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Y2K Preparations at GPO and LPS

Library Programs Service (LPS) staff wants to take this opportunity to inform the depository community and other interested stakeholders about our year 2000 (Y2K) contingency plans for major LPS systems and functions.

GPO, together with other Federal agencies, has developed a business continuity and contingency plan as required by the General Accounting Office. This plan has been developed for LPS’ major functional activities to enable us to carry on even if confronted with Y2K problems or other emergencies.

To ensure that we can continue providing acquisitions, classification, distribution, shipping and cataloging services, GPO’s Office of Information Resources Management (OIRM) has completed Y2K remediation and testing on LPS mission-critical mainframe legacy systems:

• ACSIS (Acquisitions, Classification, and Shipment Information System)
• DDIS (Depository Distribution Information System)
• MOCAT/SAMANTHA (Monthly Catalog publishing system)

Y2K modifications and related upgrades are also underway for the ADDS (Automated Depository Distribution System, formerly known as the Lighted Bin System). This work is expected to be completed shortly after January 1, 2000. Our contingency plans provide for continuous distribution of depository library materials even if serious delays in the ADDS updates are encountered.

All LPS web and local applications and computers have been tested for Y2K compliance and necessary remediation or replacement is essentially complete. In addition, GPO Access, GPO’s publicly-accessible Web site, located at <www.access.gpo.gov>, has been certified Y2K compliant.

In the event that Y2K impairs the functioning of any of our major systems, LPS has plans in place to enable our workforce to provide service to the depository community by continuing to process, catalog and distribute depository materials. LPS staff is working to ensure that the mission-critical LPS functions are operational on January 3, 2000. The depository community will be kept informed of any major Y2K malfunctions that will have a direct impact on the services we provide. Obviously, if the GPO and/or LPS network is down for any reason, we cannot provide e-mail communication. Be assured, however, that we will use available technology to contact depository libraries, vendors and other libraries and partners if any critical functions are affected by the Y2K activities.

The GPO-wide Y2K statement can be found at: <www.access.gpo.gov/y2kdiscl.html>.

The staff member within LPS who will serve as our Y2K point of contact is:

As a reminder, the Recommended Specifications for Public Access Workstations in Federal Depository Libraries at <www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/dpos/mintech.html> states that:

LPS previously provided information on the Y2K status of depository CD-ROMs. This report may be found at: <www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/dpos/ad102599.html#5>.

USAPat Migrating to DVD

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office reminds depositories selecting the USAPat CD-ROM product (item 0260-E, C 21.31:) that this title will be released in DVD-ROM format beginning with the January 2000 issue. Since more data will fit on a DVD disc, depositories will receive one disc per week instead of five.

USGS Map Shipping Lists Now Distributed to All Libraries

As of October 1, 1999, the Library Programs Service (LPS) is distributing USGS map shipping lists to all depository libraries, whether or not they select the maps. Libraries that do select the USGS maps will continue to receive shipping lists from USGS, as well as from LPS.

The transition from having the "Direct Mail" titles distributed by the publisher or printer to having them distributed by the Library Programs Service (LPS) has generally gone smoothly, with two exceptions: the Federal Register and the Congressional Record. LPS announced in October that 13 titles, including these two, would from then forward be sent to depositories on regular shipping lists from LPS (see Administrative Notes, v. 20, # 15, 10/15/99; <www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/dpos/ad101599.html#4>).

Unfortunately, miscommunication between departments at GPO resulted in the non-distribution of 7 issues of the Federal Register and Congressional Record, as listed below:

These issues are being reproduced and should be available for depository distribution in January 2000.

LPS is expediting regular distribution of both of these titles, as well as the other 13 titles on the "Direct Mail Discontinued List" by shipping them with Congressional publications.

Questions concerning the status of the direct mail titles should be directed to <askLPS@gpo.gov>.

GPO's Term Contracts Division has determined that Wilkins Systems, Inc. has not been in compliance with microfiche contracts for programs B354-S and B562-S. Therefore, GPO has declared a default on these contracts for shipments that have not yet been converted and delivered, and for defective microfiche that were rejected and not yet corrected. GPO will reissue the titles assigned to these shipments to another contractor under the same program numbers. New print order numbers will be assigned.

Reprocessing of these publications for microfiche conversion by another contractor has commenced. The new shipping lists will refer to the original print order and shipping list numbers. Libraries that receive duplicate copies of the publications should process them as secondary publications (see Instructions to Depository Libraries, Chapter 4, Section H, page 18).

