Library Without Walls

Overview The Library of Congress National Digital Library Program (NDLP) is assembling a digital library of reproductions of primary source materials to support the study of the history and culture of the United States. Begun in 1995 after a five-year pilot project, the program began digitizing selected collections of Library of Congress archival materials that chronicle the nation’s rich cultural heritage. In order to reproduce collections of books, pamphlets, motion pictures, manuscripts and sound recordings, the Library has created a wide array of digital entities: bitonal document images, grayscale and color pictorial images, digital video and audio, and searchable texts. To provide access to the reproductions, the project developed a range of descriptive elements: bibliographic records, finding aids, and introductory texts and programs, as well as indexing the full texts for certain types of content. The reproductions were produced with a variety of tools: scanners, digital cameras, devices that digitize audio and video, and human labor for rekeying and encoding texts. American Memory employs national-standard and well established industry-standard formats for many digital reproductions, e.g., texts encoded with Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) and images stored in Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) files or compressed with the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) algorithm. In other cases, the lack of well established standards has led to the use of emerging formats, e.g., RealAudio (for audio), Quicktime (for moving images), and MrSid (for maps). Technical information by types of material and by individual collections is also available at this site. Vision A physical library is more than a catalog that points to volumes on shelves. A digital library is more than a database, and the future National Digital Library will be much more than a universal union catalog. We envision the National Digital Library as a set of distributed repositories of managed content and a set of interfaces (some of which will resemble traditional catalogs) to that content. Some interfaces may offer comprehensive access to the entire resource, while others will be specialized by content, by intended audience, or by primary purpose. Some interfaces will be closely tied to a particular repository, while others will provide access to a selection of content from distributed repositories. Access to the content in the National Digital Library will not be limited to searching a bibliographic database. Even in traditional libraries, users do not start every visit by searching the catalog. Instead, library patrons browse current issues of favorite journals or lists of new acquisitions, use specialized indexes to journal literature, or consult bibliographies, references from scholarly publications, and lists of readings. The digital library must be usable in equivalent ways. School teachers who use the online collections at the Library of Congress have already communicated their eagerness to find shortcuts to the most valuable materials so that they can quickly illustrate classroom presentations or develop lesson plans. From the user’s point of view, the digital library has the potential, in ways not yet realized and not possible with traditional library resources, to be an extension to every desktop, classroom, and personal library. Patterns of use of the World Wide Web already demonstrate that teachers, scholars, and students will want to refer to items in the digital realm as active links from reading lists, articles, textbooks, and term papers. We also know that students will want to work with these items in their own electronic environments, constructing presentations, reports, and online projects. Digital Library Users In 1989, to help launch the American Memory pilot project, a consultant surveyed 101 members of the Association of Research Libraries and the 51 state library agencies. The survey disclosed a genuine appetite for on-line collections, especially in research libraries serving higher education. The American Memory pilot (1990-1995) identified multiple audiences for digital collections in a special survey, an end-user evaluation and in thousands of conversations, letters and encounters with visitors. The most thorough audience appraisal carried out by the Library of Congress consisted of an end-user evaluation conducted in 1992-1993. Forty-four school, college and university, and state and public libraries were provided with a dozen American Memory collections on CD-ROMs and videodisks. (These formats are no longer being supported.) Participating library staff, teachers, students and the public were polled about which digitized materials they had used and how well the delivery systems worked. The evaluation indicated continued interest by institutions of higher education as well as public libraries. The surprising finding, however, was the strong showing of enthusiasm in schools, especially at the secondary level. The evaluation team learned that recent reforms in education had created a need for primary-source historical materials such as those in the Library’s incomparable collections. Teachers welcomed digitized collections to aid in the development of critical thinking skills; school librarians used the electronic resource to inculcate research skills. These findings have been validated in the educational outreach program initiated by the Library of Congress in 1995 and initially funded by the Kellogg Foundation. Educational Outreach In 1995, in conjunction with the launch of the Library of Congress National Digital Library Program, the Library brought together leading history and social studies K-12 teachers and librarians to consider how archival on-line resources could best be used in the nation’s schools. The participants at this Educator’s Forum validated earlier findings: that while the primary sources were in great demand, for teachers to be able to make effective use of them, they needed additional materials to frame the collections and the topics represented in the collections. To this end in 1996, the Library of Congress developed The Learning Page

Caterpillar and Discovery Channel’s Mike Rowe promote trades jobs

It seems a good fit: Caterpillar Inc. wants to renew focus on their customers and Mike Rowe wants to help renew interest in the types of jobs to customers.

