Full Seminar Details
Dr David Bainbridge
University of Waikato, New Zealand
This event took place on Thursday 11 February 2010 at 14:00
The Greenstone software typifies what we have perhaps come to think of as the "classic" form of digital library: Web based with access to content through searching and browsing. Countless digital libraries have been formed with Greenstone since its release on SourceForge in 2000: from historic newspapers to books on humanitarian aid; from eclectic multimedia content on pop-artists to curated First editions of works by Chopin; from scientific institutional repositories to personal collections of photos and numerous other document formats. In this talk I will track the history of the project and reflect on the lessons we have learned over this time. Greenstone is also a highly versatile framework for research. In our lab we are experimenting with forms of digital library software that challenge the status quo. In this talk I will demonstrate a range of these prototypes. In particular:
A realistic books visualizer that brings back many of the advantages of the codex that were lost with the move to accessing content through Web pages and its ubiquitous scroll-bar.
An iPod that has been reprogrammed to become a self-contained portable digital library that has truly vast storage -- available at your fingertips, wherever you are.
Seamless Web editing that removes the barrier between readership and authorship. Edit *any* Web page in the world, and have it stored in your own private digital library for later access.
Maven of the Month
We are also inviting top experts in AI and Knowledge Technologies to discuss major socio-technological topics with an audience that comprises both members of the Knowledge Media Institute, as well as the wider staff at The Open University. Differently from our seminar series, these events follow a Q&A format.