ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

WASHINGTON HOTLINE

Carol C. Henderson

Deputy Director, ALA Washington Office

(202)547-4440; (ALA0025)

NTIS.The Department of Commerce announced plans to issue a request for proposals to privatize the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) in the January 6 Commerce Business Daily. The Department intends to privatize the NTIS functions under the Federal Employee Direct Corporate Stock Ownership Plan (Fed Co-Op) concept, under which federal employees would exchange their government jobs for salaried positions with a contractor and be provided stock in the new firm. A conference with potential bidders took place January 29; an RFP was to be released within the month with a 30- to 45-day period for submission of bids.

NTIS privatization is on a fast track, despite the fact that both House and Senate have prohibited further contracting out by NTIS in separate legislation. However, final legislative action has not taken place on either the House-passed HR 2160, the National Bureau of Standards Authorization Act, nor the Senate-passed trade bill, HR 3 (S. 1420). An October 1986 Commerce Department report, "Privatization Proposal for the National Technical Information Service," concluded that extensive privatization would present substantial "policy costs and risks, those associated with U.S. competitiveness, national security, technology transfer, intellectual property rights and the availability of scientific and technical information."

The House Science, Research, and Technology Subcommittee, which held hearings on this issue last year, scheduled a new hearing for February 24. Legislators, especially those on science committees, should be urged to take final action quickly to prohibit further contracting out of NTIS.

GPO.The Public Printer’s recent initiative which would test the dissemination of electronic information to depositories by providing free data tapes to private sector providers was discussed at ALA Midwinter by Joseph Jenifer, the Deputy Public Printer. The library community has expressed serious reservations about such a precedent-setting test of only one alternative. A presolicitation conference was to be held at GPO on January 19, but was postponed pending consultation with the Joint Committee on Printing. JCP has since requested GPO to develop a plan with a variety of formats and providers in time for the FY 1989 appropriations process.

A Midwinter Forum on the implications of an electronic Depository Library Program was sponsored by the ALA Legislation Committee, GODORT, ARL, COSLA, SLA, and AALL in an effort to increase the visibility of these complex issues. A major ARL task force report, "Technology & U.S. Government Information Policies: Catalysts for New Partnerships," was discussed, as well as a GODORT committee report, "Government Information Technology and Information Dissemination: A Discussion Paper," and an ALA Legislation Committee paper commenting on the ARL report. The ARL report is available for $5 prepaid from ARL, 1527 New Hampshire Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20036. Contact Carol Henderson at ALA’s Washington Office for information on ALA documents.

In related actions, ALA Council adopted the following on January 13 during Midwinter: Resolution on Electronic Dissemination of Government Information to Depository Libraries (in (continued on p.199)