A Public Access Assessment (PAA) is a review by GPO staff of an individual library’s Federal depository operations and services. GPO has the responsibility to ensure that the resources it distributes to Federal depository libraries are made accessible to the general public. The review is organized around the categories of access, collections, service, and cooperative efforts.

The primary goal of GPO's assessment program remains to ensure that Federal depositories comply with their legal requirements, as outlined in 44 U.S.C. §19, and the Program requirements, outlined in the Federal Depository Library Handbook and on the FDLP Desktop. A second purpose of the assessment program is for GPO to advise libraries how to reach greater compliance with the legal and Program requirements. The review is intended to be supportive of each individual depository library and involves sharing of best practices and recognition of notable achievements that will help a library continue to enhance its operations and services. GPO and the FDLP also benefit from the assessment program through an exchange of ideas with individual depository library personnel.  Most importantly, the PAA program is designed to strengthen individual libraries in the FDLP. Through this process, our mutual commitment to provide library users with easy access to U.S. Government information is reinforced.

Please see Request for GPO Participation to request a Public Access Assessment of your library. You may request a PAA at any time. PAAs are also being scheduled at depository libraries, typically based on the chronology of the last review. Preparing for a Public Access Assessment in the FDL Handbook will help you be ready for a PAA.

Resources

Public Access Assessments: Project Summary A summary of the PAA program that discusses the purpose and history of library assessments, the PAA framework and process, responsibilities of Federal depository libraries, PAA scheduling issues, and LSCM milestones and deliverables.

This paper outlines the focus and organizational scheme of the Public Access Assessment and describes the major categories of Access, Collections, Service, and Cooperative Efforts to be utilized in the program.

Public Access Assessments: Initial Review Checklist

This document is used as a resource by GPO personnel as they start an assessment of an individual depository library.

Public Access Assessments: Guidelines for Completing Initial Review

This document explains how the Initial Review Checklist is completed. It is used as a resource by GPO personnel as they start an assessment of an individual depository library.

Council Session: Public Access Assessments

Council Session: Public Access Assessments: Focus on Access, Collections, and Service (Fall 2007)

Above are the presentations and handouts from two Depository Library Council Meeting programs. Each contains an overview of PAA as well as sample scenarios highlighting selected free public access issues.