Category «Virtual Library»

The risks if the DPLA wont create a full-strength national digital library system: Setbacks for K-12, family literacy, local libraries, preservation, digital divide efforts?

David H. Rothman maintains that the Harvard-originated national digital library initiative is an underachiever in K-12 matters and identifies other areas where the DPLA could better serve America’s libraries and their users. These areas range from family literacy to the content creation needs of local libraries, preservation and digital divide efforts. Rothman details specific remedies to these challenges consistent with his strong advocacy on behalf of strengthening national digital library systems.

Subjects: Digital Archives, Features, Libraries & Librarians, Virtual Library

The New Digital Public Library of America Board of Directors

David H. Rothman’s current commentary highlights the composition of the new board of directors of the nonprofit DPLA, an organization that continues to grow and change, along with clarifying its goals and objectives.

Subjects: Internet Resources, Leadership, Libraries & Librarians, Library Marketing, Management, Team Building, Virtual Library

Commentary – Digital Public Library of America – can it live up to its huge potential?

David Rothman continues his commentary on the challenges faced by the Digital Public Library of America. He suggests the DPLA help state, local and federal governments create a companion digital public library system that would focus on the provision of urgently needed content and services, and share some but not all resources with an academic effort and even offer a common catalogue for those wanting it.

Subjects: Features, Libraries & Librarians, Virtual Library

Commentary: Why we need two separate digital library systems – One for academics and another for the rest of America

In Mending Wall, a 1914 poem blessedly in the public domain, Robert Frost gives us a classic dictum for literature and life, and maybe for inter-organizational politics in particular: “Good fences make good neighbors.” On the whole Frost is anti-fence. But he understands his neighbor’s side; what’s more, “Mending Wall” resonates even in this era of global networks and sharable digital files. Frost died at 88 on January 29, 1963, just a little over two years after his poetry recital in the chilly Washington air at John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s inauguration; but on the Web you can still hear him reading Mending Wall and more.

Subjects: Libraries & Librarians, Library Software & Technology, Virtual Library

Open Source Tools for Tutorials

Nicole C. Engard continues her series on best practices for libraries to leverage open source tools with a guide on publishing tutorials for using library resources. Rather than creating a printed pathfinder, she suggests creating a video tutorial instead, as the learning experience is often more engaging and has deeper impact when users see something done versus reading about it.

Subjects: Continuing Legal Education, Distance Learning, Legal Marketing, Presentation Skills, Virtual Library, Web-Based Training

IM a Librarian: Establishing a Virtual Reference Service with Little Cost or Technical Skill

Bonnie Shucha explores the pros and cons of real-time communication, explains how real-time communication works in a library setting, and introduces two free, easy-to-use applications for virtual reference.

Subjects: Features, Law Librarians, Legal Research, Library Marketing, Reference Services, Virtual Library

Indecisive Decision: An Examination of the Greenberg and Faulkner Cases and their Impact on Libraries

Sharon Whitfield examines the conflicting decisions made by the Eleventh Circuit Court in the case of Greenberg v. National Geographic and the Second Circuit Court in the case of Faulkner v. National Geographic and the impact that these court decisions may have on libraries that are looking to reformat their copyrighted material into digital media.

Subjects: CD ROM, Copyright, Information Management, Intellectual Property, Libraries & Librarians, Search Engines, Virtual Library