Shipping List
Newsletter of the Public Documents Forum
of the Virginia Library Association
|
Shipping List
Newsletter of the Public Documents Forum of the Virginia Library Association |
| vol. 25, no.1 | February 2000 |
Please spread the word about the Documents workshop on March 17th at Virginia Tech. Thanks to Bruce Obenhaus for hosting the event and posting registration forms, parking info, etc. Need a registration form?
Congratulations to the Library of Virginia and the State Documents Program on the occasion of the House and Senate Joint Resolutions honoring their 1000th shipment of state agency publications!
Please send any comments, questions, suggestions, etc. to the editor.-- Janet Justis
Also, note the Concurrent Session Proposal Form for the 2000 VLA Conference that was included in your Newsletter. Concurrent session programs at the 1999 Annual Conference at the Homestead included presentations by PDF members Janet Justis, Carol Hunter, and Barbie Selby. Share your interests and expertise by submitting your program proposal by May 1, 2000. I, for one, found the experience personally rewarding and rediscovered the truth that one actually does learn more by doing.
Please join your fellow Virginians at a special lunch with Virginia’s legislators on Tuesday, May 2nd from noon –2:00pm in the Gold Room of the Rayburn Office Building in Washington, D.C. Register by April 1st by completing the e-form on VLA’s web page. The cost of the luncheon event is $40.00. This lunch coincides with National Library Legislative Day and will be preceded by a free workshop sponsored by the Washington Office of ALA on Monday, May 1st. The workshop’s focus is to assist librarians in becoming fully informed on the issues and to learn effective advocacy skills.
As your new PDF chair, I am looking to you for ideas, suggestions, and comments. What types of programs would you find beneficial in supporting your document work? Where would you like to see these programs held so the maximum number of individuals could benefit? How can PDF effectively address issues that you find pressing? How can we best include new members in our ranks while revitalizing those who have served for many years? In essence, I am conducting an informal needs assessment as we embark on a new year. Please let me hear from you. I may be reached by e-mail at crh5f@virginia.edu, or by phone at (804)243-8788.
Carol Hunter, PDF Chair
House and Senate Honor
The House of Delegates and Senate of Virginia honored the Library of Virginia's State Documents Depository Program with two Joint Resolutions during the 2000 General Assembly in recognition of the 1000th Shipment of state agency publications to designated depositories state-wide.
House Joint Resolution 348 sponsored by Delegate Viola Baskerville and Senate Joint Resolution 256 sponsored by Senator Benjamin Lambert acknowleged the benchmark 1000th shipment of depository materials, a total of over 1.6 million documents over nearly 20 years. The participating State Documents Depository Program libraries include the Chesapeake Public Library, Longwood College, the College of William and Mary, Old Dominion University, Virginia Tech, the University of Virginia, Mary Washington College, Radford University, George Mason University, Virginia Commonwealth University, James Madison University, the University of Virginia's College at Wise, and the Library of Congress.
Through a joint effort of the Library and the Public Documents Forum of the Virginia Library Association, the General Assembly passed House Bill 1390, (chapter 234, Acts of Assembly 1981) which provided the legal basis for the organization of a depository system. The same act required every agency to provide the library sufficient copies for its collections as well as copies sufficient for the depository system, not exceed 100 copies. Some of those involved in advocating for the legislation included Linda Morrissett formerly of the then "State Library", Tim Byrne formerly of Virginia Commonwealth University and past Coordinator of the Public Documents Forum of the Virginia Library Association, and Sandra Peterson formerly of the College of William and Mary.
While some of the problems inherent in the system remain today, the program remains viable and successful. Parts of the state remain underserved, particularly southside Virginia. Some agencies are less cooperative than others in supplying materials for the program, and staff changes within agencies require constant contact to maintain the relationships needed to acquire documents. To this end, the library makes over 600 contacts a year with state agency personnel.
Mary Clark, Manager, State and
Federal Documents, Library of Virginia
Amanda Wakaruk joined the staff at Old Dominion University's Perry Library on February 10, 2000. She assumed the position of Business Reference Librarian. Amanda was previously employed by the Alberta Justice Department as Acting Reference Librarian for the Staff College Library. Prior to that she served as the Federal Government Documents Librarian Assistant at the Edmonton Public Library in Alberta, Canada.
