ML20235Q635
| ML20235Q635 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 11/14/1984 |
| From: | Conyngham M NRC OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATION (ADM) |
| To: | Wiggins E NRC OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATION (ADM) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20235Q514 | List: |
| References | |
| FOIA-87-315 NUDOCS 8707210082 | |
| Download: ML20235Q635 (5) | |
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION t,
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NOV 3 a 193a MEMORANDUM FOR: Elois Wiggins, Section Chief Contracts Administration Section Administrative Contracts Branch Division of Contracts, ADM i
FROM:
Margaret H. Conyngham, Chief Library Branch Division of Technical Information and Document Control, ADM
SUBJECT:
COMMENTS ON AVANTI ENTERPRISES' RESPONSE TO NRC'S The NRC Library has reviewed AE's response dated October 26,1984, and provides the following comments.
A.I.
The dates for the subscriptions appear to have been corrected satisfactorily to meet NRC's requirements.
g.
NRC has reviewed the prices listed and understands that AE has listed prices for 1985 where available or has estimated rices.
The arithmetical errors noted by NRC seem to have been corrected.
ically, price discrepancies continue to exist for the same tit es.Speci f-We have identified at least 14 titles for different addresses where different prices are listed for the same titles.
We understand that AE was to give us the publisher's list price where available and their estimate for others but their listing of different prices for
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the same titles shows a lack of quality control.
Fmm the content of Dr. Kumar's letter A 3 and 4. it would seem that t urden of identif ~
his fault records is aced on the NRC.
(Example - Radiation Protection Dosimetry )
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Address 34097
$342 Address 34102
$288 In AE's so called " catalog" (received by NRC 10/26/64), which is a totally mysterious document, the above title is listed variously as $570 air mail and $240 surface mail.
Certainly, consistency, even where title costs am estimated, is a standard which might be normally expected.
Information in this record was deleted 8707210082 870715 in accordance with the freedom of Information AR 15 PDR fj7
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. Elois Wiggins:
A. 4.
Misspelled and Inaccurate Titles NRC regards the above as a serious deficiency In any professional serials work, whether as an agent or as a bra rian, a high level of accuracy in titles is absolutely mandatory. We have noticed in AE's so called " catalog," and in the revised renewal list continued spelling errors. When involved in any automated listinos the The transposed address was not corrected on the renewal list.
(Radioactive Waste Management and The Nuclear Fuel Cycle is shown as listed both on address 34098.and 34790 for the Director, Division of Waste Management.
The correct address is 34790. Of course this is academic, because NRC has yet to T
receive a copy of the correct title at all due to AE's errors in ordering.)
Title changes have been made on the revised list.
B. 1.
Non-receipt and Claims NRC questioned the non-receipt of Water Control Federal Highlights which was part of the original order.
NRC did not claim that it was not getting the Water Pollution Control Fed. Journal but 'the Highlights.
AE has submitted a copy of the publisher's invoice which lists the Journal only and their claim includes both.
Yet j
if they paid the invoice as it was pres hem it was only for the Journal and not the Highlights.
B. 2.
Incorrect Number of Copies 1
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NRC has only been getting a single copy of Publisher's Weekly.
We contacted the publisher and were told that the publisher had i
added another year to the subscription, so that NRC had in place
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one two-year subscription rather than two one-year subscriptions.
l This obviously is a publisher error, yet AE says they checked with them and all was as it should be.
Pa ri s.
What checking did AE dId I
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t Elois Wiggins:
~3-B. 3.
Credi ts AE did not submit to NRC AE's copies of their cmdit requests to the publishers as our letter required.
From what they did submit it appears the refund from the publisher of Science was received by AE on May 18, 1984. NRC was notified and cmdited Oct. 10, 1984.
B. 4.
Reporting Requirements i
Among many examples is the Subscription Status report.
Contractor s d mport to NRC within ten working days a nformation regardi mblem establishing contact with a ublisher.
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ny examples can be provided of where they have to be responsive.
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Example: European Applied Research Reports It was on the original mnewal list November 1983.
In May AE requested address.
NRC supplied with others on July 5,1984.
Their "Information Report" of July 31, 1984, implied that they had ordered.
AE's Claims List and Status Report note that their check for payment
- 12888 was dated Septent>er 26, 1984 and they claimed October 17, 1984.
I do not accept Dr. Kumar's statement that publishers do not pmvide regular updates to agents.
NRC has had experience with a previous full-service agent who could and did provide us with the full range of information and support we
,r04 aired, meeting all time deadlines, to enable us to manage our subscription activi ties.
That contractor was able to obtain information, and what is more, was willing to do it and comunicate the information to us, its customer.
mThey got the infonnati
'in NRC's Detennination of Non-Responsibility, dated October 24, 1983, we 4
note that we had serious reservations about the competence of AE to deliver i
se rvices.
1s computer capabilities, ever they are, seem to be limited to so kind of inventory system which is capable of producing various lists but evidences a serious lack of a central data record.
I take strong exception to Dr. Kumar's statement that most of the problems would have been avoided if they had a " normal order." It was fully explained to him at the site visit what he could expect as the order.
Two of the titles he ordered incorrectly even had the publisher's name listed, and he managed to still order from the wrong publishers. All price discrepancies are his (no prices were listed on the original order); misspelling and inaccurate titles are his responsibility.
No questions regarding this list were directed to the Library staff although our letter of transmittal certainly indicated our willingness to help if they had questions.
When errors are pointed out to AE they seem e agreeab e to trying to correct them, but the burden of identifying the large volume of mistakes has been borne by the NRC. There is no evidence of the kind of computer capability on their part which would create a correct data or unit record and maintain its consistency.
This would have precluded the perpetuation of errors.
This was a prerequisite identified in the original solicitation, and the lack thereof by AE was fully outlined in the " proposed" NRC Determination of Non-Responsibility.
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I i Elois Wiggins.
We have spent a year rying wor with them by an excessive amount o aff work.
estimate that at le half a man-year has been devoted to t
' I would is contract work, make AE bid against NRC's requirements but seems to imply that we must con to their limited capabilities.
Because NRC is again in a difficult situation because of the time constraints involved in ordering subscriptions for the next calendar year, I reluctantly recorrmend that the mnewal order be placed with AE.
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Ma rgar H. Conyn ief Library Branch Division of Technical Information and Document Control, ADM T
cc: Roy Voegeli, ELD l
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