Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Competency # 6 Successive Fraction

Query: What are existing indexing methods for images on the internet?

S1 (bucket or image)

S2 (metadata or tags)

S3 (index or digital)

Results using Academic Search Complete

S1 = 173,300

S1 + S2 = 274

S1 + S2 + S3 = 117

Results using Internet & Personal Computing Abstracts

S1 = 26,394

S1 + S2 = 146

S1 + S2 + S3 = 51

Academic Search Complete provided Higher Recall.

Internet & Personal Computing Abstracts provided Higher Precision.

Highly Pertinent Result from Internet & Personal Computing Abstracts

Title: Location, Location, Location.

Authors: Cardinal, David

Source: PC Magazine; 12/6/2005, Vol. 24 Issue 22, p112-45, 1p, 1c

Abstract: This article describes the process of geocoding, which involves placing or stamping location metadata into the header of one's camera JPEG image transmission tools. Thanks to rapidly growing demand, many tools are now available to help the user merge his off-the-shelf global positioning system (GPS) location data with his digicam images. If the user wants to go the GPS route, he needs a unit that supports recording a track log--essentially a list of locations he passed through--and a software utility that can match the timestamp on his images to the location information on the track log and then help him display and share the results. Before taking the photos, the user needs to make sure his GPS is set up correctly. Remember that the faster the user is traveling, the more frequently he will need track-log entries, since later he will be matching his photos to the approximate location by estimating from those log entries. It is a good idea to take a photo of the GPS displaying its time, so one can calibrate the camera time against the GPS time later.

Highly Pertinent Result from Academic Search Complete:

Title: Towards user-centered indexing in digital image collections.

Authors: Matusiak, Krystyna K.1

Source: OCLC Systems & Services; 2006, Vol. 22 Issue 4, p283-298, 16p, 5bw

Abstract: Purpose - User-created metadata, often referred to as folksonomy or social classification, has received a considerable amount of attention in the digital library world. Social tagging is perceived as a tool for enhancing description of digital objects and providing a venue for user input and greater user engagement. This article seeks to examine the pros and cons of user-generated metadata in the context of digital image collections and compares it to professionally created metadata schema and controlled vocabulary tools. Design/methodology/approach - The article provides an overview of challenges to concept-based image indexing. It analyzes the characteristics of social classification and compares images described by users to a set of images indexed in a digital collection. Findings - The article finds that user-generated metadata vary in the level of description, accuracy, and consistency and do not provide a solution to the challenges of image indexing. On the other hand, they reflects user's language and can lead toward user-centered indexing and greater user engagement. Practical implications - Social tagging can be implemented as a supplement to professionally created metadata records to provide an opportunity for users to comment on images. Originality/value - The article introduces the idea of user-centered image indexing in digital collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Competency # 7 Social Networking – Second Life & Myspace

Second Life offers an opportunity to visit a world where no distance is too far to travel in the blink of an eye and the ability to redefine oneself is limited only by the imagination. Second Life is a virtual world where organizations, cultures and consortiums spring to life in the time it takes you to log out for lunch.

Info Island This Week - Happenings in Second Life




Competency # 6 Building Block search

Query: Are special libraries utilizing digital images for access to other cultures and ancient relics?

I chose the limiters of media, technology and photograph in order to focus on digital collections of images, as opposed to the written word. My limiters of special or virtual libraries were chosen so that they would provide results beyond academic or public libraries. The limiters of image, culture, relics or digital were chosen so that collections of diverse images would be retrieved.

LexisNexis power search

Search Criteria:

(media or technology or photograph)

and (special libraries or virtual libraries)

and (image or culture or relics or digital)

Sources: *Major World Publications

Dates: November 7, 2002 and November 7, 2007

171 hits

SCREEN BREAKS; TRAVEL CYBERSPACE; Second Life is a whole new universe being built out in cyberspace, a virtual world packed with people, places and things do, a place where anything and anyone is possible. Iain S Bruce goes online and travels to another dimension
The Sunday Herald, January 21, 2007, MAGAZINE; Pg. 16, 2285 words, Iain S Bruce

150 years ago, it took a clean pair of hands to gain entry to Melbourne's new temple of learning. Today, you need only be curious.
Sunday Age (Melbourne, Australia), February 12, 2006 Sunday, EXTRA; Pg. 20, 2059 words, JANE SULLIVAN