LIS 2600 Reading Notes Week 6

LIS 2600 Reading Notes Week 6 (Oct.8-Oct.14)

Reading 1 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_Area_Network

-Local Area Networking interconnects computers within a limited area (home, school, etc)
-Characteristics are high-speed transfer, small geographic area, and leased telecommunication lines
-Ethernet and Wi-Fi are most common distributors
-Developed in Professional World (Xerox and Chase Bank) in the 1970s
-With Personal Computers, LAN grew to meet standards of saving storage space and to communicate
-TCP/IP has become LAN standard
-Originally cables were Coaxial but evolved into Fiber Optics
-LAN usually functions in a series of switches connected to a modem or router
-Multiple LANs can connect through Lease Service or the Internet

Reading 2 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_network

-A group of computers or hardware connected to allow sharing of information and resources
-One device is sending information, one is a remote device
-Can be measured through data transfer media, communications protocol, scale, and topology
-Communications protocols define rules and data formats for exchanging information in a network
-Internet Protocol and Ethernet are two media
-Developed from research projects in computer technologies (50kb/s transfer maximum)
-Today Telephone and Internet are comprised solely of Networks
-Computer networks: Facilitate Communication, Permit Sharing of files and other types of information, share network and computing resources, may be insecure due to ease of access, Interfere with other technologies, and can be difficult to set up
-Can also be classified through hardware and software technology (electrical cable, optical fiber, and radio waves)
-Wired Technologies: Twisted Pair Wire, Coaxial Cable, ITU-TG. hn, Optical Fiber
-Wireless Technologies: Terrestrial Microwave, Communication Satellites, Cellular and PCS Systems, Radio and Spread Spectrum Technologies, Infared Communications, and Global Area Network
-Exotic Technologies: IP over Avian Carriers, Radio Waves
-Communications Protocol - Set of rules for exchanging information over a network
-Ethernet - Family of protocols used in LAN within a standard of IEEE 802
-Internet Protocol Suite - TCP/IP - foundation of all modern networking - defines all areas of access
-SONET/SDH - Used for transfer of multiple digital bit streams over optical fiber through lasers
-Asynchronous Transfer Mode - switching technique for telecom networks - diminishing in favor of more modern networks
-Personal Area Network, used for transfer in one network
-Local Area Network - Limited Geographic area, based on ethernet technology
-Metropolitan and Wide Area Network - expands LAN over larger geographic areas
-Virtual Network - traffic flows between virtual machines employing virtual protocols
-Star and Bus Networks are most common in ethernet and Wireless LAN
-Hardware Components include Bridges, Routers, Hubs and Network Adapter Cards

Reading 3 - Coyle, K. (2005). Management of RFID in libraries. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 31(5), 486-489.

-RFID - Radio Frequency Identifier - consists of computer chip and antenna printed on a medium
-Unlike barcodes, does not have to be visible to be read
-RFID isn't a single technology, there are hundreds of different products on the market
-Used in drug production and to prevent online piracy
-Excels in economic market, still developing in the library trade
-Hard to apply to Library Science because of perceived "throw away" nature
-Security issues also create issues for practical use
-There are positives, allows for quicker and easier scanning of multiple items
-Provides exact calculations of use and timing
-Libraries rarely see return on investment, making it tough to apply because of it's high-tech expensive nature
-Only practical application would be self-checkout removing reference aspects needed in the library
-Tough to apply to delicate materials such as pamphlets and magazines
-Also has problems reading on digital media such as magnetic or metal disks
-If technology can adapt to be changed without reapplication, it is very viable
-Conclusion: developing, yet potential is wide ranging for library field