Library Juice 3:19 Supplement

Library Juice 3:19 Supplement - May 17, 2000 Depository Program drastically cut by House Appropriations Committee ALA Council discussion >----- Original Message ----- >From: Bernadine Abbott Hoduski >To: ALA Council List >Sent: Tuesday, May 09, 2000 9:17 PM >Subject: [ALACOUN:4658] Depository Program drastically cut by full House >Appro Com > > >Council Members, >The full House Appropriations Committee voted today, May 9, 2000 to >drastically cut the funding for the depository program. They argued that >the program could function as a totally electronic program. This in spite >of the fact that thousands of publications in the program are not in >electronic form and will not be since many of them are maps, reports and >other publicatins not suitable for electronic format. This will mean that >depository libraries will not receive paper editions of the US Code, Federal >Register, Congressional Record, CFR, hearings, reports, documents and many >other publications. >This will be the end of a permanent record of government activities and >publications in depository libraries unless libraries buy the publications >or receive one of the few copies that the publishing agencies may have in >paper. Most of these publications are not sold. >If we learned nothing else from the recent virus attacks it is the fragility >of our data bases and our access to them. The future of research and >knowledge about our government is at stake. Please email, fax, call or >write your Member of the House asp. Send info on to other list serves, >library directors, trustees, friends of libraries, newspaper reporters and >editors, public interest groups and anyone else who needs long term access >to government information. The press and the public do not understand the >meaning of this action. It is a good guess that many of those who will be >voting on this bill do not understand it either. Bernadine, Godort >Councilor > >Bernadine Abbott Hoduski Government Information Advisor, 100 N. Lamborn, >Helena, Montana 406-449-9974 > .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. From: Karen G. Schneider <kgs[at]bluehighways.com> To: ALA Council List <alacoun[at]ala1.ala.org> Date: Tuesday, May 09, 2000 9:40 PM Subject: [ALACOUN:4659] Re: Depository Program drastically cut by full House Appro Com In order to be persuasive, it seems to me that important components of our reply to this would include the following: * Descriptions of those documents that cannot be preserved online given the limitations of current technology (e.g. large maps, etc.) * Descriptions of the shortfalls in publicly-accessible online government documents (e.g., Federal Register archives prior to 1995) * Explanations of the labor costs involved in producing and recon of digital materials * Clear commitments to producing and preserving documents in digital formats I'm afraid that after a little thought, anyone could respond that most paper documents, except possibly for those published under rigorous preservation standards, are not "permanent records." Additionally, it would be hard to convince people that we need to have multiple copies of these "permanent records" distributed as they have been in the past. Documents such as the Federal Register have been available electronically for several years, and extensive, searchable backfiles have been developed. Even a "last copy" program, based on paper versions of electronic documents, would involve far fewer copies than there have been. Can we assume that GPO has had a retrospective conversion program in place, and that cutting this budget will eliminate the chances for moving documents to newer formats? I'm not for cutting the GPO budget--I'm for making a case that we need to continue supporting government publications, even if that means reinventing their publication process. Simply asserting that we need to continue publishing the same volume of paper documents exactly as we always have will be ineffective. Karen G. Schneider kgs[at]bluehighways.com Assistant Director of Technology Shenendehowa Public Library, Clifton Park, NY http://www.shenpublib.org .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. From: "Bernadine Abbott Hoduski" <ber[at]initco.net> To: ALA Council List <alacoun[at]ala1.ala.org> Subject: [ALACOUN:4660] Re: Depository Program drastically cut by full House Appro Com Date: Wed, 10 May 2000 02:08:41 -0600 Hi, I am not advocating things as they have always been. GPO and the Joint Committee on Printing (the committee I worked for) made GPO into one of the largest and most efficient electronic publishing bodies in the world. When I started with JCP in 1974 GPO was still using hot metal and it took 20 years for us to get them on the Internet. We passed the GPO Access Act which has resulted in free public access to much government information. The issue is allowing those libraries who wish to accept and preserve government information in permanent formats to receive them in this program. Most of the information printed at GPO is printed on acid free paper. The binding of the Serial Set and Record is done according to archival standards. The number of libraries allowed to receive the publications in paper has been cut back drastically over the years. For example only the regionals receive the paper Record and Serial Set. Bills are only sent in microfiche and electronically. Most of the publications still sent in paper or fiche do not have a counterpart in the electronic world. Microfiche is being phased out in favor of electronic versions, CDs and online formats. For example most Dept of Energy reports now go out electronically. The depository program is in the forefront of providing publications electronically and has been a stimulus to others doing the same. It is not an issue of whether the information is up electronically since a lot of it is and more will be added but a matter of having the information available and accessible 10, 20, 100 or 400 years from now. The experts that I have worked with over the years do not agree that information in electronic format is permanent and until the technology is developed that assures that it is, we as librarians should be responsible enough to require that information be produced in formats that are as close to permanent as possible. The Library of Congress and the national Archives insist on publications on permanent paper and silver microforms as a means of preservation. As far as conversion of older publications to electronic that is the role of the publishing agencies, not the role of GPO. GPO provides services for those agencies that wish to do that. Not so long ago as the middle 1980s we were told that you could not convert large pubs like the Record, CFR and USC to electronic format and make it work. We did make it work. But again that is not the issue. The issue is one of allowing librarians working with GPO to determine what should remain in dual formats and for how long, not for politicians to decide based on just saving money so they can fund their wage increases to decide for us and for the public. I could go on a bit longer and I am sure that the documents librarian in your own institution could give you a lot more history and information on the long term struggle of who is going to decide what is worth saving for posterity,the library community or the politicians. Bernadine Abbott Hoduski, Godort Councilor .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. From: "Karen G. Schneider" <kgs[at]bluehighways.com> To: ALA Council List <alacoun[at]ala1.ala.org> Subject: [ALACOUN:4661] Re: Depository Program drastically cut by full House Appro Com Date: Wed, 10 May 2000 07:08:56 -0400 Any appeal outside of the library community needs to spell out to the rank & file exactly why we need to save the GPO, and it needs to address current perceptions and speak to future goals. As you say, the public doesn't understand the issue. Like most medium-sized public libraries, we don't have a documents librarian. We now have access to a dazzling quantity of government documents electronically. To people who do not understand the breadth of documents published by the government, it may well seem that "everything" is available electronically. I know from having managed a federal government library that there are significant quantities of documents that are not available electronically... I distinctly remember drawers and drawers of special, one-of-a-kind microfiche that if lost, oh well, there it went. So you don't have to convince me that documents should be published in multiple formats. But I'm not the one who needs persuasion on this specific point. I'm still confused about what it is we are trying not to cut. What services do we expect to continue? Again, I'm definitely opposed to arbitrary cuts in library service, but can we express this issue in three points that the public would understand and agree with? Karen G. Schneider kgs[at]bluehighways.com Assistant Director of Technology Shenendehowa Public Library, Clifton Park, NY http://www.shenpublib.org .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Date: Wed, 10 May 2000 08:10:56 -0400 (Eastern Daylight Time) From: Stephen Labash <slabash[at]UBmail.ubalt.edu> Subject: [ALACOUN:4662] Re: Depository Program drastically cut by full House Appro Com To: ALA Council List <alacoun[at]ala1.ala.org> Although government docs aren't my speciality I'd like to comment on some of the discussion. Working in an academic library I can tell you there is no way that electronic access will work as well as the print versions of many documents even if both are available. For example, we circulate most of our documents which means hearings and various reports are available for students to peruse at their leisure. I don't think most people will browse a 250-page document online or print it out. Our students think of these documents as just another part of the library. And don't forget the issue of students who either don't have computers or don't have computers of high enough technical specs to efficiently use large electronic documents. We still have plenty of them. The Republicans have pushed cutting all sort of federal information programs because they feel too many of them make a case for programs they don't like or are critical of some of their pet projects. The Congressional Research Service and GAO have always had a reputation for high-quality, OBJECTIVE research. That's anathema to the Republicans that want to cut governmental programs and services. Cutting their budgets is a way of eliminating an alternative source of information. This issue is no more about "saving" money or moving to new technologies than it's about improving the quality of citizen participation. It's a ploy to cut back on any source of information that doesn't come from "private" sources. I draw your attention to the Bush's criticism of the census long form as being too intrusive. This data is often used to evaluate the need for governmental programs or to evaluate how well they work. That's something the Republicans don't want. I'm all for making a case for these programs but I think it's naive to think that this is anything less than another political ploy to attempt to reduce information services to the majority of Americans. Don't let technology drive decisions. Technology is only a tool. Goals should be set first and then we should see how technology can be used to meet them. Stephen Peter LaBash Maryland Chapter Councilor Head of Reference "Talk is cheap because Langsdale Library supply always exceeds University of Baltimore demand". 