A review of – E-Archiving:
An Overview of Some Repository Management Software Tools


The introduction of electronic journals (E-journals) has changed the traditional scholarly communication. The transformations are in ways of speed up the research consequences, providing the access of hyperlinks of citation, and heightening the text with a variety of illustrations (Cantara, 2003). In a recent article from ARIADNE, Prudlo addresses an overview of some most widely known repository management software tools including LOCKSS, EPrints, and DSpace respectively. His main point is to bring the attention of digital preservation to the library mainly, but also to the scholars and publisher as well. Furthermore, Prudlo mentions several questions in many perspectives, in terms of what the material and software to choose, the cost of the system, long-term preservation issue, and know-how requirement (2005). These questions are primarily brought to the librarian. In addition, Prudlo’s article has an implication of phenomena of digitalised documentations across the world. Carpenter (2005) states a trend that transforms the way of preservation from paper-based to digitalized format. He mentions some issues that
“Physical carriers of digital material deteriorate; digital data can become corrupted; the hardware that reads particular carriers wears out and cannot be replaced when it has become obsolete; file formats become obsolete in the course of software evolution, as backward compatibility is lost over a succession of versions; older versions of software, even when these are available, may not work on new hardware or operating systems. Valuable digital assets of institutions are at risk of loss, in the medium-term as well as long-term future.” (2005, ¶ 1)
This also supports Prudlo’s view on the importance of digital repository and capability of preservation in long-term perspective.
Libraries used to purchase the license of an electronic journal in order to obtain journals they required in print, and the license has its time restriction. However, with the help of ICTs, the access is provided via databases and e-journal subscriptions. In other words, the library owns the journal as long as it keeps the journal archived when subscribing to a print journal (Prudlo, 2005).
Nearly one hundred institutions use Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe (LOCKSS) in the United States and in Europe. LOCKSS is open use to any library around the world. The subscription of the journal allows the library to extend its possession of the journal as long as the original copy is well archived by the library (Prudlo, 2005). Even with the expiration of the license would not terminate the access to the content of the journal in the library. In fact, due to the nature of LOCKSS, slowly collection of electronic journals, the system keeps an original copy of the journal to ensure the consistency of the content. Meanwhile, since LOCKSS does not suitable for web sites that update changes frequently, archiving governmental published documents on the web is an alternative way instead. In fact, LOCKSS does not provide immediate update so that makes the cost cheaper and requires less time for installation the system (2005). Furthermore, the decentralised architecture design makes LOCKSS a safe system when the attack of the system happens. Prudlo addresses that approximately “six redundant copies of a title are required to safeguard a title’s long-term preservation (2005, ¶ 5).” In other words, LOCKSS attempts to keep as many copies as possible to minimize the system attack. However, when too much redundancy occurs, it is most likely to decrease the efficiency and the capability of the system operation. In addition, LOCKSS is not yet overcome the problem of format migration (2005). This means that LOCKSS is not able to provide the service of conversion to the current format that used for preservation in the new system.
Developed at the University of Southampton in the UK, EPrints is an open source package that complies with Open Archives Initiative (OAI)-compliant. OAI helps EPrints to be available to cross-archive searching so that a registered archive will be automatically “included in a global program of metadata harvesting and other added-value services run by academic and scientific institutions across the globe (Prudlo, 2005, ¶ 16).“ Meanwhile, there are more than one hundred and forty repositories that use the EPrints software internationally (2005). EPrints is created to collect, store and provide Web access to material and provides access to institutions. It is mainly used as a means to manage the form of books, posters, or conference papers in research (2005). The installation of EPrints is time-consuming and requires specific operating system such as Linux, Solaris, or MacOSX. Accordingly, EPrints enables the authors to submit self-publishing material by providing friendly user interface so that authors can upload the material in the way they preferred. In fact, uploaded materials are held in “buffer” first. The material submitted will be reviewed first then finally deposited based on the decision made by the administrator.
The DSpace is open source software developed by the join venture of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Libraries and Hewlett-Packard. Over one hundred organizations worldwide use DSpace. Its initiative is to archive huge and various types of content, including “articles, datasets, images, audio files, video files, computer programs, and reformatted digital library collections (Prudlo, 2005, ¶24).” DSpace uses UNIX-type operating system such as LINUX or Solaris, and an experienced system administrator is required to install and configure the system (Prudlo, 2005). DSpace software has much strength. First, it uses customized workflow process to describe digital works. Second, digital works of an institution are distributed onto the Web; thus, it enables users’ accessibility of searching and retrieving materials. Third, the preserved works in form of digital are stored in long-term aspect.
There are many advantages for each of preservation software tools and disadvantages come along as well. The library needs to consider which one is best suitable with some restrictions such as annual budget, size of the library, area of collection, and so on. In long-term perspective, EPrints and DSpace are both fulfill the requirement via providing the access on the Web (Prudlo, 2005). Although E-archiving is still a brand new concept, there are already many repository software management tools on their way. Nonetheless some people are in doubt on the future of digital works, it is better to prepare for it than it’s too late, especially for FIS students to be aware of this issue.











