Government Information Network (GIN)
Activities: January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012.
GIN is an active network. We have 66 members as of April 20, 2013. We have a page on the CLA website that includes information about our listserve and its archives, and our blog.
CLA GIN Listserv
Archive and subscription info: http://www.mailman.srv.ualberta.ca/mailman/listinfo/clagin
List Moderator: amanda.wakaruk@ualberta.ca
To post a message to the list: clagin@mailman.srv.ualberta.ca.
CLA GIN Blog: https://agiig.wordpress.com
GIN participates in the Moderator Network and the conference calls organized by the CLA office.
CLA 2012
Business meetings of GIN are held at during the CLA Conference. At CLA 2012, our meeting was held on Thursday, May 31, 2012 from 7:30 am to 9:00 am. 22 members attended. Minutes of the meeting were posted on our list serve and a copy sent to Kelly Moore.
GIN did not propose or sponsor any sessions at CLA2012, but did write in to the Conference Planning committee in support of sessions D31 and E37, and members , on their own, proposed sessions C23 and I71 (see list below).
Session C 23, What is the Role of the European Union Delegation to Canada?
Session D 31, Open Past: Digital Projects from Government Libraries
Session E 37, Open Sesame: Open Data, Data Liberation and New Opportunities for Libraries
Session I 71, Official Statistics for Reference Librarians: Yes, You Need to Know This Stuff!
DSP-LAC
The Depository Services Program of Canadian Government Publishing (DSP) disseminates print government publications to libraries, captures and stores electronic government documents, and maintains the DSP Publications Catalogue[i] . The dissemination of government information to libraries and the listing of both print and electronic publications are a vital service to for Canadian libraries.
GIN’s moderator is appointed by CLA as its representative on the Library Advisory Committee of the Depository Services Program (DSP LAC). This appointment is extremely important (CLA is able to have two representatives on the DSP LAC). Library and Archives Canada the Library of Parliament are also members of the DSP-LAC.
In April 2012 significant changes were made to the DSP program primarily that distribution of print publications will cease as of March 2014. CLA through its membership on DSP LAC must lobby for the continued existence of DSP services, particularly: the continued existence of a catalogue of federal government electronic publishing; access to its records (preferably in MARC format with the ability to download records); and information exchange between libraries and Canadian Government Publishing.
In response to the changes to the DSP program and concerns about the continued existence of the DSP collection of electronic documents, a member of GIN proposed the establishment of a LOCKSS box for the DSP ecollection (120,000 items) during our business meeting at CLA 2012. This project, known as the “Canadian Government Information Private LOCKSS Network, CGI-PLN[ii] has proceeded, outside of the auspices of CLA. However, GIN provided the physical and virtual place where those interested in the project had their initial discussions.
The changes to the DSP program were overshadowed by other announcements from the federal government about closures of federal government libraries and myriad changes at Library and Archives Canada. The continued existence of the DSP Library Advisory Committee was in doubt. Its mandate and membership are changing. Meetings are now held by conference call (August 2012 and January 2013) allowing more librarians to attend who do not necessarily have to be nominated by a library association. The minutes of DSP_LAC meetings have been forwarded to Kelly Moore.
CLA should: continue to appoint representatives to DSP-LAC. CLA should lobby for continuation of DSP-LAC because it is the only means for Canadian libraries to provide input to Canadian Government Publishing. The DSP will evolve as its role changes to gathering and disseminating electronic-only federal government publications. Canadian libraries need a voice in what is collected, how it is catalogued, accessed and preserved.
Submitted by
Caron Rollins, Moderator GIN
Government Information Network 