From lpsmail@access.digex.net Thu Nov 14 11:37:39 1996 Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 07:54:52 -0600 From: Shipment Reply-To: Discussion of Government Document Issues To: Multiple recipients of list GOVDOC-L Subject: ADNOTES: LIBRARY PROGRAMS SERVICE UPDATE THE MESSAGE BELOW IS FROM ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES, VOL. 17, #16 (Nov. 15, 1996) Library Programs Service Update Remarks by Gil Baldwin Chief, Library Division Library Programs Service U.S. Government Printing Office Depository Library Council to the Public Printer Monday, October 21, 1996 Salt Lake City, Utah Introduction Good morning, everyone. I'm pleased to be here today to talk about the healthy state of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). This has been a truly watershed year for the FDLP; one in which we together designed our future and began to carry it out. In this election year, we've been hearing a lot about bridges: to the past, to the 21st century. I think it's fair to say that together, we have built the bridge to the future, one which ensures the continued vitality of our program, and its role in keeping the public informed. However, we have not burned our bridges behind us. Our approach to changing this program is evolutionary, and it builds upon the historic strengths of the FDLP: geographic distribution, centralized services, and the dedication and skills of documents librarians who are the first line of service to the public. 1996 is memorable for the intensive review and planning for the future of the FDLP which took place in the context of the "Study to Identify Measures Necessary for a Successful Transition to a More Electronic Federal Depository Library Program." The basic future direction and timetable for incorporating electronic information into the FDLP were developed in close consort with the depository library community, and generally accepted by the Congress. But it was also a year marked by progress in every area of LPS in effectively moving toward a more electronic program. As a result of articulating our principles and goals, and the short- and long-term planning efforts, LPS is better able to balance the complex issues attending the transition to electronic information dissemination and our ongoing traditional services. Every area of LPS has benefitted from the planning process and has made real strides toward incorporating electronic Government information products into the FDLP, bringing the results of transition projects into the regular day-to-day life of the operation. Some highlights for FY 1996 include: * The first "Internet-only" products appeared in the FDLP; * Subscription fees to GPO Access were eliminated; usage exceeded 3 million downloads per month; * The Monthly Catalog CD-ROM and pamphlet editions were published; * Pathway Services were developed and introduced; * A basic electronic information service requirement was established for depository libraries. Study Report: Strategic Plan The public comments in response to the Transition Plan, which was submitted with our FY 1997 budget request, led directly to the development of the Strategic Plan included in the June 1996 Study Report. The Strategic Plan proposed a more gradual transition, during the period from FY 1996 through FY 2001. It emphasizes incorporating electronic information into the existing structure of the FDLP. The Plan reflects the views and advice of the library community, Federal publishing agencies, and users of Government information. Library community, and especially Council input was critical in establishing the more gradual transition timetable, in emphasizing appropriate formats, and in embracing the responsibility to guarantee permanent public access to electronic information. Input from both publishing agencies and depository libraries stated that the more gradual transition is more realistic and cost-effective since it would allow GPO to change to electronic information as rapidly as the publishing agencies can produce it and the libraries can absorb it. This view was accepted by the Congress during the consideration of GPO's FY 1997 appropriations request. In accordance with the Strategic Plan, the FDLP is providing Government information products in a variety of formats to the depository libraries. Electronic information is being made accessible to the public directly or through depository libraries from a system of Government electronic information services administered by GPO, other Government agencies, or institutions acting as agents for the Government. The Pathway Services are identifying and connecting users to electronic information products and services of GPO and other agencies. We are working to obtain electronic source files from agencies, such as the Department of Energy, for mounting on GPO Access. Tangible Government information products, including CD-ROMs, diskettes, paper, or microfiche, continue to be distributed to libraries although the volume is declining. Legislative Changes Which Support the Transition Substantial changes in the FDLP already are underway within the structure of the existing statute. GPO is acting upon its existing statutory authority to incorporate electronic Government information products into the FDLP. However, certain amendments to Chapter 19 of Title 44 would facilitate the transition. For example, it should be established without question that electronic Government information must be included in the FDLP, to establish authority and responsibility for the FDLP to ensure that both tangible and electronic Government information products are maintained permanently for depository library and public access, and to authorize the Superintendent of Documents to request that the