cataloging Branch to develop diverse and creative approaches toward providing bibliographic access to government information in electronic formats. However, Council recommends that GPO provide a mechanism that will search these multiple directories simultaneously. Alternatively, Council suggests merging the files of the Pathway List of Titles and the Bibliographic Records Project so that those items residing at GPO sites will be searched along with those items residing at other federal government agency sites. RATIONALE: Council sees significant advantages in providing for such simultaneous searching capabilities. As the amount of government information on the Internet increases, it will be increasingly difficult to track or separate, for searching purposes, information residing at GPO sites and government information residing elsewhere. There are potential advantages for GPO in this approach as well. Since the Pathway List of Titles and the Bibliographic Records Project both provide title-level access to electronic government information products, the efforts directed toward the two projects could be consolidated to create one unified title index. 2. Council recommends that GPO develop and incorporate, within its suite of Pathway Government Electronic Products, records that communicate "continues" and "continued by" notes, as well as previous format statements. Council further recommends that depository libraries be notified when print/microfiche titles are replaced by electronic, Internet-accessible titles. RATIONALE: In this very dynamic environment of electronic government information, it is essential that records contain sufficient information for depository librarians to provide accurate and efficient service. This includes, but is not limited to, being able to tell a patron that prior to this date this title was distributed to depository libraries in paper/fiche or after this date this title was made available via the Internet at this URL (universal resource locator). Communication of this information is also necessary so that similar notations may be made in local shelflists and/or OPAC (online public access catalog) entries. 3. Council supports the Library Programs Service (LPS) proposal that a Superintendent of Documents (SuDocs) classification stem and an accession number be assigned to each government information product accessible via GPO Access to partially serve as a unique locator. RATIONALE: Provision of a classification number with a SuDocs stem represents a transitional middle ground which will assist depository librarians to relate Internet sources to previously printed information and help to identify the provenance of electronic publications. It is anticipated that in the future this program may be superseded by other programs, such as the Persistent Uniform Resource Locator (PURL) that is under development internationally. RETENTION, PRESERVATION, AND LONG-TERM ACCESS ISSUES 1. Council affirms that the federal government has the responsibility to ensure that government information is preserved. All government information made available to the public through GPO Access, as well as information at federal agency sites to which the public is directed by GPO Pathways, should be considered federal depository information and should be preserved in perpetuity unless determined otherwise by the Superintendent of Documents. RATIONALE: In the increasingly decentralized electronic environment within the federal government, it has become increasingly difficult to ensure that all government information is identified and becomes a candidate for retention, access, and preservation. Consequently, a centralized coordinating authority such as the Superintendent of Documents is more necessary than ever. In the absence of a central authority that identifies government information worthy of retention, much valuable information may be lost forever. 2. Council recommends that the Public Printer coordinate with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to develop plans for preserving material and to determine the categories of material that NARA will maintain. RATIONALE: NARA's current practices and policies probably would not ensure that all important public information in electronic formats would be preserved for posterity. For instance, NARA does not currently retain electronic information for which there is no source documentation. Further, NARA converts information to the lowest common source format, such as ASCII, and does not retain distinct software interfaces for databases. Council recommends that GPO, in discussion with NARA, adopt the principle that information retired to NARA will, insofar as possible, be as accessible as before it was retired; in other word, the information should be complete, searchable, and available when it is needed by the user. For electronic information that NARA will not be maintaining, or for information to which NARA cannot ensure adequate access, GPO and the depository library community should look for other partners willing to maintain access to the information. 3. In providing guidance on partnerships between libraries and other non-governmental entities (as recommended by Council in Fall 1995), GPO should stress the importance of providing for long-term access and identifying responsibilities for archiving data. RATIONALE: Council recognizes the number of partnerships being formed between depository libraries and federal agencies for accessing electronic information. Council views these arrangements as a positive trend in the transition to an electronic depository library system. Increasing the number of sites housing electronic government information can help ensure long-term access. However, Council believes LPS should develop model agreements which libraries can use in negotiating with federal agencies. The model agreements will help ensure that libraries and agencies consider minimum standards for technical and service issues including archiving data for long-term access. In addition, model agreements will allow LPS to serve as a central source for information on electronic partnerships for federal government information. TRAINING AND COMMUNICATIONS ISSUES 1. Council recommends that GPO offer a training component at the Fall Depository Library Council Meeting in Salt Lake City. Council offers its assistance with planning and, as appropriate, providing some of the training. RATIONALE: Training continues to be eagerly sought by government information specialists. The success of the recent Spring Conference is ample testimony to this fact. In its Strategic Plan FY 1996 - FY 2001, GPO identified training as one of several support services it should provide to libraries and librarians (p. 11). Council recognizes that the training sessions at the Fall meeting probably cannot be as elaborate as those provided at the Spring Conference, however, with the addition of an extra half day to the schedule to accommodate Council's need for daytime work sessions, extra time could also be devoted to training. Council believes that with creative planning the costs of providing training sessions could be minimized. Providing such opportunities for professional growth would also enhance GPO's image within the depository library community. 