News and Events
UKeiG Intranet's Forum: ERM's Knowledge Sharing Platform – February 2010
UKeiG Intranet's Forum: ERM's Knowledge Sharing Platform:
A chance to see one of the world's top 10 best intranets
Free informal Intranets Forum meeting for UKeiG members
ERM, 2/F Exchequer Court, 33 St. Mary Axe, London EC3A 8AA
Friday 26 February 2010, 4.00 - 5.30 p.m.
http://www.ukeig.org.uk/
Environmental Resources Management (ERM), the world's leading environmental consultancy firm was recognized in a recent survey by Nielsen Norman Group (NNG) as having one of the world's top 10 best intranets. Dr Bonnie Cheuk, Global Head of Knowledge and Information for ERM will demonstrate ERM's intranet, known as Minerva.
Find out more about Minerva at
http://www.erm.com/News-Events/News/ERMs-Knowledge-Sharing-Platform-recognized-as-one-of-the-worlds-top-10-best-intranets-/
Further information:
Location: ERM, 2/F Exchequer Court, 33 St. Mary Axe, London EC3A 8AA
Map: http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=533301&Y=181348&A=Y&Z=110
Bookings:
If you would like to attend this meeting, please contact:
Janet Corcoran
Imperial College London
j.m.corcoran@imperial.ac.uk
If you are not a member of UKeiG but would like to come along to this meeting, visit the UKeiG Web site http://www.ukeig.org.uk/join/index.html for joining details.
4th Research Data Management Forum
The fourth meeting of the Research Data Management Forum with the theme of Dealing with Sensitive Data: Managing Ethics, Security and Trust will take place over 10 – 11 March 2010 at Chancellors Hotel and Conference Centre, University of Manchester. The Forum is designed for researchers, digital repository managers, staff from library, information and research organisations, data curators, data centre managers, data scientists, research funding organisations and research networks.
The keynote speaker is Professor Iain Buchan, Professor of Public Health Informatics and Director of the Northwest Institute for Bio-Health Informatics (NIBHI) at the University of Manchester. Professor Buchan will speak on "Opening Bio-Health Data and Models Securely and Effectively for Public Benefit". Other confirmed speakers and topics include:
- Kevin Ashley, University of London Computer Centre: "Providing a Service: Managing issues of confidentiality, ethics and trust"
- Nicky Tarry, Research Data Transfer Security, Department for Work and Pensions: "DWP Research Data Handling: Doing the right thing and doing it in the right way"
- Veerle Van den Eynden, UK Data Archive Research Data Management Support Services: "Sharing and managing sensitive data in research with people"
- Melanie Wright, UK Data Archive Secure Data Service: "Providing a Service: Secure approaches to data management"
In addition there will be breakout groups chaired by Graham Pryor of the DCC on the following topics:
- Identifying a good practice checklist for an HEI dealing with sensitive data
- Assessing optimal technical approaches for data curation systems and services
- Scoping training requirements for UK HE data managers
For more information, and to register for the event, visit the DCC Web site
NISO: Discovery to Delivery: Creating a First-Class User Experience
Georgia Tech Global Learning Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Tuesday 23 March 2010
http://www.niso.org/news/events/2010/d2d/
The National Information Standards Organization (NISO) has organised a one-day forum on Discovery to Delivery: Creating a First-Class User Experience on Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at the Georgia Tech Global Learning Center, Atlanta, GA. NISO educational forums are routinely praised for their excellent selection of speakers representing a diversity of viewpoints across the scholarly information community and the small size which provides opportunities to network with speakers and other attendees.
About the Forum
There is information everywhere today and access to it relies on a seamless discovery process that offers all appropriate options to the unassisted information seeker. The journey between discovery and delivery is accomplished with a variety of differing technologies and processes, many of which depend on a reliable and accurate knowledge base of coverage information. As demands on these technologies change and expand, NISO supports a variety of efforts to strengthen and improve them. This forum will explore new and innovative ways to meet user's needs and expectations for discovery and delivery of content in the networked world.
Speakers and Topics
- Keynote Address -- Joan Lippincott, Associate Executive Director, Coalition for Networked Information
- Maintaining the OpenURL Registry -- Phil Norman, Director Reference and Resource Sharing Development, OCLC
- Seamless Access to Resources -- Adam Chandler, Database Management and E-Resources Librarian, Cornell University Library
- Usability in Georgia -- Speaker TBA
- bX Recommender Service -- Nettie Lagace, Product Director, Ex Libris, Inc.
