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Federal Publications Going Electronic--Fast!
Virtually all federal government information distributed to the public by the Government Printing Office (GPO) through the Federal Depository Library Program will be in electronic format by the end of FY 1998. That is the key planning assumption of a report, "The Electronic Federal Depository Library Program: Transition Plan, FY 1996 - FY 1998," issued by GPO in December 1995. Only 24 titles are scheduled to continue publication in print. Currently, GPO disseminates information in paper and microfiche, but relatively little in electronic format. For example, the Homer Babbidge Library, a full-status federal depository, received 80% of the 44,000 publications issued through GPO in 1995. Of these, only 400 were distributed electronically. Dramatic changes are just around the corner!
The transition to electronic format has clear benefits. Access to government information will be easier and more current. For example:
- The White House web site provides the ability to search the contents of 106,000 government and military home pages around the country, and also provides access to all White House documents: http://www.whitehouse.gov/
- The Census Bureau is a model web site for locating information on population, geography, economics and other topics: www.census.gov
- GPO's own ACCESS server offers the full text of legislation, the Congressional Record, Government Manual, and much more: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/index.html. Despite the potential benefits, however, the implications of depending solely on electronic information for research are significant. Depository libraries have served both as providers of current information and also as repositories for archival federal information. The transition plan proposes that the agencies that create information be responsible for disseminating it, and that the GPO maintain the archival records. It remains to be seen if the separation of these two essential functions will result in coherent, dependable access to government information. The impetus for embracing the electronic format is primarily budgetary. GPO may well experience a 50% cut in funding and is being driven to find radical solutions in order to fulfill its mandate. In general, libraries are supportive of the changes, but concerned about the pace, the archival issues, and the shift of costs.
Researchers who depend on government information should be aware of the issues and should offer their input on the changes that are proposed. A copy of the full transition report is available Administrative Notes, vol. 16, #18 (December 29, 1995).
Helen Lewis
Acting Documents Librarian
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