“Multi” Magazine Circulation one patron per one “magazine” cartridge, multiple magazines per cartridge By Tim West, Digital Recording Specialist Iowa Department for the Blind

IDB has 5176 Patrons with “active” status (April 28 th 2014) During the 1 year period of April 1 st 2013 to March 31 st 2014: We sent out 331 (local) cassette magazines (From April 1 st – July 31 st), finishing the last of the cassette magazines that IDB produced… IDB has (or had) 1494 Patrons with a local digital magazine cartridge provided by “Friends of the Iowa Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped” (that’s about 30% of our active patrons). We processed a total of 279 various (digital) “issues” of magazines. Using the “Dup5” program, we copied 11,161 various magazine issues to a cartridge 4105 times, we averaged about 3 magazines downloaded per cartridge, about 342 cartridges per month or 15 cartridges per day. Of the 4105 cartridges (mailed and) returned we “parked” or stored our cartridges on a shelf for an average of 21 days.

Initial Considerations When we started our “one patron per one magazine cartridge, multiple magazines per cartridge” program: we only had two magazines in the digital format (the rest would follow within 6 months, releasing a few new magazines every couple weeks) we did not have enough cartridges for every IDB magazine subscriber many of our patrons had multiple local magazine subscriptions not every magazine patron had a digital player not all our patrons knew how to use the book shelf mode most importantly, patrons were not used to returning their (cassette) magazines!

Initial Considerations Communication: everyone dislikes change, especially when you do not know what is going on! IDB had made a decision that when a magazine went digital, we would no longer produce it in the cassette format! So we set up procedures to help reduce both patron and employee dissatisfaction! The steps we followed as we made each new digital magazine available: we created a list of patrons who subscribed to the new digital magazine(s) being introduced we created the labels for the magazine cartridges and containers, including mailing labels

Initial Considerations we called the patrons (on the list) and explained how the program worked “one cartridge with potentially multiple magazines”, how the book shelf feature worked, how important returning their (complimentary) cartridge was, and that eventually all magazines would be digital… As we started rolling out each additional new digital magazine, since the possibility existed that a patron may already be receiving one of the new digital magazines, we were careful to not create a new patron magazine cartridge (with labels), call the patron etc. – they had already been called once and they would automatically get the new digital magazine!

How do you get the magazines you circulate? IDB produces 15 magazines locally, and distributes another 13 magazines produced by other Libraries, downloading 6 magazines from Perkins and Bard (MSCE magazines), and getting the other 7 via mail from Nebraska, Florida and Arizona. We track each magazine issue we produce or receive from the other Libraries using a “year at a glance” excel spreadsheet. The issue information is also updated in our “Production Tracking System”. These completed magazine “masters” (encrypted and protected) are copied into our “local magazine distribution” folder.

How do you share the magazines you create with other libraries? We send them out on a cartridge, the other Library is considered a “magazine subscriber” to our system – and like our patrons, when they return a cartridge, they get more magazines!.

How many magazines on a cartridge? There is an option for “multi” or “one” – the initial default is “multi”. A code is placed in our database to keep track of the patron’s preference. A patron with “multi” will get however many magazines they subscribe to that are currently available to copy and that they have not already received, plus they automatically get a “how to use the bookshelf feature” (an audio book) downloaded first on their cartridge with the other magazines. A patron who only receives one magazine does not get the “how to…” instructions, they simply get the oldest available issue from their subscription choice.

Encryption-how are you protecting the cartridge? We use APH’s “Book Wizard Producer” to build the magazine for distribution, then we drag the “NoDRM” folder onto NLS’s “dtbencrypt” batch file for protection. We rename and save both the final encrypted and protected magazine (placed in the local magazine distribution folder), and the original (unencrypted, unprotected) “master” placed in the Magazine (masters) folder, in case we need to fix an error not caught in the original processing. We eventually delete the original (master) magazine when it is “4 issues old” (to keep network file space requirement from getting too big). All cartridges are also “locked” with the “DTBC Protect” program from NLS (i.e. the patron cannot write to or delete from this magazine cartidge).

Encryption-how are you protecting the cartridge? I check the finished protected magazine master before it goes in the distribution folder using the recommended procedures (page 3 ) from “NLS Encryption Software Installation Instructions and User Guide, Software Version 1.7.0” (see *note – reprinted on the last few slides of this presentation).

Duplication – how are you duplicating the cartridges? Using the “Dup5” (a Visual Basic 6 program): First, each IDB patron receives one “complimentary magazine cartridge” provided by “The Friends of the Iowa Library”. A simple text file is copied onto this cartridge, with the following information: the patron ID, that this cartridge is an IDB magazine cartridge (i.e. the patron does not own it and it is “locked” – the patron cannot write to or delete from the cartridge), and when this cartridge was initially set up. There is also a container created and marked specifically for magazines – it is labelled with the patron ID and “Magazine” for easier mail handling and shelf sorting.

