1906
The University of Idaho Administration Building was destroyed by fire on March 30. Most library materials were lost except 738 books that were checked out or housed in other buildings on campus. The next morning 2 bags of mail were received. One bag contained periodicals; the other contained government documents. Temporary library quarters were set up in the gymnasium.
University of Idaho Gymnasium, interior view, shows track sports and library shelves, circa 1907.
1-54-6 Historical Photograph Collection, University of Idaho Library, Moscow, Idaho*
1907
All land grant colleges, including the University of Idaho became depositories for U.S. government publications.
Excerpt from 34 Stat.1014, 1907.
1907
Belle Sweet, the first professional librarian at the university, was able to solicit 7,000 U.S. Government Documents by June 1907.
Mary Belle Sweet, University Librarian 1905-1948.
3-416a Historical Photograph Collection
1909
The Library was moved from Morrill Hall to the new Administration Building.
Main reading room 1909-1957.
1-201-27 Historical Photograph Collection
1913
Legislation made permanent the existing depository libraries and any designated later. Prior to this an existing depository could be displaced at the discretion of a Senator or Representative.
Excerpt from 38 Stat. 75, 1913.
1922
A “Classified List of United States Government Publications” was developed. Each library received two copies of the periodic list, annotated one copy with selections, and returned it to GPO.
Sudoc #: GP 3.2:C56
1926
President Upham requested $300,000 from the state legislature for a new library which was finally funded in 1955 for $1,333,000 and completed in 1957.
Library 1957- under construction, circa 1957.
1-122-67 Historical Photograph Collection
1934
Production records were made this year. GPO produced over 125.5 million copies of publications and used 36,000 tons of paper. This included the Congressional Record for June 16 with 302 printed pages.
Congressional Record, June 16, 1934
1936
Money was received from a federal grant and the Board of Regents to build another wing onto the Administration Building. The entire wing, with the exception of the top floor was given to the library.
1945
The list of depository libraries grew to 555 libraries. GPO revised the mailing of materials so that instead of mailing each document separately, shipments of materials were consolidated into 1 package per day per library.
1947
The first “Biennial Survey of Depository Libraries” was conducted. GPO required the notarized signature of the librarian on the questionnaire. 1997- results are on GPO Access.
1951
In 100 GPO Years, 1861-1961, The Superintendent of Documents wrote “I think that more and more people are reading more and more Government publications….More people are aware of what the Government is doing.”
100 GPO Years, 1861-1961, a History of United States Public Printing : Washington, D.C., 1961.
1957
The Library moved into the new building. Government documents were located on second floor with Social Sciences and Special Collections.
University of Idaho Library 1957-
1-122-81 Historical Photograph Collection
Library Dedication, Governor Smylie at lecturn, November 5, 1957.
1-122-71 Historical Photograph Collection
Library Documents area on second floor, 1957.
1-122-48 Historical Photograph Collection
1962
The Depository Act of 1962 doubled the number of depositories permitted per Congressional district, eliminated payment of postage by libraries, authorized regional libraries, and provided for the distribution of non-GPO publications.
Excerpt from 87 Stat.352, 1962.
1963
The University of Idaho Library was designated a Regional Depository Library for U.S. government documents.
Copy of letter from Senator Church, July 22, 1963.
1973
Special Collections moved to the basement of the Library and Government Documents expanded into the space vacated on second floor. The photo shows the Special Collections department and Charles Webbert, the department head in 1957.
Charles Webbert in the Library Special Collections area on second floor, 1962.
1-122-65 Historical Photograph Collection
1974
Dennis Baird was hired as the Social Sciences and Documents librarian.
1977
GPO was authorized to distribute microfiche to depository libraries. When microfiche first began to arrive, documents staff was told by the administration to bring some shoeboxes from home to store them in since the library probably wouldn’t be getting very many. Our collection now contains 807,000 microfiche, which are stored in 34 cabinets.
Microfiche cabinets in Library basement, 2007.
1985
The first Documents Librarian, Lily Wai was appointed. Lily served in this capacity until her retirement in 2005.
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Lily Wai at Social Science reference desk, 1985.
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Lily Wai at retirement, April 27, 2005.
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1985
Lily Wai and Winifred Dixon, Documents Assistant, attended the council meeting and visited the GPO operations in Washington D.C.
1988
The first CD-ROMs were distributed to depository libraries.
Student at Library circulation with CD-ROMs, 1999.
1991
Lily Wai accompanied the GPO Inspector, Joseph Paskoski to selective depository libraries in Idaho.
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Boise State University Albertsons Library |
Boise State University Albertsons Library map area |
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Boise Public Library. Michie Crane, Documents Librarian and Joseph Paskoski |
Idaho Supreme Court, State Law Library, Boise |
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Idaho State Library, Boise |
Albertson College of Idaho, N.L. Terteling Library, Caldwell |
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Lewis-Clark State College Library, Lewiston. Joseph Paskoski and Paul Krause Library Director |
University of Idaho College of Law Library, Moscow. Joseph Paskoski, Ruth Funabiki, Jodi Haire |
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| Northwest Nazarene College, John E. Riley Library, Nampa. | College of Southern Idaho Library, Twin Falls. Joseph Paskoski, William Beale, Sandra Wapinski. |
1993
University of Idaho Library Government Documents Regional Depository became a separate department with the move to first floor after the completion of the renovation of the library. The collection was moved to the basement level on compact shelves.
