(This is the text for a podcast that is presently not available. This will be updated as soon as possible.)
Welcome back for my final podcast for IRLS 571, this is Verlene Schafer and today I am going to review some digitization projects. Digitization has been growing as a vital way to access archival materials without compromising their condition. But as more and more information sources are born digital, digitization becomes less of a optional method and more of a necessity for libraries to maintain their collection and meet user demands.
The Technical Advisory Service for Images (TASI) website offers a wealth of valuable information whether you are beginning a digitization project or working on an existing one. The site outlines four basic areas to consider which I will use to review some sites. They are managing, creating, delivering, and using a digitization project.
Managing –
It may seem that managing would come after the creation of a project but it is important that you know what you are getting into before you start a project. You need to know your limitations such as budget, time constraints, copyright issues, metadata, and once all these are considered, organizing resources for longevity, and overseeing the day to day project management. TASI notes that “each main area has its own set of key activities. While many of these tasks will follow each other in a linear fashion, they are seldom distinct and may overlap considerably.” Management should be considered in the development of the project and then continued while implementing the other areas of digitization.
The Online Archive of California (OAC) has been available now for nearly 15 years. It has grown by forming partnerships with other libraries and organizations such as the California Digital Library. This organization “brings together historical materials from a variety of California institutions, including museums, historical societies, and archives and provides over 120,000 images; 50,000 pages of documents, letters, and oral histories.
The University of Pittsburgh has a Digital Research Library (DRL) which from the beginning focused on creating text-based collections though they have now added photographs, map images and audio-visual materials. That growth requires foresight and an ability to adapt as the media changes and develops. Unfortunately, this collection requires a user/student account to access the contents, which is something I will address in a moment.
Last, there is the Collaborative Digitization Program (CDP) which began in the fall of 1998. Once again it requires good management to have a project continue for nearly a decade and the site notes that the key to the success of the CDP is collaboration.
Creating –
Creating a digital collection is more than just the scanning and loading of images and documents, though this step does require some attention to detail and quality. The Cornell tutorial site Moving Theory into Practice: Digital Imaging for Libraries and Archives, based on a book by the same name, emphasizes the need for quality control as “an integral component of a digital imaging initiative to ensure that quality expectations have been met.”
The other aspect of creating is the metadata used to describe the items. Metadata supports navigation and file management, so it is vital that this information be well organized. The OAC provides a large number of photographs but when focusing a search to the date or publisher or the list of photos, the searches often don’t sort the information properly. This happened when a photo had a number in the title. It would sort that number in with the dates, even though at times the photo provided a date that would place it elsewhere in the list. Problems like these make it hard for users to find the resources they are seeking and also can complicate management of the collections.
Delivering-
Once the collection has been created it is important that the database be made available to users. Points to consider are the size and quality of images. Not all users have the same access points and so items need to be formatted to the various needs. The Cornell Tutorial suggests “if resources allow, the best approach is to offer multiple versions of images, taking advantage of greater capacity where it exists, but also supporting low bandwidth connections with lower quality images.” The OAC search offers a thumbnail view of images which guides users to find what they are looking for. This is a great way to allow user to browse a collection. The CDP has a great collection of Colorado Historical Newspapers but it loads large images and can be time consuming to navigate, but the images are quality, and a thumbnail view of a newspaper would hardly be informative about the content for the user. Collection developers need to consider their collection as well as the users when developing the presentation and delivery.
Using - Technical Advisory Service for Images
There are several things to consider for user access to digitized materials. TASI advises that “a search mechanism is planned and implemented, to make best use of the available Metadata and to fit within the delivery mechanism. User access and digital rights management must be considered.” Plans need to include who is going to be able to access the data. For the CDP and OAC anyone can view the materials, but the University of Pittsburgh requires a user account to access their digital library. The CDP allows users to download PDF files of their newspaper archive but photographs are subject to copyright restrictions which vary depending on what collection they belong to. Some state that use of digital images found on a website is permitted for private or personal use only, while others may not be reproduced in any way without permission. These policies must be made clear to protect the collection’s integrity and to protect the user from breaking the law.
