Administrative Notes Newsletter of the Federal Depository Library Program
Vol. 19, no. 08 GP 3.16/3-2:19/08 June 15, 1998
Item Selection Update Materials Mailed; Online Updating Takes Place June 1 - July 31
A packet of item selection update materials was mailed to depository libraries in late May. Each library’s packet contained a letter; a password sheet containing an additional password for agency electronic resources, instructions for the FY 1999 Annual Selection Update Cycle, and instructions for completing a survey of depository URL sites.
Libraries can make additions to their library's profile beginning June 1, 1998. Though items may be dropped at any time, they may be added only during the update cycle, which ends on July 31, 1998.
LPS no longer accepts “green cards” for making changes. Libraries with questions concerning information contained in the package should contact the Depository Administration Branch by fax at (202) 512-0877, or by e-mail at
New Mailing Contract Now in Effect
Potomac Business Center, Inc. (PBC) of Washington, DC began handling Library Programs Service (LPS) outgoing shipments Monday, June 1, 1998.
PBC administrators have extensive management experience and have also provided mailing services to various agencies within the Department of Defense and other businesses located in the Washington metropolitan area.
PBC has secured United Parcel Service (UPS) as a subcontractor. UPS, the world’s largest package distribution company, transports more than 3.1 billion parcels and documents annually.
Depository libraries should expect to receive their shipments through UPS. Washington, DC metropolitan area libraries may receive delivery through PBC and UPS. Delivery times will continue to be within seven business days after leaving GPO.
Please continue to contact the LPS claims office to report non-receipt of shipments or receipt of damaged shipments. LPS claims personnel can be reached on (202) 512-1024.
AN-v19-#08-6/15/98
American Community Survey 1996 CD-ROM Ready in Summer 1998
[Based on a notice issued by the Census Bureau.]
The first CD-ROM providing American Community Survey data will be available this summer. This innovative product from the Census Bureau will help you learn more about what the American Community Survey offers--an economic, demographic, and housing database that is timely and comparable across geographic areas and for population groups.
This CD will be distributed to depository libraries selecting item 0154-B-14, under SuDocs class C 3.297:.
This first CD-ROM contains the data for the first four sites surveyed in 1996: Rockland County, NY; Fulton County, PA; Brevard County, FL; and Portland/Multnomah County, OR. The data are available in three formats on the CD-ROM: easy-to-read profiles of communities and population groups, Summary Tables similar to the decennial census Summary Tape Files, and Public Use Microdata for researchers to create their own custom tables.
Data users will find this CD-ROM a valuable one stop product for information about the American Community Survey because it includes information about why the Census Bureau is developing the survey; a copy of the 1996 questionnaire; information about the methods, concepts, and definitions the survey uses; technical documentation related to the data, and tutorial movies showing how to use the data browser and how to create charts and maps to display the data.
Since the American Community Survey will provide data every year, the Census Bureau has built continuous improvement into the program. If you have ideas for improvements to the CD- ROM, which could benefit your work, the Census Bureau would like to hear from you. Please send your comments and questions to
2 AN-v19-#08-6/15/98
1998 Recommended Specifications for Public Access Work Stations in Federal Depository Libraries
These recommended specifications are intended to assist depository librarians who are planning purchases of new personal computers (PCs) for public use in Federal depository libraries. This document supersedes the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) "Recommended Specifications for Public Access Work Stations in Federal Depository Libraries" (Administrative Notes, v. 18, no. 9, June 15, 1997).
If you have any questions about these specifications, please contact Lee Morey, Electronic Transition Specialist, at
RECOMMENDED NEW WORK STATION CONFIGURATION
COMPUTER
Processor
IBM-compatible Pentium chip, 233 MHz minimum. Consider 266 MHz or 300 MHz, and Pentium or Pentium II MMX processors. System board should be "ATX" form factor.
Memory (RAM)
32 MB minimum - 64 MB recommended
Ports
One (1) Serial One (1) Universal Serial Bus (USB) One (1) Parallel One (1) P/S-2 Mouse One (1) SVGA Video (if video is built into system board)
I/O Bus
PCI/ISA (should have at least four available slots after system is configured for delivery)
Video
64 or 128 bit PCI interface SVGA controller. Should come with 2MB Windows RAM (WRAM) or Video RAM (VRAM), and be expandable to at least 4MB WRAM or VRAM. Recommend the selected device provide MPEG hardware acceleration.
3 AN-v19-#08-6/15/98
FOR CARTOGRAPHIC DATA USE: 64 or 128 bit PCI interface SVGA controller with 8MB WRAM or VRAM
Audio
Sound Blaster 16 or better, or compatible (only if appropriate for library setting)
Drive Bays
One (1) 3.5" half-height (HH) Three (3) 5.25" HH Externally Accessible Two (2) 3.5" HH Internal
DISK DRIVES AND STORAGE
Hard Disk Drive
3.0 gigabytes (GB) or greater capacity, partitioned into smaller drives for quicker access time. IDE or SCSI interface.
FOR CARTOGRAPHIC DATA USE: 9.0 GB or greater capacity
Removable/External Storage
3.5" 1.44 MB drive. Use an older system for 5.25" floppy conversion.
Also, strongly recommend additional external and/or exchangeable drives, especially drives such as Zip or Jaz drives for downloading files too large to fit on a regular floppy disk, and tape drives for periodic backup.
CD-ROM Drive
16X speed minimum; 24X speed recommended. Single platter or changer design. Should support all available standard CD formats. Avoid proprietary I/O designs.
