This handbook was last updated in early FY2001.
For latest information on FEDLINK,
please call (202) 707-4900.

FEDLINK Member Handbook

About FLICC·FEDLINK

The Library of Congress and the Bureau of the Budget (now the Office of Management and Budget) acted jointly in 1965 to create the Federal Library Committee which is now known as the Federal Library and Information Center Committee or FLICC. FLICC is composed of the directors of the national libraries—the Library of Congress, National Library of Medicine, National Agricultural Library, and National Library of Education—and representatives of cabinet-level executive departments, and legislative, judicial, and independent federal agencies with major library programs, and is chaired by the Librarian of Congress.

FLICC's mission is to foster excellence in federal library and information services through interagency cooperation and to provide guidance and direction for FEDLINK. As part of its mission, FLICC makes recommendations on federal library and information polices, programs, and procedures to federal agencies and others concerned with libraries and information centers.

FEDLINK is the business subsidiary of FLICC. FEDLINK is dedicated to helping federal libraries and information centers obtain the most value for their information service dollars by serving as their purchasing, training, and resource-sharing consortium.

FEDLINK's group procurement discounts and its increased reporting and budget control are just the beginning of the benefits a FEDLINK membership offers. Not only do members participate in a procurement program closely coordinated by the Library of Congress, they also benefit by:

  • using acquisition contracts for books, serials, documents, and microforms that professional federal librarians develop and Library of Congress contracting officers manage,
  • avoiding the high cost of duplicating contracting cycles and the cost associated with placing individual orders competitively,
  • earning volume discounts for services and acquisitions,
  • gaining economies of scale from centralized examination and payment of invoices according to federal standards,
  • using FEDLINK's detailed and timely reporting of service usage and payments to improve budgeting and control spending, and
  • receiving consultation, support, and training from FEDLINK's expert staff of federal librarians.

Arrangements to initiate and make payment for these and other appropriate services are authorized by Section 103 of P.L. 106-481 (2 U.S.C. 182c) and are governed by interagency agreements executed by participating federal agencies and the Library of Congress, acting on behalf of FLICC. Besides providing cost-effective library bibliographic services and other library services and products, FLICC/FEDLINK also functions as a center for evaluation and education about new library and information technologies.

For further information about our services, write FLICC, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540-4930; telephone the FEDLINK Fiscal Hotline (202) 707-4900, TTY (202) 707-4998, fax (202) 707-4999, visit the FLICC/FEDLINK Web site (http://lcweb.loc.gov/flicc), or send email to [email protected].

Susan M. Tarr

FLICC Executive Director


Preface

The FEDLINK program provides federal libraries, information centers, and other federal activities with information retrieval and library support services to help them fulfill their crucial mission of keeping the government and the nation informed. The FEDLINK Member Handbook describes the types of services available through the FEDLINK program, the authority for the program, the registration process, the options for payment for service usage, and associated FEDLINK fees. Please be sure to read the Handbook before completing the Registration Form in the back of the Handbook and the FEDLINK Registration Booklet. Retain this Handbook for future reference on FEDLINK policies and procedures.

FEDLINK operates under the Federal Library and Information Center Committee (FLICC) within the Library of Congress (LC) to provide centralized services to the federal library and information center community, as well as to other federal activities. LC contracting officers negotiate basic ordering agreements or contracts for services with commercial vendors of library and information products on behalf of the federal agencies participating in the FEDLINK program. FEDLINK services include access to online and CD-ROM databases, membership in bibliographic utilities, and the services of book wholesalers, serials subscription agents, and document delivery suppliers. LC contracting officers and FEDLINK staff administer contracts placed under the LC/FEDLINK agreements. Agencies participating in the FEDLINK program are considered "members" of FEDLINK.

Besides its procurement services, FEDLINK provides accounting support to members through two service options: transfer pay and direct pay. Under the transfer pay service option, LC contracting officers place delivery orders for members and LC uses member funds transferred in advance to LC to pay charges the member incurs while using vendor services through FEDLINK. Under the direct pay service option LC authorizes the member's contracting officer to issue purchase orders against LC/FEDLINK procurement vehicles and the member's agency has a direct invoice/payment relationship with the vendors. FLICC/FEDLINK also regularly provides library and information science educational opportunities for federal information professionals and their technical staff.

During the past few years, FEDLINK management has made many changes and improvements in the contracting and financial management of the FEDLINK program to serve federal agencies better. LC and FEDLINK management have clarified existing policies, adopted new policies where required, and established improved procedures to manage member accounts and services. These changes were initiated with advice and assistance from the Library's Office of General Counsel, Financial Services Directorate, Contracts and Logistics Services, and other top Library of Congress managers, as well as officials in the General Services Administration and General Accounting Office.

For more information on FEDLINK's services or how to use FEDLINK, contact the FEDLINK Fiscal Hotline, (202) 707-4900. For more information on recent program management changes and improvements, contact the FLICC Executive Director's Office, (202) 707-4800, or visit the FLICC/FEDLINK Web site (http://lcweb.loc.gov/flicc).


New for Fiscal Year 2002

No Increase in Transfer Pay Fees

FEDLINK is pleased to announce that we kept transfer pay fees at the FY1999 level. The fees are

    7.75% on the first $300,000 in each account

    7.00% on amounts more than $300,000 in each account

No Increase in Direct Pay Fees

Direct pay fees in Fiscal Year 2002 remain at 1998 prices—

    A $1,200 flat fee for the first $100,000 in each account

    plus 0.6% on amounts more than $100,000 in each account

Streamlined Direct Pay Purchases

Direct pay customers no longer need to route purchase orders or modifications through LC if the total purchase order amount for the service is less than $100,000.

