- Hypermedia, Interactive Multimedia, and Virtual Realities
- This article discusses hypermedia, interactive multimedia, and virtual realities. No one knows what the landscape of information technology in the 21st century will look like, but there are many sources that will sketch the most prominent features. This column will direct the reader to the best "guidebooks" to new interactive computer technologies like hypermedia and virtual reality simulations. In the spirit of Recursive Reviews, the author won't try to limit the discussion artificially to "just" hypermedia, or "just" interactive multimedia. Instead, the aim will be to point out: (1) practical sources that orient the reader to the newest computer media technologies, and (2) new journals that discuss the possibilities of the media. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc78292/
- Public-Access Computer Systems and the Internet
- This article discusses Public-Access Computer Systems (PACS) and the Internet. Recursive Reviews is a new column that will identify and briefly describe articles that deal with PACS and related topics in both library and computer science literature. The "recursive" in the name of the column emphasizes the idea that the discussion of information technology in libraries changes the underlying precepts of the discussion. The dialogue concerning uses of library technology redefines itself in this way, and can therefore be seen as recursive. All followers of the PACS-L forum are aware by now that a great many library catalog systems are accessible via the Internet. The availability of these resources raises a great many questions and possibilities in the library and network user communities. What can be accomplished with this new communications channel? Exactly what is the Internet? What is its extent, and how does it differ from other computer networks? The articles and books reviewed in this column will be of use to anyone having questions about library systems and the Internet, from those unfamiliar with networking technology to those very conversant with it. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc78340/
- Copyright, Digital Media, and Libraries
- This article discusses copyright, digital media, and libraries. Librarians are ostensibly supposed to be experts on the proper use of the collections of information they administer. This column is devoted to a brief bibliography on the subject of copyright and digital media. The author had never considered many of the issues raised in the sources reviewed below and thinks they will be of interest to all librarians who have added any kind of digital media (e.g., software and CD-ROM databases) to their collections. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc77218/
- Artificial Intelligence, Libraries, and Information Retrieval
- This article discusses artificial intelligence, libraries, and information retrieval. In the science fiction short story "Anniversary" (Amazing, March 1959), Isaac Asimov described a computer system that combined advanced elements of artificial intelligence and information retrieval. Called "Multivac" in the story (The author wonders if the name was inspired by the UNIVAC systems that were being marketed in the early fifties), Asimov's system is described as "a mile-long super-computer that was the repository of all the facts known to man; that guided man's economy; directed his scientific research; helped make his political decisions--and had millions of circuits left over to answer individual questions that did not violate the ethics of privacy." Multivac was capable of understanding and answering what we would now call natural language queries on any topic. The protagonists of the story typed in their questions on a terminal that worked much like a typewriter. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc77219/
- The Challenge of Multimedia Networking
- This article discusses the challenge of multimedia networking. There is no question that computer applications such as word processing, electronic mail, and desktop publishing have changed the way people work. These computer applications have enhanced users' capacity for communication and have improved their productivity. The success of these applications has prompted both vendors and researchers to continue to seek new ways to further advance the information technology revolution. Enter the latest innovation: networked multimedia systems. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc77220/
- Digitizing Historical Publications: Enhancing the Official Electronic Collection of the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations
- This report discusses a project for digitizing historical publications. Abstract: In October 1997, the University of North Texas Libraries entered into an agreement with the U.S. Government Printing Office to provide permanent public access to the electronic records of the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (ACIR). As the official and the only site for ACIR electronic records, requests for historical publications of the agency are frequently received from researchers, government administrators, students, and others who find UNT Libraries electronic collection by searching the Internet. The authors propose to enhance the current ACIR electronic collection by making the most important serial titles published by the agency available as electronic documents accessible via the Internet. The serial titles are no longer in print and, to the authors' knowledge, are not available in electronic format. This digitization project will be accomplished by outsourcing high-speed, quantity scanning of approximately 4,200 pages of text. The high speed scanning will provide us with "pdf" files. The authors will then develop a method for organizing and presenting the files on the World Wide Web designed to provide broad access using the free Acrobat Reader. The authors' goal will be to develop a process that balances level of access with the cost of digitizing and making the data available on the Internet. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc36284/
- Storage of Electronic Files of Federal Agencies That Have Ceased Operation: A Partnership for Permanent Access
