Lesk:
The reading focused on representation of documents in a digital setting. It talked about scanning, and brought to my attention digital character recognition. I would like to learn more about this technology since I feel it may have great implications on the future of digitizing objects.
Arms:
This reading explained several types of technologies and languages used to create digital documents, such as HTML, XML, SGML, and CSS. I had previous experience with CSS in LIS2600, where we used the Cascading Style Sheets to create inline and external style sheets. For some reason, reading about the standards and languages seems more difficult than actually applying the rules to the technology. I learn best by doing, but this reading did a pretty good job in describing these principles.
Lynch:
This article focuses on explaining the role of identifiers in the online environment. What makes the internet possible are links that are connected by nodes. Each link must have a unique characteristic to set it apart from the rest, and to make it searchable. For a webpage the URL acts as the identifier. For books and other consumer commodities, the ISBN gives an object a unique identity. Without these "handles" in place, digital documents would be impossible to independently identify, as they exist in a ubiquitous environment.
Paskin:
This reading was also about identifiers, but more focused on the technical aspects in relation to digital libraries. The reading describes DOI identifiers and how they make objects classifiable and distinctive to a researcher. Some of the technical aspects included syntax recognition, along with resolution and metadata components.
Muddiest Point:
I suppose SGML is a concept I could use better clarification on. For example, what are the main differences between SGML and XML?
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Week 2 Readings/Muddiest Point
In A Framework for Building Open DL's, the authors focused on standards and definitions for interoperability in DLs. Due to differing philosophies between computer scientists, library scientists, and networked information systems regarding digital libraries, there need to be certain standards that each discipline can follow to acheive similar interests. Among the metadata standards that are broad enough in nature to be applied to these categories are Dublin Core and DAI-PMH.
The article An Architecture for Information in DL's primarily focuses on the structure of information and types of digital objects, including data, metadata, and the unique identifier, or handle. The components of a digital library consist of the user interface, the search system, handle system, and repository. The structure of information in DL's has to do with the relationships between the materials. I took this to mean the relationship of words, metadata, and handles to each other to make an item searchable in the query. The article also examined the different formats, versions, and rights and permissions that information objects within a digital library consist of. As a side note, the handle examples in the text remind me of IP addressing.
Interoperability for Digital Objects and Repositories uses the case study of the Cornell/CNRI collaboration to examine the effectiveness of interoperability standards. In order for each system to work together, the handle system must be built to accommodate interoperability. The study wanted to focus more on standard definitions of interoperability to test their results.
Muddiest Point:
For the term/group project we are to have an example of other data formats, such as photo. Are we to create at least one out of the three collections in just that digital format? Or integrate at least one photo in each of the three collections?
The article An Architecture for Information in DL's primarily focuses on the structure of information and types of digital objects, including data, metadata, and the unique identifier, or handle. The components of a digital library consist of the user interface, the search system, handle system, and repository. The structure of information in DL's has to do with the relationships between the materials. I took this to mean the relationship of words, metadata, and handles to each other to make an item searchable in the query. The article also examined the different formats, versions, and rights and permissions that information objects within a digital library consist of. As a side note, the handle examples in the text remind me of IP addressing.
Interoperability for Digital Objects and Repositories uses the case study of the Cornell/CNRI collaboration to examine the effectiveness of interoperability standards. In order for each system to work together, the handle system must be built to accommodate interoperability. The study wanted to focus more on standard definitions of interoperability to test their results.
Muddiest Point:
For the term/group project we are to have an example of other data formats, such as photo. Are we to create at least one out of the three collections in just that digital format? Or integrate at least one photo in each of the three collections?
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Week 1 Readings/Muddiest Point
Setting Foundations-DELOS Manifesto
This article focuses on the evolving meaning of the term 'Digital Library'. No longer a content-centric, digital libraries have become person-centric, meaning there no longer are barriers to information available in an online setting. Previous collection models existed in a static environment, but today, digital libraries offer a dynamic interaction between users and their search for information. The DELOS Manifesto aims to establish principles for digital library environments to follow. According to the Manifesto, Digital libraries operate within a three-tiered network: Digital Library Management Systems; Digital Library Systems; and the Digital Library. The managment system involves providing necessary software to form the infrastructure for both the Digital Library System and the Digital Library itself. The Digital Library system provides the software that provides the architectural structure of the Digital Library, and the Digital Library is the space where users manipulate search queries to obtain content held within.
Dewey Meets Turing
This article explains the relationship between computer scientists and librarians with respect to digital libraries. In the mid-1990's, computer scientists saw digital libraries as an answer to many in-depth, "pure" research projects, while librarians saw them as an answer to their institution's funding problems, as the scientific community largely generated grants to fund research. The advent of the World Wide Web drastically changed the dynamics of this relationship. The web undermined the common ground for computer scientists and librarians in that the distinction between consumers and producers of information became drastically blurred. For libraries, access to information changed as publishers drove up costs to digital content, while computer scientists enjoyed the linkability of networks that the web provided. This new phenomenon changed the relationship between computer scientists and librarians; now librarians perceive computer scientists as having 'hijacked' monetary funds for collection development, while computer scientists don't understand why algorithms can't replace metadata formulated by librarians, and why librarians can't be replaced by computer scientists themselves.
Muddiest Point
I see on another person's blog there was a third reading for this week, which I am currently unable to locate on Courseweb. I will continue to look for it and update this blog accordingly.
This article focuses on the evolving meaning of the term 'Digital Library'. No longer a content-centric, digital libraries have become person-centric, meaning there no longer are barriers to information available in an online setting. Previous collection models existed in a static environment, but today, digital libraries offer a dynamic interaction between users and their search for information. The DELOS Manifesto aims to establish principles for digital library environments to follow. According to the Manifesto, Digital libraries operate within a three-tiered network: Digital Library Management Systems; Digital Library Systems; and the Digital Library. The managment system involves providing necessary software to form the infrastructure for both the Digital Library System and the Digital Library itself. The Digital Library system provides the software that provides the architectural structure of the Digital Library, and the Digital Library is the space where users manipulate search queries to obtain content held within.
Dewey Meets Turing
This article explains the relationship between computer scientists and librarians with respect to digital libraries. In the mid-1990's, computer scientists saw digital libraries as an answer to many in-depth, "pure" research projects, while librarians saw them as an answer to their institution's funding problems, as the scientific community largely generated grants to fund research. The advent of the World Wide Web drastically changed the dynamics of this relationship. The web undermined the common ground for computer scientists and librarians in that the distinction between consumers and producers of information became drastically blurred. For libraries, access to information changed as publishers drove up costs to digital content, while computer scientists enjoyed the linkability of networks that the web provided. This new phenomenon changed the relationship between computer scientists and librarians; now librarians perceive computer scientists as having 'hijacked' monetary funds for collection development, while computer scientists don't understand why algorithms can't replace metadata formulated by librarians, and why librarians can't be replaced by computer scientists themselves.
Muddiest Point
I see on another person's blog there was a third reading for this week, which I am currently unable to locate on Courseweb. I will continue to look for it and update this blog accordingly.
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