Week 2 Required Reading Notes

European libraries face problems in digitalizing

By Doreen Carvajal

Published: Sunday, October 28, 2007

-          Companies are attempting to digitize their resources, searching for public funding which is not available to the extent they need.

-          This is causing them to search for funding from private sources, such as Google.

-          Bibliothèque Nationale de France has partnered with French book publishers to offer copyrighted books via the European Digital Library

-          European is a prototype of a collection of digitized documents from Hungry and Portugal

-          Racine (leader of Bibliotheque) is concerned that a Google version of Universal Library would allow Americans to interpret French and European literature, history and politics.

-          Several countries involved with the European Digital Library Project are speaking with Google – Jessica Powell (Google London) says they are always interested in talking with libraries about book search and digitization

-          The German Film Institute has confirmed they are speaking with Google about offering different digital services at a variety of prices.  – Some low quality films may be viewed for free while higher quality films require a fee.

-          Other counties involved, such as the British National Library, are more concerned about protecting themselves and public access

A Few Thoughts on the Google Books Library Project

by Charles Edward Smith

-          Smith recounts his story of doing internet research in 1999.  He was able to find and print out all of the information he needed without stepping foot into the library.  He describes it as feeling like near “magic”. 

-          Smith does not believe that the Google initiative to digitize books will not make them obsolete but make them more widely accessible.

-          In fact he proposes the idea that if books are NOT made digitally accessible they will become obsolete because people expect all information to be only a few keystrokes away

-          Google is leveling the educational playfield by making books, which were previously only accessible through the finest research libraries available to everyone, everywhere.

-          When an information consumer is seeking something that cannot be accessed online, it might as well not exist.  Smith believes that an authors lifework should not be irrelevant because it is not digital

Lied Library @ four years:

technology never stands still

Jason Vaughan

Library Systems Department, University of Nevada, 2005

-          Lied Library has strived to keep up with the evolution of changing techonology

-          Has installed more new systems in four years than it had when it originally opened

-          Installed popular laptop checkout system

-          Docutek’s ERES reserve system was installed for the law library

-          Installed Internet 2 access

-          Existing programs have grown, such as safari

-          Consistent costs for printing- this however does not supply them with enough money to replace the printers when the time comes.

-          After a marketplace assessment Lied purchased a new Java driven GUI library system

-          Replaced over 600 desktop computers in 2003

-          Lied Library had to map out a way to manage installing new computers during library hours – While waiting new software was installed in computers

-          Extensive documentation is needed for the library to keep the computers with the latest licensing requirements and additional software and updates

-          Vendor support and maintence helps the library save on reparing costs

-          Lied Library has encountered the issue that community users may stay on the computers for hours just browsing the internet, keeping the computer from people using them for academic purposes

-          This prompted the laptop checkout program

-          Plenty of hotjacks for library users to bring their laptops and plug them into the internet

-          Community users are restricted from  the research and information PC’s

-          Deepfreeze is installed in all computers so that when the user is logged off anything they may have downloaded, installed or otherwise added to the computer is deleted

-          Library staff have space management issues

-          Issues such as broken air conditioning have arisen

-          Lied has experienced left of computer equipment in patron areas

-          LASR has helped to allieviate problems that arise from glitches within the computers

-          Operating the library and keeping it up to date has been just as great of a task as opening it was

* No muddiest Point