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
 

. STATUS OF PROGRESS TOWARD FDLP STUDY GOALS
 
        In the Study report, we said that by the end of FY 1998 (assuming
funding at or near the FY 1996 level), we would provide about 50 percent
of FDLP information electronically by:  pointing to agency services,
mounting files on GPO Access, distributing tangible electronic products,
scanning agency print products for mounting on GPO Access, ensuring that
all depositories are capable of providing the public with electronic
access, and achieving a product mix of 50 percent electronic, 30 percent
paper, and 20 percent microfiche.  To date, the status of progress toward
these goals is as follows:
 
        *       Pointing to products accessible via agency electronic
information services:  We are enabling users to locate and connect to
agency electronic services through our Pathway services.  Pathway "Browse
Titles" is the current awareness tool, and the Monthly Catalog on the Web
provides a complete description and subject access.  We will continue
developing these efforts through funding from the FDLP and the Cataloging
and Indexing Program. 
 
        *       Processing and mounting agency-provided electronic source
files on GPO Access:  We are currently exploring options to use the
electronic image files provided by the Department of Energy (DOE).  The
DOE reports account for about one-third of all the titles in the FDLP, and
the solution to this problem may give us access to other products never
before in the FDLP.
 
        *       Distributing tangible electronic products, e.g., CD-ROM:
Distribution of CD-ROM is expected to continue to increase, although some
agencies, such as the U.S. Geological Survey, are moving from producing
CD-ROM to on-demand CD-ROM publishing of customized products.  We are
exploring options to keep such information in the FDLP when there is no
production run to ride for copies, and the information is not available
via the Internet.
 
        *       Scanning agency print products for mounting on GPO Access
or disseminating in tangible format as text or image files:  Since
Congress agreed that the more deliberate 5-7 year transition was
appropriate, the speed of our transition is now closely aligned with what
the publishing agencies are doing.  We see the FDLP evolving, so as
agencies move to electronic publishing, the FDLP can incorporate those
products into the Program.  In addition, we have determined that, due to
the expense involved, scanning is generally only appropriate as a last
resort to obtain an electronic version of a product.  We are focusing our
efforts upon obtaining electronic source data files from the originating
agency, since most print products are now created electronically.
 
        *       Having all depository libraries capable of serving the
public with electronic Government information products:  Since the
beginning of FY 1997, all depositories have been expected to be able to
offer users the ability to access, search, view, download and, to some
extent, print information located on the Internet.  This may be done by
providing the user with direct access to a computer work station, or by
conducting mediated searches at the user's request.  However, there are
some libraries that still do not meet these minimum expectations.
 
        *       Achieving a depository product mix of about 50 percent
electronic, 30 percent paper, and 20 percent microfiche:  GPO Access is
the online information delivery vehicle for the FDLP.  In FY 1996,
depository libraries received about 1.7 million copies per month of
tangible products; e.g., paper or microfiche.  By way of comparison,
documents downloaded from GPO Access over the same period averaged 2.4
million per month.  Although these figures are not entirely comparable,
since many GPO Access users do not utilize it through depository
libraries, they indicate that we have begun to achieve our goal.