Esta pesquisa buscou avaliar se as bibliotecas envolvidas em atividades de consórcio estão atuando como instrumentos sociais de democratização e ampliação do acesso à informação científica através de suas políticas de desenvolvimento de coleções. Para tanto, foi realizado um estudo de caso de consórcio de bibliotecas universitárias brasileiras para aquisição de periódicos científicos. Por meio de uma postura dialética como forma de conhecimento e como método de pensar o objeto de estudo, foi realizada uma análise do contexto sócio-econômico caracterizado pela globalização eletrônica, o processo de crescente exclusão social e a mudança no fluxo do conhecimento científico para uma cultura do digital, buscando verificar quais as relações implícitas e explícitas que afetam o desenvolvimento de coleções e ampliam uma tendência marcada pelo agravamento da infoexclusão digital no Brasil em tempos recentes. Constatou-se que a forte presença de oligopólios de poder no mercado internacional de periódicos científicos e a existência de um contexto dominado pela diminuição crescente de recursos financeiros nas bibliotecas brasileiras, sobretudo a partir da década de noventa, tem restringido a amplitude das metas de consórcios e impedido que se maximize, assim, o ganho social em longo prazo. Os resultados da pesquisa também revelaram que persistem desafios para o desenvolvimento de coleções através de atividades cooperativas, dentre eles o fortalecimento das atividades de marketing executadas pelas bibliotecas participantes, permitindo maior disseminação dos recursos eletrônicos existentes e um maior poder de negociação do consórcio com os oligopólios do mercado de periódicos científicos. Além disso, ficou constatada uma carência real pela realização de novos consórcios de bibliotecas, que contemplem outros tipos de documentos que não periódicos científicos e associados às bibliotecas públicas e regionais, possibilitando uma democratização do conhecimento para uma maior parcela da sociedade, minimizando a exclusão digital existente. / The research aimed at evaluating the consortia activities in terms of its performance as social instruments of democratization and broadening of scientific information access, by means of its policies of collection development. A case of study of brazilian University libraries’ consortia for the acquisition of scientific journals was carried out. By means of a dialectal point of view as a way to develop new knowledge and methodology for this research’s subject matter, an analyses of the electronic globalization’s social and economic context was performed, as for the growing of social exclusion, and the change in the flow of scientific knowledge towards a digital culture. The analysis above struggles to check implicit and explicit relations affecting collection development and widening a trend, marked by the gravity of current digital exclusion in Brazil. Research findings revealed that : the presence of scientific publishers monopoly power and the lower budgets of the brazilian libraries in the nineties, have restricted consortia’s purposes as well as blocked likely long-term social gains; challenges for collection development through cooperative activities still persist among them, the strenghtening of marketing actions performed by those participating libraries, allowing greater electronic resources dissemination, as well as greater negotiation posssibilities between consortium and monopolies in the scientific periodicals market ; lack of new libraries consortia embracing other types of documents – non-scientific journals – associated with public and regional libraries, allowing knowledge democratization to greater extents of society, minimizing digital exclusion.

Information and communications technology (ICT) makes remote access to information possible. Resource sharing facilitates the provision of access to information sources not owned by an individual library. Case studies were conducted at the University of South Africa and University of Namibia libraries to explore the provision of access to information in academic libraries in southern Africa through collection development, resource sharing and acquiring remote access to electronic resources through ICT facilities. It was found that both libraries have recently adapted their collection development policies to accommodate electronic resources although their budgets did not increase accordingly. The recruitment of ICT knowledgeable staff tends to be a problem at both libraries. Resources are shared via interlending and document supply with Unisa Library as a model in southern Africa. Both libraries add their holdings to the national bibliographies and Sabinet and are members of GAELIC. However, the UNAM library is a passive partner. A consortium within Namibia’s borders is suggested to improve resource sharing. / Information Science / M. A. (Information Science)

The thesis focuses on the mediation of electronic information resources of cultural heritage from public libraries to public. The text is divided into two parts - theoretical and practical. Introductory chapters explain key terms - cultural heritage, digitization of analog cultural object and digital library and describe chosen benefits that providing of electronic information resources of cultural heritage brings to public libraries. The thesis also includes analysis of chosen electronic information resources of cultural heritage. They are presented Manuscriptorium, Kramerius, Moll Collection, online portal Europeana and web site of American Memory project. The practical part of this thesis presents the results of a supply and demand survey. The first survey was implemented on web pages of Czech regional libraries and the second survey is user survey among the Czech public. The last chapter is formed by recommendations for public libraries which offer electronic resources of cultural heritage.

