NEW JERSEY STATE PLAN FOR FEDERAL DEPOSITORY LIBRARIES

I.                   Introduction

II.                Authority and Responsibility

III.             Communication

IV.              Resources (Access tools)

V.                 Outreach

VI.              Cooperation and Support Network

VII.           Collection Development

VIII.        Historic Collections

IX.              Regional Depository

X.                 Review and Amendment Process 

APPENDIX A: Instructions for Documents Discard

APPENDIX B: Directory of New Jersey Federal Depositories

APPENDIX C: Format for the Enhanced Directory of Federal Depository Libraries in New Jersey

APPENDIX D: State Plan Committee Members

 I.  Introduction

The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), administered by the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), provides access to government information through a network of almost 1300 public, academic, law, and federal libraries throughout the nation.  The material distributed remains the property of the federal government and the public must be provided free access to it.   The libraries are required to have equipment and qualified staff to assist the public in locating and using government information in all formats. GPO provides cataloging and classification of the publications.

 The concept of providing information freely to the public began in the early years of the nation and was given structure in 1861 when Title 44, Chapter 19, of the United States Code was established.  Today there is a concerted effort to migrate dissemination of government information to an electronic system.  Libraries and GPO face challenges in locating, evaluating, organizing, cataloging and preserving material in this format.

 GPO and depository libraries realized in 1981 that cooperation among the providers could increase access to government information for the user.  States were encouraged to develop ways of communicating and sharing resources to aid in this process.  The first New Jersey State Plan was written in 1982.   The changes brought by the migration to electronic format prompted the Superintendent of Documents to encourage each state to update their state plan.

On December 7, 2001, approximately two-thirds of New Jersey’s federal depository librarians met and contributed ideas for a new State Plan.  A committee of volunteers agreed to consider these ideas and to plan for a survey of all the federal depository libraries.  This survey was conducted in early 2002.  The results of the survey indicated a strong interest in concentrating on the benefits of improved communication between the depository libraries.

 The State Plan serves as a mission statement and identifies several new ideas to coordinate efforts and communications within the depository community.   The committee decided the State Plan would not duplicate requirements already mandated by GPO and included in such publications as Instructions to Depository Libraries and Guidelines for the Depository Library System. 

 II. Authority and Responsibility

A committee of federal depository librarians in New Jersey has developed this State Plan.  In order to be effective, the support of all depository libraries in the state is required.  The director and federal documents librarian of each depository library will sign a letter of agreement indicating commitment to the principles and goals of the State Plan.  These letters will be kept in the files of the Regional library.  The State Plan will become effective when it is approved by a majority of depositories.

 III. Communication

In order to facilitate communication among member libraries, it is recommended that depository libraries subscribe to the following listservs: 

• DOX_NJ:  A forum for New Jersey librarians and others to communicate about government information.

To subscribe, please refer to the DANJ website for directions. http://newarkwww.rutgers.edu/DANJ/doxnj.htm 

• FDLP-L: This listserv provides time sensitive information relating to the Federal Depository Library Program, such as meeting announcements, GPO requests for withdrawal of documents, and other operational matters.

 To subscribe, go to <http://listserv.access.gpo.gov/ >.  Click on <Online Mailing List Archives>.  Click on <GPO-FDLP-L>.  Click on <Join or leave the list> and follow the instructions. 

• GOVDOC-L: This listserv is a forum for discussion about government information and the Federal Depository Library Program.  Most subscribers are librarians in and out of government, although many private and public information producers are represented as well.  The user guide (available via GODORT: Government Information Discussion Lists @ http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/GODORT/profpage.html#listserv) provides additional information about the listserv, including instructions on how to search the GOVDOC-L archives.

• DOCTECH-L: This listserv is a forum for government documents librarians to discuss the technical processing of government documents.

To subscribe, visit the DocTech-L website and follow the subscription instructions. http://library.usu.edu/Govdocs/doctech2.php

 IV. Resources (Access Tools)

• Enhanced directory: The Regional Librarian (who may delegate this responsibility to the Documents Association of New Jersey, Inc.) will maintain an online directory of depository libraries in New Jersey to include:  address, main reference number, contact information for the depository librarian, date of admission into the system, Congressional district, percentage of selection, strengths of the collection, special services. This directory will be housed on the Regional library’s web page (http://www.npl.org/Pages/Collections/govdocs.html). Each depository librarian will be responsible for keeping the information for their library up-to-date.

