From lpsmail@access.digex.netTue May 7 21:44:07 1996 Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 13:44:19 -0700 From: Shipment Reply to: Discussion of Government Document Issues To: Multiple recipients of list GOVDOC-L Subject: ADNOTES: HANDLING OF ONLINE PRODUCTS IN THE FDLP THE MESSAGE BELOW IS FROM ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES, VOL. 17, #07 (May 15, 1996) Handling of Online Electronic Products in the FDLP Electronic Government information products are being incorporated into the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). This includes online electronic products which are available on the GPO Access Internet site or on other agencies' electronic information services. Some of these intangible electronic products may be related to print editions of the same information content. The Library Programs Service (LPS) is developing a consolidated approach to presenting and identifying online electronic products. This approach carries forward some of the familiar elements of the paper-based model, adapted to fit the needs of the electronic environment. The changeable nature of many online electronic products in terms of permanence or location contributes to a distributed information management environment instead of a centralized control model. Generally, the originating agency, or the agency which has custody of the data, is best positioned to assume responsibility for its permanent availability and location. However, as stated in the draft report of the "Study to Identify Measures Necessary for a Successful Transition to a More Electronic Federal Depository Library Program," there is still a need for Government-wide coordination, particularly in providing for bibliographic access to agency electronic products, and in arranging for their permanent preservation and availability for public access. These are the roles that GPO intends to play on behalf of the FDLP. Electronic Products on GPO Access LPS has developed a specific Web page listing online electronic Government titles, arranged by Government agency and alphabetically by title under each agency. The "Browse Titles" page is located at and can be reached from the Pathway Services page. This page has been expanded to list and connect ("point to") electronic titles on other agencies' electronic information services (Internet sites). Classification GPO's Superintendent of Documents classification system is used to assign permanent and unique identifiers to physical Government information products. This has enabled libraries to shelve and provide access to their physical collections. However, the location requirements of intangible electronic data are not met by any current application of the Superintendent of Documents classification system. In the near term, in order to assist librarians and users with the transition to a more electronic FDLP, classification numbers will be assigned to electronic titles. This use of the classification system should also assist in relating electronic products to their print antecedents. The application of the Superintendent of Documents classification system to physical products will be continued. For electronic information products stored in a digital data repository, permanency and uniqueness could be ensured by applying the "persistent name" (or URI, Uniform Resource Identifier; or "handle"). Over the next few years a standard for "persistent names" should emerge, and LPS will investigate utilizing or adapting this approach to identify the electronic information products in the FDLP. A Superintendent of Documents classification number will be used for future electronic products in order to allow the title to be processed for the various Monthly Catalog outputs, including presentation on the GPO Web site. A committee comprised of ALA Government Documents Round Table (GODORT) members and LPS staff has agreed in principle to a proposal to apply the classification system to electronic online products. Notification of Electronic Products in the FDLP The Library Programs Service does not intend to issue an "Electronic Products Shipping List" for online products available from GPO Access or other agencies' Internet sites. Information concerning electronic products in the FDLP is being included in the Administrative Notes Technical Supplement in the E-Report column. The "New and Hot" section on the "Browse Titles" page on the GPO Web site will also notify depository libraries of online electronic products available from GPO Access or from other agencies' Internet sites. However, notification about electronic products should be an interactive process. LPS appreciates the efforts of individual documents librarians to identify new or changing Government Internet resources and to notify the depository community about them. This individual initiative is an important component of bringing additional electronic products into the FDLP, and we would encourage librarians to direct such notices to Robin Haun-Mohamed, Chief of the Depository Administration Branch, by e-mail at . LPS is also encouraging publishing agencies to notify us when they initiate, substantially modify, or terminate an electronic information product. Selection New online electronic titles will be assigned item numbers, which will represent the electronic products of an agency. For electronic titles which have physical antecedents in the FDLP the existing item number under which the physical form was distributed will continue to be used. This will assist depository libraries in establishing profiles with vendors so that only selected categories of bibliographic records will be added to their online public access catalogs (OPACs). Permanent Preservation for Public Access Historically, the FDLP, through the regional depository libraries, has guaranteed permanent preservation of and access to tangible Government information products. Regional depository libraries provide for permanent access to relatively complete collections of tangible government products dispersed throughout the country. For intangible electronic Government information, a parallel mechanism is needed to ensure that this information is kept available for permanent public access. The FDLP will take a leadership role in coordinating with the publishing agencies, GPO, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and regional and other depository libraries to develop and establish a distributed system so that Government information products available via Government electronic information services will be maintained permanently for public access. To the extent that electronic Government information constitutes Federal records, as defined by NARA, each agency is responsible for establishing a records schedule to evaluate and transfer their records to NARA. GPO has a records schedule which provides for transfer and permanent retention of all printed Government information products listed in the Monthly Catalog. We will work with NARA to expand this schedule so that all electronic FDLP information which is under our custody and control is also provided to NARA. We will also work with agencies and NARA to attempt to ensure that information products identified at agency Internet sites as falling within the scope of the FDLP are maintained for permanent public access. Cataloging and Locator Services LPS intends to provide AACR2, MARC format cataloging to all appropriate Government information products, whether in a physical format or an electronic file accessible at a Government electronic information service. Our cataloging emphasis will continue to be on products which are not brought under bibliographic control by another Government agency. GPO cataloging records which include information about electronic products available from Government Internet sites will include the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) data. The URL will be displayed in the Monthly Catalog records at the GPO Web site, and will be "hot linked" to the actual electronic content. In addition to the Monthly Catalog on the GPO Access Web site, LPS is developing a suite of Pathway services which permit multiple approaches to locating and connecting to Government information products on the Internet: Product PATHWAY INDEXER (prototype), which provides a keyword search of Federal Web sites. BROWSE TOPICS, which uses the subject headings from the Subject Bibliographies. BROWSE TITLES, a listing with interactive links to products on the Internet. GILS (Government Information Locator Service) records. Points to Individual products, or parts of products such as specific pages within a product, from a "seed list" of sites. Internet sites. Government information products from agency electronic information services, including GPO Access. Metadata about agency programs or information resources. Reach the Pathway Services page at: