L’Association of Research Libraries (ARL) annonce la publication d’un rapport sous la plume de Nancy L. Maron et K. Kirby Smith intitulé : Current Models of Digital Scholarly Communication (en, PDF, 49p, 3Mb).

In the spring of 2008, ARL engaged Ithaka’s Strategic Services Group to conduct an investigation into the range of online resources valued by scholars, paying special attention to those projects that are pushing beyond the boundaries of traditional formats and are considered innovative by the faculty who use them. The networked digital environment has enabled the creation of many new kinds of works, and many of these resources have become essential tools for scholars conducting research, building scholarly networks, and disseminating their ideas and work, but the decentralized distribution of these new-model works has made it difficult to fully appreciate their scope and number.

Ithaka’s findings are based on a collection of resources identified by a volunteer field team of over 300 librarians at 46 academic institutions in the US and Canada. Field librarians talked with faculty members on their campuses about the digital scholarly resources they find most useful and reported the works they identified. The authors evaluated each resource gathered by the field team and conducted interviews of project leaders of 11 representative resources. Ultimately, 206 unique digital resources spanning eight formats were identified that met the study’s criteria.

Également, les données de l’étude sont disponibles via une base de donnée dans le site de l’ARL.

Le Président-élu Barack Obama diffuse son agenda en ce qui concerne la technologique. Voici une sélection de points:

Ensure the Full and Free Exchange of Ideas through an Open Internet and Diverse Media Outlets

– Protect the Openness of the Internet: A key reason the Internet has been such a success is because it is the most open network in history. It needs to stay that way. Barack Obama strongly supports the principle of network neutrality to preserve the benefits of open competition on the Internet.
– Encourage Diversity in Media Ownership: Barack Obama believes that the nation’s rules ensuring diversity of media ownership are critical to the public interest. Unfortunately, over the past several years, the Federal Communications Commission has promoted the concept of consolidation over diversity. As president, Obama will encourage diversity in the ownership of broadcast media, promote the development of new media outlets for expression of diverse viewpoints, and clarify the public interest obligations of broadcasters who occupy the nation’s spectrum.
[…]
– Safeguard our Right to Privacy: The open information platforms of the 21st century can also tempt institutions to violate the privacy of citizens. As president, Barack Obama will strengthen privacy protections for the digital age and will harness the power of technology to hold government and business accountable for violations of personal privacy.
[…]

Create a Transparent and Connected Democracy

– Open Up Government to its Citizens: The Bush Administration has been one of the most secretive, closed administrations in American history. Our nation’s progress has been stifled by a system corrupted by millions of lobbying dollars contributed to political campaigns, the revolving door between government and industry, and privileged access to inside information-all of which have led to policies that favor the few against the public interest. An Obama presidency will use cutting-edge technologies to reverse this dynamic, creating a new level of transparency, accountability and participation for America’s citizens.
– Bring Government into the 21st Century: Barack Obama and Joe Biden will use technology to reform government and improve the exchange of information between the federal government and citizens while ensuring the security of our networks. Obama and Biden believe in the American people and in their intelligence, expertise, and ability and willingness to give and to give back to make government work better. Obama will appoint the nation’s first Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to ensure that our government and all its agencies have the right infrastructure, policies and services for the 21st century. The CTO will ensure the safety of our networks and will lead an interagency effort, working with chief technology and chief information officers of each of the federal agencies, to ensure that they use best-in-class technologies and share best practices.
[…]
Improve America’s Competitiveness

– Protect American Intellectual Property Abroad: The Motion Picture Association of America estimates that in 2005, more than nine of every 10 DVDs sold in China were illegal copies. The U.S. Trade Representative said 80 percent of all counterfeit products seized at U.S. borders still come from China. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will work to ensure intellectual property is protected in foreign markets, and promote greater cooperation on international standards that allow our technologies to compete everywhere.
– Protect American Intellectual Property at Home: Intellectual property is to the digital age what physical goods were to the industrial age. Barack Obama believes we need to update and reform our copyright and patent systems to promote civic discourse, innovation and investment while ensuring that intellectual property owners are fairly treated.
– Reform the Patent System: A system that produces timely, high-quality patents is essential for global competitiveness in the 21st century. By improving predictability and clarity in our patent system, we will help foster an environment that encourages innovation. Giving the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) the resources to improve patent quality and opening up the patent process to citizen review will reduce the uncertainty and wasteful litigation that is currently a significant drag on innovation. As president, Barack Obama will ensure that our patent laws protect legitimate rights while not stifling innovation and collaboration.
[…]

Monsieur Obama nous offre également son agenda concernant les droits civils, l’éducation …

Lawrence Lessig nous propose un nouveau livre : Remix : making art and commerce thrive in the hybrid economy, Penguin Press. Lire aussi deux texte de l’instigateur du mouvement Creative Commons : un commentaire de l’auteur dans le Wall Street Journal ainsi qu’une lettre ouverte dans le New York Times sur l’utilisation de contenu culturel lors de la campagne présidentielle et le droit d’auteur comme outil de censure.

Le Library Journal, la revue mensuelle de la American Library Association, nous offre un dossier concernent le jugement récent concernant le projet d’encyclopédie sur Harry Potter.

Selon la revue québécoise Branchez-Vous, il semble que Radiohead a su tirer profit de l’opération de diffusion de leur nouvel album In Rainbows. Par contre, le site nous informe qu’il n’est plus disponible pour le téléchargement.

Technorati, le moteur de recherche des blogues, nous offre son étude annuelle : État de la blogosphère 2008.

Le 14 octobre prochain sera la journée mondiale de l’accès libre au savoir scientifique. À cette occasion, plusieurs événements sont prévus, par example les initiatives aux Bibliothèque de l’Université Concordia (où notre rédacteur en chef travaille).

C’est avec tristesse que nous vous invitons à vous renseigner concernant le débat sur la réforme des politiques d’accès libre du National Institute of Health (NIH) aux USA. Voir aussi le bulletin de Peter Suber, et le sommaire des commentaires reçus par le NIH.

Un article du New York Times à propos de l’accès aux textes législatifs… Au Canada, l’Institut d’information Juridique CanLII.org nous assure un accès libre aux sources primiares du droit.

Les USA modifient leur régime de droit d’auteur selon ARS Technica.

Bruno Guglielminetti du quotidien Le Devoir (lien payant) nous informe d’une étude à propos de l’impact des jeux vidéos sur la vie sociale des jeunes. Selon le Pew Internet & American Life Project, ces espaces virtuels ne seraient pas si néfastes pour la socialisation des jeunes.