Thursday, September 29, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Reading Notes #5
LAN
I have heard the term LAN before, especially in terms of LAN PARTIES, that computer geeks attend to play games. Plus, sometimes it says on the bottom of Windows machines LAN Not Detected, or something similar. According to this article, this also includes ethernet, which I had not realized was a part of this local area network. Using this all through college before wireless internet was available allowed all students to be connected to the school's server/internet. Both ethernet and Wifi create this local area network among a specific group, be it a party or a whole university (which could be debated, is a party). It is a critical part of how we connect to technology in the 21st century, and I think most people who use computers and connect to the internet don't think about what a LAN is, or even need to know, until the connection is lost.
Computer Network
A computer network is "is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communications channels that allow sharing of resources and information." If I understand this article correctly, a LAN is a type of computer network, and there are also personal area networks and home networks, which can also facilitate DSL TV. A computer network allows us as users to send messages, files of documents/images, even making phone calls. There are campus networks, like I cited above, and other networks I had never heard of before, like a backbone network. There are also different configurations of networks, something I think as a single user, did not realize, including a bus, star, or ring network layouts. Routers and firewalls were also familiar terms, but I did not know anything about switches and bridges, devices that work "behind the scenes." A big factor in computer networks is security. This is a big topic that surely has its own wikipedia page that was not discussed here, and I can't say I am anything near an expert on that!
Management of RFID in Libraries
In this article by Karen Coyle in 2005, she addresses the use of RFIDs in libraries. RFIDs are radio frequency identifiers of a computer chip with an antenna that had contain information about the book as well as location. They are used in other industries, like livestock and warehouses, to keep track of many objects. The question in this article is its use in libraries. It could help manage large collections and tracking individual items. Anyone who has gone to look for a book by its call number, only to find out that it has been reported as missing, is very disappointed. Coyle cites circulation and security as two library functions that could be assisted with the use of RFIDS. It would be possible to know if a book had been checked out or just taken from the building if they were used. She also questions its "return on investment" or ROI of these devices. It depends, however, how much these devices make the check out process easy and placed on the user, so that a circulation staff would no longer be required, saving the library tons on salaries. However, the books would still need to be reshelved when they were returned. Coyle gives both pros and cons for this possibility. In conclusion, she advises readers not to ignore this new technology, and to see how it can help libraries become more efficient.
I have heard the term LAN before, especially in terms of LAN PARTIES, that computer geeks attend to play games. Plus, sometimes it says on the bottom of Windows machines LAN Not Detected, or something similar. According to this article, this also includes ethernet, which I had not realized was a part of this local area network. Using this all through college before wireless internet was available allowed all students to be connected to the school's server/internet. Both ethernet and Wifi create this local area network among a specific group, be it a party or a whole university (which could be debated, is a party). It is a critical part of how we connect to technology in the 21st century, and I think most people who use computers and connect to the internet don't think about what a LAN is, or even need to know, until the connection is lost.
Computer Network
A computer network is "is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communications channels that allow sharing of resources and information." If I understand this article correctly, a LAN is a type of computer network, and there are also personal area networks and home networks, which can also facilitate DSL TV. A computer network allows us as users to send messages, files of documents/images, even making phone calls. There are campus networks, like I cited above, and other networks I had never heard of before, like a backbone network. There are also different configurations of networks, something I think as a single user, did not realize, including a bus, star, or ring network layouts. Routers and firewalls were also familiar terms, but I did not know anything about switches and bridges, devices that work "behind the scenes." A big factor in computer networks is security. This is a big topic that surely has its own wikipedia page that was not discussed here, and I can't say I am anything near an expert on that!
Management of RFID in Libraries
In this article by Karen Coyle in 2005, she addresses the use of RFIDs in libraries. RFIDs are radio frequency identifiers of a computer chip with an antenna that had contain information about the book as well as location. They are used in other industries, like livestock and warehouses, to keep track of many objects. The question in this article is its use in libraries. It could help manage large collections and tracking individual items. Anyone who has gone to look for a book by its call number, only to find out that it has been reported as missing, is very disappointed. Coyle cites circulation and security as two library functions that could be assisted with the use of RFIDS. It would be possible to know if a book had been checked out or just taken from the building if they were used. She also questions its "return on investment" or ROI of these devices. It depends, however, how much these devices make the check out process easy and placed on the user, so that a circulation staff would no longer be required, saving the library tons on salaries. However, the books would still need to be reshelved when they were returned. Coyle gives both pros and cons for this possibility. In conclusion, she advises readers not to ignore this new technology, and to see how it can help libraries become more efficient.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Muddiest Point #3
I have no muddiest point for this week. But I am wondering when our assignment three information will be on courseweb... It made the lab session hard to understand when I didn't know what the endproduct of the assignment was supposed to be. Will there be more straightforward instructions available? The lab session went way too quickly from excel to access and how do we know what SQL words to use?