Next to the giant construction machine and TV star can renew hope focus on the importance of trades and jobs to help close the skills gap that exists today and seems to be growing, Rowe said on a visit to Caterpillar on Wednesday.

The host of the popular Discovery Channel program “Dirty Jobs” met with the media, toured SS Building in East Peoria, where excavators are built, and met with officials from Caterpillar, including CEO Doug Oberhelman.

Rowe said one thing that always struck while working on the program is that “we have lost sight of the fact that people are willing to do the dirty things hold together for the rest of us.”

Rowe and Caterpillar formed a partnership to promote in August of men and women working in shops. Rowe said he contacted Caterpillar because I wanted to work with companies that are related and philosophically in line with its website, mikeroweWorks.com.

That site can now be accessed through the web site of Caterpillar, cat.com.

Dirty Jobs has been on the air more than three years, Rowe said he frequently hears from people that the U.S. is focused primarily on older, technical education today than in thr routes. Therefore, workers in the trades are starting to reach retirement age, with few coming up behind them.

That’s why he created his website two years ago and start adapting to companies like Caterpillar and Ford Motor Co., for whom is the spokesperson on national television.
Rowe believes that is beginning to take hold. He cited a recent connection between Caterpillar and provided a new initiative in Alabama, where the shortage of qualified workers is “looking forward”, called Go Build Alabama.

Rowe said that television does a poor job of portraying the working people, which usually trades jobs are seen as drudgery. In fact, he added, “We have a lot of fun and laugh a lot out there.”

He hopes that his show portrays. “There are some shows on TV that actually involve real people,” he said.

“There is a general desire among people to show what they do. They want their stories, but we are proud of what they do. There are too many forums that allow that,” he said.

He said he wanted to be a dealer while growing up because the family members work in stores. He was not skilled enough, he added. “The closest I could get was a show that celebrates,” he said.

Rowe said he was excited about partnering with Caterpillar, because “there is a very short list of companies that build the world and the cat is on it. I mean, where the hell would we be if not for Caterpillar?

Construction workers inside the SS were excited to learn Rowe as he walked along the assembly line, shaking hands and signing autographs.

New Crane Operator Regulations in the Works

For the first time since 1971 the federal government is updating crane regulations. Triggered by various lethal crane accidents around the country this past year, the U.S. Department of Labor is set to release drafts of the new regulations, which focus mainly on crane operator standards.

New Standards

The new regulations will require crane operators to pass both written and practical tests in all 50 states and complete more training. Currently only 15 states and 6 cities require tests. Crane operators will have various options to become certified/qualified under the new rules:

• Certification through accredited third-party testing organizations
• Qualification through audited employer testing programs
• U.S. military-issued qualification
• Qualification by state/local licensing authorities

In addition to the certification and training of crane operators the new rules also hone in on inspecting ground conditions, crane assembly and disassembly, operating near power lines, and the use of safety devices and crane inspections.

It is expected that the final approval of all of the regulations will “likely take more than a year.”

Sources:

(1) Devlin, Barrett. The Associated Press. September 18, 2008.

NAHETS Crane Operator Training & Certification

Member schools of the National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools (NAHETS) across the country offer mobile crane operator training and certification programs. Each of the member schools are authorized to administer the NCCCO Mobile Crane Certification tests. They also offer training from instructors, all holding NCCCO Mobile Crane Operator Certifications, to prepare for the tests. Visit the NAHETS Crane Site for more information.

Georgia School of Construction Elects Non-Renewal Status with NCCER

On August 1, 2008 Georgia School of Construction (GSC) elected to not renew its Accredited Training Sponsor and Accredited Training Unit status with the National Center on Construction Education and Research NCCER. In late August GSC notified NCCER of its intended actions regarding election to not renew its training entity status with NCCER; however, the value of the NCCER sponsored training curriculum; i.e., Contren Learning Series will remain an integral part of the GSC and all NAHETS member schools’ curriculum.

