[Report on the Assessment of Electronic Government Information Products]
[Appendices]
[Appendix D - Coordinator and Respondent Cover Letters]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]

Appendix D

Coordinator and Respondent Cover Letters

October 1998


Dear Agency Coordinator:
On behalf of the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science 
(NCLIS) and the Government Printing Office, we would like to thank you for 
agreeing to distribute this survey of Government Electronic  Information 
Products to agency respondents.

The purpose of this assessment is to:  (1) identify medium and format standards 
that are the most appropriate for permanent public access, (2) assess the cost-
effectiveness and usefulness of alternative medium and format standards, and (3) 
identify public and private medium and format standards that are or could be 
used for products throughout their entire information life cycle.  The broader
objective of the survey is to study the long-term impacts of shifting
government information products from paper and microform mediums to federal
agency web sites and other electronic mediums.  We want to ensure that as more
government information is available in a variety of electronic mediums and 
formats, the American public continues to have free and easy local access to
this information through the Federal Depository Library Program.  

We are requesting that you, as the agency coordinator, promptly distribute the 
questionnaires to the appropriate personnel in your agency.  If you have any 
questions about this survey, please call Denise Glover at Westat: 301-251-2269 
or toll-free at 800-937-8281, ext. 2269.  We will send you a copy of the final 
report once it is completed. 

The following suggested procedures and instructions will assist you to 
successfully distribute the product questionnaires.  However, some agency 
coordinators have decided to use different data collection procedures.  If you 
are one of those coordinators, it is essential that you explain your procedures 
to your respondents.

1.  All agency coordinators will receive a full packet from Westat on September 
29 or shortly thereafter that contains a cover letter and an information copy of 
the questionnaire.  The coordinator's packet will also include a sealed packet 
for each product.  Please make sure you have a packet for each product on your 
final list of product selections.  If you are missing information or have 
incorrect information, please call Debbie Alexander at Westat: 301-294-2088, or 
toll-free at 800-937-8281, ext. 2088.

2.  The product packet includes a cover letter to the respondent, a product 
questionnaire, a glossary of terms, and a postage-paid return envelope.  

3.  Each product questionnaire contains the following preprinted information:  a 
five-digit ID, the agency's name and submit, and the name of the product.

4.  Upon receipt of the packet, please distribute the product packets to the 
appropriate product respondents in your agency.

5.  Due to the specialized nature of many of the questions asked on the survey, 
it may be necessary for product respondents to consult with other agency 
personnel such as records managers, information technology staff, planning 
offices, and others to complete the survey in its entirety.  We recommend that 
you ask product respondents to leave blank any questions they feel uncomfortable 
answering and to make arrangements for someone in their office or another office 
with more appropriate knowledge and expertise to answer those questions.  If 
product respondents decide to take this action, we strongly suggest that, if 
possible, you standardize the arrangements in advance and ensure that all agency 
respondents are aware of your procedures.  One purpose of standardizing 
arrangements is to ensure that product respondents do not lose control of a 
questionnaire because multiple individuals and offices are handling it.  

6.  Product respondents are responsible for ensuring that all questions are 
answered on their respective questionnaires, even if they must consult with 
other personnel.

7.  To ensure consistency and completeness, you might want to ask your assigned 
product respondents to allow you to review the surveys before they send them to 
Westat.  You might also request that respondents send you a copy of the 
completed questionnaire for your files.

8.  Product respondents should return completed questionnaires directly to 
Westat (not to you) in the enclosed postage-paid envelope.  If product 
questionnaires are not completed and returned to Westat by the October 30, 1998 
deadline, Westat will attempt to follow up directly with the designated product 
respondent.  However, if respondent information is unavailable or unknown, 
Westat will contact you for followup.  

Respondents are requested to return the survey by October 30, 1998 by mailing it 
in the postage-paid envelope to:

Denise Glover
TA 2064
Westat, Inc. 
1650 Research Boulevard 
Rockville, MD 20850

Thank you very much for your assistance and cooperation.  We appreciate the time 
and hard work you have invested in the coordination activities.

