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Multimedia Information and Technology Digital
Volume 32 no 1 February 2006 issn 1466-190X
Contents
News
Blue Rinse Blues
Technology
Holophony
Film & Video
Reviews
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In MmIT vol 32 no 1 Alita Howe reports on
an interesting new sound system – Holophony –
offering a number of advantages compared with
conventional sound.
There is a report on DAISY – the National Library for
the Blind’s report on digital talking books, and a
chance to respond to the outlines of Cilip’s plans for
group reorganisation.
The main feature in the Technology column
is Terratec’s hybrid TV stick, and Jane Rowlands also
covers Web 2.0, new plasma screens and
Netsearch’s keyword search.
Ken Cheetham has run a product review on the
Olympus DS-3300 digital voice recorder, which
comes highly recommended, and Film & Video
covers its usual miscellany.
This edition also includes the last part of the mini
series on website access for elderly and disabled
users, by Kevin Curran and David Robinson of the University of Ulster.
Book reviews are a lively mix in this issue, with Olwen Terris
and Lyndon Pugh attacking the use of language by librarians,
albeit from different angles, while Lyndia Thomas runs her eye
over some books on setting up a new library and an
introductory text for library and information work.
Adobe’s InDesign desk top publishing and page design
software, which has made Lyndon Pugh jealous of editors who
have it, is also covered. Film & Video News is on page 28.
The news column has changed its emphasis with the
news blog operational at http://mmit.willco.com
and now concentrates on longer items of interest. The
blog is open to all members, subscribers and any other
interested parties who wish to publicise events, report
on developments, or comment on issues. Bibliolinks is
held over for technical reasons.
Credits: Cover and FIlm & Video News by courtesy of the bfi; pages 2 and 3 Chuck
Jacobs, Adam Finkelstein and David Salesin; this page and page 10 elderly business
lady Andrez Rodriguez and Dreamstime; page 13 Technology Tomasz
Dobrowolski and Dreamstime.
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News February 15th 2006
Content-based Image Retrieval
DAISY
Cilip and the SIGs
Subtitling Video
Content-based Image Retrieval
The highly technical and, some would say, still highly-problematic field of content-based image
retrieval has another provider in the shape of retrievr.
Digitisation has led to a massive increase in the amount of available multimedia data, and a
number of systems are used to exploit it. A number of researchers have also pointed to the
still-unsolved problem of handling visual content in a way which maximises its usefulness to
librarians and users of the information.
Chuck Jacobs, Adam Finkelstein and David Salesin (Fast Multiresolution Image Querying.
University of Washington, 1995), who included the above sketch in their paper, identified the
problems of basing retrieval systems on a search for an image which matched a drawing, or other
format, with an image or images in a collection:
l Differences
between the query image and what is retrieved
distorts the image
l Paintings or sketches can on many occasions be particularly susceptible to an error caused by
the creator’s skill.
l Scanning
Their answer was to frame the search parameters so that the process retrieved a selection of
images rather than searching for an exact match.
The two flower images on this page and the next, again taken from their 1995 work, indicate
the differences between an image which was painted from memory, and the image which was
actually retrieved from the database.
One of the the latest entrants into the market is the very recently-launched retrievr, which is a new
and very exciting experimental service providing access to a selection of images held by Flickr (see
MmIT News blog Digital Images on the Web, posted 29/11/05 or go to http://www.flickr.com).
News 2
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The system adopts the approach identified by Jacobs, Finkelstein
and Salesin. To retrieve images, users must first draw a rough
sketch of what they are looking for. The results, according to John
Batelle’s search blog, which is at http://batellemedia.com are more
likely to be of interest if retrievr is considered as an “exploration tool
than a search tool, and it seems to work very well for that”.
For one user, at least, the results were sometimes stunning and
usually fairly good, although the problems identified in the early
work were again pinpointed: a lack of artistic talent on the part of
the searcher; no object/face/text recognition; no means of specifying the aspect ratio. It is also worth
noting that retrievr is new, and more development is promised.
MmIT tried it extensively and it is a brilliant site. Unfortunately, one of our sketches of a boat
was so inadequate that it failed to produce a single marine image, and so tending to bear out the
concerns of the early researchers.
The Problems
Not always a good match between
what is searched for and what is
retrieved
However, it was easy to see why the stunning image of the
Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam was retrieved, and it was
worth it for that alone. Test it for yourselves at
http://labs.systemone.atretrievr
Various methods of inputting the
query can all distort the image and
lead to a false match
Paintings or sketches which are used
to input the image to be searched for
are susceptible to skills variations on
the part of the enquirer
D
DAISY
AISY stands for Digital Accessible
Information SYstem and is a worldwide
standard for producing digital talking
books (DTBs). Material which meets the
DAISY standard is independent of
distribution medium, so can be distributed
by CD, DVD, and other media such as
memory sticks or via downloads. In the future, it will be possible to distribute the same information
via any newly developed media or systems.
Books which meet the DAISY standard can currently be produced as full audio with title element
only, with navigation plus full or partial text, or fully synchronised with full text and navigation. They
can also be published as full text with navigation or combined with partial audio. The DAISY books
used in the pilot described here were produced as full audio synchronised with full text and
navigation. Many organisations world-wide are already basing their audio book production on the
DAISY standard, and re-mastering analogue files in digital format.
News 3
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The National Library for the Blind (NLB) DAISY Pilot Project investigated the use of recreational
reading material using synthetic audio synchronised with full text and a navigational structure. NLB’s
focus and expertise has historically been in the translation of electronic text to Braille.
The project investigated the NLB’s ability to use this experience in text conversion to produce
material which met the DAISY standard. The main aims of the project were:
What is a DTB?
To test the acceptability of synthetic voices for
leisure reading
A traditional talking book is an analogue l To assess the potential demand for synchronised audio
representation of a print publication. A
and text
l To identify user needs and expectations, and ensure the
Digital Talking Book (DTB) is a
multimedia representation of a print
productions met these needs
publication. In both instances the
l To test new production processes designed to provide a
rendering of the audio is in human
new means of service delivery
voice.
l To ensure that NLB possessed the equipment, technology
and skills to deliver the new service
At a very early point in the development
of the DAISY standard, talking book
readers from many countries were
consulted regarding their reading
requirements and their vision of a fully
accessible audio book. Those who
provided input made it very clear that
analogue recordings did not meet their
reading and information needs.
Access to points within the books,
awkwardness of the medium itself,
sound quality plus numerous other
issues indicated that producers of
talking books had to begin the move to
a digital platform. However, a digitally
produced human voice talking book in
itself would not resolve all of the issues,
particularly the issues of accessibility
and navigation from point to point within
the book.
DAISY DTBs meet talking book reader
requirements by providing access to the
talking book that has never before been
possible with a human voice production
of a print book.
(From the DAISY website at
http://www.daisy.com)
l
400 visually impaired computer users volunteered to take
part in the project. They each received PC-based DAISY
reading software (EaseReader from Dolphin) and 20 DAISY
books on CD, using a variety of synthetic voices in order to
test acceptability widely. The testers were asked to return a
questionnaire and were able to keep all the software and the
DAISY books at the end of the project.
Participants were supported by email and telephone, and
Dolphin provided email support for the DAISY reading
software.
174 questionnaires were returned, in a variety of formats –
email, Braille large print and disc.
Of those involved, 54% were blind, 36% were blind with
some useful residual vision, 9% were partially sighted and
1% were sighted. The 50-64 age group formed the largest
cohort of those taking part, making up 39%, and 55%
overall had previous experience of DAISY books. The
preferred reading formats were:
l Talking
books – 33%
on CD – 27%
l Braille books – 19%
l Electronic books – 15%
l Print books – 4%
l Moon books – 1%
l Books
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38% of respondents were either very satisfied or satisfied with NLB DAISY
books, and 84% found that being able to use DAISY books was either very useful or
useful.
As far as the medium was concerned, there was a clear majority in favour of audio over the other
formats:
64% of those involved thought that audio was the most useful output
32% thought audio and text together were better
l 2% thought text was the most useful
l
l
When asked to choose between DAISY, Braille and Moon books, 46% preferred DAISY, but an
overwhelming number (80% plus) suggested improvements to the format, mostly recommending
alternative synthetic voices.
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For all types of books, most of the participants stated that given the choice, they would prefer a
human voice as opposed to a synthetic one, with a clear majority asserting they could listen to
human voice recordings for longer periods than synthetic voices. Only 19% of the sample were
satisfied or very satisfied with the synthetic voices used, and 53% were either dissatisfied or very
dissatisfied.
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Of the range of voices used, the RNIB’s Rhetorical Voice was the most popular. Another user
commented:
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Technical
documents
or reports work well with synthetic voices.
However, one participant
said
that
I would really like to see this work, as it has great potential especially for educational
material. The combined text and audio would be great for textbooks.
Respondents were also asked to comment on various other facilities offered by the different
formats, and full text searching, the ability to alter reading speeds and the insertion of bookmarks
and annotations were particularly desirable features. By contrast, a minority of users (33%) found
the ability to alter the font size either very useful or useful, only 25% felt that the ability to alter
screen colours was useful, and only 20% felt that the ability to access images was useful.
In general, the positive aspects of the service were seen to be the capacity to
l Access
the text and audio together
through the material
l Perform full text searches
l Annotate the text
l Increase or decrease the playback speed
l Navigate
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The survey also investigated attitudes to future NLB services. The continued provision of DAISY
books met with resounding approval, with the largest group favouring access either by the web or
CD, with a number of positive comments, a typical statement being “My main reaction is that it’s
great to have something that is easily portable along with my computer . . . I would be happy to
listen to any voice that saved me having to scan in thousands of pages.”
Feedback from the pilot study and partner organisations indicated a strong interest in
the NLB supplying material in the DAISY format, using synthetic audio, in the future.
At the same time, the results indicated that further work needs to be focused on
improving the quality of the synthetic audio used, as well as highlighting a number of technical
issues to do with production. In particular, it was felt that
l The
generation of clean HTML from Word files needed
to be improved
l DAISY production tools should move to XML input
l NLB’s DAISY books must be playable on any DAISY
players (software and hardware)
As a result, the recommendations for future DAISY
service at NLB also included
l A proposal to join the DAISY Consortium to benefit from
support, training materials, DAISY community input,
purchasing discounts.
l Manage security issues via distribution rather than
directly encoding the DAISY material.
l Acquire better synthetic voices.
l Improve the identification of the target
audience
l Output on better quality CDs
l Investigate CD carriers
l Investigate the delivery of NLB DAISY
books via the internet
Sources of further information
The National Library for the Blind:
http://www.nlb-online.org/
The DAISY Consortium:
http://www.daisy.org/
Dolphin Audio Publishing:
http://www.dolphinaudiopublishing.c
om/
The Royal National Institute of the
Blind:
http://www.rnib.org.uk/
The Canadian National Institute for
the Blind:
http://www.cnib.ca/
The Danish National Library for the
Blind:
http://www.dbb.dk/
FNB Netherlands:
http://www.fnb.nl/
Subtitling Video for Deaf Library Users
D
eafness is one of the most common forms of disability. One in seven of the UK adult population
has a perceptible hearing loss, and approximately 3-4 million of them use hearing aids – or should
do! Something like a million of these are so seriously impaired that they have little or no ability to
follow spoken material.
This means that they have great difficulty following the sound track on television and on films. Many
viewers can only access this material if it is subtitled, and this has obvious implications for those
with responsibility for managing library DVD and Video rental services. If anyone reading this has
any personal doubts as to the value deaf people place on subtitles, try watching half an hour of a
typical TV documentary with the sound switched off.
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. . .a million are so seriously
impaired that they have little or no
ability to follow spoken material.
They have great difficulty following
the sound track on television and on
films. Many can only access
material if it is subtitled.
This has implications for those
responsible for library DVD and
Video rental services.
H
The VHS video standard was never designed to support
subtitling, and the closed captions provided on some
videos – usually by the ECI – can only be viewed
with a special decoder or specially adapted VCR.
However, the increasing dominance of the DVD standard
now allows libraries to make a very positive contribution to
the well being of people with hearing problems. Subtitling
is fully supported by the basic DVD standard, and virtually
all domestic DVD players will display subtitles as a
standard feature.
The introduction of the Americans with Disabilities Act also
led many Hollywood studios to take a much more positive
approach to subtitling, although a substantial amount of
material is still appearing on DVD and Video without any
subtitling at all.
istorically many libraries have taken the trouble to help hearing impaired users in their use of
video collections, and the move towards the DVD standard provides an opportunity for libraries
take this support to a higher level at zero cost. Two key items of good practice to consider are:
l Before
purchasing any DVDs and Videos for rental stock
ensure that the material is subtitled. Public libraries are
major purchasers of DVDs and Videos, and this
purchasing power can be used to encourage the provision
of subtitling as standard on all DVDs and Videos.
l Ensure that the way the DVD or Video is displayed
makes it easy to see if the item has subtitles. Many film
Recommendations
distributors show information about subtitle availability in
miniscule print in a tiny box tucked away on the back of
Use the purchasing power of
the package. This is even more difficult to read if the
libraries to ensure subtitling
library’s stock number sticker has been placed
is provided
over the information. A simple and helpful solution is to
apply an easily visible sticker to the spines
Make it easy for borrowers to see if a
of boxes containing subtitled videos and dvds
video is subtitled
The National Association for Deafened People (NADP – see their website at http://www.nadp.org.uk) is campaigning to raise awareness of the
problems encountered by people with hearing difficulties when it comes to the use of subtitles for video. In response to an approach from
them, MmIT is happy to give some space to this brief article by Paul N. Tomlinson, which not only highlights the problem but indicates some
ways in which multimedia can make a small difference.
