Month: April 2010

"Data Curation and Libraries: Short-Term Developments, Long-Term Prospects"

Anna Gold has self-archived "Data Curation and Libraries: Short-Term Developments, Long-Term Prospects" in DigitalCommons@CalPoly.

Here's an excerpt:

This paper was prepared as background for a talk given at AGU 2009 on "Data & Libraries." It summarizes the developments and events from late 2006 through early 2010 that are shaping library roles in scientific data curation while underscoring the range, complexity, and varying granularity of systems, actions, and efforts involved. The main conclusions are: (1) leaders of major research libraries have committed their institutions to support data curation. (2) The library profession has demonstrated significant conceptual progress in characterizing and understanding data curation both in theory and in practice. (3) There has been progress since 2006 in legitimizing library roles in data curation through formal education and certification programs as well as by integrating data curation into established library services and systems. Certain questions remain unresolved: how will data taxonomies or ontology, schemas or data models and their databases fit into data curation practices? Librarians, however, can draw on a growing body of experience and the support of a community of practice as they contribute to data curation, while researchers and those who fund research can turn with growing confidence to libraries and librarians for data curation support.

Project Manager, Kuali Open Library Environment at Indiana University

Indiana University is recruiting a Project Manager, Kuali Open Library Environment.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Provides leadership for the planning, software development, implementation, maintenance, and documentation of all aspects of the Kuali OLE (Open Library Environment) software initiative. Manages the joint operations positions funded by the Kuali OLE Partnership for development of the software deliverable along with supervision of a long-term software development contract with an external vendor. Creates and manages comprehensive, realistic project schedules and plans and provides specialized IT services in the management, coordination, scheduling, and delivery of large and/or complex, technology-based specialized software development projects. Communicates regularly and effectively with stakeholders, technical staff, senior-level management, and customers. Develops software development RFP for this project. This is a jointly funded community software project of the Kuali Foundation, the Kuali OLE Board, and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and has a two-year timeline with opportunities for extension.

The JISC MOSAIC Project: Making Our Scholarly Activity Information Count; Final Report

JISC has released The JISC MOSAIC Project: Making Our Scholarly Activity Information Count; Final Report.

Here's an excerpt:

The project was tasked to investigate the possibilities for exploiting the user activity and resource use data that might currently or potentially be made available through Higher Education systems to benefit libraries, national services and their users. The project generated seven demonstrators, worked with a variety of real library datasets and organised a series of six practitioner and user workshops. In so doing, it gathered a great deal of intelligence about the potential, both possibilities and pitfalls, for individual universities and national services.

Read more about it at Making Our Shared Activity Information Count (MOSAIC).

IT Specialist (PLCY/PLNG) at the Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian Institution is recruiting an IT Specialist (PLCY/PLNG). Salary: $105,211-$155,500.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

This position is located in Office of Chief Information Officer. The employee provides managing the Smithsonian digitization programs providing oversight of programs, leading the implementation of the pan-Institutional Digitalization Strategic Plan, and promotes digitization activities. . . .

  • Leads development, implementation and ongoing assessment of an integrated, pan-Institutional Digitization Strategic Plan, and coordinates with units in the development of unit digitization plans that align with Plan.
  • Oversees and coordinates the formation and work of technical working groups, developing core digital file and metadata standards for the various types of digital data to facilitate pan-Institutional access to Smithsonian collections and research. Supervises program office staff, and chairs the Digitization Program Advisory Committee.
  • Provides leadership and direction to OCIO in defining the technical requirements of a Trusted Digital Repository and leadership and guidance to units in determining appropriate content and data content management plans.
  • Provides expert advice to Smithsonian leadership, Smithsonian and unit senior management in the planning, prioritization, development, and execution of Institution-wide and unit-based program elements.
  • Provides central, internal communication and coordination on matters of funding, training, contracts, internal networking tools, and pan-Institutional exchange of information regarding digitization efforts.

A Primer on Codecs for Moving Image and Sound Archives: 10 Recommendations for Codec Selection and Management

AudioVisual Preservation Solutions has released A Primer on Codecs for Moving Image and Sound Archives: 10 Recommendations for Codec Selection and Management.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

One area of great concern for the integrity and persistence of digital audio and video files is the selection of file formats and codecs… Though this is also an area where there is a great lack of certainty and clarity on the issue.

This paper by Chris Lacinak lays out a clear explanation of what codecs are, how they are used, and what their selection and application means to archives. Also provided are 10 recommendations that will help you in the selection and management of codecs in an archival setting.

Google Books Bibliography, Version 6

Version 6 of the Google Books Bibliography is now available from Digital Scholarship.

This bibliography presents over 310 selected English-language articles and other works that are useful in understanding Google Books. It primarily focuses on the evolution of Google Books and the legal, library, and social issues associated with it. Where possible, links are provided to works that are freely available on the Internet, including e-prints in disciplinary archives and institutional repositories. Note that e-prints and published articles may not be identical.

The following recent Digital Scholarship publications may also be of interest:

  • Digital Scholarship 2009: 504-page paperback that includes four bibliographies: the Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography: 2009 Annual Edition, the Institutional Repository Bibliography, the Electronic Theses and Dissertations Bibliography, and the Google Book Search Bibliography.
  • Institutional Repository Bibliography, Version 2: Includes over 700 selected English-language articles and other works that are useful in understanding institutional repositories.
  • Electronic Theses and Dissertations Bibliography, Version 4: Includes over 130 selected English-language articles and other works that are useful in understanding electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs).

ARL Goes Social, Now on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and YouTube

The Association of Research Libraries has begun to use a variety of social media tools, including blogs, Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and YouTube.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement :

Twitter Twitter: Follow @ARLnews on Twitter for general news from ARL, including announcements of new activities, resources, and events. Follow @ARLpolicy on Twitter for tweets from ARL’s Public Policies program covering such issues as copyright & IP, federally funded research, the FDLP, and Net neutrality. Please use the Twitter hashtag #ARL10spr in any tweets about the upcoming Membership Meeting in Seattle.

Facebook Facebook: Become a fan of ARL on Facebook to get our latest news and tell us what’s on your mind.

YouTube YouTube: Watch our archived webcasts on our YouTube channel.

Flickr Flickr: View photos from recent ARL events on our Flickr photostream.

Tumblr Blogs: Learn about public policy issues that impact the research library community on the Policy Notes Blog. . . . Also join the discussion of library service assessment, evaluation, and improvement on the Library Assessment Blog.

"Ramping It Up: 10 Lessons Learned in Mass Digitisation"

Rose Holley, Manager of the Australian Newspapers Digitisation Program at the National Library of Australia, has self-archived "Ramping It Up: 10 Lessons Learned in Mass Digitisation" in E-LIS.

Here's an excerpt:

In 2007 the National Library of Australia (NLA) began a large-scale newspaper digitisation program that aimed to digitise one million pages (10 million articles) per year, with a view to increasing the volume over time and ramping up digitisation to include books and journals as well as newspapers. By the end of 2009 the NLA had learnt 10 key lessons about ramping up its digitisation activities into a mass-scale operation.

Digital Services Librarian at Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences

The R. A. Williams Library of the Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences is recruiting a Digital Services Librarian.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Provides leadership, planning, implementation, and maintenance for the Library in all things digital, including but not limited to the Library’s web presence, digitization initiatives, integrated library systems, and cooperative library-related ventures with other departments at FHCHS. . . .

  • Collaborates with other library personnel to develop and maintain the Library’s electronic services
  • Maintains the Library’s website (involves web page technical support and troubleshooting)
  • Works with stakeholders to determine the content and layout of the library website (page design, overall navigation, and usability)
  • Designs web forms to support library services
  • Assists as needed in maintaining library systems, such as EZproxy
  • Functions as systems administrator for the library ILS, SirsiDynix Symphony
  • Investigates emerging technologies and communicates developments to library personnel and other stakeholders. Develops technology recommendations and strategies for integration into the library strategic plan
  • Provides leadership, vision, planning, and management of the library special collections and archives, including development, preservation, organization, promotion, and digitization of the collections
  • Will plan and implement content creation in CONTENTdm
  • Writes grants and obtains funding for special collections/archives digitization projects

Head of Digital Library Initiatives at Temple University

The Temple University Libraries are recruiting a Head of Digital Library Initiatives.

Here's an excerpt from the ad (job number: TU-13131):

The Head of Digital Library Initiatives will aggressively expand the digital library program at Temple, providing vision and leadership in the creation and delivery of digital content. The incumbent will work closely and collaboratively with senior administrators, special collections, technical services, computing staff, and others to ensure fast-paced development of digital library initiatives which respond to the needs of Temple’s community and align with collections and preservation priorities. Responsibilities include: digitization of special collections and other library materials in text, image, and video formats; developing digital repository systems to preserve and make accessible the intellectual output of Temple University; implementing discovery tools related to these initiatives; hiring additional information technologist staff, and supervising full-time staff, as well as student assistants; planning, prioritizing, and coordinating or managing digitization production; investigating and establishing appropriate standards (technical, metadata, etc.) and quality control procedures; coordinating the library’s web services; maintaining awareness and developing in-depth knowledge of new technology, relevant national standards and best practices, assessing and integrating these into library practices for best results as appropriate.

Last Week’s DigitalKoans Tweets 2010-04-11

Omeka 1.2 Released

The Center for History and New Media at George Mason University has released Omeka 1.2.

Here's an excerpt from the download page

Omeka version 1.2 includes following features and plug-ins:

  • Four themes that are easy to adapt with simple CSS changes and theme configuration
  • Exhibit Builder plugin with 12 page layouts and 5 exhibit themes
  • Tagging for items and exhibits
  • RSS feeds for items
  • COinS plug-in making items readable by Zotero
  • SimplePages plugin for easily making static pages

Here's a brief description of Omeka from Omeka: Serious Web Publishing.

Omeka is a free, flexible, and open source web-publishing platform for the display of library, museum, archives, and scholarly collections and exhibitions. Its "five-minute setup" makes launching an online exhibition as easy as launching a blog. Omeka is designed with non-IT specialists in mind, allowing users to focus on content and interpretation rather than programming. It brings Web 2.0 technologies and approaches to academic and cultural websites to foster user interaction and participation. It makes top-shelf design easy with a simple and flexible templating system. Its robust open-source developer and user communities underwrite Omeka’s stability and sustainability.

Read more about it at "Configurable Themes in 1.2."

Digitization Workflow Engineer at Stanford University

The Stanford University Libraries and Academic Information Resources are recruiting a Digitization Workflow Engineer (fixed term for 12 months).

Here's an excerpt from the ad (job ID:37588):

Stanford University Libraries and Academic Information Resources (SULAIR) have an ongoing program to produce and archive digital reproductions of library materials. Digital Library Systems and Services (DLSS) manages and operates several labs dedicated to digitization of print, audio and video materials, and is building a digital library infrastructure to preserve and provide access to these digitized materials.

Under the supervision of the Manager of Web Application Development in DLSS, the Digitization Workflow Engineer will be responsible for building and implementing systems that help manage the lifecycle of digitized objects. This lifecycle begins with the object's selection for digitization, and ends with its publication on the World Wide Web and preservation in the Stanford Digital Repository. Other steps include metadata creation, digitization, quality control, file cleanup, derivative creation and file validation. The workflow systems implemented by the Engineer will focus on digitization processes and preparation of files for online access and preservation systems.

This is primarily an engineering position, with responsibility for building and implementing automated and manual tools and interfaces to support the digitization labs. The workflow engineer will work closely with the lab managers, the QA specialist, project managers and project coordinators to build tools and systems that support individual projects and ongoing digitization activities. The workflow engineer will also work closely with the DLSS architect and other DLSS software developers to use, extend and integrate with the existing digital library infrastructure and related services.

"Digital Repositories at a Crossroads: Achieving Sustainable Success through Campus-wide Engagement"

Jean-Gabriel Bankier and Courtney Smith, both of Berkeley Electronic Press, have self-archived "Digital Repositories at a Crossroads: Achieving Sustainable Success through Campus-wide Engagement" in SelectedWorks.

Here's an excerpt:

Repository initiatives were, at the outset, driven by two noble desires: to remove barriers to access; and, to begin to address the scholarly communications crisis. For universities across the globe, this specifically meant a focus on collecting peer reviewed journal articles. As we discovered together, neither faculty nor other campus constituents were impelled to invest or take ownership in the endeavor and the failure rate among digital repositories was very high.

Over the past few years a new model for the institutional repository has begun to emerge. To guarantee the long-term viability of the institutional repository (IR), the IR must be made integral to units on campus beyond the library. By working closely with Senior Administrators (like Provosts, Deans, and Department Heads), as well as faculty and students, librarians are offering valuable, targeted services that meet constituents’ needs and fulfill the goals of the repository. With this approach, the scope and value of the IR transcend a limited administrative or library function to fundamentally change the role of the library on campus.

Digital Library Application Developer at Princeton Theological Seminary

The Princeton Theological Seminary Library is recruiting a Digital Library Application Developer.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Princeton Theological Seminary Library is seeking a Digital Library Application Developer to join a small team of content and technical specialists building web-based digital collections of religious texts. The position reports to the Curator of Special Collections and is primarily responsible for developing XML-based applications in XQuery and XSLT on a MarkLogic Content Server.

American Society of Media Photographers and Others File Copyright Infringement Suit against Google

The American Society of Media Photographers, the Graphic Artists Guild, the Picture Archive Council of America, the North American Nature Photography Association, Professional Photographers of America, and others have filed a copyright infringement suit against Google in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

The suit, which was filed by Mishcon de Reya New York LLP, relates to Google’s illegal scanning of millions of books and other publications containing copyrighted images and displaying them to the public without regard to the rights of the visual creators. ASMP and the other trade associations, representing thousands of members, decided to file the class action after the Court denied their request to join the currently pending $125 million class action that had previously been filed primarily on behalf of text authors in connection with the Google Library Project. The new class action goes beyond Google’s Library Project, and includes Google’s other systematic and pervasive infringements of the rights of photographers, illustrators and other visual artists.

This action by ASMP and its sister organizations was taken in order to protect the interests of owners of copyrights in visual works from the massive and organized copying and public display of their images without regard to their contributions and rights to fair compensation. According to ASMP Executive Director Eugene Mopsik, "Through this suit, we are fulfilling the missions of our organizations and standing up for the rights of photographers and other visual artists who have been excluded from the process up to now. We strongly believe that our members and those of other organizations, whose livelihoods are significantly and negatively impacted, deserve to have representation in this landmark issue." ASMP General Counsel Victor Perlman said, "We are seeking justice and fair compensation for visual artists whose work appears in the twelve million books and other publications Google has illegally scanned to date. In doing so, we are giving voice to thousands of disenfranchised creators of visual artworks whose rights we hope to enforce through this class action."

Read more about it at "Artists and Photographers Sue over Google Book Search" and "Google a 'Brazen' Content Thief, Lawsuit Claims."

Faculty Survey 2009: Key Strategic Insights for Libraries, Publishers, and Societies

ITHAKA has released Faculty Survey 2009: Key Strategic Insights for Libraries, Publishers, and Societies.

Here's an excerpt:

In the Ithaka S+R Faculty Survey 2009, we examined faculty attitudes and reported practices in three broad areas, finding that:

  • Basic scholarly information use practices have shifted rapidly in recent years, and as a result the academic library is increasingly being disintermediated from the discovery process, risking irrelevance in one of its core functional areas;
  • Faculty members' growing comfort relying exclusively on digital versions of scholarly materials opens new opportunities for libraries, new business models for publishers, and new challenges for preservation;
  • and Despite several years of sustained efforts by publishers, scholarly societies, libraries, faculty members, and others to reform various aspects of the scholarly communications system, a fundamentally conservative set of faculty attitudes continues to impede systematic change.

Read more about it at "Faculty Survey 2009."

"Using Cloud Services for Library IT Infrastructure"

Erik Mitchell has published "Using Cloud Services for Library IT Infrastructure" in the latest issue of the Code4Lib Journal.

Here's an excerpt:

Cloud computing comes in several different forms and this article documents how service, platform, and infrastructure forms of cloud computing have been used to serve library needs. Following an overview of these uses the article discusses the experience of one library in migrating IT infrastructure to a cloud environment and concludes with a model for assessing cloud computing.

Institutional Repository Librarian at Eastern Illinois University

The Booth Library of Eastern Illinois University is recruiting an Institutional Repository Librarian. Salary: minimum of $55,992.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Reporting to the University Archivist, the individual will be responsible for developing and managing an online institutional repository. Other duties may include collection development for one or more disciplines, service at the reference desk, and supervision of staff and student employees.

The Digital Information Seeker: Report of the Findings from Selected OCLC, RIN, and JISC User Behaviour Projects

JISC has released The Digital Information Seeker: Report of the Findings from Selected OCLC, RIN, and JISC User Behaviour Projects.

Here's an excerpt:

There are numerous user studies published in the literature and available on the web. There are studies that specifically address the behaviours of scholars while others identify the behaviours of the general public. Some studies address the information-seeking behaviours of scholars within specific disciplines while others identify the behaviours of scholars of multiple disciplines. There are studies that only address undergraduate, graduate, or post graduate students or compare these individual groups' information seeking behaviours to those of scholars. Still other studies address the behaviors of young adults. . .

In the interest of analyzing and synthesizing several user behaviour studies conducted in the US and the UK twelve studies were identified. These twelve selected studies were commissioned and/or supported by non- profit organizations and government agencies; therefore, they have little dependence upon the outcomes of the studies. The studies were reviewed by two researchers who analyzed the findings, compared their analyses, and identified the overlapping and contradictory findings. This report is not intended to be the definitive work on user behaviour studies, but rather to provide a synthesized document to make it easier for information professionals to better understand the information-seeking behaviours of the libraries' intended users and to review the issues associated with the development of information services and systems that will best meet these users' needs.

Read more about it at the JISC announcement.

Digital Initiatives Librarian at Vassar College

Vassar College is recruiting a Digital Initiatives Librarian.

Here's an excerpt from the ad (posting number: 1000310 ):

Vassar College seeks a Digital Initiatives Librarian. This is a new position reporting to the Library Director with dotted-line reporting to the Assistant Director of the Library for Technology. As a vital member of the library team, the Digital Initiatives Librarian will lead the College in the creation, delivery, preservation and on-going support of digital projects and collections in the broadest sense. This librarian will also provide vision, guidance and advocacy for a digital repository system that responds to the needs of the College community and is aligned with collections and preservation priorities.

Working with colleagues in the Library and across the College, in particular computing professionals from Computing and Information Services, the Digital Initiatives Librarian will be responsible for initiating and developing a program that will involve the management, creation, preservation, and maintenance of digital projects and content in support of the educational, historical and scholarly needs of the College. The Digital Initiatives librarian will guide the development of a digital repository system to make accessible and to preserve the intellectual output of the College. Additionally, this librarian will recommend and implement appropriate technology solutions to support all aspects of the program.

In collaboration with colleagues in the Library and in College Relations, the Digital Initiatives Librarian will also be responsible for coordinating the on-going development of the library website. In addition, the Digital Initiatives Librarian will be called upon for some research desk service. Depending on subject expertise, this librarian may participate in the liaison program and/or teach in the instruction program.

Net Neutrality: U.S. Court of Appeals for DC Rules FCC Lacks Authority to Regulate Comcast's BitTorrent Throttling

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has ruled in Comcast v. FCC that the Federal Communications Commission lacks the authority to require Comcast to stop throttling BitTorrent traffic.

Here's an excerpt:

Although the Commission once enjoyed broader authority over cable rates, see id. § 543(c)(4), its current authority is limited to setting standards for and overseeing local regulation of rates for "basic tier" service on certain cable systems. See id. § 543(b). In the Order, the Commission does not assert ancillary authority based on this narrow grant of regulatory power. Instead, the Order rests on the premise that section 1 gives the Commission ancillary authority to ensure reasonable rates for all communication services, including those, like video-ondemand, over which it has no express regulatory authority. . . .

It is true that "Congress gave the [Commission] broad and adaptable jurisdiction so that it can keep pace with rapidly evolving communications technologies." Resp't's Br. 19. It is also true that "[t]he Internet is such a technology," id., indeed, "arguably the most important innovation in communications in a generation," id. at 30. Yet notwithstanding the "difficult regulatory problem of rapid technological change" posed by the communications industry, "the allowance of wide latitude in the exercise of delegated powers is not the equivalent of untrammeled freedom to regulate activities over which the statute fails to confer . . . Commission authority." NARUC II, 533 F.2d at 618 (internal quotation marks and footnote omitted). Because the Commission has failed to tie its assertion of ancillary authority over Comcast's Internet service to any "statutorily mandated responsibility," Am. Library, 406 F.3d at 692, we grant the petition for review and vacate the Order.

The FCC issued the following statement about the ruling:

The FCC is firmly committed to promoting an open Internet and to policies that will bring the enormous benefits of broadband to all Americans. It will rest these policies—all of which will be designed to foster innovation and investment while protecting and empowering consumers—on a solid legal foundation.

Today's court decision invalidated the prior Commission’s approach to preserving an open Internet. But the Court in no way disagreed with the importance of preserving a free and open Internet; nor did it close the door to other methods for achieving this important end.

Read more about it at "Comcast 1, FCC 0: What to Look For in the Inevitable Rematch"; "Court Rejects FCC Authority Over the Internet"; "Is Net Neutrality Dead? (FAQ)"; and "Public Knowledge Explains: The Comcast-BitTorrent Decision."