Issues with Government Document Access and Libraries in an Electronic Age An Annotated Bibliography

Issues with Government Document Access and Libraries in an Electronic Age: An Annotated Bibliography Mike Smith INFO 522: Information Access & Resources March 21, 2012 Mike Smith Introduction and Scope This bibliography covers government document access and libraries in light of the continued move towards digitalization of sources Several articles discuss the place of the depository librarian in this new environment There are a number of studies that specifically address issues such as movement of documents to accommodate new space limitations, the capture of electronic documents, and the permanent access of them Also, some articles discuss the needs and preferences of both users and librarians, which is central since the changes to the way government documents are accessed through libraries affect both parties The articles were published from 1996 to 2011 This scope gives a nice range of the beginning of digitalization to the present time Description The government must provide information to its users and libraries serve as an access point Traditionally, FDLP (Federal Depository Library Program) libraries have been the entities that provide citizens with a variety of government information Jacobs, Jacobs and Yeo (2005) observe that the United States is steeped in a tradition of democracy that involves an “informed citizenry” (p 198) However, increased electronic access has changed how this mission takes place (Jaeger, Bertot, & Shuler, 2010, p 469) FDLP libraries in response, need to rethink their methods in order remain part of this new electronic landscape (p 470) A majority of patrons prefer electronic their government information electronically (Laskowski, 2000, p 179) Furthermore, patrons tend to prefer web-based media for the most part (Burroughs, 2009, p 211) Despite these changes, librarians feel that their essential mission has not changed just because many sources are now born digital (Hartman, 2000, p 301) Summary of Findings Mike Smith The shift towards electronic access of government documents has brought much discussion with it Researchers have chosen to focus their attention on how these depository libraries will be able to continue to function in this new environment For instance, Jaeger, Bertot and Shuler (2010) suggest that FDLP libraries take on a leadership role because so much of the information is now available online (p 471) Librarians can now serve as “civic guides” rather than simply gatekeepers of information (p 471) In 1996, John Shuler warned that a shift towards electronic access as spurred by the government would lead to tremendous changes for the FDLP (p 420) One such issue is the potential for the Government Printing Office (GPO) to assume total control of the government document publication since more and more agencies are providing their information directly online (Jacobs, Jacobs, & Yeo, 2005, p 199) The result would be less information available (p 199) Pettianto (2007) believes that if the FDLP is dissolved, what happens to electronic documents that the library used to provide (p 708)? Also if all the information is kept on one government server, there is a potential danger of losing it all should the server go down (p 708) In addition, the GPO was considering charging for its information, which is against its mantra of “free and ready public access” (Jacobs, et al., 2005, p 200) Jacobs et al offered a critique of this potential arrangement in their study and suggested some counter strategies Namely, a network of depository libraries is ideal for the new digital environment since it will provide unlimited access as well as deal with any costs because of the sharing of information involved (p 205) As Shuler, Jaeger, & Bertot (2010) suggest, every library can be an access point to e-government resources and this increases the amount of libraries that can fulfill the FDLP mission of public access to government documents (p 14) Mike Smith Also, more people can access this information regardless of their location, whether it is at home or at work (p 14) This network must be in partnership with GPO rather than in opposition to it For example, as Priebe, Welch, and MacGilvray (2008) observe, the GPO has had a history of running the FDLP for over a century (p 48), engaging in a number of projects in order to increase access to government information (p 49) For example, the GPO launched a new version of the Catalog of U.S Government Publications (GCP) in 2006 (p 49) Any easy to use search box allows users to search for themselves, while library staff members can now direct their users to the appropriate URL (p.50) Also the GPO’s newly modified biennial survey keeps FDLP libraries involved by asking them what types of training they require and why or why they would not like to remain as part of the FDLP (p 50) This sort of cooperation is exactly what Shuler discusses in his 2008 follow up to his initial 1996 discussion For instance, he notes the potential changes in the GPO due to digitalization but he values the library’s place in this relationship (Shuler, 2008, p 465) Shuler’s model calls for a system of libraries and their staff members that will help patrons navigate this complex mix of print and digital sources (p 465), which is similar to the provision of URLs through GCP noted above Libraries might not physically hold as many sources anymore, but they can provide directions to them as well as instructions on how to use them (p 465) Shuler compares what government document librarians to the expertise that lawyers provide to their clients (p 465) Neither has complete knowledge, but both can pull together the necessary information to help their patrons (p 465) Shuler’s observation ties in nicely with Pettinato’s discussion of academic law librarians within the context of the FDLP Pettinato (2007) notes academic law libraries joined the FDLP in 1978 (p 695) It is the responsibility of these librarians as members of the FDLP to keep their citizens Mike Smith informed (696) Access to legal and government documents is only part of the job, however They instruct patrons in selection and use (p.702) In addition to discussion, there have been a number of projects that address practical real situations and assess the functionality of libraries For example, The Network of Alabama Academic Libraries (NAAL) funded a project to examine whether or not Alabama academic libraries could work together in order to preserve and catalog state documents (Valente, 2010, p 315) The project examined issues such as selection and location of documents designating responsibility for capturing the documents and cataloging them (p 322) Document format was a continuing issue (p 322) This same issue springs up in other studies such as the State Library of North Carolina’s grant funded project that examined government document publishing trends (Martin, 2004, p 625) Since web-based documents are so ephemeral due to the instability of websites, care must be taken to preserve then (p 625) In addition, such documents are often hard to locate, as many of them are not accessible by traditional search engines (p 625) Despite such issues, Alabama’s program proved to be a success and Valente (2010) reports that an experienced cataloging staff in collaboration with in an association such as the NAAL can permit documents to be preserved successfully (p 327) It would seem that collaboration is one of the key mechanisms for functioning in this new environment The network of resources is a recurring theme that runs through these studies This collaborative effort can prevent electronic government documents from being lost permanently The University of North Texas (UNT) established a partnership with the GPO and the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, an agency that is no longer in existence (Hartman, 2000, p 301) UNT, as part of its responsibility as a depository library, agreed to preserve the agency’s documents in electronic format and provided links with Mike Smith information about the agency in addition to the documents themselves (p 303) The most important aspect of this project is the fact that UNT