While the scope of creating a digital collection can seem overwhelming using tutorials like the one provided by Cornell, and reviewing other collections, can help to guide your own collection development. The information needed is available and with careful planning and management organization, digitization can give users valuable information that otherwise they would not have access to.
This is Verlene Schafer for IRLS 571 wishing you a happy holiday season. Thanks for listening.
Showing posts with label podcast. Show all posts
Showing posts with label podcast. Show all posts
December 15, 2007
December 4, 2007
Social Software Podcast
(This is the text for a podcast that is presently not available. This will be updated as soon as possible.)
Welcome to podcast #5, this is Verlene Schafer for IRLS 571 and today I will be discussing more types of Social Software and how they are being used in libraries today. I covered podcasting, bookmarking and wikis in previous blog entries and today I’ll be talking about blogging, sites like Facebook and MySpace, and Twitter. For those who aren’t familiar with this topic, then first I think it is important to define social software. In his article Social Software in the Library, K. Matthew Dames defines social software as “an umbrella term that applies to any tool that allows two or more persons to collaborate while each person is in a different location.” He adds that “the ultimate goal of social software is to build a community of practice or knowledge network in which participants constantly give and receive valuable information.”
Many libraries use types of social networking tools but they are often so commonplace anymore that librarians may not include them in the list of tools that are making waves amongst librarians today. Email, while not as immediately social as other applications, is ordinary by today’s standards of technology. Most library websites now feature an “Ask a Librarian” IM option as a way to answer ready-reference questions for users that is now considered commonplace. IM-ing is developing new multimedia applications too. Soon we will be instant videoing as we now instant message and instant image each other.
Another tool that is commonplace is blogging, although blogs are becoming more interactive methods of communication than the online journals they have been in the past. In the past, the majority of blogs were published in text only. Several blogs now feature an IM window also. There are even more changes as users add audio and video elements, bringing a multimedia trend to blogging. Librariesinteract.info, an Australian library blog site provides a short list of collaborative or group blogs which is also a new trend. This would be great for libraries since no single person would bear the responsibility of adding info and there would be many different opinions voiced in one blog, including users. This is much like a wiki, which is another collaborative tool that allows for group participation that I covered in an earlier blog entry.
The social networking tools that seems to be creating the biggest buzz, are sites like Facebook and MySpace. These types of sites have gotten some bad press because teens are posting inappropriate content. In her online blog, Information Wants To Be Free, Meredith Farkas touches on this topic. She states that librarians “can play a valuable role in educating young people about online privacy and the possible negative effects of putting too much of yourself online. If you want to prevent all the problems of MySpace and Facebook, the key is educating the parents,” which is another way librarians can have a positive influence on users.
Many of the major librarian blogs have covered this aspect of social networking and library profiles on MySpace and Facebook. The biggest problem seems to be the libraries that create profiles with no content. It needs to benefit the library users. Farkas notes that “some of the libraries in MySpace and Facebook have put a profile up, but they have not tried to make it useful to their patrons at all. Just putting up a profile does not make the library seem cool, nor does it make the library more visible.” The Librarian in Black feels that library profiles on these sites are improving as more users are responding positively to library profiles.
Farkas sums up this concern well as she states, “there is a big difference between ‘being where our patrons are’ and ‘being USEFUL to our patrons where they are.’” Her article contains many useful links with more valuable information on this topic. On the Library Revolution blog site an entry discusses using blog entries for FAQ’s adding “with the proliferation of library blogs, [the author is] always surprised to see how few libraries blog their reference questions… especially the common ones.”
One last application that occurred to me recently is a use for Twitter. Twitter asks the question, “What are you doing?” and allows you to send a small update (limited to just 140 characters) to your followers. For areas and people that don’t have easy access to libraries and other information centers, there is usually some type of mobile library available. Imagine getting bookmobile location updates sent to you as it travels its route. Or a library could set up book wait-lists with twitter so that when an item you have on reserve comes in, it lets you know. More info on Twitter, and how it is used is available on Caroline Middlebrook’s blog or on the Twitter home page.
The possibilities are limited only by lack of imagination. Anything’s possible.
