An Interview with Bill Newberry, M.L.S.

Consulting Technical Specialist

Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory

Idaho Falls, ID 83415-2420

Reprinted with Permission

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askSam: Mr. Newberry, what is your role within your organization(s)?

BILL NEWBERRY:    I am a consultant to state governments on radioactive waste management issues.  Because of my experience in library science and data base management, I also assume responsibility for many of the data base functions within our organization.

askSam: Tell us about your applications for askSam.

BILL NEWBERRY:  Our office gets many requests for information on what technical documents are available on particular subjects related to radioactive waste management.  We developed a data base of key reports, documents, pamphlets, fact sheets, etc., on the subject as a tool for our staff to respond to such requests.  Later, we decided to purchase the askSam Electronic Publisher and make the data base available directly to our customers on diskette.  We also provide a limited version of the data base on the Internet using the askSam Web server.

askSam: How has askSam made your job any easier, faster or more efficient?

BILL NEWBERRY:   Prior to building the document data base around askSam, our staff had to contact the Document Center for information on what reports were available .  The Document Center used a rather cumbersome data base system that was not geared for quick responses to inquiries.  Now each staff member has direct access to the information on his or her computer in an easy-to-use format.  Staff can often respond to questions about available reports while still on the phone with the customer.

askSam: What kind of customer support you have received from askSam Systems?

BILL NEWBERRY:  Since our company does not provide technical support for askSam, good technical support is critical to our use of this system.  The technical staff at askSam has been very helpful in deciphering our problems and explaining options for resolution.  In the early stages, they walked us through procedures for enhancing the visual quality of our records, and for establishing hypertext links to help occasional users access the most frequently used commands.

askSam:  Would you recommend askSam and why?

BILL NEWBERRY:  For bibliographic cataloging of special collections, askSam is hard to beat.  

askSam:  What applications do you plan for askSam in the future?

BILL NEWBERRY:   We would like to be able to upgrade the capabilities of the Internet version of the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Document Information System to match the capabilities of the Electronic Publisher.  For example,with the Electronic Publisher we provide users approximately 80 standard reports that virtually eliminate the need for the user to

formulate search strategies.  The standard reports also reformat the output into an attractive bibliography suitable for scrolling or printing.

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Bill Newberry, M.L.S.

Consulting Technical Specialist

Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory

Idaho Falls, ID 83415-2420

Phone: 208-526-5163

Email: wfn@inel.gov

URL: http://www.asksam.com/radwaste  and

http://www.inel.gov/national/national.html