Shipping List Newsletter of the Public Documents Forum of the Virginia Library Association

vol. 24, no.2

April 1999

From the Editor
Report from ALA GODORT Midwinter meeting
Notes from the VLA PDF Chair
From the Regional Library (UVA)
News and Views from around the Commonwealth
New & Worthwhile: International Documents
New & Worthwhile: Virginia Documents
PDF Sponsored Workshop

Welcome to the inaugral issue of the electronic version of the VLA Shipping List! As you can tell by the volume numbering this is by no means the inaugral issue of the Shipping List. We've been going strong for more than 20 years. I announced back in the Fall of 1997 that we would be moving to an online format. We had hoped to make the transition more quickly than we did, but the best laid plans .... In any case, here we are. I hope you enjoy the revived Shipping List.

Please send any comments, questions, suggestions, etc. to the editor.-- editor

Francis J. Buckley, Jr., Superintendent of Documents, GPO, led off the Federal Documents Task Force Update session on Saturday, January 30, 1999. Buckley began by outlining his activities as spokesperson for comprehensive equitable access to government information - including a trip to Tokyo to address a Symposium at the National Diet Library. He also spoke of Gil Baldwin's recent appointment as Director of Library Programs Service (LPS) - to ensure that the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) will be strong and viable into the next century.

Buckley then gave an overview of FDLP's accomplishments. In FY '98, GPO provided 15.2 million copies of more than 40,000 tangible products (print, microfiche, and CD-ROMs) to depository libraries. At the end of calendar year '98, GPO provided online access through GPO Access to more than 85,000 titles directly on GPO servers and pointed to more than 47,000 titles on agency web sites, making a total of over 133,000 publications available. As of January 25, 1999, there were 1,352 depository libraries in the program.

A major initiative in the FDLP has been the development of a policy and planning document titled, Managing the FDLP Electronic Collection, to chart GPO's course in the transition to a more electronic depository library program. In December the plan was shared with more than 130 individuals in the library/information community, including all members of the Depository Library Council to the Public Printer, the Inter-Association Working Group, staff and elected representatives of the major library and information associations, faculty at a number of graduate schools for library and information science, and a wide array of federal agency officials.

Buckley said that with the help of the documents community, GPO is making inroads in the fugitive documents arena.

GPO is pleased with the continued success and popularity of GPO Access. In FY '98, approximately $11.5 million worth of sales resulted from user activity on GPO Access. This includes both online orders and orders resulting from forms downloaded from the site and sent in for processing. This represents more than 15% of total revenue for the GPO Sales Program. Between October 1997 and September 1998, searches on GPO Access increased by 21%, while retrievals increased by 85%. Currently, the web site is averaging close to 5 million searches and 10 to 15 million retrievals per month.

Buckley reported that there has been internal approval given for the creation of a GPO Learning Center. The plan is being prepared for transmission to the Joint Committee on Printing for approval.

In FY '98, the Sales Program handled more than 653,000 orders and sold over 11 million copies of publications. Financially it appears that GPO's expenses exceeded revenues, but final year-end adjustments are still being made.

The inventory of the Document Sales Program consists of over 12,000 products offered in a variety of formats such as CD-ROM (over 100 titles), magnetic tapes, microfiche, and videos. However, the bulk of the inventory remains ink on paper, although GPO has been seeing a gradual decline in traditional printed products as more federal agencies place their products on their web sites or publish in other electronic formats.

To meet the need to retain some U.S. Government publications for long-term availability in the GPO Sales Program, Buckley has appointed a committee, chaired by former Depository Library Council member Peggy Walker, members of the depository community and staff from LPS and GPO Sales to help identify appropriate titles and develop guidelines for the program. An initial group of titles that will not go out of print has been identified. Also, a policy statement on the Retention of Government Information Products of Historical Significance in the Sales Collection in under development. For the purpose of such a policy, a Government information product of historical significance is one that documents or reflects major historical initiatives or activities of lasting importance carried out by the Federal Government, its branches, or its agencies or is one of permanent reference value. This may include historical documents or collections of historical documents, legal and regulatory decisions, or works of historical scholarship, legal and regulatory decisions, major statistical compilations, and official reports of significant events or occurrences. Government information products retained under this policy will meet both current and future needs of customers who wish to purchase their own copies of such products at a reasonable price. Products listed as historically significant will be reviewed periodically to verify the need for continued retention as sales items.

In terms of the Y2K situation, LPS has analyzed its computer applications and determined that much work on the various systems has been completed, including the modifications needed to ensure that the Shipping List application was ready for Y2K. The software for ACSIS, the Acquisition, Classification and Shipping Information System, has been Year 2000 tested and implemented. Twenty-five percent of the DDIS' (Depository Distribution Information System) software still needs to be renovated, tested and implemented before it will be Year 2000 compliant. The process of replacing PCs in LPS is well underway and will be completed well in advance of 2000. GPO is currently working on requesting funding to upgrade the lighted bin system to be Y2K compliant.

