LSCM Metadata and Collection Services Information Portal

This guide provides lists of resources about cataloging government publications, information on the work and initiatives of Metadata and Collection Services (MCS), formerly Library Technical Services (LTS), and data about Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) records.

MCS is one of the three units in Library Services and Content Management (LSCM). The other two units are Federal Depository Support Services and Projects and Systems. MCS is responsible for several aspects of the life cycle management of U.S. Federal Government publications:

• Acquisitions
• Cataloging
• Classification
• Distribution
• Preservation

The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) has been part of the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) since 1895, providing Government information to libraries serving the needs of people across the Nation for information by and about their Federal Government. Federal depository libraries (FDLs) are members of the FDLP. MCS provides services and products to FDLs to manage their government information collections and to assist their communities to use the materials.

MCS acquires publications to distribute to FDLs and to meet GPO’s Cataloging and Indexing (C&I) Program requirements mandated by Title 44 of the United States Code (U.S.C.). MCS catalogs the publications according to national standards and the GPO Cataloging Guidelines and classifies them using the Superintendent of Documents Classification Guidelines. GPO makes the MARC bibliographic records available in a number of ways. Most of these options are free of charge to libraries.

At GPO’s Laurel Distribution Facility, MCS staff members pack boxes with publications based on the FDLs’ selections and send them to the libraries. The FDL staff members use the shipping lists included in each box to receive the materials.

MCS also contributes to GPO’s mission of providing permanent public access to Federal Government publications. Staff members harvest publications from agency websites, create permanent URLs (PURLs) that direct users to the archived resources, and add the PURLs in GPO’s bibliographic records.

Our mission is to support FDLs, U.S. Federal Government agencies, and all Metadata and Collection Services (MCS) stakeholders to fulfill their needs for U.S. Federal Government information by providing them with the best services and products related to the life cycle management of Federal Government information products, including but not limited to cataloging/metadata, classification, acquisition, and distribution of new publications, and collection development and collection management activities related to the National Collection of U.S. Government Public Information. 

Our vision is a network of Federal Depository Libraries equipped to identify, locate, and provide access to the National Collection of U.S. Government Public Information for their constituents. 

This vision is achieved through: 

1. Building a diverse staff proficient in all aspects of the life cycle management of Federal Government information products; developing subject matter experts in specific functions and formats, such as serials, integrating resources, maps, and other formats that may be developed in the future. 
2. Communicating and collaborating as effectively as possible with our external stakeholders (e.g., members of the FDLP, and Federal Government agencies) and internal stakeholders (e.g., other LSCM departments and offices in GPO). 
3. Continuously seeking, testing, and implementing systems, tools, and processes to enhance and improve our operations and workflows. 
4. Developing and delivering new products and leveraging systems that support the work of FDLs and facilitate access to both the tangible and digital components of the National Collection of U.S. Government Public Information.  

• Metadata and Access 
  • Dedicate our talents with, and passion for, Government information products to produce high quality cataloging/metadata records in a timely manner, promoting improved access and discoverability of Federal Government information resources in all formats.   
• Collection Support and Services 
  • Deliver services and products that facilitate and support the collection development and management activities of the FDLP, and provide high-level customer service for FDLs and other stakeholders by responding to all inquiries and concerns completely, courteously, and expediently. 
• Collaboration and Communication  
  • Engage with stakeholders, external and internal, through collaboration and regular communication, to ensure our workflows and processes meet their needs.  
• Stay Current and Be Innovative 
  • Inspire each other, as well as engage with the wider Federal and National community of Technical Services experts, to explore and develop new and effective ways to fulfill and exceed the goals and objectives of LSCM and GPO, by staying current and innovative.