PERIPHERALS
Monitor
17" Super VGA (SVGA) Multimedia monitor, 0.28 dpi or smaller. May want to consider rotatable displays if in a technical services area or if users do a lot of word-processing.
FOR CARTOGRAPHIC DATA USE: 21" monitor, Super VGA (SVGA) compatible, with at least 70 MHz vertical refresh rate at 1024x768 resolution non-interlaced, 0.28
4 AN-v19-#08-6/15/98
or smaller dot pitch; display card which supports 1024x768 resolution at 70 MHz or faster.
Printer
Ink jet or laser printer. Must support PostScript. 10 MB memory, minimum. More recommended if using PostScript or color.
FOR CARTOGRAPHIC DATA USE: Color ink jet plotter, 36", 600 dpi, 68 MB or more memory, or access to a comparable networked printer
Keyboard and Pointing Device
Microsoft-compatible keyboard, plus mouse or other compatible pointing device. Strongly recommend ergonomically-designed products.
Internet Connectivity
Local Area Network with TCP/IP (strongly recommended) or Dial-up SLIP/PPP connection using 33.6 kbps or better modem (Internal modem would be advisable to reduce cabling and power requirements.)
SOFTWARE
Operating System
MS-DOS 6.22 with Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.11 or Microsoft Windows 95b (OEM release which includes "FAT-32" and other fixes) or Microsoft Windows 98 or Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Workstation
Communications
Package which supports multiple file transfer protocols; several terminal emulations such as ANSI-BBS, TTY, VT-100. Data transfer rates up to 56 kbps. Supports Hayes "AT" compatible modems; manages telnet sessions. Must have ability to "script" log-on files.
Client Software
World Wide Web graphical browser with forms support. Java-enabled browsers such as Internet Explorer 4 or Netscape Navigator 4 are required for use of some online databases
5 AN-v19-#08-6/15/98
(for example, the DOE/GPO Infobridge partnership). Also recommend ANSI Z39.50 compatible, GILS-aware client (for example, BookWhere 2000, ITS for Windows, etc.). Also, consider EINet WinWais 2.06 customized for use with GPO Access Wais databases.
Viewers
WWW graphical browser (see above) will handle both GIF and JPEG graphics. Additional PDF viewer and MPEG player; strongly recommend viewers for other file formats such as TIFF.
FOR CARTOGRAPHIC DATA USE: GEOTIFF file viewer. Viewing software for raster data, such as Photo Shop or Print Shop.
Applications Software
Consider getting an integrated "office suite" product such as Microsoft Office or Corel WordPerfect8 Suite. Otherwise:
Database
dBASE file format compatible or dBASE and ASCII comma delimited file importing database management software; useful to have fixed field format (SDF) import ability
Spreadsheet
Lotus .WK1 file format compatible software; support for other formats such as Excel and Quattro Pro
Word Processing
Software capable of importing major text file formats (Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, Multimate, etc.) and ASCII text files
Mapping Software
FOR CARTOGRAPHIC DATA USE: Data manipulation package, such as ArcView 3.0 or higher, Landview, MapInfo 4.5 or higher, or other similar packages
6 AN-v19-#08-6/15/98
RELATED ISSUES AND CONSIDERATIONS
These specifications are intended to assist depository staff in making informed purchases which will best achieve the goal of providing public access to Federal Government information in a variety of electronic formats.
These guidelines are aimed at providing reasonably robust workstations which should provide years of service before they become obsolete, but LPS encourages the purchase of equipment that exceeds these specifications if at all economically feasible. The speed at which computer capabilities are evolving indicates that the higher the initial outlay, the longer the useful life for the equipment.
Depository libraries must have computer equipment sufficient to allow timely and equitable public access to Government electronic information products and should allow printing or downloading information selected by the user. During a depository library inspection LPS will use a functional approach to determine compliance with this requirement.
LPS cannot anticipate or address every possible depository library computer scenario and depository libraries are encouraged to adapt this menu of specifications to fit their local situations. Depositories may require multi-purpose single workstations, electronic access in networked environments, or a combination of both. Given the large variation in the size of Federal depository libraries and the numbers of users served, LPS cannot recommend a universal standard for the number of public access workstations in any given library. However, when assessing workstation needs, librarians should consider such local factors as:
the amount of information provided over the Internet compared with the amount from CD-ROM
whether and how the workstations are networked
to what extent users are permitted to perform additional information processing at the public access workstations
whether users are experiencing extended waiting times at library peak service hours, etc.
When configuring workstations bear in mind that some government CD-ROM products now link to the Web to update information on the CD-ROM. This means that for the user to get the newer information and the full benefit of the product at least one workstation must have both CD-ROM capability and Internet accessibility with a graphical browser.
Additional or different capabilities may be desirable for workstations used by library staff. Some libraries may elect to add applications software, such as spreadsheet, word processing, or data base software, to their public access workstations, but this is a local resource management decision.
7 AN-v19-#08-6/15/98
Many depository libraries have existing computer equipment that is no longer "state of the art." These specifications should not be applied retrospectively to existing equipment, although they may assist in determining the appropriate time for replacement or upgrading.
LPS has deliberately not provided specifications for Apple Macintosh (Mac) or UNIX workstations. Based on responses to the 1995 and 1997 Biennial Surveys, Macs are the computer of choice for a small minority of the depository libraries. However, depository libraries which have a Mac or UNIX environment should assess their functional capabilities in light of these specifications.
