THE DOCKET
Newsletter of the Documents Section of the North Carolina Library Association
| Volume 26 Number 1 Spring 1999 |
1999 DOCUMENTS SECTION WORKSHOP
Plans are coming together for two NCLA Documents Section programs: the Spring Documents workshop and the section program at the Biennial Conference in the fall of 1999.
We have been given a prime-time slot during the Biennial Conference: Wednesday, 22 September, 3:30-4:45 p.m. We hope to bring in a large audience for the topic "Government Statistics on the Web." We will have at least three speakers highlighting useful federal, state and international sites for statistics in such areas as demographics, business, health, education, and agriculture. The Conference will be in Winston-Salem, 21 September - 24 September 1999.
The spring workshop will be held May 21, 1999, at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh. It will be dedicated to technical
literature, with presentations on patents and the new DOE Information Bridge. We hope to also bring in experts to talk about
the NTIS web site, and maybe even NRC and DTIC information. More details soon!
--Mary Horton, Wake Forest Univ., Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, Documents Section
NEW OFFICERS FOR DOCUMENTS SECTION
New officers for the Documents Section are:
Mary Horton, Wake Forest University, Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, and Catherine Shreve, Duke University, Secretary/Treasurer.
The Documents Section Executive Board has decided to continue publishing the paper copy of The Docket, in addition to offering each edition online at the Documents Section web site. The issue of going electronic only will probably continue to come up, and your comments, pro or con, are welcome. In addition, your comments are always welcome about what you would like to see in The Docket.
Two new folks are providing articles for The Docket this time. Frank Molinek, Davidson College, has agreed to continue the column on useful web sites for government information. And Kim Seder, State Documents Cataloger, has agreed to continue our Notable State Documents column. Welcome, Frank and Kim, and thank you for your contributions.
Be sure to note on your calendar: National Library Legislative Day, May 3-4, and North Carolina's Biennial Conference,
"Imagine the Future," Benton Conference Center, Winston-Salem, Sept. 21-24.
--Marilyn Schuster, UNC Charlotte, Editor
URLs & PURLs + GODORT Cataloging Committee = time savings for documents librarians? GODORT Cataloging Committee met with the Federal Documents Task Force and LPS (Library Programs Service) from GPO at ALA in Philadelphia to discuss LPS cataloging of electronic materials. Tad Downing, Chief of the Cataloging Branch, announced several GPO policies:
1) Single record approach for cataloging electronics. This means if a bibliographic record already exists for the title, the URL will be added to the existing record as an update.
2) LPS uses PURLs (Persistent Uniform Resource Locators). Tad Downing announced that two staff positions have been allocated to checking for current URLs. Audience members expressed concern that link checkers don't always identify PURLs which no longer link to an active site. Downing invited librarians to submit broken URL information to LPS to help resolve this problem.
I was encouraged to see a high degree of cooperation between LPS and GODORT Cataloging Committee. It is great that LPS is
allocating two staff positions to the task of maintaining correct, current information for PURLs used in GPO cataloging
records. I hope this level of cooperation continues resulting in LPS maintaining URLs rather than documents librarians.
--Nancy Kolenbrander, Western Carolina University, Chair, Documents Section
INTERESTING AND UNUSUAL INTERNET SITES
I've spent a fair amount of time pondering my inaugural column for The Docket. So much time in fact that I've missed the first deadline for submission, and find myself among those Marilyn Schuster is gently reminding of her deadline. The problem has been coming up with a theme. I've finally decided that my theme is going to be a lack of any theme. What follows is a potpourri of sites that have struck me as interesting, unusual, or just plain strange. Too bad JenniCam http://www.jennicam.org doesn't have a .gov ending . . . What I'm hoping to illustrate is breadth, rather than the depth of state and federal websites.
The State of North Carolina Kids' Page http://www.state.nc.us/secstate/kidspg/kids.htm is a great site for those occasions school is not in session and your children come by your office to hang out for a while. There is a North Carolina coloring book you can print off, a section on famous North Carolinians (did you know Jazz greats John Coltrane and Thelonius Monk are both Tar Heels?), as well as enough links to similar sites in other states to deal with a whole year's worth of teacher workdays.
