University of Arizona Library
December 2001
Atifa Rawan
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Mission Statement
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MISSION STATEMENT
The University of Arizona Library is dedicated to meeting the diverse information, curricular and research needs of students, faculty, staff and other customers. In an environment of free and open inquiry and with a commitment to excellence, the Library participates in the scholarly communication process to promote life-long learning skills and continuous educational achievement.
The University of Arizona Library collection development policy is stressing access to information resources that support the curriculum, research, and service needs of the faculty, students, and university community (our primary users), as well as those of Arizona residents and others. The purpose of the federal depository program is to provide access to and service from, government information as needed by the faculty, staff, and students of the University of Arizona. The collection supports the curriculum and research in all areas, from the undergraduate level to the doctoral level.
The federal depository program provides access and service to the community and public as required by law (44 U.S. Code). The University of Arizona Library is a selective federal depository library. The primary users of the federal depository are the residents of the 5th Congressional District, and the students, faculty and staff of the University of Arizona. Other depository libraries in the area are; the Tucson/Pima Public Library and The University of Arizona Law Library. The collection is maintained in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the Government Printing Office's "Instructions to Depository Libraries."
GENERAL BACKGROUND
The University of Arizona Library has participated in the Federal Depository Library Program, administered by the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) since 1907. Between 1963 and 1987 it operated as a regional depository library, acquiring and retaining virtually all publications made available for distribution by the Library Program Service (LPS) of GPO. Space constraints forced the Library to drop regional status in the summer of 1987. At that time the Library reduced its depository selections to 91% of the item number categories distributed by LPS, and began to weed outdated materials. After the Library's reorganization in 1993, the former Government Documents Department emerged as a work team within the Library's Technical Services Team (TST). The work team's first major strategic project was to conduct a zero-base review of the Library's depository item selections. This review was completed in November of 1995 and resulted in an item selection ratio of approximately 43%. The following types of materials were targeted for de-selection: ephemeral publications such as newsletters, fact sheet, briefs, etc.; transmittal publications; serial titles of which no issues had been received during the past five years; serial publications which had an erratic distribution history, including random receipt between paper and microfiche format; and monographic series in which the majority of publications distributed were considered of little or no lasting research value. Many otherwise useful serial titles were dropped because they had been converted to microfiche format for library distribution. In these cases (most of which emanated from the National Climatic Data Center, the Energy Information Administration, the Bureau of Mines, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics), TST/Docs now receives non-depository copies from DocEx or directly from the issuing agency. Great care was taken during the review not to reduce acquisitions in historically strong areas of the federal depository collection. Item numbers comprising congressional and statistical publications, for instance, were left intact. Agencies incurring extensive de-selection included those within the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, and Transportation. In 1998-1999 selection cycle, we have increased our selection slightly. For example, we have re-examined agencies such as Defense, Health Services, and Transportation and have added some items back into our profile to support our customers' needs. Government documents technical services processing is part of Serials Receiving and Processing within Technical Services Team.
COLLECTION MANAGEMENT
The Library's depository collection is maintained in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Instructions to Depository Libraries. All documents are clearly marked with the depository property stamp, shipping list date, and the SUDOC number. Superseded documents are withdrawn. Other documents may be reviewed for retention after five years. Collection review is an ongoing process.
Since 1987 and specially after the reorganization, the UAL's federal depository collection has been subject to the types of development practices routinely conducted in other areas of the Library. During the time the Library functioned as a regional depository, virtually no materials were weeded, item numbers could not be deselected and newly established item numbers were automatically added to the Library's list of selections. Following relinquishment of regional status in 1987, the head document librarian's discretion was relied upon almost exclusively for decisions regarding weeding, de-selection, and adding new item numbers. Expertise beyond the Government Documents Department was rarely sought, except with regard to sheet map acquisitions. Prior to reorganization, however, responsibility for acquiring non-depository as well as depository publications fell to the three librarians with the Government Documents Department, and substantial resources were devoted to maintaining comprehensive commercial microfiche sets of congressional and statistical publications to complement the Library's depository collections in these areas. Subsequent to reorganization, responsibility for acquiring depository federal documents has been delegated among the subject selectors. After the zero-base review of item selections was completed in 1996, responsibility for acquiring depository as well as non-depository materials was delegated to selectors. Just as each selector is responsible for collection development in specific portions of the Library of Congress classification schedule, so will individual selectors be responsible for collection development in certain parts of the Superintendent of Documents (SuDoc) classification schedule. Recommended assignments of SuDoc classes to the various integrated services teams are listed in appendix A to the report.
COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES
1. Collection Scope and Selection Standards
Subject strengths include congressional and executive historical materials, economics, agriculture, energy, health, water, American Indians, international relations, labor, military history, and social issues. Documents are selected at a comprehensive level from the following U.S. Federal Government agencies: Agriculture Department; Commerce Department, particularly the Census Bureau; Department of Education; Interior Department, particularly the United States Geological Survey; Health and Human Services; and the Justice Department. The Library's current selection ratio is 58% through the Federal Depository Library Program. The percentage of selected documents may change annually due to decisions to add or deselect documents based on the following factors.
- The changing nature of the university's academic mission and programs
- Historical research purposes
- Availability of information in other sources and formats
- Geographic area covered by the material
- User interest
items. The collection should be comprehensive particularly in areas supporting the curriculum and research of University of Arizona University, and retain material for historical research.
The Librarian assigned for the GPO liaison activities is a member of the Social Sciences Team, responsible for Political Science, Public Administration and Public Policy, and Law and has many years of documents experience. Social Sciences Team is one of the Integrative Services Team in the Library. Integrative Services Teams include Science and Engineering Team, Fine Arts/Humanities Team, Undergraduate Services Team, Research Archives, Museums and Special Collections Team, and Social Sciences Team. The Integrative Services Teams work closely on issues such as collection development and services.
Subject selectors from the Integrative Services Teams, in consultation with the Social Sciences/Government Documents Librarian, are responsible for the selection of all government information resources. Purchases of non-depository government publications are made by other subject librarians with input from faculty and students in order to meet the needs of the University of Arizona community. Worn, lost, or stolen depository materials are evaluated for replacement according to the Library's collection policy. The Library maintains a deposit account with the Government Printing Office Book-Store to supplement the depository collection and to replace lost or damaged materials.
Each year item number selections are reviewed. While a zero base
review each year is recommended by the
Government Printing Office (GPO), this is very difficult in a large
selective depository. Instead, we focus on selected agencies
or formats for yearly review. Individual items will be purchased,
and item numbers added during GPO's Annual Selection Cycle at the
discretion of the Government Documents Librarian based on input from
subject selectors.
Collection development activities germane to federal depository documents include:
- Identification of item numbers for addition to or deletion from the Library's item selection list
- Determining which publications, including CD-ROM titles are appropriately housed in non-circulating locations (e.g. reference and special collection)
- Determining retention policies for reference materials
- Determining when to weed outdated materials
- Determining whether to subscribe to non-depository copies of titles that have been converted to an unacceptable format.
All government publications are selected in the most appropriate available format, taking into consideration content, user preferences, and library facilities. Formats may include, but are not limited to paper, microfiche, maps, and electronic formats. New formats will be accommodated as feasible and the Library selects only in one format.
The library participates in the Documents Expediting Project of the
Library of Congress through which it can obtain
many government publications unavailable through the depository program.
Selectors need to contact
government agencies directly to receive materials not available from
the GPO.
Our Technical Services Team maintains deposit accounts with the GPO and the National Technical Information System (NTIS) for purchase of government materials, which may not be otherwise available.
The Library also supplements the depository collection with commercial
indexes, bibliographies, online
services, directories, periodicals, and monographs of interest to
the federal depository user and which aid in locating
government material. Some services are, by contract, available
only to the University community, others are
available to all users. A list of these resources are
available on Sabio, the Library information gateway, under "show all
databases."
4. De-Selection/Weeding
Publications which no longer fit the selection standards are withdrawn from the collection by subject selectors as permitted by the U.S. Government Printing Office's "Instructions to Depository Libraries" http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pubs/instructions/index.html. Those titles no longer needed are offered first to the Arizona State Library, regional depository, and then to depository libraries throughout the United States, either through postings to GOVDOC-L or through submission to the national "Needs and Offers List." Unneeded titles not claimed by another depository library are discarded with the permission of the regional depository.
Specific materials to be weeded include:
- Preliminary reports (if final report has been received)
- Dated/false information
- Superseded publications - see GPO Guidelines for Superceded Materials -http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/coll-dev/supersede.html
- Individual serials titles if the Library does not have a complete run
- Any material containing information on Arizona or the Southwest region
- Any information containing information on American Indians or borderland
- Any publication that may be of value (present or historical) to any graduate degree program at University of Arizona, particularly items that have actively circulated.
Gifts which meet the selections standards or which will fill gaps in the collection will be added at the discretion of the subject selectors. Gift items which are not added to the collection will be offered to other depository libraries or discarded.
6. Preservation
In order to preserve the collection, the Library staff selectively binds currently received printed materials. The Library is committed to preserving federal materials in all formats. The Library staff makes every effort to replace badly damaged or deteriorating materials.
