Depository Library Council
Recommendations and Responses
April 25-27, 1990
Scottsdale, Arizona

RECOMMENDATION 1: The Depository Library Council laments the fact that it is addressing the issue of the bound Congressional Record once again. Let there be no misunderstanding that we believe the Congressional Record is a vital part of the American political system and a unique historical record and is worthy of being preserved for the future; therefore Council recommends to the Public Printer that he request authority from the appropriate Congressional Committees to convert to microfiche the bound edition of the Congressional Record, Volumes 129 to 131 (1983-1985) and Volumes 132-135 (1986-1989) as soon as possible.

Council further recommends that GPO maintain both the paper and microfiche versions of the bound Congressional Record until such time as the CD-ROM version has been produced and evaluated for its effectiveness as a replacement for one or both of these formats. Council continues to believe that it is essential that GPO provide paper copies of the bound Congressional Record for distribution to all Regional Depositories, both for current research and archival purposes, and appreciates the Public Printer's efforts to accomplish this objective.

Rationale: The users of the 850 Depository Libraries that have selected the microfiche format continue to have no copy of this important title for the years 1983-1985, and this situation seems likely to continue for many months until a CD-ROM version is completed, released, and evaluated. In addition, as things currently stand, neither a paper nor a microfiche version will be produced for Depository Library distribution for the years 1986 and following.

RESPONSE: A copy of this resolution was transmitted to the Joint Committee on Printing for their response. In a letter dated July 13, 1990, Senator Wendell Ford responded as follows:

As you know, the Joint Committee has authorized GPO to proceed with the microfiching of the 1983 and 1984 bound Congressional Records. We anticipate that the 1985 edition of the bound Record will be available on CD-Rom in October of this year. Until we have had an opportunity to assess the results of the CD-Rom pilot project, the Joint Committee on Printing must withhold a final decision on whether or not to direct the microfiching of the 1985 edition. We hope that the CD-Rom format will meet with approval and acceptance by the user community.

The Joint Committee has supported GPO's budget request to make available a paper version of the bound Congressional Record to depository libraries and at a minimum to regional facilities. We agree that for historical and preservation purposes it is important that at least one paper set of the bound Record be available in each State.

RECOMMENDATION 2: The Depository Library Council recommends that the GPO submit a proposal to the Supreme Court of the United States to become a subscriber to their new pilot project to disseminate electronic text of Supreme Court opinions.

Rationale: The Supreme Court is soliciting proposals from organizations in the "business of disseminating information" that will provide the "widest dissemination of the Court's opinions." Making this information available to the Depository Libraries electronically via GPO will assure broad public access to basic government information on an equitable basis to those participating libraries electing to download this data.

RESPONSE: GPO submitted a proposal to the Supreme Court and was notified on June 12, 1990 that it had been awarded a subscription. GPO will provide electronic access to Supreme Court opinions using a bulletin board system. The files will be available in ASCII format to libraries dialing in at 300, 1200, 2400 and 9600 baud. The system will be open to any of the 1400 depositories electing to access it; libraries will be responsible for the local software to postprocess the downloaded information, as well as the telecommunications costs.

RECOMMENDATION 3: The Depository Library Council recommends that the GPO actively work with the Council in developing survey questions to be included in the next "Biennial Survey of Depository Libraries" to collect costs of housing and operating a Federal depository document collection.

Rationale: Cost information is a necessary component in the process of long range planning. One effort begun by the American Library Association provides a starting point which can be used by GPO and the Council in the planning process. These statistics will complement the ALA benchmark data and will assist in the establishment of realistic goals and objectives for the future.

RESPONSE: GPO will be pleased to work with Council toward developing a survey aimed at identifying depository housing and operations costs. In order to ensure that survey results are as accurate as possible, GPO proposes that:

the survey be administered to a statistically representative sample of the depository library community, enabling us to better administer the survey and more closely monitor the results;

formulas be developed to facilitate and standardize the identification of overhead costs directly related to depository operations; and

prior to the issuance of the actual survey, GPO will pre-test the survey and solicit feedback from the test sites.

