+ Getty Images Liberates Its Footage Collections
The new site features improved search and preview functionality, e- commerce enabled broadcast quality downloads and the replacement of rights- managed licensing with a simplified rights-ready model.
Direct to New Getty Stock Footage Database
See Also: Footage.net
+ Microsoft Buys Online Ad Exchange AdECN Inc. (via Dow Jones)
+ Business.com Sold to R.H. Donnelley Corp. for $345 million (via NewsObserver.com)
Wartime military patrols and civilian encounters can be especially dangerous if neither group understands the other’s language. To help American forces secure critical information and communicate with the local population, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) researchers are evaluating prototype, real-time, two-way translation systems for the Defense Advance Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
The DARPA program called TRANSTAC (Spoken Language Communication and Translation System for Tactical Use) currently focuses on English and Iraqi Arabic. From July 16 to 20, NIST ran a series of laboratory and outdoor evaluation tests on prototype systems with English-speaking U.S. Marines and Iraqi Arabic speakers at its Gaithersburg, Md. campus. In each of the exercises NIST measured system capabilities in speech recognition, machine translation, noise robustness, user interface design and efficient performance on limited hardware platforms.
Source: NIST
Exploring the Effectiveness of Related Article Search in PubMed
11 pages; PDF. July 2007.
by Jimmy Lin, Michael DiCuccio, Vahan Grigoryan, and W. John Wilbur
From the abstract:
We describe two complementary studies that explore the effectiveness of related article search in PubMed. The first attempts to characterize the topological properties of document networks that are implicitly defined by this capability. The second focuses on analysis of PubMed query logs to gain an understanding of real user behavior. Combined evidence suggests that related article search is both a useful and often exploited feature in PubMed. Keywords: biomedical domain, TREC genomics track, cluster hypothesis, visualization, log analysis
Source: Human-Computer Interaction Lab, University of Maryland
Congressional Hearing: Protecting Children on the Internet
From press release:
Commerce Committee Chairman Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii) issued the following statement today at a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing titled Protecting Children on the Internet.
…
“While filtering and monitoring technologies help parents to screen out offensive content and to monitor their child’s online activities, the use of these technologies is far from universal and may not be fool-proof in keeping kids away from adult material.“In that context, we must evaluate our current efforts to combat child pornography and consider what further measures may be needed to stop the spread of such illegal material over high-speed broadband connections.
Testimonies:
+ Miss America 2007 Lauren Nelson
+ Dr. David Finkelhor
Director, Crimes Against Children Research Center, Horton Social Sciences Center, University of New Hampshire
+ Mr. Ernie Allen
President and Chief Executive Officer, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
+ Mr. Lan W. Neugent
Assistant Superintendent for Technology and Human Resources, Virginia Department of Education
+ Ms. Christine N. Jones
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, The Go Daddy Group, Inc.
Source: U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation
First time visitors can now view The European Library User Guide in 12 languages; English but also Danish, Dutch French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish. The User Guide is designed to help new visitors discover all search possibilities offered by The European Library portal.
Source: European Library
Michael Keller Appointed CLIR Senior Presidential Fellow
Congrats to Michael Keller on this appointment.
The Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Keller of Stanford University as CLIR Senior Presidential Fellow. Mr. Keller is university librarian, director of academic information resources, founder and publisher of HighWire Press, and publisher of the Stanford University Press.
Source: The Council on Library and Information Resources
Online Video: 57% of internet users have watched videos online and most of them share what they find with others
From the intro:
The growing adoption of broadband combined with a dramatic push by content providers to promote online video has helped to pave the way for mainstream audiences to embrace online video viewing. Fifty-seven percent of online adults have used the internet to watch or download video, and 19% do so on a typical day. Three-quarters of broadband users (74%) who enjoy high-speed connections at both home and work watch or download video online.
Several Sources to Search Online Video (the free content). Most of these tools offer a metasearch of numerous video databases and/or have content “deals” with providers.
