***********************************************

A posting from ERECS-L, an edited listserv for discussions about the

preservation and management of records in electronic form.

ERECS-L@LISTSERV.ALBANY.EDU

12 Jan 2001

The following was posted by Nancy Kunde nkunde@library.wisc.edu:

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Call for Participation: Your expertise is needed!

The ARMA, the Association of Records Managers and Administrators, Standards

Development Committee, SDC, has recently established a task force to work

on the development of a standard, tentatively titled-Conversion and

Migration Criteria in Records Keeping Systems. This proposed standard

will be jointly developed between archivists and records managers. The SAA

Electronic Records Section and the SAA Standards Committee have endorsed

this project. Similarly, the ARMA Electronic Records Committee has also

established a liaison with this task force. The SDC is excited about this

very timely project. This is an opportunity to work on a ground breaking

collaborative project. Please consider making a commitment to work on this

task force.

The proposed standard will address fundamental policy, procedural, and

technical issues associated with conversion and migration from one records

keeping system to another regardless of record format, so that these

systems will insure the context, content, and structure of authentic

records. It will address such topics as:

*Relationship of data elements to records

*Relationship of records to transactions and the maintenance of authentic,

reliable and retrievable records

*Critical up front policy issues (access, ownership, data sharing,

distributed custody)

*Records analysis and appraisal issues

*Roles and responsibilities

*Technology planning requirements (architecture, communication

technologies, relationship to storage technologies, metadata management,

hardware/software evaluation criteria)

*Migration planning.

To sign on to the task force please visit the ARMA website below and

complete the call for participation form.

http//www.arma.org/publications/standards/workinprogress.htm

If I can answer any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. My

contact information is listed below.

Nancy Kunde, CRM, CA

Records Officer

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Mailing Address: B134 Memorial Library, 728 State St., Madison, WI 53706

Email: nkunde@library.wisc.edu

ph 608-262-3284

*******************************************************

A posting from ERECS-L, an edited listserv for discussions about the

preservation and management of records in electronic form.

ERECS-L@LISTSERV.ALBANY.EDU

25 Jan 2001

From STATE RECORDS NSW, Australia

 Our reference: 00/0433

Dear List members

Apologies for cross-postings

Draft New South Wales Recordkeeping Metadata Standard

 The State Records draft NSW Recordkeeping Metadata Standard identifies and

 codifies the information ('metadata') about records that should be

 captured and managed to facilitate good recordkeeping, business process

 and information sharing.

 Section 13 of the State Records Act 1998 empowers State Records to approve

 standards and codes of best practice for records management by public

 offices. The draft standard has been developed within the framework of the

 research conclusions of the Australian Recordkeeping Metadata Research

 Project and has already benefited from extensive industry consultation. It

 is also compatible with recordkeeping metadata standards adopted in the

 Commonwealth and Victorian Governments and with the Australian Government

 Locator Service (AGLS) metadata specification.

 It is anticipated that NSW public offices will be able to implement the

 majority of the draft standard's requirements through sound records

 management practices and by adopting records management software solutions

 expected to be endorsed under the forthcoming NSW GSAS (Government

 Selected Application System) Records and Information Management Systems

 contract. State Records will support the standard by providing a range of

 guidance and training.

 A version of the standard is now available via our Web site, at:

 http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/publicsector/erk/metadata/rkmetadata.htm

 Please note that the standard should be read in conjunction with the draft

 NSW Recordkeeping Metadata Standard - Technical Specification. This

 document is also available via the URL cited above.

 Any feedback you can provide on either the metadata standard or technical

 specification will be valuable for finalising these documents and ensuring

 they meet the needs of Government and the community. The deadline for

 comments is Friday, 9 March 2001. Comments may be sent to e-mail:

 guidance3@records.nsw.gov.au, faxed to 02 8276 5626 or sent to our postal

 address: PO Box R625, Royal Exchange, NSW 1225.

