Month: January 2012

Library Applications Development Manager at University of Massachusetts Boston’s Healey Library

The University of Massachusetts Boston's Healey Library is recruiting a Library Applications Development Manager.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The Library Applications Development Manager for the Healey Library will be responsible for managing the Library’s applications and for the development of custom library applications, as needed. The Library Applications Development Manager will also: manage and analyze database and system projects, including new and on-going development, integration and support of the library’s digital and web-based services; make recommendations on library policies, procedures and protocols; define new projects and priorities, working with the University Librarian and other department heads; manage and schedule software development projects; coordinate deployment and management of production systems within the library. . .

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

Digital Scholarship 2011 Use Statistics

In 2011, Digital Scholarship had over 12.2 million file requests of which over 9.5 million were page views (requests for HTML, PDF, or Word files). The average number of visitors per day was over 7,000 visitors.

File requests came from 212 countries. The top 5 countries by number of visitors were:

Country No. of Visitors
United States > 1.4 million
China > 260,000
Germany > 97,000
France > 92,000
Japan > 84,000

The top five publications were (includes PDFs for related books):

Publication File Requests
DigitalKoans > 8.9 million
Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography > 1.2 million
Digital Curation and Preservation Bibliography > 100,000
Transforming Scholarly Publishing through Open Access: A Bibliography > 82,000
Institutional Repository Bibliography* > 80,000

* Does not include the Institutional Repository and ETD Bibliography 2011 PDF, which had over 48,000 requests.

Log analysis was done with WebLog Expert.

| Digital Scholarship's Digital/Print Books | Digital Scholarship |

Digital Library Architect (Solutions Architect 3) at Los Alamos National Laboratory Research Library

The Los Alamos National Laboratory Research Library is recruiting a Digital Library Architect (Solutions Architect 3).

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The Digital Library Architect (Solutions Architect 3) will be responsible for researching, collaboratively planning and delivering a forward-looking, sustainable infrastructure for the content stewardship and delivery of scientific content by applying community established best practices to cutting-edge technology. The new infrastructure will integrate diverse content repositories of both data and scientific literature to create a cohesive and extensible suite of access, discovery, preservation, curation, security, repository, archival & storage services to underpin LANL's unique collections of scientific and technical information.

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

"Orphan Works: Definitional Issues"

David Robert Hansen has self-archived "Orphan Works: Definitional Issues" in SSRN. This is a white paper from the Berkeley Digital Library Copyright Project.

Here's an excerpt:

When discussing orphan works, two basic definitional questions arise: (1) exactly what is the "orphan works" problem?, and (2) what is the size of this problem? The answers to these two questions are central to understanding how proposed solutions work to remedy the situation. Though both questions have long been posed, the answer to the first (what is the "orphan works"; problem) can vary based on the type of work or the particular user, and the answer to the second (what is the size of the problem) remains difficult to state with precision. This paper explores both and identifies areas where further research is needed.

| Digital Scholarship's Digital Bibliographies | Digital Scholarship |

Current News: Twitter Updates for 1/23/12

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Web Applications Developer, TAPAS Project at Brown University Library

The Brown University Library is recruiting a Web Applications Developer.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The Brown University Library and the TAPAS Project are seeking a developer to lead the technical implementation of the TAPAS service. Working with other members of the Brown Digital Repository development team, the developer will install and customize an instance of Islandora (Drupal and Fedora), and will develop functionality for publishing, describing, analyzing, visualizing, and sharing scholarly texts. The developer will collaborate with Brown systems and development staff, staff at Wheaton College, and other TAPAS participants, to create, refine, and implement ideas for building the service, and will work with those groups to test and roll out new web applications. Additionally, the developer will customize Drupal and the underlying Fedora repository to enable a broad set of interactions to support the publication of encoded texts, and will develop an API to provide programmatic access to TAPAS data.

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

Open Access: Freedom for Scholarship in the Internet Age (Draft)

Heather Morrison has released a draft of her doctoral thesis Freedom for Scholarship in the Internet Age.