provides a link to an agency that would have disappeared into history otherwise (p 304) Likewise, another successful project was run by the University of Nevada, Reno In order to accommodate space concerns involving a new library building, the library staff had to move a large amount of government documents into storage In addition, a great deal of them were uncataloged (Beisler & Ragains, 2010, p 207) UNR’s project brings up an important issue that is reflected by UNT’s project as well: government documents are only of use if patrons know how to find them, which makes cataloging them essential (p 215) Thus, librarians are still necessary in this new electronic environment, as is outlined in the above literature In addition, websites also provide a unique value: context As a result, some libraries have chosen to capture “information portfolios” (Lin & Echenfelder, 2010, p 294) In this case, the seeker does not limit his or her capture to the web document but also includes other information that surrounds it like news or links to other relevant documents (p 294) Again, much of the discussion has shown that librarians are still necessary to provide richer access to government documents than users might have found on their own Finally, there have been a few studies that really focus on the participants themselves: librarians and patrons The University of Denver’s “clickthrough” study over the course of six years tracked users’ preferences for electronic sources by accumulating data on selected URLs (Brown, 2011, p 43) While there is a potential privacy issue that mirrors some of the above concerns about a single government agency being in control of all government information, Brown’s report on University of Denver’s project does provide some nice data on what types of documents are being accessed and what format and with what frequency (p 55) Also, while surveys may reflect opinions, this project was able to track actual behavior (p 45) The results Mike Smith indicate that the preference for online access is on the rise (p 55) According to a University of Illinois Documents Library survey, 58.9 percent of users preferred electronic sources overall while 60.7 percent preferred them when it came to government document access (Laskowski, 2000, p 179) This preference is not relegated to simply internet access, though, and as Laskowski notes, many users also found that both the internet and CD-ROMS were useful (p 180) However, despite their preference of electronic materials, only 10.7 percent of these users made use of online tutorials (p 180) It would appear that many of these users are either unaware of help or feel that it is necessary (p 180) For instance, Burroughs (2008) notes that a majority of users would rather seek help from a peer or a search engine for help rather than seek out the help of a reference librarian (p 206, 208) Even government-oriented search engines are selected less than more general search engines, according to a University of Montana survey (p 207) There is a trend towards electronic access of government documents, but users seem to prefer to find the sources on their own In addition to users, librarians’ concerns also merit discussion Laskowski (2000) observes that in the University of Illinois study, a high percentage (97%) of documents specialists work in departments with public access to the public (p 78) However, a majority of those surveyed still work in departments that focus on print sources (p 78) Also 65.6 percent continue to search for CD-ROM versions of materials that are located on the internet (p 78) While admitting the value of online access to government documents, 29.2 percent of the specialists expressed concern about this trend towards online access (p 78) This could be the result of lack of training, although in the case of the Illinois study, 69.8 percent of the surveyed Mike Smith departments reported that they provided training for staff members in electronic government resources (p.78) This contradicts the findings of Yelinek and Hinchcliff (2009), whose examination of a study of interim government documents librarians indicate a lack of training (p 55) Likewise, Mack and Prescod (2008) stress the need to educate document librarians, especially in issues of access (p 105) Also the distinction between government documents librarian and reference librarian is becoming less clear (p 105) This makes training even more essential With such technological advances, there is a wide variety of online tutorials that can be developed to help librarians with their government documents tasks (p 108) Yelinek and Hinchcliff found that due to staffing and funding cuts, many of these librarians are not only new to the field, but occupy an interim position and are less likely to press the status quo as they view their positions as temporary until they become “real” librarians (p 55) This fact, coupled with the interim status of many of these documents librarians could account for Laskwoski’s (2000) findings that a small percentage provide training to their patrons (p 178) Perhaps this is why so many patrons not engage in reference interactions when it comes to electronic government documents Thus, access to government documents has gone through some changes because of the digital age However, as the above studies note, the job of government document librarians remains essentially the same They are obligated to serve their community by assessing what their patrons want and seeking the necessary training to be able to provide these services Service has moved beyond simple collection management, though It was moved into the realm of teaching users the meanings and uses of the documents they seek This can only be done if librarians are willing to stay in the game, so to speak Overall, as the above discussions indicate, Mike Smith access to government documents in a newly electronic age involves a willingness to adhere to library principles Bibliography Beisler, A & Ragains, P (2010) A new way to manage uncataloged materials: A case study form moving the University of Nevada, Reno’s federal depository collection Collaborative Librarianship, 2(4), 204-217 Abstract: “In 2008, the University of Nevada, Reno Library moved into a new building, the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center As part of this move, approximately half of the library’s print collections were moved into the building’s automated storage and retrieval system; a substantial portion of these materials were federal depository materials This case study describes how cataloging and government documents staff at the University of Nevada, Reno collaborated to achieve intellectual and physical control over a huge, largely uncataloged government documents collection destined for automated storage More than 9,000 linear feet of uncataloged government documents had to be placed into an automated storage system that requires catalog records for all stored items To accommodate uncataloged documents, staff devised a way to create bulk catalog records, store these materials efficiently, and provide user access The authors explain how this project was planned and executed as part of the library move, and then assess the success of the project and its impact on public and technical service operations after a year of working with the new system The impact on public access in moving this collection is particularly significant in light of the library’s service mandate as a regional federal depository.” (Published Abstract) Annotation: The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) recently opened a new building in 2008: the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center As a result, the staff needed to find a way to store their government documents Using automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) is nothing new They have been around since the 1970s and despite issues with them, by the 1990s libraries were beginning to delve into them again, so UNR had a system to use This large collection of government documents, many of them uncataloged, created a great challenge for the staff The move entailed separating the cataloged from uncataloged items, using a yellow card separating system