Dear Readers,
It is with great pleasure that we launch another issue of the Journal of Digital Librarianship and Information Science (RDBCI), where we highlight twelve (12) articles and two (02) reports of experience, that have been evaluated by the editorial board, editors and peers.
The Articles Section starts with "The public’s understanding of information on food labels: the case of transgenics" an article of Ariadne Chloe Furnival (PhD in Scientific and Technological Policy, DPCT-IG, UNICAMP) and Sonia Maria Pinheiro (Student of Librarianship and Information Science, Federal University of São Carlos). This article presents the results of a study aimed at examine the reading habits of food labels by consumers, and their understanding of the information contained in them. The research was carried out via focus groups and with the application of a questionnaire. The identified scarcity of reading the labels points to relevant implications in the context of labeling genetically modified food.
The second article, entitled "Selective Dissemination of Information: an approach", written by Thiago Gomes Eira (Master's Program of Graduate Studies in Information Science at the University of Brasilia) has the following approach: The effectivity of services offered by libraries is the result of a set of human, technological and planning factors. The adoption of tools that allow the library to improve its services/products is the main concern of such institutions; at this point services with the purpose of reaching each user in a personalized and effective way are established, for instance, Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI) and Rich Site Summary (RSS) technology. These services are focused on the user’s needs and interests, so, capable to anticipate and attend each individual effectively, according to a previously interest profile surveyed. This service tends to be an alternative to reduce the effects of the documental chaos that the future announces.
systems do not support the informational volume, which causes deficiency of information retrieval when carrying out a search. Information treatment methods that make possible the answers for documents organization are needed. A previous planning of procedures, in order to ensure accessible information, needs observations. The user is the main target of classification systems and, therefore, bibliographic classifications must meet his needs. The changes are constant and necessary. Classification systems need to deepen the theory of concepts and categories to assist the knowledge representation. Also, it needs further studies by researchers of the field, since the increase of collections and digital information have created a new reality that so requires. However, the existing classification systems have had difficulties to follow the increasing development of knowledge, causing trouble for the researchers to retrieve the volume of information successfully.
In the fourth article "Competitive intelligence: a proposal for consultancy in university library", Andrea Aparecida Silva (Graduated in Library Science - Information Management - UDESC; Graduated in Tourism Management - UNISUL) addresses the process of identification, collection, analysis, dissemination and evaluation of information as an organized function, applied as a model of Competitive Intelligence. It was chosen as the object of study a University Library in Florianopolis city. Finally, a proposal of external consultancy for improvement, starting from the elements of Competitive Intelligence, is made.
reduce depression, stress and aggressivity, acting directly for the relief of Bahians university students’ psychological tensions.
The sixth article: "A discussion about the ‘community library’ concept" with authorship of Elisa Campos Machado (Information Science Doctorate student at the School of Communication and Arts of São Paulo University (ECA / USP) aims to analyze the various uses of the term "community library" in librarianship literature and its relation with the types of libraries characterized by the area. From a review of literature starts a discussion about the aspects that distinguish the community libraries from popular public libraries. The conclusion is that community library, due to its particularity, is present today in Brazilian society as a new type of library, created to follow principles of autonomy, flexibility and a place of articulations. Also, emphasizes that its way of action is much more connected to the cultural action than to organization and information processing. Finally, presents a definition for the term "community library".
The seventh article "Free software and social projects: options used as tools of democratization in the information society” by Márcia Goretti Ribeiro Grossi (PhD in Information Science, UFMG), Marlene de Oliveira (PhD in Information Science by the University of Brasilia) Welber Amaro Santos de Souza (Specialist in Computer Sciences by CEFET-MG), aims to present some contributions to social and educational programs for social and digital inclusion in Brazil and think about free software and its contribution to access knowledge and information. It presents important data about economic inequalities, including existing technologies among the World System Countries. For this, reports the results of a study of the Brazilian State initiatives in order to reduce inequalities of technologies access and to promote digital inclusion. It brings important information about the context of knowledge availability in the information society, showing how this dissemination can be more democratic, using information technologies and free softwares. It is feasible, since the advance of science, technology and media provide greater access to information and communication technologies, and also, stand up more and more in the post-industrial society. The authors also present some initiatives as programs of digital inclusion in Brazil, which aims to reduce digital exclusion.
question what are the deeper effects and the irreversible changes caused by the incorporation of such technologies. Thus, the author has identified the present dominant processes, increasingly based on the logic of networks, which became the main organization form of human activities. Also, social, economic and cultural influences issues are to be considered when studying elements with such penetration and that close to the forms of power. Finally, discusses the access to ICTs, which, while connecting people from all over the world, makes those already excluded from access to technologies even more disconnected people. One of the goals here is to understand how this exclusion takes place in this space, that each time becomes less physical.
