Abstract

Characteristics and economic data of the information market come from various sources and are somewhat mixed. Specific aspects and products discussed are the valuation of the global information market, corporate acquisitions, major scientific publishers, publishing markets (countries), cost of WoK and Scopus databases, revaluation of economic information since the 2008 crisis, journal price increases, open access market, evolution of computing costs (Moore’s Law) and major vendors.

Abstract

Libraries want to lend e-books, but they are finding many problems in doing this. This paper reviews the main obstacles that libraries have to face when lending e-books. First of all, the article describes the differences in the digital publishing market around the world, but there isn’t only one global situation regarding this topic. Further barriers placed by providers and publishers, which make it difficult to lend e-books, are also analyzed. Criteria that libraries should follow in order to acquire and lend e-books to their patrons are listed. Finally, the Cielo model of e-lending in the libraries of the University of Salamanca is explained.

Abstract

Review of the developments and trends in computing and telecommunications that have the greatest impact on the documentary and library environment. Among the topics considered are: expanding the markets of large internet companies that want to include new activities, competition between social networks, evolution of ereaders to tablets, increased use of mobile devices (with plenty of features, such as ways to make payments) to the detriment of the PC, tran0sfer of information technology services to the cloud as this provides much more flexibility to institutions, not having so many fixed devices, search engines becoming personal assistants (calendaring, home automation, recommendations), semantic web e-commerce applications, rise of the “open” concept (content, software, data sets), and the professionalization of blogging, which is now more geared to income.

Abstract

Over the past decade, China has built 25,000 km of dedicated high-speed railway—more than the rest of the world combined. What can we learn from this remarkable experience? China’s High-Speed Rail Development examines the Chinese experience to draw lessons for countries considering investing in high-speed rail. The report scrutinizes the planning and delivery mechanisms that enabled the rapid construction of the high-speed rail system. It highlights the role of long-term planning, consistent plan execution, and a joint venture structure that ensures active participation of provincial and local governments in project planning and financing. Traffic on China’s high-speed trains has grown to 1.7 billion passengers a year. The study examines the characteristics of the markets for which high-speed rail is competitive in China. It discusses the pricing and service design considerations that go into making high-speed rail services competitive with other modes and factors such as good urban connectivity that make the service attractive to customers. One of the most remarkable aspects of the Chinese experience is the rapid pace of high-quality construction. The report looks at the role of strong capacity development within and cooperation among China Railway Corporation, rail manufacturers, universities, research institutions, laboratories, and engineering centers that allowed for rapid technological advancement and localization of technology. It describes the project delivery structures and incentives for delivering quality and timely results. Finally, the report analyzes the financial and economic sustainability of the investment in high-speed rail. It finds that a developing country can price high-speed rail services affordably and still achieve financial viability, but this requires very high passenger density. Economic viability similarly depends on high passenger density. Document type: Book