1420 Maryland Avenue v: 410-837-4269 fax: 410-837-4330 e-mail: slabash[at]ubmail.ubalt.edu .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Date: Wed, 10 May 2000 07:31:53 -0700 From: Sue Kamm <suekamm[at]mindspring.com> To: ALA Council List <alacoun[at]ala1.ala.org> CC: ALA Council List <alacoun[at]ala1.ala.org> Subject: [ALACOUN:4663] Re: Depository Program drastically cut by full House Appro Com The issue we should be discussing here is what's best for our public. In the library where I work, the people looking for CFR (probably the most-requested document) want it in hardcopy, not fiche, not online. p; Despite the broad availability of grants to buy computers, there are STILL not enough workstations to go around for most libraries. Until computers become as inexpensive, easy to use, and widely-available as personal radios/tape players/CD players, the public will want paper copies of information. (Even with information available electronically, the greatest cost in maintaining workstation is paper and toner for printers.) -- Your friendly CyberGoddess and ALA Councilor, Sue Kamm email: suekamm[at]mindspring.com "It's a mere moment in a man's life between an All-Star Game and an Old-timers' Game." --Vin Scully .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. From: "Bernadine Abbott Hoduski" <ber[at]initco.net> To: ALA Council List <alacoun[at]ala1.ala.org> Subject: [ALACOUN:4667] details on GPO FUNDING FOR FY 2001, IMPACT OF PROPOSD CUTS Date: Wed, 10 May 2000 13:20:13 -0600 MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Priority: 3 Reply-To: ber[at]initco.net Sender: owner-alacoun[at]ala1.ala.org Dear Council Members, The situation is much worse than even I the former Congressional staffer could imagine. Please read the attached for the gory details. It will also take away paper copies for LC and the national Archives. That take care of Karen's question about too many copies around the country, there will be no copies around the country. It also transfers Supt Doc to LC. This is a major change to the government information laws of this country. Done by an appropriating committee and not the authorizing committees. No hearings have been held and it has been done in secret. Bernadine Abbott Hodusk, Godort Councilor -----Original Message----- From: Baldwin, Ernest G. <ebaldwin[at]gpo.gov> To: GOVDOC-L[at]LISTS.PSU.EDU <GOVDOC-L[at]LISTS.PSU.EDU> Date: Wednesday, May 10, 2000 12:17 PM Subject: GPO FUNDING FOR FY 2001, IMPACT OF PROPOSD CUTS On May 9 the FY 2001 appropriations bill for legislative branch agencies was reported the out of the House Legislative Branch Appropriations Committee to the full House. This bill includes very significant funding cuts for the Government Printing Office (GPO) and the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). The following fact sheet highlights the impact of the proposed cuts on GPO and the FDLP. For additional information contact GPO's Office of Legislative and Public Affirs at 202-512-1991. Gil Baldwin Director Library Programs Service U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, DC 20401 202.512.1002 / fax 202.512.1432 email <ebaldwin[at]gpo.gov> *************************************************************************** GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE IMPACT OF CUTS CONTAINED IN HOUSE LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATIONS BILL FOR FY 2001 Total GPO appropriations, FY00: $103.2 million Recommended appropriations, FY01: $77.1 million Total reduction: $26.1 million (25.3%) Employment impact: will require the reduction of 435 GPO employees Other impacts: Proposed transfers of congressional printing funding and Superintendent of Documents operations will effectively disestablish GPO's statutory printing and distribution mission. Congressional Printing and Binding Appropriation Purpose: Pays for the cost of congressional printing FY00 approved level: $73.3 million FY01 recommended level: $65.5 million Total reduction: $7.8 million (11%) Employment impact: the cuts to congressional printing and printing for depository libraries would require a reduction of 350 employees in GPO's printing and binding operations (representing more than 25% of GPO's skilled production capability). * Provides no funding for the January 2001 COLA for employees paid under wage agreements approved by the Joint Committee on Printing. * Cuts funding for the Congressional Record Index and index personnel; the US Code; congressional serial sets; miscellaneous printing associated with the Presidential inauguration; all numbered documents; special binding; treaties; Our Flag; the Capitol Magazine; telephone directories; hearings over 3 months old; the Congressional Directory; visitors' gallery passes; blank paper used primarily by the Senate; Senators' copies of the bound Congressional Record and Senate distribution of the daily Record to public agencies and institutions; all GPO details to Congress; printing for the Architect of the Capitol; and other products and services. * Authorizes transfers of previously unexpended balances. * Transfers this appropriation to the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate in FY03. Salaries and Expenses of the Superintendent of Documents Purpose: pays the cost of 4 statutory information dissemination programs: Federal Depository Library Program (serving 1,337 depository libraries nationwide), Cataloging and Indexing, International Exchange, By-Law Distribution FY00 approved level: $29.9 million FY01 recommended level: $11.6 million (funding for Cataloging and Indexing and GPO Access only, plus closeout funds for eliminated programs) Total reduction: $18.3 