1. WHAT COMMERCIAL CONTENT IN GOVERNMENT INFORMATION, AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE OR LICENSING FROM EXTERNAL VENDORS, WOULD YOU RECOMMEND FOR THE SYSTEMWIDE COLLECTION (POSSIBLY INVOLVING CO-INVESTMENT BY CAMPUSES)? FEEL FREE TO INCLUDE BOTH ABSTRACTING AND INDEXING AND FULL TEXT RESOURCES. WHERE POSSIBLE PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT SOURCE AND ESTIMATED COSTS.

Subscription databases, both commercial and governmental, are listed below in alphabetical order. Of highest interest and priority amongst the campuses for adding databases to CDL are Academic Universe and Statistical Universe. While there is some va riation in individual campus priorities, these two consistently fall in the top three choices. Please note that price estimates below are very preliminary and reflect individual campus prices and not consortial prices, unless stated. They are simply mea nt to provide ballpark figures.

Academic Universe
The non-law school academic version of the Lexis-Nexis database. This full text database includes legal documents-statutes, codes, regulations, court decisions and orders-as well as law journals and other full text news and business sources.

Source Information: http://www.lexis-nexis.com
Cost: [Solinet consortium pricing: range of approximately $1.25-1.82, depending on fte. (800)999-8558 x263]
Campuses currently subscribing: B, D, I, LA, SD

Access UN (Readex Index to UN Documents and Publications)
Indexes the official publications, serials and sales publications of the major bodies and agencies within the United Nations. The database includes full text of some materials, and indexes information from 1990 to date. The last two years plus the current year of Access UN indexing and text is included in the subscription to UN microfiche set of UN documents and publications, but not all campuses subscribe to the microfiche set, and no campuses have subscribed to the full index from 1991 to date.

Source Information: http://www.newsbank.com/readex/govdocs/un/un1.html
Cost: single campus--$3500 (1991+) / $7000 (1966+) / $19000 (1946+)
Campuses currently subscribing: B, D, I, LA, SB (1996+ free with subscription to microfiche set)

CenStat
A Web-based subscription service that provides interactive search-and-display access to the following databases: Annual Survey of Manufactures, Consolidated Federal Funds Report, Occupation by Race and Sex Building Permits, County Business Patterns, USA CountiesTM, Census Tract Street Locator, International Trade Data, and ZIP Business Patterns.

Source info: U.S. Bureau of the Census, http://www.fedstats.gov/index20.html
Cost: Each Class B IP address - $2,500 per year / Each Class C IP address - $750 per year
Campuses currently subscribing: Campuses each have one depository library password, which allows a single user access.

CQ Weekly Report and CQ Researcher
Full text web access to two high use sources for current Congressional information, policy issues, and debate. Formerly included in the CQ Alert package, and now available as a separate subscription.

Source info: Congressional Quarterly, Contact CQ at (800) 432-2250, ext. 279 to speak to a sales manager
Cost: sample price for fte 18,000 (which is mid-range in pricing): $2210 if print subscriptions kept / $2768 web access only. Consortial deals with discounts are available.
Campuses currently subscribing: SC

Declassified Documents Reference System
Provides full text online access to formerly classified information for the US, post- World War II. These documents are also issued in microfiche, and had been a shared purchase for Government Information. The online database would make the full text r eadily available on all campuses.

Source Information: Primary Source Media
http://www.psmedia.com/site/index.htm
Cost: [not available-will add when information received]
Campuses currently subscribing: Web service: none; CD-ROM: D, I, SD

Digital National Security Archives
Full text of over 30,000 declassified documents released under FOIA on various national security related topics, ranging from the Berlin Crisis to Iran Contra. The search engine is excellent with multiple name or subject access. The documents have been scanned, and a copy of the actual document is shown.

Source Information: Chadwick Healy, http://dnsasampler.chadwick.com/home.htm
Cost: consortial prices possible-approximate range for single campuses $2250-$4500
Campuses currently subscribing: None

NewsBank InfoWeb (Global Newsbank)
Comprehensive database of current information contains articles, news summaries, broadcasts and transcripts from hundreds of international sources.

Source info: (800)762-8182, e-mail at sales@newsbank.com, http://www.newsbank.com/infoglob.html
Cost: approx. $3500 for 1-4 simultaneous users (single campus)
Campuses currently subscribing: B, D, I, SB (CD-ROM)

Statistical Universe
Available from Congressional Information Service (CIS) provides web access to the detailed statistical indexing that has been available through the print index, ASI (American Statistics Index) and SRI (Statistical Reference Index), with plans for adding IIS (Index to International Statistics). The web version of the indexes provides a comprehensive and historical index to statistics in federal and state government sources, and will expand to include international governmental organizations' statistics. Much of the material indexed for federal sources is held by UC depository libraries, and some campuses subscribe to the microfiche of documents indexed by this source.

Source info: Congressional Information Service , www.cispubs.com, (800)638-8380
Cost:[Solinet consortial price range (based on fte): $0.23/30,000fte to $0.48/11,000fte)
Campuses currently subscribing: B, D, I, SD

World News Connection full text web database with FBIS (Foreign Broadcast Information Service) translations of daily broadcasts, government statements, and select news stories from non-English sources around the world. It offers timely access to sensitive information througho ut the world.

