The meeting of the Regional Depository Libraries, which included representatives from states that don't have their own Regional Depositories, was held in a framework of facilitated discussions on Government Printing Office (GPO) projects and the future of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). I'll include these names when appropriate. And never, ever give a no-nonsense facilitator a cowbell.

The Depository Library Council (DLC) conference was geared toward the current state of the FDLP and current projects being done by various depository libraries. Attendance was 700. There was also a very informative session of the ALA Government Documents Roundtable (GODORT) that featured a question and answer session with GPO staff.

Some topics were covered at both the Regional and the DLC meetings. For this reason some of these notes are based on topic, not on a session by session basis.

Integrated Library System

GPO is finally getting its Integrated Library System (ILS)! It's an Ex Libris Aleph 500 system. It will be used for accession, cataloging, and public access (OPAC) functions. Records in the ILS will function as the Monthly Catalog and the National Bibliography. Libraries-not just depository libraries-will be able to download records and add them to their catalogs and have live links to online documents. (So will libraries want-or need-to subscribe to services like Marcive to get records for electronic documents?)

This will be GPO's first ILS. Because of limited in-house familiarity with setting up and operating an ILS, GPO is contracting with Progressive Technical Federal Systems ( http://www.ptfs.com ) to handle management and administrative functions.

Among the GPO staff working with the ILS are: Laurie Hall, Director of Bibliographic Services; Linda Ressler, who will fill the system librarian role; and Jennifer Davis, who will be working with the cataloging functions.

So far duplicate records from Jan. 1976 onward have been removed. This data is due back from the contractor on 11/12/04. The servers are arriving. It's hoped that the OPAC will be up and running by Apr. 2005.

Issues and topics about the ILS implementation that are still under discussion include: the ability to sort and search by SuDoc numbers; authority control; a library locator for holdings; the ability to trace changes in SuDoc numbers; and the OPAC design.

Retrospective conversion of 1875-1976 records is down the line. (1875 is as far back as GPO's records go.) Full cataloging information may not be available for older records. In some cases, GPO will have to glean bibliographic information from old bibliographies and checklists.

Consultant Program

The Consultant Program is finally up and running-sort of. Larry Blevins is overseeing this program. It will replace the FDLP Inspectors with up to 12 Consultants whose job will involve on a state or regional basis:

• facilitating information flow to and from GPO
• visiting Depositories
• helping with best practices for Depositories
• assessing depository practices and services
• participating in regional events
• providing training.

The Library of Michigan and GPO have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for hiring the first Consultant. There is currently firm funding for a total of 4 consultants. GPO will try to get funding for additional Consultants in the new Federal budget.

I have to confess that I started to work on a proposal for the Northwest, but put it aside due to workload and a certain aura of confusion that seemed to surround the program after it was first announced. It's time for me to dust off what I started.

There are still concerns about the way GPO is structuring the program. GPO will pay the Consultants entry-level librarian salaries. They will not get full GPO benefits. They will be hired on the basis of a two year contract. As was pointed out at the Regional meeting, this means you're likely to get somebody with little experience with documents and few attachments because they're going to be on the road a lot. It was felt Consultants should get good, solid basic training by GPO with refresher training every year.

GPO will provide the Consultant with a laptop and travel expenses. The host institution(s) will provide office/cubicle space, a desktop computer, and mailing/telephone costs. Hiring will be done locally. GPO won't be paying any relocation costs for the new Consultants.

Collections of the Last Resort

The Collection of the Last Resort (CLR) is GPO's vision for having as complete as possible gathering of all Federal documents, tangible (i.e., in a physical format) and electronic. It would include documents distributed through the FDLP and fugitive documents.

Actually the CLR would be multiple collections. One would in the Eastern U.S. and the other in the West. There would be dark and light archives. The dark archives would be subject to very careful climate control while the light archives would be used for nondestructive digitalization. There wouldn't be public access to these archives.

The Eastern CLR would be run by the National Archives. GPO would contract out the Western CLR to a non-profit organization like a university.

GPO is collecting blocks of documents for the CLR, but it's not systematically collecting items yet. Right now it's interested in individual items. Regional Depositories or depositories with large collections that leave the FDLP are seen as a prime source for the CLR.

Digitization of Federal Documents

Certain assumptions underlie this area:

• Digitization of legacy collections will eventually create a comprehensive collection of federal documents.
• Digitization should be nondestructive-the original documents should be as intact as possible after being digitalized.
• Digitized images will be accessible on a no-fee basis-but they could be repackaged on a print on demand basis.
• Master quality files will be made from which accessible copies can be made. There may be parts of the digital collection that don't meet the master quality standards-for example, older digital copies made before the master quality standards were set.
• Digitizing poor quality microfiche isn't worth the effort. (Garbage in, garbage out.) Go back to the original paper for digitizing.
• First phase will be for paper documents. Second phase will be for maps, audio-visual materials, etc.
• Not all libraries will contribute, but all will benefit. For example, a library could contribute materials for another institution to digitalize.
• Some digitization will be done by GPO, but it could involve a reallocation of funds.
• Preservation masters (i.e., master copies) are larger files that are not cleaned up. Accessible copies are de-skewed and cleaned up for greater legibility and ease of use.
• GPO will obtain digital master files from participating institutions. Those institutions can post master files they create.

Print on Demand

Just a display, not a session. I'm still unimpressed. Photos in the print on demand (POD) copies look like a second generation photocopy (a laser jet copy provided for comparison had sharper resolution). Color is reproduced in grayscale.

GODORT Session

Some useful information came out of this session.

The Department of the Interior is not printing enough copies of some of its documents. Don't wait to claim these, but don't hold your breath waiting for a claim to be filled.

POD copies are not necessarily a good substitute for Interior documents distributed by GPO. The POD contractor can't do fold out maps. If you find a broken link or purl to a Federal document, call the toll free number (1-888-293-6498) to report. GPO will be able to move faster in checking on the link status than if you e-mail in the report.

Copyright for Government Documents

Bonnie Klein gave an excellent talk on this complicated subject. Rather than try to summarize a talk that full of nuances, my suggestion is that you search on "Bonnie Klein" and "Carnegie Mellon" to find a link to a Powerpoint version. It's a 57 page print out with the first 20 pages or so giving a general background on copyright law. After that it focuses on government documents.

Blogs and Rapid Webpage Update

Bruce James

The only time I saw the Public Printer was when he spoke on the opening day of the DLC. He's very happy that GPO is turning a profit this fiscal year. There's been a 20% reduction in the GPO workforce, and he's brought in executives to energize and modernize the organization.

He sees library services and content management as the soul of GPO with a mission to gather, organize, and authenticate documents while making them freely available. You can expect to see super regional depositories as some regions share out their services.

Documents will be available for sale, probably by developing digital content that can be marketed. GPO will be getting out of printing documents in the current model. The printers will be reorganized for customer service-specific printers for specific government customers. They will solicit print jobs. At the same time more printing will be outsourced.

GPO will be developing secure and intelligent documents like passports with biometric chips. Some printing will be kept in-house for national security purposes.

GPO will also be getting into digital media services. 300-500 GPO employees will be retrained for digital work such as creating digital documents for other agencies. GPO wants to create and maintain websites for other agencies. This will probably be the fastest growing group of GPO employees.

He can't wait to get out of the GPO Building, and GPO hopes to make money doing so.