BIENNIAL REPORT TO CONGRESS

ON THE STATUS OF GPO ACCESS

DECEMBER 31, 2001

p 

ccess 

Keeping America 

Informed 

U.S. Government Printing Office

December 31, 2001

For additional information, contact the

Office of Congressional and Public Affairs

U.S. Government Printing Office

Washington, DC 20401

Phone: (202) 512-1991

BIENNIAL REPORT TO CONGRESS

ON THE STATUS OF GPO ACCESS

A service of the United States Government Printing Office

www.gpo.gov/gpoaccess

This report is available online:

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

TABLE OF CONTENTS

iii

Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Overview of GPO Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

GPO Access Legislation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

GPO Access Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Measures of Success

Increasing Web Site Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

GPO Access Awards & Commendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Accomplishments

System Enhancements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

New Features and Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Improvements to Existing Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

U.S. Government Online Bookstore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

GPOLISTSERV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

New Titles by Topic E-Mail Alert Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Permanent Public Access and the FDLP Electronic Collection . . . . . . . . 14

Section 508 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Authentication/PKI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Interactive Training CD-ROM & Revised Training Manual . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Studies Undertaken

Search Engine Evaluations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Legislative Resources Comparison Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Performance Measures for Federal Agency Websites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Partnerships

Client Agencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Non-Government Partnerships. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Partnership with the National Library of Medicine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Other Partnerships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

CBDNet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Training & User Support

Training Classes & Demonstrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

User Support Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

User Feedback

Usability Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

GPO Access User Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Focus Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Costs & Savings

Expenditures & Operating Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Savings & Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Future Outlook

Upcoming Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Standardization of Web Pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Learning Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

XML . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Software Upgrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Mirror Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Appendices

GPO Access Aliases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A

Web Page Samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B

Applications on GPO Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C

Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D

Web Sites Hosted by GPO Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E

GILS Records Hosted by GPO Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F

GPO Access Training Sites/Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G

GPO Access Operating System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H

Key Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

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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 2,200 databases through over

80 applications, including the popular Congressional Record, Federal Register,

and Code of Federal Regulations. As of December 2001, the Web site provided

access to more than 130,000 titles on Government Printing Office (GPO) servers

and over 94,000 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.

To measure GPO’s success in disseminating electronic Government information,

the number of document retrievals by users is monitored. Recent statistics

indicate that GPO Access fulfills approximately 31 million document retrievals

per month, with a total of more than 355 million retrievals during fiscal year 2001

alone. Complementing these figures is the praise extended for the level of service

and scope of information on GPO Access. GPO Access has been featured and

applauded by LibrarySpot.com and GovSpot.com, and was also recognized with

an E-Gov 2001 “Trail Blazer” award in June 2001. Ben’s Guide to U.S.

Government for Kids, the educational component of GPO Access, also received

accolades from many notable organizations, such as the American Library

Association, USAToday.com, Skewl Sites Newsletter, FirstGov,

HomeworkSpot.com, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and many others.

To further the mandates of Public Law 103-40, GPO has taken a number of steps

to improve the services it provides to the public. New applications and

publications have been added, and improvements have been made to several

existing applications. Numerous system enhancements have also been made,

including the incorporation of “Akamized” files, the monitoring of referrals from

other Web sites, and improvements to the U.S. Government Online Bookstore.

Moreover, the initial steps have been taken to develop a GPO Access mirror site

in a geographically removed location.

In order to support and constantly improve GPO Access, a number of studies

were undertaken. Quarterly studies are being conducted with the goal of

improving the visibility of GPO Access pages in Internet search engines and

directories. In addition, in order to compare the Legislative resources available

via GPO Access to resources on other sites, three iterations of the Legislative

Resources Comparison Report were also completed in the past two years.

Furthermore, GPO Access was reviewed in the “Performance Measures for

Federal Agency Websites” report that was conducted by Charles R. McClure et.

al. The report stated that GPO Access “could serve as a guideline for other

agencies in establishing or amending their Web site development strategies.”

To achieve its mission and the broader goals of Government, GPO has

established partnerships with other Federal agencies and educational institutions
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (CONTINUED)

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 17 agency Web sites and over 30 agencies’ databases of

Government Information Locator Service (GILS) records.

Because several customers have requested that GPO upgrade its Internet

services to include a LISTSERV capability to enable them associate such a

service with their Web sites being hosted by GPO, a LISTSERV mailing list

server has been made operational.

On January 1, 2002, the long-standing, successful alliance between GPO and the

Department of Commerce to provide an online version of the Commerce

Business Daily (CBDNet) will come to an end. GPO will, however, continue to

maintain the archive of notices. This will ensure that the public continues to have

historical reference access to the procurement activities of their government

during the five-year life of CBDNet.

Maintaining GPO Access user satisfaction is a major concern of GPO. Therefore,

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. During FY 2000 and

2001, GPO staff conducted approximately 25 hands-on training classes and

demonstrations for Federal depository librarians, members of Congress,

professional organizations, various other groups, and the public, both locally and

across the country. The GPO Access User Support Team responded to an

average of 6,100 inquiries per month, including approximately 4,000 phone calls

and 2,100 e-mail messages. Due to the unique nature of the recent Presidential

election, the number of calls and e-mails received by the Team increased

dramatically, with over 10,000 user inquiries in December 2000.

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 user feedback about GPO Access from telephone calls, e-mail

messages, faxes, and letters, which are directed primarily to the GPO Access

User Support Team. GPO also uses more formal means of soliciting comments

and evaluations. GPO has conducted Usability Studies, numerous User Surveys

on both GPO Access and Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids, and several

focus groups and open forums throughout the country.

GPO continues to improve and add to the services available via GPO Access.

The future includes plans for new applications, such as a Statutes at Large

application, and the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR)

application. The GPO Access Web Committee has taken steps to apply new

GPO Access Web Design Guidelines. GPO has also procured equipment and

secured a location to conduct hands-on GPO Access training classes and

demonstrations at the main GPO facility.
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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 official

information from all three branches of the Federal Government.

GPO Access allows people worldwide to access Federal Government

information products electronically and to use those products without restriction,

unless otherwise noted. It provides access to more than 2,200 databases through

over 80 applications, such as the Federal Register and the Congressional

Record. More than 130,000 titles are housed on GPO Access servers, and links

are provided to over 94,000 additional titles from other agency Web sites, totaling

over 224,000 titles. Many electronic documents, which are the official published

versions, appear on the day of publication exactly as they appear in print. 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 products

from the GPO sales program.

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; providing bibliographic

information, locator tools, and making this information available on GPO servers;

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. Methods compatible

with technologies to assist users covered by the Americans With Disabilities Act

are available. GPO is committed to setting an example for other Federal agencies

by ensuring that GPO Access pages and hosted sites meet the accessibility

requirements for electronic and information technology set forth in Section 508 of

the Rehabilitation Act. All efforts are being made to ensure that everyone can

access and utilize all that GPO Access offers. In order to accommodate people
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without computers, more than 1,300 Federal depository libraries throughout the

country have public-access workstations for GPO Access usage. This enables

users to get assistance at the local level from librarians in using GPO Access.

The system’s ability to expand to meet the public’s needs and to store information

indefinitely supports GPO’s commitment to provide permanent public access to

electronic Federal information products. Recent statistics indicate that GPO

Access averages approximately 31 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.

OVERVIEW OF GPO ACCESS (CONTINUED)
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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.1

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.

Electronic

Directory, Online

Access, and

Storage Facility

Federal Bulletin

Board (FBB)

Senate Report 103-27 incorporated the Federal Bulletin Board, which existed

prior to Public Law 103-40, into GPO Access. The FBB enables Federal agencies

to provide to the public self-service access to Federal information in electronic

form.2

1 The successful implementation of this law requires the combined resources of many components of

GPO.

2 The bulletin board was given a Web interface in October 1994.

3 This latter statement is cited from Senate Report 103-27.

4 The cost of depository library access is to be paid from the Federal Depository Library Program appropriation.

5 To meet strong public expectations for free access to taxpayer-supported information online and due

to the costs associated with administering paid subscriptions, GPO Access has been available without

charge to users since December 1995.

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.3

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.4 If fees are charged, they must be set so as to recover the incremental cost

of dissemination.5

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.

GPO Access shall be operational by June 8, 1994. Operational

Deadline

Status &

Biennial Reports
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GPO ACCESS OBJECTIVES

To implement the legislative mandate, the following objectives have been

established for the program. GPO Access allows users to locate official

government electronic products available via the Internet and to order these

products online. The product line includes, beyond legislative information, many

important products from the executive and judicial branches such as the Federal

Register, the Code of Federal Regulations, the Commerce Business Daily, and

Supreme Court opinions, as well as Government Information Locator Service

(GILS) records for a growing number of Federal agencies.

The primary objectives of GPO Access are as follows:

 Provide access to Federal Government information in electronic formats.

 Provide electronic document delivery and online interactive services that

are well-designed, easy to use, and available to the public without charge

through the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP).

 Provide access to Federal Government information that is official and

complete. GPO secures the integrity of its databases to ensure against

unauthorized changes in text or graphics.

 Provide locator tools that assist users in finding Government information.

 Assure access for a broad spectrum of users with a wide variety of

technical capabilities both directly and through an active partnership with

Federal depository libraries.

 Establish and operate an online interactive service that is capable of rapid

expansion to meet the needs of Federal agency publishers and public

users.

 Make official Government information available to the public without the

re-keying of data when possible, and whenever feasible obtain the

original document from the publisher in electronic format to help ensure

the official nature of the document.

 Utilize a variety of dissemination media and methods, including World

Wide Web, bulletin board services and online interactive search and

retrieval services in order to achieve cost-effective information delivery

that is appropriate both to the type of information being disseminated and

the needs of users of that information.

 Ensure permanent public access of Government information made

available through GPO Access and the FDLP via direct provision, the

electronic storage facility and development of a distributed networked

system of partner institutions.

 Provide services to other Federal agencies on a reimbursable basis,

to save time, money, and other resources.
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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.

