New Initiatives and Next Steps from the 2012 DLC Meeting and Conference

The 2012 Depository Library Council (DLC) Meeting & Federal Depository Library (FDL) Conference, held last week in Arlington, VA, was a historic one! This year marked the 40^th anniversary of the Depository Library Council to the Public Printer, the 80^th meeting of the Depository Library Council, the 50^th anniversary of the establishment of regional depository libraries, and the 20^th Federal Depository Library Conference. It was also the first time that participants could participate in some of the sessions virtually, via the iCohere platform.

As always, the program was packed with hands-on training sessions from federal agencies, educational sessions from Government Printing Office (GPO) staff, DLC meetings, and opportunities for networking and idea exchange opportunities among depository library colleagues from around the country.  We were pleased with GPO’s announcement of two new projects that will provide public access to authentic government information:

• The Judicial Conference of the United States approved the national implementation of a joint program between the Administrative Office of the United States Courts and GPO to provide access to authenticated court opinions for U.S. appellate, district, and bankruptcy courts through FDsys.
• The U.S. Department of Treasury is now making available historical documents within the agency’s library collections through FDsys. This month, GPO released the Treasury Reporting Rates of Exchange: 1956-2005. The digitized Official Register of the United States 1829-1861; 1879-1959 will be added to FDsys by the end of the year.

The real highlight of this year’s meeting was the presentation of the preliminary results from the FDLP Forecast Study. Collected over the last year, study questionnaires gathered data on the needs, vision, and environments of both individual depositories and depository regions to inform the strategic direction for the FDLP. Of the 1201 depository libraries, 775 submitted complete forecasts, including an impressive showing from depository law libraries. Thanks to all of you for the time and energy you put into developing your forecasts and state action plans.

GPO used the State Focused Action Plans, which were designed to document what states or depository regions have identified in their individual library and state forecasts as important issues, to identify common themes. Themes included training and marketing; program governance, including changes to Title 44; and issues related to preservation, digitization, harvesting, and authentication.

The chart below identifies the next steps from the Forecast Study. In Phase 2, GPO will reach out to specific libraries and regions for clarification on their surveys, conduct interviews and focus groups, and incorporate new data into their analysis. Phase 3 will focus on data sharing and collaboration for a National Action Plan for the FDLP. We expect to see White Papers on issues related to program governance issues and marketing, education and training due out this spring.

Program materials from the 2012 DLC Conference and FDL Meeting are available on the FDLP Desktop. As GPO and the library community consider the future of the FDLP, it is important for law librarians to make their voices heard. We encourage you to reach out to the AALL FDLP Task Force, chaired by Sally Holterhoff, to share your ideas and vision for the future. Currently the task force is collecting model language from depository library mission statements and collection development policies. If your library’s policy language reflects your depository status, please consider submitting the language to any member of the task force.

Shaping the Future of the FDLP

June is traditionally known for celebrations and outdoor fun, with highlights including the first day of summer (aka the summer solstice/longest day of the year), which in 2012 falls on June 20. This year, participants in the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) have had one more special day on their calendars: June 30, which is the deadline for responding to the FDLP Forecast Survey Questionnaire.

The Government Printing Office (GPO) is conducting this survey of individual libraries and states in order to assess current needs and future expectations so that the future of the FDLP can be based on a vision shared by member libraries. The FDLP includes approximately 150 law school libraries and 50 state, court, county, and government law libraries. Depository coordinators in many of those 200 libraries have already responded to the survey by submitting their answers online. However, this important task still remains on the June “to-do” list of a number of our law library colleagues.

So, why does this matter? Law libraries have had a vital stake in the provision of government and legal information through the depository program for over 100 years. Our participation in current efforts to forecast and shape its future is important. Completing the Forecast Survey questionnaire is a great way to provide feedback on preservation plans, education needs, economic and demographic factors, and the relative value of initiatives conducted by GPO’s depository administration team. No previous survey or research effort targeting the depository community has ever included as many open-ended questions as this one does. The information being gathered will ultimately be used for long-term decision-making about the FDLP. If we want our top concerns as law librarians (such as digital authentication, online court opinions, permanent public access, primary legal sources in print, etc.) to be considered, NOW is our chance to be heard.

Everything needed to complete the survey can be found here: http://www.fdlp.gov/project-information. For additional clarification or inspiration, you can view the slides from an April 19 AALL webinar, “Law Librarians and the Federal Depository Library Program: Working Together for a Successful Future.” The webinar included an in-depth look at GPO’s FDLP Forecast Study, explaining its purpose, goals, and how law librarians can get involved, presented by GPO staffers Cherie Givens and David Walls.

Another indication of AALL’s ongoing commitment to the FDLP is the formation of a new Task Force on the FDLP, which was announced by AALL President Darcy Kirk in April. I am chairing that Task Force and the other members and I have been charged to support law library participation in the depository program. Our plans include focusing attention on benefits of the program for law libraries, identifying changes that could enable law libraries to continue to participate, and encouraging law librarians to take an active role in discussions on the future of the program. We’ve just begun our work, which will continue throughout the 2012-2013 Association year.

How can you help? If you are not the depository coordinator for your library, please urge him or her to make the completion of the FDLP Forecast Survey Questionnaire a high priority— and soon! If you or someone else in your library has already submitted answers to the survey, that’s great— you deserve some guilt-free time with a cool drink and your favorite summer reading in hand. If not, please don’t let this opportunity slip by…the days remaining until June 30 will pass quickly. Be sure to do YOUR part to help shape the future of the FDLP.

Guest post by Sarah (Sally) Holterhoff, Chair, AALL FDLP Task Force

GPO Opens Nominations for Federal Depository Libraries of the Year

In this month’s issue of FDLP Connection, the Government Printing Office (GPO) announced that it will honor for the first time two Federal Depository Libraries of the Year: one regional and one selective. The awards will provide special recognition to libraries that have furthered the FDLP’s mission of ensuring the American public has free access to its government’s information.

GPO is calling for nominations of libraries that have demonstrated exceptional innovation, collaboration with other libraries and community organizations, and other accomplishments that greatly enhance public access to federal government information.  The criteria for selection includes outstanding promotion of the program, access to a well-defined collection, exceptional preservation standards, and a solid understanding of federal government information needs in the library’s service area. The full list of nomination guidelines in available on the FDLP website. Entries must include library contact information, a short description of the library’s accomplishments, and statistical data, if available.

This is an exciting opportunity for you to acknowledge the work libraries are doing in your community to promote improved access to government information. Law librarians lead the charge in advocating for equitable, no-fee, permanent public access to authentic online legal information, and it is crucial that the contributions of the FDLP be recognized.

In 2008, the Law Library for San Bernardino County was named FDL of the year. Law Library Director Lawrence R. Meyer said at the time:

“We are deeply honored and privileged to receive the award. We appreciate its significance to the depository community and the recognition the award conveys specifically to the Law Library for San Bernardino County as well as the recognition it places upon all Law Libraries that participate in the FDLP as selective depositories or through shared housing arrangements. In particular this award emphasizes the importance of publicly accessible county law libraries to the FDLP.”

Do you know a stellar Federal Depository Library? Submit your nominations for the 2012 Federal Regional and Selective Depository Library of the Year and tell your colleagues to do the same!

Nominations are being accepted online through July 31, 2012. The winners will be awarded by Acting Public Printer Davita Vance-Cooks during the Depository Library Council Meeting & Federal Depository Library Conference on October 15, 2012.