Recognizing the need for improving citizens' access to government documents, the Depository Library Council to the Public Printer and the Government Printing Office have encouraged states to develop a state plan for better coordination of the federal depository program in each state. I appointed Loretta Harmatuck, Government Services Librarian, Reference and Loan Library, Division for Library Services to coordinate Wisconsin's response to the request for a state plan. The Government Services Librarian at the Reference and Loan Library is responsible for the administration of the Wisconsin document depository program and for the coordination, in cooperation with the Regional Depository Libraries, for statewide planning and evaluation of the federal depository libraries program.

The Document Services Section of the Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) formed a State Plan Committee in April, 1983. The State Plan Committee included: John Peters, Government Publications Librarian, State Historical Society Library, Virginia Schwartz, Documents Librarian, Milwaukee Public Library, Lloyd Velicer, Assistant Government Publications Librarian, State Historical Society Library and Loretta Harmatuck, Government Services Librarian, Reference and Loan Library, Chair.

The State Plan Committee held telephone conference calls and communicated with all the federal depository libraries through letters and a survey. The following plan is a result of the efforts of the State Plan Committee to describe Wisconsin's federal documents depository libraries program.

I would like to thank the members of the State Plan Committee and all the federal depository librarians who responded to the questionnaire and shared concerns and suggestions in the development of this state plan.
 

Leslyn Shirs, Assistant Superintendent
      and Administrator
Division for Library Services

Preface
Introduction
Collections
Bibliographic Access
Direct Access and Interlibrary Loan
State Publications
Communication
Future Planning Activities
Conclusion
Appendices:

Appendix A. Summary of the State Plan Questionnaire
Appendix B. Map of the Federal Depository Libraries in Wisconsin
Appendix C. Discard Procedures for U.S. Federal Depository Libraries in Wisconsin

The Document Services Section of the Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) formed a State Plan Committee in April, 1983, in response to the Superintendent of Document's request for a state plan for improved public access to government documents. The committee consisted of representatives from the two regional federal depository libraries in Wisconsin, from the WLA Document Services Section, and from the Wisconsin Division for Library Services, Reference and Loan Library.

The State Plan Committee held three telephone conference calls during the past eighteen months and communicated with all the federal depository libraries through two letters and a survey regarding the need for a state plan and what a state plan should include. The committee's activities and plans for responding to the Superintendent of Documents were reported and discussed at the October 26, 1984, business meeting of the WLA Document Services Section.

A summary of the first telephone conference call held by the committee and a letter asking for comments on the need for a state plan and what a state plan should include were sent to depository librarians in November, 1983. We received nine responses out of the thirty letters sent for a thirty percent (30%) response rate.

The Committee decided that this first response was not representative of the state since less than one-third of the federal depository libraries responded. We developed a state plan questionnaire which was mailed out to the federal depository libraries in April, 1984. This time we had an eighty-seven percent (87%) response rate. Twenty-six of the thirty surveys were returned. The responses from the initial request for comments and the questionnaire on a state plan clearly indicated that federal depository librarians felt that Wisconsin has a federal document depository program or plan, in place that seems to be working reasonably well. (See Appendix A for a summary of the state plan questionnaire.)

Sixteen (62%) of the respondents to the questionnaire indicated that there was no need for a state plan, or they didn't answer the question. Of the ten (38%) who said there was a need for a state plan, seventy percent agreed that four publications--including GPO's Instructions to Depository Libraries, and Guidelines for the Depository Library System, Wisconsin Interlibrary Loan Guidelines, and Discard Procedures for U.S. Federal Depository Libraries in Wisconsin-form the basis for Wisconsin's federal documents depository program and are, in effect, Wisconsin's state plan.

This publication is the state plan committee's effort to put into writing the major components of Wisconsin's federal documents depository libraries program. Wisconsin's state plan consists of designated federal documents depository library collections; mechanisms for providing bibliographic access to federal documents; interlibrary loan channels; procedures for sending and receiving interlibrary loan requests; procedures for delivering information and documents, including state publications; methods of communication between depository libraries; and future plans for improving citizen's access to federal documents.
 
 

 Wisconsin has two regional depository libraries with complete current and retrospective federal depository documents collections. There are twenty-eight selective federal depository libraries in Wisconsin. (See Appendix B for a map showing the federal depository libraries in Wisconsin.) The State Historical Society of Wisconsin Library in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin-Madison libraries has served as a regional federal depository library since 1954. The Milwaukee Public Library has served as a regional federal depository library since 1962.