Welcome to podcast #5, this is Verlene Schafer for IRLS 571 and today I will be discussing more types of Social Software and how they are being used in libraries today. I covered podcasting, bookmarking and wikis in previous blog entries and today I’ll be talking about blogging, sites like Facebook and MySpace, and Twitter. For those who aren’t familiar with this topic, then first I think it is important to define social software. In his article Social Software in the Library, K. Matthew Dames defines social software as “an umbrella term that applies to any tool that allows two or more persons to collaborate while each person is in a different location.” He adds that “the ultimate goal of social software is to build a community of practice or knowledge network in which participants constantly give and receive valuable information.”
Many libraries use types of social networking tools but they are often so commonplace anymore that librarians may not include them in the list of tools that are making waves amongst librarians today. Email, while not as immediately social as other applications, is ordinary by today’s standards of technology. Most library websites now feature an “Ask a Librarian” IM option as a way to answer ready-reference questions for users that is now considered commonplace. IM-ing is developing new multimedia applications too. Soon we will be instant videoing as we now instant message and instant image each other.
Another tool that is commonplace is blogging, although blogs are becoming more interactive methods of communication than the online journals they have been in the past. In the past, the majority of blogs were published in text only. Several blogs now feature an IM window also. There are even more changes as users add audio and video elements, bringing a multimedia trend to blogging. Librariesinteract.info, an Australian library blog site provides a short list of collaborative or group blogs which is also a new trend. This would be great for libraries since no single person would bear the responsibility of adding info and there would be many different opinions voiced in one blog, including users. This is much like a wiki, which is another collaborative tool that allows for group participation that I covered in an earlier blog entry.
The social networking tools that seems to be creating the biggest buzz, are sites like Facebook and MySpace. These types of sites have gotten some bad press because teens are posting inappropriate content. In her online blog, Information Wants To Be Free, Meredith Farkas touches on this topic. She states that librarians “can play a valuable role in educating young people about online privacy and the possible negative effects of putting too much of yourself online. If you want to prevent all the problems of MySpace and Facebook, the key is educating the parents,” which is another way librarians can have a positive influence on users.
Many of the major librarian blogs have covered this aspect of social networking and library profiles on MySpace and Facebook. The biggest problem seems to be the libraries that create profiles with no content. It needs to benefit the library users. Farkas notes that “some of the libraries in MySpace and Facebook have put a profile up, but they have not tried to make it useful to their patrons at all. Just putting up a profile does not make the library seem cool, nor does it make the library more visible.” The Librarian in Black feels that library profiles on these sites are improving as more users are responding positively to library profiles.
Farkas sums up this concern well as she states, “there is a big difference between ‘being where our patrons are’ and ‘being USEFUL to our patrons where they are.’” Her article contains many useful links with more valuable information on this topic. On the Library Revolution blog site an entry discusses using blog entries for FAQ’s adding “with the proliferation of library blogs, [the author is] always surprised to see how few libraries blog their reference questions… especially the common ones.”
One last application that occurred to me recently is a use for Twitter. Twitter asks the question, “What are you doing?” and allows you to send a small update (limited to just 140 characters) to your followers. For areas and people that don’t have easy access to libraries and other information centers, there is usually some type of mobile library available. Imagine getting bookmobile location updates sent to you as it travels its route. Or a library could set up book wait-lists with twitter so that when an item you have on reserve comes in, it lets you know. More info on Twitter, and how it is used is available on Caroline Middlebrook’s blog or on the Twitter home page.
The possibilities are limited only by lack of imagination. Anything’s possible.
November 14, 2007
Malware Podcast
(This is the text for a podcast that is presently not available. This will be updated as soon as possible.)
Welcome back for podcast number four. Once again this is Verlene Schafer for IRLS 571. The Internet is rich with stories of malware attacks. It can be frightening to even turn on a computer for fear of what may be lost to viruses and trojans. Email boxes are stuffed with tempting offers of free items, or “remember me” letters from people you never knew. According to Matt Hines of InfoWorld (http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/10/03/Second-tier-AV-labs-decry-commoditization-claims_1.html), over the first six months of 2007, anti-virus applications market leader Symantec found a total of 212,101 new malware variants, an astonishing 185 percent increase over the second half of 2006, totaling an average of well over 1,100 unique samples arriving per day.
