Policy Title

Dacus Library’s Government Information Services Department (GIS) supports the academic research needs of Winthrop University’s curriculum and programs along with the government research and information needs of community members. This policy provides guidelines for the development and management of the library’s Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) collection and the Library’s South Carolina Depository Collection. The Library, its institutional repository (online scholarly communications/publishing platform), and Louise Pettus Archives & Special Collections have separate policies for their collections.

Overview

Ida Jane Dacus Library (Library) at Winthrop University (University) is a selective federal depository library in the 5^th Congressional District. The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), administered by the Government Publishing Office (GPO), was established by Congress to provide U.S. federal government information to the public at no cost. The Library was designated a federal depository library in 1896 and is one ofover 1,000 Federal depository libraries across the U.S. and its territories.

The Library was established as a South Carolina State Documents Depository in 1982. The program, administered by the South Carolina State Library, provides free, public access to publications produced by South Carolina state agencies, departments, and state-supported institutions. The publications are distributed to state depository libraries, and available through the State Library’s catalog, and digital collections.

Selection Responsibility

The Head of the Government Information Services is responsible for collection development, item selection, and deselection of government information collection items and content. They may also identify and suggest for purchase commercially published sources that support the collection. Materials are collected according to the subject matter and one or both of the following conditions:

• The information is considered useful to the university curriculum and/or
• The material meets the government information needs of the 5^th Congressional District. The collection profile is reviewed annually by the Head of Government Information Services.

Subject Areas

Subject area selections are evaluated regarding courses taught, reference inquiries, and observational analysis of sources used or needed. Areas of focus include agriculture, education, business, political science, history, labor, foreign relations, and health. English is the primary language of the collection, and some Spanish language materials, including workbooks, and kits are selected in the areas of health and education. Information is offered in print and microform formats, with most contemporary selections also available electronically.

Maintenance and Weeding

Received publications are entered to the piece level in the Library’s catalog. Tangible items are date and property stamped and labeled with a Superintendent of Documents (SUDoc) call number. Electronic documents are added to the catalog with hyperlinks to the text.

Preservation evaluation includes on-going review to identify fragile items remaining on the shelves. Worn documents are evaluated for repair, replacement, or withdrawal. Items in need of attention are bound, restored, or placed in acid-free boxes.

The collection is weeded and maintained per GPO and regional depository guidelines. Print documents are superseded by electronic equivalents according to historical significance or preferred media format. Superseded documents are withdrawn from the collection. Documents that have been retained for five years and are no longer deemed valuable to the collection are withdrawn and listed on needs and offers lists or sent to the regional depository library at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC.

Weeding of SC State publications follow the procedures detailed in the South Carolina State Documents Depository Library Manual.

Access 

Government Information Services are available during posted hours on the library's website. Library users may access GIS services on-site, online through chat service when available, or by appointment. Depository materials can be searched in the Dacus Library Catalog or through Federal Government databases. Most physical government documents can be checked out with a Winthrop University ID. Loan periods and item checkout limits are listed on the library’s User Services Borrowing page. Those who do not have a Winthrop University ID may be able to request eligible items through their campus or public library’s Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service. Select reference items and periodicals are non-circulating.

Challenged Materials Policy 

Government Information is exempt from user consideration of removal from the collection. For general information about challenged materials at Dacus Library, please review the Dacus Library Challenged Materials Policy.