Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

U.S. Government Printing Office
December 31, 1999

For additional information, contact the Office of Congressional, Legislative, and Public Affairs
U.S. Government Printing Office
Washington, DC 20401
Phone: (202) 512-1991

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In the past two years, GPO Access has remained one of the leading online sources of free, official Government 
information and the only such system mandated by law. Its publicly available resources, covering all three branches 
of Government, have grown to encompass more than 1,300 databases through over 80 applications, including the 
popular Congressional Record, Federal Register, and Code of Federal Regulations. As of November 1999, the Web 
site provided access to more than 104,000 titles on Government Printing Office (GPO) servers and over 62,000 
additional titles through links to other Federal agency Web sites. Due to its efficiency, the cost of the entire GPO 
Access operation has been much lower than originally estimated.

GPO's success in disseminating electronic Government information can be measured in part by the number of 
document retrievals made by satisfied users. Recent statistics indicate that GPO Access fulfills approximately 21 
million document retrievals per month- with a total of more than 228 million retrievals during fiscal year 1999 
alone. Complementing these figures is the praise extended for the level of service and scope of information on GPO 
Access. GPO's Web site has been applauded by Vice President Al Gore, U.S. Representative Steny Hoyer, the 
Center for Democracy and Technology, OMB Watch, and Government Executive magazine. Among the formal 
commendations it has received are the American Association of Law Libraries' first annual Public Access to 
Government Information Award in 1999 and the Hammer Award on behalf of Vice President Gore and the National 
Partnership for Reinventing Government, also in 1999.

GPO's constant efforts to improve and refine its online products and services have yielded abundant 
accomplishments. To further the mandates of Public Law 103-40, GPO has redesigned and reorganized GPO 
Access, developed a plan for permanent public access, added new applications and publications, improved document 
searches and retrievals, facilitated its indexing by Internet search engines and directories, and introduced the Online 
Bookstore, a site-search capability, a privacy and security notice, kids' pages, a help page, and exit pages. It has also 
made system enhancements to handle Web site traffic more quickly and efficiently. 

In order to achieve its mission and the broader goals of Government, GPO has established partnerships with other 
Federal agencies and educational institutions to save time, money, and resources. These partnerships provide 
effective, inexpensive methods of disseminating information, while eliminating duplicative efforts. Internet-related 
services that GPO performs on a reimbursable basis include hosting 15 agency Web sites and over 30 agencies' 
databases of Government Information Locator Service records. A partnership with the Department of Energy has 
been one of the most productive agreements, resulting in the provision of two new scientific information 
applications.

The user community is also an integral part of GPO Access. GPO educates users about the products and services 
offered on GPO Access through three primary means: training classes, demonstrations at conferences and trade 
shows, and the GPO Access User Support Team. In FY 1999, GPO staff conducted approximately 30 hands-on 
classes and demonstrations for Federal depository librarians, members of Congress, professional organizations, 
various other groups, and the public, both in Washington, D.C., and across the country. The User Support Team 
responded to an average of 6,500 inquiries per month, including approximately 4,350 phone calls and 2,150 e-mail 
messages.

Many of the improvements that have been made to GPO Access are in response to feedback GPO has received 
through various channels. On a daily basis, GPO monitors users' feedback about GPO Access from telephone calls, 
e-mail messages, faxes, and letters, which are directed primarily to the User Support Team. GPO also uses more 
formal means of soliciting comments and evaluations, such as user surveys and focus groups. Preliminary results 
from the most recent online user survey show that 35% of respondents use GPO Access at least once a week, 58% 
consider it to be "very easy" or "easy" to find information on the Web site, and well over three-quarters rate the 
timeliness of information, online user aids, and Web site organization "excellent" or "good."

GPO is continually enhancing GPO Access. Included in its future outlook are plans for standardizing all of the site's 
Web pages, integrating the sales applications, supplementing training efforts with an interactive CD-ROM and an 
on-site learning facility, activating a new order processing and inventory management application, and transitioning 
to SGML and Open Text software for certain applications. GPO's innovations and expertise in electronic 
information dissemination will ensure that GPO Access continues to be a leader of and model for Government 
information services.

OVERVIEW OF GPO ACCESS

Public access to Government information has been transformed by an innovative information technology service 
called GPO Access. Established by Public Law 103-40, the Government Printing Office Electronic Information 
Access Enhancement Act of 1993, GPO Access offers free electronic access to information from all three branches 
of the Federal Government.

GPO Access allows people worldwide to access Government information products electronically and to use those 
products without restriction, unless otherwise noted. It provides access to more than 1,300 databases through over 80 
applications, such as the Federal Register and the Congressional Record. More than 104,000 titles are housed on 
GPO Access servers, and links are provided to over 62,000 additional titles from other agency Web sites. Many 
electronic documents appear on the day of publication, exactly as they appear in print, and are the official published 
version. The immediacy of electronic publishing allows for pre-print updates to existing databases and the provision 
of products that lack a print equivalent.

GPO Access has been carefully designed, developed, and implemented so that it is easy to access and use. Numerous 
search tools locate Government information products by topic, title, agency, or keyword within one database or 
across multiple databases. Links direct users to related databases in order to facilitate their searches and to highlight 
connections among information products. An electronic ordering mechanism allows for the secure online purchase 
of print and electronic products. GPO constantly monitors user feedback and responds by making improvements to 
its services, developing more user-friendly interfaces and features to assist users in accessing the electronic products 
they desire.

GPO uses GPO Access to make online Government information products available to Federal depository libraries 
and the public with the goal of widespread and equitable information dissemination. Its efforts include providing 
GPO Access training and user support for Federal depository librarians, Federal agencies, and the general public to 
increase awareness of the service and promote its usage; identifying and providing links to official Government 
information on other Federal agency Internet sites; making the information on its servers available to other 
institutions and organizations; and providing electronic information dissemination services for other Federal 
agencies.

To service a large base of users with varying technological capabilities, GPO Access supports a wide range of 
information dissemination technologies, from the latest Internet applications to dial-up modem access (SWAIS). 
Methods compatible with technologies to assist users covered by the Americans With Disabilities Act are available. 
In order to accommodate people without computers, more than 1,300 Federal depository libraries throughout the 
country provide access to GPO Access through public-access workstations.  

The system's capability to expand to meet the public's needs and to store information indefinitely supports GPO's 
commitment to providing permanent public access to electronic Government information products. Recent statistics 
indicate that GPO Access fulfills approximately 21 million document retrievals per month, while helping Congress, 
Federal agencies, and the courts disseminate official Government information quickly, efficiently, and 
inexpensively. The convenience, timeliness, versatility, and simplicity of GPO Access have rapidly made it an 
invaluable public resource.


GPO ACCESS LEGISLATION

Summarized below are the key provisions of Public Law 103-40, the U.S. Government Printing Office Electronic 
Information Access Enhancement Act of 1993, which charged the Superintendent of Documents with developing 
mechanisms to enhance public access to a wide range of Federal electronic information products. <<Note: The 
successful implementation of this law requires the combined resources of many components of GPO.>>  

Electronic Directory, Online Access, and Storage Facility

The Superintendent of Documents is required to (1) maintain an electronic directory of Federal electronic 
information; (2) provide a system of online access to the Congressional Record, the Federal Register, and other 
appropriate publications, as determined by the Superintendent of Documents; and (3) operate an electronic storage 
facility for Federal electronic information. Collectively, these elements constitute GPO Access. <<Note: Senate 
Report 103-27 incorporated the Federal Bulletin Board, which existed prior to Public Law 103-40, into 
GPO Access. The bulletin board was given a Web interface in October 1994.>>

Departmental Requests

To the extent practicable, the Superintendent of Documents shall accommodate requests by department and agency 
heads to disseminate their information through GPO Access. In these cases, the publishing agencies will fund the 
initial publishing costs from their appropriations, as they do with current electronic information products. <<Note: 
This latter statement is cited from Senate Report 103-27.>>

Consultation

The Superintendent of Documents shall consult with GPO Access users and other providers of similar information 
services to assess the quality and value of its system, in light of users' needs.

