Year: 2011

Preserving News in the Digital Environment: Mapping the Newspaper Industry in Transition

The National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program has released Preserving News in the Digital Environment: Mapping the Newspaper Industry in Transition, which was written by a team from the Center for Research Libraries.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

This report provides a vivid glimpse inside the workplaces that produce what – not long ago – we would have called newspapers. As digital news-gathering and production methods proliferate, and as digital avenues for distribution emerge, these workplaces are being transformed in profound ways, with electronic facsimiles and websites (and probably more) overtaking the paper format.

The report is an outgrowth of the Preserving Digital News meeting held at the Library in September 2009, and it features illustrative examples from four American newspapers: The Arizona Republic, Seattle Post-Intelligencer (since 2008, seattlepi.com), Wisconsin State Journal, and The Chicago Tribune. There is additional information pertaining to the work of The New York Times, Investor’s Business Daily, and the Associated Press. Altogether, the report makes it clear that the transition to the digital environment is not a neat, throw-the-switch change.

| Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Digital Curation and Preservation Bibliography 2010 |

Information Technology Coordinator–Automation Systems at Rochester Public Library (MN)

The Rochester Public Library (MN) is recruiting an Information Technology Coordinator–Automation Systems. Salary: $58,433-$85,931.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Under the general supervision of the Automation Services Manager, this position provides technical support, monitoring, problem determination and troubleshooting of Rochester Public Library computer/server hardware, software, networks and related equipment.

Responsibilities include troubleshooting Rochester Public Library computer equipment including networks, personal computers, servers, databases, and printers; configuring, installing, securing and maintaining local and wide area networks and related equipment; developing programs for internal and external library customers; assuming a backup role for certain duties of the Automation Services Manager and City IT and performing related duties as required.

| Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Reviews of Digital Scholarship Publications |

"Just Google It!—The Google Book Search Settlement: A Law and Economics Analysis"

Frank Müller-Langer and Marc Scheufen have self-archived "Just Google It!—The Google Book Search Settlement: A Law and Economics Analysis" in SSRN.

Here's an excerpt:

Our law and economics analysis of the Book Search Project suggests that—from a copyright perspective—the proposed settlement may be beneficial to right holders, consumers, and Google. For instance, it may provide a solution to the still unsolved dilemma of orphan works. From a competition policy perspective, we stress the important aspect that Google’s pricing algorithm for orphan and unclaimed works effectively replicates a competitive Nash-Bertrand market outcome under post-settlement, third-party oversight.

| Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Reviews of Digital Scholarship Publications |Google Books Bibliography |

Current News: Twitter Updates for 5/4/11

| Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Reviews of Digital Scholarship Publications |

DSpace@Cambridge Research Data and Digital Curation Officer

The University of Cambridge Library is recruiting a DSpace@Cambridge Research Data and Digital Curation Officer. Salary: £25,854-£29,972.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Applications are invited for the post of DSpace@Cambridge Research Data and Digital Curation Officer to support work in the areas of digital curation and research data management. The role holder will assist current projects and continue the work from completed projects in research data management.

The role holder will be working within the existing DSpace@Cambridge team, which currently consist of five members of staff, including a system manager, developer, repository manager and two part-time Support and Liaison Officers. The library's Digitisation and Digital Preservation Specialist will also provide support on aspects relating to digital curation and preservation.

The position involves undertaking a range of activities, with an initial focus on contributing to the work of the EPIC project, investigating the intentions of those depositing content within the DSpace@Cambridge repository and potential requirements of future users. The role holder would also help to embed and extend work begun with the Library's Incremental and DataTrain projects, which have developed advice and training on research data management.

| Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Reviews of Digital Scholarship Publications |

IMLS Awards 14 Sparks! Ignition Grants

The Institute of Museum and Library Services has awarded 14 Sparks! Ignition Grants.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced today 14 awards totaling $336,281 matched with $360,444 of non-federal funds for Sparks! Ignition Grants. IMLS received 106 applications requesting $2,468,234 in funds.