Duplication – how are you duplicating the cartridges? An operator “checks in” or inserts (up to) 5 cartridges into a “toaster”. All magazines currently on a cartridge are automatically erased when “checked in”. Because of the information in the simple text file on the cartridge, the “Dup5” program knows who the patron is and then can look up and determine the following information: 1)what magazines the patron subscribes to, 2)what magazines the patron has received already, 3)what magazines are available to copy, and

Duplication – how are you duplicating the cartridges? 4)if magazines are available for this patron, it automatically starts to copy these magazines (unless the patron is coded for “one”, then only one magazine – the oldest magazine issue – is copied to the cartridge). If there are no magazines available, the program tells the operator to place the cartridge on a shelf. There is a default shelf location assigned, but you can type in a different shelf location if so desired. Typically after inserting the 5 cartridges to the toaster (and you do have to wait for Windows to detect each cartridge), it takes roughly 3 minutes of computer processing time. Then each cartridge is put back into their respective container and are either mailed or placed on the magazine cartridge storage shelf.

Duplication – how are you duplicating the cartridges? Each morning (and later in the day if new completed magazine issues were added) a routine is ran that tells the operator what cartridges that are currently “sitting on the shelf” now have magazines available. From start to finish (taking the cartridge out of container, placing it into the toaster, waiting for Windows to detect the cartridge, then running the program after all 5 cartridges are inserted into the toaster by clicking on “Start Process” button, then putting each cartridge back into their container and mailing them or placing them on the storage shelf), the entire handling time for 5 cartridges averages well under 10 minutes.

Managing circulation – how are you keeping track of it all? We make it the patron's responsibility to send us back their (complimentary) cartridge to get their latest magazine subscriptions. A patron can request past magazine issues and other magazines that they do not currently subscribe to – the operator (or an RA) “tags” or updates their record, then the next time the program detects their cartridge, the additional issues are automatically downloaded (these additional magazines do count towards circulation stats). Patrons can also requests magazines for their own purchased cartridge (to keep as long as they wish).

Managing circulation – how are you keeping track of it all? Every time a cartridge has a magazine issue downloaded, it is kept track of in a database: the patron ID, the magazine name, issue information, date sent etc. As a backup to the database, a "redundant" daily output log (a text file) is also written that includes a date/time stamp, of when the cartridge was “checked in”, the Patron ID, whether or not they received any magazines (and if so, the issue information), or if the cartridge was “placed on the shelf”.

Managing circulation – how are you keeping track of it all? There is a report (in the Dup5 program) that can be ran at any time that list all cartridges that have not been returned in the last 60 days, with the patron name and phone numbers etc. (these patrons should be called, except for quarterly only magazine subscribers!).

*Note: from “NLS Encryption Software Installation Instructions and User Guide Software Version 1.7.0” Page 3: Checking the output After the software runs, the protected version will be found in the directory c:\NLSEncrypt\drm\ProtectedBooks. The log file, showing any problems encountered during the encryption process, will be found in c:\NLSEncrypt\testEncryptInputs directory. The name of the directory containing the protected DTB will be the same as the name of the directory containing the unprotected book. For example, if the unprotected book was in the directory: f:\Audiobooks\52217, then the protected book will be in c:\NLSEncrypt\drm\ProtectedBooks\ The log file will derive its name from the directory of the unprotected book, in this case, it would be log.

*Note: from “NLS Encryption Software Installation Instructions and User Guide Software Version 1.7.0” Checking the output is an important step in using the encryption software. Follow the steps below to ensure that you have successfully applied content protection as required by the copyright exemption that permits libraries to create accessible materials. 1. Check the log file (found in the testEncryptInputs directory). It should end with the statement "Final return code = 0." If the final return code = 4, the program has issued a warning. Read the log file to determine if the book was successfully protected. If the final return code = 8 or higher, the program has run into a fatal error condition and has NOT successfully protected the source material. Read the log file to determine the source of the error.

*Note: from “NLS Encryption Software Installation Instructions and User Guide Software Version 1.7.0” 2. Examine the output directory containing the protected DTB. You should see files ending in.OPF,.PPF,.NCX,.PNCX, and.AO, among others. If all of these file are not present, the book or magazine was not successfully protected. 3. Transfer the protected DTB to a cartridge and play the protected book using an NLS DTBM. Make sure the book or magazine sounds, plays, and navigates as expected.

*Note: from “NLS Encryption Software Installation Instructions and User Guide Software Version 1.7.0” 4. If possible, try to play the book on an unauthorized DTB player (such as a software-based player). You should hear only the "unauthorized" message. 5. If you are using MP3 audio, try to play the audio files from the book in Windows Media Player. They should not be recognized as valid MP3 files (because they are now encrypted).

Tim West Digital Recording Specialist Iowa Department for the Blind, Library 524 Fourth Street, Des Moines, IA