SECRETARY'S REPORT 13 



community have also increased rapidly, from about 27,000 reports of all 

 kinds in 1963 to about 34,000 this fiscal year. Over three-quarters of 

 a million research task records (N.R.P.'s) were requested and dis- 

 patched during the year. 



With the rapidly increasing demands, the total staff, including about 

 40 scientists, grew to 155, but in recent months it has dropped slightly, 

 reflecting in part the economies resulting from improved organization 

 and systems control. 



To handle this rapidly increasing volume of records more efficiently 

 and economically, the reorganization and expansion of the Exchange 

 were completed during the past year. An entirely new assembly line 

 system now is capable of receiving and processing well over 100,000 

 records per year. The system is easily controlled and is amenable to 

 expansion or contraction as workloads may dictate. Each unit process, 

 each organizational unit, and each of the different kinds of services 

 rendered can be identified and the unit costs can be determined by a 

 new accounting system developed and put into operation in recent 

 months. 



For almost 15 years, the Exchange was supported by a number of 

 Federal agencies whose far-sighted research directors and administra- 

 tors were aware of the fact that the management of multimillion-dollar 

 research programs might well be facilitated by the prompt exchange 

 of information about on-going programs. As this enterprise grew 

 rapidly in recent years, support and management problems became 

 more complex and difficult for individual agencies, and so, in 1964, 

 the National Science Fomidation undertook the responsibility for 

 funding and overall management with continued operational responsi- 

 bility under the aegis of the Smithsonian Institution. 



It is axiomatic that maximum use should be made of the large 

 number of research records acquired, processed, and stored by the Ex- 

 change. To this end, S.I.E. has endeavored to make these services 

 known and available to all eligible users. During the past year, five 

 articles were published in professional journals by staff' members de- 

 scribing S.I.E. and its services. Twenty-three articles and news notes 

 about S.I.E. were published by others. Over 25,000 descriptive 

 brochures were requested and distributed. About 685 visitors, includ- 

 ing a number from overseas, called at the Exchange to find out how 

 these stores of information could be adapted to their own scientific 

 information and research management problems. S.I.E. staff pre- 

 sented 26 talks, papers, and briefings to professional scientific societies, 

 groups, and organization units. All these activities indicate a growing 

 interest in S.I.E. throughout the scientific community, and there is 

 good reason to believe that these activities are the most effective 

 ways of increasing the use of S.I.E. and thereby contributing to effec- 

 tive management of research projects and programs. 