Malware programmers are becoming more sophisticated but unfortunately users are not. In an article from TechNewsWorld I read that what worries Louis Cheng, spokesperson for Finjan Software security products, is how easily uninformed computer users become victims of spyware and other malware products. With the increase in threat levels, more damage will occur. In that same article Edward English, CEO of InterMute, which makes the well-known products SpySubtract, Spam Subtract and AdSubtract called spyware a national security concern. He says, "It is so easy for companies, tricksters and deviants to get spyware planted on a PC. Just post it on a download site and call it 'freeware.' People will download and install it. There are millions of naive users out there installing 'free' spyware daily," (TechNewsWorld http://www.technewsworld.com/story/34228.html)
To be sure, some malicious hackers are doing creative work. This year saw some sophisticated phishing attacks, and virus writers have been branching into relatively new areas like instant messaging and social networking sites, noted Christopher Boyd, security research manager for FaceTime Communications. But the trend overall, he said, has been "quantity over quality." (TechNewsWorld) http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/12/18/HNmalware_1.html
An example of these new attacks is found in an article from Tech2.com http://www.tech2.com/india/news/telecom/wikipedia-hijacked-to-spread-malware/2667/0
Computer users are being warned against opening unsolicited mails after hackers took advantage of the popular Wikipedia encyclopedia in their attempt to spread malicious code. Wikipedia allows anyone to create and modify articles, a policy of openness which has often been abused by mischief-makers in the past. Taking advantage of this fact, an article on the German edition of Wikipedia, was created by hackers claiming to include a link to a fix for a supposedly new version of the Blaster worm. However, the 'fix' was actually a piece of malicious code, designed to infect visitors' PCs. In an article for eWeek, http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2078379,00.asp IM viruses are highlighted, stating that the “final three months of 2006 represented the heaviest volume of IM threats ever seen.” The article also notes that researchers said the distribution of IM threats slowed during summer months and then increased during the fourth quarter of the calendar year.” The same trend for the past three years. This is the time for everyone to be more wary and aware. So one might wonder, if things are so bad why use a computer at all? I think that would be like saying, hey, there are germs and disease outside so I will just stay in so I don’t catch anything. I recall two of the adages my mother used to use on me. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and stay in school. There are many programs that can protect your computer, many at no cost to the user. Users can prevent malware attacks if they take a little time to run the programs and clean up their computers on a regular basis. The second thing to do is stay informed. Taking some time each week or two to read about what is happening can help keep users’ information safe. But this is not just a one time study, the malware creators are constantly creating new ways to get past your defenses and educating oneself is the first step to blocking those attacks. The online magazines in this podcast are a great place to start. For software to protect and remove problems check out sites like Ad-Aware www.lavasoftusa.com/ or Tucows http://www.tucows.com/, Download.com http://www.download.com/. Take the time to protect your information, just like you protect yourself from the world outside, you need to protect yourself virtually too. Well, that is all for now. This has been Verlene Schafer for IRLS 571. Thanks for listening.
Welcome back for podcast number four. Once again this is Verlene Schafer for IRLS 571. The Internet is rich with stories of malware attacks. It can be frightening to even turn on a computer for fear of what may be lost to viruses and trojans. Email boxes are stuffed with tempting offers of free items, or “remember me” letters from people you never knew. According to Matt Hines of InfoWorld (http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/10/03/Second-tier-AV-labs-decry-commoditization-claims_1.html), over the first six months of 2007, anti-virus applications market leader Symantec found a total of 212,101 new malware variants, an astonishing 185 percent increase over the second half of 2006, totaling an average of well over 1,100 unique samples arriving per day.
