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Polish network of Digital Libraries

Posted on by Hans Dillaerts

The article presents the political context and the current status of digital libraries network in Poland. It demonstrates the major challenges in the various areas in which libraries operate, problems which should be discussed.

It describes some important library initiatives that emerged in order to coordinate activities, and presents concrete examples (WBC, KPBC, POLONA) of the actual digital collections accessible via the Internet. The author also attempts to diagnose the situation and indicate solutions, which may bring measurable benefits to Poland and Europe.

URL : http://kpbc.umk.pl/Content/40554/Polish_Network_of_Digital_Libraries-2008.pdf

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The impact and use of TEEAL The Essential…

Posted on by Hans Dillaerts

The impact and use of TEEAL (The Essential Electronic Agricultural Library) on researchers of agriculture :

« The primary target of TEEAL in Ahmadu Bello University(ABU) is the researcher at the faculty of Agriculture and the institute for Agriculture research. After years of its introduction, an evaluation of its impact has become necessary. Thus five research questions were drawn for that purpose. They are: (1), Are you aware of the TEEAL cd Rom database in this institution? (2), Is TEEAL solution to the problem of qualitative research in your field? (3), Has TEEAL cd Rom database enabled you access to world’s scholarly publishing? (4), What impact has the full text of TEEAL made on your research work? (5), Is TEEAL cd Rom database user friendly? (6), What is your assessment of TEEAL? These questions were put in form of a questionnaire survey supplemented by one interview to find the required information. From the response some analyses were made, some recommendations were put forward, and conclusions drawn. »

URL : http://eprints.rclis.org/handle/10760/15590

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Sciences com libre accès et science ouverte Introduction…

Posted on by Hans Dillaerts

Sciences.com — libre accès et science ouverte. Introduction :

« Confrontée au développement des réseaux électroniques, l’édition scientifique mue, mute, résiste ; nourris au lait d’Internet, les chercheurs tergiversent au moment d’y diffuser leurs productions; garantes du bien public, les institutions normalisent, s’interrogent, expérimentent. La mutation est profonde, et trouve des répercussions non seulement dans la circulation des connaissances, mais aussi dans la propriété intellectuelle et la notion d’auteur ou les conditions de publication… En quelques années, la diffusion des savoirs sur Internet et en particulier l' »open access » a changé les termes du débat. L’édition scientifique était un petit monde policé et local; aujourd’hui, c’est un marché global et un théâtre de guerre économique. Le nombre de scientifiques a explosé, les revues scientifiques se sont multipliées, les budgets explosent, et l’idéologie du « Publish or perish » domine. En parallèle, des intermédiaires du savoir, tels les sites commerciaux Cairn ou Science Direct, prennent une assise nouvelle et cherchent le meilleur modèle économique et cognitif. Les chercheurs sont placés face à une injonction paradoxale : d’une part publier, publier de plus en plus, dans des revues cotées, des revues de plus en plus mesurées, étalonnées, hiérarchisées, mais payantes et privées ; d’autre part, rendre public, diffuser au plus grand nombre, mettre en ligne le plus vite possible, librement et sans droit d’accès. Dans cette introduction au numéro spécial intitulé « Sciences.com », les auteurs s’intéressent, dans une perspective résolument pluridisciplinaire, aux différents questions que pose cette  » science ouverte  » avec toutes ses formes de mises à disposition des connaissances produites par des scientifiques : revues gratuites, mises en ligne des publications par les institutions, modèle auteur-payeur, archives en libre accès, bibliothèques numériques ouvertes… »

URL : http://archivesic.ccsd.cnrs.fr/sic_00586590/fr/

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Tragedy of the Data Commons

Posted on by Hans Dillaerts

Accurate data is vital to enlightened research and policymaking, particularly publicly available data that are redacted to protect the identity of individuals.

Legal academics, however, are campaigning against data anonymization as a means to protect privacy, contending that wealth of information available on the Internet enables malfeasors to reverse-engineer the data and identify individuals within them.

Privacy scholars advocate for new legal restrictions on the collection and dissemination of research data. This Article challenges the dominant wisdom, arguing that properly de-identified data is not only safe, but of extraordinary social utility.

It makes three core claims. First, legal scholars have misinterpreted the relevant literature from computer science and statistics, and thus have significantly overstated the futility of anonymizing data. Second, the available evidence demonstrates that the risks from anonymized data are theoretical – they rarely, if ever, materialize. Finally, anonymized data is crucial to beneficial social research, and constitutes a public resource – a commons – under threat of depletion.

The Article concludes with a radical proposal: since current privacy policies overtax valuable research without reducing any realistic risks, law should provide a safe harbor for the dissemination of research data. »

URL : http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1789749

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Digital repositories and the future of preservation and use of scientific knowledge

Posted on by Hans Dillaerts

Information and communication technology has a great influence on scientific communication and work of scientists. Ways in which research is conducted have changed; science has become more highly collaborative; network-based, and data-intensive. The existing system of scientific publishing is experiencing pressure for change under the influence of the exponential growth of information production, the dramatic increase in subscription fees, the increasing storage cost of printed documents, and the increasing power and availability of digital technology.

To conduct their research more effectively scientists need modern resources of digital information which would support their endeavor. Digital repository is one such type of information resources. Digital repository is an institutional digital archive of the intellectual product created by the faculty, research staff, and students of an institution and accessible to end users both within and outside of the institution.

Digital repositories carry a great potential for the advancement of scientific research. Digital repositories can store different file formats and types of content. An institutional digital repository can contain e-prints of scientific papers, research data, but also e-learning materials and other forms of institutional intellectual outputs. As the number of open access digital repositories grows, it has become evident that institutional repositories are now clearly and broadly being recognized as essential infrastructure for scholarship in the digital world.

URL : http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=99976

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The evolving role of the school library and information centre in education in digital Europe

Posted on by Hans Dillaerts

« The purpose of the research is to study the evolving role of the school library and information centre (SLIC) in primary and secondary education in digital Europe, not only in countries where schools have reached an advanced stage of usage of digital technology in education, but also in less advanced schools. This international research provides a bridge between two different disciplines – Comparative Education (Sociology) and Library and Information Science (LIS) – and attempts to provide information to both the educational and library communities throughout Europe regarding the role which SLICs play in the emerging educational global landscape and to determine whether or not these traditional, digital or virtual SLICs, and the work of the school librarian and information specialist, influence the quality of education and improve children’s learning outcomes at different levels. First of all, the study examines a sub-matrix known as the KILM (Kalsbeek Information Literacy Matrix), which was developed as part of an educational matrix between 1997 and 2008 at the Kalsbeek College in Woerden, the Netherlands. The educational matrix attempts to introduce and implement educational reforms, ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) usage, educational technology and new forms of learning throughout the school in a orderly fashion while maintaining a high level of educational quality. This sub-matrix (KILM) identifies the role of the SLIC during the application of the educational matrix. The study then looks at success criteria which became apparent during the application of the sub-matrix and asks whether or not it would be possible to apply similar strategies to other schools libraries and information centres, firstly at Dutch national level and then in school libraries throughout Europe. The staffing, facilities and conditions in school libraries and information centres which were studied vary greatly, however, thanks to the willingness of teachers, school librarians and (school) library associations to share information and data, it has become possible to identify common problems and present some solutions. »

URL : http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/7329/