Shipments that have been returned to the Government Printing Office for cancellation are listed below.

B354-S		B562-S
Print Order #	Shipping List #	Print Order #	Shipping List #
0040	99-0642-M	00018	99-0655-M
00052	99-0711-M	00020	99-0697-M
00057	99-0751-M	00022	99-0746-M
00060	99-0787-M	00025	99-0749-M
00061	99-0904-M	00032	99-0924-M
00063	99-0925-M	00033	99-0938-M
00065	99-0940-M	00034	99-0945-M
00066	99-0946-M	00035	99-0961-M
00067	99-0962-M	00036	99-0975-M
00068	99-0963-M	00037	2000-0011-M
00069	99-0976-M	00038	2000-0019-M
00070	99-0977-M	00039	2000-0051-M
00071	2000-0012-M	00040	2000-0052-M
00072	2000-0013-M	00041	2000-0053-M
00073	2000-0014-M	00042	2000-0054-M
00074	2000-0016-M	00043	2000-0102-M
00075	2000-0017-M
00076	2000-0020-M
00077	2000-0055-M
00078	2000-0056-M
00079	2000-0057-M
00080	2000-0101-M

Please do not claim these items through Wilkins Systems, Inc.

For the past several months, GPO's mailing contractor has batched the Library Programs Service’s (LPS) daily shipments and sent them to depository libraries on an average of one batch a week. This batching created an uneven and unacceptable processing workload in libraries.

Effective Monday, December 13, 1999, the processing of depository shipments in batches will cease. Shortly thereafter, shipments received at depository libraries should again reflect the flow of work processed at GPO daily. To resolve this matter on a long-term basis, LPS is modifying contract specifications for upcoming mailing contracts. LPS thanks depository libraries for their patience, and for their promptness in notifying LPS of shipment concerns.

New NTDB CD-ROM Issued

The November 1999 National Trade Data Bank (NTDB) CD-ROM (C 1.88:, item 0128-L) will be the first issue using the new search and retrieval software. While the basic functionality of the software remains the same, accessing the data is totally different on the new discs. Documents can now include embedded graphics and tables and can be read in the way they were originally formatted, rather than as straight ACSII files.

Documents can be accessed in one of three ways on the NTDB CD-ROM:

• from the Table of Contents (corresponds to the "browse by program"),
• via Quick Search (full text searching using Boolean operators), and
• via Advanced Search (fielded search).

Users can make bookmarks, tagging items to return to in later sessions, and add annotations, or "stickie" notes, to documents for future reference.

There will be one disc instead of two, and the software must be reinstalled with each month's disc.

The Commercial Service International Contacts, Merchandise Trade Data, and the State of Origin of Export (MISER) data have been dropped. The Merchandise Trade data are now being released on the USA Trade CD-ROM (item 0128-L-01, C 1.88/3:).

STAT-USA has developed the NTDB Quick Start Manual, which will be loaded to an ftp server located at <ftpser.esa.doc.gov>. This site cannot be accessed via Internet Web browser. Instead, use a stand-alone program like WS_FTP, available for free from <www.ipswitch.com>. Use <ntdb> for both the user name and password to access the site.

SuDocs Letter: Destroy Social Security Administration Document

November 9, 1999

Dear Depository Librarian:

The Library Programs Service (LPS) was apprised by the Social Security Administration that the Fast Facts and Figures about Social Security should not have been distributed to depository libraries. Social Security Administration has advised us the publication was released without being proofed and has errors.

Descriptive information on this publication:

I am requesting that you immediately withdraw this publication and destroy it by any means to prevent disclosure of its contents. Both LPS and the Social Security Administration regret any inconvenience resulting from the shipment of this publication.

Sincerely,

FRANCIS J. BUCKLEY, JR.
Superintendent of Documents

November 12, 1999

Dear Depository Librarian:

The Library Programs Service (LPS) was apprised by the Library of Congress that the Cataloging Service Bulletin, No. 86 should not have been distributed to depository libraries. The Library of Congress has advised us that the publication is for internal use only.

Descriptive information on this publication:

I am requesting that you immediately withdraw this publication and destroy it by any means to prevent disclosure of its contents. Both LPS and the Library of Congress regret any inconvenience resulting from the shipment of this publication.

Sincerely,

FRANCIS J. BUCKLEY, JR.
Superintendent of Documents

November 24, 1999

Dear Depository Librarian:

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is requesting the removal and destruction of the Creole version of Resident Rights and Responsibilities. Descriptive information on this publication is as follows:

Please withdraw this publication and destroy it. Both LPS and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development regret any inconvenience resulting from the shipment of this publication.

