ALCTS Network News v4n16 (December 7, 1992) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/ann/ann-v4n16 ISSN: 1056-6694 ALCTS NETWORK NEWS An electronic publication of the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services Volume 4, Number 16 December 7, 1992 In this issue A PLMS PERSPECTIVE ON ALCTS RESTRUCTURING DRASTIC CUTS TO THE DEPOSITORY LIBRARY PROGRAM ANNOUNCED ************************************************************************** A PLMS PERSPECTIVE ON ALCTS RESTRUCTURING By Robert DeCandido, Chair, PLMS Policy and Planning Committee I am writing as Chair of the PLMS Policy and Planning Committee, and I am hoping that we can contribute to the ALCTS' restructuring effort. I think that the way we have organized things in PLMS addresses many of the issues that the Task Force has raised. It is a system that has developed largely on its own but which has proved to be rather effective. Committee and Discussion Group Structure and Function in ALCTS/PLMS Several years ago PLMS went through an extensive restructure. One of the major objectives of this process was to address a chronic problem. That was that all the PLMS members attending a conference would attend all the committee meetings. Five- and seven-member committees would often have 30 to 50 observers at their meetings. Such enthusiastic interest made conducting business difficult to impossible. The solution that was embodied in the new structure was to increase the number of discussion groups so that each committee would have a corresponding place for people to go for information and collegial dialogue, leaving the committees free to act instead of discuss. The result was the creation of what has now become nine discussion groups. The objective of making committee meetings more productive seems to have been successful, though they still draw significant, if less vociferous, crowds. An additional benefit has, over the years, manifested itself. Because most of the discussion groups grew directly from the standing committees, there seemed to be an natural and appropriate relationship between them. Ideas for programs, projects and publications generated in these D.G.'s could be referred for action to their parent committee. This has become recognized and seven of the nine D.G.'s are linked directly to specific committees. Education Comm. is linked to: Preservation Education & Outreach D.G. Preservation Instructors D.G. Physical Quality and Treatment Comm. is linked to: Physical Quality and Treatment D.G. Library Binding D.G. Library/Vendors D.G. Preservation Management Comm. is linked to: Cooperative Programs D.G. Preservation Administrators D.G. The other two, the PLMS D.G. and the PLMS/RLMS Joint D.G., which are general interest forums, refer ideas to all committees as appropriate. Talking and thinking should come before acting so the Section schedules the discussion groups before their related committees at each conference. Suggestions and recommendations developed in D.G.'s can therefore be brought forward immediately and action may begin at the same conference at which they were first introduced. There are, of course, many other sources of action ideas: the Executive Committee generates its own and refers others from ALCTS Board of Directors; the committees themselves are the most common source of activities. However, the relationship between the D.G.'s and the committees is very important because the D.G.'s are open to all members of the section, indeed all members of ALA. It is through the D.G.'s that people who are not on committees can have an input into the work of the section. It also takes advantage of the very fertile discussions that take place throughout each conference. As far as I know this structure is unique within ALCTS and perhaps within ALA. It addresses the problems cited by the ALCTS Task Force on Organization. 1. We can't program in a timely fashion. Program ideas are often generated in D.G.'s and the timely relationship between them and committees automatically fast-tracks the planning process. It does, of course, not solve the problems with scheduling, budgeting, etc. on the ALCTS level but it does expedite matters at their inception. 2. We can't move quickly on major issues. We cannot act on major issues until we have reached a majority opinion or, preferably, a consensus. D.G.'s are an important and effective means of arriving at agreement. Linking them to committees provides an organic and expeditious means of acting on major issues. 3. We have difficulty identifying and developing new leaders. D.G.'s, where new people can participate freely, are a good place to find new leaders and this structure gives all members a chance to participate in the actions of the Section. 4. Projects can't be approved in a timely fashion. This structure addresses this problem directly and successfully. 