Government documents are often underutilized primary source of information.  However, with the widespread availability of computers in libraries and the virtual explosion of electronic products and information, there are now other choices to access government documents in libraries

Halstead, Kayce

Turnage, Marthea J

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Stephen F. Austin State UniversitySFA ScholarWorksLibrary Faculty and Staff Publications Ralph W. Steen LibrarySpring 1994Access to Federal Documents: An Information AgeApproach.Marthea J. TurnageStephen F Austin State University, mturnage@sfasu.eduKayce HalsteadStephen F. Austin State University, khalstea@sfasu.eduFollow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/libfacpubPart of the Library and Information Science CommonsTell us how this article helped you.This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Ralph W. Steen Library at SFA ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in LibraryFaculty and Staff Publications by an authorized administrator of SFA ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact cdsscholarworks@sfasu.edu.Recommended CitationHalstead, K., Muckleroy, S., and Turnage, M. (1994). Access to Federal Documents: An Information Age Approach. Texas LibraryJournal, 70(1):19-22.Introducing B&T Marc'"audio and videocataloging and processing,ffi~·.)M"'':~""·08'=IIVIDEO ANY LIBRARY USA6i~437~llflli~il~iilllnHlilli""'"''15000MUSIC CS ANY UBRARY USAM.RA" ~llllii~iillilillimlliir.'" ,,'15016NowB&TMarc™provides flexiblecataloging and processing for videocassettes, spoken word audio, musicCDsand music cassettes as well asbooks-all for a fraction of what it coststo do it yourself. Choose from hundreds of mixand match cataloging and processing options-allmeeting AACRIIand ISBDStandards. Whether youwant your records sent on card, disk, or on tapecompatible with your ~ ~cataloging system-you'll K~'~~;' :'/;,0' ireceive all your titles shelf \ ~. ,:ready every time. For more \ .. ;';', ,".~ ,~details on B&TMarc, call.4", , ' , ,'~Information Services at 1 800 775-1800.@ ~~~!\,~tI~~2R,.18ANY LIBRARYUSA100 MAIN STREETANYTOWN. USAMUS CD781. 66CLA© 1993 Baker & Taylor~AUtomatlonN J Norman Howden, Contributing EditorAccess to Federal Documents:An Information Age Approachby Kayce Halstead, Sue Muckleroy, and Marthea TurnageFor many years, U.S. governmentdocuments have been a valuable buthighly underutilized primary source ofinformationin most libraries because theylackedeasy access. Documentswere notgenerally accessible through the library'scatalog nor through other popularindexes. The Monthly Catalog of UnitedStates Government Publications was theonly complete index available beforecomputersWereintroduced into libraries.However,with the widespread availabilityof computers in libraries and the virtualexplosion of electronic products andinformation, there are nowother choices.Ralph W. Steen Library has been ableto expand into the new and growingelectronic information access resourcesthrough the last decade, affording ourpatrons, among other things, theopportunity to discover documents.Ralph W. Steen Library at Stephen F.Austin State University was designated adepository for United States publicationsin 1965. The depository is "selective,"choosing to receive approximately 50%of the publication classes made availablefrom the Government Printing Office(GPO). In 1990,a proposal was submittedby the library's government documentslibrarian to provide access to all U.S.documents received since 1976throughthe library's online public access catalog(OPAC)which runs on the NOTISsystem.The ideawas to makeGPO recordsa partof the integrated database whereby thedocument titles would appear on theOPACscreen with other library materials.Even though loading governmentdocuments bibliographic records wouldconsume a large quantity of disk space,the staff felt that the project would beworthwhile.Loading Bibliographic RecordsDuring the first brainstorming stages,the government documents librarianinvestigated ways machine-readablebibliographic records for documentscould be made available online. Twooptions were investigated in detail: (a)create and update the records or (b) loadrecords into the central database withuniquedocument processingand locationcodes, subsequently allowing librarycataloging staff and library patronsaccess to the document records. Theadvantages of the latter were quicklyidentified:Kayee Halstead is Documents Ubrarian, Sue