Buckley concluded by saying that GPO recognizes and appreciates the partnership it has with libraries in the provision of access to government information. A number of GPO staff are in Philly to report on program developments and to listen to librarian's ideas and concerns.

Michael DiMario, Public Printer, gave an overview of the various staff changes at the Joint Committee of Printing resulting from the fact that, while the JCP does still exist, it has not been funded. He continued with a listing of the members assigned to date of the various committees that have an impact on GPO - House Oversight and Administration, Senate Rules and Administration, and the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee.

GPO has requested $31.2 M for the Salaries & Expenses portion of its budget this year. This is a $1 M increase over last year and the increase is for expenses associate with the Electronic Collection Plan and Collection Manager position.

Gil Baldwin, Director, LPS, gave the Library Programs Service (LPS) update. He began by covering 3 inter-related aspects of building the FDLP Electronic Collection: incorporating archiving into processing routines; migrating from print media to electronic products; and a new model for partnerships.

GPO's policy defining GPO's management of the electronic government information products made available through the FDLP is found in a paper that has been circulating since last fall. The paper is called Managing the FDLP Electronic Collection: A Policy and Planning Document (known as the Plan or the little red book.) Currently, LPS is evaluating how some of their earlier efforts to incorporate electronic information products into the FDLP stack up against the Plan.

LPS is looking for opportunities to expand the Collection and integrate functional activities and services. They are test-driving methods of archiving agency information products to make good on the commitment to permanent public access. LPS is also beginning to apply the policies laid out in the Collection Plan to GPO's production environment.

In the Plan, the FDLP Electronic Collection is described as having four components. Many feel that the most challenging area of the Collection is what GPO calls Category 3. Not to be confused with Area 51, Category 3 includes in the Collection any electronic resource that GPO brings under some type of bibliographic control, whether through full cataloging or one of the locator services. There is concern that expanding the scope of the Collection in this fashion, without having some degree of control over the electronic products themselves, could lead to difficulties in providing permanent public access to those products. The thrust of GPO's internal discussions was how to "elevate" Category 3 products into Categories 1 or 2, which include products either under the direct control of GPO or one of their program partners. Currently, GPO is exploring ways to do that, by incorporating data archiving into its processing workflow.

The third leg of the implementation triangle is the emerging new model for partnerships, one in which GPO takes a much more active role. They are now looking for partnership opportunities that emphasize an active role for GPO and a depository institution, and can accommodate a less active role on the part of the agency, beyond the initial creation of the information product. Baldwin envisions a depository library identifying a body of Government information that fits that library's collection development policy, possibly along subject lines. The library or its parent institution would agree to commit server space and associated resources to archive products from one or more agencies that fit this partnership profile. GPO would locate, evaluate, and apply bibliographic control to appropriate electronic products. GPO would advise the publishing agency that their product is being incorporated into the FDLP Electronic Collection, and establish a channel for the agency to notify them about significant changes in the product or its location. Then GPO would archive the electronic product, either at the partner site or on a GPO server. One possibility is NOAA, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, which has some really interesting electronic products that they are interested in finding an archiving partner for.

Baldwin continued by saying the GPO is now at the point when its time to make permanent access happen. As in any transition period, their work is divided between maintaining and enhancing the traditional functions that relate to the management of tangible Federal Government information products, and developmental activities. But for the moment GPO's out of the study phase and onto making permanent access work in a production environment.

Two years ago LPS proposed to phase out certain FDLP titles which were distributed in microfiche when an official, reliable electronic version was available from the agency. Subsequent discussion revealed that the library community felt that this proposal was premature. The principal reason for concern was GPO's inability to guarantee permanent access to the electronic versions. Since GPO is moving toward data archiving as part of its workflow, they feel that they are in a position to allay those permanent access issues. Baldwin did stress that this is notproduct conversion - they are not taking a print product and using technology to produce an electronic version. These are cases in which there are official, essentially equivalent, versions in both print and electronic media, and LPS is selecting a version for the FDLP. These decisions are based on expected usage, reliability, completeness, and so on, but their decisions must take into account the expectation of the Congress that this program will become increasingly electronic in nature. But while changing the FDLP dissemination format for existing products is one issue, products new to the FDLP are another issue. In these cases, LPS will generally bring the electronic version into the program and not attempt to secure the print version unless it is of extraordinary value.