5. Visionary ideas do not surface easily. Expanding the number of D.G.'s encourages the formulation of visionary ideas and linking them to committees gives those ideas some place to go. 6. The structure is generally unresponsive. A structure can only be as responsive as the people who fill it. This structure is capable of being very responsive. ALA is an organization whose heart beats only twice a year. There is only so fast you can make such a beast move. The more people participate, the more difficult it becomes to be timely. I believe the PLMS structure is one way of maximizing participation without sacrificing responsiveness. ************************************************************************* DRASTIC CUTS TO THE DEPOSITORY LIBRARY PROGRAM ANNOUNCED In a November 18 letter, Superintendent of Documents Wayne Kelley informed depository librarians of changes in formats and types of material available to depository libraries that will deny certain publications to most depositories, force them to accept publications in less usable, non- permanent microfiche formats, or force them to buy the publications in paper formats. Kelley cited a projected $3.5 million shortfall for fiscal year 1993 as the reason for the cuts. GPO's reductions would, among other things, deny scientific and technical reports published by the Department of Energy and NASA to all selective depositories. Distribution of the bound _U.S. Congressional Serial Set_ would be restricted to the fifty Regional Depository Libraries, denying the bound version to the other 370 libraries that have selected it. This means that no law libraries, federal libraries (except the Library of Congress, National Archives, and the Senate and House Libraries), and only four public libraries will receive the bound Serial Set. The bound Serial Set is the authoritative record of each Congress and a primary public source for the history of legislative action. The national system of 1,400 regional and selective depository libraries was established by Congress to promote the American public's awareness of the activities of the federal government. Kelley said that GPO could save $2.64 million by the following reductions: * Limiting the distribution of Department of Energy microfiche, National Aeronautics and Space Administration microfiche, and the bound _Treaties and Other International Acts_ to regional depositories. * Distributing the _U.S. Reports, Official Gazette_ (patents and trademarks), Army _Technical Manuals_, House and Senate _Calendars_, slip treaties, and slip Supreme Court opinions in microfiche only. * Using the new ACSIS (Acquisitions, Classification, and Shipment Information System) database to improve accuracy in placing printing requisitions. These savings will include reducing the occurrence of both shortages and overprinting, eliminating the duplicative distribution of reprints and preprints, and allowing discretion in ordering low-content items such as decals. In addition, if shortages do occur, LPS [Library Program Services] will go back to press only for certain core publications. * Limiting claims fulfillment services by allowing claims only from regional depositories for microfiche distributed by LPS and by limiting paper claims from all depositories to certain core publications. * Distributing the bound _U.S. Congressional Serial Set_ only to regional depositories, beginning with the 102nd Congress, 1st Session. In an effort to cut an additional $475,000, Kelley attached a survey to his letter asking depository librarians voluntarily to de-select certain publications or to change selections of publications from paper to microfiche. All depositories must respond to the survey no later than December 4, 1992, or the Library Program Services "will assume that a library is leaving the format to our discretion if there is no response to the survey." By November 30, not many libraries had received the letter and attached survey. GPO's Judy Russell said that an extension until December 11 may be granted on a case-by-case basis from Sheila McGarr, Chief, Depository Services (voice: 202/512-1119; fax: 202/512-1432). Russell said responses received after December 11 will not be used, and format decisions will be made for libraries whose response has not been received by then. (Reprinted from: ALAWON, ALA Washington Office Newsline, an irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office Vol. 1, No. 16, Dec. 2, 1992.) ************************************************************************ ************************************************************************* ALCTS NETWORK NEWS (ISSN 1056-6694) is published irregularly by the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services, a division of the American Library Association. Editorial offices: ALCTS, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611; Liz Bishoff, President; Karen Muller, Executive Director. Editor: Karen Muller (u34261@uicvm); Editorial Advisory Board: Liz Bishoff, Jennifer Younger, Arnold Hirshon; Editorial Assistance: Marie Rochelle. ALCTS NETWORK NEWS is available free of charge and is available only in electronic form. Opinions expressed in the articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the division. News items should be sent to the editor at Bitnet address u34261@uicvm. To subscribe, issue the network command "tell listserv@uicvm sub alcts [your name]." Back issues of AN2 are available through the listserver. To find out what's available, send the following command to LISTSERV@UICVM: send alcts filelist The ALCTS FILELIST contains the list of files with the EXACT filename and filetype. To get a particular file, issue this command to the LISTSERV@UICVM: send filename filetype. Send questions about membership in ALCTS to the ALCTS Office, u34261@uicvm. All materials in the newsletter subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or education advancement granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. For other reprinting or redistribution or translations, address requests to the ALA Office of Rights and Permissions, 50 E. Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611. *************************************************************************