The SIG/LAN Newsletter is published irregularly by the American Society for Information Science (ASIS) Special Interest Group for Library Automation and Networks (SIG/LAN). It is sent free of charge to all members of SIG/LAN.
The next issue is expected to be published in December 1997. Send articles, reviews and news contributions to Pat Ball or Ann Eagan.
The American Society for Information Science assumes no responsibility for statements advanced by contributions to the Society's publications. Editorial views do not necessarily represent the official position of ASIS.
1996/1997 SIG/LAN Officers
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When the Web emerged, many librarians saw it as the perfect technology for information resources, the mythical "seamless interface" in which users could search multiple databases simultaneously and choose their level of search complexity. Now that we have experience employing Web technology, what is the reality of its integration into the library world? The panel will present recent user behavior studies and their implications for adaptive interfaces, security configurations, and flexible approaches to public access computer/information resources. Audience attendees will be encouraged to share their experiences, raise their concerns, and express their visions about the use of the Web in libraries.
User Behavior in the Electronic Library: The Case for Adaptive and Flexible Interfaces. Oya Y. Rieger, Cornell University Library. Library Online Catalog Use in the Web Environment: The Experience of a Public Library. Dan Iddings, Networked and Automated Services, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Where Our Patrons Go in Cyberspace: Click-Stream Analysis in an Academic Research Library. Laura Cousineau and John Little, Perkins Library, Duke University.
Cassandra Armstrong, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Moderator.
One standard that supports the Web is the Uniform Resource Locator (URL), a standard way of addressing networked resources. URLs have serious limitations, including expired links, confusion between names and addresses, and difficulty in distinguishing between various versions of a resource. Unlike the world of online catalogs, the web does not offer an infrastructure for bibliographic control. To deal with these inadequacies, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) established the Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) Working Group to discuss and develop standards for naming, describing and addressing Internet resources. One intent of the Working Group is to create an all encompassing concept and associated syntax that will include and coordinate all forms of URs that might be needed. Two forms of URIs have been proposed, the Uniform Resource Names (URNs) and the Uniform Resource Characteristics (URCs). The URN is intended to deal with the issue of unique identifiers for networked resources. The URC is intended to contain metadata about a URN. In other words, the URC will supply a "bibliographic" description to an Internet resource to facilitate discovery of networked digital resources and collections. The session will mainly focus on the URC. Various proposals for their implementation and other metadata standards, such as the Dublin Core, will be outlined and presented.
Where Do We Stand on Uniform Resource Identifiers? Clifford Lynch, Coalition for Networked Information. URNs and URCs: Representation, Operation, and Status. Michael Mealling, Network Solutions, and Ron Daniel, Jr., Los Alamos National Lab. Metadata, MARC, and the Dublin Core. Rebecca Guenther, Network Development and MARC Standards Office, Library of Congress.
Ray Schwartz, Dana Library, Rutgers University, Moderator ( rps@andromeda.rutgers.edu).
Universal Service: Oportunities for Policy Research and Evaluation Briefing
Sunday, November 2, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
The new universal service policy provides opportunities for policy research and evaluation. Technology policy researchers and others interested in the evaluation of public policy issues are encouraged to attend a briefing on the new universal service policy on Sunday, November 2 in the Capitol Ballroom E at the J. W. Marriott in Washington, D.C. Jointly sponsored by ASIS' SIG IFP, the American Library Association's Washington Office and the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE), the briefing will feature Andrew Magpantay, Director of ALA's Office for Information Technology Policy.
On May 7, 1997, the Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously on a rule to implement discounted telecommunications services to libraries and schools as part of the implementation of the Snowe-Kerrey-Rockefeller-Exon (SKRE) amendment to the Telecommunications Act of 1996. This ruling provides discounts of 20-90% for eligible libraries, with deeper discounts going to libraries in low-income and high-cost communities. The discounts will provide up to $2.25 billion per year in support to schools and libraries on a wide range of telecommunications services. Barring successful challenges to this rule, library and school discounts will be available beginning January 1, 1998.
The FCC is scheduled to review the program in three years. Policy makers and other stakeholders are already being asked questions about evaluating the success of this universal service policy. Some of the questions raised include:
Careers Program: New Roles and Responsibilities for Information Professionals
Sunday, 1:00 pm - 3:00pm
What are the new or additional roles and responsibilities being expected of information professionals and the environment (technology, management needs and expectations, etc.) changes? Developing new types of positions, re-training staff, and having new expectations of professionals are key to realizing change within our institutions.
Jose Griffiths, Chief Information Officer at the University of Michigan, will present the impressions she has gleaned from research and communications within and outside the University.
Digital Object Identifiers (DOI) — Future Access Tool Now Being Designed
Monday, 3:30pm - 5:30pm
See the paper by Clifford Lynch "Identifiers and The Role in Networked Information Applications," for a great introduction to the issues and concerns in metadata applications now being developed.
