From jrussell@gpo.govMon Feb 5 11:04:38 1996 Date: Sun, 4 Feb 1996 01:17:41 -0800 From: "Judith C. Russell" Reply to: Discussion of Government Document Issues To: Multiple recipients of list GOVDOC-L Subject: FDLP Study: Task 8A: Congressional Bills STUDY TO IDENTIFY MEASURES NECESSARY FOR A SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION TO A MORE ELECTRONIC FEDERAL DEPOSITORY LIBRARY PROGRAM (FDLP) PRELIMINARY REPORT: TASK 8A: CONGRESSIONAL BILLS As part of the Study, a task force examined the costs and the impact on public access of electronic dissemination of Congressional Bills through the FDLP in comparison with present methods. This task force was lead by Charles Cook, GPO Congressional Printing Management. This preliminary report of the task force is being made available for review and comment. Comments should be submitted by Friday, February 16, 1996, by internet e-mail to study@gpo.gov, by fax to FDLP Study at (202) 512-1262, or by mail to FDLP Study, Mail Stop SDE, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20401. ***************************************************************** TASK 8A: Evaluate the costs and benefits involved in converting Congressional bills and resolutions to electronic format for distribution through the Federal Depository Library Program. BACKGROUND The legislative agenda of each Congress determines the number of bills introduced. Therefore, although it is possible to determine the average number of bills per session this average does not accurately predict the number of bills that will be produced in any particular session. For the 102nd and 103rd Congressional Sessions, the total number of bills and resolutions simple, joint and concurrent was 24,543. All published versions of bills are available electronically via Internet or asynchronous connection through GPO Access. Files are available in both ASCII and Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF). PDF files provide users with an exact image of the typeset page. With an Adobe Acrobat Reader, available at no cost from GPO or Adobe, users can view, navigate and print Congressional bills exactly as they appear in the original typeset version, including all fonts, graphics and formats. FEDERAL DEPOSITORY LIBRARY DISTRIBUTION Congressional bills on microfiche are selected by 859 depository libraries. This item selection includes House and Senate Bills, Resolutions, Joint Resolutions and Concurrent Resolutions on microfiche. The cost to the FDLP per session of Congress for the production and distribution of Congressional bills and resolutions on microfiche is approximately $94,940. Prior to December 1995, when free public access to the GPO Access databases was announced, the electronic bills were selected by 544 depository libraries. WAIS access to Congressional bills, joint, concurrent and simple resolutions was selected by 199 libraries, and SWAIS access was selected by 257 libraries. Both types of access were selected by 88 libraries. However, these figures do not represent the total number of depository subscriptions to the electronic services because each depository library could register for as many as 10 subscriptions while being counted as having made only a single item selection. Currently, depository libraries may select Congressional bills and resolutions in both microfiche and electronic formats. Under the policies laid out in the Transition Plan for the FDLP, this will no longer be an option for depositories as all dual distribution will be discontinued. The Electronic Federal Depository Library Program Transition Plan, FY 1996-FY 1998 specifies that: "Redundant dissemination of content indifferent formats; e.g. paper and microfiche, or microfiche and electronic, or CD-ROM and on-line, will be eliminated due to the limited availability of funds. Once the transition to an electronic FDLP is complete, only the "core" paper titles will represent potential duplicate distribution, as their content may also be available electronically." DISSEMINATION ALTERNATIVES Alternative A Eliminate all microfiche distribution to depository libraries and make Congressional bills and resolutions strictly available online through the WAIS server. The PDF files for the bills could also be mounted for FTP download. This would allow libraries who only have access to the bills database through SWAIS to obtain the more useful PDF files. Benefits Timely delivery of the information. $94,940 currently spent for microfiche distribution is saved, although this is offset by increased depository usage of the WAIS server. No new product development is required. PDF files provide exact images of the typeset bills and can be searched, printed, and cut and pasted into other documents. Therefore the information is more useful in this format than it would be on microfiche. Disadvantages/Problems Distribution costs will be higher than for microfiche. It is estimated that 11.41% of the WAIS server currently is being used for the bills database. Based upon this figure, the estimated percentage of WAIS costs that can be attributed to the Bills database is $138,000 per year. This is $43,060 more than distribution costs for microfiche. [However, as the bills currently are distributed in both microfiche and electronic format, moving solely to electronic will reduce costs overall by eliminating dual distribution.] The number of depositories that will be able to access this information will decline. Preliminary results from the 1995 Biennial Survey indicate less than 50% of depository libraries have computer terminals with Internet access available for public use. Of those libraries who do not provide Internet access for the public, 169 (12.3%) said they have no plans to obtain it. The percentages of depository libraries with Internet access for public patrons are as follows: E-mail 21.4% Telnet 38.9% FTP 30.8% World Wide Web (graphical) 37.6% World Wide Web (non-graphical) 27.3% The revised minimum technical guidelines for depository libraries (January 1995) recommend that libraries try to establish a SLIP/PPP Internet connection. The Depository Library Council has recommended that these guidelines be made requirements effective October 1, 1996. As more Congressional sessions are added to the WAIS server it will be necessary to remove older, less frequently used bills. If depository access to historical files is to be ensured, a less costly and longer term distribution method will be needed to supplement online access to the bills. This may mean production of a CD-ROM or mounting of the PDF and ASCII files for FTP downloading after a predetermined period of time. Alternative B Eliminate microfiche distribution of the Congressional bills and resolutions in favor of monthly cumulative CD-ROMs of the PDF files. Depositories still would be able to access the online service. Producing and distributing 12 CD-ROMs a year would cost approximately $60,908. This figure can be broken down as follows: Mastering of twelve discs per year $ 21,000 Replication of 859 discs+20 claims copies @ $3.50 distributed monthly $ 36,918 Postage (estimated $0.29 per disc) $ 2,990 Total cost of discs distributed monthly $ 60,908 Benefits Total costs savings of $34,032 over the current cost for microfiche distribution of the same material. Depository libraries are better equipped to handle CD-ROM than they are to handle online services. According to preliminary results from the 1995 Biennial Survey, 83.1% of all depositories had CD-ROM capability at a stand alone workstation. In addition, the revised technical guidelines for depository libraries recommend libraries acquire a single or multiple platter CD-ROM drive compatible with the ISO 9660 standard. CD-ROM is a good format for extended access. The estimated lifespan of CD-ROM is 30 years or more. The PDF files provide exact images of the typeset bills and can be searched, printed, and cut and pasted into other documents. Therefore the information is much more useful in this format than it would be on microfiche. Disadvantages/Problems Although timeliness of a monthly CD-ROM might be equivalent to that of microfiche, it does not compare with the speed at which information could be made available through an online service. ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED Technical Capabilities of Depository Libraries Information currently available concerning the technical capabilities of depository libraries and the technical expertise of both libraries and their patrons is not substantive. As more information in the FDLP is converted to electronic and discontinued in paper and/or microfiche, the number of and cost for computer terminals, CD-ROM drives, printers, and other equipment and software needed to access Government information also becomes increasingly relevant. Preliminary estimates from the 1995 Biennial Survey of depository libraries indicate that almost 7% would withdraw or consider withdrawing from the program if it became exclusively electronic. ***************************************************************** Judy Russell Comments should be submitted by Friday, February 16, 1996, by internet e-mail to study@gpo.gov, by fax to FDLP Study at (202) 512-1262, or by mail to FDLP Study, Mail Stop SDE, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20401.