2. Council encourages the GPO staff involved in writing documentation for electronic products to work with gateway libraries and other interested librarians (i.e. technical support personnel) to create user-friendly documentation. Council is pleased to offer its assistance in the organization of such a group which would develop a mechanism for facilitating coordination and communication between those individuals involved with writing user-friendly documentation and others who would advise them. RATIONALE: Council is mindful of the dedication and effort that the GPO staff exert in the writing of documentation for electronic information products. We believe that with greater involvement from the user community, the task would be less burdensome for GPO and provide an increased amount of user- friendly documentation. 3. Council recommends that GPO establish an official mechanism that enables them to communicate electronically with depository libraries. RATIONALE: This "official" communications channel should have the capability to enable GPO to disseminate official, system-wide communications as well as receive information from the depository libraries. Types of communication activity should include (but not be limited to) conducting surveys in a timely manner, posting Administrative Notes and other information tools, initiating claims, disseminating news releases and announcements, etc. This mechanism is not intended to be used as a discussion forum. GPO OPERATIONAL AND TECHNICAL ISSUES 1. Council recommends that GPO set as a high priority supplying GPO cataloging personnel with adequate computer equipment, Internet accessibility, and appropriate software so that they can carry out their responsibilities. RATIONALE: As the central coordinating authority for bibliographic access to electronic federal government information, it is imperative that GPO staff have the necessary technical infrastructure, equipment, and support in place in order to identify, catalog, and monitor government Internet sources and provide necessary bibliographic access to these sources for libraries and users. 2. Council recommends that GPO take full advantage of its world wide web site to provide the broadest access to information about the Federal Depository Library Program and databases and resources such as the Publications Reference File (PRF). 3. Council recommends that GPO invest in Universal Resource Locator (URL) verification software. RATIONALE: The present world wide web URL technology is not designed to have any reliable amount of persistence. Consequently, a significant portion of the information referenced with URLs becomes lost on a weekly basis. The URL verification software cannot fix broken URLs, but it can at least demonstrate which URLs seem to have become obsolete at the time the URL verification was attempted. These URLs might then be considered for elimination or re-location to the new URL. DLC ACTION ITEMS 1. Council will submit a written response with comments to GPO regarding the draft Report to Congress within the 60 day comment period. Copies of these comments will be forwarded to the appropriate Congressional committees. 2. Council will conduct an orientation session at the Fall 1996 DLC meeting in Salt Lake City to introduce new documents librarians and first-time attendees to the mission, organization, meetings, and work of the DLC. 3. Prior to the Fall 1996 Council meeting, Council should examine the issue of service expectations for depository information in online electronic formats. The lack of selectivity for online formats and its relationship to collection development should also be considered, as well as the relative responsibilities of regional and selective depositories for depository information in online electronic formats. 4. Statistical Measurement Committee Members: Anne Watts, Chair Cindy Etkin Lynn Walshak Charge: Support the efforts of GPO in gathering, analyzing, and disseminating statistical information in support of the Federal Depository Library Program. A progress report of actions of the Committee will be provided at the Fall 1996 meeting of the Depository Library Council. Tasks: a. To develop a statistical survey that can be used annually; b. To create a glossary of terms to ensure consistent data collection among all depository libraries; c. To explore or identify existing statistical studies that would be useful for these efforts (i.e. cost benefit, input-output measures); d. To provide guidance in identifying a valid random sampling from among depository libraries and other measures of data collection. 5. Council will develop guidelines for the new DLC web site and will develop mechanisms for adding/updating information on the web site. COMMENDATIONS 1. The Depository Library Council commends Wayne Kelley, Chair of the Study; Judy Russell, Chair of the Working Group; Jay Young, and Gil Baldwin for their leadership and hard work in the production of the "Report to the Congress: Study to Identify Measures Necessary for a Successful Transition to a More Electronic Depository Library Program." 2. The Depository Library Council commends Julia Wallace, of the University of Minnesota, for representing the depository library community on the GPO Study Work Group. 3. The Depository Library Council commends Maggie Parhamovich Farrell and Raeann Dossett for assisting in the development of GPO Pathway services. 4. The Depository Library Council commends Kathryn McConnell of GPO Creative Services for her graphic design and assistance on Council's project, "Fulfilling Madison's Vision." 5. The Depository Library Council commends Sheila McGarr and GPO staff for their extraordinary planning and organization of a very, very successful 1996 Depository Library Conference. 6. The Depository Library Council commends GPO for providing and distributing diskettes of the American Library Association Government Documents Round Table Handout Exchange at the 1996 Federal Depository Library Conference. 7. The Depository Library Council wishes to thank the Public Printer, Michael F. DiMario, for extending Council sessions by an extra day to allow time for Council input, deliberations, and development of recommendations. Daniel P. O'Mahony Government Documents Coordinator Brown University Library - Box A Providence, RI 02912 Phone: 401-863-2522 Fax: 401-863-1272 ap201159@brownvm.brown.edu GovDocs@Brown.Edu