Preserving Digitally

In the last 20 years, digital technology has implemented us to create, use and build up by information in ways that were unthinkable generations ago.  According to Levi,he says “The same technological advances that make obtaining and sharing information so easy also pose some modern challenges.” I would agree with this because sometimes it is hard to keep up with the advanced of technology because of this idea of “reformatting”.

Many libraries and information centers now have digital asset management systems or digital archives for managing and storing digital objects. These digital objects focus on access management, or facilitating the day-to-day use of digital content for users. Levi expressed, “Digital preservation is a bout guaranteeing the future usability of and accessibility to digital content.” and I strongly agree with this because by preserving important information, we are keeping information in stability

I like the ending of this article, as Benjamin Franklin said “You may delay, but time will not.” Today’s digital preservation systems can be improved and libraries,information centers,universities and other institutions around the world are moving forward and Levi, feels it’s time to join them and I couldn’t agree more.

– Jessica Deng

Class notes 9/23/10

Today we talked about access. We started off with the question: “What is access?” Some of your answers included (click for larger image):

We discussed access from both a personal and an institutional perspective.

Personal Access to Information:
• Digital divide
• Economics/income
• Location
• Political: censorship
• Libraries are access points

Websites:
F.C.C. Takes a Close Look at the Unwired, an article from the New York Times earlier this year discussing access to broadband internet service in the U.S.

One Laptop Per Child, a project to bring inexpensive computers and network access to the developing world.

Readers’ Bill of Rights for Digital Books, stressing the need for readers to be able to do all of the things with digital books that they do with print books.

Digital Books and Your Rights: A Checklist for Readers is additional information on issues to consider when moving from print to digital books. This non-profit organization–the Electronic Frontier Foundation–works to safeguard internet rights and freedoms.

Institutional Access to Information
Schools
• Print: books, textbooks, etc.
• Internet: sometimes filtered (certain sites blocked)

Libraries
• Print onsite
• Internet onsite (usually filtered) and offsite
• Some public libraries have research collections

Museums
• Images, art, artifacts
• Some have specialized research libraries