Yellow Metal Hot Tip 2: Getting Out of a Tight Spot

Last week’s hot tip taught us how to jump a ditch with a backhoe; this week’s hot tip will teach us how to get out of those tights spots on the job site. This Yellow Metal Hot Tip is brought to you by Yellow Metal TV and the National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools (NAHETS). Once again, Blake Vernon of the Nevada School of Construction (NVSC) will take us through behind the wheel. This week’s hot tip features the wheel loader.

Make sure you tune in next time by subscribing to the blog!

Video Hot Tip: How to Jump Trench with Backhoe

All of us have seen the “yellow metal” on the road side while driving to work, but many of us do not know exactly what those machines are capable of doing, let alone know how to operate them. Sure we know that a backhoe can move dirt around and dig holes. Surely it can’t be that hard to get in a backhoe and just drive it around. But the matter of fact is that you don’t use a backhoe just to drive it around; you use a backhoe to operate it, and that may take more skill and experience than one may think . . . and surely there is more to a backhoe besides just moving dirt around…

To illustrate what it takes to be a true heavy equipment operator on a daily basis, we’ll take a look at a video hot tip from a NAHETS online industry resource–Yellow Metal TV. In response to an actual question from a heavy equipment operator in Wisconsin, Blake Vernon–Heavy Equipment Instructor for the Nevada School of Construction (NVSC)–takes us through a specific scenario on how to jump a ditch with a backhoe while a form board is already in place . . .

Short Version

Full Length Version

*If you do not see the videos see (1) Short Version & (2) Full Length Version

Make sure you don’t miss the next hot tip–subscribe to the blog now!

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Recent Fatalities Spark Action for Crane Regulations

Last month, seven people died when a crane collapsed in Manhattan, NY; two others died in Miami after a crane collapsed. The incidents have not only triggered modifications for crane safety in these cities, but in other cities across the country. With only 15 states and 6 cities currently requiring crane certification, these recent events have caused many to visit and revisit the proposal for city and state laws concerning the matter.

Background

With few state regulations in place, the federal government oversees crane safety, largely through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). One requirement is having a “competent person” to inspect all crane equipment before use. Although few cities require some form of pre-operations inspection, this responsibility currently falls mostly to the employers, who have authority to designate a “competent person” to inspect cranes. Employers are also responsible to make sure all employees (crane operators) are “competent,” “qualified,” or “certified” to perform their tasks; however, there is no set regulation on specific training programs or certifications.

OSHA does recognize NCCCO certification as verification of meeting OSHA training requirements. The NCCCO is a private certifying organization for crane operation. The 15 states and 6 cities that require certification use NCCCO certification.

1. http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=INTERPRETATIONS&p_id=21009
   
2. http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=1332

Miami-Dade County Ordinance

Taking effect March 28, three days after the March 25 accident, this is a local ordinance in the Miami-Dade County. The ordinance was proposed by Audrey Edmonson, County Commissioner of the Crane and Heavy Advisory Committee. The proposal requires trained experts to inspect all crane equipment, the certification of all crane operators, as well as a hurricane preparedness plan. This proposal will ultimately give inspectors and building officials authority to inspect and decide if the cranes safe enough to operate; they will also have authority to revoke or suspend building permits if the cranes fail to meet safety standards.

This ordinance also defines tower cranes as “permanent structures,” instead of “temporary structures.” This basically means that the cranes have to meet the same safety requirements as high rise buildings, which means there will be more requirements to meet.

1. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami_dade/story/473173.html
2. http://www.globest.com/news/1124_1124/miami/169445-1.html

Brooklyn Hearing Scheduled for Crane Regulations

On April 29 the City Council’s Housing and Building Committe will hold a hearing to discuss changes in construction site safety at high-rise sites. In light of the Manhattan accident, the participants’ main focus is to ensure that all sites are safe for all workers and the public who walk around the developments on a daily basis.

The Buildings Department also started inspecting all crane sites on March 20. New York City officials have also ordered that inspectors must be on site to raise or lower any cranes.

