On Being a Depository Library
Item Selection
The item selection process is a bit odd.
Most of the item numbers are "dead". They rarely, if ever, still have active content. Of the 4258 DU (depository 0071A) selected in 2008, all but about 10 of them are dead. Nothing is issued under these numbers. See: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/tools/itemlist.html
DU Penrose as of Sept. 2011 selected 422 out of 9045 possible item selections (4.67%). Of these, we only care about 12 items. These are all items that generate print (as well as electronic) holdings:
Protect Query Item Notes 0150 Stat Abs 0154-D Reinstated - Stat-USA content 0394 Astro Almanac 0556-C Special reports various agencies 0557-A MOCAT SerSet Numerical Lists 0577 US Govt Man 0854-A NAICS 0909-D-01 Handbook of NA Indians 0991-A USC 1004-E SerSet special rpts 1004-E-01 Constitution analysis 1004-E-02 Constitution analysis DU Main Library, as of Sept. 2013, selected 434 out of 10161 possible item selections (4.27%).
Many times numbers only "come alive" when they are in season. For example, Census publications may be issued one a decade.
- Item Lister: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/tools/itemlist.html
- Amendment of Item Selections: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/tools/amendment.html
- Basic Collection "Every Federal depository library is required to have the titles in the "basic collection" accessible for immediate use.": http://beta.fdlp.gov/requirements-guidance/collections-and-databases/1442-basic-collection
- Item Selection Rate Averages: http://web.archive.org/web/20010608223655/http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/coll-dev/itemchrt.html
- Zero-based selection
- Selection cycle
See my Item Selection Tool for Colorado: http://mysite.du.edu/~cbrown/gopig/ as well as my explanation of the project: http://sites.google.com/site/librariancorner/item-selection-tool.
My item selection project for: Iowa: http://mysite.du.edu/~cbrown/iowa/; Illinois: http://mysite.du.edu/~cbrown/illinois/; Missouri: http://mysite.du.edu/~cbrown/missouri/
Piece-level Cataloging - http://beta.fdlp.gov/requirements-guidance/guidance/11-bibliographic-control
Depositories are required to provide holdings information down to the piece level for materials received in tagible formats. This includes each serial issue. This requirement can be fulfilled with either a paper shelflist or electronic records (such as an ILS).
Retention and Weeding - http://beta.fdlp.gov/requirements-guidance/guidance/30-weeding-a-depository-collection
Needs & Offers
More on the SuDocs Classification
An Explanation of the Superintendent of Documents Classification System: http://www.fdlp.gov/component/content/article/856-sudoc-classification-scheme?showall=1
1: Annual reports
C 1.1: Annual Report of the Secretary of Commerce
D 1.1: Department of Defense Annual Report
GA 1.1: Annual Report of the Comptroller of the United States 1922-
T 17.1: Customs Service Annual Report
2: General publications (unnumbered publications of a miscellaneous
nature)
J 1.2: Dept. of Justice General Publications
P 1.2: United States Postal Service General Publications
T 12.2: Comptroller of the Currency General Publications
3: Bulletins
I 19.3: USGS Bulletins
S 1.3: Department of State Bulletin
Y 3.At 7:3/ Atomic Energy Commission Safety and Fire Protection
Bulletins
4: Circulars
A 5.4: Bureau of Biological Survey Circulars
L 38.4: Mines Safety and Health Administration Circulars
Y 3.R 24:4/ Reconstruction Finance Corporation Circulars
Technical Component
Anatomy of MARC
MARCIVE - Offers several MARC record services for depository libraries:
1. Shipping list service. Provides weekly brief MARC records based on shipping list information. These records contain only title (as shown on shipping list), item number, and SuDocs number (subject to change).
2. Full GPO cataloging records. The GPO records via Marcive are enhanced to overlay on shipping list records.
3. Documents without Shelves. Provides MARC records for online only records.
Introduction to Legislative Research
See the library research guide: http://libguides.du.edu/legislative
Focus of this class: United States Congressional Serial Set
This archived Web page from NARA shows how difficult Serial Set research used to be:
http://web.archive.org/web/20040213001309/http://www.archives.gov/research_room/alic/government_publications/administrative_history_congressional_serial_set.html 
Here is a link to the guide I just created.http://library.du.edu/media/documents/OnlineDocs.pdf
