Month: November 2011

Routledge Announces Two-Year Trial of New Author Rights Policy for Library and Information Science Journals

Routledge has announced a two-year trial of a new author rights policy for library and information science journals.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

Routledge, the social science and humanities imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, is pleased to announce a two-year pilot initiative for the library and information science research community, allowing contributors to its library and information science journals to retain the copyright to their work and to post it within their institutional repository without an embargo period.

This initiative applies to any of Routledge's 35 library and information science journals published from Taylor & Francis' Philadelphia office. Under this scheme, an author may post the peer-reviewed version of his or her article (although not the published pdf.) into their institutional or subject repository (although not commercial servers or for resale) immediately following publication, so long as the original place of publication is referenced and a URL link is made to the Version of Record on Routledge's website. To view a list of included titles please go to: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/pdf/author/lis-journals.pdf

| Transforming Scholarly Publishing through Open Access: A Bibliography | Digital Scholarship |

Digital Services Manager at Metropolitan New York Library Council

The Metropolitan New York Library Council is recruiting a Digital Services Manager. Required degree: "ALA-accredited Master's degree in Library or Information Science or related advanced degree in Information Management." Salary: $70,000.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

This position offers the opportunity to provide leadership in the region for a diverse membership of libraries, archives, museums, and related information management organizations. METRO's digital services provide members with funds, training, and resources to initiate and/or to improve their library's digital services; including, but not limited to digitization, digital preservation, mobile technologies, and more.

| New: Institutional Repository and ETD Bibliography 2011 | Digital Scholarship |

Research Infrastructures in the Digital Humanities

The European Science Foundation has released Research Infrastructures in the Digital Humanities.

Here's an excerpt:

This peer reviewed document reflects on the centrality of Research Infrastructures (RIs) to the Humanities. It argues that without RIs such as archives, libraries, academies, museums and galleries (and the sources that they identify, order, preserve and make accessible) significant strands of Humanities research would not be possible. After proposing a wide-ranging definition of digital RIs—with the aim of reflecting on the meaning of infrastructure in the Humanities rather than on those parts common to other domains of science—it attempts to relate physical RIs to digital ones. By drawing on a number of case studies—chosen to showcase the variety of research around existing or emerging infrastructures—it demonstrates that digital RIs offer Humanities scholars new and productive ways to explore old questions and develop new ones.

| Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography, Version 80 | Digital Scholarship |

Analyst Programmer 2 at the University of Oregon Library

The University of Oregon Library is recruiting an Analyst Programmer 2.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

This position provides high level programming expertise to analyze, design, develop, test, and implement complex web and software applications for use by the campus community. Duties include:

… conducting user and systems needs assessment to determine technical requirements, analyzing and evaluating appropriate technical solutions based on these requirements and selecting the best solution for development and implementation; leading the programming and modification of complex Web-based applications, databases, and programs through the entire development life cycle, including testing and implementation; researching and developing emerging technologies in response to teaching and research needs at the UO.

… designing, analyzing, and coding projects in MySQL, PHP, HTML, Javascript, and other appropriate languages for use in the Web browser based environment; architect project code for ease of long-term maintenance by technical and/or non-technical staff.

| New: Institutional Repository and ETD Bibliography 2011 | Digital Scholarship |

European Commission Issues "Recommendation on the Digitisation and Online Accessibility of Cultural Material and Digital Preservation"

The European Commission has issued a "Recommendation on the Digitisation and Online Accessibility of Cultural Material and Digital Preservation."

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

In particular, the Recommendation invites Member States to:

  • put in place solid plans for their investments in digitisation and foster public-private partnerships to share the gigantic cost of digitisation (recently estimated at 100 billion EUR). The Recommendation spells out key principles to ensure that such partnerships are fair and balanced.
  • make available through Europeana 30 million objects by 2015, including all Europe's masterpieces which are no longer protected by copyright, and all material digitised with public funding.
  • get more in-copyright material online, by, for example, creating the legal framework conditions enabling large-scale digitisation and cross-border accessibility of out-of-commerce works.
  • reinforce their strategies and adapt their legislation to ensure long-term preservation of digital material, by, for example, ensuring the material deposited is not protected by technical measures that impede librarians from preserving it.

| Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography 2010 | Digital Scholarship |

Senior Programmer/Analyst at University of Notre Dame Hesburgh Libraries

The University of Notre Dame Hesburgh Libraries are recruiting a Senior Programmer/Analyst. Required degree: "Bachelors degree in Computer Science (or equivalent degree)."

