Public Documents

GH HT

Number GP 3.27:4

FILM PROGRAM REVIEWED

Public Printer Keynotes

NMA Annual Conference

The following is the verbatim keynote address of The Honorable T. F. McCormiek,

Public Printer of the United States, before the 23rd Annual Conference and Exposition

of the National Microfilm Association in Boston on May 7, 1974.

It is my pleasure to be here and

a privilege to keynote your 23d an- nual conference and exposition. I hope that the scheduling of the

keynoter as the luncheon speaker

implies that you may find my re-

'"=Virks palatable and my thoughts

>Jsily digested.

When Dr. Burchinal asked me to speak at this conference, I first got

him to agree to serve another hitch on our GPO Microform Advisory

Committee. But I did not tell him

what I planned to say today. That

makes him only an accessory before

the fact. Perhaps he will have this

talk taped and subpena it later. In

that event I will cooperate fully; I will even save the transcribers some

trouble by deleting the expletives

before they are spoken.

I appreciate the opportunity to participate in your program today

for two reasons. As a New Englander both by birth and by preference,

I always welcome a chance to visit Boston. In fact, I have never understood why Bostonians have a reputation for being cool and aloof. I once mentioned this to a veteran Beacon

Hill resident, remarking that all the

people I encountered here in Boston were gracious and friendly. "Obviously," she said, "you have not

been meeting the right people."

Well, obviously today I am provthat Bostonian wrong. I am

^ wgeting the right people, which is the second reason I am glad to be

here. Though our methodologies

differ, we are both in the communications business—in a big way.

Our common purpose is to make accessible the documents, data and bil- lions of items of information that

comprise the raw materials of

knowledge and the grist for decisions. We are each concerned not

only with the design, development

and dissemination of informational

materials, but with their storage, re- trieval and reproduction. Moreover,

the problems arising from the sheer

size of the operations under my di- rection—problems that micrographic technologies can compress

and reduce—are reason enough for

the consummation of a working

partnership between the Government Printing Office and the microfilm industry.

I came to Washington in March

1973 with an appreciation for the

advantages implicit in printed materials converted to microform.

Many of these advantages—especially those of reduced storage

density, easier and lower cost mailing, convenient and lower cost re- printing, easy document retrieval

and improved administrative and

management systems—have direct

and significant application to GPO

operations. Shortly after my arrival,

it appeared that the best interests of

libraries and the public would be

served by making appropriate Government documents available in

microform. That has been and continues to be my recommendation

to the Joint Committee on Printing.

The Committee members have been

highly receptive to our overtures in

that direction, and I believe the Government Printing Office has been

June 1974

Approval Sought

For GPO Pilot

Microfilm Test

Public Printer Mr. T. F. McCormiek signed a formal letter request this month seeking Joint

Committee on Printing approval to conduct a pilot microform test in co- operation with depository libraries.

The decision to move forward was based upon an average 83%

preference for a microform in at

least one publication class as in- dicated by librarians responding to a survey questionaire.

Overall 26% of all material re- ceived by depository librarians was marked for a microform.

Mr. McCormiek said no further

action will be taken without the

specific consent of the Joint Committee on Printing. He added that

the survey questionnaire was a step

planned by the GPO to "screen the

(Continued on page 4

)

Document Librarian

Workshop Scheduled

A Regional Depository Library

Workshop will be held in New York

on July 13 at the New York Sheraton

Hotel after the ALA meeting according to the Superintendent of Documents.

Mr. Norman A. Barbee, Workshop Coordinator, said letter invita- tions have been extended and

mailed to the designated Regional

Depository Librarians by the Public

Printer, Mr. T. F. McCormiek.

Topics to be covered in the Workshop include: "Superintendent of

Documents Classification System, A

(Continued on page 4

)

1
Public Printer

Keynotes NMA

(Continued from page 1)

moving progressively, though perhaps conservatively, toward a broadgauge micrographic program of

substantial dimensions. I say that

with considerable confidence.

I would suggest, in fact, that confidence is the proper keynote for

this convention. Certainly the members of the National Microfilm Association have cause to be confident.

The rapid growth of your industry—the April 1974 issue of Busi- ness Graphics cites an estimate of a

growth rate triple that of the Gross

National Product—the accelerating shift to new high-speed equipment, your relative freedom from

the shortages affecting many other

businesses, and the expanding use

of microform technologies by vari- ous Government agencies all herald

good tidings for your industry in

1975 when you celebrate your Association's 24th year. On behalf of

the Federal Government, and as a member of an allied profession, I commend you for your remarkable

strides, your contributions to in- formation and communication technologies, and your excellent prospects for still greater achievements.

