TLA Government Documents Roundtable Meeting
Walker Library, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN
Friday, November 14th, 2014
Minutes
Attendees:
Teri Bante, Vanderbilt University
Miriam Barrett, Nashville Public Library
Toni Butler Click, Middle Tennessee State University
JoAnne Deeken, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Betsy Eckert, University of Memphis
Beverly Geckle, Middle Tennessee State University
Chuck Julian, University of Tennessee at Martin
Frank Lester, Vanderbilt University
Felicia Lott, Tennessee State Library and Archives
Ester McShepard, Fisk University
David Nelson, Middle Tennessee State University
Perveen Rustomfram, University of Memphis
Jennifer Rydell, Chattanooga Public Library
Suzanne Smalley, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Alan Stewart, Memphis Public Library (Secretary)
Patricia Thompson, University of the South
Vance Walker, Knox County Public Library
Anne Whitver, Tennessee State Library and Archives (Chair)
Brianne Yancy, Cleveland State Community College
Introductions and updates:
The attendees introduced themselves and shared news from their locations. Among the items
shared:







TSLA is consolidating and weeding their depository collection.
Nashville PL is undergoing some reorganization of collections, and many documents are
currently in boxes.
Re: Chattanooga PL’s withdrawal from the FDLP, Congressman Chuck Fleischmann’s
office is trying to find another library in the 3rd District to take their materials.
The University of the South (Sewanee) is storing congressional hearings in boxes.
The UT Law Library is running out of shelf space and is weeding hearings.
UT Martin has an estimated 10 to 15,000 items in boxes.
Larry Roman has retired from Vanderbilt on disability. His position will not be replaced.
State Plan revision discussion:
Perveen demonstrated how to access the full text of the plan on the U of M’s web site at
http://www.memphis.edu/govpub/statepl.php, and reviewed some of the basic issues to be
considered in revising the plan. The discard and withdrawal process needs to be covered in more
depth and the role of the ASERL Disposition Database spelled out. Also, more attention needs
to be given to the issue of tangible vs. electronic. Which library will keep what tangible
materials as we move more and more into an electronic environment? Is it even feasible to rely
on online access when FDSys still doesn’t have complete runs of many titles?
A committee including Perveen, Larry, Beverly, Suzanne, Frank, Anne, Alan, and Mark Ellis
(East Tennessee State University) will work on the revisions, primarily by email.
LUNCH BREAK
Tennessee Depository Disposition discussion
The group reviewed the options that Larry had shared from the last DLC Federal Depository
Library Council Meeting (see minutes of TLA-GODORT meeting, Spring 2014), as detailed in a
handout (see separate document, Possible Discard Options for Modifying and Easing the
Discard Process in Tennessee, attached). The discussion and disposition of each option is
described in order, as follows.
Regionals maintain a wiki for a category of publications.
The question was raised, can correct SuDoc formatting be maintained on a wiki? It was also
noted that we would still need to post to the ASERL database as well as the state wiki. The
group voted yes on pursuing this option.
Selectives do not have to list any publication produced after a certain year.
The group’s consensus opinion was that this was too broad. The vote on this option was no.
Selectives do not need to list non-print materials like microfiche.
The handout suggested we’d already moved to this, but listing fiche is in fact still being done.
However, the group thought that the current requirements could be modified – i.e., you could list
a long run of materials by SuDoc stem and ask the Regional about the run as a whole, but
individual documents on fiche would still be listed individually.
Selectives must list only summary entries with approximate dates covered.
The group thought that ASERL format should be used when listing long runs, since someone
may request just a single item. The vote was yes.
The Regional must send a selective’s discards only to the appropriate subregional.
This is already being done and should be continued. Yes.
Selectives can batchload records to the ASERL Disposition Database.
The vote was no.
Small selectives do not need to get prior approval to discard documents.
How would “small” be defined? No.
Discussion continued regarding the possible formats for a shared list online. Besides a wiki,
other possibilities would be a shared Excel document, or Google Sheets. The Regional and
subregionals would have to manage the web site. The committee revising the State Plan will
make the decision on which tool to use as part of their charge, with a goal on developing training
and going “live” with the new discard/disposition process in 2015.
Since the selectives’ representatives on GODORT are not always the main point of contact for
withdrawal/disposition, Perveen is building a list of those staff members. Please send names and
contact info to Perveen.
TLA-GODORT housekeeping:
JoAnne Deeken was nominated for the position of President for 2015-2016 and Alan Stewart
was re-nominated for Secretary. Both were elected by acclamation.
There was discussion of whether GODORT should have another Spring Meeting following the
annual DLC, in addition to the regular meeting at TLA, or whether the current annual meeting
should be changed from fall to spring so DLC news is fresher. The consensus was that the
annual meeting should remain in the fall and that we should continue with only one meeting
(TLA) in the spring, but use email and other means of communication to share news and discuss
issues throughout the year.
The meeting was adjourned at 3:00 p.m..
Submitted by Alan Stewart, Secretary, April 2, 2015