RECOMMENDATION 4: The Depository Library Council requests that a report be prepared, and distributed to Council, that addresses the number and percentage of instances in which the claims were not filled due to insufficient copies.

Rationale: The data already provided by Library Programs Service and by individual Depositories indicate that an analysis of the data is needed to more fully understand the nature of the problem in order to identify appropriate corrective actions. The DLC was pleased by the statement by LPS staff in the Open Forum that this data was easily available.

RESPONSE: The following statistics on the number of unfilled claims were compiled from data entered into the Claims Processing System during the period from April 1, 1990 through June 30, 1990. Included are the number of titles distributed, the number of claims received and processed, and the percentage of unfilled claims. During the period, a total of 5401 titles were distributed. Of these, 405 (7.5%) were short of the quantity needed for distribution and could not be procured from the Documents Sales Service or the issuing agencies.

Month Title Copies Claims Claims Claims

Dist. Dist. Total Filled Unfilled

April 1,502 713,306 2,750 2,453 297

May 1,773 779,943 3,232 2,925 307

June 2,126 940,184 4,330 3,789 541

Total 5,401 2,433,433 10,312 9,167 1,145

During this three month period, LPS was unable to fill 11.1% of the claims which were received. The total number of claims received represented 0.42% of copies distributed. The number of unfilled claims as a percentage of copies distributed equals 0.047%.

RECOMMENDATION 5: The Depository Library Council recommends that key documents relating to the management and inspection of Depository Libraries, such as the "Manual", "Inspection Report" and the like, be made available to Council for review and comment prior to their publication.

Rationale: Such a review would assist GPO in anticipating potential problems with implementation of new procedures and policies.

RESPONSE: GPO is committed to keeping Council involved in developing policies and procedures that are to be published in the "Guidelines for the Depository Library System" and the Federal Depository Library Manual. Insofar as these two publications are Council's products, GPO will continue to rely on Council to ensure that any potential problems with changes in procedures and policies are anticipated. Council will also be advised of major revisions in the Instructions to Depository Libraries and accompanying changes to the Inspection Form

RECOMMENDATION 6: The Depository Library Council recommends that the Public Printer request that the Joint Committee on Printing include the following additional information in updating the next edition of The Directory of U. S. Government Depository Libraries: FAX telephone number and E-Mail contact/address. If feasible, the percent of depository items selected should be noted in an appropriate style.

Rationale: This information will make the directory more useful and improve communications.

RESPONSE: This recommendation was transmitted to the Joint Committee on Printing. Senator Wendell Ford, in a letter dated July 13, 1990, responded:

I am pleased to inform you that the Joint Committee on Printing has implemented the Council's recommendation that FAX and E-mail numbers be included in the next edition of the Directory of Depository Libraries. Accordingly, I have sent a letter to every Federal depository asking that they verify directory information and provide us with FAX and E-mail numbers if they wish to have them published.

RECOMMENDATION 7: The Depository Library Council recommends that the Public Printer communicate to the Bureau of the Census the absolute necessity for 1990 Census block-numbered maps for Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), as a minimum, to accompany the 1990 Census data. The Depository Library Community will be unable to provide satisfactory research services, including economic development, planning and the like, without this essential spatial data. We further urge that technical innovations be investigated (i.e. CD-ROM) to provide these maps in a convenient and useable format.

RESPONSE: This recommendation was transmitted to the Bureau of the Census. The Director of the Bureau of the Census responded with a letter which is reproduced as Attachment A.

RECOMMENDATION 8: The Depository Library Council recommends to the Public Printer that the Library Programs Service conduct a review of the results of the shared cataloging portion of the DOE Pilot Project. This review should result in recommendations to Council on the potential for use of the COSATI records by the Government Printing Office as a basis for creating MARC records. Such a review should include both Depository Libraries participating in the Pilot Project and other Depository Libraries who use the cataloging information developed by the participating libraries.

Rationale: Since the 18,000 DOE documents that are provided to the Depository Library Program each year are not currently cataloged, it is important to evaluate the potential for conversion of the COSATI records to see if they can be used to facilitate GPO's cataloging of this material.