Amanda received her MLS from the University of Alberta and holds a BA in Commerce from Athabasca University. She was also the 1999 recipient of the David Rozkuszka Scholarship awarded by the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association.
Nancy George is the new documents librarian at Chesapeake Public Library. She received her MLS in May 1999 and joined the staff at CPL in October. While earning her Masters in Library Science, Nancy worked full-time at the University of Pittsburgh as an undergraduate academic advisor.
The UVA Law Library has joined the main University Library system
in it's VIRGO online catalog. In a single search you can now see
what is available in the UVA Grounds libraries, with the exception of the
Health Sciences Library. The URL for VIRGO is: http://virgo.lib.virginia.edu/
This link provides information on what’s new on OECD web sites by subject area. Also offered are free monthly e-mail updates featuring links to information on new OECD publications and activities. Subscribe to this service at washington.contact@oecd.org
SourceOECD
http://www.oecd.org/sourceoecd
Source OCED is the new collective brand name for OECD's online services. The initial four services are: 1) Studies - gathers together all OECD books and reports published since January 1998, delivery via ingenta in pdf format; 2) Periodicals - includes all issues of OECD periodicals from January 1998 onwards, delivery via ingenta in pdf format; 3) Statistics - will deliver access to most OECD statistical databases online, using Ivation’s Beyond 20/20 web browser; and 4) Acts - the definitive source of all official OECD conventions, guidelines and acts of the Organisation. Check out the following web page for licensing agreements: http://www.oecdwash.org/PRESS/CONTENT/library.htm
World Income Inequality Database (WIID)
http://www.undp.org/poverty/initiatives/wider/wiid.htm
A joint effort of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations University’s World Institute Development Economics Institute (WIDER), the World Income Inequality Database (WIID) provides information on income inequalities at both cross-country and time series levels. It presents data on changes in income inequality over the period 1950-98, with a particular focus on the period since 1980 for 149 countries. Users are able to view WIID on the Web, but they can also download it in Microsoft Access.
Carol Hunter, Univ. of Virginia
Chesapeake Bay Commission. The State of the Chesapeake Bay:
A Report to the
Citizens of the Bay Region (Annapolis,
MD, Chesapeake Bay Program, October
1999).
This aptly titled publication provides readers with
a narrative and statistical overview of the status of the bay's most important
species, efforts to reduce excess nutrients, toxic pollution, air pollution,
and changes to the landscape. It also contains a nice thumbnail history
of the Chesapeake Bay Program, a Chesapeake Bay timeline that covers 9000
BC to 2020 AD and a list of other agencies and organizations to contact.
Availability: Visit the Chesapeake
Bay Program's website: http://www.chesapeakebay.net,
talk to one of their staff on the telephone: 1 (800) YOUR BAY (that's 1-800-968-7229),
or write them a letter: Chesapeake Bay Program, 410 Severn Ave. Annapolis,
MD 21403. The public will also find copies of The State of the
Chesapeake Bay: A Report to the Citizens of the Bay Region at The
Library of Virginia : (804) 692-3500.
Whisonant, Robert C. "Geology and History of the Confederate Coal Mines
in
Montgomery County, Virginia." Virginia
Minerals vol. 46, no. 1 (February 2000).
If the relationship between the geology of southwestern
Virginia and the Civil War military history of that region or the CSS Virginia
interest your readers, then they may enjoy reading this article.
Mr. Whisonant examines the geology and economic development of the Price
Mountain coal beds in Montgomery County in order to examine a commonly
shared story in which a Price Mountain coal mine supplies anthracite coal
to fuel the CSS Virginia. He asks and attempts to answer three main
questions in order to test that story: what special geologic conditions
led to the formation of the unusually high-grade Price Mountain coals,
was that coal mined during the Civil War, and, if so, did that coal actually
fuel the CSS Virginia? Readers who want to examine these questions
and answers in greater detail may pick and choose further reading from
his list of thirty-four references.