Items needed to be barcoded and placed in appropriate bins to be housed in the Mathewson Automated Retrieval System (MARS) The move proved to be very successful, adding over 30,000 government publications and RAND documents to the catalog It should be noted that the move showed that the use of the government documents increases when patrons can actually find them, so cataloging them was a key aspect to the move Users actually preferred the new system of going to the desk to obtain government documents because it saved them the trouble of having to locate them themselves UNR’s storage system is worthy of study because it shows a very real example of what to with government information when space and money is a concern It also shows how much work needs to be done to provide access to previously uncataloged government items from a library perspective Collaboration between the cataloging and government documents staff was key to the success of the project Mike Smith 10 Authority: Amalia Beisler is Head of Metadata and Cataloging, Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center, University of Nevada, Reno Patrick Ragains is a Business & Government Information Librarian, University of Nevada, Reno Scholarly/Refereed Status: According to Ulrichsweb, the journal is both “Scholarly/academic” and “Refereed.” I confirmed this by going to the journal’s website Search Strategy: I went into the Library Literature & Information Science Full Text (H.W Wilson) and used a controlled vocabulary search with the subject field using the advance search My search terms were I limited the search by year: 2009-2012 and to academic journals I was able to obtain the article via the Library Literature & Information Full Text database itself Database: Library Literature & Information Science Full Text (H.W Wilson) Method of Search: controlled vocabulary: subject field Search String: (limited by 2009-2012 and academic journal refine tabs) Brown, C (2011) Knowing where they went: Six years of online access statistics via the online catalog for federal government information College & Research Libraries, 72(1), 43-61 Abstract: “As federal government information is increasingly migrating to online formats, libraries are providing links to this content via URLs or persistent URLs (PURLs) in their online public access catalogs (OPACS) Clickthrough statistics that accumulated as users visited links to online content in the University of Denver’s library OPAC were gathered over a six-year period and were analyzed Among the conclusions were that DU users prefer online content over print for both newer and older documents and that there is great benefit in adding URLs above and beyond the URLs supplied by GPO cataloging.” (Published Abstract) Annotation: In 1994, the Government Printing Office (GPO) introduced Web portal, which began a new era of digital access to government documents Larger percentages of government documents are being produced digitally Depository libraries are running into space issues as a bulk of the space is being taken up by print sources; however these areas are being replaced by group study areas and other library services The Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries asked its depository libraries to try to reduce redundancy holdings The University of Denver (DU) has tried to tackle the issue by preserving its legacy collection and bringing in practically no new print sources DU has just completed a six year study that tracks URL click-throughs and compares online usage with print usage of government documents They accomplished this by adding a prefix to each URL that redirects the to a library a server that collects the date, time and URL accessed and then sends the user to the source The library wanted to get a sense of what users wanted DU’s study is placed in context with other such tracking projects and the history of URLs in catalogs DU’s results are very important to look at because they represent librarians actually trying to get in touch with how patrons want to access their materials in light of a newly digitized environment The study offers a rich amount of data about the type of documents Mike Smith 20 web content Finally, the paper discusses several problems associated with the observed LIPD methodologies and technologies.” (Published Abstract) Annotation: This study looked at four different states whose state library practiced LIPD and each one needed to have a working OCLC DA digital archive at the time of selection Biases affect what is chosen because of the historical assumptions about what works and doesn’t work Each state’s approach to government information was little bit different when it came to government documents For example, State C placed the responsibility for identifying and reporting new documents on the shoulders of the state agencies State B was already beginning to transform its depository into a completely electronic one A particularly interesting discussion in the study was State D’s “information portfolio,” whose capture strategy included the context of a webpage rather than simply the document located on it, while some of the other states chose to simply capture the document itself for their collections Overall it is a good look at how government publications are obtained and can be obtained Issues such as formats, publication type, and attribution of responsibility for government publications are examined Finally, there is a nice description of biases towards “discrete objects.” Some items may also be hard to find using traditional cataloging methods since the catalog may not include web content The OCLC DA is more focused on physical sources, but the trend of web-based government information appears to be in conflict with this Overall, we need more research into the “socio-technical configuration” (Lin & Eschenfelder, 2010, p 302) of government document production to see how it affects how content is selected Finally, the inclusion of tables that outline the terms and results add to the discussion The first appendix describes the characteristics of the four different states observed, while the appendix describing the interview questions gives the reader a better sense of the study Authority: Chi-Shiou Lin is Assistant Professor, Department of Library & Information Science, National Taiwan University Kristin R Eschenfelder is Associate Professor, School of Library & Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison Scholarly/Refereed Status: Ulrichsweb designates the journal as both “Scholarly/Academic” and “Refereed.” According to Elsevier Ltd., submissions “are evaluated using a double blindreviewing process.” Search Strategy: I decided to search the Library and Information Science Full Text database Using the thesaurus, I found that the preferred term for government documents is government publications I chose to a controlled vocabulary search using “government publications” and “libraries” using the subject field I then limited the search by year: 2009-2012 and by publication type: academic journal I obtained this article through Hagerty’s “Get It” feature and I was able to get it through the ScienceDirect Freedom Collection 2012 Database: Library and Information Science Full Text (H.W Wilson) Method of Searching: Controlled Vocabulary: Subject Field Search String: ; limited year: 2009-2012; publication type: academic journal Mike Smith 21 Mack, T & Prescod J (2008) Where have all the government librarians gone? Moving beyond collections to information literacy Reference Services Review, 37(1), 99-111 Abstract: “Purpose – Effectively accessing government documents is often a challenge for frontline reference staff working in a merged public service environment The purpose of this paper is to build a case for establishing sustainable information literacy that incorporates government publications information into research and reference services Design/methodology/approach – The paper describes the reasons for, and challenges of, incorporating government documents training for reference staff, and suggests suitable strategies and techniques Findings – Keeping up with knowledge in related fields other than a chosen specialty is a challenge facing librarians