[Web4lib] More on the Open Content Alliance

Thu Oct 27 21:40:58 EDT 2005

Sorry, I forgot to give the url for the entry point to this book 
collection. It's http://www.openlibrary.org/

Part of the problem with this collection is the lack of navigation 
links between sections. Once you've opened a book, there's no easy way 
to get back to the above home page. Likewise, I couldn't find any way 
to get to it from their introduction-to-the-site "book" at 
<http://codinginparadise.org/weblog/ 
2005/10/introducing-open-library-and-ajax.html>. I hated that page (if 
that's the right term for it) but I do like their graphical format for 
the antique books.
Jean Hewlett

All opinions are my own, and do not represent my employers.

----- Original Message -----
From: Norma Hewlett <hewlett at usfca.edu>
Date: Thursday, October 27, 2005 6:01 pm
Subject: Re: [Web4lib] More on the Open Content Alliance
> I seem to be on the opposite side of this debate. 
> 
> Their graphical interface would probably be unwieldy for a full 
> library 
> collection, but it seems appropriate for this pilot collection of 
> old 
> books. It does a good job of showing the binding, illustrations 
> and 
> typography. These features are lost in a text-only presentation, 
> and 
> they are essential for understanding the book as a historical 
> artifact. 
> 
> Also, I like the "click anywhere on the page to turn the page" 
> feature 
> very much. It's much easier to use than the page-turning mechanism 
> on 
> ebook programs such as Ebrary, which requires me to  move my mouse 
> to a 
> tiny Next button at the top of the screen or scroll it down to the 
> bottom. 
> 
> I'm on a T-1 line, so the wait for the page to refresh is quite 
> short. 
> I especially like the way you can view two pages at once, and how 
> the 
> pages are the main feature on the screen. The other ebook formats 
> I'm 
> familiar with break the screen up into several separate fields, 
> and 
> cram a single page display into one relatively small portion.
> 
> I think this would be a good format for historical collections, 
> such as 
> a webiste on the works of a particular author. The interface is 
> obviously a work in progress, and I'd expect it to ultimately 
> include 
> audio and text versions as well as this graphical one.
> 
> Jean Hewlett
> University of San Francisco
> 
> All opinions are my own, and do not represent my employers.
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Roy Tennant <roy.tennant at ucop.edu>
> Date: Thursday, October 27, 2005 7:07 am
> Subject: Re: [Web4lib] More on the Open Content Alliance
> > I have to agree that this form of presentation isn't necessarily 
> > the  
> > best. Although if things work well it provides a "gee whiz" kind 
> > of  
> > experience, I personally think the "page turning" animation is 
> > just a  
> > tad too cutesy while potentially introducing problems. But 
> > whatever.  
> > The thing with the Open Content Alliance is that if you don't 
> like 
> > 
> > the presentation at that site, grab it and put it up in a way 
> that 
> > 
> > floats your boat. Go get it at 
> <http://ia300002.us.archive.org/1/ 
> > items/openlibrary/>. Remember, this project is not Google 
> Library. 
> > In  
> > many cases you have choices.
> > Roy
> > 
> > On Oct 27, 2005, at 6:44 AM, Enrico Silterra wrote:
> > 
> > > I search on words I am looking at and I get "no hits".
> > > I open the opening page, and I get a message from IE that there
> > > are javascript errors.
> > >
> > > ditto on:
> > > Whatever happened to good old fashioned straight HTML, eh?
> > >
> > > This seems like a very worthwhile project, but as a presentation
> > > of the concepts behind the projects, I don't get positive 
> feelings.> >
> > > just my 2 yoctocents,
> > > Rick Silterra
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > At 09:21 AM 10/27/2005 +0100, J.P.Knight wrote:
> > >
> > >> On Wed, 26 Oct 2005, Roy Tennant wrote:
> > >>
> > >>> <http://www.openlibrary.org/details/openlibrary>
> > >>>
> > >>
> > >> Awww, what a horrible website.  I know its trying to look 
> like 
> > a  
> > >> book, but this is the web!  I was sitting there clicking on 
> the 
> > 
> > >> "Open Library" image with no luck thinking it was a splash  
> > >> screen.  The navigation stuff on the right hand side was a 
> bit  
> > >> screwed up with the size of my web browser so I didn't spot 
> it 
> > at  
> > >> first and even when I did, I assumed that the arrows applied 
> to 
> > 
> > >> the "listen" button next to them (which I didn't bother with 
> as 
> > I  
> > >> don't have speakers on my workstation).  When I did happen to 
> 
> > >> click on the right hand "page" to flip it over, the left hand 
> > edge  
> > >> of the new left hand page was cut off until I resized my 
> > browser  
> > >> window.
> > >>
> > >> Whatever happened to good old fashioned straight HTML, eh?
> > >>
> > >> Jim'll
> > >> _______________________________________________
> > >> Web4lib mailing list
> > >> Web4lib at webjunction.org
> > >> http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/
> > >>
> > >
> > > ******************************
> > > Enrico Silterra
> > > Meta Data Engineer
> > > 107-E Olin Library
> > > Cornell University
> > > Ithaca NY 14853
> > >
> > > Voice: 607-255-6851
> > > Fax:     607-255-6110
> > > E-mail: es287 at cornell.edu
> > > http://www.library.cornell.edu/cts/
> > > ******************************   
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Web4lib mailing list
> > > Web4lib at webjunction.org
> > > http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/
> > >
> > >
> > 
> > _______________________________________________
> > Web4lib mailing list
> > Web4lib at webjunction.org
> > http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/
> > 
> _______________________________________________
> Web4lib mailing list
> Web4lib at webjunction.org
> http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/
> 