No Increase in Training Fees

FEDLINK training fees remain at $100 for one-day classes and $60 for half-day classes. To arrange for onsite training, fees are still $350 per day plus travel. FLICC/FEDLINK continues to expand the current list of programs and classes offered. Visit the FLICC/FEDLINK Web site (http://lcweb.loc.gov/flicc) for details!

Basic Ordering Agreements (BOAs) Offer Consortial Purchasing

FEDLINK has revised its BOAs so that vendors may provide special services under Lot 4 including:

  • enhanced volume pricing
  • specialized file groupings
  • network interfaces between member and vendor, and
  • research assistance.

For assistance on using Lot 4 to pool funds or negotiate deeper discounts see Section I, 4.3 or call FEDLINK Network Operations at (202) 707-4848.

FEDLINK Service Directory Is Online

Access vendor information, pricing, and Web links to vendor sites all online! Visit the Contracting and Vendor Services section of the FLICC/FEDLINK Web site.


Table of Contents

Please note:

This FEDLINK Member Handbook Table of Contents also serves as a guide to your complete FEDLINK member notebook. The sections outlined in roman numerals correspond to the notebook's dividers.

I. Overview

1. Authority and Eligibility for the FEDLINK Program

    1.1 The Basis for the Program

    1.2 Authority to Provide Services

    1.3 Eligibility to Use FEDLINK

2. FEDLINK Services

    2.1 Contracting Services

     2.2 Accounting Services

     2.3 Education and Support Services

    2.4 Transfer Pay and Direct Pay Service Options

3. Interagency Agreements

    3.1 Establishing an Agreement

    3.2 Agreements for Federal Contractors and Non-Governmental Entities

    3.3 Amending Your Areement

4. Costs and Benefits of FEDLINK

    4.1 LC/FEDLINK Service Fees

    4.2 Save Time, Save Money, Save Staff

    4.3 Consortium Purchasing

II. Services

    List of Current FEDLINK Vendors

1. Electronic Information Retrieval Services

    1.1 Competition Requirements

    1.2 User IDs and Passwords

    1.3 License Agreements

    1.4 Subscription Pricing

2. Publications Acquisitions Services

    2.1 Budgeting for Publication Services

    2.2 Books Acquisitions

    2.3 Document Delivery

    2.4 Microform Acquisitions

    2.5 Serials Subscription Agents

3. Library Support and Education Services

    3.1 Bibliographic Utilities - OCLC, RLIN and WLN

    3.2 Copyright Clearance Center

    3.3 FLICC/FEDLINK Educational Services

    3.4 ILL Fee Payment Services

    3.5 Technical Processing Services

III. Interagency Agreements and Delivery Orders

1. The Interagency Agreement (IAG)

     1.1 The Terms of the IAG

     1.2 Identifiers on the IAG

2. The IAG Process

     2.1 You Register for Service

     2.2 LC Prepares and Signs the IAG

     2.3 You Review the IAG

     2.4 Your Agency Completes, Signs, and Returns the IAG

     2.5 LC Authorizes Service

     2.6 LC Bills Your Agency

     2.7 You Transfer Funds to LC within 30 Days

     2.8 LC Checks for Delinquent IAGs and Suspends Service When Necessary

3. Completing Your Registration Form

     3.1 Form Section A: Agency Identification

     3.2 Form Section B: IAG Contact

     3.3 Form Section C: Contracting Officer

     3.4 Form Section D: Member and Agreement Type

     3.5 Form Section E: Transfer Pay Services

     3.6 Form Section F: Direct Pay Services

     3.7 Form Section G: Signature

     3.8 Form Section H: Attachments

     3.9 Form Section I: Mail or Fax the Registration Form

4. Amending Your IAG

     4.1 Adding New Funds to Your IAG

     4.2 Moving Funds Between Transfer Pay Accounts

     4.3 Terminating a Service

     4.4 Requesting Refunds from Transfer Pay Accounts

     4.5 Adjusting Prior Year IAGs

5. Adding or Changing Contact Names/Addresses

     5.1 Form Section A: Agency Identification

     5.2 Form Section B: Change Current Contact/Address

     5.3 Form Section C: Add New Contact/Address

     5.4 Form Section D: Signature

 

IV. Accounts

1. Funding

     1.1 One-Year Funds

     1.2 No-Year and Multi-Year Funds (X-Year Funds)

2. Account Management Responsibilities

     2.1 Vendor Responsibilities

     2.2 LC/FEDLINK Responsibilities

     2.3 Your Responsibilities as a Transfer Pay Member

3. Invoice Payment Process

     3.1 The Basic Process

     3.2 Invoice Rejection

     3.3 Deficit Accounts

4. Statements of Account

     4.1 How to Read Your Statement

     4.2 Statement Schedule

5. Monitoring Your Accounts

     5.1 You Must Review Your Statements

     5.2. You Must Report Problems

     5.3 Use the Pricing Information from the BOA (Schedule B)

     5.4 Covering Rejected Invoices, Deficits, and Anticipated Usage

6. Electronic Fiscal Reporting

     6.1. Daily Account Balances

     6.2. Statement Detail Data

     6.3. Service Usage Data

     6.4 Access Instructions

 

V. Forms

IAG and Account Management Forms

FY99 Registration Form

New Service/New Funds IAG Amendment Request Form

Transfer Pay Account Adjustment IAG Amendment Request Form

Problem Report Form

Supplemental Address Form

Service-Specific Forms

Books BPA Order Log

Copyright Clearance Center Annual Authorizations Service Licence

Intent to Compete Serials Subscriptions Form

Serials Selection Form

Intent to Use Technical Processing Services Form

VI. Serials Subscription Services

VII. FEDLINK Services Directory

On the FLICC/FEDLINK Web site in the Contracting and Vendor Services section.

VIII. Alerts

(Mailed separately; file in notebook)

Index