Here is big news from the UN, DHL. The long-promised free access to official records online starts December 31. Very exciting. Implications for us:
1) Please try it since we need to be able to use it well, for our patrons; you might want to try the PowerPoint introduction
2) We may discontinue the Readex fiche - think about it
3) Amy will put it on the Publications/Int'l page, and wherever else it belongs
Julie
Here's the announcement:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Dear Depository Librarian,
I am pleased to inform you that on 31 December 2004, the free Official
Document System (ODS) of the United Nations will be launched. A password
will no longer be required and anyone connected with the Internet will be
able to search the ODS and retrieve documents in full text in all official
languages of the United Nations. The free ODS will be at:
http://documents.un.org/
"Introduction to the ODS", a PowerPoint presentation, is available at
http://www.un.org/Depts/dhl/resguide/train.htm if you are not familiar
with the ODS.
The ODS, which became operational in 1993, has two goals. One is to bring
all UN duty stations (such as regional commissions) online, and the other
to expand coverage retrospectively to 1946 and to consolidate access to all
documents issued by the UN. Currently, the ODS contains close to 800,000
files and approximately 100,000 new documents are added each year. Older
documents are also added on a daily basis. In addition to the two archival
collections located at the UN libraries in New York and Geneva,
respectively, the ODS will, in the future, serve as the electronic archive
of the UN documents.
As I informed you in my previous message, no change will be made in the
current depository scheme until the end of 2005. That means that your
library will continue to receive the same deposit in the same format.
However, you may opt to use solely the ODS. If you would like to cancel
print masthead documents and/or Official Records, please contact me so that
I could make necessary arrangements.
With the free ODS, the role of depository libraries as local custodians of
UN documentation will gradually change. Information services at the
depository libraries will hinge less on how much material collected over
the years but more on how much the depository libraries know the processes
of the UN. Envisaged is a network of libraries actively building awareness
of the UN and UN materials and communicating their relevance to local
issues, among various types of users.
A wonderful new online site from LMIC - the original plat maps of Minnesota, with additional more recent maps. Includes a tool where you can get the Township and Range for places by place name, a wonderful help in using such maps. These maps are also in the Libraries in paper and microfilm, but now they are available to remote users too. They can be downloaded and printed. There is very helpful historical information on the site, and links to other resources. Truly cool - try it out. I submitted this as a free resource to be cataloged, and that has been done, so users (and staff) can find it from the MNCAT entry. Actual title is Original public land survey plat maps of Minnesota (with several alternative titles) and the direct URL is http://www.gis.state.mn.us/GLO/Index.htm
Julie
We have now implemented, in MNCAT, a new location called US Microfiche. We hope that will make it even easier for staff and users to know when to head for the fiche cabinets. Up until this week, fiche documents said the location was US Docs and the format was Microfiche. Now, we are pretty sure we put that location on all of the right documents, and only on the right documents. But of course that might not be perfect. As usual, be alert to possible problems.
For the most part, if you look for a fiche and don't find it, just put it on a blue search slip and students will search. That process eventually gets the fiche replaced, and the record fixed if there is a problem. Just because a fiche is not found does not mean the catalog is wrong. Report a catalog error only if you find that we really did not receive a document in fiche at all, and/or that it is in another format. Most desk staff won't get that far into the analysis - that is OK. Just be sure to put a date and your initials on the blue search slip.
Julie
We have not received any weekly Value Line print issues since mid-November. In addition, our online password access is no longer functioning. Judy is working with Alex to reinstate print and password access.
--Mary
Corptech Web Explore is a large directory of 50,000 public and private companies, with a strong focus on technology industries. It lists subsidiaries and divisions of both public and private firms separately, but inlcudes links to parents.
The CDROM version is still available on the Business Reference workstations. Corptech is a good database for seaching by industry or products, with many options including NAIC and SIC industry codes.
http://www.lib.umn.edu/libdata/link.phtml?page_id=1235&element_id=53190
Navigation is not intuitive, but works like the CDROM. When choosing criteria it is always ANDing it your search screen. Use the frame on the right to navigate list, view profiles, etc.
Presently linked on the home page under A-Z List and under Business Research Guides> Information Technology Industry.
Recently acquired by InfoUSA there are also 4000 non-technology companies, many of them private, listed in this directory, like all the major sports teams.
