From jrussell@gpo.govThu Mar 14 22:01:53 1996 Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 15:31:39 -0600 From: "Judith C. Russell" Reply to: Discussion of Government Document Issues To: Multiple recipients of list GOVDOC-L Subject: FDLP Study: Task 10A: STAT-USA Access for Depository Libraries STUDY TO IDENTIFY MEASURES NECESSARY FOR A SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION TO A MORE ELECTRONIC FEDERAL DEPOSITORY LIBRARY PROGRAM (FDLP) PRELIMINARY REPORT: TASK 10A: ACCESS TO STAT-USA As part of the Study, a task force reviewed FDLP access to STAT- USA, an electronic fee-based service of the Department of Commerce. This task force was led by Ken Rogers, Director, STAT- USA. This preliminary report of the task force is being made available for review and comment. Comments should be submitted by Tuesday, March 19, 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 10A: Review the effects of offering free public access to STAT-USA information products and services through the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). BACKGROUND STAT-USA is a self-funding organization within the Department of Commerce. It's mission is to produce and distribute, and to assist other Government agencies in producing and distributing, world class business, economic, and Government information products that American businesses and the public can use to make intelligent and informed decisions. Services are provided through a variety of electronic media including dial-up bulletin board, CD-ROM, diskette, and the Internet. Economic Bulletin Board More than a decade ago, STAT-USA's predecessor organization, the Office of Business Analysis (OBA), started the Economic Bulletin Board (EBB). The EBB was designed to deliver, in electronic format, current economic and business information to the public as soon as it was made available. It was also designed as a one-stop source for economic news, so that customers would not need to go to dozens of different agencies looking for indicators of the state of the U.S. economy. OBA began charging for access to its information services in 1986 at the direction of then Under Secretary of Commerce Bud Brown. Since the EBB was a valuable business tool, it was believed that the business community should help defray the costs associated with its operation. Early EBB fee structures were designed to provide reasonable payments from large scale customers and provide access to one-time or infrequent users at very low prices. National Trade Data Bank In 1989, OBA was assigned to plan and implement the National Trade Data Bank (NTDB) which was mandated by the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988. The Act called for the Department of Commerce to lead an effort to bring together Government information related to international trade and export promotion and to make these data available to the U.S. public in a low-cost, electronic form. OBA selected CD-ROM as the most cost-effective technology to distribute what was anticipated to be a large collection of information from a variety of agencies. The concept of user fees was supported in the language that created the NTDB which allowed Commerce to charge "reasonable fees" for NTDB access. Moreover, since appropriations to fund the NTDB never adequately covered the actual costs of developing and operating the data bank, OBA became reliant on customer fees to partially defray costs of keeping the NTDB open. This perilous financial situation was recognized by Vice President Gore's first National Performance Review (NPR) in 1994 which recommended that the National Trade Data Bank be placed on a firm financial footing. This, and other NPR recommendations led to three outcomes: STAT-USA was established in October 1994 with the explicit mission to develop electronic business, economic, and trade information services. A revolving fund was established with a one-time appropriation of $1.67 million to set up STAT-USA operations and provide a financial safety net until it could operate on a cost recovery basis. Provisions of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 pertaining to the price of the NTDB were amended to authorize STAT-USA to recover the full cost of operating the NTDB. STAT-USA/Internet STAT-USA/Internet contains many of the same types of information found on the NTDB CD-ROM, the EBB, and the National Economic, Social, and Environmental Data Bank (now discontinued). However, having this information available in one Internet location has proven to be more timely and more useful to many libraries. Moreover, STAT-USA makes use of current information searching tools which provide more accurate search results than similar searches conducted on the CD-ROM. FEDERAL DEPOSITORY LIBRARY DISTRIBUTION STAT-USA has enjoyed a long and steady relationship with the depository library community. Richard Leacy, government documents librarian at the Georgia Institute of Technology, was one of the earliest EBB subscribers and supporters. He, and many other librarians who we have come to know, convinced STAT-USA of the value of serving the U.S. public through the FDLP. An official relationship with the FDLP began in 1989 when the EBB was included as one of the five original pilot projects to determine the feasibility of FDLP access to Government electronic information services. One hundred libraries were provided access to the EBB from June 1 - Dec. 30, 1990. GPO reimbursed OBA $15,000 for access by the 100 participating libraries during the trial period. The results of the study were mixed; a relatively small number of libraries actually took advantage of the service. CD-ROM use by the business community was in its infancy during the late 1980's and early 1990's. Consequently in its implementation plans for the NTDB in 1990, OBA specifically planned for free distribution of the CD-ROM through the FDLP to meet the Congressional intent for this information to be widely disseminated. Potential