When we last updated the software for our system highlighted in the
Sept. 2008 issue, we noticed that our monitoring script had some issues.
This was related to a regular expression found in the script. I'll spare
the details and just provide a link the new updated script:
http://lance.mckendree.edu/wireless/wirelessScript_v2.txt
jim
Monday, October 20, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
MyLibrary is about creating relationships
MyLibrary is more about creating relationships than it is about personalization and customization.
When MyLibrary was made available in 1997/8 the application was all about creating "my pages". Since then it has matured and evolved. First and foremost, it is not a turn-key application like it was previously. Instead, it is more like a digital library framework and toolbox akin to Fedora, just written in Perl. Second, with the advent of object-oriented programming techniques, MyLibrary is about four types of things: 1) resources, 2) patrons, 3) librarians, and 4) facet/term combinations. The first three things are are well-known to us librarians. The fourth is not.
Using facet/term combinations it is possible to create strong relationships between resources, patrons, and librarians. By "cataloging" resources, patrons, and librarians with facet/term combinations it is possible to address things like:
When MyLibrary was made available in 1997/8 the application was all about creating "my pages". Since then it has matured and evolved. First and foremost, it is not a turn-key application like it was previously. Instead, it is more like a digital library framework and toolbox akin to Fedora, just written in Perl. Second, with the advent of object-oriented programming techniques, MyLibrary is about four types of things: 1) resources, 2) patrons, 3) librarians, and 4) facet/term combinations. The first three things are are well-known to us librarians. The fourth is not.
Using facet/term combinations it is possible to create strong relationships between resources, patrons, and librarians. By "cataloging" resources, patrons, and librarians with facet/term combinations it is possible to address things like:
- The resources I curate are...
- My patrons are...
- The resources recommended for me include...
- This resource is like that resource...
- My librarian is...
- People like me include...
Monday, October 6, 2008
Update on PDF accessibility
Dear readers,
from the submitting of the original work for the article, many things have happened in the publishing world. Mainly XML is spreading its domain more and more in many areas, one of them the accessibility fields, of course.
For PDF three remarkable things could change the landscape:
- The inminent approval of PDF/UA standard as an addendum to ISO 32000-2 [1]
- The Adobe Mars project and its downloadable plugin to convert back and forward PDF documents to XML documents => This could open many possibilities to include PDF in XML workflows [2]
- The CWA 15778 report [3], on document processing for accessibility, showing many scenarios in which PDF is included in an accessible multichannel publishing workflow
Adobe is working hard to enhance its flagship format and Adobe 9 includes the optimization of file size for PDF files, a long desired option.
Still, authoring tools fall short in their capacity to process PDF and XML for accessibility. Adobe InDesign is pushing hard against QuarkXPress for its better support to XML.
Other formats in the accessibility world have take their place: DAISY and its component DTBook [4], with free conversion tools from Microsoft Word and Open Office, is also pushing hard.
Will PDF maintain its niche position? the discussion is open.
Mireia Ribera
http://bd.ub.es/pub/ribera
[1] http://pdf.editme.com/PDFUA
[2] http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/mars/
[3] http://www.cen.eu/CENORM/BusinessDomains/BusinessDomains/ISSS/activity/ws-dpa.asp
[4] http://www.daisy.org/
from the submitting of the original work for the article, many things have happened in the publishing world. Mainly XML is spreading its domain more and more in many areas, one of them the accessibility fields, of course.
For PDF three remarkable things could change the landscape:
- The inminent approval of PDF/UA standard as an addendum to ISO 32000-2 [1]
- The Adobe Mars project and its downloadable plugin to convert back and forward PDF documents to XML documents => This could open many possibilities to include PDF in XML workflows [2]
- The CWA 15778 report [3], on document processing for accessibility, showing many scenarios in which PDF is included in an accessible multichannel publishing workflow
Adobe is working hard to enhance its flagship format and Adobe 9 includes the optimization of file size for PDF files, a long desired option.
Still, authoring tools fall short in their capacity to process PDF and XML for accessibility. Adobe InDesign is pushing hard against QuarkXPress for its better support to XML.
Other formats in the accessibility world have take their place: DAISY and its component DTBook [4], with free conversion tools from Microsoft Word and Open Office, is also pushing hard.
Will PDF maintain its niche position? the discussion is open.
Mireia Ribera
http://bd.ub.es/pub/ribera
[1] http://pdf.editme.com/PDFUA
[2] http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/mars/
[3] http://www.cen.eu/CENORM/BusinessDomains/BusinessDomains/ISSS/activity/ws-dpa.asp
[4] http://www.daisy.org/
Monday, August 18, 2008
Repurposing "Born MARC" metadata
Just wanted to repeat the question that I posed in my original comment but under its own header:
What opportunities and challenges can we anticipate as we start working with (e.g. manipulating, searching, augmenting, cleaning up, transforming) MARC metadata from an ILS (or from another MARC-based system) outside of that system?
How can we ensure that reusing MARC data is a worthwhile undertaking, and convince those outside the library world of this, if necessary?
What opportunities and challenges can we anticipate as we start working with (e.g. manipulating, searching, augmenting, cleaning up, transforming) MARC metadata from an ILS (or from another MARC-based system) outside of that system?
How can we ensure that reusing MARC data is a worthwhile undertaking, and convince those outside the library world of this, if necessary?
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Metadata to Support Next-Generation Library Resource Discovery: Lessons from the eXtensible Catalog, Phase 1 by Jennifer Bowen
Abstract:
The eXtensible Catalog (XC) Project at the University of Rochester will design and develop a set of open-source applications to provide libraries with an alternative way to reveal their collections to library users. The goals and functional requirements developed for XC reveal generalizable needs for metadata to support a next-generation discovery system. The strategies that the XC Project Team and XC Partner Institutions will use to address these issues can contribute to an agenda for attention and action within the library community to ensure that library metadata will continue to support online resource discovery in the future.
LITA members may read the full text of this article at http://www.ala.org/ala/lita/litapublications/ital/272008/2702jun/bowen.cfm. Discussion of the article will be open from 18 August to 15 September 2008.
The eXtensible Catalog (XC) Project at the University of Rochester will design and develop a set of open-source applications to provide libraries with an alternative way to reveal their collections to library users. The goals and functional requirements developed for XC reveal generalizable needs for metadata to support a next-generation discovery system. The strategies that the XC Project Team and XC Partner Institutions will use to address these issues can contribute to an agenda for attention and action within the library community to ensure that library metadata will continue to support online resource discovery in the future.
LITA members may read the full text of this article at http://www.ala.org/ala/lita/litapublications/ital/272008/2702jun/bowen.cfm. Discussion of the article will be open from 18 August to 15 September 2008.
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