LIBRES: Library and Information Science
Research Electronic Journal ISSN 1058-6768
1995 Volume 5 Issue 3-4; December 31.
Quarterly LIBRE5N3 NEWS
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NEWS
NEWS 1) Minister Welcomes Chief Government
Information Officer
Mr Kim Beazley, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for
Finance, today welcomed Mr Andy Macdonald to the new
position of Chief Government Information Officer. Mr
Macdonald has recently taken up duties as Secretary in
the new Office of Government Information Technology.
Mr Beazley said the establishment of the office of
Government Information Technology was an important
component of the Government's national strategy for the
adoption of new information and communications services.
The office would help the Government to realise the
potential of information technology and
telecommunications to improve the delivery of
government services to Australians.
"Mr Macdonald has the relevant experience to assist the
Government in reforming its use of information
technology," Mr Beazley said, "and we look forward to his
strong leadership here in Australia."
Mr Macdonald will also chair the new Government
Information Services Policy Board, whose membership has
been endorsed by the Prime Minister. The Board will assist
him develop and implement the Government's strategic
directions statement for information technology and
telecommunications. The Board will meet for the first time
in late August.
Agreement has also been reached on the transfer of
resources from the departments of administrative services
and finance. The Office of Government Information
Technology will house the Government's communications
unit, CommTel, formerly located within the Department of
Administrative Services. Mr Frank Walker, Minister for
Administrative Services, commended CommTel on its
outstanding record.
"CommTel was set up in my department to implement
whole of government agreements for communications
facilities. It's been a great success, achieving savings of
more than $30 million over the last 18 months," Mr
Walker said.
"Considerable scope now exists for CommTel to help
implement a more integrated approach to the
Government's use of information technology and
telecommunications."
Mr Beazley reaffirmed his endorsement of the charter for
the new office and the range of whole-of-government
initiatives which were identified in the Clients First report
issued in March.
The Office of Government Information Technology will be
located in the East Wing of Old Parliament House from
Monday 7 August 1995 with the address:
PO Box 3955, Manuka, Canberra ACT 2600, telephone 06
271 4888
Until then the street address will be:
Department of Finance Newlands Street, Parkes ACT 2600,
telephone 06 263 4595.
Internet:Andy.Macdonald@Finance.Ausgovfinance.Teleme
mo.AU
25 July 1995
Contact: Carmel McCauley, Minister's office, (06) 277 7400
http://www.nla.gov.au/finance/ogit/pr3195.html
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NEWS 2) National Digital Library Federation and Digital
Archiving Task Force
The announcement for the NDLF can be found at:
URL: http://www.nlc-
bnc.ca/documents/libraries/net/digfed1.htm
The "Mission and Goals for a National Digital Library
Federation" document is available at:
URL: http://www.nlc-
bnc.ca/documents/libraries/net/digfed2.htm
For further information about NDLF, please contact:
M. Stuart Lynn
Vice President for Technology
(510) 548-2244
mslynn@cpa.org
The Digital Archiving Task Force has some information
available at:
URL: http://www.oclc.org:5046/~weibel/archtf.html
A list of contact names is attached to this document.
I don't recall seeing a URL yet for the NDLF. When I locate
it, it will be added to the list of Digital Library resources
at:
URL: http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/ifla/services/diglib.htm
I've found the Commission on Preservation and Access
Newsletter a valuable source of information about digital
library issues, research and development.
URL: http://www.cpa.org/
Regards,
Terry Kuny
IFLANET Administration
________________________________________________
NEWS 3) National Information Services Council agenda
papers
The agenda papers from the first meeting of the National
Information Services Council, 10th August are available
from 12.00 noon today on the National Library Server at:
http://www.nla.gov.au/pmc/nisc/aug95/nisc1.html
and via anonymous ftp in W4W version 2 format from
email.nla.gov.au/pub/nisc/aug95/
A press release describing the role and membership of the
Council is
available at:
http://www.nla.gov.au/oz/gov/press/pm6395.html
Regards,
*****************************************
Diana Dack email:
ddack@nla.gov.au
Director, Systems Projects
Collections and Reader Services Division phone: 61-6-
262-1425
National Library of Australia fax: 61-6-257-
1703
*****************************************
____________________________________________________
NEWS 4) RLG Publishes Proceedings from Digital Image
Access Projects'
Final Session
The Research Libraries Group has just published "RLG
Digital Image Access Project" -- proceedings from a
symposium held in Palo Alto, March 31-April 1. RLG
recently completed two projects funded by the William
and Flora Hewlett Foundation and involving nine RLG
institutions. The symposium brought together the
projects' participants with other digital experts to share
what had been learned and identify areas for future work.
