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Library Programs Service Update
ALA Midwinter, January 2003

Integrated Library System

LPS will acquire an Integrated Library System (ILS) in 2003. An ILS will enable us to improve services to depository libraries and make more Government publications accessible to the public. In the FY2002 appropriation, GPO received overall approval from Congress to acquire an ILS, and we have earmarked funds for system acquisition and implementation. Two other important milestones occurred last fiscal year:

• LPS obtained spending approval from the Joint Committee on Printing for the ILS. (April 2002)
• GPO contracted with a library automation consulting firm, RMG Consultants, Inc., of Chicago, IL, to help LPS analyze functional requirements, review available systems for "fit" with those requirements, and identify the best solution. (Sept. 2002)

RMG’s principal, Rob McGee, is working intensively with LPS to refine our needs, define appropriate systems architecture, and to ensure that whatever we purchase is consistent with GPO’s network security requirements and preferred network architecture. The evaluation process is structured, fair to the vendors, yet flexible enough to include diverse GPO requirements.

RMG issued a Request for Information (RFI) on GPO’s behalf to five systems vendors. Responses from three well-known ILS vendors were received in December. Our evaluation process will culminate in vendors’ presentations at GPO in February. LPS intends to identify the system that best meets our needs in March, and then proceed to the procurement stage.

It is our goal to have the ILS up and running in the first quarter of FY2004. The ILS implementation and system installation is planned to take place in phases. Phase 1 features the replacement of the bibliographic and authority control functions currently supported by OCLC, the replacement of the online Catalog of U.S. Government Publications with an Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) and automated serials control.

The spring Depository Library Council Meeting will be held April 6-9, 2003, in Reno, Nevada. The meeting will be held at the Peppermill Hotel Casino, 2707 South Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89502.

This meeting will begin a discussion of the future of the FDLP, looking toward the time when nearly all of the Government information is available online. Depository librarians are invited to attend the Council sessions or any of the concurrent programs that provide updates on Federal agency information products, ideas on management and promotion of depository libraries, etc.

The preliminary Spring Council agenda appears in the January 2003 issue of Administrative Notes <http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pubs/adnotes/ad11503.html>.

In order to publicly recognize the value of depository libraries in serving the American public, the Government Printing Office is inaugurating a "Depository Library of the Year" award. The first "Depository Library of the Year" will be honored at the Federal Depository Library Conference in October 2003. A complete description of the nomination, evaluation, and award process will be published soon in Administrative Notes. This will be an annual award to recognize excellence in the depository library community.

LPS has implemented a Claims Copies Exhausted page to its Web claiming application to make the claiming process easier and more efficient. Updated periodically, the Claims Copies Exhausted Web page contains a list of publications that are no longer available due to exhausted stock. The new claim process applies to materials distributed on GPO-produced shipping lists (paper, separates, electronic, and those few microfiche shipping lists issued from GPO). The direct link is <http://ww1.access.gpo.gov/gpoaccess/fdlp/tools/webclaim_ex.html>.

Two new tangible electronic formats have been brought into the FDLP: the audio e-book and the mini CD-ROM. No additional equipment, beyond what is specified in the 2002 Minimum Technical Requirements for Public Access Workstations in Federal Depository Libraries <http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/computers/mtr.html>, is necessary to provide access to these documents.

"Extending Digital Dividends: Public Goods and Services that Work for All" (GS 1.2:D 56, item no. 0556-C) was distributed on shipping list 2003-12-P dated October 11, 2002. An audio e-book version of the document is on the CD located inside the back cover. When the CD is put into the CD/DVD drive, installation of LpPlayer, the e-book reader, is automatically initiated. The e-book is read from the CD and does not have to be installed on the hard drive.

"Mapping Census 2000: The Geography of U.S. Diversity" (C 3.2:M 32/2002/CD, item no. 0146) was distributed on shipping list 2003-0001-E, dated October 22, 2002. This mini CD-ROM is an electronic version of the paper document of the same name (C 3.2:M 32, item no. 0146), which was distributed on shipping list 2001-0311-P, dated September 20, 2001. A special drive is not necessary to read this product. The CD fits into the deeper well in the center of the CD/DVD drive. When inserted in the drive, a menu appears with options to read more about the CD, explore the CD, or launch the viewer. To make maximum use of this mini CD, it should be used on a workstation with Internet access, as it provides links to Census Bureau Web pages for additional data.

As of January 1, 2003, LPS announcements are being posted exclusively to the GPO-FDLP-L listserv, the FDLP official announcement channel. Every depository should have at least one subscriber. GPO-FDLP-L is used only for time-sensitive news, i.e., reminders of approaching deadlines for item selection updates, electronic availability of publications such as Administrative Notes and the List of Classes, and notices on operational matters, such as claims. The list is not interactive; all questions should still be sent to askLPS via email at <asklps@gpo.gov>.

To join GPO-FDLP-L, go to <http://listserv.access.gpo.gov/>. Click on <Online Mailing List Archives>. Click on <GPO-FDLP-L>. Click on <Join or leave the list> and follow the instructions.

GPO is awarding CEU (Continuing Education Units) for LPS-sponsored programs. CEU certificates are available for those who attend the Interagency Seminar, Federal Depository Library Conference, and Depository Library Council meetings.

Awarding CEU for these LPS programs is consistent with the guidelines established by IACET (International Association for Continuing Education and Training). Though GPO has not sought IACET certification, its programs meet IACET’s conditions for awarding CEU: "quality training and instruction by responsible, qualified organizations." One CEU is awarded for 10 hours of instruction.

The 16th Annual Interagency Depository Seminar will be held in Washington, DC from May 27 through June 4, 2003. The weeklong seminar will consist of an overview of various agencies' information products and activities as they relate to Federal depository libraries. The seminar is being presented by many Federal agencies, including:

• Bureau of the Census
• Patent and Trademark Office
• Copyright Office
• Government Printing Office
• Library of Congress
• Office of the Federal Register
• and more to be announced

Seminar presentations focus on the content of and access to agency products and services, interspersed with tours and question and answer sessions. Attendance is limited to 60, so registration preference will be given to those outside the Washington, DC area and to those who have not previously attended the seminar. Registration information may be found in the October 15, 2002 issue of Administrative Notes <http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pubs/adnotes/ad101502.html>.