Proposal

Introduction

With technology advancing at an ever-increasing rate, it is time for a change in the way the Texas Tech Library Southwest Collections archives its audio material. Many universities around the country are no longer using tapes to store their audio material. These universities have started to utilize new technologies with respect to audio file storage. Some have put their media on compact discs (CDs), while others have transferred the audio to files that are stored on the hard drives of computers.

Texas Tech is failing to keep up with growing technology. Their audio archive system uses an outdated technology to store its audio media: cassette tapes. By doing this, they are putting their students at a distinct disadvantage with respect to other universities who are utilizing technology, such as CDs and audio files. Changing the audio archive system at the Texas Tech Library Southwest Collections would greatly benefit the students and faculty at Texas Tech, and would go a long way to increase the already stellar reputation of the university.

We propose changing the current audio archives process at Texas Tech Library Southwest Collections. All the current audio archives at Texas Tech University will be transferred onto CD. We would also like to see these audio archives transferred into an MP3 format and put into a database system. This would allow for easier access and overall efficiency of a program that has potential to be incredibly beneficial for a wide number of students and faculty.

Statement of Problem

Many students and professors use the audio archives at Texas Tech Library Southwest Collections. These archives are only on cassette tapes, which are basically obsolete in today’s ever changing world of technology. Many of these tapes mess up when people are trying to use them. This makes it hard for the person using the audiotapes to get the work done that they need to. The current system at Texas Tech University is old and outdated. Something needs to be done by the university to bring this part of Texas Tech into the twenty-first century.

Primary Research

In order to determine the importance of the updating cassette tapes to CDs, we created a survey that allows us to get some insight of the already established problem and how it affects the sample. Due to the short period of time to realize this sample, we decided to get 20 subjects to take the survey. Since this is a problem that only concerns a small group of people, we decided to interview people that are currently dealing with this situation, in this case employees of the South West Collection Library. We also decided that in order to illustrate the problem this situation will present in the future, we need to also interview individuals that will be dealing with this problem in the near future. To do this we randomly selected 10 children between the ages of 8 and 14.

From the information we collected from the survey, we were able to determine that overall, 90% of the people surveyed are more used to, and prefer CDs and CD Players to cassette tapes.

In a related experiment, we tested and compared our subject’s knowledge of the usage of cassette players versus CD players. We placed a Cassette player with a cassette tape and a CD Player with a CD in front of the subjects and asked them to make them work.

10 subjects knew how to use both.
7 subjects knew how to use a CD player and were able to figure out how to use a cassette player.
2 subjects knew how to use a CD player but did not know how to put the cassette in the cassette player
1 subject did not know how to use either one.

These results emphasize the necessity of updating the material mainly for future students and faculty members that are not, and will not, be able to use this outdated technology.

Secondary Research

Currently, there are many articles that support the need for audio on cassette tapes to be transferred to CDs. According to an article by Jim Heid, nobody listens to cassette tapes anymore and very few people even own a cassette player. “Over time, a tape's magnetic particles lose their charge, muffling the audio. If you've stored tapes improperly--in a car's glove box or in a hot attic, the particles may flake off entirely, peppering your audio with momentary silences” (Heid 13). It is important for the Texas Tech Library Southwest Collections to keep in mind that the use of cassette tapes makes it difficult for students to access information because of updated technology such as CD players. Also, many of the tapes in the library have been there several years, which means the tapes have the potential of losing their magnetic particles resulting in the loss of the audio permanently.