Fees

The Superintendent of Documents may charge reasonable fees for the use of GPO Access, except to Federal 
depository libraries, which shall have access at no charge. <<Note: The cost of depository library access is to be 
paid from the Federal Depository Library Program appropriation.>> If fees are charged, they must be set so as to recover 
the incremental cost of dissemination. <<Note: To meet strong public expectations for free access to taxpayer-supported 
information online, GPO Access has been available without charge to users since December 1995. 

Status and Biennial Reports

By June 30, 1994, the Public Printer shall submit to Congress a report on the status of GPO Access. Beginning in 
1995, the Public Printer must submit to Congress a biennial report on the status of GPO Access by December 31 of 
each odd-numbered year. This report shall include a description of the functions of the service, including a statement 
of cost savings in comparison with traditional forms of information distribution.

Operational Deadline

GPO Access shall be operational by June 8, 1994.

MEASURES OF SUCCESS

GPO measures its online success in numbers and words- Web site usage statistics and verbal and written praise of 
GPO Access from award committees, Government officials, and general users. 

Increasing Web Site Usage

Of the metrics available for gauging Web site usage, GPO has selected document retrievals as the most accurate 
measure of service to the GPO Access user community, because they represent units of actual content delivered to 
users. Unlike hit counts, which record the number of times any type of file outside of a database is accessed, 
document retrievals indicate the number of downloads of both documents within databases and files outside of 
databases that have been identified as containing Government information content. The majority of the information 
content on GPO Access resides in databases that are accessed through CGI scripts.

GPO recorded more than 228 million document retrievals in FY 1999 at an average of 19 million retrievals per 
month. <<Note: Before February 1999, retrievals of files outside of databases were not recorded. However, prior to then, 
this type  of file did not comprise as much Government information content as it currently does.  This figure reflects more 
than a 66% increase over the total number of document retrievals for FY 1998. Even more striking is that the total number 
of retrievals for FY 1999 is 109% of the cumulative number of retrievals made between August 1994 and September 1998. 
Document retrievals continue to increase at a steady pace; recent  statistics indicate that GPO Access fulfills approximately
21 million document retrievals per month. With the size of each retrieved document averaging 44,000 bytes, approximately 924 
terabytes of information are downloaded from GPO Access every month.

Awards and Commendations

The enthusiastic reception of GPO Access, indicated by usage statistics and direct feedback, is complemented by 
commendations it has received from organizations, publications, other Web sites, and satisfied users. In the 
comments that follow, the success of GPO Access in providing and promoting public access to official Federal 
Government information speaks for itself.

In June 1999, GPO was named the recipient of the American Association of Law Libraries' (AALL) first annual 
Public Access to Government Information Award, which was established to "honor the achievements of those who 
have championed public access." In a press release, AALL commended the role of GPO Access in making 
"significant contributions to protect and promote greater public access to government information." A month later, 
Representative Steny Hoyer publicly praised GPO Access to the U.S. House of Representatives. <<Note: "Government 
Printing Office Hailed as Leader in Electronic Information Technology." Congressional Record 145:99 (13 July 1999) 
p. H5441.>> Lauding GPO Access' "leading role in electronic information dissemination," he mentioned a number of 
"prestigious awards and other accolades" earned by the Web site in the past two years. 
 
The prestigious Hammer Award was presented to GPO and the Department of Energy's Office of Scientific and 
Technical Information in 1999 on behalf of Vice President Al Gore and the National Partnership for Reinventing 
Government; it recognized the role of the DOE Information Bridge in contributing to a government that works better 
and costs less. The praise expressed by Vice President Gore in a letter to GPO in 1998 carried a similar message: 
"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 [sic] encourages consumers to contact your agency and to take advantage of the many services 
which you provide. . . . Your web site is an excellent example of why I believe that we can achieve 'America @ Our 
Best.'"

In August 1999, GPO Access was featured on a "list of five of the most impressive federal World Wide Web sites"
that "provide models and examples of the innovative methods the Internet offers to promote public access to 
information." In this list, the Center for Democracy and Technology and OMB Watch paid GPO the following 
compliment: "When we were not sure if particular information was online, this was the first place that we looked. . . 
. GPO Access may be the best-kept secret on the Web- the government should do more to inform the public that it 
exists." 

In 1998, GPO Access was one of 15 Federal Web sites- and the only Web site from the legislative branch- to be 
selected for the "Best Feds on the Web" award from Government Executive magazine. The magazine commended 
GPO Access for "provid[ing] free electronic access to a wealth of important information published by the 
Government. . . . It doesn't get more convenient than that." A review in Federal Computer Week the same year 
celebrated the usefulness of GPO Access: "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. . . . [A]fter repeated visits to the site, it's apparent that GPO has succeeded in truly 
opening up the raw records of the government . . . ." 

GPO Access was also spotlighted on a number of other Web sites. For example, GovSpot, a government information 
portal on the Web, identified CBDNet as a "top-notch tool for citizens, students, educators, businesses and 
government employees" who are interested in Government contracting, while USAToday.com named GPO Access a 
"hot site" for its provision of the Congressional Directory of the 106th Congress.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Public access to Government information has continued to be transformed as GPO Access provides the public with 
electronic access to official Federal information. A number of new applications and improvements to this service 
have been made in order to facilitate continued use of GPO Access by the public. 

Redesign and Reorganization of Web Site

In April 1999, a new GPO Access home page and second-level pages were released to provide users with better 
access to GPO's online resources. The new home page is available at <http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs>. 
Features of the new Web pages include an enhanced design, a new GPO Access logo, and a restructuring of pages 
and links to make accessing the Web site's information easier and more intuitive for both new and experienced 
users.

The Web site's navigation was also improved by the addition of a standard toolbar at the top of each new Web page 
and buttons on the left of the screen. The toolbar provides users with a quick means of returning to the GPO Access 
home page, getting help on the Web site, and submitting comments, among other options. The buttons link users to 
other relevant Web pages. In addition, a standard footer provides a link to the GPO home page and allows users to 
send e-mail to the GPO Access User Support Team. In compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act, the 
home page provides users access to the Web site through a text-only interface.

Permanent Public Access Initiative and the FDLP Electronic Collection

In tandem with other Federal agencies that are moving their publications to an online environment, GPO is 
transitioning to a more electronic Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) to provide permanent public access 
to electronic Government information products. GPO Access is a key component of GPO's strategy to achieve this 
goal. Forty-six percent of the titles added to the FDLP in FY 1999 were provided online. 

Title 44 of the U.S. Code (44 U.S.C. 1911) stipulates that public access to official Government information 
products disseminated through the FDLP must be maintained permanently in regional depository libraries and 
depository libraries not served by a regional depository library. Since online products are not physically distributed 
to depository libraries for retention, GPO has assumed responsibility for the provision of permanent access to 
Government information products residing on GPO Access. However, ensuring permanent access to the broad range 
of products in the FDLP Electronic Collection (FDLP/EC) extends GPO's responsibilities beyond GPO Access 
databases.

The FDLP/EC consists of four elements, all of which are covered by the permanent public access initiative:

- Core legislative and regulatory GPO Access products that will reside permanently on GPO's servers
- Other remotely accessible products managed by either GPO or other institutions with which GPO has 
established formal agreements
- Remotely accessible electronic Government information products that GPO identifies, describes, and links to 
but that remain under the control of the originating agencies
- Tangible electronic Government information products distributed to Federal depository libraries

GPO has released a collection-development plan, "Managing the FDLP Electronic Collection: A Policy and 
Planning Document," which further defines these elements and establishes a policy framework on which it will build 
specific procedures for the development and maintenance of the FDLP/EC.  GPO has also hired an electronic 
collection manager, who is responsible for establishing, reviewing, maintaining, and modifying a comprehensive 
plan that ensures permanent public access to products in the FDLP/EC. 