Availability: The Division
of Mineral Resources of Virginia's Department
of Mines, Minerals and Energy publishes Virginia Minerals quarterly.
Copies of Virginia Minerals are available to the public at The
Library of Virginia , (804)
692-3500
(call number TN 24 .V8 A35), or from the Division
of Mineral Resources: P.O. Box 3667 Charlottesville, VA 22903, (804)
951-6340.
Young, Elizabeth H., ed. Virginia Statistical Abstract, 1999-2000
ed. (Charlottesville:
Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, University
of Virginia, 1999).
The Virginia Statistical Abstract,
similar in content and scope to its Federal counterpart, contains statistical
data on Virginia's communications, government, natural resources, people,
and transportation. Each of its twenty-three different subject sections
includes a brief introduction in which readers will find information about
the sources from which the editor gathered the section's statistical data
and definitions of the concepts that readers will frequently encounter
in that section.
Availability: People may purchase the
Virginia
Statistical Abstract directly from the University
of Virginia's Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service for $45.00 plus
shipping and handling. Visit the Weldon
Cooper Center's web site (http://www.virginia.edu/coopercenter), send
their staff an e-mail cps-pubs@virginia.edu, or talk to someone from their
staff on the telephone: (804) 982-5704. In addition, readers will
find copies of the Virginia Statistical Abstract at The Library
of Virginia : (804) 692-3500 (call number HA 686 .V8 ).
Questions, Comments?
Contact: Matt Wier at mwier@vsla.edu
or (804) 692-3794
17th International Documents Workshop
Sponsored by Readex
Oct. 7-10, 1999
On a crisp fall weekend in October, librarians gathered in Chester, Vermont to share expertise and learn about new resources at the 17th International Documents Workshop. Readex continues to sponsor this popular event which offers a unique opportunity for experienced and novice personnel to learn about traditional and electronic resources in the field of international documents research. This year's workshop was lead by Susan White, United Nations Documents Librarian of Princeton University. During her 20 years at Princeton, Ms. White has established and created a collection which is used by more than 650 students each year. She has created a UN web site, United Nations Collections of Princeton University Library, which assists Model UN participants, students, and the general public in locating electronic resources.
Other participants included: John Cocklin, Dartmouth College; Marcia Gorin, Florida State University, John Hendricks, Northwestern University; Kenneth Lohrentz, University of Kansas; Karen Wagner, Georgia State University; Jennifer Larraguibel, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (Law Library); Katrina Stierholz, Washington University (Law Library); Ruth Stiles, Rice University; Jackie Druery, Northwestern University; and Janet Justis, Old Dominion University.
The ambitious agenda focused largely on the United Nations and its publications. While traditional areas of UN publishing were discussed, attention was also paid to the organization's vast presence on the Internet and the types of electronic publications now available. A lively discussion of the UN's Official Documents System (ODS) explored the pros and cons of this unique tool offered by subscription. ODS provides full text access of documents dating back to 1992 in Portable Document Format (PDF) in all languages of the United Nations. UN resolutions of the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, and Trusteeship Council are available from 1946. While many depositories use ODS to supplement their print and microfiche collections, non-depository libraries may find that this tool provides an opportunity for an immediate online archive to key documents. On the other hand, some concern was expressed by libraries currently using the product that response times can be very slow and some libraries with sophisticated fire walls may experience difficulties accessing the ODS databases.
Readex staff also provided a tour of their facilities and gave a demonstration of Access UN their online index to United Nations Documents and Publications. A review of this product by Charles "Chuck" Eckman at Stanford University notes the company's experience in handling the complexities of the UN system, and commends Readex for continuing to improve the product following user suggestions. Readex personnel stressed that Access UN is intended to be an index first and foremost, and works best with their microfiche collection. They have added some full text online, but former copyright agreements with agencies will not lead to large amounts of full text appearing on this site. Full text from 1950- is approximately 3%, while 11% full text is offered from 1991 forward focusing mostly on UN resolutions, votes, and meetings to vote.
