This peer reviewed document reflects on the centrality of Research Infrastructures (RIs) to the Humanities. It argues that without RIs such as archives, libraries, academies, museums and galleries (and the sources that they identify, order, preserve and make accessible) significant strands of Humanities research would not be possible. After proposing a wide-ranging definition of digital RIs – with the aim of reflecting on the meaning of infrastructure in the Humanities rather than on those parts common to other domains of science – it attempts to relate physical RIs to digital ones. By drawing on a number of case studies – chosen to showcase the variety of research around existing or emerging infrastructures – it demonstrates that digital RIs offer Humanities scholars new and productive ways to explore old questions and develop new ones.
Archives des mots-clés : digital content
Legal Issues in Mass Digitization A Preliminary Analysis…
Legal Issues in Mass Digitization: A Preliminary Analysis and Discussion Document :
“This Preliminary Analysis and Discussion Document (the “Analysis”) addresses the issues raised by the intersection between copyright law and the mass digitization of books. The Copyright Office (the “Office”) has prepared this Analysis for the purpose of facilitating further discussion among the affected parties and the public – discussions that may encompass a number of possible approaches, including voluntary initiatives, legislative options, or both.
On March 22, 2011, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York rejected a proposed settlement of the class action lawsuit brought by the Authors Guild and a related suit by book publishers against Google for the mass digitization of books in several large U.S. libraries. The court ruled that the class action settlement would have redefined the relationship between copyright law and new technology, and encroached upon Congress’s ability to set copyright policy with respect to orphan works. Subsequently, on September 12, 2011, the Authors Guild and several prominent authors sued five university libraries that participated in Google’s mass digitization project as well as a library consortium known as the HathiTrust after the universities announced their intention to offer access to some of the book scans Google had provided to them.
These developments have sparked public debate on the risks and opportunities that mass book digitization may create for authors, publishers, libraries, technology companies, the general public, and the corresponding legal framework. The questions are many: What mass digitization projects are currently underway in the United States? What are the objectives and who are the intended beneficiaries? How are the exclusive rights of copyright owners implicated? What exceptions or limitations may apply, to whom, and in what circumstances? To the extent there are public policy goals at issue, what could Congress do to facilitate or control the boundaries of mass digitization projects? Would orphan works legislation help? Are efficient and costeffective licensing options available? Could Congress encourage or even require new licensing schemes for mass digitization? Could it provide direction and oversight to authors, publishers,
libraries, and technology companies as they explore solutions? Indeed, these stakeholders may be in the best position to find points of consensus and create strategies for the U.S. book and library sectors.
The issues discussed in this Analysis are complex and require public discussion. The Office recognizes that the Google Books proceeding, initiated more than six years ago, and the recently filed lawsuit involving the HathiTrust Digital Library will continue to influence the public debate over mass digitization. International developments may also contribute to the debate in the United States. Although the marketplace and the issues will continue to evolve, the Office believes there is sufficient information to undertake an intense public discussion about the broader policy implications of mass book digitization. By necessity, this discussion must address the relationship between the emerging digital marketplace and the existing copyright framework.”
URL : http://pub.bna.com/ptcj/USCOMassDigitization_October2011.pdf
Digital Curiosities Resource Creation Via Amateur Digitisation …
Digital Curiosities: Resource Creation Via Amateur Digitisation :
“Most memory institutions are now engaging with digitising holdings to provide online access. Although recent developments in technology have allowed users to create high quality digital resources out with institutional boundaries, little consideration has been given to the potential contribution that the general public can make to digitising our cultural heritage. This paper seeks to scope the growing trend of the creation of amateur online museums, archives, and collections, and demonstrates that the best examples of this endeavour can teach best practice to traditional memory institutions in how to make their collections useful, interesting, and used by online communities.”
URL : http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/171071/
Tendances lourdes et tensions pour les filières du document numérique
Sur la base des travaux réalisés dans le cadre de l’ANR Digital 3.0 PRISE, cette communication rend compte du bilan de l’atelier « Culture, médias et numérique », sur les tendances lourdes et les tensions majeures qui transforment actuellement les principales filières du document numérique, document étant entendu ici de façon extensive, à savoir la presse, les livres, l’audiovisuel, la musique (produits des industries culturelles).
Les tendances et tensions identifiées concernent l’organisation économique, les régulations, les usages et les pratiques dominantes.
Robert Darnton on books, ebooks, Google Books, and the DPLA
The Transition from Print to Electronic Journals A…
The Transition from Print to Electronic Journals: A Study of College and University Libraries in Indiana :
“Objectives: This study examines what factors are considered by college and university libraries in Indiana when making the decision to cancel subscriptions to print journals when an electronic equivalent is available. The study also looks at who the primary decision makers are in this regard. Libraries at public and private institutions of varying sizes were included in the study.
Methods : An online survey was sent to seventy-three libraries in the consortium, Academic Libraries of Indiana. Structured interviews with administrators at nine libraries were also conducted.
Results: Academic libraries in Indiana use subscription cost, redundancy of formats, student preference, budget reductions and usage as the primary factors in canceling print journal subscriptions in favor of their electronic counterparts. There is also a preference for the electronic format for new subscriptions even when a print version is also available.
Conclusions: The study indicates that subscription cost is the most important consideration in the journal cancelation process with other factors also having an effect on the preference of libraries for electronic versions of journals. The study also shows that libraries at public and private colleges and universities are at different stages of moving away from print to an online-only journal format. At the same time, there is consensus that a small collection of print titles will still be needed. The primary decision-makers are librarians, faculty, and library administrators.”
URL : http://ejournals.library.ualberta.ca/index.php/EBLIP/article/view/10330
The Digital Scholar: How Technology Is Transforming Scholarly Practice
While industries such as music, newspapers, film and publishing have seen radical changes in their business models and practices as a direct result of new technologies, higher education has so far resisted the wholesale changes we have seen elsewhere.
However, a gradual and fundamental shift in the practice of academics is taking place. Every aspect of scholarly practice is seeing changes effected by the adoption and possibilities of new technologies.
This book will explore these changes, their implications for higher education, the possibilities for new forms of scholarly practice and what lessons can be drawn from other sectors.