The FDLP/EC consists of over 166,000 electronic titles, including more than 104,000 titles on GPO Access itself 
and more than 62,000 additional titles on agency Web sites to which GPO links through electronic finding aids. 
Most of the titles linked from other agency Web sites have been brought under GPO's control through formal 
agreements that provide for permanent public access. GPO has taken steps to incorporate the remainder of these 
titles into a prototype digital archive as well, in order to ensure that GPO Access can provide permanent public 
access to information provided through external links. 

Furthermore, GPO has begun meeting with interested stakeholder organizations to discuss measures that GPO and 
other agencies are pursuing to advance the goals of the permanent public access initiative. Represented in these 
discussions are the Library of Congress, National Agricultural Library, National Library of Medicine, National 
Library of Education, National Archives and Records Administration, National Commission on Libraries and 
Information Science, Department of Energy's Office of Scientific and Technical Information, Council on Library 
and Information Resources, and congressional staff from the Joint Committee on Printing and the House 
Administration Committee. 

GPO Access is now recognized as the principal mechanism for incorporating information into the FDLP/EC. It 
ensures current and permanent public access to official electronic Federal Government information products, 
whether they have a print equivalent or exist solely in electronic form.

System Enhancements

In March 1999, behind-the-scenes service on GPO Access was enhanced through the implementation of an F5 
Networks BIG/ip Controller. Unlike the "round-robin" system that was in place before March, which distributed 
requests to the system in a preset order regardless of the load on each server, the BIG/ip? Controller distributes 
requests by routing them to the server that is carrying the smallest load at the time. The result is a significantly more 
even distribution of burden across ten servers than the round-robin configuration provided. During the last half of 
March, before the switch was made, GPO's busiest server handled 39.7% of the overall load, while the least busy 
one handled 14.3%- a difference of 25.4%. After that time, the discrepancies in server usage dropped dramatically. 
In September 1999, the difference between the busiest and least busy servers was only 0.2%. By equalizing the 
server loads, the BIG/ip? Controller helps to ensure that the system functions as quickly and efficiently as possible. 
Also in March, the system's bandwidth was doubled; the groundwork has been established to double it again in the 
near future to service more users simultaneously.

New Applications 

At the beginning of each calendar year, new databases are added to existing applications on GPO Access for the new 
year or session of Congress, such as the 1999 Federal Register and the Congressional Directory for the 106th 
Congress. Aside from these types of additions, four new major applications have been introduced on GPO Access 
since January 1998:

- The House Journal is the official record of the proceedings of each legislative day in the U.S. House of 
Representatives. GPO Access contains the House Journal from 1991 to 1994. Sections of the Journal may be 
downloaded directly as Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) files. In addition, users may perform 
a keyword search of one or more years and then download documents as ASCII text and PDF files.

- The Green Book presents background material and statistical data on programs within the jurisdiction of the 
House Ways and Means Committee, as well as information about major social programs outside of the 
committee's jurisdiction. GPO Access contains the Green Book for 1998 (Committee Print 105-7), which is 
accessible by keyword search. Documents are available as ASCII text and PDF files.

- The List of CFR Sections Affected (LSA) contains new and amended Federal regulations that have been 
published in the Federal Register since the most recent revision date of a title in the Code of Federal 
Regulations. GPO Access contains the LSA from January 1997 through the present, which may be accessed 
from a simple search or a list of monthly issues with links to the relevant information for each CFR title. The 
online LSA also contains the List of CFR Parts Affected Today, Current List of CFR Parts Affected, and Last 
Month's List of CFR Parts Affected. Documents are available as ASCII text and PDF files.

- Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States is an official series in which Presidential writings, 
addresses, and remarks of a public nature are compiled. GPO Access provides two methods of accessing the 
information in each volume: a traditional simple-search interface and a table of direct links to sections of each 
volume. The table of contents, as well as various lists, appendices, and indices, are available as HTML files 
with links to PDF files of the documents. The service was introduced with volume I of President Clinton's 1997 
Public Papers, and both volumes of Clinton's 1996 Papers were added a month later; previous and subsequent 
volumes will be added on an incremental basis. 

Notable Publications

Although not part of a database, some publications and reports were of sufficient governmental and public interest to 
be given special attention on GPO Access. They include the following subjects and titles:

- "Investigating the Year 2000 Problem: The 100 Day Report" from the U.S. Senate Special Committee on the 
Year 2000 Technology Problem
- "Report of the Select Committee on U.S. National Security and Military/Commercial Concerns with the 
People's Republic of China," also known as the "Cox Report" (House Report 105-851)
- "Unlocking Our Future: Toward a New National Science Policy" from the U.S. House Committee on Science 
(Committee Print 105-B)
- "Constantino Brumidi: Artist of the Capitol" (Senate Document 103-27)
- Materials related to the impeachment of President William Jefferson Clinton
- "Findings of Fact" in the antitrust case against Microsoft Corporation
- "Report on the Assessment of Electronic Government Information Products" from the National Commission on 
Libraries and Information Science

Improvements to Document Searches and Retrievals

GPO not only added to the total number of applications, databases, and publications on GPO Access, but also made 
improvements to the methods users can employ to find and retrieve documents.

- Electronic catalogs allow users to browse a list of documents available on GPO Access and then click on a link 
to retrieve a document directly as an ASCII text or PDF file. A catalog of congressional bills from the 103rd 
through the 106th Congress gives users the option of browsing all versions of all bills for each session of 
Congress or of browsing one type of legislation (e.g., bills, resolutions, joint resolutions) for a given session of 
Congress. Public laws from the 104th Congress to the present are also organized into catalogs by congressional 
session.

- Browse tables, like catalogs, allow users to retrieve documents or sections of documents by clicking on direct 
links to files, rather than performing a traditional search. Using the browse tables for each month's issue of 
Economic Indicators, users can download a section by subject or the entire issue as an ASCII text or PDF file.  
A browse table for the 1999 Congressional Record provides links to the first page of each section and to House 
and Senate roll call votes; only PDF files are available through this feature.

- Similar to the catalogs and browse tables described above, the table of contents in each issue of the Federal 
Register was converted to an HTML file that provides direct links to ASCII text and PDF files of the documents 
listed in it. Users can access the table of contents for issues from January 1998 to the present; the table of 
contents for current day's issue is also available as a PDF file.

- Although it does not have links akin to those in the Federal Register table of contents, a browse feature for the 
Congressional Record allows users to view the Daily Digest from the previous day's issue. The Daily Digest 
serves as a table of contents for House and Senate actions reported in that issue and for statements published in 
the Extensions of Remarks. It is available in two formats: ASCII text and PDF.

- Specialized interfaces for the Federal Register <<Note: The PDF page-retrieval feature for the Federal Register is 
available from the specialized search page for the List of CFR Sections Affected.>> and Congressional Record allow users
to retrieve a single page from these publications as a PDF file simply by entering a year and page number. Whereas a 
traditional keyword search using a page number as the query retrieves the whole document that contains a given page, this 
feature enables a much more specific retrieval. Once a page has been retrieved, users can navigate to other 
single pages with "previous page," "next page," and "go to page" tools at the bottom of the screen. 

- Direct links from documents in the 1998 Congressional Record Index to pages in the Congressional Record 
were established to make the online Index a more helpful tool for accessing the Record. After performing a 
search in the Index and retrieving a document, users simply click on a hyperlinked page number to open that 
page in the Record. The technology behind the "get page" function described in the previous bullet point makes 
this feature possible.