- Improving Single Sign On (SSO): Perfecting a Seamless, Item-Level Linking through SSO Authentication -- Harry Kaplanian, Director, Product Management, Serials Solutions
- The BookServer Project -- Peter Brantley, Director BookServer Project, Internet Archive
Further information:
Registration
NISO members receive a substantial discount. Early bird discounts for all registrants are available through 12 March 2010. A student discount is also available. For more information and to register, visit the event Web page:
http://www.niso.org/news/events/2010/d2d/
CILIP Executive Briefing: RDA: Resource Description and Access: Meeting the challenges of strategic change
CILIP Executive Briefing: RDA: Resource Description and Access:
Meeting the challenges of strategic change
7 Ridgmount Street, London, WC1E 7AE
Tuesday 23 March 2010
http://www.cilip.org.uk/rda-2010/
Library managers face major challenges and key decisions in the lead up to the implementation of RDA: Resource Description and Access. Its launch in June 2010 will be one of the biggest changes in standards for bibliographic data management and access since MARC21 a decade ago.
RDA's launch is expected to transform cataloguing standards that have been virtually unchanged for 30 years. Existing standards, as laid out in the Anglo American Cataloguing Rules, have struggled to keep pace with new publishing formats and new publishing practices. RDA will provide a more flexible framework for resource description and access, and make bibliographic information accessible on the Web.
To help all those affected get to grips with this major strategic development, CILIP has secured leading experts from across the library and information community for a new Executive Briefing. Entitled RDA: Meeting the challenges of strategic change, it will be presented in London on 23 March 2010, and look at the new cataloguing code and its implications, highlighting the issues that really matter to those working at a strategic level.
The event will begin with Ann Chapman (UKOLN) outlining the development process, followed by an exclusive video presentation by Shawne Miksa (University of Texas) focusing on how the new code fits with traditional and newer cataloguing processes. Alan Danskin (British Library) will describe the BL perspective on the transition to RDA and demonstrate the new RDA software, followed by Anne Welsh (University College London) who considers the impact of RDA on the cataloguing community. Finally Heather Jardine (City of London Libraries) focuses on how libraries can manage the change to the new code and Gwyneth Morgan (Nielson Book) presents the suppliers perspective on the transition.
Further information:
For further details on this event and how to book your place, visit
http://www.cilip.org.uk/rda-2010/
Legal Issues in Web 2.0
The Dome, 14 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2PF
Wednesday, 24 March 2010, 09.30 - 16.30
http://www.ukeig.org.uk/training/2010/Legalissues.html
Course Outline
Find out the legal issues raised by using Web 2.0 applications in libraries and information centres. Blogs, wikis, YouTube, podcasts, Slideshare, Flickr, Connotea, Facebook, Second Life and Twitter all raise legal problems for those managing them or using them. This workshop will look at the reality of Web 2.0: what causes problems and how to assess risks. The course will start with a brief overview of Web 2.0 and what it means. It will then look in more detail at how Web 2.0 activities can cause legal problems. These potential problems include:
- Defamation
- Data protection and privacy
- Pornography and other illegal materials
- Copyright, database right, moral rights and performers rights
- Accessibility
- Contract and employment law
- E-security
- Freedom of Information
- Conflict of law and international jurisdictions
- The liability of the hosting organisation
There will be an in-depth discussion on identifying and managing risks. The course will include exercises based on scenarios for discussion, and all the presentations will be available electronically. Attendees are encouraged to exchange ideas and experiences with each other.
Who should attend? This course is aimed at anyone using Web 2.0 applications and those responsible for managing Web 2.0 services.
Course Presenter: Professor Charles Oppenheim
Charles Oppenheim is Emeritus Professor and former Head of the Department of Information Science, Loughborough University. Previous posts in academia and the electronic publishing industry include working for The City University, International Thomson, Pergamon and Reuters. Charles is the author of "The Legal and Regulatory Environment for Electronic Information" and is a well-known authority on copyright and other legal issues having written many articles on the subject. He has been a member of JISC and served on some of its committees since 1992. He is currently a member of the JISC Scholarly Communications Group and of the Legal Advisory Board of the European Commission.
Further information:
To register your interest in this meeting, reserve a place, or request further details, please email meetings@ukeig.org.uk. Further details are also available via the UKeiG Web site at http://www.ukeig.org.uk/
Research Data Access and Preservation Summit: An ASIS&T Summit
In cooperation with the Coalition for Networked Information, a co-sponsor of this event.