More information on the topic can be found via the UK Council on Deafness at http://www.deafcouncil.org.uk
and the Royal National Institute for the Deaf web site is at http://www.rnid.org.uk
Creative Media Lab 2
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News 7
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Cilip Reorganisation of SIGs
Blue Rinse Blues
Groups (SIGS), presented to Council on the 8th of December, should have been
considered by the Executive and made more widely available. The timetable from then on
anticipates a resubmission of an expanded, and optimistically refined report to the Council meeting
on the 5th April.
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By the time this issue is available, the report of the working party on Special Interest
While there is little chance that there will be any significant alteration to the proposals, and here the
editor is sticking his neck out in the fond but forlorn hope of being proved wrong, it is surely not too
much to ask that we should be told considerably more about the thinking behind the proposals, and
how they are actually going to work, particularly from a financial point of view. In an ideal world
there would also be some discussion of models other than the mergers proposed in the original
document, and some serious consultation with the groups likely to be most affected by the changes.
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The report as presented in December was a masterly example of how not to communicate with the
membership. It presented two options for the future of SIGS, with a choice between mergers or
market forces. Stark and dismissive one might feel, with not the slightest glimmer of any consultation
with the groups themselves, and the document was quite rightly sent back. Given the substantial
weaknesses in what was presented, it was no surprise that Council felt it needed further work, with
particular reference to the development of the financial model on which the whole thing depends.
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The report, as it stood before Christmas, offered two options which are unlikely to be
changed:
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It is hoped that a revised document will be presented to the Council meeting on the 5th
April 2006.
l Option
1: That the future model for CILIP SIGs be based on a new structure of sector
and cross-sector categorisations to cluster SIGs in a logical manner: public, children,
academic, government, corporate, health or by cross-sector skills interests –
metadata, technology, marketing, information literacy, research, and so on. This would
lead to a reduction in the number of groups.
l Option 2: That the future model for CILIP SIGs be based on one of allowing market
forces to decide – and govern – the size, shape and number of SIGs. This could be
seen as a “no change” option. It is somewhat inconsistent for the working party to
present this option in those terms, while asserting, on the final slide of their
Powerpoint presentation, that “No change is not an option.” If that is so, why is it
offered as one in the report?
The justification for both these possible courses of action is that accountability will be
improved, and in the case of Option 1, the arrangement would be more logical.
It is inappropriate at the moment to comment on the detail, but both justifications
appear to be disingenuous in the extreme.
It is hard to see why mergers are necessary to improve accountability, and in at least
two cases the proposed new groupings demonstrate a complete lack of logic. In others,
the combinations are at the very least arguable.
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The report can also be condemned on other grounds:
There is not one shred of evidence of the reasoning
behind the two options, which might lead some people to
conclude that it is thin.
l Why are there only two options? There are many
models of collaborative structures which are at least as
relevant to Cilip group activities as the two proposed, but
there is no indication that the working group discussed
these or were even aware of them.
l There is also a model involving decentralisation and the
further dismantling of the central bureaucracy, and if
accountability and increased effectiveness really are the
driving forces, this should be considered. We surely
know enough about how to handle organisational change
in information services by now to be generally capable of
evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of
decentralisation.
l
Some Issues
More consultation
Financial model
Alternative models for
merged groups
Consideration of the implications
of further decentralisation
and
a reduction in bureaucracy
While there have been some changes recently, it is also impossible to deal with the future
structure of the groups without considering the relationship between the groups and the centre, and
the impact of the bureaucratic structure in Ridgmount Street. This is particularly relevant to the
issues of accountability, logical structures and, crucially, the financial model.
l The key element in all of this is, of course, the financial model, of which the report says nothing.
Given that the real impetus behind the process is to save money, this is a shocking omission.
The result of the exercise, whichever option is taken, will enable Cilip to continue to cut the
capitation allowance while still providing a bigger overall sum for the reduced number of groups.
There is nothing wrong with this, indeed there is a strong case for doing what is in any
event inevitable. It would be even more compelling if it were to be linked to some decentralisation.
l What is wrong is that such a far-reaching proposal should go to Council and be put into the
public domain without any supporting evidence, or any evidence that other alternatives have been
considered.
l If these features have been part of the process, and if there are indeed good
reasons why we are left with only two options to consider, then it is surely practical to let us,
as the people who ultimately own Cilip, see what lies behind the proposals.
l It is also worth noting that collaborative arrangements between groups can be encouraged
and supported by financial incentives while still producing the savings we know Cilip needs to make.
l The report refers to a survey of members which produced a return Dunkirk
of 11%. This
1940
may well be
statistically valid, but any self-respecting researcher faced with this would have moved heaven and
earth to increase the size of the sample. Given the radical nature of the proposals, some would say
the survey was practically worthless.
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Banish Blue Rinse Blues on the Web:
How to Make Surfing Easier Part 2
Kevin Curran and David Robinson
of the University of Ulster
complete their report
on website accessibility
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In the previous issue, some of
the main implications of aging
and other problems with access
to websites were covered.
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Accessibility was defined and
its importance was considered.
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T
An Elderly Gentleman Puzzled by an
Inaccessible Website
The article continues with a
review of the
criteria and an examination
of some websites
he guidelines for improving accessibility (1999, 2004) include the Web Content Accessibility
Guidelines (WCAG) developed by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). These guidelines have
three levels of priority based on the degree of difficulty likely to be caused by accessibility problems.
To achieve the highest level of accessibility, all three levels must be complied with, but compliance
is still voluntary.
W3C assumes that adherence to the guidelines will make Web content more available to all users,
whatever user agent they are using. This means accessibility via
Desktop browser
browser
l Mobile phone
l Computers in vehicles
l
l Voice
It also means access irrespective of any constraints users may be operating under, such as
l Noisy
surroundings
or over-illuminated rooms,
l Working in a hands-free environment (W3C, 1999)
l Under-
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The increasing popularity of alternative Web browsing devices such as WebTV, Palm Pilot and
mobile phones means that the principles of web accessibility must also be applicable to the content
now being made available to users of these newer devices. The Web Content Accessibility
Guidelines 1.0 set out 14 principles of accessible design. Each guideline is supported by a number
of checkpoints which describe how the guideline applies.
Overall, the following characteristics should be present in websites designed for good access:
l The
provision of visual alternatives to audiovisual content.
When providing text alternatives to images, video and audio, the text must do exactly the same
thing as the media it is replacing. For example, if there is a graphic of an arrow as a link to the top
of the page, the alternative text should read, “go to the top of the page”, not “arrow”. In addition, if
meaning is lost when a piece of video cannot be seen, then consideration should be given to
providing an audio track.
l Colour alone should not be relied on. The site should be usable in black and white, and colours
should contrast sufficiently.
l Mark-up and style sheets should be used consistently and within the accepted rules.
l Documents should be marked up with the proper structural elements. Presentation should be
controlled with style sheets rather than with presentation elements and attributes.
l Natural language use should be clarified.
l To make it easier for speech devices and other assistive technology, the language of the document
must be identified, and exceptions such as foreign words, abbreviations and acronyms marked up.
l Tables should only be used when they are appropriate for the kind of information to be displayed.
In addition, taking advantage of the more descriptive html 4 table mark-up can help disabled users
navigate more complex tables. It is also useful to provide a summary of the table’s contents in the
<table> tag. Finally, ensure that tables transform gracefully.
l Pages featuring new technology should also transform gracefully, while still working and making
sense when features like style sheets, JavaScript, applets, or other objects are not added to
the page.
l Time-sensitive content changes should be controlled by users. It should be possible to pause or
stop scrolling, blinking or other objects which move. The same should apply to audio.
l There should be direct accessibility to embedded user interfaces. Interfaces using a java applet or
flash should follow basic accessibility guidelines.
l Users may be using a variety of input devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, or voice. Design
should be independent of these, and should take advantage of technologies which allow shortcuts
to links and elements on the page.
l Interim solutions can be used. The W3C is developing technologies which will be useful for a
limited time, while older browsers are catching up with the current HTML 4.0/CSS2 way of doing
things. These interim solutions ensure that older browsers operate correctly.
l Clearly label frames, sections of the page, and complex page structures which require extra
explanation.
l Provide context/orientation information.
l Ensure easy navigation by providing clear navigation mechanisms and clearly identified links,
a site map or index, and by being consistent.
l Ensure documents are clear and simple.
l Provide clear layouts, with simple language.
l
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Key Aspects of
Accessibility
l Alternatives
for audiovisual content
monochrome version to avoid
problems with seeing colour
l Consistent use of style sheets
l Stylistic variations to denote
differences in content
l Avoiding indiscriminate use of
tables
l User control of moving objects and
audio
l Direct accessibility to embedded
interfaces
l Design capable of handling a
variety of devices – mouse, keyboard
and voice
l Clear and simple documents and
simple site layout
lA
As indicated, WAI says that the goal of creating accessible
websites is to allow them to “transform gracefully” when
accessed via alternative methods. Following the guidelines
will ensure this.
To implement the accessibility guidelines, a number of
techniques can be used. First, images which are used for
both text and other forms of information should be avoided
if possible. When images are used, then alternative text
should be provided via the <img> tags alt or longdesc
attribute.
A screen reader reads the contents of the alt tags attributes
in place of the image, so it is necessary to describe the
image in terms of its function rather than its appearance.
This will make the content of the page more
understandable. To help a screen reader locate the end
of a phrase, periods should be used.
The title attribute is similar to the alt attribute used for
images. It allows objects used within forms to be described
to a user.
The access key attribute used within HTML offers users navigating with a keyboard a quick way to
move directly to any elements on the screen. Correctly implementing the use of the access key
attribute means that Alt + F will take a reader directly to a flash movie, as long as the access key for
the flash movie has been set to F.
Most screen readers today can handle frames perfectly well (Andrew, 2004). The main problems
when users with disabilities use frames are similar to those which affect normal users. The use of
the back button can be problematic, and it is difficult to link to an individual page. The name attribute
of frames does not show up on the screen, but can be read by assistive technologies.
Further techniques which are used to implement accessibility include:
l The
provision of a caption when linking graphics
link alternatives for image maps
l Text only versions of the entire site
l Provision of descriptions of audio clips to make the content accessible to those with hearing
impairments
l Alternative mechanisms for online forms, such as text-based order forms or a phone number for
personal assistance
l Avoiding using pop-up windows, as they can disorientate sight-impaired users
l Text
By promoting accessibility for those with disabilities, content becomes more available to all users,
regardless of the devices they use, or whether they have access difficulties or not. This includes
users of any alternative to the standard desktop graphical browser, such as palmtop computers or
car dashboard browsing systems. Even users who turn graphics off in their browsers to speed up
download times will benefit from the inclusion of basic accessibility measures.
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The sites which were tested for accessibility were the
Derry City Council site, the Northern Ireland
Housing Executive, OnlineNI, the Northern Ireland Tourist
Board, Translink, Yahoo!, Google, BBC 9, ITV, Channel 4
and finally the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce.
Priority Level 1, as the minimum set of guidelines which a
website must comply with to be deemed accessible, was
used for the testing, in conjunction with Bobby.
What Bobby Looked For:
l Text
equivalents for all non-text
elements
l Avoidance of reliance on the ability
to see colours
l Absence of screen flicker
l Clear and simple language
l Correct labelling of tables
l Titles added to frames
l Readability of documents without
style sheets
l Usability of pages without support
for scripts
l Equivalents for inaccessible pages
l Language changes identified in text
Bobby is one of the most widely used tools for assessing
web accessibility. It is designed to identify design errors
related to the WCAG guidelines. It works by analysing
individual HTML pages for conformity with the guidelines.
Bobby can carry out an assessment to check that a site
conforms to any of the priorities. Further manual checks
were made to mirror real world situations and constraints which users may be operating under.
The OnlineNI website was the only one to pass both validation tools checks for compliance with the
WCAG Priority 1 guidelines – the minimum which a website must comply with to be deemed
accessible. Out of the eleven websites tested, four did not meet either of the validation tools’ criteria
for priority level 1. These were Derry City Council, the NI Tourist Board, ITV and Channel 4.
Six of the websites tested provided the users with alternative versions. Translink and Yahoo! offered
low graphics versions while the BBC, Channel 4, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the
Londonderry Chamber of Commerce offered text versions. Four of the validated
websites did not offer any alternative versions. This is one of the most widely known and easiest
guidelines to implement. Less than half the sites (5 out of 11) passed this guideline when tested by
Bobby.
The manual tests, devised to mimic real world situations, were on:
l The
availability of appropriate alt tags for images.
capacity of browser settings to vary the font size, while remaining readable
l Screen resolutions, to confirm horizontal scrolling was not required
l Clarity and simplicity of language
l The
These revealed that five sites labelled all images with alternative text. The Londonderry Chamber
of Commerce, the BBC, Google, Translink and the Northern Ireland tourist board all passed this test.
Test two checked the effectiveness and usability of changes in font size made by using the browser.
Only one site, the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce, did not meet this test, as the website
became distorted, with some text overlapping onto other text within the web page.
Test three checked whether or not horizontal scrolling was needed when the resolution of the
monitor was changed. In this test the resolution was changed to 800-600 pixels. The results
showed that two of the websites required horizontal scrolling – the Derry City Council Home page
and the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce website. Nine out of the eleven tested websites
required at most only vertical scrolling.
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Test four was used to record if the tested websites
used clear and concise language,and in this case
all of the sites passed the test.
