Maryland-Delaware-District of Columbia State Plan

Goal: To ensure that depository materials are properly preserved, and the proper channels are consulted before any discard takes place.

Purpose: The federal depository libraries in the Maryland-Delaware-District of Columbia region will strive to meet established FDLP guidelines as articulated in the Physical Facilities and Collection Maintenance section of the Legal Requirements and Program Regulations of the FDLP.

Depository libraries in the Maryland-Delaware-District of Columbia Region should establish procedures including, but not limited to, the following areas:

• Proprietary Interest - As a minimum standard for the care and maintenance of depository property, the Government Publishing Office insists that the maintenance accorded to depository materials be no less than that given to commercially purchased publications;

• Preservation - Consideration should be given to learning basic preservation planning and skills, evaluating the condition of the collection, securing the collection as needed, and identifying "rare and valuable documents" which will require special care;

• Insuring Depository Collections - It is both advisable and prudent to carry insurance covering your depository holdings. This may be covered under your general insurance policy;

• Discards

  • Establishing a procedure for weeding items that are not used or are in poor condition assures that the collection is maintained to fulfill the information needs of the service community.

  • Selective depository libraries served by the University of Maryland may dispose of any publication, which has been retained for at least five years, after obtaining permission and receiving instructions for such disposition from the Regional. Selective libraries may request permission to discard publications by using FDLP eXchange. 

• Security - Depository publications should be protected from unlawful removal comparable to other parts of the library's collections.