The goal of this thesis is the development of Publizebra.se, a user-centered special digital library prototype for self-publishing authors. The service is aimed to provide valuable information, features and resources in the production, marketing and distribution of books.    Digital libraries have in recent years started to play a role in providing self-published authors with the tools, information and services required to publish independently with standardized quality. The focus has been to promote self-publishing and avoiding the pitfalls of appalling cover art, poor editorial work or zero marketing. In Sweden no such digital library initiative exists, combined with the problem of relatively few self-publishing services providing the possibility of independent publishing, without stepping into any of the pitfalls above.   The development of Publizebra.se seeks to fill the gap of digital library initiatives for self-publishing in Sweden, aggregating and distributing the value-adding features and user needs of independent authors. The applied research follows a five-step design process associated with the methodology of user-centered design, consisting of strategy, discovery, information architecture, design and prototyping. Every step of the process encompassed methodologies for taking the development forward, while further relying on fundamental research of the environment and user needs. Heuristic evaluation and expert evaluation were conducted on the prototype by LIS and usability experts to assess its functionality and user-centered design. The feedback concluded the prototype to be accessible and easy to use, while indicating the need for additional development and improvements to visual and interaction design features prior to further testing.

De nombreux travaux ont montré que, à l’origine des limitations de l’interaction bureautique, il y a un manque à la fois d’espace moteur et d’espace visuel.Cette thèse explore des moyens pour optimiser l’usage de ces espaces.D’une part, à partir du constat que l’on contrôle la position et l’orientation d’un objet par un geste naturel, cette thèse étudie les bénéfices que peut offrir une souris dotée d’un capteur de rotation. Cette < souris rotative > permet à l’utilisateur de maîtriser avec aisance trois variables continues d’une tâche informatique. Un état de l’art présente des aspects perceptifs et moteurs des actions en question et les particularités ergonomiques et techniques d’un tel dispositif. Deux techniques d’interaction - visant à faciliter des tâches métier récurrentes - sont proposées :le réglage < quasi-intégral > et la < palette satellitaire >. Par ailleurs, une évaluation expérimentale compare la performance d’une souris rotative avec celle d’une souris traditionnelle.D’autre part, ce travail se penche sur les questions de la visualisation de documents dans le contexte des bibliothèques numériques. D’abord, il examine l’apport et la faisabilité technique de l’utilisation d’un dispositif d’affichage immersif pour la navigation dans un catalogue de titres virtuel. Puis, afin de faciliter l’inspection massive d’un lot de pages numérisées, il avance des techniques de visualisation zoomables et multi-focales. Ces dernières permettent, dans une recherche d’anomalies, de saisir vite les caractéristiques visuelles de quelques centaines de pages. Et cela grâce à un va-et-vient entre la vue d’ensemble et la navigation panoramique des détails. / Past research has suggested that among the reasons for the limitations of present desktop interaction style is the lack of both motor and visual space. The goal ofthis thesis is to optimize the use of such spaces. Based on the fact that one can control an object’s position and orientation through a natural movement, the first main contributioin of this thesis is to explorethe advantages of enhancing the sensing of the standard mouse througha rotation sensor. This < rotary mouse > allows one to easily control three continuous variables of a computer task. A survey presents the perceptual and motorissues of some rotary manipulations and also the technical and ergonomic requirements of such device. Two interaction techniques, aimed to simplify repetitive tasks, are proposed : the < nearly-integral selection > and the < satellite palette >.Furthermore, an experimental evaluation compares the performance of the rotarymouse with that of a standard one. The other main contribution of this work is to investigate document visualization issues in the context of digital libraries. First, it analyses the advantages and the technical feasibility of integrating an immersive display to an interface aimed to support navigation in a virtual catalog. Second, in order to inspect the quality of a batch of digitized pages, it explores some zoomable and multi-focal visualization techniques. The overview and the panoramic detail browsing enabled by such techniques try to help users, which have to identify the flaws resulted from the digitization process, to quickly grasp the visual characteristics of a large set of pages.

