Besser, H. "Digital Image Distribution". D-Lib Magazine 5, 10 (October 1999).

http://www.dlib.org/dlib/october99/10besser.html

This paper reports on the University of California study, The Cost of Digital Imaging Distribution: The Social and Economic Implications of the Production, Distribution and Usage of Image Data http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Imaging/Databases/1998mellon/. The study focuses on the experiences of the Museum Educational Site Licensing Project (MESL), which began in 1995. The paper describes a number of interesting findings from the project and the subsequent analysis. Although Besser advocates digital imaging, he objectively indentifies key problem areas and issues that require resolution. This is important reading for anyone interested in digital image collections.

Carnevale, D. "Web Services Help Professors Detect Plagiarism". Chronicle of Higher Education.

http://www.chronicle.com/free/v46/i12/12a04901.htm

Easy access to digital information can mean increased access to information that is easy to plagiarise, whether in the form of online encyclopaedia articles or from the online student essay market. Copying someone else's work is now just a matter of cutting and pasting text. The same search engines that students use to find articles online can be used by lecturers to locate suspect passsages. Of course, few of us have time to search for such passages, and now we can turn to companies such as Plagiarism.org, or IntegriGuard.com, which maintain databases of essays culled from various sources; the former also offers to send materials through a multiple search-engine gamut. Plagiarism.org�s originality report highlights suspect passages of eight words or more and provides a link to the Web text it matches.

Chudnov, D. "Open Source Software: The Future of Library Systems?" American Libraries 124, 13 (August 1999): 40-43.

Open source software (software for which the source code is freely distributed) has proven to be an important force in the software industry. Apache (an open source Web server application) serves up more Web pages than any commercial application. Linux (an open source operating system) is thought by some to be capable of competing against Microsoft NT. However, open source initiatives in the library world are few and usually of little impact. Chudnov is out to change this, not only by penning this paper but also by providing some himself (gnujake is his open source software).

Coombs, N. "Enabling Technologies: New Patrons: New Challenges". Library Hi Tech 17, 2 (1999): 207-210.

In his regular column on enabling technologies for the print disabled Coombs aims to highlight the hardware and software tools that libraries need in order to make electronic resources accessible to the widest possible range of users. His aim is to "persuade librarians that taking on this new task will be a challenge and opportunity rather than another burden". Himself a blind academic, Coombs discusses his initial work with a speech synthesiser to access an online catalogue through to the capability to read Web documents. In particular he discusses IBM�s most recent Web browser for special needs users, Home Page Reader Version 2.0. What makes HPR more useful than simple screen readers is that it allows comprehensive HTML handling and navigation, so that it will deal with frames, tables, forms list and menus. Unlike regular screen readers it actually examines the HTML code itself but unfortunately does not handle Java. Coombs highlights some issues that should be of concern to all information professionals.

Crawford, W. "Up to Speed on DVD". American Libraries 30, 8 (September 1999): 71-74.

In this summary paper Crawford provides a considerable amount of useful and understandable information about a new storage technology. He covers not only technical issues, but also proffers advice to public and academic libraries about how they should regard this new technology and when they should jump on the bandwagon. Crawford believes that DVD is the most promising technology since CDs, and one that should replace inferior VHS tapes.

Eakins, J.P. and M.E. Graham Content-based Image Retrieval: A Report to the JISC Technology Applications Programme. Newcastle: University of Northumbria at Newcastle, Institute for Image Data Research, 1999.

http://www.unn.ac.uk/iidr/research/cbir/report.html

A new technology called alternatively Query by Image Content (QBIC) or Content-Based Image Retrieval (CBIR) seeks to provide a method whereby images can be retrieved without first indexing or cataloguing them. The idea is that a) indexing or cataloging images is a time-consuming undertaking, and that indexing has problems when it comes to selecting aspects of an image to be indexed. Eakins and Graham thoroughly cover current CBIR systems and the literature about them. They conclude that CBIR is exciting but inadequately developed, and that it will be essential for some applications.

