[United States Government Manual]
[May 31, 1996]
[Pages 168-171]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



Sources of Information

Age and Citizenship  Age search and citizenship information is available 
from the Personal Census Search Unit, Bureau of the Census, Data 
Preparation Division, P.O. Box 1545, Jeffersonville, IN 47131. Phone, 
812-285-5314.
Consumer Affairs  Information is available to businesses and consumers 
regarding good business practices and resolving consumer complaints. Tip 
sheets, in English and Spanish, on how to resolve complaints and 
consumer bulletins, describing programs in the Department of Commerce, 
are available through the Office's fax-on-demand system. Information on 
materials is available on the Internet at http://www.doc.gov/. Phone, 
202-482-5001. Fax-on-demand, 202-501-1191. Fax, 202-482-6007. E-mail, 
[email protected]. For further information, contact the Office of 
Consumer Affairs, U.S. Department of Commerce, Rm. H5718, Washington, DC 
20230.
Economic Conversion Information  The Office of Economic Conversion 
Information (OECI) is a clearinghouse for communities, businesses, and 
workers seeking to obtain information regarding defense adjustment and 
economic development. The Office's database contains descriptions and 
contact numbers of Federal, State, and local programs; guides and models 
for economic development; and many other related items.

For further information, contact the Office of Economic Conversion 
Information, Economic Development Administration, Department of 
Commerce, Washington, DC 20230. Phone, 1-800-345-1222. Internet, http://
ecix.doc.gov/. Electronic bulletin board (by modem), 800-352-2949.

Environment  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
monitors the conditions in the ocean, atmosphere, and Earth-Sun 
environment; prepares and issues weather warnings and forecasts; 
provides Federal leadership in managing the living resources of the sea 
and the Nation's coastal zone; ensures that marine mammals and 
endangered marine species are protected under the law; and provides 
worldwide environmental data and information products and services in 
the atmospheric, marine, solid earth, and solar terrestrial sciences. It 
also conducts research aimed at remote sensing of the physical 
environment and provides a variety of environmental quality control 
services, including those for urban airborne pollution control, 
estuarine water movement, and water resources management. Write to the 
Office of Public and Constituent Affairs, National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, Washington, DC 20230. Phone, 202-482-6090. 
Program information is also available on the Internet, at http://
www.noaa.gov/.

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    The Patent and Trademark Office has priority programs for 
advancement of examination of certain patent applications such as where 
the invention could materially enhance the quality of the environment of 
mankind. For further information, contact the Assistant Commissioner for 
Patents, Office of Petitions, Washington, DC 20231. Phone, 703-305-9282.
Field Employment  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
has field employment offices at the Western Administrative Support 
Center, Bin C15700, 7600 Sand Point Way NE., Seattle, WA 98115 (phone, 
206-526-6053); the Mountain Administrative Support Center, 325 Broadway, 
Boulder, CO 80303 (phone, 303-497-6305); the Central Administrative 
Support Center, 601 East Twelfth Street, Kansas City, MO 64106 (phone, 
816-426-2056); and the Eastern Administrative Support Center, 200 World 
Trade Center, Norfolk, VA 23510-1624 (phone, 804-441-6516).
Publications  The titles of selected publications are printed below with 
the operating units responsible for their issuance. These and other 
publications dealing with a wide range of business, economic, 
environmental, scientific, and technical matters are announced in the 
weekly Business Service Checklist, which may be purchased from the 
Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 
20402. Phone, 202-783-3238.
    The Secretary's Annual Report to Congress and Serving the Nation, 
two publications which describe the missions, functions, and 
accomplishments of Commerce agencies and offices, are available by 
writing the Department of Commerce, Office of Public Affairs, 
Pennsylvania Avenue and 14th Street NW., Room 5610, Washington, DC, or 
by calling 202-219-3605 for the Annual Report and 202-482-4901 for 
Serving the Nation.
    Further information on Commerce publications is available at any of 
the Department's International Trade Administration district offices.
Lists of Other Documents  Individuals with access to fax machines can 
dial 202-501-1191 (Flash Facts) to obtain lists of other publication 
contacts, Secretarial speeches and biographies, press releases, 
audiovisuals, Commerce bureau public affairs contacts, and Department 
programs by subject.
Bureau of the Census  The following publications are available from the 
Government Printing Office: Census Catalog and Guide; Statistical 
Abstract of the U.S.; Historical Statistics of the United States, 
Colonial Times to 1970; County and City Data Book, 1994; and State and 
Metropolitan Area Data Book, 1991.
    Data highlights, large data files, access tools, and other material 
are available on the World Wide Web. Internet, http://www.census.gov/. 
E-mail, [email protected].
Bureau of Economic Analysis  Publications available from the Government 
Printing Office include the following: Survey of Current Business; State 
Personal Income, 1929-93; Benchmark Input-Output Accounts of the United 
States, 1987; and Foreign Direct Investment in the United States, 1992 
Benchmark. Summary statistics and general information are available on 
the Internet, at http://www.bea.doc.gov/. To obtain more detailed 
economic data and press releases, subscribe to the Department of 
Commerce's Electronic Bulletin Board, by calling 202-482-1986, or by 
sending E-mail to [email protected]. Additional information on BEA 
programs, products, and services is available in the User's Guide to BEA 
Information, which may be obtained through the Internet, or by 
contacting the Public Information Office, BE-53, Bureau of Economic 
Analysis, Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230. Phone, 202-606-
9900.
International Trade Administration  Business America, which is published 
biweekly, is available from the Government Printing Office and at ITA 
District Offices.
    The Administration maintains an Internet site, at http://
www.ita.doc.gov/, which offers the single best place for