 Thank you for any comments on these documents that you can provide. If you

 have any questions, please feel free to contact me on (02) 8276 5628 or

 via e-mail at <guidance3@records.nsw.gov.au>

 Yours sincerely

 Kate Cumming

 Project Officer

 Government Recordkeeping

 Postal address: PO Box R625 Royal Exchange SYDNEY NSW 1225 AUSTRALIA

 Phone (02) 8276 5628 Fax (02) 8276 5626

 International: Phone +61 2 8276 5628 Fax +61 2 8276 5626

**************************************************************************

State Records Authority of New South Wales ('State Records')

World Wide Web: http://www.records.nsw.gov.au

**************************************************************************

To: jesse@listserv.utk.edu

From: Connie Wilson/Commerce/UNSW/AU @ UNSW

Date: 11/29/2000 11:31:46 AM

Subject: "Applications Invited" -- John Metcalfe Visiting Research Grant

Dear Colleagues,

John Metcalfe Visiting Research Grant

The University of New South Wales, School of Information Systems,

Technology and Management (SISTM) is offering support for visiting

researchers to participate and contribute to collaborative research with

academic staff and postgraduate research candidates in the Information

Management Program of SISTM.

The visiting scholar program is centred on the following areas:

Informetrics (including bibliometrics & scientometrics), web-related

communications, information retrieval issues and specialized information

services.

Ideally, Visiting Researchers would participate in and contribute to

current and proposed studies in the above fields or more broadly in

information management related topics; they will also work collaboratively

on publications related to completed studies or projects.

The Visiting Research Program is for periods between 2

—6 months duration.

This opportunity would be suited to those looking for appropriate

sabbatical leave or study leave placement. The financial support offered

is accommodation in a fully furnished apartment close to the campus, and

on campus, an office with attendant academic infrastructure support.

Honorariums may be offered for public or academic lectures given by the

Visitor, as well as for presentations to university workshops or seminars.

Applicants should have research experience that falls within the general

field of information science / studies and its various sub-disciplines.

Applications from prospective Visiting Researchers should indicate

research experience in the relevant areas above and willingness to

participate in collaborative research. Applicants should send (via email

or snail mail) a current curriculum vita with information relating to

their academic record, publications and other details of experience and

skills. Two referees should be nominated together with appropriate contact

information for them.

Expressions of interest in the Visiting Research program should be

addressed to:

Dr. C. S. (Connie) Wilson,

Associate Head of School

School of Information Systems, Technology and Management

The University of New South Wales

UNSW SYDNEY NSW 2052

AUSTRALIA

Phone: + 61 ( 2) 9385 7134 Fax: +61 ( 2) 9662 4061

Email: c.wilson@unsw.edu.au

**Apologies for cross posting**

There are still emerging research reports which are based on work funded by

the Library and Information Commission. Listed below are the latest reports

to be published together with brief descriptions and ordering information.

Please remember that the LIC website is currently the only place where one

can find a full listing of LIC research reports (as well as an archive

listing of British Library Research and Innovation Centre research

publications). It is worth checking

http://www.lic.gov.uk/publications/researchreports/ on a regular basis as

this page is updated whenever a new report appears.

Please also note that information and news concerning the work of Resource:

the Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries and its constituency will

appear on the mailbase list: resourcenews. Visit

http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/lists/resourcenews/ for details about the list and

also how to join.

Simon Matty

Research Programme Manager

Resource: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries

16 Queen Anne's Gate

London SW1H 9AA

t: 020 7233 4200 x508

f: 020 7233 3686

e: simon.matty@resource.gov.uk

w: http://www.resource.gov.uk

------------------------------------------reports

list------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------

Reading Nation February 2000, conference report

by Miranda McKearney

10p

LIC research report 29

ISBN: 1902394178

Available from: British Thesis Service, The British Library Document Supply

Centre, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7BQ; tel: +44 (0) 1937

546229; fax: +44 (0)1937 546286; email: dsc-british-thesis-service@bl.uk

Price: microfiche £5.00 UK; £6.00 overseas; photocopy £12.00 UK: £17.00

overseas

The report of a conference organised by the library development agencies

LaunchPad and The Reading Partnership. The purpose of the conference was to

showcase the energy, impact and inventiveness of libraries' partnership work

during the National Year of Reading and to build foundations for future

partnerships. The conference spread the message that partnerships with

libraries and their reading audiences make a major contribution to social

inclusion, cohesive communities, education, literacy, lifelong learning and

the creative industries. The conference also disseminated the results of new

research into the impact on libraries of the National Year of Reading.