View them selecting Corptech Industry>Primary Industry> NON
-- Van
The new Statistical Abstract is now up on the web. It is called (in a change from tradition) the 2004-2005. It will eventually show up in paper but use it online for now. Here is a link to the news release - we talked about this at this morning's meeting, since there sre articles in all the papers today.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/miscellaneous/003136.html
Here's the link to the page where you get to the new edition, and older ones too, by section: http://www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract-04.html
It can be found many ways, including, of course, MNCAT!
Julie
The new Plum Book is available. Since the administration isn't changing, it isn't as big a deal as it might have been.... but this is the book that lists all the "plum" positions in the government, that is, political appointments.
Julie
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Plum Book Update
------------------
The 2004 edition of the United States Government Policy and Supporting
Positions, commonly known as the Plum Book, is now available from the U.S.
Government Printing Office.
Alternately prepared after each Presidential election by the Senate
Committee on Governmental Affairs and the House Committee on Government
Reform, the Plum Book provides comprehensive information on thousands of
Federal civil service leadership and support positions in the legislative
and executive branches of the Federal Government that may be subject to
noncompetitive appointment, nationwide. It provides a current list of data,
which includes the following major categories of positions:
* Executive Schedule and salary-equivalent positions paid at the rates
established for levels I through V of the Executive Schedule;
* Senior Executive service "General" positions;
* Senior Foreign Service positions;
* Schedule C positions excepted from the competitive service by the
President, or by the Director, Office of Personnel Management, because of
the confidential or policy-determining nature of the position duties;
* Other positions at the GS-14 and above level excepted from the
competitive service by law because of the confidential or policy-determining
nature of the position duties.
The Plum Book also provides information on SES appointments. Additionally,
appendices provide information on the positions listed and the Federal
salary schedules under which they are paid.
The digital version is available on GPO Access at
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/plumbook/2004/index.html. It has been made
available in its entirety, as a single PDF file. GPO has refined the 2004
Plum Book by adding bookmarks to it and optimizing it for the web. The
report is also available as a collection of smaller PDFs arranged in a
browse table based on the Plum Book's table of contents. You can download
entire chapters, or just information on individual commissions, councils,
corporations, departments, offices, etc.
In addition, the United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions
(Plum Book) will be distributed to Federal depository libraries under:
Class: Y 4.G 74/7:P 75/6/2004
Item #. 1016-A (paper)
1016-B (microfiche)
Shipping list #. 2005-0049-P
Est. Shipping Date: 12/06/04
Professor David Wilkins, head of the American Indian Studies department, is again studying early reports from the Office of Indian Affairs for a book he is working on. I have spoken to him several times, but it will be useful if everyone is alert to the things he needs. I am working on a very complex guide and corrlation to those reports. In the meantime a few things will help:
1) He may ask for the "CIA" reports, which is NOT an error - it stands for Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
2) These reports were included in the Serial Set (often both House and Senate) and for SOME years were also issued in "department" editions. Our set of early department editions (SuDoc I 1.20: ) is currently on a truck just inside the workroom door, because they need cataloging and repair. He may use the truck. If reports (earlier than 1900) are not there, we don't own a department edition. Because ALL of these were in the Serial Set, they are NOT in the CIS Executive fiche.
3) If you take the truck out of the office, please return it, tho it is OK to let him use it after hours if he asks - have him park it behind the desk.
4) I have several helpful lists with exact SS numbers for all of these reports, from various places. Copies are in a folder right on the truck - be sure he sees that. It is necessary to have the correct SS number to get them from the Annex, or from the microfiche in the Law Library. - Julie
Students in Finance 3001 are told to look for copies of our guide on US Companies. They will also need Value Line. Copies of our Research Guide "Public Company Analysis" are available on the handout shelf.
The microcards and microfiche of AEC documents were delivered today, from Walter. These are the rest of the AEC (Atomic Energy Commission) collection. The earlier reports (paper) are in MLAC. It is a bit complicated, but explained in detail in a guide which is on the GPL staff web - I've revised that, just need to have Amy put it in wiki or whatever...I'll also do a shortened version for public consumption and put that in PageScribe. Anyway, the new cabinets are in the NW corner, by the NRC fiche and big ugly map cabinets. They are by the Emergency Exit so follow those signs... Ask me if you have questions. Julie