Malware programmers are becoming more sophisticated but unfortunately users are not. In an article from TechNewsWorld I read that what worries Louis Cheng, spokesperson for Finjan Software security products, is how easily uninformed computer users become victims of spyware and other malware products. With the increase in threat levels, more damage will occur. In that same article Edward English, CEO of InterMute, which makes the well-known products SpySubtract, Spam Subtract and AdSubtract called spyware a national security concern. He says, "It is so easy for companies, tricksters and deviants to get spyware planted on a PC. Just post it on a download site and call it 'freeware.' People will download and install it. There are millions of naive users out there installing 'free' spyware daily," (TechNewsWorld http://www.technewsworld.com/story/34228.html)
To be sure, some malicious hackers are doing creative work. This year saw some sophisticated phishing attacks, and virus writers have been branching into relatively new areas like instant messaging and social networking sites, noted Christopher Boyd, security research manager for FaceTime Communications. But the trend overall, he said, has been "quantity over quality." (TechNewsWorld) http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/12/18/HNmalware_1.html
An example of these new attacks is found in an article from Tech2.com http://www.tech2.com/india/news/telecom/wikipedia-hijacked-to-spread-malware/2667/0
Computer users are being warned against opening unsolicited mails after hackers took advantage of the popular Wikipedia encyclopedia in their attempt to spread malicious code. Wikipedia allows anyone to create and modify articles, a policy of openness which has often been abused by mischief-makers in the past. Taking advantage of this fact, an article on the German edition of Wikipedia, was created by hackers claiming to include a link to a fix for a supposedly new version of the Blaster worm. However, the 'fix' was actually a piece of malicious code, designed to infect visitors' PCs. In an article for eWeek, http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2078379,00.asp IM viruses are highlighted, stating that the “final three months of 2006 represented the heaviest volume of IM threats ever seen.” The article also notes that researchers said the distribution of IM threats slowed during summer months and then increased during the fourth quarter of the calendar year.” The same trend for the past three years. This is the time for everyone to be more wary and aware. So one might wonder, if things are so bad why use a computer at all? I think that would be like saying, hey, there are germs and disease outside so I will just stay in so I don’t catch anything. I recall two of the adages my mother used to use on me. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and stay in school. There are many programs that can protect your computer, many at no cost to the user. Users can prevent malware attacks if they take a little time to run the programs and clean up their computers on a regular basis. The second thing to do is stay informed. Taking some time each week or two to read about what is happening can help keep users’ information safe. But this is not just a one time study, the malware creators are constantly creating new ways to get past your defenses and educating oneself is the first step to blocking those attacks. The online magazines in this podcast are a great place to start. For software to protect and remove problems check out sites like Ad-Aware www.lavasoftusa.com/ or Tucows http://www.tucows.com/, Download.com http://www.download.com/. Take the time to protect your information, just like you protect yourself from the world outside, you need to protect yourself virtually too. Well, that is all for now. This has been Verlene Schafer for IRLS 571. Thanks for listening.
October 15, 2007
I Tune in to I Tunes
(This is the text for a podcast that is presently not available. This will be updated as soon as possible.)
Welcome back for podcast number three. Today I am discussing the wonderful world of podcasts courtesy of iTunes. This is something that I am learning to love! And of course the best part is that most of it is free. I listen to most of my podcasts on my home computer though when I know my week is not going to give me the time to sit and listen I download a podcast or two onto my mp3 player. There are podcasts for all kinds of information and entertainment. While I have subscribed to several I will discuss three that I think show the diversity of podcasts available from iTunes.
The first that I want to tell you about is the National Geographic Video Shorts. I have loved National Geographic magazines since I was a little girl. I loved learning about different countries and cultures. Every issue that came with a map was another opportunity to cover my walls with ‘travel plans.’ National Geographic also has a great website that also brings the world to my desktop with amazing images and stories. The podcasts run from two to five minutes so for me it’s a quick fix when I need a vacation from everyday stress. Many of the podcasts also focus on animals and their relationship with other animals in their environments or how they live in nature. There are amazing stories of strange and unusual cultural practices, mysterious places and the wonders of nature’s forces. If you have any interest in the wide world outside of your hometown and state, then this is definitely a podcast worth subscribing to and if you like what you see you should definitely check out the National Geographic website.
The second podcast that I subscribed to was CNet.com’s Buzz Out Loud. I subscribed to this one because it covers current technology concerns and questions, products and the increasing list of new vocabulary as new technologies are developed. Usually several topics are covered in each podcast so it covers a lot of ground. In each introduction the hosts say that it is a podcast “of indeterminate length,” which is true. They run from 15 to 45 minutes in length. The most recent podcast is number 573 but on iTunes the oldest podcast is from May of 2007. I am not sure if the others are available somewhere, but since they produce a new one every workday, I just try to keep up with the most current and leave the past ones alone. Obviously, there is a website, but I often feel overwhelmed when visiting technology websites unless I have a specific task in mind. There is so much information out there that I never know where to begin. The podcasts give me an overview of information in smaller bytes.