The publication, edited by Patricia McClung, contains
papers by seven knowledgeable and articulate speakers,
flanked by an introductory overview and concluding
observations from Anne R. Kenney of Cornell University.
Presenters were: Hinda Sklar of the Harvard Graduate
School of Design; Ricky Erway, RLG member services
officer for digital access initiatives; Jackie Dooley -- at the
Getty Center during the project and now at the University
of California at Irvine; Stephen Davis of Columbia
University; Jack von Euw and Daniel Pitti from the
University of California at Berkeley; and James Reilly of
the Image Permanence Institute, who managed the project
that focused on image quality in digital conversions. Each
paper is followed by a discussion summary.
The Digital Image Access Project resulted in the conversion
of 9,000 photos in RLG-member collections on the theme
of "Urban Landscapes." Software to combine a descriptive
record with a thumbnail image was developed for the
project by Stokes Imaging in Austin, Texas. The
proceedings reflect the importance of intellectual control
and retrieval issues -- just as important as technical ones
in digitizing images for the purposes of both preservation
and access.
The publication is being distributed to RLG members.
Copies are also available for $20 each, plus shipping and
handling. In the US, this is $8 for the first copy, and $2 for
each additional copy in a shipment. For international
requests, shipping and handling is $25 for the first copy
and $5 for additional copies. Orders can be sent to
Distribution Services Center, The Research Libraries Group,
Inc., 1200 Villa Street, Mountain View, CA 94041-1100, or
via electronic mail to bl.dsc@rlg.stanford.edu, or by fax to
415.964.0943.
For more information, please send e-mail to
bl.jlh@rlg.stanford.edu.
____________________________________________________
NEWS 5) ANNOUNCEMENT
The Australian Research Council has granted $265,000 for
the development of the National Networked Facility for
Research in Australian Music. The cooperative proposal is
supported by the Australian National University,
including the Canberra School of Music, the Australian
Centre for the Arts and Technology, the Centre for
Networked Information and Publication, and the Institute
of the Arts Library, as well as external partners at
Monash University, La Trobe University, the Australian
Music Centre, the National Film and Sound Archive and
the National Library of Australia.
The proposal is to establish a national networked research
facility utilising World Wide Web technology that will
support major research initiatives in Australian Music. By
documenting largely inaccessible primary sources, and
publishing research outcomes electronically, it will
significantly enhance the dissemination and critical
reception of Australian music within artistic and broader
Australian cultural / historical studies contexts.
The aims of NFRAM are threefold:
* to develop the technologies and processes to
represent
research in
music in a range of integrated media appropriate to
the
discipline;
* to improve documentation of and access to
Australian materials of national significance;
* to assist researchers to realise more effectively the
potential of their research.
Initially, a Web server at the Australian National
University will be linked to servers at Monash and La
Trobe Universities and to the Australian Music Centre in
Sydney. NFRAM's centre at ANU will co- ordinate
operations, undertake technical development, develop
generic tools, systematise approaches and formats and
coordinate the central management issues such as
copyright.
The contribution of participating institutions includes the
National Library of Australia which will contribute staff
time for national liaison through the Music Reference
Group and advisory officers in copyright, networking and
collection management within its Distributed National
Collection and Australian Collections sections.
This is an exciting opportunity for cooperative
developments in Australian music research!
Joye Volker
==============================================
J Volker, Institute Librarian |Telephone +61 6 249
5800
Institute of the Arts |Fax +61 6 249 5722
Australian National University |Email
joye.volker@anu.edu.au
GPO Box 804 ACT Australia 2601 |AusArts
URL=http://www.anu.edu.au/ITA/AusArts/
____________________________________________________
NEWS 6) The American Library Association (ALA)
announced today that it will partner with Microsoft
Corporation (Nasdaq-NNM: MSFT) to launch "Libraries
Online!," a one- year, $3 million initiative to research and
develop innovative approaches for extending information
technologies to underserved populations.