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individuals or firms seeking reports, documents, import case/
regulations, texts of international agreements like NAFTA and GATT, 
market research, and points of contact for assistance in exporting or 
obtaining remedies from unfair trading practices. Customers are able to 
review comprehensive information on how to export, search for trade 
information by either industry or by country, learn how to petition 
against unfairly priced imports, and obtain information on a number of 
useful international trade related products like overseas trade leads 
and agent distributor reports. The Internet site also features E-mail 
addresses and locations for trade contacts in Washington, overseas, in 
major exporting centers in the U.S., and in other parts of the Federal 
Government.
Minority Business Development Agency  Minority Business Today, Federal 
Resource Guide, BDC Directory, MBDA Annual Business Assistance Report 
(ABAR), and Federal Agency Performance for Minority Business Development 
are available from MBDA, Communications Division, Department of 
Commerce, Washington, DC 20230. Phone, 202-482-1936.
National Institute of Standards and Technology  Journal of Research; 
Publications of the National Institute of Standards and Technology; 
Handbook of Mathematical Functions; Experimental Statistics; 
International System of Units (SI); Standard Reference Materials 
Catalog; Specifications, Tolerances, and Other Technical Requirements 
for Weighing and Measuring Devices Handbook; and Uniform Laws and 
Regulations Handbook are available from the Government Printing Office.
National Technical Information Service  Customer assistance telephone 
numbers: NTIS Sales Desk, 703-487-4650; Research services for product 
identification, 703-487-4780; Subscription Section, 703-487-4630; 
technical support for computer products, 703-487-4763; and Customer 
services (for help in tracing an order), 703-487-4660. Orders for NTIS 
products may be sent by fax to 703-321-8547, or through E-mail, at 
[email protected].
    An information center and bookstore is located at NTIS headquarters, 
5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161. The bookstore is open to 
the public for walk-in service from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., eastern time, 
Monday through Friday.
    The NTIS Fax Direct Central Information Service can be reached by 
dialing 703-487-4142. This fax-on-demand service provides an information 
center for current NTIS information available by fax. Using this 
service, guides and descriptions of other NTIS fax information services 
may be sent to the fax machine of your choice. Current NTIS Fax Direct 
services include a title list of the most popular titles in various 
subject categories and NTIS product information.
    To connect to the FedWorld On-Line Information Network: 
Set modem parity to none, data bits to 8, and stop bit to 1. Set 
terminal emulation to ANSI. Set duplex to full. Then set your 
communications software to dial FedWorld at 703-321-FEDW. To 
connect to FedWorld on the Internet, either telnet to 
fedworld.gov or ftp to ftp.fedworld.gov, or point your Web browser to 
http://www.fedworld.gov/. For more information or technical assistance, 
please call the FedWorld help desk at 703-487-4608.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration  Floods, Flash Floods, 
and Warnings and Tornado Safety are available from the Government 
Printing Office. Available through NOAA's Office of Public and 
Constituent Affairs are technical memoranda, technical reports, and 
monographs, nautical and aeronautical charts, coastal zone maps, 
magnetic tape, and a wide variety of raw and processed environmental 
data. Phone, 202-482-6090. Schools should contact the Office of Public 
and Constituent Affairs, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20230.
National Telecommunications and Information Administration  Several 
hundred Technical Reports, Technical Memoranda, Special Publications, 
Contractor Reports, and other

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information products have been published by NTIA or its predecessor 
agency since 1970. The publications are available from the National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, Department of 
Commerce, Washington, DC 20230 (phone, 202-482-1551); or the National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, Institute for 
Telecommunication Sciences, Department of Commerce, Boulder, CO 80302 
(phone, 303-497-3572). Electronic information can be obtained from the 
NTIA General Bulletin Board (modem, 202-482-1199); or the Information 
Infrastructure Task Force Bulletin Board (modem, 202-501-1920).
Patent and Trademark Office  General Information Concerning Patents, 
Basic Facts About Trademarks, Official Gazette of the United States 
Patent and Trademark Office, and Attorneys and Agents Registered To 
Practice Before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office are available from 
the Government Printing Office. Publications can be accessed through the 
Internet, at http://www.uspto.gov/. File transfer protocol, 
ftp.uspto.gov. Electronic bulletin board (by modem), 703-305-8950. 
Phone, 703-308-HELP, or 800-PTO-9199.
Small Business and Minority Business Activities  Contact the Office of 
Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (phone, 202-482-1472) or 
the Office of External Affairs, Minority Business Development Agency, 
Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230 (phone, 202-482-4547).
Telephone Directory  The Department of Commerce telephone directory is 
available for sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Government 
Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Phone, 202-783-3238.

For further information concerning the Department of Commerce, contact 
the Office of Public Affairs, Department of Commerce, Fourteenth Street 
between Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenues NW., Washington, DC 20230. 
Phone, 202-219-3605.