The number of guidelines each site met was also
checked. The 10 guidelines used for this rating
covered the following requirements:
l Provision
of a text equivalent for every non- text
element
l Ensuring that information does not rely on colour
perception
l Avoidance of screen flicker
l Use of the clearest and simplest language
appropriate
l Clear identification of natural language changes in
the text and any text equivalents
l Correct labelling of tables
l Addition of titles to frames
l Page usability when scripts, applets or other
programmatic objects are turned off or not supported
l The provision of equivalents for inaccessible pages
Overall, the site maintained by the Londonderry
Implementation Tips:
l Avoid images used for both text
and other forms of information
l If a text alternative to an image has
to be provided, describe the image
in terms of what it does rather than
what it looks like
l Provide alternative text for images
by using the <img> tags alt or
longdesc attribute
l Use the access key within HTML
to offer a quick way of moving
between elements on the screen
for keyboard users
l Provide captions when linking
graphics
l Provide text link alternatives for
image maps
l Provide a text alternative for the
whole site
l To make audio clips accessible to
users with hearing difficulties,
provide a text alternative
l Offer alternatives for online forms,
such as text-based order forms or
a phone number for assistance
l Avoid using pop-up windows,
because they can disorientate
sight-impaired users
Chamber of Commerce, and the Channel 4
website, were rated highest, with seven guidelines
met. Derry City Council, OnlineNI and the Northern
Ireland Tourist Board websites all had the lowest
ratings – meeting four out of a possible 10 criteria.
Northern Ireland-based websites on average met 4.8
of the guidelines, while internationally-based websites met 5.6 guidelines on average. This implies
that more could be done locally to increase the level of Web site accessibility. However, some
Northern Ireland-based sites did perform well. The Londonderry Chamber of Commerce Web site
met seven out of 10 guidelines as did the Channel 4 website.
The automated testing which was implemented using the Bobby validation tool nevertheless
indicated that less than half of the sites had correctly used alternative text to represent non-text
elements. This is a priority one conformance requirement, and is vitally important to the concept of
web accessibility. It should, therefore, be a major goal in the design of any Web site.
The two other main factors which became obvious are that a website must take into account a
user’s past experience in using the Web, in addition to their physical capacity. As well as
implementing the WCAG guidelines which deal with placing the correct tags and attributes into the
HTML of the Website, other requirements which are concerned with usability and design must also
be considered.
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This research set out to investigate how well a range of websites met the main accessibility
guidelines. The increasing number of older online users has made accessibility a more significant
issue than it was. Many older users have visual impairments, or are disabled and have to deal with,
and overcome, frequent online barriers.
The UK Disability Discrimination Act now makes it illegal for websites providing a service to be
inaccessible to disabled users. This is a major incentive for Websites to become accessible.
The research found that, in general, websites are still failing to implement accessibility guidelines.
Most websites do not even satisfy the most basic conformance level, and many of the websites
exhibited significant deficiencies. The single issue of correctly providing alternative text for images
was the most important factor.
Best Sites:
l Londonderry
Chamber of
Commerce – 7/10
l Channel 4 – 7/10
Least Good Sites:
l Derry
City Council
NI
l Northern Ireland Tourist Board
l Online
Less than half had correctly used
alternative text to represent non-text
elements. This is a priority one
requirement, vitally important for
accessibility. It should therefore be a
major design goal
Northern Ireland-based websites met
on average 4.8 of the guidelines,
References
Andrew, R., and Turnbull, R., (2004) The
xpert’s Voice - ASPWeb Development with
Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004.
DDA. Disability Discrimination Act, (1995),
Disability Discrimination Act 1995, PART IIIDiscrimination in other areas.
http://www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1995/95050
--c.htm#19
DRC. Disability Rights Commission (2005).
askDRC ñ What counts as a disability
according to the law? http://www.drcgb.
org/askdrc/category/show.asp?id=114
Irish National Disability Authority IT
Accessibility Guidelines (2005) Ageneral
accessibility process.
http://accessit.nda.ie/general_principles.html
WCAG (1999). Web Content Accessibility
Guidelines 1.0.
http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/WAIWEBCONTE
NT-19990505/
Bobby:http://bobby.watchfire.com/bobby/html
/en/index.jsp
An Elderly Gentleman Delighted by an
Accessible Website
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Technology
by Jane Rowlands
Skunk Solves Flat World Problem
Skunk
Terratek
Web 2.0
Sony
Panasonic
Plasma Screens
Netsearch
Antenna
Skunkworks, the strangely named newcomer to the world of mounting arms and brackets, has
created considerable excitement in the AV and computer markets. Its new and affordable
range of mounting fittings for flat screens is already popular in Australia, Asia and the United
States.
Skunkworks has now released its extensive range of mounting arms and brackets for LCD and
plasma screens in the UK and offers a highly competitive range. Made from laser cut steel, the
brackets are some of the best engineered in the world. Sturdy and durable, they are also
popular because of the flexibility and functionality they give to any flat screen and the options they
provide for a wide range of commercial and domestic mounting requirements.
Skunkworks products cannot be compared with low-cost brackets in terms of quality, but the gap in
price is negligible. With a starting price of just £30, Skunkworks offers an inexpensive, quality
product. The range accommodates every variety of flat screen – from flat screen TVs and
PCs to market-leading plasma screens. Each model adheres to the international industry standard –
VESA – and accommodates both 75 x 75cm and 100 x 100cm mounting configurations.
Other models accommodate the VESA standard for larger screens – 200x100 and 200x200. Users
of plasma and very large screens are offered a choice of super sturdy universal mounting kits.
Skunkworks is defined in the dictionary as “a group of people, who in order to achieve results, work
on a project in a way that is outside the usual rules”. Added to this, Skunkworks supplies quality,
affordable brackets which provide flexible options for mounting flat screens.
The Skunkworks range of brackets includes options for mounting flat-to-the wall, as well as
extendible arms with two-way or four-way movement and a remarkable multi-arm system designed
for the workplace, which easily accommodates multiple screens. All the mounts have fully
adjustable tilt, pan and extendible options, providing viewing flexibility whilst hiding the mechanism
that makes them so practical.
Also in the range are innovative plasma mounts, ceiling poles, point-of-sale stands, projector mounts
and integrated workstations. They are all made from laser cut steel, with brass bushes in the joints,
and are attractively powder-coated in matt black or silver. Some incorporate chrome. Each model is
supplied with the mounting kit and instructions needed to fit the bracket. With an extensive range of
over 50 models Skunk confidently expect to satisfy most requirements for mounting brackets.
Skunkworks products are available online at http://www.skunkworks-uk.co.uk
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Embrace Web 2.0 Says Talis
A white paper written by Paul Miller and Ken Chad of Talis (Do Libraries Matter?), which
has attracted attention on a number of blogs, should be mandatory reading for anyone who has
an interest in how we should be organising our affairs in the 21st Century.
In it, Miller and Chad explore the implications of the technological revolution for libraries: the fact
that people are becoming used to internet communications in other areas; the
increasing impact of “free” information; the ubiquity of Google, blogs and Open Access.
The writers argue that the sum of this is an enormous pressure on libraries to “modernise”.
Not unnaturally, they see the future as depending on participative platforms offering access
to applications “built on top of the Internet” and providing information anywhere, on any
platform and without the need for hardware, operating systems, or application servers. The massive
advantages of this approach are that the engagement with information is participative, it is low
cost, and is freely available. The concept therefore goes beyond even the library without walls,
and is everywhere, with no barriers to use or availability. Talis is developing these ideas through
Library 2.0 and further information can be obtained from
Paul Miller at paul.miller@talis.com
TerraTec’s Cinergy Hybrid TV Stick
No larger than a SWISS Army knife or a USB memory stick, yet it opens the door to
mobile analogue and digital television. TerraTec Electronic’s new Cinergy Hybrid T
USB XS is able to receive both digital and analogue television. Simply plugging the
ultra-compact TV tuner into a notebook or a PC USB 2.0-enabled port enables the user to
view all analogue and digital TV stations available in the area.
Users are free to take their portable TV
card with them wherever they go. It
enables a PC to receive digital or
analogue TV signals via a house
antenna or analogue cable connection. For
mobile use, the tuner is easily plugged into the notebook,
while the DVB-T compact antenna included ensures
reception, subject to signal coverage. Users can even enjoy
the convenience of living room viewing on the road, thanks to the
remote control which is also included.
Cinergy Hybrid T USB XS may also be used as a digital video recorder with full
MPEG2 support for recording analogue and digital terrestrial television signals. The
Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) is available for digital reception, helping users
navigate the great variety of stations and activate the recording timer. Integrated videotext provides
news and information beyond TV programme schedules.
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Recording software is provided, enabling users to load
recorded broadcasts to CD or DVD with just a few mouse
clicks, and so compile their own film libraries. If viewers
are unable to finish watching any given programme, the
Time Shifting function stores the missed segment on hard
disk so viewing can be resumed from the point of
interruption or any other desired scene. Cinergy XS
Hybrid is also equipped with inputs which accept
analogue video and audio signals, allowing users to
import from camcorders and video recorders to
computers. A multi-programme preview function is
available to scan quickly all programmes currently on air.
Alongside providing TV viewing capability, PowerCinema
4 is on board to render DVDs, images and music.
All functions are intuitively and swiftly controlled using
clearly arranged selection menus.
The Cinergy Hybrid T USB XS is available for £129.99
inc. VAT, from EuroTech:
telephone 0870 458 4891 email sales@euro-tech.co.uk
Tony Thompson is currently testing the operation of the
Cinergy Hybrid TV Stick, and will let readers know his
conclusions in due course.
Key Features:
Digital or analogue television via
USB 2.0
Time-delayed viewing
Digital video recorder with full
MPEG2 support
Electronic Programme Guide (EPG)
Analogue video inputs
Audio stereo input
Remote control
High speed videotext
PowerCinema 4
Antenna at Tate Modern
Antenna Audio, the leader in the field of audio guides for the cultural sector, created
two multimedia tours for Henri Rousseau: Jungles in Paris, the recently-finished exhibition at Tate
Modern.
A Brush With the Jungle was the family tour, narrated by Floella Benjamin, whilst the adult tour
featured interviews with Michael Ondaatje, artist Sonia Boyce, animal expert Madame Bomsel and
the Director of the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, Eric Joly.
In addition to appropriate jungle sound effects, audio descriptions of the works and
animated images giving details of the paintings on show, visitors were able to access additional
audiovisual information on Rousseau’s life, and the opinions of his contemporaries, through the
multimedia guide handset or player.
Since the show was arranged thematically rather than chronologically, the adult tour included a
section called His Life which provided background information on the artist at any point in the
exhibition.
The focus of the family tour was educational, with listeners being encouraged to examine details of
the paintings, their content, structure and sources of inspiration. For instance, children were
encouraged to play around with the scale of objects from the paintingBanish
of The Blue
Waterfall
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the fact that Rousseau’s depiction of the natural world is not strictly realistic.
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Antenna at Tate Modern
Offered:
Jungle sound effects
Audio descriptions of works
and animated images of
paintings
Background information on
the artist
Interactive opportunities
Interviews with curatorial staff
For the painting Horse Attacked by Jaguar, visitors were
asked to touch one of four pages from the book Bêtes
Sauvages/Wild Beasts on their players, and choose the
image they thought inspired the Jaguar image. They were
then told that the book was on display later in the exhibition.
For any younger visitor, the Antenna Audio family tour guide
gave momentum to the exhibition, encouraged them to
think creatively about the work they saw and made them
want to complete the tour.
To enhance understanding of the exhibition, the adult tour
engaged the visitor with interactive opportunities, filmed
mini interviews with authoritative figures and comments
from curators.
For more than 20 years Antenna Audio has been the leader
in the field of audio interpretation, providing the highest
quality programming, equipment solutions and service, with
the goal of creating an emotionally and intellectually engaging experience for visitors to museums,
historic sites, and attractions.
Over 70 million people worldwide have experienced an Antenna Audio tour at more than 800 sites,
such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery, London, the Louvre, Edinburgh
Castle and Elvis Presley’s Graceland. Since launching the BAFTA-winning multimedia tour at Tate
Modern in 2002, Antenna has also been recognised world-wide as the ground-breaker in multimedia
tour solutions. For the latest information visit http://www.antennaaudio.com
NetSearch Keyword Search
Ardentia has developed a keyword enterprise search engine which is designed
to retrieve information from structured and unstructured data, mainly in the field of
business intelligence.
The great strength of NetSearch is that it allows databases to be interrogated by users who
have no familiarity with SQL, for example. This is done by applying the principles used for
searching documents written in Word or output as PDF files. NetSearch can also carry out
simultaneous searches of separate sources, including content management systems, web servers,
file servers, the Internet and in-house networks. The three versions of the software available are:
Netsearch Team, for work groups or project teams; Netsearch SME, which builds on the basic
package to provide a facility for multiple teams; NetSearch Enterprise, which is ideal for large scale
use and the capacity to search a large volume of information quickly, and distribute it across a large
organisation.
NetSearch provides a single access point for all relevant information, secure searching and the
effective circulation of information.The system is cost-effective, flexible and secure.
For further details about Netsearch, go to http://www.ardentia.co.uk
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Pioneer’s New Plasma Screen Revealed
Pioneer has announced a new plasma display, for use in a wider range of situations.
The PDP-42MXE10 is built around a new PURE Black Panel and features a specially-designed
12-bit fully digital processing engine tailored to professional applications. Along with an
improved range of display and picture management options, the screen delivers the
purest level of picture performance available in a robust, highly efficient package.
The PURE Black Panel is based on Pioneer’s unique Deep Waffle Rib plasma
cells, which deliver exceptional levels of brightness, the appearance of which is enhanced by the
development of a new green phosphor. By developing the Crystal Emissive layer integrated into
the front glass panel, Pioneer has dramatically advanced the stability of light discharge. This
produces purer colours and superior black performance, while improving image sharpness and
contrast to lengthen luminance lifespan. This is further enhanced by the introduction of a new
blue phosphor which improves colour tracking and screen durability.