Of the metrics available for gauging Web site usage, GPO uses document

retrievals because they represent units of actual content delivered to users.

Document retrievals indicate the number of downloads both of documents within

databases and files outside of databases that have been identified as containing

Government information content. The more than 26 million retrievals in October

2000 propelled total usage of GPO Access to over 1 billion documents retrieved

since the service premiered in 1994. October 2001 produced the highest total

month’s retrievals to date with more than 36 million documents downloaded.

Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids, the educational component of GPO

Access, has received nearly 10.3 million retrievals since its debut in December of

1999. Its peak was in October 2001 with over 875,000 retrievals.

GPO recorded more than 355 million document retrievals in FY 2001 at an

average of 29 million retrievals per month, an increase from an average of 21

million retrievals per month in 1999. This figure reflects more than a 25%

increase over the total number of retrievals for FY 2000.

The average number of monthly retrievals from GPO Access is currently about

31 million and the average size of these documents is currently about 49Kb.

With 2Kb equaling roughly one typewritten page, the average size of a document

retrieved from GPO Access equates to some 24.5 typewritten pages. In turn, the

average number of monthly retrievals from GPO Access measures almost 1.5

terabytes in size and is equivalent to about 750 million typewritten pages.

The success of GPO Access is visible not only in usage statistics, but also in the

numerous awards and commendations that GPO Access has received from

organizations, publications, and other Web sites. In the comments that follow, the

success of GPO Access in providing and promoting public access to official

Federal Government Information is evident.

In June 2001, GPO Access was recognized with an E-Gov 2001 “Trail Blazer”

award. This award was given to Government organizations that demonstrated

“exceptional [electronic government] solutions that merit recognition within the

E-Government community.” E-Gov.com <http://www.e-gov.com> is a

government and technology portal that delivers Government services by

publishing digital newsletters and holding conferences related to technology and

government, such as E-Gov 2001.

In May 2001, LibrarySpot.com <http://www.libraryspot.com>, an award-winning

library and reference portal, selected the U.S. Supreme Court Web site, which is

hosted by GPO Access, to be featured among the best and most useful library

and reference sites online.

Increasing Web Site

Usage

GPO Access

Awards and

Commendations
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In March 2001, the Congressional Bills database on GPO Access was featured in

the Legislative Branch section of GovSpot.com <http://www.govspot.com>.

GovSpot.com is a non-partisan government information portal designed to

simplify the search for the best and most relevant government information online.

Also, in March 2001, CBDNet was inserted in the e-government global portal

<http://www.egov.it>. Egov.it was developed by a research team at the

University of Naples Federico II, under the sponsorship of the Dipartimento della

Funzione Pubblica and was launched in conjunction with the Third Global

Conference on Reinventing Government, Naples, March 15-17, 2000.

In addition, in March 2001, the FDLP Desktop site was featured on the Internet

Law Web site <http://www.internetlawweb.com/egovernment.htm> under the

heading E-Government Law Links. The Internet Law Web site is a portal that

provides links to various categories of resources, including legal issues, Internet

law, information technology, e-commerce, and e-government.

In January 2001, the Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States database

was included in the Current Web Contents Section of the ISI: Fully Integrated eInformation Solutions Site <http://www.isinet.com/isi/products/cc/cwc/

webselect.html>. ISI is a database that provides information in the fields of

science, social science, technology, and the arts and humanities. Since its

inception, this journal-based resource has reflected the strict guidelines for

selection developed by the ISI Editorial Development Staff. 

In December 2000, Lightspan’s StudyWeb <http://www.studyweb.com>, one of

the Internet’s premier sites for educational resources for students and teachers,

selected the U.S. Constitution: Analysis and Interpretation application, available

via GPO Access, as one of the best educational resources on the Web. Since

1996, Lightspan has scoured the Internet to select only the finest sites to be

included in StudyWeb’s listing of educational links.

In April 2000, GPO Access was voted one of Library Journal’s “Best

Reference Web Sites” for 1999. In addition, in April 2000, Forbes.com

<http://www.forbes.com> mentioned GPO Access in an article about the “Best

of the Web.”

MEASURES OF SUCCESS (CONTINUED)
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Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids, the educational component of GPO

Access, has received numerous awards and recognitions for its outstanding

commitment to government and education. In October 2000, The Washington

Lawyer, a publication for lawyers in the D.C. Metro Area, wrote, “of all the

educational resources on the World Wide Web, this is one of the best for teaching

young people about such things as historical documents, branches of government,

how laws are made, the election process, and much more.” Ben’s Guide has

received recognition from the following notable organizations:

 Skewl Sites Newsletter

 ConnectingStudents.com

 SurfNetKids.com

 StudyWeb.com

 FirstGov

 HomeworkSpot.com

 Blue Web’n

 Internet Scout Project

 The Philadelphia Inquirer

 American Library Association

 USATODAY.com

 Newsletter of the Documents Interest Group of Oregon (DIGOR)

MEASURES OF SUCCESS (CONTINUED)

Ben’s Guide to U.S.

Government for

Kids Awards
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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.

Akamai Content Delivery Service

In March 2001, GPO began working with Akamai, a company specializing in

Web site optimization. In order to deliver content faster and more reliably,

selected files on GPO Access are retrieved using the Akamai global network of

more than 8,500 servers. When a user requests an “Akamaized” file, the Akamai

network checks for a cached version of the file on a server within the local region

before retrieving content directly from GPO-centralized servers.

Users downloading “Akamaized” GPO Access files and Web pages should

experience an increase in speed and performance. Employment of the Akamai

technology began with graphics files, the Supreme Court Web site

<http://www.supremecourtus.gov> and the Federal Register HTML Table of

Contents from March 16, 2001 to April 16, 2001. Other areas of GPO Access

will use the service in the future.

Referrals to GPO Access from Other Web Sites

GPO began monitoring the number of referrals to GPO Access from other Web

sites in October 2000. The monthly referral reports are created by analyzing log

files that record the URL from which a referred user was directed to a particular

page on GPO Access.

While referral log analysis was initially intended to gather referral information

related to the launch of FirstGov, GPO has continued to review referrals in order

to learn more about the broad array of commercial, government, educational, and

military Web sites directing users to GPO Access. The referral reports are also

used to examine the web traffic directed to GPO Access by registered depository

Web sites.

Bandwidth

GPO continues to make improvements to its network in order to provide the

fastest possible response times for GPO Access users. Until July 2000, GPO’s

bandwidth consisted of four T1 lines (each operating at approximately 1.5

megabits a second) totaling 6 megabits. In July 2000 GPO upgraded to a T3

connection, with a bandwidth of 12 megabits and the ability to expand to 45

megabits. On December 18, 2001, GPO expanded the bandwidth to 24 megabits,

and now will begin preparing the infrastructure for a future increase to 45

megabits. The multiple T1 lines continue to be maintained in a backup capacity.

System

Enhancements
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ACCOMPLISHMENTS (CONTINUED)

Since January 2000, a number of new applications have been added to GPO

Access, several of which are listed below (for a list of most popular applications,

see Appendix C):

 The Davis-Bacon Wage Determinations database makes available

wage determinations issued by the U.S. Department of Labor under the

Davis-Bacon and Related Acts. GPO Access contains the Davis-Bacon

Wage Determinations from March 2, 2001 forward. The Davis-Bacon

database offers full search and browse features and is updated every

Friday morning by 9:00 am eastern U.S. time.

 Deschler’s Precedents are the parliamentary precedents of the House of

Representatives, compiled by Lewis Deschler, parliamentarian of the

U.S. House of Representatives 1928 to 1974. These materials were

prepared and published as House Document 94-661 in accordance with

Public Law 94-551. Deschler’s Precedents currently consists of 31

chapters arranged in the approximate sequential order in which they

occurred in the House. Each chapter is subdivided into sections, which

constitute the document level on GPO Access. All documents are

available as ASCII text and Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format

(PDF) files.

 The FirstGov search interface has been added to the GPO Access suite

of Finding Aids to provide greater accessibility to Federal Government

information. Designed to replace the Pathway Indexer, the agency

search engine feature, and the discontinued GovBot, users may now

search the Federal Government using the FirstGov search index. Users

have the choice to search either the entire Federal Government or just

GPO Access pages.

 The Hinds’ Precedents of the House of Representatives is the

compilation of Asher C. Hinds’, Clerk at the Speaker’s Table of the U.S.

House of Representatives from 1895 to 1910, early precedents of the

House of Representatives, dating from the First Congress. These

materials were prepared and published by authority of the Act of

Congress, approved March 4, 1901. GPO Access provides the five

volume series, currently consisting of 148 chapters, which is 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. Currently, this database contains both volumes of President

Clinton’s Public Papers from 1993-1999. Previous and subsequent

volumes will be added on an incremental basis.

New Features and

Applications
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 The United States Code is the codification of the general and permanent

laws of the United States. GPO Access contains the 2000 and 1994

editions of the U.S. Code. The 2000 edition codifies the laws that were in

effect as of January 2, 2001. Currently, Titles 1-20 are available for the

2000 edition, with additional titles to be added when available. Previous

supplements are available for research purposes.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS (CONTINUED)

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.

 In addition to the free, online Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), a

comprehensive list of CFR Titles available containing order icons is

provided to facilitate the ordering process for patrons who would like to

purchase individual copies. This checklist is updated on a weekly basis.

 The Federal Register 2000 database now contains documents with active

links to Web sites referenced in the document text. The active HTTP-link

feature will be added to previous Federal Register databases in the

future.

 A new browse feature has been installed to the U.S. Code which allows

users to browse individual U.S. Code titles, down to the section level, for

the latest available update. This feature consists of three levels,

permitting a more precise and timely search.

 The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents now has a new

browse feature, presenting publications from January 8, 2001 forward.

 In May 2001, certain enhancements were made to the U.S. Faxwatch

service. These enhancements allow Faxwatch users to request

documents from the Faxwatch database using any messaging application

program interface (MAPI), simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), or

post office protocol 3 (POP3) compliant e-mail client. Users may request

any document on the U.S. Faxwatch Service by sending an e-mail

message to USFaxwatch@gpo.gov.

