Idaho Commission for Libraries

A Common Goal

Your agency and our depository program share a common goal: getting information about your agency to the people of Idaho.

Still, it can be hard to remember what procedures to follow, especially if you produce only a few publications each year. This webpage offers some suggestions for setting up a distribution system that includes twenty copies for the Idaho Commission for Libraries.

• Designate a contact person. We have asked each agency head to designate someone to act as a liaison with the Commission concerning deposit of agency publications. This webpage is intended for our liaisons. If responsibility for publications changes in your agency, please notify us so we can reach the right person.
• Keep a publications log. It is helpful to keep a running list of what your agency has published and how and when it was distributed. This can double as a transmittal form for each packet of publications you send to us. At minimum, the log should include the following information:
  • Name of issuing agency or division
  • Name of publications liaison, phone number, and e-mail address (or attach a business card)
  • Titles of all publications produced
  • Date sent to State Commission
  • Number of copies sent to State Commission
  • Notes or comments

We are providing a sample publications log. You are welcome to use our form, or you may prefer to develop one tailored to your own record-keeping needs. For example, you might want to add the author, the printing vendor, the number printed, cost information, and other distribution channels used. A spreadsheet can be useful for this purpose.

• Send us an annual list. If you have kept a log, you will have a complete publication record by the end of the year. At the end of each fiscal year, we ask you to check the list, make sure it is complete, and send a copy to us. If your agency did not publish anything during the fiscal year, please send us a note to that effect.
• Write us into your procedures. Does your agency have forms and written procedures for printing, reproduction, and distribution? If so, please include a reference to the depository law (Idaho Code 33-2505) and procedures for sending copies to us. It usually costs much less to print an extra twenty copies in the first place than to arrange for additional copies later on.
  • If you don't have such procedures, consider developing them. A step-by-step outline can be a big help for complex or infrequent tasks.
• Add us to your mailing list. If you maintain mailing lists for your publications, please be sure the State Documents unit is included. Depending on how your database works, it may be necessary to enter our address twenty times to make sure we get twenty copies. Most agencies use Statehouse Mail to send us their publications.
• Send our copies off the top. In spite of good intentions and sound procedures, you may find yourself short of copies. If so, consider that each library copy can serve many readers. Depending on the situation, it may make sense to send us twenty copies off the top and refer other users to their local libraries.
• Keep communication lines open. This may be the most important tip. Be sure to let us know about any concerns. A quick note about short printing runs, title changes, or mis-numbered issues can save your time and ours in tracing the problem. We are always glad to hear from you!