Isaac Newton’s Opticks

Last year the library acquired a rare first edition of Isaac Newton’s Opticks, published in 1704, as our 2 millionth volume. On Monday the library and our partners will launch an innovative new “reusable learning object”, an interactive web-based application, that introduces students to Newton and his work. It can be found on the web at: http://www.ltrc.mcmaster.ca/newton/

The project is a partnership between faculty in Arts and Sciences, the Learning Technology Resource Center, and the library. It is a model for our transformation in that it:

• embeds librarians and archivits in support of teaching and learning
• highlights our unique collections and provides access to them in new ways
• creates new learning resources that were previously unavailable
• uses technology to engage learners in new ways

I’m very pleased that we were a part of this and look forward to partnering with other faculty on campus on similar projects.

A rose by any other name

On July 24, 2006, The Chronicle of Higher Education published a story called “E-Book Meets iPods”. The article reports on Apple’s plan to issue an iPod with a screen “big enough to display several paragraphs’ worth of text.

It was reported in Library Journal on May 31 that Harlequin has begun publishing e-books and is also providing e-access to “Harlequin Minis” - 10,000 word short stories that can be downloaded for $0.99 US.

Now…before you make an assumption that since I’m blogging I must be “anti-book”, let me clear things up. I am a book collector. I have a small but growing collection of first editions. However, I also recognize the potential benefits of e-books for students and faculty.

Imagine for a moment just a few of the advantages offered by an ebook iPod:

• Small enough to carry in your back pocket but large enough to read comfortably
• Carry literally hundreds of “books” on one device
• Search the entire full-text for word or phrase
• Compare and contrast works by the same or different authors
• Sort, display, and use your own personal library
• Read anywhere, even in low light
• Convert text to speech
• Easily (perhaps too easily?) share or copy entire works

Imagine a future where every student could, upon registering for class, automatically receive their textbooks, course notes, and other required course readings just as easily as they download the latest song from their favorite artist. Instead of spending time in lines at the bookstore or at the library’s reserve desk they could be spending time on activities related to their coursework - completing assignments, using library resources, collaborative study, etc.

We may not be there yet but today we made progress. I’m pleased to announce that McMaster University Library has purchased EEBO, Early English Books Online. This valuable resource provides full-text access to more than 100,000 titles. For the first time students and faculty will have easy access to these works - delivered directly to their
desktops. It may not be directly to their iPod but it is a step…