Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Week 6 Reading Notes
This unit covered a variety of computer networks.
PAN, LAN, WAN, CAN, MAN, WLAN
The Wikipedia definition of LAN-A computer network covering a small physical area, like a home, office, or small group of buildings, such as a school.
Common technologies associated with a LAN include:
Ethernet over unshielded twisted pair cabling
Wi-Fi
The Computer Network reading was interesting because it explained how different types of networks were connected, and it also went into detail about the hardware used to connect the networks.
Library Local Area Networks are complex in that all users are not all granted the same access---Employees are granted different access to the network than patrons--
A patron might have access to the internet and library catalog, while a library employee might have access to the color printer, internet, database, etc.
Devices in a network are connected logically. Their connections are independent of the physical layout of the network.
The YouTube video basically reiterated the different types of networks.
The RFID article covered Radio Frequency Identifiers and their emerging presence in libraries.
This article was disturbing to me because I work in Circ. and basically if RFID was implemented in my library, my job would be eliminated. I do think, though, that patrons would miss the customer service the circulation staff provides. The technology of RFID is incredible and can have many applications. I just wouldn't want to go overboard. Also, there are costs to consider, such as having to purchase durable tags; pretty spendy.
PAN, LAN, WAN, CAN, MAN, WLAN
The Wikipedia definition of LAN-A computer network covering a small physical area, like a home, office, or small group of buildings, such as a school.
Common technologies associated with a LAN include:
Ethernet over unshielded twisted pair cabling
Wi-Fi
The Computer Network reading was interesting because it explained how different types of networks were connected, and it also went into detail about the hardware used to connect the networks.
Library Local Area Networks are complex in that all users are not all granted the same access---Employees are granted different access to the network than patrons--
A patron might have access to the internet and library catalog, while a library employee might have access to the color printer, internet, database, etc.
Devices in a network are connected logically. Their connections are independent of the physical layout of the network.
The YouTube video basically reiterated the different types of networks.
The RFID article covered Radio Frequency Identifiers and their emerging presence in libraries.
This article was disturbing to me because I work in Circ. and basically if RFID was implemented in my library, my job would be eliminated. I do think, though, that patrons would miss the customer service the circulation staff provides. The technology of RFID is incredible and can have many applications. I just wouldn't want to go overboard. Also, there are costs to consider, such as having to purchase durable tags; pretty spendy.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Muddiest Point
I am a little confused about Color Space and RGB, regarding lossy data compression. Can you elaborate on this further?
Week 5 Reading Notes
Wikipedia: Data Compression
Data Compression Basics
Out of the two reading selections, I found the Data Compression Basics the most interesting to read. The information outlined in the article was for the most part easy to conceptualize.
The articles covered lossy and lossless forms of data compression.
Lossless compression-the info is guaranteed to be exactly identical to the original.
Lossy compression- the info is not guaranteed to be exactly identical/ loss of fidelity.
The Data Compression Basics article went on to cover Data, Stills, Audio and video compression.
I was interested to note that the difference between two sets of numbers can be recorded as a compressed version of an image or sound.
Also, knowing which colors/ brightness ranges are most sensitive to the eye allows for lossy data compression in images.
Imaging Pittsburgh...by Edward A. Galloway
This seemed a monster of a digitizing/archiving project taken on by University of Pittsburgh’s Digital Research Library. Assembling a collection of this size faced many challenges.
Selecting photographs to be included in the collection proved to be a challenge. In assembling photographs from split collections, members of different departments had to collaborate in selecting photographs.
On top of that, Metadata had to be created for the entire collection...and these were just a few of the challenges faced. The amount of work involved makes me think twice about the costs vs. benefits aspect of digitization.
YouTube and Libraries...by Paula L. Webb
This was an entertaining and informative article about how libraries can use Youtube as a way to reach out to patrons. I enjoyed watching 'The Library Mystery Tour." It made me want to go out and make a YouTube video about the library where I work. Also, the fact that you can attach a video to a blog, and have an RSS feed, makes this a creative way to market a library.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
Week 4 Reading Notes
This week's readings covered databases, metadata and the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative.
