Conference on digital libraries/survey

[Nick Berezovsky]

September 6, 1997

Dear Web4Lib subscribers:

Your opinion is solicited to help a group of libraries, archives, museums,
historical & genealogical societies from Kansas and Missouri plan a Midwest
regional conference on digital libraries.

Approximate date: fall, 1998
Length: 2 days
Location: several sites are being considered in Kansas or Kansas City,
Missouri.

We envision the conference to be: 1. Popular, or for "laymen". 2.
Comprehensive. 3. Practical. 4. Multidisciplinary. 5. High quality
(national level speakers)

The purpose of the conference:

1. To introduce librarians, archivists, museum workers, and all interested
persons to the new digital library technologies, allowing them to better
respond to their users' and institutional needs.
2. To provide a good "navigational map" for decision-making, planning and
implementing digitization projects.
3. To demonstrate a variety of digital library implementation options
available today: from a low-budget, in-house projects utilizing inexpensive
search and retrieval/database management tools, with or without Web access,
to a large-scale advanced and expensive implementations based on
sophisticated hard and software.
4. To promote regional cooperation in the creation, maintenance, and
management of digital libraries.

To evaluate interest in this conference this questionnaire is being
distributed  to: DIGLIB, DIGLIBNS, LITA-L, SLA-DITE, PUBLIB, ARCHIVES,
ARLIS-L, LIBADMIN, MUSEUM-L, LM_NET, MPLA-L, BCR-L, ALLIANCE-L, UCDOLA-L,
SLAHOA-H, KANSAS-L, KS-KIN-L, KANLIB-L, NDLIB-L, IMAGELIB, VRA-L, WEB4LIB


Please, respond via e-mail to:
nickbere at tri.net

Results will be summarized and posted on DLIBCON-- a listserv organized for
the discussion and planning of the conference (to subscribe, send:
SUBSCRIBE DLIBCON YOUR NAME to: listproc at esunix1.emporia.edu)

Thank you, 
Nicholas Berezovsky
Midwest Digital Libraries '98 Conference Discussion & Planning Group
nickbere at tri.net

---------------------------------Cut here--------------------------------

TOPICS:

Please rank each of the following topics according to your interest level
on a scale from 0 to 10 (0-least interest; 10- most interest)

[	] Developments in the digital libraries fields. Trends, projects,
organizations
[	] Overview of the digitization process. Imaging system components and
their requirements: computers, scanners, storage devices, networks,
printers, and monitors
[	] Preparing materials for digitizing. Types of materials (text,
illustrations, photographs, microfilm) and challenges of their digitizing
[	] Graphic file formats
[	] Digitization for access vs. digitization for preservation
[	] Methods and tools for data captures and OCR: scanners, digital cameras,
and software
[	] Outsourcing digital imaging. Selection of service bureaus, cost,
contracts, quality control.
[	] Metadata ("bibliographic" information for electronic records)
[	] Electronic document markup: HTML, SGML, XML, TEI, and EAD
[	] Text and image indexing, search and retrieval, database management
tools
[	] Electronic document distribution: Internet, LANs/intranets, CD-ROMs,
and hard copies
[	] Copyright and licensing. Free vs. fee-based access. Protection from
unauthorized use.
[	] Storage and preservation of electronic records
[	] Examples of projects
[	] Demos of hard- and software
[	] Other (please, specify the topic):

SITE OPTIONS:

Please, indicate which of the following conference site options you prefer:

[	] A large metropolitan area with an airport served by major airlines
[	] Any site as long as there is a convenient shuttle service from a major
airport
[	] Any site within [  ] (please specify in hours or miles) driving
distance from [   ] (please specify point of departure)
[	] Other (please, specify your conditions, if any):
[	] Doesn't matter

REGISTRATION FEES:

Please, indicate the maximum registration fee (excluding food and lodging)
you would pay for a high quality 2-day conference covering the topics
outlined above:

[	] $50-99
[	] $100-149
[	] $150-199
[	] $200-249
[	] $250-300
[	] Other (please, specify):

ATTENDANCE:

Please, indicate the probability of your attending the conference with the
program outlined above, if the registration fee and the site are as you
specified:

[	] High
[	] Average
[	] Low

Please, indicate the amount of attendees such a conference, in your
opinion, could attract:

1. From your professional field, your state only:
[	] 0-9
[	] 10-24
[	] 25-49
[	] 50-99
[	] 100-150
[	] other (please, specify)

2. From your professional field, all states
[	] up to 49
[	] 50-99
[	] 100-149
[	] 150-199
[	] 200-249
[	] 250-300
[	] other (please, specify)

3. From across professions, your state only:

[	] 0-9
[	] 10-24
[	] 25-49
[	] 50-99
[	] 100-150
[	] other (please, specify)


4. From across professions, all states

[	] up to 49
[	] 50-99
[	] 100-149
[	] 150-199
[	] 200-249
[	] 250-300
[	] other (please, specify):

Please, indicate the type of institution you are affiliated with:

[	] Academic library
[	] Public library
[	] Special library
[	] Museum
[	] Archive
[	] Historical society
[	] Genealogical society
[	] Government agency
[	] Other (please, specify):

Please, specify the state where your institution is located:

[	]

How would you describe your level of knowledge or practical experience in
the field of digital libraries?

[	] Novice
[	] Intermediate
[	] Advanced

If you have other comments, suggestions, or questions, please, write them
here:

Just a reminder: e-mail your response to:
nickbere at tri.net


Thank you for your help.