September 30, 1996
Report submitted to the UC Heads of Public Services
September 30, 1996
September 30, 1996
TO: Shirley Leung,
FROM: Linda Kennedy,
RE: Update for Fall HOPS Meeting
The UC/Stanford Electronic Government Information Initiatives Group (EGIIG) met once in UC San Diego since its last report to HOPS. Four EGIIG members also attended the September 15, 1996 meeting of the UC/Stanford Government Information Librarians in Sacramento. EGIIG members are Diane Bisom, UCI (HOS liaison); Patricia Cruse, UCSD; Laine Farley, UCOP; Linda Kennedy, UCD (Chair); Janice Koyama (HOPS liaison), Margaret Mooney, UCR; and Vivienne Roumani-Denn, UCB.
The key result of EGIIG's ongoing discussions is a growing consensus that there is an important role for the University of California/Stanford libraries as a regional electronic depository for the State of California.
The academic community has been challenged to assist in ensuring access to federal government information by engaging in cooperative projects with GPO and other federal agencies. We can provide the technical expertise and library perspective that will ensure that information resources, (traditionally issued by but not maintained for long term use by agencies) be available for current and future researchers. We have a self-interest in doing this, so that we may continue to meet the need for historical information and long-term data of our faculty, students and staff. The transition to electronic formats for depository information outlined in the GPO Study to Identify Measures Necessary for a Successful Transition to a More Electronic Federal Depository Library underscores the need for measures to ensure access to electronic federal information. The transition is occurring rapidly without mechanisms to consistently ensure continued access. EGIIG prepared a draft letter last May and distributed it to government information librarians in the system to encourage campuses to respond to the Government Printing Office and to Congress on the implications of the transition. Several campuses corresponded. The final version of the Transition Plan has now been issued and will govern the future operation of the depository library program.
EGIIG sponsors two stellar projects to facilitate current access to federal government information in electronic formats, INFOMINE and GPO Gate. Several other projects are also described below.
INFOMINE
Under the direction of Margaret Mooney and others at UCR, INFOMINE continues to serve as an important national access point for federal government information. More than 5000 sites worldwide link to INFOMINE and the system receives 250,000 to 300,000 hits per month. PC Computing's recent insert, "Map to Navigating the Web," highlights INFOMINE in several categories.. UCR has had queries from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the National Institute for Standards and Technology about INFOMINE's software.
In response to input from HOPS and EGIIG, Margaret Mooney has designated liaisons from each campus and has identified subject area coordinators who serve as an editorial advisory board for the government information database. The international intergovernmental group headed by Chuck Eckman at Stanford is actively adding international sites. As they gain experience, the members of the editorial board will resolve editorial issues such as need for additional fields (such as language) and subject heading thesauri.
Wendy Helms (UCR) has recruited Larry Cruse (UCSD) and Mary Larsgaard (UCSB) to constitute a Steering Committee for the MAPS and GIS database of INFOMINE, involving UC map librarians in the development of that database.
Planning is well underway to move the INFOMINE operation to a server housed at DLA. UCR staff will continue to maintain the database. We are pleased to report that INFOMINE will be accessible via the MELVYL Graphical User Interface, when it becomes available.
GPO GATE
An equally notable project is UCSD's University of California Gateway to the GPO Access Databases. Several exciting developments involving GPO Gate were reviewed at EGIIG's June meeting in San Diego. Marsha Fanshier and Jim Jacobs demonstrated the new GPO Gate interface. Attractive new graphics were designed by Susan Jurist of UCSD's Art and Architecture Library.
The revamped GPO Gate interface makes a number of improvements over the standard GPO Access interface. Enhancements include: searching of database titles and subjects; searching titles of documents from multiple databases; hot links to other html-formated titles in the databases; many more databases now include a table of contents or catalog file that lists files available and provides hot links into those files; a "TODAY" feature allows you to browse the latest issues of such heavily used databases as the Federal Register and Congressional Record, as well as the titles of the most recent GAO reports.
The new interface was implemented in concert with a move to new computer equipment acquired by the Division of Library Automation to support GPO Gate's growth as a UC gateway. Daily operations are still handled by UCSD staff, primarily Marcia Fanshier. GPO Gate receives as many as 60,000 searches per month. GPO Gate has been designated a 4-Star site by Magellan and was selected as one of PC Magazine's top 100 web sites in February of 1996, among other honors.
Following up on an encouraging meeting at the Depository Library Conference in April, involving Trisha Cruz, Marsha Fanshier, Linda Kennedy and high-level GPO staff, EGIIG sent a letter to the Superintendent of Documents seeking technical information in order to pursue a suggestion from UCSD that UC become a mirror site to house a duplicate copy of some or all of the GPO Access databases. There are a number of excellent reasons to pursue such a role: greater security for the data, assured access, faster access to West Coast users, the ability to manipulate the data and provide better access mechanisms, as well as input into GPO's planning. We subsequently received a letter from the head of the Library Programs Service politely declining our offer in view of an impending move to a new software platform,. The response strongly encourages UC to become involved in other projects to bring new information projects into the depository library program, projects such as housing and providing access to EPA Toxic Release Inventory files from 1988 onwards, or providing remote access to 49 disks of the School Districts Data Book. There is very good communication between UCSD and GPO at present, and we still believe something may come of the mirror site idea.