LPS works with the Cartographic Users Advisory Council (CUAC) to develop any additional specifications which support GIS applications. These are included in the recommendations with the indicator FOR CARTOGRAPHIC DATA USE.
LPS anticipates updating these specifications annually. For additional information, or if you have any questions about these specifications, please contact Lee Morey, Electronic Transition Specialist, at
8 AN-v19-#08-6/15/98
GPO Access Continues to Grow Remarks by T.C. Evans Assistant Director, Office of Electronic Information Dissemination U.S. Government Printing Office
Before the Depository Library Council and Federal Depository Conference Monday, April 20, 1998 Arlington, VA
It is a pleasure to report on the continued growth of both content and usage for GPO Access. I would like to start by thanking the people in Production who work so hard to ensure that you are provided with the best possible services through GPO Access.
There are now more than 700 official Government databases available on GPO Access. These databases contain approximately 80 gigabytes of data and the total is growing by about 100 megabytes per day. Thousands more Government information products are accessible through GPO Access. In fact, a recent count designed to equate titles available electronically to paper titles distributed through the Federal Depository Library Program revealed a very interesting number. More than 100,000 electronic titles are available through the FDLP Electronic Collection. These titles include all of the products and services available on and linked to from GPO Access.
This total is dramatic evidence of the transition to a more electronic FDLP. The number of electronic titles has grown by more than 31,000 so far this year and will continue to expand as more content is added to our servers, additional partnerships are achieved, and more titles on other sites are bibliographically controlled and linked from our site.
As a result of Production’s diligent efforts to improve response time, increasing publicity, and continuing efforts to improve GPO Access utility, I can once again report a large jump in the number of documents downloaded from GPO Access. Over 34 million documents have been downloaded from GPO Access in the past three months, with 13.5 million in March alone. This means that almost 57 million documents have been downloaded in the first six months of fiscal ‘98, compared to about 46 million for all of fiscal ‘97.
User support contacts are rising as well, approaching 8,000 telephone and e-mail inquiries per month. The GPO Access User Support Team is now fully staffed, with eight specialists ready to answer your questions and planning is underway to add more specialists as workload warrants. In mid-May our support hours will increase, running from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. This increase results directly from an analysis of contact reports from our phone system and we will continue to monitor these reports to see if additional time is needed.
Personnel from the Department of Energy, Office of Scientific and Technical Information are training the GPO Access User Support Team this week, so that they will be ready to answer any
9 AN-v19-#08-6/15/98 questions you may have on Information Bridge. We appreciate their taking the time to perform this training as part of our partnership for public access to these important information products.
The results are in from both the FDLP and public surveys on GPO Access. Over 500 depository librarians took the time to complete the survey, or more than twice the number of responses received from the public. We appreciate this important feedback that showed that, while we are a success, there is still much room for improvement in GPO Access.
Several new services are available for your use on GPO Access. A new shopping cart feature has been added to the Sales Product Catalog application. With this feature you can order up to 20 products on a single order, selected from either the results of a single search or from multiple searches. There is also an opportunity for you to edit the order before submitting it to GPO. These are only the beginnings of the improvements that are planned to assist you in locating and purchasing sales products from GPO.
Two new agencies have added their GILS records to the many other agency records on GPO Access. They are the National Archives and Records Administration and the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents now contains data going back to 1995 and more will be added. The first quarter updates to the CFR are now available and the capability to search and retrieve subparts has been upgraded.
As always, I would like to close by thanking you for the feedback we need to give you the products and services you want. I look forward to discussing your ideas for improvement throughout the conference.
10 AN-v19-#08-6/15/98
GPO Access Selected as One of the "'Best Feds on the Web"
Award Draws Praise from Vice President Gore
GPO Access, the Government Printing Office’s acclaimed Web site, has been named one of the Best Feds on the Web by Government Executive magazine. The awards are posted on Government Executive’s Web site at
GPO Access, at
In making its selections, Government Executive said it picked “the sites we thought went above and beyond the typical 'home page'... Some of the better known and flashier Federal sites didn't make the list because we felt they didn't go the extra mile to serve their customers." To be designated one of the “Best Feds on the Web,” Government Executive said that each site must:
"Provide excellent customer service to the public by having a well-designed site that includes a large amount of useful information;
Use the Web to improve business practices in their agencies or across Government;
and
Make use of new technologies that other Federal sites should consider emulating."
Government Executive said GPO Access "provides free electronic access to a wealth of important information published by the Government. The site offers Government information databases for on-line use, individual Federal agency files available for downloading, and tools to assist in finding Federal information and user support. Through just this one site, you can access the Federal Register, the Congressional Record, the Commerce Business Daily, and many more publications. It doesn't get more convenient than that."
In a May 15, 1998, letter to Public Printer Michael DiMario, Vice President Al Gore congratulated GPO "for the excellent customer service you are providing through your Web site.” The Vice President said, “your organization continues to serve as an excellent model for other Federal agencies on how to provide an interesting and easy-to-use Web site, providing consumers hassle-free access to Government services. Your innovative Website encourages consumers to contact your agency and to take advantage of the many services which you provide.”
In response, Public Printer DiMario stated, “We are very pleased to have GPO Access recognized for the high quality of the services it provides for the public."
