READS MAINTENANCE

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) provides reading materials in audio and braille formats to U.S. residents and to U.S. citizens living abroad who are unable to use conventional print materials because of visual or physical limitations. Reading materials (books and magazines) are produced by contractors for NLS and are distributed to more than 700,000 patrons through a network of approximately 115 regional and sub regional libraries. In addition, NLS provides patrons with cassette and digital players needed to play back the materials produced in audio formats. NLS is completing the transition from analog to digital technology. Regional libraries are in the midst of replacing the analog players with the new digital players. It is expected that the analog players will be replaced by digital players by the end of fiscal 2011. In recent years, NLS has produced annually over 2000 titles in cassette books, approximately 600 titles in braille books, about 37 print/braille books, 30 braille magazines and 40 magazines on cassette. There are over 700,000 analog audio playback machines in the inventory. There are 430,000 digital machines that have been manufactured. 190,000 have been distributed and 240,000 are in libraries awaiting distribution. Network libraries are state or local organizations responsible for local library services to the blind. It should be noted that the 115 regional and sub regional libraries are referred to, commonly and throughout this document, as "the network" and the individual libraries as "network libraries". The network is cooperative, not electronic. Each network library is responsible for the distribution of all NLS reading materials and machines in its region. Network libraries range from very small with one staff person and a few hundred patrons, to very large with over fifty staff persons and over ten thousand patrons. Circulation may range from a few dozen books a day to several thousand a day. Each library registers and serves eligible patrons in its geographic area. In states with subregional libraries, responsibilities for library activities may be divided in various ways between the regional library and the subregional libraries. All network libraries follow NLS guidelines and procedures as described in a network library manual and associated bulletins from NLS. However, they remain state government entities organizationally independent of NLS. The procedures performed by a network library are more complex than those in a library for sighted persons. Patrons normally do not come into the library to select or pick up books or magazines. Almost all circulation is performed by mail. Libraries are responsible for processing this circulation activity and for maintaining patron information. Most network libraries are also machine lending agencies, which are responsible for distribution, monitoring, and repair of the playback machines used by patrons for recorded materials. Playback machines are U.S. government property and must be duly accounted for. Book Selection: Patrons receive book service in one of several ways. They receive periodic catalogs and bibliographies by mail from NLS contractors. The publications contain order forms for both books and magazines which can be mailed by the patron to the network library. The library records these requests, which may cumulate to several hundred. A patron may also request the library to automatically select books based on specific subjects or authors. When this procedure is used, the library records the books already sent to the patron so that titles will not be sent to the reader multiple times. In addition, information is kept about the reader's playback equipment, and reader preferences related to subject interests, level of reading comprehension, sex of the narrators, and willingness to accept books with strong language, violence or explicit descriptions of sex. Circulation: A library may send books to a patron either when they return books, at a predetermined rate weekly or monthly, or only on patron request. The timing and number of books sent may be changed for any patron as needed. Normally, on a daily basis, a library determines which patrons are due for service and selects books from the current inventory based on request lists or subject categories. Mail cards are produced and the books are mailed to the patrons. Books are also returned by mail and checked back into the inventory. Patron Information: In addition to circulation related information, the library must maintain the patron's correct mailing address to send materials and other information and maintain statistics requested by NLS. Magazine Information: Magazines produced by NLS are sent directly to patrons from NLS contractors. Libraries are responsible for sending information about patron subscriptions and addresses to a designated NLS mailing list contractor so that the patrons receive requested magazines. In addition, a library may circulate locally produced magazines in a manner similar to books. Machine Information: Libraries which are machine lending agencies must keep records of the playback machines received for distribution and track the location or disposition of each machine as being available for assignment, assigned to a specific patron, in repair, lost, or damaged beyond repair. NLS Reporting: As part of the national network, libraries must report readership and circulation statistics and other information back to NLS. They must also account for their assigned machines, which are government owned equipment. Key to the circulation process is the reader advisor, a member of the staff of the network library who speaks with the patron and advises on all issues related to the service. The reader advisor requires immediate access to information on the availability of titles, the status of requests, waiting lists, patron