Looking for a new credenza, or perhaps a baker's table? The Correction Enterprises site http://www.doc.state.nc.us/EPRISE/products/index.htm produced by the N.C. Department of Correction, lists prices and descriptions for a wide array of inmate built products. The credenza is a steal at only $201, and you can pick up the baker's table for only $1483.30. They also have a wide assortment of office furniture, janitorial products, and clothing. And of course there is the perennial favorite license plate, for $1.32 each, plus a few hundred dollars to tool the machine.
Curious about the latest information on the Ebola virus, been to the Four Corners area and returned home with a nagging cough, and what exactly was Ted Nugent singing about in Cat Scratch Fever? The answer to these and other questions can be found at the Centers for Disease Control, Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases homepage http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/about/about.htm.
For those of you who are military buffs, the U.S. Army's Institute of Heraldry http://www-perscom.army.mil/tagd/tioh/tioh.htm is a great site for information on unit insignia, decorations and campaign and service medals. Color drawings, as well as background and history of the different heraldic items are provided.
Curious about the artwork hanging on the walls of the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh? Me too! Visit the U.S. State Department's Art in Embassies Program http://www.state.gov/www/about_state/e-art/ for a virtual tour of original artwork by U.S. artists displayed in our country's embassies. There are also links to a number of art galleries and other art related sites.
And last but certainly not least, you can migrate to the Federal Duck Stamp Home Page http://duckstamps.fws.gov produced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This long-standing conservation project, which requires duck hunters to purchase a stamp with the proceeds being used to acquire waterfowl habitat, also produces some beautiful drawings of migratory birds. The image library has fabulous graphic images of each duck stamp going back to 1934. Check it out.
There is, without a doubt, a plethora of government sites out there. Hopefully I've pointed out a few you may not have
been aware of, and if I've accomplished my goal, a few you will find enjoyable. Later,
--Frank Molinek, Davidson College
ALA GODORT MIDWINTER CONFERENCE, PHILADELPHIA
When you come from central North Carolina, Philadelphia is pretty cold in late January and early February!! However, there was no snow or ice for which I was profoundly grateful! This was a very busy conference for most attendees. GODORT Legislation had three resolutions that passed the business meeting on February 1st. One was the annual resolution concerning the Salaries and Expenses Appropriations for the Superintendent of Documents. This one was for FY 2000. The Resolves read as follows:
"Resolved, that the American Library Association urge Congress to fund fully the Government Printing Office Superintendent of Documents Salaries and Expenses appropriation request of $31,245 million for FY 2000; and, be it further
"Resolved, that the American Library Association transmit a copy of this resolution to the Chairs of the House and Senate Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittees, other appropriate House and Senate committees, and to the Public Printer of the United States."
The second resolution was a commendation for Anne A. Heanue, who worked in the Washington Office for 19 years and became its Associate Director in 1985. The resolve reads:
"Resolved, that the Government Documents Round Table of the American Library Association commend Anne A. Heanue in recognition and appreciation of her lifelong commitment to public access to government information, the Federal Depository Library Program, and her service to ALA and GODORT from 1979-1998."
The last resolution was a draft "Resolution on S. 22, the Government Secrecy Reform Act of 1999."
Other notes: The GODORT Federal Documents Task Force (FDTF) Steering Meeting reported that DTTP is back on track. The
Publications Committee reported that the missing issues (June, 1997; December, 1997; and March, 1998) will be printed or placed on
the web. We will likely see a format change to color printing and glossy paper as this is cheaper to print and mail.
It was announced that the FDTF Program for the 1999 Annual Meeting will be "To Merge or Not to Merge, What are the Questions?
Integrating Documents into Reference or Technical Services."
--Ridley Kessler, UNC-CH, Regional/Documents Librarian
We've moved! The Government Documents Dept. at Joyner Library, East Carolina University, has moved into its new location on the second floor of the renovated west wing. Since August 1996, the department had been squeezed into a portion of the stacks in the new building, with most of the collection in remote storage. During this time, the staff became very creative at conducting reference interviews and using the Internet in answering reference questions.
