In response to Clara Smith:
I believe the Department of Transportation Library is a federal depository
library and thus your depository collection must be open to the public
during regular business hours. However, if you treat all outside patrons
the same, you can request appointments be made, that users have proper
ID's shown, that patrons go through entrance security procedures, that
patrons be accompanied to and from the library, and that limits be placed
on patron photocopying. You can also restrict the public to just the
depository collection and ask patrons to leave if it is clear they are
using the library's depository status as a pretext to gain entrance for
something else (like using a meeting room). See discussion of the public
access topic at two recent meetings of the Federal Law Librarians Section
of the Law Librarians Society of Washington, D.C. -
http://llsdc.org/sis/federal/FLL-06-29-00.PDF and
http://llsdc.org/sis/federal/FLL-01-23-01.PDF.
The Federal Reserve Board Law Library is a selective federal depository
library and allows outside patrons to use the collection (usually by
appointment) each day of the work week. The Federal Reserve Board Research
Library is not a federal depository library and restricts outside patron
access (with some exceptions) to Thursdays. Of course right now the Law
Library is undergoing renovation and the collection is scattered, some of
it being in the Research Library.
Rick McKinney
Assistant Law Librarian
Federal Reserve Board
20th St. & Constitution Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20551
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Clara M Smith
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C.DOT.GOV> cc:
Sent by: Subject: Library Access to the Public
"FEDLIB: Federal
Librarians
Discussion List"
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09/04/01 10:42
AM
Please respond
to "FEDLIB:
Federal
Librarians
Discussion List"
I have been asked to review our public access policy. What is your
policy/procedure for allowing the public to use your library?
Thanks
Clara M. Smith
Library Director
U.S. Department of Transportation Library
(202) 366-0752
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