- The option of searching by printed date, which is the date that the text of an electronic notice appeared in the 
print version of the Commerce Business Daily, was added to the fielded search page for CBDNet.

- In response to repeated inquiries to the GPO Access User Support Team, instructions were posted on how to 
establish HTML links that retrieve documents from GPO Access databases. This type of retrieval, referred to as 
"get doc," uses a special programming script and a unique document identification number to open a file that 
otherwise must be accessed through a database search. "Get doc" was created at the request of Congress to 
retrieve pages from the Congressional Record, but it is available for all GPO Access databases and is a popular 
means for Federal agencies to put their notices from the Federal Register and CBDNet on their own Web sites.

Online Bookstore

Keeping in step with the worldwide development of e-commerce, sales applications on GPO Access were organized 
into a single point of access, the GPO Access Online Bookstore at <http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/sale.html>. 
This entrance page for the Online Bookstore presents links to sales applications, including the Sales Product Catalog 
(SPC), new product announcements, the U.S. Government subscriptions catalog, a list of CD-ROMs for sale, and a 
list of sales products by topic. It also provides locations of U.S. Government bookstores; a link to the Consumer 
Information Center's Web site, which sells GPO's products; and information about the U.S. Fax Watch service.

Multi-line ordering capabilities were enabled in the SPC, allowing GPO's customers to have an online shopping 
experience akin to what they may find on commercial Web sites. Before multi-line ordering was introduced, 
customers could click on a product's "order" icon and have the relevant ordering information (i.e., title, stock 
number, unit price) automatically entered into an electronic form for that item. However, if they wanted to order 
multiple items on the same order form, they were required to retype the information or "copy and paste" it from 
individual products' Web pages into the order form for each subsequent item. 

Analogous to a shopping cart, the multi-line ordering function eliminates these additional steps; it permits a 
customer to combine up to 20 different items in a single order simply by clicking on "order" icons for products 
found in one or more searches of the SPC. The new electronic order form also recalculates the total dollar amount of 
an order when products are added and quantities of items are changed. Although this feature is currently available 
only within the SPC and on a few individual products' Web pages, GPO is in the process of expanding it to all sales 
applications on GPO Access.

Further improvement to the sales applications was achieved by incorporating encryption technology into GPO 
Access. Encryption ensures private, secure transactions for customers who submit electronic orders by credit card or 
Superintendent of Documents deposit account number through the Online Bookstore. This technology is provided 
by VeriSign, a leading provider of Internet-based trust services and digital certificate solutions used by Web sites, 
electronic-commerce service providers, and individuals to conduct trusted and secure electronic commerce and 
communications over IP networks. <<Note: See <http://www.verisign.com>.>>

Another change to the Online Bookstore was the opportunity for each U.S. Government bookstore to customize its 
own Web pages on GPO Access. Many bookstores have already tailored their Web pages to local clientele by 
describing their stores' product specialization, providing detailed maps to their stores' locations, and including 
pictures of their storefronts or area attractions. More Web pages will be added as feedback is received from the 
bookstores.

Search Engines and Directories

GPO made strides toward increasing public awareness of GPO Access by pursuing measures that get its Web pages 
indexed in Internet search engines and directories, the primary tools used by the public to locate online resources. Its 
robot-exclusion protocol, which followed a widely respected standard that prevents the automated indexing of Web 
sites, was removed in September 1999. It had been in place since 1996 due to the concern that indexing tools- often 
called "robots" or "spider"- might overload the system and impair functioning of the Web site for regular users.

In order to achieve high rankings in search-engine results lists and directory entries after the robot-exclusion 
protocol was removed, more than one hundred GPO Access Web pages were coded with keyword and description 
meta tags. Search engines and directories that recognize meta tags use them as a more precise way of matching user 
inquiries to relevant Web sites than unordered collections of the words on indexed Web pages. <<Note: Not all search engines
and directories recognize or make use of meta tags; therefore, the effectiveness of these strategies depends partially on 
factors outside of GPO's control.>> For example, the following keyword meta tags appear in the source code for the GPO 
Access home page: Federal information, Government information, Superintendent of Documents, GPO, Government Printing Office,
government, legislative, executive, judicial, regulatory, administrative decisions, GPO Access. Theoretically, a user who enters 
a query such as "government information" or "legislative" in a search engine that recognizes meta tags should find a link to 
GPO Access among the top hits.

Once a Web page has been identified as relevant by a search engine or directory, information from its description 
meta tag, which is usually displayed with the Web site link, should assist the user in deciding whether to open it. For 
instance, after reading the description meta tag for the GPO Access home page- "GPO Access provides free public 
access to full-text, official Federal information; Federal information finding aids; and Federal products for sale."-
the user can make an informed decision as to whether GPO's online resources meet his or her needs.

In addition to these indirect efforts, GPO directly publicized its online resources by contacting Webmasters and 
editors of search engines and directories to improve the ranking of GPO Access, when feasible.

Site Search

Responding to numerous requests from its user community, GPO added a service to its Web site that searches 
HTML documents in selected directories on GPO Access. <<Note: Test directories and other directories containing information 
deemed not of interest to the general public were excluded to improve search results. A separate search was established to 
access administrative materials for the Federal Depository Library Program at 
<http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/dpos/sisearch.html>.>>  The macro-level search function may be used to find 
specialized database search pages; Web pages for GPO's other online services, such as the Online Bookstore and 
finding aids; and documents on GPO Access that exist as HTML files. However, it does not search for ASCII text or 
PDF files within databases, such as the Code of Federal Regulations or the SPC. Like other finding aids on GPO 
Access, the site search complements traditional database searches and browse features, offering an alternate method 
of locating and retrieving documents.

Privacy and Security Notice

A privacy and security notice was posted on GPO Access to explain the policies and practices to which GPO adheres 
in its efforts to ensure user privacy while providing the best service through GPO Access. GPO posted its notice in 
advance of anticipated legislative actions that would require all Federal Web sites to provide such notices.

In short, GPO uses any information it obtains strictly for the purpose of official business. Statistical information is 
gathered to improve service on the Web site. Personal information, such as name, address, and telephone number, is 
acquired only when it is supplied by a user or customer, and it is used to answer requests for information and to 
fulfill orders.<<Note: For marketing purposes, an agency may also request from GPO the names and addresses of customers 
who order the products published by that agency.>>  Users under the age of 18 are instructed to acquire their parents' or 
guardians' permission before submitting comments to GPO Access. Web site encryption ensures that online sales transactions 
are secure, and GPO further guarantees that only authorized personnel view credit-card information submitted through the 
Online Bookstore. In addition, the notice informs users that they are subject to the privacy policies of other Web sites 
once they leave GPO Access and that the information on GPO Access is considered to be public domain, unless otherwise 
noted.

Kids' Pages

As part of GPO's mission to disseminate Government information to the public, a special section of GPO Access for 
younger users was created. "Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids" at <http://bensguide.gpo.gov> enlarges 
GPO's audience for electronic information and supports the agency's commitment to providing online educational 
resources for students, parents, and teachers. This goal is in line with President Clinton's April 1997 memorandum 
to the heads of executive departments and agencies on the subject of "expanding access to Internet-based 
educational resources."

Just as GPO Access provides locator services to U.S. Government Web sites, "Ben's Guide" provides a similar 
service to U.S. Government sites developed for kids. "Ben's Guide" incorporates resources about how our 
Government works, the use of the primary source materials on GPO Access, and how one can use GPO Access to 
carry out their civic responsibilities.