Wisconsin federal depository libraries follow the procedures covered in Instructions to Depository_ Libraries (GPO, Revised June 1984) and Guidelines for the Depository Library System GPO, October 18, 1977). If any of the selective depository libraries has a problem they can call their respective regional depository library for help. Wisconsin federal depository libraries follow discard procedures developed by the State Historical Society Library and Milwaukee Public Library in January, 1983. (See Appendix C for the discard procedures.)

All of the federal depository libraries in Wisconsin have bibliographic access to federal publications through the Monthly Catalog and GPO Sales Publications Reference File. A majority of the depository libraries also have the major government publication reference tools such as the American Statistics Index, Congressional Information Service Indexes, Resources in Education, and NTIS Government Reports Announcements and Index. A number of the academic libraries, large public libraries, special libraries, and the Wisconsin Reference and Loan Library can provide bibliographic access to federal documents for library patrons through computer searches of the many government documents databases which are currently available online.

The State Historical Society Library published a guide to Wisconsin federal depository libraries outlining their bibliographic access to federal documents and other information about their respective collections in March, 1984. The information had originally been gathered and compiled by Leslie Foster, documents librarian at the UW-Eau Claire Library. The guide was distributed to all federal and state government publications depositories in Wisconsin. The guide includes information such as the size and arrangement of each library's federal documents; areas of specialization; tools providing bibliographic access; lending policies; reproduction equipment; and hours. (See the enclosed copy of the Wisconsin Federal Depository Libraries: A Guide.)

The State Historical Society Library has also created an annotated list by superintendent of documents number showing where the regional and selective depository publications are located in the various depository libraries in the Madison area. Copies of this list have been sent to all the federal and state depository libraries in Wisconsin. (See the enclosed copy of the Currently Received Federal Government Depository Publications in Madison Wisconsin Libraries.

A major undertaking, which should improve Wisconsin citizens' access to federal documents is the addition of the federal documents holdings of Wisconsin depository libraries to the Wisconsin statewide library database. Milwaukee Public Library will be the first depository library to add its federal documents holdings to the Wisconsin statewide library database called WISCAT. WISCAT is an author, title and subject file,
available on microfiche, of the holdings of over 300 libraries in Wisconsin. WISCAT is a major bibliographic verification and interlibrary loan tool for Wisconsin libraries.

Library Service and Construction ACT (LSCA) funds are used to produce WISCAT and will be used to add the documents in January, 1985. The Division for Library Services will contract with BRODART to put Milwaukee Public Library's federal documents holdings in WISCAT. The federal documents will be limited to depository titles since 1977 and include approximately 140,000 titles. New editions of the WISCAT microfiche will be distributed to Wisconsin libraries in April, 1985. This should provide a good way to expand bibliographic and interlibrary loan access to federal documents in Wisconsin libraries, particularly since WISCAT will also provide subject access to documents.

Other phases of this project may be to add the holdings of the State Historical Society (SHS) Library and UW-Madison libraries. This would be more complicated since the documents are held by several libraries on the UW-Madison campus as well as the SHS Library. A third phase would be to add the holdings of Wisconsin's partial federal depository libraries.

Any citizen can use federal documents on site in any Wisconsin federal depository library. If a particular document or documents is/are not available in a local library the document can be borrowed, or reference request can be referred, through the interlibrary loan system. Wisconsin has a statewide interloan network based on area resource-sharing and a hierarchical interloan structure with state level resource providers. The Wisconsin Interlibrary Loan Guidelines, 2nd edition, June 1982, explains the interlibrary loan patterns and procedures for the various types of libraries in Wisconsin. These guidelines pertain to requests for borrowing documents as well as other types of material.

There are two state level clearinghouses for interlibrary loan requests. Public and school libraries send their requests to the public library system in their area. There are seventeen public library systems in Wisconsin. These area clearinghouses try to verify the information as best they can, search area resources, and send on the unfilled request to the Wisconsin Reference and Loan Library (RLL). Requests from academic libraries are generally sent to the Wisconsin InterLibrary Services (WILS), after clearing the area level libraries. WILS members go directly to WILS.

Interlibrary loan requests are currently sent between libraries in a variety of methods, including via teletype, mail, microcomputer and telephone. A state telecommunications committee is presently examining telecommunications equipment, software and methods to insure that Wisconsin libraries are compatible with the communication systems they use for interlibrary loan.

Documents that are loaned are normally delivered through the mail. However, LSCA funded projects are experimenting with delivery van service within public library systems for all types of libraries. Another delivery system which is being continued by some libraries after the LSCA grant ended involves the transmission of photocopies via telefacsimile equipment.