 In January 2001, the Federal Bulletin Board’s World Group ServerTM

was upgraded to the 3.0 version. One of the main features of this new

version is its use of the Dynamic HTML document format. Dynamic

HTML allows for the presentation of file library contents in an HTML

format that can be read by any Web browser. The file library listings are

updated in real time and can be viewed immediately. Prior to this

Improvements to

Existing

Applications
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ACCOMPLISHMENTS (CONTINUED)

The U.S. Government Online Bookstore serves as the official online bookstore

for U.S. Government publications available for purchase from the U.S.

Government Printing Office. Available on GPO Access at a new and simplified

URL, <http://bookstore.gpo.gov>, the Online Bookstore links to the Sales

Product Catalog (SPC), Superintendent of Documents New Sales Product

Releases, Best Sellers, locations of U.S. Government bookstores, information

about the U.S. Fax Watch service, and links to the Public Documents

Distribution Centers in Laurel, MD and Pueblo, CO. Also, a group of Special

Collections is available for customers to browse, including a list of CD-ROMs

and other electronic products for sale, sales products by topic, the U.S.

Government subscriptions catalog, a Regulatory Catalog, and a link to the

Federal Consumer Information Center’s Web site that sells GPO’s products.

Customers purchasing items through the online Sales Product Catalog (SPC) are

assigned a unique GPO Order Number. Customers can reference this number

when contacting GPO’s Order Division with questions about their order. A

detailed transaction receipt is provided after each order submission and a copy of

the transaction receipt is sent to the customer’s e-mail address, if provided on the

online order form. In addition, customers can now choose the American Express

payment option when ordering through the SPC.

A number of additional enhancements are planned for the Online Bookstore.

These include improved system integration to provide the most up-to-date

information and to allow for the fastest possible processing of customer orders;

the ability for customers to select special shipping options, such as Federal

Express online; and the capability for people placing foreign orders to see all

price differentials.

U.S. Government

Online Bookstore

enhancement, any changes to the library structure could only be viewed

after the bulletin board server was restarted. In July 2001, a second

Federal Bulletin Board server was brought online as a fully duplicated

backup to ensure continued availability of the Federal Bulletin Board

during the infrequent periods of downtime for routine maintenance.

Through the GPOLISTSERV, GPO users have a quick and easy way to receive

up-to-date information on various resources available via GPO Access. Customers

can subscribe to e-mail listservs moderated by GPO or hosted on GPO Access for

other Federal agencies. Current lists available include the Federal Register Table

of Contents and Merit Systems Protection Board Decisions and Studies Lists. The

GPOLISTSERV is available at <http://listserv.access.gpo.gov>.

GPOLISTSERV
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For 140 years, GPO has produced, distributed, and disseminated Federal

Government information products. One mission of GPO in the information age is

to provide current and future permanent public access to electronic Federal

Government information products of public interest or educational value through

the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) and on GPO Access.

As directed by Congress, the primary method of making publications available

through the FDLP is online dissemination. In accordance with this initiative,

GPO continues to take steps to provide permanent public access to these

publications. Ensuring permanent access to the broad range of products in the

FDLP Electronic Collection (FDLP/EC) includes GPO Access databases, and

extends GPO’s responsibilities to include other Government information

products. The FDLP/EC includes over 224,000 electronic titles, including more

than 130,000 titles on GPO Access itself and more than 94,000 additional titles on

agency Web sites to which GPO links through electronic finding aids.

The FDLP/EC consists of the following elements, all of which are covered by the

permanent public access initiative:

 Permanent public access to core legislative and regulatory information

managed by GPO on GPO servers

 Permanent public access to agency information managed on behalf of

agencies by GPO on GPO servers

 Current access, via GPO’s bibliographic data and finding aids, to

electronic Government publications that remain on publishing

agency servers

 Access to electronic Government publications no longer available on

publishing agency servers, utilizing archived copies stored at GPO or on

partner servers

 Tangible electronic Government publications housed in Federal

depository libraries

Persistent Uniform Resource Locators (PURLs) are assigned to all online

resources that will permanently link to a document, wherever it may reside.

PURLs are included in the bibliographic records for electronic items cataloged in

the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) available through GPO

Access. Additionally, to assure permanent public access to electronic U.S.

Government information, the FDLP is operating an archive of publications that

ACCOMPLISHMENTS (CONTINUED)

Permanent Public

Access and the

FDLP Electronic

Collection

New Titles by Topic

E-Mail Alert Service

The New Titles by Topic E-mail Alert Service, one service of the

GPOLISTSERV, allows customers to receive e-mail updates when new

publications become available for sale from the Superintendent of Documents.

Anyone can sign up for one or more of the following lists free of charge: Business

Publications, Elementary and Secondary Education, Defense and Security, Health

Care, Military History, and Travel and Tourism. This service can also be reached

via the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at the following address:

<http://bookstore.gpo.gov/alertservice.html>.
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are identified, described, and pointed to as part of the FDLP/EC, when these

publications are not part of the FDLP in any other form, nor are they guaranteed

to be permanently available by their issuing agency or entity. Users will be

directed from GPO’s finding aids to the server of the originating agency or entity

for as long as the publication is available. At the point that a publication is no

longer available from the source, users will be directed automatically to the

FDLP/EC Archive, unless it has been removed for reasons of national security,

classification, official or administrative use only, or errors in content.

In addition to its archiving activities, GPO is actively working with agencies to

ensure that publications on agency servers remain freely available over time

through a variety of partnership agreements. For instance, GPO and the National

Library of Medicine (NLM) reached an agreement that assures permanent public

access to many of NLM’s most popular and important titles; included in the

agreement are PubMed and NLM Locator Plus, online resources that replaced at

least eight titles formerly represented in the FDLP in paper or microfiche. For a

complete list of partnerships, see the Other Partnerships section under Outreach.

GPO’s efforts in the area of permanent public access included initiating meetings

with other Federal agencies, national libraries, Congressional staff, public interest

groups, and other organizations outside of the Government that are concerned with

the preservation of and access to Government information produced electronically.

The Permanent Public Access Working Group has held a series of meetings in an

environment of cooperation among those engaged in related activities. GPO has set

up a public Web site on GPO Access that includes information about the

Permanent Public Access Working Group and its members, its goals, and links to

resources relevant to the topic. It can be found at <http://www.gpo.gov/ppa>. The

activities related to the permanent public access meetings and creation of the Web

site helped increase GPO’s visibility in this area.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS (CONTINUED)

In 1998, President Clinton signed the Workforce Investment Act into law. This

Act amended Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to include

accessibility requirements for electronic and information technology. Section 508

now requires that electronic and information technology used by the Federal

Government, including their Web sites, be made as accessible for people with

disabilities as it is for people without disabilities. The Federal Access Board

outlined 16 specific accessibility standards implementing Section 508 as it applies

to Web pages. The deadline for meeting these standards was June 21, 2001.

Although Section 508 currently only applies to executive branch agencies, GPO

is committed to ensuring that new and existing GPO Access Web pages along

with pages on hosted sites meet the 16 accessibility standards outlined in Section

508. Therefore, GPO is currently working to ensure that existing pages on GPO

Access and hosted sites are Section 508-compliant, and that future pages will be

created specifically with these accessibility standards in mind.

Section 508
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ACCOMPLISHMENTS (CONTINUED)

A CD-ROM version of the GPO Access training booklet was released in August

2000. Copies were distributed to Federal depository libraries and made available

for purchase through the U.S. Government Online Bookstore. The CD-ROM

version provides an overview of the Web interface, instructions for locating and

retrieving information, sample searches in popular applications, interactive

elements (such as section quizzes and Web links), and videos that capture

examples of document searches and retrievals.

Also, an updated print version of the GPO Access Training Manual was released

in June 2001. This manual replaced the June 1998 edition and includes an

overview of GPO Access, searching strategies, application information,

instructions for tracking legislation and regulations, ordering publications through

the U.S. Government Online Bookstore, as well as sample exercises.

Copies were distributed to Federal depository libraries and made available for

purchase through the U.S. Government Online Bookstore. In order to provide the

most current training manual possible, the manual and its updates are available

from the GPO Access Help page to print and add/replace pages in the booklet.

Updates are announced via various listservs, such as DocTech-L, GovDoc-L,

Gateways, and DocWorld.

GPO staff is currently working on production of a new and updated GPO Access

training CD-ROM to replace the August 2000 version. Future versions of the

electronic training manual will be made available online.

GPO is working towards using Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to ensure that the

files available on GPO Access were created by the appropriate authority and

re-disseminated securely. Through PKI, documents submitted to GPO

electronically will contain a digital signature verifying their authenticity and that they

have not been altered. GPO Access users will be able to verify that the electronic

file was created as part of the official process through the use of a free plug-in

available on the Web site. Currently, GPO has a PKI infrastructure in place and

preliminary testing has begun using digitally signed congressional bills.

Interactive Training

CD-ROM and

Revised Training

Manual

Authentication/PKI
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STUDIES UNDERTAKEN

In order to support and improve GPO Access, a number of studies were

undertaken. The following is a summary of the findings.

One of the most popular ways in which users find the resources available via GPO

Access is through major Internet search engines and directories. Therefore, GPO is

involved in an ongoing effort to improve the visibility of GPO Access pages in

major search engines and directories.

The project involves quarterly evaluations of the visibility of seven representative

GPO Access pages in 23 search engines and directories. Searches were

performed in each search engine using five keyword strings for each of the seven

GPO Access pages. For each page, a title search was conducted, along with four

other keyword strings based on the keyword metatags of each page, for a total of

35 searches performed in each search engine. To ensure consistency of results,

identical searches were performed during each of the evaluations.

The seventh and most recent evaluation showed an overall increase in the

positioning of GPO Access pages in the 23 search engines studied. Top 30 search

returns increased from 29% in the sixth evaluation to 33% in the seventh; top 10

returns increased from 24% to 25%; and top 5 returns increased from 21% to

23%. Of the seven GPO Access pages studied, five increased in percentage of top

30 returns and only two decreased since the sixth evaluation. These increases are

signs that the various measures undertaken to improve positioning seem to be

working. A description of these measures follows.