Here's an excerpt from the ad (job number: 11535):

Under the supervision of the Unit Manager, but with a high degree of independence, the incumbent serves as a senior analyst/programmer in the Digital Library Applications and Local Programming unit within Library Information Systems. This unit is responsible for digital collections technical infrastructure as well as Digital Library Applications development related to digital exhibits, digital asset management, data curation, and digitization efforts. The unit also serves as a 2nd line resource for local programming for the Library Information Systems department with business process automation and its vended shared information systems Aleph, MetaLib, Primo, SFX, and related systems) of the Michiana Academic Library Consortium (MALC-Notre Dame, Saint Mary's College, Holy Cross College, and Bethel College).

| New: E-science and Academic Libraries Bibliography | Digital Scholarship |

Data Management Planning: Open Source DMPTool Launched by University of California Curation Center and Others

The University of California Curation Center has announced the launch of DMPTool.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

The University of California and several other major research institutions have partnered to develop the DMPTool, a flexible online application to help researchers generate data management plans—simple but effective documents for ensuring good data stewardship. These plans increasingly are being required by funders such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (GBMF). The DMPTool supports data management plans and funder requirements across the disciplines, including the humanities and physical, medical and social sciences. . . .

The DMPTool is open source, freely available and easily configurable to reflect an institution's local policies and information. Users of the DMPTool can view sample plans, preview funder requirements and view the latest changes to their plans. It permits the user to create an editable document for submission to a funding agency and can accommodate different versions as funding requirements change. Not only can researchers use the tool to generate plans compliant to funder requirements, but institutions also can use the tool to present information and policies relevant to data management and to foster collaboration among faculty, the institutional libraries, contracts and grants offices, and academic computing. . . .

Project partners include the University of California Curation Center (UC3) at the California Digital Library, the UCLA Library, the UC San Diego Libraries, the Smithsonian Institution, the University of Virginia Library, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, DataONE, and the United Kingdom's Digital Curation Centre. Working collaboratively, these institutions have consolidated their expertise and reduced their costs.

| Digital Curation and Preservation Bibliography 2010 | Digital Scholarship |

Current News: Twitter Updates for 11/2/11

Association of Research Libraries Endorses the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities

The Association of Research Libraries has endorsed the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

On November 1, 2011, the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) joined over 300 organizations and institutions to endorse the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities.

In a letter to Dr. Peter Gruss, President of the Max Planck Society, Winston Tabb, ARL President and Sheridan Dean of University Libraries and Museums at the Johns Hopkins University, wrote, "The Association of Research Libraries has been a longtime and consistent supporter of Open Access and has worked hard to advance its principles internationally. During the October 2011 meeting of the Board of Directors a decision was taken to become a signatory to the Berlin Declaration. I am pleased to extend our endorsement of the Declaration and join the growing number of signatories from North America."

| Transforming Scholarly Publishing through Open Access: A Bibliography | Digital Scholarship |

Web Application Developer at Ohio State University Libraries

The Ohio State University Libraries are recruiting a Web Application Developer. Required degree: "Bachelor's Degree in computer and information science or an equivalent combination of education and experience." Salary: $60,000-$70,000.

Here's an excerpt from the ad (requisition number: 364298 ):

Serves as a member of the Libraries IT Division Web Implementation Team which is charged with designing, developing and managing innovative web-based applications that support, enhance, and extend the mission of The Ohio State University Libraries. Designs, develops, troubleshoots, implements, and maintains software code for applications delivered via the Web. Designs and maintains applications utilizing MySQL and PostgreSQL databases, NoSQL data collections, and lucene/search indices for optimizing application development, integration and scaling.

| New: E-science and Academic Libraries Bibliography | Digital Scholarship |

Library Publishing Services: Strategies for Success: Research Report, Version 1.0

SPARC and the Academic Resources Coalition have released Library Publishing Services: Strategies for Success: Research Report, Version 1.0.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

