ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES Newsletter of the Federal Depository Library Program Vol. 18, no. 04 GP 3.16/3-2:18/04 February 28, 1997 MICHAEL F. DIMARIO PUBLIC PRINTER PREPARED STATEMENT BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ON APPROPRIATIONS ESTIMATES FOR FISCAL YEAR 1998 February 11, 1997 FEDERAL DEPOSITORY LIBRARY PROGRAM Under chapter 19 of Title 44, GPO disseminates Federal publications to approximately 1,400 public, academic, law, and Federal agency libraries around the Nation designated as depositories. There is one depository library in nearly every congressional district. Principles From its beginning, the FDLP has been built on several underlying principles: * A well-informed citizenry, cognizant of the policies and activities of its representative Government, is essential to the proper functioning of democracy. * The public has a right to Government information which has been prepared and published at public expense. * The Government has an obligation to ensure the availability of, and access to, public information at no cost to the user. * The publications provided through the FDLP are a permanent and official source of Government information. * The public, participating libraries, and the Government all benefit from the efficiencies afforded by a centralized distribution system, such as the FDLP, which ensures the wide availability of Government publications at no charge to the user. Statutory Requirements Libraries are designated as depositories for Government publications by Senators and Representatives as well as by law. Under the law, we send the libraries copies of all Government publications processed through GPO that are not purely of an administrative nature, cooperatively sponsored, or classified for reasons of national security. These copies are paid for by the Salaries and Expenses Appropriation. If Federal agencies themselves produce publications that belong in the FDLP, they are required by law to pay for the production and distribution of those copies sent to the depositories. In return for receiving Government information products at no cost, the libraries must make them available to the public without charge and provide appropriate assistance to users. The majority of the depository libraries are selective depositories which tailor their Government publications acquisitions to local needs, choosing from among 7,000 organizational and series categories. Fifty-three libraries, or roughly one per State (depending on size and resources, some States have no regionals while others have more than one), are regional depositories that receive every publication distributed by the FDLP. They are required to retain indefinitely every Government publication they receive. These libraries also provide inter-library loan and related services to other depositories in their regions. The FDLP is not a library program; e.g., it does not function like the Library of Congress, although one component, the Cataloging and Indexing Program, carries out a library-related function pursuant to law. The majority of the FDLP, however, is dedicated to the dissemination of publications and information products to the public through depository libraries. The FDLP's mission is fundamentally to make sure that the mandate of the law to provide the public with comprehensive, equitable access to Government information is carried out in partnership with depository libraries. Users In the 1995 Biennial Survey of Depository Libraries, we collected updated estimates on the number of users from virtually every depository library. The responses yielded an estimate that 750,000 to 950,000 persons use FDLP information each month. We designed the Biennial Survey question with the idea of getting data on more than just the face-to-face transactions which occur in the library, so the survey was intended to cover electronic transactions such as e-mail reference inquiries. By way of comparison, a 1989 McClure and Hernon study estimated a minimum of 670,000 depository users per month in academic and public libraries. Workload In FY 1996, nearly 16.1 million copies of 56,000 titles were distributed to depository libraries in paper and microfiche. In addition, we distributed 639 titles in tangible electronic formats, mostly CD-ROM. As noted earlier, more than 70 databases are available to depository users via GPO Access. Our locator services point to an additional 971 agency titles, and there are 1,148 Monthly Catalog records hot-linked to agency Internet sites. Library Participation There are now 1,371 depository libraries, including the 53 regionals. Of these, 55 percent are academic libraries, making the FDLP a major component of the Nation's education and research programs. Another 20 percent are public libraries, 11 percent are law school libraries, 6 percent are State libraries, 5 percent are Federal agency libraries, and the remaining 3 percent are special libraries. The number of libraries is declining, down 34 libraries, or 2.4 percent, from a high of 1,405 depositories in January 1993. Most of the libraries leaving the system are small collections which only selected a limited number of titles. Since 1991, GPO has issued "Recommended Minimum Technical Guidelines" to depository libraries for new computer purchases. In May 1996 these guidelines became "Recommended Minimum Specifications for Public Access Work Stations in Federal Depository Libraries." All Federal depositories are now expected to offer public users access to computer work stations with a graphical user interface, CD-ROM capability, Internet connections, and the ability to access Government information via the World Wide Web. However, based on the 1995 Biennial Survey of Depository Libraries, some libraries lack the resources to acquire the requisite computer or telecommunications resources to adequately serve the public. In 1995, nearly 25 percent of the depository libraries lacked Internet access for public patrons. Although most depository libraries are acquiring the requisite computers and skills, there are still some depositories which cannot fully handle all electronic Government information offerings.