Executive Summary

This report proposes a new structural model for the Depository Services Network. This model is based around Canada's Census Divisions and attempts to take into account the requirements of population density and the impact of new information technologies. It posits a three tiered structure of Resource, Regional and Local Depository Libraries. In addition, the report sets out new criteria for depository status. (This report concerns only Canadian institutions and does not address foreign institutions, exchange agreements or other types of depositories in the program.)

Executive Summary

PART I - INTRODUCTION

PART II - RECOMMENDATIONS

PART III - BASIC PRINCIPLES/GUIDELINES

1. Types of Depository Libraries
2. Responsibilities of the DSP/Government
3. Criteria applied to the three Types of libraries in the suggested model

PART IV - MONITORING THE DEPOSITORY SYSTEM

1. What will be monitored
2. How will it be monitored
3. Who will monitor
4. When will it be monitored

PART V - IMPLEMENTATION

APPENDIX A (Spatial Framework)

• Introduction
• Role of the Census and Census Divisions
• The New Spatial Model of the DSP
• Description of each Service area and its composition

APPENDIX B (Retention Guidelines)

 

Vivienne Monty,
Chair, Depository Services Remodelling Committee - June 1998

PART I. INTRODUCTION

Any strong democracy is based on a well-informed population. Having a wide and open access to detailed information concerning the activities, the decisions and the actions of the government represents an essential way of being and keeping informed. This information must be easily accessible to citizens in any region of the country. With this in mind, the following document addresses how the current Canadian Depository Services Network can be redesigned to meet these goals. (The foreign and exchange programs are not addressed in this document).

Background. In 1927, the Depository Services Program (DSP) was created to disseminate federal government publications to libraries throughout the country. The DSP forms a partnership between the government and the library community making the information accessible to the widest public audience possible.

The role of the DSP has been to gather these documents, obtained from various authors/creators and to disseminate them, at no cost, to the libraries in the system. The role of the libraries has been, in turn, to organize these collections and to ensure the availability to the public, both physically and by providing extensi ve reference help to access government information sources.

Towards the 21^st Century. Internet, the digitization of information and a need for a better rationalization of the current system, has brought the Library Advisory Committee (LAC), in conjunction with the DSP, to re-examine the current system.

The aim is not to abolish the system but:

The new proposed model not only takes new technologies into consideration, but also recognizes the wide diversity of needs across our vast land with the realization that not all the world is "connected." It also recognizes the need to maintain and preserve government information in a "Repository of history" for fu ture generations.

Task Force on Depository Program Review. Since the establishment of the Task Force on Depository Program Review in 1988, the DSP has been attempting to determine a structure which would work effectively while ensuring the Canadian Public equitable access to selected government publications. Many meetings and interviews have been held, surveys conducted, and briefs sought in an attempt to modernize the system.

Partners in Access (1990). The Task Force produced "Partners in Access (1990)," which dealt with the issues of access, funding, service, support and accountability. One of the key recommendations in that report introduced the concept of resource libraries, which would be responsible for acting as repositories and key resources for locals in their regions. They would handle electronic information as well as alternate formats.

Study of the Depository Services Program (1993). Partners was followed by the Study of the Depository Services Program (1993) by Ann Braden and Associates. It compared the DSP with other known depository systems, analysed th e current geographical distribution of current depositories, presented problems related to depositing electronic and alternate formats, and proposed criteria for resource centres and selective depository status.

Recommendations. After careful study of the above reports, their various recommendations and proposals, the LAC recommends the model proposed in this report. The proposed model is workable, effective and will allow the widest possible dis tribution of government information in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

In all, the aim is to accomplish the following:

1. a revised model flexible enough to accommodate technical and structural changes within the library community which forms the basis of the depository network;
2. equitable access and service for all Canadians;
3. rationalization and streamlining of the depository system;
4. increased networking and co-operation between libraries in selected geographic areas;
5. adherence to an established set of criteria for depository status;
6. establishment of a system of accountability;
7. encouragement of collection rationalization;
8. more effective use of electronic formats and delivery systems.

The LAC proposes three types of depository libraries:

1. Resource Libraries;
2. Regional Libraries;
3. Local Libraries;

Resource libraries. It would consist of a full depository library for all government publications including electronic materials. They will mirror public data assuring quick and timely access to such data. It is anticipated that Resource Libraries would also help in the preservation and archiving of such data. Total long-term archiving and preservation, however, and its methodology should be determined bet ween the National Library of Canada, the DSP and some key Resource libraries (possibly 3 libraries). However, the definition of "Resource Library" can and should remain flexible. There are numerous consortia and other similar configurations through out Canada. Such consortia or groupings can be considered as one Resource Library for the purposes of this model.

Regional Libraries. It will maintain all publications as they currently exist on the checklist.

Local Libraries. It will have the option of selecting from each Checklist the publications they wish to offer their "local" clients. They may chose on any Checklist the number of publications they wish according to their needs and local r equirements.

The guidelines that could be applied to each type of libraries are subject to basic principles which can be described as follows:

1. Types of Depository Libraries. The number of Resource Libraries will vary according to the number of libraries that will meet the requirements of Internet access. It is anticipated that there may be as many as 30 libraries across t he country that can agree to provide access to digitized data to a wider community. Mirroring of data at such sites should greatly enhance speed of access.

