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

Computer hardware contains many different parts that work together. 


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. 

Sound card-

• now built into motherboard, output sound plus input microphone

Input:

• Keyboard, Mouse (optical), Trackball, Touchscreen, joystick, image scanner, web cam, microphone

Output:

• Printer, speakers, headphones, monitor (CRT, LCD, LED, OLED)

Computer Software

• "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.