Abstract Introduction. The aim of this thesis is to examine use of library didactics in two prominent national libraries. A second aim is to identify digital resources used in the digital library spaces. The study uses “the four-space model” to examine this relation.  Method. Document analysis is used to examine the two national libraries´ websites. In addition to the websites, affiliated sites like social media are also included. Categories from the four- space model are used: learning space, inspiration space, performative space and meeting space. Digital resources are identified and presented in each category respectively.   Theories. Library didactics, as developed by for example Jochumsen, Rasmussen and Skot- Hansen, is the subject of the thesis and main theoretical focus. The digital library rooms are seen as places for possibilities and for developing innovative library practices.  Conclusion. The results imply that of the four spaces, the smallest one is the performative space and that the activities for creating are few. Different social media are to a large degree used as meeting space and thus possibilities for meeting and participation are subject to the companies’ business models and policies. In relation to the visitors the two national libraries mainly use their collections as resources in the inspiration space. One clear example is Gallica, described as a digital library with focus on digitized documents.  In the learning space the format is primarily texts with illustrations and this could be seen as an attempt from the libraries to adapt to a traditional learning environment. Furthermore it is concluded that the search functions can be a hindrance to both the visitor and to the libraries´ objectives. In the discussion, a question concerning competences is raised in regard to innovative library didactics. This is a two years master’s thesis in Library and Information Science.

