From lpsmail@access.digex.netMon Aug 12 19:43:21 1996 Date: Mon, 12 Aug 1996 16:19:15 -0700 From: Shipment Reply to: Discussion of Government Document Issues To: Multiple recipients of list GOVDOC-L Subject: ADNOTES: READERS EXCHANGE: NEW MEXICO TAKES A LEAP THE MESSAGE BELOW IS FROM ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES, VOL. 17, #11 (August 15, 1996) READERS EXCHANGE NEW MEXICO TAKES A LEAP by Dan Barkley, Government Information Librarian Clark McLean, Senior Library Information Specialist University of New Mexico Zimmerman Library Leaping into the Future with Government Information, a celebration held February 29, 1996, launched New Mexico further into the electronic millennium. The University of New Mexico Zimmerman Library hosted this auspicious event to inaugurate the Model Gateway to GPO Access and to expand its leadership as a Federal depository regional library, by providing New Mexico with access to Federal electronic information. Months of planning culminated with a festive ceremony and an interactive online demonstration of GPO Access. Guest speakers, staff aides representing New Mexico s Senators Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman, President Richard Peck of the University of New Mexico (UNM) and Art Melendres, President of the UNM Board of Regents, commended the Library on its leadership in the Rio Grande Technology Corridor, which includes the National Laboratories (i.e. - Sandia and Los Alamos) in the state. Each speaker presented commemorative plaques to Steve Rollins, Interim Dean of Library Services, and Dr. Susan Deese-Roberts, Director of Public Services, who accepted on behalf of the Government Information Department (GID), the unit responsible for conducting the regional library functions. The library community was well represented by distinguished guests from the other regional depository and selective depositories in the state. Representatives from state and tribal governments, businesses and the public also participated. The University s Public Affairs office photographed this memorable event. One of Albuquerque s major newspapers also gave the event coverage in an article that featured Dan Barkley, Monica Dorame, Barbara Gienger and Clark McLean, GID staff who assisted in the event s organization. The one hour event, held in the Library s beautiful WPA southwest designed wing which was recently remodeled to include Internet connections, took two months of planning and coordinating: budgets, invitations, guest lists, speakers schedules, equipment and publicity. Everyone in GID helped with preparations including making name tags with red, white and blue ribbons, writing invitations in calligraphy, recording RSVPs, and ordering flowers and red, white and blue balloons. More than five hundred invitations were sent and the response was very favorable. An interactive demonstration to showcase GPO Access was an important part of the ceremony. Preparations involved using three Pentium computers with Ethernet cards, a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) panel and an overhead projector for the brief demonstration. Two computers were placed at the back of the room for a hands-on experience for the invited guests. In the event circumstances prevented a live Internet connection, the online presentation was saved in advance on a floppy diskette. The demonstration highlighted searching in the Congressional Record for the proclamation announcing UNM s Gateway status, the Federal Register announcement to show the timeliness of GPO Access and two quick searches of other databases on topics of local interest such as Kirtland Air Force Base in GAO Reports and Indian Grave Protection regulations in the Federal Register. The hours spent in planning the celebration did not compare with the hours required for establishing GPO Access. The celebration brought together leaders from the UNM Health Science Center Library, UNM Law Library and the campus computing center who aided in the successful implementation of GPO Access. Planning discussions focused on two ways to ensure equitable connections to GPO Access: a text-based approach based upon UNM s established gopher and a Web interface with software developed at Purdue University. Gopher access would provide broad public access to anyone with a computer, modem and communication software whether or not associated with the University of New Mexico. The Web access, with its graphical interface, would be available on campus or to the public with a private Internet provider. Model Gateway status was as an important recognition of UNM s leadership role in the state as a Federal electronic information coordinator. The partnerships formed and nurtured with this project have served to expand access to Government Information to all constituents. In addition, Dan Barkley and Clark McLean, who coordinated the grand opening with the able help of GID staff, have found the depository s promotional outreach has been strengthened. As the Government Printing Office continues to encourage depositories to become Model Gateways, UNM s experience will encourage other libraries to take a leap forward in providing expanded access to government information. University of New Mexico Zimmerman Library Regional Depository # 0383 Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131-1466 E-mail: govref@unm.edu World Wide Web: http://www.unm.edu/~cmclean/govinfo.html Phone: (505) 277-5441 Fax: (505) 277-6019