IRRI, which stands for International Rice Research Institute, is a non-profit organization that was built to help farmers and other rice producers to learn more about rice crop management, different rice varieties and how they can improve rice crop yield and quality.
Our LIS 260 class, lead by Prof Esposo, made our visit to the IRRI Library to observe their digitization efforts and to also check the library system that they are using.
It was a 2 hour drive from Manila to Los Banos. Of course, everyone was excited for this trip. Aside from that, everyone was eager to know the kind of environment the IRRI library has to present. When we arrived at our destination, IRRI was a sightful. The IRRI library did not disappoint us as well. Who would not enjoy a special welcome banner waiting for us at the entrance of the library.
The IRRI library is what I think unit libraries in UP should look like. It's got that homey yet professional feeling that I really like about libraries. It also has good lighting and comfy chairs and tables that users can work on. Overall, it is very conducive place to learn for researchers and students.
Their collection is something to be proud of also. From the short library orientation they prepared for us, I learned that the IRRI library has the highest collection relating to anything and everything about rice. Most of their collection is in english, a small portion of it are written in other foreign languages, particularly, languages in Asia. Also, they have an established borrowing system and this is what the library observes at all times to all clients. Their clients range from scientists to researchers, to farmers and students.
Slowly, the IRRI library, just like other established libraries, felt the need to progress and adapt to modern times. They have explored going digital with their collection. Going digital for them was not seen as a fad but as a need and this is to further improve their services so they can reach a wider community. They have incorporated in their system a way for researchers and scientists to have access to their rice literature collection. Sadly, we weren't able to explore and observe how they do their digitizing project. But they did tell us that they are conducting a digitization project, and they have already digitized some of their collections already. On the plus side, we were able to use the library system implemented at the IRRI organization.
IRRI uses a system call the Millenium, an integrated Library System and used by other big institutions like UST and La Salle. If we are to evaluate Millenium, by mere observation, we can say that it works just fine. The systems has no time lags and it is able to retrieve information at a second blink. It's got a friendly interface, not intimidating to use but I think, for me that is the problem. It's not aesthetically nice, the interface is just really too simple to the point of being bland. I guess that can be one thing to improve on. In terms of data collection stored in their database, they pretty much put all their collections in there and these collections can be searched online through their OPAC. As effective as this system may be, from the management point of view, Millenium is proving to be a little bit costly for a non-profit organization. Apart from spending millions on the software alone, the library has to pay an annual maintenance and if they created changes to the system, it has a corresponding customization fee. This is the reason why, the head library, Ms. Mercedes Vijandre, wnats to migrate to another system. A system that could perform the function of Millenium and still be cost-friendly to the big bosses.
Overall, I enjoyed the trip immensely. It was educational, fun and most of all invigorating. It was such a nice change of view, far from the stresses created by Manila. Also, this class taught me a lot about new knowledge, especially on Information Retrieval Systems (IRs). Now I can say that I have fully grasped the concept of IR systems. Best of all, armed with new knowledge, I wish to be able to create my own IR systems in the future.
Lunes, Oktubre 17, 2011
Biyernes, Oktubre 14, 2011
Lopez Museum Digitization Efforts
Museums hold many important artifacts and wide variety of collections and the Lopez museum is not an exception to that thought. But how are they managing the museum as a whole?
I would like to base my assessment of Lopez museum on 2 different aspects:
1. Physical floorplan
Upon my arrival at the Lopez Museum, I went straight to the library as per instruction. My first impression of their library was that it was very spacious but then I realized that there is an office occupying the other half of the library area and I have observed some problem areas:
2. Digitization Project
Despite flaws in floor design, I commend the Lopez Museum for their digitization effort. Not all institutions are willing to put their money on library systems or even hiring a third-party who would do scanning and indexing for them. They also have a strong collection of books, paintings and photographs that I enjoyed looking at and just absorbed history right before my eyes.
