Survey of UF’s Digital Assets

Dale B. Canelas, Director

Increasingly, faculty and students at the University of Florida are sharing their intellectual and research endeavors through the digital medium of the Web. While there is little doubt that this is of significant benefit to researchers, students, and the broader global community, there is growing concern that there is no systematic access to these content rich resources and that they are not being archived appropriately. A recent article “Going, Going, Gone: Lost Internet Sources,” Science, 10/31/2003, Vol. 302 Issue 5646, p787 indicates the likelihood of Web-cited sources disappearing within months of being cited in research articles.

In response to this current situation, the library administrators have convened a Task Force to explore the issues described above. As part of its mandate, the Task Force was asked to identify the digital materials that are being created and served on the Web by the colleges, departments, and other administrative units of the University of Florida community. This will be done using the brief survey available at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=72324702118.

Please take a few minutes to fill out and submit the electronic survey. We would like to have responses by November 30, 2004. Your assistance will help guide the Task Force in making recommendations concerning the long-term preservation of the digital assets of the University of Florida.