The move to the new location was part of a library-wide operation beginning on Dec. 7, as Documents, Periodicals/Microforms, Teaching Resources Center, and Copi-Serv all moved into the west wing; also, much of the Reference collection, such as law reporters, indexes and abstracts, and other voluminous sets, were moved from the basement to the former main entrance on the first floor. By the beginning of the Spring Semester on Jan. 11, most of the moving was complete - yes, we did get a break for Christmas and New Year's.
Faculty and senior staff (Walter Zoller, Katrina Blount, and me) have offices of our very own, while SPA staff (April White and one vacancy) share a work room with students.
New or upgraded computers will be ordered, so eventually we should have seven public workstations (we now have five in various stages of operation), including three for CD-ROMs, and two at the service desk. A map copier and microform reader/printer are on the long-term wish list. Although most of the documents in book form are still in storage, they will be returned to the collection during the spring semester.
The formal dedication of Joyner Library, completing a five-year building project, will be on Founders' Day, March 8. Plans for an open house in the Documents Dept. are pending.
It's great to be in a good location!
--Michael Cotter, East Carolina University
Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Kim Seder, the new State Documents Cataloger who has inherited the task of providing highlights of recent publications our state agencies have worked so hard to produce.
Those watching their waistline as well as their pocket book, may be interested in The Cooperative Extension Service's recent publication Eating Better for Le$$. Their publication Planning Today for Tomorrow's Health Care Costs may be useful to all of us penny pinchers who may be worried about health care in our twilight years.
If you had a hard time finding just the right Christmas tree this season, you may want to keep North Carolina's Choose & Cut Christmas Tree Directory in mind for next year. It was prepared by the Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services.
War buffs will want to get Memories of World War I: North Carolina Doughboys on the Western Front, by R. Jackson Marshall III. Published by the Division of Archives and History, the work describes experiences of the North Carolina doughboys who fought in Belgium and France. It includes testimonies of thirty-six now deceased North Carolinians.
Parents may want to keep an eye on what's new from the Department of Public Instruction such as the Interpretive Guide for North Carolina End-of-Grade Tests, or State Norms for the North Carolina Testing Program.
Anyone looking for some relatively recent statistics on some important (although grim) topics may want to take a look at the Department of Health and Human Services' Firearm Deaths in North Carolina: 1986-1996, Health Consequences of Underage Alcohol Use in North Carolina, or Child Deaths in North Carolina 1996.
For a little intrigue, check out the Special Review of Smart Start Expenditures by Save Our Brothers, Inc., Pittsboro, North Carolina and Liberty Chapel United Church of Christ, Moncure, North Carolina. The Office of the State Auditor often investigates potential misuse of state funds. This certainly fits into that category.
Information on these and other titles can be found in the Checklist. Contact me for a paper copy or view it online
at http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/tss/deposito.htm.
--Kim Seder (kseder@hal.dcr.state.nc.us), State Documents Cataloger
WEB VS. CD-ROM: ACCESS TO FEDERAL ELECTRONIC INFORMATION, NCLA DOCUMENTS SECTION WORKSHOP, OCTOBER 23, 1998
The Documents Section Fall 1998 workshop was held October 23, 1998, at the McKimmon Center on the campus of North Carolina State University. Two speakers engaged the audience during the morning sessions: Barbara Levergood, Davis Library, UNC at Chapel Hill, spoke about "Federal Guidelines for Electronic Access"; and Mary Horton, Wake Forest University, addressed "Web Equivalents of Federal CDs."
After a lunch break, a panel discussion of "Frequently Used CD-ROMs: Their Reference Value, Their Web Counterparts," took place. This was followed by small group discussion of the questions, "Which CDs are most useful?" and "Which web sites are used instead of CDs?"
Mary Horton addressed the topic "Web Equivalents of Federal CD-ROMS." She presented a Web page that listed the Internet equivalents or quasi-equivalents of a number of CD-ROM titles. Mary discussed the varying degrees of duplication from CD to Web, the differences in searching CDs and the Web, and other issues relating to the decision to search for information on the Web or on CD-ROM.