We’ve designed this new screen from scratch – improving the panel, colour performance,
processing engine and power consumption while supporting a wide variety of screen modes. By
engineering subtle improvements over our current displays – which many perceive to be the
best available – we’ve produced a screen which offers the purest level of picture
quality. Featuring a wide range of connectivity options, screen control and management features it
delivers a strong performance over its life cycle. So the best technical display also looks among
the best on the balance sheet
observed Darren Gaffey, product manager plasma display business, Pioneer Europe.
The Pure Drive Pro processing engine is a high-performance one-chip drive which has
been designed for professional applications. The 12-bit fully-digital processing separates
the main and sub images (with the same high-quality techniques applied to both) to
deliver up to 4096 Greyscale steps and compatibility with a range of high-definition
(HD) TV signals. Image processing is further enhanced by i-Clear Drive technology. Depending
on the video signal, it intelligently adjusts grey steps in darker areas and does not omit any data
when scaling, to completely eliminate false contour noise and ensure that image processing
is smoother and more precise.
Due to the efficiency of the panel, the PDP-42MXE10
delivers exceptional light intensity relative to the power ratio
available. Power consumption is also improved by singlesided scanning with a three-fold increase in scanning
speed.
There is an automatic ambient light feature so that
the display operates at the optimum brightness setting for
the operating conditions.
An extensive menu of picture modes is available.
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4
Highlights include a standard Banish
dual-screen
mode Blues
to
display picture in picture, picture out picture and side by
side images from any input source.
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These features are ideal for video conferencing and presentation, and the images in dual screen
mode are presented with identical pin-sharp accuracy. Key capabilities of the highperformance
Video Wall include magnification (2x2, 3x3, 4x4 and 5x5), automatic ID registration, a power ON
delay‚ option to stagger the current rush-in when a bank of displays are switched on and a repeat
timer to switch between content displayed over intervals.
The screen is also ideal for a remote information point application. To deliver a consistent image
across the Video Wall, an automatic brightness link control can be applied to ensure uniform
brightness across the displays.
In addition to the standard 15 Pin D-sub and DVI-D connector the new screen includes two open
architecture expansion slots. One slot is dedicated for signal input with two optional Pioneer
expansion cards available to handle all of the major video signals. The second slot is a unique
communications slot which includes an RS-232C expansion card as standard. This means that
Pioneer’s plasma screens can be installed with any application.
Key Features
Suitable for all professional
applications
High levels of brightness
Improved image sharpness
Longer luminance life span
Extensive menu of picture modes
Ideal for video conferencing and
remote information point applications
What Are Accessible Websites?
Web sites can be called
accessible when individuals
who suffer from age-related
problems,
have disabilities,
Panasonic has also announced its new plasma screen, the 103 inch 1080or
plasma
display panel.
can access and use them as
effectively as people who
Still in the prototype stages, it makes maximum use of Panasonic’s
long experience and expertise
do notinhave
disabilities
in producing large, flat panel displays. The technical challenges involved
designing
a panel
And a Competitor From Panasonic
with a diagonal measurement of more than 100 inches have been overcome by
designing a new rib and phospor, in order to maintain stable discharge and high picture quality
across the entire surface of the panel. The panel was exhibited at the 2006 International CES at
Las Vegas and further details are available from Holly.Addinall@panasonic.co.uk
Technology 7
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Brightest From Sony
Sony have introduced two new 1.3 inch TFT liquid crystal display (LCD)-based installation
projectors, the VPL-FX52 and the VPL-FX52L, which project at 6000 ANSI lumens. The
models are designed with the image quality, brightness and flexibility to meet the diverse
requirements of mid-to-large venues such as boardrooms, auditoriums, lecture theatres and
conference halls.
Both use Sony’s advanced 3-LCD Technology projection system, incorporating three 1.3-inch LCD
panels for sharp, clear images. The 1.3-inch LCD panels, together with a high aperture ratio and
Micro Lens Array, will provide high light-transmission efficiency. By combining this advanced
Sony 3-LCD Technology with a UHP 300W lamp, the VPL-FX52 and VPLFX52L produce
high-impact images with accurate colour reproduction.
Whilst the VPL-FX52 is supplied with a power lens as standard, the VPLFX52L is not, so allowing a
choice between three types of optional lenses most appropriate for their use. The alternatives
Why issuit
Accessibility
available
a wide rangeImportant?
of applications, from long-distance projection in large auditoriums to the
needs of short-distance rear-projection applications.
Increasing middle-aged and
elderlyand
population
with can operate at an upwards or downwards 90° degree tilt, expanding
The VPL-FX52
VPL-FX52L
declining
physical mobility
and a wide variety of signals, up to HDTV, to enable presentations
application
possibilities,
and accept
health
giving
rise Images can easily be adjusted to the desired setting
to chronic
be played
fromconditions
a variety of
sources.
to problems
web use
with a remote
power, in
zoom,
focus and picture shift function.
Improved
survival
rate
forbe altered digitally, ensuring that they are projected with correct
Highly detailed
images
can
also
even when
installation
space is limited. For facilities such as museums and
handicapped
children
needing
geometry,
access halls,
to education
viapower-on
the web function allows the standby mode to be skipped so the
conference
the direct
projector is activated immediately. As most projectors are installed in public access areas such as
university lecture halls, classrooms and corporate boardrooms, they also have a
password-authentication system to restrict unauthorised usage.
The VPL-FX52 and FX52L are environmentally-conscious products, using lead-free solder, no
halogenated frame retardents and no polysterene foam. More information on both
projectors can be obtained from rosemary.small@eu.sony.com
Multimedia Information & Technology is published by the Multimedia
Information & Technology Group of Cilip, and is a quarterly publication
appearing in print and electronic formats in February, May, August and
November each year. All enquiries should be addressed to the
managing editor, Lyndon Pugh, at Nyth Y Fran, Pennant, Llanon,
Ceredigion SY23 5JH. email lyndon.pugh@virgin.net or tel/fax 44
(0)1545 571391.
The editorial board is :
Anthony Hugh Thompson (Chair)
aht@btinternet.com
Lyndon Pugh (Managing Editor)
Alun Jenkins (Finance Manager) JenkinsAL@cardiff.ac.uk
Holophony
Ann Elisabeth Borda a.borda@gmail.com,
Jane Rowlands jane.rowlands@bma.org.uk
Olwen Terris olwen@goterris.freeserve.co.uk
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Holophony – A New
Sound System
by Alita Howe
Holophony, or 3D sound, is an innovative sound system being developed in Europe by Swiss
company Holophonic, and is far in advance of the stereophonic system currently used
in mainstream audio recording, audio equipment and products such as CDs and DVDs.
The emergence of holophonic sound can be dated from the 1980s. By the 1950s, audio
techniques had been developed to record and replay stereophonic sound, which used two
channels; one to engage each of our ears. These stereophonic developments facilitated attempts
to improve the spatial realism of sound. However, these efforts to increase the naturalness
and spatiality were only partially successful, as listeners correctly noted that in reality, sound is
rarely located as coming from only the left or right hand side. Thus stereophony could not
represent the true authenticity of sound.
Subsequently, the 1970s saw experiments with
quadraphonic sound, allowing sound
to be projected in four directions, and surround sound.
While both were an advance on stereophonic sound,
true authenticity still proved elusive. Starting in the
1980s, the research targeted the development of special
holophonic transducer microphones, allowing the
reproduction of the spatial characteristics of sound – a
truer and more natural representation of where sound is
actually coming from – through a traditional
stereophonic installation.
Holophonic sound works on the
same premise as holograms,
which are produced by mixing a
reflected laser light with a second
laser beam hitting an object from
another angle. By recording the
interference pattern generated
when the original recorded signal
of a sound is combined with
an inaudible digital reference
signal, a genuinely realistic
noise is produced.
Holophonic sound works on the same multiple exposure
premise as holograms, which are produced by mixing a
reflected laser light with a second laser beam which hits
an object from another angle. It is this interference pattern which is actually recorded as a
hologram.
Therefore, by recording the interference pattern generated when the original recorded signal of a
sound is combined with an inaudible digital reference signal, a genuinely realistic noise is
produced. This is holophonic sound. Thus, when the brain decodes the holophonic sound it
reproduces the original ambient conditions, and creates an unmatched authenticity of the sound.
What is heard is perceived as so authentic that additional brain stimulation occurs. This induces
other sensory responses, such as smell or taste, which our brains expect to accompany a
sound. The result is a truly realistic and emotional effect. Therefore, hearing the holophonic
sound of an egg frying may lead listeners to experience feelings of hunger, and believe that they
can actually smell the food. In short, the realism of holophonic sound triggers additional
sensory responses. Researchers also intriguingly report that people with audio impairments can
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During the period when this research was developing, Umberto Maggi – producer, inventor and
former member of the Italian band Nomadi, began experimenting with holophonic sound. He set
up a small research centre at the Umbi Studios in Modena. There, in 1983, with the help of his
brother Maurizio and a group of sound engineers, Maggi developed the first working holophone.
This was a special microphone able to capture 3D sound in all its dimensions by simulating the
functions of the human ear, and mirroring the way in which the human brain actually decodes
sound.
The resulting holophony system patented by Maggi was undeveloped, in spite of its
revolutionary potential, until a meeting between Maggi and businessman Vincenzo
Tirella, now Chief Executive of Holophonic, in 2000. Tirella, excited by holophony’s potential,
became the sole investor in the project, and created Holophonic to market it.
Holophony is an innovative sound perception system, based on the synthesis of the sound
processed along the three stages of the human ear, and works on the same principles of
holophonic sound. It creates the same emotional effects and sense of reality.
Holophony is achieved through balancing an accurate reproduction of materials and dimensional
ratios with electronic supervision via microcomputers which intelligibly superimpose spatial vectors
References
DRC
Whatfaithfully
counts as
a disability
according
and
environmental effects of the sound. This information
is–then
and
accurately
thetransmitted
law?
reproduced allowing an unmatched reality of sound totobe
complete with this ambient
www.drcgb.org/askdrc/category/show.asp?id=
information.
114
AFB.
American integrates
Foundation the
for the
Blind
K. V. (2002).
Web
The
holophone
holophonic
function andEcht,
is, therefore,
farDesigning
in advance
of based
the
(1999). Normal
changes in the
eye. in use. This activehealth
information for
adults:
Visual in the
stereophonic
microphones
currently
unit processes
theolder
sound
perceived
www.afb.org/info_document_view.asp?
considerations
design
directives for
older
environment
in which it is put out, and superimposes a
set of micro and
items
of information
which
documentid=203.
adults, in
Health information
andsensation
the World
would
have otherwise been irremediably lost with traditional
systems.
The hearing
American during
Foundation
for the Blind.
(2003).
Wide Web,
Erlbaum.
perceived
reproduction
is so
true-tolife that analysis
has proved
it is virtually equivalent to
Normal
changes
in
the
aging
eye.
Henry,
S.L. (2002) Another-ability: Accessibility
the effect of listening to real, that is direct, primary sound
sources.
www.afb.org/info_document_view.asp?
Primer for Usability Specialists. UPA
documentid=203
Professionals’Association
Annual
Conference,
Therefore,
in sum, holophony recreates the environment
where the sound was
originally
produced,
P. (2004).
Computer-active
London 2002.
inAllen,
the exact
conditions
in which Website
the sound was recorded.
accessibility, a new approach. VNU Business
Schmetzke, A. (2001) Web accessibility at
Publications,
CA, USA.
xtensive research
undertaken in 2004 by Pavan and
Caterina
at Theand
University
of Bologna
university
libraries
library schools.
Libraryhas
Becker,
S.A. (2005).
E-government
usability
now
confirmed
that holophony
is far
superior to current
transmission
Hiaudio
Tech Vol.
19, No. 1. and recording
for older adults.
Communications
of the ACMand Tedeschi
systems.
Similarly,
research by Spaggiari
in 2005
power to
Slatin,
J.M.,confirmed
and Rush, holophony’s
S. (2002). Maximum
–
Technical
Opinion
Column,
Vol.
48, No.
genuinely elicit emotional responses
in 2,
listeners.
Accessibility: Making Your Web Site More
pp: 100-102
Usable for Everyone. Addison Wesley, New
Coulson,involved
I. (2000) Introduction:
Subjects
in the 2004 Technological
research were exposedYork,
to sixUSA.
different stimuli; a Tibetan bell, a
challenges
for gerontologists
21st noise and twoWeale,
carillon,
a pair
of castanets, in
a the
hairdryer
humanR.voices,
reproduced
(1961). which
Retinalwere
illumination
and in
century. Educational
Gerontology
26.
stereophonic,
monophonic
and holophonic
sound. This
was
to test the of
particularity
and emotional
age.
Transactions
the Illuminating
Disability
Rights Commission
(2005).
Askthen relayed toEngineering
effects
of holophony.
The stimuli
were
the subjects
in a random
sequence through
Society.
25.
headphones.
E
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The holophone integrates
the holophonic function
and is therefore far in advance
of the stereophonic microphones
currently in use. This active
unit processes the sound
perceived in the environment in
which it is put out and
superimposes a set
of micro items of information
which would have otherwise
been irremediably lost with
traditional systems.
When asked to indicate the direction of sound, degree of
movement attributed to the stimuli (on a six point scale
ranging from 0, motionless – to 6, extremely animated),
degree of naturalness (on a seven point scale ranging
from -3, extremely unnatural to +3, extremely natural),
and degree of pleasantness (on a seven point scale
ranging from -3, extremely unpleasant to +3, extremely
pleasant), holophonic sound rated as far superior to
monophonic and stereophonic sound.
Those participating in the research clearly perceived
the difference between stereophonic, monophonic
and holophonic sounds.
Stereophonic sounds were received as mainly frontal and
monophonic sounds were heard as frontal, or originating
from the left or right hand side. However, holophonic sounds were perceived as multi-dimensional.
