The Time Has Come. . . .

"The time has come," the Walrus said, "To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot-- And whether pigs have wings."
(Lewis Carroll, "The Walrus and The Carpenter," 1872)



Yes, the time has come--but not for debating whether pigs have wings (that's been pretty well debunked by now) but for retiring as your Regional Coordinator from Southern Louisiana. 

These last ten years have been among the best of my life; I've enjoyed my job, my colleagues, my opportunity to get to know Louisiana, and my association with some of the most impressive Gov Docs librarians and staff members in the country.  So it is with a bitter-sweet feeling that I ride off into the sunrise (going further east, y'all!).  I will miss you and will hope that if you are ever in or near Delray Beach, Florida, you will visit. 

My new address will be: 872 NW 29th Avenue, Unit B, Delray Beach, FL 33445.  I will keep both email addresses:  sbraunst@lsu.edu and sbraunst@gmail.com.  My cell number is 225-276-6454.

During our virtual LFDLC meeting on Friday, I will give more details about who will be doing what here at LSU after I leave--and I'll try to answer any last-minute questions.
So, talk to you on Friday at 10 AM: 

http://slol.adobeconnect.com/federal-advisory-council-meeting/

SGB

PowerPoint for Spring 2016 Meeting of LFDLC

by Multiple Choices

Email Sent Ref 2015 Biennial Survey

It’s that time again—the Biennial Survey & Library Needs Assessment!

 

I’ve gotten a few emails from Selectives that have already completed the survey—and at least one question concerning how to answer Questions 2/2a.

These are the questions in which you are asked to estimate the number of users for your entire collection and the number of users for your depository collection as a discrete sub-set.  To complicate things even more, the questions ask you to give both a potential user count and an actual user count of these two user groups. 

 

Looking again (and again!) at these questions and remembering what other Regionals have said about them, I offer you this suggestion from one of my Regional colleagues:

 

. . . we based our answers to question 2 on the state's population (potential) and our institution's number of student/staff/faculty (actual). Question 2a was our institution's number of student/staff/faculty (other library services users) and a semi-educated guess (number of depository services users). 

 

I realize that not every one of you keeps separate stats for users of depository services; but if you do, that’s your answer to “2a: Number of Depository services users.”  However, if you do not keep stats, you really will have to do a rough estimate based on your experience with the collection; and since this same question seems to show up regularly on the Biennial Survey, you might consider keeping stats on depository usage—beginning right now—so you’ll be prepared for the next survey.

 

For those new coordinators who have never done a Biennial Survey, please ask me or Abby to assist.  The survey is not something to fear, but it is mandatory.  GPO will not let you rest until you’ve turned one in! 

And, finally, if you haven’t been able to locate the survey yet, here’s a screen shot of what it looks like on the FDLP Desktop:

 

 

Louisiana Libraries Win Award!

 From the Baton Rouge Advocate:

 

LSU Libraries and Louisiana Tech University’s Prescott Memorial Library have been honored by U.S. Government Publishing Office as 2015 Libraries of the Year.

The 2015 Libraries of the Year are regional Federal Depository Library Program libraries recognized for demonstrating leadership, innovation and commitment to providing free public access to federal government information.

The two Louisiana libraries have been providing services to Louisiana residents since the 19th century, ensuring that government documents are accessible and up-to-date for patrons.

The libraries helped work with Southern University in New Orleans to reopen its library almost a decade after the destruction left behind by Hurricane Katrina. After hurricanes Katrina and Rita, librarians recovered and reassembled government collections at damaged depository libraries to restore public access to government information at all of the state’s 27 federal depository libraries.

The other library named this year is The University of North Texas Libraries.

The Louisiana and Texas libraries receiving this honor serve as another example of the critical role libraries play in helping GPO provide the public Government information,” said GPO Director Davita Vance-Cooks. “These libraries are valuable partners to the FDLP and an incredible resource for the American people. GPO has such a rich history with libraries that dates back to 1895 and they have proven to be the backbone of Keeping America Informed.”

The LSU Libraries has been a depository for federal government publications since 1907 and has a substantial number of U.S. documents issued before and after that time. The libraries became a Regional Depository Library in 1964 and was designated an official depository for U.S. Patents in 1981. The patent collection includes all patents issued from 1871 to the present. Stephanie Braunstein is the LSU Libraries Head of Government Documents & Microforms.

For more information on the LSU Libraries, visit lib.lsu.edu. Information on the Louisiana Tech Prescott Memorial Library can be found at http://www.latech.edu/library/.

 

 

 

 

Government Shutdown Avoided Just in Time

What follows is a message I sent out to Bayoudoc-L just a bit ago.  If you missed it in your inbox, please read now and respond appropriately.  I hope to see quite a few of you there!  I know how hard it is to get funding; but, especially for you new coordinators, attending an FDLP/DLC Conference/Meeting is an experience that can cement all of the ideas and ideals of the FDLP together into something meaningful and coherent!
SGB

Greetings!

Today is a good day—a government shutdown has been (temporarily?) avoided; and those of us planning on being at the FDLP/DLC meeting in Arlington/DC can, hopefully, stop worrying that we will have to cancel flights, rooms, etc.

 

I believe that I sent out an email some time ago asking who from Louisiana would be attending.  So much has happened since then that I could use a refresher.  So, if you are going to be at the FDLP/DLC conference/meeting this month, please let me know.  If you are going to be there, I will then forward to you details about two lunch meetings taking place to which you will probably want to go. 

 

The first is the usual lunch between Regionals and their Selectives.  Since both Abigail and I will be there, we’ve got the Regionals covered—we just need to know which Selectives we will be lunching with. 

 

The second is a lunch meeting with the ASERL area libraries.  Again, the Regionals are expected to attend; and their Selectives are invited to participate.  It will be a great opportunity to learn more about ASERL and its Collaborative Federal Depository Program (an important element of which is the ASERL Disposition Database that we all now use for our N&O processes). 

 

So, tell me if you’ll be there; and I can forward all of the pertinent info to you.  Arlington/DC in early fall is usually lovely—the weather still sunny but getting “crisp” enough to need a jacket—especially at night. Quite a treat for us Louisianans for whom fall is just a word for what happens after you trip.

A Good-bye and a Hello!

More changes:

Congratulations to Harold Isadore, FDLP Coordinator from Southern University Law Center, Oliver B. Spellman Law Library in Baton Rouge, on his recent retirement.  He will be missed by me and his colleagues! 

His replacement is an LSU SLIS graduate, Angela Mason.  Welcome, Angela, to Louisiana's Government Documents Community!

Here is her contact information:  225-771-4928 X132

Her email address is Amason@sulc.edu

Ask me why I intentionally capitalized the first "A" in her email address--just ask me!