Archivist For Metadata & Encoding (Digital Archivist) at East Carolina University

The J. Y. Joyner Library at East Carolina University is recruiting an Archivist For Metadata & Encoding (Digital Archivist).

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The Digital Archivist is a member of the Special Collections Department and reports to the Assistant Director for Special Collections. The Digital Archivist will develop, in collaboration with other staff, internal encoding standards and evaluate and deploy software for use in encoding; work to ensure the online accessibility of finding aids through the design of the end-user interface and navigation for the EAD repository; coordinate training for Special Collections staff involved in the creation of EAD finding aids; work with Special Collections staff to select collections for digitization, taking into account factors such as scholarly impact, fragility of materials, copyright, and privacy; and maintain and expand the Special Collections Department Website using emerging web technologies and best practices that serve a growing online user community. The Digital Archivist will co-chair the Metadata Advisory Group, which will develop guidelines for metadata creation, identify core elements common to all projects, set standards for levels of detail and granularity for individual projects and repositories, and serve as consultants to the Metadata Librarian and metadata providers.

Digital Repositories: Multiple-Deposit Function Added to EasyDeposit SWORD Client

Stuart Lewis has announced that a multiple-deposit function has been added to the EasyDeposit SWORD client.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

For those of you unfamiliar with EasyDeposit, it is an online tool that allows you to configure your own SWORD client. It is intended that you run multiple copies of EasyDeposit and configure each for a specific tailored use, such as thesis deposit, journal deposit, multiple deposit etc. The deposit process is made up of a set of 'steps' which you can configure and change into a preferred order to make your chosen client. . . .

The new multiple deposit functionality allows the administrator to 'hard code' the details of a set of repositories, and upon completion of the deposit process the item is deposited into each of those repositories. EasyDeposit has been designed with extensibility in mind, so if you wish to write your own 'steps,' for example to allow the depositor to select which repositories from a given list they would like to deposit into, this is easy and straightforward to write in PHP.

Systems Administrator-Digital Project Development at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is recruiting a Systems Administrator-Digital Project Development.

Here's an excerpt from the ad (Job ID #: 603):

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is seeking a Systems Administrator to lead the implementation of new national and international projects as well as maintain and enhance all existing library web-based, digital and electronic projects; Assist with the development and maintenance of new and existing proprietary and non-proprietary databases; perform server level duties and support the library’s hardware and software needs; Work and coordinate with the IT department to maintain system functionality and integrity;

Participate in all Library and Archives digitization projects and act as a liaison with the IT department, our bioinformatics scientific community and external collaborators.

Digital Preservation: Open Planets Foundation Established

The four-year Planets (Preservation and Long-term Access through Networked Services) project is ending. To build on its work, the Open Planets Foundation has been established.

The initial members are:

  • Austrian Institute of Technology
  • The British Library
  • Det Kongelige Bibliotek (The Royal Library of Denmark)
  • Koninklijke Bibliotheek (The National Library of the Netherlands)
  • Microsoft Research Limited
  • Nationaal Archief (The Dutch National Archives)
  • Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (The Austrian National Library)
  • Statsbiblioteket (The State & University Library, Denmark)
  • Tessella plc

Read more about it at "Welcome to the Open Planets Foundation."

Last Week’s DigitalKoans Tweets 2010-05-30

Open Access in Italy: Report 2009

SELL (Southern European Libraries Link) has released Open Access in Italy: Report 2009.

Here's an excerpt:

In Italy the OA movement has mainly pursued a "bottom up approach." Librarians, IT professionals, senior researchers, early adopters in individual universities and research centres have been actively involved in promoting awareness on OA issues, in implementing repositories, in planning projects, writing policies, developing tools. Initially, the academic institutional hierarchies failed to take any clear stand on the issue.

No specific national funding has been allocated for open access initiatives and in most cases the implementation of the Open Archive was financed with ordinary budget expenditures.

In a limited number of cases (i.e. University of Cagliari, University of Naples Parthenope, University of Sassari, and University of Trieste) the repositories were successfully funded under Regional spending. To date neither the government nor the Ministry of Education and Research have made any recommendations on this matter or provided any funding. Parliament has made no stand on the issue.

Manager, Digitization and Preservation at Toronto Public Library

The Toronto Public Library is recruiting a Manager, Digitization and Preservation. Salary: $77,240.80-$95,804.80.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Toronto Public Library seeks a creative and highly motivated leader to manage its active and growing Preservation and Digitization Services Department. The position is suited to an individual with demonstrated and successful experience in library digitization, and an understanding of the requirements for the preservation of special and rare collections.

Under the general direction of the Manager, Special Collections, Archives and Digital Collections, the successful candidate will manage the daily operations and lead a team of 10.4 FTEs which includes a department head, digital technicians, professional conservators, and other support staff.