Additionally, holophonic stimuli were perceived as more animated compared to stereophonic and
monophonic sounds, and findings also confirmed that holophonic stimuli are considered to be
significantly more pleasant than stereophonic and monophonic sounds.
Results from EEG data collected during the research, coupled with changes in the cardiac and
respiratory rhythm of the subjects, suggests that holophonic stimuli can have a greater emotional
impact when compared with stereophonic and monophonic stimuli. As an example of this,
listening to the hairdryer produced feelings of anxiety caused by the harshness of the sound.
Changes in cardiac and respiratory rhythms suggested an increased sense of anxiety and panic
as listeners reported trying to identify the sound and its proximity.
During the 2005 research, tests revealed that the holophony system correctly activated the
cerebral frequencies linked to the emotional states of the human brain. Participants listened to
four types of sound designed to produce panic or fear, relaxation, emotion and a dummy sound.
The emotions aroused matched the sounds heard. Therefore, Spaggiari and Tedeschi concluded
that this, combined with changes in cardiac and respiratory rhythm, meant that sounds recorded
using the holophony system could induce correlative emotions in the listeners.
Holophony is believed by listeners to be a more pleasant and natural listening experience and,
based on this initial testing information, it can be argued that holophony allows real-life listening
and a more effective creation of an intended emotional response.
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Whilst holophony is undoubtedly an innovative technology able to supersede current audio
technologies, what are its applications and, more importantly, what use can it be in the
multimedia field? Holophony has a number of potential applications in a number of fields.
However, the possibilities for the multimedia sector and professional multimedia users who want
to experience a new revolution in sound are significant.
At present, listeners are required to use headphones with their existing audio equipment to enjoy
the effects of holophonic sound through products such as CDs, DVDs and CD-Roms. Holophonic
are currently working with European manufacturers to combine the holophony system with existing
audio equipment such as DVD players, televisions, HiFis, speaker units and computers. If
holophony were to be combined in a surround sound system, the result would be a totally realistic
sound for listeners. This could be relevant in all areas where audio resources are used, but
there is also a genuine potential in the use of holophonic sound in the library sector.
For example, the application could revolutionise the way people use audio books, and could
create a more powerful engagement with the product. Listeners using audio books recorded using
holophony will experience the superior audio effects
while using their own headphones and audio equipment.
Holophonic have also begun talks with several
European cultural institutions which are interested in
using holophonic technology in guided audio tours. This
development possesses great potential for the arts and
cultural sector as, when combined with an audio guide,
holophony creates a totality of sound experience which
again helps listeners to engage with the event, whether
it is a museum tour or an art exhibition.
Holophonics & Multimedia
Combined with existing audio
equipment in a surround sound
system, the result would be a
totally realistic sound for listeners.
Holophonics can revolutionise the
way people use audio books, and
create a more powerful
engagement with the medium.
In an increasingly technological society, multimedia has
Potential for guided audio tours in
become a progressively more important and novel
the arts and cultural sectors,
learning tool which can stimulate learners. Multimedia
including libraries
has long been used in an educational setting to
complement traditional methods of teaching, and
A learning tool to complement
holophonic recordings could prove an innovative
traditional methods, add a vibrancy
teaching resource by adding a vibrancy of sound to the
of sound to the learning experience,
learning experience. Holophonic has already developed
increase involvement, support a
several products for use with pre-school children. These
range of learning styles
can provide a superior sensory and sound experience.
Teachers have already expressed interest in holophonic
products, acknowledging the capacity of the technology
for stimulating children and helping them to become more involved in the learning experience.
Holophony is seen as a real asset which can enhance the learning environment and empower
learners.
Holophonic is working with Italian educational authorities to introduce its latest product, Never
Terrorism, Never War, into schools. This DVD is a reinterpretation of Pope John Paul II’s Prayer
of Peace delivered in 1991, and is a teaching resource and a tool to help children think about the
effects of terrorism, violence and war, in religious education programmes.
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Interactive learning involving the use of computer software to support the curriculum and provide
stimulation for children can also benefit from the use of holography, not least because of the way
in which it can contribute to the education of children with different learning styles. For example,
using holophony with kinesthetic learners, that is children who learn by actively doing
something in an interactive setting, can improve understanding and cohesion through reinforcing
aural engagement.
Holophonic is currently in discussions with a computer software company which produces online
computer aided educational games, and has developed an interactive resource for supporting
historical studies. When recorded in holophony, the resource offers an original learning tool
allowing the users to immerse themselves in the scenarios presented and experience the
authentic sound associated with the events and characters of the period.
This will provide a further stimulus for the retention of information and its application. The same is
true of learners who prefer using sound and music to learn, with holophony offering a vital
learning tool and involving the student in a world rich in auditory experiences. Drama texts could
be brought to life with the 3D and sensory effects of the holophony system, and the learning of
languages could also be enhanced through the increased authenticity of sound to help students
mimic pronunciation accurately.
As an original system of sound recording, holophony has wide applications for media services in
education and the arts, both aural and visual.
For more information, go to www.holophonic.ch or contact Carmine Tirella at info@holophonic.ch
Bibliography:
Pavan, T., and Caterina, R. Holophonic Listening: Sound and Emotions University of Bologna, 2004.
Spaggiari, A. and Tedeschi, A. Holophony. University of Bologna, 2005.
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FiIm & Video News
ITN and Google Set Up Video Store
Team Video – Why Atheism From bfi Video – Chaplin The Mutual Films vol 2
See Britain by Train Some Classic Kurosawa Four Films by Alex Cox Sweet Sweetback’s
Baadasssss Song and Baadasssss!
ITN and Google Establish Video Store
ITN has announced that it is partnering Google in the planned launch of its innovative
Video Store, the first open video marketplace where consumers will be able
to buy and rent a wide range of video content from ITN as well as major television networks,
cable programmers, independent producers and film makers.
The fast-growing collection of content available from
Google Video Store will include unique material from
The archive will feature:
ITN Archive, one of the largest and most comprehensive
moving footage collections in the world. Google
customers will be able to find and download video clips
Key events in 2005
specially selected from ITN Archive’s 680,000 hours of
footage. These will feature key events in 2005, such as
Historic clips dating from the
Hurricane Katrina and the death of Pope John Paul II,
coronation of Tsar Nicholas II in 1896
as well as historic clips dating right back to one of the
earliest known pieces of moving imagery, the coronation On This Day in history – momentous
of Tsar Nicholas II in 1896. ITN Multimedia, with its
events from the past
expertise in packaging and producing content
specifically for mobile and broadband platforms, will also
be providing the Google Video Store with a variety of shorts, including a daily On This Day in
History review of momentous events from the past.
Visitors to the Google Video homepage at http://video.google.com will be able to browse the
Video Store directory, including content from ITN, by category, or search by keywords.
iPod and Sony Playstation Portable users will be able to download and watch any
production from Google Video which is not protected by copyright. It will even be possible to
get videos specially optimized for playback on users’ devices. In its early stage the Google Video
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Homepage will be accessible throughout the world. However, purchasing premium content
Google Video Store will, initially, only be available in the USA
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The second of bfi Video’s DVD compilations, this release
contains some favourites from what has been one of the
most popular and best-selling video series. With some
additional material, it represents the best of British travel
films from the post-war era.
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The films were originally made in the 50s and 60s, and
their combination of fantasy and reality is used to promote
trips of all kinds – for the day, party travel, business or
family holidays.
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See Britain by Train is part of the
British Transport Films Collection Diverse images range from city scenes through rural
tranquillity to mountain landscapes. They are unashamedly
released by bfi VIdeo.
escapist in their backward look at a bygone time where
sunshine and adventure were just a journey away. Released
in late November of last year, there are over four hours of footage and highlights include
Cyclists Special (1955) which is a very rare and novel film about how British Rail coped with
party travel
l Holiday, a 1957 film about a traditional seaside holiday
l The Heart is Highland – one of the most popular of all British Transport Film productions,
showing the lives of the Highlanders, and linking developments in industry, agriculture and
transport with Scotland’s dramatic past
l Any Man’s Kingdom, a film previously unavailable in the BTF series, and a stunning evocation of
the heart-warming Northumberland atmosphere
l The England of Elizabeth, a triple award-winning look at the Shakespearean era and the reign of
Elizabeth I. The narrator is Alec Clunes and the score is by Ralph Vaughan Williams.
l
There is an accompanying booklet containing an introduction and film notes by the BTF historian
Steven Foxon.
The British Transport Films collection is one of the largest and most impressive collections of
documentary films in Britain, and is one of the jewels of the bfi’s National Film and Television
Archive.
From its inception, as a response to the demand for visual teaching and educational entertainment
in post-war Britain, and the nationalisation of transport in 1948, the British Transport Commission
set up an in-house film production and distribution unit in 1949. For 25 years it was led by Edgar
Anstey, one of the pioneers of British documentaries, during which time it earned a prestigious
position alongside the Shell Film Unit and the National Coal Board film Unit. During Anstey’s
stewardship, over 200 awards were won, including an Oscar in 1966. When the unit was finally
closed in 1986 it had made over 700 films promoting travel on Britain’s railways, or providing
technical instruction. MmIT vol 31 no 3 in August of last year reviewed the films of Geoffrey Jones,
with special reference to The Rhythm of Film issued by bfi Video in June of last year. This DVD
included several British Transport Films commissions including Snow (1963), Rail (1967) and
Locomotion (1965). The release was accompanied by the issue of the first volume of the British
Transport Films Collection – On and Off the Rails, also reviewed in the August issue.
Reviews 6 *
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Conceived and directed by its star Melvin Van Peebles, Sweet
Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song is a controversial landmark in
the classics of Black Cinema and independent filmmaking.
The highest earning independent film of 1971, it even
outperformed Love Story, and is credited with kick-starting
the Blaxploitation genre.
Over 30 years after its release, Melvin’s son Mario re-told the
story of the making of the film in Baadasssss! (2003). Both
films are now released on DVD by bfi Video as part of the
British Film Institute’s Black World initiative.
In 1971, most film scripts portrayed African-Americans as
helpless slaves or “super-Negroes”. Melvin proposed a
“celebration of urban black power”, based on the story of a
black street hustler turned revolutionary, who goes on the run after killing two racist policemen.
Hollywood was not prepared for this, so working on a shoe-string budget, the film was shot in 19
days. To use a multi-ethnic crew without the complications likely from the all-white unions, the
production was disguised as a porn-flick. A young band called Earth, Wind and Fire, who were trying
to break into the business,recorded the sound track.
The film is the story of Sweetback, a street hustler who has learned the ways of the world through
his upbringing in a brothel. His legendary sexual prowess confirmed his reputation.
One night, involved in a routine cover-up with two corrupt policemen, Sweetback watches while a
young man is administered an almost-fatal beating. He decides to fight back, and his actions
set in motion a journey through the dark heart of 1970s urban America. On the way, he encounters
motorcycle gangs, Black Power militants, fascist public officials and a torrent of insatiable women.
In keeping with the independent spirit of the times, the film has a gritty style which combines
the streetwise realism of Paul Morrissey with the sexual hysteria of Russ Meyer. A brash
depiction of urban African-American life previously unseen on screen, its political
resonance was confirmed by the Black Panther’s acclaim of the film as a “revolutionary
masterpiece.” It sparked the birth of independent Black Cinema and has been cited as inspiration
by directors such as Spike Lee and Quentin Tarantino.
In order to comply with the provisions of the Protection of Children Act 1978 in the UK, a number
of images in the opening sequence of the film have been obscured. Extras on the DVD include
The Real Deal – a 30 minute documentary on Melvin Van Peebles’ life as a filmmaker, a
biography of Melvin Van Peebles and a booklet with film notes by Kodwo Eshun, together
with two essays
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MarioVan Peebles’ Baadasssss! (see cover and
page 28) is a richly entertaining and affectionate depiction of
his father Melvin’s making of Sweet Sweetback’s
Baadasssss Song (left).
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As one of Hollywood’s few African-American
directors, Melvin Van Peebles was on the brink of clinching
a three-picture deal with a major studio, but realising they
would never back the Black Power film he wanted to
make, and which he felt America needed to see, he made
the film independently.
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In Baadasssss! the part of Melvin is played by his son, who faithfully represents Melvin’s
increasingly desperate attempts to make the pioneering film “by any means necessary”.
Employing a non-union crew and recruiting actors from the porn industry in order to save
money, Melvin Van Peebles’ struggle to release his film is brought back to life in this
powerful docudrama.
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Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, Woodstock, hipsters, hustlers, free love, afros
and funk music, it is a hilarious, yet considered, portrayal of a seismic period in history, following
the murders of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. With engaging performances from a strong
ensemble cast including Joy Bryant, Terry Crews and Ossie Davis, it proves an inspiring lesson
in both moviemaking and the power of self-belief.
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Classic Kurosawa
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From the largest DVD catalogue of Kurosawa’s films in
the UK, for the first time bfi Video has released a set of
five films spanning 16 years of the career of Akiro
Kurosawa, the renowned director.
STRAY DOG (1949) is part film noir, part police thriller.
This little known masterpiece among the director’s early
films pairs Kurosawa’s favourite actors (Toshiro Mifune
and Takashi Shimura) as detectives on the trail of a stolen
gun. Their search leads them deep into the sleazy
underbelly of Tokyo and to the realisation that cop and a
robber, good and evil, are not so very different. Biographies
of the director and the cast are included as extras, and the set is available for £59.95.
Film & Video
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News 58
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Contents
IKURU IS A 1952 film which tells the poignant tale of
a humble civil servant who, on discovering he only has
a few months to live, finds a way to make his
life worthwhile. A meditation on the meaning of life
and death, Ikuru is the story of one man’s struggle
to define his existence. Extras include a filmed
introduction by Alex Cox, and biographies
of the director and cast.