Based on the feedback given at various Open Forums, the keyword metatags

for the seven pages in the project were re-evaluated. The result was a

complete revamp of the keyword metatags of these pages. A few specific

strategies were followed during this evaluation. The first was the elimination of

keyword metatags that seemed to be ineffective or repetitive. The second was

to rank the keyword metatags in order of importance. Information gathered

from various sources revealed that keywords at the beginning of a list of

keyword metatags are considered more important and therefore be weighed

more when that page is indexed by search engines.

In addition to the re-evaluation of the traditional metatags, GPO is monitoring the

emergence of a standardized set of metadata to describe online resources, one of

which is Dublin Core. This is an initiative that is attempting to adopt a common set

of elements for resource description. Composed of 15 different elements (i.e.

Name, Author, Contributor, Coverage, etc.), Dublin Core is intended to be

imbedded within the HTML metadata of Web pages, and has the potential to

become the standard form of metadata for Web pages. For these reasons, Dublin

Core has been inserted into the metadata of a number of GPO Access pages.

It was also determined that manual URL submission to search engines was not

effective enough to improve positioning. Therefore, GPO has procured a software

Search Engine

Evaluations
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package and has subscribed to a fee-based service to assist in the process of

URL submission. The service submits ten GPO Access URLs to over 1,000

search engines on a monthly basis. The submission software is employed on a

periodic basis.

After the previously mentioned measures were taken, it was still deemed

necessary to learn more about the rapidly changing field of search engines and

directories. Therefore, research is being done through a number of channels.

First, GPO has subscribed to a fee-based Web site that is maintained by personnel

who are considered the leading information experts in the industry. The site

provides information on how search engines and directories work, as well as the

latest developments in the industry. GPO personnel also obtained information at a

recent Search Engine Strategies Conference, at which personnel from many

search engines were attendees and speakers.

Based on the information gathered from these various channels of research, GPO

has implemented a test of paid positioning on the popular search engine GoTo,

which powers the paid listings that appear on many other popular search engines.

These tests will initially focus on the U.S. Government Online Bookstore portion

of GPO Access, the results will be studied, and a decision will be made regarding

how to proceed in terms of the rest of the site.

GPO will continue to monitor the latest developments in Internet search engines

and adjust its strategy accordingly. Quarterly reports will also continue to be

generated.

STUDIES UNDERTAKEN (CONTINUED)

Legislative

Resources

Comparison Report

In March 2001, the third in a series of evaluations of legislative resources was

conducted to further GPO’s efforts to improve coverage of congressional and

other legislative information on GPO Access. This report compares the legislative

resources available via GPO Access to resources on other sites. This iteration

was a continuation of the baseline evaluation in October 1999. This evaluation

reviewed the congressional and other legislative branch information available

through GPO Access and compared the data to other relevant Government and

non-government Web sites. Three factors were analyzed: (1) what resources

are available; (2) the scope of the resources; and (3) the source of the resources.

To preserve continuity, the same sites were reviewed in all three evaluations to

see if any changes had occurred, such as expanded years of coverage or newly

added legislative resources. In-depth comparison and analyses were conducted

on four Government Web sites: GPO Access, THOMAS (run by the Library of

Congress), the House of Representatives Web site <http://www.house.gov>, and

the Senate Web site <http://www.senate.gov>. The same comparison and

analyses were conducted on three commercial, fee-based Internet services:

Congressional Universe, CQ.com, and Lexis-Nexis. The March 2001

comparison yielded these key findings:
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 Often, even if THOMAS, the House Web site, or the Senate Web site

has a particular legislative resource, there is often a link back to GPO

Access for other available file formats of a document. There are also

disclaimers stating that GPO produces the only “official” version of

certain legislation.

 GPO Access is still the leader among the compared sites, housing 19 of

the 22 legislative resources measured.

 GPO Access has not added any new categories of legislative resources

since July 2000; however there is now a browse feature for the United

States Code, which increases the usability of and access to current

legislative resources.

 The Statutes at Large are represented as being housed on Lexis-Nexis;

however, this is merely a table indexing the Public Laws.

 Whereas the commercial sites appeared to be playing “catch-up” in July

2000 by adding more of the resources on GPO Access, no resources have

been added to the sites since then. Therefore, none of the sites have

gained any ground on GPO Access.

 None of the sites houses all 22 legislative resources compared, but GPO

Access makes available the greatest number (19) of resources.

The tables below present a summary comparison of the number of resources on

each service:

GPO Access 19

THOMAS 6

House Web site 4

Senate Web site 3

In comparison to other governmental and commercial sites, GPO Access

continues to be the innovative leader and custodian of legislative resources,

providing a high level of comprehensive, free legislative information to the public.

To get the full report with full analysis and accompanying graphs and tables,

please see <fedbbs.access.gpo.gov/access.htm>. Click on Legislative Resources

Comparison report.

GPO Access 19

Lexis-Nexis 16

Congressional Universe 12

CQ.com 8

GPO Access Performance Measures were examined in the “Performance

Measures for Federal Agency Websites” report, conducted by Charles R.

McClure of Florida State University, J. Timothy Sprehe of SIMA Inc., and

Kristen Eschenfelder of the University of Wisconsin, and released on October 1,

2000. The report was funded by the Energy Information Administration, Defense

Technical Information Center, and U.S. Government Printing Office. The full text

of the report is available on the Federal Bulletin Board at

<http://fedbbs.access.gpo.gov/measures.htm>.

STUDIES UNDERTAKEN (CONTINUED)

Performance

Measures for

Federal Agency

Websites

GPO Access Compared to

Government Web Sites:

GPO Access compared to

non-Government Web sites:

I I I I 
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The main objectives of the study were to identify the current best practices in

Federal agency Web site performance monitoring, and to develop standard

measures that should be used by Federal agencies to evaluate the services being

provided by their Web sites. GPO Access fared well in the review of current

practices, with the report suggesting that the strategy for assessing GPO Access

“could serve as a guideline for other agencies in establishing or amending their

Web site development strategies.”

STUDIES UNDERTAKEN (CONTINUED)
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Client Agencies

GPO’s partnerships with other Federal agencies and depository libraries 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.

Internet-related services that GPO performs for other Federal agencies include

hosting and maintaining agency Web sites, Government Information Locator

Service (GILS) records, databases, and other electronic files. GPO Access

currently hosts 17 Federal agency Web sites and databases of GILS records for

over 30 agencies.

GPO has agreements with depository libraries to provide online Government

information content and services. These include the following:

Partnership with the University of Central Oklahoma Chambers Library

The University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) Chambers Library, in partnership

with the Government Printing Office, assumed responsibility for the “Browse

Government Internet Sites by Topic” finding aid in 1999. The UCO Chambers

Library maintains this locator tool, a browseable list of subject-oriented

bibliographies of Government Web sites, and coordinates volunteers from the

Federal depository library community to develop or contribute to a topic on a

regular basis.

Partnership with the University of North Dakota, Chester Fritz Library

In August 2001, the Federal Depository Needs and Offers (N&O) online list

service was transferred to the University of North Dakota, Chester Fritz Library,

through a partnership agreement. The N&O is a tool used by depository

librarians for collection development purposes, in which selective depositories

seeking to dispose of publications withdrawn from their collections may list the

availability of publications to other depositories. Depository libraries can offer

their discards that are over 5 years old through the Needs and Offers site once

they have followed their Regional’s processes for weeding publications from the

depository collection. This service was formerly provided by volunteers from the

Federal depository library community.

PARTNERSHIPS

As a result of a partnership between GPO and the National Library of Medicine

(NLM), the NLM has agreed to provide permanent public access to several of

their publications. The permanent and free public access agreement allows these

online publications to supersede several paper titles in Federal Depository

Libraries:

MEDLINE is the National Library of Medicine’s bibliographic database,

containing information on the fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary

medicine, and the preclinical sciences. MEDLINE indexes articles from more

Non-Government

Partnerships

Partnership with the

National Library of

Medicine
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In addition to NLM, UCO, and North Dakota, GPO has standing partnerships

with several Federal agencies and educational institutions to provide online

Government information content and services.

 The DOE Information Bridge: A component of EnergyFiles that 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

72,000 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: 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 1,000 separate journal titles.

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.

 U.S. State Department Foreign Affairs Network (DOSFAN) Electronic

Research Collection: Provides permanent public access to archived,

electronic State Department documents made available through a

partnership of the U.S. State Department, the University of Illinois at

Chicago, and GPO.

PARTNERSHIPS (CONTINUED)

Other Partnerships

than 4,300 international biomedical journals, and contains all citations published in

Index Medicus. Bibliographic citations are available for publications from 1966

to the present.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) is the National Library of Medicine’s

controlled vocabulary thesaurus. The National Library of Medicine uses the

MeSH thesaurus for indexing articles from biomedical journals; for cataloging

books, documents and audiovisuals; for indexing the MEDLINE database; and

for headings used as index terms in the Index Medicus.

NLM LocatorPlus is the catalog of books, journals, and audiovisuals available

through the National Library of Medicine. LocatorPlus also includes access

points to other medical research tools.
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 University of North Texas Research Collections: Provides permanent

public access to electronic publications from disbanded 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, among others.

 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. This list reflects the structure of

the Government as identified in The United States Government Manual.

 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.

 GPO has also signed a new agency permanent public access agreement

with the National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden, CO. for their

electronic reports.

 GPO is in negotiations for an FDLP site for Census 2000

Summary files.

PARTNERSHIPS (CONTINUED)

In August 1996, GPO entered into a strategic alliance with the Department of

Commerce to develop and operate an online version of Commerce Business

Daily (CBD) to be known as CBDNet. Through a collaborative effort involving

virtually every area of GPO, CBDNet went live on December 6, 1996, receiving

wide acclaim. Since then, CBDNet has operated in a consistently award-winning

manner while achieving the original alliance goals of utilizing available information

technology to create a system that worked better, cost less, and expanded the

availability of procurement information. CBDNet stands as a lesson in

cooperation not only between two agencies, but also within GPO itself.