Here's an excerpt:

The purpose of this thesis is to further the work of transitioning to an open access scholarly communication system designed to support and prioritize scholarship and the public good rather than profit. The method will involve analysis of key underlying historical trends in society and how they impact scholarly communication, as well as original empirical work on the growth of open access, economic analysis to inform economic aspects of transition, and a case study of scholarly communication in the discipline of communication.

| Digital Scholarship's Digital/Print Books | Digital Scholarship |

Data Librarian at Illinois State University’s Milner Library

Illinois State University's Milner Library is recruiting a Data Librarian.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The person in this tenure-track library faculty position is responsible for planning, implementing, overseeing, and evaluating the content, services, projects, systems, and other resources of the Data and Digital Materials Center (DDMC), including the operations of ISU ReD (Research and eData), Illinois State University’s new institutional repository, as well as other data sets and data curation projects managed by or involving Milner Library. The DDMC and its initiatives support the mission of the library to advance the teaching, learning, research, and service activities throughout the university. This person works in collaboration with other individuals and groups in the library, on campus, and beyond to advance data and institutional repository projects and services.

| Digital Scholarship's Weblogs and Tweets | Digital Scholarship |

Tablet and E-book Reader Ownership Nearly Double Over the Holiday Gift-Giving Period

The Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project has released Tablet and E-book Reader Ownership Nearly Double Over the Holiday Gift-Giving Period.

Here's an excerpt:

The share of adults in the United States who own tablet computers nearly doubled from 10% to 19% between mid-December and early January and the same surge in growth also applied to e-book readers, which also jumped from 10% to 19% over the same time period.

The number of Americans owning at least one of these digital reading devices jumped from 18% in December to 29% in January.

| Digital Scholarship's Digital Bibliographies | Digital Scholarship |

Current News: Twitter Updates for 1/22/12

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National Leadership Grant Project Director at Northern Illinois University Libraries

The Northern Illinois University Libraries are recruiting a National Leadership Grant Project Director.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

This two-year term position serves as the Project Director for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)-funded National Leadership Grant, "Exploring Digital Preservation Solutions Appropriate for Small and Medium-sized College, University, and Research Libraries." Reporting to the Director of Digital Initiatives at Northern Illinois University Libraries, the Project Director will be responsible for the day-to-day management and implementation of the grant project.

| Digital Scholarship's Digital/Print Books | Digital Scholarship |

Open Access: PEER Economics Report [Final Report]

PEER (Publishing and the Ecology of European Research) has released the final version of the PEER Economics Report.

Here's an excerpt:

This study considers the effect of large-scale deposit on scholarly research publication and dissemination (sharing of research outputs), beginning with the analysis of publishers and institutions managing repositories and their sustainability. The study associates costs with specific activities, performed by key actors involved in research registration, certification, dissemination and digital management: authors, the scholarly community, editors, publishers, libraries, readers and funding agencies. Contrary to most of the existing literature, the study analyses cost structures of individual organizations. The focus of this study is therefore to provide context for the costs to specific organizations and to their choices in terms of scale and scope. . . .

This study analyses 22 organizations involved with journal article publication and dissemination. Data were gathered via literature and public document analysis, as well as through individual in-depth interviews in order to assess the cost structure of publishers, OA journal publishers and institutions managing repositories and the conditions for their sustainability.

| Digital Scholarship's Digital Bibliographies | Digital Scholarship |

Digital Collections Librarian at J. Y. Joyner Library at East Carolina University

The J. Y. Joyner Library at East Carolina University is recruiting a Digital Collections Librarian.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The Digital Collections Librarian will take a lead role in the creation, maintenance, and stewardship of digital collections and repository systems, including the digitization of special collections and other library materials and the implementation and maintenance of discovery tools related to these initiatives. S/he will devise and revise operating procedures and workflows; improve access to digitized content through ongoing evaluation of the department's digital services; investigate relevant standards and best practices and maintain compliance with standards, including metadata standards; investigate, plan, and manage format conversions and migrations; plan, implement, and monitor external contracts providing digitization and other related services to Joyner; seek and/or manage grant funding for digital initiatives; develop an in-depth knowledge of new technology; seek collaboration opportunities with other libraries and institutions; and develop preservation and curation plans for digital content in repositories.

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

AIMS Born-Digital Collections: An Inter-Institutional Model for Stewardship

The AIMS Project has released AIMS Born-Digital Collections: An Inter-Institutional Model for Stewardship.

Here's an excerpt:

The AIMS project evolved around a common need among the project partners — and most libraries and archives — to identify a methodology or continuous framework for stewarding born-digital archival materials. These materials have been slowly accumulating in archival backlogs for years but are rapidly growing as more contemporary collections are accessioned. . . .

Into this climate, the AIMS partners proposed an inter-institutional framework for stewarding born-digital content. The AIMS partners realized that they could not solve all problems associated with born-digital materials but decided to focus their attention on professional practice defined by archival principles and by the current state of collections at the partner institutions.