"Having worked for a large record company before, I had no time for cassettes. Give it to me on a CD and I can look through the tracks and hear what I want to hear. It could be different from one record label to the next,” as said by Tracey Allison (Allison 12). In relation with Allison’s opinion on cassette tapes it seems as though students also do not have time for cassettes. Many students take a full course load, therefore limiting the time they have to spend on outside class work. CDs give students the option of skipping around through the tracks instead of wasting their time rewinding and forwarding. According to Tracey Allison, people have a much higher perceived value of CDs than cassettes. I encourage more people to go to CDs. There are more opportunities with it, especially with the ability to put not just audio, but data on it, and there is a lot more attractiveness to a CD” (Allison 12). Allison makes a good point in her article, audio is not the only thing students need, but cassettes limit them to that. Many times certain courses will require students to give presentations based on research, thus meaning if they get the research from the southwest collections library the data can be placed on to a CD making it easier to present.


Proposed Solution

We would like to see all the current audio archives at the Texas Tech Library Southwest Collections be put onto compact disc. We would also like to see these tapes transferred into an MP3, or other audio file format and put into a database system. This would be very beneficial to the students, and whoever needed to use the archives because they would now be able to use the CD players in their vehicles to listen to whatever they needed. They would also be able to download the files onto their computers or MP3 players from the database that was created. The University already has everything they need at their disposal to do this in a timely fashion as well as very low overhead cost. One of the main costs would be just buying the compact discs to put the current audio files on to. The engineering program here at Tech could easily transform the current tapes into MP3 format and put it in a database. Other than that there would only be the cost of the upkeep of the new audio archive system. The University would already have this cost covered because they could just use the money for the new system that they were already wasting on the old one.

Scope

Since the library is still using outdated technology, the proposal to move all audio files to CD and also to convert them in to MP3 format in a database is a very important and cost effective. Moving the files to the new hardware will make them more accessible to students and faculty.

Most students no longer have the equipment to listen to cassette tapes, so they are forced to only listen to the audio at the library. If they were moved to CD, they could be checked out and students could use them at home or in their car to make their learning experience more valuable. Also, if the files were converted to MP3 and moved to a database, students could download the files to their iPods and listen to them at any time increasing the quality of their education in foreign language and other subjects.

Through the research that we have conducted we feel that this would be a worthwhile expense for the university to take on. This simple change will increase the value of students’ education.



Methods

To find support for our proposal, we conducted Internet research and had surveys completed by Tech students and faculty who use the audio files. In our Internet research we found information about how other universities have made these changes in their library. We found evidence that it was not an unmanageable expense for the university and it proved to be worth the cost and was a very effective solution to their problem of outdated technology.

The survey that we completed showed that 90% of students thought that moving the files to CD and MP3 would be an effective project that would make the files more accessible.

Qualifications

While preparing this proposal our group found that the five of us have a wide range of backgrounds qualifying us to write and present it to the administrative staff. Brandon Gerber is a senior and has taken several communication study classes that will be an asset to our group when presenting the proposal. Alan De La Torriente is also a senior and has worked in the southwest collections library for several months, which in turn has given him the opportunity to see first hand the need for implementing the proposal. Clay Jones is a senior and is currently enrolled in a foreign language class that requires him to use cassette tapes provided by the southwest collections library, therefore this also gives him a first hand look at the necessity of the proposal. Tamara Sanders and Kimberly Sowell are senior Human Development and Family Study majors, and therefore are required to take a technology course, giving them the ability to address the technological issues that go along with cassette tapes.

Project Schedule

There are several steps that need to be completed in order to get the files changed and get them ready to be used by students. We will first need to present our proposal, obtain approval, purchase equipment to do transfers, build database, move files to CDs and mp3 to load to database, make new files accessible to students.










Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Present Proposal





Obtain Approval





Purchase Equipment





Build Database





Complete transfers





Make accessible






Budget

In order to transfer the audio stored on cassette tapes to CDs or audio files, not much money will be required. We suggest buying CDs that can have material burned onto them, cassette converters in order to convert media on cassettes to audio files on computers, and CD holders to reduce the risk of scratching. There will also need to be increased manpower to convert the cassette tapes into an audio database at the Southwest Collections.

The cost of purchasing CDs is not as expensive as one would first think. Bundles of 100 will be purchased by the university for $17.99 at www.tigerdirect.com. For the entire Southwest Collections archive, we estimate that 1,000 CDs be purchased. This would bring the total bundles purchased to 10, and the total cost to $179.90.