Libraries Online! is a pilot project to test the best ways of
providing public access to the Internet, multimedia
technology and current software applications. Studies
have shown that low income people and those living in
rural areas and inner cities are least likely to have this
type of access.
Nine libraries will receive cash grants, staff training,
computer hardware, Microsoft software and technical
support to address specific community needs. A central
focus will be reaching out to families, small business
owners, students and others that may not otherwise have
access to information technologies. At the end of the first
year, a newly- created advisory committee for Libraries
Online! will report on progress and recommendations for
possible longer-term efforts.
Elizabeth Martinez, executive director of the American
Library Association, points out that increasingly, the most
up-to-the-minute information on government, health,
employment and other matters is available online via
computers.
"Libraries Online! is an exciting program that will help to
extend the benefits of new information technology to all
people, not just those who can afford it," said Martinez.
"We are pleased that Microsoft recognizes the key role of
libraries in providing public access to information
technology and is investing in that effort.
"Whether you are young or old, from a rural part of this
country or the inner city, access to the global information
society could be a key part of your lifelong education,
work and enjoyment," said Pete Higgins, Microsoft's Group
Vice President for Applications and Content.
"These technologies are revolutionizing the way people
work, learn and play. We share a strong sense of
responsibility with the ALA to make the technologies we
are building accessible for all consumers. We think
libraries are a great access point. In the coming year we
will work with the ALA to learn everything we can about
how to accomplish this in a smart, scaleable way."
ALA and Microsoft announced that the following library
systems will be a part of Libraries Online!, including cash
grants, Microsoft software, computer hardware, training,
technical support and other features:
-- Seattle Public Library -- The Seattle library system is
widely recognized as a leader in providing information
technology to the public. The library recently announced
the creation of the Center for Technology in the Public
Library. The Seattle Libraries Online! project will focus on
providing multimedia PC's and Internet access in libraries
that reach the greatest number of users that would
otherwise not have access to information technologies.
Seattle will also provide technical assistance to the other
grant recipients.
-- Pend Oreille County Library -- This public library,
located in northeast Washington, will establish a computer
center with Internet connections for its largely rural
service area of 9,100 people, including the Kalispell
Indian Reservation. The Seattle Public Library will act as a
mentor for this project, providing on-site technical
support, programming guidance and software.
-- Charlotte-Mecklenberg County Public Library -- This
public library, named the national "Library of the Year" in
1995, is also widely recognized as a leading provider of
technology for its community. The Libraries Online!
program will expand public access to the local network,
"Charlotte's Web," the Internet and multimedia technology
in rural counties and disadvantaged urban areas. These
programs will receive additional funding from both
federal and state sources.
-- Brooklyn Public Library -- Brooklyn serves the fifth
largest population of any library system in the U.S. The
system will establish a technology learning laboratory in
its Flatbush branch, which serves a disadvantaged
community comprised of a largely immigrant population.
The goal is to improve access to new technologies and
reinforce the library as a central hub for education and
information.
-- Tucson-Pima Public Library -- This library system, one
of the 40 largest in the nation, serves a highly diverse
population. Tucson Pima will provide PC's with Internet
access in library branches that serve area communities
with the greatest needs. These activities will be
coordinated with the local school district, to help ensure a
consistent technological environment between the libraries
and the schools for local children.
-- Mississippi Library Commission -- Not since the days of
the rural electrification projects and the construction of
hard surface roads has any technological advance offered
so much promise for the social and technological
development of the disadvantaged regions of Mississippi.
The state legislature recently approved funding to connect
every county library to the Internet. The Libraries Online!
Project will help support this effort by providing
hardware and software to seed the poorest counties with
multimedia PC's and Internet access.
-- South Dakota State Library -- This library system will
offer increased public access to the Internet through
public libraries, specifically in rural areas and
disadvantaged communities, including Native American
reservations. Libraries OnLine! will expand the state
server network and use Microsoft software to convert
limited and isolated PC terminals into fully functioning
PC's with Internet access.
-- Baltimore County Public Library -- Baltimore will
create a technology-based Family Learning Center at the
Essex branch, which serves a densely populated and
disadvantaged community. All of the computers
throughout the entire library system, which are currently
used only for the card catalogue system, will be upgraded
with extensive software and Internet access capabilities.
