Indiana Disposal List Guidelines

(Approved by Indiana State Library, Indiana Federal Depository Libraries, and Superintendent of Documents)

Indiana federal depository libraries have agreed to build a “light archive” of all U.S. government depository documents.  The core of the archive currently resides in Indiana University’s Auxiliary Library Facility (ALF) and Government Information, Microforms & Statistical Services (GIMSS), Bloomington, Indiana, and the Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, Indiana.  It has been determined that these libraries already contain close to 100% of federal depository documents distributed from 1976 to the present.  The Indiana State Library, Indiana’s Regional Federal Depository Library, has determined that Indiana selectives do not have to prepare disposal lists for federal depository documents issued from 1976 to date, with the stipulation that documents received from GPO within the last 5 years cannot be discarded (for exceptions, see section I).  See section IV for the discarding of these documents. In addition, Indiana federal depository libraries are encouraged to continue to offer through a disposal list any post-1975 document(s) that they consider historically significant or important to Indiana. 

Indiana federal depository libraries must continue to compile disposal lists for pre-1976 documents.

1. Depository documents for disposal must have been received on a shipping list dated five or more years prior to the date of the disposal request with the following EXCEPTIONS:
   • Depository documents issued less than five years prior to the date of the disposal request replaced by commercial microform may be included on the disposal list if appropriately designated
   • Duplicate documents received by a depository library should be discarded without including them on a disposal list.  But duplicate documents may be included on a disposal list only if appropriately designated
   • Depository documents received but not selected as an item by a selective depository should be discarded without including them on a disposal list.  But these non-depository documents may be included on a disposal list only if appropriately designated
   • Depository documents listed in the various editions of the Superseded List may be discarded at the discretion of the library and should NOT be listed on a disposal list
     • 1996 Superseded List
     • 2002 Superseded List
   • FDLP “Guidelines for Depository Libraries: Substituting Online for Tangible Versions of Depository Publications by Selectives”
2. Disposal lists are formatted to conform to the Needs & Offers database. Compile a disposal list in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, using the template found on the database homepage..  Arrange the disposal list in shelflist order by Superintendent of Documents classification number.
   • The first page must indicate the following:
     • Library name
     • Depository library number
     • A specific date and/or number assigned to uniquely identify each separate list
   • For each title, the following information is required:
     • Complete Superintendent of Documents classification number in one string. Always include the SuDoc stem with the Cutter
     • For serial publications
       • Serial title
       • Specific holdings – Publication date must equal a four digit year
       • Indication of serial issues
     • For monograph publications
       • Title and date of publication
     • Specify format of title/issues if other than paper
     • Specify print documents less than five years from date received on a shipping list which are being replaced by microform as the official federal document copy as replacements – (repl)
     • Specify duplicate documents less than five years from date received on a shipping list as duplicates
     • Specify documents erroneously received and not selected as an item number by your depository if less than 5 years from the date received on a shipping list, or documents received by other means (agency mailing lists, gifts/donations) rather than through the Federal Depository Library Program as non-depository
     • Specify documents being substituted for the official electronic version
   • All disposal lists should be uploaded to the Indiana Federal Depository Library Program Needs and Offers Database, available online at https://digital.statelib.lib.in.us/fdlp/
3. The regional depository will make a print copy of the disposal list.  If a disposal list has documents wanted by the regional, the regional will claim items using the Needs and Offers Database. Libraries submitting list will receive an email notification when items are claimed by the regional and when items are approved for disposal. Claims by the regional on a disposal list must be filled first before claims by other libraries from the same list.  No documents may be discarded until the Regional Depository has granted formal permission by postal letter.   No documents appearing on a disposal list may be distributed to other libraries until after the requests of the Regional Depository have been filled first.  The disposing library is responsible for postal charges when shipping material to the Regional Depository.  Other libraries receiving documents from a disposal list will be responsible for shipping charges, unless other arrangements are made with the disposing library. IMPORTANT: If the disposal list does not follow the criteria as specified in these Guidelines, the Regional Depository will invalidate it.  For an invalidated list, a corrected list must be created and resubmitted to the Needs and Offers Database.
4. With permission granted by the Regional Depository, the selective depository is authorized to dispose of the remaining documents by any 4 of the following methods:
   • Post disposal list on the national “Needs and Offers List” http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/tools/needs_of/index.html. This is not required by GPO, but strongly advocated.
   • Offer free of charge to private citizens.
   • Sell as second-hand material.  However, as all depository publications remain the property of the U.S. government, proceeds from the sale of the documents, accompanied by a letter of explanation, must be sent to the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.
   • Destroy.

Guide:

GPO – Weeding a Depository Collection