GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS DEPARTMENT
ANNUAL REPORT 2004-2005
I.
ACHIEVEMENTS FOR 2004-2005

Processed 15,285 items through the Department for receipt [4,761] into the
Library's various collections [Government Documents, Periodicals, Reference,
Circulating Book and Multimedia] and withdrawal [10,524] from these
collections or from the depositories into these collections. [See Receipts
Workload Statistics and Withdrawals Workload Statistics.]

Posted 2,079 [739 fiche; 1,340 paper] Federal items to the National Needs
and Offers lists; of these 90 [4.3%] were taken by Newark Public Library
[New Jersey's Regional Depository] and 632 [30.4%] were taken by other
depositories in the United States. This year’s increase in selections made by
other libraries is due to the number of floods and fires that ruined library
collections over the last 18 months. The Department received 506 items
from lists offered by other Federal depositories. [See Federal Needs and
Offers Workload Statistics.]

Shelved a total of 3,524 items in the two depositories [381 NJ and 3,143 US].
Of these, 541 items were in-house pickup [416 US and 125 NJ]. This is an
overall increase of 10.8% over the previous year. As of February 2002, all
circulation transactions are processed through the Circulation Department.
[See Shelving Workload Statistics and Service Statistics.]

Responded to 550 requests for research assistance [400 US and 150 NJ]
which were received from walk-in patrons as well as by telephone calls and
email, and 59 general assistance questions from walk-in patrons. These
numbers represent an overall decrease of 36.2% over the prior year but,
individually, there was a 46% decrease in US requests, a 25% increase in NJ
requests, and 10.6% decrease in general assistance. [See Service Statistics.]

Maintained the three Microsoft Access databases, designed by the Librarian,
to manage operations and services:
 The Serials database, which serves as a collection management tool,
with holdings level information and hyperlinks to websites, ended the
year with 3,265 records, a 1.8% increase over last year. This
database serves as the basis for transferring holdings information to
the new Sirsi MSUnicorn Serials Workflows system and maintaining
the currency of hyperlinks which have been cataloged for the OPAC.
 The Pamphlets database, which serves as the shelf list for materials
that do not merit full cataloging due to their ephemeral nature, ended
the year with 2,772 records; a 3% increase over last year. This
database is maintained by the Principal Library Assistant.
 The Shipping List database continues to be maintained by the 50%
Senior Library Assistant.
 These databases are backed up daily via FTP to the Librarian’s ALPHA
account.
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II.

Continued, with the Cataloging Department, establishing Sirsi MSUnicorn
serials patterns for documents holdings. This reduces the number of serials
holdings included in the Microsoft Access Serials database and the number of
records in the Department shelf list, which was closed April 1, 2004.

Continued to update Department procedures to reflect processing changes
required by the Sirsi MSUnicorn Serials Workflows and changes in GPO’s
distribution program.

Forwarded URLs and PURLs for online equivalents of tangible documents to
the Cataloging Department to be added to the bibliographic records to enable
patrons to connect directly to the Internet version of holdings via the Online
Catalog

In preparation for the construction of the CyberCafe and with the cooperation
of other departments, relocated the Librarian’s office from the Public Services
[LB-108] area to Technical Services [LB-117] and relocated the United States
and New Jersey depository collections from the Documents Reading Room
[LB-106] to the main Reference Reading Room. Relocated the Department
support staff from Public Services [LN-108] to Technical Services [LB-124].
TRENDS

Government Printing Office policies continue to have a direct impact on the
Department:
 Profile-based Auto-Add Item Selections.
This policy has augmented our profile and enabled us to receive new
series as they are incorporated into the depository program,
regardless of format. This has brought our selection percentile to
61.5% [4589 items of a possible 7462] which is an increase over the
previous year’s 61.22% [4530 items of a possible 7399] and is the
direct result of the Librarian’s having selected items based on areas
expected to go digital.
 Electronic Migration
This policy has enabled us to handle a higher selection percentile
while experiencing a significant decrease in the standard processing
workflow of tangible documents, as evidenced by the continued
significant drop in receipts for both depository collections.
AY
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999

RECEIPTS
4,761
7,462
7,915
8,452
9,514
14,935
17,669
Limited Tangible Distribution
GPO announced that only 300 titles, approximately, would remain in
the tangible distribution program by the end of 2005. This year GPO
has its Annual Selection Cycle from July to December while it tallies
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responses to its depository library survey that would determine those
titles that remain in the distribution program.

Integrated Library System
GPO is developing a Collection of Last Resort, a National
Biobliography, and a Digital Archives of all documents excluded from
the tangible distribution program. The program also includes the
digitization of older, tangible publications so that the collection will be
all-inclusive and of historical value. GPO is cataloging all titles is this
collection.

The New Jersey Depository Program continues to follow the model set by the
Federal program since it is also moving more publications to Internet-only
access. The New Jersey State Library continues to include Digital Documents,
housed on dedicated archiving servers, on their shipping lists; these have been
cataloged for inclusion in our OPAC.

Patrons have found that the use of government resources has been facilitated by
the Library having made them available online, not only via web pages, but also
through the online catalog. Tangible electronic resources [CD-ROMs and DVDROMs], which circulate out of the Department, further enhance the patrons
ability to include multi-year runs of data into research projects quickly via
spreadsheet programs. In addition, faculty listings of resources in course syllabi
via Blackboard have enabled students to access faculty-approved online
resources quickly. These three developments have aided patrons by allowing
them to complete a great deal of their research more effectively online and in
formats more conducive to high-caliber presentation. A secondary affect of such
online accessibility is a decline in the number of reference/research questions
handled by the Librarian but an increase in in-house use.
III.
OBJECTIVES FOR 2005-2006

To enhance technical service operations:
 Continue to transfer holdings to Sirsi MSUnicorn Serials workflows
 Continue to forward URLs and PURLs to the Cataloging Department
 With the Cataloging Department, implement the use of OCLC Marcive
tape loads of OCLC records to online government documents
 Complete the Department’s online Procedures Manual

To establish a public services component to the Department that will work within
the physical confines resulting from the relocation of the Department from the
Public Services are to the Technical Services area, necessitated by the creation of
a CyberCafe

To encourage continuing education [Support Staff]:
 Continue to provide training in the procedures and protocols of the
Sirsi MSUnicorn Serials workflow
 Encourage attendance at library seminars including, but not limited
to, the New Jersey Association of Library Assistants Annual
Conference
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IV.
PERSONNEL and ACTIVITIES
PERSONNEL
Joyce L. Schaffer
Arlene A. Amorison
Arlene A. Amorison
Patricia Condit
Librarian I/Head, Government Publications
Senior Library Assistant [1/9/95 – 12/29/00]
Principal Library Assistant [12/29/00 + ]
50% Senior Library Assistant [1/6/97 + ]
ACTIVITIES [CLASSIFIED STAFF]
Arlene A. Amorison
New Jersey Association of Library Assistants Annual Conference
[June 1997 +]
Staff Development Committee [August 14, 2002+]
Staff Development
Human Resources PES Training [July 12, 2004]
Library Dean’s Staff Meeting [August 30, 2004]
NJDOL Ergonomic Workshop [October 14, 2004]
Dr. Cole’s Conversation on Affirmative Action: Why Is It Needed
In the 21st Century? [November 15, 2004]
Global Images 2005 [March 2005]
“The Politics of Affirmative Action” [March 3, 2005]
“Mapping Human History” [March 9, 2005: Sokol Lecture Series]
Dr. Cole’s Support Staff Meeting [April 13, 2005]
Library Dean’s Support Staff Meeting [April 19, 2005]
Library Annual Retreat [May 12, 2005]
10-Year Service Award [June 2, 2005]
Patricia Condit
New Jersey Association of Library Assistants Annual Conference
[June 1998 +]
Staff Development
Dr. Cole’s Support Staff Meeting [April 13, 2005]
Library Dean’s Support Staff Meeting [April 19, 2005]
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JOYCE LYNN SCHAFFER
LIBRARIAN I/HEAD, GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS, TECHNICAL SERVICES
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES 2002-2003
Memberships [International, National, Regional, State, Local]
Documents Association of New Jersey, Inc.
Federal Documents Interest Group
State Documents Interest Group
Organizations and Committees [Offices Held, Committees Chaired, Member Of]
New Jersey State Data Center Advisory Committee [1983 +]
[Vice-Chair: 5/98 – 4/99] [Acting Chair: 4/99 – 3/00]
[Chair: 3/00 – 3/02] [Listserv Administrator: 3/00 + ]
[Secretary: 3/02 – 3/04]
New Jersey State Plan for Depository Libraries Revision Committee
[Appointed: February 15, 2002]
______________________________________________________________
Conferences, Seminars, Workshops, Exhibits [Attended]
_____________________________________________________________
University Committees [University Senate, Advisory Committees, Groups]
University Senate
Academic Computing Committee [9/95 – 6/03] [Chair: 5/98 – 6/01]
[E-Mail Subcommittee: Spring 1998] [Secretary: 6/01 + 6/03]
[Reorganization Subcommittee: 11/01 + ]
Women's Studies Committee [Women’s Studies Advisory Board]
[4/78 + ] [Curriculum Workshop: 5/7/02]
______________________________________________________________
Library Committees
Collection Resources Management Team [February 22, 2002 + ]
Secretary [November 13, 2002 +]
Personnel Advisory Committee [February 2000 – February 2002; February
2004+ ; Chair, 2004]
Room 203 Committee [1998 – May 2003]
Sirsi Migration Team [2003 - 2004]
______________________________________________________________
Other
Liaison Service
Chemistry and Biochemistry Department
Earth and Environmental Studies
Women’s Studies Advisory Board
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