- This article discusses preservation of federal agency's files. For more than a century, federal depository libraries and the Government Printing Office (GPO) have acted as partners to provide permanent access to government information in tangible media. These partnerships have evolved in the last few years. Built on a century of tradition, new partnerships offer permanent access to electronic files of federal agencies published in nontangible media. This article describes one partnership to store and provide access to the electronic files of agencies that have ceased operation. As the only Web contact for an agency, unique challenges arose when historical publications were frequently requested. Digitized historical publications, bibliographies, and an agency history enhance services for researchers. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc36289/
- Atrazine Monitoring and Modeling in the Lake Lavon Watershed
- This report describes a study to identify the distribution and extent of areas potentially at risk for atrazine (a broad leaf weedkiller) runoff in the Lake Lavon watershed, which is a major water supply for the Dallas area. The report presents the results of the study and makes recommendations for how information can be used in a cost-effective watershed atrazine reduction strategy. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29479/
- Designing Information Communities for the 3D Environment
- This panel presentation provides a summary of current research efforts in 3D imaging technologies, including how metadata fit into the panorama of building information communities. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc40416/
- Meeting the Digital Resource Preservation Challenges: The University of North Texas Libraries Initiative
- This presentation describes the University of North Texas Libraries' initiatives to ensure long-term access to various digital resources. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29291/
- A Metadata Approach to Preservation of Digital Resources: The University of North Texas Libraries' Experience
- This article discusses a metadata approach to preservation of digital resources. Preserving long-term access to digital information resources is one of the key challenges facing libraries and information centers today. The University of North Texas (UNT) Libraries has entered into partnership agreements with federal and state agencies to ensure permanent storage and public access to a variety of government information sources. As digital resource preservation encompasses a wide variety of interrelated activities, the UNT Libraries are taking a phased approach to ensure the long-term access to its digital resources. Formulation of preservation policy and creation of preservation metadata for electronic files and digital collections are among the most important steps. This paper discusses the issues related to digital resources preservation and demonstrates the role of preservation metadata in facilitating the preservation activities in general. In particular, it describes the efforts being made by the UNT Libraries to ensure the long-term access and preservation of various digital information resources. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29308/
- The Future is in the Preservation Metadata
- This presentation discusses the issue of digital preservation and how metadata provides a critical part of the solution to the preservation challenges from detecting preservation threats to promoting preventative measures. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29292/
- Targeted Access for Varied Audiences to Integrated, Heterogeneous Digital Information Resources
- This poster presentation gives an overview of the University of North Texas (UNT) Libraries' Portal to Texas History project, which aims to integrate and ensure long-term access to large quantities of heterogeneous digital resources from many different institutions. The UNT Library is undertaking the leadership role by creating the application framework, setting project standards and guidelines, and facilitating collaborative efforts for content building. Also discussed are expanded services for targeted audiences, project approaches to preservation challenges, collaboration benefits, and other issues that emerged in the process of building a platform for the portal system. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29283/
- Targeted Access for Varied Audiences to Integrated, Heterogeneous Digital Information Resources
- This poster presents an overview of the University of North Texas (UNT) Libraries' "Portal to Texas History" project, which aims to integrate and ensure long-term access to large quantities of heterogeneous digital resources from many different institutions. Portals have emerged as an important tool for facilitating single-point-access to digital resources. The UNT Library is undertaking the leadership role by creating the application framework, setting project standards and guidelines, and facilitating collaborative efforts for content building. Also discussed are expanded services for targeted audiences, project approaches to preservation challenges, collaboration benefits, and other issues that emerged in the process of building a platform for the portal system. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29309/
- XML for Text Markup: An Introduction to XML Markup
- This presentation introduces the extensible markup language (XML) for text markup. It explains where XML came from, the advantages, gives a comparison of XML to HTML, and discusses how XML works and can be used. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc28338/
- Annexation of Texas Project
- This presentation outlines the "From Republic to State: Debates and Documents Relating to the Annexation of Texas, 1836-1856" project. This grant funded project involved digitizing 6000 objects. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc28337/
- Electronic Archives and Partnerships - Preserving Government Information for Tomorrow
- This presentation discusses electronic archives, partnerships, and preserving government information. In this presentation, the authors discuss digital libraries and the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). They present the background of the FDLP, developing the Memorandum of Understanding, the CyberCemetary, and gives a current status of the FDLP. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc152423/
