September 8th Reading Notes

Computer Hardware
- Personal computer hardware: component devices installed into a computer case to create a personal computer which system software is installed.
- Motherboard: Main component inside the case. Components directly attached to the motherboard include: CPU, chip set, RAM, BIOS (Basic Input Output System), Internal buses, External bus controllers.
- Various removable media devices including: CD, DVD, Blu-ray, USB flash drive, etc.
- Secondary storage: Hard disk, solid-state drive, RAID array controller.
- Sound card: Enables the computer to output sound to audio devices.

Computer software
- Collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions for telling a computer what to do and how to do it.
- Software refers to one or more computer programs and data held in storage of the computer for some purposes.
- Software is a set of programs, procedures, algorithms, and its documentation.
- In contrast to hardware, software is intangible.
- Software includes all the various forms and roles that digitally stored data may have and play in a computer.
- Encompasses a wide array of products that may be developed using different techniques.
- System software: provides the basic function for computer usage and helps run the computer hardware and system.
- Program software: Usually provides tools to assist a programmer in writing computer programs.
- Application software: Developed to aid in any task that benefits from computation. Broad category and includes many kinds of software including internet browsers.

Digitization: Is it worth it?
- Strict definition might be the conversion of analog media to digital form.
- Digitization equates to digital imaging in the library sector.
- Need to look at costs before assuming that digitization is worth it.
- Other cost factors to look at include: assembling source material, clearing copyright, setting up the machines, checking the quality of the output, post-editing, cataloging the item, delivering the time, managing the project.
- Benefits of digitizing include: increasing access, preservation, and meeting strategic goals.
- Could money spent on digitization projects be spent elsewhere?
- Determine whether digitization projects are worth it on a case by case basis.

European libraries face problems in digitalizing
- European Digital Library (80 organizations), facing problems with funding for enormous task of digitizing material.
- Looking at the benefits of alliances with larger companies like Microsoft and Google.
- Organizations willing to talk with companies, but were striving to protect themselves from public access.

A Few Thoughts on the Google Books Library Project
- "Only by transforming knowledge contained in print to new and easily accessible digital formats can we guarantee its survival."
- Unease surrounds Google's initiative to scan thousands of books in major research libraries and make them available online.
- "Google's initiative will not make books obsolete; it will make the information in them more widely available."
- Internet has made it so we expect information of all kinds to be only a few keystrokes away.
- Great divide separates digitized information and pre-Internet hardcopy material.
- Internet genration reluctant to search for things if can't find it online.
- Book will continue to be a pathway for the transmission of knowledge.
- Project will be the successful transfer of knowledge.