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

Introducing The Source

Informing Innovation: Tracking Student Interest in Emerging Library Technologies at Ohio University (Note: PDF)

From the American Library Association (ALA) website

This publication examines one institution’s efforts to move away from technolust and towards a “culture of assessment." It presents findings from an environmental scan conducted at Ohio University, which investigated the convergence of students, libraries, and emerging information, communication, and academic tools.
The identification of student behaviours related to emerging and social technologies and the implications indicated by those behaviours are central to this study. The need for local user assessment is a fundamental message in this volume, which shares practical research strategies and methods with the reader. University and college libraries can use this case study and its appended survey instrument template to conduct similar investigations on their campuses.


Digital collections summit 2006: final report (Note: PDF)

From the Collections Council of Australia website

This is the Final Report arising from the Digital Collections Summit convened by the Collections Council of Australia in 2006. It brings together information shared by people working in archives, galleries, libraries and museums at the Summit. It also incorporates feedback received in respect of the Australian Framework and Action Plan for Digital Heritage Collections arising from the Summit and released as an Exposure Draft in 2007. This Report also identifies the next steps in advancing the vision and objectives identified at the Summit.


Australia in the Digital Economy: research report series

From the Australian Communications and Media Authority website

The internet has become increasingly prevalent in Australian homes and businesses and its effect has been far-reaching; transforming economic and social interactions, traditional services such as voice telephony, the distribution of content as well as underpinning the development of the digital economy.
This report series aims to contribute to a greater understanding of the digital economy and will cover issues such as: attitudes and behaviours to online security and privacy; digital confidence and skills; take-up and use of the internet; and factors which influence people’s decisions to participate or not participate online.


Unlocking Audio: Towards an Online Repository of Spoken Word Collections in Flanders

From the D-Lib Magazine website

Currently, Flanders lags behind many other European regions with regard to disclosing its oral history collections. Despite recent attempts undertaken by cultural heritage institutions to make Flemish audio collections more accessible over the Internet, the widespread distribution of these historical sound materials has yet to be realized. Based on discussions with stakeholders, the authors of this article map the current situation in Flanders regarding the preservation and dissemination of spoken word collections. Furthermore, we critically assess the technological and, in particular, the organisational feasibility of an innovative disclosure application by means of a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis. With our findings, we hope to inspire cultural heritage and archive institutions to digitise and open up their audio-visual collections. We hope as well to provide food for thought about possible opportunities and pitfalls for similar archiving projects.


Review of the European Data Protection Directive (Note: PDF)

From the Rand Corporation website

The Directive can be regarded as a unique legal instrument in how it supports the exercise of a right to privacy and rules for personal data protection. Its principles are regarded in many quarters as a gold standard or reference model for personal data protection in Europe and beyond. However, the Directive must remain valid in the face of new challenges, including globalisation, the ongoing march of technological capability and the changing ways that personal data is used. Although the flexibility of the Directive helps it to remain current, its effectiveness is undermined by the complexity of the cultural and national differences across which it must operate. In order to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the Directive and to suggest ways in which European data protection arrangements may remain fit for purpose, the study team reviewed the relevant literature, conducted 50 interviews with privacy practitioners and regulators, experts and academics, and ran a scenario-based workshop to explore and evaluate potential avenues for improvement.