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Reading Notes #4
Introduction to Metadata
Before library school, I had never heard of metadata. It made me think of some sort of programming code, and I was terrified I would have to learn some computer language! Instead, it was something I knew all along, I just didn't know the term for it. Gilliland summed up metadata as three things: content, context, and structure:
Before library school, I had never heard of metadata. It made me think of some sort of programming code, and I was terrified I would have to learn some computer language! Instead, it was something I knew all along, I just didn't know the term for it. Gilliland summed up metadata as three things: content, context, and structure:
- Content relates to what the object contains or is about and is intrinsic to an information object.
- Context indicates the who, what, why, where, and how aspects associated with the object's creation and is extrinsic to an information object.
- Structure relates to the formal set of associations within or among individual information objects and can be intrinsic or extrinsic or both.
She also provides a handy table of the standards and rules associated with each aspect of metadata. However, it is difficult to have one standards system or terms available to describe EVERYTHING that may need to be indexed, cataloged, or otherwise organized. Metadata, even though it sounds scary, is just information about an object, that tells you about its content, its context and the structure of the object., and standards make sure that every individual or organization uses the same terms. For instance, one person might assign the word "blue" to an object, but another, to the same object, could say "navy." Both are true, but it doesn't help a user try to find the information that they need.
Gilliland also discusses a new phenomenon of user-created metadata. We discussed in class the site Delicious, which I had never used before, but I think this is the same idea. Tagging has existed in other forms, be it Facebook or otherwise, that help to organize information, and it's done on an individual level.
She also talks about the life cycle of an information object, which resonates with my current 2220 class and records management readings. Citing multiple situations in which metadata can be highly useful, it will definitely remain a core aspect of the information profession.
Gilliland also discusses a new phenomenon of user-created metadata. We discussed in class the site Delicious, which I had never used before, but I think this is the same idea. Tagging has existed in other forms, be it Facebook or otherwise, that help to organize information, and it's done on an individual level.
She also talks about the life cycle of an information object, which resonates with my current 2220 class and records management readings. Citing multiple situations in which metadata can be highly useful, it will definitely remain a core aspect of the information profession.
Dublin Core Data Model
This model was completely unknown to me. It appears to be a metadata project begun in 1999, but I think this summarizes its mission: "The Dublin Core Element Set defines a set properties and associated semantics that are common to many resource description communities. The DCMI is declaring additional properties for richer descriptions (e.g. qualifiers) and domain specific needs (dc-education, dc-libraries, dc-government, dc-business, etc.). Each property defined will have unique identify along with at human readable labels and clear semantic definitions. Each property declared may additionally define permitted values, the types of resources it can describe, and/or its relationship (e.g. 'semantic refinement') with other properties." But honestly, I do not understand the computer-programming specific looking examples on this website! Hopefully it will be explained in class in laymens' terms.
Endnote
I thought EndNote was something like RefWorks, but I think it's a little more extensive and versatile. This site is presented by a university, so it appears to be written for the student/scholar and uses video to explain how to use it to create EndNote libraries and import citations from databases and the like. Not only does it create citations in a variety of styles for papers and other written work, it is a "personal library" of references that can be organized. I have tried to use RefWorks in the past, and just got frustrated with it. I felt more confident handwriting out all of my citations, but that was easy because I rarely had more than 20 and they only needed to be in one style. EndNote might have an easier-to-use interface, making me more likely to use it for personal reasons, but knowing both systems would help me as an information professional for sure.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Assignment #2: Working with Jing
I created a video as well as images to explain to new users how to create a Gmail account.
How to Create a Gmail Account
How to Create a Gmail Account Step 1
How to Create a Gmail Account Step 2
How to Create a Gmail Account Step 3
How to Create a Gmail Account Step 4
How to Create a Gmail Account Step 5
How to Create a Gmail Account Step 6
How to Create a Gmail Account
How to Create a Gmail Account Step 1
How to Create a Gmail Account Step 2
How to Create a Gmail Account Step 3
How to Create a Gmail Account Step 4
How to Create a Gmail Account Step 5
How to Create a Gmail Account Step 6
Muddiest Point #2
De. He said that the new PNG format for images is better but simpler than TIFF. Other than small file sizes, why else would using PNG be superior to the "archival" quality of the TIFF?