I would like to base my assessment of Lopez museum on 2 different aspects:
1. Physical floorplan
Upon my arrival at the Lopez Museum, I went straight to the library as per instruction. My first impression of their library was that it was very spacious but then I realized that there is an office occupying the other half of the library area and I have observed some problem areas:
- Their office space is very exposed to the public. Personal things mingle with their work materials and it presents a cluttered work space.
- Their vault containing their collection of rare books can easily be seen and is very exposed to the public eye.
- They do not have a separate room or a kind of a lab room dedicated to a work space for scanning and microfilming efforts
- They do not have a server room
- Their personal desks also serve as reference desk
2. Digitization Project
- They had their scanning, indexing and tagging done by a third party
- When asked if they are satisfied with the work of the third party - surprisingly they said no and yet they still continue to avail of the services
- No one is doing the Quality Control for all the materials they scan and index
Greening the Library
Greening the Library: Collection Development Decisions
by Virginia Connell
Corcordia College
Many writers in the library literature have addressed sustainability of the collection with regard to increased prices, user need and format stability. To this list of concerns, librarians should add the environmental impact of the different resources libraries choose. This article considers three facets of collection development: selection of materials whose content informs and assesses green practices; de-selection processes that emphasize reusing and recycling materials; and selection of a material format, specifically print or electronic, that honors the green dictum to reduce the carbon footprint an institution makes. The problem of reducing a library's carbon footprint is perhaps the most complex and most contentious when it come to the format of the collection. It is on the issue of print versus electronic resources that the present discussion of environmental sustainability will devote most of its focus.
by Virginia Connell
Corcordia College
Many writers in the library literature have addressed sustainability of the collection with regard to increased prices, user need and format stability. To this list of concerns, librarians should add the environmental impact of the different resources libraries choose. This article considers three facets of collection development: selection of materials whose content informs and assesses green practices; de-selection processes that emphasize reusing and recycling materials; and selection of a material format, specifically print or electronic, that honors the green dictum to reduce the carbon footprint an institution makes. The problem of reducing a library's carbon footprint is perhaps the most complex and most contentious when it come to the format of the collection. It is on the issue of print versus electronic resources that the present discussion of environmental sustainability will devote most of its focus.
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I've learned a lot of things from this article. Did you know that Libraries have long been icons of sustainability? Well, I do now. It is a common knowledge that libraries exist to serve its community, thus, it does not earn for its organization or school. Budget has always been issue, not just locally but also for libraries abroad. Some I've even heard first hand from conferences and seminars that I attend. But irregardless of the situation, the library still has consciously put into consideration, caring for the environment.
The green campaign in the library does not only focus on the physical infrastructure, it goes deeper and more thorough. Green campaigns have already touched on collection development process.
For me, the concept of green library is something new and it requires a great commitment. Although in my small library, it is something that still needs to be reviewed and explored, I look into the future to with a positive light that someday, I will be able to incorporate sustainability practices in the offices. For the meantime, I will start my sustainability efforts by assessing if I really need to print a document or article or just learn to adjust and read things electronically so as not to waste paper and harm the environment with carbon footprints left behind by the ink we use.
Health Concerns of Computer Use
New health risk linked to computer use
By Deborah Condon
Irish Health [Posted: Wed 29/01/2003 www.irishhealth.com]
URL: http://www.irishhealth.com/article.html?id=4589
and
Two of the most well-known health risk in using the computer too long is eye strain and repetitive strain injury. More news tells us that sitting in front of the computer for a long period of time poses health risks as well. This is because when people sit down for too long without taking a break or simply standing up, blood clots start to form (mostly on the legs). When this blood clot reaches the lungs, the situation can be fatal. In medical terms this is what they call the Deep Vein Thrombosis or the DVT.
"This is a serious condition in which a blood clot forms within the deep vein system, often in the legs."
There had been a lot of news circulating around the globe citing situations of people actually dying of this condition. (Please see article 2). It had become a widespread news that doctors dubbed this condition as e-thrombosis.
