Good morning, everyone. I'm pleased to be here today to
talk
about the healthy state of the Federal Depository Library Program
(FDLP).
This has been a truly watershed year for the FDLP; one in which
we
together designed our future and began to carry it out. In this
election
year, we've been hearing a lot about bridges: to the past, to the
21st
century. I think it's fair to say that together, we have built
the bridge
to the future, one which ensures the continued vitality of our
program,
and its role in keeping the public informed. However, we have
not burned
our bridges behind us. Our approach to changing this program is
evolutionary, and it builds upon the historic strengths of the
FDLP:
geographic distribution, centralized services, and the dedication
and
skills of documents librarians who are the first line of service
to the
public.
1996 is memorable for the intensive review and planning
for the
future of the FDLP which took place in the context of the "Study
to
Identify Measures Necessary for a Successful Transition to a More
Electronic Federal Depository Library Program." The basic future
direction and timetable for incorporating electronic information
into the
FDLP were developed in close consort with the depository library
community, and generally accepted by the Congress. But it was
also a year
marked by progress in every area of LPS in effectively moving
toward a
more electronic program.
As a result of articulating our principles and goals, and
the
short- and long-term planning efforts, LPS is better able to
balance the
complex issues attending the transition to electronic information
dissemination and our ongoing traditional services. Every area
of LPS has
benefitted from the planning process and has made real strides
toward
incorporating electronic Government information products into the
FDLP,
bringing the results of transition projects into the regular
day-to-day
life of the operation.
A basic electronic information service
requirement
was established for depository libraries.
Study Report: Strategic Plan
The public comments in response to the Transition Plan,
which was
submitted with our FY 1997 budget request, led directly to the
development
of the Strategic Plan included in the June 1996 Study Report.
The
Strategic Plan proposed a more gradual transition, during the
period from
FY 1996 through FY 2001. It emphasizes incorporating electronic
information into the existing structure of the FDLP. The Plan
reflects
the views and advice of the library community, Federal publishing
agencies, and users of Government information. Library
community, and
especially Council input was critical in establishing the more
gradual
transition timetable, in emphasizing appropriate formats, and in
embracing
the responsibility to guarantee permanent public access to
electronic
information.
Input from both publishing agencies and depository
libraries
stated that the more gradual transition is more realistic and
cost-effective since it would allow GPO to change to electronic
information as rapidly as the publishing agencies can produce it
and the
libraries can absorb it. This view was accepted by the Congress
during
the consideration of GPO's FY 1997 appropriations request.
In accordance with the Strategic Plan, the FDLP is
providing
Government information products in a variety of formats to the
depository
libraries. Electronic information is being made accessible to
the public
directly or through depository libraries from a system of
Government
electronic information services administered by GPO, other
Government
agencies, or institutions acting as agents for the Government.
The
Pathway Services are identifying and connecting users to
electronic
information products and services of GPO and other agencies. We
are
working to obtain electronic source files from agencies, such as
the
Department of Energy, for mounting on GPO Access. Tangible
Government
information products, including CD-ROMs, diskettes, paper, or
microfiche,
continue to be distributed to libraries although the volume is
declining.
Legislative Changes Which Support the Transition
Substantial changes in the FDLP already are underway
within the
structure of the existing statute. GPO is acting upon its
existing
statutory authority to incorporate electronic Government
information
products into the FDLP. However, certain amendments to Chapter
19 of
Title 44 would facilitate the transition. For example, it should
be
established without question that electronic Government
information must
be included in the FDLP, to establish authority and
responsibility for the
FDLP to ensure that both tangible and electronic Government
information
products are maintained permanently for depository library and
public
access, and to authorize the Superintendent of Documents to
request that
the originating agencies provide electronic source data files of
their
information products. Some suggestions for legislative changes,
which
incorporate the advice of various program stakeholders, are
included in
the Study Report. At the request of the Senate Committee on
Rules and
Administration, a detailed proposal for revising Chapter 19 was
prepared
and forwarded to the Committee for consideration. This proposal
and a
summary of its key points were published in the August 30, 1996,
issue of
Administrative Notes (v. 17, no. 12).
