Digital Libraries Essay Example for Free

Digital Libraries Essay Ashley Tipton Digital Libraries Introduction A simple definition of a digital library is a library where collections are stored in digital formats instead of physical formats and accessible via computers. The content can then be accessed locally, as in within a library, or remotely such as from other places on a college campus or from a users home. Many people believe that digital libraries are the future. There are also those that still hold on to the thought that the traditional brick and mortar building is the way a library is supposed to be and that moving to the digital real is not the direction a library should be heading. History The information revolution is one of the marvels of the 20th century. We are now living in an information society where almost everyone around us has a computer, a smartphone, and is connected to the Internet. As our society has become more and more connected, libraries have also started to become more digitized. Library automation came into popularity in the early 1950s. It started with punched card applications to library technical services operations. In 1965, Licklider coined the phrase â€Å"library of the future† to refer to his vision of a fully computer-based library and then in 1978, F.W. Lancaster wrote of the â€Å"paperless library† (Harter, 1996). Other terms later on that were used to describe the library of the future were â€Å"electronic library,† â€Å"virtual library,† â€Å"library without walls,† and â€Å"bionic library† (Harter, 1996). The term â€Å"digital library† came to be from the Digital Libraries Initiative. In 1994, six universities in the United States were granted 24 million dollars for digital library research. This was brought on by the sudden boom of the Internet. â€Å"Digital library† is the name that was most widely adopted by academics, researchers, and librarians and is used to describe the process of digitizing information resources. Digitization According to Ram Nath Maurya, there is a stress for three things in the digital world (Maurya, 2011): †¢ Awareness of information which gives the breath of vision. †¢ †¢ Awareness of technology which gives the power to make the visions manifest. Awareness of needs provide the insight to use professional skills and talents to greater effect. The meaning of this is that it is important for the user to have information that is easily locatable and easily accessible. Nowadays, library patrons have become information conscious and no longer want to wait and go to the library to find what they need. They want to access it access the information electronically. The process of digitizing implies the production of a digital surrogate for a physical object (Unsworth, 2004). There are many different items in libraries that are digitized. This ranges from serials that can be found either in print or online to rare books and archives that are now being preserved in a digital format. There are many positive outcomes that come from digitizing parts of a librarys collection. There is less cost in reshelving the item. The item is simultaneously available to multiple users. The item does not have to be replaced, since it is not being used and there is no chance of it being lost. Also, if it is a rare item, it can be preserved more easily as it will be less frequently handled. Why Go Digital? The most valuable aspect of the digital library is its reduction in cost. There are many fees that are negated such as staff pay, book maintenance, rent, and additional books. This makes the cost of the digital library much less to maintain than that of a traditional library. Also, increased reduction in the use of paper has a positive impact on the environment. Environmental scientists all over the world favor digital libraries to help reduce paper usage. Libraries that have a digital presence can be reached all over the world, thus allowing the library to have a far greater audience beyond their local community. Their collection can be shared and accessed from anywhere. As distance education becomes more popular, it is even more important for libraries to have an online presence. Students who might not be able to physically access their school librarys collection can instead find what they need on their website. Many libraries are offering a vary large amount of databases containing full-text journals and also electronic books. The interlibrary loan program allows students to order books from their own school and other libraries without leaving their home. The role of the librarian in a digital library is still vastly important. They are needed to package and repackage information. Librarians set up the proxies and open-URLs. They do electronic publishing, provide reference instruction, and teach patrons how to use electronic resources. Also, there is always more information that needs to be digitized. Disadvantages of Digital Libraries There are many threats to the nature of digital libraries. Computer viruses are a danger if libraries are not careful to protect their hardware and software. Also, the high initial cost of infrastructure such as the hardware, software, network, and IT professionals can be a downside and then also the cost to maintain and upgrade when needed. Standardization is another issue that libraries can face when moving to a digital format. Each library is different and therefore it is extremely likely that each library will have a very different way of digitizing their collection and presenting their information online. Another potential problem is copyright. Digital libraries have to find a way to properly distribute information without violating copyright law. The copyright of the author has to be protected as items are digitized and put into an online collection. Future of Digital Libraries The future trend for libraries is to keep moving toward a digital format. Daniel Akst, the author of The Webster Chronicle, sums it up in one simple statement: â€Å"the future of libraries-and of information-is digital. † He states, â€Å"All the problems associated with digital libraries are wrapped up in archiving,† and goes on to state, â€Å"if in 100 years people can still read your article, we’ll have solved the problem†. Computer storage continues to grow at an exponential rate and the cost keeps going down. It is believed that eventually, given the current advancement of technology, a person will be able to virtually access all recorded information. There are many large scale digitization projects underway at places such as Google, the Million Book Project, and Internet Archive. The technology behind scanners and the digitization techniques also keeps improving. There have been recent advancements in how books are handled and presentation technologies such as optical character recognition. Libraries will continue to become more equipped to digitize their own collections and share them with the world. Bibliography Akst, Daniel. The Webster Chronicle. New York: Bluehen, 2002. Print. Harter, S. (1996, September). What is a digital library? definitions, content, and issues. A paper presented at KOLISS DL 96: international conference on digital libraries and information services for the 21st century, Seoul, Korea. Retrieved from http://php. indiana. edu/~harter/koreapaper. htm Lagoze, C. , Krafft, D. , Payette, S. , Jesuroga, S. (2005). What is a digital library anymore, anyway?. D-Lib Magazine, 11(11), Retrieved from http://www. dlib. org/dlib/november05/lagoze/11lagoze. html Maurya, R. (2011). Digital library and digitization. International Journal of Information Dissemination Technology. , 1(4), 228-331. Retrieved from http://web. ebscohost. com. proxy. lib. fsu. edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? vid=7hid=9[emailprotected] Unsworth, J. (2004, May 17). The value of digitization for libraries and humanities scholarship. Retrieved from http://people. lis. illinois. edu/~unsworth/newberry. 04. htmlÃ'Ž

