|
|
|
Jon Harrison
|
|
|
|
|
This page has been visited |
Thirty-five people attended the Fall Meeting at Albion College,
including visitors from the Ohio State Library, Indiana University
Northwest Library, and Valparaiso University School of Law Library.
Special thanks to Carolyn Gaswick for inviting GODORT of Michigan
to visit her college. Everyone commented on how nice the
facilities were and the food at lunch! Special thanks should also
be extended to Cass Hartnett as well; it is always extra exciting
to have speakers and visitors from outside our state.
The morning program featured Sheila McGarr, Depository Services
Chief for GPO. McGarr shared with us comments she was preparing
for the Depository Library Council meeting in Portland at the end
of October about proposed changes in the depository inspection
program. Attendees received actual copies of various inspection
forms used over the years, including a proposed self-study form to
be discussed at the DLC.
Inspections have evolved a lot since 1972. At that time, visiting
GPO employees or bookstore managers arrived unannounced with a
short list of 12 questions. Since libraries were not notified in
advance, it was quite possible that depository librarians were not
even present on the day of the inspection. Imagine the confusion
of library directors or co-workers trying to answer detailed
questions!
As a result of advice from GODORT and the Depository Library
Council, the inspections became more formalized and systematic. In
1975, the first inspector was actually hired; now there are four,
barring vacancies. In 1977, guidelines were developed and
distributed. In 1978, the inspection form called for points to be
assigned to various categories, reflecting areas of concern
identified in the guidelines. Three or more failures would lead to
probation. In 1993, the point score ratings were changed to
compliance/non-compliance. In short, inspections evolved from
unannounced cursory visits to all day inspections which occurred
only after the depository was given a 4 to 6-week advance
notification.
McGarr specifically asked for comments and observations on the
self-study form that was passed out. Comments from the audience
ranged from concerns over the added burden of filling out the self-
study to endorsement of its utility as a strategic planning
document. McGarr pointed out that depository librarians would
hopefully gather the information required by the self-study
continuously over time, revising sections when needed, so that they
would not have to pull it together all at once when notified of an
imminent inspection.
Government information policy and dispersal requirement are a hot
topic in Washington today. She pointed out that some of the other
current federal information programs require actual annual
contracts (the State Data Center program for example). GAO
evaluators are currently studying GPO's dissemination practices.
President Clinton wants to reopen the government printing issue in
the next Congress. Some people have asked GPO why we need so many
depositories in the rapidly changing electronic environment.
McGarr also shared some notes on other new developments at GPO.
The afternoon program consisted of a round robin. Cass Hartnett
requested that all attending give a quick report on how their
libraries were coping with the loading of online records for U.S.
documents. Hartnett will prepare a summary of these comments for
a subsequent issue of RED TAPE.
There was also a brief Business Meeting. Sandy Calemme, Secretary,
reported on our last meeting. Maaria Santavicca, Director-at-
Large, exhorted all present to submit candidates for our various
awards (see subsequent announcements). Michael McDonnell,
Treasurer, reported that GODORT of Michigan's finances are still in
good shape. Jon Harrison, Editor of RED TAPE, reported that the
September 1994 issue had just been mailed.
Following the Godort meeting, there was an Executive Board meeting
to discuss future meeting topics. Cass Hartnett volunteered to do
a program on Government Documents 101. Participants will be
encouraged to bring a friend to help build our membership. Sally
Lawler also volunteered as President to send out a letter to the
federal documents librarians in the state reminding them that the
Library of Michigan would no longer distribute free copies of RED
TAPE.
Cass Hartnett asks all GODORT of Michigan members to hold Friday,
February 17th, free on your calendars. That's the tentative date
for the next GODORT of Michigan meeting to be held at the Thomas M.
Cooley Law School Library, 4th floor Conference Room, on the corner
of Kalamazoo and Washington, in Lansing. The theme will be "Back
to Library School: Government Documents 101".
According to Hartnett, "come prepared to learn 'the basics' and
more, with presentations from some of the best and the brightest
among us. At this meeting, we ask that you bring at least one
other non-documents colleague -- our objective is to re-educate
ourselves and our peers."
If you are interested in offering a five-minute descriptive talk
about a primary government documents source, please contact Cass
Hartnett, Detroit Public Library, (313) 833-1025 so she can add you
to the program.
