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Current Cities Volume 10 Number 08
_Current Cites_
Volume 10, no. 8
August 1999
The Library
University of California, Berkeley
Edited by Teri Andrews Rinne
ISSN: 1060-2356
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/CurrentCites/1999/cc99.10.8.html
Contributors:
Terry Huwe, Margaret Phillips,
Roy Tennant, Jim Ronningen, Lisa Yesson
Chau, May Y. "Web Mining Technology and Academic Librarianship:
Human-Machine Connections for the Twenty-First Century" First Monday 4
(6) (June 7, 1999) (http://www.firstmonday.dk/issues/issue4_6/chau/) -
Chau ably explores the fuzzy nature of analyzing and fulfilling
information needs in a research environment, using web mining as a
means of exploring the challenges and opportunities that librarians
face. She also presents contrasting scenarios, one of the utopian "if
only" variety, and one that showcases a more realistic wrestling match
between person and machine. She concludes that the best ways for
professionals like librarians to stay abreast of rapidly shifting
technologies is to regard themselves as members of "invisible
colleges" sharing brainpower and teaching skills to meet the
challenge. - TH
Cox, Richard J. "Declarations, Independence, and Text in the
Information Age" First Monday 4 (6) (June 7, 1999)
(http://www.firstmonday.dk/issues/issue4_6/rjcox/) - Cox reminds us
that even though the Web is a new medium and presents new
opportunities for expression, we can still learn about its impact by
studying the impact of past technologies on freedom of expression. As
the title suggests, he explore the impact of the Declaration of
Independence on public life, which drew considerable power from mass
production in print. From there, he poses the question of whether
there can ever be a similar moment in history. If the Declaration of
Independence was a "digital conversation," it might still be
unsettled; yet as a "container" of ideas, it remains a durable guide
to the republic. The purpose of archives and preservation is also
explored in the same light. He asks, "Can we, from this time on,
conceive of textual preservation in the same manner? Can we even have
the same sense of primary or sacred documents as we have in the past?"
- TH
Doering, William. "Y2K for Librarians: Exactly What You Need to Do"
Computers in Libraries 19(7) (July/Aug, 1999)
(http://www.infotoday.com/cilmag/jul/doering.htm). - So there's some
hubris in the title, and a responsible librarian shouldn't make this
the only source of Y2K advice consulted, but this article is a very
reassuring, step-by-step approach to a subject that has thrown some of
us into a rabbit-caught-in-the-headlights panic. There is advice on
how to approach the problem, lists of the types of things that may be
affected (and it's not just computers), and what issues to bring up
with your vendors. Definitely read the Web version, to take advantage
of the links to the author's "Year-2000 Compliancy Inventory" and the
many useful references. - JR
Fichter, Darlene. "Saskatchewan Digital Library Collections
Enhancing Access to the Province's Information" Library Hi Tech 17(2)
(1999): 172-180. - Those who are unfamiliar with Saskatchewan may fall
prey to the notion that not much that is innovative happens there.
They would be wrong. The fertile plain of that province was, after
all, where Hytelnet (http://www.lights.com/hytelnet/) flowered.
Hytelnet (created by Peter Scott) was a useful digital library service
well before the term "digital library" was coined. Now Fichter's piece
makes it clear that there is a lot more of note regarding digital
libraries going on in Saskatchewan, and has been for years. My guess
is that almost anyone will find a project of interest listed here. -
RT
Hodges, Doug and Carrol D. Lunau. "The National Library of Canada's
Digital Library Initiatives" Library Hi Tech 17(2) (1999): 152-164. -
This article serves as a useful overview of the many digital library
projects the NLC has begun in recent years. The high value the NLC
places on collaboration and partnering is evident from the large
number of cooperative projects they have undertaken. Of particular
note is their "virtual union catalog" project, using Z39.50. Their
trials and tribulations are particularly interesting and enlightening,
and should be required reading for any organization considering a
similar project. - RT
Kenney, Anne R. and Louis H. Sharpe II. Illustrated Book Study:
Digital Conversion Requirements of Printed Illustrations. Report to
the Library of Congress, Washington: DC, 22p
(http://www.library.cornell.edu/preservation/illbk/ibs.htm). - This
report to the Library of Congress by the Cornell University Library
Dept. of Preservation and Conservation and Picture Elements, Inc.
