Digital Library News
July 2004
News from the Library of Congress
Four Universities Join Library of Congress in Digital Preservation Test
The Library has entered into a joint digital preservation project with Old Dominion University, Department of Computer Science; The Johns Hopkins University, Sheridan Libraries; Stanford University Libraries & Academic Information Resources; and Harvard University Library to explore strategies for the ingest and preservation of digital archives. The project is supported by Information Systems Support Inc.
The Archive Ingest and Handling Test (AIHT), is designed to identify, document and disseminate working methods for preserving the nation’s increasingly important digital cultural materials, as well as to identify areas that may require further research or development. The AIHT is part of an initiative, led by the Library of Congress, to build a network of preservation partners through the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP).
The AIHT participants are investigating and applying various digital preservation strategies, using a digital archive donated to the Library by the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University. The archive is a collection of 57,000 digital images, text, audio and video related to the Sept. 11, 2001 events. The transfer of these 12 gigabytes of digital content is being used to emulate the problems that arise in digital preservation and to test possible solutions.
For the complete story, see the press release at www.digitalpreservation.gov/index.php?nav=1&subnav=3
Negotiations Under Way for NDIIPP Awards
The Library is in the final stages before announcing award winners who submitted applications under the “Program Announcement to Support Building a Network of Partners” for the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP). The deadline for submitting proposals was Nov. 12, 2003.
Check this Digital Preservation Web site for the formal announcement to come.
NDIIPP Representative Makes Presentations at American Library Association
The Library’s Carl Fleischhauer discussed the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program during the Annual Meeting of the American Library Association in Orlando, Fla., June 27-29. Fleischhauer’s 30-minute presentations were well received by attendees in the Library’s exhibition booth.
National Digital Library’s Learning Page Featured
At National Educational Computing Conference
The Library of Congress’s educational-outreach experts were on hand to demonstrate the features of the Learning Page during the National Educational Computing Conference in New Orleans, June 21-23. The Library’s digitized primary source materials are used by teachers nationwide in the Learning Page (www.loc.gov/learn), a site designed especially for educators, with ready-made lesson plans and other activities.
In Other News:
Final Version of E-Science Curation Report Available
A finalized version of the e-Science Curation Report by Philip Lord and Alison Macdonald is now available on the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) Web site at www.jisc.ac.uk/uploaded_documents/e-ScienceReportFinal.pdf .
The report is commissioned by JISC to establish the current provision and future requirements for curation of primary research data being generated within e-science in the United Kingdom. For background information, see www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=project_escience.
International Internet Preservation Consortium
In May, the formation of the International Internet Preservation Consortium (IIPC) was announced. The IIPC, led by the Bibliotheque nationale de France, also counts as members the Library of Congress; the national libraries of Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Italy, Norway and Sweden; the British Library; and the Internet Archive.
The objectives and goals of the organization are in the IIPC announcement at http://netpreserve.org/press/pr20040505.php.
The detailed work of the consortium will be carried out through working groups to define Policy; Requirements; Methods; and Standards and Tools for Internet archiving. More information can be found on the IIPC Web site at www.netpreserve.org
Papers Available from Fiesole Collection Development Retreat
Deanna Marcum, the Library of Congress’ associate librarian for Library Services, has contributed a paper to the Fiesole Collection Development Retreat Series for 2004. Fiesole 2004 was “an informal meeting of leading library and information industry participants devoted to thinking through and debating the new world order in collection development.” Marcum’s paper is titled “The DODL [Distributed Open Digital Library], the NDIIPP and the Copyright Conundrum.” The papers can be accessed at http://digital.casalini.it/retreat/retreat_2004.html.
Technology Watch Report Just Released from DigiCULT:
Technology Challenges for Digital Culture
According to DigiCULT, the “Watch Report is a major annual volume, covering six technologies expected to have a substantial impact on the future of cultural heritage projects, professionals working in the sector and approaches to cultural materials. Their primary aim is to give a solid and impartial grounding in new and developing technologies to those without the time or the IT confidence to gain an independent familiarity, together with a view of the changing technological and methodological landscapes.”
The 2004 and 2003 reports can be downloaded at http://www.digicult.info/pages/techwatch.php
Nancy Davenport of the Library of Congress Named New CLIR President
Nancy Davenport, director of Acquisitions for the Library of Congress, has been named the new president of the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), effective July 5. Davenport has served the Library for 26 years in several leadership positions, including as head of the Congressional Research Service (CRS) Inquiry Section, coordinator of Member and Committee Relations for CRS and director of CRS Special Programs. She has also acted as director of the Rare Book and Special Collections Division and the Prints and Photographs Division.