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Made during the cold war, and while the destruction
of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were still a recent memory,
I Live in Fear (1955) tells the story of an obsession with the
threat of nuclear war (previous page and left).
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Toshiro Mifune again stars, this time with an extraordinary performance as a man almost twice his
age, and almost unrecognisable from the samurai roles for which he is best known.
Throne of Blood is a dark and savage interpretation of Macbeth, which stars Mifune as
the power-hungry warrior whose fate is sealed by the prophecy of the witches.
Recasting Shakespeare as a samurai drama, Kurosawa sets the infamous Scottish play in
16th Century Japan – a land torn apart by feuding warlords. Extras include biographies of the
director and cast, and the film was first released in 1957.
Red Beard is the last film Kurosawa made with Mifune. The story of a doctor in a 19th
Century hospital and his struggle to care for the poor, Kurosawa weaves an epic tale of
compassion and fierce humanism. The extras are a filmed introduction by Alex Cox,
director and cast biographies, and a stills gallery. The sound track has English subtitles.
Kirosawa’s films have previously been reviewed in MmIT vol 29 no 4 November 2003
and vol 31 no 2 May 2005
Alex Cox Releases
Maverick British director Alex Cox’s work is the subject of
four DVD releases by bfi Video. In the first of two double
disc sets, Straight to Hell is paired with Death and the
Compass. Highway Patrolman and Three Businessmen
make up the other set.
Straight To Hell (1987) is Alex Cox’s glorious and
anarchic homage to the spaghetti western. Seen as a
forerunner of Tarantino’s films, it features an all-star cast
including Dennis Hopper, Joe Strummer, Courtney Love,
Jim Jarmusch, Kathy Burke, Grace Jones, Elvis Costello
and Shane MacGowan. Music is by The Pogues, Pray for
Rain and Joe Strummer. A team of inept hitmen played by
Reviews
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Joe Strummer, Sy Richardson and Dick Rude,
oversleep
on the day of their big job and find their target has already
fled town.
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Fearing reprisals from their boss Jim Jarmusch, they rob a bank and escape into the desert with
Richardson’s pregnant girlfriend, played by Courtney Love. When their car breaks down, they seek
shelter in a ghost town inhabited by the McMahons (The Pogues and Biff Yeager). They are in the
hands of a murderous and incestuous clan of gun-crazy coffee addicts.
Extras include
l
l
Audio commentary by Alex Cox and his co-writer and star Dick Rude
Back to Hell, which is a series of interviews with the cast and the crew
Straight to Hell was shot in the UK and in Spain and lasts for 89 minutes.
Death and the Compass (1996) is one of Cox’s most ambitious, inspired and visually stunning
films, shot in Japan, Mexico and the UK. It is a deliciously dark adaptation of a short story by
acclaimed Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges. Set in a totalitarian metropolis of the future, which
is in fact shot on location in Mexico City, the film follows the story of a detective investigating a
strange series of murders and mystery disappearances.
Erik Lonnrot, played by Peter Boyle, is a gifted policeman following a trail that seems to lead to the
insane crime lord Red Scarlach. Enlisting the help of a journalist (Christopher Eccleston playing
Alonso Zunz), Lonnrot believes that he has uncovered a labyrinthine occult conspiracy. However, the
question is has the investigator’s brilliance merely precipitated his own destruction?
The extras for this film are an audio
commentary by Alex Cox and the composer
Dan Wool, and a short film by Paul Miller,
called Spiderweb. This production is based on
the same story which forms the plot of the film.
Three Businessmen and Highway Patrolman
(El Patrullero) make up the second set of Alex
Cox releases.
Three Businessmen (1998) takes place during
the space of one night, but in a variety of
international locations. The film is a surreal and
subversive comic fantasy which pays homage to
Luis Buñuel’s The Discreet Charm of the
Bourgeoisie (1972).
Sharply scripted by Tod Davies to take in
subjects as diverse as the theme music on
answerphones and The Beatles, this stimulating, playful work displays Cox’s liberating disregard
for convention.
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The story follows the progress of American art dealer Bennie, played by Miguel Sandoval, and
British art dealer Frank King (Alex Cox), who meet in the abandoned restaurant of a Liverpool
hotel and set off in search of a decent meal.
Attempting to suppress their hunger through conversation, the pair eventually come across
not sustenance, but another hungry businessman, Leroy Jasper played by Robert Wisdom.
One of the more interesting and unusual extras provided on the DVD is How to Watch This Film.
This is a masterclass on how to “read” the film, offered by the cast. Written by Alex Cox, the film
is accompanied by a commentary by Cox and the writer/producer Tod Davies.
Highway Patrolman charts the harrowing transition from idealism to realism to grim realism in
an intense and brilliantly played character study which offers a fascinating insight into corruption
and embittered disillusionment.
After graduating as top police student from the National Highway Patrol Police Academy, Pedro
Rojas, played by veteran actor Roberto Sosa, and his college friend Anibal, played by Bruno
Bechir, are sent to patrol a desolate highway. After strictly enforcing the law during their arduous
24-hour shifts, their dedication soon dwindles. Pedro’s wife complains about his lowly wage and
pressurises him into accepting bribes, and so a steady descent begins.
Extras include
l Audio
commentary by Alex Cox and writer/producer Lorenzo O’Brien
y Patrulleras – interviews with the cast and crew
l Patrulleros
Chaplin – The Mutual Films vol 2
bfi Video adds a third collection of early Chaplin films to its DVD catalogue with the release
of The Mutual Films Volume 2.
This DVD contains six of the Mutual films, all made in 1916, when Chaplin became the
highest paid entertainer in the world, when he signed a contract with the Mutual Film
Corporation for a salary of $670,000. The films are
l The
Floorwalker
Fireman
l The Vagabond
l One A.M.
l The Count
l The Pawnshop
l The
This edition of the films features brand new scores, written and recorded by composer Carl Davies.
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The DVD contains an insert with an essay on Chaplin at the Mutual Studios by Frank Scheide,
and full film credits. Sleeve notes are by writer and broadcaster Glenn Mitchell, a senior
advisor and contributor to The Chaplin Review, whose books include The Chaplin
Encyclopedia (Batsford, 1997). The introduction by comedian Paul Merton describes Chaplin as
“as watchable now as he was then.”
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All DVDs are available online at http://www.bfi.org.uk/video
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Team Video’s latest production is a resource for religious education, available as DVD, VHS and
CD with 65 classroom worksheets. The intention of the production is to “introduce students to
the theory and practice of secular philosophies as outlined in the new religious education curriculum”.
There are six films which explain the values and beliefs of humanism and deal with the topics of
moral values, conflict, truth and human life and death.
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Dealing with such a vast area, it is not surprising that the production contains a great deal of
valuable material. Technically good, the core of each film is a series of interviews to camera with
young people who present various points of view. This approach is well handled and used
judiciously to present a number of key issues for discussion. The young people who feature in the
films are interesting, opinionated, articulate and committed. The views are balanced, and the
topics and questions are pertinent. The contents include, briefly:
1: Disbelieving students discuss why they find it difficult to believe in God, and talk
about suffering, identity and belief
l Film 2: Leaving God, in which four people – Christian, Muslim, Hindu and a Jehovah’s
Witness – talk about what caused them to lose their faith in God
l Film 3: A Life Apart, with a Belfast journalist (Newt Emerson) explaining what life is like in a
society divided by religion. He comments on the effect of living in a society where the sectarian
divide dictates choice of friends, schools attended, and where people live.
l Film 4: Rites of passage ceremonies – birth marriage and death – for Humanists, where there
can be no references to God or to any form of religion, are described
l Film 5 is a debate on Defending the Faith, conducted between writer and broadcaster Michael
Rosen and a group of Roman Catholic sixthformers. As their religious convictions are explored, the
film covers science vs theology, faith, the supernatural, suffering and Whose side is God on?
l Film 6: Philip Pullman and Michael Rosen talk about Pullman’s beliefs, upbringing and atheism
l Film
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The Films
Geoffrey
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edited by Lyndon Pugh
Watson, D. Death Sentences: How Clichés, Weasel Words, and Management
Speak are Strangling Public Language. Penguin, 2005 (isbn 1592401406).
Dabbs,A., McMahon, K., Martin, K., and Concepción, A-M. InDesign Essentials: the
Fast Track to Mastering Adobe’s Revolutionary Page Layout Application. Ilex, 2006
(isbn 1904705707 or 9781904705703).
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Smiraglia, R. P. (ed). Metadata: a Cataloger’s Primer. Haworth Information Press
2005 (pbk. isbn 10:0-7890-2800-X. Co-published simultaneously as Cataloguing &
Classification Quarterly, volume 40, numbers 3/4, 2005).
Reviews
Totterdell, A., with Hornsey, A., and Gill, J. An Introduction to Library and Information
Work. 2nd ed., Facet Publishing, 2005 (isbn 1-85604-557-9).
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Pantry, S., and Griffiths, P. Setting up a Library and Information Service from
Scratch. Facet Publishing, 2005 (isbn 1856045587).
In Support of Plainness, Elegance and Genius
Two books which fell into my hands this month appear to be very different at first glance, but are
united in the purpose of making things clear. Don Watson’s Death Sentences: How Clichés,
Weasel Words, and Management Speak are Strangling Public Language (Penguin, 2005,
isbn 1592401406) turned up after being out in Australia for about two years, but was first published
in the UK last year.
This book is even better than Lynne Truss’s effort (Eats Shoots and Leaves: the Zero
Tolerance Approach to Punctuation, Profile Books 2003 isbn 1861976127) but both should be
read. More than that, both titles should be compulsory reading for all librarians, and anyone else
who is concerned about communication and our own weakening grip on clarity of expression.
Sadly, some of Watson’s worst examples of how not to communicate come from libraries. He writes
of receiving an email from some of the more distressed library staff:
they thought they were the only ones on the board of the library who could not understand what
their colleagues were saying – and whatever they did make of it sounded like baloney
Looking at a somewhat wider canvas, the writer says:
It was not very long ago that those who ran universities and libraries defined them in their own
terms, and defended them by defending learning. Now they parrot words and concepts of
corporate management. But the profit from giving the name clients or customers to people who
study in universities or read in libraries – or suffer negative patient outcomes in nursing
homes – is not yet apparent.
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Underneath the magnificent hyperbole and the
audacious and irreverent humour of this book, Watson is
poking fun in order to make some important points about
how we use language, and in particular how we describe
what we do. After allowing for the sheer entertainment of
reading his work, we would do well to take its basic
message seriously. Having lately suffered a few negative
reader outcomes at the customer service interface (we
used to call it the issue desk) which led me to question
the value added capacity of libraries and think about
the need to reconsider the key performance indicators,
I know what Watson means. I also plead guilty to
misrepresentation myself on times, and one thing this
book has done is make me decide to look even more
carefully at what I write in future.
It was not very long ago that those
who ran universities and libraries
defined them in their own terms,
and defended them by defending
learning. Now they parrot words
and concepts of corporate
management. But the profit from
giving the name clients or
customers to people who study in
universities or read in libraries – or
suffer negative patient outcomes in
nursing homes – is not yet
apparent.
In this language, schools, bank
branches, and libraries, are closed
down. In an educational curriculum
or the mission statement of an
international fast food chain you will
hear the same phrases.
What was really disturbing about this fast-paced,
economical, yet colourfully written and clear publication,
was that the author draws on some examples which
involve not just the abuse of language, but the torturing
of it almost to within an inch of its life by librarians,
managers, academics and museologists.
This will account for a sizeable proportion of us, and we are amongst the last people who should
be doing it. From a conference of librarians, Watson quotes:
In fact, the ‘information needs identifier’ should study, prepare, and equip him/herself
thoroughly to perform the task of identifying information needs. . . .It is to be noted that the
methodology will become clearer and clearer as each step is put into practice, enhancing
the understanding of the scenario and help in fine tuning the procedure to suit particular situations
We might share Watson’s perplexity as to what this portentous statement means. In only three
(but long) gloriously entertaining and excruciatingly funny chapters, the author
demolishes management-speak, Knowledge Management – for which thank
God – jargon, sales talk, legalese, political language, sometimes politically correct
language – and the politically incorrect. He castigates the language of public relations,
sociologists, deconstructionists, and the media.
The current fashion in the use of words in the corporate world is not spared. He achieves all
this with the weapons of humour and a down-to-earth approach to the traditional virtues:
plain speaking and the clear expression of what organisations are actually about. Governments,
universities, the world of business, Donald Rumsfeld of course – are all put to the sword.
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Throughout he maintains his tongue-in-cheek style and good-natured outrage, but on the way
he finds time to take some side-swipes against Marketing:
The influence of marketing shows itself in advertising and commerce, where we would
expect to find it, and in politics and war, where its presence might surprise us.
Here, the reference to the mythical American general who might one day refer to “enemy
customers” is naughty and may well be politically incorrect. It is still funny, for this
reviewer at least.
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Watson goes on to tackle Education and also lands a hefty wallop on Consultants,
getting two for the price of one:
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By adopting HR and its various associated creeds . . . educational institutions and other
organizations created to provide enlightenment, assistance, and care speak a
language that dulls the senses and cannot express sentiment. A dead language. Thus
public education takes on the same management and accounting principles as
private companies created to make profits. They take on the same consultants, and
consultants, many of them downsized from useful vocations, are the plague rats of the
language virus.
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The insults then fly again with a cheerful and unabashed attack on Management:
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Managerial language is less than ideal for a democracy or a college. . . . Public
language that defies normal understanding is, as Primo Levi wrote, “an ancient
repressive artifice, known to all churches, the typical vice of our political class, the
foundation of all colonial empires.”
