Month: June 2012

Current News: Twitter Updates for 6/28/12

| Digital Scholarship |

Software Developer at University of Maryland Libraries

The University of Maryland Libraries are recruiting a Software Developer.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The Software Developer provides broad programming support to the University of Maryland Libraries for the development and delivery of Java-based software applications. The applications support development and management of large-scale digital collections. They include tools for cataloging, search, and discovery of digital collections, tools for acquisition of digital collections, access to and retrieval of digital objects in the collections, and tools for preservation and maintenance of digital collections over the long term.

| Digital Scholarship |

Wellcome Trust Enforces Its Open Access Policy More Vigorously

The Wellcome Trust is enforcing its open access policy with three new rules.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

Since 2006, its open access policy has required that all research papers funded in whole or in part by the Wellcome Trust be made available via the UK PubMed Central repository as soon as possible, and in any event within six months of the date of publication. At present, only 55 per cent of research papers acknowledging Wellcome Trust funding comply with its open access policy. . . .

Sir Mark has written to university vice-chancellors and the directors of the Trust's major overseas programmes to outline the steps that the Trust will be taking:

  • When Trust-funded researchers prepare final grant reports, it will require the principal investigator's institution to provide assurance that all papers associated with the grant comply with the Trust's policy. If they are unable to do this, the final payment on the grant will be withheld.
  • Non-compliant publications will be discounted as part of a researcher's track record in any renewal of an existing grant or new grant application.
  • Trust-funded researchers will be required to ensure that all publications associated with their Wellcome-funded research are compliant with the Trust's policy before any funding renewals or new grant awards will be activated.

All three steps will apply to research articles published from 1 October 2009 onwards.

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

Metadata Specialist at Society for College and University Planning

The University of Michigan's Society for College and University Planning is recruiting a Metadata Specialist.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

SCUP seeks a Metadata Specialist who will bring energy, creativity, and an expansive vision to continue the construction and deployment of its digital library initiative, the Cybrary. The SCUP Cybrary is a digital repository built on open source software and architecture for research and education in higher education planning. The qualified candidate will be responsible for overseeing the creation and strategic application of metadata across a wide range of digital materials, as well as the development of new services leveraging preexisting open source initiatives and software and the design and creation of new digital tools.

| Digital Scholarship |

TechWatch: Preparing for Data-driven Infrastructure (Draft)

The JISC Observatory has released a draft for public comment of TechWatch: Preparing for Data-driven Infrastructure.

Here's an excerpt :

This report provides an overview of some concepts and approaches as well as tools, and can be used to help organisational planning. Specifically, this report:

  • describes data-centric architectures;
  • gives some examples of how data are already shared between organisations and discusses this from a datacentric perspective;
  • introduces some of the key tools and technologies that can support data-centric architectures as well as some new models of data management, including opportunities to use "cloud" services;
  • concludes with a look at the direction of travel and lists the sources cited in a References section.

| Research Data Curation Bibliography | Digital Scholarship |

Current News: Twitter Updates for 6/27/12

| Digital Scholarship |

Library Systems Administrator at George Mason University Libraries

The George Mason University Libraries are recruiting a Library Systems Administrator.

Here's an excerpt from the ad (position number: 02372z):

This position reports to the Head of Systems Group, Digital Programs and Systems Division. Incumbent will perform UNIX system administration tasks on a number of different systems, to include: Solaris 10; Red Hat Linux and Mac OS X server (10.5+). Ability to write detailed scripts in at least one administrative language (e.g., Perl, shell, etc.) and an awareness of UNIX security procedures is required. Duties include installing software, performing backups, generating statistical reports, and interacting with outside departments and vendors as required. Knowledge of SQL is preferred.

| Digital Scholarship |

"The Web Privacy Census," June 2012

The Berkeley Center for Law and Technology has released "The Web Privacy Census," June 2012.

Here's an excerpt:

In this report, we discuss the results of a crawl conducted on 5/17/12. We found cookies on all popular websites (by "popular websites," we mean the top 100 most popular according to Quantcast). We conduct two different crawls—a shallow one where our test browser just visits the homepage of a site, and a deep crawl where our browser visits six links on a site. Our shallow crawl of the 25,000 most popular sites revealed that 87% have cookies (24% first, 76% third), 9% had HTML5 storage objects, and less than .0001% had flash cookies. Twenty-five percent of cookies include names such as "UID" and "GUID", suggesting that they are used for uniquely identifying users. Overall, we found that flash cookie usage is dropping and HTML5 storage use is rising and at least one tracker is using HTML5 local storage to hold unique identifiers from third party cookies.

| Scholarly Electronic Publishing Weblog | Digital Scholarship |

Scientific Data Curator at Brown University Library

The Brown University Library is recruiting a Scientific Data Curator.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The Brown University Library invites applications for the position of Scientific Data Curator. As the Library's primary liaison for scientific data management, the Scientific Data Curator plays a central role in developing library services and guidelines to support scientific research. Together with other Research and Outreach Services Librarians, the Center for Digital Scholarship and other campus partners, the Scientific Data Curator will work to increase the Library's ability to collect, preserve and provide access to scientific data, and will act as a resource for students and faculty grappling with issues of data curation, digital methods for scientific research, and emerging digital resources. The Scientific Data Curator will contribute to the development of data management plans for funded projects, and will assist in data extraction, reporting, and monitoring compliance with established data management protocols. S/he will contribute to the work of the Brown Digital Repository by helping to develop the requirements and work flows necessary to support research at Brown; by advising teaching faculty on the management of data and providing technical support for use of analytical tools; and in serving as an agent between researchers and the Library's repository.

| Digital Scholarship |

"Digital Repositories Ten Years On: What Do Scientific Researchers Think of Them and How Do They Use Them?"