Let me turn now to the subject

your president suggested I discuss

today—namely, GPO's intentions

with respect to micrographics and

micropublishing. I want, first, to re- view the background of GPO's in- terest; secondly, report briefly on

where we stand today; and, third,

comment on what we perceive to be

the proper role GPO should play in

the production, procurement and

distribution of microform materials. First, then, a look at recent

history.

In reporting that I would speak

to this conference, one of the trade

papers also commented that "not

much had happened" in the past 2

years at GPO to move micropublication proposals off dead center.

I would reply to that as Mark

Twain did when he intercepted the

rumor of his demise. "Reports of

my death," he said, "are greatly

exaggerated."

While the mills of the Government may appear to grind slowly,

there is usually a reason—and that reason often is to avoid anyone

being injured financially by the

weight of Government action. In

early discussions between GPO officials and the Joint Committee on

Printing—dating to 1972—several

Committee members expressed con- cern over the possibility of the Government Printing Office competing

with private enterprise. It has been

GPO's aim not to intrude, where

possible, into areas where the pri- vate economy would be harmed. The

care Congress and we at GPO have

exercised has been aimed primarily

at assuring that GPO's entry into

micropublication is proper, wellplanned, and consistent with the

needs of the public and the best in- terests of the industry.

We believe, for example, that the

scope of any micrographic operations on our part must be determined by the number and kinds of

micropublications our customers

require. Only by first analyzing the

market can we arrive at a clear un- derstanding of what GPO can and

should provide in microform; and,

at the same time, be in a position to assure the Joint Committee that

most segments of the industry will

only be helped, not hurt, by GPO

involvement.

Our function at GPO, in the parlance of the broadcast media, is to "report" Government news, not in- dulge in "commentary." Since it is not our normal practice to interpret,

condense, or editorially assess Government output in printed form, we

are not likely to assume those functions for materials issued in microform. I believe those in the private

sector who currently provide such

services can rest easy—GPO is not

a potential competitor.

Secondly, where does GPO stand

today in the move to micrographics?

To begin with, we now have a full- time micrographics specialist—Jim

Livsey—who has been with us for

three months and doing what I consider to be an exceptional job of

groundwork and administrative

preparation.

Additionally, we are already using

microforms for our subscription

lists, publication reference files, and

bibliography storage. We are gaining useful experience from these

programs.

To evaluate the potential depository library demand for microform

materials, we recently surveyed the

38 regional depository libraries that

receive at least one copy of most

Government publications, and the

1,108 other depository libraries

that select certain categories of GPO

publications for their shelves.

Through this survey, we learned

(1) that 83 percent of the libraries

would prefer film over hard-copy

publications in at least one of our more than 2,800 categories; (2)

that on the average the depository

and select libraries could use about

26 percent of the materials we nor- mally supply them in microforf

and (3) that their preferences are for annual reports, census information, trade reports, agricultural publications, and Defense Department

documents in microfilm or microfiche; in short, the materials most in

demand in microform are those of a

statistical, archival, or research

not topical—nature. As an indication of what this

would represent in the future, in

terms of our initial demand on the

industry, we estimate that if the per- centages obtained in our survey are applied to the more than 16,000

titles we publish annually, more

than 12 million microfiche would be

distributed each year to the 1,146

depository libraries we serve. If we

are authorized to sell micro-copy, we would then add the requirements

of America's other 70,000 public

and school libraries and ultimately

the needs of the general public as individuals.

With our survey completed, we

intend to ask the Joint Committee on Printing to authorize a pilot program to test response and accept- ance. And I must emphasize tl everything I talk about will have^—

have JCP concurrence before it sees the light of day. The JCP is our Board of Directors, and like any

good operating firm, we take our marching orders from the Board.

We may propose, but the JCP dis- poses. So, if the pilot program is approved by the JCP, we would

provide to depository libraries se- lected materials in microform based on their replies to our questionnaire. We have not yet determined

the duration of the proposed pilot

program, but if approved I would

anticipate three to five months.

Then, thirdly; what do I see as the proper role of GPO in micrographics and micropublishing?

First, let me stress that we have no plans at the present time for

developing an in-house capability

for the production or conversion of our publications to microfiche.

Over the years we have gradually in- creased our dependence on the pri- vate printing industry. Last year

GPO procured more than 61 per- cent of its product from commercial

sources, under contracts tota!r~" about $154 million. We expect

year to put about $180 million

worth of Government printing on

the private market.