+ Blinkx
+ SearchVideo.com(Streamlined Site from AOL)
Nexidia (search every word spoken) demo from a tv station in Atlanta and the free service (they also offer a fee-based database) from TVEyes are also worthy of your attention.
TVEyes uses closed captioning or speech-to-text technology while Nexidia takes a different approach and breaks down the spoken/recorded word into phonetic sounds (phonemes) and then converts into text. Nexidia is very fast and from what we’ve seen, more accurate in terms of transcription vs. other services especially with specialized vocabulary/jargon comes ino play. We don’t think the time is far away that a student will record a lecture, connect (cable/Bluetooth) the recording device into their computer and within a matter of minutes be able to keyword search the entire lecture or presentation.
Fee-Based Services Offering Transcript Search Include:
+ TVEyes
+ Critical Mention
+ ShadowTV
+ RedLasso (Private Beta)
Finally, as we’ve pointed out before (copyright beware), directories like Alluc.org and OvGuide offer direct links to content hosted on various sites.
UPDATE: Almost forgot, where can you host, share and serve online video? Phil Harvey’s Web Video Cheat Sheet has plenty of options.
Update 2: Don’t Forget! PBS continues to offer a a number of keyword searchable video databases (everyword spoken in the program) including one dbase providing access to The PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. Content back to 1996.
Update 3: Oops, we forgot MetaVid from The University of California at Santa Cruz. Searchable access to video from the U.S. Congress. Free.
Metavid is a project which seeks to capture, stream, archive and facilitate real-time collective [re]mediation of legislative proceedings. Metavid makes use of entirely free and open source software and video codecs to make both the footage and the architecture of the site available, accessible and recontextualizable.
NHS Choices to offer GP comparisons
The health service patients’ website will soon enable them to compare their GP’s performance with others in their area
Health secretary Alan Johnson announced on 24 July 2005 that information about patients’ own and other GP practices will eventually be available through the NHS Choices website.
Data will cover practice opening hours and the times GPs are available for appointments, results from the national patients survey, core indicators of patient experience from the Quality and Outcomes Framework, and what extended services the practice offers.
Direct to NHS Choices Database and Web Site
Source: Kable’s Government Computing
New Beta Software Release From AOL: Codename Helix, Integrated Mail, AIM and Browsing in One App
From the AOL Web Site:
We are pleased to announce the release of the newest software in development from AOL, codenamed Helix. It has tabbed email, browsing and IM windows, and a new “AppMap” feature, making it easier than ever to multitask, without cluttering your screen. Helix gives you the ability to use multiple email accounts and has AIM built right in. With Helix it’s easier than ever to do everything you want online, from one place.
+ FAQS
Source: AOL
See Also: BetaNews.com Story
The Changing Information Services Needs of Faculty
In the summer and fall of 2006, Ithaka (http://www.Ithaka.org) commissioned an outside research firm, Odyssey, to conduct surveys of the attitudes and perceptions of academic collection development librarians and faculty toward the transition to an increasingly electronic environment. These studies received 4,100 and 350 responses, respectively, and were cosponsored by JSTOR and Portico and in part by Aluka and NITLE. The studies build on similar faculty studies conducted in 2000 and 2003; by examining the librarians’ perspective as well, we can gain a fairly balanced perspective of the dynamic environment. Considered together, the findings suggest the need for libraries to take leadership in helping academia’s transition to the new environment.
Source: EDUCAUSE
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), is pleased to announce the release of the TerraLook data product. A TerraLook product is a user-specified collection of JPEG images created from Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) images from the NASA Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center, and Tri-Decadal Global Landsat Orthorectified images from the USGS archive.
TerraLook will serve GIS, natural resource management, education, and other communities, and provide easily accessible remotely-sensed data. TerraLook images are designed for visual interpretation and display, and are of value to anyone who wants to see the changes to the Earth’s surface over the last 30 years.
Direct to TerraLook Website
You can download the TerraLook viewer here.