Barriers discouraging access to libraries as agents of life long learning

by Barbara Hull

105p

LIC research report 31

ISBN: 1902394151

Executive summary: not available

Available from: British Thesis Service, The British Library Document Supply

Centre, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7BQ; tel: +44 (0) 1937

546229; fax: +44 (0)1937 546286; email: dsc-british-thesis-service@bl.uk

Price: microfiche £5.00 UK; £6.00 overseas; photocopy £12.00 UK: £17.00

overseas

The report of research, conducted in 1999, which checked the assumption that

students in further and higher education experience barriers to accessing

libraries as agents of life long learning. Some relationships were found

between the degree of perceived barriers and variables such as: gender,

social class, ethnic origin, previous experience of library use and access

to a PC in the home. Other issues raised included student's perceptions of

insufficiency in the provision of textbooks, IT workstations and staffing

levels.

Reading the situation: book reading, buying & borrowing habits in Britain

by Book Marketing Limited

176p

LIC research report 34

ISBN: 1873517769

Available from: Book Marketing Limited, 7a Bedford Square, London WC1B 3RA;

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7580 7282, Fax: +44 (0) 20 7580 7236, Email:

bml@bookmarketing.co.uk Price £37.00

While the role of public libraries, as providers of information and as

vehicles for learning, is changing, policy makers and implementers have

recognised that readers must not be left out in the emphasis upon new

technology and information services. The importance of the traditional

services of lending material for reading has been emphasised by recent

research (Household library use survey 1998); at the same time, figures show

that public library issues - particularly of adult fiction books - have

declined over the last 10 years. If public libraries are to maximise their

potential as a source of reading material they need to understand the

reading habits and attitudes of their current and potential customers, and

what role and value these customers see for public libraries in fulfilling

their reading needs. In order to improve the library industry's

understanding of these issues, the LIC commissioned Book Marketing Limited

and The Reading Partnership to undertake a research study of the reading

habits and attitudes of adults and children in Britain at the end of the

twentieth century, particularly focusing on the inter-relationship between

reading, buying books, and borrowing from libraries. This report presents

the findings of the work and provides a wealth of information covering

themes such as: the extent of reading; reading and age; reading and gender;

the value of reading; getting people to read more; buying and borrowing

books; changes in borrowing habits; the unique role of libraries; and,

libraries and bookshops - complementary not conflicting.

Carpe diem: modelling futures for library regions in a changing cultural

environment

by the Circle of Officers of National & Regional Library Systems (CONARLS)

v,110p

LIC research report 38

ISBN: 0906433290

Available from: Information North, Bolbec Hall, Westgate Road, Newcastle

upon Tyne NE1 1SE; Tel: +44 (0) 191 232 0877; Fax: +44 (0) 191 232 0804;

Email: ce24@dial.pipex.com Price £19.95

This report addresses a number of key strategic issues currently confronting

the English regional library bodies, considers several models for dealing

with their future and proposes a minimum standard for enabling an holistic

cross-domain partnership with the museums and archives sectors.

The Government's challenges to libraries regarding social inclusion,

lifelong learning, access to information and modern government can be dealt

with within a single sector context. The establishment of Resource: the

Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries further challenges the regional

library bodies to consider how the purpose and functions of the new national

body can be interpreted and delivered within a regional context. This

engagement could be achieved combining the regional bodies for museums,

libraries and archives into single new strategic bodies or by the managed

partnership of the constituents in a "joined-up" approach to regional

strategic challenges and joint projects. In addition, the report proposes a

review of library services delivered by the current regional library bodies

and considers the opportunity for new services to be provided on a regional

and, if cost effective and appropriate, on a national basis.

The report advocates a minimum standard of a strategy officer based in each

region promoting the interests of museums, libraries and archives,

particularly in relationships with the regional development agency and the

regional cultural consortium. This will provide a focus for each region to

progress the interests of museums, libraries and archives and enable them to

demonstrate common purpose in their dealings with other agencies or

organisations.

The report concludes that the influence of the Department for Culture, Media

and Sport (DCMS) and their regional officers and Resource: the Council for

Museums, Archives and Libraries will assist library regions to reach

decisions for the future which are appropriate for their own distinct

regional needs.

Northern Ireland publications: final report on the bibliographic scoping

study for the Library and Information Services Council (Northern Ireland)

by Don Kennington, Carleton Earl and Geoffrey Smith

33p

LIC research report 39

ISBN: 1902394216

Executive summary: not available

Available from: British Thesis Service, The British Library Document Supply

Centre, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7BQ; tel: +44 (0) 1937

546229; fax: +44 (0)1937 546286; email: dsc-british-thesis-service@bl.uk

Price: microfiche £5.00 UK; £6.00 overseas; photocopy £12.00 UK: £17.00

overseas

The report of a study which surveyed how Northern Irish publications are

currently acquired and the extent to which they are systematically

collected, catalogued and preserved within libraries in Northern Ireland.