11 AN-v19-#08-6/15/98
GPO Access is one of the few Government Web sites authorized by law and has been in operation since June 1994. It is virtually the only Government Web site that provides access to information from all three branches of the Federal Government. Overall, nearly 141.9 million documents have been retrieved by the public from GPO Access in the past 4 years, and monthly document retrievals today average more than 12 million.
This latest award is one of many that have been won by GPO Access. Others include a 1994 Technology Leadership Award and the 1995 James Madison Award. In 1997, GPO Access and the Commerce Department jointly earned a Hammer Award from Vice President Gore's National Performance Review for creating the new electronic Commerce Business Daily, known as CBDNet.
In a recent review of GPO Access, Federal Computer Week said, “in a Web environment overrun by sites that are the equivalent of a Hollywood movie set, where style takes precedence over substance, the GPO site stands out as an unassuming, information-rich offering.” And in a recent management audit of the GPO, Booz-Allen & Hamilton, Inc., called GPO Access “one of the Federal Government’s largest and most active Web sites” and said that the site “has been highly successful in making Government information easily available to the public.”
12 AN-v19-#08-6/15/98
Vice President Congratulates GPO on GPO Access
OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
WASHINGTON
May 15, 1998
Mr. Michael F. DiMario Public Printer Government Printing Office 732 North Capitol Street, NW Washington, DC 20401
Dear Mr. DiMario:
I was delighted to read the recent article in Government Executive on BEST FEDS ON THE WEB. Let me take this occasion to congratulate you for the excellent customer service you are providing through your Web site. As you know, quality customer service is a top priority in the Clinton-Gore Administration.
Your organization continues to serve as an excellent model for other Federal agencies on how to provide an interesting and easy-to-use Web site, providing consumers hassle-free access to government services. Your innovative Website encourages consumers to contact your agency and to take advantage of the many services which you provide.
Again, please accept my heartfelt appreciation for your efforts to provide quality customer service. My personal commitment is to increase the trust that the American public has in our government. The only way we can achieve that goal is to restore their confidence by giving the public the best possible service. Your Web site is an excellent example of why I believe that we can achieve "America @ Our Best."
Sincerely,
Al Gore
13 AN-v19-#08-6/15/98
Correction to E-mail Address for Council Member Kaczmarek
On the list of members of the Depository Library Council in Administrative Notes, v. 19, no. 6, p. 12, please correct Paula Kaczmarek’s e-mail address to
SuDocs Letter: Destroy Defective USGS Document
[The following letter was sent to depository libraries in May.]
May 15, 1998
Dear Depository Librarian:
The Library Programs Service (LPS) was apprised by the U.S. Geological Survey that the Verification of Roughness Coefficients for Selected Natural and Constructed Stream Channels in Arizona, 1998 is defective. The U.S. Geological Survey will provide a corrected version for distribution to the libraries in the near future.
Descriptive information on the defective publication:
Title: Verification of Roughness Coefficients for Selected Natural and Constructed Stream Channels in Arizona, 1998, U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1584 Shipping List #: 98-0216-P Shipping List Date: April 27, 1998 Item Number: 0624 SuDocs Number: I 19.16:1584
I am requesting that you immediately withdraw the defective publication and destroy it by any means that will prevent disclosure of its erroneous contents. Thank you for your cooperation and prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
FRANCIS J. BUCKLEY, JR. Superintendent of Documents
14 AN-v19-#08-6/15/98
Readers Exchange
World Map Display at Central Washington University Library
Submitted by Thomas Y. Yeh Head, Documents, Maps and Microforms
On December 20, 1995, CWU Library received six sheets of D.M.A. World Maps, series 1150, 3rd ed., 1995, scale: 1:14,000,000. Our Map Technician, Brian Bach, initiated the idea of mounting the six maps together on a wall for display. Thomas Y. Yeh, Head of Documents, then approached the Friends of the Central Washington University Library, applied for and received a $400 grant to purchase a 7’x9’ metal frame, and also secured a matching grant from the Dean of Library and Media Services to purchase a 7’x9’ sheet of plexiglass for the purpose of framing the 6-sheet D.M.A. depository map, which was assembled by the Documents Department. This beautiful map is now mounted on the first floor lobby wall adjacent to the library’s main entry as a permanent display. It attracts a lot of patron attention and has become one of the library’s attractions.
15 AN-v19-#08-6/15/98
Public Printer Comments on Management Audit of GPO
April 29, 1998
Ms. Joyce C. Doria Vice President Booz-Allen & Hamilton, Inc. 8283 Greensboro Drive McLean, VA 22102-3838
Dear Ms. Doria:
Thank you for providing us the opportunity to review and comment on the draft final report, Management Audit of the Government Printing Office (April 15, 1998).
Report Affirms Continued Role for GPO. House Report 105-254, accompanying H.R. 2209, the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 1998, directed the General Accounting Office (GAO) to produce an “objective evaluation” of GPO’s documents sales program, printing procurement program, in-house production operations, personnel management activities, financial systems, and information technology programs (H. Rpt. 105-254, p. 33). The GAO was specifically instructed that its work “should not be encumbered by presupposing that GPO’s current operations…cannot be changed” (H. Rpt. 105-254, p. 34). In view of this charge, I am pleased that the independent review performed by Booz-Allen & Hamilton, Inc., affirms a continued positive role for GPO in the Federal Government in the production, procurement, and dissemination of Government information products.
