Month: September 2010

Daily Tweets 2010-09-16

Systems Librarian at Harvard University

The Harvard University Library is recruiting a Systems Librarian (one-year term appointment).

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Reporting to the Team Leader, Library Systems Support and working closely with the OIS Systems Operations and Library Support Group, the Systems Librarian implements and configures library software, triages online support questions from library staff and provides first level support for staff on all centrally managed library systems. The Systems Librarian facilitates staff training and will play a key role in implementing an online system for library staff instruction. Initially, the Systems librarian will be primarily responsible for testing and evaluating e-learning tools, implementing a framework for delivering online tutorials and webinars, and working within a committee structure to develop course content for all library systems. The Systems Librarian will provide ongoing support for the new training program, with the majority of time spent on system support, configuration and maintenance. The typical duties and responsibilities include: system support and analysis (configuration, upgrades, testing, troubleshooting, working group participation) for ILS; library staff support (functional support, discussion group participation); library staff training (coordinate training program for library staff; oversee maintenance and updates for online tutorials, consult with content experts on e-learning tools); and, documentation (develop and maintain website user documentation including reference manuals, guides, online help).

Information Technology Specialist IV/V at Auburn University

The Auburn University Libraries are recruiting an Information Technology Specialist IV/V. Salary: $44,300-$84,800.

Here's an excerpt from the ad (Req. no.: 23474):

Under the supervision of the Assistant Dean for Technology and Technical Services, develops library-oriented software applications as needed, a duty that may include modifying and adapting open-source software applications or utilities; writes custom scripts for routine library functions; works with Auburn University Libraries faculty and staff on digital library projects requiring in-house coding; works with faculty and IT staff from other university departments on related projects, including an institutional repository (IR) and undergraduate research journal; serves as a backup System Administrator. In this capacity, helps Systems staff manage the Library's Solaris, Linux, and Windows server computers, including software upgrades and patches, security, and backup. Installs, configures, maintains, and (if necessary) extends third-party software applications (e.g. Integrated Library Systems, digital content-management software, document-delivery software, etc.); helps maintain an in-house Wiki on various aspects of library IT; shares a rotating weekly schedule of evening and weekend on-call duty; serves on university committees as needed and represents the Auburn University Libraries at the state, regional, and national levels.

Trends in the Finances of UK Higher Education Libraries: 1999-2009

The Research Information Network has released Trends in the Finances of UK Higher Education Libraries: 1999-2009.

Here's an excerpt:

The last decade has been a period of unprecedented change for university libraries. The rapid growth in numbers of students and staff across the higher education sector has been accompanied by the move to a substantially-digital environment, with some fundamental changes in how libraries and their users operate. Further change is on the way, with unpredictable implications for students, academic staff, and for libraries. As they have responded to new developments over the past decade, and changed their operations, most university libraries have seen continued growth in their budgets in real terms. The next few years are going to be much more difficult in financial terms. Libraries therefore face a period in which they will have to cope with continued rapid, perhaps transformational, change, accompanied by reductions in their budgets.

In that context, this briefing paper looks at how the financial position of libraries in the higher education sector has changed over the period between 1999 and 2009 (the latest year for which statistics are available). It is based on an analysis of data collected by SCONUL, and also draws some comparisons with the US. For some twenty years SCONUL has collected annual figures for a wide range of activities and costs amongst its members in UK higher education. SCONUL data are available in annual volumes from academic year 1993-94 onwards.

Daily Tweets 2010-09-15

Systems Librarian at Broome Community College

Broome Community College is recruiting a Systems Librarian. Salary: $43,282-$54,964.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

In consultation with library faculty and staff, this position is responsible for the planning, implementation, and management of programs and services supporting the use of computer and related technologies including the library's integrated library system, Ex Libris Aleph, Illiad, computer-equipped classroom, staff desktop computers and peripherals, the library's webpage and electronic reserves. Participates in library planning including development of new services and initiatives, and committee work. The position reports to the Director of the Learning Resources Center.

Value of Academic Libraries: A Comprehensive Research Review and Report

The Association of College and Research Libraries has released the Value of Academic Libraries: A Comprehensive Research Review and Report.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

Developed for ACRL by Megan Oakleaf of the iSchool at Syracuse University, this valuable resource reviews the quantitative and qualitative literature, methodologies and best practices currently in place for demonstrating the value of academic libraries. The full report, along with supplemental materials, is available online at http://www.acrl.ala.org/value/. . . .