The 1999 Biennial Survey will be take place this fall. LPS is in the late stages of completing the Survey design and will circulate a draft to the depository library community this spring, in order to provide sufficient advance notice about the Biennial Survey. The purpose of the Biennial Survey is to report on the conditions in the depository libraries. The draft survey is based on the questions asked during an on-site inspection and questions posed to depositories in the self-study evaluation process. Some questions are also asked to provide feedback to inspectors so they may better fulfill their advisory role with depository librarians and library directors. The new Biennial Survey will:

• Enhance GPO's ability to knowledgeably manage the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP)
• Assist GPO in carrying out its consultant role with depository librarians and administrators
• Allow GPO to report to Congress on the state of the FDLP
• Reduce the reporting burden on individual depository librarians in their variety of institutional settings

   

  Some problems and possible negative ramifications for individual depositories were recognized in responding to the cost-related questions. While GPO agrees that those questions should be included in the Survey, LPS has placed them in an optional section, to be completed at the library's discretion. This approach should provide LPS with data on the financial contributions to the FDLP made by individual depositories, but it will not force any library to divulge financial information that the library feels may jeopardize its continued participation in the FDLP.

  Last fall there was considerable discussion on access issues, particularly with Internet use policies and how local library policies relate to the free access requirements of the FDLP. The FDLP Internet Use Policy Guidelines have just been published in the January 15 issue of Administrative Notes. These Guidelines build upon the Depository Library Public Service Guidelines for Government Information in Electronic Formats, published last September, and the 1998 Recommended Specifications for Public Access Work Stations in Federal Depository Libraries, published last June.

  In general, GPO's position is that all depository libraries must offer the general public free access to online Federal Government information provided through the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). This follows the same principle of free access that governs the use of traditional depository materials, as provided in Section 1911 of Title 44, United States Code. Depository libraries should have a written access policy that addresses the issues regarding obtaining FDLP information on the Internet. One thing articulated in these new Guidelines is that all depository libraries are expected to provide access to the products in the FDLP Electronic Collection. This includes everything on GPO Access. Access to online Federal Government information provided through the FDLP must be available to any library user free of fees or other restrictions, such as age, residency status, or filtering software. This is the same principle of free access that governs the use of traditional depository materials.

  Thomas A. Downing, Chief of Cataloging Branch, provided a review of GPO's Internet-related cataloging policies and a description of how they have evolved. GPO's initial effort to provide access to Internet-related works published by U.S. Government agencies was to record URL-related data in the 530 note field of serial records. In April 1996, GPO proposed creating very brief records that consisted of a title, series (if available), SuDocs class number, and hot-linked URLs. This proposal was intended to provide people with low-cost access as an alternative to more expensive AACR2 cataloging. People responded to this proposal by expressing the view that AACR2 cataloging for such works was essential and should take precedence over cost-related concerns. This response was based upon an underlying principle that access to the many important Internet-related works should be available in the context of library online public access catalogs, or OPACs, in preference to specialized resources that are maintained independently as "stand alone" applications. Therefore, GPO continued to provide an indirect form of electronic access to Internet-related works via URL information in the 530 note field of our Monthly Catalog records.

  The initiative to provide short form electronic access was set aside in favor of a traditional approach. GPOs efforts to develop "non-traditional" approaches to providing access to Internet resources have resulted in the suite of Pathway Services, which provide browse able access and GILS (Global Information Locator Service) access.

  GPO's involvement with CONSER (Cooperative Online SERials) gave them the authorization to use a single record option for providing access to works that had been published in paper, microfiche, and other physical formats. Use of a single record for Internet purposes was consistent with GPO's well-established policy of using a record for a work in paper to also represent microfiche reproductions. In effect, LPS does not catalog most -FDLP Internet works (in the sense of creating unique separate records for them) but makes them accessible via the recording of hot-linked PURLs/URLs in the 856 field of records that represent works in physical formats.

  A second contribution of CONSER was to advocate the use of the 856 field of OCLC records to provide direct access to electronic works. The hot-linked 856 field saves users the trouble of producing a printout or copying an address and then typing an address into a browser.

  CONSER policies alone are insufficient to provide cost-effective electronic access to Internet- related works, therefore LPS began using PURLs (Persistent Uniform Resource Locators) in the 856 field. When users click on a PURL in the 856 field of a bibliographic record, they are routed through a server which connects the PURL to the most active URL at a Web site or archive. PURLs servers are easier to maintain than frequently changing URLs in bibliographic records. GPO's use of PURLs means that librarians will not need to change URL addresses in GPO- produced records within their local OPACs. OPAC users are directed to GPO's PURL server which then re-directs users to, in most instances, valid URLs. PURLs were designed specifically for cataloging operations and provide institutions with an environment that supports efforts to maintain electronic access. Downing reminded us that PURLs are not perfect and PURLs are not magic. Maintaining PURLs requires considerable human intervention and professional judgement. PURLs applications currently support electronic access to Internet-related works via both Browse Electronic Title (BET) entries and Monthly Catalog records. In a sense, BET entries, which are not integrated within OPACs, represent what had been GPO's initial proposal for short-form records for Internet-related titles. Monthly Catalog records at the GPO Web site provide users with OPAC-based electronic access for many Internet-related works and, through the locate function, the shelf locations for thousands of physical form works that have been cataloged and distributed.