TerraLook imagery is also accessible via the USGS Global Visualization Viewer.
Source: USGS
Resources: New LC Tracer Bullet: Edible Wild Plants
Compiled by Susan Westerberg Cole.
The following guide is intended to help readers locate relevant sources of information for the identification, harvesting, and preparation of wild plants that may be used for food, e.g., berries, mushrooms, flowers, leaves, seeds, and roots. Materials cited are available in the collections of the Library of Congress or on the Internet. Emphasis is on plants found in North America.
Source: Library of Congress
AntennaWeb (Where to Position an Antenna to Receiver HDTV and DTV Over-the-Air)
This database from the Consumer Electronics Association (CE) and TitanTV will assist those who want to receive HDTV signals (from local stations) over-the-air using an antenna versus receiving them via cable or satellite. Again, we’re talking local stations and the additional HDTV signals many provide. So, services like HBO, CNN, or ESPN are not available. You can enter as little as a Zip Code to receive data from AntennaWeb or enter additional address info for more precise results.
A results page includes a list of signals and a map showing which way to point an antenna for maximum HDTV reception. In some cases (depending on your location) you could also use an indoor antenna. However, this database focuses on outdoor antenna placement since, “many variables determine the quality of reception in a specific location.”
See Also: TitanTV
A very robust database of television listings that shows both “traditional over-the-air listings” as well as what’s available on additional HDTV stations. Of course, cable and satellite listings are also available. You can add additional features by registering for a free account. TitanTV comes from Decisionmark.
See Also: TitanCast (Beta)
Original content being streamed over the web.
See Also: FCC Digital TV Information Web Site
See Also: Closed Captioning for Digital Television (FCC)
Includes links to numerous publications.
See Also: Key Resources/Contact Sheet (via CE, MS Word Document)
See Also: NTIA Consumer Fact Sheet (National Telecommunications and Information Adminstration, 2 pages; PDF)
Posted 26 July 2007 on DocuTicker:
+ FDA Nanotechnology Report Outlines Scientific, Regulatory Challenges (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
+ Annual Privatization Report 2007 (Reason Foundation)
+ Chart: U.S. Airline Awards to 1-Million-Milers (Space.com)
Resource of the Week: Corporate Filings — U.S. and Otherwise
By Shirl Kennedy, Senior Editor
EDGAR at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is a basic business reference tool. Public corporations (domestic and foreign) and certain “insiders” are required by law to file certain documents (PDF; 250 KB) here on a regular basis. This information, of course, is scrutinized by investors, financial analysts, journalists, ResourceShelf editors, etc. A good basic tutorial is available on the SEC website. It was updated earlier this year.
There are other ways to get at EDGAR data – many for free — that provide unique searching options. This annotated compilation from our friends at Virtual Chase provides an excellent overview of many such resources.
Companies must also file certain documents in the different states where they are doing business. The Judi Prokop Newman Information Resource Center at the University of Miami School of Business offers a good, annotated list of links to state corporate filing databases. You’ll also find pointers to international sites as well as U.S./SEC data sites such as those in the Virtual Chase listing.
Free sources of international corporate filings are few and far between. One good place to start poking around is the membership directory of the International Organization of Securities Commissions. It links you to the websites of SEC-equivalent regulatory bodies around the world. A different alternative is Yahoo! Finance – Worldwide. It has many localized sites; if you drill down, you can sometimes find company report announcements. Note that most of these are available in their native languages; India and Singapore, however, are available in English.
globalEDGE, at Michigan State University, has an International Country Insights section worth checking out. There are pointers to the home pages of major companies in each country via a “corporations” link; you may find financial reports online.
+ SEDAR (System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval) “provides access to most public securities documents and information filed by public companies and investment funds with the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA).” Naturally, it’s available in French as well as English. (The SEDI system allows you to search for insider filings.)
+ SEC Info searches EDGAR and SEDAR filings simultaneously. Free registration required. The site…uh, takes a bit of getting used to, but an FAQ is available.
