Congress and YouTube
An interesting development for government information specialists is the use of video sharing sites by government agencies (U.S. Military's "Multi-National Force" on YouTube) and by politicians. Technology Daily has a story, which says that by the end of the year, according to according to Karina Newton, the director of new media for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, "most members of Congress will be using video-sharing sites like YouTube in some way."
- Experts Predict Web Video Revolution On The Hill, by Heather Greenfield, National Journal's Technology Daily, May 2, 2007 PM edition. [subscription required]
While morning floor speeches often are delivered to a largely empty chamber, the excerpts already have been seen 100,000 times.Is this just a channel for delivering content that we already have in our libraries in the form of The Congressional Record and other documents? or is the particular aggregation of content on a particular site of interest to librarians to point to today and to save for the future? One thing we do know is that the folks maintaining these sites have a different view of "long-term" access than librarians do. "Jeff Weingarten, president of Interface Media Group, noted that unlike with television, the video 'lives on forever.'" Of course, his perspective of "forever" is in contrast to the life of a political ad on TV, not the perspective of maintaining this information past the current election cycle. Interestingly, some Republicans think that YouTube is too liberal and have set up an alternative called QubeTV.tv, "dedicated to bringing your conservative take on politics and culture to the Internet."
- QubeTV set as YouTube alternative, By Eric Pfeiffer, The Washington Times, May 2, 2007
Republican White House veterans Charlie Gerow and Jeff Lord have created a new conservative video Web site called QubeTV, which they describe as an alternative to YouTube, a popular clearinghouse for sharing video files. ...Both Mr. Gerow and Mr. Lord, who served as aides during the Reagan administration, say QubeTV is necessary because of what they view as an anti-conservative bias by the administrators of YouTube.Continue reading
USGS Launches Land Cover Data Web Tool
USGS Launches Land Cover Data Web Tool San Francisco, Calif. - On April 12th the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) announced the launch of the new USGS Land Cover Visualization and Analysis Tool, which allows users to analyze, in specific detail, how land cover has changed over time. Designed for both novice and expert users, the web-based system provides an intuitive interface able to selectively view and analyze land cover data from any web browser. The USGS is soliciting users to evaluate the preview release of the application. For more information, go to http://emmma.usgs.gov/landcover "Land cover data has been a largely untapped information resource. With increasing population and the challenging prospect of climate change, comprehensive information about the condition of our land, and how it is changing, becomes more and more vital," said Barbara Ryan, USGS Associate Director for Geography. "An easy-to-use Web-based application that delivers national land information assets to a wider audience and clearly demonstrates how our environment is changing broadens opportunities to incorporate land cover data in decision making." Visit this link for the complete announcement. Continue reading
Hearing on Over-Classification and Pseudo-Classification of Government Information
House Panel Investigates Over-Classification of Federal Information National Coalition for History April 27th, 2007
On April 26, 2007, the House Homeland Security Committee’s Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment held a hearing to consider the problem of over-classification, and “pseudo-classification,†of government information. At issue are the federal government’s attempts to standardize procedures for the treatment of what is referred to as “Sensitive But Unclassified†(SBU) information. There are currently 107 different markings for sensitive information that has led to over-classification and a reluctance to disseminate information to state and local law enforcement agencies. In addition, some 280 laws and 150 regulations control the handling of classified information.Selected testimony and statements are already available:
- Hearing on The Over-Classification and Pseudo-Classification of Government Information: The Response of the Program Manager of the Information Sharing Environment House Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment April 26, 2007
More LOCKSS slides from Spring 2007 Depository Library Council
Patricia Kenly from Georgia Tech has given us permission to post her powerpoint presentation describing Georgia Tech's LOCKSS program (PPT). I also added a link to it on our Spring '07 DLC page. While I wasn't at DLC, the information that I gleaned from Patricia's slides is that LOCKSS is relatively easy to administer, the hardware is cheap, LOCKSS has quickly become the library's primary strategy for digital preservation, and Georgia Tech is willing to share information with anyone. Thanks Patricia for the slides! Continue reading
International Polar Year March 2007-March 2009
International Polar Year Thanks to advances in global telecommunications technologies, people worldwide have a rare opportunity to follow, and sometimes even participate in, Arctic and Antarctic research and exploration as part of the International Polar Year (IPY), a global scientific campaign which began in March 2007. IPY promises to advance our understanding of how the Earth's remote polar regions affect global climate systems, to bring about fundamental advances in many areas of science, and to fire the enthusiasm of young men and women for careers in science and engineering. The Polar Year actually will extend from March 1, 2007, until March 1, 2009, to allow researchers to conduct two annual observing cycles in each region, particularly in isolated areas that are prohibitively cold and dark for roughly six months of the year. The USGS Educational Resources Index for IPY lets you explore a variety of USGS resources on polar research, from maps and fact sheets to photographs and databases. Designed for researchers, students, teachers and others interested in research and findings related to polar science, this index contains more than 65 different resources. Check it out at USGS/IPY, and keep checking for updates. For more information, contact Robert Ridky at (703) 648-4713 or rridky@usgs.gov. Continue reading