National Archives and Records Service film-vault fire at Suitland, Md. : hearings before a subcommittee of the Committee on Government Operations, House of Representatives, Ninety-sixth Congress, first session, June 19 and 21, 1979 (1979)

444 The National Audiovisual Center (MAC) has implemented a procedure biseri on o:''R Circular A-114 to provide a service to all Federal agencies aimed at reducing duplication of production effort. Prior to the production of any audiovisual product (filn, videotape, slide/tape, etc.), aU agencies must perform a mandatory title check through \'A<^ to ensure that similar products have not been produced or that they are not currently in production. This procedure is prescribed by GSA, FPM^^ (41 CFR 101.11.1304) and is accomplished by using Standard Form 282. The form requires agencies to identify the intended subject, specific or unique elements of the product, and the intended purpose. 'Vhen received, MAC performs a search of its comprehensive data bank composed of audiovisual products produced by Federal agencies. The data bank has been compiled under voluntary compliance since 1969 but, with the issuance of A-114, there is nov a mandatory requirement that agencies report all audiovisuals produced using a Federal Audiovisual Production Report (Standard Form 202) as prescribed by FP."'R 101.11.1304. If the data bank search reveals similar products, specific information about those titles is returned to the requesting agency. The agency is then required to review the existing products and, whenever possible, utilize them rather than produce new ones. Should an agency find the existing products inadequate for t!ieir program needs, tliey must submit to NAC a written justification along with the Federal Audiovisual Production Report, such justification becoming part of the production record. NAC provides the management services and mechanism to reduce duplication, but individual agencies must use the system and actively revie\" existing products to make the system work, NAC cannot, under the present policy of A-114 or existing agency prerogatives, veto the production of an agency audiovisual product. NA*^ has taken an active role to create a workable procedure designed to reduce duplication and will evaluate the results of the program as soon as sufficient data exists. 18. Since the Pentagon is such a large generator of films, does the Archives have some particular relationsliip with the Defense Department to guard against duplication by different branches of the military? The Department of Defense (DOD) is required under A-114 to reduce duplication of production effort and is subject to the same constraints as otiier agencies, however, because of the great number of audiovisual products produced annually by DOD, a special procedure has been initiated to reduce the flow of paperwork and use of forms between DOD and NAC. The DOD and NAC have an interagency agreement whereby tliey utilize the same computer system for maintaining t'leir respective audiovisual data banks. Since NAC is directly on-line with the DOD system, this ensures fuU data base searc!ies when title checks are performed for other civilian agencies. Likewise, DOD in on-line to NAC's data bank and when DOD performs a title c!ieek (each individual service performs its own), the search includes all products produced by the civilian agencies. A computer program is currently being developed to provide the statistical data to NAC on how many title checks are requested by DOD and how many of those checks provide similar products for revic" by the individual services. IVrittcii justifications arc forwarded to NAC by DOD components when existing products fail to meet DOD requirements. A great deal of coordination to develop common data elements for the NAC/DOD system prior to implementation has led to a compatible search system suitable to meet the needs of both VAC and DOD, ID. '.'/hat is the Archives doing to improve storage conditions at federal film libraries