STAT-USA
Considerable interest continues to be expressed by government information librarians in the system about obtaining a statewide contract for STAT-USA. STAT-USA is a web-based subscription source of authoritative and extensive government-sponsored business, economic, and trade information data. Each depository library has one single-user access. Libraries would like to have networked access, and eliminate individual logging on of each user. The Division of Library Information has been assisting us by pursuing development of a proxy server which could validate users, DLA has also sought information from STAT-USA (part of the Dept. of Commerce). STAT-USA is now offering campus-wide Internet site licenses. We are at the point where the University should enter into negotiations with STAT-USA.. Recently the California State University and Colleges entered into a group contract for STAT-USA at very favorable terms (approximately $300 per campus, we believe).
ACTION ITEM: EGIIG recommends that the University negotiate with STAT-USA for an Internet site license for the University, or for selected campuses, at terms similar to those negotiated for CSUS
In its original charge (March 1995), EGIIG was asked to:
Review existing mechanisms for access to tape and CD-ROM versions of U.S. Bureau of the Census data, including the UCLA Office of Academic Computing On-Line Census Data and the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory/UC Data/UC Berkeley Government Information Service CD-ROM based census system. Recommend, in consultation with the UC data archivists, appropriate methods of access and functionality which can be provided to users of census data at all campuses, either separate from or in conjunction with existing mechanisms.
EGIIG's original consensus was that the UCLA OAC office and the LBL/UC Data/UCB GSSI mechanisms for accessing census data offered two different and equally viable ways of accessing electronic census data. UCLA's tape data is accessible on a fee basis to University researchers. The LBL/UC Data project made available nearly 200 CD-ROMS over the Internet, using LOOKUP software developed to permit web access and a connection to disks mounted on CD-ROM players.
The federal government is no longer funding LOOKUP access. Beginning in October 1996, responsibility for the CD-ROM Information System will move to the Berkeley campus. With access through the Census Bureau's own web page, as well as locally, UCB is concerned about the demand for the system: some 30,000 users monthly. A press release on "The University of California CD-ROM Information System: Past, Present and Future" (September 25, 1996) is available at www.lib.ucb.edu/GSSI/uc_cdrom.html .
Possibly related to the future of the Census CD-ROMS is the Social Sciences Data Consortium under development. The Consortium is not a project affiliated with EGIIG, but we are very interested in its progress because of its potential relevance to the electronic federal depository as well as the Census data. The Consortium's data library would build upon the existing CD-ROM information system, and provide access to a variety of datasets via an Internet server, maintain and migrate the data, and provide training materials. UCB, UCSD, Stanford, Harvard and Oregon State make up the Consortium.. EGIIG is interesting in access for all UC libraries to data maintained through such a project, as well as broader access issues. Although EGIIG member Patricia Cruse is involved in the project, we have no formal liaison to the project.
ACTION ITEM: We recommend that HOPS appoint an EGIIG liaison to the Social Sciences Data Library Consortium
HOTS COMMITTEE ON CATALOGING GOVERNMENT INFORMATION:
At its June meeting, EGIIG discussed cataloging issues with Rebecca Ringler, a member of a two-member team appointed by HOTS to develop cataloging guidelines for federal electronic resources. A draft standard for electronic government documents on MELVYL will be issued shortly to HOTS. Given the changes involved in cataloging electronic versions of titles formerly in print, or issued in dual formats, EGIIG agreed to pass on the HOPS its strong concern that the merge of the PE and CAT databases proceed as quickly as possible.
DIGITAL MAPS
Janice Koyama, Linda Kennedy and Vivienne Roumani-Denn attended a June 21, 1996 meeting at UCSB on development of an intra-campus working group for constructing an operational plan to extend the Alexandria Digital Library testbed to the UC/Stanford system. A draft white paper is under review.
Another recent development in digital mapping is the recently announced availability of California's Teale Data Center Geographic Information System products to UC campuses via an educational license. The data is free except for the cost of reproducing the data via tape or CD-ROM. Several campuses, as well as the Alexandria Digital Library, are inquiring about licenses.
NTIS
At the end of August, 1996, Don Corrigan of the National Technical Information Service reported that the agency was still committed to the proposal submitted as part of the _GPO Study to Identify Measures Necessary for a Successful Transition to a More Electronic Federal Depository Library_. NTIS proposed allowing depository libraries access to electronic image files of technical reports as they became available to NTIS. A pilot project involving 20 depository libraries was to be initiated this past summer. NTIS may begin its project with regional depository libraries, Mr. Corrigan said. NTIS expects to begin something in October.
EGIIG MEMBERSHIP
Diane Bisom is the Heads of Systems (HOS) representative to EGIIG. Since she is the new Chair of HOS, she suggests a new liaison be designated.
Also, EGIIG would find it useful to have a UC data archivist as a member. Electronic government information frequently involves tape data, and we would appreciate the expertise of someone knowledgeable about manipulating and storing large data files.
ACTION ITEM: We recommend that HOPS ask HOS to designate a new liaison to EGIIG, if it considers a liaison to still be advisable. We also recommend that UC data archivist be appointed as a member of EGIIG.
Maintained by: Sherry DeDecker
Updated: 06/01/09 01:27:44