From jrussell@gpo.govMon Feb 5 11:04:38 1996
Date: Sun, 4 Feb 1996 01:17:41 -0800
From: "Judith C. Russell" <jrussell@gpo.gov>
Reply to: Discussion of Government Document Issues <GOVDOC-L@PSUVM.BITNET>
To: Multiple recipients of list GOVDOC-L <GOVDOC-L@PSUVM>
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 <jrussell@gpo.gov>
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.