One of our running themes concerns the importance of providing public access to state government information. We generally look at ways to make your agency publications permanently available by distributing them through libraries.
Even before publication, however, you can take steps to improve public access by including essential bibliographic information. In the rush to meet publication deadlines, it is easy to overlook details that may later cause problems.
This information is intended for state employees who produce agency publications. It focuses on bibliographic elements that uniquely identify your publications and make them more accessible to your readers.
Agency publications vary a great deal in size, format, frequency, and intended purpose. We will consider various categories, broadly broken down into one-time publications and ongoing (or serial) publications.
For a one-time publication such as a research study or a task force report, the title page is the key to identification. Located just inside the cover, the title page is used by readers for citations, and by librarians to catalog the publication for easy retrieval. Its purpose is to present basic bibliographic information such as title, author, publisher, and date in one convenient place. Some agency state publications do not have a title page. This is acceptable as long as all pertinent elements appear on the cover.
While title pages are important for substantive publications, they are not appropriate in all cases. State agencies often produce brochures, flyers, and leaflets without title pages.
For smaller publications, the key bibliographic elements include a clearly identifiable title, a publication date, and the full name of the agency. You may also want to list a contact person.
Many government publications are designed to be issued at regular intervals. Examples include annual or biennial statistical reports or directories. Others, such as manuals and guides, may not be on a regular publication schedule, but are issued as needed to reflect changes in laws or procedures.
In most cases, agencies have procedures in place for producing ongoing publications, including the use of a consistent format and title page. In addition to the title page, it is helpful to include some reference to frequency of publication in the introduction. If it is irregular, consider numbering each edition, or at least stating when it was last updated.
Newsletters, journals, and magazines are usually issued several times a year and typically have mastheads or captions rather than title pages. Information on the purpose, frequency, editor, and publishing agency is often inserted at the bottom or on an inside page.
Consecutive issue numbers and dates are important to identify each issue and file it in the correct order. If only one sequencing method is used, the date is preferred. However, volume and issue numbers are helpful in verifying that all issues are on hand. Usually, each volume includes all issues for a one-year period.
On state agency publications we see an average of two errors per month in dates or numbers, usually because the editor forgets to update the masthead. The result is two issues that seem to cover the same period. Other common errors include skipping a number or forgetting to change the year in January. Some of the worst problems involve Roman numerals. We recommend using Arabic numbers.
Another type of publication is known in the library world as the "monographic series." This is a hybrid in which all pieces share a common series title, but each also has a unique title. Usually, all pieces are sequentially numbered and dated.
An example is the Water Quality Status Report published by the Division of Environmental Quality. Each piece in the series assesses the water quality of a specific river segment or geographic area and has a title reflecting its specific content. This is a very effective way to group similar titles for easy retrieval.
For a series, it is important to include all elements required on a title page, as well as a consistent series title and numbering scheme.
Before changing the title of a newsletter or report, consider whether it is really necessary. The costs involved can include:
On the other hand, a significant change in scope or purpose is often best communicated through a title change. If you do change the title, be sure to note the change in the first issue or edition published under the new title.
By the way, it is wise to avoid any reference to frequency in the title. We learned this the hard way when our Monthly Checklist of Idaho Government Publications went bimonthly and required a title change -- much to our chagrin!
Think about public access before you go to press. Your readers need to know the name of your publication, who wrote it, who published it, and when. If your publication is ongoing, they need a way to distinguish one issue or edition from another. They generally prefer a predictable title.
And remember, once your publication is printed, the next step is to send twenty copies to us at the Idaho Commission for Libraries.