F e d e r a l    D e p o s i t o r y    L i b r a r y    P r o g r a m

1. Training Recommendations to GPO from the Depository Library Council

• Knowledge of how to manage the legacy collection
• Knowledge of how to perform community demographic analysis and the development of user needs surveys
• Knowledge of tools and procedures for evaluating depository library services
• Knowledge of GPO’s true polices that might hopefully debunk many of the myths
• Knowledge of document processing requirements
• Knowledge of the technical competencies required of a government information specialist.
• Knowledge of copy cataloging for both online and print government documents
• Knowledge of tangible and Web-based government information resources required to facilitate discovery and access

• Awarding basic training certificates, but not required to be part of the FDLP
• Providing the basic training at minimal costs to government information specialists by providing the instruction through the web, teleconferencing, field representative, etc…
• Awarding continuing education credits to those who attend any officially sanctioned government information specialist training session whether it is delivered at a Local, State or National library association meeting, through a Federal agency or through GPO itself.

• Web-based training including CHAT
• Teleconferencing
• Using Microsoft Netmeeting for hands on computer training
• Face to face training provided by the field consultants
• Training at State and National Library Association Meetings
• Use of video streaming.

Timeline	Project
Immediate implementation	Training Pilot Projects
2 months out	GPO select representatives to serve on the training/certification task force
12 months out	Task force identifies the core competencies for the professional and paraprofessional government information specialist.
18 months out	Task force determines the positive and negative impact certificates and continuing education will have on depository libraries.
24 months out	If certificates & continuing education are viable, then the task force will develop accreditation standards for assessment of various certificates.
2.5 years out	Implementation of the accreditation process
3 years out	Get feedback from the Regional Consultants and the pilot projects to determine the feasibility of offering similar training programs to non-FDLP libraries for free or on a cost recovery basis, depending on market demand.
3.5 years out	If feasible, begin to offer training to non-FDLP libraries for free or on a cost-recovery basis.

2. Improving communication between GPO staff and the Depository Community on cataloging and other issues

Council recommends that GPO proactively consult and communicate with the depository library community on cataloging policies and priorities, possibly through a listserv or blog dedicated to GPO cataloging issues. This model could be expanded to other areas such as the digitizing projects.

As libraries continue to load GPO cataloging records into their online catalogs, it becomes critical that GPO understand the uses to which their cataloging is being put, the implications of rule application, and of seemingly small changes in procedure. Further, as GPO implements its Integrated Library System (ILS), close communication with depository librarians and catalogers, who have years of ILS experience, may ease the transition. As titles migrate to the Internet, and as standards evolve for the cataloging of these titles, it’s important to have a mechanism for communication and feedback between depository libraries and GPO.

A GPO hosted listserv or announcement service, similar to FDLP-L, could be useful for communication in both directions.  GPO could announce upcoming projects and rule interpretations, send reminders of current practice, and ask for feedback from the community. Because responsibility for cataloging U.S. materials varies among depository libraries, sometimes falling under cataloging departments, sometimes under government information departments, it is desirable that a separate cataloging list be developed.

Council recommends that GPO use the best available bibliographic information from The Monthly Catalog and the GPO Shelf list and other bibliographic sources as the basis for pre-1976 bibliographic records in the National Bibliography. Care should be taken to note which materials were distributed via the Federal Depository Library Program. The possibility of posting holdings for regionals to either OCLC or to the GPO National Bibliography should be explored. Council further recommends that GPO explore partnering opportunities with depository libraries and other cataloging consortia to more quickly catalog pre-1976 materials.

Procedure for Selective Depository Libraries Wishing to Leave the Program

The Depository Library Council recommends that GPO establish a procedure for libraries wishing to leave the program. An earlier recommendation (Spring 2001) was never fully acted upon.

Since the Regional Conference did not address standardized procedures for the termination of depository status and libraries continue to leave the program, DLC suggests implementation of guidelines based on the following:

• Notes from a panel discussion held at the 9^th Annual Federal Depository Library Conference (Oct. 22-25, 2000), entitled "Questions for ‘Reconsidering Depository Status,’" are available on the FDLP Desktop at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pubs/proceedings/00pro29.html and should be consulted as background information if and when a decision to withdraw from the program is being considered.

The withdrawal of a regional from the FDLP can result in a significant risk to the historical and cultural heritage of the nation. For this reason, a regional library wishing to withdraw from or change its status to a selective within the FDLP should be required to:

1. Formally notify GPO of the intention to withdraw from the FDLP a minimum of 2 years prior to the effective date of withdrawal. Additional notification to selective libraries within the state or service area the state library authority and congressional delegation are also required. In the case of a Regional that serves more than one state or designated with another library, this notification process must include all interested parties.
2. Establish with GPO a collection review team composed of experienced documents librarians from all types and sizes of depositories from within the state or region.
3. Pay consultants’ fees and other appropriate expenses to the librarians on this team.
4. Carry out the recommendations of the review team for the disposition of the collection, before depository status is relinquished.
5. Pay for the cost of transferring depository materials.

