Event: NFAIS Program on Federated Searching

Since digitized materials may be part of a what is integrated into a federated search system, this may interest you.

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Limited Seating Remains for NFAIS Program on Federated Searching.

The NFAIS program on federated searching scheduled for July 29, 2005 is proving to be very popular and is almost sold out. This one-day meeting will be held at PALINET Headquarters in Philadelphia, PA, from 9:30am to 4:30pm. Whether you are an information provider seeking to offer customers an integrated search experience that is simple and efficient, or a librarian/information professional responsible for providing your constituency with the ability to search successfully and effectively across multiple and diverse data sources, this meeting will provide you with the information and contacts needed to meet your objective.

The event will begin with an overview of federated search and the user needs that has driven its development. The remainder of the day will focus on such critical issues as: the challenges that information providers must address when delivering this capability; how various libraries have chosen to implement it; diverse approaches to the post-processing of search results and the effectiveness of each; the development of standards in support of federated search; and the long-term outlook for its successful implementation in today's web-based/online information environment. Join a discussion with other members of the information community about the realities - and practicalities - of providing a seamless search and retrieval experience for the user.

The meeting is limited to 50 participants and is filling up quickly. So if you plan to attend, register now. The program, registration form, directions to the meeting location, and a list of nearby hotels is available at: http://www.nfais.org/events/event_details.cfm?id=30.

Registration is $245 for NFAIS members and $295 for non-members (registration fee includes continental breakfast, a box lunch and an afternoon refreshment break). For more information contact: Jill O'Neill, NFAIS Director, Communication and Planning, 215-893-1561 (phone);
215-893-1564 (fax); mailto: jilloneill@nfais.org.

Founded in 1958, NFAIS is a premier membership organization of 50 of the world's leading producers of databases, information services, and information technology in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, business, and the arts and humanities.

Event: Digital Preservation Training Programme

The Digital Preservation Training Programme (DPTP) is a JISC funded project which offers practical training and support all staff involved in managing digital information within their institutions. The pilot training programme will be geared towards Higher Education and Further Education institutions but the content will also be broadly applicable to a range of institutional settings. Managing digital material requires a range of skills from different individuals working within an institution, from managers to operational staff, and includes legal, policy and economic considerations as well as technical strategies. The DPTP is being led by the University of London Computer Centre (ULCC), in association with the Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC), Archaeology Data Service (ADS)/ AHDS Archaeology, and King’s College Digital Consultancy Service (KDCS) and in partnership with Cornell University. It provides a modular training programme designed to give individuals the confidence to apply their new skills to their own institutional setting, supported by carefully designed course materials.

A pilot residential DPTP takes place in the University of Warwick, October 10th-14th, 2005.

The cost of the pilot programme is free and participants will be asked to pay the costs of accommodation only. Accommodation will be at Arden House at the University of Warwick and will cost c. £ 80 per night.

To register your interest in attending the DPTP please visit our website at http://www.ulcc.ac.uk/dptp/

Event: Electric Connections 2005: A Vision for Virtual Scotland

Event: Electric Connections 2005: A Vision for Virtual Scotland

Date: Monday 22 August 2005, 09.30 - 16.00

Location: AK Bell Library Theatre, York Place, PERTH, PH2 8EP

Cost: FREE

The third annual COSMIC Electric Connections conference is due to take place on Monday 22nd August 2005 at the AK Bell Library Theatre, Perth. Funded by the Scottish Library & Information Council (SLIC) and the Scottish Museums Council (SMC), and organised by the Confederation of Scottish Mini-Cooperatives (COSMIC), EC2005 provides an insight into Scottish digital developments in the library, museum and archive sectors.

The focus for EC2005 will be on creating a 'Vision for Virtual Scotland' and will explore those issues pertaining to the management of digital resources across all domains, including preservation, metadata, interoperability, user issues, and open access issues. The conference will be free (with refreshments and lunch provided) thanks to support from the SLIC and SMC.

EC is a must for anyone who needs to stay in touch with the initiatives that will influence the development of the Scottish Common Information Environment. Note that registration will be essential to avoid disappointment since places are limited.

For registration details, please visit:
http://cosmic.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/currentevents/ec2005.htm

Article: Just What Is Google?

Yes, Google is digitizing books and creating lots of new products. But what is Google? Many would say is a media company that is delivering content -- and ads -- to your computer screen.

Where the company's bread is buttered right now is clear: Nearly every one of its billions of dollars comes from selling advertising that appears when people search the Web using its ultrapopular search engine. With analysts saying more and more ads will be moving away from TV and print to online, Google would seem to have a bright future just doing what it's doing.

But Google has also become the world's biggest "media" company, larger than TimeWarner, according to some, if a company can have that moniker without producing any original content. Others have their own ideas about what is, arguably, the most intriguing company on the planet.

What this article is saying has been said elsewhere, but it's a good write-up. Worth skimming if this is new to you.

July 1...July 4...July 14...digitization?

Today -- July 1 -- is Canada Day when Canadians celebrate their heritage. July 4 is Independence Day in the U.S. July 14 is France's national holiday (often called Bastille Day among English speakers). The celebrations on July 4 and 14 are tied to revolutions and civil war. It is easier to start a war in the summer, than in the winter, yet it is in the winter when many hard battles are fought. (And perhaps in the winter when the civil wars are planned.)

So what does this have to do with digitization? Easy -- timing.

If you are considering a digitization project, look at the calendar. What else is lurking in the future that could interfere with the project? What will you need to schedule around or at least be mindful of? When are all of the holidays and vacations? And finally...

When can you set aside time to plan? And...when can you set aside time to actually do the project? Perhaps the best time to do the digitization is not in the summer when everyone is on vacation (and when the humidity may be high and cause problems), but in the winter when everyone is in the office. And maybe the time to plan is in the summer when you can vet those ideas with colleagues at conferences?

And let's not forget those cycles that are created by funding agencies. Some seem to be on an opposite schedule that us (giving out grants in the spring when we're looking forward to summer vacations). Factor in the impact that those funding agencies will have on your calendar and on the project's timing.

As someone as said, timing is everything. There is also the saying that everything has a season. Both are indeed true with digitization projects.

If you are in the U.S. or Canada, have a wonderful holiday weekend!