[NFBNJ] Latest from NLS

[Linda Melendez]

NLS on the Move; The latest on our new initiatives



Field test underway for NLS digital book reader

Eight network libraries began a field test this month of a digital book
reader.


The book reader, which resembles a smart phone, was built by RealSAM, an
Australian company that provides a similar product for the U.K.’s Royal
National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). While the RNIB product can also
be used for other tasks, the NLS product is a single-purpose device for
searching the catalog and reading books. And while RNIB patrons pay a
monthly fee for that product, the NLS product would be provided to patrons,
on loan, at no charge, just like digital talking-book machines.


A key component of the book reader is its voice user interface (VUI), which
allows patrons to browse the NLS catalog, search for specific titles, and
navigate within a book using voice commands. The same VUI technology will
be used in an NLS smart speaker that is under development and could be
ready for field testing in the near future. Michael Katzmann, chief of the
Program Delivery Division, says upcoming versions of BARD might use this
VUI as well.

As part of the field test, MARC records for books in the NLS catalog have
been loaded into the powerful Solr (pronounced “solar”) search engine. BARD
is being upgraded to use the same search engine.

Unlike smart devices using the BARD Mobile app, the book reader streams
audio, permitting playback to begin immediately rather than waiting for the
whole book to download. An option to download books for offline use will be
a future enhancement. The field test units also require Wi-Fi access. “It’s
possible we could put SIM cards in there and make them work on the cellular
network,” Katzmann says. “But that’s not something we’re evaluating in this
field test.”

The book reader is self-contained with context-sensitive help and prompts.


The eight regional libraries—in Arizona, Louisiana, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh) and South
Carolina—are each testing the book reader with 18 patrons, plus staff.
“We’re evaluating how they work, their usability, and patrons’ acceptance
of the voice interface and satisfaction with other device-related issues,
such as the need to charge them and the audio quality of the small
speaker,” Katzmann says. “And if there are deficiencies, are they
showstoppers or can we make improvements to make it a viable device?”


Participating libraries are collecting feedback from patron users as the
field test goes along. Patrons testing the book reader are also sharing
information with each other via a listserv. Data gathered from this field
test will help NLS determine how to proceed  with both the device and the
new interface.


Besides the digital book reader and smart speaker, NLS is also working on a
new model of the DTBM with online capabilities, with pilot units planned
for this coming winter. So, Katzmann says, in the not-too-distant future,
“I think there will be not just one or two methods of delivering service to
patrons, but we may have several for patrons to choose from—smartphone,
smart speaker, BARD Mobile, a hardware device.”


• • •

We encourage network libraries to visit our new 90th anniversary page,
which includes interesting vignettes from NLS’s history, a bibliography of
books by authors born in 1931 and more. Check it out at
www.loc.gov/nls/90th-anniversary.


Watch for the next issue of On the Move in your inbox on May 27!
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