September 5, 1997 Dear MUSEUM-L 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: [log in to unmask] 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: [log in to unmask]) Thank you, Nicholas Berezovsky Midwest Digital Libraries '98 Conference Discussion & Planning Group [log in to unmask] ---------------------------------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: [log in to unmask] Thank you for your help.