A recent change in the Federal procurement process will bring about the end of

this successful alliance on January 1, 2002. After the CBDNet system is used by

the Federal contracting officials to submit notices for publication in the final

edition of Commerce Business Daily (dated January 4, 2002) the submission

CBDNet
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24

portion of the system will be shut down. All of the notices validated for

publication in the final issue will remain accessible in the active database for the

required 15 days, until they pass into the archive database and the active

database will be shut down.

The archive database will remain permanently accessible to the public through

GPO Access. This will ensure that the public continues to have historical

reference access to the procurement activities of their Government during the

five-year life of CBDNet. While usage will not be as great as the millions of

notices traditionally retrieved each month from the active database, usage

patterns for the archive database prove that it is an important and necessary

resource for GPO Access users.

PARTNERSHIPS (CONTINUED)
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

25

TRAINING & 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.

The continued and rapid growth of GPO Access has translated into a number of

requests for training classes and demonstrations to help educate users about

electronic products and services. In addition, GPO has participated in many trade

shows. During FY 00 and FY 01, staff from the Office of Electronic Information

Dissemination Services (EIDS) conducted approximately 25 hands-on training

classes and demonstrations on GPO Access for Federal depository librarians,

members of Congress, and the general public, both locally and across the

country. Recent sessions were conducted in Pasadena, Indianapolis, Minneapolis,

San Francisco, and Atlanta. (Refer to Appendix G for a full list of training sites

and conferences).

By combining multiple activities in the course of one trip, GPO was able to

maximize coverage of the widest possible geographic area with minimal costs.

Consequently, GPO Access training classes are scheduled generally only in

conjunction with trips where exhibits are planned at trade shows.

Users needing assistance with GPO Access can contact the GPO Access

User Support Team. These highly trained specialists are available Monday

through Friday (except Federal holidays) from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On

average, the Team receives 6,100 inquiries per month, including

approximately 4,000 phone calls and 2,100 e-mail messages. Due to the

unique nature of the recent Presidential election, the number of calls and emails received by the Team increased dramatically. During the month of

December 2000, for example, the Team responded to over 10,000 user

inquiries. Despite this large volume, the Team was able to respond to the

additional load in a timely and expert fashion. The Team may be reached

via:

E-mail: gpoaccess@gpo.gov

Phone: 1-888-293-6498 (toll-free)

202-512-1530 (DC Area)

Fax: 202-512-1262

Training Classes &

Demonstrations

User Support Team
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

26

USER FEEDBACK

On a daily basis, GPO monitors user 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.

Usability Testing In the ongoing process of gathering user feedback, two sessions of usability

tests of GPO Access were performed, one coinciding with the Computers in

Libraries Conference on March 14-16, 2001 and the other with the 2001 Fall

Depository Council Meeting. The usability tests involved watching participants

who use the site perform a series of scripted tasks on GPO Access. The

participants were asked to perform tasks of varying degrees of difficulty within

a specified period of time. These tasks assessed various areas of GPO Access

including the U.S. Government Online Bookstore, Code of Federal

Regulations, the Help feature, as well as overall site layout and ease of use.

The testing sessions were videotaped for future reference and analysis by GPO

staff.

Usability testing continuously proves to be a very useful way to obtain direct,

observable user feedback regarding GPO Access and its usability. One of the

volunteers had no previous experience with GPO Access; the others had varying

degrees of knowledge and familiarity with the site. The range of experience of

the users gave a respectable cross-section of the average user. Many of the

problems that users encountered have simple design solutions such as changing

the icons at the bottom of the screens to be more apparent as to their function

and use.

There are plans for future usability studies for GPO Access, including a test to

determine which search engines and search terms users employ to find GPO

Access and its applications. More usability testing will be completed through

partnerships with the library community.

On July 25, 2001, a User Survey was posted on GPO Access. It was the fourth

annual user survey distributed in an effort to learn about GPO Access users, their

usage patterns, and their opinions of GPO Access. By the deadline of September 30,

2001, 478 responses were received. Below, are some of the survey’s key findings.

 Personal Affiliation: Federal depository library (35%); general public

(20%); government (14%); other (13%); academic/education (12%);

non-depository library (7%).

 Times GPO Access used per month: 10+ (36%); 0-2 (27%); 3-5 (19%);

6-10 (18%).

 Gained knowledge of GPO Access: Federal Depository Library (24%);

Internet search (20%); link from another site (16%); training class (11%);

conference/trade show (5%); other (26%).

GPO Access User

Survey
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

27

USER FEEDBACK (CONTINUED)

In December 2000, GPO posted two user surveys geared toward assessing the

effectiveness of Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids and obtaining ideas for

further development of the site. One survey was targeted to students from

kindergarten through twelfth grade. The second focused on obtaining feedback

from parents and educators. The survey was posted for two weeks, and during that

time, over 1,000 responses were received. Key findings are summarized below:

Feedback from Students:

 39% of the students found the site through a teacher and 43% through an

Internet search.

 Most students were in either grades 3-5 or 6-8.

 According to the students, the most popular sections on Ben’s Guide

were branches of Government (52%), the election process (46%), and

games and activities (46%).

 94% of the students found the sections on Ben’s Guide easy to

understand.

Feedback from Adults:

 57% of the adults surveyed were teachers.

 56% of the adults found the site through the Internet.

 Survey participants felt that the most useful sections were branches of

Government, the election process, games and activities, curriculum links,

and U.S. Government Web sites for kids.

 The most requested features to be added according to survey

participants were lesson plans, quizzes, as well as alternative versions of

the site (i.e. print and online interactive version).

 96% of adults felt the sections on Ben’s Guide were written

appropriately for the targeted grade ranges.

 The most frequently used Finding Aids were: Catalog of U.S.

Government Publications (21%), Government Sites By Topic (16%),

Federal Agency Internet Sites (16%), Government Information Products

For Sale By Topic (11%), Sales Product Catalog (10%), Government

Information on Selected Internet Sites (9%), New Electronic Titles (8%),

Government Information Locator Service (8%), and other (1%).

 Percentage of the time users find the information they needed: 75%-

100% (46%), 50%-75% (32%); 0%-25% (10%); 25%-50% (8%);

never (3%).

 GPO Access Site Search page rating: Good (44%), Fair (28%), Excellent

(15%), and Poor (14%).

Ben’s Guide to U.S.

Government for

Kids Survey
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

28

USER FEEDBACK (CONTINUED)

Focus Groups To further improve GPO Access, GPO regularly conducts focus groups

throughout the country. These sessions provide insight into how people use GPO

Access and how the various services could be revised, improved, and enhanced.

Participants include congressional staff, Federal depository librarians, members

of trade and professional organizations, private-sector employees, and other

public users. All participants were uncompensated volunteers.

In May 2001, the U.S. Government Printing Office had the opportunity to gather

feedback from local students on Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids. The

focus group was conducted in conjunction with the Long Island Library

Conference held in Long Island, New York. This was the first time a focus group

was conducted about Ben’s Guide.

Three focus group sessions were conducted that included seventh grade students

from Northport Middle School, as well as fifth and first grade students from

Ocean Avenue Elementary School. The goal of the focus group was to gather

information on the usability and curriculum appropriateness of the site, as well as

technical and reading comprehension skills of the students.
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

29

COSTS & SAVINGS

The GPO Access system is much more efficient than originally expected and,

consequently, has been less costly than originally estimated by the Congressional

Budget Office (CBO). In 1993, the 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, it was expected that provisions

allowing free online access for Federal depository libraries would cost between

$2 million and $10 million per year, assuming appropriation of the necessary

funds.6

 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.

GPO Access provides a resource from which users can instantly access a

plethora of Federal information free of charge, and it has resulted in cost savings

for GPO by reducing distribution of paper copies. In order to meet public

expectations for free access to taxpayer-supported information online, GPO

Access has been available without charge to users since December 1995. GPO

Access has been cost-effective by expanding public access for a much larger

audience of users than was previously available through the distribution of paper

documents. GPO Access has also resulted in savings for many other Federal

agencies that have their web sites hosted on GPO servers. By placing their

information on GPO Access, agencies reduce the need to expend additional

resources and eliminate duplicative efforts. By providing this service, GPO is also

saving other Federal agencies the time and resources it would take for them to

house their own information.

6 Government Printing Office Electronic Information Access Enhancement Act of 1993 (H.R. 103-108), p. 2

Expenditures and

Operating Costs

$696,700

$1,294,200

$1,822,028

$2,749,320

$3,149,615

$3,068,083

$3,114,172

$3,126,793

Fiscal Year Annual Operating Cost

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

Savings and

Benefits
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

30

FUTURE OUTLOOK

Many new developments, some of which will require additional resources/funding,

are in the works for GPO Access. Some plans for Web site improvements and

enhanced training efforts are provided below.

Statutes at Large

GPO Access is currently working on creating a new Statues at Large application.

The addition of this application will further enhance GPO Access users’ ability to

track a bill throughout the legislative process.

Browseable Congressional Hearings

In the near future GPO Access also hopes to add a browseable list of all

Congressional Hearings. A browseable list will provide an alternative to the

current Congressional Hearings database that utilizes a search function to retrieve

documents.

E-CFR

GPO is working with the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and

Records Administration to provide an Electronic Code of Federal Regulations

Application (e-CFR), that will be updated daily as opposed to the currently

annually updated Code of Federal Regulations application. The e-CFR will

consist of two linked databases: the “current Code” and “amendment files.” The

current Code database will be updated according to the effective dates of

amendments published in the Federal Register. As amendments become

effective, the changes will be integrated into the current Code database to display

the full text of the currently updated CFR. For future-effective amendments,

hypertext links will be inserted into the affected sections or parts of the current

Code to take users to the pertinent amendment files. Currently, a beta test site of

the e-CFR is available via GPO Access.

