GoDIG A Government Documents Community of Interest - Meeting Minutes -

GoDIG Meeting Minutes - April 11, 2008

MINUTES OF THE GoDIG MEETING  APRIL 11, 2008 HELD AT TUFTS’ TISCH LIBRARY

Present:
Linda Johnson….linda.johnson@unh.edu
Ralph Szymczak…szymczak@brandeis.edu
Jacqueline Fitzpatrick….jfitzpat@wellesly.edu
Betty Febo….efebo@wellesley.edu
Sarah Hogan….hogansa@bc.edu
Gail Fithian….gfithian@bpl.org
Roxanne Palmatier…r.palmatier@neu.edu
Bette L. Siegel….Bette.Siegel@state.ma.us
Naomi Allen….Naomi.Allen@state.ma.us
Connie Reik….connie.reik@Tufts.edu

The meeting was called to order by Gail Fithian, co-chair.  Introductions were made (Sarah is “new” to our group).
Gail raised the question:
    What do we want to keep in our collections that will offer permanent accessibility?

After discussion, it was decided that Gail will ask this question of all the Gov Docs members of the BLC so that we can ascertain who has what, and we can create a list of the major holdings of all the BLC documents departments.We would also list those documents we intend to weed/delete from our collections.

BOTH LISTS ARE FOR PRINT AND MICROFICHE……not electronic documents.

Indiana depositories did this and created a light archives; all had to be put in the online catalog before the documents could go any where else.  There is still a need for cataloging Pre-1976 documents.  GPO has contracted for the index to be done.

GENERAL DISCUSSION

• BPL will be sending a lot of their print material to off-site storage.
• UNH is pressing the docs dept. for space. Questions have arisen about off-site storage; converting print to fiche?
• Wellesley checked GAO fiche v. online collection and decided to discard the GAO fiche.
• Discussion about the reliability and breadth of the online series and should we discard our paper collections.
• Gail spoke about documents to Reference Librarians at the Minute Man Group.
• BPL received from Harvard Congressional Hearings, in paper, from 1938 – 1974.

There was a question regarding getting rid of fiche if material is online! General consensus is NO!

Betty Febo requested all BLC members update their pages and get the information to her.

DIGITIZATION P ROJECTS

• BPL is doing a $250,000 project with Internet Archives…Federal Documents only. They have chosen House Un-American Activities hearings and reports.  The Law Library of Congress is also digitizing reports but one cannot access them on Google. BPL:
  • anticipates more funding from Internet Archive.
  • may scan LC copyright entries; they own 90%   San Francisco owns all.
  • scans on demand
  • has digitized the composition of the City Councils since the 1800’s
  • has digitized the list of Boston Residents 1909, 1910, 1911 then 1922-1941.
  • catalog does not show items scanned; there are no links; you have to call the dept. for assistance.
  • has scanned heavily used reference books about Boston
  • has scanned Directories 1880-1989…..these have streets, wards and precincts.
  • will not consider partnering with GPO until their new director is in place.
• The State Library has the Acts and Resolves from 1960-1996 and the Zimmer file.
  • has state agency docs; all docs are readily available on the web site: www.mass.gov/lib
  • is considering doing the Bird Books; officially called the Public Officers of the Commonwealth.  The set starts with the Legislative Souvenir.
  • will be cooperating with UMASS Amherst and Boston on state projects.
• UMASS Amherst is doing the Legislative Documents; PD #1 (Vital Records) and PD#43 Election Statistics.
• UNH is doing the NH Red Book.
• Tufts collaborated with the American Antiquarian Society of 1825….election statistics
• It was suggested that State Census documents would be of value.

REPORT FROM GPO MID-WINTER

Sarah Hogan of BC attended. Highlights were:

• GPO is renewing the self-study process especially as it affects public access to documents.
• GPO is looking for volunteers on a new system of web harvesting; encouraged looking at new FDLP Desktop.  Sarah felt there was no GPO leadership in digitization.
• There was discussion of a shared  regional which GPO was advised was against Title 44. BUT….RI and CT share as do ME, NH and VT…
• The status of Rick Davis has not changed; he is still acting Superintendent of Documents.   Robert Tapella, Public Printer, was present briefly.

Sarah felt the Council sessions were helpful to her as a new documents librarian.

NEXT MEETING/YEAR

There was discussion on the advisability of going to Williams for the May 30, 2008 meeting. Who will be attending?

Connie volunteered to be the co-chair next year.  Gail felt she should continue for the next year since we had not been active this year.  Linda expressed a need to relinquish her co-chair position.

Connie suggested the 1st meeting in the Fall be a joint meeting with GPLNE.

Bette offered to host a meeting in the 2008/9 season as did Wellesley.

Meeting adjourned…. Bette L. Siegel, acting secretary with significant assistance from Jacqueline Fitzpatrick

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• Betty Febo
• Wellesley College
• Date Created: April 14, 2008
• Date Revised: April 16, 2008
• Expiration Date: permanent