Desriptive Essay On Wrestling :: essays research papers

Descriptive   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When a person walks into a building to see a live wrestling event they do not know what to expect. They wonder who will be wrestling. They wonder where their seats are. All of the suspense gets them ready for the show. The suspense gets them pumped and ready to for the show to start.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the lobby they see many people standing around or buying T-shirts, hats, and other paraphanaliea of their favorite wrestling superstar. There is a smell of popcorn and other snacks in the air. It is very noisy from people talking about who they hope is there.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the people try to find their seats it can be frustrating because it is dark and they do not know the layout of the arena. Once they end up finding their seats there are normally people sitting in them or they are in the wrong one and have to move.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When they see the wrestlers they are so much bigger than they thought. The wrestlers have big and powerful wrestlers. They are always in top condition. The smaller wrestlers still have muscles but they are not as powerful as the bigger ones. The smaller wrestlers rely on their speed to win their matches.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the event there is a smell of smoke in the air from the fireworks that had gone off. There is a general noise throughout the building that gets louder as the wrestlers do a special move or look to the crowd. When a wrestler enters the ring the only thing that you can hear is the first part of their theme song because as soon as the crowd knows who it is they either cheer or boo. The sound of the wrestlers being slammed against the mat is very loud. When a wrestler does his final move you can hear the crowd burst into pandemonium as they all stand and cheer or boo, it all depends on who the wrestler is.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main event is the best. That is where you get to see your favorite most of the time.