(Continued on page 6)

2
Fiche Header Area to

^\SI Standard

Librarians responding to the

Superintendent of Documents

microform/hardcopy preference

survey questionnaire frequently

asked specific questions on the proposed physical appearance of dis- tribution film if conversion from

hardcopy is authorized by the Joint

Committee on Printing.

Current planning calls for most

material to be converted to the

standard 24:1 reduction ratio 98

frame microfiche format for dis- tribution purposes.

The eye-readable bibliographic

material contained in the header

area of the distribution fiche would

follow the proposed American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

Z39 Committee, Sub-Committee 33

standard for the header area. That

standard has been circulated in first ^^ft and is now in Committee to ^solve comment differences.

The upper left-hand corner of the

microfiche header would be re- served for the Superintendent of

Documents Classification Number

as indicated in figure 1 on this page.

Immediately below the classification

number would appear the GPO

stock number.

Meet Proposed

Title area of the fiche header

would be the center portion providing for full publication title on two

lines. The personal author, compiler, or editor will follow the complete title. If more than one author,

only the first named is to be given.

The corporate body responsible for

the intellectual content of the original work shall be given.

The third line in the center portion of the header is reserved for

such essential information as the

edition, the geographic place of

publication and the organization

from which the microfiche is avail- able.

Filming of periodicals and other

serials will change the physical layout of the header area in that the

center portion would provide for in- clusive volume numbers or dates.

The upper right hand corner of

the header area is reserved for the

fiche number within a set, 1 of 3,

2 of 3, etc., with the recommended

blow-back ratio directly below the

fiche number.

It is expected some changes in the

physical arrangement of the microfiche header area will be called for

upon final draft and acceptance of

L 2.3:1780 INDEXES OF OUTPUT PER MANHOUR/ 1 of 2 2901-01274 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. - 1973: 24x

TABL OF CON' ENTS

A6 A8 49 Al 2 A1 3

81 82 B3 BA BS BE 87 B6 89 810 Bl 1 B

1 2 Bl 3 Bl d

C3 C4 C9 C6 C7 ce C9 CIO CI 2 CI 3 CI 4

01 "2 D3 04 D5 06 09 010 01 1 012 01 3

El E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7 E8 E9 £10 El 1 El 2 El 3 El 4

F2 F3 F5 F6 F8 F9 F10 F1 3

Gl G2 G3 G4 G5 G6 G7 G8 39 G10 Gl 1 Gl 2

INDEX

Gl 3

INDEX

G14

INDEX

Figure (1)

3

the proposed ANSI Standard. GPO

distribution film will follow such a standard upon adoption and publication.

The opening frames of each fiche

would contain the table of contents

fully converted from page/chapter

numbering to fiche/frame coordi- nates for ease of data retrieval. The

index pages would also be converted

to fiche/frame locators. The table

of contents will be repeated in the

opening frames of each fiche to as- sure that users do not have to re- move a fiche from a reader to secure

a second reference.

Every effort will be made to provide second generation negative dis- tribution fiche for library use. Color

backing will not be provided in the

header area to assure that the generation of additional duplicate microfiche by librarians would contain

the header information as it appears

in the library film copy.

Plans call for inclusion of a postcard "notification of missing or defective film" in each shipment of

material. The card will be addressed

to the Superintendent of Documents and is a means of establishing

additional quality control into the

total program. Such cards also provide a formal means of monitoring

the program and establishment of a dialogue with the library community.

It has also been planned that the

Superintendent of Documents will

provide service to the Depository

Librarians in replacing lost or mutilated film. The original silver film

is to be retained in an archival state by the Government Printing Office.

This will provide the means for additional generation of distribution

film, hardcopy material or short run

projection printing plates. This means that the Government Printing Office will not be in an "out-ofprint" condition on titles converted

to the film format.

All planning for a possible microfilm project by the Superintendent

of Documents rests upon approval

of the Joint Committee on Printing.

Should approval for a pilot test program be granted all plans for imContinued
plementation will be placed before

a four member Public Printer Microform Advisory Council for re- view and comments. The Council

represents more than a hundred

years of experience in microform

systems planning, production, and

use of film products. Their expertise

is essential in providing a well

planned film program within the

Depository Library community.

Comments, suggestions or constructive criticism from the library

community is welcomed by the Superintendent of Documents. Such

input can only result in a more re- sponsive, efficient, and effective Depository Library program.