When all this is over, Watson, the last man standing, surveys the ruins and
produces some answers. His solution is clear. It involves:
Caring for the language
Refusing to accept that a particular use of a word is normal because it is repeated often
enough for us to become used to it
l Not allowing our organisations (or professions) to impose a particular kind of language on us
l Learning grammar
l Writing whole sentences with a proper structure, verbs and rhythm, and not in the language
of Powerpoint
l
l
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l Respecting the truth of what we are doing, and expressing it clearly. This is especially
important for mission statements and visions
l Using less words, and especially eschewing clichés
l In all cases, using no more words than are strictly needed, in order to produce writing which
is noticed for the correct reasons, in that it is clear, concise, honest, unpretentious and makes
the point
l Avoiding certain words and phrases if it is at all possible. This means giving up
accountability, customers (ours are readers or library users), continuous improvement,
knowledge entities, and “adapting to evolving customer needs.”
This book is a best seller which has so far sold tens of thousands of copies. Its
over-the-top approach and relentless laying waste of our excesses in the use of language
do not obscure the significance of what it says. The fact that it has sold so many copies
suggests that it strikes a chord out there with at least some of the people who use our
libraries. Buy it, and also see Olwen Terris’s review.
Don Watson is one of Australia’s best known
writers. Books, essays and reviews for the theatre and
television, political satire and speechwriting, including
four years for the former labour Prime Minister Paul
Keating, have made up his oeuvre for the last 25 years.
He also lectures widely on writing and language.
HHHHH
Lyndon Pugh
Adobe’s InDesign DTP & Page Design Software
For many years, QuarkXPress on a Mac has been the standard professional package for
desktop publishing and page design. The word is out that InDesign is making great inroads
into Quark’s share of the market. Even as a confirmed Quark/Mac addict for a very long time,
having read this book it is easy to understand why, and my interest in the software has
been aroused. Adobe have a winner, and this work – copiously illustrated, making use of
excellent graphics, with impeccable typography and beguiling, if occasionally cluttered, page
design – is a brilliant demonstration of what can be achieved by InDesign. (Dabbs, A., McMahon,
K., Martin, K., and Concepción, A-M. InDesign Essentials: the Fast Track to Mastering
Adobe’s Revolutionary Page Layout Application. Ilex, 2006 1904705707/9781904705703).
It is also an excellent handbook on how to actually do it.
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The authors between them bring substantial design
experience to bear on the topic, specifically with
InDesign, as far as Alistair Dabbs and Anne-Marie
Concepción are concerned, and across the spectrum
of print, photography and electronic design with Ken
McMahon and Keith Martin, the latter also being
the technical editor of MacUser. All four can point to long
experience as designers, trainers and writers, and this
shines through the work. The authors have two stated
intentions:
The section on Interactivity is
a good and more typical
example of the skillful
presentation, covering
hyperlinks, anchors,
bookmarks, buttons and style
tags. If InDesign itself works
as well and faultlessly in this
area as the text suggests,
it will be a considerable
advance.
l To provide a high-speed learning tool for users new to
InDesign
l To make available a “complete reference for designers using the software in a
professional environment
As well as achieving these objectives, it seems to me that they have also succeeded in providing
a relatively painless path to understanding InDesign for experienced Quark users who wish
to change their software.
The only quibble I have so far, is that the “high-speed” part of things would be optimistic, I think,
for someone without experience in using Quark. Moving from Quark to InDesign assisted by
this book would, on the other hand, probably be a rapid and comparatively painless process.
The organisation of the work is logical and the exposition is thorough, with nine main
sections covering the key aspects of page design:
Text
Pictures
l Drawing
l Colour
l Transparencies
l Pages and Documents
l Interactivity
l Output
l
l
I have no doubt that familiarity with
QuarkXPress is a great advantage in
working through this book and
understanding the complicated
matters it deals with. I suppose that in
the end the main question to be
answered is how well this book would
serve someone who needs to move
into dtp for the first time, or is used
to working with simpler programmes.
I think the answer is that InDesign
Essentials achieves the objectives the
authors set themselves.
It might have been more practical here to use another
arrangement such as that adopted by other dtp software
guides, which reflects the actual process of publication
or production more faithfully, starting with documents
and page layout, and proceeding through text, graphics,
colour, interactivity and output. For example, it is page
130 before the basic tasks which most designers start
with in practice, creating a new document and managing pages,
are dealt with. Even so, the book loses little of its clarity and coherence because of this.
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The text is well written, and the basic principles are invariably explained in a
clear, straightforward and succinct manner. As I hinted earlier, there were one or two
places where I felt that the page design tended to get in the way of the sense of
what was being put across, but even then the layouts demonstrate the versatility and
sophistication of InDesign.
The section on Interactivity is a good and more typical example of skillful
presentation, covering hyperlinks, anchors, bookmarks, buttons and style tags. If
InDesign itself works as well and faultlessly in this area as the text suggests,
it will be a considerable advance.
Although this is not a review of InDesign as such (this is planned for later in the
year), nor a comparison of InDesign and QuarkXPress, it is sometimes difficult to
avoid the temptation to do both these things. One potential difficulty for users of
QuarkXPress, particularly as far as version 6 is concerned, is outputting to PDF. The
problem lies in ensuring the accuracy of the hyperlinks, which for some inexplicable
reason do not always point to the correct place. Doing this with InDesign is clearly
explained, and I liked the explanations of the various output options available. I also
formed the impression that the process could be more secure than creating
hyperlinks in Quark.
The clarity and attention to detail found in the section on Output is consistently
matched throughout the text, even when the graphics might be slightly confusing, and
any of the sections can be held up as examples of how to explain the various
parts of the design process. Don Watson would be happy with these authors.
As a regular user of Quark over many years, I was struck by the basic similarities
between the two programmes, although InDesign, it seems to me, has massive
advantages in terms of flexibility and the fine tuning which seems to be possible
when using the software. The optimist in me suspects that users of the software will
also be able to avoid the inconsistencies and infuriating idiosyncracies I have encountered
with QuarkXPress 6. Having said this, the similarities between the two products
are highlighted, and I have no doubt that familiarity with QuarkXPress is a great
advantage in working through this book and understanding the matters it deals with.
I suppose that in the end the main question to be answered is how well this book would
serve someone who needs to move into dtp for the first time, or is used to working with
simpler programmes. I think the answer is that InDesign Essentials achieves the
objectives the authors set themselves. The book is well-written, well-presented,
authoritative, practical and clear. It also has a valuable short section intended to make it
easy for Quark enthusiasts to move to InDesign, so my last word on this four-star
publication is directed to the Finance Manager of Multimedia Information &
Technology: When can we buy the software? I already have the manual.
HHHH
Lyndon Pugh
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The Power of Intelligent Choices
Olwen Terrris chooses not to buy
Smiraglia, R. P. (ed). Metadata: A Cataloger’s Primer, Haworth Information Press, 2005.
isbn 10:0-7890-2800-X. £22.95 (pbk). Co-published simultaneously as Cataloguing &
Classification Quarterly, volume 40, numbers 3/4, 2005.
The
editor’s introduction states that the volume “is
intended to provide a learning resource about metadata
for catalog librarians and students. Part 1 contains
introductory, theoretical material, and original research,
and Part II contains instructive material”.
So far so good, the only problem being that most of the
book is stylistically difficult to read and conceptually
opaque. Crowded with acronyms and abstract nouns,
and influenced heavily by the language of structuralist
literary theory, working through even one chapter is
frustrating and wearying.
The authors of each article have chosen keywords by
which their text might be searched – the fact that one
writer cites metadata, cataloging, bibliographic
description, literary displacement, synchrony, diachrony,
metaphor, metonymy, synechdoche illustrates my
problem.
So far so good, the only problem
being that most of the book is
stylistically difficult to read
and conceptually opaque. Crowded
with acronyms and abstract nouns,
and influenced heavily by the
language of structuralist literary
theory, working through even one
chapter is frustrating and wearying.
Cataloguing policy, and also the
individual cataloguer’s personal
interpretation of it, has
always had the ability (and power) to
describe the resource by choosing
terminology which can easily
skew the user’s own perception
of the document, and so aid, prevent
or control, the ability to retrieve it.
Much of the language is flabby and fails to convey the
point clearly and precisely. For example, I do not
understand what the sentence “the domain-analytic
paradigm in information science states that the best way to understand information in information
science is to study the knowledge domains as thought or discourse communities” means. One
author writes “similarly the structure needs to remain flexible to accommodate discourse evolution
while the controlled vocabulary is representative of the intricacies that define the body of knowledge.”
I think the author means that a controlled vocabulary must be hospitable to the accommodation of
new terms as knowledge and the use of language change. If I am correct, then the thought is not
new; it is a fact that has been acknowledged for over 100 years.
The chapter entitled Metadata, Metaphor, and Metonymy, by D. Grant Campbell, concludes with the
belief that cataloguing has “moved into new and daunting territory, in which our traditional role as
information intermediaries has become less rigidly defined and more subtly powerful” but fails to say
in relation to what. The author here is suggesting, I think, that as metadata is incorporated into the
digital record then the cataloguer has more control over how the documents are read and used once
retrieved. I fully understand the argument, and it is an interesting one, but I am much less certain
that it is metadata which is solely responsible for this remarkable and new-found influence.
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Cataloguing policy, and also the individual cataloguer’s personal interpretation of it, has always had
the ability (and power) to describe the resource by choosing terminology which can easily skew the
user’s own perception of the document, and so aid, prevent or control, the ability to retrieve it.
A simple example is that if the cataloguing policy states that only the lead roles should be indexed in
a sound recording of a play, then the user will be unaware that Ian McKellen read the role of
Lysander (a character somewhat down the batting order) in the Marlowe Dramatic Society’s early
1960s recording of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s
Dream, one of Sir Ian’s earliest recorded performances.
I think the author means that a
controlled vocabulary must be
hospitable to the accommodation of
new terms as knowledge and the
use of language change.
If I am correct, then the thought is
not new; it is a fact that has been
acknowledged for over 100 years.
Whether the indexing terms are typed on cards, input
electronically to a separate database which refers to the
physical object, or incorporated into the metadata for that
document on the web, the impact on the user’s ability to
retrieve it in response to a question is much the same; the
power lies ultimately with the intellectual decision of the
indexer, not the technology.
The second half of the book deals with the creation,
application and use of metadata covering “an introduction to
EAD and EAC”, an introduction to XML, the Metadata and
Encoding Standard (METS) and “planning and implementing a metadata-driven digital repository”.
Some expositions, for example, how to build a METS document, require a great deal of prior
knowledge. Instructions such as “descriptive metadata included in the METS document itself must
be encoded in XML and nested inside an xmlData (XML DATA) element within the mdWrap
(Metadata Wrapper) sub-element” are not, I think, for the beginner.
The book has good intentions, and the chapters are written by educators in the library and
information sector with impressive experience in their fields, but it crucially fails to direct its message
to its stated audience of students and cataloguers in a memorable and practical way. It is severely
compromised by failing to communicate the facts and opinions in crisp, readable prose. It also fails
to provide good, clear examples at various levels of complexity from which the cataloguer can work.
The words in the title “Cataloger's Primer” mislead, for the book is an anthology of academic articles,
and one which places too much emphasis on cataloguing schemas and technology and not enough
on directing the student cataloguer toward imaginative and intelligent choices of descriptive
terminology, which will encourage the user to make previously unthought of connections. Therein
lies the power and influence.
H
Olwen Terris
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Overture and Beginners
Lyndia Thomas, Senior IT Assistant, the Law Society of
England and Wales, looks at two titles for different kinds
of beginners or neophytes
Setting up a new library library and information service
Although the book is presented as
a “basic guide” to help people
through the process, the quality of
the writing,detail of information and
wealth of further resources
contained makes the title a valuable
resource for anyone faced with the
task of creating a library
and information service.
will always be a daunting task, with sound advice and
guidance welcome on every aspect. This is what Sheila
Pantry and Peter Griffiths aim to do with this book (Pantry, S. and Griffiths, P. Setting up a Library
and Information Service from Scratch. Facet Publishing, 2005 isbn 1856045587), by providing an
“eminently practical guide” to establishing a service.
The book has nine chapters, and the structure, standard format and attention to detail, aided by a
fairly comprehensive index, makes it easy to find the exact information of interest.
Chapter 1 covers why information services need to be established, and what roles they should
discharge. Chapter 2 goes through the initial steps in researching what is needed for the service,
such as information auditing, while the third chapter discusses premises, design and setting
up the physical service.
Chapter 4 covers staff recruitment and building a team. The fifth chapter discusses the importance
of networks, both formal and informal, and Chapter 6 briefly details the types of services which
could be included in a new information service. Chapter 7 emphasises the benefits of winning
support for the new service, and increasing awareness, while the eighth chapter discusses ways of
promoting the service, Chapter 9 covers potential training, and seminars which could help users
make the most of the services available.
Although topics are only touched on briefly, the fact that they are mentioned at all provides
readers with reminders of things they may have overlooked as being obvious, or aspects of library
work which may not have occurred to them.
All of the chapters contain sound practical advice, and stress the need to follow certain protocols
such as validating the information provided by the service, and applying copyright law correctly. The
book reminds readers that even though the service may be new, there is no point in “reinventing the
wheel”, and that much can be made of well-established services and existing expertise. It also
emphasises the importance of customer relations, and constantly revising and reassessing services
to ensure quality.
Initially I had thought that considering this is a relatively short book, many things would not have
been mentioned, or would be given a basic treatment. Yet, it is very difficult to find serious fault.
One caveat is that although the book places a great deal of emphasis on the legal concerns
information services have, and mentions wheelchair access and use in Chapter 3, no mention is
made of services for the disabled, or of conforming to the Disability Discrimination Act. There is a
reference to the provision of a translation service, but nothing on assistive technology, or features
such as an induction loop.