Mary plans to add her notes to the web page, and to keep the web page as up-to-date as possible. She invited everyone to send her suggestions, corrections, and additional information to be added to the web page. The page may be found at http://www.wfu.edu/Library/govdoc/WWWvsCD.htm.
Afternoon speakers, John Boyd (Appalachian), Ann Miller (Duke), and Frank Molinek (Davidson), engaged in a discussion of "Frequently Used CD-ROMs: Their Reference Value, Their Web Counterparts."
John Boyd spoke with the viewpoint of a reference librarian. Appalachian's library is networked and CDs have been loaded on a 28-slot tower. Three CDs there are from the Federal government: County & City Data Book, Foreign Affairs, and USA Counties. As more commercial products are moved from CD-based products to the web, additional slots are coming available on the tower, and additional Federal CDs may be mounted there.
An alphabetical list of electronic resources is available on the library's web site http://www.library.appstate.edu/home/elecres/titlendex.html. This list includes additional Federal CD titles that are available for use by request at the Reference Desk. Among the titles on this list are the Census CDs, County Business Patterns, National Criminal Justice Research Service, Statistical Abstract, U.S. Global Trade Outlook, U.S. Imports, and World Factbook.
A third means of access for Appalachian users are links to networked Federal titles that have been added to the library's OPAC. Araby Greene has been responsible for this project.
With the large number of Federal government web sites, John suggested that it was not necessary to duplicate them locally. But then, the CDs could be used as backups if a web site were unavailable. And sometimes, the reverse is also true: that a web site will be available when a CD product presents problems in its use.
Appalachian has an eight drawer cabinet with on-demand CDs. There isn't much staff time to study incoming CDs. When a patron asks to use one of the on-demand CDs, the library's Systems Department will examine the product and determine what is required to use it.
CDs need to be like music CDs - you should be able to pop one into a player and start using it. People don't care where the data they are after resides, they simply want access to it. At this point in time, web access is generally more straightforward than is access to many CDs.
Ann Miller described the situation at Duke, a large, private research institution that is a selective depository. Duke's Documents and Maps Department has eight PCs in a cluster dedicated to depository material and two additional GIS machines. The department collects European Union, United Nations, and North Carolina documents in addition to Federal publications. They have a great number of electronic products. Staffing includes a technical person and a data services librarian.
Perkins Library has a CD-ROM network in the building running in a DOS environment. A few Federal CD titles, including the Census STF files with GO and Extract access, are available over that network. The eight clustered PCs in the Documents Department have menus describing what CDs are available from those machines. Patrons are allowed to change CDs as needed. Staff try to judge how computer literate patrons are, and will steer them to the format and software that seems best for them to use.
Ann commented that she prefers to use the STAT-USA web site over the NTDB disc because it is easier to access and to use. Students prefer the web site. Areas used most heavily are the Bureau of Economic Analysis data, the Market Research reports, and the Import/Export data. But the CD version of the Import/Export data is easier to use, and includes data over a longer time span, than does the web version.
She finds the paper version of the Statistical Abstract easier to use than the scanned images on the Census web site. But the latest release of that product now includes some added value, in the form of additional data, that is not available in the paper handbook.
The most frequently consulted CD or web products in Perkins are 1) the Census Bureau web page for Current Population Reports; 2) the 1990 Census of Population and Housing on CDs (the data for North Carolina is networked); 3) STAT-USA on the web for its large amount of country data; 4) IRS Forms CD, which between January and May is left on a PC; and 5) the Import/Export CDs. The department keeps all of them.
Honorable mentions from Duke went to 1) the windows-based REIS disc; 2) BEA data on the web; 3) USA Counties CD; 4) NCJRS CD; 5) and the Foreign Affairs disc with data back to 1990.
On the international scene, Ann mentioned the International Finance Statistics from the International Monetary Fund, and World Development Data from the World Bank.
Duke's Documents and Maps Department web page has this URL: http://www.lib.duke.edu/pdmt/.
Frank Molinek from Davidson College presented the perspective of a small, liberal arts college with no graduate enrollment. Davidson has 1600 students and 130 faculty members. It's a town of 5000 thirty miles north of Charlotte, and the library gets very few non-campus patrons.