The primary objective of this comprehensive review is to provide academic librarians and institutional leaders with a clearer understanding of what research about the performance of academic libraries already exists and where gaps in this research occur. The report additionally identifies the most promising best practices and measures correlated to performance and represents a starting point to assist college, university and community college librarians in gathering evidence to tell the story of their libraries and promote dialogue on the value of the academic library in higher education. . . .

The full report is now available on the ACRL website, along with a separate executive summary for distribution to campus decision makers, a bibliography of sources consulted in the development of the report, a podcast interview with Hinchliffe and Oakleaf and links to additional resources.

Digital Library Programmer/Analyst at NYU

New York University's Division of the Libraries is recruiting a Digital Library Programmer/Analyst.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

New York University's Division of the Libraries seeks a Programmer/Analyst to work on the "Papyrological Navigator" (http://papyri.info) and associated systems. Papyri.info is a web-based research portal that provides scholars worldwide with the ability to search, browse and collaboratively edit texts, transcriptions, images and metadata relating to ancient texts on papyri, pottery fragments and other material. The incumbent will work closely with the Project Coordinator and with scholars involved in the project at NYU's Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, Duke University, the University of Kentucky and the University of Heidelberg, as well as with NYU Digital Library Technology staff.

The incumbent's initial responsibilities will include: close collaboration with project team members to enhance and extend a robust production environment at NYU for the ongoing ingest and processing of new and updated text transcriptions, metadata and digital images; performing both analysis and programming of any required changes or enhancements to current PN applications.

This position is subject to the successful award of grant funding and would last for 16 months.

The Rise of Apps Culture

The Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project has released The Rise of Apps Culture.

Here's an excerpt:

The most recent Pew Internet Project survey asked a national sample of 1,917 cell phone-using adults if they use apps and how they use them. Broadly, the results indicate that while apps are popular among a segment of the adult cell phone using population, a notable number of cell owners are not yet part of the emerging apps culture.. . .

Of the 82% of adults today who are cell phone users, 43% have software applications or "apps" on their phones. When taken as a portion of the entire U.S. adult population, that equates to 35% who have cell phones with apps. . . .

Yet having apps and using apps are not synonymous. Of those who have apps on their phones, only about two-thirds of this group (68%) actually use that software. Overall, that means that 24% of U.S. adults are active apps users. Older adult cell phone users in particular do not use the apps that are on their phones, and one in ten adults with a cell phone (11%) are not even sure if their phone is equipped with apps.

Daily Tweets 2010-09-14

Assistant Director for Information Technology at Tufts University

The Edwin Ginn Library at Tufts University is recruiting an Assistant Director for Information Technology.

Here's an excerpt from the ad (job requisition number: 51893):

The Assistant Director for Information Technology (ADIT) reports to the Director of Library/IT and oversees all aspects of information technology at The Fletcher School. As the primary technical liaison/coordinator for The Fletcher School, the ADIT:

  • Communicates information about IT to a diverse community of faculty, staff and students;
  • Supervises, directs and sets priorities for desktop support; and monitors maintenance, upgrades, replacements, training and support for all classrooms, public and lab computers, and faculty and staff workstations;
  • Strategically plans and implements constant improvements in technology and related services in collaboration with the Library/IT Director, faculty, staff and students;
  • Maintains day-to-day relations with Tufts IT departments including support services through various divisions at Tufts to ensure a high level of service;
  • Leads IT literacy efforts and training sessions for the Fletcher community and cooperates with other Tufts divisions to develop, promote and provide technology instruction;
  • Acts as a consultant to The Fletcher School community, advising and recommending hardware and software purchases in support of all aspects of teaching and research;
  • Oversees IT capital budgets, manages purchases, upgrades and information technology deployments throughout the school;

First-Sale Doctrine and Resale of Software: Vernor v. Autodesk Ruling

A ruling from the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in the Vernor v. Autodesk case has put into question the right to resell software.

Here's an excerpt from Sherwin Siy's "Software Companies Own Your Hard Drive: Ninth Circuit Rules for Formality Over Function":

In Vernor v. Autodesk, the appeals court held that Autodesk could stop Vernor from selling copies of their software on eBay by claiming that those resales were an infringement of its copyrights. Ordinarily, a copyright holder can't prevent someone from selling or otherwise distributing a lawfully made copy of the work, so long as that person owns the copy. Here, Autodesk argued that Vernor never owned the copies (which he bought used from a design firm) because Autodesk included in its sale to that firm a standardized agreement that said that the firm was only "licensing" the disks. . . .

