New Future Digital System document released–adopts OAIS, contains detailed mgt structure
The Future Digital System site had this new item posted in the last week:
Master Integrator acquisition update: The draft RFP for Master Integrator (MI) services is now available through FedBizOpps. Questions and Comments related to the draft should be submitted to Herb Jackson at hjackson@gpo.gov no later than January 20, 2006.This 16 page document may be worth a close reading, as it outlines the goals of the FDSys system, provides background on GPO's new technology management office, and provides background on FDSys. The background on FDSys is interesting enough to post here and now:
2.3 FDsys Background FDsys will ingest, preserve, provide access to, and deliver content of all three branches of the U.S. Government. The proposed future system is envisioned as a comprehensive, systematic, and dynamic means for preserving electronic content free from dependence on specific hardware and/or software. The system should automate many of the electronic content lifecycle processes and make it easier to deliver content in formats suited to customers’ needs. Continue reading
HOAX – FBI watching interlibrary loan requests?
The Dartmouth Student who claimed to have been visited by Homeland Security over an Interlibrary Loan request has confessed to making up the entire story. No motive was offered for this bizzare tale, and sadly, in my personal view there is no way the student can be prosecuted for this lie that will be used to discredit legitimate concerns about domestic spying. Unless he told his story to law enforcement personnel, there are no statutes that have been violated. But hopefully his university will take some action. Whether its mandatory counselling, explusion or a defamation suit, I don't know. But truth should count for something. While the comments above are strictly my own, I think I speak for all FGI volunteers when I say we don't apologize for posting the original story. Both James R. and I (in comments) indicated that this story might not be true but would be worrisome if it was. Without the international media attention, this story might never have been exposed as a lie. Continue reading
ResourceShelf on Washington Post votes database
ResourceShelf has a good overview of the Washington Post votes database in its Resource of the Week (Thursday, December 15, 2005) column by Steven M. Cohen. He says:
This is an impressive ready reference tool that should be bookmarked. Editor's Note: In case you're wondering, this database should be searchable soon.For more remixes of government information, see our remix page. Continue reading
Chinese government uses various tactics to control news
Beijing censors news of fatal protest by Howard W. French, San Francisco Chronicle via New York Times, Dec. 14, 2005. This recent story about chinese government restricting keywords in google search results should alarm the library community and give yet another reason for libraries to locally collect, preserve and distribute government information.
In the wake of the biggest use of armed force against civilians since the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989,Chinese officials have used different techniques to prevent news of the deaths from spreading. The tactics include barring reports in most newspapers outside the immediate region and banning place names and other keywords associated with the event from major Internet search engines, like Google.Continue reading
FBI watching interlibrary loan requests?
"Agents' Visit Chills UMass Dartmouth Senior." By Aaron Nicodemus. The Standard-Times [UPDATE 12/24/2005: This story is a hoax. The student confessed that he had made up the story. What's disturbing here is that it was so believable in this time of domestic spying, USAPA, and paranoia reminiscent of the 1950s red scare. jrj] [UPDATE 12/20/2005: There is debate on whether or not this story is a hoax. Boingboing.net is tracking the story.] This one is making the rounds of several library listservs, but has not been picked up by any major media that I can tell. Evidently, the FBI visited a UMass Dartmouth student after he requested Mao Tse-Tung's book, "The Little Red Book" via interlibrary loan. The story does not say whether the FBI agents were acting under USAPA powers or perhaps via the NSA's new domestic spying program authorized by President Bush. (Note: this NYT article may require registration. If so, try Bugmenot for anonymous user names/passwords) Continue reading