Sincerely,

FRANCIS J. BUCKLEY, JR.
Superintendent of Documents

At the request of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia, the Government Printing Office (GPO) prepared print copies and online access to the "Findings of Fact" in the Microsoft case issued on Friday, November 5, 1999, by Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson.

GPO was asked to make advance preparations for the rapid dissemination of the document. GPO established a specific URL for the "Findings" to be released on GPO Access, GPO's popular Internet information service at <www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs>. The Microsoft document URL is <http://usvms.gpo.gov>. At the Court's request, the document was to be made available in WordPerfect and Portable Document Format (PDF) formats. GPO also added availability in HTML format. To handle the anticipated demand, GPO arranged to have the document loaded on 10 servers configured behind a BigIP load balancer, served by five T1 lines.

The Court also asked that GPO make available printed copies of the "Findings" through its main bookstore on North Capitol Street in Washington, DC, starting at 6:30 p.m. on the date of release. GPO produced copies of the cover in advance, established a $25 price for the product, and made preparations to dedicate high-speed duplicating systems for rapid document production. In addition, GPO set up a system for taking advance orders for the print publication.

Judge Jackson announced the decision at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, November 5. A printed copy and electronic disk version of the 207-page document, entitled Findings of Fact: In State of New York, ex rel. Eliot Spitzer, et al., v. Microsoft Corporation, cases 98-1232 and 98-1233, were transferred to GPO by the Court. Print production began immediately, and a sufficient number of copies was produced by the time the bookstore re-opened at 6:30 p.m. At the same time, the electronic version was readied for the 6:30 p.m. release online.

In the first hour of release, online traffic was heavy. GPO Access experienced 152,000 successful connections in the first hour of release, with new connections averaging between 75 and 100 every 4 seconds by 7:30 p.m. Between 6:30 p.m. Friday, November 5, and noon on Monday, November 8, GPO Access experienced 395,000 successful connections.

A total of 147 copies of the print document were sold between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on November 5. Most of the network evening news broadcasts about the decision on Friday were filmed in front of GPO's bookstore.

Print copies of the "Findings" are also being made available for public access through Federal depository libraries located throughout the Nation.

The University of Miami's Otto G. Richter Library recently completed a two and a half year project to eradicate "cigarette" beetles from the library's government document collection. Undertaken between March 1997 and October 1999, the project successfully deloused approximately 4,600 volumes of bound government documents, including the Congressional Record and Foreign Relations of the United States.

In the late 1980's, the Richter Library staff first found there were volumes infested with damaging insects known as cigarette beetles. In 1989, the library commissioned the services of an entomologist, Thomas Parker, who specialized in treating materials housed in museums and libraries.¹ Parker determined the chief areas of infestation in Richter Library, one of which was in certain older government documents.² In contrast to local exterminators who recommended closing the library and blasting the stacks with toxic pesticides to eradicate the pests, Parker recommended freezing infested materials, along with placing pheromone traps. This method was environmentally friendly as well as economically viable, for it permitted keeping the library open for the duration of the treatment.

The adult cigarette beetle is round in shape and about 1/3 the size of a ladybug. It commonly feeds on tobacco, grain, spices and other dried leafy materials. Eggs of the beetle are often found in household spices. In libraries, the beetle feeds on the glue of book bindings, spines and the hinges of bound materials. Fortunately, it does not seem to find softbound or unbound materials to its liking.

Beetle eggs are laid on the book shelf or on top of the book itself. Hatched larvae, referred to traditionally as the common "bookworm," chew a tunnel into the glued portions of the book cover and create piles of powdered excrement, called "frass." In three months they may eat a path two inches long and scar a volume with unsightly holes. The larva chews a round exit hole through the book spine, plugs the hole with fras and pupates into an adult beetle in the chamber behind this hole. After a period of time, the beetle chews its way out of the book by exiting through this hole. After emerging, the female beetle emits pheromones which attract the male. Both males and females are excellent fliers and are often successful in finding mates. The cycle repeats and one book may have multiple generations of beetle scarring.

Although the cigarette beetle is small, infestations are fairly easy to identify. To check for cigarette beetles, examine underneath the book for little piles of fine dust (fras) on the book shelf. It is always the same color as the book being eaten. If you open the inside front or back cover, you may see small holes near the spine crease. Tap the spine of bound materials. If fras falls out, it probably indicates an active beetle infestation.

