5490 905R76111
GUIDELINES FOR ESTABLISHING
A LIBRARY WITHIN EPA
Protection
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Preface
Occasional requests for assistance regarding the establish- .
ment of a library within a Program Office, a Laboratory, or a
Region .are received by this office.
This guide is not a directive. It is a tool for use by EPA
management in determining the need for a library within a program
Office, an existing or new laboratory, or branches of an office
physically located at a distance from the parent organization.
It is also designed for use by EPA Librarians who are asked to
assist in the establishment of such libraries.
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GUIDELINES FOR ESTABLISHING A LIBRARY WITHIN EPA
Introduction. Within EPA there are twenty-eight libraries which
cooperate to provide all EPA staff with literature needs in all
environmental areas of concern. The Library Systems Branch,
EPA Headquarters, acts as a coordinating office, providing technical
guidance and support, and providing services which can best be
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performed centrally for the good of all. Local libraries provide
direct user services and act as the contact point for the centralized
services.
Within EPA, a library is defined as a unit providing library
services, staffed by at least one full time person, and housing an
organized collection of materials to support user informational
needs.
EPA facilities which do not have established libraries are pro-
vided library service through the library jystem, either through the
nearest library, through the Regional Library, or through the Central
Technical Library in Cincinnati or Headquarters Library in Washington,
D. C. A list of the EPA libraries is attached.
Need for a Library. In determining the need for a library, several
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things need to be considered. These are listed below, not in any
orler of priority.
1. How many people are located at the facility who will require
library service?
2. Are there any special library needs which the group has, but
which cannot be served by a nearby EPA library?
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3. Are there overriding program considerations which make a
library imperative, i.e., an entirely new program area in which
present EPA libraries have not been building collections? Can these
collections be built by one of the central support libraries in the
EPA Library System?
4. What is the time period required for delivery of needed
literature? Can researchers needs be adequately supplied through ex-
isting mail services? Through the Central Library System if modified?
5. From what sources do researchers obtain required information
at the present time?
6. Can uncontrolled collections or reading rooms suffice in place
of a library, or does the requirement exist for an organized information
base in place of an existing disorganized information situation?
7. To what extent must researchers make use of the library
collections in a library itself? How often each x-reek? How many
hours each week?
8. What requirements exist for specialized journals, books and
report literature? What is the anticipated size of the library
collection; anticipated yearly growth?
9. Should the library be established as a branch of an ex-
isting EPA library or as an independent equal operation within the
library system? Does the existing library have the resources re-
quired to operate a branch library?
10. What services should the library be expected to provide?
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Library Objectiyes. Libraries in EPA are responsible for acquiring,
processing and making available to EPA staff any environmental litera-
ture necessary to the support of the Agency's mission. Collections
and services in the various libraries are designed to serve the needs
of users at each local level. The library makes use of the centralized
programs and services to the greatest extent possible to serve local
needs at a minimal cost in money, time and duplicate collection
activities.
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Levels of Library Activity. Listed below are activities and services
which, when provided by a library, make up minimal, intermediate and
maximal levels at which a library may operate. They are provided al-
most exactly as they appear in Special Libraries: A Guide for Manage-
ment, published by the Special Libraries Association in 1975.
Minimum Level
1. Acquiring Materials for the Library:
Collects publications scattered throughout the organization,
receives those that come automatically to the library, and checks these
materials for relevancy and to avoid duplication.
Keeps abreast of the organization's general interests and
needs for published materials.
Reviews announcements of .new publications and selects and
orders directly from the publisher.
Establishes a simple order record.
2. Organizing Materials in the Library:
Places books on shelves in a simple, logical order—for
example, by author or by broad subject grouping.
Arranges magazines and other periodicals by title and date.
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Separates and files pamphlets, clippings, and other ephemeral
material by subject.
Identifies all major publications in the library by author
and title and brings such records together in a card catalog.
3. Disseminating Information and Materials from the Library:
Maintains a collection of reference books.
Answers simple, factual reference questions.
Verifies 'titles of publications and tracks down references .
Directs those needing detailed or research information to
possible sources.
Routes new issues of magazines to those who have requested
them; or loans for short period of time after new issues have
been available in library for a reasonable review period fcr
all users.
Routes individual items to staff members whose interests are known.
Knows the resources of local libraries well enough for full
utilization.
