The Source: news about digital libraries and library innovations from around the web

Introducing The Source

Sharing, Privacy and Trust in Our Networked World (Note: PDF)

Download individual sections of the report

From the OCLC website

The practice of using a social network to establish and enhance relationships based on some common ground - shared interests, related skills, or a common geographic location - is as old as human societies, but social networking has flourished due to the ease of connecting on the Web. This OCLC membership report explores this web of social participation and cooperation on the Internet and how it may impact the library’s role, including:
* The use of social networking, social media, commercial and library services on the Web
* How and what users and librarians share on the Web and their attitudes toward related privacy issues
* Opinions on privacy online
* Libraries’ current and future roles in social networking
The research provides insights into the values and social-networking habits of library users


Everyone's guide to by-passing internet censorship (Note: PDF)

From the Citizen Lab, University of Toronto (Ron Deibert)

This guide is meant to introduce non-technical users to Internet censorship circumvention technologies, and help them choose which of them best suits their circumstances and needs.


Broadband: What's All the Fuss About? (Note: PDF)

From the Pew Internet & American Life Project website

Today, with nearly half of all Americans having high-speed internet connections at home, online interactivity means something different for a lot of Americans than it did when it was mainly about email. Many-to-many communication is now buttressed by many-to-many participation in the online world through user-created media. Still, questions remain about the use of advanced communications networks. Among them: Why does access to a high-speed connection at home matter? The fuss about broadband extends beyond access to information to active participation in the online commons as people with shared interests or problems gather at various online forums to chat or collaborate.


Propositions about innovation and change

From Stephen's Lighthouse (Stephen Abram) website

Innovation is a favourite topic of Stephen Abram's. Here is a list of innovation and change propositions by Jack Martin Leith, designed to stimulate thought and discussion.
Propositions include:
* Replace desired future with desired present
* Realise that change is not a journey
* Recognise the four genres of value creation activity
* Conversations, not messages
* Replace buy-in with join-in
* Liberate people’s passion
* Make good use of people’s wisdom
* Find out what works and do more of it