1. http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=5&id=19589
2. http://www.newsday.com/news/local/am-crane0320,0,5233399.story

Other Cities Taking Action

The recent Miami and Manhattan accidents have caused other cities and states to consider modifying their crane operating safety procedures:

• Dallas, TX–officials are in the beginning stages of increasing crane safety
• Stamford, CT–Mayor Dannell Malloy has requested more frequent crane inspections
• Charlotte, NC–has reported 10 crane-related deaths since 1997, and has renewed concerns in crane safety after the Miami and Manhattan accidents.
• Denver, CO–Corkey Wassam, crane operator of 35 years and field representative for Winslow Crane Service, speaks out on crane safety.

New Corporate Website–NAHETS.org–Unveiled

The National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools (NAHETS) launched its new corporate website–www.NAHETS.org–on February 28, 2008. Unique from the existing NAHETS sites, NAHETS.org is an information-based site that focuses solely on sharing relevant company information and industry news with an expanded audience–partners, industry companies and associations, and employers.

What is the purpose NAHETS.org?

Already with a universal site (www.NAHETS.com), a leading job placement site (www.yellowmetalusa.com), and program and curriculum-based sites (www.heavy-equipment-school.com & www.yellowmetalbootcamp.com), NAHETS discerned the need for a website that was filtered to the business relationships of the heavy equipment industry. NAHETS.org is unique because its primary purpose is to communicate to industry companies, partners, and employers, instead of primarily towards students as other NAHETS sites.

Central to NAHETS.org is that it avoids the heavy traffic from students while maintaining a credible reputation for the industry. Although the NAHETS.com site is a more “all-inclusive” site, its heavy focus on students can detract from the experience of those not looking to attend the schools; i.e., partners, employers, and industry associations. NAHETS.org maintains enough design and information to be useful to students, but mostly meets the demands of non-student visitors by focusing on relevant content for NAHETS and the heavy equipment and construction industries.

Where did it come from? Who was involved? How long did it take?

The concept of “employers vs. students,” or in other words, the idea of website communication to the business relations of NAHETS, in addition to students, has been a goal of Executive Director, Matt Klabacka, since he founded NAHETS in 2005. After various evolutions of the main NAHETS.com site, Klabacka realized that one site, by itself, was not enough to create the desired student and business relationships. After discussing the matter with NAHETS personnel, Klabacka launched the NAHETS.org undertaking.

With ideas coming from Klabacka and other personnel, including Mike Martens (Director of Operations), Rhett Nielson (Creative Director), and Brian Thornton (Technology and Marketing Director), Klabacka turned the creation of the site over to Mike Wille, Internet Manager. Wille spent months designing and testing the site before its February 2008 take off.

What are its features?

Wille created the site using a modern design scheme, making it compatible with the appearance of related industry sites. NAHETS.org also incorporates the latest in website technology:

• Cold Fusion to power the website with the most current information and news from a database
• Video Streaming in the “Schools” and “Videos” sections
• RSS Feed from the company and video blogs to the “News” section of the website

Just the beginning

This release of NAHETS.org is just the beginning. The site is designed to continually grow with updated company and industry information and news. We invite everyone to come back and visit the site frequently, as well as pass the word along to family, friends, employers, etc.

NAHETS Introduces iPod, “An Instructor in a Pocket,” for Heavy Equipment Training

The National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools (NAHETS) is introducing a new training tool for heavy equipment operators called, “An instructor in a pocket.” This method of training allows NAHETS heavy equipment students to receive instruction in video format via Apple iPods. The iPods will be used at the Georgia School of Construction (GASC), as well as at all NAHETS member schools.

Purpose. The purpose behind this training tool is to provide students with a visual learning resource to help them better remember their tasks and ultimately increase performance on heavy equipment operation. The iPod training tool (a.k.a. “an instructor in a pocket”) will ensure NAHETS students are beyond the curve in technology and learning resources for heavy equipment operation instruction.

Content. The iPod videos will have a series for each type of heavy equipment at the school. Currently, the skid steer series is available, with more to come. On each video series, an instructor takes the student through basic and advanced drills to show students what training objectives they need to complete and how to complete them.