Health Care Spending Paper Essay

This paper will include: the current health care expenditures whether spending is too much or not enough, where the nation should add or cut, how the public’s health care needs are paid and provide a forecast for: the future economic needs, why these needs must be addressed, how I envision these needs will be financed and conclusion. Current Health Expenditures Health care costs have been rising for several years. Expenditures in the United States on health care surpassed $2.3 trillion in 2008, more than three times the $714 billion spent in 1990, and over eight times the $253 billion spent in 1980. Stemming this growth has become a major policy priority, as the government, employers, and consumers increasingly struggle to keep up with health care cost. Hospital spending, the largest share of overall health care spending, is a major driver of increased costs The current national expenditure have tripled over the last decade especially in hospital care, physician/clinical services and drug ( Kaiser, 2010). The United States is at an all time high in health care. In the health care system there are some factors that contribute to this increase. It is getting to the point that more and more Americans cannot afford health care, because of the cost of health care is getting harder to maintain for their families. Whether Spending is too much or not enough It is difficult to pin point one exact factor why spending is escalating. The chart below states that hospital care, physician/clinical services and prescription drugs are where the most spending is taking place (Kaiser, 2010). This shows we are spending too much, especially in these top three categories listed. When health care cost is steadily increasing, so we are spending a great deal in the list above. National Health Expenditures, 2008 [pic] Source: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary, National Health Statistics Group Where the Nation Should Add or Cut Medicare and Medicaid account for a significant share of health care spending (Kaiser, 2010) and also according to the above chart we could cut in the hospital care, physician/clinical services and prescription drugs. This is why we need to cut as far as the nation is concerned because these government programs Medicare and Medicaid are funding health cost at a steady growth. We have to work on controlling this program before it controls us. If we do not start cutting from somewhere we will be in a serious deficit for health care in the United States. Then we need to cut prescription drugs cost, so it can be affordable to everyone, so the government needs to intercede the pharmaceutical companies closely to manage this expense. How the Public’s Health Care needs are Paid Although Americans benefit from many of the investments in health care, the recent rapid cost growth, coupled with an overall economic slowdown and rising federal deficit, is placing great strains on the systems used to finance health care, including private employer-sponsored health insurance  coverage and public insurance programs such as Medicare and Medicaid ( Kaiser, 2010 ). The public’s health care payments are paid by Medicaid and Medicare if eligible for this government health program and other private health insurance companies, for example: Blue cross and Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna and United Health Care are just a few the public health care is paid. There are some people who pay out of pocket, whether they can afford it or not. Forecast: the Future Economic needs Scott Donahue, vice president of Triple Tree healthcare advisory group, agrees, pointing to statistics such as those found in the 2009 PricewaterhouseCoopers Health Research Institute study that revealed nearly one half of the $2.2 trillion the United States spends each year on healthcare is wasted. â€Å"While it is impossible to point to any single breakdown contributing to the waste, it is clear from the study’s findings that this is an industry that has significantly underutilized technology to improve efficiencies,† he says, adding that cloud computing could help mend a healthcare system that is stuck in the inefficiencies and limitations found in older legacy systems (Chavis, 2011). There needs to be an investment in our technology system for health care for example: electronic medical records (EMR) to better serve the patients and technology that is being required to give quality service and modify the provider’s wages, since in the hospital this is the biggest cost. This is a start in the direction to accommodate the Americans who cannot afford health care. These small changes can contribute to a clear forecast in health care. Forecast: why these needs must be address This issue needs to be address because health care cost is soaring and if we do not intercept and make some real changes the American people will not afford medical services. The health provider’s and facilities are making big money and they need to work with the people to help with this expense we have made. The government can help by fine tuning the Medicare and Medicaid  program, so people can benefit fairly from it. We need to get proactive in prevention, so we our bodies will stay healthy for a long life. Forecast: how I envision these needs will be financed I envision a new administration making some major changes to make health care affordable for all Americans. The private insurance companies will need to work on some alternative health care package to their consumers for health care cost. The government in Washington to stop thinking of them and focus on health care cost, so all can manage health expense and get continued quality care also. Conclusion The bottom line we need to concentrate on cutting cost of health care and quality care, which we all deserve as human beings. There is not just one factor that contributes to the health expenditure but several pieces to this puzzle that makes this a major health cost issue. We need to find ways to decrease spending too much, so people can benefit from their health plan. The nation should consider cutting hospital care, clinical services and prescription drugs, since these are the top expenses for health care. This would definitely clear a path for reduced cost. The public can barely afford to pay premiums to their private health insurance companies but if they want coverage they have to pay. The one’s who qualify for Medicare and Medicaid will get help from this government program for health care cost and yes some people still pay out of pocket to maintain their health conditions. Technology is one investment to keep up with the growing health care needs of people. We must address these health cost concerns or they will get out of control, so we need to be proactive getting health care financially in shape to accommodate medical service to all. I envision that all people will be covered by health care regardless of economic background. Americans need to get resources to take better care of their health and invest in prevention, so our health will not result in a chronic illness or an incurable disease. Then maybe the law makers in Washington will make sound  decision about our health care plan from other health care providers, so we can benefit and help with cost diminishing. References Access My Library. (2004). Health Care Spending Hits 1.6 Trillion in 2002, Rising More Than Twice as Fast as U.S. Economy. Retrieved from http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-19942976_ITM Chavis, S. (2011). Cloudy Forecast for Health. For the Record, 23(4), 10. Getzen, T., Moore, J. (2007). Wiley Pathways health care Economics (1st. ed.). John Wiley & Sons. Kaiser. (2010). U.S. Health Care Costs. Retrieved from http://www.kaiseredu.org/Issue- Modules/US-Health-Care-Costs/Background-Brief.aspx#.