Recentemente estudiosos como Benkler, Lessig, Boyle, Hess e Ostrom retomaram o uso do conceito de commons, mas agora relacionado à informação em geral ou à informação científica. Nesse trabalho, nós lançamos mão desse termo para destacar o caráter cooperativo da pesquisa científica, a importância da transparência e neutralidade no acesso ao commons da Ciência e a natureza anti-rival da informação científica. O conceito de commons nos é muito útil para focar todo o conjunto dos artigos científicos já publicados, quer estejam na forma impressa ou na digital. Ainda permite um estudo através de prismas multidisciplinares e, finalmente, enfatiza a dinâmica das comunidades científicos como um todo. Em qualquer commons de informação, quanto maior a distribuição do conhecimento, mais dinâmico e eficiente é o processo de evolução do conhecimento. A tecnologia da imprensa tem desempenhado um papel fundamental na divulgação de informação e o seu surgimento marcou uma revolução no conhecimento e na cultura da nossa civilização. A tecnologia digital tem se mostrado mais eficiente ainda, uma vez que a natureza da sua implementação em bits se aproxima mais da natureza anti-rival das idéias do que qualquer outra tecnologia hoje empregada para preservação e distribuição de informação. Em nosso estudo, constatamos que o commons da Ciência pode ser enormemente enriquecido através de práticas cooperativas e de acesso aberto na publicação da academia. Percebemos também que o uso da tecnologia digital no commons científico, especialmente na publicação dos resultados da pesquisa, aumenta grandemente a distribuição do conhecimento acadêmico, suas oportunidades de escrutínio e validação, a dinâmica de amadurecimento das idéias científicas e, conseqüentemente, pode tornar o desenvolvimento da Ciência mais veloz e eficiente. No entanto, o meio digital tem sido utilizado tanto para criar um ambiente de livre circulação de idéias quanto para controlá-las. Por um lado, código computacional tem sido implementado para garantir o acesso apenas aos que pagam pelos altos preços das revistas científicas. Por outro lado, a publicação de revistas on-line de acesso aberto e outras formas alternativas de disseminação de conteúdo científico têm se proliferado. Ainda, o decrescente orçamento das bibliotecas, o crescente preço das assinaturas de revistas científicas e as crescentes restrições aplicadas pelas leis de propriedade intelectual têm minado a natureza livre das idéias científicas e colocado a Comunicação Científica numa crise. Estamos no meio de uma transição de paradigmas quanto à publicação dos resultados de pesquisa científica, onde aspectos legais, tecnológicos e sócio-econômicos estão em renegociação. À luz das oportunidades da tecnologia digital e da publicação em acesso aberto, as formas de disseminação dos resultados da pesquisa científica presentemente estabelecidas tem sido repensadas. Inserimos essa análise num contexto maior, o paradigma da Comunicação Científica. Isso nos auxilia a fazer um estudo mais abrangente das complexas questões envolvendo nosso tema, analisando os aspectos tecnológicos, legais e sócio-econômicos de uma possível transição para o modelo de publicação de acesso aberto. Tão grandes são as oportunidades desse novo modelo que ele tem agregado em torno de si iniciativas sócio-acadêmicas conhecidas por Movimento de Acesso Aberto à literatura científica. Atualmente, há muitos testes e modelos de publicação dessa literatura. Em especial, nesse trabalho focamos o modelo de acesso aberto aos resultados científicos, suas vantagens, as dificuldades para seu estabelecimento e como ele tem se desenvolvido. Analisamos a viabilidade de criação de um ecossistema de bibliotecas digitais de acesso aberto, especializadas em cada ramo da Ciência. Nossos modelos de partida baseiam-se em alguns aspectos de serviços como arXiv, CiteSeer e Google Scholar. Entre as muitas conclusões desse estudo, constatamos que bibliotecas desse tipo aumentam sobremaneira a dinâmica de circulação, geração, transformação e renovação do conhecimento científico. Assim, o processo de produção de recursos no commons científico pode se tornar muito mais eficiente. / Recent studies done by Benkler, Lessig, Boyle, Hess and Ostrom look at the concept of commons again however, this time in relation to information in general more specifically to scientific information. In this study, we focused on the cooperative character of scientific research, the importance of transparency and neutrality to access the scientific commons. The concept of commons is highly useful to focus on every scientific article that has already been published in print or digitally. This allows studies through several multidisciplines and finally emphasizes the dynamic of scientific communities around the world. In each commons of information, the higher the distribution of knowledge, the more dynamic and efficient the process of the evolution of this information. Technology of the press has been key in the divulging of information and its expansion marked a revolution in knowledge and culture in our civilization. Digital technology has shown more efficiency. Its implementation into bits is closer to the non-rival nature of the ideas than other technologies used to preserve it and used to distribute information. In our work, we realized that the science of commons should be enriched through cooperative practices and open access to scientific results. We also realized that digital technology in scientific commons improves distribution of scholarly knowledge and the dynamic evolution of scientific ideas so the science development should be even more efficient and faster. The digital revolution has been used to create a free environment of circulation of ideas and it has also been used to control certain things. On one side, computational code has been implemented to allow access just for people who pay for the service. On the other hand, online journals publishing and other alternative forms of disseminating scientific knowledge have been proliferated. The decreasing budget of libraries, the increasing cost of journal subscriptions and the increasing restrictions applied by intellectual property has enclosed the free nature of scientific ideas and it has put Scholarly Communication into a crisis. We are in the middle of a transitional phase, where legal, technological, social and economic aspects of scientific publishing have being renegotiated. We inserted our analyses in a larger context, the Scholarly Communication paradigm. This supports a larger study about the complex questions of our subject, analyzing the technological, legal, social and economic aspects of a possible transition to the open access publishing model. This new publishing model is so interesting that some initiatives have started social movements pertaining to it. Nowadays, there are many tests and publishing models especially in this line of work. We focused on the open access model in scientific results, its advantages, the difficulties of its establishment and how it has been developed. Finally, we propose that the creation of an open access digital libraries ecosystem specialized in every scientific field. Our staring models are services such as: arXiv, CiteSeer and Google Scholar. Among our conclusions, we have realized that following this models stated above, digital libraries can enhance the dynamic of circulation, generation, transformation and renovation of the scientific knowledge.