-- Los Angeles Public Library -- The Los Angeles Public
Library, serving the largest population of any library
system in the nation, will create "virtual electronic
libraries" in two branches serving economically
disadvantaged communities. The computer centers
installed at these branches will be connected to external
networks of database and electronic resources, and will
also provide multimedia and software applications on-
site. Each library system was selected because of the
innovative programs they are building to provide their
communities with access to personal computers and the
Internet.
Through Libraries Online!, these select library systems will
expand these programs to reach those least likely to have
access to information technologies and online sources.
Each library system was selected because of the
innovative programs they are building to provide their
communities with access to personal computers and the
Internet. Through Libraries Online!, these select library
systems will expand these programs to reach those least
likely to have access to information technologies and
online sources.
ALA and Microsoft also announced today the names of
several leaders in the library community to serve on the
Libraries Online! Advisory Committee. The committee
includes: Andrew Blau, director of the Policy Project at the
Benton Foundation; Charles Brown, director of the
Hennepin County Library System in Minnesota, Paul Evan
Peters, director of the Coalition for Networked
Information; and Maurice Travillian, state librarian of
Maryland. Others advising on this project include Eleanor
Jo Rodger, president of the Urban Libraries Council, and J.
Andrew Magpantay, director of ALA's Office for
Information Technology Policy. Additional committee
members will be named later.
The American Library Association (ALA) is the oldest and
largest library association in the world. Its mission is to
advocate for the public's right to a free and open
information society and the highest quality library and
information services. The association's 57,000 members
are primarily librarians but also trustees, publishers and
other library supporters.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in
software for personal computers. The company offers a
wide range of products and services for business and
personal use, each designed with the mission of making it
easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of
the full power of personal computing every day.
/CONTACT: Linda Wallace or Pamela Goodes, both of ALA,
312-280-5042 or
312-280-5043; or Greg Shaw or Erin Carney, both of
Microsoft,
206-882-8080/
(MSFT)
____________________________________________________
NEWS 7) RLG and Pica Form International Alliance to
Improve Information Access and Delivery;
First Phase: Internet-based "WebDOC" service
for immediate discovery and use of electronic documents
The US-based Research Libraries Group, Inc. (RLG), and
Pica, the Centre for Library Automation in The
Netherlands, have signed an agreement to codevelop a
document discovery and delivery service on the World
Wide Web, called WebDOC.
The new service will allow end users to search a special
catalog of bibliographic records (maintained in parallel on
both the RLG and Pica host computers), via Web browsers
and to retrieve documents linked to them -- full text,
articles, maps, images, etc. -- using Web technology.
WebDOC interposes a licensing and accounting server
between the catalog record and access to the whole
document it describes, to verify that the user is covered
by an institutional license or else to debit the user's
personal account.
WebDOC is designed to provide an environment for end-
user access where the rights holders may seek
compensation for use of their materials. These include
many journal articles and some unusual, high- quality
image and primary sources collections.
RLG and Pica plan to launch WebDOC as a pilot production
project in 1996, starting in January in the Netherlands
and Germany and in September in the United States. Pica
has already identified a group of institutions in the
Netherlands that will participate with their end users in
the pilot; in the new year, RLG will identify pilot
participants from among its members. Both organizations
seek cooperation with commercial document suppliers
and publishers to participate in the project. Pica recently
signed the first contract with a publisher, Kluwer
Academic Publishers in Dordrecht, The Netherlands.
WebDOC is the first phase of a broader strategic
collaboration planned to achieve streamlined access to
documents in paper form as well as digitized materials --
and to give the end user a single interface for
information retrieval, document request, electronically
assisted document delivery, and conventional interlibrary
loan. RLG and Pica intend to pool development resources
in creating shareable software modules and to offer
integrated end-user services to libraries and their
patrons on both sides of the Atlantic.
Both organizations have home pages on the World Wide
Web.
To learn more about RLG, connect to http://www-
rlg.stanford.edu
For Pica, connect to http://www.pica.nl
________________________________________
This document may be circulated freely
with the following statement included in its entirety:
Copyright LIBRES, 1995.
This article was originally published in
_LIBRES: Library and Information Science
Electronic Journal_ (ISSN 1058-6768) December 31, 1995
Volume 5 Issue 3-4.
For any commercial use, or publication
(including electronic journals), you must obtain
the permission of the Editor-In-Chief:
Andy Exon, Curtin University of Technology
Western Australia
E-mail: lexonfca@cc.curtin.edu.au
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