--- Begin Forwarded Message ---
Date: Mon, 15 May 2000 14:12:44 -0400 (EDT)
From: Ken Grabach <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Fwd: GPO FUNDING FOR FY 2001, IMPACT OF PROPOSD CUTS <fwd>
Sender: Ken Grabach <[log in to unmask]>
I am a librarian with duties as both a documents librarian and a maps
librarian, and to me this is a very big deal, indeed. What we are really
discussing is not so much libraries getting stuff for free that they would
otherwise need to buy, but access of the citizens of the nation to the
information produced by their government, and the government being
accountable to its citizens about its activities. Note also that the
issue is not the agencies that do these, but the agency of the Congress
that publishes this material for the country. A minority of outspoken
members of Congress do not recognize this as a public good.
First, to the maps that you are most familiar with. Yes, many libraries
such as yours have purchased everything you need. They could still be
available at reasonable cost, or they might not. The Superintendant of
Documents, who is responsible for public sales as well as the depository
program, is subject to the severe cuts involved. It is difficult to say
whether maps that are still worthwile in print, whether topographic,
geological, nautical, or aeronautical, will continue to be available at
such reasonable cost, or available at all.
To the other materials that could be affected by this action. The total
of the publicly available publications of all the agencies of the
government, are affected. Many not exactly cartographic relate to the
geoographical understanding of the nation and the world. Examples include
the many environmental assessments of the federal lands, the many reports
from the National Forest Service's research stations, reports of research
in the national parks and wildlife refuges; reports from Environmental
Protection Agency about water, soil and air pollution and prevention; the
laws passed by the Congress that proposes this cutting move, and on and
on. The depository libraries who are recipients of these publications get
them without cost because they have undertaken to make them available to
the public. Most of us are Congressional district depositories, meaning
that publications are available to all citizens of the district, whether
or not they are members of the university community, or borrowers of the
public library that receives the materials.
I mentioned the issue of accountability. The interest of the public
in what the government does, including the printed laws and published
hearings of the Congress, are in large measure what makes this such a big
deal. It is not merely the self-serving issue of being able to continue
to get these without having to pay for them. The public has a right to
see what they need when learning about the government or trying to fulfill
government regulations and requirements, whether or not individuals can
afford to buy them themselves. As for public sale, it as well as public
deposit, is under fire from this action.
In the case of my library we would not have been able to build the
collection we have done had we been forced to pay for them. We became a
depository in 1909, and we have received for much of that time over 50% of
the available materials. (Currently it is around 70%; about 10 years ago
it was close to 80%; in earlier years it was much lower.) This makes it
both broad in suybject coverage, and deep in terms of holdings of volumes
and time covered. This is something we hold in public trust, and our own
trust is being betrayed by members of Congress who cannot see value to
themselves in public documentation.
_________________________________________
Ken Grabach <[log in to unmask]>
Documents and Maps Librarian
Miami University Libraries
Oxford, Ohio 45056 USA
On Mon, 15 May 2000, Johnnie Sutherland wrote:
> --- Begin Forwarded Message ---
> Date: Mon, 15 May 2000 20:29:06 +0500
> From: Quinn Koller <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Fwd: GPO FUNDING FOR FY 2001, IMPACT OF PROPOSD CUTS <fwd>
> Sender: Quinn Koller <[log in to unmask]>
>
>
>
> I can't resist putting in my 2 cents and playing devil's advocate. With
> the government's push to become more digital in its dissemination of
> information, it seems to me that depository libraries become somewhat
> irrelevant and unnecessary. As the director of a map library who has
> built its collection without the benefit of depository status, I guess I
> just don't see what the big deal is.
>
> ~ Quinn
> --
> ___________________________________________________________
> Quinn R. Koller [log in to unmask]
> Manager (717) 285-8477
> Library & Information Services fax (717) 285-8600
> MapQuest.com Inc.
> P.O. Box 601
> Mountville, PA 17554-0601
>
> http://www.mapquest.com
> The Ultimate Destination for Directions
> ___________________________________________________________
> The opinions expressed are my own and do not represent the
> opinions or policies of MapQuest.com Inc.
>
> Johnnie Sutherland wrote:
> >
> > Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 16:59:20 -0700
> > From: <[log in to unmask]>
> > Subject: Re: Fwd: GPO FUNDING FOR FY 2001, IMPACT OF PROPOSD CUTS <fwd>
> > Sender: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Aim=E9e_Quinn?= <[log in to unmask]>
> >
> > Actually, this bill is death to depositories (okay, so I am a bit
> > melodramatic too). However the outlook for the Hose vote appears grim.
> > We, meaning folks who are really interested in preserving the spirit of
> > the depository laws, really need to have our users as well as our
> > colleagues write,fax, or phone their Congressional delegation to let
> > them know what they think. For more points regarding this situation,
> > please refer to the GODORT web page
> > http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/GODORT/2001appro.html for further details,
> > examples of letters written and talking points.
> >
> > Thanks for reading my two cents!
> >
> > Aimee Quinn
> > University of Nevada Las Vegas
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> >
> > To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
> > Date: Friday, May 12, 2000 9:11 AM
> > Subject: Re: Fwd: GPO FUNDING FOR FY 2001, IMPACT OF PROPOSD CUTS <fwd>
> > >--- Begin Forwarded Message ---
> > >Date: Thu, 11 May 2000 15:32:49 -0600 (MDT)
> > >From: Thiry <[log in to unmask]>
> > >Subject: Re: Fwd: GPO FUNDING FOR FY 2001, IMPACT OF PROPOSD CUTS <fwd>
> > >Sender: Thiry <[log in to unmask]>
> > >
> > >
> > >My 2 cents.
> > >
> > >If this passes, what is use in being a depository library? What will
> > be
> > >deposited?
> > >
> > >Also, since we are required BY LAW to provide access to US Government
> > >information to people living in
> > >our Congressional District, I am wondering were my Library is going to
> > >come up with all the extra money for new computers, bigger monitors (so
> > >you can look at maps), and maintenance of the computers?
> > >
> > >Basically, for those of us with much of a budget, this bill spells
> > death
> > >for our collections. (Okay, I know I am being overly dramatic, but
> > >please. Destroying the Depository Program so we all can get $200 tax
> > >break doesn't make sense.)
> > >
> > >--Christopher JJ Thiry
> > >Map Librarian
> > >Colorado School of Mines
> > >1400 Illinois
> > >PO Box 4029
> > >Golden, CO 80401-0029
> > >
> > >voice: 303-273-3697
> > >fax: 303-273-3199
> > >
> > >[log in to unmask]
> > >http://www.mines.edu/library/maproom/
> > >http://www.mines.edu/fs_home/cthiry/
> > >--- End Forwarded Message ---
> > --- End Forwarded Message ---
> --- End Forwarded Message ---
>
--- End Forwarded Message ---
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