With Benjamin Franklin as a guide, age-specific kids' pages cover topics such as the U.S. Constitution, how laws 
are made, the branches of the Federal government, and what it means to be a U.S. citizen. They also include games 
and links to other U.S. Government Web sites for children. To the extent possible, "Ben's Guide" relies upon 
official Government information from published print and electronic sources. A prototype of "Ben's Guide" was 
critiqued at the American Association of School Librarians conference in November 1999, where it received 
excellent reviews.

Help Page

A help page, which was introduced with the redesign and reorganization of GPO Access in April 1999, consolidates 
GPO's online user-support resources at a single location. In addition to providing contact information for the GPO 
Access User Support Team and the GPO Order Desk, this Web page presents a variety of self-help tools, which give 
users the alternative of accessing frequently requested files pertaining to common support topics themselves, rather 
than relying on direct interaction with GPO staff via e-mail, phone, or fax. Included among these self-help resources 
are the GPO Access training booklet, helpful hints for searching databases, instructions for establishing HTML links 
to documents on GPO Access, and tips on using Adobe Acrobat Reader and PDF files.

Exit Pages

GPO Access provides links to more than 62,000 titles on other Government and educational Web sites. Although the 
new interface helps to distinguish Web pages on GPO Access from those of other online services, it is not always 
immediately obvious to users that a mouse click has delivered them to a different Web site. To address possible 
confusion caused by these links, which are concentrated in the "finding aids" section, transitional Web pages are 
being added to all points from which users can exit GPO Access through links to other Web sites. These Web pages, 
known as "exit pages," announce to users that, once they leave GPO Access, GPO is not responsible for the content 
of the Web sites that they enter. After this message has been displayed for five seconds, the user is automatically 
forwarded to the chosen Web page.

GPO Form 3868

GPO Form 3868, Notification of Intent to Publish, was made available online in October 1999. This form is the 
primary means by which Federal agencies advise the Superintendent of Documents of new Government publications 
to be printed. GPO uses the information to consider whether a forthcoming publication should be included in its 
sales and Federal depository library programs. The form may be completed and submitted online, thus providing a 
speedy electronic alternative in a process that was previously only paper-based.

PARTNERSHIPS

GPO's partnerships with other Federal agencies save time, money, and resources by providing effective, inexpensive 
methods of disseminating information, while eliminating duplicative efforts. The benefits of this type of cooperation 
are far-reaching, extending to the public, agencies that are directly involved in the partnerships, and the Federal 
Government as a whole.

Client Agencies

Internet-related services that GPO performs for other Federal agencies include hosting and maintaining access to 
agency Web sites, Government Information Locator Service (GILS) records, databases, and other electronic files. 
GPO Access currently hosts 15 Federal agency Web sites and databases of GILS records for over 30 agencies. <<Note: 
Refer to the appendices for lists of Federal agency Web sites and GILS records hosted by GPO Access.>>  In 
addition, the Federal Bulletin Board (FBB) allows Federal agencies and organizations to upload files to GPO's 
servers, giving the public immediate, self-service access to Government information in electronic form. The FBB 
currently contains over 5,000 files in nearly 150 file libraries from more than 20 agencies and organizations 
representing all three branches of the Federal Government.

Partnership with the Department of Energy

A partnership between GPO and the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Scientific and Technical Information 
(OSTI) has resulted in two new scientific information applications on GPO Access: the DOE Information Bridge 
and PubSCIENCE.

- The DOE Information Bridge, a component of EnergyFiles, provides free access to full-text reports and 
bibliographic records of DOE research and development in areas such as physics, chemistry, materials, biology, 
environmental science, energy technologies, engineering, computer and information science, and renewable 
energy. This collection includes over 43,000 reports produced by DOE and the DOE contractor research and 
development community that have been received and processed by OSTI since January 1995. Users can search 
for and download information electronically.

- PubSCIENCE is a free service that allows users to search across a large compendium of peer-reviewed journal 
literature with a focus on physical sciences and other disciplines of interest to DOE. Searches return abstracts 
and citations for relevant articles from more than 20 scientific journal publishers. These abstracts and citations 
contain links to the publishers' servers, where users may retrieve full-text articles through a journal 
subscription, on a pay-per-view basis, by special arrangement with a publisher, or through a library or 
commercial provider. Unrestricted access is granted for the full text of some articles.

Other Partnerships

Similar to its partnership with DOE, GPO has agreements with other Federal agencies and educational institutions to 
provide online Government information content and services.

- U.S. State Department Foreign Affairs Network (DOSFAN) Electronic Research Collection: Provides 
permanent public access to archived electronic documents made available through a partnership of the U.S. 
State Department, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and GPO.
- University of North Texas Research Collections: Provide permanent public access to electronic publications 
from defunct Federal agencies through a partnership between the University of North Texas and GPO. 
Currently includes publications from the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, the 
Commission on Structural Alternatives for the Federal Courts of Appeals, the National Civil Aviation Review 
Commission, and the Department of Transportation's Office of Technology Applications' Highway TechNet.
- Federal Agency Internet Sites: This tool allows users to search or browse a list of Federal agency Internet sites 
through a partnership between Louisiana State University and GPO.
- Government Internet Sites by Topic: Volunteers from the Federal depository library community maintain 
subject-oriented bibliographies of Government Web sites with topics drawn from the Guide to U.S. Government 
Information, otherwise known as the Subject Bibliography Index.
- Documents Data Miner: Provides an extensive suite of tools for finding information in the List of Classes of 
United States Government Publications and other administrative files through a partnership of Wichita State 
University, the National Institute for Aviation Research, and GPO.
- Enhanced Shipping List Service: Enables Federal depository libraries to generate check-in records and call-
number labels for depository items through a partnership between the University of New York at Buffalo and 
GPO.

TRAINING AND USER SUPPORT

The three primary means by which GPO educates users about the products and services offered on GPO Access are 
training classes, demonstrations at conferences and trade shows, and the GPO Access User Support Team.

Training Classes and Demonstrations

GPO continues to receive many requests for training classes and demonstrations. During FY 1999, staff from the 
Office of Electronic Information Dissemination Services (EIDS) conducted approximately 30 hands-on training 
classes and demonstrations of GPO Access for Federal depository librarians, members of Congress, professional 
organizations, various other groups, and the public, both in Washington, D.C., and across the country. Recent 
training sessions and demonstrations were conducted in Anaheim, Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, 
Minneapolis, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle. <<Note: Refer 
to appendix F for a full list of training sites and conferences.>>  

GPO attempted to cover the widest possible geographic area while adhering to budget constraints by combining 
multiple activities in different locations during the course of one trip. For example, a training class at Tulane 
University was scheduled to coincide with the American Library Association conference in New Orleans in June 
1999. Moreover, GPO encouraged the replication of GPO Access training sessions by past training-class participants 
to supplement its own outreach efforts; upon request, training materials were shipped at no charge to assist 
instructors in training their co-workers, staff, and patrons.

Two notable changes to GPO's approach to outreach affected some of these training classes and demonstrations. 
The first was a partnership between GPO and the National Archives and Records Administration. In several training 
classes during 1999, staff from EIDS and the Office of the Federal Register combined efforts to offer joint 
regulatory training on GPO Access and one of its most popular online applications, the Federal Register. The second 
change was the focus placed on expanding GPO's outreach to new audiences; some conferences and trade shows 
that helped GPO to meet this goal were the American Bar Association Tech Show, Online World, and the National 
Online Meeting. 

User Support Team

The GPO Access User Support Team serves as a constant resource for users who seek assistance with GPO Access 
via e-mail, phone, and fax. It is comprised of a staff of eight individuals, who answer inquiries about GPO's 
electronic products, provide assistance in searching for and locating Federal information products, and offer 
technical support for these products. On average, the Team receives 6,500 inquiries per month, including 
approximately 4,350 phone calls and 2,150 e-mail messages. Internal monitoring standards ensure that all inquiries 
receive adequate attention within a reasonable period of time.

