[nfb-talk] Fw: [acb-l] General Accounting Office releases review of National Library Service

[Sherri]

I found the below interesting.

Sherri Abstract  * Talking Books for the Blind, GAO-07-871R, June 12, 2007

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), 
a part of the Library of Congress, operates a free national talking (audio) 
book program for qualified blind, visually impaired, or physically disabled 
residents of the United States and its territories, as well as qualified 
U.S. citizens residing abroad. NLS produces and distributes analog cassette 
players and talking books and periodicals recorded on audio cassettes to 
approximately 434,000 individual subscribers and 33,000 institutions through 
a network of
132 participating libraries and the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). In the
1990s, NLS recognized that analog audio cassette technology was becoming 
outdated and nearing the end of its useful life and initiated efforts to 
plan for a new, digitally based talking book system. NLS analyzed three 
alternatives for the system--CD, hard drive, and flash based media--and 
chose to award a contract for the development of a digital talking book 
system based on flash memory media. The development phase is now nearing 
completion, and NLS is planning to award the manufacturing contract for the 
digital talking book system in August 2007. Under U.S. copyright law, NLS is 
authorized to reproduce and distribute talking books without copyright 
infringement as long as they are produced in a specialized format 
exclusively for use by blind or other persons with disabilities. The 
standard describing the specialized format for digital talking books is 
maintained by the Digital Audio-Based Information System (DAISY) 
consortium--an international organization established to develop 
specifications and tools for digital talking books--and accordingly is 
commonly known as the Daisy standard. The digital talking book project is a 
significant system development and acquisition investment. NLS estimates the 
5-year (2007-2011) cost of the program, including the player and media 
acquisition, to be about $174 million. Over this same time period, NLS plans 
to continue the cassette-based talking book program, whose cost is estimated 
at about $44 million. The 5-year cost of the combined digital talking book 
and cassette programs is about $218 million. The Chairman and Ranking Member 
of the House Committee on Appropriations asked us to review NLS planning and 
management of its digital talking book development and acquisition project. 
Specifically, our objectives were to determine to what extent NLS (1) 
performed sufficient analyses to select technologies for the next generation 
of the talking book system and (2) effectively managed the development of 
the selected digital talking book technology and mode of distribution.

In summary, NLS analyzed various alternatives for the digital talking book 
program starting in 2000, but the analyses did not have the rigor 
recommended by library guidance and government and industry best practices 
to ensure that new assets are acquired through sound decision making. To its 
credit, NLS conducted market research and consulted with experts and 
stakeholders, including representatives from international organizations 
with similar programs, domestic groups representing people who are blind and 
physically disabled, and manufacturers. The agency identified and discussed 
numerous alternative technologies (including CD, flash memory, and miniature 
hard drives) and distribution mechanisms (such as Internet delivery via 
broadband channels and cable television channels). However, the agency's 
analysis of selected alternatives focused solely on the technology medium 
and the player and did not broadly consider the entire program and its 
underlying processes. NLS did not consider alternative ways to distribute 
players to the subscribers--such as direct shipment from the manufacturer to 
the patron--that could be less costly than the current process. NLS did not 
consider using commercial players designed specifically for people who are 
blind and physically disabled which include features such as tactile 
indicators and audio prompts and are compliant with the Daisy standard. For 
example, the agency had previously rejected commercial CD players based on 
its 2000 analysis, even though similar programs in other countries rely on 
such players to serve their subscribers. In addition, NLS did not consider 
using commercial services to distribute talking books to subscribers. NLS 
did not fully analyze the initial acquisition and life-cycle costs of each 
alternative--nor did it update its 2000 analysis of the CD and flash 
alternatives--as recommended by best practices. For example, the analysis 
stated that one-way mailing of CDs to subscribers--an approach that could 
significantly reduce the $40 million that NLS spends annually on mailing 
costs--would require highly automated equipment and technical staff to 
support it and concluded that few network libraries could provide such an 
environment. Because the analysis assumed that one-way mailing would 
continue to rely on network libraries for distribution
(essentially mirroring the current distribution approach), NLS did not 
consider, for example, whether the use of commercial CD duplicating services 
or a centralized CD copying center that directly ships the media to the 
patron would be feasible. NLS did not provide documentation to support key 
technical conclusions, such as the advantages and disadvantages cited for 
each alternative. For example, its conclusion that repairs to CD and 
hard-drive-based players would be "relatively expensive for commercial 
repairers to perform" was not supported by technical studies or analysis. 
Without a rigorous analysis of alternatives, NLS, the Congress, and the 
public will have limited assurance that the selected solution is the optimal 
one for delivering audio content to people who are blind and physically 
disabled, and NLS may be missing an opportunity to select a solution that 
costs less and serves its subscribers better.

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