APPENDIX D --- History and Amendment of the State Plan 

History of the Plan

At its spring 1981 meeting, the Depository Library Council to the Public Printer, U.S. Government Printing Office, passed the following resolution:

In order to bolster the regional depository libraries' capabilities to serve their state missions and in order to ensure that federal documents are available throughout the United States on an equal and expeditious basis, the Depository Library Council recommends that the Public Printer investigate the feasibility of requiring each state to prepare a plan to coordinate the federal documents depository program within the state. The plan should be developed through consultation with all designated federal depository libraries within the state and should address all depository responsibilities outlined in the Instructions to Depository Libraries as well as the concerns expressed through the Regional Depository Library Survey presented to the Depository Library Council at the Spring 1981 meeting.

The full text of the Council resolution and the response to resolutions from the Public Printer may be found in Summary of Meeting, Depository Library Council to the Public Printer. Sept. 28-30, 1981, pp. 1-2. (SuDoc no.: GP 3.30/2:981-2)

The Public Printer acknowledged the benefits of developing state plans for the Federal Depository Library Program, stating that, "Such plans would provide a cost-effective means of enabling states to share the responsibility for the development of collections and the provision of services."

In the fall of that year, a second resolution from Council further recommended a list of elements to be addressed in such plans and suggested that the state plan concept be publicized by disseminating material about such plans to the depository community and to the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies.

The full text of the Council resolution and the response to that resolution from the Public Printer may be found in Public Documents Highlights, no. 51/52, April-June 1982, p.5. (SuDoc no.: GP 3.27:51/52)

Under the direction of the State Librarian, depository libraries in Michigan developed and adopted the Michigan Plan for the Federal Documents Depository Library System, which was approved by the Legislative Council in April 1983. The plan was revised in 1993, 1998 and 2004. Subsequent to adoption and each revision, each selective and regional depository library became an individual signatory to the plan.

In adopting the plan, the directors of Michigan federal documents depository libraries agreed to provide:

• service by staff members, as invited, on the Michigan Council of Federal Depository Libraries;
• cooperation with the two regional depositories with respect to discards, training, visits, and other activities;
• inclusion in all budgetary and resource planning of staff and funds needed to make government information available to the public;
• cooperation in comparing, discussing, and amending current item selections and disposing of unwanted material to achieve balanced selections both currently and retrospectively;
• guarantee of public access;
• use of the system for interlibrary loan;
• promotion

Michigan is proud to have been the first state to implement a plan for federal government information. Since then, other state plans have been adopted, many modeled after the Michigan plan.

In August 2001 the Superintendent of Documents suggested that states review and revise their plans, specifically addressing the challenges listed in the introduction to this 2004 revision.

Amendment of the Plan

This plan may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Michigan depository libraries voting on the amendment. Each library has one vote. Amendments may be proposed by a majority of the members of the Michigan Council of Federal Depository Libraries or by the co-sponsorship of any five (5) or more Michigan depository libraries. One copy of the proposed amendment, with written verification of the co-sponsorships, must be submitted to the council chair five (5) working days prior to the council's announced meeting. The council chair will be responsible for notifying all members of the council and the depository libraries of the proposed amendment.

The council, on approving a proposed amendment, shall specify whether a vote on ratification shall be taken at the biennial general meeting or by mail. If a mail vote is designated, the council shall establish the time for the beginning and closing of the balloting. If a vote at the biennial general meeting is designated, at least one month's written notice shall be given to the member libraries of the text of the proposed amendment. A depository library not represented at the general meeting may vote by absentee ballot. The council chair should receive absentee ballots at least two (2) days prior to the meeting.