By Deborah Condon
Irish Health [Posted: Wed 29/01/2003 www.irishhealth.com]
URL: http://www.irishhealth.com/article.html?id=4589
and
Britain man dies after playing Xbox for twelve straight hours
– July 31, 2011
ZUnited
Two of the most well-known health risk in using the computer too long is eye strain and repetitive strain injury. More news tells us that sitting in front of the computer for a long period of time poses health risks as well. This is because when people sit down for too long without taking a break or simply standing up, blood clots start to form (mostly on the legs). When this blood clot reaches the lungs, the situation can be fatal. In medical terms this is what they call the Deep Vein Thrombosis or the DVT.
"This is a serious condition in which a blood clot forms within the deep vein system, often in the legs."
There had been a lot of news circulating around the globe citing situations of people actually dying of this condition. (Please see article 2). It had become a widespread news that doctors dubbed this condition as e-thrombosis.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
In reading articles like the 2 mentioned above, it is in a way, telling us that we are supposed to learn from the mistakes of others. It has been said that computers have become an essential part of our lives but we should also learn to be responsible users. This article is not just about learning new medical terms and definitions, it is about being aware that e-thrombosis is as real as heart attack and other medical conditions linked with computer usage. We must work towards keeping a good balance of activities in our daily lives and above all learn to take care of ourselves both physically and mentally.
When I read articles like this, I think to myself, are they real? It seems to me as an odd way to die and yet it makes sense. This serves as a good reminder to everyone to not abuse our bodies. Our computers can withstand working for hours and even days 24/7 and still function as we expect them to but our bodies are not machines. In a famous song by the Spice girls even they will tell you that "too much of something is bad enough."
As the administrator of our Intranet site in the office and for being part of the Information Resource and Technology Management Services, I make sure that articles relating to health risks relating to computer use, ergonomics and the like must be posted on our Internal site for everyone to read on a regular basis. This will keep employees informed and knowledgeable of things they should and shouldn't do. I do not mind taking time snipping articles and posting them for our employees. Besides, we all need to be reminded every now and then.
So, if you are reading this article right now, I suggest you stand up from your chair and stretch those muscles!
When I read articles like this, I think to myself, are they real? It seems to me as an odd way to die and yet it makes sense. This serves as a good reminder to everyone to not abuse our bodies. Our computers can withstand working for hours and even days 24/7 and still function as we expect them to but our bodies are not machines. In a famous song by the Spice girls even they will tell you that "too much of something is bad enough."
As the administrator of our Intranet site in the office and for being part of the Information Resource and Technology Management Services, I make sure that articles relating to health risks relating to computer use, ergonomics and the like must be posted on our Internal site for everyone to read on a regular basis. This will keep employees informed and knowledgeable of things they should and shouldn't do. I do not mind taking time snipping articles and posting them for our employees. Besides, we all need to be reminded every now and then.
So, if you are reading this article right now, I suggest you stand up from your chair and stretch those muscles!
Lunes, Setyembre 5, 2011
Lunes, Agosto 8, 2011
Cloud Computing
Cloud Computing: Exploring the scope
Maurya, Brajesh Kumar
[Report]
URL:
Cloud computing refers to a paradigm shift to overall IT solutions while raising the accessibility, scalability and effectiveness through its enabling technologies. However, migrated cloud platforms and services cost benefits as well as performances are neither clear nor summarized. Globalization and the recessionary economic times have not only raised the bar of a better IT delivery models but also have given access to technology enabled services via internet. Cloud computing has vast potential in terms of lean Retail methodologies that can minimize the operational cost by using the third party based IT capabilities, as a service. It will not only increase the ROI but will also help in lowering the total cost of ownership. In this paper we have tried to compare the cloud computing cost benefits with the actual premise cost which an organization incurs normally. However, in spite of the cost benefits, many IT professional believe that the latest model i.e. “cloud computing” has risks and security concerns. This report demonstrates how to answer the following questions: (1) Idea behind cloud computing. (2) Monetary cost benefits of using cloud with respect to traditional premise computing. (3) What are the various security issues and how these threats can be mitigated? We have tried to find out the cost benefit by comparing the Microsoft Azure cloud cost with the prevalent premise cost.
