One of the benefits of TRAIL is that you can withdraw tangible technical reports that are freely and openly accessible online. We do recommend that you consider how the reports are used before withdrawing - some reports with maps, graphics, may still be easier to read in print format.
While we hate to see materials leave libraries, we understand libraries have space issues. We do ask that you check our Needs Lists before you withdraw materials to see if you have some reports that can fill gaps in our series. For more information on that see https://trailguides.crl.edu/series/gapfill
Technical Reports made their way to libraries through a variety of means, and most of you can withdraw following your local library rules. The exception is if they were distributed through the Government Publishing Office’s (GPO) Federal Depository Library Program. These reports should be stamped on the cover that they are a depository item and have the date the library received them. (Note that sometimes reports are donated and may be housed in the Depository collection, but are not depository items, they should be stamped differently). Reports with depository stamps need to be disposed of following the rules of the Regional Federal Depository Library (FDL). Most FDLs are selective libraries, and they can withdraw items that were deposited in their library that have been held for five years and upon approval by your Regional after offering them to other libraries. Each Regional will have their own rules on how to get the approval, and most use the GPO’s online tool FDLP eXchange that allows you to post items you are withdrawing so that other libraries can claim them for their libraries. https://www.fdlp.gov/collection-tools/fdlp-eXchange. TRAIL’s needs are posted on FDLP eXchange.
Here are some links for more information on how to input the reports into FDLP eXchange:
Offering Serials or Multi-volume Sets as Ranges - https://www.fdlp.gov/offering-serials-or-multi-volume-sets-as-ranges
Offering Serials or Multi-volume Sets as Individual Items - https://www.fdlp.gov/offering-serials-or-multi-volume-sets-as-individual-items