originating agencies provide electronic source data files of their information products. Some suggestions for legislative changes, which incorporate the advice of various program stakeholders, are included in the Study Report. At the request of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, a detailed proposal for revising Chapter 19 was prepared and forwarded to the Committee for consideration. This proposal and a summary of its key points were published in the August 30, 1996, issue of Administrative Notes (v. 17, no. 12). We want to thank the many people outside of GPO who contributed to this effort. This includes those who worked on the task of an "evaluation of current laws governing the FDLP and recommendation of legislative changes" as part of the Study, Depository Library Council members, and the many people who spent many hours on this at the American Library Association annual conference in New York. We made every effort to have an open process of involvement and consultation, and we feel the results demonstrate that. Usage of the FDLP and GPO Access Based on the number of users, the FDLP continues to be a principal mechanism to meet the Government information needs of the American public. The 1989 McClure and Hernon study estimated that there was "a minimum of 167,000 [depository] users, per week ... in academic and public libraries." In the 1995 Biennial Survey of Depository Libraries, GPO collected updated estimates on the number of users of all depository libraries. The Biennial Survey responses, from virtually every depository library, yielded an estimate that 189,000 to 237,000 persons used FDLP information each week. We designed the Biennial Survey question with the idea of getting data on more than just the face-to-face transactions which occur in the library, so the question was intended to cover electronic transactions such as e-mail reference inquiries. In addition, users are also getting Government information directly from the GPO Access service at a rapidly growing rate. Users are downloading an average of 2.5 million documents per month from over 70 databases. You won't be surprised to hear that system usage has expanded significantly since the user fee requirement for GPO Access was eliminated in December 1995. Library Service Requirements If you'd indulge me for a minute here, I'd like to ask one of those aerobic questions. Could we have a show of hands from everyone from a depository library which offers public access to Government information on the Web? In May 1996 we advised the depository community that technical requirements for serving the public with electronic information would become mandatory by October 1, 1996. All depositories are expected to offer public users access to work stations with a graphical user interface, CD-ROM capability, Internet connections, and the ability to access Government information via the World Wide Web. This system-wide capability is valued by publishing agencies, since when we go to promote participation in the FDLP, one of the first questions is usually "What can the libraries handle?" Last spring we also issued a revised set of "Recommended Minimum 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 public access work stations capable of using most text-based FDLP electronic information products. We were later advised that work stations which conform to the "Recommended Minimum Specifications" may be inadequate for electronic spatial data, to run Geographic Information System (GIS) software, or to print maps from electronic sources. The Cartographic Users Advisory Council (CUAC) then assisted LPS in the development of a supplemental set of specifications to support spatial data applications, which we published in June 1996. In this context, questions have come up concerning how GPO will treat the work station recommendations and the related requirement to provide public access to electronic Government information products. By now, each depository should be able to offer the public access to Government information products disseminated via the Internet. During a depository inspection, this capability will be considered in the context of Physical Facilities, along with other matters such as adequate space, shelving, microfiche storage, and so forth. LPS will use a functional approach to determine compliance with the public access requirement. The LPS inspector will focus on the depository library's ability to provide public access to electronic FDLP information. The method selected by the depository library to meet this public access requirement is a local determination, and we expect to see, and welcome, a lot of creative solutions. For example, public access to Government information provided via the Internet may be provided either through mediated searches, or by allowing members of the public to use depository library work stations on their own. In making such decisions, depository librarians should keep in mind the "rule of thumb" that services associated with FDLP information products should be at the same level as those accorded to products which are purchased for the library's collection. To assist depositories in promoting their electronic capabilities we are also working on a packet of promotional materials for distribution to all depositories. We've ordered a new run of lapel pins, printed decals of all types (electronic and "classic," for doors or windows), and we have a prototype of screen saver software with the FDLP electronic logo. Revised order forms for "Depository Promotional Materials" are being prepared along with some clip art. We hope to have the packet out to you by early 1997. Superintendent of Documents Web Site We continue to enhance the Superintendent of Documents Web