Key findings of the project include:
  • Approximately half (55%) of all respondents to the survey indicated having or developing library publishing services. Interest in such services varied by institution size, with over three-quarters of ARLs being interested, compared to 30% of Oberlin Group institutions. Most libraries with existing programs anticipated increasing the program's scale or scope in the next year.
  • About three-quarters of the programs publish between one and six journals, the majority of which are only distributed electronically and are less than three-years old. About half of the programs publish conference proceedings, technical reports, or monographs; most often electronically, but with some print-on-demand distribution.
  • The vast majority of library publishing programs (almost 90%) were launched in order to contribute to change in the scholarly publishing system, supplemented by a variety of other mission-related motivations. The prevalence of mission-driven rationale aligns with the funding sources reported for library publishing programs, including library budget reallocations (97%), temporary funding from the institution (67%), and grant support (57%). However, many respondents expect a greater percentage of future publishing program funding to come from service fees, product revenue, charge-backs, royalties, and other program-generated income.
  • Almost two-thirds of the programs collaborate with one or more other campus units—including departmental faculty, university press, and campus computing—and two-thirds collaborate with individuals or organizations outside of the institution. Over half of the respondents expect collaborations to increase in the next year.
  • About half of responding institutions centralize management of their publishing activities within one library unit. The number of staff allocated to publishing activities is modest—averaging 2.4 FTE for ARLs and 0.9 FTE for Oberlin Group institutions—with older programs typically being larger. Staff dedicated exclusively to publishing service programs are relatively rare, with responsibility for such services typically fragmented across multiple staff members.
  • The perceived relevance of publishing services to the library's mission, and the integration of such services into the library's budget, helps explain the relative lack of emphasis on sustainability planning. Few institutions (15%) have a documented sustainability plan for their publishing services, and only a fifth have evaluated the value or effectiveness of their publishing services.
  • The most prevalent journal publishing platforms reported were Open Journal Systems (57%), DSpace (36%), and Berkeley Electronic Press's Digital Commons (25%).

| Open Access Bibliography: Liberating Scholarly Literature with E-Prints and Open Access Journals | Digital Scholarship |

Digital Scholarship |

Special Projects Librarian, Copyright Office at University of Michigan Library

The University of Michigan Library is recruiting a Special Projects Librarian, Copyright Office (three-year term). Required degree: “ALA accredited Master’s degree in Library or Information Science, or an equivalent combination of a relevant advanced degree and experience.”

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The Special Projects Librarian will work under the supervision of the Lead Copyright Officer and with a range of Library staff in the delivery and management of digital library content and services. The Special Projects Librarian will be the project manager for a key part of a project funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to make copyright determinations for US works published between 1923 and 1963. This project builds on the work of the IMLS-funded Copyright Review Management System (CRMS) grant awarded in 2008 (`CRMS-US'). For detailed information about CRMS, see http://www.lib.umich.edu/imls-national-leadership-grant-crms. The Special Projects Librarian will work collaboratively with project and technical staff related to the CRMS project at the University of Michigan and major external partners.

| New: Institutional Repository and ETD Bibliography 2011 | Digital Scholarship |

Legal Issues in Mass Digitization: A Preliminary Analysis and Discussion Document

The U.S. Office of the Register of Copyrights has released Legal Issues in Mass Digitization: A Preliminary Analysis and Discussion Document .

Here's the announcement:

The Copyright Office has published a Preliminary Analysis and Discussion Document that addresses the issues raised by the intersection between copyright law and the mass digitization of books. The purpose of the Analysis is to facilitate further discussions among the affected parties and the public discussions that may encompass a number of possible approaches, including voluntary initiatives, legislative options, or both. The Analysis also identifies questions to consider in determining an appropriate policy for the mass digitization of books.

Public discourse on mass digitization is particularly timely. On March 22, 2011, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York rejected a proposed settlement in the copyright infringement litigation regarding Google's mass book digitization project. The court found that the settlement would have redefined the relationship between copyright law and new technology, and it would have encroached upon Congress's ability to set copyright policy with respect to orphan works. Since then, a group of authors has filed a lawsuit against five university libraries that participated in Google's mass digitization project. These developments have sparked a public debate on the risks and opportunities that mass book digitization may create for authors, publishers, libraries, technology companies, and the general public. The Office's Analysis will serve as a basis for further policy discussions on this issue.

| Google Books Bibliography | Digital Scholarship |