From: Deb Hunt (dhunt@exploratorium.edu)
Date: Wed Feb 02 2005 - 08:08:18 PST
Message-Id: <5.1.0.14.0.20050202080714.00c53c60@192.174.2.1> Date: Wed, 02 Feb 2005 08:08:18 -0800 From: Deb Hunt <dhunt@exploratorium.edu> Subject: AALL Action Alert: Stop GPO's Plan to Eliminate Almost All Print Distribution to FDLPs in FY 2006
>>>AALL ACTION ALERT
>>>January 26, 2005
>>>
>>>Stop GPO s Abrupt Decision to Eliminate Print Distribution of Important
>>>Government Information to Our Nation s Federal Depository Libraries
>>>
>>>BACKGROUND ON GPO S PLAN TO ELIMINATE PRINT DISTRIBUTION OF IMPORTANT
>>>GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
>>>Although the Government Printing Office s appropriations bill for FY
>>>2006 has not yet been introduced in Congress, Superintendent of
>>>Documents Judith C. Russell announced during the recent ALA Midwinter
>>>Conference in Boston that GPO has requested level funding in their FY
>>>2006 appropriations for the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP),
>>>plus cost of living increases. As a result of this action, Ms. Russell
>>>also announced that the following changes in the distribution of print
>>>materials to our Nation s federal depository libraries will take effect
>>>October 1, 2005.
>>>
>>>First, GPO will produce and distribute only the 50 titles listed on the
>>> Essential Titles for Public Use in Paper Format. This will have a
>>>profound negative impact on access to authentic government information
>>>in formats most usable to the American public. The Essential Titles List
>>>(http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pubs/estitles.html), last
>>>revised in 2000, does not include important materials including maps,
>>>geological information, administrative decisions and other legal
>>>materials, as well as Senate and House reports, documents, and hearings
>>>that inform the citizenry of the workings of Congress.
>>>
>>>Second, GPO will initiate a Print on Demand (POD) Allowance Program of
>>>$500 for selective depository libraries and $1500 for the 53 regional
>>>depository libraries to purchase titles that are not on the Essential
>>>Titles List. Since depository libraries will only receive the few
>>> Essential Titles distributed in print, GPO is in effect asking
>>>Congress to support a new fee-based Print on Demand Program that has not
>>>yet been established or tested. Further, depository libraries will have
>>>to expend significant funds from their own budget to cover
>>>administrative costs associated with this new program and purchase print
>>>titles, formerly distributed through the FDLP at no cost, when print is
>>>the appropriate and needed format for their user communities. GPO admits
>>>that POD technology is not archival and that the materials depository
>>>libraries purchase through this new service will have a shelf life of
>>>only 20 to 30 years.
>>>
>>>Third, there will be a small amount of money to distribute a handful of
>>>important titles that occur unexpectedly in any given year, such as the
>>>2004 9-11 Commission Report.
>>>
>>>As FDLP partners, the depository library community has historically
>>>provided GPO with feedback on how to successfully manage the FDLP to
>>>meet the needs of all user groups. Unfortunately, the library community
>>>was not consulted about this latest move. GPO has alluded to other
>>>possible options but only announced this one. And although
>>>Superintendent of Documents Judith Russell informed us in Boston that
>>>alternative options could be discussed at the Spring Depository Library
>>>Council meeting in Albuquerque this April, we believe that will be too
>>>late to affect the FY 2006 appropriations process that Congress is
>>>beginning to undertake right now.
>>>
>>>GPO s plan, which has not been approved by Congress, represents a major
>>>disruption to the FDLP s role of ensuring no-fee, permanent access to
>>>government information for the American public. GPO has not yet
>>>established a reliable system ensuring delivery, version control,
>>>authenticity, permanent public access and preservation of government
>>>information products they disseminate and make available online. Until
>>>such a system is fully functional and GPO can ensure permanent, no-fee
>>>and ready public access to electronic government information, GPO should
>>>not gut its print distribution program.
>>>
>>>These changes will deprive citizens of their ability to access important
>>>authentic government information in the most usable format that will
>>>best meet their information needs. Further, many citizens are
>>>economically or technologically disadvantaged and cannot make use of
>>>necessary technological infrastructure to access electronic government
>>>information. It is important to remember that the goal of the FDLP is to
>>>provide government information to the American people in a convenient
>>>and useable format not to make it convenient for the administrative
>>>agency responsible for that dissemination.
>>>
>>>Public Printer Bruce James notes in his recently released strategic plan
>>>that GPO must change with the times and that the GPO of the 21st Century
>>>must use the technologies of today and tomorrow not yesterday to keep
>>>this vision alive. The library community has long embraced the move to
>>>digital technologies and libraries are on the front lines of developing
>>>systems that provide the public with easy, reliable and permanent access
>>>to authentic government information. During the past decade, the library
>>>community has consistently applauded GPO s move toward a more electronic
>>>FDLP. A number of libraries have established formal partnerships to
>>>assist GPO when their technological infrastructure proved unable to
>>>provide sufficient access to certain types of electronic government
>>>information. Librarians embrace technologies that enhance the ability of
>>>Americans to access government information more easily from their
>>>library, their home or their business.
