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T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 2
Volume 18, Number 3/4
doi:10.1045/march2012-contents
ISSN: 1082-9873
E D I T O R I A L
Web Archives
by Laurence Lannom, Corporation for National Research Initiatives
A R T I C L E S
Web Archives for Researchers: Representations, Expectations and Potential Uses
Article by Peter Stirling, Philippe Chevallier, Gildas Illien, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris
Abstract: The Internet has been covered by legal deposit legislation in France since 2006, making web archiving one of the missions of the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF). Access to the web archives has been provided in the library on an experimental basis since 2008. In the context of increasing interest in many countries in web archiving and how it may best serve the needs of researchers, especially in the expanding field of Internet studies for social sciences, a qualitative study was performed, based on interviews with potential users of the web archives held at the BnF, and particularly researchers working in various areas related to the Internet. The study aimed to explore their needs in terms of both content and services, and also to analyse different ways of representing the archives, in order to identify ways of increasing their use. While the interest of maintaining the "memory" of the web is obvious to the researchers, they are faced with the difficulty of defining, in what is a seemingly limitless space, meaningful collections of documents. Cultural heritage institutions such as national libraries are perceived as trusted third parties capable of creating rationally-constructed and well-documented collections, but such archives raise certain ethical and methodological questions.
An Overview of Web Archiving
Article by Jinfang Niu, University of South Florida
Abstract: This overview is a study of the methods used at a variety of universities, and international government libraries and archives, to select, acquire, describe and access web resources for their archives. Creating a web archive presents many challenges, and library and information schools should ensure that instruction in web archiving methods and skills is made part of their curricula, to help future practitioners meet those challenges. In preparation for developing a web archiving course, the author conducted a comprehensive literature review. The findings are reported in this paper, along with the author's views on some of the methods in use, such as how traditional archive management concepts and theories can be applied to the organization and description of archived web resources.
Functionalities of Web Archives
Article by Jinfang Niu, University of South Florida
Abstract: The functionalities that are important to the users of web archives range from basic searching and browsing to advanced personalized and customized services, data mining, and website reconstruction. The author examined ten of the most established English language web archives to determine which functionalities each of the archives supported, and how they compared. A functionality checklist was designed, based on use cases created by the International Internet Preservation Consortium (IIPC), and the findings of two related user studies. The functionality review was conducted, along with a comprehensive literature review of web archiving methods, in preparation for the development of a web archiving course for Library and Information School students. This paper describes the functionalities used in the checklist, the extent to which those functionalities are implemented by the various archives, and discusses the author's findings.
Social Awareness Tools for Science Research
Article by Tamara M. McMahon, University of Kansas Medical Center; James E. Powell, Matthew Hopkins, Daniel A. Alcazar, Laniece E. Miller and Linn Collins, Los Alamos National Laboratory; Ketan K. Mane, Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI)
Abstract: Tools for social networking and social awareness are developing rapidly and evolving continuously. They are gaining popularity in a growing number of professional as well as personal activities, including scholarly research. There are social awareness tools for science researchers that facilitate collaboration, help manage references, and offer options for presenting findings in new ways. This paper discusses those tools. Evaluating and understanding their functionalities requires effort, and scientists can be reluctant to invest the necessary time to learn to use and populate them on their own. This suggests that an important role for librarians is to evaluate the many social awareness tools available, to recommend the ones that are best suited to each researcher's needs, and to help researchers use those tools effectively.
C O N F E R E N C E R E P O R T
The 7th International Digital Curation Conference — A Personal View
Conference Report by Philip Hunter, Edinburgh University Library
Abstract: The International Digital Curation Conference (IDCC) is an established annual event with a unique place in the digital curation community, engaging individuals, organisations and institutions across all disciplines and domains involved in curating data and providing an opportunity to get together with like-minded data practitioners to discuss policy and practice. The most recent IDCC took place in Bristol, UK, 5-8 December 2011. The Digital Curation Centre (DCC) is funded by the UK organisation JISC. The event was organised in conjunction with the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI). This year the conference looked at the issues arising from the creation of an open data landscape.
N E W S & E V E N T S
In Brief: Short Items of Current Awareness
In the News: Recent Press Releases and Announcements
Clips & Pointers: Documents, Deadlines, Calls for Participation
Meetings, Conferences, Workshops: Calendar of Activities Associated with Digital Libraries Research and Technologies
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F E A T U R E D D I G I T A L
C O L L E C T I O N
Credo is an online repository containing the digital collections held by the UMass Amherst Libraries' Department of Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA). SCUA presently houses more than 30,000 linear feet of archives and rare books, the vast majority of which are available only to users who are able to visit the collections in person. In an effort to make these unique materials more widely and freely accessible, SCUA and the Libraries' Systems Department began to develop Credo in 2009, with the goal of making the repository a central hub for exploring SCUA's collections from anywhere at any time. Credo was built using all open standards including the Fedora Repository software, XML, XSLT, Apache Solr, and MODS (Metadata Object Description Standard).
With the generous support of the Verizon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities, SCUA simultaneously embarked upon the massive project of digitizing the complete papers of the African American intellectual and activist, W.E.B. Du Bois. By the time that Credo was launched in June 2011, more than 40,000 digital objects from the Du Bois Papers were already available, and within two years, SCUA expects to include the remainder of the collection — another 60,000 items. SCUA plans to add significant content to Credo in the coming years both digitized and born digital, representing the breadth of their collecting interests from university history to social change, the history of New England, and innovation and entrepreneurship.
D - L I B E D I T O R I A L S T A F F
Laurence Lannom, Editor-in-Chief
Allison Powell, Associate Editor
Catherine Rey, Managing Editor
Bonita Wilson, Contributing Editor
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