Booz-Allen & Hamilton, Inc., found strong support in Congress for GPO’s in-house production operations for congressional printing, stating that GPO’s production area “consistently meets a demanding congressional production schedule” (p. 4-17) and that “GPO effectively satisfies its priority congressional customers and meets the variable demands and outputs requested by Congress” (p. ES-8). The report further states that GPO’s “production functions are geared toward rapid and consistent turnout of congressional products” (p. 4-17) and are “flexible and responsive to changing congressional needs” (p. 4-17). In addition, it states that GPO has “developed strong and cordial relationships with their contacts within congressional organizations and offices” (p. 4-17) and that GPO’s “communication with the congressional customer is frequent and regular” (p. 4-17). These are highly positive indicators of GPO’s performance in service of Congress, our primary mission.
With respect to GPO’s statutory mission to provide printing for executive branch agencies, the auditors found “universal support” (p. 1-7) among the agencies for our printing procurement program. The final draft report says “these agencies viewed this service that GPO provides as an example of ‘government at its best,’ and none of them felt that they wanted or could do this function better than GPO” (p. 1-7).
We are disappointed, however, that other positive statements concerning printing procurement which were presented to us in the March 18, 1998, project review briefing are not contained in
16 AN-v19-#08-6/15/98 the draft final report. These include the finding that “the Printing Procurement Department is dedicated to customer service and performs many value-added services which are transparent to their customers” (Project Review Briefing Document, p. 5-9), and the statement that “for some time now, GPO has been employing contracting techniques that have recently become recognized as best practices through the Government” (Project Review Briefing Document, p. 5- 17). Among other things, the project review originally stated that “long before the use of past performance in award decisions became a best practice, GPO was evaluating and collecting data on vendor quality and contract performance” (Project Review Briefing Document, p. 5-17). It also stated that “GPO’s term contract provides ordering features which the rest of the Government began to allow only within the last several years” (Project Review Briefing Document, p. 5-17). I urge you to include this information in the final report.
Concerning GPO’s mission to disseminate Government information, the draft final report says GPO’s depository library program “is well managed, provides a valuable public service, and is respected by the library community” (p. 2-52). Booz-Allen & Hamilton, Inc., found strong support for GPO to make an increasing amount of Government information available electronically, free of charge, over the Internet and praised the success of GPO Access (p. 2-32, p. 1-7). The draft final report says GPO Access is “one of the Federal Government’s largest and most active Web sites” (p. ES-15) and suggests that GPO seek additional funds from Congress to expand this program (p. 2-32).
The final draft report notes other positive aspects of GPO. It says “GPO has successfully implemented new I/T [information technology] capabilities in many parts of the organization” (p. 7-2). In GPO’s production area, it says “production has established important information access and dissemination systems and capabilities” (p. 4-13) and observes that “the Production Department is implementing state-of-the-art printing technology, computer-to-plate (CTP) to improve quality and throughput and reduce operating costs” (p. 4-16).
In GPO’s financial management area, the report says that “GPO has been a leader in providing Congress accrual-based accounting and financial statements” (p. 6-3). This service, which GPO has been providing since 1951, was only recently required of all other Federal agencies by the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990. The March 18, 1998, project review briefing stated “GPO has long-standing experience with business-oriented accounting systems that other Federal agencies are just beginning to adopt” (Project Review Briefing Document, p. 4-3). I urge you to include this information in the final report. The draft final report also notes “the high level of subject matter expertise” in GPO’s budget and accounting areas (pp. 6-7, 6-18).
Overall, these comments signify a continued need for GPO operations and affirm GPO’s performance of mission-critical responsibilities.
Procurement of the Congressional Record. Booz-Allen & Hamilton, Inc., cursorily reviewed the feasibility of privatizing the production of the Congressional Record. It found interest among the few private sector printers surveyed but was inconclusive on any savings and suggested further study would be required. Most importantly, it “found little support among congressional staff for relinquishing control of the in-plant production capability of GPO” (p. 4- 88).
17 AN-v19-#08-6/15/98
Based on long experience with Government printing, I have serious concerns about whether any savings can be achieved by procuring congressional printing. I also have concerns about the level of control that could be retained over printing that is essential to the legislative process if it is commercially procured. I testified at length on legislative proposals to privatize congressional printing during the 104th Congress. As I stated at that time, privatizing congressional printing would have a strong potential for leading to increased costs and compromising Congress’s control over its printing. Also testifying before Congress on this subject were two former Public Printers, one a Republican appointee and the other a Democratic appointee. Neither agreed that privatizing the printing GPO performs for Congress would generate savings.
If Congress decides to pursue this issue again, the overriding question to be addressed is the desirability of contracting out printing and other information product needs that are essential to the conduct of the Nation’s constitutionally-mandated legislative business. Within the context of history, such a move would represent less a movement toward reform than a revisitation of the past, when congressional printing was the exclusive province of private printers. The record shows that contractors frequently failed to perform on time or even to complete the work, and they generated enormous costs. Congress remedied these problems by creating GPO in close physical proximity and under close congressional scrutiny.
As the draft final report notes, strong consideration must be given to the “numerous qualitative and/or service-level impacts to Congress [resulting from contracting out the production of the Congressional Record] as they would likely lose some of the current flexibility they enjoy by having dedicated print facilities within a few blocks of Capitol Hill” (p. 4-88). GPO has taken a variety of measures, including equipment backups, personnel contingency plans, and paper storage, to ensure that congressional work is delivered on time, and it is prepared to work under any circumstances. In November 1995, and at the specific request of the Senate Majority Leader and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, GPO kept its production staff on duty during the Government-wide budget shutdown to support Congress’s constitutionally-mandated functions. Most Government contractors were forced to cease operations during this period due to lack of funding authority to continue operations. These factors must be weighed with great care in analyzing the privatization of congressional printing.