The aim of the study was to examine the implementation of digital preservation practices in academic libraries in South Africa in the light of the rapid changing information environment. The study looked into the strategies, systems and tools being employed to support digital preservation programmes and the costs associated with the various digital preservation programmes. The study was guided by various digital preservation theories and models,namely Davies’ (2000) Policy, Strategy and Resources (PSR) troika model, Kenney and McGovern’s (2003) three leg stool, Corrado and Moulaison‘s (2014) preservation triad and the Carnegie Mellon University’s (1990) Digital Preservation Capability Maturity (DPCM) model and Open Archival Information System (OAIS) model by OCLC (2002), underpinned by the survey research design, triangulation of questionnaires and document analysis as data collection methods. Out of 27 questionnaires distributed to academic institutions, 22 (81.5%) were completed. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive analysis whilst content analysis was used for qualitative data obtained from document analysis. Findings revealed that academic libraries in South Africa were significantly affected by the changes to the digital environment. Most academic libraries face many challenges that hinder the effective implementation of digital preservation. The problems include: lack of funding, lack of skills and training and technology obsolescence. The study identified migration, bit preservation, replication and risk management approaches as the most widely implemented preservation strategies to address preservation challenges faced by academic libraries in South Africa. Although various preservation systems and tools are being developed to enable description, discovery, delivery and preservation of digital collections, there was expressed lack of awareness about digital preservation standards and preservation support organisations. The study also observed that, in some instances, the academic institutions were not fully involved in collaborative and partnerships with other institutions. By collaborating and partnering with other institutions, they would be exposed to new ideas, strategies and tools, and be able to acquire knowledge and skills needed to successfully preserve and manage their digital resources. The findings revealed that the implementation of policies and strategies, provision of adequate resources, sufficient funding and digital preservation knowledge and skills are some of the major factors influencing digital preservation sustainability in academic libraries. This study, therefore, recommends that these institutions can address some of the digital preservation challenges if they leverage on these factors. The study also made several recommendations on how digital preservation can be successfully implemented, and it further proposed a framework for preservation of digital resources in academic libraries, mapped to international preservation models and standards. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

The study aimed to examine high school student usage of licensed databases available through public libraries in Atlanta-USA. A descriptive quantitative survey was conducted via a web-based questionnaire among 135 East Cobb high school students. The findings revealed that most students are aware of these licensed databases, but their usage is low (1:10) compared to Google. However, as students advance in grade levels, their database usage increases and GALILEO is the most-used licensed resource. Factors that influence student database usage include: specific academic needs; teacher instruction to use specific databases and frequent Digital Information Literacy (DIL) instruction. Most students receive DIL instruction at school, but their DIL skills are still inadequate. To increase usage of licensed databases as reliable information resources, the study recommends collaboration between public libraries and high schools, including incorporation of Generation Y's digital information preferences such as Google-type simplified interfaces, cutting-edge technology and time-saving search features. / Information Science / M.A. (Information Science)

La première partie de ma thèse est la description d'un modèle algébrique pour la gestion des séquences temporelles synchronisées. Ce modèle est une extension du modèle relationnel classique auquel on ajoute un type nouveau, le type séquence temporelle. L'algèbre relationnelle est augmentée de trois opérateurs dédiés à ce nouveau type. Ces opérateurs permettent de retrouver toutes les opérations classiquement conduites sur des séquences temporelles. Le langage utilisateur correspondant est exposé, ainsi que de nombreux exemples, puisés notamment dans le domaine de la gestion des partitions symboliques. La seconde partie est la description d'un index permettant de réaliser plusieurs types de recherches dans des partitions symboliques (exacte, transposée, avec ou sans rythme et approchée). Il repose notamment sur la notion de signature algébrique. Dans la dernière partie, je décris une plateforme dédiée à la gestion du contenu musical symbolique qui est une application des deux précédentes parties.