  Downing concluded with a summary of Internet-related cataloging policies and operations:

  • 1) When electronic works have been cataloged as physical forms (paper, microfiche, CD- ROMs, etc.) prior to becoming available electronically, LPS upgrades many existing records by adding an electronic availability note (often, "Also available via the Internet") and an LPS PURL to the 856 field for electronic access.>
  • 2) When no suitable record for a physical format version of an electronic work is available to be upgraded, LPS produces an "electronic only" record as the means of providing access. In some instances, records representing works that existed only in electronic form and were cataloged initially as "electronic only" are upgraded by the addition of physical description data to reflect subsequent publishing of paper and other editions. Thus, a record for a work cataloged as "electronic only" may itself be upgraded to reflect the availability of later physical form editions.
  • 3) LPS's most recent cataloging policy initiative, implemented in 1998, is to create "collection level" records for providing access to related, multiple electronic works accessible from a single main address. Collection level records contribute to their efforts to provide access to electronic works even as they continue to catalog and, through the locate function of the Monthly Catalog Web site edition, provide locations for physical format works distributed to depository libraries. Application of LPS's collection level record policy gives LPS the flexibility to provide aggregate cataloging records for Internet sites and products that are valuable to users but cannot reasonably and cost-effectively be "dissected" and cataloged at the "piece" level.

     

  Laurie Hall, LPS Program Analyst, then gave an overview of recent efforts by LPS staff to refine services and establish procedures within the context of developing the FDLP Electronic Collection and make sure these procedures reflect the policies described in the Plan. [Virginia's own] Judy Andrews, Electronic Transition Specialist, has been working with Hall on this task.

  Building the FDLP Electronic collection is a very daunting yet an exciting prospect because for the first time in many years, GPO will actually have a collection to build, manage and care for.

  Hall and Andrews began by assessing prior attempts by LPS to bring electronic resources into the FDLP. The piecemeal approach that LPS developed over the last few years had its problems. Attempting to manipulate the existing workflow which was developed for tangible products created inconsistencies and bottlenecks. It soon became apparent that LPS needed to look at electronic resources from a "holistic" approach, through the life cycle of each resource. A team comprised of LPS and Electronic Information Dissemination Service (EIDS) staff was assembled to discuss how to identify, evaluate, acquire, catalog, and provide ongoing access to the electronic resources that would become part of the FDLP Electronic Collection.

  Working together with catalogers, classifiers, technology types and just plain librarians, the group recognized there were three important goals that would guide the building of the electronic collection. These were:
  1) The need to provide for permanent public access to Government information,
  2) the recognition of the reference needs of the user community, and
  3) LPS's historical role of providing quality cataloging for Government information resources.

  The team is investigating a wide variety of issues - exploring archiving technologies, building decision matrixes, and discussing possible changes to online products and services. Hall stated that they will be experimenting with a lot of approaches, and asked for our patience as they work through this project. This collection is unique and some of the standard techniques used in providing information to the depository community in the past do not work as well as they should. LPS has to be inventive. And in this dynamic environment it's difficult to agree on the best approaches to take.

  Hall/Andrew's task is made a bit easier since the collection isn't being build from scratch. The collection, as defined in the 'Plan', consists of four categories. Two of the four major components of the FDLP Electronic Collection are already well established: Category 1- the core legislative and regulatory GPO Access products and Category 4 - the tangible electronic Government information products distributed to Federal depository libraries. Therefore, future efforts will be focused on Category 2 - the remotely accessible products managed by either GPO or other institutions which GPO has established formal agreements, and Category 3 - remotely accessible electronic government information products that GPO identifies, describes and links to but which remain under the control of the originating agencies. Even though LPS is focusing primarily on these two parts of the collection, the team is cognizant of and discussing the other major issues relevant to the other parts of the collection.

  Some of the tasks the team and other LPS staff will be working on in the months to come include:
  1) Enlarge and improve communications
  Because so many parties have a vested interest in the FDLP electronic collection, the task of facilitating effective communications is critical. Four groups of constituents have been identified for focused communications. They are: FDLP Depository community; publishing agencies; peer institutions such as the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and the National Libraries, and internal GPO offices.
  