Ganesan, R. "The Messyware Advantage". Communications of the ACM 42, 11 (November 1999).

Librarians are "messyware" and indispensable. Ganesan describes messyware as "the sum of the institutional subject area knowledge, experienced human capital, core business practices, service, quality focus and IT assets required to run any business". While a software solution may be all that is needed when systems are running perfectly, real life tends to be rather messy. Ganesan uses libraries as an example of the value of expert intermediation which can deal with the "infomess". His primary focus is on business, but there is much here for all information professionals.

Hyman, K. "Customer Service and the �Rule of 1965�". American Libraries 30, 9 (October 1999): 54-58.

Hyman puts forth the premise that "customer service, according to the Rule of 1965, defines anything the library did prior to 1965 as basic; everything else is extra". To support her claim, she cites a number of examples of the apparent application of this rule to justify not offering new services andf then presents a quiz to test whether this rule is being applied in a given library. Hyman concludes with a list five changes that one can make: 1) remember that the customer is not the enemy; 2) create a climate in the library that supports change; 3) survey the environment continuously; 4) redirect resources; and, 5) treat every customer like a person.

Jones, M.L.W.; Gay, G.K.; and Rieger, R.H. "Project Soup: Comparing Evaluations of Digital Collection Efforts". D-Lib Magazine (November 1999).

http://www.dlib.org/dlib/november99/11jones.html

The Human Computer Interaction Group at Cornell University has been evaluating digital library and museum projects since 1995. This article discusses the findings related to five projects; the conclusions include: effective digital collections are complex socio-technical systems; involve stakeholders early; backstage, content and usability issues are highly interdependent; background issues should be translucent as distinct from transparent; determine collection organisation, copyright, and quantity goals around social, not technical or political, criteria; design around moderate but increasing levels of hardware and user expertise; market the collection to intended and potential user groups; look elsewhere for new directions.

Kelly, B. "WebWatch: UK University Search Engines." Ariadne 21 (September 1999).

http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue21/webwatch/

Making a Web site searchable is both easy and difficult. It is easy if one takes an existing commercial search engine such as InfoSeek or HotBot and limits their search to one�s site. The more difficult route is to install search software on one�s server, and then configure and maintain it. All the choices are laid out in this overview article that surveys UK academic Web sites and the search services they offer. Most popular is , used at over 15% of the sites. Kelly does not recommend any particular solution, but rather raises key questions that Web managers should consider in making a selection.

Lee, S.D. Scoping the Future of the University of Oxford's Digital Library Collections. Oxford: University of Oxford, Bodleian Library, 1999.

http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/scoping/

This report provides a high-level overview of some national and international digital library initiatives and a thorough listing of Oxford-based digital projects and collections. Much of the paper is devoted to findings from the interviews with both on-campus staff and others active in digitisation projects. Appendices provide additional detail on these findings. The final part of the paper is devoted to specific recommendations for better coordination and managment Oxford's digital initiatives, largely by establishing Oxford Digital Library Services.

McLoughlin, G.J. "Next Generation Internet and Related Initiatives". Journal of Academic Librarianship 25, 3 (May 1999): 226-229.

McLoughlin describes current US federal computing and communications efforts. Included are the Next Generation Internet (NGI) initiative, the National Information Infrastructure (NII), the High Performance Computing and Communications initiative (HPCC), the proposed Information Technology for the 21st Century (IT2) programme, as well as Internet2. McLoughlin's final question, "can the NCO [National Coordinating Office] ensure that multiple federal computing and communications efforts are effective and efficient, and serve the national interest?" cuts to the heart of the matter, especially since 50% of the US population will rely upon and access the Internet in the year 2000.

