NSS news online

[dutchcontractor]

so I really enjoy my monthly NSS magazine delivered to my home, but is there a way to view them online too? I hear some of the black and white pictures are colored in the online version.

Thanks,

--Dutch

[NZcaver]

so I really enjoy my monthly NSS magazine delivered to my home, but is there a way to view them online too? I hear some of the black and white pictures are colored in the online version.

Yes, but for now only issues older than about 5 years are available. See the KIP website and this previous topic.

[Don Cuevas]

Yesterday, following a URL here, I believe, I downloaded the July, '09 NSS News. It was great! I went up the directory to look for more, but found nothing but the caves.org pubs page.

Saludos,
Don Cuevas
(Mike Warshauer)

[Batgirl]

I don't understand why the NSS doesn't allow the Huntsville University system to catalog and scan our entire library so that members could access it, including all NSS News publications as well as local newsletters?

[UnderGroundEarth]

Lynn,

You should submit this as an issue for the Congress of Grottos. Motions passed by the COG must be considered by the NSS Board of Governors.

Last year we passed a motion for the NSS to accept digital copies of grotto newsletters. Although i'm not sure where this stands with the BOG at the moment...


Kelly
^V^

[BrianFrank]

Do most of my reading on iPad. I would vote for an NSS News iPad App that updates automatically with the newest newsletter and also includes search features for past issues. That would be the best of all worlds....for me at least.

[Cheryl Jones]

I don't understand why the NSS doesn't allow the Huntsville University system to catalog and scan our entire library so that members could access it, including all NSS News publications as well as local newsletters?

As far as I know, the NSS isn't allowing it. It's a terrific idea that has been discussed in the past. I even met with the head of the UA library when I was OVP to discuss how we could partner with the university library, and discussed mobile scanning systems with the folks at the Karst Information Portal at the U. of South Florida.

A Congress resolution is not needed to initiate the project--just volunteers. (Anyway, resolutions and Board acts mean nothing if there are no volunteers to follow through.) We just need a dynamic and pro-active NSS Library Committee to pursue, organize, and facilitate the project. Want to join and get it going? Know anyone who might take it on?

Re: NSS Pubs:
Back issues of the NSS News and Speleo Digest, as well as past NSS Convention Guidebooks, are available (except for some missing ones that we're working on getting up) at the Karst Information Portal (KIP) http://www.karstportal.org.

NSS webmaster Alex is well into uploading the complete set of back issues of the NSS News and ACA onto the NSS website. By Board act, issues newer than 5 years can't be posted in the public arena. The goal, once a secure sign-in system is set up for NSS members, is to have current issues of NSS pubs available on the NSS website. Progress is slower than anyone wants because the IT Committee needs reliable volunteers to enhance, improve, and re-design our website.

The NSS can do most anything as long as members step up to take on the responsibility!

Cheryl

[Batgirl]

This discussion was also brought up on FB so I sent an email to Dave Luckins, our OVP about this and this was his response:

I just received a response from Dr. Lundquist who is the Chair of the NSS Library Committee. He reports he is working with the archives of the UAH library and sees the Library Director often…as recently as two days ago. To the best of his knowledge, UAH has no interest in obtaining our library as a special collection. Given his very unique connection to UAH and to their library, he’s in a special position to be “in the know.”

UAH is, of course, aware of the NSS library and we have held discussions with their staff over the years.

The Board has a long term objective to digitize the library (working with the Library Committee). The first priority, however, is to get the collection into a more secure and stable environment. Our current space is over-filled (actually stuffed to the walls) and functions more as storage than a library. Moving to our new facility will permit us to function again as a library, expand our ability to maintain our archival material (print and multi-media), and allow us begin to make it more accessible to the membership. We have a unique collection of rare books and photographic material that is in need to better protection and that’s our priority. Once the collection is secure, we can move to resolving the copyright issues associated with digitizing material for members use.

This is not being done in serial, however, the grant committee is developing grant proposals to fund a digitizing efforts. When the money becomes available, we’ll be ready to start work.

So, the Board is very aware of the library and its needs. In fact, the library was a key element in the determination that a new facility was needed.

Thanks for your interest. As the move occurs, I hope to be able to call upon you to help get the library up and running and accessible to our members.

Dave Luckins, OVP.