Database Models:
Hierarchical
Network
Relational
Post-Relational
The Relational Model is the most commonly used. Information is organized in columns and rows. Values which are repeated can suggest a connection between values. In this way you can connect records which contain these values. Numbers that relate to one another are called "Primary Keys."
Indexing, Database Transactions (ACID), Replication, Locking and Concurrency Control were also discussed.
I enjoyed reading about the logic involved in forming connections between various pieces of information.
Metadata:
I think the use of Metadata by libraries will be crucial in the future vetting and classification of information. Metadata takes context, content and structure into account when organizing information. Descriptors relating to the content, context or structure can be attached to a piece of information.
Metadata can be used to develop a hierarchy relating to quality of information, or form complex relationships between different pieces of contextually related information.
Dublin Core Metadata Initiative:
Search out and describe the diverse resources available on the web. Reading through the programming language was interesting. The logic involved in programming seems both
simple and incredibly complex at the same time.
Muddiest Point:
What is Replication used for?
Posts:
Lauren Menges's Blog
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7036399065753048748&postID=914671250983336515&page=1
Brandon Baker's Blog
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=84548656281186042&postID=107728577542712375
Database Models:
Hierarchical
Network
Relational
Post-Relational
The Relational Model is the most commonly used. Information is organized in columns and rows. Values which are repeated can suggest a connection between values. In this way you can connect records which contain these values. Numbers that relate to one another are called "Primary Keys."
Indexing, Database Transactions (ACID), Replication, Locking and Concurrency Control were also discussed.
I enjoyed reading about the logic involved in forming connections between various pieces of information.
Metadata:
I think the use of Metadata by libraries will be crucial in the future vetting and classification of information. Metadata takes context, content and structure into account when organizing information. Descriptors relating to the content, context or structure can be attached to a piece of information.
Metadata can be used to develop a hierarchy relating to quality of information, or form complex relationships between different pieces of contextually related information.
Dublin Core Metadata Initiative:
Search out and describe the diverse resources available on the web. Reading through the programming language was interesting. The logic involved in programming seems both
simple and incredibly complex at the same time.
Muddiest Point:
What is Replication used for?
Posts:
Lauren Menges's Blog
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7036399065753048748&postID=914671250983336515&page=1
Brandon Baker's Blog
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=84548656281186042&postID=107728577542712375
Friday, September 5, 2008
Week 3 Reading Notes
The week 3 readings covered many major OS: Mac OS X, Linux, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and NEXTSTEP, among others.
In reading about the different systems, my perceptions regarding the pros and cons about these different systems has changed dramatically.
Bill Veghte's letter to Microsoft customers on the delivery of Windows 7 talks about how the new Windows will be based upon Vista technology. Currently with Vista you can sign up for "downgrade rights," which enables you to access XP, a more compatible, user friendly OS. It also states in the letter that XP will be supported until 2014.
Even though Vista has many benefits, such as enhanced security, lower cost of ownership to support for the next generation of hardware, better audio and video experiences, and improvements making it easier to find data and info content, the question remains; why purchase Windows Vista, when Windows 7's release date is scheduled for next year? I enjoyed reading the comments below the letter, analyzing the "cost" of implementing Vista now rather than waiting for Windows 7 to be released.
Mac OS X seems to be based on the NEXTSTEP technology Steve Jobs unveiled after he left Apple and joined a new startup; NeXT. It is interesting to note the similarities between Linux, which is written in the C programming language, and which is an implementation of Unix, and NEXTSTEP "an open platform that anybody could use to create their own implementation of STEP." (kernelthread.com, 2) That Mac OS X is the same in many respects to NEXSTEP, then, makes it very simlar to Linux, though it seems less compatible.