Source Information: http://wnc.fedworld.gov/ntis/subscription.html
Cost: $10,000/year (SUB-9922) for 6-10 simultaneous users
Campuses currently subscribing: SB, SC, SD

2. WHAT DIGITAL CONTENT IN GOVERNMENT INFORMATION IS FREELY AVAILABLE, FOR EXAMPLE VIA THE WORLD WID WEB, AND HAS ENOUGH VALUE AND STABILITY TO MERIT INCLUSION IN THE CDL COLLECTIONS?

[NOTE: The content of this section draws heavily on a report that will be cryptically referred to below as the EGIIG Report: "Creating a California Digital Government Information Library: A report from the UC/Stanford Electronic Government Information Initiatives Group to the UC Heads of Public Services," January 24, 1998, http://gort.ucsd.edu/docs/EGIIG/final.html. At its annual meeting in September, the UC Government Information Librarians (UCGILS), reinforced and enhanced recommendations from that report for this survey.]

There is exponential growth in Government Information on the web, and most is freely available in the public domain. UC libraries, as depositories for government information at local, state, federal, and international levels, are finding a growing portio n of information available in electronic format. The dilemma is not in identifying valuable government information, but in how to provide efficient and effective management, organization and preservation of that information that will ensure long-term sta ble access for UC researchers, provide easier access for users, and decrease duplication of effort by UC campuses. The long-term goal of UC GILS would be to create a California Digital Government Information Library in conjunction with the CDL. The data base would include depository data that are currently spread across the various UC campuses, thus ensuring reliable and consistent access to these essential data.

Because of the immensity of information that could be included in CDL, UC GILS recommends a number of projects below that we consider to be the most pressing for meeting current research and information needs, that are scalable, and that would act as pilo t projects to allow us to gather information and experience in developing such a digital collection. These projects represent several areas where UC and CDL could make a very positive impact on access to Government Information for UC researchers, as well as citizens of California. All of the projects indicated below require system-wide coordination and technological resources to be sustainable and effective.

A. DEVELOP USER FRIENDLY GATEWAYS INTEGRATING FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT INFORMATION

Government information currently on the web is diffuse and dispersed. It is often difficult for a researchers to find information relevant to their research interests, and once found, know that it is an authoritative site. The UC Government Information Librarians (UCGILS) see a strong need to develop and maintain user friendly interfaces to government information, such as has begun in projects like InfoMine at UC Riverside, GPO Gate at UC San Diego, and the new Environmental Information Project just announced. We have already learned from these that, while all UC campuses have benefited from these projects and have contributed to their content, all the projects lack ongoing structure or funding to support inter-institutional collaboration. Ongoing support for such projects is a financial burden to an individual campus. Further development of these or similar projects require a system-wide structure and funding to support inter-campus collaboration. Any projects should be considered in consultation with UC Data Archivists.

Because of the vast amount of government information to work with, UC GILS recommends beginning with a project that focuses on government information about California, combining federal, state, and local government resources. One possible project that could be included in CDL is the California Data Warehouse, already in prototype at UC San Diego. This database combines different sources of economic and demographic statistical data into a common format and database using sources such as Uniform Crime Reports, Current Population Reports, School District Data Book, and decennial census information. Information is filtered into common formats and medium, so that users have a seamless interface to the data without having to first determine the source of data. Data can be manipulated to retrieve and view as graphs, tables, charts, maps, etc. Another possible approach would be to provide a gateway similar to that used in Washington state called Find-It! WashingtonTM (http://find-it.wa.gov/), which provides a searchable database of records and full text of government information from local and state sources related to the state of Washington and its cities, counties and special districts. Such a database would build on current efforts by at least some of the campuses to act as gateways to local government information, capture federal information specifically about California, and combine it with user friendly access to state government information.

B. ACT AS A MIRROR SITE FOR GPO ACCESS TO IMPROVE RELIABILITY AND SPEED OF ACCESS FOR CALIFORNIA USERS.

GPO Access, the Government Printing Office database to electronic federal information is useful, but has proved to be unreliable for West Coast access. We recommend pursuing an agreement with the US Government Printing Office to become a West Coast mirror site for the data to speed access and reliability for California users. In addition to providing more reliable access, mirroring data would give UC options for preserving and archiving data. Assurance of long term access would influence retention decisions of current print format sources.

If a full mirror site is not possible, we recommend identifying crucial government databases and mirror those key resources at UC. Potential titles include:

• Federal Register announces federal grants, and provides regulatory information.
• Commerce Business Daily announces federal contracts.
• Economic Report of the President [annual] contains essential economic data and policy information.
• Congressional Record and Congressional Bills

C. BECOME A PARTNER WITH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO ARCHIVE ELECTRONIC GOVERNMENT INFORMATION THAT AGENCIES ARE UNABLE TO ARCHIVE THEMSELVES.