-----------------------------
We all have probably heard of cloud computing. New technologies are bound to pave its way into our lives faster than the Formula Rossa rollercoaster in Abu Dhabi. We may not be aware of it, but we all have been exposed to the cloud computing technology.
This article made me aware that cloud computing is about two things: (1) that it can provide moving services and (2) it has transformed IT hardware requirements into a simple cost-effective scheme. This simply means that for developers, they can now create/ provide applications without worrying about hardware purchases. For companies, this means saving up on capital and operational expenditures thus, avoiding unnecessary expenses. One example would be purchasing of servers. We all know that servers are not just expensive, they also wear out in time. Unless we are able to maximize its use, it is just money thrown down the drain.
I also learned that there are 3 major categories of services provided by cloud computing services. They are: (1) Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), (2) Platform as a Service (PaaS) and (3) Software as a Service (Saas).
IaaS is about building Application Program Interface (APIs) and make it available to costumers through a pay-as-you-go service wherein they can only pay for the amount of service they are able to get. (Example: Amazon) SaaS on the otherhand uses these APIs to create their own applications. (Example: Salesforce). Lastly, SaaS allows users to use their applications and that alone. (Good example: Facebook, Twitter)
From an information specialist point of view, cloud computing services could mean a better understanding of information management through the web. It could give us a more graphical presentation of where our information goes, what it does once it is in the cloud and how to be able to present information to those who need it.
Maurya, Brajesh Kumar
[Report]
URL:
http://hdl.handle.net/10760/14562
(Photo from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing)
Cloud computing refers to a paradigm shift to overall IT solutions while raising the accessibility, scalability and effectiveness through its enabling technologies. However, migrated cloud platforms and services cost benefits as well as performances are neither clear nor summarized. Globalization and the recessionary economic times have not only raised the bar of a better IT delivery models but also have given access to technology enabled services via internet. Cloud computing has vast potential in terms of lean Retail methodologies that can minimize the operational cost by using the third party based IT capabilities, as a service. It will not only increase the ROI but will also help in lowering the total cost of ownership. In this paper we have tried to compare the cloud computing cost benefits with the actual premise cost which an organization incurs normally. However, in spite of the cost benefits, many IT professional believe that the latest model i.e. “cloud computing” has risks and security concerns. This report demonstrates how to answer the following questions: (1) Idea behind cloud computing. (2) Monetary cost benefits of using cloud with respect to traditional premise computing. (3) What are the various security issues and how these threats can be mitigated? We have tried to find out the cost benefit by comparing the Microsoft Azure cloud cost with the prevalent premise cost.
-----------------------------
We all have probably heard of cloud computing. New technologies are bound to pave its way into our lives faster than the Formula Rossa rollercoaster in Abu Dhabi. We may not be aware of it, but we all have been exposed to the cloud computing technology.
This article made me aware that cloud computing is about two things: (1) that it can provide moving services and (2) it has transformed IT hardware requirements into a simple cost-effective scheme. This simply means that for developers, they can now create/ provide applications without worrying about hardware purchases. For companies, this means saving up on capital and operational expenditures thus, avoiding unnecessary expenses. One example would be purchasing of servers. We all know that servers are not just expensive, they also wear out in time. Unless we are able to maximize its use, it is just money thrown down the drain.
I also learned that there are 3 major categories of services provided by cloud computing services. They are: (1) Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), (2) Platform as a Service (PaaS) and (3) Software as a Service (Saas).
IaaS is about building Application Program Interface (APIs) and make it available to costumers through a pay-as-you-go service wherein they can only pay for the amount of service they are able to get. (Example: Amazon) SaaS on the otherhand uses these APIs to create their own applications. (Example: Salesforce). Lastly, SaaS allows users to use their applications and that alone. (Good example: Facebook, Twitter)
From an information specialist point of view, cloud computing services could mean a better understanding of information management through the web. It could give us a more graphical presentation of where our information goes, what it does once it is in the cloud and how to be able to present information to those who need it.