Questions and comments regarding GPO Access can be directed to the Team as follows:

- E-mail	gpoaccess@gpo.gov 
- Phone	1-888-293-6498 (toll-free)
	202-512-1530 (D.C. area)
- Fax 	202-512-1262 

The Team's hours of availability are Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, except 
Federal holidays. These hours were expanded from 5:00 to 5:30 p.m. at the end of 1998 to meet the demand for 
support in the evening, primarily from users in the western United States, whose normal business hours extend 
beyond those on the east coast due to the time difference. The decision to add an extra half-an-hour of support-
rather than an hour or more- at the end of the business day was based on a monitoring of trends in inquiry volume, 
which indicated a high level of user demand until 5:30 p.m. EST, followed by a drastic decline.  

USER FEEDBACK

On a daily basis, GPO monitors users' feedback about GPO Access from telephone calls, e-mail messages, faxes, 
and letters. GPO also uses more formal means of soliciting comments about and evaluations of its online products 
and services, such as user surveys and focus groups. Many of the improvements that have been made to GPO Access 
are in response to feedback GPO staff has received through these channels.

User Survey

In October 1999, GPO invited users to share their comments about GPO Access through its online user survey. The 
survey gathers ratings of GPO Access products and services, suggestions for additions and improvements, 
evaluations of the GPO Access User Support Team and another GPO staff, and basic information about users, such 
as their professional affiliation, usage frequency, type of computer, and connection speed. 

The deadline for submissions was December 15, 1999. However, for the purposes of this report, preliminary results 
were prepared from the 213 responses recorded between the opening date and December 8, 1999. Key findings are 
summarized below.<<Note: Not all 213 respondents provided an answer to each survey question. To adjust for these varying 
non-responses, the percentages in this section reflect the percent of respondents to that question who selected a particular
answer.>>

- 19% use GPO Access daily. 16% use the Web site once or twice a week.
- 58% consider it to be either "very easy" (9%) or "easy" (49%) to find the information they are seeking on GPO 
Access. Only 2% find it "impossible" to locate information on the Web site. <<Note: It is not unusual for a small percentage 
of responses to fall in either extreme in this type of statistical sampling.>>
- Users also expressed satisfaction with the timeliness of information, online user aids, and Web site organization. 
36% rated the timeliness of information as "excellent," and another 58% rated it as "good." Combined 
"excellent" and "good" ratings were also predominant for the other two aspects: 79% for online user aids and 
83% for Web site organization.
- Of nine different finding aids- Catalog of U.S. Government Publications, Sales Product Catalog, Government 
Information Locator Service (GILS), Government information on selected Internet sites, Government 
information products for sale by topic, electronic Government information products by title, Government 
Internet sites by topic, Federal agency Internet sites, and "other"- the "Federal agency Internet sites" tool is 
used by 51% of respondents, the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications is used by 50%, and the 
"Government Internet sites by topic" tool is used by 49%. The only finding aid employed by fewer than 18% is 
"Government information products for sale by topic" at 11%.

Focus Groups

Focus groups are assembled on a regular basis at Federal depository library conferences, as well as on site at GPO. 
These sessions consist of in-depth roundtable discussions that examine how people use GPO Access and that aim to 
measure the degree of ease or difficulty users experience in finding information. Focus-group participants include 
congressional staff, Federal depository librarians, members of trade and professional organizations, and private-
sector employees. These individuals, representing a broad cross-section of the American public, share candid 
insights with GPO that have proven invaluable in revising GPO Access Web pages and improving the service 
through additional features and enhancements. All participants are uncompensated volunteers.

COSTS AND SAVINGS

Expenditures and Operating Costs

GPO Access is much more efficient than originally expected and, consequently, has been less costly than the 
Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated in 1993. At that time, CBO estimated that creating and operating the 
online computer system would cost approximately $6 million in appropriated funds over the next five years. In 
addition, the provision of free online access for Federal depository libraries was expected to cost between $2 million 
and $10 million per year, assuming appropriation of the necessary funds.  It was also expected that, beginning in 
FY 1995, GPO would incur annual costs of $750,000 to keep the directory of publications up to date and to maintain 
the electronic storage facility.

The following table presents total GPO Access operating costs and capital expenditures for equipment and software 
by fiscal year. Operating costs include the recurring costs of providing permanent public access to electronic 
Government information products housed on GPO servers. All of these costs and expenditures- with the exception 
of those devoted exclusively to CBDNet- were recovered from GPO's salaries and expenses appropriation.

Fiscal Year Operating Costs Equipment
1994 $563,600 $133,100
1995 $1,222,700 $171,500
1996 $1,736,328 $85,700
1997 $2,475,420 $273,900
1998 $3,141,803 $7,812
1999 $2,998,397 $69,686


Savings and Revenue

It is expected that the provision of permanent public access to the electronic Government information products on 
GPO Access will cost GPO more in the long term than print dissemination and physical storage. However, these 
costs are outweighed by the substantial benefits of GPO Access. The service saves other Federal agencies a 
considerable amount of time and resources, while reducing duplicative efforts, by allowing them to take advantage 
of GPO's expertise in Web site development and hosting on a reimbursable basis. Moreover, GPO Access enables 
the Government to reach a wider audience than possible through print dissemination and, in turn, allows that 
audience to access a wealth of electronic Government information conveniently and without charge. 

Through the electronic dissemination of Government information products, GPO Access saves GPO and other 
Federal agencies a substantial amount of time and resources, while reducing duplicative efforts. It is currently 
unknown whether electronic dissemination and storage will provide greater long-term savings than print 
dissemination and physical storage. However, it is certain that GPO Access enables the Government to reach a wider 
audience than possible through print dissemination and that it allows other agencies to take advantage of GPO's 
expertise in Web site development and hosting on a reimbursable basis.

In addition to affording these types of savings, GPO Access generates revenue through some of its services. Major 
sources of revenue include electronic subscription services for data subscribers to products such as the Federal 
Register and the Commerce Business Daily; sales generated by the online Sales Product Catalog and other sales 
applications, such as the U.S. Government Subscriptions Catalog and list of CD-ROMs for sale; and electronic and 
print submissions to CBDNet, the online version of the Commerce Business Daily. Sales generated by GPO Access 
sales applications for FY 1999 totaled $1,125,430. CBDNet revenues for electronic data subscriptions and notice 
submissions were $744,131 for FY 1998 and $719,789 for FY 1999.

FUTURE OUTLOOK

Many new developments are in the works for GPO Access. Some plans for Web site improvements and enhanced 
training efforts are provided below.

Standardization of Web Pages

Although the new GPO Access design introduced in April 1999 created a uniform layout and set of navigational 
tools on the home page, second-level pages, and various other pages, the initial changes did not affect all Web pages 
on GPO Access. With cooperation from partner agencies, such as the National Archives and Records 
Administration, GPO hopes eventually to extend this consistent appearance and navigation to all of its applications.

Integration of Sales Applications

Since GPO's secure server went live with the introduction of encryption of electronic sales transmissions in April 
1999, work on the GPO Access sales applications has focused on integrating more technologically advanced Online 
Bookstore capabilities into some of the less sophisticated sales applications, such as the CD-ROM list and new 
product announcements. Replacing all single-line order forms with their multi-line successor and incorporating 
automatic checks for the current price in the Sales Product Catalog should allow customers to add items to their 
shopping carts with ease- and confidence that the sales information they are accessing is up to date. 

Interactive Training CD-ROM

An electronic version of the GPO Access training booklet is due to be released in early 2000. While the interactive 
CD-ROM will cover the same topics as the print version, its distinctive format will allow users to take quizzes after 
they complete each section and to view screen-captured examples of document searches and retrievals in selected 
applications. A copy of the CD-ROM will be distributed to each Federal depository library. In addition, segments of 
the CD-ROM will be converted into short demonstrations that will be accessible online from the GPO Access help 
page. A prototype of the new training mechanism received positive reviews at the American Library Association 
conference in January 1999.