- Findings from the MetaScholar Projects: AmericanSouth and MetaArchive
- This article summarizes major findings of the MetaArchive and AmericanSouth projects, two of the seven projects of the 2001 Mellon Metadata Harvesting Initiative. This article will not deal with the activities undertaken in these projects, or the decision to conjoin the two projects to form the MetaScholar Initiative, as this information has been reported in detail elsewhere. [Halbert, 2003] Nor will it recount the already public motivations of the Mellon Foundation in funding these and other projects. [Waters, 2001] What will be reported are the general motivations that led to undertaking the MetaArchive and AmericanSouth projects, the questions that the projects set out to answer, and what findings were reached, both expected and unexpected. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc78315/
- Metadata and XML
- This presentation discusses how XML can help store metadata. The University of North Texas (UNT) Digital Projects Unit developed the UNTL metadata element set with IndexData that tailored the data to meet their needs. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc28339/
- No Longer Under Our Control: The Nature and Role of Standards in the 21st Century Library
- This lecture script examines the nature and role of standards for the emerging 21st century library. Given the dynamic character of the networked environment, when are standards appropriate and how can they be developed in a manner consistent with the volatility of information technologies and changing library services? What are the roles and responsibilities of standards developing organizations, technology vendors, content creators, and librarians for standards? Do local practices of libraries threaten standards-based resource sharing and resource access technologies? Can local needs be balanced with broader library community responsibilities, and how do standards affect this balance? The speaker's assumption is that adherence to standards has never been more critical, yet his implementation experience with Z39.50 and MARC suggests that the commitment to national and international standards by librarians, technology vendors, and content creators are often an example of good intentions rather than actual practice. This standards disconnect threatens the emerging 21st century library's ability to deliver fundamental services in appropriate ways to their users. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc36316/
- Architecture of a Centralized Portal to Distributed Information: The Portal to Texas History
- This handout discusses the development of the architecture to build The Portal to Texas History through the University of North Texas (UNT) Libraries' Digital Projects Unit. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29813/
- The Cybercemetery: Prolonging Usable Afterlife
- Abstract: This paper discusses issues related to digital resources management when capturing and preserving Web-based, heterogeneous digital materials produced by a variety of software in various versions. Despite the current inadequate digital preservation solutions, the writers explore various methods and tools that facilitate the efficient management of vast quantities of dynamic and heterogeneous digital information resources. The CyberCemetery project at the University of North Texas (UNT) is used as an example of this type of endeavor. It specifically demonstrates the efforts being made by UNT to implement digital preservation strategies for prolonging the usable life of such heterogeneous digital resources. This paper also highlights the potential role of metadata at all levels in the life cycle of a digital resource (creation, management, use, and preservation). digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29310/
- The Deep Web: Resource Discovery in the Library of Texas
- This article discusses the deep web and new tools for searching it. The networked information environment is broad and deep. It includes websites, documents, databases, library catalogs, images, organizations, and much more. While users travel this landscape using a variety of tools, a common component is a Web browser that interacts with resources. A key challenge is understanding the limits and capabilities of tools that make visible the wealth of resources in this networked environment. This article will introduce the concept of the deep or invisible Web, provide some directory resources to deep Web content, and describe the Library of Texas (LOT) resource discovery service. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc36315/
- The 'Texas Register' Web-Site Creations and Related Processes: Revised Report - 2003
- The Texas Register is published weekly, about 52 times a year, by the Office of the Texas Secretary of State. A partnership agreement with the University of North Texas Libraries and the Office of the Texas Secretary of State insures permanent storage and public access to the non-current electronic files of the Texas state government publication, the Texas Register. The document describes the detailed workflow in the year 2004. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29311/
- The University of North Texas Libraries' Portal to Texas History: Archival Challenges and Solutions
- This paper discusses the University of North Texas (UNT) Libraries' Portal to Texas History's archival challenges and solutions. The UNT Texas History Portal Project strives to balance the goals of accessibility of information and long-term preservation of digital objects. This poster details the system that automates the collection of metadata records to coordinate access to web-viewable files and preservation of archived master files. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29812/
- The University of North Texas Libraries' Portal to Texas History: Archival Challenges and Solutions
- The University of North Texas (UNT) History Portal Project strives to balance the goals of accessibility of information and long-term preservation of digital objects. This poster details the system that automates the collection of metadata records to coordinate access to web-viewable files and preservation of archived master files. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29806/
- What's My Leadership Color?