 

• Web pages: Each depository library is encouraged to create and maintain a web page about their depository.  This may duplicate the information in the Directory and include information about hours, access and fees.  Libraries are also encouraged to use this page as a gateway to electronic government information.

 

• DANJ: The Documents Association of New Jersey. (http://www.danj.org/DANJ)

The purpose of the Documents Association of New Jersey (DANJ) is to promote use of and access to government publications in libraries in the New Jersey area. To accomplish this purpose the objectives of the Association are:

·        To provide a forum for discussion of problems and concerns, and for the exchange of ideas by librarians working with government information;

·        To provide a force for initiating and supporting programs that promote access to, use, and bibliographic control of documents;

·        To increase communication among documents personnel and other library personnel (e.g., newsletters, annual conference);

·        To contribute to the continuing education and training of librarians working with government information (e.g., GPO Access training);

 V. Outreach

Depository librarians should make an effort to make the services of their library known to the public. Ways to accomplish this might be:

• Networking with non-depository librarians at regional and area meetings;
• Sending formal communications to reference departments in non-depository libraries in the area to provide information on specific tools, topics or issues pertinent to the community;
• Networking with service groups in the community who are looking for speakers;
• Ordering public relations material available through GPO and providing it to area libraries for their information racks;
• Visiting and/or making a presentation to a local non-depository library or institution (e.g., county agency) to market the federal depository collection and its services and reinforce the referral system;

VI. Cooperation and Support Network

• Contact newly designated depository collections or new librarians at existing collections in one’s geographic region to reinforce “network concept.”;
• Visit the DANJ website at: http://www.danj.org/DANJ/  for more information about depository collections, contacts, and collection management information;
• Meet and share ideas with depository coordinators from nearby libraries;

 VII. Collection Development

• All libraries are encouraged to have a collection development policy and encourage coordination of item selection with neighboring depositories.
• The depository collection policy should address the rationale for item number choices to insure that the collection meets the needs of the community.
• Libraries should revisit item numbers selected on an annual basis, prior to the annual item selection cycle.
• Libraries should provide bibliographic information so that government documents may be located in an accessible place for community usage (e.g., the library’s OPAC).
• The collection development policy should define the extent to which materials are cataloged, and if so, integrated into the main library’s collection with conventional call numbers or in a separate SUDOCs collection.
• Libraries should emphasize the FDLP Basic Collection. A weblink is available via the FDLP Desktop: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/
• Preservation policies should be linked to the DANJ website, describing specific depository collections and their key subject areas for collecting as well as discrete document holdings, to be used statewide by librarians.
• Libraries are encouraged to share their collection development policies by submitting a link to include on the DANJ website.

 VIII. Historic Collections

Historic print and microform depository and non-depository documents in the State of New Jersey are recognized as valuable primary source material for researchers.  Libraries are encouraged to maintain their historic print and microform collections as much as possible.  Since a small number of historic print collections exist in the State, libraries are also encouraged to offer historic non-depository documents to the Regional library and other depository libraries through means such as the listservs GOVDOC-L or DOX_NJ.

 IX. Regional Depository

The Newark Public Library is the Regional depository for the State of New Jersey.  The Regional depository will work with selective depositories to ensure that access to federal information in New Jersey is as equitable and comprehensive as possible.  The Regional will continue to acquire any federal documents that are not already in its collection, including items prior to the date that the library became the Regional.  The Regional depository may, at its discretion, substitute microform copies for paper copies of low-use documents.  The Regional will not, for the duration of this plan, substitute electronic copies for tangible copies of any documents.  The Regional will maintain a web page of information useful to depository librarians in New Jersey.

It is important that the Regional depository librarian be aware of the state of the depository community in New Jersey.  To assist in this task, selective depositories will:

• Notify the Regional when a new depository coordinator is appointed
• Notify the Regional when online formats are substituted for tangible products

 X. Review and Amendment Process

The New Jersey State Plan will be periodically reviewed, and as changes in the FDLP program occur, revisions will be made as needed.

 APPENDIX A:  Instructions for Documents Discard

The following instructions are provided to assist in submitting discard lists to the Regional Depository.  A uniform approach will assist the Regional in meeting the requirements set forth in the Instructions to Depository Libraries.