Learning Center 

GPO continues to investigate the creation of an on-site, state-of-the-art training facility. The GPO Access Learning 
Center will aid GPO in providing more widespread training in the use of GPO's online products and services for the 
Federal depository library community, congressional staff, and other Federal agency personnel who either work in 
or visit Washington, D.C.

Integrated Processing System

The Office of Electronic Information Dissemination Services and the Graphic Systems Development Division have 
completed the necessary changes to the Sales Product Catalog (SPC) in preparation for the implementation of the 
Integrated Processing System (IPS), the new order processing and inventory management application to be used by 
the Superintendent of Documents Sales Program. When IPS goes live, GPO Access is fully prepared to handle 
changes to the SPC record structure and the addition of SKU stock numbers to all sales items. Users will notice 
several new fields in the SPC records, but otherwise their ordering experience will not be affected.

SGML

Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) is an integral component of the transition to the next phase of 
GPO Access, an enhanced online service that will use standardized data structures to provide additional search and 
retrieval capabilities in certain applications. Because the SGML structure can be used from the authoring level 
throughout the publishing process for print and electronic products, regardless of hardware or software, GPO 
anticipates that it will provide more substantial savings in the Federal sector than the methods that are currently 
used.

In addition to providing new search and retrieval capabilities, the SGML database structure will permit: 

- Creation of databases at the authoring stage that are suitable for print, CD-ROM, and online publication, 
without data manipulation by GPO. In other words, it allows the same information to be extracted, re-ordered, 
and merged from structured databases.
- Incorporation of data from one publication into another publication that has a different printed format without 
manipulation (e.g., incorporation of congressional bills into the Congressional Record or of Federal Register 
documents into the Code of Federal Regulations).
- Submission of validated machine-readable data by publishing customers.
- Automated composition- or "printing on demand"- of data that is extracted from electronically disseminated 
databases in the same format as the "official" print publication or in another format chosen by the user.

Open Text

An SGML-based build/search/retrieval software system was purchased from Open Text Corporation and delivered 
to GPO on February 5, 1996. The first major application on GPO Access that will use this software is the Electronic 
Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR), which is expected to be available to the public in the near future.

The Open Text versions of CFR databases will provide numerous enhancements:

- Daily updates to complement the existing CFR WAIS databases, which are updated quarterly as parts of the 
CFR are revised
- More numerous and specific Boolean operators to aid in query construction
- The ability to search multiple specific sections in the body of a document
- Direct links to originating documents in the Federal Register from e-CFR search results



WEB PAGE SAMPLES <APPENDIX A>

The following 6 Web pages were printed from GPO Access to provide samples of its new format, applications, and 
other selected features. Note the standardized elements, such as the identifying GPO Access seal and text logo, the 
navigational toolbar and buttons, and the footer, on many of the new Web pages.

- GPO Access home page
- Site search 
- Online Bookstore
- Finding aids
- Federal Bulletin Board entrance page
- GPO Form 3868

In addition, a printout of the specialized search page for the Congressional Record is included to give a sample of a 
Web page that has not been redesigned and to demonstrate the continued use of WAIS databases for the majority of 
the information content on GPO Access.

APPLICATIONS ON GPO ACCESS <APPENDIX B>

This alphabetical list highlights the most popular applications on GPO Access.

- Budget of the United States Government
- Catalog of U.S. Government Publications
- CBDNet (Commerce Business Daily online)
- Code of Federal Regulations
- Congressional bills
- Congressional calendars
- Congressional committee prints
- Congressional Directory
- Congressional documents
- Congressional hearings
- Congressional Pictorial Directory
- Congressional Record
- Congressional Record Index
- Congressional reports
- Economic Indicators
- Federal Bulletin Board
- Federal Register
- General Accounting Office Comptroller General decisions
- General Accounting Office reports
- Government Information Locator Service records
- History of Bills
- List of CFR Sections Affected
- Privacy Act Issuances
- Public laws
- Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States
- Sales Product Catalog
- Statistical Abstract of the United States
- Supreme Court decisions
- United States Code
- U.S. Constitution, Interpretation and Analysis
- U.S. Government Manual
- Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents

STATISTICS <APPENDIX C>

Statistical tables, charts, and graphs are maintained on various aspects of GPO Access. Using these resources, GPO 
is able to analyze its growth and success, as well as to identify areas for improvement.

The following statistical measures are included:

- GPO Access Retrievals: January 1996 through September 1999
- Online and Tangible Titles Available through GPO: Fiscal Year 1999
- Cumulative Online Titles Available through GPO Access: April 1998 through November 1999
- GPO Access User Support Team: March 1997 through October 1999

WEB SITES HOSTED BY GPO ACCESS <APPENDIX D>

The following Federal agency Web sites are hosted by GPO Access. This list- with links to each site- is available 
online at <http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/sites.html>.
 
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 
- Federal Labor Relations Authority 
- Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission  
- Merit Systems Protection Board 
- National Bankruptcy Review Commission 
- National Council on Disability 
- National Gambling Impact Study Commission 
- National Labor Relations Board 
- Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board 
- Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission 
- Office of Compliance 
- Office of Government Ethics 
- United States Commission on Civil Rights
- United States Trade Deficit Review Commission
- United States Trade Representative 

GILS RECORDS HOSTED BY GPO ACCESS <APPENDIX E>

Databases of Government Information Locator Service (GILS) records for the following Federal agencies are hosted 
by GPO Access. This list- with links to each agency's records- is available online at 
<http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/gils/browse-gils.html>.

- Central Intelligence Agency 
- Consumer Product Safety Commission 
- Department of Commerce 
- Department of State 
- Department of Treasury
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 
- Farm Credit Administration 
- Federal Communication Commission 
- Federal Emergency Management Agency 
- Federal Labor Relations Authority 
- Federal Maritime Commission 
- Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission 
- Federal Reserve Board 
- Federal Trade Commission 
- General Services Administration 
- Government Printing Office 
- International Trade Commission 
- Merit Systems Protection Board 
- National Archives and Records Administration 
- National Commission on Libraries and Information Science 
- Office of Administration, Executive Office of the President
- Office of Government Ethics 
- Office of Management and Budget 
- Office of Personnel Management 
- Overseas Private Investment Corporation 
- Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation 
- Railroad Retirement Board 
- Securities and Exchange Commission 
- Selective Service System 
- Social Security Administration
- U.S. Commission on Civil Rights 
- U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board

TRAINING SITES AND CONFERENCES <APPENDIX F>

This table lists the training sites and conferences attended by GPO staff from January 1998 through December 1999 
to educate users about the products and services offered on GPO Access.