site, which provides users a single point of entry for all of GPO's electronic services. Key improvements include introduction of the Pathway locator services, redesign of numerous pages to reduce scrolling and excess verbiage, direct links from Monthly Catalog records to content on the Internet, the Browse Electronic Titles page, and the FDLP administrative information pages. Electronic Transition Staff LPS' Electronic Transition Staff (ETS) now includes Duncan Aldrich and Sandy Morton-Schwalb, who joined LPS on one-year appointments, as well as Lee Morey and Joe Paskoski, who are "on assignment" from other areas in LPS. The purpose of ETS is to identify, assess, and implement information technology solutions for the transition of LPS to a more electronically based program, with special emphasis on development of the Pathway Services. Duncan is concentrating on the issue of permanent public access for electronic information, while Sandy is working primarily in negotiating with agencies to expand depository access to their electronic information services. This afternoon, at 2:00 p.m., and again tomorrow morning, at 8:45 a.m., Lee Morey of ETS will be demonstrating the suite of Pathway services, including the Pathway indexer. One of our strategies is that ETS pioneers new electronic initiatives in a "project" mode, and then we incorporate them into our regular line operations. This helps raise general awareness and skills in dealing with electronic products, and moves the whole organization forward. Distribution to Libraries LPS' Depository Distribution Division (DDD) is responsible for the receipt, shipment preparation, and physical distribution of the tangible Government information products which LPS distributes to the depository libraries. LPS' FY 1996 distribution of tangible products was again down from the previous year. LPS shipped some 29,400 titles, compared to 44,700 in FY 1995. We attribute this decline to several factors, including the lengthy Government shutdowns, the budget uncertainty faced by the executive branch agencies, and the continued trend toward electronic publishing. We are hopeful that this trend may reverse somewhat this year, with the early resolution of the Government's FY 1997 funding. GPO Customer Service is seeing more business coming in the door already, and this is beginning to show up as increased receipts in LPS. In addition to what we shipped, depository libraries received some 1.5 million microfiche copies of nearly 12,000 Department of Energy (DOE) reports distributed directly from the DOE facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and over 210,000 maps directly from the U.S. Geological Survey. FY 1996 is the final year of the distribution of the DOE reports in microfiche, as the DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI) is terminating its microfiche operations and beginning its own transition to an electronic information management system. DOE/OSTI and GPO are working together to develop an electronic replacement which will keep this content available to depository libraries. Sandy Schwalb will report in depth on our progress with the DOE electronic data. Nearly all depository shipments continue to be delivered by commercial carriers. GPO awarded a new delivery contract to United Parcel Service, which now delivers nearly all depository shipments from LPS. Delivery by the U.S. Postal Service still accounts for less than 10% of all depository shipments. The Lighted Bin System was enhanced in order to replace equipment and reduce maintenance costs. LPS updates the Lighted Bin System with a daily download from GPO's mainframe of item selection files from DDIS (the Depository Distribution Information System). In addition, the reliability of the Lighted Bin System relating to the lamp drivers and LED displays at each throwing zone was upgraded by replacing the display units at each of the throwing zones with new, commercially available, off-the-shelf equipment. Electronic Transition Activities Now, I'll concentrate on LPS activities which support the transition. We defined a number of key transition tasks, assigned responsible individuals to oversee them, and developed specific steps and milestones toward their completion. This is consistent with our approach of bringing these electronic responsibilities into the line operations. Duncan Aldrich and I are providing general oversight to our transition tasks. We have identified four major areas for LPS electronic transition activities: * Acquiring content for the FDLP; * Ensuring permanent public access to official and authentic information; * Enhancing cataloging and locator services; * Providing support services to depository libraries. Acquiring content for the FDLP is Robin Haun-Mohamed's major responsibility, and she will be giving you a lot of detail next about individual products and negotiations with agencies. I just want to touch on two content-related issues, which illustrate some of the issues we encounter in the electronic FDLP. The first of these is STAT-USA, and the second is the bound U.S. Congressional Serial Set. STAT-USA Products in the FDLP For several months the Library Programs Service (LPS) and STAT-USA, a component of the U.S. Department of Commerce, have been exploring alternatives which would provide additional depository library access to STAT-USA's National Trade Data Bank CD-ROM (NTDB) and Internet service. After extensive review, we have decided to continue the present arrangement, which offers the most balanced mixture of products. Single-user access to the STAT-USA Internet service and NTDB will continue to be made available at no cost to depository libraries by STAT-USA. LPS will continue to distribute those paper and microfiche