We want to thank the many people outside of GPO who
contributed to
this effort. This includes those who worked on the task of an
"evaluation
of current laws governing the FDLP and recommendation of
legislative
changes" as part of the Study, Depository Library Council
members, and the
many people who spent many hours on this at the American Library
Association annual conference in New York. We made every effort
to have
an open process of involvement and consultation, and we feel the
results
demonstrate that.
Usage of the FDLP and GPO Access
Based on the number of users, the FDLP continues to be a
principal
mechanism to meet the Government information needs of the
American public.
The 1989 McClure and Hernon study estimated that there was "a
minimum of
167,000 [depository] users, per week ... in academic and public
libraries." In the 1995 Biennial Survey of Depository Libraries,
GPO
collected updated estimates on the number of users of all
depository
libraries. The Biennial Survey responses, from virtually every
depository
library, yielded an estimate that 189,000 to 237,000 persons used
FDLP
information each week. We designed the Biennial Survey question
with the
idea of getting data on more than just the face-to-face
transactions which
occur in the library, so the question was intended to cover
electronic
transactions such as e-mail reference inquiries.
In addition, users are also getting Government
information
directly from the GPO Access service at a rapidly growing rate.
Users are
downloading an average of 2.5 million documents per month from
over 70
databases. You won't be surprised to hear that system usage has
expanded
significantly since the user fee requirement for GPO Access was
eliminated
in December 1995.
Library Service Requirements
If you'd indulge me for a minute here, I'd like to ask
one of
those aerobic questions. Could we have a show of hands from
everyone from
a depository library which offers public access to Government
information
on the Web?
In May 1996 we advised the depository community that
technical
requirements for serving the public with electronic information
would
become mandatory by October 1, 1996. All depositories are
expected to
offer public users access to work stations with a graphical user
interface, CD-ROM capability, Internet connections, and the
ability to
access Government information via the World Wide Web. This
system-wide
capability is valued by publishing agencies, since when we go to
promote
participation in the FDLP, one of the first questions is usually
"What can
the libraries handle?"
Last spring we also issued a revised set of "Recommended
Minimum
Specifications for Public Access Work Stations in Federal
Depository
Libraries." These recommended specifications are intended to
assist
depository librarians who are planning purchases of new public
access work
stations capable of using most text-based FDLP electronic
information
products.
We were later advised that work stations which conform to
the
"Recommended Minimum Specifications" may be inadequate for
electronic
spatial data, to run Geographic Information System (GIS)
software, or to
print maps from electronic sources. The Cartographic Users
Advisory
Council (CUAC) then assisted LPS in the development of a
supplemental set
of specifications to support spatial data applications, which we
published
in June 1996.
In this context, questions have come up concerning how
GPO will
treat the work station recommendations and the related
requirement to
provide public access to electronic Government information
products. By
now, each depository should be able to offer the public access to
Government information products disseminated via the Internet.
During a
depository inspection, this capability will be considered in the
context
of Physical Facilities, along with other matters such as adequate
space,
shelving, microfiche storage, and so forth. LPS will use a
functional
approach to determine compliance with the public access
requirement. The
LPS inspector will focus on the depository library's ability to
provide
public access to electronic FDLP information. The method
selected by the
depository library to meet this public access requirement is a
local
determination, and we expect to see, and welcome, a lot of
creative
solutions. For example, public access to Government information
provided
via the Internet may be provided either through mediated
searches, or by
allowing members of the public to use depository library work
stations on
their own. In making such decisions, depository librarians
should keep in
mind the "rule of thumb" that services associated with FDLP
information
products should be at the same level as those accorded to
products which
are purchased for the library's collection.
To assist depositories in promoting their electronic
capabilities
we are also working on a packet of promotional materials for
distribution
to all depositories. We've ordered a new run of lapel pins,
printed
decals of all types (electronic and "classic," for doors or
windows), and
we have a prototype of screen saver software with the FDLP
electronic
logo. Revised order forms for "Depository Promotional Materials"
are
being prepared along with some clip art. We hope to have the
packet out
to you by early 1997.
Superintendent of Documents Web Site
We continue to enhance the Superintendent of Documents
Web site,
which provides users a single point of entry for all of GPO's
electronic
services. Key improvements include introduction of the Pathway
locator
services, redesign of numerous pages to reduce scrolling and
excess
verbiage, direct links from Monthly Catalog records to content on
the
Internet, the Browse Electronic Titles page, and the FDLP
administrative
information pages.