Name Location Date
American Library Association New Orleans, LA January 1998
Tulane University New Orleans, LA January 1998
Special Libraries Association Technology Fair Crystal City, VA January 1998
University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM February 1998
New Mexico State University Los Alamos, NM February 1998
Computers in Libraries Crystal City, VA March 1998
University of Missouri Kansas City, MO March 1998
Public Library Association Kansas City, MO March 1998
Federal Depository Conference Crystal City, VA April 1998
National Online Meeting New York, NY May 1998
Norwich University Northfield, VT May 1998
New Hampshire State Library Manchester, NH May 1998
Special Libraries Association Indianapolis, IN June 1998
American Library Association Washington, DC June 1998
University of Maryland College Park, MD July 1998
Los Angeles Public Library Los Angeles, CA July 1998
American Association of Law Libraries Anaheim, CA July 1998
San Francisco Public Library San Francisco, CA July 1998
University of California, Davis Davis, CA July 1998
North Dakota State University Fargo, ND September 1998
South Dakota State Library Pierre, SD September 1998
Online World Washington, DC October 1998
American Society for Information Science Pittsburgh, PA October 1998
Murray State University Murray, KY November 1998
American Library Association Philadelphia, PA February 1999
Delaware Valley Documents Group Philadelphia, PA February 1999
Computers in Libraries Arlington, VA March 1999
American Bar Association Tech Show Chicago, IL March 1999
Association of College and Research Libraries Detroit, MI April 1999
Northwest Government Information Network Seattle, WA May 1999
Seattle Public Library Seattle, WA May 1999
Portland State University Portland, OR May 1999
National Online Meeting New York, NY May 1999
University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN June 1999
Special Libraries Association Minneapolis, MN June 1999
Montana State University Bozeman, MT June 1999
Tulane University New Orleans, LA June 1999
American Library Association New Orleans, LA June 1999
American Association of Law Libraries Washington, DC July 1999
West Virginia Library Association Shepherdstown, WV October 1999
Arkansas Library Association Russellville, AR October 1999
American Society for Information Science Washington, DC October 1999
American Association of School Librarians Birmingham, AL November 1999

GPO ACCESS OPERATING SYSTEM <APPENDIX G>

GPO Access resides on multiple Digital AlphaServer 1000A and 1200 computers, running processor speeds of up to 
533 Mhz. Many of these servers contain integral Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) units for high 
performance and high availability data storage. All servers utilize the Digital UNIX Operating System. The Web and 
application servers run Web server software created by Netscape Communications Corporation, while the database 
servers run wide-area information server (WAIS) software created by WAIS, Incorporated. All of these servers are 
directly connected to a 100 megabits-per-second (Mbps) FDDI ring, which is connected to the Internet over four 
fully redundant load-sharing and balanced T-1 connections provided by GTE Internetworking. The T-1 connections 
currently average 55% capacity during peak usage of GPO Access. 

GPO Access has backup systems, in the event that GPO experiences primary server failures or server shutdowns for 
routine maintenance. The backup systems are located in a secure, geographically separate GPO facility, and they 
reside on a 10 Mbps Switched Ethernet LAN segment, which in turn is connected to the primary service FDDI ring 
via a 100 Mbps fiber-optic uplink.

Another backup/archival site, which is located in Kentucky, is hosted on an Alpha 3000/4000 platform running 
Digital UNIX. WAIS is the primary application in use. The 56 kilobits-per-second Internet connectivity is provided 
by the University of Kentucky.

KEY TERMS <APPENDIX H>

Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF): A file format developed by Adobe Systems for viewing with free 
Adobe Acrobat Reader software. It preserves a printed document's original appearance; achieves a high aesthetic 
quality through the use of text, graphics, photos, and color; and provides full-text search capabilities. It also is 
independent of computer platform and distribution media. For these reasons, it is one of the primary file formats on 
GPO Access.

Application: A computer program that serves a specific purpose or task, such as accessing the text of congressional 
bills online. On GPO Access, a single application may be comprised of one or more databases and/or Web pages. 
For example, the Code of Federal Regulations is one application that relies upon 150 separate databases per year of 
volumes, while the list of CD-ROMs for sale is one application that contains approximately 200 Web pages.

ASCII text: A file format that contains the raw data of a document without formatting, such as graphics or font 
formats (e.g., bold, italic, underline). It is one of the primary file formats on GPO Access. ASCII stands for 
"American Standard Code for Information Interchange."

CGI script: Common Gateway Interface (CGI) is a standard for running programs on a server from a Web page. A 
CGI script allows these programs to interact with a Web server in real time. On GPO Access, CGI scripts are most 
often used to retrieve information from a database and format it in HTML. For example, when a user submits a 
query to the Sales Product Catalog, a CGI script retrieves the relevant sales records from the database and displays 
them on a search-results Web page. Because a CGI script retrieves information in real time, it may return different 
results at different times depending on the update schedule of the database; some databases, such as the Sales 
Product Catalog, are updated nightly.

Database: A collection of data that is organized for easy searches, retrievals, and management of its content. On 
GPO Access, one or more databases may constitute a single application. For example, 150 separate databases 
comprise each full year of the Code of Federal Regulations application.

Dissemination: The act of making Government information products available to Federal depository libraries and/or 
the public, through either tangible distribution of those products or provision of access to them via an electronic 
Government information service.

Encryption: A method of encoding data so that it is unreadable to everyone except the recipient. This technology is 
used on the Internet principally to ensure private, secure transactions for customers who submit personal 
information, such as credit-card numbers, to product and service providers. On GPO Access, encryption is used 
when customers order information products through sales applications, such as the Sales Product Catalog.

Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP): A nationwide, geographically dispersed system that consists of 
libraries acting in partnership with the U.S. Government for the purpose of providing free, local access to Federal 
Government information for the public. Depository libraries maintain tangible Government information products for 
use by the public, offer professional assistance in locating and using Government information, and provide local 
capability for the public to access electronic Government information services, such as GPO Access. This program 
was established under the provisions of 44 U.S.C. Chapter 19 and is administered by the Superintendent of 
Documents.

Government Information Locator Service (GILS): A decentralized collection of Federal agency-based information 
locators that assist users in finding and obtaining publicly available Government information resources in tangible 
and electronic media. Through its GILS application, GPO is attempting to provide a single point of access to all 
Federal GILS databases.

Government information product: A publication or other work of the U.S. Government that is conveyed in a tangible 
medium, such as a book or CD-ROM, or disseminated through an electronic information service established and 
maintained by a Government agency or its authorized agent, such as GPO Access.

Host: To provide the infrastructure for housing a Web site or other electronic resource on a server. For the Web sites 
hosted by GPO Access, GPO provides the hardware, software, and communication lines required by its servers, but 
the information content is controlled by the originating agency.

HTML: A file format that consists of ASCII text with tags that signal how an Internet browser should display the 
contents, which may include formatted text, graphics, and hypertext links. While the majority of Web pages on GPO 
Access are coded in HTML, the file format is increasingly being used for documents on the service as well. HTML 
stands for <Hypertext Markup Language.>

Interface: The means by which people interact with something, such as a Web site. On GPO Access, the word 
<interface> refers generally to a Web page's aesthetic and functional elements, such as text, graphics, layout, links, 
and search and retrieval options.

PDF: See <Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF).>

Permanent public access: The maintenance of continual, no-fee, public access to all tangible and intangible 
Government information products within the scope of the Federal Depository Library Program.

Retrieval: On GPO Access, a download of either a document from a database or a file outside of a database that 
contains Government information content.

Screen capture: A short video clip of a computer screen that records both sound and action. On the GPO Access 
interactive training CD-ROM, these videos demonstrate how to use the Web site by showing the user every mouse 
click, scroll, and text input to make from search to retrieval.

Server: A computer dedicated to controlling network traffic and resources. GPO Access servers process Web and 
database information requests and store information for permanent public access.

SKU stock number: A new type of stock number of to be used in sales product records when the Integrated 
Processing System is instituted. SKU stands for <stock keeping unit.>

Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML): An international standard for defining methods of representing 
and publishing electronic information. This <meta language> describes markup languages, such as HTML, and 
provides a method for describing text that is independent of the program and system that create it. 

SWAIS: A system that allows users to search ASCII text files through an Internet telnet session or a direct modem 
dial-up session. SWAIS stands for "simple wide-area information system."

WAIS: A distributed information service that allows simple natural-language input, indexed searching for fast 
document retrieval, and the influence of initial searches on future searches through a "relevance feedback"
mechanism. Most of the Government information products on GPO Access are maintained in WAIS databases. 
WAIS stands for "wide-area information server" and is also the name of the company that developed this software.