Computers in Libraries

Weaving the Past Into the Present by Digitizing Local History

Digitization is in the news these days. Google's doing it, and Microsoft is too. Some may think one needs to be a gigantic corporation or huge university to tackle this technology. But in reality, institutions of all sizes can jump into the fray.

Scanning for Digitization Projects

Making good scans means doing more than just pressing buttons. If one understands what software to choose, which file formats to use, and what the specifications really mean, one can create digital images with optimal quality.

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go! Overview of a Digital Project From Start to Finish

In 2004, Georgia State University (GSU) Library's Southern Labor Archives, located in Atlanta, began working with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) to plan for the digitization of the union's 105-year-old journal. When this marathon project was completed, GSU Library had realized its two goals: creating preservation copies of the volumes and, by developing a digital library system, providing searchable online versions of these publications for interested ...

Noted &Amp; Quoted

Editor's Notes

Digging Into Digitizing

The technologies for the task of scanning change fairly often. And the technologies for storing these scans probably change even more often.

Online Treasures

By Digitizing, Are We Trading Future Accessibility for Current Availability?

At first glance, it would seem that digitizing library materials to provide greater accessibility and to preserve them would be a goal that all librarians, even curmudgeonly ones, would support. Yet some of the widely publicized digitization projects, such as Google's effort to digitize the holdings of some of the world's largest libraries, have been met not just with a cautious attitude from some but also with some stiff opposition from others.

The Systems Librarian

An Update On Open Source Ils

Open source software contrasts with proprietary, closed software. While open source software has flourished for a number of years for infrastructure-level components, it has not gained a stronghold in the library automation arena.

Books To Check Out

Iti Releases New Edition of Extreme Searcher

Scarecrow Press Releases Guide for Media Specialists and Educators

O'reilly Media, Inc. Offers New Titles

Tech Tips For Every Librarian

Buy the Book

Gordon and Stephens present a recommended list of books and periodicals on technological resources for libraries.

Building Digital Libraries

Cool Tips for Digital Curators

Scanning, converting, "ingesting," and preserving: They're not going away anytime soon. In fact, these tasks have grown in importance, complexity--and prestige. Nonetheless, the fact remains that some solid work with a laptop and scanner will get one started as an innovator.

Libraries In Computers

File Formats and the Librarian's Supersuit

There's a lot of work still to be done to find ways to recognize diverse file formats and to communicate what can be found out about different files into standard wrappers that work as well as library bindings. If one wants to be able to scan the "shelves" of our libraries in computers and get a quick overview of their breadth and dynamics, especially as content pulses in and out, it'll be much easier when a handful of these wrapper standards catches on.