BIBLIOGRAPHIC CONTROL AND ACCESS
Technical Services/Docs staff mainstream bibliographic access to federal documents by providing MARC/AACR2-formatted record on SABIO. Prior to 1993, bibliographic control of the depository collection was maintained in a paper-based environment. Cards were typed for monographs and filed by SuDoc/title arrangement in a single-entry public catalog housed on the third floor of the Main Library. Serials were checked in either on cards in the documents public catalog or in a revolving file kept in the documents processing area, also on the third floor. When commercial CD-ROM versions of the Monthly Catalog became available, Library users accessed federal documents published since 1976 by using a cumulative, centralized, multiple point-of-entry file. However, holdings records to the piece level, required by GPO, were available only by consulting staff and/or tools located in the Government Documents Department. GEAC (former circulation system) records for approximately 60,000 circulating documents were created on-the-fly and migrated to SABIO, but these records provided access to title and SuDoc classification number only. During the last several years, Technical Services staff have undertaken intensive efforts to prepare for conversion of federal documents records to MARC/AACR2 format. The staff currently process all in-coming depository publications in an online environment.
The Library purchases bibliographic records from Marcive, Inc. The automated Shipping List Service (SLS) is loaded weekly and permanent records are loaded on a monthly cycle into SABIO. On April 2, 1995, 6, 672 MARC records for federal document serial titles purchased from Marcive, Inc. were loaded. To date, nearly all post-1976 publications have been edited and merged with existing holdings records, or deleted and replaced with more accurate records on our on-line catalog (SABIO) along with other materials purchased by the Library. Thus, all depository materials are represented in SABIO and available for circulation (if appropriate) shortly after arriving in the Library.
Retrospective conversion of records for federal documents distributed between 1976 and the present was completed in June 1998. Several methods for conversion were available and were carefully considered. Regardless of the option chosen, the Library devoted substantial staff resources, over a significant length of time, to accomplish this phase of retrospective conversion. MARC/AACR2 conversion of records for the pre-1976 portion of the federal depository collection, numbering well over 500,000 pieces, would be a monumental undertaking and is not being considered at this time.
ACCESS
1. Public Access Policies
The primary circulating collection, reference materials, microfiche, CD-ROM's, current periodicals, maps and as well as rare materials are available to the Library users during the hours the Library building is open. Most circulating materials are located on the 3rd floor of the Main Library. Depository maps are classed into LC and housed in the map area (compact shelving). Reference is provided from the main reference services areas of the Library. Phone and Internet questions are accepted, although complex reference requests will require that users come to the library. Most federal documents circulate to registered borrowers and are lent via inter-library loan.
2. Internet access
The Library depends increasingly on Internet access to government information. U.S. government agencies are in the forefront of publishing in electronic formats, including documents available on the Internet. Now that documents are increasingly posted on the Internet, moreover, agencies rely even less upon GPO for procurement and distribution, and not at all for bibliographic control, we provide online and remote access via the Library's information gateway. We also select depository items based on a combination of anticipated usage, format, ease of access, and timeliness. One concern for not selecting an item that is available in paper as well as on the Internet is that if the item is not selected, then it is not represented in our online catalog. On the other hand, if an online version is available at the time GPO catalogs a document, our catalog record will include a link to the Internet version in the online catalog.
Federal Depository Selection Tools and Policies
- Federal Depository Collection Development - http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/coll-dev/
- GPO Depository Management (http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/mgt/index.html) on a number of resources for selecting and evaluating depository materials. These include:
- Item Lister - (http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/tools/itemlist.html)
- List of Classes of U.S. Government Publications Available for Selection by Depository Libraries - (http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pubs/loc/index.html)
- Catalog of United States Government Publications (MOCAT) - (http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/locators/cgp/index.html)
- Sales Product Catalog - (https://orders.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/sale/index.html)
- GPO Subject Bibliographies
- Administrative Notes -(http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pubs/adnotes/index.html)
- Administrative Notes Technical Supplement - (http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pubs/techsup/index.html)
- New and Noteworthy Resources from GPO - (http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/newnote.html)
- New Products and Services Announcements from GPO
- Recommendations from users and librarians
Library Access Policy
Collection Development Policy (http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pubs/fdlm/coldev.html)
Library Binding Policy
Library's Replacement Policy
FDLP Internet Use Policy Guidelines (http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/mgt/iupolicy.html)
State Plan (http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/mgt/sdltr8-17-01.html)
Sources
- "Basic Collection", Appendix C, in Federal Depository Library Manual (1993), at 173, 173-174, last updated June 19, 1998 < http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/dpos/basic.html >
- Collection Development Guidelines for Selective Federal Depository Libraries: Federal Depository Library Manual Supplement (1994). Also available on Internet (visited May 13, 1999) <http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/dpos/coldev.html >.
