October, 1998 — Volume 16 Number 10

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FLICC Awards: Nomination Deadline November 15^th

FEDLINK Streamlines Money Moves

Update: Direct Pay Orders Under $100,000

TECH NEWS: New Organizations Guide the Web

OCLC News

FLICC Hosts Second Annual Technicians Institute

Editorial Staff

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FEDLINK Streamlines Money Moves

As part of its commitment to improve service, FEDLINK has adopted new money move procedures to reduce the turnaround time of processing IAG amendments and associated delivery orders. Members who wish to move funds from one transfer pay account to another or request refunds will see the results of these new procedures immediately.

When FEDLINK issues a delivery order to reduce a member's funding level, FEDLINK asks the vendor to certify that the member has no outstanding charges for orders or service usage. Under the old procedure, the vendor had seven working days to review the member's accounts, submit outstanding invoices for payment, and complete their certification. In the past, this process—from IAG request to delivery orderaveraged 15 working days. The new procedures will reduce this waiting period, cutting the time to process requests by more than half.

Delivery Order Checks Benefit Members and Vendors

Checking for outstanding charges before de-obligating funds protects both vendors and members in money move and refund transactions. Vendors are less likely to see invoices rejected after funds have been de-obligated and members can avoid having to add funds later to cover outstanding amounts. On the Transfer Pay Account Adjustment form, which members use to request a money move or refund, the member signs the following certification:

I certify that I have checked with the vendor and that the balance that will remain in the above service account(s) after funds are removed or refunded will be sufficient to cover all outstanding and projected usage of the service(s) for the fiscal year indicated. My agency will be responsible for any additional charges accrued under the LC/FEDLINK BOA.

The request for certification from the vendor is thus a double check of the account, one that protects both parties from any changes that may have happened while the request was in process. The vendor check is a valuable step in the process and FEDLINK will continue its certification requirements.

New Procedure Speeds Process

Members will continue to sign the above certification when submitting a money move or requesting an IAG amendment or refund. But, effective October 1, 1998, when FEDLINK asks a vendor to certify that there are no outstanding charges to a member's account, the vendor will have three working days to respond. If the vendor does not respond within those three days, FEDLINK will execute the member's request. If the vendor responds there is an outstanding amount, FEDLINK will:

1. adjust the member's IAG request to leave sufficient funds in the service account to cover the stated amount; and
2. issue delivery orders to move or refund the remaining amount; and
3. contact the member about the discrepancy. If it is not practical to adjust the member's IAG request (e.g., if the outstanding amount is more than the total request or if only a token amount would be free to move), FEDLINK will contact the member directly before acting further.

Ask for More Details

For questions about this procedure, please contact Mary Wilson, Fiscal Manager and Head of Accounts Payable, by email at marw@loc.gov or phone on (202) 707-4970, or Jim Oliver, FEDLINK Vendor Services Coordinator by email at joli@loc.gov, by phone on (202)707-4960, or call the FEDLINK Fiscal Hotline at (202) 707-4900.

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Tech News

New Organizations Guide the Web

By Jessica Clark
The Internet's adolescence is drawing to a close. Following its unprecedented growth and the variety of issues this medium now faces, several new organizations have emerged just in the past six months to help usher it through the next stages of development.

The New IANA

This month, the Internet is experiencing a momentous change that will be invisible to most users but crucial to its future development. After more than 10 years of presiding over the development of the Internet, the government-supported Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) is passing its responsibilities onto a new, self-supporting nonprofit organization led by an international board of directors selected to represent the diverse community of Internet users. The new organization, Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), is the result of an intensive planning process launched after the June 5 publication of a white paper (http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/domainname/6_5_98dns.htm) by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of the United States Department of Commerce.

Jon Postel has served as the director of IANA since its inception. Throughout the summer he has worked with Gabe Battista, CEO of Network Solutions Inc. (NSI), to draft versions of the new organization's articles of incorporation and bylaws. Since 1993, NSI has held a federal contract as the sole registrar for the top-level domains of .com, .net, .org, and .edu. Under the guidance of ICANN, NSI will become only one of several contractors bidding to register top-level domain names. Although the White Paper specified that the new corporation take over the responsibilities of DNS oversight by the end of September 1998, the NTIA extended its contract with Network Solutions through October 7 as Network Solutions and the Department of Commerce address the particulars of how other registrars will be allowed to register names in Network Solutions's .com registry.

