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

Introducing The Source

Internet and Privacy (Note: PDF)

From the E-LIS website

The concept of privacy is hard to understand and is not easy to define, because this concept is linked with several dimensions. Internet Privacy is associated with the use of the Internet and most likely appointed under communications privacy, involving the user of the Internet’s personal information and activities, and the disclosure of them online. This essay is going to present the meaning of privacy and the implications of it for Internet users. Also, this essay will demonstrate some of the issues that are presented in the literature, as well as exploring different authors’ perspectives on Internet and Privacy.


Librarians on Social Networks…Again

From NextSpace: The OCLC Newsletter

The challenge is how to apply social networking in a digital age to enhance and extend the public service mission of libraries, museums and archives. How do you define online social networking? NextSpace asked nine experts to explore and comment on the trends and behaviors of users of the social Web. The experts are:
Lori Bell (Alliance Library Systems, Second Life Librarian and Director of Innovation)
Edward Castronova (Indiana University, Associate Professor of Telecommunications)
Paul Jones (ibiblio.org, Director)
Hemanshu Nigam (MySpace, Chief Security Offfice)
Kitty Pope (Alliance Library System, Second Life Librarian and Executive Director)
Fred Stutzman, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Ph. D. Student)
Stuart L. Weibel, Ph. D. (OCLC, Consulting Research Scientist)


Five Social Software Sites that Libraries Shouldn’t Ignore

From Stephen Abram's website

Discusses why libraries should pay attention to social software, what social software is. Analyses how social elements rather than controlled vocabulary organise these sites, gives examples of how libraries are using these sites and finally a checklist for libraries when they consider social software. IT provides for the five sites usage figures, a description of what they do and some alternate sites that have similar purpose.


Library 2.0 on Steroids

From Dublin City Public Libraries

For a prototype of a 2.0 public library check out what may be seen at Dublin City Public Libraries. (Note: Slow to load!)