Shipping List
Newsletter of the Public Documents Forum
of the Virginia Library Association
 
vol. 24, no.3 July 1999


From the Editor

Welcome to the second web issue of the VLA Shipping List! We hope that you will find the newsletter useful and interesting. Contributors to this issue were Janet Justis from Old Dominion University and Carol Hunter from UVA.

Please be sure to take a look at the information about the VLA Annual Conference which will take place at the Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia from October 28 to the 30. Several PDF members are presenting programs. Plus, the Homestead is a wonderful place. Remember, the cost of a room includes a wonderful breakfast and dinner. Once you figure that in, it really is affordable. Hope to see you there!

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

To Merge or Not to Merge-What Are the Questions?: Integrating Documents Units into Reference or Technical Services"
Sponsored by: Government Documents Round Table (GODORT)
1999 American Library Association Annual Conference
June 28, 1999 / New Orleans, LA

Why a Program about Merging?:

When Larry Romans, GODORT Program Chair, asked if I would participate in a panel discussion regarding merging documents with reference and technical services, I knew from my experiences at Old Dominion University that this would be a timely and perhaps controversial topic. Many organizations have struggled with the decision of maintaining separate departments focused on specialized customer service versus mainstreaming documents activities to better utilize existing personnel, resources, and new technologies. Other institutions may face similar decisions in the future and are watching the successes and challenges of libraries that have merged services or collections.

One goal of the GODORT program was to provide a forum for discussion of the pros and cons of mergers. Nine panelists agreed to share their experiences in merging technical or reference services at their institutions. The group included administrators, catalogers and processors, documents librarians, and general reference librarians. Prior to the conference all panelists submitted written responses to questions regarding decision-making processes, implementation, cross training, quality reference services, and the effects and assessments of their mergers. Those responses and some spontaneous remarks from the program will be used as the basis of an article in Documents To The People (DTTP) at a later date. The following is a summary of some of the key issues discussed at ALA .

The Panelists :
* Cynthia Coulter, Head, Acquisitions Dept., Rod Library University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA
*Chuck Eckman, Government Documents, Green Library, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
* Mary Fetzer, Gov't. Resources Librarian, Alexander Library, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
* Janet Justis, Gov't. Information Ref. Librarian, Perry Library, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA
* Nan Myers, Gov't. Documents Librarian (Technical Services), Ablah Library, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS
* John A. Stevenson, Coordinator, Gov't. Documents and Maps Processing Unit, University of Delaware Library, Newark, DE
* T. Harmon Straiton, Jr., Assistant Dean for Information Services, Ralph Brown Draughon Library, Auburn University, Auburn, AL
* Jeanie M. Welch, Assistant Coordinator of Reference Services, J. Murrey Atkins Library, University of North Carolina-Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
* Charlotte Xanders, Bibliographic Control Dept. head, University Library, California State University, Sacramento, CA
* Kathy Tezla, Emory University, Atlanta, GA served as moderator

Reasons to Consider a Merger:
A number of factors were discussed as reasons for considering a merger. Some of the most common issues were:

Whatever the reasons, most decisions were driven by the institutions' need to re-evaluate processing and service delivery often leading to a reinvention of library practices. Nan Myers probably summarized it best when she said, "the new model emphasizes efficiencies of technical services in order to focus resources on public services."

Decision-making Process:
While many institutions shared similar reasons for deciding to merge, a key difference in the success of the merger seemed related to whether or not the staff and/or users were included in the decision making process. Organizations where administration encouraged forming committees or task forces seemed to feel more vested in making a successful transition. However, when staff felt excluded from the process they often perceived their new responsibilities as "dumping or overloading." Flexibility and long-term review and revision were also crucial in effective decision-making.

Implementation/Technical Services:
Most institutions implemented their mergers in phases sometimes over several years. This allowed for planning and cross-training pre and post merging. Many organizations mainstreamed technical processing and cataloging first in order to better utilize the expertise of existing cataloging staff. In several cases no new personnel were added to handle the increased workloads. This was true at ODU and Wichita State. Most of the libraries also indicated that they began to use vendors such as MARCIVE or OCLC for tape loads and records. The general consensus was that the use of tape loads allowed for rapid entry of records greatly improving access. However, as Myers pointed out there is a substantial amount of quality control and cleanup required when large numbers of records are dumped into an online system. Xanders also pointed out that implementing the MARCIVE service could have been done without reorganization at her institution. It is not clear whether merging processing or acquiring tape loads reduces the amount of work required for a pristine catalog, in fact, some would argue that the workload actually increases. However, it is generally agree that the improved access and timeliness in initial processing are significant pluses in making collections more visible and available to the public. Most panelists also agreed that mainstreaming processing is also an effective and efficient use of existing cataloging staff.