today, but knowing how to find print and online government resources is critical for reference desk staff to help meet the information needs of the public A variety of techniques and strategies may be employed to help mine these important resources Web 2.0 tools and internet-based tutorials on government publications may be used to facilitate training Practical implications – Staff are encouraged to develop collaborative training relationships to motivate, teach, facilitate, and equip others for self-sufficiency and competency Originality/value – The paper shows how reference staff knowledge of government publications can be enhanced through training with both traditional and new technologies Training can be accomplished through self-motivation and partnering and need not be always formal.” (Published Abstract) Annotation: The transition to electronic government documents in combination with a decrease in the hiring of government document specialists has created a situation where government document services and standard reference services have been merged over the years This blending of responsibility has fostered a need for more effective staff training The article provides a good overview of what is expected of a government documents librarian as per the Federal Depository Library Program’s handbook even though the distinction between a document specialist and traditional reference librarian is becoming increasingly blurred Some suggestions as to how to accommodate these changes from a government document perspective are examined There are different ways to train staff members in order to move them beyond their specialties Some new modes of training include online manuals and Web 2.0 interfaces This need and willingness to adapt to these new changes is worthy of discussion The discussion provides real situations and shows ways to enable librarians who are not subject specialists to function with government documents, for it is a responsibility of a librarian to provide access to them Authority: Thura Mack is a professor and librarian at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville Janette Prescod is also a librarian at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville Scholarly/Refereed: According to Ulrichsweb, the journal is both “Scholarly/Academic” and “Refereed.” The journal’s website also describes the journal as refereed Search Strategy: I went into LISTA thesaurus to find the preferred term for “government documents.” I then did a keyword Boolean search: AND Mike Smith 22 I just scanned the first page to see some of the results The title of this article struck me, so I selected the record I was able to obtain it through Hagerty’s “Get It” option, which allowed me to access it through Emerald Journals Database: Library Information Science & Technology Abstracts Method of Searching: Boolean Keyword Search Search String: AND Martin, K.E (2004) Publishing trends within state government: The situation in North Carolina Journal of Government Information, 30 (5/6), 620-636 Abstract: “The State Library of North Carolina is responsible for ensuring public access to North Carolina state government publications and maintaining a[sic] permanent state documents depository collections Over the last years, state agencies have increasingly disseminated information in digital formats via the Internet, posing challenges for the State Library to collect, manage, and preserve state publications for public access In order to address these challenges, the State Library initiated a multiyear project to develop a project to develop a plan for managing state digital publications for public access The first year of the project was devoted to gaining knowledge of current publishing practices by surveying state agency staff and reviewing a selection of state agency publications The article discusses the results of this research, using North Carolina as an example to illustrate many of the challenges of providing permanent public access to digital information, including rapidly changing Web sties, technological obsolescence, lack of standards for preservation and access, complex political considerations, and difficulty obtaining sufficient funding The article concludes with recommendations for actions that state libraries and other memory institutions should take to adequately preserve and provide access to digital government information.” (Published Abstract) Annotation: State agencies have begun putting their information out directly onto the internet rather than publishing them and depositing them into libraries State libraries are obligated to collect government materials and provide the public with access to them North Carolina has 24 depository libraries In order to find out how these libraries can fit in, the State Library used a Library Services and Technology Act Statewide Leadership Grant to create a public access plan The first year (2002-2003) was dedicated to looking at current publishing procedures Seventysix state agency staff members from the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of state agencies were interviewed When it was possible, the staff tried to interview the publications officers at the same time as the tech specialists to get a better overview The interviews concentrated on three topics: contemporary and future publication practices items that were born digitally databases The results indicate that state agencies have been changing their publishing techniques More documents are being produced digitally while the number of print only documents has been decreasing However, the study admits some items might only appear to be born digital because they not appear in the catalog The data is summarized in a table This trend towards digital publication carries with it more fluid boundaries, something Lin and Eschenfelder discuss in their article Agencies can provide access to previously “unpublished” government information so the boundary between records and publications is blurred Web pages can be linked to other ones and are constantly changing so there are boundary issues Mike Smith 23 These technological changes in combination with nontechnical issues like politics, staffing, and budgets can also make access difficult This study really goes into what depository librarians are faced with and how they need to adapt to these changes In addition, the study also makes several recommendations, including widening depository programs to include digital formats Also, collaboration can go a long way to help alleviate some of the concerns outlined in the study If state informational professionals work together with archival institutions, their combined skills can preserve and provide access to material This has been done on the federal level before with success Overall, the North Carolina study is worth looking at because it takes a very specific case and examines the accompanying issues, but also makes recommendations for possible solutions Authority: Kristin E Martin worked in the Cataloging department for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill at the time of publication She is currently Metadata Librarian and Acting E-Resources Librarian, Resource Acquisition & Management, Richard J Daley Library, University of Illinois at Chicago Scholarly/Refereed Status: Ulrichsweb lists this journal as both “Academic/Scholarly” and it is “Refereed.” According to Ulrichsweb, it has been incorporated into Government Information Quarterly, which is how it is listed on Elsevier Ltd’s website The website reports that all submissions are “are subject to the (double-blind) refereeing process All papers are sent out anonymously to members of the Editorial Board and other reviewers as well.” Search Strategy: I used a controlled vocabulary search using the Subject Field in the Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts database I used the terms government publications and access in the subject field I selected the appropriate article and got it through Hagerty’s “Get It” feature, finding it through ScienceDirect Freedom Collection 2012 Database: Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA) Method of Searching: Controlled Vocabulary: Subject Field Search String: Pettinato, T.R (2007) Legal information, the informed citizen, and the FDLP: The role of academic law librarians in promoting democracy Law Library Journal, 99(4), 695-716 Abstract: “Academic law librarians play an essential role in promoting democracy through participation in the Federal Depository Library Program Ms Pettinato explores democratic conceptions of the ‘informed citizen,’ how the partnership between law school libraries and the FDLP fosters that ideal even in the digital age, and why academic law librarians should embrace that role.” (Published Abstract) Annotation: While the article’s primary focus is on law libraries within the FDLP, the discussion offers a nice history of accessing government documents, including a thorough history overview, and how it is the responsibility of FDLP libraries to help citizens become “informed.” Documents are available online now, but patrons still need to learn how to both use and find Mike Smith 24 them Law librarians, especially, can offer key services because they are an access point through which citizens can become informed about legal issues The FDLP has been responsible for helping citizens access government information since the 1960s Law libraries began joining the program in 1978 With the digital age, there is a great deal of discussion of possibly disbanding the FDLP, but this raises issues Libraries still provide access to physical materials, which can always be replaced in some way, but what happens to the electronic sources if the government takes over? The same issues that confront the law librarian are applicable in more general terms Law librarians help lawyers, students, researchers and communities to be more informed There is also a very interesting discussion about reconciling a law library’s obligation to its school versus what it can and should offer by way of government documents to the more general community Rather than dropping from FDLP, it is suggested that the community be able to access areas of law collections I found this last statement to be a little confusing as I was not sure if it was meant that some parts need to be restricted by their nature as legal documents Overall, though, because of the questions that are asked in this discussion in terms of law libraries, I think it offers some more insight into the overarching themes covered by this bibliography and is worth taking a look at Authority: Tammy R Pettinato was Reference Librarian, UCLA School of Law, Hugh & Hazel Darling Law Library at the time of publication She is now a faculty member at Louis D Brandeis School of Law, University of Louisville Scholarly/Refereed Status: According to Ulrichsweb, the journal is both “Scholarly/Academic” and “Refereed.” I checked the journal website and “Manuscripts are evaluated for their appropriateness for Law Library Journal, significance, and clarity.” I decided to double check anyway and according to the Washington and Lee University School of Law website, the journal is peer-edited Search Strategy: I was interested in John A Shuler’s 1996 article, “Civic librarianship: Possible new role for depository libraries the next century?” Using the Web of Science database, I decided to a cited reference search to see if there were any current references to it I typed in Shuler’s name in the cited author field and I entered 1996 in the cited year I also limited my results with the following range: 2000-2012 I was able to obtain Pettinato’s article through Hagerty’s “Get It” feature I found it through Library Literature & Information Science Full Text (H.W Wilson) Database: Web of Science Method of Searching: Cited Reference Search String: (cited author); (cited year); timespan: 2000-2012 Priebe, T., Welch, A., & MacGilvray, M (2008) The U.S Government Printing Office’s initiatives for the Federal Depositiory Library Program to set the stage for the 21st century Government Information Quarterly, 25 (1), 48-56 Mike Smith 25 Abstract: “It is estimated that the majority of federal information is born digital To that end, the U.S Government Printing Office is transforming into at 21st century electronic information agency As part of this effort, the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) has been investigating new options for the dissemination of Federal information that incorporate digitization, preservation, electronic metadata, and information retrieval The FDLP’s efforts to find new solutions will improve acquisitions, information access, and collection development for depository libraries This article describes just of few of the initiatives GPO has undertaken to increase electronic access to electronic U.S Government information.” (Published Abstract) Annotation: The FDLP provides government information to over 1250 depository libraries in the U.S Most of the published government documents are born digital GPO has developed the Future Digital System (FDsys), which controls the life cycle of U.S Government publications In 2006, GPO developed an enhanced version of the Catalog of U.S Publications (CGP), which was an OPAC version An easy to use search box allows users to search by keyword, subject, tile or author and libraries can encourage their users to use GCP, through a provided URL through their reference services Overall, this article does a nice job of discussing the GPO’s strategies for dealing with electronic access to documents, especially as a result of government agencies publishing their sources directly to the web Such issues include authentication of documents (also mentioned in the above Jacobs article), and web harvesting The GPO ran a web harvesting pilot project from April 2006 to September 2006 to test web crawlers and the information and the documents they located, using the EPA as a test case The goal is that eventually the GPO will harvest content and it will be able to be searched for by the user with “bibliographic control and a persistent identifier” (p 52) The GPO’s Biennial Survey asks questions of FDLP libraries about their operations and questions about their interest in remaining in the FDLP The FDLP is responding to the electronic needs of their patrons Paper sources are still significant but trends have shown that users want these to supplement their electronic needs Overall, this is a good discussion of some the adaptations that both the GPO and the FDLP need to make in order to continue providing access for their users Authority: Ted Priebe is Director of Library Planning and Development, Library Services and Content Management, U.S Government Printing Office Amy Welch works for FEMA Marian MacGilvray is Education and Outreach Specialist, Collection Management & Preservation, LSCM, U.S Government Printing Office Scholarly/Refereed Status: Ulrichsweb designates the journal as both “Scholarly/Academic” and “Refereed.” According to Elsevier Ltd., submissions “are evaluated using a double blindreviewing process.” Search Strategy: I read John A Shuler’s 1996 article, “Civic librarianship: Possible new role for depository libraries the next century?” Using the Web of Science database, I decided to a cited reference search to see if there were any current references to it I typed in Shuler’s name in the cited author field and I entered 1996 in the cited year I also limited my results with the following range: 2000-2012 I found the Priebe article through Hagerty’s “Get It” feature and I was able to obtain the article with ScienceDirect Freedom Collection 2012 Database: Web of Science Mike Smith 26 Method of Searching: Citation Reference Search String: (cited author); (cited year); timespan: 2000-2012 Shuler, J.A (1996) Civic librarianship: Possible new role for depository libraries in the next century? Journal of Government Information, 23 (4), 419-425 Abstract: “Profound changes have been taking place throughout the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) since the passage of The Depository Library Act of 1962 (P.L 85-579) This Act codified several critical perspectives regarding the role of libraries in a system of federal government information distribution; the responsibilities shared among FDLP’s participating libraries (selective libraries and regionals), as well as the proper management