Electronic Transition Staff
LPS' Electronic Transition Staff (ETS) now includes
Duncan Aldrich
and Sandy Morton-Schwalb, who joined LPS on one-year
appointments, as well
as Lee Morey and Joe Paskoski, who are "on assignment" from other
areas in
LPS. The purpose of ETS is to identify, assess, and implement
information
technology solutions for the transition of LPS to a more
electronically
based program, with special emphasis on development of the
Pathway
Services. Duncan is concentrating on the issue of permanent
public access
for electronic information, while Sandy is working primarily in
negotiating with agencies to expand depository access to their
electronic
information services.
This afternoon, at 2:00 p.m., and again tomorrow
morning, at 8:45
a.m., Lee Morey of ETS will be demonstrating the suite of Pathway
services, including the Pathway indexer.
One of our strategies is that ETS pioneers new electronic
initiatives in a "project" mode, and then we incorporate them
into our
regular line operations. This helps raise general awareness and
skills in
dealing with electronic products, and moves the whole
organization
forward.
Distribution to Libraries
LPS' Depository Distribution Division (DDD) is
responsible for the
receipt, shipment preparation, and physical distribution of the
tangible
Government information products which LPS distributes to the
depository
libraries.
LPS' FY 1996 distribution of tangible products was again
down from
the previous year. LPS shipped some 29,400 titles, compared to
44,700 in
FY 1995. We attribute this decline to several factors, including
the
lengthy Government shutdowns, the budget uncertainty faced by the
executive branch agencies, and the continued trend toward
electronic
publishing. We are hopeful that this trend may reverse somewhat
this
year, with the early resolution of the Government's FY 1997
funding. GPO
Customer Service is seeing more business coming in the door
already, and
this is beginning to show up as increased receipts in LPS.
In addition to what we shipped, depository libraries
received some
1.5 million microfiche copies of nearly 12,000 Department of
Energy (DOE)
reports distributed directly from the DOE facility in Oak Ridge,
Tennessee, and over 210,000 maps directly from the U.S.
Geological Survey.
FY 1996 is the final year of the distribution of the DOE reports
in
microfiche, as the DOE Office of Scientific and Technical
Information
(OSTI) is terminating its microfiche operations and beginning its
own
transition to an electronic information management system.
DOE/OSTI and
GPO are working together to develop an electronic replacement
which will
keep this content available to depository libraries. Sandy
Schwalb will
report in depth on our progress with the DOE electronic data.
Nearly all depository shipments continue to be delivered
by
commercial carriers. GPO awarded a new delivery contract to
United Parcel
Service, which now delivers nearly all depository shipments from
LPS.
Delivery by the U.S. Postal Service still accounts for less than
10% of
all depository shipments.
The Lighted Bin System was enhanced in order to replace
equipment
and reduce maintenance costs. LPS updates the Lighted Bin System
with a
daily download from GPO's mainframe of item selection files from
DDIS (the
Depository Distribution Information System). In addition, the
reliability
of the Lighted Bin System relating to the lamp drivers and LED
displays at
each throwing zone was upgraded by replacing the display units at
each of
the throwing zones with new, commercially available,
off-the-shelf
equipment.
Electronic Transition Activities
Now, I'll concentrate on LPS activities which support the
transition. We defined a number of key transition tasks,
assigned
responsible individuals to oversee them, and developed specific
steps and
milestones toward their completion. This is consistent with our
approach
of bringing these electronic responsibilities into the line
operations.
Duncan Aldrich and I are providing general oversight to our
transition
tasks.
We have identified four major areas for LPS electronic
transition
activities:
Providing support services to
depository
libraries.
Acquiring content for the FDLP is Robin Haun-Mohamed's
major
responsibility, and she will be giving you a lot of detail next
about
individual products and negotiations with agencies. I just want
to touch
on two content-related issues, which illustrate some of the
issues we
encounter in the electronic FDLP. The first of these is
STAT-USA, and the
second is the bound U.S. Congressional Serial Set.
STAT-USA Products in the FDLP
For several months the Library Programs Service (LPS) and
STAT-USA, a component of the U.S. Department of Commerce, have
been
exploring alternatives which would provide additional depository
library
access to STAT-USA's National Trade Data Bank CD-ROM (NTDB) and
Internet
service.
After extensive review, we have decided to continue the
present
arrangement, which offers the most balanced mixture of products.