+ CAROL (Company Annual Reports On-Line) is a UK-based site that offers “direct links to the financial pages of listed companies in Europe and the USA.” Free registration gets you access to the full text of annual reports.
+ Companies House is where you go for UK corporate filings. Its WebCheck tool provides basic information for free; full documents may be purchased for a nominal fee. Details here.
+ Northcote provides direct links to information offered on the websites of companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. “Free information on corporate websites includes; annual and interim reports, press releases, summary financial information, results presentations and webcasts, chairman’s statements, price information and broker research. Not all companies publish everything so our page on a company will enable you to quickly assess what is available.”
+ Hugin, a service which distributes financial announcements for European companies, is another fishing hole worth trying. It seems to have a large portfolio of clients. Use the Companies link to browse alphabetically or by sector; a simple search form is also available. If a company is one of Hugin’s clients, you’ll find links to reports, press releases, etc.
Say hello to RustyBudget (Beta)
Barry Schwartz — ResourceShelf friend and one of the most well-known and respected search bloggers (Search Engine Land and Search Engine Roundtable) — and his software development company, RustyBrick, are in the process of developing some new software aimed at weblogs with more than one writer/contributor/editor. However, the service also has something to offer solo bloggers.
Barry has invited ResourceShelf readers to register (it’s free for two users and a small fee for additional users), try it out, and share any feedback you might have with him and the other RB developers.
By storing URL’s and annotations in a single location, editors and writers can quickly see (make changes if needed) what everyone in the blogging group (aka writing staff) is working on. Save time, effort, and aggravation (when you can see that two people are working on the same story).
However, we’ve also used it as a tool to annotate, save and store URL’s for our own use and/or with invited guests. It works well.
Fast Facts About RustyBudget
+ Look for some screen caps on the homepage and remember new features are being added regularly. It’s truly an early beta release.
+ Bookmarklets are Available to Save Content into a Specific Budget (no coding needed) and Are Real-Timesavers for Adding Content
+ Set-up Multiple Budgets with a Single Account, View Budgets in List Form or in Separate “Buckets” on Your “RustyBudget Dashboard”
+ A History of the Last 35 Changes (additions, deletions, rejections, etc.) with RustBudget Are Listed Available.
+ The Leader(s)/Editor(s) have Complete Control of What an Invited Member/Writer Can Do Down to the Folder Level. These are called “folder rights.”
These “rights” include:
+ View (Read what’s in a Budget Folder)
+ Add (Add Content, URLS, etc.)
+ Reassign (More an Item from One Writer to Another)
+ Reject (aka Say No)
+ Add Notes, Comments to Each Item
+ Individual Items can be Placed/Nested as a Sub-Topic of Another Item. Useful for Placing “Related Resources” Nearby the Primary Article.
Finally, as we said before, RustyBudget is truly an early beta release. Stop by and give it a try. It’s ideal for group work (library blogs, school blogs, blogs inside traditional media companies that already have “traditional” budgeting software). However, for solo bloggers we think it’s also worthy of your attention. Now, in a single web-based service (don’t lose a thing if your system crashes) you can keep URL’s and notes in single, organized location.
See Also: RustyBudget Video Demo
+ Database Cuts, Spending Caps Threaten NJ Libraries
We sure hope that this is not the beginning of a nationwide trend. That said, if it is, we would not be surprised.
From the article:
New Jersey library advocates are scrambling to respond to legislation that cuts database funding and caps municipal spending increases. The New Jersey Knowledge Initiative (NJKI), launched in 2005, aims to help entrepreneurs, small business owners, researchers, and students with free web access to science, technology, medical, and business databases.
+ China, India Connect to WHO Online Clinical Trial Database (via iHealthBeat)
Direct to WHO Trial ICTRP (International Clinical Trials Registry Platform) Portal
A Note from the Editors:
One name you see on ResourceShelf and DocuTicker quite often is Cornell University librarian, good friend, and founder/editor of the IWS Documented News Service, Stuart Basefsky.