The Reference and Loan Library verifies the bibliographic citations and coordinates the interloan of federal documents. Reference and Loan Library and WILS refer requests between networks. R & LL also coordinates the collection and distribution of state publications to Wisconsin's forty-four state depository libraries. A majority of the federal depository libraries are also state depository libraries for Wisconsin documents.

During the past year, representatives of the Division for Library Services and the State Historical Society have met to draft a proposal for Wisconsin state depository legislation. The proposal consolidates the responsibility for the State public documents depository program into one agency, the State Historical Society. The Library of the State Historical Society would be responsible for the acquisition, cataloging and distribution of state publications, for the publication and distribution of Wisconsin Public Documents, a monthly listing of Wisconsin state documents and for the microfiching of all state publications. The Library of the State Historical Society would be adequately funded to handle these tasks. Briefly, the advantages of such a consolidation would be: savings in time and money both for state agencies and depository libraries; an increase in the number of state publications available to libraries; an increase in the number of locations in the state which will be able to hold a complete collection of government publications; and an improvement in the timeliness and completeness of the cataloging information provided for these documents. The plans to merge the state depository program are still in the discussion stage.

Communication between federal depository libraries/librarians was a need frequently mentioned by librarians in response to a state plan. One method of communicating regularly with document librarians is through the WLA Document Services Section Newsletter. However, there are some depository librarians who do not belong to the WLA Document Services Section. Nineteen out of the thirty federal depository libraries in Wisconsin have at least one librarian who is currently a member of the WLA Document Services Section. Articles of interest to depository librarians can be included in the Channel DLS Newsletter of the Division for Library Services which all depository libraries should receive.

The most reliable method of communicating with federal documents librarians is to send information in a direct mailing to all federal depository libraries in Wisconsin. The State Plan Committee has used this method to communicate with depository librarians as well as via the business meetings of the WLA Document Services Section.

Plans are being developed to provide documents librarians with the opportunity to share information and discuss areas of concern as well as to meet the need for continuing education. The Milwaukee Public Library held a workshop for librarians and clerks from the federal depository libraries in their region in 1984. It was an informal and informative meeting and apparently very well received by participants. The State Historical Society applied for an LSCA grant to support a workshop for depository librarians covering basic government publications reference tools and to discuss matters of concern to federal depository librarians. It was not funded in 1984. At the October, 1984 business meeting of the WLA Document Services Section, federal depository librarians expressed an interest in having such a workshop. The State Historical Society Library will continue to pursue the idea of a workshop.

Another project to help improve citizens' (and librarians') awareness of, and access to, federal documents is in the idea stage. John Peters, Government Publications Librarian, at the State Historical Society, and Virginia Schwartz, Documents Librarian at Milwaukee Public Library are planning to develop a brochure explaining where Wisconsin residents should go to obtain documents. It would include a list and a map of the federal depository libraries in Wisconsin.

A major planning activity which may benefit federal documents libraries is the review of microcomputer telecommunications and bulletin board systems for use in interlibrary loan communication and electronic mail among Wisconsin libraries. These communication systems may allow libraries to use more sophisticated means of sending interlibrary loan requests. The use of electronic mail systems and bulletin boards may make communication more efficient.
 
 

Wisconsin's response to a plan for improving citizens' access to government documents has been to describe the major components of the federal documents depository libraries program in Wisconsin. The mechanisms and procedures for making government documents accessible to citizens have been developed and incorporated into Wisconsin's statewide interloan network and other statewide library plans as they develop and change. We view Wisconsin's federal document depository libraries program as a dynamic state plan. We expect the federal depository libraries program in Wisconsin to grow and change as the needs of our state change.

NOTE: The first number is the number of those who answered. The second number is the percentage of those who answered; i.e., based on the 26 surveys returned.

1. There is need for a state plan for the federal depository libraries in Wisconsin.

Yes      10   No   13          No Response    3
      ( 35%)     (35%)                         (12%)

2. If you answered yes to the above question, what additional topics should be included in a state plan which are not covered by the publications listed in the accompanying letter?

    Of the ten (10) respondents who answered Yes:

        6 (60%) had no further suggestions
        1 (10%) thought the current guidelines and procedures seem adequate

3. If you are interested in the development of a state plan, are you willing to invest some of your time to do some writing of drafts, do research, participate in a telephone conference call, critique drafts, or other assistance you could offer the committee?