Review team members will:

1. Determine the interest of other libraries in the state or region in assuming regional status.
1. If a library can be found to assume regional status, a representative of the new regional should be on the review team.
2. The new regional has first refusal on items from the depository collection of the regional surrendering depository status.
2. Survey the collection for rare and/or culturally or historically significant materials.
3. Assure that materials which might be considered for discard are available elsewhere within the state or region.
4. In collaboration with GPO, select materials for the Collection of Last Resort at GPO.
5. In cooperation with the selective depositories previously served by the regional, investigate other housing options for important materials available nowhere else in the state or region.

Council recommends that GPO prepare a plan to assist selectives in the event their regional library withdraws from the FDLP or drops regional status.

Council commends GPO’s existing efforts to acquire, capture, catalog, preserve and disseminate at no-fee born-digital government information. Digital government information has an extremely short life-span according to several recent studies. Council recommends that GPO assign a very high strategic planning priority to developing a systematic approach to their efforts in this area. The targeted content should include a range of formats, including but not limited to documents, cartographic files and dynamic databases.

Council thanks GPO for spearheading a meeting, for a wide variety of stakeholders, on establishing GPO digitization standards.  Such standards are crucial for creating, preserving, and providing no-fee access to high quality digital government information. Council urges GPO to continue its leadership in identifying digitization best practices.

Council recommends that GPO provide opportunities for all libraries to participate in this project by leveraging skills and expertise that may be available. Participation could take several forms, including provision of metadata, MARC cataloging, OCR scanning, user interface design, and other appropriate digitization activities.

Council further recommends that GPO provide training, guidance, a communication forum, and technical support for Federal depositories participating in the digitization project.

Council recommends that GPO explore collaborative strategies for providing real-time government information reference assistance on the Web. This effort should be done in collaboration with the library community, appropriate government providers such as FirstGov and the Library of Congress, and with existing state or regional Web-based reference projects.

1. William "Willie" Thompson

Council commends William "Willie" Thompson upon his retirement after over 40 years of Federal service. During most of his career at GPO he worked in the Documents Sales Service, where he held a number of positions, culminating in the position of Program Analyst. He came to LPS in 1994 and shortly after that he took on the logistical planning responsibilities for the Depository Library Council meeting and the Federal Depository Conference. Willie always greeted attendees at these meetings with his winning smile and helpful attitude. His assistance was not limited to logistics and his workday was endless during these events. Council would like to thank Willie for staying with the group through many late night meetings year after year.

At nearly every meeting, Willie was asked to appear at the backdoor of the meeting area to receive a well deserved ovation from the assembled group. On many occasions he was always able to find a way to be absent so as not to be embarrassed by the thanks he received for "doing his job;" this year he was even craftier in that he retired before the meeting.

In a commendation from the 1997 spring meeting of the Depository Library Council, the following statement was made: "We deeply appreciate his efforts on our behalf, including the planning and coordination he does prior to the meetings and his cooperative ‘can-do’ spirit when we need him to work his magic to smooth out logistical problems..." We will miss Willie’s magic and on behalf of the entire depository library community wish him the best of luck in retirement.

Once again, Willie, thank you for all your hard work.

2. Sheila M. McGarr

Council commends Sheila M. McGarr for her many years of Federal service, including twenty one years at the Library Programs Service of the Government Printing Office. Sheila served in many capacities at GPO: Library Inspector (1981-1987), Chief of the Depository Administration Branch (1987-1992), Chief of the Depository Services Staff (1992-1999), Chief of the Library Division of the Library Programs Service (1999-2001), and finally as the Director, Collections Management Service (2003-2004).

Sheila was direct and insightful. She will be widely remember for her phrase "the FDLs: they want it all, they want it now and they want it for free." Sheila truly understood the program and the libraries within it. She was a forceful advocate for the LPS and for access to government information. Depository librarians celebrated her return to GPO in 2003 and will greatly miss her knowledge and support. Council thanks Sheila for her devotion to the FDLP and wishes her well.

Council applauds the Documents Expediting Project (DocEx) within the Library of Congress for the many years of outstanding service which benefited the Federal Depository Library Community. Until the distribution system within the FDLP matured, DocEx provided vital materials which served the needs of the depository community. Since its beginning in July 1946, DocEx has been the model of outstanding service to the library community and has enriched library collections around the world. Council wishes the DocEx Staff the very best in their future endeavors.

Council commends GPO for initiating dialog with various stakeholders such as library directors, digitization experts, the information industry, and Federal agencies and for sharing information from the meetings on the future of the sales program and the digitization preservation standards with the depository library community.