Libraries and Museums in the Flat World: Are They Becoming Virtual Destinations?

In his recent book, “TheWorld is Flat”, Thomas L. Friedman reviews the impact of networks on globalization. The emergence of the Internet, web browsers, computer applications talking to each other through the Internet, and the open source software, among others, made the world flatter and created an opportunity for individuals to collaborate and compete globally. Friedman predicts that “connecting all the knowledge centers on the planet together into a single global network…could usher in an amazing era of prosperity and innovation”. Networking also is changing the ways by which libraries and museums provide access to information sources and services. In the flat world, libraries and museums are no longer a physical “place” only: they are becoming “virtual destinations”. This paper discusses the implications of this transformation for the digitization and preservation of, and access to, cultural heritage resources

Libraries in Switzerland

Ausgehend von einem historischen Überblick schildert der Beitrag die Entwicklung der Schweizer Bibliotheken in der Zeit von 1970 bis 2010: soziopolitischer Kontext, Struktur des Bibliothekswesen, technischer Wandel, wichtigste Akteure und aktuelle Herausforderungen. Starting with a brief history of libraries in Switzerland, this report focusses on the development of Swiss libraries from 1970 to 2010: socio-political context, structure of the Swiss library sector, change driven by technology, main actors, and challenges at the beginning of the new millennium. Suite à un aperçu historique, l'article décrit le développement des bibliothèques suisses dans la période de 1970 à 2010: le contexte socio-politique, la structure du secteur des bibliothèques, les changements technologiques, les principaux acteurs et les défis actuels

Complete LibTech 2013 Print Program

PDF of the complete print program from the 2013 Library Technology Conferenc

A review of electric vehicle charge point map websites in the NSR: Interim report

This interim report is a review of the EV charge point (station) map websites in the North Sea Region (NSR) with the aim to identify if there are any patterns, or any noticeable gaps on the information presented by the interactive EV charge point tools. For each example of the charge point (station) map website, a review has been undertaken by visiting the charge point (station) map website and recording if the site contains the information, which is of key importance from an EV user perspective, for example an interactive map; any information on the charger power of the charge points (stations); the type of connection of the charge points (stations); the addresses of the charge points (stations) and further helpful details

ChUM: Chart Update Mashup

The Chart Update Mash up (ChUM™) consists of various APIs/Technologies that when brought together allow for intuitive georeferenced visualization of the Critical Chart Updates published by the Office of Coast Survey (OCS). Each component of ChUM™ will be described in this paper with an explanation of how each piece works together to form ChUM™. Figure 1 shows the basic building blocks that make up ChUM™. At the base of the structure (in blue) is the data that OCS disseminates to the public via its website/web-services: Raster Nautical Charts, the CRIT data (critical corrections to the chart), and the Coast Pilot. There are three 3rd party API’s (Application Programming Interface)/plug-ins that are used: the Google Maps API v3, the DataTables plug-in, and the NauticalChartsAPI (NCAPI). The NCAPI is an API created by the University of California, San Diego’s Coastal Observing Research and Development Center (CORDC) and it deals directly with fetching and preparing the Raster Nautical charts for use in Google Maps. The DataTables is a plug-in for the jQuery JavaScript library and it is populated with data from the OCS CRIT data. The NauticalChartsAPI UI (User Interface), NCAPIUI, was created by combining the NCAPI, DataTables, and the Coast Pilot data into one API that contained widgets for an intuitive interface that is similar in look and function as the Google Maps widgets. Google Map API is used for its geo-referenced environment and for its familiar controls that are built-in: namely, the panning, zooming, markers/info boxes and various background-overlay options

Mobile Access—What the Library Wants: Mobiles as Discovery Enhancers

Library users now expect to be able to access academic content at any time from any location—not just in the library on a computer, but on their mobile phones, tablets, e‐readers, and other mobile devices. Taylor & Francis surveyed 139 individuals to discover how use mobiles are used in a library setting, how publishers can help with content discovery in the library and which mobile functionalities are considered important.Taylor & Francis found that 78% of respondents rated mobile integration to find resources as important. Publishing has changed dramatically over the last decade, making the shift from print to electronic. From online publishing, publishers moved to the need for digitizing archival content and finally to the phenomena of open content, enhancing discoverability of our platforms, making content accessible via mobile, and the use of social media to promote content, all of which suddenly became top priority for both publishers and librarians. The following case study from Temple University explores the end‐user approach to what professors and researchers need and want from the library. Laura Katz Rizzo, Director of the Dance BFA Program in the Esther Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University, has noticed a significant increase in student use of digital and mobile documents and applications in accessing material from the library and other research databases for both scholarly and research work in class and in performance. Various strategies in use by publishers include creating a contained application native to a specific operating system (native app), developing an alternate web site that automatically launches when any mobile device is detected (mobile site), and developing journal web sites that resize when a mobile device is detected (responsive design). To determine the prevalence and functionality of these various strategies, top Library and Information Science journals were examined. It was discovered that responsive web design is the most popular strategy. Advantages and disadvantages of each strategy is described, and each strategy’s impact on the user experience is explored

Branded apps in Spain as a means of communicating trends in fashion

Apps are of great interest and curiosity for the users of mobile phones, being already highly unloaded and used for the users of smartphones. The fashion mobile applications represent only a fraction of the mobile global applications (almost 0,2 %), nevertheless they are starting to deserve special attention from designers and researchers in this area. Brands want to know about the new trends in the market to be able to continue surprising and impressing their public. In this study, we seek to identify the most relevant aspects of the applications that help to improve the image of the Spanish prêt-à-porter fashion brands such as Zara, Pull and Bear, Stradivarius, Shana, Bimba y Lola,... The study considers the position in the ranking of downloads, the category, the opinions, valuations of the users and the criteria described by Jami Lawrence (2010): amusement, saving of time and / or comfort in the use. Findings: In this analysis, we seek to identify the most relevant aspects of the applications that help to improve the image of the brand, in this particular case of the Spanish prêt-à-porter fashion brands. - It is indispensable that the applications entertain the user, save time and / or comfort, we have observed that they are these characteristics those that are valued by the users. - Another factor that is valued in the applications, is that the application should make sense for the user and to have an added value that doesn't necessarily have to be related with the nature of the brand. - But it is important that applications to be developed have to be coherent with the identity of the brand. As in any other area, the appearance of new mass media, like the mobile, is the introduction of new challenges. – Finally, it is important for the brand to adapt constantly to the new technologies, but we must not forget that a precarious incorporation and badly developed app it can be more harmful than beneficial