The meeting is tentatively scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The following sixty-seven people have joined Godort of Michigan for
the 1994/95 year as of November 1994: Marian Abouseif, Donna J.
Alward, Beverlee Babcock, Julia Baldwin, Clare Beck, Anne M.
Birkam, Sharon Bradley, Grace Brainin, Judith Brow, Michaelina
Brown, Nancy Buckland, Francis Buckley, Shari Buxbaum, Charlotte
Bynum, Sandra Calemme, Carole Callard, Barbara Carmichael,
Christine Clark, Georgia Clark, Douglas E. Clore, Rose M. Coad,
Catherine F. Cochran, Jennie Cross, Dorothy Gae Davis, Anne
Diamond, Judith Dow, Mary Jo Durivage, Mark Ewing, Judith Field,
Debbie Gallagher, Carolyn Gaswick, Pamela Gosik, Larry Hall, Lelane
Hardie, Jon Harrison, Cassandra Hartnett, Arthur Hietala, Ann C.
Holt, Sally Holteroff, Deborah Jakubiec, Marjory Johnston, Phyllis
Jose, Paula Kaczmarek, Mary Karpinski, Sally H. Lawler, Jeanne
Lawler-Marsac, Pamela Lazar, Sybil Levenson, Michael McDonnell,
Julie McGee, Ruth Neveu, Linda G. Oaklander, Kim Ranger, Andrea
Richeson, Marilyn P. Ryan, Sara Ryan, Maria Santavicca, Janet
Schneider, Katherine Thompson, Diane Vander Pol, William Vine, Anna
Mary Waickman, Joe Walker, Nancy P. Widman, Carol R. Wilson, Grace
York, and Jan Zauha. In addition, we have three honorary lifetime
members: Eleanor Boyles, Richard Hathaway, and June Hawthorne.
Please let the RED TAPE Editor know if your name has been left off
this list.
GODORT of Michigan is soliciting nominations for both the Jennie
Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Jennie Award, named in honor of Jennie Cross, may be presented
to a member of the Michigan documents community in recognition of
current outstanding achievement or special service. The last
recipient was Barbara Hulyk in 1990.
A Lifetime Achievement Award may be presented to a past or present
member of GODORT in recognition of an exemplary career in
government documents service. Three people have received this
award so far: Eleanor Boyles, Richard Hathaway, and June Hawthorne.
Nominations should be submitted by February 28, 1995 to: Maria
Santavicca, Director-at-Large, GODORT of Michigan, University of
Detroit Mercy Library, 8200 W. Outer Drive - OD 126, P. O. Box
19900, Detroit, MI 48210-0900; phone: (313) 993-6181; fax: (313)
993-6329.
Nominations must include or be followed by a written letter of
support. This letter should include name, address of the nominee,
present place of employment, description of achievements or special
service by the nominee, and the nominating source.
GODORT of Michigan is also soliciting nominations for the Paul W.
Thurston Award. The Thurston plaque recognizes a contribution to
the professional literature by a practicing documents or other
librarian which improves access to government information at the
international, Federal, state, or local level. Membership in
GODORT of Michigan is not required.
The contribution should have been published within the past three
years. If unpublished, it should have been completed in the past
three years.
Nominations should be made in writing to the Paul W. Thurston Award
Committee, c/o Janet Schneider, Bradner Library, Schoolcraft
College, 18600 Haggerty Road, Livonia, MI 48152-2696 by February
28, 1995. The letter of support should include the name and
address of the nominee, present place of employment, a sample of
the nominee's work, and the nominating source (person and/or
organization).
The award is presented in the memory of Paul W. Thurston, who set
exemplary professional standards during his career as a documents
librarian. It is the hope of GODORT of Michigan that the award
will encourage others in both new and ongoing contributions to the
documents literature.
Carole Callard and the Public Services Division staff at the
Library of Michigan were selected as the 1993 co-recipients for
their efforts in compiling the five volume reference work Michigan
1870 Census Index. Jim Walsh and A. James Bothmer were the 1992
co-recipients for Vital and Health Statistics Series : An Annotated
Checklist and Index to the Publications of the Rainbow Series.
Suzanne Schulze was the 1990 recipient for her three indexes:
Population Information in Nineteenth Century Census Volumes;
Population Information in Twentieth Century Census Volumes, 1900-
1940; and Population Information in Twentieth Century Census
Volumes, 1950-1980.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This page has been visited |