Federal Depository Library Conference, October, 2005

Agency Updates and Educational Programs

Agency Update: Dept. of Commerce: STAT-USA/USA Trade Online

A presentation by two website folks from DOC, this demo of the updates to STAT-USA included a demonstration of new features available in USA Trade Online, including the ability to customize table layouts, suppress empty rows and columns, and export data in a variety of formats. This included a ppt, and a handout on searching the USA Trade Online for new users. JD

Agency Update: Health & Human Services

This report on the new public service publications Dietary Guidelines for Americans and A Healthier You was basically a report on the health statistics and issues that led to the publication of this publication from the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP).

Based on statistical research, focus group responses, and consumer research, this document seeks to translate nutritional facts and recommendations into an effective piece of communication for the average American, putting the issues into practical terms that can be incorporated into real lives. JD

Agency Update: Science.gov

A review of the Science.gov portal, including an overview of the organizational task of bringing web content from a large number of agencies together in a single search tool. This update provided virtually the same content as last year. A visit to the site will be instructive in demonstrating the cross-agency search capabilities in this most recent release (2.1), which includes ranked results, an alert service, and standard tools for marking and sorting results. JD

Homeland Security Digital Library

This presentation by the librarian at the Naval Postgraduate School was very interesting. The HSDL is a great aggregator of information on all aspects of security, terrorism, and law enforcement. It is not openly accessible as a site (although individual items are findable through Google and also are linked from the librarian's excellent subject pages, which are included in my Subject Index and to which I almost always go first for military information) but the librarian told us to email them and they should give us individual access. She also said that academic programs in this area can get wider access to the site. One item that she mentioned of particular interest is that the theses written by students at the Postgraduate School , unless they are classified, are readily available and are often substantial analyses of important topics. KA

New Depository Manual

Report on the completion of the new online depository manual, in two sessions. Each of the 15 chapters was completed by a team of docs librarians, and each team gave a brief summary of their work. Janet Scheitle, Director of the Office of Planning and Development, Library Services, began by discussing the project. Teams were to report on what they accomplished, explain new content, provide tips and new ideas, solicit feedback, and discuss the future of the manual. Revisions to the existing manual were intended to reflect changes to the FDLP, consolidate existing documents, update information, and incorporate best practices and lessons learned.

Each team gave a report of their efforts that included the following sections:

• What's new and important?
• Tips, Practical advice, and lessons learned.
• Did you realize that you don't have to…?

Highlights and notables:

• Language indicating the trend toward mostly or strictly electronic collections is prominent. This includes the advice that there is no minimum selection percentage, no requirement for shelf space, nor a requirement for a depository librarian or minimum staffing.
• The FLDP “is as much about access and reference expertise as it is about tangible collections.” Training opportunities for staff are an important aspect of FDL status.
• Referrals to other collections, the marketing and promotion of FDL materials, written policies on electronic access, circulation, and reference services are all important aspects of FD librarianship.
• Providing free printing for the public is not a requirement. Size of the collection doesn't matter.
• Track usage wherever possible.
• Housing locally is not required.
• Photograph your collection (!)
• Internet memory tools like Internet Archive or The Way Back Machine can help maintain online core collection links. JD

GODORT Program (Conflicts between privacy and FOIA)

Observations:

• librarians want it both ways. want their info private but others open.
• keeping as few personal records as possible in a lot of areas is the best policy.
• Bookstores keep too many personal records and exploit them too much at the risk of privacy.
• Privacy is used as an excuse by the executive branch too much for inappropriate secrecy.
• Agencies are supposed to put up a directory of all databases of personal info that they have. They don't follow the spirit of the law here.
• Agencies must put up their records schedule.
• Nobody in gov has the responsibility for enforcing FOIA
• openthegovernment.org
• Sunshine Week
• National Security Archive at George Washington University
• Homeland Confidential: How the War on Terrorism Affects Access to Information and the Public's Right to Know (Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, 9/1/2003). MK