SOMETHING NEW TO
TALK ABOUT!
Managing
Knowledge and Creativity in a Digital Context (AKA Digital Future) is a Library of
Congress series of programs examining how the digital age is changing the ways information
is organized and classified, and the digital age’s influence on our lives.
Initially broadcast on C-Span, each program includes a featured speaker, panel
discussion, and audience question-and-answer session. These are very thought- and discussion-provoking
presentations. SCRLC now has them
available for borrowing – consider screening one during a lunchtime forum or
having several colleagues watch, then discussing during a break – Great
nourishment for the mind! To borrow any
of these DVDs, contact Kathleen Jackson at kjackson@lakenet.org
Web
Logs and Knowledge
David
Weinberger,
Research Fellow
Harvard
Law School, Berkman Center for Internet & Society
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Weinberger,
who served as a senior Internet adviser to the 2004 Howard Dean presidential
campaign, talks about the gathering and dissemination of information through
Internet web logs, or “blogs.” (1 hour, 46 minutes)
Archiving
Brewster
Kahle,
Co-Founder and Director, Internet Archives
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kahle,
digital librarian, talks about capturing materials on the Internet and the
challenges of selecting pertinent content. He explained the process of digital
archiving and why it’s important to everyday use of the Internet. (1 hour, 34
minutes)
Quantum
Computing
Juan
Pablo Paz,
Associate Professor, Physics, University of Buenos Aires
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Paz, as quantum physicist, who was currently working
at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, talks about the future of computers and
how quantum computing, in its development stages, might eventually change
collection, storage, and distribution of information. (1 hour, 31 minutes)
Meaning of Digital
Brian Cantwell Smith, Dean, Information Studies,
University of Toronto
Mr.
Smith combines degrees in computer science and philosophy and is an expert on
the interdisciplinary convergence brought about by digitization. His lecture
explores the meaning and notion of “digital” and its appropriate and inappropriate
use. (1 hour, 29 minutes)
The
Experience of Reading
David
M. Levy,
Professor, Information School, University of Washington
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Professor
Levy talks about the shift in the experience of reading from the fixed page to
movable computer screens and the impact of the shift on language. Following his
remarks he and other panelists discussed the potential changes in language and
communication resulting from the digital ages, methods of expression through
computer technology and the Internet, as well as the role of institutions and
individuals in embracing new information technology. (1 hour, 33 minutes)
Copyright
Issues
Lawrence
Lessig,
Professor, Law, Stanford University
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lessig
talks about the issues of copyright and “copyleft.” He was the inventor of the
revolutionary concept and application of Creative Commons. Panelists discuss
intellectual property issues, on-line technology, and monitoring use of
material on a global scale. (1 hour, 33 minutes)
Distribution
of Knowledge
Edward
L. Ayers,
Professor, History, University of Virginia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Professor
Ayers talks about the creation and distribution of knowledge in today’s digital
environment. Ayers was the author of a multi-media “book” on the American Civil
War which innovatively used book, CD-ROM, and the World Wide Web. He speaks
about his experiences publishing a history book online and talks about the
possibilities the Internet offers educators and writers in the field of
scholarship. (1 hour, 28 minutes)
Neil
Gershenfeld,
Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gershenfeld
talks about his concept, Internet Zero (0). He proposes a new infrastructure
for the existing Internet that would connect individuals directly to potential
applications of other technology and information. He also discusses innovations
and applications being employed in various projects and showed video clips
highlighting those endeavors. (1 hour, 32 minutes)
(NH)