- This presentation discusses leadership skills in relation to colors. The topics relate to the "True Colors" quiz, leadership colors, attributes and stressors, and esteem and colors. The discussion is based on "True Colors - An Approach to Understanding Self and Others" by Julie Ray, Partners in Learning. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc36277/
- The MetaCombine Project
- This poster presentation discusses the MetaCombine project, a Mellon-funded effort based at Emory University, with the goal of discovering and developing systems and methods to more meaningfully combine digital libraries, digital library resources, and digital library services. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc81391/
- Development of a Portal to Texas History
- This article discusses the development of The Portal to Texas History. Abstract: Purpose: To help information professionals learn about issues and considerations in portal building. Design/methodology/approach: The University of North Texas (UNT) Libraries' Portal to Texas History provides long-term storage and access to digital copies of important original materials illuminating Texas' past. This article describes the development of the Portal technology and content - presenting objectives, processes, and future plans - and defines the larger goal of facilitating collaboration among resource-holding institutions. Findings: Practical aspects of creating and populating the Portal include development of specifications and standards, construction of an application framework, selection of content, production of metadata, and refinement of user interfaces. Planned future enhancements to the Portal will augment sustainability and provide added value for users. The Portal project may also serve as a catalyst for wider collaborative efforts in digitization. Originality/Value: The Portal to Texas History project's experiences described in this article will inform other stakeholders seeking to develop innovative uses of Portal technologies. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29313/
- Ensuring Universal Access for the Global Information Flow: Responding to the Demands of Scholarship in the Digital Age
- This presentation was presented in Session 6.4 Reports of Current Research (Juried Papers), at the 2005 ALISE Conference. It summarizes current situations and developing trends in information technologies. It raises an important issue in the development of globalization which emphasizes the efficiency of modern technologies in delivering information to people around the world. Africa is used as a case to illustrate how local policies have played important roles in the process of information globalization. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29293/
- Implementing a Robust Architecture for a Centralized Portal System
- This poster discusses the architecture for a centralized portal system. Architectural complexity of the portal system may have a significant impact on the overall efficiency, interoperability, preservation, and provenance issues. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc77155/
- The Issues of Compliance and Interoperability in Integrating Heterogeneous Digital Information Resources: Lessons from Texas History Portal
- This poster discusses issues related to portal building and explores compliance and interoperability issues. It also assesses the current status and the emerging trends in innovative uses of portal technologies and provides an overall scenario. In context of aggregating a variety of formats, bundling preservation metadata to facilitate long-term access, setting project standards and best practice guidelines, and coordinating a variety of collaborative efforts for participating institutions. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29285/
- Meeting the Demands of Digital Scholarship: Challenges and Opportunities
- This paper discusses meeting the demands of digital scholarship. The synergies of numerous emerging trends such as the development of open standards and open source software, geometric growth of blogs and podcasts, peer-to-peer networking, cross discipline collaborations, etc. provide new directions for scholarship. Likewise, digital libraries and supporting technologies have now matured to the point where their contents are incorporating complex and dynamic resources and services. Powered by network capability and fueled by digital developments, research is becoming more data intensive in almost every discipline. The rapid pace of development poses new threats and problems. Many of these innovations, for example, may have come at the expense of simplicity, sustainability, and other commonly understood applications in the life cycle management of digital resources. Based on the University of North Texas Libraries' "Portal to Texas History" implementation experiences, this paper provides a general overview on the emerging trends and innovative usage of digital library technologies. This paper provides an overall scenario in the areas of aggregating a variety of digital formats; deploying, maintaining, and archiving digital contents; and other innovative uses of digital library technologies. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29312/
- Meeting the Demands of Digital Scholarship: Challenges and Opportunities
- This poster was presented at the 2005 American Society for Information Sciences and Technologies (ASIS&T) conference. It is based on the University of North Texas Libraries' Portal to Texas History project and provides a general overview on the emerging trends and innovative use of portal technologies. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29284/
- The Portal to Texas History: Harnessing Technology to Enable Collaboration with Small Museums and Libraries
- This presentation discusses how The Portal to Texas History is harnessing technology to enable collaboration with small museums and libraries. This presentation includes information on the workflows, planning, metadata elements, and goals for the Portal project. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29801/
- Presidential End of Term Web Harvest Lessons Learned