reports on the "best means of digitizing the vast array of
illustrations used in 19th and early 20th century commercial
publications." The entire (not overly lengthy) report is well worth
reading, but in a nutshell their findings were that "400dpi 8-bit
capture could serve to preserve the essence and detail information
present in all the illustration types studied." In addition, they
developed and tested a utility for detecting and properly processing
halftone illustrations during the digital conversion process. Anyone
digitizing materials from this publication period should study this
authoritative report carefully. - RT
Kovacs, Diane, ed. "Special Theme: Electronic Publishing in Libraries"
Library Hi Tech 17(1) (1999). - This theme issue of Library Hi Tech is
encouraging in that it demonstrates that librarians have indeed used
the capabilities offered them (chief among them the Web) and used them
in useful and imaginative ways to solve the information needs of their
clientele. Clearly we have much further to go in this regard, but
there may be some lessons from this collection of papers that we can
apply as we proceed along this road. One of the more interesting
pieces (to me) was the summary of interviews of six academic chief
information officers ("Librarians and Information Technologists: More
Alike Than Different? Interviews with CIOs" by Merri Beth Lavagnino).
Some of the interviewees oversee libraries, some do not, but all are
in positions to influence if not guide decision-making in their
libraries. - RT
"The Net Imperative" The Economist 351(8125) (June 26-July 2, 1999)
Survey of Business and the Internet Supplement. - When The Economist
editors, so resistant to hype and hysteria, put in boldface "Within a
few years, the Internet will turn business upside down," resistant
CEOs worldwide must be grumbling that they just can't ignore this
Internet thing any longer. It's made clear that consumers in
prosperous countries have become accustomed to looking for added value
and convenience by going online. Articles in the supplement describe
what's necessary to begin e-business and keep up with demand if it
catches fire, with analysis of current successes and future business
models. There is much more depth here than in your standard 'Will
Amazon.com kill your local bookstore?' piece. - JR
Ott, Christopher. "For Your Information" Salon (August 3, 1999)
(http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/1999/08/03/info_markets) -
Frustrated by another set of marginal results from a search engine?
Maybe you even tried ask.com. Well, never fear, the next trend in
Internet search aids is on the way and this time they may actually
lead you to hold on a person! This Salon article previews
information markets, a new category of web service. Ott describes
information markets as online bazaars where people can buy or sell
expertise in real time and profiles three new services in this niche -
Adeste.com, Advoco.com and Guru.com. Each site varies in its approach
- Adeste.com is concentrating first on tutoring or research help for
students, Advoco.com a range of professional services, parenting and
pets, and Guru.com focuses on the needs of the self-employed. A key
part of their concept is that customers will be able to rank the
expert in an attempt to automate "word of mouth" and set market rates.
While it is premature to give these services a real trial (Adeste.com
and Guru.com are still preparing for launch), it will be interesting
to see if this eBay approach will make consumers more willing to pay
for information on the Web. - LY
Winter, Ken. "'MyLibrary' Can Help Your Library" American Libraries
30(7) (August 1999): 65-67. - A number of libraries are beginning to
experiment with systems that allow their clientele to set up their own
interface to library collections and services. Often called
"MyLibrary" systems, either as a concept or in actuality, these
interfaces usually present a combination of pre-set features and
customizable options. Winter profiles five library projects and one
university-wide project, with interviews of system developers and the
key functions of each. Web addresses of all the projects are provided,
and they are well worth checking out. - RT
_________________________________________________________________
Current Cites 10(8) (August 1999) ISSN: 1060-2356
Copyright © 1999 by the Library, University of California,
Berkeley. _All rights reserved._
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Editor: Teri Andrews Rinne, trinne@library.berkeley.edu, (510)
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