The successful candidate will have demonstrated experience in digital initiatives and knowledge of current best practices in digitization, metadata, storage, workflows, and management of digital assets, as well a familiarity with special collections materials, and collection preservation practices and strategies.

"EBSCO Library Collections and Budgeting Trends Survey"

EBSCO has released the "EBSCO Library Collections and Budgeting Trends Survey," which was conducted in February of this year.

Here's an excerpt:

Eighty-three percent of librarians reported either budget cuts or no budget growth during the 2009-2010 year. ARL libraries were especially hard hit with 64 percent reporting budget decreases. Expectations for 2010-2011 are similar with a total of 85 percent of respondents expecting decreased or flat budgets.

Assistant Director for Library Technology and Digital Initiatives at East Carolina University

East Carolina University's J. Y. Joyner Library is recruiting an Assistant Director for Library Technology and Digital Initiatives. Salary: minimum of $72,000.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Known for its leadership in distance learning and its mission to serve, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University (ECU) seeks a creative, forward-thinking, experienced, and user-focused individual to fill the new position of Assistant Director for Library Technology and Digital Initiatives. The individual in this position will be the primary technology architect and planner for the Library. The individual will have direct supervisory responsibility for four areas: Digital Collections, Integrated Library System Services, Technology Support, and Web Development Team.

Responsibilities: The Assistant Director for Library Technologies and Digital Initiatives reports to the Dean of Academic Library and Learning Resources and serves on the senior management team. The Assistant Director will contribute to strategic planning, program development and evaluation, and allocation of resources in support of the Library’s mission. The individual will coordinate activities and set priorities for the four reporting areas; develop and promote a cohesive vision for the Library’s online identity; represent the Library on information technology groups on the ECU campus, within the University of North Carolina system, and externally; establish and maintain effective partnerships and collaborations; maintain professional knowledge of trends in libraries and higher education and a strategic awareness of the role of technology in libraries; and assure that the Library is at the forefront of best practices in delivering services.

Planets Project Deposits "Digital Genome" Time Capsule in Swiss Fort Knox

The Planets project has deposited a "Digital Genome" time capsule in the Swiss Fort Knox.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

Over the last decade the digital age has seen an explosion in the rate of data creation. Estimates from 2009 suggest that over 100 GB of data has already been created for every single individual on the planet ranging from holiday snaps to health records—that's over 1 trillion CDs worth of data, equivalent to 24 tons of books per person!

Yet research by the European Commission co-funded Planets project, co-ordinated by the British Library, highlights deep concerns regarding the preservation of these digital assets. Findings suggest that as hardware and software are superseded by more up-to-date technology, and older formats become increasingly inaccessible, the EU alone is losing over 3 billion euros worth of digital information every year.

Looking to ensure the preservation of our digital heritage, on 18 May 2010 the Planets project will deposit a time capsule containing a record of the "Digital Genome" inside Swiss Fort Knox—a high security digital storage facility hidden deep in the Swiss Alps—preserving the information and the tools to reconstruct highly valuable data long after the lifeline of supporting technology has disappeared.

Inside the Digital Time Capsule:

  • Five major at risk formats—JPEGs, JAVA source code, .Mov files, websites using HTML, and PDF documents
  • Versions of these files stored in archival standard formats—JPEG2000, PDFA, TIFF and MPEG4—to prolong lifespan for as long as possible
  • 2500 additional pieces of data—mapping the genetic code necessary to describe how to access these file formats in future
  • Translations of the required code into multiple languages to improve chances of being able to interpret in the future
  • Copies of all information stored on a complete range of storage media—from CD, DVD, USB, Blu-Ray, Floppy Disc, and Solid State Hard Drives to audio tape, microfilm and even paper print outs . . .

Since 2007 the volume of data produced globally has risen from 281 exabytes to over 700 exabytes—much of this is now considered to be at risk from the repeated discontinuation of storage formats and supporting software. Current studies suggest that common storage formats such as CDs and DVDs have an average life expectancy of less than 20 years, yet the proprietary file formats to access content often last as little as five to seven years and desktop hardware even less. Backing up this data is a start, but without the information and tools to access and read historical digital material it is clear huge gaps will open up in our digital heritage.

To meet this threat, in 2006 the European Commission established the Planets project—Preservation and Long-term Access through Networked Services—bringing together a coalition of European libraries, archives, research organisations, and technology institutions including the Austrian National Library, the University of Technology of Vienna, and the British Library to develop the software solutions to guarantee long-term access. Marking the end of the first phase of the project the deposit of the Planets "Digital Genome" in Swiss Fort Knox will help to highlight the fragility of modern data and help to protect our digital heritage from a whole range of human, environmental and technological risks.

