Library Tech Confidential

Much digital ink has been spilled about the lack of unlimited data plans for the iPhone on Rogers & Fido 3G mobile networks in Canada.  I worried that the 1gb iPhone data plan @ $30/mo would prove too restrictive for my needs, but couldn’t justify ponying up for a more capacious plan at the outset. Take a look at my first month’s data usage in the graphs below (the second with a logarithmic scale to more clearly illustrate daily data):

I’ve just barely broken the 10% threshold! For now, at least, it seems that 1gb/mo is plenty given that at half of the time I’m using the iPhone on my home WiFi network. Perhaps as I begin to more fully integrate the device into my various quotidian information seeking routines I’ll start to push its limits… but I’m no longer too concerned.

I’m actually using my iPod Touch to compose this post, but the Wordpress app is the same. Not bad!

As is often the case with text-heavy programs, though, it suffers from the lack horizontal (i.e. landscape mode) keyboard. Why, developers? Why?

No iPhone means no camera, so to test the image function I’ve taken these interface screenshots:

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Library of Congress Advances 2 Digital Projects Abroad [New York Times] : “The world library started two years ago with a $3 million grant from Google and technical assistance by Apple. Initially, five other libraries contributed material for the prototype, including the national libraries of Egypt, Brazil and Russia.”

World Digital Library’s prototype unveiled [AP / Int’l Herald Tribune] : “The digital library’s five other partner institutions are Egypt’s Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the National Library [and Archives] of Egypt, the National Library of Brazil, the National Library of Russia and the Russian State Library.”

According to the Tribune, the World Digital Library will be “modeled on the Library of Congress’ American Memory project”, which I think is excellent news.

A brief streaming video outlining the project is available at the WDL’s website, along with a PowerPoint deck from the 2006 IFLA World Library and Information Conference.

While the initiative itself is not new — it was announced back in November of 2005 — having six national libraries formally on board and actually producing content means that might not remain in the prototype stage for too much longer.