>>>
>>>But we have also cautioned Congress, most recently in the joint
>>>testimony (http://www.ll.georgetown.edu/aallwash/st04282004.html) on
>>>behalf of five national library associations for the April 28, 2004
>>>hearing on GPO oversight before the House Committee on Administration,
>>>that we should not eliminate completely print distribution because at
>>>this time the difficult challenges of the digital life cycle remain
>>>unresolved: the authentication, permanent public access to and
>>>preservation of electronic government information. It is important that
>>>the government recognize the need to validate the authenticity and
>>>integrity of an electronic document, whether it is available through GPO
>>>Access or located on agency, congressional or court web sites. It is not
>>>enough to disseminate and preserve digital documents; users must be
>>>assured that the electronic government information that they locate and
>>>use is authentic.
>>>
>>>IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED
>>>Superintendent of Documents Judy Russell has announced a plan that
>>>effective October 1, 2005 all government documents with the exception of
>>>the Essential Titles List will be disseminated in digital format only.
>>>While the library community has been very supportive of the GPO move to
>>>digital formats, the issues of version control, authenticity and
>>>permanent public access to digital government information have not been
>>>addressed. Your help is needed to ensure that libraries and the American
>>>public continue to have access to authenticated government information.
>>>
>>>Please contact your congressional delegation immediately, by email or
>>>fax, to tell your representatives about GPO s plan to eliminate almost
>>>all print distribution to depository libraries and its impact on access
>>>to authenticated legal and government information.
>>>
>>>If you work in a law depository library, please alert your director to
>>>this abrupt and significant change in the FDLP distribution program
>>>because it is essential that everyone in your institution understand the
>>>serious long-term implications of this action on your users and contact
>>>their representatives.
>>>
>>>If you are a law library user, your help is especially needed in
>>>contacting Congress because the purpose of the depository library system
>>>is to provide you with ready, local, no-fee permanent access to
>>>authenticated legal information.
>>>
>>>Whether you re a law librarian, law library director, law professor or
>>>student, or a concerned citizen, please contact your representatives and
>>>make sure they understand the unique value of a depository library and
>>>its collections. Tell them how these changes will impact your ability to
>>>access government information and be sure to include examples of
>>>publications that you need in print for legal research.
>>>
>>>Since this latest threat to the depository library program comes from
>>>GPO officials, it s also very important that they hear your concerns
>>>firsthand. Please send a copy of your letters to Public Printer Bruce
>>>James (bjames@gpo.gov / FAX: 202-512-1347) and Superintendent of
>>>Documents Judith C. Russell (jrussell@gpo.gov / FAX: 202-512-1434).
>>>
>>>GENERAL TALKING POINTS:
>>>" GPO s plan to limit print distribution to federal depository libraries
>>>to only the 50 titles on the Essential Titles List
>>>(http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pubs/estitles.html);
>>>effectively impairs public access to key authenticated government
>>>titles, including Senate and House reports, documents and congressional
>>>hearings needed by the legal community and the public.
>>>
>>>" GPO is taking this abrupt action before it has established a reliable
>>>system ensuring delivery, version control, authenticity, permanent
>>>public access and preservation of electronic information products they
>>>disseminate and make available online. In fact, research and information
>>>technology standards and best practices have not yet been developed to
>>>the point of ensuring authenticity and preservation of electronic
>>>information products.
>>>
>>>" GPO is initiating a fee-based Print on Demand (POD) Program that has
>>>not yet been established and is asking Congress to fund it through a
>>>minimal allocation for each depository library. Libraries will have to
>>>expend significant funds to purchase print titles formerly distributed
>>>through the FDLP at no cost. Worse yet, GPO admits that POD technology
>>>is not archival and that the materials depository libraries purchase
>>>through this new service will have a shelf life of only 20 to 30 years.
>>>
>>>ASK YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES TO:
>>>1) Urge GPO to allocate its FY 2006 appropriations to provide government
>>>information in appropriate formats, including print titles as identified
>>>by the depository library community that meet the needs of the American
>>>public.
>>>2) Urge members of the House and Senate appropriations committees to
>>>increase GPO s FY 2006 budget request to maintain the current production
>>>and distribution levels of print materials to depository libraries.
>>>3) Urge members of the Joint Committee on Printing, the Senate Rules and
>>>Administration Committee and the Committee on House Administration to
>>>hold oversight hearings on GPO s new initiatives and changes to the
>>>Federal Depository Library Program.
>>>4) Remind your representatives that the FDLP is their program and that
>>>it has proven to be a very successful partnership among Congress,
>>>federal agencies, the courts, the Government Printing Office (GPO),
>>>depository libraries, and the American public in ensuring the public s
>>>right to know.
>>>
>>>If your representatives are on any of these important committees, please
>>>urge them to take a leadership role in supporting their local depository
>>>library because these changes will deprive their constituents of their
>>>ability to access important authenticated government information.
>>>
>>>Thank you!
>>>
>>>Mary Alice Baish
>>>Associate Washington Affairs Representative
>>>American Association of Law Libraries
>>>
>>>==============================
>>>
>>>Mary Alice Baish
>>>Associate Washington Affairs Representative
>>>American Association of Law Libraries
>>>E.B. Williams Law Library
>>>Georgetown University Law Center
>>>111 G Street, NW
>>>Washington, DC 20001-1417
>>>PH: 202-662-9200
>>>FAX: 202-662-9202
>>>EMAIL: baish@law.georgetown.edu
>>>www.ll.georgetown.edu/aallwash
>>
>>Deborah Hunt
>>Senior Information Specialist
>>Exploratorium http://www.exploratorium.edu
>>mailto: dhunt@exploratorium.edu
>>415-353-0485
>>(fax) 415-561-0370
>>
>>Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can
>>change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
>>-Margaret Mead
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