Programmer Analyst III at California Digital Library

The California Digital Library is recruiting a Programmer Analyst III.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

You are a programmer interested in being part of a team envisioning and building the next generation of library discovery & delivery services. You thrive on dividing your time between programming and analysis. You have the ability to understand and troubleshoot flows between existing core Discovery and Delivery systems and to understand how metadata is mapped and transformed as it travels between discovery and delivery systems. You seek out innovative ways to continually improve interactive library systems. You have a high degree of technical competence to perform analysis and QA autonomously. You are deeply and creatively engaged with the digital library domain and a champion for users. You want to work on:

  • Multi-campus systems
  • Large datasets
  • Collaborative projects with partners such as Google, Internet Archive, the Hathi Trust and other digital libraries

LSU Chancellor Recommends Eliminating MLS Degree

Louisiana State University Chancellor Michael Martin has recommended that LSU's MLS program be eliminated.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

In response to the current fiscal crisis facing higher education in Louisiana, LSU Chancellor Michael Martin has recommended the elimination or reduction of 20 academic programs, centers, institutes and facilities at LSU in the first phase of changes to reduce costs and focus the mission of the university. . . .

Academic programs recommended for closure include the Master of Library and Information Sciences, the Bachelor of Arts in German and Latin and the reduction of language options for a savings of approximately $1.5 million at full implementation. Additional savings of $500,000 would be achieved through administrative adjustments in Continuing Education.

Read more about it at "LSU Plan Would Cut Programs."

Systems Librarians at Texas Tech University (2 Entry-Level Positions)

The Texas Tech University Libraries are recruiting two Systems Librarians.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Under the direction of the Associate Dean for Resources Management and Scholarly Communication, the Systems Librarian is part of a team responsible for managing the integrated library management systems and associated products from either a single vendor or multiple vendors. Activities include software installations, integrations, configurations, upgrades, patches or other fixes, and enhancements, in addition to the day to day management, maintenance, troubleshooting, and user support. This position is responsible for working cooperatively with designated staff in the Library Technology and Management division. The Systems Librarian serves as primary representative and contact to the designated library system vendors. The primary responsibility of the position is the implementation and management of the ILS management applications in a collegial and team environment including, but not limited to, Ex Libris suite of products acquired by the Library which presently include ALEPH, Primo, SFX and Metalib. The systems librarian will participate along with other team members in the design and coordination of statistical and managerial reports and overall staff training.

Addressing the Research Data Gap: A Review of Novel Services for Libraries

The Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) has released Addressing the Research Data Gap: A Review of Novel Services for Libraries.

Here's an excerpt:

This document presents the results of a review of novel opportunities for libraries in the area of research data services. The activities were identified through a review of the literature and a scan of projects being undertaken at libraries and other institutions worldwide. For the purpose of this report, research data services have been organized into five distinct areas (although it should be noted that there are significant overlaps between them): awareness and advocacy; support and training; access and discovery; archiving and preservation; and virtual research environments. Each section contains a general description of the area accompanied by a number of examples. The examples are not meant to be comprehensive account of existing projects, but rather to highlight the range of possibilities available.

JISC Call for Proposals for Impact & Embedding of Digitised Resources Grants

JISC has issued a call for proposals for e-Content and Digitisation Programme Impact & Embedding of Digitised Resources grants (maximum funding a project is £40,000).

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

The JISC invites institutions to submit funding proposals for projects to be funded through its e-Content and Digitisation Programme to address the impact and embedding of digitised resources. The purpose of this call is twofold:

  1. Firstly, to facilitate institutions in carrying out an analysis of the impact of their digitised resources/collections that have been live for at least one calendar year
  2. To develop strategies and practical solutions to ensure the increased use and impact of the resources in teaching, learning and research within higher education

Digital Project Librarian for the Beaux-Arts to Modernism Project at NCSU

The North Carolina State University Libraries are recruiting a Digital Project Librarian for the Beaux-Arts to Modernism Project (one-year position). Salary: $50,000.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The NCSU Libraries invites applications and nominations for the temporary position of Digital Project Librarian for the Beaux-Arts to Modernism Project. The NCSU Libraries Special Collections Research Center is building an innovative, multidimensional special collections program in support of research and teaching at the university. The Center has been awarded a grant to create an online resource of North Carolina’s historic architecture materials from the Beaux-Arts to Modernism period (ca. 1900 – 1940).

Responsibilities: The Digital Project Librarian serves as coordinator for a grant-funded project to create digital surrogates of unique and rare primary source materials. Work will be performed at NC State and at offsite locations. The incumbent manages production workflow, trains and supervises student assistants, scans architectural drawings and photographs, oversees image quality control, and creates and reviews metadata. The Digital Project Librarian develops the project’s website and serves as facilitator for usability studies. He or she works in a highly collaborative process with colleagues in the Center and throughout the Libraries to create an innovative, sustainable, and accessible online resource. NCSU librarians are expected to be active professionally and to contribute to developments in the field. Reports to the Digital Program Librarian for Special Collections.

