Click here to see a list of publications received 03/18/11 - 04/08/11.

from the GPO mailing list:

In February 2011, the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) announced a collaborative initiative with the Library of Congress (LOC) to digitize some of our nation's most important legal and legislative documents. Drawing on the strengths of both agencies, the United States Statutes at Large, Volumes 65-94 is the first digitized collection to be released on FDsys. The collection on FDsys provides Web-based public access to the digitally signed documents.

As part of the collaboration, LOC scanned the documents in this collection. GPO digitally signed the documents in order to ensure the authentication of the material. Both the LOC and GPO maintain the archival collection and share the content for their individual uses.

The United States Statutes at Large, typically referred to as the Statutes at Large, is the permanent collection of all laws and resolutions enacted during each session of Congress. The digitized collection consists of Volumes 65-94 which spans from 1951 through 1980 (82nd -96th Congresses) in both search and browse format.

Volumes 95-115, which spans from 1981 through 2002 (97th-107th Congresses) will continue to be added to FDsys in the coming weeks.

If you have questions or comments, please use the askGPO help service
at: www.gpoaccess.gov/help. When submitting a question, please choose the category "Federal Depository Libraries" and the appropriate subcategory, if any, in order to ensure that your question is routed to the correct area.

The 2012 Census Bureau budget request to Congress calls for the termination of the Statistical Compendia Branch. This branch compiles and releases such reports as the Statistical Abstract and the National Data Book. As the Bureau’s own Budget Estimate states, “the abstract provides a comprehensive summary of industrial, social, economic, and political data…of almost 300 government, private, and international agencies”. It is a mainstay in thousands of libraries and school media centers.

The ALA Washington Office has posted a call to action on the Legislative Action Center Links are provided for contacting your Congressional representatives about this issue.

ALA is also collecting personal stories about the use of the Statistical Abstract by the public. Please send them to Jessica McGilvray in the ALA Washington Office at jmcgilvray@alawash.org.

Click here to see a list of publications received 02/14/11- 03/17/11.

Click here to see a list of publications received 01/02/11 - 02/11/11.

One of the goals of the Government Printing Office is to digitize the "legacy" collection of key Congressional publications. This week Mary Alice Baish, the new GPO Superintendant of Documents, announced that GPO will be collaborating with the Library of Congress to digitize portions of the Statutes at Large and Congressional Record, and to provide enhanced online access to the Constitution of the United States: Analysis and Interpretation (CONAN).

From the announcement:

" The digitization project will include the public and private laws, and proposed constitutional amendments passed by Congress as published in the official Statutes at Large from 1951-2002. GPO and LOC will also work on digitizing official debates of Congress from the permanent volumes of the Congressional Record from 1873-1998. These laws and documents will be authenticated and available to the public on GPO’s Federal Digital System (FDsys) www.gpo.gov/fdsys and the Library of Congress’s THOMAS legislative information system www.thomas.gov.

GPO authenticates the documents on FDsys by digital signature and these authenticated documents are also available on the Library’s THOMAS system. This signature assures the public that the document has not been changed or altered since receipt by GPO. This digital signature, viewed through the GPO Seal of Authenticity, verifies the document’s integrity and authenticity."

Today the Food and Drug Administration relased Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. The entire 112 page document and a 4 page summary are available at the FDA site

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/DGAs2010-PolicyDocument.htm

Executive Summary

The press release notes:

“The 2010 Dietary Guidelines are being released at a time when the majority of adults and one in three children is overweight or obese and this is a crisis that we can no longer ignore,” said Secretary Vilsack. “These new and improved dietary recommendations give individuals the information to make thoughtful choices of healthier foods in the right portions and to complement those choices with physical activity. The bottom line is that most Americans need to trim our waistlines to reduce the risk of developing diet-related chronic disease. Improving our eating habits is not only good for every individual and family, but also for our country.”

More consumer-friendly advice and tools, including a next generation Food Pyramid, will be released by USDA and HHS in the coming months. Below is a preview of some of the tips that will be provided to help consumers translate the Dietary Guidelines into their everyday lives:

• Enjoy your food, but eat less.
• Avoid oversized portions.
• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
• Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
• Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals – and choose the foods with lower numbers.
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

Good advice for all of us.

The Federal Depository Library Program now has one of it's own in charge of the program.
Public Printer Bill Boarman has named librarian Mary Alice Baish as Superintendent of Documents for the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO).

http://www.fdlp.gov/component/content/article/19-general/880-libraryadvocatesudoc

Mary Alice will oversee GPO's Library Services & Content Management unit, Publication & Information Sales unit, and the management of GPO's Federal Digital System (FDsys). She will work with 1,200 Federal depository libraries through the FDLP to ensure Government information is available in all forms to the public.

I see this as good news for the future of the program.

Click here to see a list of publications received 11/29/10 - 12/30/10.

Today CNN posted a heartwarming story telling how a granddaughter helped her grandmother find a long-lost brother by searching Census data on Ancestry.com and other genealogical web sites.

What the census can teach us about ourselves

Basic population statistics are released soon after each census is tabulated. However, for privacy protection, documents with names and personal details of respondents aren't released for 72 years. The latest information available was gathered in 1930.

Nebraskans can search historical Census forms using HeritageQuest Online, a database purchasedby the Library Commission with funds provided by the Nebraska Legislature. To logon go to NebraskAccess.

Click on the blue LOGIN button on the right. Passwords issued to Nebraska libraries and media centers can be used, or a Nebraska driver's license number.