Muckleroy is Head of Bibliographic Control, and Marthea Turnageis Reference Ubrarian, Ralph W Steen Ubrary, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches.1C\(1) integrated with other librarymaterials, the documents could beeasily accessedand identified in theOPAC;(2) cataloging staff could do originalcataloging and/or transferdocumentrecords from OCLC;(3) less training of documents staff incataloging procedures would beneeded:(4) manual check-in of many items bydocuments staff would beunnecessary;(5) there would be fewer NOTISconfiguration changes and fewerproblems for the in-house computerprogrammers, circulation staff, andcatalogers.VendorsAt the time, three vendors offered GPOtapes for loading-OCLC, Brodart, andMarcive. To achieve our goal, thegovernment documents librarianinvestigated each vendor with thefollowing criteria in mind:(1) retrospective conversion ofrecords-the availability andmethod by which the vendor wouldmatch the bibliographic records ofthe library's holdings from 1976todate;(2) current records-the method bywhich the vendor would continue toprovide bibliographic records fornewly received documents;(3) "clean-up" project-how the vendorwould handle the corrections andchanges inherent in work withgovernment documents recordswhich includes authoritiesprocessing to compare name andsubject; comparing uniform titleheadings against the current Libraryof Congress authority file; andremoving duplicate records forserials and multi-part monographs.ProceduresRetrospective Records. In late 1990,Marcive was selected as the appropriatevendor to provide us with documentbibliographic records which would beloaded into our NOTIS system. Theprocedure for the retrospectiveconversion was simply to delete theunwanted document item numbers fromthe diskettes sent by the vendor. Thelibrary could also make qualifications onthe records by using the Superintendentof Documents numbering stems (SuDocstem)and/or date rangeson the diskettes.The vendor converted the edited diskettesinto a computer profile of the library'sdocument holdings which was then usedin retrospective and ongoing recordextraction. The vendor's processingprofile required the creation of a "949"field in the MARC record. The fieldcontained a default location labeled "doc,"and the call number. The custom tapeload program input this information so itwould display in the OPAC even thoughthe bibliographic records were unlinked.In NOTIS, an unlinked record does nothave an item attached and thus, does notinclude information such as circulationstatus. The unlinked record displays themessage in the OPAC to "check shelf."Later, the retrospective load of 127,103records would be linked either when theitems were returned from circulating "onthe fly" (items having circulated eventhough they have not been entered in theOPAC) or as time permitted.Current Records. Processing newlyreceiveddocuments has gone through an"evolutionary Change at Steen Library.Initially the documents staff wereresponsible for all of the processing, fromchecking-in and creating unlinked itemrecords to linking the bibliographic20re(doeam(reirecnu(0apreIin.dathldedeN(fOIlal56b)itebiionoqraphs.'ds. In late 1990,s the appropriatewith documentwhich would beIS system. Theretrospectivey to delete thern numbers fromthe vendor. Thequalifications one Superintendentng stems (SuDocs on the diskettes.Ie edited diskettese of the library'sch was then usedongoing recordlor's processingsation of a "949"ecord. The fieldtion labeled "doc,"The custom tape) information so itPAC even thoughds were unlinked.I record does notand thus, does notich as circulationscord displays theto "check shelf."e load of 127,103!d either when theom circulating "on~ circulated eveneen entered in themitted.Processing newlyLS gone through anat Steen Library.ents staff weree processing, fromling unlinked itemthe bibliographicrecords. Between 800 and 1,000 paperdocuments are added to the collectioneach month with a time lag of 2 to 5months for receipt of bibliographicrecords. Unlinked (temporary) itemrecords are only accessible by SuDocnumber or optical character recognition(OCR) number, and after a year, it becameapparent that the process needed to berevised. There were too many of theseinaccessible item records added to thedatabase, and the documents staff lackedthe time to permanently link the items.In Jan 1993, the processing ofdocuments was split between thedocuments staff and the cataloging staff.Now, the documents staff are responsiblefor