I am new to the processing of Government Documents as they are received in the FDLP. Where can I learn the basics of caring for this collection.
I used to work with Gov Docs several years ago but have had other assignments. I am now returning to this work and need to update my knowledge and skills to the present day. Any advice will be appreciated.
Answer
Thank you for your question.
The Eagle Commons Library at the University of North Texas prepared a guide for librarians who are taking over a government documents collection and need a simple, step by step list of things to do to get started. We are in the process of updating it, so some of the links may be old, but it should be current for the most part. When we first created it, the guide was called "Twenty-One Things to Do When Assuming Responsibility for a Federal Depository Library," but fortunately some of those things have become obsolete or have been consolidated with other things, so now it is a list of "Eight Things." You can reach it at the following URL:
Please let us know if there is anything on the page that is not clear or that does not work and we will take care of it. Also, Robbie Sittel—who is the head of the Eagle Commons Library and also serves on the Depository Library Council—is available to answer any specific question you might have. No question is too basic or too complicated! Her contact information is available at https://library.unt.edu/people/roberta-sittel/
These two guides at the FDLP Web site might also be helpful:
- FDLP Quickstart Guide
- Guidance for Managing Federal Depository Library Collections Safely During COVID-19
- COVID-19 Toolkit: Federal Depository Library Program
I hope this information is helpful. If this is not what you need, or if you should require any further assistance, please let us know.
Bobby Griffith
Governent Information Reference Specialist
Eagle Commons Library
University of North Texas Libraries
Bobby.Griffith@unt.edu