Student Libby Spooner by compact shelves in Library basement, 1999.
At the same time the maps were moved from the crowded conditions in this photograph, to the new map room on first floor. With the tremendous growth of the map collection, the weight of the maps and cases was beginning to stress the floor.
Library map area on second floor, 1982.
1-122-93 Historical Photograph Collection
1994
GPO Access was launched to provide online access to legislative documents.
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GPO brochures GPO Access: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/ |
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1995
Centennial year of Federal Depository Library Program.
1997
University of Idaho Library Documents Department staff consisted of one librarian, 3 staff and 5 student workers. Pictured are Donna Smith, documents assistant; Lily Wai, documents librarian; Becca Mewaldt, student; Barb Jordan, documents assistant; Barbara Johnson, documents assistant; Michael McReynolds, student; and Summer Steele, student.
1996-1999
Idaho Geospatial Data Center was created. It was the first geospatial digital library for the state of Idaho with access to Digital Line Graphs, Digital Raster Graphics, Digital Elevation Model and the U.S. Bureau of Census Tiger boundary files. This collaborative project was founded by a grant from the Idaho Board of Education’s Technology Incentive Program and included: Piotr Jankowski from the UI Geography Dept., Loudon Stanford from the Idaho Geological Survey, William Heins from the Lewis & Clark State College, Maria A. Jankowska and Lily Wai from the Library.
Opening page of the IGDC http://web.archive.org/web/20010201082300/http://geolibrary.uidaho.edu/
1999
INSIDE Idaho, the digital geospatial data clearinghouse, was created to store datasets published by government agencies on UI’s locally secured servers. Pictured are Lily Wai, administrator and Bruce Godfrey, GIS specialist.
Lily Wai and Bruce Godfrey beside INSIDE Idaho server, 2005.
2004-2006
Visibility of government documents increased when 400,000 Marcive retrospective records (1976-2000) were loaded into the OPAC and became easily accessible to the public. On January 6, 2006 Suzanne Ebanues from GPO stated:
“ The University of Idaho was among the first group of regional libraries to participate in the OCLC holdings project. From Feb. 1, 2005, when the project began, to Jan. 6, 2006, the University of Idaho's holdings symbol has been added to 12,177 OCLC records produced by GPO.”
2005
University of Idaho collection consists of nearly 1 ½ million items of which 20,000 are non-tangible electronic documents. Karen Hertel became Documents Librarian.
2006
Maria A. Jankowska became Head of Government Documents. The Government Documents Reading Room was reorganized to accommodate users of Special Collections and International Jazz Collections. Microfiche cabinets were moved to the basement and the room was improved with new carpeting, chairs, tables and entry door. Also the Library Map Room reorganization project was complete. The map cases have been shifted and the Atlas Collection has been moved over from Reference to Map Room.
Combined Reading Room for Government Documents, International Jazz Collections, and Special Collections, February 2007
2006
The Marcive Shipping List Service was implemented.
2007
The collection consists of more than 670,000 paper documents, 806,000 microforms, 209,046 maps, 7,852 CD-ROMs, and more than 23,000 online publications. This comprehensive and unique collection offers free access to more than 1.7 million items to all users. Staff consists of one part-time librarian, 2 staff, and 2 part-time workers. Maria A. Jankowska is Documents Librarian and Christine Gray and Barb Jordan are documents assistants.
Documents staff: Christine Gray, Maria Jankowska, Joanna Huffaker, Kim Crimmins, Barb Jordan, March 15, 2007
Documents staff sitting at table in Combined Reading Room, March 15, 2007
2007
Centennial Task Group was created and included Nancy Young, Jodi Haire, Christine Gray, Barbara Jordan, and Maria A. Jankowska.
Amy Thompson designed the UI Centennial poster
A student poster contest to design a poster to promote access to U.S. government information was announced.
Student Poster Contest Winner, by David Waters
Student Poster Contest entry, by Laural MacDonald
Student Poster Contest entry, by Meghan Wielebinski
Compiled by Barb Jordan and edited by Christine Gray & Maria A. Jankowska
March 19, 2007
*Acknowledgments:
Pictures are courtesy of:
-Special Collections and Archives Department at the University of Idaho Library,
-Terry Gray,
-Christine Gray,
-Lily Wai, and
-Jean Crawford
Sources:
Hook, Robert D., The University of Idaho Library, The Bookmark, Moscow, Idaho: v.25 Sept.1972, pages 5-8.
100 GPO Years, 1861-1961, a History of United States Public Printing: Washington, D.C., 1961.
University of Idaho Library statistics.
University of Idaho Library, a Centennial History, Compiled by Karen A. Buxton: Moscow, Idaho, 1988.
Keeping American Informed, Federal Depository Library Program. Viewed Jan.30, 2007 at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pr/keepam.html
McGarr, Sheila M., Snapshots of the Federal Depository Library Program. Viewed Dec. 21, 2006 at http://www.access.gpo/su_docs/fdlp/history/snapshot.html
Wai, Lily, University of Idaho Federal Depository Library and its Collection, Centennial Celebration, 1907-2007.