As a chiefly tropical insect, the cigarette beetle is not conditioned for freezing temperatures, and soon dies if given a sufficient dose of cold weather. Placing infested materials in freezers for a few days would kill the beetle, as it cannot adjust so quickly to a sudden change in temperature.

Although the cigarette beetle is common in tropical areas, we believe it was probably imported into the Richter Library in the 1950's through two large collections of gifts. These gifts were stored for a number of years without air conditioning, and were probably infested before they were brought into the library. The Richter Library now routinely examines or freezes gifts before placing them in collections.

Most of the beetle infestations involved materials printed from the years 1920 to 1960. Infestations included particularly valuable sets such as: a reprint of the Annals of Congress, portions of the bound Congressional Record, Foreign Relations of the United States, the Treaties and International Acts Series, large runs of the War Department and assorted volumes from the Smithsonian. Sporadic infestations were also in the Departments of Labor, Education (SuDoc FS), and Treasury; the Library of Congress, NASA, the Postal Service, the Patent and Trademark Office, and assorted Congressional Commissions. A few spots of infestation were also identified in the international collection of League of Nations documents.

Fortunately, the beetles do not seem attracted to the glue in the Congressional Serial Set or the Division’s self-bound collection of Congressional Hearings. The Congressional Record, however, showed some evidence that it was re-infested before the project was completed, and it subsequently had to be re-frozen.

From 1990 to 1992, the Government Information Division made note of infested shelving areas and some sporadic freezing was done. However, freezing was not systematic, and no follow-up maintenance or monitoring was performed. A large number of volumes of full-text patents were significantly damaged by the beetles and subsequently weeded rather than frozen.

It was as late as 1997 that the project was begun in earnest. Since remaining infestations involved valuable works such as the Foreign Relations and the Congressional Record, the project was given much higher priority. In January 1997, the government document shelves were systematically inventoried to determine infestations. A plan of action was developed to prioritize saving the most important sets first. Large amounts of materials needed immediate attention before further damage occurred. A freezer was relocated to aid in the eradication, and a second one was also made available for the Division's use.

Freezing was done on a weekly rotating schedule. Materials were placed in small cardboard boxes, and then sealed in large plastic garbage bags. The boxes were placed in already cooled freezers, and quick frozen for three days. The freezers were then unplugged, and slowly thawed to room temperature for another three days. This prevented water damage to the books. While the volumes were in the freezer, a portable vacuum cleaner was used to clean dust, fras and beetle eggs from the emptied shelves. It was important that the shelves were cleaned, as leftover eggs could re-infest materials. Before the volumes were returned to the shelves, a student penciled the word "frozen" and the date on the inside front cover. This helped to track if re-infestations occurred and also prevented freezing the same volume twice.

The Division also placed pheromone-laced beetle traps on top of volumes that were known to be infested. Care had to be taken in handling the traps, as they were extremely sticky and hard to remove from shelving and floors if meddled with by students. Beetles, however, were successfully attracted to the scent, and a few days after placement, some beetles could be seen embedded in the sticky glue.

Statistics of frozen volumes were collected and a map of infested areas was charted and updated. When the project began, approximately eight shelves of materials were frozen per week. Estimated time to complete the project was one to one and a half years. The project was delayed a few times and eventually completed in about two and a half years. The project took longer than expected due to other projects taking priority, the discontinuity of student labor, and accommodating other Divisions if they needed to use the freezers.

Only one part of the collection needed to be re-frozen, and that was the Congressional Record. This was probably due to the large physical size of the volumes, which may have affected how cold the temperature got inside the book covers. While it may be too soon to judge whether the project was completely successful (some beetle larvae have been documented to live eleven years) other volumes were re-checked for signs of fras, and seem to be in good condition. A total of 4,600 volumes were saved from further destruction.

While the method of freezing is quite time and labor intensive, it is environmentally friendly, and does not mandate a library shutdown to undertake. Prevention is vitally important to the health of library collections, and all gifts should be thoroughly inspected or frozen before volumes are added. For more about freezing and other environmentally friendly ways to eradicate insects from collections, see Nonchemical Treatment Processes for Disinfestation… by Johanna Wellheiser.³

• Students and library assistants in the Government Information and Special Formats Division who helped to carry out this project;

• Bill Brown, Assistant University Librarian for Administrative Services and Special Collections, for the use of his freezer all those years; and

• Jay Kalvan, Collection Management Librarian, for special assistance in this project and with background information for this report.