"In addition to short-term access to information, long-term preservation of electronic information is a concern. At present, no consistent mechanism exists to archive federal, state and local government information, despite the continuing need for "historical" government information. Since much of government information is policy related and goes through many phases before a final report is completed, it is important to preserve and archive the entire process for research. UC libraries need to identify key government information resources and provide long-term preservation for this information." [EGIIG, p.2]

The most pressing need is for preserving California government information, which is often not archived by state agencies. There is considerable research value in California government information, including statistical data, legislative information, busi ness and environmental resources. California state government has no counterpart to the Government Printing Office for handling much of the information produced. Only about 25-30% of state information is distributed through the depository program, so th ere is a great need to preserve and make electronic state government information available. The California State Library, which is the complete depository for state government information in print formats, has stated that it does not have the technologic al resources or funding for electronic archiving of state agency information. To fill this void, we recommend that UC CDL propose setting up a partnership for archiving California State Government electronic government information. UC Berkeley and UCLA a re designated in the California Code as two of the three historical depositories for California State Government publications (the third is the California State Library. Archiving electronic government information would be a logical extension of the arch ival responsibility already in the UC system. It is recommended that a group be established to create a proposal for a pilot project that would identify high use agencies and information and would assess issues related to such archiving.

D. CONVERTING HIGH USE/HIGH INTEREST MATERIALS AVAILABLE IN ELECTRONIC FORMAT THAT HAVE BEEN ISSUED IN PRINT FORMAT.

There is high interest and ongoing use of certain historical information, particularly for government information about California published at federal, state and local levels that could be scanned and included in CDL. For example, election related information such as historical voter information pamphlets, Statement of the Vote, and local government information could comprise a California Elections Archive. Local government information would also form an resource of great interest to researchers, and would make the information accessible beyond its area of origin. Information such as voter information pamphlets are often printed on poor quality paper, and deteriorate significantly in a short time, making them prime candidates for electronic preservation.

E. OTHER SCALABLE PROJECTS

Expand National Technical Information Service Pilot Project. The University of California, Davis pioneered a project that demonstrated the feasibility of delivering electronic full-text of federal technical report literature via the Internet. The National Technical Information Service will be expanding this project shortly; a broader test of new methods of delivering technical report literature on demand is desirable.

Mount government information CD-ROMS centrally to reduce individual campus efforts to provide networked access. This could either be a centralized database or a distributed project, with individual campuses taking responsibility for providing access to certain agencies, series, etc. as determined practical to administer. With the uneven resources available on campuses, the centralized database may work more efficiently.

3. WHAT UC TEXTUAL OR VISUAL RESOURCES IN GOVERNMENT INFORMATION, EITHER ALREADY IN DIGITAL FORM OR APPROPRIATE FOR DIGITIZATION, WOULD YOU RECOMMEND FOR INCLUSION BY THE CDL?

Three current projects that could be incorporated into the CDL are InfoMine at UC Riverside, GPO Gate, and the UC Berkeley Census data on a network shared with Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.

4. WHAT OTHER COMMENTS DO YOU HAVE ON THE RELEVANCE OF THE CDL IN SERVING THE NEEDS OF SCHOLARS IN GOVERNMENT INFORMATION?

In many cases, the government information made available through the CDL could act as a bridge to statewide users, and an opportunity to establish strategic partnerships with federal, state and local agencies. The users could extend beyond the UC community to include businesses and the citizens of California.

We see tremendous advantages in creating a California Digital Government Information Library:

Cost effectiveness: Government information is generally free from copyright. Collaboration and coordination of access to government information currently collected and mounted individually by campuses would make better use of resources available in the system. Opportunities would exist for many collaborative projects, such as the Census CD-ROMs mounted on the UC Berkeley site.

More effective access to changing government information: It is vital that we provide guaranteed access to government information that is crucial to ongoing UC research. We can create interfaces and enhance retrieval of electronic information in a format that best serves our primary clientele, at the same time that we preserve information important for our users. Where information is being privatized, we could in some cases avoid repurchasing public information and maintain control over how the information is delivered to the end user.

As stated in the EGIIG report, "The wide range of government information plays a crucial role in fulfilling the research needs of UC. Specific areas that benefit research and teaching at UC include: economic and demographic data, legislative and policy information, regulatory law, census data, social research, scientific and technical reports, and patents. As the CNI articulates in their report, 'it [government information] can be a critical piece of a research initiative, as well as a key element of the teaching and learning process. It can provide the foundation for scholarly research and/or provide the springboard for this type of work - from NSF guidelines for obtaining grants, to U.S. census data, to inventories of hazardous chemicals, to pending regulations, to databases of scientific information, to health care information, to diplomatic post records.'" [EGIIG, p.2]

5. WITH WHOM DID YOU CONSULT (FACULTY AND OTHER LIBRARIANS) IN PREPARING THESE RESPONSES? PLEASE FEEL FREE TO INDICATE FACULTY NAMES AND THEIR COMMENTS.

These survey responses were a collaborative effort of the UC GILS. The draft was also shared with UC Data Archivist survey coordinator. On individual campuses, government information librarians discussed options with librarians and faculty in economics, business, political science, sciences, engineering, and medicine.