Library and Information Science Commons^™

Government Documents In A Nextgen Catalog, James T. Shaw

Criss Library Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

This presentation, defines the NextGen Catalog, the Knowledge Base in the OCLC WMS Catalog, and managing individual records.

Learning To Live Without A Statistical Abstract: Thinking About Future Access To Government Information, James T. Shaw

Criss Library Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

Twenty-four years ago, in 1987, I made a presentation called “Basic Ready Reference: Documents that a Reference Librarian Cannot Live Without” at a meeting of the Iowa Library Association Government Documents Round Table. My top recommendation was the Statistical Abstract of the United States, that annual compendium of data so familiar and indispensible to American librarians everywhere. Twelve years ago, in 1999, I made a similar presentation at the NLA/NEMA Annual Conference, and again the Statistical Abstract took its place as the preeminent resource.

The title of my presentation today, “Learning to Live Without a Statistical Abstract,” signals …

The Status And Future Of Government Documents, James T. Shaw

Criss Library Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

Depository libraries have traditionally enjoyed a pretty sweet deal—we receive free copies of documents in return for space, processing, and staff to help people use them. Depository libraries have served as key players in two areas of public policy: 1) public access to government information for the needs of today; and 2) widespread distribution of documents helps them survive to form a historical record.

How To Be A Depository Library Without Being A Depository Library: Adding Records For Electronic Government Documents To The Library Catalog, James T. Shaw

Criss Library Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

Judith Russell, the Superintendent of Documents of the U.S. Government Printing Office, remarked at the ACRL National Conference in March 2005:

"With 95% of the new titles added to the Federal Depository Library Program available online, every library now has the ability to access a wide array of government information for its patrons at no charge. Understanding what is already available--and what is coming soon--can help each library plan for the integration of electronic government information into its reference and public services" (Assuring Access).

Electronic distribution of government documents has opened more avenues for access to government information, but libraries …

Where Is The Proper Balance? Public Access To Government Information In An Era Of Concern Over National Security, James T. Shaw

Criss Library Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

My goal today is not to tell you precisely where the proper balance is, because that can only be worked out in democratic interplay among the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches of our governments. That process is awkward, halting, and sometimes maddening; but I continue to have great faith in the wisdom of our Founders, who perceived that checks and balances would over time prove a guarantor of our liberties. We must always remember that the Founders deliberately structured the Federal government so that it could never be too efficient. Recall that Benito Mussolini made great progress in making the …