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

Introducing The Source


Statement of Principles on Copyright Exceptions and Limitations for Libraries and Archives (Note: PDF)

From the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) website

In many countries, copyright law, through exceptions and limitations, has long supported the essential functions of libraries through statutes that permit functions such as preservation. But these laws have not adequately kept pace for uses of digital information. The international library community believes that there is an immediate need for Member States to include provisions in their national laws to address the realities of access to digital information. We have developed a set of 12 Principles for Copyright Exceptions and Limitations for Libraries and Archives that address many of the issues, including provisions for persons with disabilities , within the context of the work of this Committee.


Digital Cultural Heritage: Concepts, Projects, and Emerging Constructions of Heritage (Note: PDF)

From the Digital Library of Information Science and Technology (dLIST) website

This paper examines a heritage practice by which memory institutions extend their role as repositories to becoming participants in a broader discourse about heritage with the consuming public. This practice is considered by focusing on two periods - the first wave of digital library development, and a most recent trend characterized by engagement of online audiences through social networking platforms.


Federal Agencies Digitisation Guidelines Initiative

From the Federal Agencies Digitisation Guidelines Initiative website

Saving the nation’s cultural heritage is an increasingly important matter for government agencies that hold large amounts of material documenting the national record. Individual government agencies are digitising different content, yet they share many of the same technical issues and concerns so the sharing of information and tools is an idea whose time has come. To that end, the Library of Congress is participating in a new government collaboration, the results of which can be followed on the newly released “Federal Agencies Digitisation Guidelines Initiative” website.
Twelve agencies have come together to develop a common set of digitisation practices and guidelines and two working groups have been formed. A still-image working group will establish appropriate guidelines for the scanning of text, maps, photographic prints and negatives. An audiovisual working group will set standards for digitising audiovisual materials - sound recordings, videos and film.



The UK's Digital Road to Recovery (Note: PDF)

From the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF) website

In this report, ITIF & LSE Enterprise estimate the impact on employment in the United Kingdom of additional investment in three important technologies: broadband Internet, intelligent transportation systems, and the smart grid.


Ten ideas for policymakers to drive digital progress (Note: PDF)

From the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF) website

This US article offers 10 guiding principals for creating technology policy that spurs and sustains digital progress. Innovators continue to find new ways to use information technology (IT) to make our lives better. Looking forward, IT will continue to be a critical component of solutions to many social challenges. But policymakers must create the right environment for technological progress.


Powering ideas: an innovation agenda for the 21st century (Note: PDF)

From the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research website

This report outlines a policy framework to guide the development of Australia’s innovation system over the next ten years. According to the report, innovation will make Australia more productive and increase our capacity to build new industries, attract new investment, and create new jobs – both now and in the decades to come. It also promises us happier lives – with better health, more time for friends and family, more security, and more opportunities for all Australians to reach their full potential. Most importantly of all, it will give us the tools we need to heal and protect the environment.


The need for speed: the importance of next-generation broadband networks (Note: PDF)

From the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF) website

This report from US think-tank ITIF argues that supporting the deployment of faster broadband networks will be crucial to enabling next-generation Web-based applications and services that will play important roles in improving quality of life and boosting economic growth. While getting broadband service to the Americans who lack it is an important policy target, next-generation broadband will deliver a wave of new benefits to consumers, society, businesses, and the economy.


Guidelines for Children’s Libraries Services (Note: PDF)

From the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) website

The global community and the demands of the information age have re-shaped librarianship and the use of technologies to acknowledge and enhance the economic, cultural and communication revolution in today’s world. These Guidelines, in an outline format, were written by the Standing Committee members of the Libraries for Children and Young Adults Section as an implementation tool for libraries of all sizes and economic levels.


Joint IFLA/IPA statement: Enhancing the Debate on Open Access

From the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) website

A joint statement has been released by the International Publishers Association, the International Association of Scientific Technical and Medical (STM) Publishers, and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) calling for a more rational, evidence based debate on open access. It encourages experimentation and piloting of new concepts and ideas, whilst acknowledging that the differences in the different academic disciplines and publishing traditions may lead to differentiated approaches and business models in support of authors. The joint statement is intended to move the oftentimes heated and polarised debate about open access as a model for scholarly communication towards a more measured and nuanced discourse.


Safeguarding Collections at the Dawn of the 21st Century: Describing Roles & Measuring Contemporary Preservation Activities in ARL Libraries (Note: PDF)

From the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) website

Preservation has long been considered a fundamental responsibility of research libraries. Data on preservation activities by its members has been collected by the Association of Research Libraries since 1987, but changing digital technologies and the research, teaching, and learning environments in which research libraries are engaged created a need to review and examine assumptions about the types of qualitative and quantitative data needed to characterize current and emerging preservation programs. The report is organized around three themes: Preservation functions; Networked digital environment; Collaboration. Within each section, background and analysis are provided and recommendations for consideration by ARL are posed.