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This book still provides a mine of information. The references and further reading are arranged by
chapter, so that any aspect is easy to find. Similarly the appendices provide further useful
information, including templates for press releases, leaflets and copyright declarations.
The glossary offers a detailed list of definitions, and there are comprehensive lists of reference
books, technical suppliers, subscription agents and information on library basics such as filing
and repairs. Throughout the book, many useful examples are referred to, and good use is made of
illustrative graphics.
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While this book will not provide everyone with all the advice and answers they will need, there is
enough information to give everyone guidance at most stages.
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Although the book is presented as a “basic guide” to help people through the process, the quality of
the writing, detail of information and wealth of further resources contained makes the title a valuable
resource for anyone faced with the task of creating a library and information service.
A
nne Totterdell has produced a second edition of The Library and Information Work Primer
(Totterdell, A., with Hornsey, A., and Gill, J. An Introduction to Library and Information Work.
2nd ed., Facet Publishing, 2005. isbn 1-85604- 557-9) to take into account changes in the
CILIP Framework of Qualifications.
There is also an additional chapter covering international libraries. It is hoped that this
will extend the appeal of the book to non-UK students, as well as paraprofessionals,
those on the first year of a library and information studies course and anyone
requiring a general overview of libraries and the issues surrounding them.
As in the previous edition, a general introduction provides information on various aspects of the role
of library and information workers, such as funding and censorship issues, and then within eight
chapters offers a guide to further aspects of the work.
The first two chapters cover the functions and structures of different types of libraries and aspects of
recruitment and training. Although useful, the topics are not covered in great detail and so only
provide an introduction.
The third chapter covers the background of inter-library loans schemes and why they are important
to the work of libraries. It provides an interesting history, and a guide to how various systems work,
with examples. Following chapters cover more specific aspects. The stock of libraries and services
to users are covered in some detail, with clear outlines of different types of material, conservation
elements, security aspects and the role of libraries to the community.
The sixth chapter focuses on information technology, and is contributed by Alan Hornsey. It provides
a comprehensive guide to many aspects of IT, from details of hardware and networks, to the
information retrieval applications of computers in libraries.
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In general, the balance of the book has been struck very well, as it explains things clearly without
patronising readers or over-simplifying issues, yet without over-complication.
From basic concepts the book moves on to the role of IT. The background provided will allow people
not directly involved to understand the basics of IT management. Yet, for all of these strengths, it still
does not quite convey the impact technology has had on library and information services, and its
continuing importance.
Chapter 7 covers aspects of management, and was originally contributed by Lyn Pullen, but revised
for this edition by Jane Gill. Management issues may not be at the forefront of readers concerns as
they begin in the profession, but this chapter provides a useful overview of the bigger picture of
library work.
The final chapter, which is new to this edition, focuses on international library organisations,
and provides examples of libraries from the developed and developing worlds. This chapter
features heavily in the publicity for the new edition, and yet it is also the weakest part of the
book. To quote:
We had intended originally to offer in this section an overview of library provision in
the developed world, but this has proved extremely difficult to research in any
meaningful way.
Instead of elaborating on how or why, the chapter provides information from the Western Australia
public libraries website about the range of materials and services they offer, and merely states that
libraries in America and New Zealand operate in a similar manner.
The same argument can be applied to the section about libraries in the developing world, which
uses sub-Sahara Africa as a case study, and yet only focuses on the books provided for that area
by Book Aid International. There is no discussion of issues such as the “digital divide” or how the
developing world may be suffering through information deprivation. More surprisingly, there is no
case study of an actual library. The chapter is a mere six pages, and feels tacked on to the rest of
the work and under-researched.
There are other aspects of the book which are under-developed. When discussing the
structure of academic libraries, there is a reference to instances where members of
the public may have access, but no mention of schemes such as UK Libraries Plus. If
this book is aimed at those in their first year of LIS courses, it seems strange not to use
this as an example. In a brief mention on archives, it states that:
training is different to that of librarians and consists of a one-year postgraduate course,
currently offered at four universities
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From the Society of Archivists’ website there are seven UK universities running the relevant
postgraduate courses. Similarly, despite providing a case study of a County Records Office, there is
no discussion of records management, yet the Freedom of Information Act (also not covered) makes
this vital for many libraries.
There is still much to commend, and the main criticisms stem from the attempt to capture a wide
audience with a “broad yet focused approach”. In trying to do this, none of the target groups are
really satisfied. There are also more useful and detailed books on specific areas of work.
Holophony
For those considering entering the profession, I also felt the book provides an idealised view of the
way in which libraries work, and while it highlights problems such as funding, it does not thoroughly
explore the negative impact of this. However, the information is useful, and the book is well written in
a consistent style. It was an ambitious task, but I would not describe it as a “standard work”. It is
more of a good starting point.
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The Olympus DS-3300
Digital Voice Recorder
Ken Cheetham
UWIC Student Support
When asked to consider producing an audio equipment review, I
had a good look at some current applications which might
stimulate a broader interest than those only appealing
perhaps to a sound specialist. Writing an on-line presentation
skills programme some years ago, I commented that the use of
audio in presentations was often overlooked, though it could be a
most effective aid:
l It
is simple to use if a professional standard is not needed.
and materials are commonly available.
l Most of us have some means of recording and playing sounds.
l It is versatile: a presentation might successfully utilise sound
effects, a recorded message, music as background or even
music as example or illustration.
Olympus
l Digital recording provides high quality voice reproduction.
l Recordings can be easily manipulated with various software programmes.
l Equipment
Front
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Olympus DS-3300 Digital Recorder 2
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My first thought was to conduct tests using three examples of
portable recorders, but the capabilities of the modern, portable,
digital recorder convinced me that a review of just one of these
would serve a greater purpose, so no further reference will be
made to micro-cassette tape or to minidisk, except to say that the
latter would be my preference for listening to reasonably high
fidelity music on a train, using decent headphones, of course.
One final point here I think: decent also means that nobody else
can hear the sound from them.
Most reviews and general publicity about the Olympus DS-3300
Digital Voice Recorder stress its value as a dictation machine:
“The DS-3300 frees you from the necessity of taking written
notes, leaving you to concentrate completely on what is being
said. . . . An excellent dictation recorder, guaranteed to catch
every word – no matter whether you are at a meeting, a seminar
or an out-oftown assignment”.
This is an accurate assessment, but it does not fully describe the
capabilities of the DS-3300. I have examined some similar,
though distinct, applications for this machine, which broaden its
horizons way beyond the somewhat narrow and restrictive
parameters of business effectiveness. I will come back to these
later, but let us look first at the equipment itself and then at how it
actually does the job it is designed for.
Olympus Back
This is a high quality recorder with a compact, robust design, in a metal body with a professional
look and feel. It has a large, easy-to-read LCD with backlight. One of the essential differences
between a recorder of this type and tape or disc recorders is that the former produces files which
can be transferred to a computer and then manipulated in a variety of ways: it is this which lends
them their versatility.
The DS-3300 can be set up with a maximum of five folders, each of which can store as many as
199 voice messages or files. The recorder, and its associated software, is compatible with both PC
and MAC. Storage is actually on removable XD cards, and cards up to 512MB can be used. SP
mode recording allows up to 5 hours and 10 minutes on the 32MB card supplied, while LP will yield
11 hours and 5 minutes, so a 512MB card could provide as much as 179 hours and 30 minutes of
recording. The best sound quality will be achieved with the machine in SP mode.
The key specifications are shown in the box on the nexy page. The kit, as supplied, comprises the
DS-3300 Digital Voice Recorder, 32MB xD picture card, a multi-function cradle/docking station, USB
Cable, 2 x AAA alkaline batteries, case, DSS Player Pro dictation software for Windows and Mac
and user manual.
The multi-function cradle/docking station permits data downloading to a computer and recharging an
optional Ni-MH battery pack (via an AC adapter, also optional, unfortunately).
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Files are saved
in the recorder in the highcompression, high-quality DSS (Digital Speech
Standard) format. editing possibilities include insertion,
selective erasing and overwriting.
Individual files and whole folders may also be erased.
Once connected to the computer via the USB interface,
the versatility of the system is revealed, due to the
Olympus DSS Player Pro software.
Direct dictation from the recorder to the computer is
possible and fast, efficient file management, editing,
transcription and archiving are all enabled.
The software also supports encryption of voice
messages before sending as email attachments or via
FTP.
Downloading files to the computer may be undertaken
selectively. Individual files – or folders, or all the
recordings on the device – may be chosen.
Recordings may be played back from the DS-3300
directly, or via the computer when connected, and both
methods have their advantages.
One may wish, for example, to review a recording on the
train, while returning home from a lecture or simply
revising notes. The recorder features a 3.5mm mini-jack
headphone socket for convenience.
Recording format:
DSS (Digital Speech Standard) files
Recording media
xD-Picture Card: 16 to 512 MB
Overall frequency response:
SP mode: 300 to 5,000Hz
LP mode: 300 to 3,000Hz
Recording time (32 MB Card):
SP mode: 5 hours 10 minutes
LP mode: 11 hours 05 minutes
Alkaline battery life:
Recording: Approx. 20 hours
Playback: Approx. 12 hours
Ni-MH rechargeable battery life:
Recording: Approx. 15 hours
Playback: Approx. 10 hours
Speaker:
28 mm round, dynamic speaker
MIC/EAR jack:
3.5 mm mini-jack
Batteries:
2 AAA alkaline batteries (supplied)
Or 2 Ni-MH rechargeable batteries
Or a Ni-MH rechargeable pack
(Ni-MH is Nickel-Metal Halide)
External dimensions:
110.2 x 50.0 x 17.2mm
Weight:
101g (including alkaline batteries)
Playing back from the computer, hands-free while busy in the kitchen or laboratory may also be a
useful option. I tested the DS-3300 in a number of different ways, the simplest of these being the
direct recording of my voice reading notes, using the built-in microphone.
The recorder was set up in the cradle and stood on my desk at a distance of about a
metre. The resulting sound quality was extremely good and I found that the direction towards which
the microphone was pointing made no noticeable difference to either the sound quality or recorded
level. This proved to be most useful when recording a one-to-one tutorial.
Recording quality did improve when a separate microphone was used, connected through the
3.5mm mini-jack microphone socket. This method was particularly useful in isolating a presenter’s
voice from other sounds, at a distance of some 10 metres.
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The kit as supplied comprises the DS3300 Digital Voice Recorder, 32MB
xD-picture card, a multi-function
cradle/docking station, USB Cable, 2
xAAA alkaline batteries, case, DSS
Player Pro dictation software for
Windows and Mac and user manual.
The multi-function cradle/docking
station permits data downloading to a
computer and recharging an optional
Ni-MH battery pack (via an AC
adapter, also optional, unfortunately.)
This is a high quality recorder with
a compact, robust design, in a
metal body with a professional
look and feel.
An Olympus ME12 Noise Cancelling Microphone is
specifically designed to reduce the effects of ambient
noise and is especially recommended to improve
transcription accuracy when using voice recognition
software.
All of the recorded files were easily downloaded to my
computer using the Olympus DSS Player Pro software,
and I was able to play back each item at will, scrolling
backwards and forwards through each file to listen to
individual sections repeatedly. These tests suggested a
variety of uses, including that of transcribing recorded
notes simply by using a word processor application.
It is interesting to note here that there is a full,
professional, transcription kit available from Olympus.
This is the AS-4000 hardware which supports a traditional
approach to the transcription process. It is easy to imagine
how easy it was to record ideas which came up in a
seminar, and later download them automatically to PC, then organise and save the files. The same
approach was used to record summaries of meetings, to create, organise and save reports and
ideas and to dictate instructions, letters and emails. Indeed, any of the saved files could be
immediately sent as emails from the computer.
How does this help? Well, it enables the conversion of voice files to text, so that a sight-impaired
student, for example, can record an answer to an assignment by voice. The answer can then be
converted to text and submitted, distributed or stored in a text format if required. Similarly, the
additional use of text reading and writing software allows any text document to be scanned into a
word processing application and converted to speech, read from the screen. The speech can be
saved as an audio file (.wav, MP3, .wma) capable of being played on any suitable device, such as
the DS-3300.
This is an effective and versatile machine. It was a real pleasure to use it. The cost is around £228
plus VAT and the kit is often offered with the transcription package. It acquires a further edge with
the addition of voice recognition and/or text reading and writing software, preferably both. Contact
VoicePower, telephone +44(0)1943 468000.
System Requirements Windows:Operating System: Microsoft Windows 98/ 98SE/ Me /2000
Professional XP. Professional / Home Edition Recommended. CPU : Intel Pentium II class 333MHz
processor or faster (Processor 500 MHz or faster is recommended). 128 MB RAM or more (256 MB
or more is recommended). Hard drive space: 50 MB or more. CD drive: 2 x or faster CD-ROM, CDR, CD-RW, DVD-ROM drive. Sound card: Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 or 100% compatible
sound card. Display: 800 x 600 pixel or more, 256 colours or more.
One free USB port; earphone output or speakers. Browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 SP2 or
later. Note: Do not use the recorder as a USB Microphone/Speaker on Windows 98 as
computer operation may become unstable (only from Windows 98SE and up)
Macintosh Operating System: Mac OS 9.0 - 9.2.2/10.1 - 10.3. Power Mac G3 233 MHz class
processor or faster. iMac/ iBook/ eMac/ Power. Mac/PowerBook (The computer must support
standard USB port). RAM: 128 MB or more (256 MB recommended). Hard drive space: 50 MB or
more. CD drive: 2 x or faster CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-ROM drive. Display: 800 x 600 pixel or
more, 256 colours or more. One free USB port; earphone output or speakers. Note: USB speaker
function support only from Mac OS 10.1.5. USB microphone function support only from Mac OS
10.2.7 or later. Macintosh version does not support voice recognition software

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