UCO Awarded Depoitory Library Spotlight

The University of Central Oklahoma’s Max Chambers Library was selected as a Depository Library Spotlight over the 2018 winter break as the library serves Oklahoma’s 5th Congressional District.

FDLP spotlight on Chambers Library. The Library was designated a depository in July 1935 by Senator Will Rogers. #UCOlibrary, #UCOLibraryGovDocshttps://t.co/LPLCHpFwgA

— UCO Library (@ucolibrary) January 8, 2019

Each month the Federal Depository Library Program chooses a repository library to spotlight. The Chambers Library was chosen because the FDLP cited how they were doing something new or innovative, as well as simply doing a good job managing their collection.

“It was my impression that government information is rather easily incorporated into library reference and instruction activities,” said Kathy Bayer, outreach librarian with the Government Printing Office. “I spent my visit affirming what they’re doing rather than answering basic questions, which is somewhat unusual, especially in a library where the coordinator is relatively new.”

As a part of this program, the Chambers Library receives free materials shipped from the GPO and answers to the Regional Depository Library, which is the Oklahoma State University library. The GPO is in charge of printing and disseminating all public reports and documents generated by federal government offices.

The GPO also provides a listing of materials available and each library chooses which items to receive. The materials are then provided to the libraries for free and it has to agree to keep these items for at least five years.

The Regional Depository is responsible for keeping a copy of each item disseminated by the GPO. However, in recent years, many documents have become available to be retrieved electronically.

Some of the types of information the Chambers Library receives from the GPO are census information, documents concerning senate and house committee hearings, information about the assassination of JFK and so on.

At the Chambers Library, Elizabeth Jones is the depository coordinator and the director of Library Technology & Data Management and updates the selection profile that determines what materials are still needed, as well choosing materials to withdraw from the collection.

Shay Beezley, Metadata & Cataloging Manager, and her staff receive, catalog and process items for withdrawal among other day-to-day tasks that make the collection accessible and useful.

“[Our] staff make sure the materials are accessible via Central Search, Chambers Library online catalog,” Jones said. “The cataloging process also includes the labeling of physical items for shelving and routing materials.”

The library also maintains a government documents website as part of the library’s larger website, at library.uco.edu/gov/. The information on the site directs users to different areas of information such as legal research or statistics, and provides a central search box that limits searches to government information.