Intermediate Level
1. Acquiring Materials for the Library:
Keeps informed about the developing needs of the organization
and imaginatively selects materials "in anticipation of actual requirements,
Establishes contacts with book, magazine and government docu-
ments dealers for expediting orders.
Begins to acquire and set up special collections of materials
such as patents, internal reports, maps, and pictures.
Creates and maintains a complete order file Xv'ith automatic
follow-up procedures and, x^here feasible, takes advantage of available
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electronic data processing facilities and equipment.
Reviews the library's collections and builds up weak areas.
Establishes a regular system of checking with staff authorities
for evaluations of publication.
2. Organizing Materials in the Library:
Orders printed catalog cards for books.
Adopts a published classification scheme and uses it for
subject arrangement of books.
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Adopts a published subject heading list for cataloging
books and for indexing selected pamphlets, clippings, and other
materials.
Devises specific filing and finding systems for special
collections such as patents, maps, and pictures.
3. Disseminating Information and Materials from the Library:
Gathers research materials pertinent to a question and
transmits them to requesters.
Prepares selective bibliographies.
. Undertakes comprehensive literature searches on request.
Distributes lists of current literature received, sometimes
including abstracts copied from published sources.
Has broad familiarity with nationwide library resources in
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pertinent subject fields.
Maximum Level
1. Acquiring Materials for the Library:
Periodically does formal research concerning users' needs.
Establishes personal contacts with experts and dealers of
unusual publications—out-of-print, unpublished, foreign, etc.
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Prepares a written selection policy.
Sets up and maintains specialized collections, such as
catalogs of executive development programs, computer print-outs, and
archival material of the organization.
2. Organizing Materials in the Library:
Creates subject organization systems tailored to its needs,
such as classification schemes, subject heading lists, or thesauri,
if not provided through the central library system.
Indexes articles, reports, and other materials in depth,
possibly using mechanical methods, v/hen these are are not covered
by commercial indexing and abstracting services, or other existing
systems.
Prepares abstracts of published materials as necessary
for specialized bibliographies, reference files and the like, if
these abstracts do not already exist in other systems or commercial
services.
3. Disseminating Information and Materials from the Library:
Locates, synthesizes, and evaluates information and provides
it in written summary form.
Prepares critical bibliographies.
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Prepares evaluative comprehensive literature searches.
Distributes abstracts of current literature received.
Provides library-prepared translations of articles in some
languages.
Regularly prepares and supplies applicable current information
for the specific requirements of individual users, e.g., SDI (Selective
Dissemination of Information) systems.
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Is prepared to provide editorial help of all kinds for
the organization's publication, unless this is the responsibility
of another local EPA office,
Has thorough knowledge of subject experts and possible
sources of unpublished information in the subject fields.
Staffing a Library. Qualified, trained staff are essential to
good library services. On the job training to inform the librarian
about the organization to be served, as well as the EPA Agency-wide
library systems, will take a few of the early months the, librarian
is on the job. Specialized training programs developed by the Library
Systems Branch are available to all library staffs within the Agency.
Ratios of library staffs to the users served vary according
to the subject matter covered. In some chemistry libraries the
ratio is 1 librarian to every 3 to 12 chemists; in newspaper libraries
the ratio is more likely to be 1 to 90j in engineering libraries
the ratio is closer to 1 to 30 or 40; in social science libraries,
the ratio may be more nearly 1 to 60. A good rule of thumb in establishing
a new library is to use a ratio of 1 library staff member required
to serve about 50 active users. The active user base are people who ',
need to use a library in the performance of their job as opposed to \
just professionals who drop in every., so often.
A clear understanding of the levels of service to be provided
by the. library needs to be determined before the type of library
staff required to provide these services can be determined. The
relationship"between the to-be-established library and others within
the EPA library system must also be determined.
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In establishing a library which is to provide the maximum level of
service as defined earlier in this guide, a professional librarian is
essential. To provide the intermediate level of service, a library tech-
nician with several years of experience is essential. To maintain a
•library providing a minimum level of service, a library technician or
library clerk with considerable experience or training is essential. The
clerk should be permitted some additional training within another of the
EPA libraries to become familiar with services provided centrally and
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what may be expected in the way of centralized services for this new
library from the library system.
Costs of a Library. Libraries are not inexpensive items. In
research and development organizations the library or information
center allocation totals, in general, from 2% or 3% to 9% or 10% of
the research budget. This represents the allocation for one year's
operating expenses.