"I am delighted to announce the first-ever Sparks! Ignition Grants, designed to help libraries and museums solve challenging problems," said Susan Hildreth, IMLS Director. "These awards speak to the great ingenuity and creativity of libraries and museums and we look forward to sharing their lessons learned."

| Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography 2010 |

Web Developer II at University of Northern British Columbia’s Geoffrey R. Weller Library

The Northern British Columbia's Geoffrey R. Weller Library is recruiting a Web Developer II (one-year term).

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Reporting directly to the Web Services Librarian and indirectly to the Admin & Enterprise Systems Manager, the Web Developer II is responsible for customizing and optimizing software for the establishment of a digital Institutional Repository while ensuring developed solutions fit with current IT infrastructures. This includes developing custom software modules to digitize the process of submission for dissemination of graduate theses and dissertations, and to build an Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD) program at UNBC.

| Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Reviews of Digital Scholarship Publications |

Rapid Capture: Faster Throughput in Digitization of Special Collections

OCLC Research has released Rapid Capture: Faster Throughput in Digitization of Special Collections.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

This report provides examples of how to simplify and streamline digital capture of non-book collections.

Nine case studies illustrate processes and procedures institutions have adopted to speed up digitization of special collections. The intent in sharing these vignettes is to enable others to consider whether or not any of the approaches could be applied to their own initiatives to increase the scale of their digitization efforts.

| Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography 2010 |

Current News: Twitter Updates for 5/3/11

| Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Reviews of Digital Scholarship Publications |

Associate Vice President for Digital Programs and Technology Services at Columbia University

Columbia University Libraries/Information Services are recruiting an Associate Vice President for Digital Programs and Technology Services.

Here's an excerpt from the ad (requisition number: 0002115):

The Columbia University Libraries/Information Services(CUL/IS) seek an experienced, innovative professional with a strong understanding of research universities to lead and direct a unique mix of digital programs and technology services that work together to support the research and teaching needs of the University. The Associate Vice President for Digital Programs and Technology Services (AVP,DPTS) provides leadership in organizational strategy, collaboration, resource development, and system-wide technological change. The AVP, DPTS is a member of the CUL/IS Executive Committee and works in close collaboration with the Associate University Librarian (AUL) for Collections and Services, the AUL for Bibliographic Services and Collections, and the AVP for Finance, Administration and Human Resources.

| Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Reviews of Digital Scholarship Publications |

Over 80% of Association of American Universities Members Now Have Institutional Repositories

The Association of American Universities is a highly selective nonprofit organization of "leading public and private research universities in the United States and Canada" whose US members "award more than one-half of all U.S. doctoral degrees and 55 percent of those in the sciences and engineering."

This post examines whether AAU institutions have operational institutional repositories. Over 80% of the 62 AAU members now have such a repository (see the below list).

Institutions that do not have an institutional repository typically have an extensive digital library of curated digital materials (including works digitized by the library), and they may also have specialized digital repositories, such as departmental digital repositories (e.g., eprints and other digital research materials) or an ETD repository. Such digital libraries and repositories are not included here.

Institutional repositories were identified by OpenDOAR, ROAR, and, in some cases, Google and institutional website searches.

  1. Brandeis University, Brandeis Institutional Repository
  2. Brown University, Brown Digital Repository
  3. California Institute of Technology, CaltechAUTHORS
  4. Carnegie Mellon University, Research Showcase
  5. Case Western Reserve University, Digital Case
  6. Columbia University, Academic Commons
  7. Cornell University, eCommons@Cornell
  8. Duke University, DukeSpace
  9. Georgia Institute of Technology, SMARTech Repository
  10. Harvard University, DASH
  11. Indiana University, IUScholarWorks
  12. The Johns Hopkins University, JScholarship
  13. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, DSpace@MIT
  14. McGill University, eScholarship@McGill
  15. New York University, Faculty Digital Archive
  16. The Ohio State University, Knowledge Bank
  17. Purdue University, ePubs
  18. Rice University, Rice University Digital Scholarship Archive
  19. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, RUCore
  20. Stanford University, Stanford Digital Repository
  21. Stony Brook University-State University of New York, State University of New York Digital Repository
  22. Syracuse University, SURFACE
  23. Texas A&M University, Texas A&M Digital Repository
  24. The University of Arizona, UAiR
  25. University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, UB Institutional Repository
  26. University of California, Berkeley, eScholarship
  27. University of California, Davis, eScholarship
  28. University of California, Irvine, eScholarship
  29. University of California, Los Angeles, eScholarship
  30. University of California, San Diego, eScholarship
  31. University of California, Santa Barbara, eScholarship
  32. University of Colorado at Boulder
  33. University of Florida, IR @ UF
  34. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IDEALS
  35. The University of Iowa, Iowa Research Online
  36. The University of Kansas, KU ScholarWorks
  37. University of Maryland, College Park, DRUM
  38. University of Michigan, Deep Blue
  39. University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, digitalconservancy
  40. University of Missouri-Columbia, MOspace
  41. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carolina Digital Repository
  42. University of Oregon, Scholars' Bank
  43. University of Pennsylvania, ScholarlyCommons Repository
  44. University of Pittsburgh, D-Scholarship@Pitt
  45. University of Rochester, UR Research
  46. The University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas Digital Repository
  47. University of Toronto, T-Space
  48. University of Virginia, Libra
  49. University of Washington, ResearchWorks
  50. The University of Wisconsin-Madison, MINDS@UW
  51. Vanderbilt University, DiscoverArchive

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

U.S. Public Libraries and the Use of Web Technologies 2010

The Library Research Service of the Colorado State Library has released U.S. Public Libraries and the Use of Web Technologies 2010.

Here's an excerpt:

Since the first Web Technologies study, public libraries across the United States have made varying degrees of progress in adopting Web 2.0 tools. Using the 2008 results as a baseline, the 2010 study was an opportunity to identify new web technologies and track changes in what libraries are adopting, as well as identify characteristics of those libraries.

In general, the results of the 2010 study reveal that most web technologies are increasing in use on public libraries' websites, with some tools gaining in popularity rather quickly and others appearing to stagnate. For example, libraries' use of social media sites took off while adoption of earlier tools including blogs has slowed, and new options such as SMS reference have not yet had a chance to gain much traction. Regardless of the tool in question, most growth was concentrated in the largest libraries, where adoption of new technologies increased at a faster rate than in smaller libraries.

| Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Reviews of Digital Scholarship Publications |

Web Services Specialist at Newton Free Library

The Newton Free Library is recruiting a Web Services Specialist. Salary: $45,716-$51,431.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The web manager/programmer will be responsible for the Library's digital initiatives and online resources in order to improve access to the collection, promote the library in the community and expand patrons' online experience. Other responsibilities include developing staff resources, re-organize and re-design of the existing web, and exploring the use of 3rd party online social networking as a means of interacting with patrons. Help launch new initiatives in digitizing the Library's collection and online information portals. This position emphasizes the use of web programming to modernize the Library's online presence.

| Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Reviews of Digital Scholarship Publications |

Current News: Twitter Updates for 5/2/11

| Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Reviews of Digital Scholarship Publications |

Web Applications Developer, NYPL Labs

The New York Public Library is recruiting a Web Applications Developer, NYPL Labs .

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The New York Public Library seeks a talented web applications developer to join the Library's new research and development unit, NYPL Labs. We are looking for someone who is willing to experiment, able to build, test and debug in rapid iterations, and excited to join the intellectual life of NYPL and the wider digital humanities and creative tech community.