In developing the AIMS Framework, the project would apply a practitioner-based research approach by developing a model based on real case studies of collections at each institution. Applying our theories would confirm or challenge the initial framework which could then be used as a model around which to build individual workflows and processes within each partner's organization.

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

Current News: Twitter Updates for 1/19/12

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Digital Projects Coordinator at UCLA Center for Jewish Studies

The UCLA Center for Jewish Studies is recruiting a Digital Projects Coordinator.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Reporting to the Assistant Director of the UCLA Center for Jewish Studies, the Digital Projects Coordinator will oversee the digital research and teaching initiatives of the Center. The Coordinator will work closely with the Center Director to develop and steward a number of digital initiatives, including web-based research projects, publishing platforms, and courses with digital components. In particular, the Coordinator will facilitate the "HyperCities—Mapping Jewish Los Angeles" project and serve as the point-of-contact for the HyperCities project in general. Together with the UCLA Library, "HyperCities—Mapping Jewish Los Angeles" is a collaborative research and teaching project to create a multimedia archive and digital mapping of the history of Jewish Los Angeles. Knowledge of and experience with web-based technologies and digital tools in spatial analysis, visualization, Geographic Information Systems, and digital archiving are necessary for this position.

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

Apple Launches iBooks 2 for iPad and iBooks Author

Apple has launched iBooks 2 for iPad and iBooks Author.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

The new iBooks 2 app is available today as a free download from the App Store™. With support for great new features including gorgeous, fullscreen books, interactive 3D objects, diagrams, videos and photos, the iBooks 2 app will let students learn about the solar system or the physics of a skyscraper with amazing new interactive textbooks that come to life with just a tap or swipe of the finger. With its fast, fluid navigation, easy highlighting and note-taking, searching and definitions, plus lesson reviews and study cards, the new iBooks 2 app lets students study and learn in more efficient and effective ways than ever before.

iBooks Author is also available today as a free download from the Mac App Store and lets anyone with a Mac create stunning iBooks textbooks, cookbooks, history books, picture books and more, and publish them to Apple’s iBookstore. Authors and publishers of any size can start creating with Apple-designed templates that feature a wide variety of page layouts. iBooks Author lets you add your own text and images by simply dragging and dropping, and with the Multi-Touch™ widgets you can easily add interactive photo galleries, movies, Keynote® presentations and 3D objects.

| Digital Scholarship's Digital Bibliographies | Digital Scholarship |

Digital Preservation Librarian at University of Michigan Library

The University of Michigan Library is recruiting a Digital Preservation Librarian.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The Digital Preservation Librarian will report to the head of the Department of Preservation and Conservation in the library's Collections Division (http://www.lib.umich.edu/preservation-and-conservation). Working closely with staff in Library IT Core Services, Digital Library Production Services, MPublishing, Deep Blue, Preservation, and other library units as well as partners at other institutions, the Digital Preservation Librarian will:

  • Research, plan, and implement an ongoing preservation program for University Library collections of value in digital format. Review existing library practices, analyze and respond to needs. Advise library staff and digital content managers on all phases of the life cycle of digital content, with the aim of long-term retention and access. Assist in the development of requirements, specifications, and policies related to digital content the library solicits, accepts, purchases, or creates. Advise both library staff and external content creators on strategies and implementation of those specifications. Support the development of the preservation program for the HathiTrust shared digital repository. Develop and maintain disaster recovery planning and policy documents.

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

Public Domain Defeat: US Supreme Court Golan v. Holder Ruling

In a major defeat for public domain advocacy, the US Supreme Court has ruled against Lawrence Golan and others in Golan v. Holder.

Here is an excerpt from a synopsis of the case from the Legal Information Institute:

Congress enacted Section 514 of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act in order to comply with the international copyright standards of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works. Section 514 restores copyright protection to foreign works currently found in the public domain. Lawrence Golan and other performers, educators, and motion picture distributors brought this suit challenging Section 514, arguing that Congress's removal of works from the public domain exceeded its Copyright Clause powers. Golan also argues that Section 514 violates the First Amendment because the law does not serve any important government interests. Attorney General Holder counters that the Copyright Clause does not restrict Congress's authority to remove works from the public domain. He further argues that Section 514 does not violate the First Amendment because the government has a substantial interest in complying with the Berne Convention and protecting American works abroad.

Here's an excerpt from the ruling:

Congress determined that U. S. interests were best served by our full participation in the dominant system of international copyright protection. Those interests include ensuring exemplary compliance with our international obligations, securing greater protection for U. S. authors abroad, and remedying unequal treatment of foreign authors. The judgment §514 expresses lies well within the ken of the political branches. It is our obligation, of course, to determine whether the action Congress took, wise or not, encounters any constitutional shoal. For the reasons stated, we are satisfied it does not. The judgment of the Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit is therefore Affirmed.