preferences, etc. Reader advisors and other staff of the library may require assistive devices, especially for the blind, for system operation. C.1.2 Background of READS Most of the network libraries support their operations with automated systems. In 1983, approximately twenty used a variety of mainframe and minicomputer systems and software. At that time, NLS recognized the need to make the benefits of automation available to a wider range of libraries. NLS contracted for the development of a circulation system for libraries for the blind with a small to medium volume which could not otherwise afford a system of their own. The system concept was based on the use of microcomputers, with the option of a stand alone workstation for the smallest libraries or a configuration of multiple workstations in a local area network (LAN) for larger libraries. Between 1983 and 1985, the Reader Enrollment and Delivery System (READS) was developed and testing was performed in 1986. In 1987, READS was released for production. Over the years, it has been enhanced and rewritten. It is now in use by over 35 network libraries and several outside organizations serving the blind. The software is the property of the Library of Congress. Each READS library is responsible for acquisition and maintenance of the computer hardware, peripheral equipment and supplies needed for the system. A READS library is also responsible for obtaining support from the READS contractor for services specific to that library and not applicable to the READS community as a whole. In practice, those library specific services are almost exclusively limited to installation support. NLS, through the READS contractor, provides installation preparation, telephone support, software and hardware debugging, maintenance, and system enhancements (currently suspended). Though most libraries are now automated, it is possible that a few more libraries will want to use READS over time. In addition, NLS makes READS available to other organizations which serve the blind and physically handicapped. To ensure that READS continues to be a useful product for NLS and its libraries, NLS intends to continue maintenance of the software. Software enhancements are currently suspended. The contractor will assist NLS in providing this support as described in the Scope of Work. READS operates under Windows 95 through Windows 7 with MS SQL Server. In 1997, NLS made its book title data available over the Internet in a MARC format. READS accepts that data as input to its book title database. It is also designed to directly mail magazine subscription data, machine reports and other NLS operations information to NLS or its contractors over the Internet. Included in the overall READS support requirement is a small, separate program called "Print/Braille Labels." The program is designed to accept input to print labels for cassette books using a laser printer for an eye readable label and a specialized printer from Blazie Engineering, Inc., for clear acetate overlay labels in braille. The program operates under the READS software platform. READS is used in libraries for the blind that often have blind staff members. READS, as a Windows system, requires special attention in its development to ensure that its design is carried out in such a way as to be compatible with screen readers which provide output to speech and Braille devices. NLS has developed a new digital format and digital player for audio books. The new digital technology required significant changes to READS. C.2 SCOPE OF WORK The required contractor services include the following functions: 1. Customer Support of READS Users and Potential Users 2. Maintenance of the Software 3. Enhancements to the Software 4. Pre Installation, Installation and Training for READS libraries 5. Administrative Coordination of Support Activities (e.g., preparation and distribution of materials) Each of these services is described in more detail below. For the purposes of this RFP, "an NLS agency" is an organization eligible to be a user of the READS software. This is defined to be one of the NLS network libraries, NLS approved machine lending agencies in the NLS network, or an NLS approved agency serving the blind and physically handicapped which cooperates with NLS in other ways. A machine lending agency is an organization which handles the distribution of NLS equipment used to play talking books. Most NLS libraries are also machine lending agencies, but there are a few stand alone machine lending agencies that work with NLS. The contractor shall be required to assist NLS in the investigation, testing, and implementation of system improvements and proposed enhancements. The contractor must be familiar with NLS activities and goals and be able to understand complex relationships between NLS activities and agencies. The contractor will be required to provide customized services to agencies based on differences in size, automation expertise, and organizational position and staffing. The contractor shall provide ongoing customer support to READS users through the telephone hotline and other communications services. The contractor shall also provide ongoing maintenance to the system, obtaining prior approval of the COTR/ contracting officer for maintenance actions or maintenance levels of work that are out of the ordinary. For enhancements, the contractor will be assigned specific tasks by the NLS Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR). The contractor shall be responsible for estimating level of effort and duration for each task for review and obtaining approval of the COTR/contracting officer prior to the start of each task. The contractor shall be required to maintain a list of currently assigned tasks, and shall submit a monthly report to the COTR with detail concerning the status of each task, outlining deliverables provided and work performed.