-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1
Free for All: Open Source Software
,----[ Quote ]
| If you’re curious about open source software, first ask yourself if you’re
| already using an OSS product such as Firefox. I like recommending Firefox as
| an entry point for grasping OSS because it’s one of my favorite software
| programs. Plus, because Firefox is open code, it’s easy to write add-ons,
| which I’ve done, tricking out Firefox with all kinds of fun and useful tools.
|
| Also, try speaking with peers who are using open source software in their
| libraries. Our community is moving to OSS for sound, rational reasons—not
| just to use good software, but also because OSS means they can help steer the
| course of the products they use. Particularly for software “Developed for
| librarians, with librarians, by librarians,” you might be surprised by what
| you find.
`----
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6582321.html
Related:
Open Minds, Open Books, Open Source
,----[ Quote ]
| Meanwhile, the increasing availability of open-source software has nudged
| some libraries to reconsider the role of their in-house technology gurus, and
| to wonder whether it would make more long-term financial sense to hire more
| developers than to continue paying for products over which they have limited
| control.
`----
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/02/19/opensource
Romanian public libraries to use Open Source
,----[ Quote ]
| The Open Source software for library automation IBLA, was developed over the
| last two years by a group of IT consultants working at the Military Technical
| Academy and Contact Net, a Romanian company. The developers Adina Riposan,
| Emil Mieilica and Iosif Biro hope the project will increase the use of Open
| Source software in the country.
|
| The library project is financed by the Romanian and the Italian government,
| both countries wanting to develop an integrated public library system. The
| project was finished earlier this year.
`----
http://ec.europa.eu/idabc/en/document/7225/469
Linux at the Library?
,----[ Quote ]
| It is friendly and it is free and it is being used at the Geneva Public
| Library. Come and visit and see what all the fuss is about. I bet you will
| like it.
`----
http://genevapubliclibrary.org/content/view/37/50/
How Open Source Software Can Improve Our Library
,----[ Quote ]
| Ubuntu - the most popular player in the Linux based operating system game.
| (Linux is the open-source answer to Microsoft's Windows operating system;
| Ubuntu is a modification of Linux). Ubuntu is a perfect solution for
| libraries who need to upgrade their older computers using outdated Windows or
| for bulk computer purchases requiring a new operating system.
`----
http://www.degreetutor.com/library/managing-expenses/open-source-library
So This Penguin Walks Into The Library...
,----[ Quote ]
| I and a handful of volunteers from Lobby4Linux have been conducting Linux
| Labs for the better part of 2 years. During that time, I have stressed the
| point that the Austin Public Library will always have at least one distro
| available for checkout, should they ever find themselves in a pinch and not
| have a way to lay hands on one.
`----
http://blog.lobby4linux.com/index.php?/archives/318-So-This-Penguin-Walks-Into-The-Library....html
Announcing the Open Library
,----[ Quote ]
| Early this year, when I left my job at Wired Digital, I thought I could look
| forward to months of lounging around San Francisco, reading books on the
| beach and drinking fine champagne and eating foie gras. Then I got a phone
| call. Brewster Kahle of the Internet Archive was thinking of pursuing a
| project that I'd been trying to do literally for years.
|
| [...]
|
| So today I'm extraordinarily proud to announce the Open Library project. Our
| goal is to build the world's greatest library,
`----
http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/openlibrary
Protest DRM at the Boston Public Library
,----[ Quote ]
| the BPL [Boston Public Library] has launched a new service powered by a
| company called OverDrive. The system gives BPL patrons access to books,
| music, and movies online -- but only if they use a Microsoft DRM system.
|
| There are lots of problems with the introduction of this system: it bars
| access to users of GNU/Linux and MacOS and creates a dependence on a single
| technology vendor for access. These are important issues, certainly. The
| worst problem, however, is much more fundamental.
|
| By adopting a DRM system for library content, the BPL is giving OverDrive,
| copyright holders, and Microsoft the ability to decide what, when, and how
| its patrons can and cannot read, listen, and watch these parts of the BPL
| collection.
`----
http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/20080207-00
Taxation without web presentation
,----[ Quote ]
| The Library of Congress recently signed a deal to accept 3 million dollars
| worth of "technology, services and funding" from Microsoft towards building a
| new website powered by Microsoft's Silverlight plug-in. I (Casey) usually
| leave the blogging to Tim, but I've got to say something about this.
|
| [...]
|
| Most disturbingly, users are locked in, too: anybody using an iPhone, an old
| version of Windows, any version of Linux, or any other operating system or
| device not supported by Silverlight will be unable to use the Library of
| Congress' new website.