The last one I want to review it one of my favorites, but it one I chose for entertainment value alone! I love the old time radio shows where a few actors play a myriad of characters by disguising their voices. I love the idea of special effects being done without sound bytes and computer editing. And I especially love the overly dramatized reactions the actors use to covey to the listener what they cannot see. So when I found the Decoder Ring Theatre podcast I was in heaven! There are several different recurring characters and ‘shows’ that feature that masked mystery man The Red Panda, the fearless fighting female The Flying Squirrel and their army of agents, hardboiled pulp detective Black Jack Justice his partner Trixie Dixon, girl detective, and Deck Gibson, Far Reach Commander. There is a blog available online to keep listeners posted on what’s coming up in the future, reviews and information on podcasts and characters. These are family-friendly fun adventures. I like to kick back on Saturday mornings and just enjoy the show. This is one that should not be overlooked.
Well, those are just a sampling of what I enjoy. Check them out, maybe you’ll enjoy them too. This has been Verlene Schafer with my third podcast for IRLS 571. Thanks for listening.
Welcome back for podcast number three. Today I am discussing the wonderful world of podcasts courtesy of iTunes. This is something that I am learning to love! And of course the best part is that most of it is free. I listen to most of my podcasts on my home computer though when I know my week is not going to give me the time to sit and listen I download a podcast or two onto my mp3 player. There are podcasts for all kinds of information and entertainment. While I have subscribed to several I will discuss three that I think show the diversity of podcasts available from iTunes.
The first that I want to tell you about is the National Geographic Video Shorts. I have loved National Geographic magazines since I was a little girl. I loved learning about different countries and cultures. Every issue that came with a map was another opportunity to cover my walls with ‘travel plans.’ National Geographic also has a great website that also brings the world to my desktop with amazing images and stories. The podcasts run from two to five minutes so for me it’s a quick fix when I need a vacation from everyday stress. Many of the podcasts also focus on animals and their relationship with other animals in their environments or how they live in nature. There are amazing stories of strange and unusual cultural practices, mysterious places and the wonders of nature’s forces. If you have any interest in the wide world outside of your hometown and state, then this is definitely a podcast worth subscribing to and if you like what you see you should definitely check out the National Geographic website.
The second podcast that I subscribed to was CNet.com’s Buzz Out Loud. I subscribed to this one because it covers current technology concerns and questions, products and the increasing list of new vocabulary as new technologies are developed. Usually several topics are covered in each podcast so it covers a lot of ground. In each introduction the hosts say that it is a podcast “of indeterminate length,” which is true. They run from 15 to 45 minutes in length. The most recent podcast is number 573 but on iTunes the oldest podcast is from May of 2007. I am not sure if the others are available somewhere, but since they produce a new one every workday, I just try to keep up with the most current and leave the past ones alone. Obviously, there is a website, but I often feel overwhelmed when visiting technology websites unless I have a specific task in mind. There is so much information out there that I never know where to begin. The podcasts give me an overview of information in smaller bytes.
The last one I want to review it one of my favorites, but it one I chose for entertainment value alone! I love the old time radio shows where a few actors play a myriad of characters by disguising their voices. I love the idea of special effects being done without sound bytes and computer editing. And I especially love the overly dramatized reactions the actors use to covey to the listener what they cannot see. So when I found the Decoder Ring Theatre podcast I was in heaven! There are several different recurring characters and ‘shows’ that feature that masked mystery man The Red Panda, the fearless fighting female The Flying Squirrel and their army of agents, hardboiled pulp detective Black Jack Justice his partner Trixie Dixon, girl detective, and Deck Gibson, Far Reach Commander. There is a blog available online to keep listeners posted on what’s coming up in the future, reviews and information on podcasts and characters. These are family-friendly fun adventures. I like to kick back on Saturday mornings and just enjoy the show. This is one that should not be overlooked.
Well, those are just a sampling of what I enjoy. Check them out, maybe you’ll enjoy them too. This has been Verlene Schafer with my third podcast for IRLS 571. Thanks for listening.
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