DOI's are being designed to present information about any digitized object — a document, or a part of a document, an executable program, sound or video, or even a collection of some or all of these, each one of which might have its own DOI. When the DOI infrastructure is implemented, one will be able to retrieve either a digital object itself or information about where and under what conditions the object can be retrieved, depending on the owner's wishes. The information presented through a DOI could be a document itself, publisher information, copyright or usage information, or whatever is desired/considered necessary by the object's owner.
The design of the DOI system was initiated by the Association of American Publishers to meet their complex of needs in protecting and disseminating digital information, especially electronic journals. The technological backbone of the system is the CNRI Handle System designed by Robert Kahn and others at the Corporation for National Research Initiatives. Technologically, the system is probably sufficiently flexible to incorporate most needs, uses and users. Several trial implementations are in place today, but policies on usage are now being developed for larger scale implementations.
This invited session will introduce the DOI concept, explain how and why it was developed and how it is working at the Library of Congress and elsewhere, and encourage input on design, policy and usage considerations while the design process is underway.
Speakers: History & Policy: Craig Van Dyck, John Wiley & Sons; Chair, AAP Enabling Technologies Committee Technology Design: Larry Lannom, CNRI Moderator: Clifford Lynch, Coalition for Networked Information
If you have just read a great book, article or Web document that you would like to share, write down your thoughts and send them to Pat Ball at 135 Cumberland Crossing, Smyrna, GA 30080 or patball@delphi.com . Don't worry about the length or too much about the spelling. We will clean it up. Just send us some material, please!
ASIS Annual:
1998 Mid-Year Meeting:
1998 Annual Meeting
Information Access in the Global Information Economy
ASIS 1998 Annual Meeting October 25-29, 1998 Pittsburgh, PA
As the internet spans the globe, we are beginning to see the growth of a truly global economy fueled by the exchange of information and information-based products. In this new economy there is an ever-increasing and critical need to provide access to the information available. Information and knowledge are rapidly becoming available to anyone, located anywhere, at any time.
Information science has provided many of the key elements in making this global information accessible to those who need it. The ASIS 1998 Annual meeting will examine information access and what it means in a global information economy. The topics that will be examined include:
These themes will be explored by keynote and invited speakers, and through refereed papers, panels and technical sessions. We invite participation through submission of papers and proposals for panels and technical sessions on topics associated with the general themes outlined above.
TYPES OF SUBMISSIONS
Please include ALL information as requested on the submission form to facilitate our consideration of your proposal. Use the form, copy it, create a reasonable electronic version, send a message requesting a copy to rhill@asis.org or retrieve it from the ASIS web site at the ASIS Conference Page.
Submit your proposal by e-mail to the appropriate address: AM98panels@asis.org or AM98papers@asis.org also submit proposals on paper or in ASCII on a 3-½ inch disk along with hard copy to the appropriate address below.
CONTRIBUTED PAPERS should present research contributions in the areas outlined above. All papers will be refereed and accepted papers will be published in the proceedings and will be presented at the meeting.
Initial intents to submit a paper for consideration should include the author(s) name, complete addresses, phone, FAX, and email, the title, and a 250 word extended outline or abstract of the proposed paper. All intents to submit papers must be received by the Contributed Paper Coordinator by December 15, 1997. Preliminary approval will be made by January 15,1998. Three copies of the complete paper will be due on February 15, 1998. Final notification of acceptance will be made by April 1, 1998. The camera-ready copy of the paper for publication in the Proceedings will be due on June 1, 1998.
CONTRIBUTED PAPER COORDINATOR: Cecilia M. Preston, Preston & Lynch P.O. Box 8310 Emeryville, CA 94662 (510) 547-3207 email: cecilia@well.com
PANELS, TECHNICAL SESSIONS, AND OTHER PRESENTATIONS: Panels and technical sessions are usually organized by ASIS Special Interest Groups, but may be proposed by other organizations or individuals. Proposals for panels or technical sessions should include a title and 500 word description of the session, along with the name, complete addresses, phone, FAX, and email for the session organizer(contact person), and the names and affiliations of presenters or other session participants (including moderators, reactors, etc.).
All proposals for panels, technical sessions and other presentations must be received by the Panel Session Coordinator by December 15, 1997. Notification of acceptance will be sent to the contact person by February 1, 1998. Final program details, including participant names and presentation titles will be due by March 15, 1998. Camera-ready copy of abstracts and a description of the session for publication in the Proceedings will be due on June 1, 1998. Panel session papers may be submitted to the Contributed Paper Coordinator to be refereed for inclusion in the proceedings.
PANEL SESSION COORDINATOR: Karla Petersen Cudahy Library Loyola University Chicago 6525 N. Sheridan Road Chicago, IL 60626 Tel: (773) 508-2657 Fax: (773) 508-8691 email: kpeter1@luc.edu