Single-user access to the STAT-USA Internet service and NTDB will
continue
to be made available at no cost to depository libraries by
STAT-USA. LPS
will continue to distribute those paper and microfiche products
which also
appear on the NTDB or the Internet service as long as sufficient
funds are
available.
The LPS/STAT-USA discussions involved using funds
appropriated to
GPO for the purpose of operating the Federal Depository Library
Program
(FDLP) to reimburse STAT-USA for its costs associated with
additional
depository library usage of these two products and services.
Expanding depository access to the STAT-USA electronic
products
entails additional costs which would have been offset by
eliminating the
distribution to depository libraries of some 74 paper and
microfiche
products currently distributed to depository libraries and are
also
included on the NTDB and/or the Internet service. Here are some
of the
titles which could have been eliminated: the Army Area Handbooks,
the
State Department Dispatch, and Commerce's Foreign Labor Trends,
Business
America, and Global Trade Outlook.
With the acceptance of the more deliberate, 5 to 7 year
period for
the transition to a more electronic FDLP, LPS is focussing our
efforts on
products which the Federal agencies are migrating to electronic
formats.
The longer transition period affords more time for depository
libraries
and users to accommodate these electronic products and services
into their
operations.
Beginning with the October 1996 discs, the NTDB will
utilize
Auto-Graphics' Impact software. This software will not permit
networking
the NTDB CD-ROM. LPS is funding the single workstation use of
this
software for depositories which select the NTDB. Licensing fees
for even
single workstation use of this software will cost the FDLP nearly
$100,000
yearly, so this software change is a major concern for us, too.
There has
been some recent GOVDOC-L traffic on whether the older DOS
version of NTDB
with the Browse software will still be around. Yes, but only for
a short
time. STAT-USA will discontinue the DOS version of NTDB by next
February.
Depository libraries which require additional access to
the NTDB
beyond the single-workstation level being provided through the
FDLP by LPS
and STAT-USA will have to purchase it from STAT-USA. STAT-USA
has agreed
to continue the "special, low-cost networking licenses" to
depositories
for multiple-user access to the NTDB through December 31, 1996.
For up to
5 simultaneous NTDB users, the annual cost is $500; for up to 15
users the
cost is $1,000.
STAT-USA is continuing to provide a password to any
requesting
depository library for single-user access, and to date over 650
depositories have registered for this service. LPS will continue
to act
as the liaison with STAT-USA to establish and maintain these
accounts. As
with the NTDB, depository libraries which require additional
access to the
Internet service have to purchase it from STAT-USA.
Bound Serial Set
As you have probably heard, in the Legislative Branch
appropriations language Congress directed us to change the format
and
distribution for the bound U.S. Congressional Serial Set. We
have been
directed to produce a CD-ROM Serial Set, and to limit the
distribution of
the paper Serial Set to regionals and one library in each State
without a
regional. Let me give you some detail on how we plan to deal
with this
direction. There's a more detailed handout on our plans for the
Serial
Set beginning with the 105th Congress which will get underway in
January,
1997.
GPO is now binding and distributing the 102d Congress,
1st
session. Bound volumes will continue to be distributed to all
current
selecting libraries until the 104th Congress is finished. Using
current
arrangements, distribution of the bound Serial Set will continue
until FY
1998 or 1999, when the 104th Congress work will be completed.
Under H.R.
3754, depository distribution of the bound Serial Set will be
limited to
regionals and one library in each state without a regional.
Distribution
of the bound volumes for the 105th, 1st session will begin about
FY 2000.
GPO will investigate offering the bound Serial Set for
sale. A
survey to determine interest is under development.
H.R. 3754 directs GPO to begin a CD-ROM product with the
105th
Congress. Specifications for a CD-ROM Serial Set are yet to be
determined, and we would welcome your advice or comments
concerning its
design and attributes. You can forward those to me or to Robin.
Once in
production, LPS intends to make it available for selection by any
depository.
The WAIS databases of Documents and Reports began with
104th
Congress, 1st session. Some graphics-intensive titles,
particularly in
Documents, are not included.
Distribution of slip Reports and Documents in paper
and/or
microfiche will continue. Language in House Report 104-657
indicates that
Congress expects the distribution of the "slips" to continue.