The report includes recommendations for the establishment of a scheme

whereby locally published material can be systematically identified,

acquired and made available in the future.

The power of nine: a preliminary investigation into navigation strategies

for the New Library with special reference to disabled people

by Kevin Carey and Roy Stringer

22p

LIC research report 74

STV/LIC programme report 8

ISBN: 1902394461

Available from: British Thesis Service, The British Library Document Supply

Centre, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7BQ; tel: +44 (0) 1937

546229; fax: +44 (0)1937 546286; email: dsc-british-thesis-service@bl.uk

Price: microfiche £5.00 UK; £6.00 overseas; photocopy £12.00 UK: £17.00

overseas

In the first two decades of access to digital information through personal

computers and similar devices, the primary cause of social exclusion has

largely been defined as a set of problems revolving around the design and

cost of hardware and software. However, the entry into the market of

technologies such as digital television and WAP-enabled (Wireless Access

Protocol) mobile telephones is likely to bring digital information to the

whole population at a cost which is affordable and this will, in turn,

generate a new kind of social exclusion based on varying abilities in

information handling. One of the authors, Kevin Carey, has postulated that

there are five key characteristics in information handling: access,

apprehension, navigation, interaction and expression. Navigation, he feels,

has received far too little attention. This report is an attempt to consider

social inclusion as defined in this new paradigm and addresses some

fundamental issues in information navigation. The report is arranged under

the following headings, which relate to the original project deliverables:

overview of information navigation options; factors in deriving an optimal

information handling navigation system, and; next steps (summary and

recommendations). Data on the ability to navigate information systems will

be issued later as an appendix to the report.

Public library materials fund and budget survey 1999-2001

compiled by Sally Maynard

i, 262p

LIC research report 78

ISBN: 1901786323

Available from: Publications Section, LISU, Loughborough University,

Loughborough LE11 3TU, Tel: +44 (0) 1509 223071; Fax: +44 (0) 1509 223072;

Email: lisu@lboro.ac.uk

The Public Library Materials Fund and Budget Survey describes in detail how

our public library services are doing and how they plan to be doing. Based

upon an extensive survey of UK libraries, it is a compilation of recent

spending results, together with budgets for 2000-2001. Details of

expenditure and forecast budgets are included under several headings: total

library expenditure; total materials expenditure; expenditure on books;

expenditure on audio-visual materials; total staff; professional staff;

service points; hours open. Information on these themes is presented in

three main sections: i) a commentary, which includes summary tables by type

of authority, for each theme, and which calculates overall percentage

changes per sector from year to year; ii) summary tables by theme, each

table listing every authority under its sector; iii) authority tables,

including all the information submitted by each authority. Themes are

summarised by types of authority, viz.: London boroughs, metropolitan

districts, English counties, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The Public Library Materials Fund and Budget Survey is an important source

which takes the pulse at several important pressure points of the entire UK

public library system. This volume of extensive and detailed data is a

useful management, marketing and study aid.

Average prices of British academic books: January to June 2000

17p

LIC research report 81

LISU British academic book prices report no. 27

ISBN: 190178634X

Available from: Publications Section, LISU, Loughborough University,

Loughborough LE11 3TU, Tel: +44 (0) 1509 223071; Fax: +44 (0) 1509 223072;

Email: lisu@lboro.ac.uk

The report continues the statistics of British academic book prices derived

from the Blackwell's (UK) database, which began with a base of July to

December 1984.

Average prices of USA academic books: January to June 2000

17p

LIC research report 82

LISU USA academic book prices report no. 27

ISBN: 1901786358

Available from: Publications Section, LISU, Loughborough University,

Loughborough LE11 3TU, Tel: +44 (0) 1509 223071; Fax: +44 (0) 1509 223072;

Email: lisu@lboro.ac.uk

The report uses data supplied by Blackwell's (NA) from their primary subject

coverage database and provides statistics on the average price of USA

academic books.

There are still emerging research reports which are based on work funded by

the Library and Information Commission. Listed below are the latest reports

to be published together with brief descriptions and ordering information.