Phoenix, Arizona, USA, Hyatt Regency Hotel
9-10 April 2010
http://www.asis.org/Conferences/IA10/ResearchDataAccessSummit2010.html
Researchers in all fields generate and analyse enormous quantities of digital data. In fields ranging throughout the sciences and humanities, managing, preserving, and sharing these data require substantial capital and human resources and new kinds of information professionals who are able to integrate technology, content, and policy skills. This summit aims to bring together leaders in data centres, laboratories, and libraries in different organisational and disciplinary settings to share ideas and techniques for managing, preserving, and sharing large-scale research data repositories with an eye toward achieving infrastructure-independent access and stewardship. The summit will engage three kinds of leaders: those from projects with experience in integrating high-performance technologies; those from large-scale collaboratories in science, social science, and the humanities; and those from institutions coping with the challenges of integrating different technologies and data collections. The summit will address three main questions:
- What data access and preservation capabilities are required within and across research groups?
- What technical solutions exist to meet these needs and how do they scale across domains?
- What are the social contexts under which research communities assemble to share data?
The summit will take place in Phoenix over 9-10 April 2010 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. The plan is to have a full day (Friday) of invited panels and presentations with an evening poster and demo session (with food). The poster/demo session and 30-minute breaks between sessions are designed to maximise participant interaction. The demo session will provide an opportunity to display existing technology solutions and their application to specific research collaborations.
Saturday will be a half-day of sessions. The formal meeting ends at noon. Saturday afternoon tutorials will be given for those who wish to focus on particular concepts and systems. We expect to have a panel on each of the above questions led by leaders who have practical experience dealing with the associated challenges, and a few invited speakers. Participants will have ample opportunities to interact with speakers and each other and present techniques and concepts via posters and semi-structured discussions. Demonstrations of integrated systems that address data management challenges will be held, with opportunities to compare approaches and ask implementation details.
Further information:
More information is at: http://www.asis.org/Conferences/IA10/ResearchDataAccessSummit2010.html
Register at:
https://www.asis.org/Conferences/IA10/rdap10regform.php
Early rates end 26 February 2010
JISC Conference 2010: Technology: at the heart of education and research
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London
12-13 April 2010
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/Home/events/2010/04/jisc10.aspx
This will be the 8th annual conference, bringing JISC's expertise and knowledge on technology in education to over 750 academics, IT experts, library professionals, policy makers, research staff, senior managers, students and teachers from across education within the UK and internationally.
The conference theme Technology: at the heart of education and research confirms JISC's view that universities and colleges must integrate technology into all aspects of their strategic planning to ensure their survival in the coming years. Over the last 15 years JISC has provided expertise, support and guidance to those working in higher and further education to help them maintain the UK's world class reputation.
This conference is free of charge to attend and will be of interest to all those in post 16 and higher education and research involved in planning for and supporting the use of technology, including:
- Senior managers and those responsible for developing and implementing policy and strategy
- Staff who play a role in supporting the use of technology in educational organisations, including practitioners
- Staff with responsibility for e-resources within their institution
- Teachers and researchers with an interest in the use of technology
Priority is strictly given to registrants from academic institutions from within the UK. JISC reserves the right to move any registrants who are not from an academic institution to a waiting list until further notice.
Further information:
Programme:
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/events/2010/04/jisc10/Programme.aspx
Register online
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/events/2010/04/jisc10/registration.aspx
Museums and the Web 2010 (MW2010)
The international conference for culture and heritage on-line
Denver, Colorado, USA
13-17 April 2010
http://www.archimuse.com/mw2010/
Descriptions of more than 40 Demonstrations have been added to the MW2010 Web site. The full program is now online at http://www.archimuse.com/mw2010/sescal/
Pre-Conference Workshops Filling Up
Many of the workshops at MW2010 have limited enrolment to ensure that they are great learning experiences. If you've been thinking about adding a workshop to your registration, do so soon to avoid disappointment.
Best of the Web Nominations
We're running the Best of the Web entirely on the conference community site this year. For details, see
http://conference.archimuse.com/page/best_web_2010_nomination_process
and check out the new category definitions at: http://www.archimuse.com/mw2010/best/categories.html
Nominate your favourite site, review the sites nominated, and watch for the announcement about voting for 'MW2010 People's Choice'.
MW on the Social Networks
Connect with the Museums and the Web community on various social network platforms. See:
http://www.archimuse.com/mw2010/online/
for links to where you can find us, and follow our tags: #mw2010 for conference-related things or #museweb for general items.