More about Stuart and his work in a moment but first you need to know that he isn’t the only information professional in the family.
Stuart’s wife is Claire Germain, Law Librarian and Law Professor at Cornell Law School. Recently Germain received the highest honor from the French government when she was awarded the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur medal for her efforts in bridging the American and French legal cultures.
It’s beyond wonderful to learn that an info professional received this award. Félicitations!
From an article about the ceremony:
Germain, who was born in France and is both a French and an American citizen, was visibly touched when during the dedication Lamanda presented her with the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur medal, France’s highest honor, originating under Napoleon, for her efforts in bridging the American and French legal cultures. Later she related that her grandfather had also received the medal for his services as a colonel in the French army during World Wars I and II.
More about the award and festivities in Paris here and here.
Now back to Stuart and his work. He is also getting some well-deserved (understatement) attention.
Basefsky’s IWS Documented News Service is a great example of one librarian offering a focused current awareness (labor news and info) tool for a specific audience. In this case, the faculty, staff, and students at Cornell’s Institute For Workplace Studies (IWS). While we feature some of Stuart’s work on ResourceShelf and Docuticker, it’s just a small portion of what he shares via email. The good news is that now each post is available on the IWS Documented News Service blog.
Finally, here’s a link to to a profile (page 2 in this PDF) about Stuart and his work. It was published in the most recent issue of the IWS Briefing newsletter.
Here’s a quote from Stuart that’s included in the profile:
“I see my role as that of facilitator. I match people to information products and bring people to people. I help create networks at ILR and others that involve ILR, which are as much a part of the library as books and articles. I disseminate documents to a wide audience and help people link facts to a larger context…I’m also a consultant, a trainer, and a reporter…Basically, my skill set allows me to be a gap filler.â€
We think that quote deserves to be used and documented in librarian schools throughout the world.
Finally, we are honored and thrilled that Stuart is a contributor to ResourceShelf and DocuTicker but more importantly a terrific example of what the 21st information is (or should be) all about.
The Evolving Nature of Faculty Publications
Technology increasingly drives the evolving nature of the library’s role in managing faculty publications. Libraries not only create physical archives of faculty scholarship, but take on the active role of facilitating immediate access to content. Trends in legal scholarship, including new formats such as blogs and podcasts and the open access initiatives, compel libraries to develop creative solutions such as enhanced bibliographies, searchable databases, and digital repositories to manage access, preserve, and disseminate faculty writings.
Several options available for retrieval of full text (PDF; 286 KB).
Source: Cleveland-Marshall Legal Studies Paper (via SSRN)
The Sparky’s are a new contest/award from SPARC.
Sharing can also be a vital tool in helping to address complex problems that challenge society – like disease, hunger, global warming, and economic disparity. The sharing of ideas gives us ways to discover, collaborate, and create in unprecedented ways.
This years theme?
Mind Mashup, the theme of the 2007 contest, calls on entrants to illustrate in a short video the importance of sharing ideas and information of all kinds. Mashup is an expression referring to a song, video, Web site or software application that combines content from more than one source.
The SPARC Discovery Awards challenges you to illustrate in a short video presentation what you see as the value of sharing information. Use your imagination to suggest what good comes from bringing down barriers to the free exchange of information.
The Sparky Awards are sponsored by SPARC, the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition, who promote the universal benefits of sharing ideas of all kinds.
Rules include
+ Be submitted by December 2, 2007.
+ Examine the theme described above.
+ Be no more than 2 minutes in length.
+ Have been completed between January 1 and December 2, 2007.
+ Be narrated or subtitled in English.
+ Be posted on the Internet and available for public use under a Creative Commons licenseMore info and the required forms can be accessed here.
Judges include:
Heather Joseph, Jimmy Wales and José-Marie Griffiths.Source: SPARC
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