GPC Letter to RUL Directors, October 12, 2000

October 12, 2000

TO: Marianne Gaunt, University Librarian

FROM: Government Publications Committee (of the Technical Services Council)

RE: GPO Letter to Directors

At our October Government Publications Committee meeting, the recent GPO Letter to Directors was discussed, and members raised concerns about a number of issues addressed therein which could lead to misperceptions of our local situation. Unfortunately, in sending out the letter, GPO did not take into consideration how their comments might impact on research libraries whose documents collections contain not only those federal publications offered by GPO but other federal materials. Nor, obviously, did the GPO letter concern itself with state, international and foreign materials. Although we are happy to embrace the increasing online availability of federal depository materials, we would like to offer the following thoughts.

• Larger libraries within Rutgers will continue to need some additional space to accommodate the many types of incoming print materials which GPO does not distribute. Our largest Rutgers libraries receive, at the federal level, materials from direct mailing lists, from the Documents Expediting Project, maps, microforms, and patent depository materials. We also receive a large amount of state, international and foreign material.
• While it is clear that the current GPO budget will force GPO to accelerate its transition to an electronic program, an all-electronic program will not occur overnight (note that electronic transition has already been in effect since 1993 and still there are 27,000 titles in tangible form in the program this fiscal year). Also, some materials in the program will be protected in the print format.
• Staff will continue to be needed to process and catalog documents. In fact, the multi-format environment requires a higher level of staff. It is generally agreed among librarians that the transition has brought about an increased need-not less-for staff who can understand the more complex array of formats (frequently applicable to the same title!) and who can understand appropriate treatment for each item. Our staff also need to understand the duality of our catalog records, i.e. most records still in a manual or home-grown catalog, with a limited percent in our online catalog.
• Staff will also need now to track closely the announcement of format changes for depository titles so that appropriate linkages can be made in the cataloging records. And, unless we move quickly to integrate at least our 1976+ holdings into our online catalog, considerable history and opportunities to link records will be lost. In addition, more staff time should be devoted to cataloging our pre-1976 imprints so that our remote users have improved access to our complete holdings.
• Unlike the hundreds of selective federal depositories for whom current federal information serves the vast percentage of need and for whom online access, whether permanent of not, is adequate, we must protect our research library needs. There will be increasing occasions when obtaining a print copy of a document-whether because of faculty demand, nature of use, etc.-will now require greater librarian time to acquire the document. A recent case in point: the FTC's highly advertised report on marketing violent entertainment to children. This extensive two-volume study, is accessible only through large pdf files, and few people would appreciate reading the full study online. Since it is not being distributed via depository, acquisition through telephone calls has been necessary to obtain a print version to meet the needs of students in SCILS and in the multiple sections of GSSW's "Children and Families" course. Furthermore, access to online documentation often requires special technical skills; witness the extensive dialog recently on GOVDOC-L regarding the difficulties of opening the title Impact of the NAFTA on the U.S. Economy and Industries: A Three-Year Review, a document requiring the ability to apparently unzip 18 zipped files.

While committee members agree that the online environment assuredly makes public ease of access to a great deal of documentation attractive and readily available, we need to work to ensure that the current trend toward decentralized availability does not undo the accomplishments of federal document librarians during the past several decades. We feel strongly that at Rutgers we need to continue our commitment of staff and space, so that 25-50 years hence it shall not be said that we fell down on the job of preserving precious materials for our students and faculty.

Government Publications Committee:

Stephanie Bartz
Ellen Calhoun
Mary Fetzer
Rhonda Marker
Wen Ren, Chair

Cc S. Soong

R. Toyama
L. Mullins
G. Golden
F. Puniello
F. Tehrani
G. Smulewitz