Further information
See https://www2.archimuse.com/mw2010/mw2010.registrationForm.html
Tipping the Scales: Tackling information obesity to ensure productive and sustainable information resources
A joint UKeiG/BDA Knowledge Management meeting
British Dental Association, 64 Wimpole Street, London W1G8YS
Tuesday, 29 June 2010, 9.30 - 16.30
http://www.ukeig.org.uk/training/2010/infoobesity.htm
Course Outline
'Information obesity' describes a condition whereby available information resources are not being used in a productive and sustainable way by individuals or communities. Like physical obesity, it is not just the result of consuming too much, but is linked to declines in the information's quality, and individuals' and communities' awareness of problems which arise through over-consumption. Fitness and (mental) exercise also come into play. The consequences of information obesity may be severe if left unchecked; it will lead to a decline in our ability to manage knowledge, both in our communities and our workplaces.
As a teaching strategy, information literacy (IL) can partly help to combat the condition. However, as traditionally defined, IL does not address the ways in which the structure of organisations and our own innate cognitive biases prevent us acting as independent and self-aware evaluators of the information we find. This course will help participants understand these biases and how, through work at the community level, they may be overcome, in order that we start using information to sustain ourselves and our communities, and not just consume it unthinkingly.
This one-day course will include time for plenty of discussion and practical activity. Participants will be encouraged to share their experiences with others and also to build a network of practice after the event. Sessions will include:
- Identifying information obesity: structural, individual and community-level explanations
- How information literacy helps: and how it is limited
- Cognitive biases, and why they matter
- How organisations affect the way we think
- The holistic approach to IL: subjective, objective and inter-subjective value
- Problem-based learning; student- and community-led research projects
Who should attend?
Anyone working with information in formal, non-formal or informal education, who has an interest in enhancing their teaching of information studies and/or knowledge management, to students or to colleagues as part of their professional development work. This includes:
- information professionals;
- teachers/lecturers at any level of education;
- managers (particularly, but not only, those with responsibilities for information and knowledge management and dissemination);
- other stakeholders in education.
Course Presenter:
Dr Andrew Whitworth is the Programme Director for the MA: Digital Technologies, Communication and Education at the University of Manchester. He has published widely in the field of information literacy including the 2009 book with Chandos, Information Obesity. His Media and Information Literacy course at Manchester was recognised by the LLIDA (Learning Literacies for a Digital Age) project as an exemplar of learning literacies education.
Further information:
To register your interest in this meeting, reserve a place, or request further details, please email meetings@ukeig.org.uk. Further details are also available via the UKeiG Web site at http://www.ukeig.org.uk/
New Report: The Challenges, Application and Benefits of Social Media within Higher Education Institutions
UCISA Corporate Jadu has recently concluded an in-depth research study into the social media challenges, usage and benefits being generated by UK HEIs. The report entitled The Challenges, Application and Benefits of Social Media within Higher Education Institutions is based on research with 60 respondents, within 44 HEIs in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The research report identifies the key benefits being gained from the use of social media and highlights the impact of these technologies on established ways of working.
The research also identifies a number of strategic questions.
- HEI management is looking for a stronger business case to invest in social media.
- The strategic approach to managing social media is evolving. A more integrated approach to managing information and content will be required to protect the brand and reputation of institutions.
- Can unrestricted usage continue? As usage grows it is likely that privacy, intellectual property and data protection issues will increase in profile and impact.
- Increased awareness is needed to address cultural issues. 'Generational and cultural issues' were identified as a major constraint to social media usage
Further information:
To download a copy of the full report please go to
http://www.jadu.co.uk/heisurvey
Jadu further advises:
Please note to ensure that Higher Education Institutions gained maximum benefit from this research, Jadu has sought comment and feedback from Brian Kelly of UKOLN in its preparation, application and analysis.
[Source: Jadu]
[Received: February 2010]
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Dutch Higher Education Sector Convinced of Need for Open Access
EUR 2.5m available for Open Access to research results
Open Access – meaning free access to scientific and scholarly information – is winning ground, and more and more information is becoming freely accessible to the public. The parties concerned – including publishers – are increasingly accepting Open Access as the norm. At the Open Access seminar organised by SURF in Amsterdam, Prof. Jos Engelen, chairman of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), announced that his organisation would be providing a special Open Access budget of EUR 2.5m.