`----
http://www.librarything.com/thingology/2008/02/taxation-without-web-presentation.php
2008 Annual General Meeting
,----[ Quote ]
| Whereas the preservation of and long-term access to government information
| are vital in a democratic society;
|
| And whereas in order for libraries to fulfill their role of preserving and
| providing access to information, it is essential that governments and other
| public bodies take steps to ensure that future generations can access
| information created today;
|
| And whereas open, interoperable, vendor-neutral file format standards play a
| key role in ensuring preservation and future access;
|
| And whereas the OpenDocument Format (ODF) is such a standard;
`----
http://www.cla.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=AGM_2008
Good bye, British Library
,----[ Quote ]
| This is an image from the good old days. Microsoft's Jean Paoli hands over
| the OOXML specification to Jan van den Beld, the general secretary of ECMA.
| And you find Adam Farquhar from the British Library, the bearded person on
| the right. The British Library was instrumental to legitimizing the whole
| ECMA and ISO OOXML standardisation process as an 'independent' participant in
| the committee work. ECMA did a brilliant job to mature the specification text
| to get it ISO fast-tracked. Or as the ISO BRM convenor and recent consultant
| for the British Library Alex Brown reflects1:
|
| Ecma made the road very rocky though, by initially producing a text that
| was so lousy with faults.
`----
http://www.noooxml.org/forum/t-61777/good-bye-british-library
Ecma - a case study for vendor capture
,----[ Quote ]
| A small network of people of ECMA International dominated the whole ISO
| process around OOXML while technical experts of national ISO members were
| impeded by committee stuffing, rules bending and political intervention and
| the general restrictions of the revamped ISO/IEC fast-track process.
|
| [...]
|
| On the right you find a picture of Jan van den Beld, back then general
| secretary of ECMA international who received the 2000 pages from Microsoft
| represented by its employee Jean Paoli (center). Jean Paoli is probably best
| known for taking the Microsoft credit for the standardization of XML. The
| other person with the beard is Adam Farquhar from the British Library, chair
| of ECMA TC 45. You also find the picture on the right in Adam Farquhar's May
| 07 presentation which advocates for OOXML.
`----
http://www.noooxml.org/ecma-and-vendor-capture
,----[ Quote ]
| And the company Griffin Brown, of which the BRM convenor Alex Brown is the
| director, sent out a press release 13 March 08 celebrating the 10th
| anniversary of XML:
|
| "Recent moves by Microsoft to standardise its Office products around XML file
| formats merely confirms that most valuable business data in the future will
| be stored in XML. … Alex Brown is convenor of the ISO/IEC DIS 29500 Ballot
| Resolution Process, and has recently been elected to the panel to advise the
| British Library on how to handle digital submission of journal articles."
|
| [PJ: A bit of background on the British Library here, but the short version
| is that it uses Microsoft, was a co-sponsor of having Ecma put what is now
| OOXML on the fast track, and says today it is "pleased".] - No OOXML
`----
http://www.groklaw.net/newsitems.php
British Library books go digital
,----[ Quote ]
| Digitised publications will be accessible in two ways -initially through
| Microsoft's Live Search Books and then via the Library's website.
`----
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7018210.stm
Britain: E-Mail Time Capsule in Works
,----[ Quote ]
| Now the British Library is appealing to ordinary Britons for their
| e-mails, saying it wants to create a snapshot of British life in 2007.
|
| [...]
|
| The e-mails will be collated and indexed by Microsoft Corp., which
| has previously partnered with the library to digitize books from
| its archive, and they will be available to researchers before
| the year's end.
`----
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070503/britain_e_mail_archive.html?.v=1
Vista and British Library put da Vinci online
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft and the British Library have digitised two of Leonardo da
| Vincis' notebooks.
|
| [...]
|
| The British Library has created an updated version of its application
| called "Turning the Pages" which allows people to browse parts of
| its 150 million piece collection via a web browser. We heard how
| this works better using Vista.
`----
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/30/vinci_notebooks_vista/
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.9 (GNU/Linux)
iEYEARECAAYFAkiU0cUACgkQU4xAY3RXLo4I0ACcCW0pRupAU9ye/qsoWlw6nX6m
1woAoJYMThGiMwv/YqpvvMBuspw3FLPI
=Jg5+
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
|
|