- Federal Depository Library Manual (1993). Also available on Internet (visited June 10, 1999) <http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/dpos/93fdlm.html>.
- Instructions to Depository Libraries (1992). Also available on Internet (visited June 10, 1999) <http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/dpos/instruct.html >.
- "Suggested Core Collection," Appendix A, in Federal Depository Library Manual (1993), at 123, 123-156,last updated May 19, 1997, < http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/dpos/corelist.html >.
RECOMMENDED ASSIGNMENTS OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR
ACQUIRING FEDERAL DOCUMENTS TO INTEGRATIVE SERVICES TEAMS
| SuDoc Class | Department/Agency | Team |
| A ------- AA ------ AE ------ C -------- C 13 -- D 5.300 |
Agriculture Dept ----------------------
ACTION- ------------------------------ National Archives and Records Admin --- Commerce Dept. ------------------------ except National Institute of Standards and Technology Office of Patents and Trademarks ----------- National Technical Information Service ------ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin. --- Commission on Civil Rights ------------------- Defense Dept. -------------------- except Defense Mapping Agency ------- |
SET SST SST SST SET SST |
| E ------ ED ---- EP ------ FA ------ FCA ----- FEM ----- FHP ---- FM ----- FMC --- FR ----- FTZ ---- |
Education Dept. ------------------------------ Environmental Protection Agency ------------- Commission on Fine Arts ---------------------- Farm Credit Administration ------------------- Federal Emergency Management Agency ----- Federal Housing Financing Board ------------- Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service --- Federal Maritme Commission ---------------- Federal Reserve System Board of Governors-- Foreign Trade Zones Board ------------------ |
SET SST SET FAH SST SET SST SST SET SST SST |
| GA ---- GP ------ GS ----- HE ------ HH ----- I ------- IA ------ IC ------- ITC ------ J -------- JU ------- |
General Accounting Office ------------------
Government Printing Office ------------------ General Services Administration ------------- Health and Human Services Dept. ----------- Housing and Urban Development ----------- Interior Dept. ------------------------------- U.S. Information Agency ------------------- Interstate Commerce Commission ---------- International Trade Commission ------------ Justice Dept. ------------------------------ Judiciary ----------------------------------- |
SST SST SST SET SST SET SST SST SST SST SST |
| L -------- LC ------ LR ------ MS ----- NAS --- NC ----- NCU ---- NF ----- |
Labor Dept.--------------------------------
Library of Congress ----------------------- National Labor Relations Board ------------ Merit Systems Protection Board ------------ National Aeronautics and Space Admin. ---- National Capitol Planning Commission ------ National Credit Union Administration ------- National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities ---------------------------------- National Mediation Board ------------------ National Science Foundation ---------------- |
SST *** SST SST SET FAH SST FAH |
| OP ------ P ------- PE ------- PM ------ PR ----- PREX ---- --PREX 8 |
Overseas private Investment Corp. ---------
Postal Service ----------------------------- Peace Corps ------------------------------ Office of Personnel Management --------- President ---------------------------------- Executive Office of the President ----------- except Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering and Technology -------------- Council on Environmental Quality ---------- Office of Science and Technology Policy |
SST SST SET SST SST SST SET |
|
RR ------ S -------- S 18 SBA ------ SE -------- SI 1, 3, 9-- SI 4, 6, 7, 11, 13, 14 |
Vice President ------------------------------
Railroad Retirement Board ----------------- State Dept. --------------------------------- except Agency for International Development -------- Small Business Administration ---------------- Securities and Exchange Commission -------- Smithsonian Institution ----------------------- Smithsonian Institution ----------------------- |
SST SST SST SET SST SST SET FAH |
| SSA ----- ---- T -------- ---- TD ------ ---- VA ------ ---- X ------- --- Y 1, 4, 7 --- Y 3 ----------- Y 3.N 88 ------ |
Social Security Administration ---------------
Treasury Department ------------------------ Transportation Dept. ----------------------- Veterans Affairs Dept. ---------------------- Congress ----------------------------------- Congress ----------------------------------- Congressional Commissions ---------------- except Nuclear Energy Commission ----------------- Congressional Budget Office -------------- |
SST SST SET SST SST SST *** SET |
Publications issued by these agencies can be on virtually any subject. Collection development decisions regarding LC- and Y 3-classed documents will be assigned to the appropriate selector, whichever integrative services team he/she is on.