Implementation/Reference Services:
One institution merged technical services, but maintained a separate reference service point to address the need for expert assistance as a patent depository. However, for the most part organizations merged documents reference with a general reference desk in favor of a centralized service point. The key concern in merging with a busy general reference desk frequently staffed by non- documents specialists is whether or not a high quality of documents reference can be delivered. There is no consensus as each library has had mixed results often based on the institution's philosophy and/or commitment to on-going training.

Most felt that at some level there was a lowering of standards when it comes to customer service involving "expert questions". It was generally felt that many of these questions still need to be referred to a document's specialist either by appointment or informal referral. On the other hand, given sufficient training on key resources, a large number of "ready-reference" type questions should be able to be answered by a broader number of staff on demand. Stevenson agreed that while some expertise and continuity were lost in the integrated system, "basic questions can now be answered at any time."

Each organization had a slightly different way of handling pre and post training for staff and most indicated that significant training was done prior to the merger. A commitment to long-term training was less apparent, but is probably more critical in expanding the learning curve and addressing the issues of new staff. Eckman spoke of establishing a set of "core competencies" for all staff including an initial formal training program of 12 sessions. Plans to monitor the success of Stanford's program include user surveys to be implemented at 6, 12, and 18 month intervals.

At ODU our experience reflects the combined approaches of Stevenson and Eckman. Extensive training was done prior to the closure of the documents reference desk, however, a permanent training team within the reference department is charged with designing and conducting training for veteran and new staff on an ongoing basis. With this approach we hope to raise the bar for all staff in answering "ready reference" and core resources types of questions. We also practice an informal tiered approach in referring "expert" questions to the documents librarian or the documents paraprofessional. It seems crucial that "judicious referral" be practiced to encourage general reference staff to attempt to answer questions and to build confidence in improving documents skills.

Assessment and Effectiveness:
Most panelists agreed that mainstreaming processing and cataloging had been positive for their organizations in terms of greatly improving timely access. New technologies including integrated online systems and vendor tape loads have also contributed to the successes of these mergers. Cross training, cleanup, and communication with other departments are key challenges.

The success of integrated reference desks varies often in proportion to an institution's commitment to training and service excellence. For the most part, core competencies can become the base for building expertise in "frequently asked questions." Most panelists did feel, however, that there should be a document's specialist available for expert referral. One panelist felt that her staff could not be expected to provide specialized subject based assistance.

For me a merger is never completed. The day you transfer processing or close the documents reference desk is NOT the day you complete your merger; IT IS THE DAY YOU BEGIN. A merger is an evolutionary process that should reflect changes in personnel, expertise, budgets, training, and new technologies. The perfect pre- merger plan may not work 3 years down the road. The success of a merger is related to the flexibility of administration and staff in identifying areas needing improvement and providing resources to effect change.

Questions from the Audience: Communication
At the end of the panel discussion questions from the audience were addressed. I was asked to discuss how individuals in different departments communicate regarding documents policy, workflow, planning, etc. At ODU we have a permanent team, the Government Advisory Group, affectionately or infamously known as GAG. We meet weekly and the group is comprised of technical and public services staff at all levels. We discuss workflow issues, plan future projects, kept staff informed of GPO guidelines, and train new members. The group has been a key PLAYER in reviewing a variety of issues including retrospective conversion, acquiring MARCIVE records, relocating the collection during our renovation, designing loan rule parameters, and recently, preparing the GPO self-study. We jokingly practice the 3 C's. Communication is essential in fostering cooperation and if communication fails to lead to cooperation there is always chocolate at the next meeting to elicit consensus building. Joking aside, the role of the depository coordinator is made more difficult in a merged environment because individuals and tasks may be spread out among several departments and/or locations. Those unfamiliar with GPO guidelines or the common goals of a depository need guidance and someone to set the framework for a truly collaborative effort. Constant communication whether formal or informal is essential. Myers also indicated that weekly conversations occur at Wichita State. Stevenson prefers to use the word integration instead of merger and perhaps that is a more positive term. A merger implies that something may have been lost while integration seems to say that service is now more inclusive. Hopefully the panel discussion will be helpful to those contemplating a merger at their institutions. I would encourage you to look for the article in DTTP for a more comprehensive look at this topic.

Janet Justis, Chair PDF


Notes From the Chair: A Documents Sampler: The Documents Workshop with Something for Everyone

On June 4th, 37 participants gathered at Old Dominion University's Perry Library for a day-long workshop sponsored by the Public Documents Forum of the Virginia Library Association. Attendees included staff from academic, law, and public libraries. Two-thirds of the group were members of VLA.