The GPO Access Web Committee has drafted GPO Access Web Design

Guidelines. These guidelines are intended to help standardize the publication of

pages on GPO Access; specifically, the Superintendent of Documents home page

and related pages. These guidelines will be modified as technologies and

accessibility recommendations change.

Learning Center GPO has procured equipment and secured a location to conduct hands-on GPO

Access training classes and demonstrations at the main GPO facility. This new

facility will help to minimize costs and leverage the use of available staff to

conduct GPO Access training classes and demonstrations in the Washington, DC

area. It is expected that this facility will be used to provide more training on

GPO Access to the Federal depository library community, Congressional staff,

and other Federal agency personnel who either work in or visit Washington, DC.

Standardization of

Web Pages

Upcoming

Applications
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

31

FUTURE OUTLOOK (CONTINUED)

XML Extensible Markup Language (XML) 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. Because the XML structure can be used from the authoring level

throughout the publishing process from 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 XML 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,

allowing the same information to be extracted, reordered, and merged

from structured databases.

 Incorporation of data from one publication to 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.

GPO is currently seeking a new build/search/retrieval software system for GPO

Access. New databases that use this technology, such as the e-CFR, will provide

numerous enhancements:

 Daily updates to compliment existing WAIS databases

 More numerous and specific Boolean operators to aid in query

construction

 The ability to search multiple specific sections in the body of a document

 Enhanced ability to link documents. (e.g., direct links to originating

documents in the Federal Register from e-CFR search results)

Software Upgrade

Plans are under development for a GPO Access mirror site, to be housed in a

geographically separate location. Initially, the site will consist only of two servers

configured to provide offsite storage of GPO data. Subsequent to identifying,

procuring, and implementing a replacement for the existing wide area information

server (WAIS) search engine, appropriate hardware and connections will be

moved to, and/or procured, and then installed at the selected location to permit

data to be passed securely to the mirror site. Extensive testing of the transferred

data will be performed before the mirror site goes live in a limited capacity. Once

the mirror site has been operating at peak levels for data transfer, security, and

performance over a predetermined period of time, GPO will explore options for

its broader deployment.

Mirror Site
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

GPO ACCESS ALIASES

The following list provides shortcuts (aliases) that have been established for

various GPO Access applications to make the URLs of these applications easy to

remember:

 Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids <http://bensguide.gpo.gov>

 Budget of the United States Government <http://www.gpo.gov/usbudget>

 Bureau of Land Management <http://www.gpo.gov/blm>

 Catalog of U.S. Government Publications <http://www.gpo.gov/catalog>

 Economic Report of the President <http://www.gpo.gov/eop>

 Export Administration Regulations <http://www.gpo.gov/bxa>

 FDLP Desktop <http://www.gpo.gov/fdlpdesktop>

 GPO Access <http://www.gpo.gov/gpoaccess>

 GPO Access Biennial Report <http://www.gpo.gov/biennialreport>

 Locate Federal Depository Libraries <http://www.gpo.gov/libraries>

 New Electronic Titles <http://www.gpo.gov/net>

 National Commission on Terrorism, Countering the Changing Threat of

International Terrorism <http://www.gpo.gov/nct>

 Office of Management and Budget <http://www.gpo.gov/omb>

 U.S. General Accounting Office <http://www.gpo.gov/gao>

 U.S. Government Online Bookstore <http://bookstore.gpo.gov>

Appendix A
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

WEB PAGE SAMPLES

The following seven 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

 Questions/Comments Page

 Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids home page

Appendix B
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

Appendix B

' Site Search 

' Site Contents 

' Online Bookstore 

, F1nd1ng Aids 

' Library Services 

' What's New Archive 

Text only I About this site I Privacy I Help I Comments 

Official Federal Government 

Information at Your Fingertips 

What's Available ... 

Legislative 

Executive 

Judicial 

Regulatory 

Administrative Decisions 

Core Documents of U.S. Democracy 

Hosted Federal Web Sites 

Quick Links ... 

Code off ederal Regulations 

Federal Register 

CBDNet 

Congressional Record 

U.S. Code 

Catalog of U.S. Gov, Publications 

Other Databases 

What's New on GPO Access ... 

December 12, 2001 -- Titles 8 through 20 of the United States Code (2000), 

the codification of the general and permanent laws of the United States in 

effect as of January 3, 2001 , are now available. 

November 20, 2001 -- Titles 1 through 7 of the United States Code /2000). 

the codification of the general and permanent laws of the United States in 

effect as of January 3, 2001 , are currently available. 

A service of the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office. 

Questions or comments: gpoaccess@gpo.gov. 

Last updated: December 12, 2001 

Page Name: http:/M.WAl.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/index.html 
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

Appendix B

' What is GPO Access? 

" Database List 

Last Updated: October 23, 2001 

Search for: 

Home I P1ivacy I Site Search I Help I Comments 

Site Contents I What's New I Online 8ooksto1e I Finding Aids I Lib1an, Services 

Site Search 

Please note: This search engine searches for information that is available on 

GPO Access; however, it does NOT search within individual databases. For 

example: If you enter toxic chemicals, you will retrieve Web pages that 

reference toxic chemicals, but you will not retrieve documents within a 

database, such as the Federal Register. 

A service of the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Gove,nment P1inting Office. 

Questions or comments: gpoacces:s@gpo.gov. 

Page Name: http:/M.WJ\l.access.gpo.gov/su_ docs/search.html 
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

Appendix B

' What's New 

,. Best Sellers 

' Ordering Information 

' Bookstore Locations 

' U.S. Fax Watch 

,. 0istr1but1on Centers 

_, 

-

,.. 

E-mall Alert Servi ce 

sign up now 

Last updated: December 3, 2001 

Home I Privacy I Encryption I Site Search I Help I Comments 

Site Contents I What's New I Online Bookstore I Finding Aids I Library Services 

U.S. Government 

Online Bookstore 

Welcome to the official online bookstore for U.S. Government publications 

available for purchase from the U.S. Government Printing Office. 

Search the Sales Product Catalog (SPQ: 

Submit I Clear I 

Maxi mum Records Returned: (4o' Default is 40. Maximum is 200. 

Advanced Search I Searching Hints 

Browse a topic: 

I Accounting and Auditing/42 

Browse Special Collections: 

CD-ROMs 

Emergency Response Publications 

Federal Tax Products 

Non pull-down list 

Regulatory Catalog 

Subscriptions Catalog 

Other Collections 

A service of the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office. 

Questions or comments: gpoacces:s@gpo.gov. 

Page Name: http://bookstore.gpo.gov/index.html 
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

Appendix B

' About these tools 

Last updated: November 2, 2001 

Search 

Home I P1ivacy I Site Sea1ch I Help I Comments 

Site Contents I What's New I Online Bookstore I Finding Ajds I Lib1an, Se ,vices 

Finding Aids 

• Databases Online via GPO Access 

• Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) 

• Sales Product Cat a log (SPC) 

• Government Information Locator Service (GILS) 

• Search the Federal Government through FirstGov 

• Agency Publications Indexes 

• Depository library in Your Area 

Browse 

• Browse a Topic , U.S. Government Online Bookstore 

• U.S. Government Subscriptions Catalog 

• U.S. Government Bookstores 

• New Electronic Titles (NEl) 

• Browse Topics 

• FDLP Electronic Collection: Specialized Collections of Full Text 

Information 

• Federal Agency Internet Sites 

• Federal Web Sites Hosted by GPO Access 

• Federal Bulletin Board Files 

• Public Documents Distributions Centers (PuDDC) 

A service of the Superin1endent of Documents, U.S. Gove,nment P1inting Office. 

Questions or comments: gpoacces:s@gpo.gov. 

Page Name: http://l.A.wJu.acces:s.gpo.gov/su_ docs/tools.html 
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

Appendix B

' About FBB 

' Help 

' Search FBB 

Last updated: June 13, 2001 

Home I Site Search I Help I Comments 

Site Contents I What's New I Online Bookstore I Finding Aids I Libran, Services 

Federal Bulletin Board 

• View Alphabetical List of All FBB File Libraries 

Federal Agency File Libraries 

• Legislative Information, Includes selective CFR and FR archives 

• Federal Agency Information, Cabinet-level and other agencies 

• White House Organizations, White House offices and agencies 

• U.S. Supreme Court, 1992-1999 Terms 

GPO Access and FDLP File Libraries 

• Commerce Business Daily. Templates and help files 

• Federal Depository Library Information, Includes shipping lists 

• GPO Access Information, Helpful Hints and source files 

• Catalog of U.S. Government Laws Regulations Decisions and 

Guidelines 

A service of the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office. 

Questions or comments: gpoacces:s@gpo.gov. 

Page Name: http://fedbbs.access.gpo.gov/index.html 
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

Appendix B

Last updated: July 11, 2001 

Home I P1ivacy I Site Sea1ch I Help I Comments 

Site Contents I What's New I Online 8ooksto1e I Finding Aids I Lib1an, Services 

Comments and 

Questions 

Please provide the following information: 

E-Mail Address: 

Name: 

Daytime Phone: 

FAX Number: 

If you are commenting on a specific page, please include the page identifier 

which appears in the lower left corner of all pages. For example, this page is 

AMAIL.001. 

Page: jindex.html 

WEB Browser: jMozilla/4.6 [en] (WinNT; U) 

Speed: 

_!J 

Send Message I Clear I 

A service of the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Gove,nment P1inting Office. 

Questions or comments: gpoacces:s@gpo.gov. 

Page Name: http://l.A.wJu.acces:s.gpo.gov/su_ docs/amail001.shtml 
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

Appendix B

K-2 I 3-5 I 6·8 I 9-12 I Parents& Teache,s 

About Ben I Search I Site Map I Help I About this Site I Awards I Privacy Policy 

A service of the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office. 