Students are usually dealing with class assignments. Professors and Library staff have an opportunity to consult on those assignments before they are given to the students. Knowledge of CD and electronic products is spread by word of mouth among members of the community.
The Little Library has a half million volumes, and eight professional librarians, all of whom share in reference duties. Two weeks before the workshop the library hired its first systems librarian. The computer hardware for Federal CDs had once been as high as three machines, but it has now dropped to a single computer. There are twelve CD titles listed on a DIS program menu.
Frank stressed that ease of use is a big factor for his clientele, and that an Internet browser (Netscape is available) provides a commonality of feeling across sites as opposed to the vagaries of CD software. Awareness is another factor. Clients are more aware of web sites than they are of CD products. Availability is also an issue. The machine on which the Federal CDs are loaded in not networked to the campus network, so persons must first know of the product and then come to the building to use it.
Staff members are more comfortable pointing users to web sites, so long as those sites meet the needs of the patron. Professors are excited about material found on the web, and so bibliographic instruction sessions have increased. Patrons prefer web sites, even when data on CDs is more extensive. A web page with links to frequently used sites has been created at http://www.davidson.edu/administrative/library/govdoc.htm.
Frank noted that, in the past, the library had selected all items that distributed CD products. He's being more selective now. Also, rarely used print materials are also being deselected.
These products are most popular at Davidson: 1) Congressional Universe; 2) Geolytics Census CD with data to the block level; 3) the STAT-USA site; 4) Statistical Abstract on the web for spreadsheet files and historical data, but the hard copy is also frequently used; 5) Marcive WebDocs with area holdings, and links to web-based information.
Small Group Discussion: (This write-up was contributed by Araby Greene from Group 2, with additional information added from the other groups.)
Which CD-ROM Titles Has Your Library Found Useful? Which Web sites Are You Using Instead of CD-Roms? Web? CD-ROM? Print?
The decision to use available print, CD-ROM or Web versions of a particular depository title for a particular or recurring reference need depends upon:
Web Access
Yeah!!
The World Wide Web has several advantages for general patron use. Students are becoming more familiar with basic web navigation, so there is a perceived ease-of-use with Web resources. Both students and library staff are more willing to experiment with previously unseen Web sites than they are with previously unused CD-ROM interfaces or search engines. For many users, the information available on the Web will be adequate for intended use. Remote access is an obvious time-saver for the user and may mean less demand for in-library printing. Of course, it deprives the user of expert guidance. Publications in PDF format (Adobe Acrobat) are particularly good for IRS Tax Forms and other reports, but are slow to download.
Boo!
The general observed afternoon slowdown in Web access times is a major barrier to increased use of government Web sites by libraries. Also, Web users are oblivious to real differences in Web search engines that affect how searches work. Some search engines, such as the one used in STAT-USA, are difficult to search effectively.
A major concern is that users are settling for lower quality access to information than is sometimes available on a comparable CD-ROM version of the same data. For example, the Census CD-ROMs allow more flexible searching (via Extract software) and downloading in spreadsheet or database formats. The Web may offer only text or html format. Large files in .pdf format can be slow to download.
It is generally easier to stay focused with CD-ROMs since the user does not have to click through layers of screens or menus to perform a search. Once the software is known, complex searches can simply be typed at a prompt or entered on one screen. Advanced users may therefore prefer CD-ROM to Web versions of the same data.
Finally, searches for known GPO electronic titles frequently lead to Web pages that describe CD-ROM sales publications, but provide no data. There should be some indication that a link is for a CD-ROM "advertisement" without having to follow it
Web Sites Libraries Are Using
Commercial Web-based products are preferred in some libraries to depository publications because they offer value added features. Titles mentioned include:
CD-ROM
GPO CD-ROM titles also have significant advantages and disadvantages.
Yeah!
Experienced searchers appreciate being able to enter complex searches on a command line or by entering a few keystrokes. There may be auxiliary software, such as Extract, that allows customized searching across datafiles, cross-tabs of selected variables, and a variety of geography choices. Having to click on a series of rather limited options on the relatively slow Web is less attractive. CD-ROMs can often output data to text, comma-delimited, or .dbf files which can then be used in spreadsheet or database software without much fuss.