The program included a variety of topics and speakers from Virginia depositories:

The focus of the workshop was to highlight key resources that are now accessible in any library or home where Internet access is available. The primary goal of the sessions was to help librarians who may not work in depository libraries become familiar with federal and state web sites in order to better connect users with current information. In a sense the workshop reflects an important issue in documents librarianship, with an increasing emphasis on electronic resources has our role changed from managers of large repositories to enablers of universal access? For the first time, we have the opportunity to creatively address public access by providing online guides, hot links, and documents expertise to citizens whether or not they are physically visiting a neighborhood library or depository. While depository libraries have always served the general public, we have an exciting opportunity to collaborate with colleagues from all library settings in providing permanent public access to materials that affect our history and our daily lives. The Internet is a dynamic tool for increasing everyone's awareness of government information, which is now available "virtually at your fingertips".

A variety of tools were used in the sessions including PowerPoint presentations, live web demonstrations, videos, overheads, and handouts. Hopefully the handouts will be useful guides at reference desks and can be adapted to any local situation. Several of the presenters have Internet links to their presentation or to key resources discussed during the workshop. We encourage you to visit the following sites and bookmark the pages if you feel they are helpful.

For the most part the sites are not intended to be comprehensive, rather they are starting points which can lead a user to thousands of federal sites often including full-text publications and data series. The sites, like the workshop, are designed to answer the question "where do I begin to find ..."

Judging from the participants' evaluations, we are all struggling with ways to make electronic information easily available to audiences who may not be the traditional researcher, businessman, or historian. Rather, we have a new challenge of actively engaging all citizens whom Madison felt needed information to fully participate in the democratic process. Given the enthusiastic responses of the participants, we are well on our way to developing local collaborative efforts in providing information to a variety of users in the next century. Requests have been made to continue the workshops in northern and western Virginia and PDF is planning future events. As Census 2000 approaches we may also offer more detailed workshops in using the American FactFinder. If there are areas where you see a need for training please pass this information to any PDF member.

Janet Justis, Chair PDF
Old Dominion University

News and Views from around the Commonwealth

Bill Sudduth has accepted the position of Head of Government Documents Microforms at The University of South Carolina-Columbia. He will be at the University of Richmond until the end of August and Start at USC in early September.

Mary Clark reports that the Library of Virginia has unveiled it's new web page, with an entirely new address.
http://www.lva.lib.va.us
The Virginia State Documents Program Page can now be reached at
http://www.lva.lib.va.us/state/docs/index.htm
The link to the annual edition of Virginia State Documents is
http://www.lva.lib.va.us/state/docs/vadocs.htm

Patricia Liquoriand Gail Nicula report that the Armed Forces Staff College Library has completed the move to its new facility in Okinawa Hall. The new building is located next door to Normandy Hall, which housed the old library. The library encompasses the first and second floors of Okinawa Hall, with wargaming suites located on the third floor.

Beginning July 6th, the library hours will be as follows: Monday-Thursday from 0700 to 1800 (6:00 P.M.) and Friday from 0700 to 1700 (5:00 P.M.). Closing times may vary depending on class schedules, so patrons may wish to call before they visit.

The library's new phone numbers are as follows:
Library Director - 757-443-6400
Acquisitions - 757-443-6404
Archives - 757-443-6401
Cataloging - 757-443-6405
Information - 757-443-6401
Interlibrary Loan - 757-443-6401
Reference & Documents - 757-443-6401
Parking for the new facility is behind Normandy Hall, with parking for the handicapped available in front of Okinawa Hall. The library can be reached from the front door on the first floor or via a cros sover from the third floor of Normandy Hall. The grand opening for the new facility is set for September 10, 1999.

The Tidewater Depository Consortium hopes to hold it's third meeting at the new Armes Forces College Library in late August. The topic will be "shared collection development opportunities among the depositories in Norfolk".

Barbara White has accepted a new job as Middle School Media Coordinator for Currituck County Schools. Her last day at Chesapeake Public will by July 16th. She'll be missed, but she promises to introduce her young students to the world of documents. Chuck Anderson will be the acting depository librarian at CPL until a replacement is hired. Chuck is manager of the main library at CPL.

Donna Bausch of the Norfolk Law Library conducted local workshops on "Legal Resources on the Internet" at the Norfolk Public Library on July 6th and 8th. Attendees included members of the general public and local reference librarians. Her handouts are excellent guides to important sites for consumers and information professionals. This type of cooperative endeavor between the law and public libraries is an excellent example of promoting community awareness regarding legal materials.

