Appendix C

SUMMARY OF TASK GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS

• (1) Roles and responsibilities for the DSP, departments and participating libraries should be clearly articulated and clearly communicated.

• (2) The statement of objectives should make it clear that the program makes government information available to the public, maintains a federal presence across the country and a Canadian presence abroad and meets research needs.

• (3) The DSP should systematically enhance and facilitate access to government publications of relevance to the information community and its users by actively encouraging the participation of all federal government departments and agencies listed in the FAA.

• (4) DSP should increase efforts to ensure that departments use the depository program at all times for distribution to libraries in order to minimize costly duplication and the receipt of unwanted materials. All federal government organizations should provide information about all of their publications to inform the community of their existence.

• (5) DSP should ensure that information about the program and its access function is made available though the orientation courses offered to all members of the senior management and information services categories in the public service.

• (6) Over and above the existing structure of full and selective depositories, new mechanisms should be developed to handle the requirements for conserving research collections, ensuring access in small communities, providing service for print-handicapped people, and providing a network to make costly data products available.

• (7) CGPC should work closely with the National Library in its role of monitoring Management of Government Information Holdings to ensure publishing departments and agencies are providing their publications to the DSP regardless of their format.

• (8) Resources should be made available to ensure the procurement of suitable departmental publications which are not produced in sufficient quantities.

• (9) The DSP should host an annual conference for author departments, librarians and other key players in order to ensure a cooperative and informed approach to access issues.

• (10) DSP should consider contractual mechanisms, such as negotiated discounts for depositories, in order to offset the loss of information to the public resulting from privatization. Tax credits or other creative incentives should be examined to encourage the private sector to provide depository access to privatized government information.

• (11) CIP data is important in ensuring public access to government information. The DSP should have the mandate, authority and funding to exercise a central coordinating role in the provision of CIP for federal government documents.

• (12) CIP should be included in all federal titles.

• (13) The should be made available on-line in order to increase subject access to documents, permit searching, speed delivery time and allow electronic ordering of publications. Backfiles should be made available on CD-ROM. Print versions of the DSP tools must still be made available.

• (14) All federal titles be included in BiblioDisc with information on availability.

• (15) A network of resource libraries should be developed to ensure coverage outside of major urban areas. Resource libraries should be provided with additional copies of documents to loan out to communities which are too small to qualify for depository library service.

• (16) The geographical distribution of full and selective depositories should be examined by the DSP to ensure regions are equitably served. Where inequities exist, adjustments should be made to ensure coverage.

• (17) Depository libraries must have access to non-print materials available in tangible formats such as magnetic tapes, CD-ROM, diskettes.

• (18) The DSP structure should be modified to incorporate some depositories which will be responsible for providing the hardware, software and expertise necessary to ensure public access to advanced data products.

• (19) The DSP and producers of government information should examine the implications, including those of a financial nature, of providing public access to on-line databases.

• (20) In keeping with the spirit of the Act, depository libraries should be required to provide users with information about publications in both official languages. In turn, the DSP must provide libraries with information brochures listing the sources of these documents in each region.

• (21) Depositories should be encouraged to provide services in both official languages, whenever possible.

• (22) The CGPC should develop, in consultation with other stakeholders, criteria to assist in the identification of publications or types of publications which are suitable for publishing in alternative formats.

• (23) The DSP should ensure that print-handicapped people have access to relevant government publications through the establishment of designated depositories to receive, copy and distribute these publications. These depositories would be either libraries which take an active role in providing service to the print-handicapped or non-library organizations which are equipped to provide the service.

• (24) The DSP should seek additional funding for enhanced access including a funding formula that will be sufficiently flexible to take into account fluctuations in the volume of depository publications.

• (25) The role of the Library Advisory Committee should be expanded to include participation in evaluating depository library performance, periodic review of retention guidelines and criteria for depositories.

• (26) Regional round tables should be established to support small and medium-sized depositories in each region. Full depository libraries must play a leadership role in these round tables.

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• (27) The CGPC should ensure that partner libraries are provided with training, manuals and on-going communications about policy changes, new products, in addition to maintaining the position of depository information officer.

• (28) The DSP should coordinate, with partner libraries, on-going and effective awareness activities to maximize public use of the resources.

• (29) Selective depositories must provide a minimum level of service in order to maintain their status. Core collections as established by the DSP should form the minimum collection required. Core collections should be developed by the CGPC in consultation with the LAC and knowledgeable members of the library community.

• (30) All depositories should be subjected to reasonable and appropriate retention and weeding guidelines and, with the exception of Core items and ephemeral publications, selectives should be permitted to discard most documents after five years, following agreed on procedures.

• (31) Full depositories in each region should cooperate to pool resources to ensure that all documents continue to be available for research purposes in each region.

• (32) Each depository should sign a contract agreeing to adhere to the Program policies and to ensure acceptable levels of service to the public.

• (33) Depositories must provide annual statistics or in-house usage survey information to the CGPC.

• (34) Regular monitoring should be carried out by the LAC and full depository libraries as a collegial activity intended to assist depositories to provide the best possible access.

• (35) For depositories not meeting contract requirements, the CGPC should follow-up and if service does not improve following assistance and consultation, the CGPC should withdraw depository status..

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