Library blog

Before Google

kcoronado — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:52:15 +0000

While Google may be the most eminent pursuer of open access to books with its ambitious Library Project, it is not the first. Libraries started doing this before Google and while some libraries have partnered with Google, hundreds of other libraries have partnered with the Open Content Alliance (OCA) which is “a collaborative effort of a group of cultural, technology, nonprofit, and governmental organizations from around the world that helps build a permanent archive of multilingual digitized text and multimedia material.” Currently, the OCA is scanning approximately 1,000 public domain books per day at their 19 “scanning centers” around the world. Another organization that you may have heard of is Project Gutenberg which has been making public domain books freely accessible through the internet since long before Google and the OCA. These organizations deserve a great deal of credit for their work. You can find the 1.2 million books posted under OCA principles in the Text Archive hosted by the Internet Archive.

“Achievements for humanity.” Open Content Alliance (OCA). 16 Jul 2009 .

IES Open Access

kcoronado — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:59:32 +0000

The Institute of Education Sciences in the U.S. Department of Education now has an open access policy that will make research publications available to the public through ERIC within 12 months of publication. Read more in the post, Does the U.S. Department of Education have an OA Policy? at the Open Access News blog.

Historic London

kcoronado — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:50:10 +0000

British Museum: London 1753

http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/online_tours/britain/london_1753/london_1753.aspx

When the world was two and a half centuries younger, the British Museum was founded in London. That sprawling city on the Thames was fast becoming a major world capital, and visitors with a penchant for urban history will want to make their way through this online tour of the city as it appeared around the year 1753. Using historic prints and drawings from this time period, users can learn about five areas, including Covent Garden and Westminster. The first image sets a nice scene, as it depicts “The Imports of Great Britain from France”. Moving on, visitors will also see a fine drawing of the City of London by Giovanni Antonio Canaletto and a print of a street crier by Paul Sandby. All told, it’s a great way to learn a bit more about London during this period, and the exhibit succeeds on all fronts.

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2009. http://scout.wisc.edu/