receiving, stamping and call numberlabeling all documents. Microfiche andserials continue to be entirely processedby the documents staff. Monographicitems are sent to cataloging where shortbibliographic records (instead oftemporary records) and item records areentered into NOTIS making thedocuments accessible in the OPAC byauthor, title, series, and call number. Theitems are then routed for shelving.Items having circulated "on the fly" arereturned to cataloging. If the bibliographicrecords have been loaded, Items will belinked. If not, a short record will becreated.Marcive uses the same computerprofile of the library's document holdingsto extract current document records andto generate a monthly tape. This tape isloaded directly into NOTIS and printoutsof tape loads are used to maintain qualitycontrol. Since records for various types ofmaterials are on the tapes, it is necessaryto make Changes on certain records toshow different locations of the materialsin the documents department. Forexample, a default in the tape loadprogram sets the location of all materialsMexico's Official Trade Directory forExporters and ImportersThe best one-volume guide to doing business untb Mexico.Access more than 4,300 Mexican companies. Listed alphabeticallyby product and by company name. Profiles include export andimport products, company size by number of employees and contactname. Also included are the listings for more than 230 of Mexico'sleading export/import companies.880 Pages, maps, index, 8 "tx 11"paperback, ISBN: 968-6168-26-5$105.00 (Includes Shipping)Computerized Directory: $350.00 Published byPurchase of Directory Pro"ides Access to Toll-FreeCommunications and Information Support lIotlines!"Recommended as a good companionvolume to Dun 'sLatin America 'stop 25,000in academic and large public libraries who'susers want Mexican trade information."Choice ReviewTHE FOREIGN TRADE BANI{ Of MEJOCOFor More Information on This Publicationand Several OthersRelated to U.S./MexicoTrade, Call:Metis International; Inc.1004 W.AgaritaSan Antonio} TX 78201800-27'l-3639Phone/Fax 210-743-832821as "Doc," so changes must be made toshow specific locations for microfiche andmaps. Bibliographic records fordocuments in microfiche or for maps arenot assigned OCR numbers or linked tocirculation information; in place ofcirculation data, the notation "Checkshelf" displays in the oPAC. Usingmethods specific to NOTIS,short recordsare relinked to full MARC records fromMarcive. The short records are eitherreusedor deleted.Aswework through theprintouts, various problems mentionedabove are resolved. Action dates andnotes added to the NOTIS records alertthe cataloging staff when either the fullbibliographic record has not beenreceived or a full bibliographic record hasnot been linked.Personnel and CostPresently the documents assistant andtwo student assistants spend about 40hours processing incoming documentsand maintaining a shelf list for serials andmicrofiche. A full time library assistantalso works in the cataloging departmentexclusively cataloging documents.The Marcive charges include startup,profiling fees and fees for conversion of127,103 bibliographic records. GPOretrospective conversion costs for RalphW. Steen Library were $6,430.15. Theannual basic service is $1,800.ResultsThe project was clearly a success.Circulation statistics for documentsincreased nearly 500% and continue torise. Patrons are requesting moreinformation at the reference desk aboutdocument items they have found on theOPAC.Because the university and publiclibrary share the OPAC database,document records are available to all cityand county library patrons automatically.Dial-up access into the university OPACis available so that Steen Library'sgovernment documents can be found byanyonewith a computer and a modem orthrough an Internet host (TelnetSFANOTIS.SFASU.EDU).This expansionof electronic access to library materialshas created a new approach for patronsseeking access to the "wealth ofinformation" found in governmentdocuments. *22MOLLI-Rated thfor Scho,-Library Technology Reports• Easy searching• Circulation• Full MARC records• Flexible reporting• Multiple collections••MC--.__.- ---. --_ .•- - --.- - --- -.-_- -IAskNICHOLSAdvanced345:~ Technologies laC1-8CInc. FAX

Access to Federal Documents: An Information Age Approach.

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Access to Federal Documents: An Information Age Approach.

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