So what does this decision mean? Unchecked, it won't soon lead to a world where I can't donate my old T-shirts to Goodwill, or where PK can start raking in that sweet, sweet statutory damages cash. Those might be theoretical possibilities, but the first effects will likely be something we've already been seeing creeping at the margins. Say goodbye to used software and used games, for instance. That PC version of Bioshock 4 you might buy a few years from now? Don't expect to be able to sell it once you're done with it. Don't even expect to be able to give it away. Game rental services could get litigated out of existence. And while licensing clothing might be beyond the pale, it's not too hard to see the software model being applied to increasingly sold-by-the-bit media like movies and music. All because of fine print, which might be clear and convenient for a court, even if it's exactly the opposite for a consumer.

Digital Initiatives Librarian at University of Rhode Island

The University of Rhode Island Library is recruiting a Digital Initiatives Librarian.

Here's an excerpt from the ad (posting number: 6000248):

  • Provide leadership in the management of the University of Rhode Island's digital repository (currently DigitalCommons@URI) and technical expertise to continue development and enhancements.
  • Coordinate with library subject liaisons, Technical Services Dept staff, Information Technology Svs (ITS) staff, and other members of the University community to enhance access to the University's scholarly communications and publications within the digital repository.
  • Formulate policies and procedures for the production, management, and preservation of digital content and metadata, technical workflow, quality control, and intellectual property issues.
  • Provide training and outreach to the campus community about digital initiatives and DigitalCommons@URI.
  • Actively seek out new user communities and content for the digital repository.
  • Provide leadership and vision in planning and implementing future digital library development.
  • Provide ongoing qualitative and quantitative assessment of library digital services through data gathering and analysis.
  • Plan and coordinate the preservation of and ongoing access to digitized and born-digital materials curated by the library.
  • Work with IT staff and users of campus-wide applications to integrate library digital collections into these services, e.g., Sakai.
  • Anticipate future trends in an evolving digital environment and maintain current awareness of national and international developments affecting knowledge management, metadata, and information retrieval; articulate to campus community.
  • Identify grant opportunities and work collaboratively to create proposals in support of digital collections.
  • Work as a member of the Technical Services Department and reports to the Dean.

"7 Things You Should Know about Privacy in Web 2.0 Learning Environments"

The EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative has released "7 Things You Should Know about Privacy in Web 2.0 Learning Environments"

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

New media, social networking, collaboration sites, image and video-sharing sites, wikis, and blogs offer tremendous teaching and learning opportunities to educators and students, but their use raises concerns about privacy, especially as it relates to work that students are asked to complete as part of a course. New learning environments often leverage Web 2.0 or cloud-based tools that offer limited or no privacy protection. When they do, those privacy settings are frequently outside the control of either the institution or the faculty member. Nevertheless, FERPA places the burden of ensuring the privacy of the education record on the institution. Institutions are beginning to explore the connection between FERPA and student work along with their responsibilities in this area. Information and policy provided at the institutional level can help faculty members make choices about which tools to use and how to use them, and students should be educated about the risks of providing identifying personal information on third-party sites that may be public.

Daily Tweets 2010-09-13

Transforming Scholarly Publishing through Open Access: A Bibliography

Transforming Scholarly Publishing through Open Access: A Bibliography is now available from Digital Scholarship.

This bibliography presents over 1,100 selected English-language scholarly works useful in understanding the open access movement's efforts to provide free access to and unfettered use of scholarly literature. The bibliography primarily includes books and published journal articles. A limited number of book chapters, conference papers, dissertations and theses, magazine articles, technical reports, and other scholarly works that are deemed to be of exceptional interest are also included (see the "Preface" for further details about selection criteria). The bibliography includes links to freely available versions of included works. Most sources have been published from January 1, 1999 through August 1, 2010; however, a limited number of key sources published prior to 1999 are also included. The bibliography is available as a paperback and an open access PDF file.

The following Digital Scholarship publications may also be of interest:

  1. Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography, version 78
  2. Digital Scholarship 2009 (paperback and open access PDF file)
  3. Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography: 2008 Annual Edition (paperback, Kindle e-book, and open access PDF file)
  4. Digital Curation and Preservation Bibliography, version 1

Daily Tweets 2010-09-11

Daily Tweets 2010-09-10

Web Initiatives Librarian at Wilfrid Laurier University

Wilfrid Laurier University Library is recruiting a Web Initiatives Librarian. Minimum salary of $52,531 (Librarian I) or $57,784 (Librarian II).