Reference lists –
Cantara, L. (2003). Archiving electronic journals. Research founded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Retrieved October 25, 2005, from http://www.diglib.org/preserve/introduction.html
Carpenter, L. (2005). Supporting digital preservation and asset management in institutions. Ariadne. 43. Retrieved October 24, 2005, from http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue43/carpenter/
EPrints Web site http://eprints.org/
DSpace Web site http://www.dspace.org/
LOCKSS Web site http://lockss.stanford.edu/
Prudlo, M. (2005). E-Archiving: An overview of some repository management software tools. Ariadne. 43. Retrieved October 24, 2005, from http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue43/prudlo/

The IM Portal – A Community of Practice

While Information technologies is introduced to people with high-speed, worldwide, and diverse Internet and Web access to our society, the new changes also bring us chaos of information into our everyday life. In other words, when we perceive web network as “superhighway” and information as vehicles on this highway, guidelines or directions are needed in order to regulate all the vehicles onto the right destination. Otherwise, it will become a disaster of traffic jam. Therefore, it is very critical to have well-organized information management. Among one of the facilities, the Information Management (IM) Portal is created to be a share environment and to direct Information Management specialists in order to locate and manipulate specific and particular resources they need within their professional field. On the other hand, those specialists help the organization work more efficiently in long-term prospects as well. This kind of knowledge sharing forms lots communities of practice where people in the certain field help and learn from each other and contribute their experience and professional skill to facilitate discipline of professional area of research.
In September 2004 (“Government of Canada IM Portal”, 2004), IM Portal, a government hosted on-line information management service, was introduced to public as it sees itself as a one-click button to access gathering resources that related to Information Management. IM Portal is under the supervision of the Treasury Board Secretariat, Library and Archives Canada and Public Works and Government Services Canada. According to its host Organizational Readiness Office (“Strategic Directions”, 2005), “The gap between traditional assumptions about the nature of IM work and the “new IM” capacity that departments and agencies are expecting from IM specialist continues to grow.” (“Strategic Directions”, 2005, para. 15). In other words, traditional organizations encounter a merge or interoperability with information technology in which generated enormous needs for specialized IM workers. Thus, it is very important for IM specialists to be able to recognize the latest changes and escalate their skills and abilities. Based on this statement, IM Portal is one of services built by Government of Canada to facilitate IM specialists to quickly react and associate to government’s objective, for instance, the new Management of Government Information Policy, the new Access Policy, and the new Security Policy, etc. Those kinds of new information are very much related to organizations’ overall management and long-term strategies, and they require awareness from organization to interact and cooperate in order to acquire IM practices accordingly and prospectively.
The IM Portal (“About Us”, 2005) itself is a governmental agency that provides useful and functional resources applicable information management to support the Government of Canada. Meanwhile, it is also a unique access point for information management professionals, such as librarians, information management analysts, archivists, etc., to facilitate themselves in order to escalating their work performance. The following will mostly address on the functionalities that are found on IM Portal website. The IM Portal (2005) provides several hundreds resources connected to Canadian and international institutions. It also has many linkages to varieties of subjects. For instance, “IM Community and Events” is a link to lists of information regarding Awards, Conferences, Courses and Programs, Events, Contact Lists, etc. In contrast, “IM Practice” links to categories such as Access to Information, Digital Libraries, Information Architecture, Knowledge Management, Planning, Organizing Information, and so forth. The infrastructure of IM Portal, the same as the tree structure, starts from general to more specific. If we go from main catalogue to secondary catalogue, a list of resources about secondary catalogue will direct people to relevant web page of particular association, organization, government, or institution. Here’s an example of a path to follow through if people look for library schools’ information. First, Starting from Organization, then choose Educational Institutions; hyperlinks of related resources can be found prospectively. Among those links, one of resources is Library School – CLA resources which lists Canadian Library and Information Studies programmes and their contact information with website linkages. Moreover, few other links of schools that provide information studies are University of Washington, University of Montreal, MIT, and University of Toronto.
According to Joanne Cournoyer, The IM Portal Manager, in response from her email (Joanne Cournoyer, personal communication, September 27, 2005), she stated that IM Portal is in progress in its Phase Two currently, in which will possibly includes services such as publishing content, discussion forums, case studies, best practices and personalization, collaborative tools, and so on. The significant point that differs Phase Two from Phrase One is their functionalities. In Phase Two, which basically built upon Phase one, will emphasize on users’ needs to develop customize innovations with aids from collaborate software such as XML, RSS, and so on. Phrase one, however, mainly focused on building links to other web pages of Information Management.
In conclusion, the IM Portal is one among many of communities of practice (“Common practices”, 2005). In terms it forms a group of people whom use the same language and have similar goals and interests, and they share, inspire, and gather knowledge or experience from real practices. First of all, this concept leads us to see people who live in the earth as a whole and connected as a community. As the result, the current trend of community of practice advances learning and discipline, regardless where people locate or live in any country around the world. People are able to contribute, exchange, or discuss their knowledge, common practice, experience, policy, security or other legal issues on the certain community of practice via Internet. Secondly, the idea of community of practice increases learning capability (Stiglitz, 1999, P.317). For example, IM specialists might need to travel from one country to another country to enrich their ability in Information Management field in the past. Nowadays, they can have long-distance learning through networks without travels. On the other hand, this strength also reduces the costs of organizations from travel expenses. In other words, IM specialists can work more effectively and efficiently on their job performances. They can also exchange information with other specialists from other organizations or countries to observe different operation and regulation within the field of Information Management prominently. Third, an initial aspect is that the community of practice extents people’s capability to deal and react with globalization as well. Therefore, when perceiving counties as a whole that maximum of knowledge sharing will benefit all people in this communities and balance leverage of education between developed and undeveloped countries. In brief, IM Portal plays set its role as a community of practice in which advances specialists in ways of having global thinking and knowledge sharing, so that they can have more effective and efficient work performance, and also help organizations to acquire and respond to globalization in long-term aspects.