Reading Notes #3
Databases and the Entity Relationship Model in Database
I have used many different databases in my career as a student, from high school to the present. The wikipedia page on databases is very technical, and I don't understand all of the software terms, but I have a better understanding of a database having used one. Requiring both database programmers and administrators, it requires a staff to be created and maintained. The one aspect I hadn't realized was the number of different types of databases-- cloud databases, graph databases, and knowledge databases, to name a few. Databases also have three different types of architecture- internal, external, and conceptual. One of the issues with databases is security and controlling who can access the information in a database. This is most obvious in the ULS holdings available online... one must either be signed on to the Internet on a campus computer, or you have to authenticate yourself with your Pitt ID-- showing the database you have permission to enter the database. A database also requires a large amount of space to store all the information-- so a large harddrive or server, but there are many different options depending on your needs and budget. Reading this article about databases definitely shows me that I know very little about computers or programming!
Entity-relationship Model is a part of software engineering, and coming from a humanities background, I had never heard of it before. It is very helpful to see information visually, especially organizationally. The ER Model helps you to achieve this and to determine what the needs will be of your database. Built of "entities," each part of the database is separate and related to other parts in sets. In order to demonstrate these relationships, different shapes and lines signify different relationships, but there are many different versions of these diagramming notations.
Database Normalization Process
Phlonx gives a good introduction to the database normalization process using diagrams. The hardest part was memorizing those three normal forms!:
I have used many different databases in my career as a student, from high school to the present. The wikipedia page on databases is very technical, and I don't understand all of the software terms, but I have a better understanding of a database having used one. Requiring both database programmers and administrators, it requires a staff to be created and maintained. The one aspect I hadn't realized was the number of different types of databases-- cloud databases, graph databases, and knowledge databases, to name a few. Databases also have three different types of architecture- internal, external, and conceptual. One of the issues with databases is security and controlling who can access the information in a database. This is most obvious in the ULS holdings available online... one must either be signed on to the Internet on a campus computer, or you have to authenticate yourself with your Pitt ID-- showing the database you have permission to enter the database. A database also requires a large amount of space to store all the information-- so a large harddrive or server, but there are many different options depending on your needs and budget. Reading this article about databases definitely shows me that I know very little about computers or programming!
Entity-relationship Model is a part of software engineering, and coming from a humanities background, I had never heard of it before. It is very helpful to see information visually, especially organizationally. The ER Model helps you to achieve this and to determine what the needs will be of your database. Built of "entities," each part of the database is separate and related to other parts in sets. In order to demonstrate these relationships, different shapes and lines signify different relationships, but there are many different versions of these diagramming notations.
Database Normalization Process
Phlonx gives a good introduction to the database normalization process using diagrams. The hardest part was memorizing those three normal forms!:
- No repeating elements or groups of elements
- No partial dependencies on a concatenated key
- No dependencies on non-key attributes
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Reading Notes #2
Data Compression
While I have heard of data compression and have seen examples of it in my everyday "tech" life, I never understood exactly how it worked. Compression allows for smaller files, but it may reduce the quality of the end product (jpegs vs. tiff files for image) and sometimes it requires expensive software to decompress the files. Lossy and lossless compression are a bit confusing. As it sounds, lossy compression sacrifices some of the information in the original file in order to compress it, and it's used in digital cameras among other applications. Lossless, on the other hand, retains all or most of the original information, but cannot be compressed as well as lossy compression. The longer article explaining how data compression works gets somewhat (ok, extremely!) technical and I cannot say I completely understand how the encoding works.
Imaging Pittsburgh
I was excited to read this article because it's written by my Pitt Partner supervisor at the Archives Service Center here at the University of Pittsburgh. Thanks for a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, over 7,000-10,000 images of Pittsburgh were digitized and made available online. Photographs of historic neighborhoods of Pittsburgh, its people, and its landmarks demonstrate the city's change over time and its diversity. Its digital format allows users to search and browse the collections, and to view images related by subject, date, or location with a few clicks of the mouse. Ed Galloway mentions that one of the biggest issues with the project, which at first sounds relatively straight-foward, was choosing which photographs to digitize. An interesting discovery, thanks to this grant and project, was that by using of subject headings for each photograph, it was possible to look at a collection from afar, and see which subjects were most common. This way, the nature of each collection became increasingly clearer and could communicate the importance of each collection to a patron. Another issue was the issue of copyright. It was decided to use a strategy in which the images could be used for personal/non-commercial use, but that the user should contact the institution that holds the originals for permissions and a link was also provided. Ethically-speaking, I think that this is a very conscientious decision.