products which also appear on the NTDB or the Internet service as long as sufficient funds are available. The LPS/STAT-USA discussions involved using funds appropriated to GPO for the purpose of operating the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) to reimburse STAT-USA for its costs associated with additional depository library usage of these two products and services. Expanding depository access to the STAT-USA electronic products entails additional costs which would have been offset by eliminating the distribution to depository libraries of some 74 paper and microfiche products currently distributed to depository libraries and are also included on the NTDB and/or the Internet service. Here are some of the titles which could have been eliminated: the Army Area Handbooks, the State Department Dispatch, and Commerce's Foreign Labor Trends, Business America, and Global Trade Outlook. With the acceptance of the more deliberate, 5 to 7 year period for the transition to a more electronic FDLP, LPS is focussing our efforts on products which the Federal agencies are migrating to electronic formats. The longer transition period affords more time for depository libraries and users to accommodate these electronic products and services into their operations. Beginning with the October 1996 discs, the NTDB will utilize Auto-Graphics' Impact software. This software will not permit networking the NTDB CD-ROM. LPS is funding the single workstation use of this software for depositories which select the NTDB. Licensing fees for even single workstation use of this software will cost the FDLP nearly $100,000 yearly, so this software change is a major concern for us, too. There has been some recent GOVDOC-L traffic on whether the older DOS version of NTDB with the Browse software will still be around. Yes, but only for a short time. STAT-USA will discontinue the DOS version of NTDB by next February. Depository libraries which require additional access to the NTDB beyond the single-workstation level being provided through the FDLP by LPS and STAT-USA will have to purchase it from STAT-USA. STAT-USA has agreed to continue the "special, low-cost networking licenses" to depositories for multiple-user access to the NTDB through December 31, 1996. For up to 5 simultaneous NTDB users, the annual cost is $500; for up to 15 users the cost is $1,000. STAT-USA is continuing to provide a password to any requesting depository library for single-user access, and to date over 650 depositories have registered for this service. LPS will continue to act as the liaison with STAT-USA to establish and maintain these accounts. As with the NTDB, depository libraries which require additional access to the Internet service have to purchase it from STAT-USA. Bound Serial Set As you have probably heard, in the Legislative Branch appropriations language Congress directed us to change the format and distribution for the bound U.S. Congressional Serial Set. We have been directed to produce a CD-ROM Serial Set, and to limit the distribution of the paper Serial Set to regionals and one library in each State without a regional. Let me give you some detail on how we plan to deal with this direction. There's a more detailed handout on our plans for the Serial Set beginning with the 105th Congress which will get underway in January, 1997. GPO is now binding and distributing the 102d Congress, 1st session. Bound volumes will continue to be distributed to all current selecting libraries until the 104th Congress is finished. Using current arrangements, distribution of the bound Serial Set will continue until FY 1998 or 1999, when the 104th Congress work will be completed. Under H.R. 3754, depository distribution of the bound Serial Set will be limited to regionals and one library in each state without a regional. Distribution of the bound volumes for the 105th, 1st session will begin about FY 2000. GPO will investigate offering the bound Serial Set for sale. A survey to determine interest is under development. H.R. 3754 directs GPO to begin a CD-ROM product with the 105th Congress. Specifications for a CD-ROM Serial Set are yet to be determined, and we would welcome your advice or comments concerning its design and attributes. You can forward those to me or to Robin. Once in production, LPS intends to make it available for selection by any depository. The WAIS databases of Documents and Reports began with 104th Congress, 1st session. Some graphics-intensive titles, particularly in Documents, are not included. Distribution of slip Reports and Documents in paper and/or microfiche will continue. Language in House Report 104-657 indicates that Congress expects the distribution of the "slips" to continue. Permanent Public Access One of our most challenging project areas is to ensure permanent public access to official and authentic information. Permanent access to Government information is a critical issue in the electronic environment. The FDLP has always had the responsibility for providing permanent access to the official Government information disseminated through the program. Historically this has been the role of the regional depository libraries. Permanent access also is an essential element of the more electronic depository library program, but it will be more difficult to attain. It is too big a task for any agency or library to accomplish alone. It requires the development of a distributed system which includes all of the institutional program stakeholders: information producing agencies, GPO, depository libraries and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). To ensure permanent public access to official electronic Government information, all of the institutional program stakeholders (information