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NIMAC UPDATE
Julia MyersMay 2008
What Is the NIMAC?
NIMAC is a central repository for NIMAS file sets. NIMAS file sets are source files that can be used to produce accessible, student-ready specialized formats, such as Braille and audio, for students in K-12 with qualifying disabilities.
What does the NIMAC do?
• The NIMAC receives, reviews, and catalogs publishers' electronic files of print instructional materials in the NIMAS format.
• We also sign up registered users, provide the searchable web interface, provide feedback to publishers and vendors, and answer questions from NIMAC stakeholders and others.
• OverDrive, Inc. is the vendor who is providing the database software and off-site storage for the NIMAC’s file sets.
NIMAC Expectations
• Catalog 2,400 NIMAS file sets per year (Projection provided by AAP and basis for OSEP- approved NIMAC plan/grant request)
• Register authorized users from 50 states• Provide searchable web interface• Provide ability for registered users to download
files• Protect copyright • Begin operations by December 4, 2006
Key NIMAC Accomplishments
• Opened for operations, as scheduled, on Dec. 3, 2006.
• Searchable web interface available for all to search from Dec. 3, 2006.
• Ability for registered users to download files available from Dec. 3, 2006.
• Began receiving and processing publisher file submissions from Dec. 3, 2006.
Key NIMAC Accomplishments
• Cataloged and made available for download 6,570 NIMAS file sets in 16 months.
• This is more than double the projected number of NIMAS file sets NIMAC was built to handle in that time period.
Key NIMAC Accomplishments
• Coordinated with 51 states and outlying areas.
• NJ, OK, PA and TX currently in process of coordinating.
• Registered 75 Authorized Users and 55 Accessible Media Producers.
Key NIMAC Accomplishments
• Copyright protection provided via multiple methods, including:
• Coordination and Limitation of Use Agreements
• Digital Rights Management (i.e., digital fingerprinting and watermarking of files)
• Secure environment • Two tiered repository access (AUs and
AMPs).
All Figures Correct as of May 1, 2008
NIMAC: Account Statistics
• Publishers working with NIMAC: 60
• States Coordinating/Outlying Areas: 51
• Authorized Users: 75 (from 40 states)
• Accessible Media Producers (AMPs): 57
All Figures Correct as of May 1, 2008
NIMAC: Download Statistics
• Unique Downloads by AMPs: 128
• Unique Downloads by AUs: 345
• Total Unique Downloads: 473
NIMAC: File Storage Statistics
• NIMAC files currently mass over 1 TB.
• NIMAC is receiving 35-60 GB of file sets per week.
• At current rate, NIMAC will add at least 2 more TB this year.
NIMAC: File Storage Statistics
• To put this in perspective:
– 2 Terabytes = An academic research library.
– 10 Terabytes = The print collections of the U.S. Library of Congress.
(From "How Much Information", 2003. University of California at Berkeley: Lyman, Peter and Hal R. Varian. Retrieved from http://www.sims.berkeley.edu/how-much-info-2003 on April 15, 2008.
Outreach and NIMAC
• Outreach was an important part of NIMAC’s work in 2007 and continues to be a key aspect of our work in 2008.
• NIMAC routinely offers training webcasts and does further outreach through conference calls and participation in conferences and workshops.
Outreach in 2007-2008
• In 2007/2008, NIMAC conducted 29 Webcast trainings and outreach conference calls with various user groups.
• Participants included: Authorized Users; NIMAC State Coordinators; NIMAS/NIMAC coordinators; vendors; publishers; and Accessible Media Producers.
• Conference calls and meetings with individual publishers, state or local educational agency staff, NIMAC Advisory Council, OSEP, OverDrive were also conducted.
More Outreach in 2007/2008…
NIMAC staff presented at:
• Two webinars hosted by other organizations: EASI and the National Center on Disability & Access to Education (NCDAE)
More Outreach in 2007/2008…
NIMAC staff also presented at:
• Fifteen conferences & workshops, including: NIMAS Development Committee; New York Institute of Special Education; Association of American Publishers RPAC; SLATE; IRCBVI; State Vision Consultants; APH Annual Meeting; FL AFB NIMAS Training; Getting In Touch With Literacy ; APH ESAC and EPAC; NIMAS Implementation Council; NIMAS Standard Board; CA AFB NIMAS Training ; CTEVH; PA AER
Challenges for NIMAC
• Number of files being received is 5 times greater than planned
• Metadata errors in the OPFs of almost 2/3 NIMAS file sets received
• Size of files being received versus those provided for NIMAC in development
• File size driven by images• File size affects uploading and processing
from publishers as well as downloading by NIMAC users
Plan versus Reality
• File sizes larger than planned—Why?
– Few files received in development phase and those averaged 30 MB
– Largest file received in development phase was 200 MB
– Reality is that files of 7 GB have been received and 10 GB to 12 GB have been forecast by publishers
Plan versus Reality
• Thousands more NIMAS file sets received than planned, per estimate by AAP—Why?
