Russell tapped for GPO post

Judith Russell, an electronic information expert and trained librarian, has been named the new superintendent of documents at the Government Printing Office.

Russell, 58, was named to the position in December by Bruce James, public printer of the United States, and begins her new job Jan. 6.

The first woman to be named to the post, Russell will be in charge of ensuring that the public has the best possible access to government information.

"A fundamental part of the job is ensuring access, not just today, but for future researchers who want to check policy over time," Russell said in a telephone interview.

Prior to her appointment, Russell served as deputy director of the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, the federal agency that advises the president and Congress on the information needs of the public.

From 1991 to 1996, Russell was director of GPO's Office of Electronic Information Services where she helped establish GPO Access (www.gpo.gov/gpoaccess), one of the federal government's most heavily used Web sites that provides online access to the Code of Federal Regulat

She also led the development of GPO's 1996 report to Congress on how to make a successful transition to a more electronic federal depository library program.

In making the appointment, James said Russell "will bring to all of the superintendent of documents' operations a clear vision for the 21st century and a determination to remake our services to meet the expectations of our customers."

Russell is a graduate of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where she received a master's degree in library science.