General guidelines: 

·        In evaluating documents for discard, the needs of the depository’s congressional district and geographical area should be considered.  Libraries are urged to consult with other depositories in their area before discarding significant materials.

·        Annual discard lists cannot be accepted.  Depositories are encouraged to make weeding an ongoing process: shorter lists can be processed more quickly by the Regional.

·        The Regional will try to evaluate discard lists within 30 days of receipt but may take longer if necessary.  Depositories concerned about a delay in processing, should feel free to contact the Regional to inquire about the status of their lists.

·        Depositories should make every effort to offer their lists to as many other libraries as possible.  (They should not send any materials to other libraries, however, until the Regional has given permission to dispose of the publications.)

·        When libraries make their lists available on newsgroups such as GOVDOC-L or DOXNJ, they must submit a separate copy of the list directly to the Regional.  This practice will ensure that the list is received during vacations or at other times when the Regional may not be monitoring the newsgroups.

·        Depositories should remember that, until they receive permission to discard from the Regional, they are still responsible for providing access to the documents on the discard list.  If they remove the items from the shelf before receiving permission to discard them, they should have some provision for retrieving the items if a patron so requests.

 

Listing instructions: 

·        Lists must be typed.  Handwritten lists cannot be evaluated.

·        Lists should be in SuDocs order. (Computer indexed lists are acceptable, but randomly listed items cause considerable delays in processing.)

·        SuDocs numbers should be complete.

·        Lists should be assigned a number or date, which can be used to differentiate them from other lists.  On emailed lists this number or date should appear in the body of the message, because headers are not always clear.

·        The format of the list should be: SuDocs# Short title (The SuDocs# is the Regional's main means for identifying items: the title is used only when the number is not clear.)

 

Items libraries do not need to list: 

·        microfiche (...for now.  The Regional reserves the right to change this policy at any time.)

·        Items which supersede according to the Superseded List (GP 3.2:Su7)

·        Transmittals and loose-leaf updates

 

Addresses for submitting lists:  

Email (preferred) – lsaurs@npl.org 

Post:

The Newark Public Library

U.S Government Documents

P.O. Box 630

Newark NJ, 07101-0630

 

FAX: (201)733-5648

(Please do not FAX lists longer than six pages.)

APPENDIX B: Directory of New Jersey Federal Depositories

0371A Rutgers University, Camden                      
Law School Library
217 North 5th Street
Camden, NJ 08102
Phone: (856)225-6173:
Fax: (856)225-6488:
http://lawlibrary.rutgers.edu/links/govdoc/

0367 Rutgers University, Camden
Paul Robeson Library
300 North 4th Street
Camden, NJ 08101-3990
Phone: (856)225-6034:
Fax: (856)225-6428:

0366B East Brunswick Public Library
2 Jean Walling Civic Center
East Brunswick, NJ 08816-3599
Phone: (732)390-6767:
Fax: (732)390-6796:
http://www.ebpl.org/govt.htm

0372 Free Public Library of Elizabeth
11 South Broad Street
Elizabeth, NJ 07202
Phone: (908)354-6060:7203
Fax: (908)354-5845:
http://www.njpublib.org/govdocs1.htm

0367A Rowan University
Campbell Library
201 Mullica Hill Road
Glassboro, NJ 08028-1791
Phone: (856)256-4990:
Fax: (856)256-4924:
http://www2.rowan.edu/open/library//government/index.htm  

0374 Johnson Free Public Library
275 Moore Street
Hackensack, NJ 07601-5704
Phone: (201)343-4169:18
Fax: (201)343-1395:
http://www.bccls.org/hackensack/govdoc.html

0379A Jersey City Public Library
472 Jersey Avenue
Jersey City, NJ 07302
Phone: (201)547-4517
Fax: (201)547-4584

0365A New Jersey City University
Guarini Library PER & DOCS
2039 Kennedy Boulevard
Jersey City, NJ 07305-1597
Phone: (201)200-3137:
Fax: (201)200-2330:

0370B Rider University
Franklin F. Moore Library
2083 Lawrenceville Road
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648-3099
Phone: (609)896-5115:
Fax: (609)896-8029:
http://library.rider.edu

