State Documents Interest Group
Documents Association of New Jersey
State Documents Interest Group
Meeting Minutes
June 4, 1999
Mahoney Library, College of St. Elizabeth
Members Present: Geetali Basu, Joann D’Esposito, Mary Fetzer, Yvonne Huacuja, Kathy LeVan, Anne Mead, Wen-Hua Ren, Susan Sabatino (Chair), Laura Saurs, Jan Wanggaard.
The meeting was called to order at 12:30 p.m.
The agenda was approved.
The minutes of the April 23, 1999 meeting were approved.
Core List
The list was distributed and members suggested some minor changes in format and in the bibliographic information. It was decided to eliminate the size and paging from the records, but to keep the open-entry year when available and to keep the line for "other entry" when available. The chair will write a title page and list the names of all members who contributed to the core list. Members were asked to further review the list in detail for accuracy of the bibliographic record, to suggest any additional items, and to check to see if the document is available on the web. Any corrections or additions should be sent to the Chair by June 30, 1999.
The members agreed to be responsible for the following departments:
New Jersey Depository Agreement and Guidelines for Processing Materials
Anne Mead distributed copies of the Agreement which was found in her files. The Chair reported that Bob Lupp had said (via email) that no changes had been made to the agreement in the past few years. Although there are no printed guidelines for processing materials, the Agreement lists several acceptable methods of providing subject access to the collection. A brief discussion ensued about how different libraries process and access the New Jersey documents. It was decided to table further discussion until a meeting could be devoted to the topic. A meeting in February or April of next year was suggested. The Chair read a question for the members from Bob Lupp (via email) regarding electronic documents and the list Bob compiles of documents available on the web. Bob asked if the depository libraries prefer or need paper copies of documents that are available on the web. Many State departments do not send copies of documents if the documents are made available on the department’s web site. The members expressed the following opinions and concerns regarding electronic availability: Access in paper is usually easier, but the web may be more current. For something used infrequently, the web is probably fine. Electronic availability means that the library does not have to check-in, catalog, and store the material. However, it also means that the library will need computers with Internet access and some printing method. The Rutgers libraries do not allow printing and some patrons may not be familiar with downloading and printing off-site, so in some cases, electronic access may translate into difficult access. Some small public libraries may not have enough computer workstations to provide adequate service. Most of the members present represent academic libraries which usually have sufficient computers and the latest software to make electronic access easy. However, this situation may be different at other libraries with less access to the technology needed for web searches. The question also arose about archiving documents that the departments have removed from their sites. For how long would they be archived on the State Library’s server? Caution was advised in proceeding from paper to electronic access. 1999 Award Nomination Forms The 1999 nomination forms for the printed and Internet site awards were distributed. Minor changes were suggested. The Chair will distribute the forms using the same methods as the last two years: forms are sent to Bob Lupp to include in the depository shipments and forms are mailed to the depository libraries, usually to the documents librarian. The direct mailing also contains a letter from the Chair. The next meeting will be held at the East Brunswick Public Library on October1, 1999 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Meeting adjourned at 1:20 p.m. Respectfully submitted,