At the well-attended seminar – held to mark the conclusion of SURF's 'Open Access Year 2009' – discussion focused on the issue of how we can speed up progress towards achieving the Open Access ideal. Much has already been achieved in the Netherlands. More than 200,000 publications have now been made freely accessible via the NARCIS scientific portal. These will now be joined by publications by the lectors who organise knowledge networks at Dutch universities of applied sciences.
Unanimity
Leading figures from the world of Higher Education and research expressed unanimous support for the view that scientific and scholarly publications that have been financed by the taxpayer should be available online free of charge. Derk Haank, CEO of the Springer Publishing Group, went so far as to say that if scientific and scholarly publishing were to start again today, Open Access would be the logical route to pursue.
Publishers
The Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU) has reached agreement with Springer that in 2010 all articles by Dutch researchers in Springer journals will be made available Open Access, subject to the author agreeing. Other publishers too are providing opportunities for Open Access publication because they are following Springer in allowing researchers to arrange for Open Access when publishing their articles. Almost all publishers already allow researchers to upload the definitive author's version of their article to their institution's repository.
The Problem
One problem for scientists and scholars is the need to publish in prestigious and expensive journals so as to receive a good rating, which is important when applying for grants from organisations such as the NWO. Prof. Engelen said that the NWO would investigate ways of ensuring that publications in Open Access would count more significantly towards the author's 'impact factor'. Paul Doop – a member of the board of Amsterdam University and Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, and chair of the ICT and Research platform board of SURFfoundation – argued that the problem could be solved by including a provision for mandatory Open Access in collective labour agreements. Many of those attending the seminar thought that was going too far. Prof. Engelen said, however, that his organisation was keeping close track of developments and that if insufficient progress had been made in a year's time, the NWO would see whether it could make Open Access obligatory, as its sister organisations in the United Kingdom and the United States have already done.
Further information:
Further information on the seminar and the video registration (in Dutch):
http://www.surffoundation.nl/nl/themas/openonderzoek/OpenAccess/Pages/Default.aspx
NARCIS: http://www.narcis.info/
[Source: SURF]
[Received: February 2010]
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MLA: Accreditation Modernisation
The MLA has welcomed the findings of two studies which it commissioned to help inform its review of museum Accreditation, and detailed its plans to streamline, update and refocus the scheme.
MLA Chief Executive Roy Clare said: "Accreditation has proven its value over the last 21 years. As the UK standard for museums it is crucial for the long-term success of the sector. We are listening and acting on consistent feedback that Accreditation is highly valued and has made a real difference to museums, but it must be less bureaucratic and more representative. It must also serve as a key tool in the improvement of museum services with a focus on the impact they make for the public.
"We are very grateful for all the feedback, which gives us a very strong base for a refreshed scheme that has simpler process, increased flexibility for museums to demonstrate success, a louder voice for consumers and a demonstration of responsiveness to communities."
Further information: http://www.mla.gov.uk/news_and_views/press/releases/2010/accreditation_development
[Source: MLA]
[Received: February 2010]
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Digital Funds for Libraries
Library services have a chance to bid a new £30 million government investment in UK online centres.
The funding was announced in December's Smarter Government report that recognised the potential to reduce the cost of public services by increasing the amount of online transactions. The report recognised that online government had to mean 100% online citizens and awarded £30 million to UK online centres to help get one million people online by 2012. The first round of grant funding is now open for applications from all library services. The closing date for applications is 10 February 2010 for projects that will run from 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011.
Natasha Innocent, MLA senior policy adviser, said: "Library services are at the forefront of bridging the digital divide and supporting grassroots digital inclusion. The MLA is delighted to be working with UK online centres to promote this funding opportunity to library services. Libraries play a key role in supporting people to get online and this funding stream could support them to reach out even further to deeply excluded groups, and target areas of high deprivation and low network coverage."
Applications are welcomed from any library meeting the criteria and willing to become a member of the UK online centres network to deliver their funded project. Over the next three years, many hundreds of libraries services, ICT and support centres will benefit from funding, and from being part of a building network - sharing resources and expertise, taking advantage of new products, services, training opportunities and marketing campaigns.
Further information: http://www.mla.gov.uk/news_and_views/press/releases/2010/uk_online_funding
[Source: MLA]
[Received: February 2010]
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JISC Briefing Paper: Assessing the Business Case for Standards
A recent briefing entitled Assessing the Business Case for Standards: An introduction for strategy planning and resourcing committees provides advice to help people incorporate standards in their ICT-related business cases.
