(6-7 August, The University of Hong Kong)
A press release and invitation to a press conference on 5 August, 4 pm.
The First Asia Digital Library Workshop will be held on 6 and 7 of August at The University of Hong Kong. The theme is "East meets West". The Workshop features renowned researchers from top American universities involved in the National Science Foundation Digital Library Initiatives I and II, and they will be exchanging their valuable experience with researchers from Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Taiwan and China.
In the United States, since 1994, six research projects developing new methodologies or technologies to support digital library have been funded through the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). These projects are referred collectively as the Digital Library Initiative I and the total budget was US$ 25 million. The six projects are at : Carnegie Mellon, Stanford University , University of California, Berkeley; University of California, Santa Barbara; University of Michigan, University of Illinois. Since then, digital libraries research has been recognized as a national challenge in the U.S. The challenge is to undertake research on applications that may create impact on the nation's competitiveness and the wellbeing of its citizens. Further funding of US$60 million has been made for Initiative II will start in 1999.
Source information targeted by these digital library projects ranges from text, numerical data, visual images and symbols, sounds and spoken words to video clips. They may reside physically at thousands of geographically dispersed locations. When stored digitally, organized and connected through networks, the information resources become the central components of a digital library and available to authorized users from around the world.
One special feature of the Asia Digital Library Workshop is an ATM Digital Library trial undertaken by HongKong Telecom together with China Telecom, the Beijing Telecommunications Administration and Guangdong Posts and Telecommunications Administration. This trial will link up The University of Hong Kong with the South China University of Technology in Guangzhou and the Beijing Posts and Telecommunications University. The dispersed audience in the three universities will be able to listen to keynote speakers and exchange questions and answers.
Other technology organisations supporting this Workshop and the ATM trials include IBM, ICO, Dta Systems, Targa Systems and Wave Motion.
On Wednesday, August 5, there will
be a press conference at 4 pm in the Council Chamber on the top floor of
Meng Wah Complex. These speakers will present a five-minute talk about
their responsibility opinion and and/or perspective about digital library
and and then take questions and answers:
Associate Director (Education), Authorized Academic Java Campus. Further enquiries about the press conference may be directed to her at Tel: 2857-8333; Fax: 2858-4327; email: acstro@hkucc.hku.hk. Details about the Workshop are available at this URL: http://www.ssrc.hku.hk/sysm/98/adl.html
A diagram about
the ATM trial is included for information.