Review of Government Documents Librarianship: A Guide for the NEO-Depository Er

Cook, Schuyler M.

English

Cleveland-Marshall College of Law

Cleveland State UniversityEngagedScholarship@CSUMichael Schwartz Library Publications Michael Schwartz Library2008Review of Government Documents Librarianship:A Guide for the NEO-Depository EraSchuyler M. CookCleveland State University, Schuyler.Cook@law.csuohio.eduFollow this and additional works at: https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/msl_facpubPart of the Library and Information Science CommonsHow does access to this work benefit you? Let us know!Publisher's Statement(c) 2008 Taylor & Francis (Routledge)Repository CitationCook, Schuyler M., "Review of Government Documents Librarianship: A Guide for the NEO-Depository Era" (2008). Michael Schwartz LibraryPublications. 70.https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/msl_facpub/70This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Michael Schwartz Library at EngagedScholarship@CSU. It has been accepted forinclusion in Michael Schwartz Library Publications by an authorized administrator of EngagedScholarship@CSU. For more information, please contactlibrary.es@csuohio.edu.Original CitationCook, Schuyler. M. (2008). Review of Government Documents Librarianship: A Guide for the NEO-Depository Era. TechnicalServices Quarterly, 26(1), 85-86.Cleveland State UniversityEngagedScholarship@CSULibrary Faculty Publications Michael Schwartz Library1-1-2008Review of Government Documents Librarianship:A Guide for the NEO-Depository EraSchuyler M. CookRepository CitationCook, Schuyler M., "Review of Government Documents Librarianship: A Guide for the NEO-Depository Era" (2008). Library Faculty Publications.Paper 1.http://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/msl_facpub/1This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Michael Schwartz Library at EngagedScholarship@CSU. It has been accepted forinclusion in Library Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of EngagedScholarship@CSU. For more information, please contactb.strauss@csuohio.edu. Schuyler M. Cook GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS LIBRARIANSHIP: A GUIDE FOR THE NEO-DEPOSITORY ERA              This article was originally published in: Cook, Schuyler. M. (2008). Review of Government Documents Librarianship: A Guide for the NEO-Depository Era. Technical Services Quarterly, 26(1), 85-86.  Post-print prepared by MSL Academic Endeavors, the imprint of the Michael Schwartz Library at Cleveland State University (2012)  GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS LIBRARIANSHIP:  A GUIDE FOR THE NEO-DEPOSITORY ERA.  Lisa A. Ennis.  Medford, NJ:  Information Today, Inc., 2007, xvii, 174 pp., ISBN 978-1-57387-270-6, $49.50.  The author delivers what she promises with this title; a thoughtful survey of the   management responsibilities faced by a Federal Depository Library Program (hereinafter   FDLP) coordinator.  After describing in the Foreword her own history in her position,   Ms. Ennis’ Introduction tells the reader what her book is not (neither a step by step   manual of how to administer a government documents department nor a bibliographic   instruction text on how to use government documents) as well as what it is.  Her first   chapter offers a brief general overview of government document librarianship   combined with an enthusiastic pitch urging the reader to embrace any opportunity s/he   might encounter to work in the field.  After a short history of the parent organization, the Government Printing Office   (hereinafter GPO), Ms. Ennis attempts to explain the present situation in the world of   government information including the move from tangible to electronic sources and the   resulting issues of permanence, preservation, and authenticity of the information provided   by the federal government.  Her message of hope continues with a chapter on   networking, letting the reader know that s/he is “not alone” in the struggle to maintain   effective patron access.  The remaining three chapters break down the topic into   Managing and Administering, Public Services, and Technical Services.  This is   appropriate as knowledge of all three areas will determine the success of a coordinator.  Each chapter contains a “From the Trenches” list of practical bits of knowledge and/or   advice, written from the author’s “been there, done that” perspective.  Several extremely   useful appendices, her bibliography and index complete the title.     Ms. Ennis avoids the temptation to wax political during her discussion of the GPO and its   present predicament of economically moving from tangible to intangible formats while   maintaining its promises of free permanent public access to government information.    Her text, presumably due to its brevity and survey nature, does not delve into the specific   timetables put forward by various Public Printers which later were not fulfilled nor into   the necessary foresight of the various Congresses to fully fund the lofty goals expected   from the GPO and the FDLP community.  Instead, Ms. Ennis succeeds in her quest to inspire the reader to realize the level of   professional growth any librarian can achieve while maintaining what Thomas Jefferson   might have termed the government information infrastructure.  Government documents   librarians and staff (new and seasoned) should take the time to read this book.  Highly   recommended.   Schuyler M. Cook Head, Technical Services/Government Information Librarian Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Library Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH   

Review of Government Documents Librarianship: A Guide for the NEO-Depository Era

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Review of Government Documents Librarianship: A Guide for the NEO-Depository Era

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