Linggo, Hulyo 31, 2011
Open Access Online Journals for Libraries
Business Models as Driver for Change
The Impact of Electronic Publishing: The Future for Publishers and Librarians. David J. Brown and Richard Boulderstone. Munich: K. G. Saur, 2008. p[161]-184.
This article tackled Open Access as seen in the Market. Open access is said to be more of a business model as it is involved with selling publicly funded research materials to a wide array of readers. It stated that open access is slowly being accepted as it battles the traditional way of journal subscription. The subscription model offers limited access and only reaches a limited market. If commercially based controls are taken out of picture, then, open access promises to reach a wider audience providing more freedom in accessing information.
Open access however, still has a limited number of audiences. It is mostly the Academic and Research Institutions that uses open access as they have the funds to back them up provided to them by public or private organizations . Consider in the picture the so called "disenfranchised." They are the people outside the the two institutions mentioned. They are faced with constraints such as their actual buying power, how would they benefit from Open access then? Experts then have tried to justify transition from a subscription mode to Open Access to answer information needs.Things I've learned:
The Impact of Electronic Publishing: The Future for Publishers and Librarians. David J. Brown and Richard Boulderstone. Munich: K. G. Saur, 2008. p[161]-184.
This article tackled Open Access as seen in the Market. Open access is said to be more of a business model as it is involved with selling publicly funded research materials to a wide array of readers. It stated that open access is slowly being accepted as it battles the traditional way of journal subscription. The subscription model offers limited access and only reaches a limited market. If commercially based controls are taken out of picture, then, open access promises to reach a wider audience providing more freedom in accessing information.
Open access however, still has a limited number of audiences. It is mostly the Academic and Research Institutions that uses open access as they have the funds to back them up provided to them by public or private organizations . Consider in the picture the so called "disenfranchised." They are the people outside the the two institutions mentioned. They are faced with constraints such as their actual buying power, how would they benefit from Open access then? Experts then have tried to justify transition from a subscription mode to Open Access to answer information needs.Things I've learned:
______________________________
Things I've learned:
Open Access promulgated from the idea of "openness" and that are 2 different types of openness--the green route and the gold route.
The gold route. Think gold -- think money. We can derive a there's no such thing as free lunch to fit as the definition of this type of OA. This is where an article when accessed by a user undergoes a per article processing fee. But there are also instances in which private funding organizations support the idea of free open access journal publishing, thus they fund the use of OA for free to those who wish to access information for free (for public use). There is also the new idea of Hybrid journals which includes "a mix of author Paid (OA) and toll-based articles access (TA -- or could also be referred to as the subscription mode)
The green route is the opposite of the gold route. Green supports are one in seeking for the ultimate free-access system for research information.
Backtracking from the previous reading assignment, I've mentioned TRUST as part of intellectual rights and copyright issues. This topic is also present in this article as this is essential for publishers of online journals. In the end, it all boils down to the credibility of an article to pass a good research material and for it to reach a wider audience. If researchers are able to process good information, we must understand that it is not the author who will benefit from this, it will be the community that it serves.
Things I've learned:
Open Access promulgated from the idea of "openness" and that are 2 different types of openness--the green route and the gold route.
The gold route. Think gold -- think money. We can derive a there's no such thing as free lunch to fit as the definition of this type of OA. This is where an article when accessed by a user undergoes a per article processing fee. But there are also instances in which private funding organizations support the idea of free open access journal publishing, thus they fund the use of OA for free to those who wish to access information for free (for public use). There is also the new idea of Hybrid journals which includes "a mix of author Paid (OA) and toll-based articles access (TA -- or could also be referred to as the subscription mode)
The green route is the opposite of the gold route. Green supports are one in seeking for the ultimate free-access system for research information.
Backtracking from the previous reading assignment, I've mentioned TRUST as part of intellectual rights and copyright issues. This topic is also present in this article as this is essential for publishers of online journals. In the end, it all boils down to the credibility of an article to pass a good research material and for it to reach a wider audience. If researchers are able to process good information, we must understand that it is not the author who will benefit from this, it will be the community that it serves.
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