Last updated: December 13, 2001 

Page Name: http://bensguide.gpo.gov/index.html 
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

APPLICATIONS ON GPO ACCESS

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

 Budget of the United States Government

 Catalog of U.S. Government Publications

 Code of Federal Regulations

 Commerce Business Daily (CBDNet)

 Congressional Bills

 Congressional Committee Prints

 Congressional Directory

 Congressional Documents

 Congressional Hearings

 Congressional Pictorial Directory

 Congressional Record

 Congressional Record Index (CRI)

 Congressional Reports

 Daily House Calendar

 Daily Senate Calendar

 Davis-Bacon Wage Determinations

 Deschler’s Precedents

 Economic Indicators

 Economic Report of the President

 Federal Register

 Final House Calendar

 Final Senate Calendar

 GAO Comptroller General Decisions

 GAO Reports

 Government Information Locator Service (GILS) Records

 History of Bills

 House Appropriations Committee Hearings

 House Journal

 House Rules and Manual

 List of CFR Sections Affected

 Privacy Act Issuances

 Public Laws

 Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States

 Sales Product Catalog

 Senate Appropriations Committee Hearings

 Senate Manual

 U.S. Constitution, Analysis and Interpretation

 U.S. Government Manual

 U.S. Supreme Court Decisions

 Unified Agenda (Semiannual Regulatory Agenda)

 United States Code

 Ways and Means Committee Prints

 Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents

Appendix C
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

STATISTICS

Appendix D

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 November 2001

 Online and Tangible Titles Available through GPO: FY 1999-2002

 Cumulative Online Titles Available through GPO Access: April 1998

through November 2001

 GPO Access User Support Team: March 1997 through October 1999
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

Appendix D

Month Retrievals Month Retrievals

January-96 1,956,342 January-99 18,218,948

February-96 2,012,502 February-99 19,136,768

March-96 2,137,143 March-99* 22,162,053

April-96 1,947,847 April-99 20,094,842

May-96 2,215,555 May-99 20,145,461

June-96 2,531,586 June-99 21,249,102

July-96 2,430,186 July-99 21,020,675

August-96 2,324,419 August-99 19,744,798

September-96 2,427,999 September-99 19,610,196

October-96 2,880,998 October-99 21,350,991

November-96 2,395,494 November-99 21,291,242

December-96 2,415,385 December-99 18,075,893

January-97 2,813,440 January-00 21,343,968

February-97 2,619,294 February-00 23,957,447

March-97 4,016,934 March-00 28,848,249

April-97 4,549,420 April-00 26,215,474

May-97 3,932,660 May-00 24,023,176

June-97 4,110,850 June-00 25,258,619

July-97 4,674,970 July-00 24,686,455

August-97 5,055,587 August-00 24,488,714

September-97 6,513,672 September-00 24,262,730

October-97 8,195,747 October-00 26,414,308

November-97 7,296,710 November-00 28,159,947

December-97 7,052,557 December-00 23,581,282

January-98 10,532,326 January-01 32,119,447

February-98 10,208,373 February-01 28,920,097

March-98 13,509,763 March-01 32,150,780

April-98 12,350,215 April-01 30,073,626

May-98 11,401,457 May-01 30,380,076

June-98 13,811,171 June-01 31,937,552

July-98 14,295,713 July-01 29,942,390

August-98 13,388,403 August-01 31,911,327

September-98 15,195,765 September-01 30,351,036

October-98 15,516,955 October-01 36,477,548

November-98 15,187,908 Total: 1,107,738,376

December-98 16,227,813

GPO Access Retrievals

January 1996 through October 2001

This table presents monthly totals of document retrievals on GPO Access. During this entire period, 

retrieval rates increased by an average of 304,958 downloads per month.

*Beginning in March 1999, retrievals of static Web pages were included in the count of total 

document retrievals, which previously consisted only of downloads from databases. While this 

addition does account for a significant increase, it should be noted that, prior to then, static Web 

pages did not comprise as much Government information content as they currently do.
U) -

ro 

> Q) 

0 """"" 

0 

N 

0 0 

0 0 

o_ o_ 

0 0 

0 0 

o_ o_ 

0 ll) 

'SJ" (Y) 

0 0 0 

0 0 0 

o_ o_ o_ 

0 0 0 

0 0 0 

o_ o_ o_ 

0 ll) 0 

(Y) N N 

0 0 

0 0 

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0 0 

0 0 

o_ o_ 

ll) 0 ~ ~ 

--------

-

------

-

--- 0 0 

0 

o_ 

0 

0 

o_ 

ll) 

Oct-01 

Jul-01 

Apr-01 

Jan-01 

Oct-00 

Jul-00 

Apr-00 

Jan-00 

Oct-99 

Jul-99 

Apr-99 

Jan-99 

Oct-98 

Jul-98 

Apr-98 

Jan-98 

Oct-97 

Jul-97 

Apr-97 

Jan-97 

Oct-96 

Jul-96 

Apr-96 

Jan-96 
Apr-98 67,342 42,204 109,546

May-98 71,064 43,150 114,214

Jun-98 71,176 43,582 114,758

Jul-98 71,511 43,722 115,233

Aug-98 72,589 44,117 116,706

Sep-98 83,394 45,281 128,675

Oct-98 85,177 45,345 130,522

Nov-98 85,300 47,611 132,911

Dec-98 85,489 47,771 133,260

Jan-99 85,624 47,807 133,431

Feb-99 92,064 45,858 137,922

Mar-99 93,958 45,960 139,918

Apr-99 96,100 46,083 142,183

May-99 97,076 46,182 143,258

Jun-99 98,520 46,281 144,801

Jul-99 99,607 59,298 158,905

Aug-99 100,650 59,378 160,028

Sep-99 101,279 59,447 160,726

Oct-99 102,411 62,197 164,608

Nov-99 104,079 62,250 166,329

Dec-99 104,308 68,297 172,605

Jan-00 104,704 68,349 173,053

Feb-00 105,452 68,403 173,855

Mar-00 106,488 68,451 174,939

Apr-00 107,627 68,513 176,140

May-00 108,462 73,572 182,034

Jun-00 109,669 73,643 183,312

Jul-00 111,046 77,736 188,782

Aug-00 111,822 77,868 189,690

Sep-00 112,994 80,038 193,032

Oct-00 115,004 83,523 198,527

Nov-00 115,660 83,677 199,337

Dec-00 116,220 83,837 200,057

Jan-01 117,427 84,263 201,690

Feb-01 118,556 84,368 202,924

Mar-01 122,250 84,454 206,704

Apr-01 123,156 84,578 207,734

May-01 124,478 84,678 209,156

Jun-01 125,534 84,775 210,309

Jul-01 126,511 84,918 211,429

Aug-01 127,436 85,062 212,498

Sep-01 128,229 87,668 215,897

Oct-01 129,146 94,023 223,169

Nov-01 130,221 94,162 224,383

Note 1: The decrease of nearly two thousand titles linked from GPO Access in February 1999 is attributed to the 

discontinuation of the Eric Pilot Project. There are no plans to provide permanent access to these titles at this time.

Note 2: The increase of over 13,000 titles linked from GPO Access in July 1999 is due primarily to the addition of titles on the 

DOE Information Bridge.

Note 3: The increase of over 5,000 titles linked from GPO Access in May 2000 is due primarily to the addition of titles on the 

DOE Information Bridge.

Note 4: The Titles Linked from GPO Access is subject to change due to pending Department of Energy adjustment for DOE 

Information Bridge. Fiscal Year 2001 FY 2002 Fiscal Year 2000

Titles on 

GPO Access

Titles Linked from 

GPO Access

Fiscal Year 

1998 (Partial)

The figures on this table represent the cumulative number of online titles 

available through GPO Access as of a given month. Figures were first available 

for April 1998. Fiscal Year 1999

Available through GPO Access

Cumulative Online Titles 

Month Total

April 1998 through November 2001
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

Appendix D

Oct-98 1,783 64 1,847 36% 1,036 2,176 66 3,278 64% 5,125Nov-98 123 2,266 2,389 40% 776 2,756 33 3,565 60% 5,954Dec-98 189 160 349 12% 775 1,704 32 2,511 88% 2,860Jan-99 135 36 171 6% 1,143 1,640 103 2,886 94% 3,057Feb-99 6,440 -1,949 4,491 64% 1,059 1,464 51 2,574 36% 7,065Mar-99 1,894 102 1,996 33% 1,151 2,827 41 4,019 67% 6,015Apr-99 2,142 123 2,265 36% 771 3,208 74 4,053 64% 6,318May-99 976 99 1,075 28% 610 2,166 34 2,810 72% 3,885Jun-99 1,444 99 1,543 30% 1,166 2,362 55 3,583 70% 5,126Jul-99 1,087 13,017 14,104 83% 1,024 1,799 54 2,877 17% 16,981Aug-99 1,043 80 1,123 29% 1,153 1,526 85 2,764 71% 3,887Sep-99 629 69 698 17% 1,203 2,112 54 3,369 83% 4,067Sep-00 1,172 2,170 3,342 71% 1,010 333 35 1,378 29% 4,720Oct-99 1,132 2,750 3,882 63% 830 1,372 56 2,258 37% 6,140Nov-99 1,668 53 1,721 48% 902 906 60 1,868 52% 3,589Dec-99 229 6,047 6,276 67% 969 2,040 52 3,061 33% 9,337Jan-00 396 52 448 18% 917 1,073 65 2,055 82% 2,503Feb-00 748 54 802 24% 1,084 1,435 57 2,576 76% 3,378Mar-00 1,036 48 1,084 33% 1,141 1,046 23 2,210 67% 3,294Apr-00 1,139 62 1,201 38% 816 1,073 33 1,922 62% 3,123May-00 835 5,059 5,894 77% 1,161 547 46 1,754 23% 7,648Jun-00 1,207 71 1,278 39% 1,065 858 86 2,009 61% 3,287Jul-00 1,377 4,093 5,470 77% 1,136 494 32 1,662 23% 7,132Aug-00 776 132 908 34% 1,391 306 72 1,769 66% 2,677Sep-00 1,172 2,170 3,342 71% 1,010 333 35 1,378 29% 4,720Oct-00 2,010 3,485 5,495 81% 786 439 56 0 1,281 19% 6,776Nov-00 656 154 810 31% 1,015 604 23 191 1,833 69% 2,643Dec-00 560 160 720 31% 1,103 316 66 88 1,573 69% 2,293Jan-01 1,207 426 1,633 58% 856 179 76 73 1,184 42% 2,817Feb-01 1,129 105 1,234 50% 667 425 22 129 1,243 50% 2,477Mar-01 3,694 86 3,780 67% 922 708 41 170 1,841 33% 5,621Apr-01 906 124 1,030 51% 490 374 32 98 994 49% 2,024May-01 1,322 100 1,422 53% 523 612 18 94 1,247 47% 2,669Jun-01 1,056 97 1,153 58% 423 347 21 57 848 42% 2,001Jul-01 977 143 1,120 58% 375 326 30 70 801 42% 1,921Aug-01 925 144 1,069 54% 660 131 65 56 912 46% 1,981Sep-01 793 2,606 3,399 78% 453 265 30 223 971 22% 4,370Oct-01 917 6,355 7,272 84% 729 438 27 178 1,372 16% 8,644Nov-01 1,075 139 1,214 53% 664 283 44 98 1,089 47% 2,303

Total: 47,999 51,051 99,050 55% 34,965 43,003 1,885 1,525 81,378 45% 180,428

* The decrease of nearly two thousand titles in February 1999 is attributed to the discontinuation of the Eric Pilot Project. ** This figure represents the total number of microfiche titles produced both in-house and on contract.

