The role of the Government Documents Committee is to make U.S. government documents more visible, more accessible, more enduring, and more central to the academic communities that constitute UALC. U.S. government documents, as the Committee defines them, include all formats and are not limited to depository publications. The Committee will develop a cooperative strategy for UALC institutions so that Utah State publications can be the beneficiaries of best practices in managing federal documents.
Visibility: finding ways to make government documents better known to our academic communities. The Committee will develop strategies and recommendations to publicize the wealth of valuable resources available in government documents.
Accessibility: finding ways to make government documents available to the widest possible audience. The Committee will develop strategies and recommendations to increase accessibility.
Enduring: providing for at least one comprehensive physical collection of U.S. government documents in Utah (in the Regional Library at USU), regardless of physical format, even while allowing member libraries (Selective depositories) to free up much needed physical space. The Committee will develop strategies for reforming processes and recommend solutions for insuring the maintenance of a comprehensive Regional collection.
Centrality: training ourselves and other librarians in using effectively these important collections of primary sources. The Committee will develop strategies and recommendations on a program of educational sessions and training seminars.
Among the UALC members, depository libraries will each designate a member to sit on the Committee. These members include the Regional Depository at Utah State University; and the Selective Depositories at the J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah; the S. J. Quinney Law Library, University of Utah; the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, University of Utah; the Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University; the Howard W. Hunter Law Library, Brigham Young University; the Gerald R. Sherratt Library, Southern Utah University; and the Stewart Library, Weber State University. The Utah State Library will also designate a member. Other UALC members are invited (but not required) to designate members. The Committee will have two co-chairs. One will be permanent and will be the Regional Depository Librarian at Utah State University; the other will rotate on an annual schedule drawn from the Selective Depository and State Library members.
Additional Charges for 2009/2010:
- The Regional Librarian will organize a meeting of the Committee within 6 weeks of the Committee being formalized. Selectives (and the State Library) will designate members. The Committee will create an annual rotation and select a co-chair. A schedule of meetings will be determined.
- Develop strategies and recommendations to increase accessibility by replacing print with digital public access and prioritizing projects for digitization.
- Develop strategies and recommendations for reforming the discard process and other processes.
- Develop strategies and recommendations for cooperatively engaging member institutions in long-range preservation and storage.
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