Digital Library Digest: December 4, 2012

Dean of Technology at Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science reminds us we are leasing digital material, not buying it

“When it comes to digital, librarians can sometimes be perceived as awfully cranky—just look at the current debate around e-books and lending rights. But it’s easy to see why, as libraries face historic difficulties in the digital age. To take stock of the situation, PW recently caught up with Terry Plum, assistant dean of technology at the Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science.

“Publishers Weekly: With the digital transition in full force, let’s start with a basic question: how do you see the shift to digital content and e-readers and other devices affecting or changing the traditional role of the library?

“Terry Plum: To me, that question goes to the heart of what the library is. The library is a shared commons around information. You could look at the library as a community defined by the exchange of books, but it’s more. It is a community defined by the exchange of information to create knowledge. Devices and platforms like the Kindle, however, are not shared. So in that world, you lose the shared commons. You lose the ability to exchange the material. Licensing abrogates the doctrine of first sale, and under the terms of many licenses you’re not able to give the material to somebody else. You can’t sell the book, or lend it, or give the book to the library, all of which not only made you feel good, but also tied you to the community. Look, for example, at library book sales. In small towns, library book sales are big events. Everybody gives away their old books and buys other people’s books, and you have this whole exchange going on. But in the digital world, the user is increasingly isolated because of licensing strictures.

“A recent false story about the actor Bruce Willis’s supposed outrage over his inability to pass his digital music collection on to his children served to remind us again that we don’t own the digital content we buy, we only lease it. Apparently, many consumers aren’t aware that when they buy e-books or MP3s or movies online, they are only purchasing the license, not the actual content.

“Well, I’m not certain that consumers are unaware, but, yes, licensing trumps everything. It trumps copyright, it trumps fair use—if you sign it away or, for consumers, click it away. The license is the agreement. That’s why librarians read those license agreements very carefully. Now, the digital experience, such as being able to read an e-book on a high-resolution device, is value-added. But the restrictive digital rights management that comes with that is the price you pay.”

From Sasha Nyary’s article for Publisher’s Weekly, Standing Up for the Community: PW Talks with Terry Plum: ALA Preview 2012

The Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (German Digital Library) brings 3D views of sculptures and fragile manuscripts to the public through online cultural center

“Everyone should have access to Germany’s cultural heritage. That’s the goal of a new multimedia portal, the German Digital Library. It encompasses sources from 1,800 cultural and academic institutions.

From Silke Wünsch’s article for DW, Digital Life: Germany’s cultural heritage goes digital

Scientists now gauge reliability of articles through online generated comments and citations, not just prestige of a printed journal 

“The Open Access movement continued gaining steam in 2012. A third iteration of the Research Works Act was quashed, the number of universities adopting official open access policies continued to grow, dozens of new open access journals were launched, and a petition calling for public access to all federally funded research gathered enough signatures to get the attention of the White House.

“But Open Access is only one part of a larger shift taking place in the academic world—particularly the sciences—says Richard Price, founder and CEO of academia.edu. Price argues that academia is moving toward a system where the credibility of research, publications, and ultimately researchers themselves, is gauged not by the prestige of the journal in which works are published, but by the usage, citations, and professional feedback that the works generate online.

“That’s the theory behind academia.edu, a social media-inspired platform that allows research scientists and other academic professionals to critique and collaborate on research. Since its founding in the fall of 2008, the site has attracted almost 2 million members (including a growing community of librarians), 1.7 million papers, and 3.9 million unique visitors per month.”

From Matt Enis’s article for The Digital Shift, Scientists Seek New Credibility Outside of Established Journals

Maryland Public Libraries trying to create “maker spaces” for kids

“Calling all geeks — our libraries need you.

“Skip Auld, executive director of Anne Arundel County Library System, said creating “maker spaces” for do-it-yourself enthusiasts, tech geeks and other tinkerers could be good for county libraries as they try to rise from the bottom of a ranking recently issued by the Library Journal.

“He was among more than 100 librarians, educators and others at the West County Regional Library in Odenton on Wednesday for a Maker Meetup. Sponsored by the Maryland State Department of Education, the event was a discussion of creating work spaces and other resources for hobbyists.

“Those attending got a firsthand look at Matt Barinholtz’s Crownsville-based FutureMakers, a mobile, hands-on “tinkering” program that takes the art of handcrafting to schools, libraries and the homes of home-schooled students.

“One example of how maker space in public libraries could benefit communities is the relationship between South River High School and the library system’s Edgewater Branch. The high school is one of two in the county which has a special program focusing on science, technology, engineering and math.

“This stuff gets kids off the street and away from the game console and it prepares them for a good-paying job,” said Gary Mauler, an engineering fellow at Northrop Grumman in Linthicum.”

From Jake Linger’s article for the Crofton-West County Gazette, Libraries hope ‘maker spaces’ make a difference

MIT Library survey finds that patrons strongly want access to resources via mobile devices

From the MIT Libraries news blog, Survey snapshot: Library research using mobile devices