Gary Cornwell

Changing Partnerships? Government Documents Departments at the Turn of the Millennium.

Abstract During the 1990s the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) has undergone a transition from collections comprised exclusively of tangible print on paper or fiche publications to a mix of print and electronic materials. This article examines the impact of this transition on depository library operations—both collections and services—at the turn of the millennium. The discussion of reference service on depository materials is considered within the context of G. K. Zipf’s law, that is, people will tend to seek the path of least effort in gathering information. Given this tendency, the extensive use of the Web to deliver electronic depository materials redirects depository library users away from depository shelves to Web workstations, and leads depository librarians to build Web pages to direct their patrons. The conclusion is that for depository libraries the new collection mix poses a management paradox—the FDLP receives thousands of tangible documents each year, yet it must maintain new services for patrons turning increasingly to Web-based resources.

Evaluating Online Real-Time Reference in an Academic Library: Obstacles and Recommendations

Summary Online real-time or “chat” reference, while still in its infancy when compared to traditional reference services is beginning to come of age. The time has come to move beyond the earlier challenges and issues debated at length in the library profession and begin to consider how to evaluate real-time reference. This article will consider obstacles to evaluating chat reference and present practical recommendations. These obstacles are presented in four basic areas including; organizational structure, scarcity of resources, newness of the service, and difficulty developing techniques of assessment or applying existing methodology.

Problems and Issues Affecting the U.S. Depository Library Program and the GPO: The Librarians' Manifesto.

Abstract Decreasing federal funds, potentially conflicting legislative initiatives, and the introduction of electronic products and services as primary mediums for dissemination of government information have intensified many longstanding problems with the U.S. Depository Library Program (DLP). In addition, virtually every aspect of the DLP, from the definition of a government document to the role of the private sector in the production and distribution of government information. is being reexamined. In this paper, a group of practicing documents librarians explore these issues and offer a variety of options for their resolution. They also take a critical look at the U.S. Government Printing Office and suggest how, in an ideal environment, it might be reorganized to better meet the needs of libraries as well as the producers and users of government information.

The dissemination of federal government information: Prospects for the immediate future

Abstract The Government Printing Office is currently undertaking a study to “Identify Measures Necessary for a Successful Transition to a More Electronic Federal Depository Library Program.” With an anticipated date of 1998 for the implementation of an “electronic depository library program” this GPO study will become the blueprint for restructuring the FDLP. The ability of GPO to secure agency dissemination of electronic information through the FDLP as well as the willingness of depository libraries to remain in the Program will ultimately determine the long-term viability of the FDLP.