Depository Services Program (DSP): Report from Library and Archives Canada (LAC) and the Government Information Services Branch (GISB) on the transfer of the DSP to the LAC

April 15 2005

A new partnership
The transfer of the Depository Services Program (DSP) to Library and Archives Canada has been the subject of discussions and negotiations since 2002 between the host organization for the DSP (now Government Information Services Branch, Public Works and Government Services Canada), Library and Archives Canada and the Canadian library community. It has now been concluded that the DSP will remain where it is within Public Works and Government Services Canada. However, the GISB and the LAC have agreed to move forward in a new partnership with the library community while strengthening their core services and mandated functions. Specifically, the LAC and the GISB will be addressing several areas of collaboration:

Cataloguing In Publication program – the Cataloguing In Publication (CIP) function now carried out in GISB will be centralized at LAC this Spring.

DSP Service improvements – DSP has achieved a high degree of success in the recovery of major service disruptions that began early last fiscal year. This success has been acknowledged by many representatives of depository libraries. A summary report prepared by the DSP of measures and improvements that were put in place is attached. Ongoing.

DSP Library Advisory Committee – the Library Advisory Committee will be revitalized with new membership, and a meeting scheduled in the near future to review its mandate and to provide input to the DSP evolution. LAC will participate in this process during the Spring of 2005. Additional information is available on the attached document.

Linking the Federal Publications Locator Service and the e-bookstore – This joint project will involve building a link between the AMICUS Federal Publication Locator Web service at the LAC and the DSP’s e-Bookstore, at the item-display level for implementation in the Fall of 2005.

Electronic Publications Web Portal – the concept of a Federal Electronic Publications Portal at LAC will be pursued. This would allow DSP libraries free access (via IP addresses) to federal electronic publications archived on a long-term basis at the LAC. More detailed, specific requirements are needed from the community, either through the DSP Library Advisory Committee or by other means. Cost estimates will have to be developed.

International Standard Book Numbers program – LAC will, in response to a requirement to expand ISBNs to 13 digits and as part of building its new AMICAN system, “repatriate” the ISBN function now carried out at GISB. This initiative will be over the longer term to coincide with the new ISBN scheme to be in place in January 2007.

Background
The Canadian library community had been alarmed about changes at the DSP that were seen as threats to the long-term stability of the Program. The creation of the new institution, Library and Archives Canada, was viewed as an opportunity to house the functions of the Program in a more supportive environment and to formalize the existence of the Program in the legislation being drafted for the new institution. It is the policy of the Government, however, not to embed specific programs in legislation creating a government body.

In response to these concerns, the DSP and the LAC struck a working group that produced functional models for review by the two organizations in late 2002. A Working Group and Steering Committee structure was put in place in 2003. The Steering Committee included a member of the user community to represent the Canadian Library Association, the Canadian Association of Research Libraries and the Association pour l'avancement des sciences et des techniques de la documentation (ASTED). Consulting and Audit Canada were engaged to examine the feasibility of transferring the various functions of the DSP to the LAC. A meeting of all concerned staff from the LAC and the DSP was held in December 2003 and the final report of this major study by Consulting and Audit Canada was completed in 2004. The Steering Committee recommended completion of a functional analysis as well as a systems study to examine the possible use of AMICUS by the DSP to support some of its functions. It was recognized by the LAC that they did not have the legislative mandate to assume responsibility for an e-bookstore. Given the results of these various studies, Assistant Deputy Ministers from the Treasury Board Secretariat, LAC and GISB met in December 2004 to take stock and determine whether to recommend a transfer of a number of functions. While agreeing that some policy objectives would be achieved with a transfer, the group concluded that there were no immediate savings to be achieved by the Government in transferring responsibility and that it was unlikely to receive support from within the government.

BACKGROUND

In early 2004-2005, the Depository Services Program underwent several major operational and infrastructure changes. First and foremost, our former department Communication Canada was dismantled and we had to go through a difficult transition period to our new department PWGSC. Our contract with our previous warehousing and distribution supplier expired and we had to go out to tender for a new supplier. We also had to build, test and implement new in-house inventory management/order processing/order fulfillment systems. Finally, we had to create new customer support, e-mail management and financial administration units within our directorate in support of program delivery.