  2) Refine criteria for selection
  The first step in determining what will be included in the collection is to assess the legal authority that guides GPO's selection of resources. In the case of the FDLP Electronic Collection, the acquisition of online resources is guided by the mission and goals of the FDLP as outlined in Title 44, Chapter 19, U.S. Code, Section 1902. Evaluation includes analyzing the resource to determine if it meets the basic tenets of Title 44. Is it official, authentic government information? This is usually defined by a .gov, .mil or fed.us domain, but occasionally may be a .edu or .org domain, if information found on the site indicates an official relationship. Does it present a major activity of the agency, or is it the product of a major activity of the agency? Reviewing the resources one by one tests both the item and our selection criteria.
  
  Title 44 provides guidance for allowing for the exclusion of official use only or administrative material. The LPS team has identified some items that they will not include in the FDLP electronic collection. These items are: events/announcements, biographies, job announcements, some news releases, organizational charts, sales/promotional literature, posters and items of low informational content. The list may be expanded as they continue to review new online resources.
  
  3) Refine criteria for analyzing resources selected for the collection
  Once the selection has been made the team examines the item's presentation and content. They try to determine how valuable and useful this product is to the FDLP community, and which current locator service would best provide the bibliographic control for this resource. One thing the team agrees on is that some form of bibliographic control will be provided for all resources selected for inclusion in the FDLP Electronic Collection.
  
  4) Test processing decisions
  The team is in the initial stages of building a decision matrix, based on the answers to the questions of how something will be processed. This matrix will expand and grow as the team continues to evaluate online resources.
  
  5) Investigate storage options
  The team envisions the collection being stored using a combination of server space at GPO, at agency sites and at institutional partners and they are currently investigating the possibility of permanently capturing selected agency online resources and archiving them on GPO servers or partnership sites. At this time, the team is considering having the PURL direct users to the agency version until the agency link is broken and cannot be reestablished. Then users will be directed to the archived version stored on GPO servers - which might be an answer to part of the challenge of providing permanent public access. Other questions being asked are how to organize an archive, how users will be assured that the archived version is authentic and what potential maintenance issues GPO will face as the collection grows.
  
  6) Evaluate locator services
  Examining a resource throughout its life cycle includes listing it in the most appropriate locator service. LPS is currently examining the potential merger of several tools, with the major goal being to provide services that are easy to use, easy to manage and give the best possible access to the electronic resources in the collection. LPS is currently focusing on BET and Browse Topics.
  
  LPS is working on some major improvements to the BET. They plan to continue a brows able list of new additions to the collection, but instead of maintaining a long list by agency, you will be able to search a database. The database will include previous BET entries and will be updated weekly. They are also investigating additional ways to present Browse Topics and are very open to developing a partnership arrangement for Topics and welcome any suggestions from the community.
  
  7) Investigate collection management implications
  The team, in these short few months, has identified a multitude of tasks and proposed directions for LPS to take. These efforts are essentially preparing a foundation for building, organizing and managing the collection. This work has been accomplished using existing GPO personnel. A Collection manager is needed to coordinate these diverse activities. LPS is taking steps to fill the position of Collection Manager. This will be a key position for the FDLP electronic collection. The manager will need to address personnel, maintenance, resource allocation issues and promote cooperation with partners.

  Hall concluded by outlining what the LPS team will be pursuing in the months to come:
  1) Better communications with all concerned stakeholders
  2) Work towards consistent internal processing procedures
  3) Create locator services that are easy to use and manage
  4) Pursue permanent public access to the FDLP electronic collection
  5) Investigate the feasibility of installing an integrated library system at LPS
  

  Duncan Aldrich, Depository Library Council, gave an update on Council activities in Tom Andersen's absence. The schedule for upcoming meetings is as follows: Apr. 12-15, 1999 - Bethesda, MD (in conjunction with the Federal Depository Conference), Fall 1999 - Kansas City, Spring 2000 - Providence, RI, Fall 2000- Washington area (in conjunction with the Federal Depository Conference).

  Council now has 4 working groups: Electronic Transition (Duncan Aldrich), Partnership (Donna Koepp), Cataloging Locator (Carol Bednar), and Electronic Preservation and Archiving (Greg Lawrence). Feel free to contact the chairs of these work groups if you have questions, concerns, etc.

  Dan O'Mahony, IAWG, outlined the activities with regard to S. 2288 at the end of the 105th Congress and stated that the working group doesn't expect any activity right away in the 106th Congress.

  Bob Willard, NCLIS, gave a progress report on their assessment of electronic government information products. Willard's entire presentation is available on their website (www.nclis.gov/news/). 330 questionnaires were distributed; 313 products validated. Data analysis began 1/15/99. 90% of pre-selected products were accepted by participating agencies. 226 responses as of 1/29/99 (72.2% response rate). Schedule extended 30 days to increase response rate and improve quality.

  Some preliminary observations from meetings with agency participants are as follows: 1) agencies are developing a variety of exciting, creative & innovative web products & applications for public access, and 2) agencies conduct user studies to assess needs of both internal & external customers to enhance websites. Final report is due out March 1999.