million (61%) Employment impact: would require the reduction of 85 employees from GPO's Library Programs Service. * All paper and other tangible publications would be eliminated from the Federal Depository Library Program (about 25,000 government publications are available only in tangible format, including most congressional hearings, so public access to this information would be terminated). * Except for cataloging and indexing electronic titles, virtually all support services provided by GPO to Federal depository libraries would be terminated, including program administration, designations, product acquisition, classification, inspections, training, consultative services, and permanent public access partnerships. * Eliminates the distribution of tangible materials in the International Exchange Program, which is required by international treaty and in return for which the Library of Congress receives foreign government publications. * Eliminates the distribution of all by-law copies sent to the Library of Congress and the National Archives. * Authorizes transfers of previously unexpended balances. * Calls for a report on transferring the functions of the Superintendent of Documents to the Library of Congress. Revolving Fund * GPO's request for $6 million for air conditioning improvements is not fulfilled. The revolving fund will have to be used for this project. As a result, the costs of the project will have to be recovered through printing rates charged to Congress and Federal agencies and publications sales prices charged to the public. * GPO's FTE ceiling is set at the requested level, 3,285. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Date: Wed, 10 May 2000 15:41:16 -0600 From: Larry Romans <Romans[at]LIBRARY.VANDERBILT.EDU> To: ALA Council List <alacoun[at]ala1.ala.org> Subject: [ALACOUN:4668] Depository Program: Sample Letter Dear Representative Clement, Tuesday the House Appropriations Committee passed the appropriations bill for legislative branch agencies that included a 61 percent cut for the Salaries and Expenses budget of the Government Printing Office (GPO). I urge you to vote for complete funding of the S &E budget at $34.5 million when the bill comes to the floor of the House on May 18. As a librarian and advocate of equal access to information, I am alarmed because this drastic cut will have its greatest effect on the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), which provides government information for public use at more than 1300 depository libraries across the country. Such a move would limit the access by the American public to information that they have already paid for with their tax dollars. This is information people use to find jobs, to do home work, to start small businesses, to learn what their government is doing, and to expand their horizons. Some House Appropriations Committee members pushed for GPO to stop supplying print copies of publications and to move to an all-electronic depository program. As a Member of Congress, you have staff who can learn how to use the various government electronic information products, and Congress isn't cutting its own printing budget. Yet the Committee acts as if every citizen has his own high-speed computer, is connected to the Internet, and can figure out how to find the information among the hundreds of thousands of government web pages and hundreds of CD-ROMs. Almost anyone can use a table of contents or an index to find information in a book. Navigating your way through a maze of different CD-ROMs and web sites with different software and search engines is a much more complicated matter. Technologically savvy people would learn how to access the information online; the information poor would get poorer. Even the computer literate will suffer. Thousands of publications in the program are not in electronic form and likely will not be--maps, research and technical reports, and other publications not suitable for electronic format. Books are relatively permanent; much electronic information is not. Information available on the web often stays there only a short time. The love bug and other virus attacks demonstrate how vulnerable electronic databases are versus the permanent record of government activities that print sources provide. With the proposed budget cuts, GPO hardly will be able to insure that such information is remains available electronically over time. The depository program already is one of the great bargains of government. GPO supplies the publications, but the libraries supply the space to house them, the staff to help the public, and the computers, photocopiers, and other equipment needed to use the information. 9.5 million people used the depository program last year. And GPO is moving much of its information to the Internet at a rapid pace and in a responsible manner. It has developed GPO Access, the most user-friendly one-stop site for federal government information. In a recent month more than 21 million publications were downloaded from the site. So the House Appropriations Committee is moving in the wrong direction for funding GPO. Depositories need print copies of basic government books and periodicals and they need an expanded GPO Access that offers through a single site and search engine an easy way for Americans to access their government's information. We urge you to oppose decreased funding for GPO and to support increased funding. GPO Access should be renamed Government Access or Access America and should be funded at a level that will allow it to be the primary way that the public gains access to government information. Congress should fund the Government Printing Office and its print and electronic programs at a high level that indicates that your constituents' access to government information as a cornerstone of democracy. Larry Romans, Political Science Bibliographer and Head, Government Information Services, Central Library, Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN 37240-0007 phone (615) 322-2838; FAX (615) 343-7451 E-mail: romans[at]LIBRARY.vanderbilt.edu E-mail (home): larry.romans[at]home.com .