Documents Sales is a Governmental Function. I strongly disagree with the finding by Booz- Allen & Hamilton, Inc., that the Superintendent of Documents’ Sales Program could be privatized. As stated in the draft final report itself, the specifications for the audit called for an evaluation of “the appropriateness and adequacy of the policies and procedures involved in the management of publication inventories” (p. 1-1, emphasis added), not a review of whether the Sales Program is an inherently governmental function. In my view, in reaching this finding the audit not only exceeded its intended scope but produced an opinion that is not sustainable.
The basis used for reaching the assessment that the Sales Program is not an inherently governmental function—an interpretation of a provision in Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular No. A-76—is insufficient when balanced against the statutory provisions of the Sales Program or even against other OMB Circulars. Circular No. A-25, for example, provides for fees assessed for the sale or use of Government property or resources, such as Government publications.
18 AN-v19-#08-6/15/98
Title 44 clearly authorizes and requires the Superintendent of Documents to sell publications, an authority dating to the Printing Act of 1895. Section 1702 of Title 44 states that “the Superintendent of Documents…shall receive and sell [documents] under this section” and must turn over revenues received to the Public Printer. Section 1705 states that “the Public Printer shall print additional copies of a Government publication…required for sale to the public by the Superintendent of Documents.” Congress’s interest in the Superintendent of Documents’ Sales Program extends to the price at which Government documents may be sold and the value of discounts provided to book dealers (section 1708), and to the requirement that documents not needed by the departments “shall be turned over to the Superintendent of Documents annually for distribution or sale” (section 1720). When Congress recently enacted the GPO Electronic Information Access Enhancement Act of 1993 (P.L. 103-40), it included a statutory provision authorizing the Superintendent of Documents to charge for the online dissemination of certain products based on the Superintendent’s authority to sell Government publications (this information is now disseminated free of charge to meet strong public expectations for free access to Internet-based materials). Contrary to the statements provided in the draft final report, the Superintendent of Documents Sales Program is firmly grounded in both statute and a century of administrative practice and service to the public.
GPO is one of a several Government agencies authorized to perform the retail sale of publications and other materials, including the U.S. Mint, the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Technical Information Service of the Department of Commerce, the U.S. Postal Service, the Library of Congress, the National Archives, and the Smithsonian Institution. If Booz-Allen & Hamilton, Inc., wants to raise the question of whether a government organization should operate a retail sales activity, its review should be applied equally to all of these organizations.
The draft final report asserts that “disseminating government information to the public is an inherent government responsibility. We found no evidence that people believe otherwise” (p. 1- 7). These statements apply equally to the Sales Program and the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). Historically, the Sales Program and the FDLP have been viewed as complementary rather than conflicting. The FDLP provides no-fee public access to Government publications as defined by section 1902 of Title 44, while the Sales Program provides the public with a reasonably-priced means to obtain personal copies of a broad spectrum of Government publications on a cost-recovery basis.
Indeed, the Sales Program provides a remedy to the general failure of the marketplace to offer Government publications for sale. Congress has recognized and even encouraged the distribution of Government publications through private sector mechanisms, providing in section 1708 of Title 44 a discount for bookdealers and in section 505 a means for the sale of reproducibles to private sector purchasers. However, a private sector source for the range of titles offered by the Sales Program has never developed. Absent a private sector source, the Government has made the Sales Program available as a public service.
The value of the Sales Program lies in its being the official source for a broad range of Government titles. Many of these titles are for limited interest publications that would not meet the qualifications for inclusion in commercial sales programs. If the Sales Program were
19 AN-v19-#08-6/15/98
privatized the public would simply lose access to these publications. In its role as the official source of Government sales titles, the Sales Program now maintains a permanent inventory of certain “core” publications of the Government with enduring historical and educational value. The inadvertent disposal of some of these titles two years ago, including copies of The Senate, 1789-1989, led to the implementation of the concept of “indefinite availability” for these titles following a GAO review of the matter (GAO, Government Printing Office: Information on September 1996 Major Inventory Reduction, GAO/GGD-97-177, September 1997). In this review of Sales Program management practices, the GAO did not suggest that the Program is not an inherently governmental function. Neither did the GAO propose that the private sector should be made responsible for ensuring the indefinite availability of copies of The Senate, 1789-1989 and similar publications.
Absent a comprehensive market-based alternative, therefore, the Sales Program—including its nationwide network of bookstores providing local access to Government publications— continues to be necessary as a visible, convenient, public service. This service is funded entirely by revenues earned from the sale of publications, not taxpayer dollars. Since 1982, it has recovered its costs in every year but one (1996), and in that year actions were taken to restore the program to a sound financial basis.
I also take issue with statements made in the report which seem to attribute the decline in sales of Government publications solely to the free availability of information on the Internet. This is only one factor affecting the performance of the Sales Program. Cutbacks in agency publishing budgets and competition from private sector reprinters and other Government sales programs are contributory factors to the decline of Sales revenue. The decline in subscriptions to the Commerce Business Daily (CBD) predates its availability via the Internet by almost a decade. Reductions in the Defense budget (a prime source of Government contracting dollars) and widespread dissemination of CBD data to many private sector vendors that repackage and sell it in a variety of formats affected CBD sales. Federal Register subscriptions were also declining prior to its online availability via GPO Access.