– “Published after” effective date versus “sold after:” thousands of file sets are pre-2006 (about 25% of total file sets in NIMAC inventory are pre-2006.)
Plan versus Reality
– Unanticipated materials: receiving flash cards, black line masters, sections of Teacher editions, etc. (Only about 20% of certified file sets to date are textbooks.)
– State editions
– Supplementary Readers: 4,473 of the 6,570 accepted files are readers
Files, Files, Files
• Number of file sets is a capacity issue
– NIMAC funded and staffed to handle 2,400 a year.
– NIMAC certified 6,570 NIMAS file sets in only 16 months.
– OverDrive was contracted to handle 2,400 NIMAS file sets a year, with an anticipated NIMAS file set size much less than what we actually are receiving.
Files, Files, Files
• For full 5-year grant, NIMAC was prepared to handle 12,000 NIMAS file sets.
• In less than 16 months, NIMAC has received 12,000 NIMAS file sets.
• In first third of 2008, NIMAC certified 2,590 NIMAS file sets.
• NIMAC received 4,000 file sets in March and April 2008.
Errors in OPF Files
• NIMAS file sets deposited typically pass validation of XML.
• NIMAS file sets (64%) frequently have errors in OPF—the packing slip that describes the NIMAS file set.
• The impact on NIMAC workload is substantial.
Errors in OPF Files
• High file resubmission rate increases NIMAC workload by about 2/3 as files must be reviewed a second time after correction.
• Publishers/vendors often take weeks or even months to correct and resubmit file sets.
• Ultimately, this delays the availability of NIMAS files as files must be corrected and resubmitted by publisher/vendor.
Images and File Size
• Images--their number and size--drive NIMAS File size.
• NIMAS File sets received can be 7 GB and may reach 12 GB in size--or more.
• NIMAS Textbook Files contain thousands of images.
• File size can mean slow downloading, even for those with fast connections. (T-1 is dial-up slow at these sizes.)
Images and File Size
• PNGs are 5-10 times larger than JPEG.
• NIMAS File size in context: typically a 90-minute movie is less than 1 GB. (This is due to compression method used for MPEG.)
• Impact: Huge file sizes are a considerable obstacle for end users attempting to download files as well as for publishers submitting files for batch load.
NIMAC Seeking Solutions: File Sizes
• Decrease file sizes, retain image quality
– Best practices for compression and creation of images (e.g. not from layout, not cropped, techniques for recurring images)
– Consultant will be engaged to develop these best practices
– Share best practices with publishers
NIMAC Seeking Solutions: Number of Files
• Currently, NIMAC is expanding capacity by using overtime, contract staff and staff loaned from other APH depts.
• OverDrive has added staff, servers, multiple times to handle volume.
• OverDrive is loading files continuously--24/7.
NIMAC Seeking Solutions: Number of Files
• Short term, NIMAC will ask publishers to label “voluntary” submissions as such so that file submissions required by a contract or purchase agreement may receive priority processing.
• Long term, the solution is to increase capacity to match reality. Increasing capacity will be discussed with OSEP.
NIMAC Seeking Solutions: Errors in OPF
• Reconsider value of metadata in OPF; consider not requiring corrections for metadata in OPF or corrections only for select fields.
• Metadata in searchable database, XML data, and PDF would still be required to be correct.
NIMAC Seeking Solutions: Errors in OPF
• Expand OPF pilot project— NIMAC corrects OPF and sends corrected version to publisher.
• Publishers may take weeks or even months to correct and reload NIMAS file sets rejected for OPF errors, even though NIMAC provides a detailed report of how to correct the errors.
• Pilot project goal is to speed this process.
NIMAC Seeking Solutions: Errors in OPF
• Continue and expand publisher/vendor training, conference calls, and pre-review of sample OPFs.
• Meet with publishers in first AAP/NIMAC conference in June to provide training and focus on improvements.
NIMAC System Development: Key Remaining Issues
• System development on hold due to need to shift all OverDrive resources to handle processing of high volume of NIMAS file submissions.
• Louis/NIMAC federated search is on development list.
• APH is pleased to announce that we have contracted with Firebrand Technologies to move Louis to a new system that will support federated search via OAI.
Upcoming and Continuing NIMAC Outreach
• Webcast Trainings for AUs and AMPs
• Quarterly Conference Calls for Publishers
• NIMAC Advisory Council (Quarterly)
• NIMAC User Group (Bimonthly)
NIMAC Team
• Julia Myers, Project Director
• Nicole Gaines, NIMAC Manager
• Anne Ledford, NIMAC Support Specialist
• Tiffany Bradford, NIMAC Support Specialist
• OverDrive NIMAC Team
How to Reach Us
• http://www.nimac.us
• 502-899-2230
• 1-877-526-4622 (1-877-52-NIMAC)
