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

Introducing The Source

Survey Indicates 69% of Internet Users Already Making Use of Cloud Computing (Note: PDF)

From the Pew Internet & American Life Project website

According to a recent survey, 69% of all Internet users in U.S. have either stored data online or used a web-based software application. “These users are making use of ‘cloud computing,’ an emerging architecture by which data and applications reside in cyberspace, allowing users to access them through any web-connected device.” At the same time, most of these users are still unfamiliar with the term “cloud computing.” Listed below is a percentage breakdown of Internet users doing select set of online activities that involve storing data online or accessing applications in cyberspace.
* 56% Use webmail services such as Hotmail, Gmail, or Yahoo! mail
* 34% Store personal photos online
* 29% Use online applications such as Google Documents or Adobe Photoshop Express
* 7% Store personal videos online
* 5% Pay to store computer files online
* 5% Back up hard drive to an online site
In addition, 68% of users of at least one of the six cloud applications said they would be very concerned if companies providing these services analyzed their information and then displayed ads to them based on their actions.


Academic authorship, publishing agreements and open access: survey results (Note: PDF)

From the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) ePrints website

This report presents the results from an online survey, 'Academic Authorship, Publishing Agreements and Open Access', which was conducted by the OAK Law Project from the 2nd October 2007 through to the 9th November 2007. The survey obtained evidence of author’s experiences with publishing agreements, their perceptions of open access and commercial publishing, their understanding of copyright ownership in their research and their involvement with online repositories and open access journals. It is envisaged that the results will be used to enhance the strategic management of copyright in the Australian research sector, especially in relation to open access.


Introducing djatoka: A Reuse Friendly, Open Source JPEG 2000 Image Server

From the D-Lib Magazine website

The ISO-standardized JPEG 2000 image format has started to attract significant attention. Support for the format is emerging in major consumer applications, and the cultural heritage community seriously considers it a viable format for digital preservation. So far, only commercial image servers with JPEG 2000 support have been available. They come with significant license fees and typically provide the customers with limited extensibility capabilities. Here, we introduce djatoka, an open source JPEG 2000 image server with an attractive basic feature set, and extensibility under control of the community of implementers. We describe djatoka, and point at demonstrations that feature digitized images of marvelous historical manuscripts from the collections of the British Library and the University of Ghent.


The Effectiveness of a Web-based Board Game for Teaching Undergraduate Students Information Literacy Concepts and Skills

From the D-Lib Magazine website

To teach incoming undergraduate students information literacy skills, a research team at the University of Michigan School of Information developed the 'Defense of Hidgeon', a web-based board game. We opted for a game in lieu of other approaches because what people are doing when they are playing good games is good learning. This article describes the game's backstory, how to navigate its 34-space game board, and special game-play features. The research team invited a class of undergraduate students to play the game, gave monetary awards to winning teams, and interviewed students about their game-play experiences to determine what they learned and obtain their suggestions for improvements to the game. The authors offer three premises for the redesign of the Defense of Hidgeon and discuss these premises with regard to the design of future information literacy games.


Introducing Learning Commons Functionality into a Traditional Reference Setting

From the E-JASL: The Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship

For the past decade the University Libraries at The University of Akron has been modifying and enhancing its services in response to changing technologies and user needs, as well as evolving campus strategies. Library efforts centered on service excellence and student success have played a leading role in the inclusion of a planned learning commons as one of the key strategic initiatives of the University. At this time the learning commons concept has been fully developed, while the proposed building renovation plan is underway. The Library, however, is utilising key opportunities in the present to integrate learning commons functionality into its existing reference service. This article is intended as a resource to other reference departments also in the midst of planned learning commons or that are aspiring to incorporate some aspects of commons service models into their existing services.