[fc-uk-discuss] digital libraries

[Philip Merrill]

Someone should try promoting (in the suggestions) collective use of 
resource collections, for the fair-use types of comment, discussion and 
analysis. (1) it is technologically important to enable this, and 
discourages the use of clumsy DRMs that don't play well together, (2) it 
is down the main line of what society's use of libraries is intended to 
promote, group study (ultimately), not private consumption for enjoyment 
(as in: shut that kid up), (3) if push came to shove on the use of 
material, it is better to be in the position of a group of well meaning 
library users, regardless of what the law says or how judges decide.
PHIL :)
P.S. don't forget that real classrooms might benefit too


Ed Griffith-Jones wrote:

> Maybe we could all submit suggestions, or write one collectively from 
> FCUK?
>
> Ed
>
>
> Show and tell
>
> The European Commission has unveiled its plans for EU digital libraries,
> which will make Europe's written and audiovisual heritage available on 
> the
> Internet. The project will involve the digitalisation of books,
> audiovisual material, photographs, music and archived documents, in order
> to make them more accessible to ordinary people.
>
> The proposals follow the popularity of online resources such as the 
> French
> national library's Gallica website and Google's planned digital library
> project and will be one of the flagship initiatives of the Commission's
> i2010 information society strategy for growth and jobs.
>
> "Without a collective memory, we are nothing and can achieve nothing,"
> said Information Society Commissioner Viviane Reding. "The Internet is 
> the
> most powerful new tool we have had for storing and sharing information
> since the Gutenberg press, so let's use it to make the material in
> Europe's libraries and archives accessible to all."
>
> The Commission acknowledges that it is facing a huge task and will need
> assistance from both national governments and the private sector to make
> the project a success. There are an estimated 2.5 billion books and
> periodicals in European libraries, for example, along with millions of
> hours of film and video in broadcasting archives.
>
> Commissioner Reding therefore proposes to step up the Commission's
> coordination role and provide EU funding for the necessary work. This 
> will
> include €36 million for research into advanced access to cultural
> heritage and digital preservation, under the sixth framework programme 
> for
> research and development, and €60 million from the eContentplus
> programme, to make national digital collections and services 
> interoperable
> and enable multilingual use of the material.
>
> The Commission is now inviting comments on the proposals via an online
> consultation. The deadline for responses is 20 January 2006 and the
> consultation can be accessed online at:
>
> http://europa.eu.int/information_society/activities/digital_libraries/index_en.htm 
>
> On a national level, the UK’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport
> (DCMS) is seeking comments on the proposals to feed into the Commission's
> consultation and to provide background briefing for Ministers. The 
> LGIB is
> one of its consultees and local authorities are invited to send their
> responses to Andy Brown at:
>
> E-mail andy.brown at lgib.gov.uk
>
> The deadline for the DCMS consultation is 13 January 2006. Details can be
> found online at:
>
> http://www.culture.gov.uk/global/consultations/2005+current+consultations/201 
>
> 0_digital_libraries.htm
> Following the consultation, a Recommendation on
> digitisation and digital preservation will be published by the 
> Commission in
> June 2006.
> (COM(2005) 465, 30 September 2005: Communication on i2010: digital
> libraries;
> Information from DCMS, 24 October 2005;
> Europe Info 2993, 1 October 2005;
> Commission press releases IP/05/1202 and MEMO/05/347, 30 September 2005;
> Commission press release SPEECH/05/566, 29 September 2005)
>
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