Dear Wikimedians --
A project to build a national public digital library in the US, the
"Digital Public Library of America", is asking for statements of
interest from people or groups who have ideas for what this might look
like -- and mean to create a prototype or detailed proposal over the
course of this summer.
Actual proposals, of whatever form, are due in September, but a
statement of interest is due by June 15. If you are interested in the
subject, or currently working on a project you could see being part of
such a public resource, you can submit a statement online:
http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/dpla/forms/statement-of-interest/
See below for background on the DPLA. While this group is focused on
a national project for a single country (formed by a consortium of US
libraries, foundations, and academics) , they are conscious of the
need to do something similar worldwide, and committed to making this
process and ersulting tools as open and reusable as possible.
SJ
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Maura Marx <maura(a)knowledgecommons.org>
Date: Wed, Jun 8, 2011 at 2:51 PM
Subject: Fwd: [berkmanfriends] DPLA Beta Sprint: Calling all Submitters!
To: Samuel Klein <meta.sj(a)gmail.com>
statements of interest for the DPLA Beta Sprint are due in a week -
can you help push this message out to your network? much appreciated!
Looking forward to seeing you the the workshop in DC
Maura
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: John Palfrey <jpalfrey(a)law.harvard.edu>
Date: Mon, May 23, 2011 at 10:20 AM
Subject: [berkmanfriends] DPLA Beta Sprint: Calling all Submitters!
To: "berkmanfriends(a)eon.law.harvard.edu"
<berkmanfriends(a)eon.law.harvard.edu>
At the Digital Public Library of America, we've just announced a "Beta
Sprint" to gather creative ideas, models, and other innovations that
could play a role in the building of a DPLA. We'd love to see
submissions from members of this list, as we know many of you have
excellent thoughts on how this effort might take shape. Please find
the full announcement below, and let me, Rebekah Heacock, and/or Maura
Marx know if you have any questions or want to team up with one of the
groups that appear already to be forming to make a submission.
Best,
John
--
The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) Steering Committee is
delighted to announce today a Beta Sprint that aims to surface
innovations that could play a part in the building of a digital public
library.
The Beta Sprint seeks, ideas, models, prototypes, technical tools,
user interfaces, etc. – put forth as a written statement, a visual
display, code, or a combination of forms – that demonstrate how the
DPLA might index and provide access to a wide range of broadly
distributed content. The Beta Sprint also encourages development of
submissions that suggest alternative designs or that focus on
particular parts of the system, rather than on the DPLA as a whole.
The DPLA Steering Committee is leading the first concrete steps toward
the realization of a large-scale digital public library that will make
the cultural and scientific record available to all. The DPLA planning
initiative grew out of an October 2010 meeting at the Radcliffe
Institute for Advanced Study, which brought together over 40
representatives from foundations, research institutions, cultural
organizations, government, and libraries to discuss best approaches to
building a national digital library. Subsequent workshops in March and
May have addressed the content, scope, and technical aspects of a
DPLA.
“As the DPLA planning initiative moves forward, we are optimistic that
the DPLA community and public can help us think about what a DPLA
might look like, in practical – and perhaps unexpected – ways, as
platform, architecture, interface, and beyond,” said John Palfrey,
chair of the DPLA Steering Committee. “We hope geeks and librarians,
especially, will join forces to develop beta submissions in support of
this initiative.”
“The Beta Sprint is where the dream of a seamless and comprehensive
digital library for every person begins to grapple, technically and
creatively, with what has already been accomplished and what still
need to be developed,” said Doron Weber, Vice President of Programs at
the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and a Steering Committee member. “The
DPLA represents the broadest coalition of stakeholders ever assembled
who are dedicated to free and universal access to knowledge for all,
and the Beta Sprint will help us kick off an 18-month program to
construct, brick by digital brick, this beautiful new edifice.”
For inspiration, Beta Sprint participants might consider the general
approach taken by initiatives whose leaders are on the DPLA Steering
Committee, such as the Internet Archive,
Public.Resource.Org, the
Hathi Trust, American Memory, and others, as well as the Europeana
project and the national digital libraries in the Netherlands, Norway,
and South Korea.
Submission instructions and more information are available at
http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/dpla, where you can also watch a short
video about the Beta Sprint. Statements of interest must be received
by June 15, 2011. Final submissions will be due by September 1, 2011.
A review panel appointed by the Steering Committee and composed of
experts in the fields of library science, information management, and
computer science will review Beta Sprint submissions in early
September. Creators of the most promising betas will be invited to
present their ideas to interested stakeholders and community members
during a public meeting in Washington, DC.
# # #
About the Digital Public Library of America
The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) planning initiative is an
impact-oriented research effort that unites leaders from all types of
libraries, museums, and archives with educators, industry, and
government to define the vision for a digital library in service of
the American public. The DPLA Secretariat is located at the Berkman
Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University; the Steering
Committee comprises library and foundation leaders across the nation.
More information can be found at
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/research/dpla.
About the Berkman Center for Internet & Society
The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University is a
research program founded to explore cyberspace, share in its study,
and help pioneer its development. Founded in 1997, through a generous
gift from Jack N. and Lillian R. Berkman, the Center is home to an
ever-growing community of faculty, fellows, staff, and affiliates
working on projects that span the broad range of intersections between
cyberspace, technology, and society. More information can be found
athttp://cyber.law.harvard.edu/.
Digital Public Library of America Steering Committee
Paul Courant, Harold T. Shapiro Professor of Public Policy and Dean of
Libraries at the University of Michigan
Robert Darnton, Carl H. Pforzheimer University Professor and Director
of the Harvard University Library
Carla Hayden, Chief Executive Officer of the Enoch Pratt Free Library
(Baltimore, Maryland)
Charles Henry, President of the Council on Library and Information
Resources (CLIR)
Luis Herrera, City Librarian for the City and County of San Francisco
Susan Hildreth, Director of the Institute for Museum and Library Services
Brewster Kahle, Founder of the Internet Archive
Michael A. Keller, Ida M. Green University Librarian, Director of
Academic Information Resources at Stanford University
Carl Malamud, President,
Public.Resource.Org
Deanna Marcum, Associate Librarian for Library Services at the Library
of Congress
Maura Marx, Berkman Center Fellow and Executive Director, Open Knowledge Commons
Jerome McGann, John Stewart Bryan University Professor at the
University of Virginia
John Palfrey, Faculty Co-Director at the Berkman Center; Henry N. Ess
III Professor of Law and Vice Dean of Library and Information
Resources at Harvard Law School (chair)
Peggy Rudd, Executive Director/State Librarian of the Texas State
Library and Archives Commission
Amy E. Ryan, President of the Boston Public Library
Donald Waters, Program Officer for Scholarly Communications and
Information Technology at the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Doron Weber, Vice President, Programs at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Contact:
Rebekah Heacock
Project Coordinator
Berkman Center for Internet & Society
rheacock(a)cyber.law.harvard.edu
----------
You are subscribed to the Berkman Fellows and Friends discussion list.
Mailing list options:
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/lists/info/berkmanfriends
Mailing list members:
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/lists/review/berkmanfriends
Please mind that emails sent through this list are considered public unless
otherwise noted.
--
Maura Marx
Fellow, Berkman Center for Internet and Society
Executive Director, Open Knowledge Commons
**********************************************************
direct: 617-384-9131
mobile: 617-835-3510
email: maura(a)knowledgecommons.org
--
Samuel Klein identi.ca:sj w:user:sj +1 617 529 4266