18.452 new on WWW: Digital Document Quarterly 3.4

               Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 18, No. 452.
       Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King's College London
                   www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/cch/humanist/
                        www.princeton.edu/humanist/
                     Submit to: humanist_at_princeton.edu

         Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2004 06:33:07 +0000
         From: "H.M. Gladney" <hgladney_at_pacbell.net>
         Subject: DDQ 3(4) on digital democracy

DDQ 3(4) is available at http://home.pacbell.net/hgladney/ddq_3_4.htm

This DIGITAL DOCUMENT QUARTERLY number reminds readers of the massive trend
to democratize the usage, management, and creation of information - a trend
that creates a challenge for repository institutions and their professional
staff members. In my view, many of them need to change their attitudes to
the digital onslaught, educate themselves to use technology effectively, and
manage their institutions in new ways. The alternative is that they will
continue to be followers in factors that determine their own futures, rather
than leaders.

The Library of Congress is among the institutions in which change is needed.
Early this year, I was in private communication with NDIIPP(*) senior staff
at the Library of Congress, and offered help at identifying and responding
to the technical issues now identified. DDQ 3(4) publishes my May 2004
letter suggesting NDIIPP technical problems that can quickly be remedied.
The May offer has so far been ignored.

The underlying NDIIPP management problem is failure to enlist the skills of
the software engineering and computer science communities.

The DDQ 3(4) table of contents includes:

     Democratization of Information

     Digital Preservation: Metadata Questioned; What We Learn from Copyright
Protection; Repository-centric initiatives; NDIIPP Critique; Progress with
TDO Approach

     News Reports and Reading Recommendations
     Personal Software Recommendations
     Delay Desktop PC Replacement if You Can!

(*) NDIIPP = "Digital Information Infrastructure Preservation Plan"

Best wishes of the season, Henry

H.M. Gladney, Ph.D. HMG Consulting
http://home.pacbell.net/hgladney/ 1(408)867-5454 Saratoga, California 95070
Received on Fri Dec 31 2004 - 01:49:36 EST