- This paper discusses web harvesting and the University of North Texas (UNT) Libraries' Presidential End of Term Web Harvest Project in which they captured government websites for archiving. In this paper, the author describes what web harvesting is, gives information on the project, and links and tools. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc29814/
- Focus Group Report: ALA, Chicago, June, 2005
- This report is part of the Web-at-Risk project. This report includes the following three sections: (a) the methodology used to conduct the focus groups and analyze the data, (b) the detailed results of the analysis organized into phases of the collection development process, and (c) a discussion of the key findings. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc32993/
- Needs Assessment Toolkit
- This presentation discusses the needs assessment toolkit created for the Web-at-Risk project. This presentation outlines the details related to the web archive development process and the activities related to the needs assessment. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc32892/
- Content Producer Interview Questionnaire
- This document is an interview, questionnaire for the Web-at-Risk project. The purpose of this interview is to explore the issues information publishers or content producers have regarding web archives. The purpose of this discussion is to elicit the needs and thoughts of the users regarding web archives of materials created by a third party, such as a universal library. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc33003/
- End User Interview Questionnaire
- This document is the end user interview questionnaire used for the Web-at-Risk project. It includes instructions for the interviewer, key concepts, and digital archive examples along with the questions to be asked. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc33123/
- Focus Group Discussion Guide
- This document is part of the Web-at-Risk project. This is the focus group discussion guide used for the project. The purpose of the questions included in this guide are to create a comfortable atmosphere in which people feel valued for their participation, to establish the context for the discussion, and to provide the facilitator with information about the group. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc33125/
- Focus Group Participant Questionnaire
- This document is part of the Web-at-Risk project. This is the focus group participant questionnaire and lists seven questions for participants to answer. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc33127/
- Needs Assessment Survey
- This document is part of the Web-at-Risk project. This is the needs assessment survey for the project. The purpose of this assessment is twofold: (1) to identify curator and end-user needs that impact the collection development process for web archives, and (2) To identify the requirements for the Curator User Interface (CUI) to the web crawler and associated tools in the areas of content crawling, crawl progress monitoring, crawl quality assessment, management and description of crawled content, searching and browsing of crawled content, and preservation of crawled content. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc33129/
- Needs Assessment Toolkit: Guidelines and Data Collection Tools
- This report is part of the Web-at-Risk project. The Web-at-Risk project is one of eight digital preservation projects funded in 2004 by the Library of Congress. Each of the projects represents a collaborative effort to preserve for future generations born-digital or digitized cultural heritage materials and collections. The Web-at-Risk project is a 3-year collaborative effort of the California Digital Library, the University of North Texas (UNT), and New York University. The project will develop a Web Archiving Service that enables curators to build collections of web-published materials. The content will be collected largely from US federal and state government agencies, but will also include political policy documents, campaign literature, and information surrounding political movements. The project work will be conducted along four paths of overlapping activities. The Web-at-Risk Project work paths include (1) Content identification, selection, and acquisition; (2) Content harvest and analysis; (3) Content ingest, retention, and transfer; and (4) Partnership building. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc33007/
- Research Consent Form: Focus Groups and End User Interviews
- This document is a consent form for focus groups and end users for the Web-at-Risk project. This consent form describes the purpose of the study, the description of the study, the procedures used, and the risks and benefits to users. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc33126/
- Research Consent Script for Telephone Interviews
- This document is a consent form for telephone interviews that are part of the Web-at-Risk project. This paper describes the purpose of the interview and what the Web-at-Risk project is, with a place for consent to be interviewed and a signature. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc33001/
- Web-Based Survey Research Consent Letter
- This letter is part of the Web-at-Risk project. The letter introduces participants to what the Web-at-Risk project is and what the study hopes to accomplish. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc36321/
- Web-Published Materials: Preservation and NDIIPP Sponsored Research
- This presentation discusses web-published materials, preservation and the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP). digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc152430/
- Free Culture and the Digital Library Symposium Proceedings 2005
- This book of proceedings includes seventeen papers from a symposium held at Emory University. The symposium papers discuss subjects relating to free culture in digital libraries. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc97947/
- Councilor's Report: 2006 Annual Conference - New Orleans
- This article discusses the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in 2006, which took place in New Orleans, Louisiana. Information about the topics discussed and issues that were brought up are included. digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc36286/