Converters that transfer information on audiocassette tapes to audio files on computers cost about six dollars a piece. The university would not need to purchase many of these, since only a few documents will be transferred to the database at once. The total price of audio converters would be $30.00.

CD holders are an inexpensive way to protect the CDs from becoming scratched and unusable. A bundle pack of 50 is $25.99 from www.bestbuy.com. This would make the total cost to protect the CDs $519.80. This is the most expensive item for this project, but it also is a necessary and vital component in ensuring the CDs are protected from scratches and other wear and tear for a lengthy duration.

The manpower cost would not be a significant one. Only a few people at a time would be needed to convert the files onto CDs and the database. In fact, it might be possible to utilize employees who have a lot of free time while working at the Southwest Collections. If that turns out to be the case, the cost of extra manpower will be nothing more than what it is currently.

While these costs may at first appear a bit high, the rewards reaped from this investment will be well worth any expense. The total cost of this project will be no higher than $1000.00. In fact, it will be less than $800.00. Here is a composite list of what will be needed and what it will cost.
Item
Cost
CDs
$179.90
CD Cases
$519.80
Audio Converters
$30.00
Manpower
$0.00
Total Cost
$729.70






Conclusions

In conclusion, from our research we feel it is a necessary step forward for the Texas Tech University Southwest Collections to convert the current audio archive, which is held on cassette tapes, to both CD and database format. It should be obvious that in order for students to reach their full potential, administration needs to step up and embrace new technology. Doing so will not only enhance the education received by the students at Texas Tech, it will also enhance its reputation as one of the leaders in technology available to their student body. The process itself is inexpensive, and will lead to more students learning more information in a shorter period of time. In education, there is nothing more important.

Works Cited

Heid, Jim. “Digitize Me.” Article (Winter 2005): Vol. 21, Issue 13.

Allison, Tracey. “ Are Cassette Tapes Dead?” Article (January/February 2001): Vol. 23 Issue 1: p 12.


APPENDICES


1) Do you own a cassette player?

Yes
14
No
6



2) Do you own a CD player?

Yes
20
No
0

3) How often do you use audio tapes under regular bases?

Every day
0
Once a month
3
Once a year
6
Never
11


4) How often do you use Compact Disc (CD) under regular bases?
Every day
14
Once a month
5
Once a year
1
Never
0

5) How many audio tapes do you own?

none
10
1-5
3
5-10
3
10-more
4

6) How many CD do you own?

none
2
1-5
10
5-10
5
10-more
3

7) In your opinion, which one provides better sound quality?

Audio Tapes
0
CD
20
Equal quality
0
8) In your opinion, which one is easier for you to use?

Audio Tapes
0
CD
17
Same
3

9) Which one of this do you prefer to use?

Audio Tapes
0
CD
20
Same
0


Ages of the students Surveyed

35 – 1
23 – 2
22 – 5
20 – 2
14 – 2
13 – 2
11 – 3
9 – 2
8 – 1

Proposal Assignment Reflection

For this proposal we didn’t really have to think much about the problem because the one that we choose it was very simple situation with a very simple solution. The researching part was also very simple even though there are not many articles that talk about this situation; we did find a very compelling comparison between tapes and CD’s. The survey that we developed gave us another important to support our claims and more important was the fact that we were able to stress the future importance of this situation. The drafting was more problematic because most of the points were some how redundant but at the end it turned out ok. We determine that the person to whom we have to direct this proposal wasn’t just one person, it seems that it is more like a committee of people that will take the decision so we had to appeal to different issues so that they agree to make it happen. We believe that this project is viable because it doesn’t take much from the funds of the library, it is a one time investment and it does not require new people or a lot of training to do it. At the end of the project we notice that we worked better individually because where we were together we distracted each other, so we developed good communication skill with each other to overcome that difficulty, and by the end of the project we improve in our group work. We used a lot Analyze communication contexts to come up with the best way to communicate with our audience, and we had a lot of Collaboration on communication projects between the group members. I came up with the problem which at the end helps me understand the process for the solution and why the south west collection library hasn’t implemented yet. And I also developed and conducted the survey which is something that I am used to do because I am a psychology mayor but it is always good to do a different subject.