Mac OS X has gone through many evolutions. One of the major changes came in 2006, when Mac released its first Intel-based operating systems. With the release of these new systems, support was dropped for the Classic environment, thus limiting the systems' backward compatability. The features of Mac OS X include- Aqua GUI, which provides a 'graphical user interface with water-like elements, Expose, which helps with accessibility between windows and desktop, and Time Machine, which is 'automatic backup technology that allows users to view and Restore previous versions of files and application data.' (Wikipedia, Mac OS X, 10)
I like the idea of Linux, with its seemingly universal compatibility, free access, endless options, and constant evolution. Linux seems very similar to Steve Jobs' NEXSTEP in both structure, and compatibility. Both are implemented in Unix and written in the C programming language. Linux, being a 'open source product,' is going through constant transformations. Some of its cons include: far too many distributions (too many choices); it's not very user friendly; and because it is an Open Source Product, one might question the quality of the system.
Muddiest Point
We talked about binary code in class. What are the multi-architecture "fat binaries" that were introduced by NeXT, and how are they different from traditional binaries?
Posts:
Olly's Folly's Blog
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5436312546768380859&postID=9181091209151668001
In reading about the different systems, my perceptions regarding the pros and cons about these different systems has changed dramatically.
Bill Veghte's letter to Microsoft customers on the delivery of Windows 7 talks about how the new Windows will be based upon Vista technology. Currently with Vista you can sign up for "downgrade rights," which enables you to access XP, a more compatible, user friendly OS. It also states in the letter that XP will be supported until 2014.
Even though Vista has many benefits, such as enhanced security, lower cost of ownership to support for the next generation of hardware, better audio and video experiences, and improvements making it easier to find data and info content, the question remains; why purchase Windows Vista, when Windows 7's release date is scheduled for next year? I enjoyed reading the comments below the letter, analyzing the "cost" of implementing Vista now rather than waiting for Windows 7 to be released.
Mac OS X seems to be based on the NEXTSTEP technology Steve Jobs unveiled after he left Apple and joined a new startup; NeXT. It is interesting to note the similarities between Linux, which is written in the C programming language, and which is an implementation of Unix, and NEXTSTEP "an open platform that anybody could use to create their own implementation of STEP." (kernelthread.com, 2) That Mac OS X is the same in many respects to NEXSTEP, then, makes it very simlar to Linux, though it seems less compatible.
Mac OS X has gone through many evolutions. One of the major changes came in 2006, when Mac released its first Intel-based operating systems. With the release of these new systems, support was dropped for the Classic environment, thus limiting the systems' backward compatability. The features of Mac OS X include- Aqua GUI, which provides a 'graphical user interface with water-like elements, Expose, which helps with accessibility between windows and desktop, and Time Machine, which is 'automatic backup technology that allows users to view and Restore previous versions of files and application data.' (Wikipedia, Mac OS X, 10)
I like the idea of Linux, with its seemingly universal compatibility, free access, endless options, and constant evolution. Linux seems very similar to Steve Jobs' NEXSTEP in both structure, and compatibility. Both are implemented in Unix and written in the C programming language. Linux, being a 'open source product,' is going through constant transformations. Some of its cons include: far too many distributions (too many choices); it's not very user friendly; and because it is an Open Source Product, one might question the quality of the system.
Muddiest Point
We talked about binary code in class. What are the multi-architecture "fat binaries" that were introduced by NeXT, and how are they different from traditional binaries?
Posts:
Olly's Folly's Blog
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5436312546768380859&postID=9181091209151668001
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Assignment #1 -Week 1 Readings
Feeding The Beast
Lied Library @ Four Years: Technology Never Stands Still
2004 Information Format Trends: Content, not Containers
Information Literacy and Information Technology Literacy: New Components in the Curriculum for a Digital Culture
The Lied Library has experienced a number of challenges in maintaining, storing, servicing and installing its technology. For the amount of resources it takes to maintain state-of-the-art technology in UNLV’s leading academic library, ‘feeding the beast’ (39) is an apt term. Needing constant attention, patches, maintenance, hardware replacement, tech support, space, and money, keeping up with ever-evolving technology lands a hefty price tag.