producing agencies, GPO, participating depository libraries and the National Archives) must cooperate to establish the authenticity of official information, provide persistent identification and description of Government information products, and establish appropriate arrangements for their continued accessibility. To this end, discussions are already underway with NARA and the National Commission for Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS), and permanent access is a key element in our decision process about new electronic products in the FDLP. Duncan Aldrich will cover this topic in depth during his presentation. Cataloging and Locator Services A third major project area is expanding cataloging and locator services so that GPO can assist depository libraries and the public to identify and obtain access to the full range of Federal Government information. This project falls to Tad Downing, Chief of our Cataloging Branch, and he will update you on developments in his area. Depository System Support Sheila McGarr is in charge of our other major project area, support services to depository libraries. Since Sheila will be facilitating two other sessions during the Council, I will cover some of activities which this very broad task includes. As I mentioned we have again issued the updated technical specifications for computer work stations in depository libraries, most recently with the supplemental specifications to support spatial data, or online maps, applications. Sheila's area is responsible for these specifications, and we will update them periodically. Self-Study LPS worked extensively with the Council and the library community to develop, field test, and refine the depository library self-study, which will become a very important tool in the modified inspection process. Based on the voluntary use of the self-study we made some changes to make it simpler and more understandable. I thank those of you who took the time to use and field-test the self-study; your comments and experiences helped improve it for everyone. The self-study will be put into regular use in FY 1997, beginning with those libraries which were last inspected in 1989 and 1990. [The "Self-Study of a Federal Depository Library" was issued as Federal Depository Library Manual Supplement 3 in September 1996 and the template is available for downloading from the Federal Bulletin Board (FBB) and FDLP Administration Web page.] Conference Planning As always, Sheila is involved in the planning cycle for the 1997 Federal Depository Conference. It will be tough to top this year's success, but we'll try. She would welcome your suggestions for topics and speakers for next Spring's conference, so if you have an idea about a topic or a person, please let her know. I'm pleased to tell you that next Spring's Conference will be held once again at the Washington National Airport Hilton in Crystal City, on April 14-17, 1997. Within LPS, Sheila's area takes the lead in organizing continuing education efforts for documents librarians. We will have two planning sessions during this Council; the one on the Federal Depository Conference will take place tomorrow at 3:15 to 4:00 p.m. in the Imperial Room. Regionals Conference The other planning session, which will be this afternoon at 3:30 in the Fairlane Room, concerns a new event which we are planning for 1997. This will be a special, one-time-only conference for regional depository librarians. It is intended to strengthen the ability of the regional depository librarians to support the program as a whole, and to enhance the services which they provide to the selective depositories in their region. This effort is especially timely due to the changes associated with the expansion of electronic Government information in the depository program, and our increasing reliance on the regional librarians to be our "eyes and ears" as we attempt to scale back inspection travel. We intend for this to be a practical conference, with solid information which will showcase the "best practices" of successful regional librarians. We will invite the documents librarian from each of the 53 regional depository libraries. From those 8 States which lack a regional, we would invite the State library authority to designate an attendee, who should represent a leading depository. And we will invite the Chair of Council. All of the invited attendees will come at GPO's expense. In light of other obligations with Council meetings, Conference, the Interagency seminar, the library association meetings, and the academic year, we plan to hold this conference for 2-1/2 days in mid-August 1997. It will take place in Minneapolis, MN. This will reduce travel time and expense, as it is an airline hub, should have mild summer weather, and has a reasonable per diem rate. Best of all we have Julia Wallace, who has agreed to help with local arrangements. FDLP Web Page LPS's Depository Services staff and the ETS staff worked together to develop the FDLP Administration page which came up on GPO's Web site in August. LPS publications, such as the "Guidelines for the Federal Depository Library Program," Administrative Notes and Administrative Notes Technical Supplement, and the "Superseded List" are available for viewing or download. Meeting announcements and key LPS staff lists, linked with e-mail addresses, are also available. [The direct link is .] Beginning January 1, 1997, LPS will upload only the Tables of Contents from Administrative Notes and Administrative Notes Technical Supplement to the GOVDOC-L listserv. Those interested in the complete electronic text must use our Web site. A printed copy of these publications will continue to be distributed to all depository libraries in the shipment