Open Source Software at the Archives

Before entering my studies at FIS I had no idea what open source software was. Several of my classes have introduced these programs and the concept behind them as well as how they could be used in a library setting. My interest is whether these programs would have the same utility for an archive. Open source software has been explained to have a customer service orientation to it, its openness allows it to be continually improved for user benefit. Arguably a primary function of libraries and archives is customer service and thus a program that they would own, operate, update and control would seem to best serve their clients' needs. However, open source software programs have a high-learning curve and less support than proprietary software meaning the archives would have to facilitate all the training and ongoing support themselves and that might not be practical for all institutions. So, although archives and their users might benefit from open source software to run databases or email service the practical cost might be too high, particularly for small institutions. Its too early in the game though to say for certain that it is impossible, particularly given I have done little research on the programs themselves or whether there are archives in the world that use such programs. Luckily I am about to start a open source software evaluation project. Stay tuned for my results.

Conclusions on Chad and Miller's Library 2.0 Article

For class I recently did a critical assessment of Ken Chad and Paul Miller's "Do Libraries Matter? The Rise of Library 2.0. Here are my conclusions.

In Do Libraries Matter? Ken Chad and Paul Miller tackle their subject matter in a clear and concise way that not only educates readers on particular issues, but gives them solutions for how these issues might be overcome. Although certain points may be uncorroborated and use of language overly dramatic, the value of the article is that it recognizes there are problems with the situation of libraries that must be addressed. Value is also found in the utility of Chad and Miller’s work. Chad and Miller not only highlight the issues, but offer solutions for library professionals about how libraries could, and should operate in the future. Some may contend however that the utility of these ideas is limited as library 2.0 is still a concept; Chad and Miller’s principles have yet to be fully implemented. Furthermore, do Chad and Miller’s principles speak enough to the practicality of implementing library 2.0? Although seemingly useful, library 2.0 appears as if it would be a very large undertaking. So even though this article reads like a solution, it lacks the guidelines for accomplishing that solution. To some extent however, Chad and Miller can be forgiven for these drawbacks. Its possible that providing all the steps and how-tos might be too monolithic an undertaking at this point in time. With this article, Chad and Miller have hemmed out a lot of important issues and made them accessible to any interested party. Chad and Miller should also be commended for taking the first step in dealing with these issues, opening it up to a wider audience and encouraging that audience to do something to make libraries matter. For these reasons Chad and Miller’s work is not only valuable but also utilizable for current, and future information professionals.

Using the Internet to Download Music

In my September 19th we discussed the internet and downloading music. I remember when my family got internet for our very first computer I attempted to download a Silverchair song and it took a really long time. I even went to the mall with my sister for a few hours and when I came back it still wasn't done! Now, its amazing to me that I can download entire albums in mere minutes and the amount of programs that exist for downloading music. Honestly, though, I don't download that frequently. If one of my favorite artists has a new album being releashed I often just buy it and upload it to my computer that way. The downloaded songs I do have are generally just one or two songs from different artists that I came across or someone suggested. I do find it difficult to navigate certain downloading sites however. I am not always the best searcher either. Recently there was a song from a movie I liked but I had no idea what it was called or who it was by. I was really interested in downloading it but had no way to know how to search it. My plan was to look at the soundtrack on the internet. I was amazed when not only could I do that but I found a site that played clips of the songs. I was able to figure out the name of the artist and title and successfully downloaded it. It might seem like such an easy task but for the technically unsavvy this is a big step!!!!