Please remember that the LIC website is currently the only place where one

can find a full listing of the LIC research report series (as well as an

archive listing of British Library Research and Innovation Centre research

publications). It is worth checking

http://www.lic.gov.uk/publications/researchreports/ on a regular basis as

this page is updated whenever a new report appears.

Please also note that information and news concerning the work of Resource:

the Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries and its constituency will

appear on the mailbase list: resourcenews. Visit

http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/lists/resourcenews/ for details about the list and

also how to join.

Simon Matty

Research Programme Manager

Resource: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries

16 Queen Anne's Gate

London SW1H 9AA

t: 020 7273 1444

f: 020 7273 1404

e: simon.matty@resource.gov.uk

w: http://www.resource.gov.uk

------------reports list----------------------------------------------------

The following reports are all available from: British Thesis Service, The

British Library Document Supply Centre, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire

LS23 7BQ; tel: +44 (0) 1937 546229; fax: +44 (0)1937 546286; email:

dsc-british-thesis-service@bl.uk Price: microfiche £5.00 UK; £6.00 overseas;

photocopy £12.00 UK: £17.00 overseas

Valuation of information assets

by Richard M.S. Wilson, Joan Stenson and Charles Oppenheim

36p

LIC research report 33

Loughborough University Business School research series paper 2000:2

ISBN: 1859011632

Information is an important asset for organisations. The concepts of

intellectual capital and knowledge management have focused managers'

attention on how organisations can exploit information assets for commercial

gain. Yet, without acceptance of the need for or means of evaluation of

information assets, it is difficult to highlight the benefits of such

concepts in commercial terms. This paper deals with some of the conceptual

issues relating to this issue and is one of two outputs from a joint

research project undertaken by the Department of Information Science and the

Business School at Loughborough University to investigate how companies in

the UK were valuing their information assets. The other paper, The valuing

of information assets in UK companies (LIC research report 80), focuses on

the study itself, detailing the project methodology, findings and providing

conclusions and recommendations.

The valuation of information assets in UK companies

by Richard M.S. Wilson, Joan Stenson and Charles Oppenheim

33p

LIC research report 80

Loughborough University Business School research series paper 2000:3

ISBN: 1859011640

The primary focus of this study is on the impact of the UK financial

reporting standard for goodwill and intangible assets (FRS10) on information

assets. It was anticipated that the identification of methods already in use

under the terms of FRS10 for valuing information assets would be identified.

It was anticipated that once UK companies have recognised information as an

asset for valuation purposes this would bring information assets within the

compass of financial appraisal. The most surprising finding was that UK

companies appear not to be using FRS10 to value their information assets.

Moreover, many of those interviewed did not believe that information should

be categorised as an asset or valued for inclusion on the balance sheet. One

difficulty identified in using FRS10 to value information assets was that it

specifically excludes internally-generated intangibles which do not have a

'readily ascertainable market value'. The information assets considered most

important by interviewees were internally-generated. These were typically

not valued for internal purposes, hence one reason why there is little

impetus to include information assets on the balance sheet maybe because it

could be unwise to report externally that which has not been addressed

internally.

This report is one of two outputs from a joint research project undertaken

by the Department of Information Science and the Business School at

Loughborough University. The other paper, Valuation of information assets

(LIC research report 33), is based on the project literature survey and

deals with the conceptual issues relating to how organisations can exploit

information assets for commercial gain within a context of a lack of

acceptance of the need for or means of evaluation of information assets.

Open to all? The public library and social exclusion. Volume 1: overview and

conclusions

by Dave Muddiman...[et al.]

xi,91p

LIC research report 84

ISBN: 190239447X

Open to all? reports the findings of an 18 month research project based at

Leeds Metropolitan University and conducted in partnership with the London

Borough of Merton (Libraries), Sheffield Libraries, Archives and Information

Services and an independent consultant. The report is presented in three

volumes of which this is the first. Volume one provides an overview of the

study and its main conclusions and recommendations. It reviews the context

of social exclusion and the nature of the problems facing public libraries

and other public institutions. The record of the public library in tackling

disadvantage is critically assessed and the weaknesses of a predominantly

"voluntary" approach to exclusion based on access are highlighted. The

project concludes that to refocus the public library on excluded communities

and social groups, and to become more than superficially "open to all", the

public library will need to transform itself into a far more proactive,

educative and interventionist public institution, with a concern for social

justice at its core. The suggested elements of this transformation are

detailed in a penultimate chapter, which highlights good practice, and in

specific project recommendations which conclude the study.

Volume 2 (LIC research report 85) contains the detailed empirical findings

of the project - analyses of the project survey, eight case studies and an

account of the research design and methodology. Volume 3 (LIC research

report 86) gathers together the working papers produced during the course of

the project.

Open to all? The public library and social exclusion. Volume 2: survey, case

studies and methods

by Dave Muddiman...[et al.]

v,203p

LIC research report 85

ISBN: 1902394488

Open to All? reports the findings of an 18 month research project based at

Leeds Metropolitan University and conducted in partnership with the London

Borough of Merton (Libraries), Sheffield Libraries, Archives and Information

Services and an independent consultant. The report is presented in three

volumes of which this is the second. Volume two presents the detailed

empirical findings of the project, together with an overview of its research

design and fieldwork methods. It reports the findings of a survey undertaken

in autumn 1999 of the 208 UK public library authorities which was designed

to assess the nature of social inclusion policy and practice in UK PLA's. It

also reports in detail the findings of eight qualitative case studies, also

undertaken in 1999, of public library authorities and their social exclusion

strategies.

Volume 1 (LIC research report 84) contains summaries of the key issues and

findings of the research and its overall conclusions and recommendations.

Volume 3 (LIC research report 86) gathers together the working papers

produced during the course of the project.

Open to all? The public library and social exclusion. Volume 3: working

papers

by Dave Muddiman...[et al.]

vii,399p

LIC research report 86

ISBN: 1902394496

Open to All? reports the findings of an 18 month research project based at

Leeds Metropolitan University and conducted in partnership with the London

Borough of Merton (Libraries), Sheffield Libraries, Archives and Information

Services and an independent consultant. The report is presented in three

volumes of which this is the third. Volume three reprints the sixteen

working papers written during the course of the project, comprising titles

on the following topics: theories of social exclusion and the public

library; the historical legacy; public libraries and social class; literacy,

social exclusion and the public library; lesbians, bisexuals, gay men and

transgendered people; international perspectives on libraries and social

exclusion; public libraries, children and young people and social exclusion;

user and community perceptions of the public library; central and local

government policies and social exclusion; public libraries, disability and

social exclusion; women, social exclusion and the public library; struggle

against racial exclusion in public libraries; political correctness;

information and communication technologies, social exclusion and the public

library; public libraries, older people and social exclusion.

Volume 1 (LIC research report 84) contains summaries of the key issues and

findings of the research and its overall conclusions and recommendations.

Volume 2 (LIC research report 85) contains the detailed empirical findings

of the project - analyses of the project survey, eight case studies and an

account of the research design and methodology.

[posted to ASIS-L,  25 November 2000]

I am greatly interested in identifying a directory of *scholarly* web conferences and/or the names and addresses of individual Web conferences by any and all professional organizations or societies, but preferably in the sciences and technical disciplines.

I am interested in Web conferences that can be attended by professionals in place of attending (or as an alternative to attending) a *professional* conference, symposia, seminar, etc. for scholarly purposes, i.e. a 'virtual' conference.

[ I am NOT interested in the use of Web conferencing by corporations or institutions of higher learning for training or distance education or virtual communities (except among professionals or scholars)]

[I have searched Google and find selected Scholarly Web Conferences but would appreciate nominations from MyWebColleagues. I have also perused the WWW Virtual Library not have not been able to easily identify Web Conferences]  [ I am also aware of Diane Kovacs ' excellent directory _Directory of Scholarly and Professional E-Conferences_[ http://www.n2h2.com/KOVACS/]; which includes e-conferences but not in the sense of truly virtual conference as I view the concept: "The Directory of Scholarly and Professional E-conferences_ screens, evaluates and organizes discussion lists, newsgroups, MUDS, MOO'S, Muck's, Mushes, mailing lists, interactive Web chat groups etc. (e-conferences) on topics of interest to scholars and professionals for use in their scholarly, pedagological and professional activities."[ http://www.n2h2.com/KOVACS/whatis.html#name2]