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Letter from MICHAEL F. DiMARIO, the Public Printer =============================== May 11, 2000 The Honorable Charles W. Taylor Chairman Subcommittee on Legislative Appropriations Committee on Appropriations House of Representatives Room H-147, The Capitol Washington, DC 20515 Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing to express my profound concern and dismay with the appropriations cuts recommended by the Subcommittee on Legislative Appropriations last week and agreed to by the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, May 9. The cuts will mean the reduction of 435 skilled GPO personnel and the elimination of public access to a significant body of Government information, and could jeopardize GPO's ability to support Congress' printing and information product needs. Salaries and Expenses of the Superintendent of Documents. If enacted, the cut in this appropriation will have a disastrous impact on public access to Federal Government information by literally dismantling the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), the Government's primary and longest-serving information dissemination activity. Every one of the 1,337 depository libraries nationwide will feel the following impacts, as will the estimated 9.5 million people who use these libraries every year: *The 60 percent reduction in this appropriation will force our library program staff to be cut by nearly two-thirds, affecting 85 skilled information and library specialists and distribution personnel. Many of these employees are recognized throughout the library and information community nationwide for their expertise in the Government information field. The loss of their skills and capabilities from the public access arena will be incalculable. * Altogether, public access to nearly 40,000 titles, or the majority of all titles made available through the program, will be affected. Approximately 25,000 of these titles are available in tangible format only, as determined by their issuing agencies, not the GPO. By requiring The Honorable Charles W. Taylor * Page 2 all information dissemination to be in online format only, the funding cut will terminate public access to these titles, abruptly ending public access to numerous critically important Government information products, including most congressional hearings. Public access via depository libraries to Census 2000 data that will be released in the near future on CD-ROM will also be eliminated. * Another 15,000 titles are available in both online and tangible formats, such as the U.S. Code and Supreme Court reports. While electronic access to these titles may continue, the public will not be able to use the printed products, which in many cases are the official, authentic versions of these documents. In an age when public access to these electronic documents is susceptible to a broad range of problemsØfrom assurance of permanent availability to vulnerability to computer virusesØcontinued access in tangible formats remains absolutely essential. And it can be done for relatively little cost: the FDLP prints, catalogs, ships, and provides support services for all tangible formats for about $1.57 per copy, an incredibly efficient performance. * The funding cut will undermine public access to electronic Government information products. It will terminate virtually all depository library support services, including program administration, designations, product acquisition, classification, inspections, training, and consultative services. One of these services involves providing necessary locator services to online Government information products. Another involves working with agencies to ensure that new information products are usable by the public. Yet another involves establishing public/private partnerships to ensure the permanent availability of online Government information products. The loss of these services will be devastating to electronic public access both today and for the future. The cut to the Salaries and Expenses Appropriation will have other impacts as well: * It will eliminate GPO's By-Law Distribution Program, under which certain publications specified by public law are distributed at the request of Members of Congress and Federal agencies. Agencies that receive statutory copies of publications under this program include the Library of Congress and the National Archives. * It will virtually eliminate the International Exchange Program. Under international treaty, this program pays for the distribution of U.S. Government publications to 71 foreign governments that agree, as indicated by the Library of Congress, to send to the Library similar publications of their governments. Without providing copies of publications for international exchange, the Library is not likely to receive copies of publications from foreign governments. Mr. Chairman, at a cost of approximately $30 million annually - about 1 percent of the legislative branch budget, which is itself only a small fraction of the overall U.S. budget, The Honorable Charles W. Taylor * Page 3 FDLP and associated programs provide the Nation's citizens with access to the most comprehensive range of Government information available, all under the direct control of the public's elected representatives in Congress. It is a well-managed program: only two years ago, the program was