    Yes   9     No   9 No Response   8
        (35%)       (35%)              (30%)

If you answered yes, please indicate what kind of assistance.

The majority of those responding would be willing to help in any of the ways which were listed.

    Name
    Library
    Address

4 . . . . what additional topics should be included in a state plan which are not covered by the publications   listed in the accompanying letter?

    16   (62%)     No Response

    3    (12%)      Procedures for resource sharing and for disposing of
                         documents well defined and working well

    3     (12%)     Guides/union lists to help librarians identify document
                         collections held, reference tools and who to call for help
                         are needed more than a state plan

    2     (7%)      Instead of state plan, continue to work on bibliographic access
                        through WISCAT, planning automation, etc.

    2     (7%)     There is no need for a state plan 2

    2      (7%)     Include the role of the WLA Document Services Section

    2     (7%)      Include the state documents depository program

    2     (7%)      Address government documents in nondepository libraries
 

It may be beneficial to write an encompassing statement concerning document services and procedures for Wisconsin librarians as well as for GPO. Cover what's being done now, how it's being done and what the future holds.

If a state plan is developed, what will be done with it; how will it be used; how will it be enforced? What's the point of preparing a document that may/may not be used for anything constructive.

We need a complete government documents collection within a given geographic area rather than many duplicated collections. Libraries within an area should maintain their subject strengths without duplication.

Improve communication. Perhaps a newsletter sent directly to all depository libraries would be best or a regular column in Channel DLS. It could cover new information, common concerns, helpful hints, workshop ideas, reviews of exceptionally good documents, etc.

Include guidelines to educate librarians and library users about document collections.

Additional topics to be included: standards for documents on microfiche; the role of the State Data Center and its affiliates; duties of the two regionals; i.e., do they serve separate regions; a list and map of all the federal depository libraries in the state.

FEDERAL DEPOSITORY LIBRARY DISCARD PROCEDURE FOR THE STATE OF WISCONSIN
 

Selective depository libraries do not need to notify regional depositories when discarding publications listed in Appendix C of the Instructions to Depository Libraries ("List of Superseded Depository Documents, June 1981" .
 

 
1.  Selective depository libraries may, with the permission of their regional depository library, discard other depository publications held for five or more years. The procedure follows:

2.  Prepare a list of the publications. The single spaced list should be arranged by Superintendent of Documents number, and include the title of each series or monograph, the series number, or the years covered by annual or biennial reports or periodicals. Do not let the column you are typing exceed 3% inches (this means you can have two columns on a page). At the top of the first page include your library's mailing address and the date on which you will discard the publications (see 4 below).

3.  Send copies of the list to the two Wisconsin regional depository libraries.

4.  Send copies of the list to other libraries. A list of libraries interested in receiving discard lists is attached. You may send copies directly to these libraries, or you may send one copy to Needs and Offers, U.S. Government Printing Office, Library Division (SLLA), 5236 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22304.

5.  Wait two months from the date you send the list to the regional depository libraries. If you do not hear from them by that time, you may assume they approve of the disposal and do not want any of the publications. If they do indicate a need for any of the publications, your regional takes priority in the distribution. (Should you send your discard list to Needs and Offers, wait at least a month from the date they distribute the list before discarding your publications.)

6.  Distribute the publications wanted by other libraries. The libraries requesting them are expected to reimburse you for the cost of postage sent by the cheapest method.

7.  Discard the remaining publications. If you sell any of them, you must send the money to the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, DC 20402.

SAMPLE
 

DISCARD LIST                                                                                       Paoli Public Library
                                                                                                                attn: Steven Zilch
                                                                                                                999 Last Street
                                                                                                                 Paoli, WI 53985
 
 

A 1.1:              U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.                                        M 105.20:       Bavarian economist, June
                      Annual reports, 1872-1923                                                            1947-Sept. 1948

A 1.2:H 12        Hairy vetch for cotton                                             S 1.1:             Foreign relations of the
                       belt.                                                                                           United States. 1943-46,
                                                                                                                         1949(v.l)

L 2.3:                U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
                        Bulletin nos. 1243, 1257, 1289-                              S 1.2:Es 8         Unclaimed estates in England.
                        99, 1452-89                                                                  L 11/3      Report on labor situation in Great Britain.

L 2.6:                Monthly labor review. v. 1-16
                        1922-43                                                                U.S. Serial Set     489,792-94, 11476,
                                                                                                                        13297-1, 14999.
etc.                                                                                             etc.

etc.                                                                                             etc.

etc.                                                                                             etc.