In a lengthy dissent, Justice Stephen Breyer said:

The fact that, by withdrawing material from the public domain, the statute inhibits an important preexisting flow of information is sufficient, when combined with the other features of the statute that I have discussed, to convince me that the Copyright Clause, interpreted in the light of the First Amendment, does not authorize Congress to enact this statute.

Justice Samuel Alito also dissented.

| Digital Scholarship |

Current News: Twitter Updates for 1/18/12

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Metadata Coordinator at University of Houston Libraries

The University of Houston Libraries are recruiting a Metadata Coordinator.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Reporting to the Head of Cataloging, the successful candidate will work closely with the Digital Services and Special Collections Departments to provide leadership and support in metadata creation, maintenance and enhancement for digital resources. This incumbent will also develop approaches to ensure the quality and consistency of metadata in core library systems; translate metadata among different formats and integrate metadata from a variety of sources; be responsible for exploring, evaluating and recommending alternative metadata and emerging technologies that can be applied in the libraries' broader discovery environment; participate in reviewing, developing and implementing metadata application policies and procedures; lead projects, workflow design and training involving metadata and use of metadata in digital repositories and other discovery systems; assist in loading or batch loading of electronic theses and dissertations into the library catalog; keep current with trends, innovations and best practices affecting library metadata and digital collections.

| Digital Scholarship's Digital/Print Books | Digital Scholarship |

"The Five Stars of Online Journal Articles— A Framework for Article Evaluation"

David Shotton has published "The Five Stars of Online Journal Articles— A Framework for Article Evaluation" in the latest issue of D-Lib Magazine.

Here's an excerpt:

I propose five factors—peer review, open access, enriched content, available datasets and machine-readable metadata—as the Five Stars of Online Journal Articles, a constellation of five independent criteria within a multi-dimensional publishing universe against which online journal articles can be evaluated, to see how well they match up with current visions for enhanced research communications. Achievement along each of these publishing axes can vary, analogous to the different stars within the constellation shining with varying luminosities. I suggest a five-point scale for each, by which a journal article can be evaluated, and provide diagrammatic representations for such evaluations. While the criteria adopted for these scales are somewhat arbitrary, and while the rating of a particular article on each axis may involve elements of subjective judgment, these Five Stars of Online Journal Articles provide a conceptual framework by which to judge the degree to which any article achieves or falls short of the ideal, which should be useful to authors, editors and publishers. I exemplify such evaluations using my own recent publications of relevance to semantic publishing.

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

Digital Stewardship Librarian at Texas Tech University Libraries (Two Positions)

The Texas Tech University Libraries are recruiting two Digital Stewardship Librarians.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

As a member of the LTMS (Library Technology Management and Services) Research and Development Team, this tenure-track Library faculty position engages in highly innovative and sustainable digital library stewardship, to include preservation and curation research and development activities and initiatives, and digital library business continuity solutions; and works closely with library faculty and staff, the TTU community, other academic institutions, and other partners in a variety of collaborative ways.

| Digital Scholarship's Weblogs and Tweets | Digital Scholarship |

Michael Nielsen Named as SPARC Innovator

Michael Nielsen has been named as a SPARC Innovator.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

While Nielsen is not alone in promoting the open sharing of data and research to advance science, he has been in the spotlight this fall as an advocate for the cause. The Open Society Foundations supported sending him on an awareness-raising tour on Open Science. In three months, Nielsen did 33 talks in 17 cities—from small gatherings of high school students in Lithuania to a 1,000-plus audience in Canada. (The recording on ted.com of his presentation at TEDxWaterloo has received more than 150,000 hits.). . .

For being a thought leader of how doing science in the open can promote change and bringing the discussion to a new level, SPARC honors Nielsen as the January 2012 SPARC Innovator. "Michael is an incredibly bright scientist and researcher in his own right," says Heather Joseph, executive director of SPARC. "But he also has a view beyond 30,000 feet of the entire scientific enterprise, and the value that open brings to the table." Nielsen has found a way to engage the general public in this issue to understand why it matters. In his push to open up the scientific process, he has helped advance the entire open-access movement. "He is a voice into the mainstream that has been sorely lacking," says Joseph.

| Digital Scholarship's Digital Bibliographies | Digital Scholarship |

Current News: Twitter Updates for 1/17/12

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