Making a business case for interoperability and standards is a challenging task for those involved in the strategic planning of IT systems in educational institutions. This briefing written by Adam Cooper and Wilbert Kraan of JISC CETIS, is intended to provide advice and supporting materials to help people to incorporate standards in their ICT-related business cases. It assumes some familiarity with the way IT systems are presently deployed and maintained in educational institutions, and will be of interest to Information Services managers and senior managers for strategy planning and resourcing.
Further information:
The briefing is available at: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/documents/bpbusinesscaseforstandards.aspx
[Source: JISC CETIS]
[Received: January 2010]
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Successful Reuse of Research Data Requires Integrated Approach
On 23-24 September 2009 an international discussion workshop was held in Berlin, prepared and organised by Knowledge Exchange. The main focus of the workshop was on the benefits, challenges and obstacles of re-using data from a researcher's perspective. The most important message from the wide variety of presentations was that successful reuse not only requires efforts directed at the technical issues, but also at providing incentives for researchers, both to share and re-use.
These incentives can be provided by funding opportunities, but also by incorporating data sharing and re-use in the research assessment. The issue of data re-use would be a lot more relevant to researchers if publishers, for example, asked authors for data to underpin their publications. Alternatively researchers' data being cited in a journal should be rewarded. Technical aspects should also be addressed, e.g. by supporting data storage and sharing facilities. This requires not only specialised staff but also agreed standards (metadata, ontologies) which will allow different datasets to be evaluated, compared and combined. Researchers will need to be trained, but awareness will also need to be created at a higher level. Bottom-up and top-down approaches need to work in unison.
At the workshop the use cases presented by researchers from a variety of disciplines were supplemented by two keynotes and selected presentations by specialists from infrastructure institutions, publishers, and national and European funding bodies. Thanks to this broad approach it became clear that certain challenges and obstacles are comparable across disciplines and organisations. As a general recommendation the participants agreed that it is time to cooperate in more ambitious international activities to establish reliable and sustainable support for initiatives in the field of data related research infrastructure - as Prof. John Wood (Imperial College London) put it in his keynote: "You can no longer separate the data management issue from the planning and running of research infrastructures".
The workshop was organised by the working group Primary Research Data of Knowledge Exchange.
Further information:
Knowledge Exchange
http://www.knowledge-exchange.info/
For further information on the workshop please see: http://www.knowledge-exchange.info/Default.aspx?ID=324
[Source: Knowledge Exchange]
[Received: January 2010]
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Libraries Bridge the Digital Divide
New research findings highlight the key role of public libraries in opening up free online access and providing support to help people get online.
A new survey has highlighted the extent free Internet access is available to the public in libraries throughout England, during the day, in the evening and at weekends. The research, conducted by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) highlights the crucial role public libraries play in supporting the delivery of the national digital priorities set out by the Government and the Digital Champion, Martha Lane Fox.
Heads of library service, library managers and IT specialists from 112 local authorities in England took part in identifying the extent of available Internet access; support for people to get online; and digital training of library staff.
The report, prepared by CFE on behalf of the MLA, confirmed that 79 per cent of library services in English Local Authorities do not charge for internet access at all and a further 12 per cent do not make any charge for the first hour (91per cent in total). There is an average of 762 hours of Internet access available across all libraries in a Local Authority area per week. Nearly all Local Authorities (98 per cent) provide this access in the evening and at weekends with over half (59 per cent) providing Internet access on Sundays.
Further information:
'Role of public libraries in supporting and promoting digital participation' is available from the MLA page:
http://www.mla.gov.uk/news_and_views/press/releases/2010/digital_participation
[Source: MLA]
[Received: January 2010]
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TV Archive Project to Supply Europeana
EUscreen is a new project that will supply TV archive footage to Europeana. Its project Web site, www.euscreen.eu has gone live. The Web site contains a blog, information about the project and the partners, publications and events. Visitors can also subscribe to the EUscreen mailing list or follow the project on Twitter or Facebook.
EUscreen is a three-year project funded by the eContentplus Programme of the European Commission. During that time over 30,000 items that capture Europe's television heritage (videos, photographs, articles) will be channelled into Europeana. EUscreen will also develop its own multilingual portal that will specialise in information about TV archives and television research.
The portal will be launched in 2011 and will be directly connected to Europeana. The EUscreen consortium is co-ordinated by the University of Utrecht and consists of 27 partners (audiovisual archives, research institutions, technology providers and Europeana) from 19 European countries.
Further information:
Euscreen
http://www.euscreen.eu/
[Source: KB]
[Received: January 2010]
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