Origin. The “instructor in a pocket” idea originally came from Matt Klabacka, executive director of NAHETS, and Rhett Nielson, media and creative director. They discovered the idea as they were working together with Chris Cannon, director of training and curriculum development, in implementing the Yellow Metal Boot Camp Program, unique to the construction and heavy equipment industry. They envisioned heavy equipment training beyond the traditional textbook, class room, and on-site instruction . . .

Yellow Metal Boot Camp Program. Yellow Metal Boot Camp is the “technology meets heavy equipment operating” curriculum created and implemented by NAHETS:

• Manuals
• DVDs
• Drill cards
• Online “hot tips” videos
• iPod podcast videos

The iPod training tool focuses on the “read, see, and do” NAHETS Yellow Metal Boot Camp philosophy of construction equipment training:

• “Read” it and forget it (textbooks, etc.)
• “See” it and remember it (iPod videos)
• “Do” it and understand (on-site heavy equipment)

iPod Details. Each student who enrolls with any of the NAHETS schools will receive a 4 GB Video iPod Nano. Students are told how to access the private URL links that give them the location of the podcasts to download onto their iPods. Students will use campus computers to download everything into iTunes and then sync onto their iPods. The students can frequently use these videos while attending NAHETS schools and also watch them in the future as they begin new jobs or need to brush up on certain skills. In other words, the “instructor in a pocket” provides a lifetime of instruction.

Construction and Heavy Equipment Jobs . . . For Women Too

For those of us who know construction workers and heavy equipment operators, I am sure most of them are males. Lets face it, shopping and bulldozers just don’t seem to match up all that well; however, many of us will be surprised to learn that there are more women employed in construction and heavy equipment industries than we would think.

The U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau keeps track of statistics for nontraditional occupations for women. Here are some relevant statistics in construction and heavy equipment occupations.*

Although the statistics do not show a high percentage of women involved in these occupations, it is obvious that hundreds of thousands of females across the United States are interested in or already are employed in construction jobs, including heavy equipment operating. Similar trends hold true for countries outside of the United States as well. The following is a summary from an article written on November 8, 2007 by Matthew Craze on Bloomberg.com entitled, “Andean Women Use Gentle Touch to Conquer Monster Mining Trucks”:

South America’s mining industry is being flooded by women who come mainly from the Andean Mountains to work as mining truck drivers. The main reason the women do this is because it greatly increases their income compared to typical work in the villages and communities they live in. As would be expected by some, the men did not believe that these women would last under the harsh mining and weather conditions; however, many women feel the same way as mining truck driver, Patricia Guajardo, who said, “The winters can be very harsh, but I love it.”

 

Despite concerns or issues regarding the performance of these female equipment operators, many industry personnel actually say the women have a better touch in operating than some men do. Cristian Silva, a truck and earth-moving equipment trainer for Caterpillar, Inc., said “Women tend to take more care of the machine and don’t abuse the brakes or the engine…Operating the machine better means more profits.” This is one of the main reason mining companies in South America, such as Barrick Gold Corp. and BHP Billiton Ltd, like the female operators—their performance actually cut costs and increase output.

 

It is a win-win situation with these South American women becoming equipment operators for mining companies. It not only allows the women to increase their lifestyle and show their capabilities but it also brings in profit for the mining companies. There have been few minor difficulties in hiring women operators (some have legs that are too short to operate and it can be hard to find them because many women stay home with children). Despite these obstacles, it has been a positive experience for both the women and mining companies of South America.

 

Until 19993, women were banned from working at mines in Chile. By 2005, women made up 4.3 percent of the mining workforce in Chile, according to Codelco, the world’s largest copper producer.*

So it appears that it is safe to say that women can experience success in construction and heavy equipment work, just as men can.

References:

*(1) Nontraditional Occupations for Women in 2006. U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau. Retrieved November 26, 2007 from http://www.dol.gov/wb/factsheets/nontra2006.htm

*(2) Craze, Matthew. (November 2007). Andean Women Use Gentle Touch to Conquer Monster Mining Trucks. Retrieved November 22, 2007 from http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601100&sid=aAR9kj8RyLyU&refer=germany.