RESPONSE: GPO intends to evaluate findings of the Department of Energy as to the utility of the COSATI to MARC conversion. The evaluation will include consideration of the COSATI to MARC translation in the context of the GPO/DOE pilot project, as well as potential applicability to other agency documents cataloged in the COSATI format.

RECOMMENDATION 9: The Depository Library Council recommends to the Public Printer that the Library Programs Service proceed with the abridged cataloging proposal for technical reports and non-depository publications. The abridged record should include the technical report numbers (fields 027 and 088) when available. The Council further recommends that GPO remain flexible in their implementation of abridged cataloging for the non-depository publications, taking into consideration any unique fields necessary to provide adequate access to these materials in an on-line catalog.

Rationale: While Council recognized the desirability of full cataloging for these materials, it concurs with GPO in the necessity to clear the cataloging backlog that presently exists.

RESPONSE: As announced in Administrative Notes, Vol. 11, no 13, GPO has implemented abridged cataloging for the two lowest-priority categories of publications: technical reports and publications not distributed to depository libraries.

RECOMMENDATION 10: The Depository Library Council is deeply concerned about the numerous agency-produced CD-ROM products that are unavailable through the Depository Library Program and, therefore, recommends to the Public Printer that Library Programs Service should develop a list of these fugitive CD-ROMS for publication in Administrative Notes and, in addition, that GPO should more aggressively pursue these products for inclusion in the Depository Library Program.

RESPONSE: GPO is developing a plan for raising the visibility of the Depository Library Program within the Federal government. The major thrust of our efforts vis-a-vis the publishing agencies will be to familiarize them with the Program in general and their obligations under Title 44, and to describe the benefits of dissemination through the Program. Pursuit of electronic products will be dealt with in the context of this overall effort, as an acquisitions issue.

In light of the existence of several directories of electronic products*, which include products of the Federal government, GPO does not believe that the benefits of maintaining and publishing lists of Federally produced CD-ROMs are commensurate with the level of effort such an undertaking would require. Therefore, at this time, LPS does not intend to undertake such a task.

However, LPS will attempt to keep abreast of lists and inventories being compiled by other organizations, and inform the depository library community of these efforts. For example, as part of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) contract described in the response to Recommendation 15, the Archives will "identify and build an inventory of automated databases..." GPO will be actively involved in NARA study, and will ensure that the depository library community is kept apprised of the progress of the inventory.

* The following CD-ROM directories were reviewed in the Sept. 1, 1990 issue of Library Journal (vol. 115, no. 14, pp. 194 ff)

The Directory of Portable Databases
CD-ROMs in Print 1990, an International Guide
The CD-ROM Directory: 1990
Optical Publishing Directory

RECOMMENDATION 11: The Depository Library Council recommends to the Public Printer that the GPO embrace the principles of the new "Guidelines for the Provision of Government Publications for Depository Library Distribution" and urges GPO to disseminate this document to the appropriate agencies.

RESPONSE: GPO has endeavored to make widespread dissemination of the Guidelines document. On June 21, 1990, it was distributed to all printing and publishing officials of the Federal Government as "GPO Circular Letter 320". Copies have also been provided to members of the Public Printer's Interagency Council for Printing and Publications Services, and will be distributed to the Federal Publishers Committee. Additionally, the document will be used as a handout, as appropriate, for courses sponsored by the Institute for Federal Printing and Publishing, as well as being distributed by GPO staff on an ad hoc basis in the course of meeting with Agency officials.

RECOMMENDATION 12: The Depository Library Council recommends to the Public Printer that GPO reprint and distribute the index to the 1989 Periodical Supplement to the Monthly Catalog of United States Government Publications.

Rationale: The GPO did not include the indexing for the Supplement in the 1989 cumulative indexes. By the time notification reached the libraries, some had already discarded the monthly and semi-annual indexes on the assumption that it was included in the cumulative index. To provide a replacement for the discarded indexes would give the paid subscribers and Depository Libraries the ability to provide access to the periodicals issued in 1989. It is standard practice for publishers who make a printing error of this severity to replace the defective product or offer some appropriate alternative to compensate the recipients.