Permanent Public Access
One of our most challenging project areas is to ensure
permanent
public access to official and authentic information. Permanent
access to
Government information is a critical issue in the electronic
environment.
The FDLP has always had the responsibility for providing
permanent access
to the official Government information disseminated through the
program.
Historically this has been the role of the regional depository
libraries..
Permanent access also is an essential element of the more
electronic
depository library program, but it will be more difficult to
attain. It
is too big a task for any agency or library to accomplish alone.
It
requires the development of a distributed system which includes
all of the
institutional program stakeholders: information producing
agencies, GPO,
depository libraries and the National Archives and Records
Administration
(NARA). To ensure permanent public access to official electronic
Government information, all of the institutional program
stakeholders
(information producing agencies, GPO, participating depository
libraries
and the National Archives) must cooperate to establish the
authenticity of
official information, provide persistent identification and
description of
Government information products, and establish appropriate
arrangements
for their continued accessibility. To this end, discussions are
already
underway with NARA and the National Commission for Libraries and
Information Science (NCLIS), and permanent access is a key
element in our
decision process about new electronic products in the FDLP.
Duncan
Aldrich will cover this topic in depth during his presentation.
Cataloging and Locator Services
A third major project area is expanding cataloging and
locator
services so that GPO can assist depository libraries and the
public to
identify and obtain access to the full range of Federal
Government
information. This project falls to Tad Downing, Chief of our
Cataloging
Branch, and he will update you on developments in his area.
Depository System Support
Sheila McGarr is in charge of our other major project
area,
support services to depository libraries. Since Sheila will be
facilitating two other sessions during the Council, I will cover
some of
activities which this very broad task includes.
As I mentioned we have again issued the updated technical
specifications for computer work stations in depository
libraries, most
recently with the supplemental specifications to support spatial
data, or
online maps, applications. Sheila's area is responsible for
these
specifications, and we will update them periodically.
Self-Study
LPS worked extensively with the Council and the library
community
to develop, field test, and refine the depository library
self-study,
which will become a very important tool in the modified
inspection
process. Based on the voluntary use of the self-study we made
some
changes to make it simpler and more understandable. I thank
those of you
who took the time to use and field-test the self-study; your
comments and
experiences helped improve it for everyone. The self-study will
be put
into regular use in FY 1997, beginning with those libraries which
were
last inspected in 1989 and 1990.
[The "Self-Study of a Federal Depository Library" was
issued as
Federal Depository Library Manual Supplement 3 in September 1996
and the
template is available for downloading from the Federal Bulletin
Board
(FBB) and FDLP Administration Web page.]
Conference Planning
As always, Sheila is involved in the planning cycle for
the 1997
Federal Depository Conference. It will be tough to top this
year's
success, but we'll try. She would welcome your suggestions for
topics and
speakers for next Spring's conference, so if you have an idea
about a
topic or a person, please let her know. I'm pleased to tell you
that next
Spring's Conference will be held once again at the Washington
National
Airport Hilton in Crystal City, on April 14-17, 1997. Within
LPS,
Sheila's area takes the lead in organizing continuing education
efforts
for documents librarians. We will have two planning sessions
during this
Council; the one on the Federal Depository Conference will take
place
tomorrow at 3:15 to 4:00 p.m. in the Imperial Room.
Regionals Conference
The other planning session, which will be this afternoon
at 3:30
in the Fairlane Room, concerns a new event which we are planning
for 1997.
This will be a special, one-time-only conference for regional
depository
librarians. It is intended to strengthen the ability of the
regional
depository librarians to support the program as a whole, and to
enhance
the services which they provide to the selective depositories in
their
region. This effort is especially timely due to the changes
associated
with the expansion of electronic Government information in the
depository
program, and our increasing reliance on the regional librarians
to be our
"eyes and ears" as we attempt to scale back inspection travel.
We intend
for this to be a practical conference, with solid information
which will
showcase the "best practices" of successful regional librarians.
We will
invite the documents librarian from each of the 53 regional
depository
libraries. From those 8 States which lack a regional, we would
invite the
State library authority to designate an attendee, who should
represent a
leading depository. And we will invite the Chair of Council.
All of the
invited attendees will come at GPO's expense.