An overview of the evolution of the modern IGO system was presented and particular attention was paid to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development OECD, and the European Union EU. As you can see from our New and Worthwile International Documents section, excellent resources from the OECD are available on the web and challenge us to make certain that researchers are aware of traditional and non-traditional resources.
While many of the participants work in UN depositories, the workshop also explored options for those who might want to expand their international documents collection by focusing on electronic products and sales materials. Various vendors were discussed to assist in unraveling the maze of acquiring international publications. One tool that is particularly helpful "Acquiring International Documents" is compiled by Chuck Eckman and maintained on GODORT 's International Documents Task Force (IDTF) website. For the neophyte, this guide is an excellent resource for learning which vendors supply documents for various organizations. The guide is broken out into the following sections: 1) United Nations Organization, 2) United Nations Related Programs & Special Bodies, 3) United Nations Regional Commissions, 4) Specialized Agencies, 5) European Union, 6) Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development, and 7) Vendors that Supply International Documents. Contacts, addresses, email, and phone numbers are also listed.
IDTF does an excellent job of providing topical guides, acquisitions tips, web links to IGOs, and professional contacts. Their homepage http://govinfo.ucsd.edu/idtf/ is maintained by the Social Sciences and Humanities Library at the University of California at San Diego.
No workshop on international publications would be complete without mentioning Peter Hajnal's reference work, International Information: Documents, Publications, and Electronic Information of International Governmental Organizations, 2nd edition, (Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, Inc. 1997). For those new to the profession, this publication is an essential guide to learning about the structure of organizations, publications of IGOs, and the challenges of acquiring documents.
Perhaps the most useful part of the workshop was the sharing of information by practicing documents librarians. In addition to learning about the various international organizations, many discussed their attempts to create online guides to assist users in navigating the maze of information now available on the web. In addition to Ms. White's site at Princeton, Northwestern University Library has a very comprehensive alphabetical listing of organizations which allows users to browse freely.
Participants left the workshop with a better understanding of available resources, a renewed enthusiasm for improving access to international documents in a variety of formats, and an appreciation of the importance of incorporating a global perspective when conducting research.
Janet Justis, Old Dominion University
VLA Unit: Public Documents Forum
Purpose and Goals/Charge: To provide a forum for discussion of current issues and concerns in the profession and to facilitate the exchange of ideas among library staff working with government publications. The primary objective is to initiate and support programs to increase the availability, use, and bibliographic control of government publications in Virginia.
Officers/Committee Members:
Janet Justis, Chair
Old Dominion University
Carol Hunter, Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect
University of Virginia
Peggy Burgess, Secretary
Norfolk Public Library
Other Active Participants:
Barbie Selby / UVA, Alan Zoellner / W&M, Louveller Luster / VCU, Mary Clark / Library of Virginia, and Stuart Frazer / ODU.
No. of Members: 69
Meetings:
Business Meeting at annual conference and other business by email or
called meetings among the officers.
Programs and Activities:
“A Documents Sampler: The Documents Workshop with Something for Everyone”
Hosted by: Old Dominion University’s Perry Library on
June 4, 1999
37 participants attended a day-long series of sessions on the following topics: Overview of U.S. and Virginia resources, Federal Statistics, Patents and Trademarks, Virginia Code, and using GIS. After expenses for food, photocopies, etc. the workshop netted a profit of $636.78 for VLA.
Publications:
Barbie Selby is to be commended for reviving the forum’s online newsletter, “The Shipping List”. Issues were published in April and July of 1999 and can be found on the VLA web page under Units / Public Documents Forum. Walter Newsome, Carol Hunter, Barbie Selby, and Janet Justis contributed articles for these issues.
Future Plans and Recommendations:
Another day-long workshop will be held in western Virginia in the spring of 2000. “Shipping List” will continue to be published online on a quarterly basis. PDF will explore the possibility of a joint workshop with the North Carolina Library Association for training using GPO Access. A possible workshop on using the 2000 Census is being considered for next year’s annual conference in Norfolk (contingent on availability of Census Bureau personnel and community interest).
Signed: Janet Justis, Chair
/ Public Documents Forum
Date: October 15, 1999