For those not acquainted with Web conferencing, MyWebColleague (and one of the most gifted and resourceful individuals I know), Marcus P. Zillman, M.S., A.M.H.A. [Creator/Founder BotSpot.com, CEO BotTechnology.com, Inc., Producer BOT2000 New York, Producer BOT2001 San Francisco, and Executive Producer/Host Internet-101.com Television Show] has provided me with addresses for several resources most notably "Conferencing Software for the Web"   [ http://thinkofit.com/webconf/index.htm ] created and maintained by David R. Woolley.   Wooley [ http://thinkofit.com/whoweare.htm] has been involved with online/Web conferencing for more than 25 years and has written significant publications about Web conferencing [ http://thinkofit.com/pubs.htm]. He has prepared an *excellent* review on "The Future of Web Conferencing"  [ http://thinkofit.com/webconf/wcfuture.htm] that is a MustRead for those interested in any application of Web conferencing .[I would appreciate learning about other key publications on Web conferencing in electronic or non-electronic form]

As Always, Any and All contributions, comments, queries, questions, cosmic insights, etc. would be Most Welcome.

Gerry McKiernan

Theoretical Librarian

Iowa State University

Ames IA 50011

gerrymck@iastate.edu

Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2000 09:05:28 +0100

From: Jan Smits <Jan.Smits@kb.nl>

Subject: "Using emulation to preserve digital documents"

Sender: Jan Smits <Jan.Smits@kb.nl>

Dear Colleagues,

The Koninklijke Bibliotheek (Royal Library, National Library of The Netherlands) has commissioned Jeff Rothenberg of Rand-Europe to write a study concerning emulation to preserve digital documents. This study is full text available as a pdf-file on http://www.kb.nl/kb/pr/fonds/emulation/usingemulation.pdf (134 Kb). You can also order hard-copies (see below).

The following information is from the KB-homepage:

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Using emulation to preserve digital documents / Jeff Rothenberg. - Den Haag : Koninklijke Bibliotheek, 2000. - 70 p. ; 21 cm.

ISBN 906259145-0.

Price: this publication can be ordered for free (subject to availability); email to info@kb.nl, mentioning 'Using emulation' as subject. Do not forget to state your whole surface-mail address.

This report considers the problem of how to preserve digital documents, given the fact that their formats quickly become obsolete, as do the programs that originally interpreted those formats and the computers on which those programs ran. This problem is investigated from the perspective of the deposit library community, though the issues and solutions discussed here also apply more broadly to the full range of digital data, documents, records, and other artifacts that are used by other kinds of libraries, archives, government agencies, commercial organizations, and individuals. The report attempts to identify and illuminate the root of this problem and, more specifically, discusses the theoretical and practical issues involved in using emulation as a way of preserving authentic, accessible, usable digital documents.

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Within the framework of NEDLIB (Networked European Deposit Library), jointly funded by the European Commission's Telematics for Libraries Programmes, Jeff Rothenberg was commissioned to write a follow-up study as the first phase of a longer-term effort by the Koninklijke Bibliotheek to test and evaluate the feasibility of using emulation as a means of preserving digital publications in accessible, authentic, and usable form within a depository library. This study has been published as:

An experiment in using emulation to preserve digital publications / Jeff Rothenberg (Rand Europe). - Den Haag : Koninklijke Bibliotheek, 2000. - 69 p. : ill. ; 30 cm.

ISBN 90-6259-144-2

It is a more technical report than the one mentioned before. You can order a free hardcopy (except for postal charges) by filling in the form on:

http://www.konbib.nl/coop/nedlib/bestel.shtml

I hope some of you will show interest in these studies as they concern all who have to do with preserving part of our cultural heritage.

With kind regards,

Jan Smits

Jan Smits

Koninklijke Bibliotheek, National Library of The Netherlands

P.O. Box 90.407

NL-2509 LK Den Haag

The Netherlands

tel: +31 70 3140241

fax: +31 70 3140450

E-mail: jan.smits@kb.nl

E-mail: skd@python.kb.nl (when the above does not function)

President Groupe des Cartothecaires de LIBER (GdC, European Map Curators Group)

Chairman Working Group for Mapcuratorship, Dutch Cartographic Society (NVK)

IFLA Representative for the ICA Spatial Data Standards Commission

Secretary Dutch Cataloguing Committee FOBID (Federation of Organizations working in the Library-, Information-, and Documentation-field)

WWW-maps: http://www.kb.nl/kb/skd/karto-en.html

WWW-GdC: http://www.kb.nl/infolev/liber/intro.htm

WWW-personal: http://www.kb.nl/persons/jan-smits/homepage.htm

Na matheis kai na matheis ap'tous spoudasmenous

(To learn and again to learn from those who know)

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