In light of other obligations with Council meetings,
Conference,
the Interagency seminar, the library association meetings, and
the
academic year, we plan to hold this conference for 2-1/2 days in
mid-August 1997. It will take place in Minneapolis, MN. This
will reduce
travel time and expense, as it is an airline hub, should have
mild summer
weather, and has a reasonable per diem rate. Best of all we have
Julia
Wallace, who has agreed to help with local arrangements.
FDLP Web Page
LPS's Depository Services staff and the ETS staff worked
together
to develop the FDLP Administration page which came up on GPO's
Web site in
August. LPS publications, such as the "Guidelines for the
Federal
Depository Library Program," Administrative Notes and
Administrative
Notes Technical Supplement, and the "Superseded List" are
available for
viewing or download. Meeting announcements and key LPS staff
lists,
linked with e-mail addresses, are also available.
[The direct link is
http:/
/www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/dpos/fdlppro.html.]
Beginning January 1, 1997, LPS will upload only the
Tables of
Contents from Administrative Notes and Administrative Notes
Technical
Supplement to the GOVDOC-L listserv. Those interested in the
complete
electronic text must use our Web site. A printed copy of these
publications will continue to be distributed to all depository
libraries
in the shipment boxes.
We are currently in the early stages of planning and
developing
applications which will allow the receipt of FDLP-related
information via
Web forms transactions. Applications under consideration include
selection surveys, conference registrations, claims, etc., from
depository
librarians, and electronic information product notifications from
agency
publishers.
Inspections
The Depository Services Staff (DSS) conducted on-site
inspections
in 217 depository libraries, 13 more than in FY 1995. The number
of
inspections reflected the full travel schedule by the 2
inspectors hired
in the Spring of 1995. As many of you know, full staffing for
the
inspection staff is four, but we've rarely achieved that level.
One
inspector, Joe Paskoski, is working with the Electronic
Transition Staff.
Greta Boeringer resigned in August 1996, and Carole Callard has
indicated
her resignation is imminent, due to family medical problems. So
we will
be down to one inspector. We hope to advertise for up to two new
inspectors in the near future. So if you're interested in a
position
that's not just a job, but an adventure, keep on the lookout for
our
vacancy announcement.
The redesign of the inspection program began in FY 1996,
in the
context of the planning process associated with the Study. This
will
permit some of the resources devoted to periodic inspections to
be
reallocated to FDLP system support and related services for
depository
libraries. With the adoption of the DSS-initiated depository
library
self-study as an evaluation tool for use by the libraries, the
basis for
inspections will be that which is specified in 44 U.S.C. 1909,
which
states that "the Superintendent of Documents shall make firsthand
investigation of conditions [in depository libraries] for which
need is
indicated ..."
Biennial Surveys
Responses from the 1995 Biennial Survey of Depository
Libraries
were collected by LPS by the end of December 1995. Because the
data was
collected and compiled using the Teleform fax software, results
were
available to LPS sooner than any previous year. The survey data
on the
number of users served by the depository libraries, and on the
libraries'
utilization of electronic products and services, was timely and
extremely
useful in the Study process. But be advised - it's almost time
to start
again. It will soon be two years, and we expect to conduct
another
Biennial Survey in late 1997.
Financial Situation
Let me shift gears now from operations to finances.
Significant
progress toward a more electronic FDLP is being made, even with
slightly
declining funding. The Superintendent of Documents appropriation
funds
four programs: Depository Library Distribution, Cataloging and
Indexing,
International Exchange, and By-Law Distribution. GPO's FY 1997
funding
request of $30.8 million for the S&E Appropriation assumed that
some FDLP
expenses, especially those associated with acquiring and shipping
printed
products, will decline as the use of electronic information
dissemination
technologies increases. However, we also factored in offsetting
cost
increases in other areas, such as expanding the capacity of the
GPO Access
system, acquiring, processing and mounting electronic source data
files,
and CD-ROM software licensing fees.
Since December 1, 1995, when the GPO Access service was
made
available at no charge, costs associated with public use of the
service
have been borne by the FDLP. During FY 1996, FDLP funds have
been used
for such GPO Access system enhancements as additional storage
capacity,
dedicated servers for new databases and the Pathway indexer, and
enhanced
telecommunications capabilities.
Congress has appropriated $29.077 million, which is $1.75
million
less than what we requested. However, given the decline of
tangible
products in the program, we're feeling confident of our ability
to move
forward. There were some key items which we requested which were
not
approved, including: