Month: June 2009

“Not Served on a Silver Platter! Access to Online Mathematics Information in Africa”

Anders Wandahl has self-archived "Not Served on a Silver Platter! Access to Online Mathematics Information in Africa" in arXiv.org.

Here's an excerpt:

The "truly free" resources listed in the table [e.g., open access journals] above are free to anyone and anywhere. Resources provided by other programmes and initiatives, which are described below [e.g., HINARI], are also free to end-users in all or most African countries. However, there is an importance difference between these two groups of resources. The second group requires some sort of authentication before the user is allowed access. . . .

In order for the IP number control system to work smoothly, the public IP number(s) should be fairly stable. In Africa, this is not always the case, since a change of the Internet Service Provider (ISP) also usually means a change of the IP number. African institutions sometimes see an advantage in negotiating terms and prices with a new Internet Service Provider now and then, in order to find a more favorable deal, but this means that the new IP numbers must be supplied to all journals and publishers before access is reestablished.

To complicate this picture a little further, there is a distinction between static and dynamic IP numbers. In general, there is a world-wide shortage of IP numbers. In order to cope with this situation, the numbers are sometimes assigned to universities and institutions in a dynamic as opposed to static way. A dynamically assigned IP number may change any time (even though they usually are pretty stable over time). A static number is assigned once and is not supposed to change as long as you have a running contract with an Internet Service Provider, which makes them better for authentication purposes. The flip-side of the coin is that static numbers are more expensive.

Digital Library Jobs: Library Applications Developer at the University of Maryland

The University of Maryland Libraries are recruiting a Library Applications Developer (Web Programmer).

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Responsibilities include providing general development and support for applications run by the Digital Technology & Interface Services department, such as content management systems (Drupal, etc), authentication, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications, and library-specific applications such as DSpace and discovery tools. The Web Programmer will support back-end operations and enterprise integration, develop web interfaces for information discovery, customize and integrate commercial and open-source applications, and provide original programming. Knowledge/skills/abilities include: thorough knowledge of and experience with web technologies (HTML, the HTML DOM, CSS, XML, XSLT, RSS and AJAX); experience working collaboratively in a team environment; experience building an application which programmatically interacts with a database; and good oral/written communication skills.

Presentations from 2009 Annual RLG Partnership Meeting

Presentations (PDF, MP4, and WMV formats) from the 2009 Annual RLG Partnership Meeting are now available.

Here's a brief selection of PDF files:

A Guide for the Perplexed Part II: The Amended Google-Michigan Agreement

The American Library Association, the Association of Research Libraries, and the Association of College and Research Libraries have released A Guide for the Perplexed Part II: The Amended Google-Michigan Agreement.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

The University of Michigan, one of the original participating libraries in the Google Book project, recently entered into an amended agreement that will govern the relationship between Google and Michigan if the proposed Google Book Search settlement is approved by the judge.

Jonathan Band, author of "A Guide for the Perplexed: Libraries and the Google Library Project Settlement," has provided a concise description of the Google-Michigan amended terms. The document highlights some rights and responsibilities of participating libraries, including the following:

  • Michigan and any partner library can initiate a review of the pricing of the institutional subscription to determine whether the price properly meets the objectives set forth in the settlement agreement.

  • Google must provide to partner libraries information on books, such as whether Google is treating the book as in the public domain and whether a book is being excluded from any display uses for editorial or non-editorial reasons.

  • Google will provide Michigan with a free institutional subscription for at least 25 years.

  • Michigan is permitted to provide digital copies of the public domain books to academic institutions and research or public libraries for non-commercial research, scholarly, or academic purposes, as long as the library uses reasonable efforts to prevent bulk downloads of the copies.

Home Broadband Adoption 2009

The Pew Internet & American Life Project has released Home Broadband Adoption 2009.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

An April 2009 survey by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project shows 63% of adult Americans now have broadband internet connections at home, a 15% increase from a year earlier. April’s level of high-speed adoption represents a significant jump from figures gathered by the Project since the end of 2007 (54%). . . .

The growth in home broadband adoption occurred even though survey respondents reported paying more for broadband compared to May 2008. Last year, the average monthly bill for broadband internet service at home was $34.50, a figure that stands at $39.00 in April 2009.

The growth in broadband adoption indicates that the economic recession has had little effect on decisions about whether to buy or keep a home high-speed connection. The Pew Internet Project’s April 2009 survey found that people are twice as likely to say they have cut back or cancelled a cell phone plan or cable TV service than internet service.

Digital Library Jobs: Associate Director for Technical and Digital Services at Florida International University

The Florida International University Libraries are recruiting an Associate Director for Technical and Digital Services.

Here's an excerpt from the ad (position number 41782):

This position leads shapes and overseas the works of 35 staff on two campuses engaged in acquiring and making accessible the resources in all formats of the FIU Libraries. The Associate Director is a member of the Libraries management team, with leadership and management responsibilities for all technical services and systems operations. The Associate Director is also responsible for leading the Libraries digital services program, coordinating projects and planning across library departments (Digital Collections Center, Sound & Image, GIS/MIUS, Special Collections, and Reference).

eIFL Case Studies on Low Cost Digitisation Projects: Final Report

eIFL.net has released eIFL Case Studies on Low Cost Digitisation Projects: Final Report.

Here's an excerpt:

This report summarizes the experiences with digitisation by some eIFL countries. Although there are probably many more examples of digitisation in eIFL countries, this report includes only those where the country responded to the survey.

The main objective of this study was to raise awareness about best practice digitisation projects that are: (1) affordable, (2) easily managed at the technical and organisation level, (3) sustainable, and (4) enable eIFL countries to preserve and promote their local content online.

Libraries in eIFL countries with digitisation projects were asked to complete a survey that asked them about the intent of their projects. Surveys were completed and returned by libraries with additional relevant information, such as pictures illustrating the digitisation (scanning). Subsequently, the respondents were interviewed briefly by phone or Skype about their survey answers.

“AAHSL Institutional Repositories (IR) Survey Summary and Analysis: 2008 Survey, 2005-2008 Comparison”

Tom Singarella and Paul Schoening have self-archived "AAHSL Institutional Repositories (IR) Survey Summary and Analysis: 2008 Survey, 2005-2008 Comparison" in Archie—Digital Collections @KUMC.

Here's an excerpt:

This survey has tracked IR development for the past 4 years, and there have not been as many changes as one might have anticipated from 2005. Certainly, the number of health science libraries promoting and/or maintaining institutional repositories continues to slowly increase, but the development has been slow, except in the case of large university-wide efforts or in conjunction with main university libraries. Although the IR effort is increasing, development has not proceeded as quickly as some respondents previously indicated. Based on individual comments, it appears that additional resources are needed to adequately support a health science library in developing an IR, and most often the impetus is to protect the archives of the institution, followed closely by faculty publications and research information. The most successful efforts (as determined by number of objects populating the IR) continue to appear to be via the main campus library and statewide higher education efforts. As more and more health sciences libraries internalize information technology practices, we may see more development and a changing face in the IR in the health sciences world. However, more often than not the academic health science library IR development is part of a larger university or collaborative library effort.

The UK’s Share of World Research Output: An Investigation of Different Data Sources and Trends

The Research Information Network has released The UK's Share of World Research Output: An Investigation of Different Data Sources and Trends.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

Bibliometrics have come to play an increasing role in assessing the performance of researchers in the UK, as indeed in other parts of the world. But the complexities of both the data sources and the methods of analysis used are little understood by many of those who wish to make use of the results. Even the relatively simple matter of measuring the UK’s share of the global production of scientific publications is much more complex than appears at first sight, with traps for the unwary and huge differences in the published figures.

The RIN's The UK's share of world research output report explains how these difference arise, and reflects on the implications for the measurement of UK scientific performance. It highlights that producers and publishers of bibliometric data must make much more transparent the choices they have made as to data sources and methodology, and the implications of those choices. Policy-makers and others interested in the health of the UK research base must also take greater care to interrogate the figures that they use and to present them accurately. Otherwise the risk is that policy and related decisions will be made on the basis of false assessments.

Presentations from EThOS Web Services Workshop

Presentations from the EThOS Web Services Workshop are now available.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

Aim of the day: To identify how Web Services are and can be used to enable interoperability between repositories, repository services and other systems. The workshop aims to provide information on and a chance to discuss the role Web Services can play in supporting the ongoing implementation of repositories.

Vocabulary Mapping Framework Announced

A cooperative project, the Vocabulary Mapping Framework, is mapping major metadata standards (CIDOC CRM, DCMI, DDEX, DOI, FRBR, MARC21, LOM, ONIX, and RDA).

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

The new vocabulary is not intended as a replacement for any existing standards, but as an aid to interoperability, whether automatic or human-mediated. The expanded Framework will include mappings of terms from code lists or allowed value sets in the existing standards to the RDA/ONIX vocabulary, enabling the computation of "best fit" mappings between any pairing of standards. . . .

The work will result in:

  • a mapping of vocabularies from the source standards to support the building of crosswalks and transformations between any of them;
  • a definitive reference set which editors can draw on when creating and developing standards;
  • a downloadable RDF/OWL ontology to support the interchange of metadata content between these major standards, which will be useful to enable automated reuse of metadata from different sources and schemas, to improve the quality and access and reduce the cost of metadata;
  • a governance scheme to oversee further development.

Scholarly Communication 101: Starting with the Basics Workshop Materials Added to Scholarly Communication Toolkit

ACRL has added materials from its Scholarly Communication 101: Starting with the Basics Workshop to its Scholarly Communication Toolkit.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) is extending the reach of the "Scholarly Communication 101: Starting with the Basics" workshop by adding related materials to its popular Scholarly Communication Toolkit. The materials—including short videos, presentations templates and handouts—were developed for the half-day workshop offered at the ACRL 14th National Conference in Seattle and traveling to five locations around the country this summer (http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2009/april2009/acrlscroadshowhosts.cfm). Now librarians can make use of these tools to enhance their own knowledge or adapt them to offer related workshops on their own campuses. The Scholarly Communication Toolkit is available online at http://www.acrl.ala.org/scholcomm/.

Developing a basic understanding of scholarly communication issues should be a high priority for every librarian. Enhancing understanding of how scholars work along with the systems, tools and technology to support the evolving work of the creation, personal organization, aggregation, discovery, preservation, access and exchange of information in all formats is one of six strategic priorities for 2009-13 developed by the ACRL Board of Directors (http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/about/whatisacrl/index.cfm). The newly developed tools support this strategic priority, with a focus on new methods of scholarly publishing and communication, copyright and intellectual property and economics along with open access and openness as a principle.

XC User Research Preliminary Report

Nancy Fried Foster has self-archived XC User Research Preliminary Report in UR Research.

Here's the abstract:

This report summarizes the objectives, methods, and major software design findings from the data collected in the user research portion of the eXtensible Catalog (XC) project. A full analysis and interpretation of the data is not included here and will be provided at the conclusion of the project. This report includes edited results from the brainstorming sessions and a list of the features that emerged from the analysis of those results.

Harvard Graduate School of Education Faculty Adopt Open Access Policy

The Harvard Graduate School of Education faculty have adopted an open access policy. (Thanks to Open Access News.)

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

The faculty of the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) voted overwhelmingly at its last faculty meeting to allow the university to make all faculty members' scholarly articles publicly available online. The resolution makes HGSE the fourth of Harvard's 10 schools to endorse open access to faculty research publications. The Faculties of Arts and Sciences, the Harvard Law School, and the Harvard Kennedy School all passed similar policies in recent months. . . .

As a result of the resolution, HGSE faculty will now provide their scholarly articles to the Harvard Office for Scholarly Communication for deposit in an open access digital repository that is currently under development. When the repository launches later this year, the contents will be freely available to the public, unless an author chooses to embargo or block access. The policy makes rights sharing with publishers and self-archiving the default, while allowing faculty to waive Harvard's license on a case-by-case basis, at the author's discretion.

Nevada Statewide Digital Planning 2008-2009: Final Report

The Nevada Statewide Digital Advisory Committee and the Nevada State Library and Archives have released the Nevada Statewide Digital Planning 2008-2009: Final Report (Thanks to Virtual Library Notes).

Here's an excerpt:

The Statewide Digital Plan (April, 2009) was developed under the leadership of the Nevada State Library and Archives (NSLA) and the Statewide Digital Advisory Committee (SDAC) (Appendix A). Through a series of activities that involved a wide range of Nevadans, including the cultural heritage community, K-12 community, and community arts organization, four goals and objectives were developed and activities prioritized.

Over the next five years the library and cultural heritage community will focus on these goals:

Goal I: Provide online access to digital collections held by Nevada cultural heritage organizations and allied information providers that are distributed throughout Nevada.

Goal II: Develop & implement standards/best practices that will support access to Nevada’s digital collections.

Goal III: Develop a leadership/governance structure that will support the growth and sustainability of a standards-compliant digital initiative created by Nevada’s cultural heritage organizations and allied information providers.

Goal IV: Establish a collaborative digitization model where the full range of types and sizes of Nevada cultural heritage organizations and allied information providers can participate.

Simon & Schuster to Sell E-Books on Scribd

Simon & Schuster will sell e-books on Scribd.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

At launch, nearly 5,000 Simon & Schuster eBook titles will be available on Scribd for purchase and download, making them readable on Scribd.com, computer desktops and various mobile devices. The Simon & Schuster storefront on Scribd (www.scribd.com/Simon&Schuster) will include bestselling books from authors such as Stephen King, Dan Brown, Mary Higgins Clark, Chelsea Handler and Steve Martin. In addition, Simon & Schuster will also make thousands of printed titles available for preview with links to purchase from the Simon & Schuster website and other retailers. . . .

All works in the Scribd Store are added to Scribd's Copyright Management System, an industry-leading technology that helps prevent the upload of unauthorized written works. Publishers like Simon & Schuster have the ability to determine how works are read, including settings for "read only on Scribd.com,” "download” and "download with DRM." In addition, Scribd provides publishers with the flexibility to experiment with pricing, which can be changed easily and at any time.

Read more about it at "Does Simon & Schuster's Scribd Deal Challenge the Kindle?," "Scribd: An E-Book Upstart with Unlikely Fans," and "Simon & Schuster in Deal with Scribd to Sell E-Books."

American Institute of Physics Will Use CLOCKSS Digital Archive

The American Institute of Physics will use the CLOCKSS (Controlled Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe) "dark" digital archive.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

CLOCKSS will make AIP content freely available in the event that AIP is no longer able to provide access. . . .

The CLOCKSS initiative was created in response to the growing concern that digital content purchased by libraries may not always be available due to discontinuation of an electronic journal or because of a catastrophic event. CLOCKSS creates a secure, multi-site archive of web-published content that can be tapped into to provide ongoing access to researchers worldwide, free of charge.

"Today, when over one half of all our subscriptions are online only, we owe it to our customers more than ever to provide the best security possible for their electronic products," said Mark Cassar, AIP's Acting Publisher. "Our nearly three-year-old partnership with Portico, and now our participation in the CLOCKSS initiative, solidifies this commitment."

CLOCKSS' decentralized, geographically distributed preservation strategy ensures that the digital assets of the global research community will survive intact. Additionally, it satisfies the demand for locally situated archives with 15 archive nodes planned worldwide by 2010.

“Google Book Search Settlement: Foster Competition, Escrow the Scans”

In "Google Book Search Settlement: Foster Competition, Escrow the Scans," Peter Eckersley proposes that digitized books involved in the Google Book Search Settlement Agreement be put in escrow for some period, then made freely available.

Here's an excerpt:

One good compromise might be to require that anyone who takes a blanket license (whether under the Google Book Search settlement, or under any legislation that might expand the settlement to others) must deposit a copy of the raw scans that they create with the Library of Congress or with the entity that administers the blanket license (e.g., the Books Rights Registry). After a period of years, let's say 14, the term of the Founder's Copyright, those scans should be made available at no cost to any others who take the relevant copyright licenses.

This would not only encourage market entry and competition in the online digital books arena, but would also foster innovation in the field. There's nothing that encourages digital innovation quite like access to an enormous dataset. After all, before Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded Google, they were graduate students at Stanford. They were able to build a new search engine by downloading their own copy of the web, messing around with it, and figuring our a better algorithm for querying it. New start-ups working with digital books should have the same kind of opportunity.

Stanford University Libraries Have Laid Off 32 Employees, Will Close Physics Library

The Stanford University Libraries and Academic Information Resources have laid off 32 employees, eliminated 26 vacant positions, and plan to close the Physics Library in 2010.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

University Libraries announced Wednesday that it has laid off 32 employees. It also offered nine other staff members the option of being laid off and receiving severance benefits instead of staying in revamped positions at reduced pay or reduced hours.

The unit also announced plans to permanently close the Physics Library in the summer of 2010 and transfer its holdings to other locations. . . .

"This has been a challenging process and layoffs have been undertaken only after careful assessment of all budget options," said University Librarian Michael Keller.

"We greatly regret the need to lay off staff who have been dedicated to the library and its mission. However, the elimination of these positions will enable us to balance our budget. I am confident that we can weather the crisis, and we begin immediately the important task of revamping and rebuilding our organization."

All told, more than 60 library positions have been affected by layoffs, reassignments and other cost-cutting measures to meet the 2010 budget reduction mandated by the university.

University Libraries has also eliminated 26 vacant positions.

In addition to trimming its workforce, University Libraries has cut expenses by reducing the purchase of books, journals and online subscriptions; closing Green Library at 1 a.m.; eliminating patron outreach programs, including the semi-annual magazine Imprint; and eliminating most staff travel.

In Stanford Provost John Etchemendy's "2009-2010 Stanford University Budget Plan" presentation on 05/28/09 to the Faculty Senate, it was stated that the Libraries face a 13.5% general funds budget reduction.

In "University Budget Announced," Etchemendy is reported as saying that the Stanford Auxiliary Libraries project must proceed, noting that:

"If we don’t build that soon, Mike’s going to have to start burning books," Etchemendy said, referring to University Librarian Michael Keller.

Read more about the Stanford University budget situation at "Cuts to Hiring Will Affect Growth, Composition of Faculty"; "Provost Announces Salary Freeze, Additional Cuts for FY 10"; "Provost Outlines Next Year's Budget"; "Recession Leads to Strategic Shift"; and "University Suspends $1.3 Billion in Capital Projects."

Digital Library Jobs: Institutional Repository and Digital Collections Librarian at Missouri University of Science and Technology

The Curtis Laws Wilson Library of the Missouri University of Science and Technology is recruiting an Institutional Repository and Digital Collections Librarian.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Lead the production and organization of the Scholars' Mine, Missouri S&T's Institutional Repository (http://scholarsmine.mst.edu). Innovate and grow the Repository's collection and system to be a trend-setting leader in repository form and function. Hire and train student workers to assist with the processing of faculty and student works into the repository. Lead the Mine Team, consisting of library and IT department staff, to continue the development of the Scholars' Mine. Lead an advisory committee of campus faculty to ensure the needs and interests of the campus are known. Interact with faculty to discover new collections, present the repository concept to various campus groups and perform general outreach activities regarding repository functions. Act as the liaison between various campus entities that have a stake in the repository including the library, faculty, administration, information technology and students. Additionally, both as part of the Scholars' Mine operation and in general, act as advisor on copyright concerns from both the author and publisher standpoint to ensure compliance in all areas as the Scholars' Mine adds materials. Work with other University of Missouri campus libraries and the UM Library Systems Office on cooperative projects in the area of digital collections. Assist in identifying local resources to digitize and serve as the primary organizer and expert in deciding the correct platform to host the content.

RoMEO Application Programmers’ Interface Version 2.4 Released

SHERPA has released version 2.4 of the RoMEO Application Programmers' Interface (API).

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

The new version uses a totally new algorithm and is faster than earlier 1.x versions. It also supplies data for the fields that were missing in earlier versions—paid open access, and compliance with research funders' mandates. . . .

If you are using an older version of the prototype, we strongly recommend that you upgrade your application to use V.2.4 as soon as possible, because we will be discontinuing the old versions at the end of 2009. Version 2.4 is largely compatible with earlier versions. The main things that may require attention are: the new URL, handling the extra fields, and handling changes to the parameter and copyright fields.

“One Year (Almost) with the Open Access Authors Fund”

Andrew Waller has self-archived his "One Year (Almost) with the Open Access Authors Fund" presentation in E-LIS.

Here's the abstract:

This presentation described the origin of and policies and procedures relating to the Open Access Authors Fund at the University of Calgary. The activities of the Fund in its first year were presented and discussed. Other Open Access activities at the University of Calgary were also briefly discussed.