These changes had a major impact on service delivery mechanisms and resulted in a deterioration of service levels.

In the course of the last few months, as a result of the full implementation of these new systems, the service delivery has greatly improved. Here are some of the measures that we have implemented.

SERVICE DISRUPTIONS

We have cleared up most of the problems caused by disruptions of service. Most technical problems occurring with the interface between DSP and the new warehouse supplier were ironed out by the end of November 2004 and clients began to benefit in December 2004. Since then, major efforts have been made to clean up problems of missing items and late shipments. We now receive “shipping confirmation” through the interface so we can inform our clients immediately if something has been shipped. Comments and feedback received from our DSP clients have been noted and tabled at our customer service meetings and every effort is being made to find solutions and improve the quality of service.

Weekly Checklist: The Weekly Checklist is now being produced and released regularly on schedule.

Departmental Libraries: Clients were only receiving paper copies of their invoices since the transition. Now that the interface with the Common Departmental Finance System (CDFS) is up and running smoothly, they are now receiving their electronic invoices via the interdepartmental system.

Claims: As a result of bringing order processing and claims in-house in April 2004, we inherited claims that were over a year old. We have processed over 1500 claims for hundreds of items since then and other than a few anomalies, we are now up-to-date and processing incoming claims within three weeks of receipt. We also implemented an on-line claim form on November 10, 2004. This was communicated to clients through Infodep and on the “What’s New” page on our Web site. This new tool has helped considerably in streamlining and improving response time for the processing of claims.

Full Depositories: We experienced delays and missing items in shipments early on into the transition. Most of the backlog has been addressed, and the system is now processing orders on a regular basis providing accurate packing slips with every shipment.

Fulfillment of orders: Efforts have been made to reduce shipping time and since November we have seen a steady improvement.

Customer Service Unit: Depository Services Program libraries can contact our Customer Service Unit representatives at 1-800-635-7943 to report problems.

FEEDBACK

We are getting more and more positive comments from our clients on our services. The DSP is committed to first-class service and we are confident that our former levels of service will be fully restored in the very near future.

BACKGROUND

The Library Advisory Committee (LAC) was originally created in 1981 to provide DSP with feedback on its operations, practices, plans and orientation.

MEMBERSHIP

Membership is comprised of representatives from major library associations, i.e. CLA, CARL & ASTED, and from full and selective depository libraries.

There is also representation from key government organizations and stakeholders, namely Statistics Canada, Library and Archives Canada and the Library of Parliament.

Membership was originally intended to be three years with the option of being renewed twice.

Since 1991, membership has been pretty well static.

ISSUE

As a follow-up to discussions that were held at the last LAC meeting in October 2003, and subsequent discussions with Tim Mark (CARL), Vivienne Monty and the LAC-DSP Steering Committee, there is a strong case to be made for revitalizing the Library Advisory Committee.

There have been numerous changes in recent years in the nature of government communications, practices, processes and policies.

The DSP, in consultation with its key stakeholders, proposes a review of the terms of reference and membership of the Library Advisory Committee. The objective would be to create a more dynamic and responsive forum that would focus on meeting the needs and addressing the concerns of the library community with respect to the DSP, on developing policies and establishing priorities to meet these concerns as well as discussing future plans and directions.

For its part, with respect to membership renewal, the DSP would like to see a wider representation of depository libraries, particularly regional representation and a higher representation of selective depositories (which constitute the majority of libraries) and representation of public libraries and community college libraries.

In addition, the DSP proposes that the LAC continue its consideration of issues related to the cataloguing and listing of electronic publications by the DSP.

Since quite a few members have now retired, this is a good opportunity to review existing membership.

An e-mail was sent to the presidents of the three associations requesting their feedback on who should be attending the upcoming LAC meeting tentatively scheduled for late spring.