characterized as "a valuable public service" in the congressionally-directed management audit of GPO conducted by Booz-Allen & Hamilton, Inc. Most importantly, the FDLP is recognized both nationally and internationally as a model of how best to keep the public informed. The funding reduction approved by the House Appropriations Committee, however, will destroy this program and along with it the Government's longstanding partnership with the American library community to provide the public with library-based access to Government information. I implore you to reconsider this decision and to restore our requested funding for this essential program and its associated functions. Transfer of Superintendent of Documents Operations. The Committee has directed a study of the transfer of Superintendent of Documents operations to the Library of Congress. Part of this requirement is to transfer an electronic FDLP to the Library of Congress. However, we already transfer databases to the Library for use on Library systems, such as Thomas, so the need for the physical reorganization of these functions is not clear. Moreover, GPO Access is not created by the FDLP. The congressional and agency databases created for GPO AccessØas well as transfer to ThomasØare the by-product of GPO's electronic printing systems. These are integral processes that cannot be transferred without transferring associated printing functions. Other Superintendent of Documents programs that would be transferred would be the sales and agency distribution programs, under which GPO distributes publications, on a reimbursable basis, to recipients designated by Federal agencies. It is true that such a transfer was passed by the House in 1993, but only after it had been amended to transfer the right to bargain for wages along with the Superintendent of Documents' employees. However, when such a transfer was studied by the Library in 1994 and again in 1995, the Library expressed reservations due to its lack of experience in operating large-scale publications distribution programs. Also, the Library had reservations about separating the publications distribution function from GPO's production/procurement function, under which publications are obtained for sales and other distribution programs on a cost-effective basis with minimal administrative burden and cost. The removal of the distribution function from GPO could si! gnificantly increase the cost of making Government publications available to the public. Congressional Printing and Binding Appropriation. This appropriation will be reduced by $7.8 million, or 11 percent, from the current year level as the result of a directive not to print any products not associated with the direct legislative business of Congress. The Committee has specifically recommended the elimination of the Congressional Record Index (which will result in the abolishment of the Congressional Record Index office, whose personnel are appointed by the Joint Committee on Printing). Also eliminated will be the 2000 edition of the U.S. Code and other miscellaneous congressional publications such as the Congressional Directory, the congressional Serial Sets, memorial addresses, and nominations, as well as Our Flag and The Honorable Charles W. Taylor * Page 4 engineering and agricultural reports submitted by Federal agencies to Congress, which are printed as numbered documents. In addition, funding is cut for Senate distribution of copies of the Congressional Record to public agencies and institutions, blank paper for the Senate, and GPO details to Congress. The elimination of funding for these and other publications "not absolutely essential to the day-to-day operations and legislative activities of the House and Senate" calls into question the availability of this appropriation for related products, such as printing for the January 2001 inauguration of the President; printing for other miscellaneous publications, including the Pictorial Guide, Economic Indicators, House and Senate telephone directories, and treaties; and printing for other numbered documents such as The Capitol Magazine, the quarterly Statements of Disbursements of the House and the semiannual Report of the Secretary of the Senate, as well as printing performed under resolutions (including the pocket Constitution, How Our Laws Are Made, and Our American Government). When combined with the elimination of printing for depository libraries and the absence of funding to pay the 2001 COLA for GPO's crafts employees, as provided in wage contracts approved by the Joint Committee on Printing, these workload reductions will force the reduction of 350 production personnel, more than a quarter of our production staff, whose value to Congress - in providing essential congressional printing services and making electronic information available via GPO Access - has been praised time and again by the Members and leadership of both the House and the Senate. Not only are their printing crafts services essential to Congress, but these same personnel make Government information products available online via GPO Access, which is made available for the use of other online services, such as the Library of Congress' Thomas. The staffing cut that this appropriation will require could very conceivably impact our electronic information services, especially if a RIF - which is enormously disruptive to the workforce - is required to meet workforce reduction goals. Accordingly, I urge you to reconsider this funding cut and restore this appropriation to our requested levels. Transfer of Congressional Printing Funding to House and Senate. The Committee recommends a study of the transfer of the Congressional Printing and Binding Appropriation to the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate in 2003. However, it is not clear how such a transfer would be effected. For the past three years, the amount of this appropriation used by the House has averaged 38 percent. The amount used by the Senate has averaged 26 percent, while joint and other items, such as joint committees, the Congressional Record index, GPO's Congressional Printing Management Division, numbered documents authorized by both chambers (Our Flag, the pocket Constitution, etc.) have averaged 36 percent. It is not clear how these items would be divided between the two Houses. Similarly, it is not clear whether GPO would remain the Congress' source of printing and electronic information product services under this proposal, or to what degree Congress itself will experience inc! reased costs and administrative burdens from the assumption of these new funds. Years ago, Congress created The Honorable Charles W. Taylor * Page 5 GPO's Congressional Printing and Binding Appropriation to address all of these issues, and I strongly recommend that you reconsider this potentially unwieldy and costly transfer proposal. GPO Revolving Fund. The Committee has not fulfilled GPO's request for $6 million for air conditioning improvements. Without an appropriation for this expensive project, the revolving fund will have to be used. As a result, the costs of the project will have to be recovered through printing rates charged to GPO's customers, including Congress. With less revenue coming in as a result of the appropriations reductions, the impact of this project on remaining revenues will be more significant. Mr. Chairman, if these funding recommendations are enacted, they will significantly impair our ability to carry out our statutory mission, and they will profoundly impact the public's access to Government information. I urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to reconsider them. Sincerely, MICHAEL F. DiMARIO Public Printer .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. From: "Bernadine Abbott Hoduski" <ber[at]initco.net> To: ALA Council List <alacoun[at]ala1.ala.org> Subject: [ALACOUN:4685] Killing us with kindness Date: Mon, 15 May 2000 16:53:24 -0600 Hi Council, The House Appropriations Committee dismembers the depository library program, receipt of posterity paper copies of publications by LC, NARA, Senate and House Libraries and international exchange partners with these kind words about the rights of citizens in their report to House. "The Committee recognizes that the public availability of government information is a basic right of every American citizen that must be maintained. The Superintendent of Documents performs an important role in making government information available to the public through the administration and operation of the sales, international exchange, electronic dissemination, and depository library programs. Dramatic advances in technology provide new opportunities for enhancing and improving such programs and activities, including their efficiency and econmy of operation. The Committee believes that the program for which the the Supt Doc is responsible could be performed with more cost effectiveness by making greater use of electronic information technolgy. Consequesntly, the Committee has reduced the amount of funds available to the Sup for mangaging and distributing copies of government documemts printned by or through the GPO." They then go on to say that all paper copies for by-law programs, international exchange and depository program will be eliminated. (By-law includes the national libraries, NARA, Senate and House Library, other federal libraries, free copies to non-depository libraries of paper Records, etc.) They reduce the program funding from $29,872,000 to $11,606,00. The other part of the bill eliminates the Congressional Record index, the Serial Set, the Congressional Directory, engineering and agricultural reports, memorial addresses, nominations, constituent copies of the Record, the 2000 United States Code and other publications not essential to the day-to-day operations of the House and Senate. The bill also divides the Congressional printing money between the House and Senate with no guidance on how joint publications like the Record and the USC will be funded. It recommends transfer of Supt Doc to LC. Looks like LC, who is also getting cut can pick up all the costs of distributing all govt pubs to the people. The Executive Branch wants them to take NTIS and the Legislative branch the rest. Of course no additional funding will be made available for them to do the job. If there was ever a time to honor the efforts of ALA since it lobbied in 1895 for a viable and strong depository library program it is now. Every member of ALA should be defending the work of our predecessors and looking to the future. Nothing short of the public's long term access to information about how their govrnment operates is at stake. Bernadine Abbott Hoduski, Godort Councilor Bernadine Abbott Hoduski Government Information Advisor, 100 N. Lamborn, Helena, Montana 406-449-9974 _____________________________________________________________________________ L I B R A R Y J U I C E | http://libr.org/Juice/ | | Library Juice is supported by a voluntary subscription | fee of $10 per year, variable based on ability and | desire to pay. You may send a check payable in US funds | to Rory Litwin, at PO Box 720511, San Jose, CA 95172 | | Original material and added value in Library Juice | is copyright-free; beyond that the publisher makes | no guarantees. Library Juice is a free weekly | publication edited and published by Rory Litwin. | Original senders are credited wherever possible; | opinions are theirs. 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