Reference List

Community Intelligence Labs. (n.d.) What is A “Community of Practice”?. Retrieved September 30, 2005, from http://www.co-i-l.com/coil/knowledge-garden/cop/definitions.shtml

Government of Canada. (2005, September 23). IM Portal. In About Us. Retrieved September 23, 2005, from http://www.informationmanagement.gc.ca/about/abu-ans_e.asp

Public Works and Government Services Canada. (2005). Organizational Readiness Office Strategic Directions 2004-2005. Retrieved September 27, 2005, from http://www.solutions.gc.ca/oro-bgc/strateg-frmw/2004-2005/strat-frm_e.asp

Stiglitz, J. (1999). “Knowledge as a global public good” in I. Kaul, I. Grunberg, & M. A. Stern (Eds.), Global Public Goods: International Cooperation in the 21st Century. (pp. 308-325). New York and Oxford: OUP.

Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. (2004). Government of Canada IM Portal [Electronic version].

Read an article this morning in reader's digest. It's pretty interesting to know such thing that would happen in Canada. A man from Alberta was away for his business trip three months ago. The day he came back, he was arrested in the national airport. The reason was because he didn't shovel the snow on sidewalk within 48 hours. While he was outside of country, $85 ticket was mailed to him. Since he was not home, he naturally didn't know he got a ticket due to unclean snow on sidewalk. Therefore, the court issued a warrant to the police to arrest him at the airport.This is the first time to me to know such thing that happened in Canada. While I was in the States, we shoveled snow, but never know people will be fined due to unlearned sidewalk within 48 hours after the snow. Well, Perhaps we didn't know it's the same thing in the States. However, for your own good, if you need to be away in winter for a period of time, you'd better have someone to clean up your sidewalk. Otherwise, you will be the one who is arrested next time. Wouldn't that scary to be arrested in the national airport?