Preliminary Assessment of the Proposed Closure of the National Technical Information Service (NTIS): A Report to the President and the Congress

The United States National Commission on Libraries and Information Science NCLIS is an independent agency charged by Section 5 of PL 91-345 to take a leadership position on matters pertaining to the library and information needs of the nation. Specifically, Section 1504a1 of Title 20 says that the Commission shall advise the President and the Congress on the implementation of national policy by such statements, presentations, and reports as it deems appropriate. In fulfillment of that statutory mandate, the Commission has been carefully studying the proposal made in August 1999 by the Department of Commerce to close the National Technical Information Service NTIS and shift its paper, microfiche, digital archives, and bibliographic database to the Library of Congress. Soon after Secretary Daleys announcement, the Commission met with senior Departmental officials, as well as staff members of both the Senate and House committees holding jurisdiction over science and technology issues. All recognized the value of an independent examination of the Commerce proposal, and all participated in the Commissions public and working meetings, and other fact and opinion gathering activities during the September 1999 - February 2000 period. I am attaching our report, which documents results of the Commissions research, interviews, public meetings, government meetings, and other fact and opinion gathering efforts, and spells out fully our specific findings, conclusions, and recommendations. It is called a preliminary assessment because we plan to undertake an in-depth study of all alternatives later.