Apart from these matters, the recommendations by Booz-Allen & Hamilton, Inc., to improve the operation of the Sales Program are well-taken. The public has the right to expect that Sales Program services are provided as efficiently and as economically as possible, with the foremost regard for customer service. We outsource Sales Program functions, such as processing payments through the Mellon Bank, when the outsourcing proves economical and efficient. In addition, as the draft final report notes, we are also currently making internal improvements that will “offer the potential for dramatic improvements in order processing and inventory management” (p. 2-24). We will use the draft final report recommendations to guide us in making improvements to the Program wherever we deem them to be necessary and feasible.
General Review of Draft Report Recommendations. The draft report contains a number of specific recommendations to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of GPO’s programs. These include recommendations for developing a strategic planning program, providing smaller spans of control for top management, improving customer communications and marketing, capitalizing on opportunities to increase revenues and reduce costs in printing procurement, improving internal communications and management information systems, expanding training
20 AN-v19-#08-6/15/98 opportunities agency-wide, and accelerating efforts to prepare computer systems for year 2000. GPO management is currently reviewing all of the recommendations and will take action to address them as it deems necessary.
We are particularly sensitive to the need to ensure the readiness of GPO’s computer systems for the year 2000. We are working closely with the GAO in this matter and are confident that we will be fully prepared. We will utilize the recommendations made by the draft final report to help guide us in making these preparations.
GPO’s printing procurement operation is one of the Government’s most successful procurement activities. The program makes effective use of available capacity in the private sector, provides a full range of contracting services to customer agencies, secures the lowest possible prices through full and open competition, generates jobs and tax revenues nationwide, and obtains millions in savings for the taxpayers each year. To the extent that this program can be made more efficient and effective on behalf of our customer agencies and the taxpayers, without compromising the level of service we provide and the policy goals that the program is designed to meet (and within available resource levels), we will utilize the recommendations to help guide us in making improvements.
Some of the draft final report’s recommendations would require major changes in standing policy in order to be implemented. For example, the notion that printing procurement jobs below a certain dollar level could be non-competitively procured in the interest of efficiency contravenes existing policy to provide full and open competition on all printing procurement orders. Similarly, the recommendation to add an additional shipping charge to GPO’s publication sales prices when standard postage is already included would require a substantive change in pricing policy.
Other recommendations have been reviewed before and rejected. With respect to the recommendation to implement a just-in-time (JIT) inventory system, prior analyses have disclosed that it would reduce competition, increase costs, fail to provide for items with long lead times, and restrict our ability to deal with emergency needs. We have previously considered and rejected recommendations to consolidate Engineering Service and Materials Management Service functions with the Production Department. These organizations, which provide services GPO-wide, function more effectively as separate organizations providing services on a charge- back basis to recipient organizations.
We also have previously reviewed and rejected the consolidation of all GPO I/T functions because it would mix the management (and job skills) of dedicated production I/T systems with business support systems having a GPO-wide basis. However, while a consolidated approach still presents significant problems, it is also clear that there are increasing similarities in I/T solutions for both our production and business support systems. There are increasing opportunities for cross-functional operations in these areas that can be utilized.
I agree that GPO needs to ensure that its internal control systems are functioning effectively and will take the necessary steps to ensure that they are. However, I am concerned that some of the recommendations in this area, such as the one regarding internal controls over billing, are
21 AN-v19-#08-6/15/98
overdrawn and not based on quantitative tests of billing data. Similarly, the identification of opportunities for human error in the acquisition, classification, ordering, and production processes in GPO’s Library Programs Service did not carry with it a quantification of the actual occurrences of error. We will monitor current internal control systems and make changes when necessary. Financial controls are also periodically tested in audits of our financial systems.
The recommendations concerning information management and communications with Congress, executive branch agencies, publications customers, and GPO’s employees will be useful to us. Effective communications with GPO’s customers are essential to our status as a service agency, and to our ability to market our products and services in the increasingly competitive Government information product arena. GPO’s employees also have the right to expect full and frequent communications from management. The recommendations on improving communications across functional areas and using cross-functional teams to address specific tasks will also be useful. GPO has had notable successes in this area—in the implementation of GPO Access, the development of the new Commerce Business Daily, and in other projects—that have demonstrated the value and utility of this approach.
Audit Indicates Need for New Investment. Many of the specific recommendations address a substantial need for investment to offset the effects of reduced spending and downsizing pursued by GPO in recent years.
Following congressional direction, GPO has downsized significantly in the past 5 years, reducing its workforce by 25 percent. Congressional direction for this was provided through reductions in GPO’s annual statutory ceiling on full-time equivalent employment (FTE’s). A policy of cost reductions has also been pursued in response to a pattern of declining congressional appropriations (appropriations declined by 7 percent from 1993 to 1998) and to offset reductions in agency work stemming from agency budget reductions, non-compliance with Title 44 requirements, and the transition to increased electronics. Part of GPO’s cost reduction policy stemmed from direction provided by the Joint Committee on Printing (JCP) to hold GPO’s printing rates at stable levels over the 1990-96 period. This direction was incorporated into two resolutions in 1994, directing GPO to break even in the final quarter of fiscal year 1994 and in fiscal year 1995 without adjusting prices. In response, GPO offset rising costs of production and materials with cost cutting actions in other areas, including staffing (both at the top management and line employee level), training, travel, employee incentives, and non-essential modernization and maintenance of buildings and equipment.