users of the information would not be required to own CD-ROM hardware and software, but could access the NTDB at the nearest depository library holding the CD-ROM in its collection. When the NTDB CD-ROM was first issued in October 1990, more than 600 depository libraries elected to receive it. During the ensuing five years, the NTDB has grown to become one of the most widely used CD-ROMs in the FDLP. 1,070 depositories now receive the monthly set. Many depository libraries have indicated they permanently mount the NTDB due to its constant demand by library patrons. The size of the NTDB has grown considerably since the first issue which contained roughly 40,000 documents. Today, it contains nearly 250,000 documents and requires two separate CD-ROMs to deliver the entire collection. STAT-USA continued its open relationship with depositories when it established STAT-USA/Internet in 1994. Starting that Fall, depository libraries were given single-user free access to this Internet-based information service. STAT-USA initially intended to accept depository applications directly for STAT USA/Internet. However, library demand for this service quickly exceeded the ability of Commerce staff to create new accounts, maintain records on STAT-USA internal computer systems, and provide applying depository libraries with timely notification of the activation of their account. Part of the registration pressure was eased in 1995 when the GPO Library Programs Service (LPS) staff agreed to take over many of the administrative duties associated with signing up libraries to access the service. Currently, 521 depository libraries access STAT-USA/Internet. DISSEMINATION ALTERNATIVES Alternative A STAT-USA will continue to offer STAT-USA/Internet to the FDLP with the costs recovered from other STAT-USA fees. Benefits STAT-USA relies on depository libraries as advertising vehicles for its services. Many current STAT-USA customers were first introduced to the NTDB or STAT-USA/Internet through use of these services in a library. Many library patrons eventually want their own subscription to use in their home or office. Depository libraries provide very low cost exposure to STAT-USA products and assist us in marketing our services. STAT-USA routinely refers large numbers of customers to depository libraries to access its services. There are still many information customers who do not possess the computer technology to access STAT-USA information, do not want to pay for the services or cannot afford them, or want to try out the service before they buy. STAT-USA refers these customers to the FDLP community and views depositories as a public safety net to ensure public access to this information. Disadvantages/Problems STAT-USA began its relationship with the FDLP during a period when appropriated funds supported free distribution of STAT-USA CD-ROMs and the provision of other electronic services to libraries. Substantial sums were expended by STAT-USA to provide depository copies of the NTDB CD-ROM, train librarians in their use, and provide free customer support. Although STAT-USA management remains committed to the FDLP, lack of appropriated funds now makes it much more difficult for STAT-USA to participate in the FDLP. Depository libraries have requested more than a single user subscription to STAT-USA/Internet and objected to the requirement that they not offer access to STAT-USA/Internet over their networks unless they can restrict access to a single simultaneous user. Libraries want to ensure the broadest public access to the information available through STAT-USA at no cost to patrons. Since U.S. Government information cannot be copyrighted, libraries can freely disseminate electronic Government information as broadly as they so chose (and their resources permit), thus undermining the ability of STAT-USA to exist as a self-funding agency. (This problem exists even when the depository libraries (or others) purchase access to STAT-USA themselves; it is not exclusively a problem of FDLP access.) Alternative B GPO would purchase access to STAT-USA/Internet for the depository libraries. Based on the published prices for STAT-USA/Internet access, the current level of access (single simultaneous user) for the 521 libraries currently selecting STAT-USA/Internet would cost $130,250 per year. For $208,400 GPO could purchase "Class C" access for 521 libraries; that would permit access to all users within a single Class C IP Address in each library. For $416,800 GPO could purchase access for 6 to 10 simultaneous users for each of the 521 libraries. (This is comparable to the original number of GPO Access subscriptions provided to each depository library.) Benefits STAT-USA continues to rely on depository libraries as advertising vehicles for its services. STAT-USA continues to refer large numbers of customers to depository libraries to access its services and retains depositories as a public safety net to ensure public access to this information. Depository libraries could increase the number of simultaneous users with access to STAT-USA/Internet if GPO elected to purchase Class C service or service for 6 to 10 simultaneous users. Disadvantages/Problems Libraries want to ensure the broadest public access to the information available through STAT-USA at no cost to patrons. Since U.S. Government information cannot be copyrighted, libraries can freely disseminate electronic Government information as broadly as they so chose (and their resources permit), thus undermining the ability of STAT-USA to exist as a self-funding agency. Although the payment by GPO of fees for access by depository libraries would compensate STAT-USA for the costs of providing FDLP access, it would not eliminate the problem created by libraries offering remote access or re-disseminating the information from STAT-USA. (This problem exists even when the depository libraries (or others) purchase access to STAT-USA themselves; it is not exclusively a problem of FDLP access.) ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED Funding for Depository Copies STAT-USA drastically reduced its costs for providing CD-ROMs to the depository libraries by switching CD-ROM production from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) to GPO. STAT-USA estimates it cost nearly $75 thousand per year to supply FDLP copies of CD-ROM titles produced through non-GPO replication contracts. These funds are paid by GPO now that the NTDB is produced through a GPO CD-ROM replication contract. Costs for FDLP access to STAT-USA/Internet are currently covered by STAT-USA. GPO could purchase access for the depository libraries, either using STAT-USA's published rates or by negotiating a special rate for depository libraries. Training STAT-USA has reduced its training activities for depository librarians from prior years. STAT-USA conducted over 30 specialized library training programs throughout the country during the first two years the NTDB was operating. We receive continuing requests for additional training classes today. However, it is much more difficult to offer these training classes; they can generally only be considered for large gatherings such as the annual Depository Library Conference, when STAT-USA staff are traveling for commercial conferences, or when traveling costs are defrayed by library organizations. For example, virtually no training has been provided for library access to STAT-USA/Internet. Moreover, a new generation NTDB CD-ROM software will be released in 1996. It is unlikely significant training activities can be held for this new format. This increases the burden on depository librarians to create their own documentation, become self-taught, or rely on other avenues to ensure they can operate these services. STAT-USA could afford to provide additional training if GPO purchased its services on behalf of the FDLP. Alternatively, GPO could negotiate to "purchase" additional training services from STAT-USA if STAT-USA continues to offer free FDLP access. Fee vs. Free The final, and most important, issue facing fee-based agencies is the conflict between the federal statutes that seek to assure free public access through the FDLP while also requiring fee-based agencies to recover, not just the costs of dissemination, but also their development costs. Libraries want to ensure the broadest public access to Government information at no cost to patrons. By contrast, fee-based agencies must charge fees to support the creation, organization, and dissemination of their electronic information services, without the protection of copyright or copyright-like restrictions on their use. The fee versus free issue was a relatively minor issue when library patrons literally walked through a door and used a paper manuscript such as a book or pamphlet. Today's electronic information technology, however, makes this a much more serious issue. Library patrons no longer need to be in the physical library. Instead, they can use library holdings from across the street or around the world. Since U.S. Government information cannot be copyrighted, libraries can freely disseminate Government document collections as broadly as they so chose (and their resources permit.) These library-based dissemination activities make sense from the library's perspective. It is far easier for educational institutions to create networked collections of information accessible from student dorm rooms or faculty offices than to provide walk-in access to a limited number of computer workstations located in the library. Similarly, a public library may wish to serve all its branches, or offer remote access to its patrons from their homes or offices. Many examples exist where libraries have subscribed to STAT-USA electronic information products, or received them free of charge as depository libraries, and then redistributed the information via free electronic services. Significant portions of the National Trade Data Bank and virtually all the files found on the Economic Bulletin Board are "repackaged" by one or more libraries and distributed for free. For example, the University of Michigan operates a virtual mirror site of the EBB; they download EBB files every day, post them on the University of Michigan gopher service and make them available to two constituent groups -- students and faculty at the University of Michigan and other depository libraries. Unfortunately, through their efforts EBB files also are distributed to the rest of the world at no charge. There is so much confusion on this issue that large information vendors such as America Online even refer their customers to the "Economic Bulletin Board at the University of Michigan." However, the same library dissemination activities place fee-based information services like STAT-USA in financial vises. It is much more difficult for fee-based agencies to organize and operate their electronic information collection activities when the public is increasingly reluctant to pay for data freely available from other sources. This creates a lose-lose situation for the fee-based agency and the depository libraries. The agencies cut back operations because they do not have sufficient revenue to operate their services and the libraries (and other users) receive poor quality service and/or smaller amounts of information. Ultimately, the downward spiral in potential revenues creates strong incentives for fee-based agencies to withhold information from the depository library system altogether and to impose severe restrictions of its use, whether by subscribers or those receiving it through the FDLP. The latter action violates the policy articulated in OMB Circular A-130 that agencies should not impose copyright- like restrictions on government information services. ***************************************************************** Judy Russell Comments should be submitted by Tuesday, March 19, 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.