Since June, IANA and NSI have presented several drafts and proposals for comment. Hundreds of stakeholders from domestic and international government, technical, educational, nonprofit, and business sectors have participated in discussions, conferences, and online forums about the future of the Domain Name System (DNS) and the formation of this unprecedented global corporation. On October 2, IANA submitted a final draft ( http://www.icann.org/general/) of Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws for ICANN to the NTIA.

ICANN will be supported by fees that it collects for coordinating the administration and creation of new top-level domain names. ICANN is also charged with coordinating the assignment of Internet technical parameters to maintain universal connectivity on the Internet and overseeing functions related to the coordination of the Internet Protocol address space. The corporation will work closely with related organizations and technical policy groups such as the Internet Architecture Board of the Internet Society (http://www.isi.edu/iab/).

ICANN's proposed bylaws support many principles outlined in the NTIA white paper, including the solicitation of a global Internet stakeholder consensus, the creation of specialized supporting organizations to develop and recommend policies to the corporation, bottom-up governance through the selection of board members from a wide range of Internet user and developer communities, geographic diversity of board members, the development of transparent decision-making processes, and clear lines of communication with the public.

The governance structure of ICANN is still being developed. The bylaws provide for a board that will have a total of 19 members: three each to be selected by the not-yet formed Address Supporting Organization, the Domain Name Supporting Organization, and the Protocol Supporting Organization; nine to be elected "At Large;" and the president of the corporation. In the interim, the IANA has suggested an initial Board of Directors. Members include:

• Geraldine Capdeboscq, Executive Vice President for Strategy, Technology and Partnerships, BULL;
• George H. Conrades, Partner, Polaris Venture Partners;
• Gregory L. Crew, Chair, Australian Communications Industry Forum Ltd.;
• Esther Dyson, Chair, EDventure Holdings;
• Frank Fitzsimmons, Senior Vice President-Global Marketing, Dun & Bradstreet Corporation;
• Hans Kraaijenbrink, Chair of the Executive Board, ETNO (Association of European Public Telecommunications Network Operators);
• Jun Murai, Professor, Faculty of Environmental Information, Keio University;
• Dr. Eugenio Triana, Internet Management Consultant; and
• Linda S. Wilson, President, Radcliffe College.

The Department of Commerce posted the IANA proposals on their site (http://www.ntia.doc.gov) and accepted public comments for 10 days. The Department of Commerce will also consult with interested governments to obtain their views on any proposals submitted. You can send electronic comments to dnspolicy@ntia.doc.gov. You can also send written comments to: Karen Rose, NTIA/OIA, Room 4701, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th and Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20230. After the Department reviews the formal proposals and comments, it will initiate negotiations for an agreement to implement the transitions described in the white paper.

The Online Privacy Alliance

The privatization of the DNS will increase competition in domain name registration and may result in the creation of new top-level domain names keyed to specific industries and uses. The call for new domains is only one consequence of expanding commercial use of the Internet. Another is increased pressure on the government to regulate the online collection of information from consumers.

As this column reported in July (http://lcweb.loc.gov/flicc/tn/98/07/tn9807.html), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a June report which showed that few commercial Web sites provide adequate privacy protections for online consumers. The FTC recommended that unless industry could develop and implement self-regulatory programs by the end of the year, the government should establish regulations to ensure that appropriate information collection procedures are put in place.

Key industry leaders responded by forming the Online Privacy Alliance (http://www.privacyalliance.org/), a group of global corporations and associations dedicated to implementing online privacy policies and self-regulation mechanisms. In July, the Alliance presented a protection framework for enforcing consumer privacy in cyberspace to administration officials and members of the House Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade and Consumer Protection.

Their framework closely mirrors the principles for fair information practice outlined in the FTC report. The Online Privacy Alliance supports information verification and monitoring, complaint resolution procedures, and education and outreach for consumers about information collection issues. The Alliance also endorses third-party enforcement programs that award identifiable "seals" to show consumers that the owner or operator of a Web site has adopted a privacy policy that reflects the guidelines announced by the group. The seals would tell consumers that procedures are in place to assure compliance with the policies and that a complaint resolution process is available. Finally, the Alliance adopted a special policy requiring parental notification designed to protect the privacy of children online.

Similar seal programs are also under development by TRUSTe (http://www.truste.org/), the Better Business Bureau (http://www.bbb.org/) and others. But with high profile members such as Microsoft and Netscape and support from the administration, the Alliance looks like the most likely contender. Members of Congress, however, may still introduce privacy legislation which, if passed, would place the burden of regulating online privacy on federal shoulders.

