Study of Decision Factors in Planning DBPH Audio Services.

A study was made to aid in planning for future operations of the "listening services" for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (DBPH), Library of Congress. Available data was gathered and organized. DBPH operations were analyzed as were economic models and functional factors for decision-making regarding recording media and playback machines. The principal planning decisions were classified as system equipment costs and product quality factors. Equipment costs included system options as of 1976 as well as 1980 in order to show future trends in equipment costs. (Also, the unit costs for books and magazine media were projected as of 1976). The quality factors included machine breakdown rate, convenience, user acceptance, quality of sound, operational problems or risks, ease of duplication of media in the field, storage and shelving of media for libraries, wearing of media, and the possibility of reuse of media. A decision matrix was formulated which compared five alternative sound reproduction systems. The authors concluded that DBPH should adopt the 4-Track 15/16 ips C90 cassette format. Other recommendations and suggested items for follow-up are listed. (WCM)