[Publib] Fwd: [alacoun] Letter to Public Printer

[Diedre Conkling]

=============
Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 18:10:51 -0500
From: "Emily Sheketoff" <esheketoff at alawash.org>
To: <alacoun at ala.org>
Cc: <alacol2 at ala.org>
Subject: [alacoun] Letter to Public Printer

This letter went to the Public Printer today.  Thanks to Bill Sleeman
and the members of GODORT who worked so hard on this excellent letter
 
January 2, 2008

 

 

Robert C. Tapella

Public Printer of the United States

732 North Capitol Street

Government Printing Office
Washington, DC 20401

 

Dear Mr. Tapella: 

 

Thank you for allowing the American Library Association the opportunity
to provide input into the appointment process for the next
Superintendent of Documents. We appreciate that the GPO values the input
of the Association regarding the qualities that should be exhibited by
the next Superintendent.

            

*        The new Superintendent should be committed to no-fee permanent
public access to government information in all forms, and should
endeavor to work in partnership with agencies, courts, publishers,
depository libraries, librarians, and library associations to achieve
this goal.

 

*        The new Superintendent of Documents must be a vigorous advocate
before Congress for the continuation of the Federal Depository Library
Program.  Even though the Internet makes digital documents available to
anyone anywhere, there will continue to be a need for depositories as
centers of access and expertise in government information. It falls to
the Superintendent of Documents to impart to Congress that the FDLP is
and will continue to be a viable program.

 

*        The new Superintendent of Documents should ensure that the
Federal Digital System (FDSys) is an ongoing priority of GPO. FDSys
should be continuously upgraded and improved based on evolving
requirements for access and interoperability with other information
systems. It is also important to build and maintain confidence among
depository libraries that FDSys can act as a permanent digital
repository. 

 

*        The new Superintendent should encourage GPO to partner with
libraries and should be willing to help coordinate those libraries'
efforts to achieve the goal of a digitized, complete legacy collection
of tangible publications.

 

*        The new Superintendent must direct GPO to create practical
standards for metadata, preservation, and authentication of digital
documents.  Such standards, which can be applied locally by depository
libraries, are very important for the continued provision of government
information in an increasingly digital environment.

 

*        The new Superintendent should understand that as GPO moves to
majority-digital documents, the need for technical support of FDLP
libraries will increase, and GPO should make a commitment to meet those
needs in a prompt fashion. The new Superintendent should understand the
importance of fostering cooperation among federal agencies to ensure the
orderly dissemination and preservation of electronic information. While
it is understood that this is one of the goals of FDSys, fugitive
electronic documents will continue to be created unless a concerted
effort is maintained to eliminate them.

 

*        In order to aid depository libraries in adapting to GPO's
transition to a majority-digital documents program, the new
Superintendent should investigate a revision of Title 44 with regard to
the 5-year time requirement for libraries to hold documents in print and
microfiche.

 

*        The new Superintendent should actively seek input from
depository libraries with regard to the operations of the Federal
Depository Library program.

 

*        The new Superintendent should have a continued commitment to
have GPO produce core titles in print for purposes of preservation and
access.

 

*        The new Superintendent should consider the implementation of
public relations initiatives to build awareness of the FDLP and the
services that FDLP libraries provide.

 

*        The new Superintendent must remain aware that a number of
government reports and other publications are commercially published,
rather than being published by GPO and distributed to depository
libraries. The Superintendent should recognize the value of cultivating
positive relationships with agencies, commissions, and publishers to
ensure that this information remains freely available to the public in
the spirit of the FDLP and public access to government information.

 

Thank you again for the opportunity to provide input into this
appointment process.

 

Sincerely,

 

Emily Sheketoff

Executive Director

American Library Association Washington Office

 

=============
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: att8a66d.gif
Type: image/gif
Size: 934 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.webjunction.org/wjlists/publib/attachments/20080102/79c0b788/att8a66d.gif