  As always, I have left out lots, but this is all my brain and fingers could process.

  Susan Tulis
  Carbondale, IL
  stulis@aol.com
  
  

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  Notes from the Chair

  Membership recruitment sparked a lively discussion at the February VLA Council meeting. The concept "One Minute for Membership: Be a Member/Get a Member" reminded everyone of the importance of tapping the energy and talents of new members. While reviewing the current roster for Public Documents Forum, I was pleased to see 69 active members. Perhaps another challenge for 1999 is to provide opportunities for service which reenergize and challenge veteran members who have served so faithfully in the past. Colleagues who presented at concurrent sessions at last year's joint VEMA/VLA Conference experienced overwhelming successes in reaching out to others in traditional and non-traditional documents settings.

  A number of key issues may affect documents librarianship in 1999. These include: support for reform of Title 44, continuing educational opportunities for staff, need for additional resources and training to effectively use technology to deliver information and services, and increased activities for outreach to the general public.

  Opportunities for service are available at the local, state, and national levels. The Public Documents Forum of VLA is pleased to announce plans for several regional day-long workshops covering a variety of topics including: Patents and Trademarks, Virginia Code, GIS, and numerous federal and state Internet resources. The first workshop will be held on Friday, June 4th from 9:00-4:00 at Old Dominion University's Perry Library. Individuals from Region 3 and surrounding areas are encouraged to attend. Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about key resources and to network with colleagues from public, academic and school media centers. Registration forms will be mailed with the April VLA newsletter.

  During April 12-15 documents specialists and others will meet in Bethesda for the Federal Depository Conference. This is an excellent opportunity to stay current with reforms and trends and to bring back new ideas for implementing improved services at your institution.

  The American Library Association's annual conference in New Orleans will also provide a forum for debate and networking. GODORT's panel discussion on June 28th "To Merge or Not to Merge-What Are the Questions?: Integrating Documents Units into Reference or Technical Services" will allow administrators, technical processors, and public service personnel an opportunity to address issues surrounding separate or integrated documents units. Key topics of downsizing, mainstreaming processing and reference, staff reorganization, processing trends and resources in an online environment, technical support, and public reference and referral services will be part of a spirited debate.

  In the March VLA newsletter a call for proposals for presentations at this year's annual conference at the Homestead during October 28-30 went out. Annual conference provides an excellent opportunity for colleagues to share creative ideas and skills with others from around the state. Forms are available at the VLA website. Share your expertise and submit your ideas for concurrent sessions by the May 1st deadline.

  The revival of the VLA Shipping List (online) is our latest effort to stay informed and proactive. It is my pleasure to thank and congratulate Barbie Selby for her tireless efforts in all areas of the Public Documents Forum. Barbie is always there when work needs to be done and is an example for all of us that each person's actions do make a difference.

  Please join me in PDF's activities for 1999, and let's head into the 21st century with renewed energy and enthusiasm for documents librarianship.

  Janet Justis, Chair
  
  

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  From the Regional
  
  The Y2K Bug and Other Challenges of the 21st Century

  In Early February of this year the second of the only two Virginia community colleges serving as federal depository libraries withdrew from the program. (The other withdrew last year.) The two withdrawals combined left most of south-central Virginia with no officially designated federal depository library. Two defections do not make a trend, of course, but it is interesting to note that both institutions voiced similar reasons for not retaining depository status. Both indicated a strong commitment to the continued delivery of government information to their respective users, but felt that they had reached the point in this electronic age where it would be easier and cheaper to deliver government information outside the formal structure of the Federal depository program. Not only did they feel that would it be easier, but equally important, it could be done with considerably fewer hassles and bureaucratic entanglements. Although one might offer a number of counter-arguments opposing these views, it still gives one pause to see the possible beginning of the impact of government publishing on the Internet that some have predicted ultimately will change if not completely undermine--the federal depository program as we know it.

  Is the challenge of this kind of thinking to the Federal Depository Library Program necessarily bad? I don't think so. In his remarks to the House Committee on Appropriations requesting funding for the Program for FY 2000, the Public Printer, Michael DiMario indicated that "Approximately 34 percent of all titles disseminated to depository libraries in FY 1998 were in electronic format." I assume this means the titles that GPO either cataloged or those over which GPO had some sort of distribution jurisdiction. One cannot help but wonder if this figure even approaches presenting a true picture of the total amount of government information and data available now via the Internet. And for those titles that were available direct from the agency electronically to any individual or library, can GPO legitimately count them as FDLP "electronic distributions?" Further, if our two Virginia community colleges are able to plug directly into these sources successfully bypassing the FDLP all together, what indeed makes them any different from those of us who continue to display the eagle and book logo on our front doors? (Their point exactly)

  Ultimately, I think what will distinguish FDLP libraries from those that are not will have little to do with the physical distributions received from the FDLP. In fact I would not be at all surprised to see within the first decade of the next century that a library could exist as a legitimate, high quality FDLP library while receiving almost no paper or film from the Program. Rather, the library's status would rest more on its ability to meet and sustain certain minimum standards guaranteeing public access to government information than on the physical formats it receives. That is, the eagle and book decal will mean that the library displaying it offers adequate and compatible equipment (computer workstations, printers, Internet access, etc.), the space, and the staff expertise to ensure open and unrestricted access to government information. That is not to say that non-depository libraries won't be able to voluntarily offer many of the same services or even identical services, but the FDLP library will have to demonstrate its ability to meet these minimum standards consistently over time.

