Reading this article has given me a more in depth view of the many database software I am now using or have used in the past. I used the SFSS statistical tool in studying and analyzing sociological data. At the Free Library of Philadelphia I am using their online catalogue which operates in SIRSI, and for my classes at Pitt I am using various types databases. When using the software I would follow instructions in order to finish my task. The Wikepedia article on databases has given me the history of databases and shown the various different types of software. The information is useful to libraries and distributors of information in knowing which type of software is best for the storage and indexing of information.
Libraries that are going through a paradigm shift from being a holder of printed materials to that of one that has transferred its important information and documentation to be electronically based in a digitial information system are in the need of a stage by stage description and illustration of getting from one point to another. It is not necessary for the developers of such methods to start from scratch. It is possible to build on previous models. Anne J. Gilliland in her article Setting the Stage gives the necessary information needed to make such a transition. Some of the important task are: " identifying which metadata schema or schemas should be applied in order to best meet the needs of the information creator, repository and users; deciding which aspects of metadata are essential for what they wish to achieve, and how granular they need each type of metadata to be - in other words, how much is enough and how much is too much. She says that there will likely always be important trade offs between the costs of developing and managing metadata to meet current needs, and creating sufficient metadata that can be capitalized upon for future, often unanticipated uses; and ensuring that the metadata schema being applied are the most current versions" Along with this one must have a staff that is trained and skilled in bringing about this change.
Instead of just transferring the metadata of one specific library or organization into digital information, Eric J. Miller has embarked on a mission with others, not just locally or nationally but internationally, to set up a model that can be used by others. The Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI) is an international effort designed to foster consensus across disciplines for the discovery-oriented description of diverse resources in an electronic environment. Miller says that he means for a formalized representation to support the encoding needs for implementers. It is my understanding that this initative will bring about the collection of data of different disciplines and combine the information into one interactive electronic source. Not only will libraries, museums, and other institutions be able to digitize their own information, they will also be able to connect, interact, and digitize the resources of other organizations and disciplines around the globe.
1 comment:
Hey Joyce, it's funny, but when I read the database article I was actually using Sirsi as my model to understand the different ways it could work (and to figure out how it does work). I'm as unhappy with it now as I was before I knew even this little bit:)
I'm curious, what do you think of the different models you are using? Which do you think is the best and why? When you talk about Pitt's, do you mean their library's databases/catalog or something else?
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