However, there should be no more than 1 Regional Library in a 10 km radius within one municipal boundary. Where this requirement compromises public access, additional Regional libraries can be designated as may be needed. As a general rul e, the same approach to distribution within the academic environment will be respected. Also, the official language requirements of the communities serviced must be upheld.

The number of Local Libraries should remain at their current level unless there are significant population shifts or new jurisdictional boundaries are established. In order to add a new Local library, one would have to withdraw. In the event that two potential Local Libraries both meet the criteria in one a rea, where there is already a Regional Library in the system, the rule shall be that there be no more than one Local Library per 50,000 population.

2. Responsibilities of the DSP/Government. Each partner, the library and the government, has a responsibility to ensure the continued success and effective functioning of information access and dissemination.

Comprehensiveness. As indicated in the Partners document, there shall be a commitment by the DSP to a comprehensive and constant flow of publications ( paper and alternate formats). The Program will undertake, on behalf of the government, to secure appropriate quantities, or access, in a timely fashion . The LAC recommends that the Federal Communications Policy be reviewed to provide a firm legislative basis for the Program.

Timeliness of delivery. Government information is mostly time-sensitive and must be provided to the DSP for distribution in sufficient quantities and within a reasonable time period following its release. Where resources exist primarily i n virtual form (priced or otherwise), access through the depository site should be guaranteed.

Indexing/bibliographic access. The DSP must provide the leadership by initiating programs relating to indexing and access to government information. Internet/Web access is already provided by the DSP. Other initiatives, such as Government Information Locator Service (GILS), Cataloguing in Publication (CIP) and archiving should be fostered. The Program should work cooperatively with institutions such as the National Library to facilitate improved bibliographic access and indexing.

Retention guidelines. The materials provided to libraries through the DSP represent a resource supplied by the government to the public and, as such, there is a need for accountability. The DSP needs to provide realistic retention guidelines and suitable protocols for the maintenance of government information which it supplies. (Retention guidelines are appended to this report.)

Appropriate training and support. Training programs must be organized and support provided for libraries concerning the use and interpretation of government information.

Liaison with the library community. The DSP must continue to exercise leadership by establishing effective on-going liaison with the primary stakeholders in the program, including author departments, the Treasury Board Secretariat of Cana da and the library community. The LAC may be an appropriate mechanism for partly accomplishing this task. Furthermore, the LAC should provide help in reviewing a revised Federal Communications Policy as to comprehensiveness and impact on the library community.

Appropriate use of alternative delivery mechanisms.The DSP will consider the suitability of the medium of delivery of information in balancing timeliness of delivery, cost, long-term preservation, and access issues.

Bilingualism. The bilingual needs of the public shall be recognized as an integral part of the government's information mandate.

Infrastructure. The DSP will have the infrastructure to support a depository program that fulfils the communications role of government.

It is important to monitor any system of distribution and access to assure that it is working properly and efficiently.

Accessibility of the Depository Collection. The following set of variables would act as indicators in determining the accessibility of the depository collections, whether they be a Resource, Regional, or Local depository:

1. Record of each document in a catalogue or list which is accessible on-site;
2. Record of each document in a catalogue or list which is accessible from a remote site by electronic means;
3. Organization and classification of the collection;
4. Awareness of the public about the collection;
5. Free use of the collection on-site;
6. On-site access available for a required minimum number of hours per week;
7. Photocopying of non-circulating portion of the collection;
8. Free loan of circulating materials;
9. Provision of reference service for the collection;
10. Knowledgeable staff who are familiar with Canadian government documents.

Use of the Depository Collection. DSP material is often not identified separately in libraries, and is often integrated with purchased Canadian government documents. Thus, statistical surveys on its use is considered to be too time consuming for libraries struggling to provide service with limited resources. We are therefore suggesting measuring usage on a rating scale rather than with statistics. Government document librarians in all the depo sitory libraries would be asked to rate the usage of particular categories of documents on a scale from one to four with "one" representing the most frequent usage and "four" representing very low usage. The fact that certain categories of documents would be inc luded in the core collection would at least allow for an evaluation of that portion of the depository collection.

Accessibility of Collection. The indicators of accessibility listed in the next section are presented in a chart format. Although expectations for each type of depository will vary depending on their particular responsibilities, the same checklist will be used for each.

Use of Collection. A rating scale for the use of the collection should be simple enough so that it can be completed easily and quickly by the Government documents staff. The following chart gives some idea of the approach which could be taken.

Although these surveys will provide a certain level of information about the depository collections, they need to be supported by personal contact between the DSP and its libraries. A DSP representative should pay on-site visits to each Resource Library and, if possible, its regional depositories, at least once every thr ee years. A selection of local depositories shall be included in such surveys. This will not only permit the DSP to survey the technological infrastructure of each library but also to meet with the staff to discuss the issues and problems in their particular Service Area.

The DSP will appoint members of its staff and/or a regional committee to monitor the Program.

Canada divides itself nicely into three geographical areas (Eastern Canada, Central Canada, Western/Northern Canada) for the purpose of monitoring the depository libraries. It is recommend that one of the three areas be monitored each year.

The DSP, in conjunction with the LAC, should undertake a broad consultation with the following groups as stakeholders in order to insure the widest support for the proposed model:

1. Current depository libraries;
2. Library Associations;
3. Government authors/creators;
4. Departments responsible for communications, and government information policy such as the Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada;
5. Potential resource libraries who currently do not have that status.

Previous | Top | Next