and policy role for the Superintendent of Documents (and, by extension, the GPO) The foundation of these perspectives, obviously, depends on the relative limitations and advantages of printing technologies and paper-based distribution systems Within this scheme, local “ownership” of collections housed in a wide variety of private and public institutions across the nation best meets the information needs of citizens The enactment of the Government Printing Office Electronic Information Enhancement Act of 1993 (P.L 103-40) shifts the FDLP’s historic emphasis of local collection building and maintenance back to the Superintendent of Documents and the GPO This article outlines several possible implications developing from this transformation.” (Published Abstract) Annotation: In 1995, the GPO released a plan outlining changes to the FDLP, transitioning it to the electronic environment via the web As a result of GPO’s statement, depository libraries and the Superintendent of Documents were given new roles and responsibilities A case is made for libraries to continue in this new digital environment because the skills that informational professionals possess enable them to provide access to government information The relationships between not only different libraries but between librarians and patrons are valuable Depository libraries are a bridge between government information and citizens This bridge allows citizens to gain access across a wide geographic landscape The internet provides access to a wide array of information and network of depository libraries brings these sources together Librarians can shift their role beyond simply holders of sources since people are able to access the information more easily This is a new form of “civic librarianship” (p 423) that emphasizes community involvement and more importantly, education Although this article is from 1996, I felt it was worth inclusion because it was published right when access of government publications was going electronic and it begins to outline the changes that the government information librarian will need to make to adapt to this new digitalization of information We are provided with a nice background of the GPO and its incorporation into the digital era Librarians can be part of these changes Authority: At the time of publication, John A Shuler was Department Head and Documents Librarian for the Documents, Maps, Microforms, and Curriculum Department at the University of Illinois at Chicago He is now Associate Professor and Department Head/Documents Librarian at the University of Illinois of Chicago Mike Smith 27 Scholarly/Refereed Status: Ulrichsweb lists this journal as both “Academic/Scholarly” and it is “Refereed.” According to Ulrichsweb, it has been incorporated into Government Information Quarterly, which is how it is listed on Elsevier Ltd’s website According to the website, all submissions are “are subject to the (double-blind) refereeing process All papers are sent out anonymously to members of the Editorial Board and other reviewers as well.” Search Strategy: I decided to a controlled vocabulary search using the title and descriptor fields in Dialog File 438: Library Literature & Information Science I began by using the expand command to find the preferred terms for both “access” and “government documents.” I selected the terms “access,” “access to libraries” and “accessibility.” Although I found both “government librarians” and “government publications,” I decided to zero in on “government librarians.” I ended up doing a search for the variants of “access” in combination with “government librarians” in the title and descriptor fields I went to Library Literature & Information Science Full Text (H.W Wilson) through Hagerty Library I used the “Get It” feature and obtained the article through the ScienceDirect Freedom Collection 2012 link Database: Library Lit & Info Sci [Dialog File 438] Method of Searching: Controlled Vocabulary: Descriptor and Title Fields Search String: ? expand access ? s e3 or e12 or e21 8289 253 364 ACCESS ACCESS TO LIBRARIES ACCESSIBILITY S1 8614 'ACCESS' OR 'ACCESS TO LIBRARIES' OR 'ACCESSIBILITY' ? expand government documents ? ss e10, e17 S2 S3 S4 55 1720 1774 GOVERNMENT LIBRARIANS GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS E10, E17 ? s s2 and s1/de,ti S6 55 7849 S2 S1/DE,TI S2 AND S1/DE,TI Shuler, J.A (2008) The civic contours of a national digital reference service: The research implications of the Government Information Online Project The Library Quarterly, 78(4), 459-466 Abstract: N/A Annotation: This follow-up serves as a companion piece to Shuler’s 1996 article and we can gauge what, if any, changes have been made since his assessment We need to be careful that Mike Smith 28 federally funded projects not overly determine what information patrons can see For instance, the POPLINE database at Johns Hopkins University removed abortion as a search term Medical libraries could not find what they were looking for If it had not been for San Francisco based librarians who searches all the time, no one would have caught the omission Librarians are the key to information exchange between the government and the people The problem is that this role is being diminished, especially since the web provides so much information Librarians are necessary because they help patrons see why and how this government information is important as well as ways to make use of it Government information librarians occupy a space beyond just their local environment since their knowledge extends to federal issues They also need to move beyond the notion of collection management because they not always own items literally or permanently Paper collections are decreasing and the GPO is gaining more control of what used to be the province of depository libraries It is up to librarians to affirm their place and emphasize their position as gateways for information The article shows that Shuler’s initial concerns are still relevant today and provides a valuable discussion of the relationship between the GPO and the FDLP and why access is free to users It also provides a very nice background for the transition to electronic access of government information For example, The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) formed the first partnership with a federal government agency in 1997 Overall, we are given an effective overview of some partnership efforts and a call for librarians to better solidify their places in them Authority: John A Shuler is an Associate Professor and Department Head/Documents Librarian at the University of Illinois of Chicago Scholarly/Refereed Status: Ulrichsweb classifies this journal as “Academic/Scholarly” and “Refereed.” I double checked the JSTOR website and it is “refereed.” Search Strategy: I wanted to see if there were any references to John A Shuler’s 1996 article, “Civic librarianship: Possible new role for depository libraries the next century?” Using the Web of Science database, I decided to a cited reference search I typed in Shuler’s name in the cited author field and I entered 1996 in the cited year I also limited my results with the following range: 2000-2012 I was able to locate the article through Hagerty’s “Get It” feature and I retrieved through University of Chicago Journals Database: Web of Science Method of Searching: Citation Reference Search String: (cited author); (cited year); timespan: 2000-2012 Shuler, J.A., Jaeger, J.T., & Bertot, J.C (2010) Implications of harmonizing the future of the federal depository library program within e-government principles and policies Government Information Quarterly, 27 (1), 9-16 Abstract: “For more than 150 years, the United States Government Printing Office (GPO), along with its Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), has supported an informed citizenry and democracy by ensuring access and preservation to a broad swath of federal government Mike Smith 29 information This collaborative national public information program between local libraries and the national government, if it is to survive beyond its second century of service, must overcome profound challenges within a rapidly evolving complex of e-government policies