Handout Exchange

• GODORT Handout Exchange / American Library Association Government Documents Round Table
• UM-TC Web Guides / University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
• UM-TC Guides A-Z / UM - TC

Related

• Finding State Legislation: a Web Tutorial / SW Illinois College
• "Agency Approach" to Locating Government Information on the Internet / Western Illinois University

Instruction

Staff Instruction

• An Explanation of the Superintendent of Documents Classification System / FDLP Desktop
• Gov Docs Online Tutorial / American Association of Law Libraries &American Library Association Government Documents Round Table
• GPO Access Help &Training Manual / Government Printing Office
• Government Information and Depository Management Clearinghouse / American Library Association Government Documents Round Table
• Student Procedures Index / Michigan State University
• SuDocs Tutorial / Michigan State University

Patron Instruction

• Providing an Instruction Session on Government Information / American Library Association Government Documents Round Table
• American FactFinder Powerpoint / Census Bureau &UM - TC & Duluth

Information Technology

• Depository Library Workstation Specifications
  In 1991, the Library Programs Service (LPS) began issuing minimum technical guidelines for depository libraries. The depository community was advised in May 1996 that technical requirements for serving the public with electronic information would become mandatory October 1, 1996. Technological change has increased at such a pace as to make the estimated life span of a computer about two years for newer applications. As agency publication practices run parallel to general technological changes, depository libraries must continue to keep pace. At its Spring 2000 meeting, the Depository Library Council approved LPS' proposal for a regular schedule to increase requirements.
• Technical Tips
  This is a link to the tips developed primarily for GPL staff. Some are specific to UM-TC, but the rest will should be helpful to everyone.
• ALA-GODORT Government Information Technology Committee (GInformation TechnologyCO)
• TechTalk - U.S. Census Bureau's Electronic Product Support Site
• FDLP Internet Use Policy Guidelines

Management

Primary Resources

• Depository Management / FDLP (Federal Depository Library Program) Desktop
  The Instructions to Depository Libraries contains the requirements that all depository libraries must follow. This section of the FDLP Desktop provides resources that will assist you in administering your depository operation to be compliant with the Instructions. These include guidance for establishing policies, resources and tools to help you build your collection and services, and a location from which to conduct business with LPS.
• Instructions to Depository Libraries / FDLP Desktop

Secondary Resources

• Administrative Notes / FDLP Desktop
• CD-ROM Doc / ALA / GODORT / GInformation TechnologyCO
• Federal Depository Library Manual (and Supplements) / FDLP Desktop
• Federal Depository Library Directory / FDLP Desktop
• Gov. Information & Depository Mgt. Clearinghouse / ALA / GODORT / Education Committee
• Migrating Government Publications / U of Memphis
• U.S. Depository Libraries Index / U of Idaho

Processing

• Administrative Notes Technical Supplement / FDLP Desktop
• CD-ROM Doc / ALA / GODORT / GInformation TechnologyCO
• Migrating Government Publications / U of Memphis
• Processing Tools / Federal Depository Library Program
• Processing & Cataloging Toolbox / ALA / GODORT / Cataloging Committee
• PURL Alert / ALA / GODORT / Cataloging Committee
• Superseded CD-ROMs / U of Memphis
  At the bottom of the superseded CD-ROM page are some additional helpful links.

Reference

• Browse Topics / GPO Access & University of Central Oklahoma
  Topical pathfinders for government information.
• CD-ROM Doc / Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association
  Database of U.S., international, foreign, state and commercial CDs used in government publications libraries.
• Documents Center / University of Michigan
  One of the most comprehensive government publications library web sites in existence.
• Federal Agency Internet Sites / GPO Access & LSU
  Search or browse agency internet sites whose listings are based on the U.S. Government Manual.
• FirstGov / Office of FirstGov-General Services Administration
  Portal to U.S. federal and state government web sites.
• Frequently Used Government Sites / Vanderbilt
  Large and regularly updated list of heavily used government web sites. Arranged by type of government and subject.
• GPO Access Finding Aids / Government Printing Office
  Consolidated list of GPO Access finding aids. Some are oriented to librarians, some to patrons.
• Migrating Government Publications / U of Memphis
  This page is an attempt to track printed government publications that are migrating to the Internet by identifying URLs and linking them directly to the electronic documents.
• U.S. Government Documents Ready Reference Collection / Columbia University
  This is a subject arrangement of the most frequently used depository document titles at Columbia University Libraries. Each title may be available in different formats: print, microfiche, web, CD-ROM, so the formats for each title are indicated.

Your Web Site

Create Your Site

• FDLP Graphics
  Download depository graphics here. For general downloading guidelines, see the
• Help page associated with the Model Depository Web Page.
• Model Depository Web Page / GInformation TechnologyCO
  A Web page template for government information is offered here for the small- or medium-sized library. The "Template" may be quickly and easily edited and loaded. The "Help" page includes hints and tips to assist the novice with downloading the Template and making many small alterations.
• Web Style Guide / Yale University
  This style guide is one of the best ones around. If you start at the beginning it will guide you through the process of designing a web page from start to finish.
• W3C Validator: Link/Load/HTML Check
  Before you load your new or revised site, run it through this check. The html coding, page sizes and links will be checked to make sure every thing is current and correct. It will also tell you how quickly your page loads for users with different speeds of modem. This is especially important if you use lots of graphics which slow down page loading.

Maintain Your Site

• Direct Links To Thomas Documents / Thomas
  Thomas runs on a database and its search results generally lead to temporary urls. This guide will show you how to make links to permanent urls.
• Establishing HTML Links to Documents in GPO WAIS Databases / GPO Access
  GPO database search results generally lead to temporary urls. This page contains GPO's instructions on creating permanent links to database documents.
• Finding And Establishing Direct Links To Thomas And GPO Access Documents / Law Librarian's Society of Washington, D.C.
  This site covers the same territory as the two above, but it's less technical, more explanatory and an alternative if the other sites are down.
• HTML 4.01 Specification
  Tells you everything you need to know about html in general and tags in particular.
• Special Characters
  There may be times that you want to use a special character such as the copyright symbol or a character that would otherwise be reserved for html coding (such as in the paranthetical comment above). This table tells you the codes to generate those characters without interfering the function of the html coding on the page.
• ZDNet-NetMechanic Gifbot
  You can use this tool to modify images of all types, not just gifs, so that the file size is smaller and page-load time is faster without compromising the look of the image.