Investment for the future—the kind of investment targeted by the recommendations in the final draft report—has been minimized in recent years because declining funding levels have restricted spending to essential needs. I agree that investment is necessary to ensure GPO’s future effectiveness. For fiscal year 1999, I have requested that Congress remove the statutory ceiling on GPO’s FTE’s and allow us to manage within our own funding limitations, instead of being subjected to constant downward pressure on the ceiling from Congress. If it continues much farther, this pressure will eventually jeopardize our ability to perform even our mission- critical operations.
22 AN-v19-#08-6/15/98
However, there is more that must be done to address GPO’s needs for the future. I agree with the concept to ensure the appropriate level of staffing, including the use of effective recruitment strategies. I agree also with the need to increase the amount of training made available to GPO’s employees. I particularly agree with the need to expand our investment in I/T GPO-wide to improve information management, productivity, and product and service offerings. However, our ability to address these recommendations is conditioned on our ability to pay for them. In an environment of reduced spending, and in view of the critical modernization needs confronting our revolving fund, we will require increased investment by Congress through appropriations in order to fully fund these recommendations. Unfortunately, the draft final report makes no recommendation directly to Congress in this regard.
GPO’s Experience with Strategic Planning. Also minimized in recent years has been strategic planning, due to the continuing debate over GPO’s mission. In the 1993-94 period, GPO’s future was being discussed in terms framed by the “reinventing government” report of the National Performance Review. This report urged decentralizing executive branch printing authority to the agencies. In the 1995-96 period, GPO’s strategic outlook was dominated by proposals to privatize its operations during the 104th Congress. At the same time, the Justice Department released an opinion claiming that the requirement to use GPO is unconstitutional because of congressional “entanglement” with GPO operations through the JCP. In the most recent period, there has been discussion of Title 44 reform involving downloading JCP responsibilities to the Public Printer to resolve the question of constitutionality and modernizing the FDLP to facilitate the transition to a more electronic future.
The continued changes in public debate about GPO have not contributed to the kind of atmosphere in which effective strategic planning involving the entire GPO organization can thrive. Indeed, in an era of scarce resources, they formed a potent argument against making a substantial investment in the development of a strategic plan that would risk being out of step with changing thinking about GPO’s role in the Government. During this period, the best possible vision that could be articulated for GPO was one of downsizing and transformation to an electronic future. This vision has been communicated constantly to Congress, customer agencies, GPO employees, and other stakeholders.
I agree with the value of a strategic plan, and indeed GPO has generated a number of highly valuable planning instruments in recent years. At the strategic level, these have included the 1996 Study to Identify Measures Necessary for a Successful Transition to a More Electronic Federal Depository Library Program. Other plans have been issued at the tactical level, including Production Department planning for the implementation of computer-to-plate technology and Office of Information Resources Management (OIRM) planning for migrating from mainframe legacy systems to server-based solutions with commercial off-the-shelf applications. Planning helps to guide spending decisions, prioritizes agency decisionmaking, and provides a highly valuable communications tool to GPO’s stakeholders. I agree that GPO needs to reinstitute this process, particularly in view of the use of planning by other Federal agencies under the Government Performance and Results Act. Hopefully, the conclusions of Booz-Allen & Hamilton, Inc., in this draft final report will help to restore a consensus on GPO’s role in Government and provide an environment conducive to effective strategic planning for this agency.
23 AN-v19-#08-6/15/98
Once again, thank you for the opportunity to review and comment on this draft final report. Your findings will be useful to us in guiding GPO forward into the future.
Sincerely,
MICHAEL F. DiMARIO Public Printer
[The report is available at
24 AN-v19-#08-6/15/98
Upcoming Events
1998
Fall Depository Library Council Meeting Oct. 19 - 22 San Diego, CA
1999
Spring Depository Library Council/ Federal Depository Conference April 12 - 15 Washington, DC Metro Area
Interagency Depository Seminar June 2 -9 Washington, DC
Fall Depository Library Council Meeting Oct. 18 - 21 Kansas City, MO
25 AN-v19-#08-6/15/98
Table of Contents
Item Selection Update Materials Mailed; Online Updating Takes Place June 1 - July 31...... 1 New Mailing Contract Now in Effect...... 1 American Community Survey 1996 CD-ROM Ready in Summer 1998 ...... 2 1998 Recommended Specifications for Public Access Work Stations in Federal Depository Libraries ...... 3 GPO Access Continues to Grow / Evans, Council Meeting, 4/98...... 9 GPO Access Selected As One Of The "'Best Feds On The Web"...... 11 Vice President Congratulates GPO on GPO Access...... 13 Correction to E-mail Address for Council Member Kaczmarek ...... 14 SuDocs Letter: Destroy Defective USGS Document ...... 14 Readers Exchange: World Map Display...... 15 Public Printer Comments on Management Audit of GPO...... 16 Upcoming Events, 1998-1999 ...... 25
Administrative Notes is published in Washington, DC by the Superintendent of Documents, Library Programs Service, Government Printing Office, for the staffs of U.S. Federal Depository Libraries. It is published on the 15th day of each month; some months have additional issues. Postmaster send address changes to: The Editor, Administrative Notes U.S. Government Printing Office Library Programs Service, SLLD Washington, DC 20401 Internet access via World Wide Web at URL: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/dpos/adnotes.html Editor: Marian W. MacGilvray (202) 512-1119 [email protected]
26