And although access to this type of technology yields great benefits in information retrieval to both to the library and to the end users, the fundamental aspect of a library being a place where all can access information freely seems jeopardized:
“As has oftentimes been experienced in public libraries, community users are not in an academic program and come to surf the web, check their e-mail, and play games, as opposed to “academic” work. Certainly, students pursue such leisure activities as well. In contrast, whereas students often have classes to go to, friends to meet, or a part time job, community users may stay on computers for hours on end, and this is somewhat disheartening when students with legitimate needs are searching for a computer.” (Vaughan 41)
Libraries stand for intellectual freedom and for free access to information for all citizens. To imply that one citizen has legitimate needs over another implies that there is a definite hierarchical system in place. Further illustrating this point, Vaughan states that “In 2005, the [Lied] library plans to limit what internet resources community users can access.” (42)
Clifford Lynch elucidates in his article Information Literacy and Information Technology Literacy: New Components in the curriculum for a Digital Culture, when he states that the “legal, social, economic, and ethical issues surrounding the ownership and use of intellectual property,” are areas which should constitute information literacy. It begs the question: along with mastering the operation of the latest technology, shouldn’t we also master the rules by which information is transmitted, organized, authored, etc., and the impact it has in a commerce driven environment?
As print publications become more a notion of our past (2004 Information Format Trends: Content, Not Containers) and digital publication becomes the status quo, it is essential that these issues be examined. Especially now, when the boundaries of intellectual property rights, and the rights of the individual to access information freely, are being tested.
Muddiest Point
As information grows as a viable commodity, is it going to be the power of the consumer that dictates what direction libraries will take in the future?
Week 1 Posts:
Nicole Plana's Blog
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=1491308052360981630&postID=1296373416004838718
Lied Library @ Four Years: Technology Never Stands Still
2004 Information Format Trends: Content, not Containers
Information Literacy and Information Technology Literacy: New Components in the Curriculum for a Digital Culture
The Lied Library has experienced a number of challenges in maintaining, storing, servicing and installing its technology. For the amount of resources it takes to maintain state-of-the-art technology in UNLV’s leading academic library, ‘feeding the beast’ (39) is an apt term. Needing constant attention, patches, maintenance, hardware replacement, tech support, space, and money, keeping up with ever-evolving technology lands a hefty price tag.
And although access to this type of technology yields great benefits in information retrieval to both to the library and to the end users, the fundamental aspect of a library being a place where all can access information freely seems jeopardized:
“As has oftentimes been experienced in public libraries, community users are not in an academic program and come to surf the web, check their e-mail, and play games, as opposed to “academic” work. Certainly, students pursue such leisure activities as well. In contrast, whereas students often have classes to go to, friends to meet, or a part time job, community users may stay on computers for hours on end, and this is somewhat disheartening when students with legitimate needs are searching for a computer.” (Vaughan 41)
Libraries stand for intellectual freedom and for free access to information for all citizens. To imply that one citizen has legitimate needs over another implies that there is a definite hierarchical system in place. Further illustrating this point, Vaughan states that “In 2005, the [Lied] library plans to limit what internet resources community users can access.” (42)
Clifford Lynch elucidates in his article Information Literacy and Information Technology Literacy: New Components in the curriculum for a Digital Culture, when he states that the “legal, social, economic, and ethical issues surrounding the ownership and use of intellectual property,” are areas which should constitute information literacy. It begs the question: along with mastering the operation of the latest technology, shouldn’t we also master the rules by which information is transmitted, organized, authored, etc., and the impact it has in a commerce driven environment?
As print publications become more a notion of our past (2004 Information Format Trends: Content, Not Containers) and digital publication becomes the status quo, it is essential that these issues be examined. Especially now, when the boundaries of intellectual property rights, and the rights of the individual to access information freely, are being tested.
Muddiest Point
As information grows as a viable commodity, is it going to be the power of the consumer that dictates what direction libraries will take in the future?
Week 1 Posts:
Nicole Plana's Blog
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=1491308052360981630&postID=1296373416004838718
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