The Web Standards Project

Changes in the DNS system and proposals for industry self-regulation of privacy protections support free market principles. Some members of the Internet community have realized, however, that competition does not always provide the best solution. In vying for market share, browser developers have ignored Web coding standards established by organizations such as the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Instead, they have pursued proprietary solutions that force Web developers to spend time tailoring sites for different viewers.

The Web Standards Project (http://www.webstandards.org/) estimates that working around browser incompatibilities adds more than 20 percent to the time and money needed to build a site. Established by a group of well-known new media developers, the group urges concerned Web designers to join in their effort to lobby Netscape and Microsoft to comply with W3C standards and the ECMAScript standard (http://www.ecma.ch/STAND/Ecma-262.htm) developed by an international coalition to replace Netscape's JavaScript. WSP sends members to speak at various industry conferences, creates online petitions, and has developed several banners for Web sites to display to express their support. The "Resources" section of the WSP site provides a set of links to sites about standards, accessibility, and HTML validation.

What Next?

Each of these groups is still in a developmental stage—ICANN awaits public approval, the Alliance must implement their seal program and educate consumers about its implications, and WSP has yet to receive responses from browser developers. Each, however, reflects the changing face of the Internet and its continued development as an integral, globally shared business tool. Web developers and users can expect to see a continuing trend toward regulation and standardization of the Internet.

Editor's Note: As this issue went to press, word of John Postel's death appeared on the Web. Considered by some to be the "Father of the Net," his efforts and dedication will continue to support the future of the Internet.

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OCLC News

OCLCFED Listserv Subscriptions Required

FEDLINK requires each library or information center using OCLC to have at least one person subscribe to the FEDLINK OCLC listserv, OCLCFED. To subscribe, send email to listser@loc.gov and submit the following subscribe command:

subscribe oclcfed yourfirstname yourlastname

You will then receive an email requesting confirmation. Please reply to this request within 48 hours with the answer "OK" as text or you will need to request a subscription again. You will receive a second confirmation with instructions on how to post messages, unsubscribe, etc. You will also receive a welcome message that outlines listserv policy.

All libraries and information centers must subscribe quickly. FEDLINK needs your participation so we can communicate rapidly when needed. For example, at a September OCLC meeting, networks suggested that OCLC move up the ending of multidrop dedicated lines from January 1, 2001. OCLC then asked the networks for comment. The listserv is the only cost-effective and rapid way FEDLINK can survey members on such issues, but we need full participation on the listserv.

To date, about 100 people have subscribed. If no one in your library has yet subscribed, it is imperative that you do so immediately. You can send questions about the listserv or any aspect of OCLC use to askocfno@loc.gov. If your library does not yet have email, please send your fax number to Lynn McDonald at FEDLINK (fax: 202-707-4873).

Thank you for cooperating with FEDLINK in this effort.

OCLC Updates C&A Planning Guide

OCLC plans to distribute the 1998 edition of the OCLC Communications & Access Planning Guide by the end of October. Those members who already have the 1997 edition will automatically receive the 1998 edition which supersedes earlier versions.

The new guide highlights factors affecting library planning. Among items of note, the guide points out that the Internet is now many libraries' first choice for access to OCLC services, and that flat fee Internet access provides a cost-effective method for many medium to larger libraries. FEDLINK libraries which average more than 36 hours per month may find Internet Flat Fee cost effective. With OCLC Multidrop communications ending no later than January 1, 2001 (and possibly sooner), many libraries have already moved to Internet, and many others are planning to move as soon as possible.

The guide also reminds members that in the future, OCLC will discontinue maintenance support for all non-Pentium OCLC workstations. Pentium class machines are necessary to run the Cataloging MicroEnhancer (CatME). When OCLC introduces new versions of Passport and ILL ME they will also require Pentium platforms. OCLC has already ended support of Passport for DOS, and will end support of CatME Plus, the DOS version of the CatME, in May 1999.

Passport Documentation Available

OCLC has rewritten and reformatted the Passport Help System online manual so you can easily print and use it as a reference guide. Visit the OCLC Web site (http://www.purl.org/oclc/passport-help) where you can choose to display the Web version of Passport Help in PDF format (using Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.0), or in HTML format. If you choose HTML, you can display the manual in the frames format for easy navigation or in the no-frames format for easy printing. Whichever way you display it online, you can print out the Web version in its entirety or in chapters with the HTML version or specify a range of pages when printing the PDF version.

