Digital Preservation Education for North Carolina State Government Employees and the public

From the announcement to various mailing lists on 02010 11 16:

The North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources' State Library and State Archives (Cultural Resources) are proud to announce a new website to guide local and state government employees responsible for the preservation of our state's public record. The site, http://digitalpreservation.ncdcr.gov, has resources that can help North Carolina government employees – and those responsible for digital information in general – learn how to ensure that today's digital information is saved so that it can become tomorrow's heritage.

For those new to the concept, tutorials explain what digital preservation is and why it is important, and a checklist of key digital preservation practices helps integrate digital preservation activities into day-to-day workflows. For those already incorporating digital preservation into their daily work, more advanced guidance is provided, including "quick tips," tutorials, institutions and research projects to watch, and much more.

While the site is directed toward North Carolina public servants, it is general enough to be useful to those considering, implementing, or teaching on the topic.

Forvo, a collaborative online pronunciation guide

I was looking for a site that provided an online pronunciation guide to a wide variety of languages. I found it in Forvo. As of October 7, 02010, the site contains "791,131 words 724,689 pronunciations 258 languages." By registering for a free account you can put your own linguistic talents to use.

Openness and the Future of Higher Education: special issue of IRRODL

The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning published a special issue on Openness and the Future of Higher Education (vol. 10, no. 5, 2009).

JISC infoNet, UK-centric e-learning and records management tools

JISC infoNet is a UK-centric resource filled with all kinds of practical case studies, toolkits, integrating Web technology into education and publications around information and records management, e-learning and curriculum development. Hosted and maintained by Northumbria University, it's a service of JISC Advance.

Mobile Learning: Transforming the Delivery of Education and Training eBook

Athabasca University Press has published a paperback and eBook editions of Mobile Learning: Transforming the Delivery of Education and Training, edited by Mohamed Ally. According to the AU Press blurb,

This collection is for anyone interested in the use of mobile technology for various distance learning applications. Readers will discover how to design learning materials for delivery on mobile technology and become familiar with the best practices of other educators, trainers, and researchers in the field, as well as the most recent initiatives in mobile learning research. Businesses and governments can learn how to deliver timely information to staff using mobile devices. Professors can use this book as a textbook for courses on distance education, mobile learning, and educational technology.

You can download the entire Creative Commons Licensed eBook edition or just the individual chapters.

Virtual Reference Bibliography Online launched by Rutgers University

Rutgers University's School of Communication, Information, and Library Studies has launched an online version of a digital reference services bibliography originally maintained by Bernie Sloan between 2000 and 2004. The Virtual Reference Bibliography contains over 900 entries "designed to be used by virtual reference (VR) practitioners, researchers, students, and others." The VRBib is directed by Dr. Marie Radford. The site includes a submission form.

Source: DIG_REF mailing list, 02009 04 06