RESPONSE: GPO has reissued the 1989 Periodicals Supplement index in both paper and microfiche.

RECOMMENDATION 13: The Depository Library Council recommends to the Public Printer that the Library Programs Service investigate the costs and feasibility for implementing and maintaining an Electronic Bulletin Board (EBB) communication service. It is requested that the findings of this investigation be fully reported to Council at the October 1990 meeting.

Rationale: An Electronic Bulletin Board service will result in the following benefits:

- timely notice to Depository Libraries of urgent information, such as computer virus, cataloging/classification and publication alerts;

- reduction in costs, labor and miscommunication by replacing multiple telephone calls and/or mailings with one bulletin board message;

- provision of computer files, such as shipping list information or electronic court opinions; and

- assurance that messages are received promptly and at the convenience of the recipient.

RESPONSE: GPO has formed a Task Force to investigate the cost, administrative and operational issues of implementing an electronic bulletin board. The findings of the Task Force will be presented to Council at the October 1990 meeting.

RECOMMENDATION 14: The Depository Library Council recommends to the Public Printer that GPO join a universal access electronic mail service, such as Internet, to enable Depository Libraries which presently have or wish to obtain electronic mail (E-mail) capability to communicate interactively with one another and GPO.

Rationale: Increased interactive electronic communication among the Depository Libraries and between GPO and the Depositories will have the following benefits:

- reduces time lag for responses to inquiries;

- alleviates problems associated with time zone differences; and

- promotes more frequent communication, thus reducing problems by providing a mechanism to react quickly.

RESPONSE: GPO will evaluate participating in a universal access electronic mail service in conjunction with the study described in the response to Recommendation 13.

RECOMMENDATION 15: The Depository Library Council continues to be concerned with the preservation of the master copies of all CD-ROM disks distributed through the Depository Library Program. Therefore, Council recommends to the Public Printer that GPO study the feasibility of obtaining the masters for future CD-ROMS and capability of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to house them to meet archival standards.

Rationale: As with paper and microfiche formats, the Depository Library Council is concerned with archival preservation of government information in electronic formats. Storage of a duplicate CD-ROM disk is not adequate to ensure that data could be replicated or transferred to other media.

RESPONSE: The National Archives and Records Administration has recently contracted with the National Academy of Public Administration for "A Study of Major Automated Databases Maintained by Agencies of the U. S. Government." (see Attachment B). GPO will be an active participant in this study. LPS's preliminary assessment of this study is that it will significantly contribute to answering longstanding depository library community questions regarding archival preservation of information in electronic formats.

RECOMMENDATION 16: The Depository Library Council supports the efforts of the Public Printer and the Joint Committee on Printing to ensure that the Library of Congress publications are distributed through the Depository Library Program. Council recommends that the Public Printer inform the Librarian of Congress about the deep concern of the Depository Community regarding the necessity for including LC publications in the Depository Library Program. Council further requests that the Joint Committee on Printing determine if the Library of Congress is in compliance with the provisions of Title 44 and, if they are not, to inform the Librarian of Congress.

Rationale: As a Congressional agency, the Library of Congress should be urged to participate in a joint distribution effort for LC publications. The Depository Library Program is a Congressionally mandated program and is the appropriate vehicle to make these government publications widely available to users.

RESPONSE: This recommendation was referred to the Joint Committee on Printing. Senator Wendell Ford, in a letter dated July 13, 1990, responded:

The Joint Committee shares the Council's concerns about the availability of Library of Congress publications to the depository library program. As you know, we have urged the Library of Congress to establish a Central Procurement and Printing Office to better facilitate their doing business with the Government Printing Office. Hopefully, actions taken by this Committee and GPO will improve the situation and result in greater communication between the two Agencies.