 The 

increase of over 13,000 titles in July 1999 is due primarily to the addition of titles on the DOE Information Bridge.

Total Online 

and Tangible 

Titles

Online Titles Tangible Titles

Titles on 

GPO 

Access

Titles 

Linked from 

GPO 

Access*

Total 

Online 

Titles

Percent of Total 

Titles

Paper 

Titles

Microfiche 

Titles**

USGS 

Titles

Online and Tangible Titles Available through GPO

Fiscal Year 1999-2002

All numbers on this table represent the quantity of titles added or distributed for a given month. With the exception of the totals, which are calculated strictly with the numbers contained in this table, they do not reflect a cumulative count as of that date.

CD-ROM 

Titles

Total 

Tangible 

Titles

Percent 

of Total 

Titles
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

Month Phone Calls E-mail Messages Total Inquiries

Mar-97 4,265 1,583 5,848

Apr-97 4,352 2,127 6,479

May-97 3,582 1,793 5,375

Jun-97 3,733 2,039 5,772

Jul-97 4,534 1,444 5,978

Aug-97 4,060 1,686 5,746

Sep-97 3,849 1,816 5,665

Oct-97 4,205 2,225 6,430

Nov-97 3,481 1,788 5,269

Dec-97 3,633 1,469 5,102

Jan-98 4,949 2,293 7,242

Feb-98 4,533 1,993 6,526

Mar-98 4,477 2,201 6,678

Apr-98 4,081 2,404 6,485

May-98 3,374 1,609 4,983

Jun-98 4,859 2,178 7,037

Jul-98 4,786 2,298 7,084

Aug-98 4,267 1,924 6,191

Sep-98 5,015 2,699 7,714

Oct-98 5,364 2,879 8,243

Nov-98 4,608 2,428 7,036

Dec-98 4,132 2,166 6,298

Jan-99 4,490 2,263 6,753

Feb-99 4,582 2,088 6,670

Mar-99 5,756 2,551 8,307

Apr-99 4,748 2,342 7,090

May-99 3,375 1,673 5,048

Jun-99 3,771 1,748 5,519

Jul-99 4,036 2,013 6,049

Aug-99 4,332 2,036 6,368

Sep-99 3,600 1,804 5,404

Oct-99 3,472 1,911 5,383

Nov-99 3,490 2,085 5,575

Dec-99 3,023 1,554 4,577

Jan-00 3,908 2,279 6,187

Feb-00 4,488 2,439 6,927

Mar-00 4,618 2,546 7,164

Apr-00 3,982 2,086 6,068

May-00 4,341 2,378 6,719

Jun-00 4,058 2,131 6,189

Jul-00 3,653 1,913 5,566

Aug-00 4,207 2,200 6,407

Sep-00 3,608 1,836 5,444

Oct-00 3,849 2,222 6,071

Nov-00 3,409 2,512 5,921

Dec-00 3,265 7,259 10,524

Jan-01 4,604 3,209 7,813

Feb-01 3,764 1,840 5,604

Mar-01 3,865 2,202 6,067

Apr-01 3,595 1,411 5,006

May-01 3,577 2,216 5,793

Jun-01 3,672 2,238 5,910

Jul-01 3,646 2,304 5,950

Aug-01 3,696 2,103 5,799

Sep-01 2,961 1,920 4,881

Oct-01 3,212 2,087 5,299

Nov-01 2,853 1,927 4,780

2001

fax and postal mail, the figures for these submission methods are negligible and therefore not tracked.

GPO Access User Support Team

March 1997 through November 2001

This table presents monthly totals of phone calls and e-mail messages answered by the

GPO Access User Support Team. Although the Team also responds to inquiries submitted via 1997 1998 1999 2000

Appendix D
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

WEB SITES HOSTED BY GPO ACCESS

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 Council on Disability

 National Gambling Impact Study Commission

 National Labor Relations Board

 National Mediation Board

 Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board

 Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission

 Office of Compliance

 Office of Government Ethics

 Supreme Court of the United States

 U.S.–China Security Review Commission

 U.S. Commission on National Security/21st Century

 United States Commission on Civil Rights

 United States Trade Deficit Review Commission

Appendix E
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

GILS RECORDS HOSTED BY GPO ACCESS

Appendix F

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

 Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

 Environmental Protection Agency

 Office of Administration, Executive Office of the President

 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 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
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

Appendix G

This table lists the training sites and conferences attended by GPO staff from

January 2000 through December 2001 to educate users about the products and

services offered on GPO Access.

Name Location Date 

American Library Association San Antonio, TX January 2000 

Department of State Washington, DC February 2000 

Drake University Des Moines, IA March 2000 

Conference of Black Political Scientists Washington, DC March 2000 

Public Library Association National Conference Charlotte, NC March 2000 

Depository Library Council Meeting Newport, RI April 2000 

Texas Library Association Houston, TX April 2000 

University of Wisconsin Madison, WI May 2000 

Special Libraries Association Philadelphia, PA June 2000 

Interagency Depository Seminar Washington, DC June 2000 

Mississippi Government Documents Round Table 

(GODORT) Jackson, MS June 2000 

American Library Association Annual Conference Chicago, IL July 2000 

5 State Depository Meeting Flagstaff, AZ August 2000 

Western New York Library Resources Council Buffalo, NY September 2000 

Fort Worth Public Library Fort Worth, TX September 2000 

Federal Depository Library Conference/Council Arlington, VA October 2000 

Legal Tech 2000 Conference Atlanta, GA November 2000 

American Library Association Midwinter Conference Washington, DC January 2001 

Computers in Libraries Conference Washington, DC March 2001 

Depository Library Council Meeting San Antonio, TX April 2001 

Long Island Library Conference Huntington, NY May 2001 

Medical Library Association Conference Orlando, FL May 2001 

Rollins College Winter Park, FL May 2001 

Interagency Depository Seminar Washington, DC May 2001 

American Library Association San Francisco, CA June 2001 

American Association of Law Libraries Minneapolis, MN July 2001 

University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN July 2001 

University of California Northridge, CA November 2001 

Internet Librarian 2001 Pasadena, CA November 2001 

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN November 2001 

American Association of School Librarians Indianapolis, IN November 2001 

GPO ACCESS TRAINING SITES/LOCATIONS
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

GPO ACCESS OPERATING SYSTEM

Appendix H

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 servers (WAIS) software created by WAIS,

Incorporated. All of these servers are directly connected to a 100 megabits-persecond (Mbps) FDDI ring, which is connected to the Internet over a partial T3

connection provided by GTE Internetworking. The T3 connection, operating at 12

Mbps, currently averages 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.
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

KEY TERMS

Adobe Acrobat

Portable Document

Format (PDF)

Application

Database

Dissemination

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.

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.

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.

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.

Appendix I

Alias

Dublin Core The Dublin Core is an initiative that is attempting to adopt a common set of

elements for resource description. Composed of 15 different elements (i.e. Name,

Author, Contributor, Scope, etc.), the Dublin Core is intended to be imbedded

within the HTML Meta Data of Web pages, and has ambitions of becoming a

standard form of Meta Data for Web pages.

Web address shortcuts, also known as “symbolic links”, that can be used in place

of the full pathname. On GPO Access, aliases to applications were created to

provide short, memorable URLs.
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

KEY TERMS (CONTINUED)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

Federal Depository

Library Program

(FDLP)

Government

Information Locator

Service (GILS)

Government

Information Product

Host

HTML

Interface

Appendix I

Metadata Simply put, metadata is “structured data about data.” The Dublin Core Metadata

Initiative defines metadata as “descriptive information about an object or resource

whether it be physical or electronic.”

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.
Biennial Report to Congress on the Status of GPO Access

www.gpo.gov/biennialreport

KEY TERMS (CONTINUED)

Appendix I

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.

A combination of software, encryption technologies, and services that allows

organizations to protect the integrity of electronic communications and

transactions.

On GPO Access, a download of either a document from a database or a file

outside of a database that contains Government information content.

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.

An amendment to the Workforce Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that requires Federal

departments and agencies that develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and

information technology to ensure that Federal employees and members of the

public with disabilities have access to and use of information and data,

comparable to that of the employees and members of the public without

disabilities unless it is an undue burden to do so.

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.

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.”

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.

Screen Capture

Server

Section 508

Permanent Public

Access

Retrieval

Public Key

Infrastructure (PKI)

PDF See “Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF).”

SWAIS

WAIS

XML XML (Extensible Markup Language): A subset of the Standard Generalized

Markup Language (SGML) designed to be a standard format for exchanging

structured documents and data on the Web.