NEWS
Intellectual freedom
survey anniversary THE IFLA FAIFE Committee has launched a survey to find out librarians’ thoughts on intellectual freedom, as part of celebrations to mark 20 years since IFLA’s Statement on Intellectual Freedom was launched. The survey is designed to gauge opinion on whether the current global political environment is impacting on freedom of access to information and freedom of expression. The survey can be completed by visiting
https://www.ifla.org/node/93530.
IET database hits
20 million mark THE Institute of Engineering and Tech- nology (IET) has reached a significant milestone with its Inspec Database. Launched in 1969, Inspec has become the
definitive database for engineering, physics and computer science. It has now reached more than 20 million indexed records, and Vincent Cassidy, Head of Academic Markets at IET, praised the team that has developed and maintained the database, saying “Their collective work over the last 50 years and their commitment to qual- ity content and precision indexing is a legacy that has endured from the first item indexed to this most recent.”
Chronicling a
Coro-Nation A NEW book, The 2020 Coro-Nation Diaries – Worlds Turned Upside Down is being offered to public libraries at cost price. The book, by Hugh Gault, chronicles an extraordinary period during the first national lockdown as the UK looked to tackle the rising Covid pandemic. It provides a factual record of national developments, along- side personal contributions in the form of diary entries from people living through the lockdown.
Originally available as a free PDF, publishers Gretton Books have now published a paper- back version and is offering it to public libraries for just £2.40, plus postage. The PDF can be read at
https://bit.ly/374Xq5N, and copies of the paperback can be ordered direct from Gretton Books at
www.gretton-
books.co.uk.
6 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL DIGITAL
Preserving digital resources
JISC has created a new service that will help institutions keep their digital collections accessible and reusable – while fulfilling statutory obligations.
The Preservation tool can be used to preserve any digital asset – from special collections to research data. It works by keeping multiple copies of data, automat- ically checks to make sure data has not been changed and can convert old formats to newer ones to ensure data can be used even if technology becomes obsolete. The tool has been developed with the cooperation of Jisc members and the preservation industry, and is based on industry standards to ensure it is compatible with current systems. Liz Bal, director of open research services at Jisc, says: “We are delighted to launch the first in a series of solutions to help universities keep their digital assets safe and acces- sible. Short-term, file-saving solutions and one-time deposit files can usually make digital assets findable, but their usability will deteriorate over time when new software evolves, and formats are no longer compatible. Our Preservation system is designed for a wide range of use cases over and beyond research and will help universities to future-proof the use of information even beyond the lifetime of existing systems and formats.” Digital obsolescence has long been
identified as a major issue for those involved in digital preservation. Software and hardware issues can lead to digital resources becoming unusable, and there have been a number of high profile losses, including a project from the BBC to mark the 900th anniversary of the Domesday book – although this data was eventually recovered. Rectifying digital obsolescence is often expensive and difficult, and becomes harder as time goes by. The new tool from Jisc should make it easier for institutions to ensure resources keep pace with formats, as and when they start to become less widely used. This should ensure valuable research data remains accessible, as well as providing ongoing access to digital collections. Dr William Kilbride, Director of the Dig- ital Preservation Coalition, welcomed the work that has taken place, saying: “Digital preservation is a significant and emergent challenge which needs continuing assess- ment and renewal as technologies and use cases change. Research data is just one example, occupying a significant propor- tion of the Bit List of Digitally Endangered Species. The threats of obsolescence or loss are amplified where the technical challenges are high and responsibilities diffuse. Services like this reduce those risks giving institutions the confidence and the opportunity to realise the enduring value of their digital assets.”
WLIC will innovate in 2021
IFLA’s World Library and Information Conference 2021 could look very differ- ent to past events, as the organisers seek to implement ideas about what a post- Covid conference should be. The 2020 Conference was due to take
place in Dublin, but was cancelled in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and resulting restrictions. The plan was to then move WLIC to Rotterdam for 2021, but IFLA has now decided to turn it into an online conference instead. A survey was carried out to ask what delegates wanted form a conference and Gerald Leitner, IFLA’s Secretary Gen-
eral, said those views will help shape IFLA conferences in the future. He said: “Your ideas, thoughts and contri- butions are changing the way we work. What we’ve learnt is that you are open to innovation and new experiences with high expectations for IFLA’s events as a place to bring the library field together.” He adds: “You imagine WLIC 2021 to be different, creative and inclusive. You would like it to not duplicate the physical conference with sessions being interac- tive, shorter and varied.” A provisional date in August has been set for WLIC 2021, with details to come.
December 2020
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