DPLA Press Roundup: August 23, 2013
Combining the Nation’s Digitized Libraries, All in One Place
“Buried in the archives of America’s public and academic libraries are historical treasures — old papers, photos and records — that flesh out a detailed picture of our past.
Many libraries are trying to make it easier to find that material by putting digital copies online. But with so many different websites and databases to turn to, it may still require a research degree in Web searching to find anything. This spring, a program launched that aims to put all that great stuff in one place: the Digital Public Library of America.
The DPLA has already drawn scholars like Lincoln Mullen, a graduate student at Brandeis University who is researching the history of religious conversion in the United States. Mullen says the DPLA uncovered some hard-to-find documents at the College of Charleston in South Carolina — handwritten letters by a slave owner, William H.W. Barnwell, in which Barnwell discussed religious instruction to slaves and how the North misunderstood the South in these matters.”
From Laura Sydell’s radio segment on NPR’s All Things Considered, Combining the Nation’s Digitized Libraries, All in One Place
New at the DPLA: There’s an App for That
“One of the great things about the DPLA is its API (application programming interface) that allows developers to access the metadata collected by the DPLA and create applications that use the DPLA’s searchable content. So far ten apps have been created — all are highlighted on the DPLA website. I’ve read a bit about (and played with) several that seem to have the potential for use in academic libraries…”
From Maura Smale’s post on ACRLog, New at the DPLA: There’s an App for That
The Digital Public Library of America
“Quite simply, it is a treasure trove of priceless material; history, literature and much more.
If you think public libraries are losing importance in the age of vast information available at our fingertips, think again.
The Digital Public Library of America is an ambitious project to bring into a single, if huge, digital space the stacks and archives of public libraries across the nation. The goal is to make research possible for countless thousands of online users from an almost countless supply of records, books, photos, music and irreplaceable collections.
It also has, quite possibly, the coolest URL ever: dp.la.”
From Steven Hart’s post on Relevanza, The Digital Public Library of America
Lena Dunham Wants Brooklyn to Be More Like Chattanooga
“Nate [Hill] not only brings next-generation thinking to his post but has also hands-on experience developing apps, websites and other user interfaces. He is the Library Journal’s 2012 recipient of their Mover and Shaker Award. In his previous job as the Web librarian at the San Jose Public Library, he developed an award-winning mobile application called Scan Jose that featured the library’s local historical materials. He is also involved with the Digital Public Library of America, a new organization formed in 2010 that is comprised of representatives from foundations, research institutions, cultural organizations, the government and libraries to discuss best approaches to building a national digital library. The DPLA recently joined President Barack Obama’s US Ignite initiative, a program that Chattanooga is also a participant in.”
From Jim Russell’s article in the Pacific Standard, Lena Dunham Wants Brooklyn to Be More Like Chattanooga
Tech Week That Was: National Security, Privacy And Ballmer
“On the air, Laura [Sydell of NPR] reported a fascinating feature on the Digital Public Library of America, where the digital collections of libraries are getting combined on one site, for free. Steve Henn profiled Mike Convertino, who built a career making cyber weapons for the U.S. Air Force. This week’s All Tech chat on All Things Considered featured the end of buttons and the move toward gesture control.”
From Elise Hu’s post on KNAU: Arizona Public Radio’s blog, Tech Week That Was: National Security, Privacy and Ballmer