Approval Sought

For GPO Pilot

Microfilm Test

( Continued from page 1

)

Depository Libraries for interest/

utility for specific categories of publications in microform." The re- quest for approval to undertake the

pilot test is another milestone in the

broad plan laid before the Joint

Committee last year.

The primary purpose of the pilot

test would be to examine the adequacy of bibliographic controls, at- tempt to measure user response, ex- amine the quality of film manufacture, packaging and distribution of

the film. The test would provide for

system refinement to assure the best

possible product in the hands of the

Depository Librarians.

The 4 month pilot test would re- sult in an economic analysis and

final recommendations which would

be forwarded to the Joint Committee on Printing for their decision. Such

a decision would not be expected before January 1975 should the pilot

test be approved by the Joint Committee.

According to the Superintendent

of Documents, Mr. W. H. Lewis, no

decision or contact has been made

with Depository Libraries as to participation in the pilot test. That

determination will not be made

until the Joint Committee on Printing reaches their decision.

Document Librarian

Workshop Scheduled

( Continued from page 1

)

Detailed Explanation; and Preparation of the Monthly Catalog," by Mr.

Norman A. Barbee, Library Administrator.

Mr. LeRoy C. Schwarzkopf, Government Documents Librarian, University of Maryland, will present

"How a Library Organizes Government Documents."

Mr. Earl Clement, Director,

Documents Sales Service, will provide an address on "The Sale of

Government Documents."

More than 920 responses to the

microform /hardcopy survey questionnaire mailed to 1,139 Depository Librarians have been completed

and returned according to an an- nouncement made by the Superintendent of Documents on May 20.

The questionnaire was designed

to give Depository Librarians an opportunity to indicate their prefer- ence for either a microform or a hardcopy edition of some 2,812

classes of material produced by the

Government Printing Office.

Initial mailings of the machine

readable OCR (Optical Character

Recognition) survey questionnaire was completed the first week of

March.

Original completion target date

for the survey was set at 30 days

after receipt by the Depository Li- brarians. Delays in completion re- quired an extension of an additional

60 days. Other extensions requested

by individual librarians were granted by the Superintendent of Documents.

The Documents Department an- nouncement added that on May 31

the survey form machine scan will

be started to generate final reports.

In mid-May 100% sampling of

the 31 Regional Depository Library

survey questionnaires was received

and a 10% sampling of Selected

Library responses was ordered to determine early preferences.

The samplings revealed 83% of

all responses received indicated a preference for a microform in at

The afternoon session of the

Workshop will include a presentation by Mrs. Virginia Saunder/^

Congressional Documents Specialist on "The Depository Library

Law," and "Disposal of Depository

Publications."

Mr. Barbee will address "Depository Distribution and Filling of

Claims," while Mr. J. D. Livsey will

speak on "Micropublishing."

Time has been set aside for both

the morning and afternoon sessions

to provide the designated Regional

Depository Librarians an opportunity to develop the necessary dialogue to resolve specific questions.

least one or more classes of publication shipped to Depository Li- braries by the Government Printing

Office. The Regional Libraries in- dicated 25.4% of all material is pre- ferred in microform while the Sr~~

lected Libraries prefer 27.6% ^

their material in a microform.

Mr. W. H. Lewis, Superintendent

of Documents, cautioned that as much as a 4 percent plus or minus

error could be found in the manual

samplings of survey forms. Complete and accurate reports will be

provided after the machine scan has

been completed.

Documents Department representatives registered some surprise

in the results of the preference sampling. It was originally expected

such material as the Federal Register, Congressional Record and

Weekly Compilation of Presidential

Documents would lead in overall

preference in a microform. The

samplings indicate librarians prefer

voluminous, infrequently referenced material in film. Trade Reports, Department of Defense material and bound volumes of all kinds

lead in library microform prefer- ence. A detailed listing is to be published in a future issue of HIGHLIGHTS after completion of the

OCR scan and computer manipulation of the survey results. ( Mr. Lewis expressed his appreciation for the effort the individual

Documents Librarians put forth in

completing; the detailed survey questionnaire.

Documents Librarians Indicate

Strong Microform Preference

4
MICROFORM!

QUESTIONS

ANSWERED

QQ 00 DDDU

SI Q

Approximately 80 letters were

included in the survey questionnaire responses received by the Superintendent of Documents in the

past two months. Some of the letters contained specific questions on what

libarians could expect if the microform program is carried forward. In

this column answers to some of the

questions are provided. Identification of the library and the specific

question is followed by the answer.