Presentations from the University of North Texas Open Access Symposium

Presentations from the University of North Texas Open Access Symposium are now available.

Here are the PDF files:

Digital Content Services/Reference Services Librarian at Cleveland State University

The Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Library at Cleveland State University is recruiting a Digital Content Services/Reference Services Librarian.

Here's an excerpt from the ad (requisition number: 0600246):

Provides research, reference and instructional services to a diverse group of patrons and staff. Organizes and provides access to materials in a variety of formats, with emphasis on electronic and visual resources. Develops, manages and organizes Law Library digital content programs, including special collections projects, College of Law publications archive, and College of Law Institutional Scholarship Repository.

University of Virginia Library Gets $870,000 Grant for Born-Digital Materials Preservation Study

The University of Virginia Library has been awarded a $870,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to study how born-digital materials can be best preserved.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

"Born-digital" materials include the works of contemporary writers and architects, as well as archives of current political figures and organizations. These materials are quickly becoming significant collections that require careful, planned stewardship to ensure their preservation and availability to scholars now and in the future, said Martha Sites, an associate University librarian and a principal investigator for the grant.

Programmers and archivists from U. Va. are working with counterparts at Stanford and Yale universities, as well as from England's University of Hull, to create a model for digital collection management that can be easily shared among research libraries and other institutions charged with preserving rare materials. . . .

The universities plan to use 13 "born-digital" collections as their test base for the project. Examples from the U.Va. Library include "papers" that are actually correspondence, drafts and other materials in digital form from former Virginia Sen. John Warner and from author and critic Alan Cheuse, who is also a book reviewer for National Public Radio, creative writing professor at George Mason University and a former U.Va. English professor. The results will make these collections accessible to researchers for the first time.

The grant also provides for four digital archivists and a programmer who will explore and test how to process, preserve and deliver different digital collections across multiple institutions. The common approaches devised to archive born-digital "papers" will not only be designed to be used by different institutions, but they will also be demonstrated and proven in practice by the four partner universities. The work will include the creation of Web-based tools and services to let librarians, archivists and eventually users themselves describe, link, preserve and deliver digital information.

Shaping the Higher Education Cloud

EDUCAUSE has released Shaping the Higher Education Cloud.

Here's an excerpt:

In February 2010, chief information officers, chief business officers, and industry leaders gathered in Tempe, Arizona, for a two-day EDUCAUSE/NACUBO Cloud Computing Workshop to explore what shape a higher education cloud might take and to identify opportunities and models for partnering together.

One important option is the development of collaborative service offerings among colleges and universities. Yet, substantial challenges raise at least some near-term concerns including risk, security, and governance issues; uncertainty about return on investment and service provider certification; and questions regarding which business and academic activities are best suited for the cloud.

This white paper captures key findings from those two days of exploring, including recommendations for cloud action.

Technology and Digital Services Librarian at Barton College

The Hackney Library at Barton College is recruiting a Technology and Digital Services Librarian (10-month faculty appointment).

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

  • Maintaining the library's ILS Millennium software system as well as the library’s website
  • Serving as the library's liaison with the Office of Information Technology
  • Serving with other librarians as liaisons to academic departments for collection development
  • Assisting with the reference rotation
  • Participating in the instructional efforts of the library

Open Source OPAC: Blacklight 2.5 Released

Blacklight 2.5 has been released.

Here's the announcement:

Here's an excerpt from the FAQ that describes Blacklight:

Blacklight is an open source OPAC (online public access catalog). That means libraries (or anyone else) can use it to allow people to search and browse their collections online. Blacklight uses Solr to index and search, and it has a highly configurable Ruby on Rails front-end. Currently, Blacklight can index, search, and provide faceted browsing for MaRC records and several kinds of XML documents, including TEI, EAD, and GDMS. Blacklight was developed at the University of Virginia Library and is made public under an Apache 2.0 license.

Lead Programmer at Johnson County Library

The Johnson County Library is recruiting a Lead Programmer.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The award-winning Johnson County Library seeks an innovative, customer-focused Lead Programmer interested in working with the Library’s Web Content Team, IT colleagues and Library staff to develop the next generation of library applications to enhance internal workflow, streamline processes, and delight patrons and staff.

The Lead Programmer is responsible for developing and implementing annual and long-range application and Web infrastructure development plans and practices to support the overall goals, objectives, and parameters established by the Johnson County Library. Successful candidates will demonstrate effective communication, complex decision making and project management skills—including organization, coordination of duties, accomplishments of goals. Applications received by June 8 will receive first consideration.