Science.gov search better than ever
Science.gov, a search engine for government science information and research results, yesterday released its latest version of Science.gov search engine. Version 4.0 deploys "DeepRank" which allows search and relevancy ranking across full text of documents, when full text is available. In addition, users can now choose a "refine results" option to narrow returns within a search, as well as view search results in multiple ways: by title, author or date, as well as by relevancy rank or source. The search also includes Deep Web search capability of content not accessible by popular search engines. Science.gov searches authoritative science information from 30 federal scientific databases and more than 1,800 science Web sites. The search is made possible by members of the Science.gov Alliance: the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, and the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Government Printing Office, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Science Foundation, with support from the National Archives and Records Administration. Continue reading
Thank you Bill Pardue!
In my haste to roll out the new FGI browser toolbar, I forgot a shout out to the person who inspired me to create it. So here is a belated thanks to Bill Pardue, Virtual Services Librarian / NorthStarNet Arlington Heights Coordinator of the Arlington Heights Memorial Library (http://www.ahml.info). On 2/12/2007, Bill posted a message to the Questionpoint-L mailing list talking about the toolbar his library had created for AHML using Conduit. It sounded like a wonderful way to promote library info. From there it was a small step to trying to create a tool that could promote all of us in the depository community, plus the main government information sites. I think one of the best things about the Internet is the quick way we can share information and techniques and quickly put them into practice. Some will fail, others will succeed, but we've got a wonderful laboratory to experiment with. Continue reading
Technology and Policy Issues With Acquiring Digital Collections
We recently mentioned a couple of articles about digitizing print materials (Mass Digitization of Books, 2006-12-23). Now there is a new article on LLRX.com that echoes some of the same issues brought up in those earlier articles.
- Technology and Policy Issues With Acquiring Digital Collections By Roger V. Skalbeck and Iva M. Futrell, LLRX.com, February 12, 2007.
Skalbeck and Futrell outline some key issues:
- How will people access a new service?
- Is a link to the digital collection’s website sufficient?
- How can people find out about a new service?
- How should a law firm assess overall costs?
- What is protected by copyright?
- What does the access contract cover?
- When and how can you charge clients?
- Should a client pay more for a poorly-designed system?
- Access v. Ownership Continue reading
State of the Broadband Nation
A 2005 report by the FCC on broadband network access is back in the news this week.
- Federal Communications Commission Releases Data On High-Speed Services For Internet Access, FCC, July 7, 2005
An opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal quotes it ( Broadband Breakout [subscription required], also available from ProQuest [subscription required] Wall Street Journal (Eastern edition) New York, N.Y.: Feb 16, 2007. pg. A.14). It uses the (evidently inflated -- see article below) figures in the report as a reason for opposing network neutrality and regulation.
An article in Information Week examines it critically (When It Comes To Broadband, U.S. Plays Follow The Leader By Richard Hoffman, InformationWeek, Feb. 15, 2007). Hoffman is thorough and objective and his piece could be called a "State of the Broadband Nation." Hoffman describes the state of broadband access in the U.S., compares it to other nations, and puts current debates of telecommunications regulation in this context. I recommend it as essential reading for anyone interested in access to networked government information.
Continue readingFOIA hearings held this week
Jim A. Jacobs linked to some items about this week's FOIA hearings. The Guardian has published a summary of the testimony by AP. It also includes a link to GAO's report, "Freedom of Information Act: Processing Trends Show Importance of Improvement Plans," [PDF] which was released yesterday. The abstract notes that the FOIA request backlog is increasing at many agencies. However, it also says that it is difficult to properly gage trends in reporting because the time lags are reported in median times, not average times. The Executive Order referenced in the report, "Improving Agency Disclosure of Information," was signed by President Bush on December 14, 2006. It outlined a plan to improve the FOIA process, including improved customer service for requesters and increased access to government information on federal websites. Continue reading