University of California, Los

Angeles—"Will GPO provide microfiche viewers and viewer /printers to the libraries?" A. GPO will

not provide film interface hard-

/are. The micrographics specialist

will provide information on the

availability and cost of such equipment upon request.

Pennsylvania State University—

.

"Is there any provision for the re- turn of unsatisfactory fiche?" A.

Each shipment of film will contain

a postcard addressed to the Superintendent of Documents. The card

will serve as a "Notification of Missing or Defective Fiche." Such film

will be replaced on a service basis

to the Depository Library by the

Documents Department upon re- ceipt of the pre-paid postcard.

University of California, Santa

Cruz—"Will the fiche go "out-ofprint" or have its "supply ex- hausted" as soon as the paper

copy?" A. Retention of the original

silver master by the Superintendent of Documents in an archival

condition will assure there will

Jiever be an "out-of-print" condion. Additional film duplicates or ardcopy can be generated from

that master as well as projection printing plates for short-run

purposes.

Sacramento City-County Li- brary—"Will the heading on the

microfiche contain the SuDocs clas- sification number?" A. The upper

left hand corner of the eye-readable

header area will contain the SuDocs

classification number followed by

the GPO stock number.

Oklahoma City University

"Will the publications on microfiche be available as quickly as paper copies?" A. In most cases

film will be shipped before hardcopy editions are in distribution. To

a great extent the speed of film

production will depend upon the

specific publication class being converts':! to film. Extensive conversion

of index pages and tables of contents could delay the film a few

days.

State University College at Pots- dam—"Will microfiche be available for purchase if we select hardcopy for depository shipments?"

A. If the Joint Committee on Printing approves the pilot test of film

and if that test is successful it is anticipated the Committee would

approve full implementation of the

program as well as film sales. Dartmouth College Library

"Will each microfiche contain only one document?" A. Yes. If Additional microfiche are required to complete the conversion succeeding

fiche would be marked appropriately in the upper right hand corner

of the header area to identify a

fiche number within a set. The University of Utah—"Can

the fiche be duplicated and/or

copies (paper) made from them?"

A. Yes. The distribution material

will be second generation negative

fiche which will not have colored

header backing. This provides for

third generation duplicate fiche

production by the libraries as well

as the opportunity to produce hardcopy positive prints on conventional

microfiche printers,.

Western Kentucky University

"Will the Monthly Catalog entry be

marked to indicate availability in

microfiche?" A. Yes. If the pilot test

is approved both hardcopy and film

will be issued during the test to

those libraries involved. If all phases of the test are successful

those titles already converted during the test will appear in the

Monthly Catalog appropriately

marked as being available in film

and a unit price appended.

DePauw University—"Will notice be given prior to specific items

becoming available on microfiche?"

A. Yes. The survey questionnaire was designed to determine librarian

"preferences" only and do not commit to final selections. As titles are considered for conversion, contact

will be made with librarians to determine their final choices.

Phoenix Public Library—"Is the

microfiche going to be retroactive or just for new material?" A. As

presently planned only new material will be converted to a microform for distribution to Depository

Libraries.

The University of Texas at El

Paso—"When will we be notified of

the results from the survey?" A. Preliminary sampling results are contained in this issue of HIGHLIGHTS. OCR scan runs and detailed computer generated reports

of the survey results are scheduled

to be in the hands of the Superintendent of Documents on June 17.

They will be published in a future

issue of HIGHLIGHTS.

Denver Public Library—"How

will series with color plates be handled?" A. Plans are not being made

for the issuance of color microfiche.

The problem of black line work

combined with color illustrations is a technical problem which promises

to be resolved in the near future by

the film industry.

Emory University—"If a library

selects an item in hardcopy can it then subscribe to that item in microfiche or will it be necessary to subscribe to all depository items on

microfiche?" A. A library can be

selective as to the categories desired on film and can also rescind that decision at a later date if desired.

Drury College—"Will looseleaf

items be so designated? How will

(Continued on page 6)
these be updated on microfiche?" A. Looseleaf items in a film format has

not yet been addressed. Such material does lend itself to a microfiche

format with change fiche issued as required to maintain file currency.

Joint University Libraries, Nashville—"Are all types of material

currently being received capable of

satisfactory reproduction in fiche?"

A. No. Material generally selected

for conversion to a microfiche format will be that which has the highest degree of preference as a result

of the survey and that material most

susceptible to the file conversion.

Maps, color brochures and other

such material are not prime candidates for conversion.

