Examine Your Library’s Depository Operation: Determine if your Library has an FDLP Item Selection Profile (and is making use of it) | FDLP

Background

Traditionally, an item selection profile was a depository’s collection development profile. Item numbers were created circa 1940 to support tangible format distribution. Depositories selected various item numbers to receive associated publications in physical formats.

Item numbers have been assigned to all formats of publication, including online. Item numbers were adopted for use in catalog record distribution services and have also been used for other purposes, such as collaborative collection development.

Current depository approaches to item selection profiles vary.

Libraries still receiving print resources and many libraries using item numbers to acquire catalog records still use their item selection profiles. This is the majority of depositories.
Some libraries do not make use of the item numbers on their item selection profiles. These item numbers are likely associated with born digital publications or are associated with a previously selected physical publication that is now online. The selections represent the depository’s collection focus when the item numbers were last comprehensively reviewed and updated.
Some libraries have chosen to remove all item numbers from their profiles to emphasize that they are digital depositories, at least for current publications

You can find your library’s item selections, or “item selection profile”, in the FDLP Data Manager (FDM) List of Classes module. You can also find just item numbers, without any description, in Item Lister and DSIMS.

Is your library using your item selection profile?

Is your library selecting print publications? If you are receiving publications on the Print Distribution Titles (PDT) List, you’re using the profile. You will find the associated item numbers on your selection profile.

See “Determine if your library acquires any publications in a physical format” for more information.

Is your library acquiring catalog records that match your library’s item selection profile? If you are cataloging depository publications that your library selects, you may be using a resource or service that matches your item selections with item numbers in GPO catalog records. If your library is using a vendor to acquire records, you may need to reach out to them to confirm this. If library staff are regularly downloading your library’s item selections as part of the cataloging workflow, you’re using the selection profile.

If you answered “yes” to either or both questions above or you know you’re making use of the selection profile for another reason, learn more about managing your selection profile:

See Tools to Manage Your Selection Profile – Quick Start for an overview of resources used to manage your selection profile.
See also FDLP Data Manager, the Item Number System, and the List of Classes.
Learn how to amend your library’s selections in Working with your library’s item selection profile:
- Note: GPO now manages item selections of the “50 or 20-copy titles”. Please contact GPO instead of making changes to these item selections yourself.
- Tip: You may add or deselect item numbers associated with online publications (coded as “EL”) anytime.

Tip: Please be aware that you will find item numbers on your selection profile that are associated with resources that are not being published. As resources permit, GPO staff review item numbers and inactivate those not being used.

If your library does not use your item selection profile, you do not need to review your library’s item selections. Some libraries have deselected all item numbers from their profiles, but doing so is not necessary.

Instead of using item numbers to acquire catalog records, you can identify depository content in other ways and catalog it. You can also promote discovery of and access to Federal Government information resources through web pages or guides.

Tip: If you find a history of item number changes made by staff at your library, retain that documentation for historical reference about your library’s collection. GPO does not maintain this information for libraries.