Antonio Vivaldi born on March 4th 1678, which was the...

Antonio Vivaldi born on March 4th 1678, which was the Baroque music style. In 1678 not only was it the baroque period it was also the years just after the Renaissance. 1670s was part of the Age of Abolitionism. The Age of Absolutism was the age when European monarchs struggled to centralize their power. And in Britain the English Civil war and the glorious revolution happened a few years prior to Vivaldis life. In Russia, Peter the Great and Catherine the great were reforming Europe and trying to improve it. Antonio lived until July 28th 1741, in his life the enlightenment happened, it was the age of reason, philosophy, and age of new music. Great music and composers came out of this era, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Bach, Frederic†¦show more content†¦The reason Giovanni Legrenzi taught Antonio may have been his father was one of the founders of Sovvegno dei musicisti di Santa Cecilia. This was an association of musicians in Italy at this time. Legrenzi was the president of that association and might have been asked to administer the lessons to the young Antonio. Antonios health was very unstable. He claimed to have tightness of the chest which is to be interpreted as asthma. Although he did have asthma, it did not stop him from pursuing music and priest hood. But since he did have this sickness he said very few masses and later gave up his priestly duties. Though this sickness did stop him from priesthood it did not stop his music career. He played the violin, composing music, and other things except playing wind instruments. Through these struggles, he went onto become one of the most famous composers of this time. His official music career started at an orphanage called Pio Ospedale della Pietà  . This means Devout Hospital of Mercy, he claimed the title of Master of Violin at this orphanage. This orphanage became a musical center because boys had to learn to trade and then leave by age 15. While girls got a musical education and the best of th ose girls would stay to be part of the orphanages elite orchestra and choir. Vivaldi was mostly known for his composing skills and legacy but he was a very phenomenal violin player. At the same orphanage, thatShow MoreRelatedThe Four Seasons By Antonio Lucio Vivaldi802 Words   |  4 PagesAntonio Lucio Vivaldi, outstanding composer of â€Å"The Four Seasons† and more specifically Gloria in Excelsis Deo, was born March the 4th 1678 and died July 28th 1741. Vivaldi was born in Venice, Italy: a city in northeastern Italy sited on a group of one hundred seventeen small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges. He died in Veinna, Austria, the capital and largest city of Austria, and one of the nine states of Austria, Vienna is also Austria s primary city. Antonio Vivaldi is a wellRead MoreEssay on Baroque Music1669 Words   |  7 Pages Baroque Music In 1600 a new style of music began to evolve, this form of music was later to be called Baroque. Baroque music was very different to the music before its time such as medieval and early renaissance music and the development of new harmonic and melodic lines added difference in pace and variation to the compositions giving them a new shape and form. The structure of the music also changed, different forms such as fugues and cannons developed and different