Youtube and Libraries
This article provides easy-to-follow instructions for new users of Youtube to set up a profile. The author, Paula Webb, explains the advantages of using Youtube within libraries. Existing as free advertising, Youtube could allow small libraries or libraries with small budgets to publicize their location, collections, and events. Even larger institutions could utilize it. I liked the example of Williams College's freshman introduction to the library through Youtube, which gave a new hip and technologically savvy edge to a common information session. I think this article demonstrates how knowledge of information technology can help libraries reach patrons and connect them with the right information and facilitates access to, rather than makes obsolete, paper-based resources.
While I have heard of data compression and have seen examples of it in my everyday "tech" life, I never understood exactly how it worked. Compression allows for smaller files, but it may reduce the quality of the end product (jpegs vs. tiff files for image) and sometimes it requires expensive software to decompress the files. Lossy and lossless compression are a bit confusing. As it sounds, lossy compression sacrifices some of the information in the original file in order to compress it, and it's used in digital cameras among other applications. Lossless, on the other hand, retains all or most of the original information, but cannot be compressed as well as lossy compression. The longer article explaining how data compression works gets somewhat (ok, extremely!) technical and I cannot say I completely understand how the encoding works.
Imaging Pittsburgh
I was excited to read this article because it's written by my Pitt Partner supervisor at the Archives Service Center here at the University of Pittsburgh. Thanks for a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, over 7,000-10,000 images of Pittsburgh were digitized and made available online. Photographs of historic neighborhoods of Pittsburgh, its people, and its landmarks demonstrate the city's change over time and its diversity. Its digital format allows users to search and browse the collections, and to view images related by subject, date, or location with a few clicks of the mouse. Ed Galloway mentions that one of the biggest issues with the project, which at first sounds relatively straight-foward, was choosing which photographs to digitize. An interesting discovery, thanks to this grant and project, was that by using of subject headings for each photograph, it was possible to look at a collection from afar, and see which subjects were most common. This way, the nature of each collection became increasingly clearer and could communicate the importance of each collection to a patron. Another issue was the issue of copyright. It was decided to use a strategy in which the images could be used for personal/non-commercial use, but that the user should contact the institution that holds the originals for permissions and a link was also provided. Ethically-speaking, I think that this is a very conscientious decision.
Youtube and Libraries
This article provides easy-to-follow instructions for new users of Youtube to set up a profile. The author, Paula Webb, explains the advantages of using Youtube within libraries. Existing as free advertising, Youtube could allow small libraries or libraries with small budgets to publicize their location, collections, and events. Even larger institutions could utilize it. I liked the example of Williams College's freshman introduction to the library through Youtube, which gave a new hip and technologically savvy edge to a common information session. I think this article demonstrates how knowledge of information technology can help libraries reach patrons and connect them with the right information and facilitates access to, rather than makes obsolete, paper-based resources.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Muddiest Point #1
Dr. He mentioned in class that Mac OS and Unix are less likely to have issues with Spyware, versus Windows machines. Perhaps he could clarify exactly why Windows are less "resistant?"
Assignment #1: Flickr and Digitization
This set on my Flickr account should contain 10 objects or images, one as a display copy and one for use as a thumbnail, for a total of 20 images. If the link does not work properly, please contact me.
Flickr/Digitization Project Week 2
Flickr/Digitization Project Week 2
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Reading Notes #1
Personal Computer Hardware
- Personal Computer Hardware- "component devices" onto which software is installed
- Components: Motherboard- connects other parts of the computer
- Attached to the Motherboard is the: CPU- Central Processing Unit- performs calculations "the brain," cooled by heat sink and fan
- Chip Set- Communicates between CPU and memory
- RAM- Random Access Memory- runs applications and operating system
- BIOS- firmware and power management- Basic Input Output System
- Internal Buses- connect CPU to expansion cards and external peripherals= USB, Firewire, etc
- Powered by AC converted to DC= Switch mode power supplies regulates DC power
Removable Media
- CD- Rom, CD Writer
- DVD- Digital versatile disc- stores 12 x more info than CD
- Blue-ray- High density, 70x CD
- USB flash drive- memory data storage
- Secondary Storage= hard drive, solid-state drive (no moving parts), RAID array controller- manages multiple hard disk
These removable media allow a computer to work with other pieces of technology and means of information storage.