Medeiros, N. "Making Room for MARC in a Dublin Core World". Online 23, 6 (November 1999).

http://www.onlineinc.com/onlinemag/OLtocs/OLtocnov4.html

The MARC format was created to mimic in computer form the rapidly disappearing library catalogue card. New methods of resource description have evolved since MARC was designed, but Medeiros points out that the millions of MARC records in online catalogues today will not disappear as simpler descriptive formats such as Dublin Core Metadata are implemented for information retrieval, and that MARC will continue to be useful. He examines the nature of MARC and Dublin Core, contrasts their uses and describes a developing environment in which they coexist: the Cooperative Online Resource Catalog (CORC), an OCLC-sponsored project. Participants build the database by contributing records in whichever of the two formats is most appropriate for the level of detail needed.

Miller, P. "Z39.50 for All". Ariadne 21 (September 1999)

http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue21/z3950/intro.html

Miller has explained Z39.50 briefly, simply and clearly. The text is supplemented with screen shots, diagrams and a glossary. Anyone interested in Z39.50 should read thisd paper.

Miller, R. "Cite-Seeing in New Jersey". American Libraries 30,10 (November 1999): 54-57.

Locating fragmentary citations or hard-to-locate material is a classic library service. In this paper Miller highlights how the tools for performing this service have changed: classic citation-tracking resources are still used, but now the Web is utilised as well. Miller illustrates how the best librarians are those who can absorb new tools into their workflow as they become available, and therefore become more effective in their work.

"The New China: Special Report". Fortune, 11 October 1999, 66-126.

This suite of seven articles addresses, form a blatantly laissez-faire capitalist perspective, the social and economic situation in China today, and includes special articls on China and the World Trade Organisation, the Web in China (very interesting reading), Kodak in China, the state automobile industry, etc. Much of the content is evocative of changes that are occurring in China, changes with a significant impact on the information professions.

Okerson, A. "The LIBLICENSE Project and How it Grows". D-Lib Magazine 5, 9 (September 1999).

http://www.dlib.org/dlib/september99/okerson/09okerson.html

Sponsored by the Council on Library and Information Resources, a team of librarians, lawyers and Web designers at Yale University Library has launched the LIBLICENSE project http://www.library.yale.edu/~llicense/index.html. This is a site intended to assist librarians and others in understanding the plethora of economic and business models for licensing agreements. The project offers an extensive repository of information which seeks to demystify and expedite the process of securing the best possible licensing arrangement. The sections cover licensing vocabulary, terms and descriptions, as well as bibliography, and links to other licensing sites. The LIBLICENSE site maintains a page with numerous links to actual licences from both publishers and authors, as well as a page devoted to model national site licences. There is also free, downloadable LIBLICENSE software which provides an "Integrated Development Environment" for creating one's own licence, replete with reference material and options.

Pitti, D. "Encoded Archival Description: An Introduction and Overview". D-Lib Magazine (November 1999).

http://www.dlib.org/dlib/november99/11pitti.html

Encoded Archival Description (EAD) is a draft standard SGML/XML Document Type Definition (DTD) for online archival finding aids. In this overview of EAD its originator of explains what it is, why it exists and possible future developments.

Seadle, M. "Copyright in the Networked World: Email Attachments". Library Hi Tech 17, 2 (1999): 217-221.

Seadle gives a brief overview of the four keys test for determining fair use before discussing two specific cases. The first is that of a faculty member distributing via e-mail an article from the online interactive edition of the Wall Street Journal to his entire class. However, it appears that the ability to make a full and perfect reproduction of a digital document destroys any barriers to further copying by students and thus invalidates a fair use justification of this practice. In the second case a librarian sends via e-mail a list of citations and full-text articles to a user from the FirstSearch database. The librarian decides that deleting her copy of the downloaded documents means that the end user would be complying with specific language in the database allowing for the downloading and storing documents for no more than 90 days. The differences are the librarian is sending the information to one person and not to a class, and the user could have found the articles himself. So in essence the library was making an allowable copy for the user. Seadle admits that his arguments are not conclusive or exhaustive, but in a clear way he outlines two normal copyright situations facing librarians and academics.

Patricia Layzell Ward
Library Link Editor
Updated 31st January 2000

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