FOREIGN BOOK PROCUREMENT PROGRAM BASED ON I&S RECOMMENDATIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-04901A000100020071-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 26, 2001
• Sequence Number: 71
• Publication Date: December 28, 1948
• Content Type: MEMO

STANDARD FOR Approved For Release 200 10' 9~ D 04901A00010 ~ 20 71-8
Office Memo"randum ? UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
TO Assistant Director OCD 4 DATE: 26 December 1948
FROM Chief, CIA Library
SUBJECT: Foreign Book Procurement Program Based on I&S Recomvendations.
1. The CIA Library has received a recommendation from the Executive
for I&S that all foreign publications procured from domestic book dealers
and publishers be purchased with unvouchered funds through covert means,
This recommendation is in disagreement with the present practice, in which
the Executive for A&M authorized vouohered funds for.all purchases except
those involving procurement from sensitive domestic sources.
2. Under Project OCD-20-49 the CIA Library requested I&S to determine
if certain book dealers were to be handled on a sensitive basis, it. was in
reply to this request that the recommendation was made to handle all foreign
book procurement through covert channels.
3. CIA requirements for the preparation of current estimates of the
world situation cannot be adequately met unless steps are taken to ensure
the timely acquisition of foreign publications, particularly periodicals and
newspapers. Such materials are of little intelligence value if received
weeks or months after the date of publication. Procurement through the present
channel, vizo leaves much to be desired.
4. The CIA Library is anxious to investigate any procedure which will
improve this situation. From an operational standpoint, the use of vouchered
or unvouchered funds for procurement is immaterial. Unvouchered fund ordering
through covert means will, however, require the services of additional personnel
in the Library since Services Branch, A&M, can process only overt requests.
5. This memorandum is designed to state for the record all information
on the subject to date. It is submitted concurrently with a supplementary '
request to the Projects Review Committee for additional unvouchered funds to
handle the program as recommended by the Executive for I&S.
CONFIDENT/
Approved For Release 2001 /08T 'la-RDP78-04901 A000100020071-8