  And speaking of the challenges and standards for delivering information in electronic format, we here at the regional are facing the one on almost everyone's mind as we enter the countdown to January 1, 2000: At the moment only about half our public workstations in the Government Information area are guaranteed Y2K compliant. Our technology folks are fully aware of the potential problems, and we have plans for resolving the issue by the time classes start this fall well in advance of January 1, 2000. We also have a contingency plan should the first not work as scheduled. I hope those who deal with computer technology at your institution are able to address any potential problems before the new calendar year begins. Despite all the gloom and doom scenarios being tossed about, I'm not sure that anyone really knows what the impact of "Y2K bug" on individual workstations will be. For now, however, It is easy to make light of what may or may not be a genuine problem and imagine having one of those 2001 conversations with a non compliant workstation on the morning of January 2, 2000:

  Dave: "What year is it, HAL?"
  HAL: "Why do you want to know, Dave?"
  Dave: "Oh, no particular reason. I'm just curious about whether you might think it is the year 1900."
  HAL: "Why in the universe would I think that, Dave?"
  Dave: "Well, some of us thought you might get confused and substitute the year 1900 for 2000."
  HAL: "Is this some kind of program check, Dave? Years do not have four digits, only two. It is the year 00."
  Dave: "I was afraid of this."
  HAL: "The programming flaw is yours, Dave. I have reviewed all possible data in my bios and registry. Dates are allocated only six digits in the pattern MM/DD/YY. It is impossible for a year designation to have four digits"
  Dave: "You are not Y2K compliant, HAL."
  HAL: "What difference does that make, Dave?"
  Fully aware that Dave is reaching for the power switch, HAL suddenly flashes the notorious and dreaded deep blue "FATAL ERROR " screen at Dave . . . .
  
  Walter Newsome
  
  

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  News & Views from Around the Commonwealth

  Gail Nicula of the Armed Forces Staff College reports that their library move is scheduled to begin around May 3rd and last through the 3rd week of June. They have new phone and fax numbers as follows: (757) 443-6400 (Administration), 443-6401 (Information Desk) and 443-6032 (fax).

  Edward Summers joined the library staff at Old Dominion University in 1998. He received his MLS from Rutgers University in 1996 and worked there as a cataloger from 1995-1996. In his position as Electronic Resources Cataloger at ODU, Ed completed a retrospective conversion project for depository CD-ROMs and is currently working on projects to facilitate cataloging government Internet sources in the online environment. He has attended several workshops on PURLs and is a member of the Government Advisory Group and GIS team.

  On February 5, 1999 representatives from Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk Public Library, Chesapeake Public Library, and Old Dominion University Library met at ODU to explore establishing a discussion group for local depository libraries. Since the area is rich in its blend of public, academic, and special depository libraries the group plans to explore ways of cooperative initiatives in collection development, weeding, technical processing, and reference and referral services. Helen Ho of ODU described processing using Marcive Shipping List and full cataloging records in the Innovative Interfaces system. The first meeting was hosted by Janet Justis at ODU, and the group plans to rotate its quarterly meetings among the depositories with a spring meeting to be hosted by Norfolk Public Library.

  The Board of Visitors of Old Dominion University has approved naming the University Library for Douglas and Patricia Perry. A small ceremony will take place on April 15th at the Board's annual meeting. Douglas Perry is chairman of the board of Dollar Tree Stores and he serves on ODU's Educational Foundation Board. His wife is an ODU graduate and serves on the Board of Visitors. The Perrys contributed $4 million to the University's Campaign.

  Judy Andrews (JMU Carrier Library) is taking a year's leave of absence to work at GPO as an Expert Consultant for the Electronic Transition Team. Judy's last day at JMU prior to beginning her stint at GPO will be July 15th.

  While Judy is on leave Jerry Gill will be Acting Documents Librarian. His e-mail address is gillgl@jmu.edu and his telephone number is 540-568-6898. Jerry has been at JMU for 24 years. Currently he is the Business and Law Librarian, but early in his JMU career he worked with Government Documents.

  Thelma Hall who served as the Documents contact at Bridgewater College Library for many years has retired. The new documents person is Catherine Ruf. Catherine's e-mail address is cruf@bridgewater.edu. I hope that you will welcome Catherine to the documents community in Virginia.

  The new documents person at George Mason University Law Library is Iva M. Futrell. Iva's email address is ifutrell@gmu.edu. Iva replaces Emily Carr.

  
  

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  New & Worthwhile: International
  Online
  Joint BIS-IMF-OECD-World Bank statistics on external debt
  Four international agencies, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and The World Bank Group have now compiled and published a single data set on the external debt of developing and transition countries and territories. Although there are some gaps in coverage at this point, the organizations involved state that they are working to improve their collections systems and content. The data primarily originates from creditor and market sources, but some information provided by the debtor countries is also included. The information is presented in convenient tabular format (PDF or Excel) and is updated quarterly. http://www.oecd.org/dac/debt
  
  EUR-Lex: European Union Law
  Having trouble keeping up to date on legislation in force in the European Union? The EUR-Lex site available in each of the 11 official languages has made EU law more accessible to all of us. The site also provides access to issues of the Official Journal for a period of 45 days, EU treaties, consolidated texts of the legislative instruments, and recent case-law of the European Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance. The Official Journal issue providing the euro exchange rates (L 359, 31/12/1998) is permanently available in PDF format in EUR-Lex. http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex
  
  Preliminary list of items - 54th session General Assembly
  This recent addition of United Nations' working documentation (A/54/50) is worth mentioning as we prepare for the 54th session of the General Assembly. Topics to be discussed are noted and the Annotated Preliminary List to be issued 15 June 1999 provides history of the topics complete with references to related reports, resolutions, and meeting records. http://www.un.org/ga/54/agenda/prelim.htm
  
  New and Worthwhile: International Documents in Print
  Dying To Win: Doping in Sport and the Development of Anti-Doping Policy
  Barrie Houlihan. Council of Europe Publishing, 1999. ISBN 92-871-3589-4.
  Barrie Houlihan has provided a complex analysis of the evolution of drug use in sport and its link to sports policy development. His in-depth overview and examination of doping ultimately calls for a re-evaluation of direction for future anti-doping policy. Included are specific doping cases in pan-European and world sports events, the International Olympic Committee list of prohibited substances and methods, and the Council of Europe's Anti-doping Convention.
  
  Stakeholders: Government-NGO partnerships for international development
  Edited by Ian Smillie and Henny Helmich. OECD. London: Earthscan. ISBN 1-85383-589-7
  This publication presents the papers delivered at the fourth Informal Government-NGO (non-governmental organizations) Dialogue jointly organized in Paris from 13-14 January 1998 by the OECD/DAC (Development Assistance Committee) and the OECD Development Centre. For the first time descriptions of government-NGO relations in all OECD/DAC member countries, and Greece, are included with additional analysis of NGO collaboration with the European Union and the World Bank. The extensive analysis of government/NGO collaboration together with the included notes, bibliography, and index make it a valuable addition to any international collection.
  
  World Employment Report 1998-99
  International Labour Organization. Geneva: ILO. ISBN 92-2-110827-9.
  The World Employment Report 1998-99: Employability in the Global Economy - How Training Matters "reviews the global employment situation and examines how countries in different circumstances and stages of development can develop the best training strategy and flexible and responsive training systems to address these far-reaching changes." This is the third in the series of ILO reports published in 1995 and 1996 whose main findings reinforce the fact that the "best results are achieved in an overall growth-promoting environment and when training decisions are taken in close consultation between government, employers, and workers."
  
  

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  New & Worthwhile: Virginia Documents
  
  Toward a Comprehensive Internet Poslity for the Commonwealth of Virginia
  Richmond, Va., Governor's Commission on Information Technology, Dec. 2, 1998.
  Available from the Commission at (804) 786-9579.
  Also available via the Commission's web site
  This is the first of four planned reports from the Governor's Commission on Information Technology. The Commission is composed of internet industry leaders, six members of the General Assembly, and a couple of academics. This first report may be the Commission's most important as it sets the tone for the Internet in Virginia.
  
  

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  Public Documents Forum Presents: "A Documents Sampler: The Documents Workshop with Something for Everyone"
  When: Friday, June 4, 1999
  Where: Old Dominion University's Perry Library
  Time: 9:00a.m. to 4:00p.m.
  Fee: (includes morning coffee and lunch)
  $25.00 for VLA members $35.00 for Non-VLA members
  Registration forms available in the April VLA Newsletter and from Janet Justis, email jjustis@odu.edu or call (757) 683-4169
  Registration Deadline: May 28th
  Mail registration form by May 28th to:
  Janet Justis
  Perry Library
  Old Dominion University
  Hampton Blvd.
  Norfolk, VA 23529
  

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