How the Libraries acquire government publications: (revised 8/7/08--smc)
A) U.S. Government Publications: As a regional depository, the Acquisitions Dept. within the Young Library Collections and Technical Services (CTS) Division receives one of each publication distributed by the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), and the UK Libraries are required to retain them permanently. These materials arrive in shipments addressed to “Regional Depository Services”, and range from maps to fine bound volumes to microfiche, DVDs and videotapes. In addition to these depository shipments, most gifts that are federal government publications are sent to the Federal Depository Unit within the Collection Development Dept. (also part of CTS) for a decision on retention unless they are specifically addressed to some other library unit.
The materials in our depository shipments are classified by GPO using the Superintendent of Documents (SuDoc) classification system. Theoretically, any title cited as being produced by a U.S. Government agency should be received by us free-of-charge, but there are frequent exceptions. Some of the types of materials we may or may not receive in our depository shipments are:
1) cooperative publications with other organizations or levels of government;
2) regional office publications;
3) any title that has not been established as a depository item by GPO;
4) scientific and technical titles distributed by the National Technical Information Service (NTIS).
If we cannot find SuDoc classification numbers for materials that fall into the “gray” areas listed above or that arrive as gifts, they will be turned over to the Acquisitions Dept. or other appropriate library staff for disposition. These materials are often referred to as “non-depository” or “fugitive” publications. For better access to these “non-depository” titles, we purchased a microform collection from READEX to partially fill this gap from 1953 - 1991.
Only about 5% of all GPO titles are ever offered for sale, and these are listed on the Web in the Sales Product Catalog:
< http://bookstore.gpo.gov/index.html >
To order something from this file for the Libraries, you must contact Young Library's Acquisitions Dept., and request that the title be purchased using the GPO deposit account. Some GPO titles may also be purchased by Acquisitions staff from a vendor such as Bernan.
B) Technical reports: The Federal Depository here at UK received depository copies of all technical reports that were U.S. Government publications from the Dept. of Energy, NASA, and ERIC in depository microfiche shipments from GPO. These materials are filed by SuDoc number, not by their technical report number.
We then purchased the remainder of the Dept. of Energy fiche (technical reports that were not government publications) from NTIS until 1992. In addition, the Engineering Library received “Selected Research in Microfiche” (SRIM) shipments from NTIS to add to their “non-depository” technical report collection up until 2004. These materials are filed by technical report number.
D:\Docs\2017-12-12\0d5894ce4d80578c95d8f9964b2c1735.doc From 2004-2006, the technical report collections in Engineering and King Library were interfiled in cabinets in King and now reside on the 5th floor of the King Addition. In 1997 the DOE portion of this collection became accessible only on the Web via the DOE Information Bridge at: < http://www.osti.gov/bridge/ >
The non-depository technical report collection at King is now handled by the Storage Unit in the Access and Delivery Division. To add an NTIS title to the Libraries’ collection, you will need to contact the Acquisitions Dept.
The Education Library purchases the rest of the ERIC fiche.
C) United Nations Publications: The Libraries purchase from READEX a microfiche collection of all UN publications that are not copyrighted. We were a full depository for the UN from 1967 - 1991, but only for publications from the General Assembly, Secretariat, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, Trusteeship Council and the International Court of Justice.
Although we are no longer a UN depository, we are continuing to purchase in paper several of the most heavily used reference titles from the main UN bodies. As they arrive in Acquisitions, they are being cataloged, but retain their UN classification numbers.
Individual selectors may also be requesting monographic publications to add to the Libraries’ collections. The Acquisitions Dept. purchases these materials from the UN directly or from vendors such as Bernan or UniPub. These materials are then added to the appropriate collection by the Access Records Dept. within CTS.
All other publications from quasi-UN organizations such as FAO, WHO, UNESCO, ILO, etc., are not received through the UN depository system. If the Libraries own such materials, they are received via Acquisitions, and are cataloged for the stacks, a reference collection, or a branch library.
D) State Publications: The Libraries’ collection is expected to be complete for the state of Kentucky from 1900 to present (pre-1900 Kentucky publications are housed in Special Collections). However, since there is no depository system in the state of Kentucky, this claim can never be made absolutely. Most materials arrive in Acquisitions, usually by virtue of being on an agency's mailing list, and are filed by the Swank classification in the basement of the King Addition. The Libraries request any title that we do not already own as they come to our attention. Currently, the contact for this collection is Roxanna Jones, a member of the Research and Education Division. We also purchased microform copies of the titles held by KDLA as a back-up collection for ours up until 1996. Since our requests for materials are frequently not filled due to the small print runs done for many state publications, the microfiche copy often turns out to be our only copy.
The Libraries no longer collect publications from the rest of the U.S. states unless they are requested by one of our subject selectors. These publications are classified in LC and added to the collection by Acquisitions and Access Records staff. In making these selection decisions, our selectors are guided by the Libraries' collection development policy. Briefly, they try to collect anything published by other states on tobacco, the horse industry, education, mining, environmental policy, energy resources, aging, health services, civil engineering, robotics, public administration, labor studies, transportation, consumer issues, and law enforcement. The Libraries also rely on the state publications collection at the Center for Research Libraries (CRL) for access to non-Kentucky, pre-1950 state publications on other subjects.
E) Canadian Publications: The Libraries are a selective depository for Canadian Federal publications. One of our library selectors reviews a weekly list from the Canadian government and indicates the titles
D:\Docs\2017-12-12\0d5894ce4d80578c95d8f9964b2c1735.doc that we want to receive free-of-charge. These publications are received in Acquisitions, then classified in LC and added to the online catalog by Access Records staff. If any of you would like to help review this list and make selections, please contact Judy Fugate in the Research and Education Division in Young Library.
F) European Union (formerly the EC, European Community) Publications: The Libraries are a full depository for EU publications, which arrive in both microfiche and paper. Shawn Livingston, a member of the Research and Education Division, is currently the contact for this depository program. This depository system is in a transitional stage, and portions of what we now receive gratis, especially statistics, may only be available online for a fee. These depository materials are received and processed in Acquisitions. The collection has been classed in LC and made accessible via the online catalog.
G) British Parliamentary Publications: We purchase two series in paper, the Commons and Lords Debates, and three series in fiche, Bills, Commons Papers, and Command Papers, all of which are received in Acquisitions. These series are gradually being cataloged and classified in LC in order to make them more available to researchers via the online catalog. All other British publications should also be ordered through Acquisitions.
H) Local Government Publications: Lexington and Louisville Municipal Publications: The Libraries are on mailing lists to acquire their basic budgetary and administrative publications, but neither city has a depository system. The materials distributed on these mailing lists are received in Acquisitions. We periodically purchase a back-up fiche collection from CIS for Lexington. The contact for this collection is currently Roxanna Jones.
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