The Passport Help System documents all important Passport functions and procedures. OCLC has divided it into six chapters, with two appendixes and a glossary:

• Chapter 1—Introduction
• Chapter 2—Using Passport (the tool bar, function keys, Passport menus and dialog boxes)
• Chapter 3—Passport Sessions (creating sessions, opening and closing sessions, changing session settings)
• Chapter 4—File and Record Exports and Transfers (capturing data, uploading and downloading files, FTP transfers)
• Chapter 5—Printing Screens, Records, and Labels
• Chapter 6—Macros
• Appendix A—Comparison of PASSPORT for DOS and Passport for Windows
• Appendix B—Manual Logon and Logoff from OCLC Services
• Glossary

For more Password assistance, send questions or comments to askocfno@loc.gov or call the OCLC Team at (202) 707-4848.

UnCover Joins OCLC ILL

The UnCover Company (OCLC symbol UC@) now participates in the OCLC ILL Document Supplier Program, which means you can send them orders via OCLC ILL. This may help integrate document delivery into your ILL workflow. The UnCover Database has nearly 18,000 journal titles and UnCover will supply photocopies of original articles indexed in the UnCover Database.

To order, clients must register with UnCover and establish a billing or deposit account. The FEDLINK ID for Uncover is CU. For more information, see http://lcweb.loc.gov/flicc/svcdir/cu.html (for the entry in FEDLINK's Services Directory) or http://www.oclc.org/oclc/ill/supplier/toc.htm (OCLC's home page); in the OCLC Name Address Directory, search :UC@ or NACN :104200; or call UnCover at 303-758-3030.

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FLICC Hosts Second Annual Technicians Institute

How do library technicians meet the challenges of today's changing field and combine their professional development goals with agency missions? What are the best ways to project a professional image and keep up with the growth of technology? More than 70 library technicians from throughout the United States attended the second annual Institute for Federal Library Technicians (formerly the Paraprofessional Institute) to answer these questions and to pose new ones. This week-long institute, sponsored by the FLICC Education Working Group last August, offered library technicians insight and skills in federal library processes and procedures. Many dynamic speakers shared their breadth of experience with attendees. Several Library of Congress speakers described the functions of various LC divisions, while guest speakers addressed the many areas of expertise with which technicians need to be familiar and outlined professional and educational opportunities available to library technicians. The attendees' enthusiasm enhanced the information exchange in the discussion groups and panels.

Steve Kerchoff, FEDLINK Network Specialist who worked on the institute, said, "I was impressed by the active participation of the institute attendees, by the number and variety of their questions to the speakers, by their networking efforts, and by the congenial atmosphere of the institute."

Speakers Offer Real-Life Advice

During the first two days, a variety of guest speakers focused on current issues including government funding and contracts, acquisitions, cataloging concepts, subject cataloging and classification, cataloging with OCLC, and preservation. The keynote speaker, Bettye Smith, Special Collections Librarian at the Bowie State Library, spoke enthusiastically about the important work of the library technician and offered suggestions on how to advance in the federal library information community. She also spoke of ways to reduce workplace stress and obtain greater job satisfaction.

Annette Gohlke, of Library Benchmarking International, offered practical advice on pursuing different career paths. She encouraged technicians to keep abreast of job opportunities and to take advantage of educational and training programs offered to federal library employees. She also urged attendees to edit and update their resumes periodically.

Subsequent sessions examined public services issues including, reference, circulation, patron services, interlibrary loan and document delivery, integrated library systems, online services, and library automation. Guided tours of LC divisions and reference collections highlighted the final day of the institute. The program closed with break-out sessions on academic and research libraries, general and public libraries, law libraries, medical libraries, and science and technology libraries.

The Institute Rated a Success

The success of the second annual institute is a result of the planning of FLICC/FEDLINK staff members and the guidance of Sheila Riley of the Smithsonian Libraries. Many of the participants expressed an interest in attending future institutes, workshops, or seminars, and rated the institute highly on their evaluations. FEDLINK's Georgette Harris, a member of the planning group, said she would like would like to "implement some of the participant's programming suggestions, such as adding more hands-on training and additional sessions on career development." Staff members have already begun planning a third institute for federal library technicians next August. FLICC Public Events Specialist Anna Bohlin says that "the institute fulfills a need which FLICC will continue to support".

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Editorial Staff

FEDLINK Technical Notes is published by the Federal Library and Information Center Committee. Send suggestions of areas for FLICC attention or for inclusion in FEDLINK Technical Notes to:

FLICC was established in 1965 (as the Federal Library Committee) by the Library of Congress and the Bureau of the Budget for the purpose of concentrating the intellectual resources of the federal library and related information community. FLICC's mission is to foster excellence in federal library and information services through interagency cooperation and to provide guidance and direction for the Federal Library and Information Network (FEDLINK).

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