- now built into motherboard, output sound plus input microphone
- Keyboard, Mouse (optical), Trackball, Touchscreen, joystick, image scanner, web cam, microphone
- Printer, speakers, headphones, monitor (CRT, LCD, LED, OLED)
- "Collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions for telling a computer what to do and how to do it"
- Types= Application software, programming languages, operating systems, firmware, drivers
History
- Software first used in print by John Tukey in 1958, theory proposed by Alan Turing in 1935
- User -> Application -> Operating System -> Hardware
System Software = drivers, OS, servers, utilities, windows systems
Programming Software= compilers, debuggers, interpreters, linkers, text editors
Application Software = word processing, video games, databases, simulations, etc
Industry
- Bill Gates- Microsoft Windows and Office
- Adobe, Corel, Symantec
- Nonprofits- Mozilla, etc
While many of these terms I have heard before, I never had a formal definition. I am familiar with hard drives and many other the external components that can be connected to a computer, but I had never heard of BIOS or a chip set, and often wondered what made Blue-Ray so much "better," and especially so expensive. DVDs were always clear enough for me! I realize now the assignment was looking more for these observations rather than these bulleted notes... I will have to verify how Dr. He and Jessica wants these assignments completed...
Digitization: Is It Worth It? by Stuart D. Lee
Lee- worked at computer services at Oxford, 4 years with rare manuscripts
Digitization Definition- conversion of analog media to digital form- for most people, digital imaging
Cost Issues
- Large numbers of caveats and variables to determine cost
- Does not always reflect entire cost (usually only 1/3 of total cost!)
- Must include assembling source material, clearing copyright, setting up the machines, checking output quality, post-editing, cataloging, delivering, managing
Benefits
- Increasing access, preservation, strategic goals of institution
- liberates document
Comparisons
- Compare costs vs. benefits, how it affects access
- Acquisition or digitization? Libraries often choose dig. because of prestige
- Must do this comparison on a case-by-case basis
- Could the money be spent better someplace else?
Final Answers
- No universal answer, must be a debate
- Primary aim-> meet requirements of users and provide resources
Library science and archival theory regarding preserving information can often be explained in ideal situations, but Lee demonstrates how often the "real world" can interfere with humans' best intentions. Cost is the largest factor behind converting information to a digital form, and the question of whether or not it will more easily facilitate access also remains a key aspect of this large decision. As a "save-everything" at heart, I have had a hard time in my past archival work experiences separating myself from an object (like a book from the 1700s that is missing half its pages). While to me it is an artifact from the distant past and is therefore interesting, I have come to understand that it would not be worth an institution's funds to keep and preserve, especially when it no longer can provide 50% of its original information. Lee reminds us all, not just archivists, that certain concessions must be made.
European Libraries Face Problems in Digitalizing by Dorren Carvajal 10/28/2007
European Digital Library- hoped to compete with Google book project
- European organizations have limited government funding and dealing with having to align with private companies
- Downsides- company uses it for shareholder profit or public appeal
European Commission- $85 million to develop digital library, still encouraging private alliances
Jean-Noel Jeanneney of Bibliotheque Nationale- Google threat that posed a "risk of a crushing domination by American in the definition of the idea that future generations will have of its world", but new leader Racine, willing to meet when necessary
Creation of Europeana- prototype for EDL, 12,000 documents with Hungary and Portugal
Thoughts on Google Book Project by Charles Edward Smith
General Unease, but why? Will not make books obsolete, make that info more widely available
Life changing- can view 19th-century texts on Google Books
Most student don't have world-renown library access
Human knowledge can be lost- transfer to a new form, content protected from disasters
The Google Book Project has helped me with my own research and has allowed me to use resources that even ILL could not provide. Primary sources added depth to my undergraduate thesis, and it was exciting to use a first edition found on Google. However, I never considered the "corporate" aspect of Google's book project as being a negative. While in this way I agree with Smith that Google has facilitated access to sources that most people could not normally find in their local library, it is an interesting international counter-argument from the Bibliotheque Nationale. The concern that digitization projects will make books obsolete is something I have definitely considered in the past; however, I do not believe we as a society are ready to completely abandon print. Smith is definitely right-- digitization will only increase interest in print resources, ones that many students would have never known (without the help of technology) had existed.
The Google Book Project has helped me with my own research and has allowed me to use resources that even ILL could not provide. Primary sources added depth to my undergraduate thesis, and it was exciting to use a first edition found on Google. However, I never considered the "corporate" aspect of Google's book project as being a negative. While in this way I agree with Smith that Google has facilitated access to sources that most people could not normally find in their local library, it is an interesting international counter-argument from the Bibliotheque Nationale. The concern that digitization projects will make books obsolete is something I have definitely considered in the past; however, I do not believe we as a society are ready to completely abandon print. Smith is definitely right-- digitization will only increase interest in print resources, ones that many students would have never known (without the help of technology) had existed.
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