[Editor], 'News', LIBRES v5n03-4 URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/libres/libres-v5n03-4-[editor]-news LIBRES: Library and Information Science Research Electronic Journal ISSN 1058-6768 1995 Volume 5 Issue 3-4; December 31. Quarterly LIBRE5N3 NEWS ________________________________________________ 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 ____________________________________________________ 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 To subscribe to LIBRES send e-mail message to listserv@kentvm.kent.edu with the text: subscribe libres _ ________________________________________