Opportunities & Challenges in a Gov’t Info Road Opportunities & Challenges in a Predominately Electronic Government Information Environment Where Next ? Panel Members: Daniel O’Mahony, Department Leader, Administrative Services, Brown University Library Judy Russell, Managing Director, Information Dissemination (Superintendent of Documents), Government Printing Office Atifa Rawan, Full Librarian, Social Sciences Team, University of Arizona Library Cheryl Knott Malone, Associate Professor, School of Information Resources and Library Science, University of Arizona

It's been 10 years since the Government Printing Office issued its Study to Identify Measures Necessary for a Successful Transition to a More Electronic Federal Depository Library Program. In the interim, GPO and depository libraries have been transitioning to electronic dissemination while at the same time continuing to manage the legacy collections of print and other tangible formats. In this session, participants will discuss the upcoming opportunities and challenges we can expect as we continue to function in the hybrid environment. Among the issues to be addressed: Users' expectations GPO/FDLP strategic vision and future directions Roles of libraries Staffing issues and training

1995

2005

The Incoming Freshman Class of 1995 Born same year as Apple II and the Radio Shack TRS-80 There has always been a space shuttle Despite sightings to the contrary, Elvis has always been dead Old enough to have seen Pete Rose play & manage baseball Anita Bryant never pitched Florida orange juice Source: Day by Day, The Seventies, Facts on File, 1988

The Incoming Freshman Class of 2005 Born same year as IBM PS/2 Don’t remember when “cut & paste” was with scissors Voice mail and digital cameras have always existed Bill Gates has always been worth at least $2 billion There has never been a “fairness doctrine” at the FCC Source: Beloit College Mindset List

2.5 generations of college students 3 presidential election cycles 10-Year Timeframe 2.5 generations of college students 3 presidential election cycles 3+ generations of computer equipment 6 congressional election cycles 10 new classes of incoming freshmen

1995 2005 Ten years after... 1,385 FDLP libraries 1,266 FDLP libraries 8.6% drop in 10 years (119 libraries)

Titles Distributed to FDLP Libraries 1995 2005 61,851 titles 10,489 titles 83% drop in 10 years (51,362 titles)

GPO Access Gateway

Transition to More Electronic Environment – Access to Gov Info 1995 2005 207,000 36 million < 5% > 92% > 95% 14% 0% 35% 7,400 236,000 NA 6,500 (FY) GPO Access average monthly retrievals Percent of FDLP titles available online Percent available in tangible formats ONLY Percent available online ONLY Number of online titles (files) E-pubs harvested from agency web sites Sources: GPO Library Program Service annual reports, FDLP Biennial surveys, GPO staff

Transition to More Electronic Environment – Effect on Libraries 1995 2005 NA 92% 38% NA NA 77% 136 per FDL 46% < 25 NA 163 (334 willing) Web page for government information? Graphical web browser available to public? Current bib records for e-docs linked in online catalog? Estimated total FDLP patrons per week Systematically downloads & stores e-docs Sources: GPO Library Program Service annual reports, FDLP Biennial surveys, GPO staff

What government web site users (97 million Americans) 66% of Internet users have looked for information from a government web site (federal, state, local) 41% of Internet users have done research involving official government statistics or documents online What government web site users (97 million Americans) do at agency web sites: 70% do research for work or school 62% seek information about a public policy or issue of interest 49% get advice or information about a health or safety issue 34% get information about potential business opportunities Source: How Americans Contact Government, June 2003

Undergraduates IC = Information Control Top Desired Mean Scores: 8.26 Making electronic resources accessible from my home or office 8.22 Modern equipment that lets me easily access needed information 8.16 A library Web site enabling me to locate information on my own 8.13 Print and/or electronic journal collections I require for my work 8.11 Easy-to-use access tools that allow me to find things 8.10 Making information easily accessible for independent use 8.09 The electronic information resources I need IC = Information Control 7.92 The printed library materials I need for my work Source: Association of Research Libraries, Texas A&M University, LibQUAL+ 2005 Survey, 2005

94% of 11th & 12th graders use Internet 89% all teens send or read email “They view email as something you use to talk to ‘old people,’ institutions, or to send complex instructions to large groups.” “Instant messaging has become the digital communications backbone of teens’ daily lives.” About 2/3 teenagers use IM; 1/3 use IM every single day About 3/4 online teens use IM Source: Teens and Technology, July 2005

REALITIES: #1 – “Millennials” are a distinct age cohort (13 to 28 year olds) #2 – They are immersed in a world of media and gadgets #3 – Their technology is mobile #4 – Internet plays a special role in their world #5 – They are multi-taskers #6 – They often are unaware or and indifferent to the consequences of their use of technology #7 – Their (our) technology world will change radically in the coming decade #8 – The way they approach learning & research tasks will be shaped by their new techno-world Source: Lee Rainie, “Life Online: Teens and Technology and World to Come,” Pew Internet & American Life Project, March 2006

Goals for an Electronic FDLP: #1 – Ensure that the public has equitable, no-fee, local access to government information #2 – Use new information technologies to improve public access #3 – Provide government information in formats appropriate to the needs of users and the intended usage #4 – Enable the public to locate government information regardless of format #5 – Ensure both timely, current public access and permanent, future public access, without copyright-like restrictions on the use or re-use of information #6 – Facilitate preservation of government information [through NARA] #7 – Ensure the program is cost-effective for all parties Source: GPO, Study to Identify Measures Necessary for a Successful Transition to a More Electronic FDLP, 1996