Some of the CD-ROM series offer historical or time-series data not available on the Web. The NTDB and the Import/Export discs are a prime example. Also, some of the CD-ROMs pull together data that is scattered on Agency Web sites. For example, to find related data included on the Foreign Affairs CD-ROM, a user would have to search the State Department Web site very carefully to find all the links.
Boo!
CD-ROMs have been issued in proprietary formats usable only on certain platforms. There are some discs that work only on legacy DOS equipment or Windows 3.1. There is a confusing variety of search software on depository CD-ROMs, such as Folio Software, KA ware, Browse software, and Extract. Some titles that used to be issued as DOS files now require Windows. Libraries that have set up CD-ROM LANs face difficult problems making early and recent editions of the same series available on the same workstations.
CD-ROMs Libraries Are Using
CD-ROM titles mentioned as high-use include:
Non-depository:
Print is still a favorite format for ready reference titles. The Statistical Abstract will have to be pried from our cold dead fingers. The Occupational Outlook Handbook and World Factbook are other favorites. Patrons usually know how to read, so less user education is involved.
Boo!
No keyword search or downloading capability. No remote access.
Print Titles Libraries Are Using
Library Equipment Concerns
The inclusion of new technologies in depository CD-ROMs affects user workstation requirements. For example, some EPA CD-ROMs are being issued with multimedia components, such as video files with sound. Fast processors, sound cards, and speakers or headphones are required to use these products.
Summary
All of the participants use Federal government Web sites to assist patrons with reference questions and are aware of the
benefits of unrestricted remote access through the familiar Web interface. Everyone has seen increased interest in federal
information on the Web and a willingness to visit and search unfamiliar government Web sites. However, most libraries are
not deselecting their core CD-ROM titles, since this format is useful when the Web is slow or inaccessible, is faster for
experienced users to search, and may offer more flexible search and save options. Also, some CD-ROM titles, such as the NTDB
or Import/Export discs, may also offer historical or time-series data not available on the web.
--Jack McGeachy, NCSU, past Secretary/Treasurer
--Small group write-up contributed by Araby Greene, UNC Asheville
NCLA DOCUMENTS SECTION EXECUTIVE BOARD, 1999
Chair
Nancy Kolenbrander
Western Carolina University
828-227-7252
kolenbran@wcu.edu
Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect
Mary Horton
Wake Forest University
336-758-5829
hortonm@wfu.edu
Secretary/Treasurer
Catherine Shreve
Duke University
919-660-5850
catherine.shreve@duke.edu
Past Chair
Ann Miller
Duke University
919-660-5851
aemiller@duke.edu
Docket Editor
Marilyn Schuster
UNC Charlotte
704-547-3983
mbschust@email.uncc.edu
NC Libraries Board Representative
Mike Van Fossen
UNC at Chapel Hill
919-962-1151
vanfosen@refstaff.lib.unc.edu
Regional Librarian
Ridley Kessler
UNC at Chapel Hill
919-962-1151
kessler@refstaff.lib.unc.edu
State Documents Clearinghouse Coordinator
Sally Ensor
State Library of North Carolina
919-733-2570
sensor@hal.dcr.state.nc.us
Volume 26 Number 1
Spring 1999
Editor: Marilyn Schuster, UNC-Charlotte
Production: Pat Langelier, Institute of Government, UNC-CH
The Docket (ISSN 0198-1048) is the official newsletter of the Documents Section of the North Carolina Library Association. Published twice a year in February and August, the deadline for contributions is the first day of the month of publication. Permission to copy is granted provided appropriate credit is given to The Docket and individual authors.
Current contact information and back issues of The Docket are available at: http://www.nclaonline.org/grs/pub.html. [2/24/05]
Address all editorial correspondence to Marilyn Schuster, Atkins Library, UNC-Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28223-0001; 704/547-3983; fax 704/547-2232; email: mbschust@email.uncc.edu.
Address other mail to Catherine Shreve, Perkins Library, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0199; 919-660-5850; email: catherine.shreve@duke.edu.