In addition, the Public Printer referred the question to the Librarian of Congress, who replied in part as follows:

As you know, Library of Congress publications are available through the Depository Library Program. However, cooperative publications, which the Library of Congress produces with non-Federal participants and sells through its Cataloging Distribution Service, are excepted from the depository system through 44 USC 1903. Along with other government agencies, we also publish using gift and trust funds which the Library may receive through 2 USC 156-160. Occasionally issues arise over application of the depository requirements to these types of publications. A review of our past correspondence indicates that these issues have been worked out on a case by case basis to the mutual satisfaction of the Public Printer and the Librarian of Congress. I am confident that we will continue to do so.

[The following two attachments did not scan well. Therefore, the text has been reproduced without the letterhead and actual signatures. Editor's note]

Attachment A

AUG 13 1990

Mr. Robert W. Houk
Public Printer
U.S. Government Printing Office
Washington, D.C. 20401

Dear Mr. Houk:

Thank you for your letter advising us of the recommendations of the Depository Library Council regarding l990 census block-numbered maps.

The block-numbered maps from the l990 census will be available to anyone who has an interest in them, at the cost of reproduction. Typically, copies ordered from the Census Bureau will be shipped from one of the Census Bureau's regional offices within two weeks after the order is received. We are enclosing a report that describes the data and map products that will be available from the l990 census along with the procedure for how to obtain them (see pages 41, 42, and 45-47).

In addition to paper copies of the maps, the Census Bureau has announced, for more than two years, its plans to make its automated geographic files (the Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER) Files) available on both magnetic tape and compact disk-read only memory (CD-ROM). To date, the Census Bureau has released two nationwide versions of the TIGER/Line file, the second of which is on CD-ROM; two more versions are planned for release, one from August through October of this year and a second (also on CD-ROM) from January through March l99l. We have offered this product to the Government Printing Office to make available to the Federal Depository Libraries.

More than 50 commercial firms offer software to process the TIGER/Line files on computers ranging from microcomputers to mainframes.

The Census Bureau shares the Depository Library Council's interest in having its l990 census maps available in other formats as well, such as map images on CD-ROM. Staff has been working for the past 18 months to develop a suitable approach without success to date. If we are successful, this product also may be distributed through the Federal Depository Libraries System. Work is continuing to provide such a product that will permit even wider use of this new information by data analysts. We will announce this product for public sale as soon as we achieve satisfactory results.

We would be pleased to discuss the issue of the Census Bureau's map distribution plans in greater detail with the Depository Library Council or any of its members. They can direct their questions to Gerard Iannelli, Chief, Data User Services Division on (301) 763-5820.

We appreciate the interest of the Depository Library Council in the 1990 census, and also thank you for your interest and concern.

Sincerely,

Barbara Everitt Bryant
Director
Bureau of the Census
Enclosure

Attachment B

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has contracted with the National Academy of Public Administration (the Academy) for "A Study Of Major Automated Databases Maintained by Agencies of the U.S. Government." For purposes of this study, major databases are those which are used by Federal agencies in support of mission functions and which contain sufficient volume and detail of data to have value for use independently of the purposes they serve in the agencies.

The study will focus on the retention, availability and accessibility of valuable information which could support future historical research. It will identify and build an inventory of automated databases, and define a set of criteria for NARA's use in appraising electronic databases. The study will be carried out by a panel of experts in the data gathering activities of the Federal government, in two phases.

In Phase I, the Academy will survey Cabinet departments and major independent agencies to identify the large databases used by those organizations for programmatic functions such as regulatory and monitoring functions, entitlement and benefit programs, management of public resources, oversight and scientific and technical research. In conducting this survey, the Academy will make full use of existing inventories prepared by government or private sources.

At this time we wish to request your agency's support in carrying out this important project. Please notify Eric Minkoff at the Academy, telephone number 347-3190, no later than August 30, 1990, of your designated contact to work with the Academy staff. We would anticipate the need to meet with information resources management staffs, records managers, and data center directors as well as appropriate program staffs during the course of this study. We fully understand the time this type of project requires and will commit to keeping demands on your staff to a minimum.

Sincerely,

DON W. WILSON
Archivist of the United States