Sincerely,




Robert S. Willard                                Francis J. Buckley, Jr.
Executive Director                               Superintendent of Documents
National Commission on Libraries                 Government Printing Office
and Information Science 










                                                                   January, 1999


Dear Respondent:

On behalf of the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science 
(NCLIS) and the Government Printing Office, we are requesting that you complete 
this survey of Government Electronic Information Products.

The purpose of this assessment is to:  (1) identify medium and format standards 
that are the most appropriate for permanent public access, (2) assess the cost-
effectiveness and usefulness of alternative medium and format standards, and (3) 
identify public and private medium and format standards that are or could be 
used for products throughout their entire information life cycle.  The broader 
objective of the survey is to study the long-term impacts of shifting government 
information products from paper and microform mediums to federal agency web 
sites and other electronic mediums.  We want to ensure that as more government 
information is available in a variety of electronic mediums and formats, the 
American public continues to have free and easy local access to this information 
through the Federal Depository Library Program.

We recognize that many respondents will complete surveys for more than one 
agency product.  We also understand the burden this imposes upon you and 
appreciate the time and effort you will devote to completing the survey.  
However, we want to underscore the importance of your participation.  We will 
send you a copy of the report summarizing the data from these surveys once it is 
completed.  

Please carefully read all of the following suggested procedures and instructions 
that will assist you to successfully complete and return the product 
questionnaires.  However, some agency coordinators have decided to use different 
data collection procedures.  You should contact your coordinator directly to 
find out if you are to follow the procedures outlined here.  If your coordinator 
has made other arrangements, please contact him/her to determine what they are.

1.  Once you receive your packet(s) from your agency coordinator, please check 
to make sure each packet contains the following information for each product you 
are to survey: a cover letter, questionnaire, glossary of terms, and postage-
paid return envelope.  If you feel you are missing information or have incorrect 
information, please first contact your agency coordinator. (Your coordinator's 
contact information is available on the NCLIS web site at www.nclis.gov.)  If 
your coordinator is unable to provide this information, call Debbie Alexander at 
Westat: 301-294-1088, or toll-free at 800-937-8281, ext. 2088. 

2.  Each product questionnaire contains the following preprinted information: a 
five-digit ID, the agency's name and subunit, and the name of the product.

3.  Due to the specialized nature of many of the questions asked on the survey, 
it may be necessary for you to consult with other agency personnel such as 
records managers, information technology staff, planning officers, and others to 
complete the survey in its entirety.  We suggest you leave blank the responses 
to questions you feel uncomfortable answering and then arrange for someone in 
your office or another office with more appropriate knowledge and expertise to 
answer those questions.  Your agency coordinator may have standardized those 
arrangements in advance and made you are aware of their procedures.  The purpose 
of standardizing arrangements is to ensure that you do not lose control of a 
questionnaire because multiple individuals and offices are handling it. 

4.  Please note that you are responsible for ensuring that all questions are 
answered on your respective questionnaires, even if you must consult with other 
personnel.

5.  To ensure consistency and accuracy, coordinators might request that they be 
allowed to review the completed surveys before you return them to Westat. 

6.  Return completed questionnaires directly to Westat in the enclosed postage-
paid envelope by January 15, 1999.  Your coordinator may request that you also 
send him/her a copy of the completed questionnaire.  

7.  If you have any questions about this survey, please call Denise Glover at 
Westat: 301-251-2269, or toll-free at 800-937-8281, ext. 2269.

Please return the questionnaire by January 15, 1999 by mailing it to:

Denise Glover
TA 2064
Westat, Inc.
1650 Research Blvd. 
Rockville, MD 20850

Thank you very much for your assistance and cooperation. 

Sincerely,




Robert S. Willard                            Francis J. Buckley, Jr.
Executive Director                           Superintendent of Documents
National Commission on Libraries             Government Printing Office
and Information Science