Work will be situated in midtown Manhattan within NYPL's larger web group, but will be focused on projects that break new ground in digital humanities research and/or facilitate new forms of networked participation in library activity. Projects may range from building crowdsourcing tools for enhancing library collections, rethinking established genres such as archival finding aids, or developing multi-modal (potentially cross-institutional) digital archives of special collections material. Some projects will be proof-of-concept prototypes aimed at hatching ideas that might eventually be applied more broadly across the Library. Others will be fully realized applications that become staple resources in the NYPL web environment. All will place you at the intersection of scholarly, library and technological innovation taking place at one of the worlds great public research institutions. Tapped into one of the worlds largest and most creatively dynamic urban populations.

| Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Reviews of Digital Scholarship Publications |

Presentations from the CNI Spring 2011 Membership Meeting

Presentations and handouts from the CNI Spring 2011 Membership Meeting are now available.

Here's a brief selection of presentations:

| Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography 2010 |

"Preserving Repository Content: Practical Tools for Repository Managers"

Miggie Pickton, Debra Morris, Stephanie Meece, Simon Coles, and Steve Hitchcock have published "Preserving Repository Content: Practical Tools for Repository Managers" in the latest issue of the Journal of Digital Information.

Here's an excerpt:

The stated aim of many repositories is to provide permanent open access to their content. However, relatively few repositories have implemented practical action plans towards permanence. Repository managers often lack time and confidence to tackle the important but scary problem of preservation.

Written by, and aimed at, repository managers, this paper describes how the JISC-funded KeepIt project has been bringing together existing preservation tools and services with appropriate training and advice to enable repository managers to formulate practical and achievable preservation plans.

Three elements of the KeepIt project are described:

  1. The initial, exploratory phase in which repository managers and a preservation specialist established the current status of each repository and its preservation objectives;
  2. The repository-specific KeepIt preservation training course which covered the organisational and financial framework of repository preservation; metadata; the new preservation tools; and issues of trust between repository, users and services;
  3. The application of tools and lessons learned from the training course to four exemplar repositories and the impact that this has made.

The paper concludes by recommending practical steps that all repository managers may take to ensure their repositories are preservation-ready.

| Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Institutional Repository Bibliography |

Metadata and Digital Resources Developer, University Libraries at Ball State University Libraries

The Ball State University Libraries are recruiting a Metadata and Digital Resources Developer.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Professional position available immediately. Responsibilities: create page-level metadata, analyze, create, develop and adapt metadata schemes and codes for the University Libraries’ content management systems, including developing digital resources for specialized projects; provide training and supervision as necessary and maintain quality standards to support the University Libraries’ ongoing transition from print to a predominately digital environment.

| Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Reviews of Digital Scholarship Publications |

"Tragedy of the Data Commons"

Jane Yakowitz has self-archived "Tragedy of the Data Commons" in SSRN.

Here's an excerpt:

Accurate data is vital to enlightened research and policymaking, particularly publicly available data that are redacted to protect the identity of individuals. Legal academics, however, are campaigning against data anonymization as a means to protect privacy, contending that wealth of information available on the Internet enables malfeasors to reverse-engineer the data and identify individuals within them. Privacy scholars advocate for new legal restrictions on the collection and dissemination of research data. This Article challenges the dominant wisdom, arguing that properly de-identified data is not only safe, but of extraordinary social utility. It makes three core claims. First, legal scholars have misinterpreted the relevant literature from computer science and statistics, and thus have significantly overstated the futility of anonymizing data. Second, the available evidence demonstrates that the risks from anonymized data are theoretical – they rarely, if ever, materialize. Finally, anonymized data is crucial to beneficial social research, and constitutes a public resource – a commons – under threat of depletion. The Article concludes with a radical proposal: since current privacy policies overtax valuable research without reducing any realistic risks, law should provide a safe harbor for the dissemination of research data.

| Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Digital Curation and Preservation Bibliography 2010 |

Current News: Twitter Updates for 5/1/11

| Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Reviews of Digital Scholarship Publications |

Digital Repository Coordinator at Emory University Libraries

The Emory University Libraries are recruiting a Digital Repository Coordinator.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The Emory Libraries seek applications for a new Digital Repository Coordinator to provide leadership, project management, and work in the development of repository services to promote access to the scholarship of the Emory community. In March 2011, the Emory Faculty passed an Open Access Policy calling upon the Libraries, partnering with a faculty advisory committee, to develop an open access repository (see http://guides.main.library.emory.edu/OA for more details). The open access repository will be the first project for this innovative and energetic individual, who will work collaboratively with colleagues on the faculty and in the libraries to develop and implement an open access repository in support of the Open Access Policy, including policies, procedures, workflows, metadata, recruiting and harvesting content, and marketing and outreach to the University community advocating for best practices in open access. Future projects may include data, multi-media content or learning objects. This is an exciting opportunity to work with multiple stakeholders employing a user-driven approach to launch new services for the Emory community.

| Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Reviews of Digital Scholarship Publications |

Subject Repositories: "arXiv Business Planning Update"

The Cornell University Library has released "arXiv Business Planning Update."

Here's an excerpt:

It has been 15 months since we announced the collaborative arXiv business model. As we reported in our previous update, for 2010 we were pleased to receive support from 123 institutions, totaling to $360,000 in contributions and representing 11 countries. We are encouraged with the contributions for 2011 as we already have support from 101 institutions, totaling to $275,000 in pledges from 8 countries.

We are grateful for the coordinated international support from the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) Collections in the UK, SPARC-Japan, German National Library of Science and Technology (TIB), Helmholtz-Alliance Physics (Germany), and Denmark's Electronic Research Library (DEFF). We are currently contacting additional international library consortia for their possible leadership in coordinating support within some other countries. . . .

As part of our sustainability planning, we took a critical look at arXiv's technology infrastructure and prepared a high-level plan, which includes a major change to the discovery and access component of the platform. After having the proposal reviewed by four external colleagues with expertise in repository architectures, we decided to implement Invenio as the basis of a new display and access system. The move to Invenio will facilitate improved collaboration with our partners at NASA ADS and INSPIRE, and reduce the maintenance burden of in-house code. We anticipate the transition, which will include a number of user interface enhancements, to be completed by mid-2012. . . .

In collaboration with the NSF Data Conservancy project we have launched a pilot data upload interface for data associated with arXiv articles. Submission is unified through small extensions to arXiv's submission interface. While the article is announced and stored on arXiv, data is automatically deposited in the Data Conservancy repository and linked from the article (see http://arxiv.org/help/data_conservancy for more information). This is a pilot project, which will be re-evaluated in collaboration with the Data Conservancy by the end of this year.

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

Scholarly Electronic Publishing Weblog (April 29, 2011)

The latest update of the Scholarly Electronic Publishing Weblog (SEPW) is now available. It provides information about new works related to scholarly electronic publishing, such as books, e-prints, journal articles, magazine articles, technical reports, and white papers.

| Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview |

Sr. Programmer at University of Miami’s Richter Library

The University of Miami's Richter Library is recruiting a Sr. Programmer. Pay band min/max: $48,356.50-$99,937.50.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Reporting to the Head of Web & Emerging Technologies, the Digital Technologies Programmer/Analyst provides leadership in the research, development and maintenance of the Libraries technical infrastructure. This includes web development, digital programs, user interfaces and other emerging technologies. The incumbent designs, develops, implements, and facilitates project management for the research and development of user-centered tools and applications to enhance operations and services. The DTPA is a member of the Digital Projects Team and supervises one programmer/analyst.

| Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Reviews of Digital Scholarship Publications |

Association of Research Libraries Sends Letter to FTC about Google Books Privacy Issues

The Association of Research Libraries has sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission regarding Google Books privacy issues.

Here's an excerpt:

This consent order presents a unique opportunity to shape best practices in reader privacy for a major online service provider. The marketplaces for e-books and for book search are both in formative stages, and the standards adopted by Google can be highly influential for other market participants. We urge the Commission to confirm that reader privacy deserves the same respect in the online world that it has long demanded in the physical world by insisting on strong protections for reader privacy in the comprehensive privacy program.

Read more about it at "In Comments to FTC, ARL Suggests Privacy Oversight for Google Books."

| Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Google Books Bibliography |