boxes. We are currently in the early stages of planning and developing applications which will allow the receipt of FDLP-related information via Web forms transactions. Applications under consideration include selection surveys, conference registrations, claims, etc., from depository librarians, and electronic information product notifications from agency publishers. Inspections The Depository Services Staff (DSS) conducted on-site inspections in 217 depository libraries, 13 more than in FY 1995. The number of inspections reflected the full travel schedule by the 2 inspectors hired in the Spring of 1995. As many of you know, full staffing for the inspection staff is four, but we've rarely achieved that level. One inspector, Joe Paskoski, is working with the Electronic Transition Staff. Greta Boeringer resigned in August 1996, and Carole Callard has indicated her resignation is imminent, due to family medical problems. So we will be down to one inspector. We hope to advertise for up to two new inspectors in the near future. So if you're interested in a position that's not just a job, but an adventure, keep on the lookout for our vacancy announcement. The redesign of the inspection program began in FY 1996, in the context of the planning process associated with the Study. This will permit some of the resources devoted to periodic inspections to be reallocated to FDLP system support and related services for depository libraries. With the adoption of the DSS-initiated depository library self-study as an evaluation tool for use by the libraries, the basis for inspections will be that which is specified in 44 U.S.C. 1909, which states that "the Superintendent of Documents shall make firsthand investigation of conditions [in depository libraries] for which need is indicated ..." Biennial Surveys Responses from the 1995 Biennial Survey of Depository Libraries were collected by LPS by the end of December 1995. Because the data was collected and compiled using the Teleform fax software, results were available to LPS sooner than any previous year. The survey data on the number of users served by the depository libraries, and on the libraries' utilization of electronic products and services, was timely and extremely useful in the Study process. But be advised - it's almost time to start again. It will soon be two years, and we expect to conduct another Biennial Survey in late 1997. Financial Situation Let me shift gears now from operations to finances. Significant progress toward a more electronic FDLP is being made, even with slightly declining funding. The Superintendent of Documents appropriation funds four programs: Depository Library Distribution, Cataloging and Indexing, International Exchange, and By-Law Distribution. GPO's FY 1997 funding request of $30.8 million for the S&E Appropriation assumed that some FDLP expenses, especially those associated with acquiring and shipping printed products, will decline as the use of electronic information dissemination technologies increases. However, we also factored in offsetting cost increases in other areas, such as expanding the capacity of the GPO Access system, acquiring, processing and mounting electronic source data files, and CD-ROM software licensing fees. Since December 1, 1995, when the GPO Access service was made available at no charge, costs associated with public use of the service have been borne by the FDLP. During FY 1996, FDLP funds have been used for such GPO Access system enhancements as additional storage capacity, dedicated servers for new databases and the Pathway indexer, and enhanced telecommunications capabilities. Congress has appropriated $29.077 million, which is $1.75 million less than what we requested. However, given the decline of tangible products in the program, we're feeling confident of our ability to move forward. There were some key items which we requested which were not approved, including: * The $500,000 for the technology grants. * $1.2 million was cut by directing that most Serial Sets be provided in CD-ROM, which we already discussed. * Finally, another $50,000 was cut from the S&E request by directing the conversion of the bound Congressional Record to CD-ROM. This saving is apparently based on the current cost of providing the bound Congressional Record to regionals plus one library in each state without a regional compared to the estimated cost of furnishing them with a CD-ROM edition only. Robin will giving more detail on the Record in her remarks. Congress, as expressed in the House report language, also recognized the validity of the more deliberate 5-7 year timetable for the transition to a more electronic FDLP, even though the House language refers to that timetable as "somewhat lengthy." Your input was clearly influential in convincing the Congress of the wisdom of permitting a longer period to adjust the program and accommodate the new technologies. Conclusion We are moving forward on a number of fronts in the transition process and, as you might expect, progress is not equal across the board. Some of the issues are difficult, and new projects have a way of surfacing overnight. But on the whole, we are incorporating electronic information to our program in ways that make sense. We have a good team at LPS, and we are open to hearing your suggestions and input on how we can improve our services to you. In closing I want to thank every one of you in the audience for your support of the FDLP, and your contributions to the planning processes of the past year. Your input has been invaluable to us and it's the key to designing services which are useful to you and to the public. Now I'll turn over the program to our LPS managers who provide greater detail on what's happening in their areas.