There are a few articles out there offering commentary regarding the new Department of Defense memo that gives guidance regarding Open Source Software, and how the DoD can and should participate in the Open Source community.
Need a quick tutorial on what Open Source is? Try here. The short version: the source code for software is made available to developers and consumers to tweak and improve as they see fit, with the understanding that improvements, modifications and interractive applications will also be available, for free, to anyone who wants to use/modify it.
What does this have to do with libraries? It provides new opportunities to experience and contribute to the development of software to better suited to specific needs. In many cases, software is developed in a vacuum, where software engineers diligently attempt to guess at what users will need. Open Source Software tends to develop a bit more organically, with an easier mechanism for the integration of feedback. This new guidance could lead to software that more readily fits existing needs, without the lag time usually associated with development.
For some more information and commentary, check out:
http://opensource.sys-con.com/node/1161812
http://powdermonkey.blogs.com/powdermonkey/2009/10/department-of-defense-new-guidance-on-open-source-software.html
(Both link to the memo talked about here)
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
National Archives Holocaust Records
For the month of October, the National Archives' Holocaust Records will be available for free at http://www.footnote.com/holocaust.
From footnote.com:
Through their partnership with the National Archives, Footnote.com has scanned and indexed valuable records that help tell the story of the Holocaust. Explore everything from Holocaust assets, to death camp records, to interrogation reports from the Nuremburg trials.Additional information: http://www.businesswire.com/news/google/20090929005219/en http://go.footnote.com/holocaust_records/#
"Office Journals of Government" free in bulk (17k savings!)
Via BoingBoing.net
Previously "The Journals of Government" were $17,000 per year per title for subscription access, and now they will be available for free. They've also upgraded the Federal Register to XML.
What does all this mean? The short version: cheaper, better access!
Additional links:
http://public.resource.org/gpo.gov/ (Government Printing Office)
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/12/11/carl-malamud-rogue-a.html (Carl Malamud's work with "freeing" government documents)
Friday, October 2, 2009
COMBINED ARMS RESEARCH LIBRARY 3RD FLOOR CLOSURE
The Archives Department and the Documents Department located on the 3rd floor of the CARL will close for renovations to improve the climate control system.
During the closure we will not be able to retrieve materials or to answer archival research questions as the collections will be in storage.
From Oct 16 – Dec 14 2009 only DoD official research questions will be accepted.
After Dec 14th all Archives operations will cease until reopening.
The Document Department will be available on a limited basis.
We expect the renovation to take about a year. Faculty, students, and researchers should be aware that third floor materials will not be available during that time.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
New book from CSI Press
Press On!: Selected works of General Donn A. Starry Volume I and Volume II by General Donn A. Starry. General Donn A. Starry's intellectual legacy is a rich collection of speeches, articles, cables, and letters on a myriad of professional topics. He was the second commander of the Army's Training and Doctrine Command (1977-1981), then headed US Readiness Command (1981-1983) before his retirement after 35 years of service. As the materials in this collection illustrate, General Starry operated from the conviction that "doctrine rules". Selected, Edited, Annotated, and with an Introductory Essay by Lewis Sorley Available Formats: Volume I PDF -- Volume II PDF (Request a Hard Copy)
More information:
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