Introducing The Source
Testing the Scalability of a DSpace-based Archive (Note: PDF)
From the DSpace website
The implementation of production-level large scale archives is often based on research prototypes that possess essential functions and characteristics, e.g., storage capacity, ingest, metadata recording, ability to migrate to newer formats, etc. However, a key characteristic that is often overlooked is scalability, i.e., the ability of the system to accommodate large numbers of items without compromising performance - while ingesting, indexing or access. Here we describe an investigation of archive scalability in a Java-based system (System for the Preservation of ElectronicResources or SPER) which was built by an R&D team at the U.S. National Library of Medicine to investigate various aspects of digital preservation.
Creating 21st century learning spaces (Podcast)
From the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) website
Richard Everett is responsible for the IT infrastructure for a GBP100m new build project at Oaklands College (UK). In this podcast interview he talks about some of the challenges involved in such a massive project, the support he has received from JISC services and the difference the new buildings will make to learners at his college.
Access Revolution: The Birth, Growth, and Supremacy of Electronic Journals as an Information Medium (Note: PDF)
From the E-LIS website
The tremendous growth of e-journals in the marketplace has forced libraries to rethink their means of providing access to these coveted resources. Over the past 20 years, methods to connect users to e-journals have taken different shapes, fluctuating among a plethora of theories, ideologies, and technologies. This chapter attempts to synthesise the methods employed by academic libraries during this period to provide seamless e-journal access to users.
The Google Dilemma (Note: PDF)
From the SelectedWorks website
Web search is critical to our ability to use the Internet. Whoever controls search engines has enormous influence on all of us. They can shape what we read, who we listen to, who gets heard. Whoever controls the search engines, perhaps, controls the Internet itself. Today, no one comes closer to controlling search than Google does.
The Disconnected
From the Library Journal website
Roughly 3.8 million people nationwide between the ages of 18 and 24 are neither in school nor employed. That translates to one in six adults in this age group. Many organisations, forums, national advocacy groups, and the like use the term 'disconnected youth' when approaching this subject. And some would argue that the topic should be reserved for youth services librarians. The vast majority of the “disconnected” self-identify as adults, however. They rarely use the teen room and would most likely approach an adult services reference desk or seek access to the adult computer terminals. They are young, to be sure, but have adult needs, are often parents themselves, and have very real adult problems. Libraries can and should help them.
The United Kingdom Report on the Re-Use of Public Sector Information 2008 (Note: PDF)
From the Office of Public Sector Information website
Information is the infrastructure of our society. It is the lifeblood of any democracy. It goes right to the heart of the relationship between government and the citizen. The web has changed the way we think about information. It has also changed our thinking in terms of how we access information and the ways in which we can re-use information. Information is a vital asset in the digital age, in much the same way as iron and coal were regarded as vital resources to previous generations. Public sector information is a key resource. It has been estimated that 25% of commercial information products and services in Europe are based on public sector information. If we can remove the barriers to re-use, if we can streamline and simplify the processes, the potential prizes for the economies of Europe are enormous.'
Research Publications Online: Too Much of A Good Thing?
From the National Science Foundation website
The Internet gives scientists and researchers instant access to an astonishing number of academic journals. So what is the impact of having such a wealth of information at their fingertips? The answer is surprising–scholars are actually citing fewer papers in their own work, and the papers they do cite tend to be more recent publications. This trend may be limiting the creation of new ideas and theories.
NB: The researcher's findings will appear in the July 18, 2008 issue of Science magazine.
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