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Superintendent of Documents Invites Depository Library Directors to ALA-GODORT Lunch Meeting

June 7, 2004

Dear Depository Library Director:

I would like to invite you, as a director of a Federal Depository Library, to join me for a special meeting of depository library directors at the annual conference of the American Library Association in Orlando, Florida, later this month. ALA’s Government Documents Roundtable has kindly allotted time for a discussion of the future of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) on Sunday, June 27, from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., at the Renaissance Orlando Resort, in Ballroom C. (The room will be open at 11:30 a.m. and the meeting will convene at 12 noon, so please bring a brown bag lunch and join us.) Your depository services coordinator and other staff members involved with Federal government documents are welcome to accompany you or your designated senior staff member.

I will speak briefly and then use the remainder of the time to answer your questions and listen to your concerns and recommendations. We especially welcome your advice as a depository library director during this time of transformation into an increasingly electronic FDLP.

This meeting continues an experiment begun at the recent Depository Library Council meeting in St. Louis, where I had an opportunity to exchange views directly with about 40 directors of depository libraries on the important issues now confronting the program. Afterwards several of them expressed to me the value of hearing first hand about the changes that are occurring and having the opportunity to provide their advice. Discussion will center on the issues brought out in Public Printer Bruce James’ recent paper, Keeping America Informed in the 21st Century: A First Look at the GPO Strategic Planning Process — "A Work in Progress", available at
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pubs/proceedings/04spc.html.

In addition, GPO staff will be displaying U.S. Government information resources and services at the GPO Booth (#1269). It would be valuable for your reference and public service staff to visit the booth, even if they are not government documents specialists. In case you are interested and are not already aware of them, I am enclosing a list of publications [see below] and other information sources that address some of the current FDLP issues.

Please join us as we continue to map out the path for the Federal Depository Library of the future. I look forward to talking with you in Orlando.

Sincerely,

JUDITH C. RUSSELL
Superintendent of Documents