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The Branch of Information Services (BIS) supports the dissemination of products and information for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). BIS receives shipments monthly, and distributes the new and revised map products to depository libraries in compliance with an Interagency Agreement between the USGS and the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO).

In June 2003, BIS implemented a new order processing system specifically developed for depository library sendings. The previous system, although effective, was a tedious and complicated manual process. The new system creates a custom Pick Sheet consisting of products specific to the recipient's ordering criteria. The Pick Sheet is a new feature providing the following benefits:

• Helps USGS pull the correct products for each recipient in a more timely manner

• Informs recipients what materials should be contained in their order

• Greatly improves USGS's ability to efficiently resolve and process claims
• Enables USGS to better handle package returns as a result of shipment problems

[The electronic Federal Depository Library Ship List is sent to GPO to be posted on the Federal Bulletin Board at: <http://fedbbs.access.gpo.gov/fdlp01.htm>. The ship list provides all the new and revised GPO items for that specific shipment.]

Customers receiving multiple series products may receive multiple packages of various sizes.

Questions or comments on these new processes, as well as claims related to sendings should be directed to the following: