Guidelines for Disposal of
Federal Publications in Arizona

A selective depository library desiring to dispose of depository materials must obtain permission from the regional library.   If permission is not granted, the selective must keep the material, but may apply at a later date for approval to dispose of the item.

Procedure to be followed in disposal:

1. Review the collection:
   1. Material for disposal must have been received in the depository library five or more years prior to the date of the disposal request.
   2. Libraries are not required to list superseded print materials, but are encouraged to offer significant materials.   Significant superseded materials should be integrated into disposal lists.
   3. In lieu of a disposal list, libraries are to contact the regional library after weeding of microfiche and electronic products (i.e., DVDs, CD-ROMs and floppy disks) and offer those items prior to creation of a list.
   4. The regional may immediately select weeded microfiche or electronic products, schedule a visit to the depository for perusal of those items (or other acceptable method of viewing them), or request a disposal list.
   5. Depository materials received through shipments may be replaced with the electronic version, if that title appears on the Substitution List:   Official FDLP Permanent Full-Text Databases or are electronic versions of publications residing at content partnership sites, of which GPO is one of the partners.   It is required that any substituted database be complete, official and permanently accessible.   The regional and GPO, through their Internet web site, newsletter or direct contact, can provide a copy of the Substitution List:   Official FDLP Permanent Full-Text Databases.
   6. Depository holdings replaced by the same or other format, e.g., microform or CD-ROM, must be offered on a disposal list if the purchasing library wishes to dispose of the unwanted depository copy.   Under these circumstances, the disposing library does not need to adhere to the five-year retention period but may offer the depository holdings at the time of replacement.
   7. The regional depository will provide to selectives a microfiche “want list” for federal publications.   The list will not be exhaustive, but will act as a guide to inform selectives for the need for microfiche documents at the regional depository.   Shipments of these microfiche can be made directly to the regional.   Send the shipment, along with a photocopy of the “want list” with the item name circled to:
      
      Federal Documents Section
      Law and Research Library Division
      Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records
      1700 W Washington Street, Suite 300
      Phoenix, AZ   85007

2. Compile a list arranged by Superintendent of Documents classification number.   The list should indicate the following:
   
   Library name
   Depository Library Number
   List date or number
   
   For each entry, the following information is to be supplied:
   1. Superintendent of Documents classification number;
   2. For non-serial publications – title and date of publications, or date received indicated in brackets;
   3. For serial publications;
      1. Series title;
      2. Holdings for disposal – numbers, volume, years, whatever is appropriate to identify the publications exactly.   When several issues of the same serial are offered, please use a range of dates instead of listing them individually.  
         House and Senate hearings, although now issued as S.hrg. Number or H.hrg. Number, should be listed title by title.
      3. Specify bound volumes (Bd.)
   4. Prepare separate lists, or separate sections of one list, for each format (paper, microfiche, tangible electronic/DVD, CD and floppy)
   5. Annotate disposal lists to note the following:
      1. Non-depository, if less than five years from date of publication (Non-deposit)
      2. Replaced by the same or other format, if less than five years from the date of publication (Replace)
   6. Lists should be prepared in database or word processing programs, e.g., MSWord, Word Perfect, MSExcel.   PRIOR TO SENDING TO THE REGIONAL, convert lists to Rich Text Format (rtf) for word processed documents or Text – Tab Delimited for spreadsheet pages (e.g., Excel)
   7. The disposal list is to be emailed to the regional depository librarian, at the email address below:
      
      jfisher@lib.az.us
      
      
   8. The disposing library should retain a copy of the list.
3. The regional depository will mark the items they require for their collection.   The lists will then be edited and uploaded to the Internet.   Notice will be sent out on AzDOC-L to inform all selective depository librarians of the availability and deadline for selecting from the list.
   As the lists will be dispatched as quickly as possible, interested libraries are to notify the disposing library of their needs within six weeks.
4. Libraries will be reimbursed their shipping costs in postage, unless otherwise requested.
5. If no Arizona depository selects the material, it is strongly encouraged that selective depository libraries utilize any available electronic mail or online lists to advertise the availability of discarded titles.   This method should be used particularly when disposing of major titles/sets or long runs.
6. After all reasonable efforts have been made to transfer the publications to other depository libraries, the selective depository library is authorized to mark the remaining items “withdrawn” and dispose of them through any of the following:
   1. Offer to other local libraries;
   2. Offer to educational institutions;
   3. Offer to private citizens;
   4. Donate as paper to recyclers or paper drives (see note on “e” below);
   5. Sell, either as secondhand book or waste paper.   All depository publications remain the property of the U.S. Government.   Therefore, the proceeds from the sale of any items, accompanied by a letter of explanation, should be sent to the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.   20402;
   6. Destroy.
7. It should be noted that no library is required to discard any depository library materials.

Revised 4/2001

Updated:  04/22/2008