The ninth article: "The stereotype and the scientist of information: breakings or strengthenings" by Marcus Vinícius Machado dos Santos (Bachelor in Library Science - Information Management / University of Santa Catarina State) and Cleiton José Mannes (Bachelor in Library Science - Management Information / University of Santa Catarina State) is as follows: In search of some answers for the stereotype that Information Science professionals face, is observed what is the concept that the society tend to have about Librarianship, Archivology and Museology. Through a bibliographic search it was possible to join relevant opinions that help to find the needed alternatives and answers for such stereotypical social perception. Some changes in this environment, even if painful, are required.
impact of new information technologies in the teaching process and learning. Finally, these students gain a perspective view of what is conceived as information management in a company of the education area; start to reflect, based on their experiences, taking into account the challenges of the labor market and the society’s constant transformations, as well as the information.
As for the eleventh article "Colors Classification: an innovative methodology to help the organization of school libraries in the city of Rondonópolis, State of Mato Grosso", the author Mariza Inês da Silva Pinheiro (Prof. of the Librarianship Course of UFMT) discusses a different methodology that is little used in Brazil, which is the color classification in school libraries, developed by the author of this article. This was possible through an agreement between the course of Librarianship, Mato Grosso Federal University - Rondonópolis Campus and the city hall; twenty college students of the Librarian Course participated in a practice stage with the coordinator, Professor Mariza Inês da Silva Pinheiro, with the objective to provide students from each school in the municipality access to various works with greater speed and precision, in order to develop the pleasure for reading. It demonstrates the importance of classification using colors, and also, the role of the school librarian. Finally, this was noticed that this research has been rewarding for all the people involved in the process.
kind of media, focusing on the specific needs faced by the health area professionals. Results: There is a demand for fast access to information, and also, guidance on the part of information professionals to health professionals. Conclusion: This experience report of working in a University Hospital Informational Unit demonstrates that its existence provides fast access to information and that there is demand for it.
In the second report, entitled "Descriptive and Thematic representation of electronic information of the Embrapa Information Agency: use of the Dublin Core Metadata Standard " the authors Márcia Izabel Fugisawa Souza (Master in Library Science, Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas) and Maria das Dores Rosa Alves (Graduated in Library Sciences and specialist in Scientific and Technological Information System, Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas) reported the experience of using metadata standard Dublin Core (DC) in the descriptive and thematic representation of electronic information resources by Embrapa. It presents a brief description of each metadata element, including its definition, qualifiers and values. The adoption of Dublin Core standard started with a research project dedicated to the organization and management of electronic information produced by the Company, which had as the main product the website “Information Agency Embrapa." Two software tools were developed to support the activities of representation and description of subjects. One of the tools is dedicated to routines of insertion, modification, exclusion and search of data in the database. Minimum standards of descriptive representation, based on AACR2, were adopted in the processing of information. The second tool supports activities related to the control of authorities, keywords and subject categories. The descriptive and thematic representation of information resources using the Dublin Core Standard helps to improve the accuracy of information, and reduces ambiguities and inconsistencies, critical factors for the retrieval quality, and helps to access the desired content.
We wish everyone a profitable reading and hope always count on the dissemination of new works.
Gildenir Carolino Santos Danielle Thiago Ferreira Editors of RDBCI August/2009
Tania C. Leite (nursing students IMECC)
Assistance in the translation of Abstracts and Editorial Célia Maria Ribeiro (Librarian-SBU)
Advice on standardization and Bibliographic guidance Maria Lúcia de Castro Dutra Nery (Librarian-SBU) Jacqueline B. Neptune (Librarian-SBU)