0371 Drew University
Library
36 Madison Avenue
Madison, NJ 07940-4007
Phone: (973)408-3588:
Fax: (973)408-3770:
http://www.depts.drew.edu/lib/govdocs.html  

0364 Rutgers University, New Brunswick
Alexander Library
169 College Avenue
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1163
Phone: (732)932-7526:
Fax: (732)932-1101:
http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/rr_gateway/gov_info/gov_info.shtml

REGIONAL
0376 Newark Public Library
5 Washington Street
Newark, NJ 07101-0630
Phone: (973)733-7815:
Fax: (973)733-5648:
http://www.npl.org/Pages/Collections/govdocs.html

0366A Rutgers University, Newark
John Cotton Dana Library
185 University Avenue
Newark, NJ 07102-1814
Phone: (973)353-5901:
Fax: (973)353-1133:
http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/libs/dana_lib/dana_lib_gov_docs.shtml

0378A Rutgers University, Newark
Law Library
123 Washington Street
Newark, NJ 07102-3094
Phone: (973)353-5676:
Fax: (973)353-1356:
http://law-library.rutgers.edu/govdocs/index.htm

0378B Seton Hall University School of Law
Peter W. Rodino Jr. Law Library
One Newark Center
Newark, NJ 07102-5210
Phone: (973)642-8861:
Fax: (973)642-8748:
http://law.shu.edu/library/  

0368B Sussex County Library
125 Morris Turnpike
Newton, NJ 07860
Phone: (973)948-3660:
Fax: (973)948-2071:

0365B Phillipsburg Free Public Library
200 Frost Avenue
Phillipsburg, NJ 08865-1697
Phone: (908)454-3712:
Fax: (908)859-3222:
http://www.pburglib.com/pfpl_links.htm

0367B Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
Library
Jimmie Leeds Road & College Drive
Pomona, NJ 08240-0195
Phone: (609)652-4266:
Fax: (609)652-4964:

0370 Princeton University
Firestone Library
One Washington Road
Princeton, NJ 08544-2098
Phone: (609)258-3701:
Fax: (609)258-4105:
http://www.princeton.edu/~docs/uswebb.htm

0363B County College of Morris
Masten Learning Resources Center
214 Center Grove Road
Randolph, NJ 07869-2086
Phone: (973)328-5296:
Fax: (973)328-2370:
http://www.ccm.edu/library/R4a.htm

0363A Monmouth County Library
Eastern Branch
1001 State Highway #35
Shrewsbury, NJ 07702-4398
Phone: (732)842-5995:
Fax: (732)219-0140:
http://www.shore.co.monmouth.nj.us/51000_library/government.htm

0377 Seton Hall University
Walsh Library
400 South Orange Avenue
South Orange, NJ 07079-2671
Phone: (973)761-9437:
Fax: (973)275-2119:
http://library.shu.edu/gd.htm

0375A Fairleigh Dickinson University
Weiner Library
1000 River Road
Teaneck, NJ 07666-1914
Phone: (201)692-2290:
Fax: (201)692-9815:

0373A Ocean County College
Library
College Drive
Toms River, NJ 08754-2001
Phone: (732)255-0400:2287
Fax: (732)255-0421:
http://lib.ocean.edu

0363 New Jersey State Library
185 West State Street
Trenton, NJ 08625-0520
Phone: (609)292-6259:
Fax: (609)984-7900:
http://www.njstatelib.org/aboutus/SLIC/libusdoc.htm

0366 Trenton Public Library
120 Academy Street
Trenton, NJ 08608-1302
Phone: (609)392-7188:
Fax: (609)396-7655:

0380A Montclair State University
Harry A. Sprague Library
Normal Avenue
Upper Montclair, NJ 07043
Phone: (973)655-7145:
Fax: (973)655-7780:
http://frontpage.montclair.edu/library/Govdocs.html

0373 Monmouth University
Guggenheim Memorial Library
400 Cedar Avenue
West Long Branch, NJ 07764
Phone: (732)571-3438:
Fax: (732)263-5124:
http://bluehawk.monmouth.edu/library/govdocs/gdweb1.htm 

0369A Free Public Library of Woodbridge
Main Library
One George Frederick Plaza
Woodbridge, NJ 07095
Phone: (732)634-4450:214
Fax: (732)634-2052: