2012 Best Practices for Government Libraries
2012 Best Practices for Government Libraries
2012 Best Practices for Government Libraries
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BEST PRACTICES <strong>2012</strong><br />
individually on current services they provide and their perceived needs. The<br />
Interior Library did develop such a survey and sent it out to these library directors<br />
this past May. Tribal college and university library directors were asked <strong>for</strong> the<br />
following as part of the survey:<br />
A description of their user community<br />
A list of online subscriptions to e-book, journal, and reference and directory<br />
services and databases they offer<br />
A list of online subscriptions to e-book, journal, and reference and directory<br />
services and databases they would like to have<br />
Accessibility of online subscriptions beyond their library<br />
If they offer interlibrary loan services<br />
If they receive federal government documents as part of the GPO’s Federal<br />
Depository Library Program<br />
Subject areas in their print collection most utilized by their patrons<br />
Ways in which their library is limited in providing quality services to patrons<br />
A list of other resources (outside of online subscriptions) that their library<br />
could use<br />
As of this point, the Interior Library has received 13 completed surveys from tribal<br />
college and university library directors. The Interior Library is hoping to receive the<br />
additional surveys in the near future. Once all of the surveys have been received<br />
and reviewed, the Interior Library plans to contact each tribal college and university<br />
library individually to determine if an agreement can be reached to provide those<br />
needed services that the Interior Library might be able to provide.<br />
As part of this, the Interior Library would contact its database vendors and let them<br />
know which tribal college and university libraries are interested in databases<br />
already subscribed to by the Interior Library. The Interior Library will then see if<br />
their database vendors are able to partner with them to extend these database<br />
subscriptions to the tribal college and university library community at what is hoped<br />
would be little or no additional cost.<br />
This initiative on the part of the Department of the Interior has also been<br />
mentioned at recent meetings of the Federal Library and In<strong>for</strong>mation Network<br />
Advisory Board (FEDLINK). FEDLINK members representing other federal<br />
government libraries have indicated that they are interested in participating in this<br />
project in any way they can. Preliminary discussions have also included the<br />
possibility of tribal college and university libraries becoming pseudo members of<br />
FEDLINK and obtaining reduced FEDLINK pricing <strong>for</strong> the purchase of library services<br />
and subscriptions. Additionally, FEDLINK may look into the legalities involved with<br />
sending print materials weeded by federal libraries to those tribal college and<br />
university libraries that need those items, something currently restricted by existing<br />
regulations.<br />
While some surveys that have already been received have indicated support of<br />
tribal college and university libraries from their local university and state library<br />
networks, a number of others have shown that many of these libraries are still in
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