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Duties & Responsibilities • Initiates, develops, evaluates, and supports the delivery of user-centred web initiatives • Leads and coordinates the Library’s web site design and development, and chairs the Library Web Advisory Committee • Works to extend the Library's presence into external sites (e.g. the University's learning management system, social media) • Works with consortial and internal partners to customize interfaces for externally hosted resources and services • Explores and keeps abreast of trends in technology and their potential impact on library services • Promotes the awareness and use of emerging technologies • Provides advice, training, and support for Library staff involved in web content creation • Serves as a liaison with campus ITS on electronic services and web development issues • Provides reference service (in-person and/or virtual) • Serves on Library, University, and external committees as appropriate, and participates in scholarly and professional activity

Hindawi’s Open Access Journals Get Over 2,000 Submissions per Month

Hindawi's open access journals now receive over 2,000 article submissions per month.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

Hindawi is pleased to announce that its growing portfolio of open access journals have collectively received more than 2,000 monthly submissions for this first time this August, only a year and a half after having passed 1,000 monthly submissions in February 2009.

"Over the past couple of years we have seen very strong growth both from new journals that we have developed as well as from many of our more well-established journals" said Mohamed Hamdy, Hindawi's Editorial Manager. "Our five largest journals have grown to more than 700 annual submissions each, and at the same time, quite a few of the journals that we have developed within the past two years are already receiving more than 100 annual submissions."

"We are very pleased with the steady growth that we have seen in our submissions during the three and half years since we converted the last of our subscription-based journals to an open access model" said Paul Peters, Hindawi's Head of Business Development. "I believe that the success that we have seen comes from the high level of service that we provide to our authors, as well as the rigorous editorial standards of our journals. Over the past few years we have rejected about two thirds of the submissions that we receive across our journal collection, and these high standards have enabled our journals to establish strong reputations within the academic community."

Guidelines for Sparks! Ignition Grants for Libraries and Museums Issued

The Institute of Museum and Library Services has released Sparks! Ignition Grants for Libraries and Museums guidelines.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

This new grant program will provide one-year grants of $10,000 to $25,000 for innovative projects that respond to the challenges and opportunities facing cultural heritage institutions in a rapidly changing information environment. The submission deadline is November 15, 2010.

Successful proposals will address problems, challenges, or needs of broad relevance to museums, libraries, or archives, will test innovative responses to these problems, and will make the findings of these tests widely and openly accessible. Grant funding may include all activities associated with planning, deploying, and evaluating the innovation, as long as the expenses are allowable under federal and IMLS guidelines. Examples of projects that might be funded by this program include, but are not limited to:

  • exploring the potential of highly original, experimental collaborations,
  • implementing new workflows or processes with potential for substantial cost savings,
  • testing new metrics or methods to measure the impact of promising tools or services,
  • rapid prototyping and testing of new types of software tools, or creating useful new ways to link separate software applications used in libraries, archives, or museums,
  • offering innovative new types of services or service options to museum, library, or archive visitors, or
  • enhancing institutions’ abilities to interact with audiences in new ways to promote learning or improve services, such as through the deployment of innovative crowd-sourcing techniques.

Sparks! Ignition Grant funds may not be used for:

  • evaluation of an existing program or service,
  • projects that are only for planning or research (as distinguished from experimentation),
  • projects that are limited to existing and traditional approaches to exhibitions, performances, or other types of public programs,
  • projects that involve mainly digitization, unless the applicant is proposing an innovative method for digitization,
  • activities that will produce only incremental improvements in operational or business processes,
  • support of conferences or professional meetings, or
  • acquisition of equipment in excess of 50 percent of the total funds requested from IMLS.

Daily Tweets 2010-09-09

Electronic Resources Librarian at Western Carolina University

Western Carolina University’s Hunter Library is recruiting an Electronic Resources Librarian. Salary range: $40,000-$49,000.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

This new position will activate and manage access to a wide range of licensed electronic resources such as databases, journals, and books. The position will also serve as the go-to person for all library staff for resolving problems related to access. Other responsibilities include supervising one full-time staff member; maintaining the Innovative Interfaces Web Access Management (WAM) table and WebBridge link resolver, and EBSCO's ERM Essentials; collecting and tracking usage data; database administration; coordinating tasks related to e-resources among all the various constituents; and working collaboratively within the Western North Carolina Library Network on e-resources issues.