In -Class Assignment on MLA & APA Style

De La Torriente August 3, 2007



1. Alan Is the style recommended by the association for preparing scholarly manuscripts and student research papers concerns itself with the mechanics of writing, such as punctuation, quotation, and documentation of sources. MLA style has been widely adopted by schools, academic departments, and instructors for nearly half a century.MLA guidelines are also currently used by over 125 scholarly and literary journals, newsletters, and magazines with circulations over one thousand; by hundreds of smaller periodicals; and by many university and commercial presses.

2. Ethics is the study of the principles of conduct that apply to an individual or a group (Markel 17). Ethics in technical writing is a neglected field, perhaps because of the seemingly objective content (Marilyn A. Dyrud 2).
Because the role of the modern technical writer and communicator is expanding rapidly and will continue to do so, the ethical scope of the technical writer's responsibility is comparably expanded too. The technical writer is now seen as an information developer in the formative stages of creating technical information, as a communicator in disseminating information, as an interpreter in explaining information, and as a usability expert in guiding the application of information. As a result, ethics becomes in involved in technical writing in many ways both traditional and new, obvious and non-obvious.
As a technical professor or technical communicator, you need a basic understanding of ethical principles if only because you aye likely to confront ethical dilemmas on the job. Technical communicators and technical professionals also need to understand several areas of the law related to communications (Dombrowski). Ethical and legal pitfalls can lurk within the words and graphics of many kinds of documents.


Works Cited:

· Markel, Mike. Technical Communication. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007.
· Marilyn A. Dyrud. “What about ethics?” 1 Page. August 3, 2007 http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel4/5943/15885/00736908.pdf?arnumber=736908
· Paul M. Dombrowski. “Ethics in Technical Writing”. August 3, 2007. http://people.sunyit.edu/~russ/ATTW/Syllabi/Ethics.doc/ethics5937.html






Part 2

1. The American Psychological Association has established a style that it uses in all of the books and journals that it publishes. Many others working in the social and behavioral sciences have adopted this style as their standard as well.
APA's style rules and guidelines are set out in a reference book called The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
Please note that when researchers talk about APA style, they may be referring to APA's system of citations in text and reference format. If you are unsure, you should clarify with your instructor or editor how they define "APA style."
2. Ethics is the study of the principles of conduct that apply to an individual or a group (Markel 17). Ethics in technical writing is a neglected field, perhaps because of the seemingly objective content (Marilyn A. Dyrud 2).
Because the role of the modern technical writer and communicator is expanding rapidly and will continue to do so, the ethical scope of the technical writer's responsibility is comparably expanded too. The technical writer is now seen as an information developer in the formative stages of creating technical information, as a communicator in disseminating information, as an interpreter in explaining information, and as a usability expert in guiding the application of information. As a result, ethics becomes in involved in technical writing in many ways both traditional and new, obvious and non-obvious.
As a technical professor or technical communicator, you need a basic understanding of ethical principles if only because you aye likely to confront ethical dilemmas on the job. Technical communicators and technical professionals also need to understand several areas of the law related to communications (Dombrowski). Ethical and legal pitfalls can lurk within the words and graphics of many kinds of documents.

References:
· Markel, M. (2007). Technical communication. (8th ed.). Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
· Marilyn A. Dyrud. (2002). “What about ethics?” 1-1. Retrieved August 3, 2007 from Communication Department of Oregon Database.
· Paul M. Dombrowski, (2000). “Ethics in Technical Writing”. 1. Retrieved August 3, 2007. from