After her stint on the GPO Electronic Transition team, Judy Andrews has accepted the position of head of the regional documents depository at Portland State University, and consequently will not be returning to JMU. Jerry Gill, Business Librarian, who has also been serving as interim Documents Librarian will move to Documents full-time and relinquish his business responsibilities.

Elizabeth Bugg, who has served as Documents Assistant since 1993 is now the Documents Supervisor. Peggy Dillard is the new Documents Assistant, and Darlene Newman, Library Assistant with Cataloging, will be working in Documents half-time on the Library's Marcive project.

Barbie Selby was awarded the Bernadine Abbott Hoduski Founders award by GODORT at the ALA Annual Conference. This award recognizes Barbie's contributions to government information at the state level.

The UVA Law Library will be joining the main University of Virginia Library system in its VIRGO online catalog. UVA Law hopes to have its records loaded and to come up in VIRGO at the beginning of 2000.

William & Mary has a new/old staff member. Cynthia Della Posta, who had worked on our staff as an hourly employee from 1988 to 1996, returned last winter as the Serials Assistant. The position was converted to a classified category last year. Cynthia is responsible for all serials check-in and binding and also performs monthly maintenance on the Marcive serial files.

New and Noteworthy: International Documents

EURO-one currency for Europe
This European Commission internet site is dedicated exclusively to the euro and serves as the one reference point for general and technical information on the changeover to the new European currency. Their Euro Currency Converter allows you to convert any of the currency units of the 11 Member States adopting the Euro to the EURO and vice versa. While the changeover to the euro by the banking and finance industry has already occurred, the circulation of euro banknotes and coins is slated for January 1, 2002.
http://europa.eu.int/euro

OECD Policy Briefs
The OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) is a group of 29 member countries that provides governments a venue in which to develop econom ic and social policy. These policy briefs, initiated in the fall of 1997, are written for a general audience and discuss the OECD's involvement with the various issues discussed. The June 1999 policy briefs are Modern Biotechnology and OECD (in pdf format - 156kb) and Fostering Scientific and Technological Progress (in pdf format - 176kb).
http://www.oecd.org/publications/Pol_brief/index.htm

Economic Reconstruction and Development in South East Europe
This web page consolidates information concerning the coordinated economic and financial response to the Kosovo crisis from the international community. "The information on this site is provided for information purposes only. Much has been sourced from the European Commission's Europa Server, the World Bank website, and the World Bank's External Affairs division, which aim to enhance public access to information." Since the site is under constant development, be sure to reload your pages frequently.
http://www.seerecon.org/

New & Worthwhile: Virginia

VDOT's Six-Year Highway Improvement Program

This is the comprehensive listing of transportation projects of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) scheduled for construction or improvement over the next six fiscal years. Included as well are anticipated funding allocations. The 1999 edition was approved June 17, 1999 and the on-line version should be available in August 1999. VDOT's document will be available in .PDF and MS Excel formats.
http://www.vdot.state.va.us/proj/projects.html

Virginia's Judicial System
The reorganized Home Page of Virginia's Judicial System brings together access to documentation of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals of Virginia, the Circuit Courts, the General District Courts and the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courts under one umbrella. >From here check out the calendars and opinions of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals. The Small Claims Divisions became mandatory on July 1, 1999 so the link to the Small Claims Court Procedures might be worth investigating.
http://www.courts.state.va.us/main.htm

VaStat (Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service)
While not a new site, VaStat is an important site to revisit. Current and historical statistics for the Commonwealth of Virginia are found here and the data includes areas such as agriculture, education, employment, finance, housing, and population. VaStat is a selected program of the University of Virginia's Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, a "research and training organization focused on the Commonwealth of Virginia." The Weldon Cooper Center's Virginia Newsletter, published ten times a year is also on the web and provides articles on significant public policy issues.
http://www.virginia.edu/coopercenter/vastat.html
http://www.institute.virginia.edu/cpspubs/NL.html

Carol Hunter
University of Virginia Library
VLA at the Homestead!

VLA's Annual Conference wil l be at the Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia from Oct 28 to 30. There will be a business meeting of the Public Documents Forum on Thursday evening from 5:30 to 6:30pm - surely that's reason enough to make the trip!

Several members of the Public Documents Forum will be giving talks.
Janet Justis will present KidsDocs: Documents for Children, Parents, & Teachers on Friday from 10:00-11:00am.
Carol Hunter will present Raising Your Global IQ: United Nations Documentation on Thursday, October 28 from 3:15-4:15.
Barbie Selby will present Virginia Vignettes on Friday from 9-9:50 am.