Retention/disposition guidelines for Canadian Government depository publications

The guidelines apply to full and selective depository libraries for federal government publications in either or both official languages.

The Depository Services Program is a collaborative arrangement between the Government of Canada and Canada's depository libraries, including most public, academic, and legislative libraries. Depository libraries receive the materials at no direct cost; in return, they make them available to their users and to Canadian citizens at large.

Recognizing that libraries must continually renew their collections, that older material must sometimes make way for new, and that over time there is a decline in the number of copies that need to be held in order to fulfill public need for access, the following guidelines indicate what depository materials may be removed from library collections

These guidelines also recognize that full depositories and the National Library in particular have a special role in the permanent preservation of and access to federal government publications. The National Library permanently retains all federal government publications as part of its heritage collection of Canadiana. Full Depositories and the National Library also act as de facto back up libraries for selective depositories. For that reason, we make a distinction between guidelines affecting full depositories and the more flexible guidelines affecting selectives.

These guidelines apply solely to tangible formats, e.g. paper, microforms, audio and video tape, diskette, CD, etc.

Please note that these guidelines indicate what libraries are permitted. They do not indicate that libraries should remove the materials indicated; this is a decision left to the depository library and the librarian responsible.

1. Full Depositories: The following kinds of material may be removed from the collection at the discretion of the librarian responsible:

   a) Loose-leaf pages that are up-dated;

   b) Order papers and notices;

   c) Publications replaced by a revised edition;

   d) Separate parts upon receipt of complete volumes, e.g. monthly issues replaced by an annual cumulation;

   e) Material which carries an expiry date. (For such material, only the latest issue need be retained);

   f) Leaflets and brochures;

   g) Any discontinued serial consisting of less than one full volume or year;¹

   h) Any material that is replaced by the following, on condition that full access is maintained by the depository by means of appropriate equipment, such as microform readers, CD-ROM work stations, networked work stations, etc.²

   i) Microforms;

   ii) CD-ROMs;

   iii) Government Web site, on the further condition that satisfactory arrangements are in place for permanent public access through the DSP, the National Library of Canada or other suitable public institution designated by the DSP.

   i) Statutes present a special case, in that only print versions are officially valid. Depositories should be guided by this fact in deciding whether to substitute electronic versions for paper

   j)Office consolidations of statutes and regulations should be discarded when they are rendered out of date by subsequent amendment.

2. Selective Depositories: The guidelines above for full depositories apply equally to selective depositories. In addition, selective depositories may remove any publication after five years.

3. Disposal of Materials Removed from the Depository:

   a) Compile a list of materials to be removed and post it to the DSP publication exchange listserv at INFO_X@lists.canada.gc.ca (An archive of this listserv will be available at http://dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/INFOX/infox-e.html) (list to be posted in the body of the message, no attachments please);

   b) The list of materials will remain in the listserv's web archive for consultation by other Canadian depository libraries, the National Library's Canadian Book Exchange Centre and Acquisition Services Division for one month;

   c) The list will be reposted by the DSP to the Canadian Book Exchange Centre's listserv CBEC-CCEL for the last two weeks of the month. For more information about CBEC, consult their website at http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/6/10/index-e.html ;

   d) National Library of Canada staff will be given first choice and if they require the material it will be shipped prepaid;

   e) Canadian depository libraries will be given second choice over other libraries;

   f) Material requested by the National Library's Canadian Book Exchange Centre or the Acquisition Services Division will be sent at the depository library's expense;

   g) The cost of shipping to other libraries will be assumed by the receiving library;

   h) Material rejected by the Canadian Book Exchange Centre and not requested by another library may be disposed of at the discretion of the librarian responsible

² Depository libraries and government institutions may need to collaborate to insure that information migrates, where necessary, to current formats and standards. For example, CD-ROM products may need to migrate from DOS to Windows platforms. Hence, vigilance will be needed to insure permanent access.

Table of Contents | Introducing the DSP | Program Objectives
How it All Works | Who's Eligible to Participate?
Responsiblities of the Depositories | Retention Guidelines