and principles The FDLP can (and must) find a way to sere its traditional values – permanent and public access to government information – that allows for growth and change within the demands of a dynamic electronic environment between the governors and the governed.” (Published Abstract) Annotation: The FDLP needs to accommodate the growing movement towards e-government Government agencies can now reach out directly towards citizens without having to go through GPO Local libraries are looking more and more towards purchasing access from private sources The FDLP needs to reassess its position With the E-Government Act of 2002, which enhanced public access to government information via the internet, the move towards electronic access took a great step forward However, this move towards digitalization can provide the FDLP with an opportunity for a more user-based approach to information provision The new electronic environment allows for a collaborative effort among depository libraries as well as opportunities for training via the internet In this manner, the move towards electronic access does not necessarily conflict with a long history of GPO and FDLP provision of access to government documents FDLP libraries can shift their emphasis from collection to service and public access, which is a recurring theme in this bibliography Regional libraries can collaborate, forming a network through which users can obtain electronic government documents Also, the FDLP can make sure that documents are authentic and depository libraries can provide entrance points to those who have no internet access but still need to reach government information FDLP libraries’ services might have changed a little bit in terms of what they are offering in light of new electronic environment, but their basic mission of service remains the same Overall, this article gives a nice overview of the history of both the GPO and FDLP and provides real suggestions for how these entities can function in a new era of e-government It is in conversation with some of the other sources used in this project that raise some of the very same issues and point to the necessity of both adaptation and cooperation Authority: John A Shuler is Associate Professor and Department Head/Documents Librarian at the University of Illinois of Chicago Paul T Jaegar is an Assistant Professor; Director, Center for Information Policy and Electronic Government; and Associate Director, Center for Library & Information Innovation, College of Information Studies, University of Maryland John Carlo Bertot is a Professor, Director, Center for Library & Information Innovation; and Associate Director, Center for Information Policy and Electronic Government, College of Information Studies, University of Maryland Scholarly/Refereed Status: The journal is both “Scholarly/Academic” and “Refereed” according to Ulrichsweb The Elsevier Ltd website states that submissions to the journal “are subject to the (double-blind) refereeing process All papers are sent out anonymously to members of the Editorial Board and other reviewers as well.” Search Strategy: I was interested in John A Shuler’s 1996 article, “Civic librarianship: Possible new role for depository libraries the next century?” Using the Web of Science database, I decided to a cited reference search to see if there were any current references to it I typed in Shuler’s name in the cited author field and I entered 1996 in the cited year I also limited my results with the following range: 2000-2012 I was able to obtain the article through the Mike Smith 30 Hagerty’s “Get It” feature and I found the Shuler, Jaegar & Bertot article through ScienceDirect Freedom 2012 Database: Web of Science Method of Searching: Citation Reference Search String: (cited author); (cited year); timespan: 2000-2012 Valente, C (2010) Cataloging and archiving state government publications Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, 48(4), 315-329 Abstract: “The academic libraries in Alabama have been hampered in their ability to provide government information to researchers by the lack of a functioning state depository system Digital publishingcan make timely distribution and widespread accessibility of state government information possible if these online documents can be captured and archived before they are removed from agency Websites This article describes a year-long project to capture, archive,and catalog government publications by a catalog unit.” (Published Abstract) Annotation: The Network of Alabama Academic Libraries (NAAL) funded project sought to examine whether or not the academic libraries of Alabama could take an active and collaborative role in the preservation of state documents in a digital archive and make them available in their catalog An examination of previous projects recognizes this need to preserve government documents, especially those that are born “digital” because of the fleeting nature of government websites and online sources in general These same studies/projects pointed out issues of both selection and format The NAAL taskforce decided to test the cooperative approach among the members of the NAAL consortium, with each member responsible for the publications of a certain agency After the taskforce picked one hundred of the most useful publications over the next two years, the NAAL granted funding to the Auburn University at Montgomery to implement a pilot program to determine the feasibility of capturing, archiving and cataloging state documents The library was granted a one year license for the OCLC Digital Toolbox, beginning in 2008 The project reflects issues of electronic access to government documents such as selection, publication title tracking and formatting problems in addition to agency cooperation A summary of this project is valuable because it offers a very real account of how to deal with the matter of providing access to state documents, since it is not simply a matter of just taking them and making them available The NAAL project concluded that is viable to make capturing and cataloging state documents a part of a cataloging unit’s routine, although the study was focused on serial publications of state documents Still it is an example of adapting to a new electronic format and using a collaborative method to provide electronic access to government documents Authority: At the time of the article, Colleen Valente was Head of Technical Services, Library, Auburn University at Montgomery She is now the Head of Cataloging Services, University of West Florida Libraries Mike Smith 31 Scholarly/Refereed Status: According to Ulrichsweb, the journal is both “Scholarly/academic” and “Refereed.” I confirmed this by checking the journal’s website, which stated that it is peerreviewed using Scholar One Manuscripts Search Strategy: I went into LISTA and checked the thesaurus for the preferred term for “government documents.” I then did a keyword Boolean search: AND I just scanned the first page to see some of the results The article looked interesting, so I selected the record I was able to obtain it through the “Get It” option through Hagerty, which allowed me to access it through Informaworld Journals Database: Library Information Science & Technology Abstracts Method of Searching: Keyword Boolean Search Search String: AND Yelinek, K & Hinchcliff, M (2009) Accidental government documents librarian: A review of experiences and training needs of interim documents librarians The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 35(1), 46-56 Abstract: “The results of a survey to determine the needs and normative experiences of temporary government documents are presented The results indicate that temporary librarians tend to work in academia, have been in librarianship for a shorter time period, and have fewer technical processing skills than permanent document librarians.” (Published Abstract) Annotation: Government documents librarians hold a unique position because they need to be knowledgeable about a variety of materials Not a lot has been written about the training that these government documents librarians need, especially in the face of a new electronic environment In the mid-1990s, acquisitions were warned that they might need to seek other ways of getting tangible government documents should the GPO and FDLP stop functioning with the advent of the electronic access to government documents There were also concerns about how small academic libraries would function in this new environment Various surveys over the years have provided information about government documents librarians’ attitudes towards their jobs and the education they have or need Their education in government documents has not been extensive so far For example, studies in the 1970s and 1980s call for further training in the area White’s 1986 study suggested that MLS programs be expanded to two years In 1989, Cross and Richardson found that most government librarians felt underprepared Yet, a 1998 Oklahoma survey found that most felt confident with their knowledge Yang’s 2001 study found that most document librarians received their knowledge through self instruction These findings serve as a nice background for the survey of interim government document librarians in this study The study utilized an online survey of Gov DocL listserv subscribers It concentrated on issues such as librarian background for interim government document librarians, educational and training needs, common experiences and whether not these librarians see themselves as change-makers or custodians of the status quo Of the thirty-three responses, 51.7% were presently interim document librarians The overall results indicate that a majority of interim government documents librarians are new to the field and see Mike Smith 32 themselves as maintaining the status quo Also many of these librarians see their positions in a “caretaker” capacity until they find a new position or are replaced by a permanent librarian Although it is a small sample as the authors admit, it at least offers a starting point for exploration As opposed to some of the other sources examined in this project, this one zeroes in on the needs of the librarians themselves and how they can function in a new electronic environment Most important, the article ends with some advice for librarians, such as making use of “Ask GPO” resources and talking over concerns with colleagues Although there is no printed appendix with the survey questions, it is available online and there some charts which provide graphic displays of some of the results There are also some interesting quotes from some of the respondents to the survey For instance, one interim government documents librarian’s introduction to the job consisted of being told that the area was in disarray and it was her job now Authority: Kathryn Yelinek is Assistant Professor, Coordinator of Government Documents, Interim Subject Specialist for English and the Social Sciences, Harvey A Andruss Library, Bloomsburg University Marilou Hinchcliff is Associate Professor, Coordinator of Cataloging, Library Faculty Department Chairperson, Harvey A Andruss Library, Bloomsburg University Scholarly/Refereed Status: Ulrichsweb designates the journal as both “Scholarly/Academic” and “Refereed.” According to Elsevier Ltd., submissions “are evaluated using a double blindreviewing process.” Search Strategy: I again looked for references to John A Shuler’s 1996 article, “Civic librarianship: Possible new role for depository libraries the next century?”, using the Web of Science database I typed in Shuler’s name in the cited author field and I entered 1996 in the cited year I also limited my results with the following range: 2000-2012 I used Hagerty’s “Get It” feature to find the Yelinek and Hinchcliff article and I was able to get the article through ScienceDirect Freedom Collection 2012 Database: Web of Science Method of Searching: Citation Reference Search String: (cited author); (cited year); timespan: 2000-2012 Conclusion and Personal Statement I was not very familiar with accessing government documents until I worked on this project I’ve used the IRS and Federal Student Loan websites in the past, but that is as far as my background goes I’ve also seen signs in libraries indicating that they were FDLP members, but I really wasn’t sure what that entailed Overall, I wasn’t aware of some of the attitudes of government document librarians either and how some of them have been forced to learn on the Mike Smith 33 fly, so to speak From my previous coursework, I learned about cutbacks and budget constraints and the fact that sometimes staff members had multiple responsibilities, but I really had no idea of the complexities involved For instance, I didn’t realize that there was some potential animosity between the different players in government document access such as the GPO and FDLP From a more practical perspective I also learned about what happens to documents that need to be moved and how they are stored and why they need to be moved in the first place I’ve usually taken it for granted that I can look up whatever I want, but there really is a lot of behind the scenes work behind that, despite the ease of access that the electronic age supposedly provides From a search perspective, I really came to appreciate the use of multiple databases for researching a topic Historically, I’ve often limited myself to single search techniques, concentrating on keyword and Boolean logic and using databases that I was comfortable with Dialog allowed me to a more concentrated search and I was able to find some interesting items In addition, I was especially pleased by Web of Science because I did not realize that one could look “ahead” in time to see if an article was referenced I had always limited myself to looking in reference lists of articles, which pointed me either laterally or to the past From a broad perspective I really got a chance to see and appreciate the value of a more combined search effort On the whole, I think the project served as a good introduction to the issue of government documents and access in the electronic age in terms of librarian and user perspectives However, I think in retrospect, my topic could have been further streamlined and disciplined Given the amount of information available on the topic, a very useful and more focused bibliography could have been done on one aspect of government document access For example, it might have been Mike Smith 34 interesting to center on the needs and attitudes of government document librarians Although user groups were beyond the scope of this project, information providers and what they are looking for may not fit that category and I think such a survey of the needs of that particular group would have been interesting Finally, although not directly related to the course or library science per se, this project made me a little more interested in government I have come to the conclusion that I need to learn more about how our government works In fact, while I was at my public library, I found myself browsing the catalog for a book on civics One of the repeated ideas in my sources was that of the informed citizen It just made me think of all the information that is out there that I could take a look at I am not trying to be overly idealistic, but I think I am going to strive to be a little more informed about the way our government works from now on I think that is a subtle, but important lesson I learned from researching government document access I certify that: • This assignment is entirely my own work • I have not quoted the words of any other person from a printed source or a website without indicating what has been quoted and providing an appropriate citation • I have not submitted this assignment to satisfy the requirements of any other course Signature _Mike Smith _ Date _3/21/12 _ ... then typed in From here, I combined that set with the term access which gave me the following set: government printing office and libraries and access I... LIBRARIANS GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS E10,E15,E17 ? s s2 and libraries S5 433 101738 180 S2 LIBRARIES S2 AND LIBRARIES ? s s5 and access S6 180 8289 23 S5 ACCESS S5 AND ACCESS. .. and principles The FDLP can (and must) find a way to sere its traditional values – permanent and public access to government information – that allows for growth and change within the demands