Digital Content Quarterly is a magazine published in print and online by the Strategic Content Alliance (SCA): “an initiative created to support citizens in gaining best value from the public investment made in digital content”.

The Strategic Content Alliance works on behalf of the public sector to reduce the barriers that currently inhibit access, use and re-use of digital content and to build a common information environment where users of publicly funded content can gain best value from the investment that has been made.

Oxford University Computing Services (where the RunCoCo project is based) has just become an affiliate member of SCA (more information about affiliate membership).

The Digital Content Quarterly summer issue 2010 features an interesting collection of articles, as briefly outlined below (click on the links to go to the article). For more information, go to the Digital Quarterly website to download the issue or read it online.

• News roundup – digital content news from different sources with links to the original items.
• Welcome – introduction to the issue by Stuart Dempster and Sarah Fahmy
• IPR, the Digital Economy Act and you – Naomi Korn, SCA IPR consultant, looks at the implications of the Digital Economy Act for public sector bodies such as libraries, schools, universities, colleges and museums.
• How the $630 Bible adds layers of value – Matthew Loy of Ithaka S+R considers the 21st century Bible and how a US company adds value to – and makes a profit out of – one of the most famous out-of-copyright books of all
• Recession busting the Canadian way – Paul Lima, Policy Advisor at the Canadian Heritage Information Network, describes how the country has taken a proactive approach to the global downturn.
• The Internet Archive: Surviving and thriving – Robert Miller, Director of Books, explains how the Internet Archive organisation has not just survived but thrived through economic adversity, whilst defending the ‘non-profit’ ethos
• Sharper, smarter, stronger – The museums, libraries and archives sector is facing a rapid and potentially revolutionary overhaul of its funding environment. Katie Pekacar, MLA Policy Adviser: Excellence, Improvement and Innovation, considers strategy, adjustment and the positive, long-term transformation of the sector.
• It’s wikid! – about the first ever volunteer Wikipedian-in-residence at the British Museum.
• A panoramic view of digital research – Richard Boulderstone, Director e-Strategy and Information Systems at the British Library, explains how the Library’s forthcoming Growing Knowledge exhibition will explore the future of digital research.
• Will the virtual revolution be televised? – Academic, journalist and BBC TV presenter Aleks Krotoski talks to Michelle Pauli about how the internet is changing TV for good, and the ethics of a brand new frontier for research.
• Strategic Content Alliance workplan update
• Fluency in Film and Sound – Features, video, sound and images to complement the work of the JISC Film and Sound Think Tank. The supplement investigates the challenges and efforts to encourage students, teachers and researchers to work with video with the same fluency they have with text. Interactive version also available (requires Adobe Acrobat 9)

The Digital Content Quarterly issue 3 is available in different formats:
– print (order free copies)
– online on website
– pdf [3 Mb]
– interactive pdf [4 Mb] (requires Adobe Acrobat 9)