The questions cited above were

most frequently asked by Depository Librarians in letters accompanying their survey responses. Additional information will be made

available in future issues of HIGHLIGHTS as new developments

occur.

Public Printer

Keynotes NMA

Annual Conference

(Continued from page 2

)

As I indicated a moment ago,

Government policy favors contract- ing for goods and services rather

than providing them. We operate

under the general guidelines of

OMB (Office of Management and

Budget) policy which directs that

the Government generally rely on

the private sector except (1) when

use of a commercial source would

delay or disrupt an agency program ; ( 2 ) when the product in view

is available from another Government agency ; ( 3 ) when the product

is not available on the open market

or (4) when commercial procurement would result in higher cost to the Government.

Our "make-or-buy" decisions, as you can see, are strongly weighted

in favor of buying printing services

from private sources, and the same

policy will apply in our acquisition

of materials in microform. I look

forward, therefore, to associating

with you at your next convention in a client-supplier relationship.

Secondly, in defining the appropriate GPO role, I would remind

you that the Government Printing

Office was never meant to act as a

publisher, or a publishing specialist. Neither would we presume to be

a micropublisher.

As you probably know, we turn

out a staggering array of printed

materials. Last year we sold 78 million copies of Government publications, with a retail value in excess of

$23 million, through the mail or

across the counters of our bookstores. In addition, we distributed

95 million items for Congress. We

stock 2,812 different categories of

publications, and carry more than

25,000 individual titles in stock.

The perennial favorite, incidentally, seems to be a pamphlet titled "Infant Care." Some 16 million

copies have been distributed since

it was first introduced.

Occasionally, of course, we have

a "best seller" that strains even our

rather copious production capacity.

This past week, for example, we

have had trouble keeping up with

demand for the printed transcripts

of President Nixon's tapes.

Incidentally, the capacity of micrographics to significantly shrink

GPO storage space requirements is one of your industry's most compelling inducements.

A second incentive is the advantage microfilm gives us for responding quickly and less expensively to requests for materials out of print

in hard cover. And, a third benefit lies in the

potential value of micrographics to relieve the paper shortage. By re- ducing the requirement for reserve

stocks, we can make more paper

available for immediate printing

needs.

I believe these and many other

advantages comprise an overwhelming justification for GPO's entry

into micrographics on a competitive

bid procurement basis. We are prepared to do that, just as soon as we

demonstrate—through our pilot

program and to the satisfaction of

the Joint Committee—that there is a discernible public need micrographics can meet.

The Government Printing Office

is neither a collector nor publisher

of graffiti, but I was amused by a re- cent example reported by the Washington press. Scrawled on a wall, in

apparent despair, was this question

"Is there intelligent life anywhere on earth?" And, just below, in a

smaller, more precise hand, this re- ply: "Yes, but I'm just visiting."

At times, I am sure, the circumstances of life frustrate us to the

point of desperation or disnv—

Gratefully, on reflection, we ti /

courage in the assurance that "intelligent life" is one of the great sus- taining strengths of our society and

that we, as communicators, contribute to the collection, compilation and circulation of knowledge.

If, as we used to say at General Electric, "progress really is our most important product," then those in the

microform and printing industries

occupy positions of immense trust and vast challenge. The means are

at hand to make available, in larger

quantities and to more people, the

informational materials that individuals, companies and organizations depend on for the instruments

and decisions of progress.

This convention is clear evidence

that the microfilm industry is well

qualified by past accomplishments

and present capabilities to meet fu- ture challenges. As the personnel

manager of a small New England

manufacturing plant reportedly

replied when an efficiency expert

asked him if he had any employees

approaching retirement age, "Well," he said, "I don't have ap-v

going the other way." )

It is true. We are not getting any

younger. There is so much to do,

to learn, and to appreciate. Happily our individual worlds of knowledge are getting larger because the

world around us is getting small- er—thanks to the proliferation of

the written and electronic word,

and the dexterity of your industry

in putting large parcels of information into small packages.

I am grateful for this chance to talk with you. I look forward to a long and mutually productive partnership between the Government

Printing Office and the micrographics industry.

"Public Documents Highlights" is circulated quarterly by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington,

D.C. 20402, and is mailed at first class postage rates. "Public Documents

Highlights" is intended primarily for

librarians of the Federal Depository

Library Program. Material proposed

for circulation may be submitted to the

Editor, Public Documents Highligb*

Public Documents Department, E

1533, Washington, D.C. 20013. The Su^

perintendent of Documents, however,

retains the right to accept such material, to edit it, and to assign priorities

of circulation. GPO 875-943 6