In the development of a new library, costs include the purchase of
equipment and preparation of space assigned to the library, and the basic
collection required before a library can provide services at any level.
Shelving costs may be estimated at $1.00 per volume of anticipated size
of the collection if only a few hundred items are involved; for quantities
exceeding 500 volumes the per volume cost approaches $.50 and continues to
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decrease with more sizeable collections. Costs for desks, chairs, type-
writers and file cabinets will depend on the level of function and the
number of staff members.
Annual operating costs for libraries include funds for salaries,
collection (books, journals, reports, microform, audio-visuals, etc.),
supplies, equipment, computer use, travel, memberships. Printing,
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postage and reproduction costs are quite heavy for libraries involved
in inter-library loans. These are not often reflected in the budget
presented for libraries, but instead are absorbed as part of the
Agency's overall administrative support budget. The amount allocated
for collection is normally about 25% of the total library budget,
salaries about 65 to 70%, and the other 5 - 10% cover the items listed
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above. A serious variable is computer usage and the extent to which
the library makes use of the Agency-wide data processing support.
Space and Equipment: Requirements. Library space requirements are
divided into three categories, space for the staff, space for the
collection and space for use of the collection or reader areas.
Standard space allocations for office workers are generally
100 square feeL per worker.
Based on standard 3 foot library shelves, with sections of seven
shelves high, approximately 8 books to each linear foot may be used
in determining storage for collections. Figures of 15 volumes per
square foot of net room area are also used.
Reading areas should provide space for 10% of the active user
base to be in the library at any one time. When a combination of
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reading tables and individual study carrels are used, approximately
25 square foot per user should be provided.
In order to make maximum use of space provided, EPA libraries
are encouraged to maintain large proportions of collections in micro-
form. This in turn requires provision of readers and reader/printers
for microfiche and microfilm. Maintenance agreements on these pieces
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of equipment are important once the guarantee period has expired.
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Other special equipment such as a computer terminal or audio-
visual equipment may be required, depending on the level of library
activity and the programs it carries out.
Guidelines for Collection Development. New libraries will identify the
work being done in, and the subject areas of concern for, the local
office served, and then determine which materials will best satisfy
the requirements of the users in this location. Since the collections
in any EPA library are considered available to all EPA staff at any
location, careful review should be made before extensive purchases
of any materials are made.
Initially, the library will purchase general reference materials
such as Wuo's Who, dictionaries, encyclopedias, congressional directo-
ries, and the like. Following this, selection will be made of the
major reference works relative to the particular subject area of con-
cern. Subscriptions will be entered for the major journals in the
special subject area, as well as a selected few general environmental
titles. As a rule back issues of these titles are not purchased if
they are available from another near-by EPA library or other local
libraries. If a later decision is made to purchase any of the back-
files, the microfilm version should be considered.
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As a part of the EPA library system program, all EPA libraries
receive a complete set of EPA reports on microfiche along with the
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accompanying indexes by which the set is accessed. Other reports
included in the environmental pollution and control category at the
National Technical Information Service (NTIS) may be reviewed and
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if the interest is great enough, a subscription for automatic receipt
of these items, in hard copy or microfiche, may be initiated.
In order to retain the quality and up-to-dateness of the
collection, the following criteria for determining materials to
be purchased should be observed:
1. Items to update reference collection of general works,
replacing needed out-of-date items.
2. Items to fill gaps in collection covering air, noise, pesticides
radiation, solid waste, toxic substences and water pollution and
control from the economic, legal, management, scientific and technical,
and social impact aspects. A conscious effort should be made to
collect the best reference and supportive materials in those areas
represented in the staff of any one location.
3. Items should be selected on the basis of their availability
elsewhere in the general geographic areas, elsewhere in the EPA
library systems, and demonstrated need by EPA staff.
4. Generally, items should not be duplicated in any collection;
indefinite loans should be kept at a minimum.
5. Items providing general background in a subject area are
important; other items added should be current updating of a field;
new research results and staterof~£he-art in environmental areas.
6. Items written by well known authorities in the field, keeping
local staff interest in mind.
7. Reviews should be obtained on as many items as possible
before purchases are made.
8. Political considerations must be taken into account when
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items are requested which are not rated as the highest quality.
9. Items of environmental interest in the geographical area of
concern to the library should be acquired.
10. Textbooks used in courses paid for by the Environmental
Protection Agency should be added to library collection when courses
are complete.
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