David Nicholas has self-archived "Digital Repositories Ten Years On: What Do Scientific Researchers Think of Them and How Do They Use Them?" at the CIBER Research Ltd.'s website

Here's an excerpt:

Digital repositories have been with us for more than a decade, and despite the considerable media and conference attention they engender, we know very little about their use by academics. This paper sets out to address this by reporting on how well they are used, what they are used for, what researchers' think of them, and where they thought they were going. Nearly 1,700 scientific researchers, mostly physical scientists, responded to an international survey of digital repositories, making it the largest survey of its kind. High deposit rates were found and mandates appear to be working, especially with younger researchers. Repositories have made significant inroads in terms of impact and use despite, in the case of institutional repositories, the very limited resources deployed. Subject repositories, like arXiv and PubMed Central, have certainly come of age but institutional repositories probably have not come of age yet although there are drivers in place which, in theory anyway, are moving them towards early adulthood.

| Digital Scholarship |

Current News: Twitter Updates for 6/26/12

| Digital Scholarship |

IT Project Manager 2 at Multnomah County Library

The Multnomah County Library is recruiting an IT Project Manager 2.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Multnomah County seeks a collaborative, strategic, and experienced IT Project Manager to manage a complex portfolio of Library technology projects, ensuring that the Library's annual $5 million IT investment delivers excellent value to library patrons and staff. . . .

Incumbent will usually run several medium to large projects concurrently (e.g. RFID equipment implementation, replacement of public and staff computers, implementation of new Integrated Library System software, implementation of Verifone payment terminals in 19 library locations), while also ensuring that resources are deployed to accomplish numerous smaller projects and the on-going IT work required to support library operations.

| Digital Scholarship |

"How Fair Use Can Help Solve the Orphan Works Problem"

Jennifer M. Urban has self-archived "How Fair Use Can Help Solve the Orphan Works Problem" in SSRN.

Here's an excerpt:

This Article argues that legislation is not necessary to enable some uses of orphan works by nonprofit libraries and archives. Instead, the fair use doctrine in United States copyright law provides a partial solution. The Article addresses three basic questions: first, does fair use provide a viable basis on which libraries might digitize orphans? Second, does fair use provide a viable basis on which to make these orphans available to patrons or the public? Third, more generally, can or should fair use do any additional work in infringement analysis where the copyrighted work in question is an orphan?

| Google Books Bibliography | Digital Scholarship |

Music Librarian for Audio and Digital Services at University of South Carolina Libraries

The University of South Carolina Libraries are recruiting a Music Librarian for Audio and Digital Services.

Here's an excerpt from the ad (requisition number: 004964):

Reporting to the head of the music library, this librarian will be responsible for:

  1. digital projects including digital preservation of print and audio special collections
  2. maintaining audio equipment
  3. performing triage on music library's computer hardware and software
  4. working with the webmaster to maintain and update the Web presence for the Music Library
  5. liaison to the University Libraries' Systems Department for the Music Library
  6. working closely with the University Libraries Web Development Office and with the Digital Collections Department

| Digital Scholarship |

"What is Transformative? An Explanatory Synthesis of the Convergence of Transformation and Predominant Purpose in Copyright Fair Use Law"

Michael D. Murray has self-archived "What is Transformative? An Explanatory Synthesis of the Convergence of Transformation and Predominant Purpose in Copyright Fair Use Law."

Here's an excerpt:

The lessons of the transformative test for those engaged in creative, artistic, or literary pursuits may be summed up in the following: if you copy an original work, use it for a different purpose than the purpose for which the original work was created. Modify the contents, function, and meaning of the original work through alteration of the original expression or the addition of significant new expression.

| Digital Scholarship |

Digital Projects Librarian at New York Botanical Garden

The New York Botanical Garden is recruiting a Digital Projects Librarian.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Digital Projects Librarian will scan (digitize) Library material. Scan and ingest image files into the online digital library and perform image correction as needed. The candidate must be able to meet challenging deadlines and work within complex workflows and schedules for a large number of simultaneous imaging projects and contribute significantly to the creation of the Library's digital resources repository.

| Digital Scholarship |

League of European Research Universities Releases The LERU Roadmap towards Open Access

The League of European Research Universities has released The LERU Roadmap towards Open Access.

Here's an excerpt:

  • The idea of Open Access is not new; the first major international statement on Open Access was set out in the Declaration of the Budapest Open Access Initiative in 2002.4 However, 'the pathway' to Open Access is not a smooth one. Many parties are involved and there are many competing interests. There are costs and there are advocates, agnostics and critics. There are gains and impacts which need to be carefully assessed.
  • This Roadmap traverses some of this landscape and aims to assist LERU members who wish to put in place structures, policies and practices to facilitate Open Access. Whilst the Roadmap is primarily intended for LERU members, other European universities may find it useful.

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

Digital Initiatives Librarian at Cleveland State University Library

The Cleveland State University Library is recruiting a Digital Initiatives Librarian.

Here's an excerpt from the ad (requisition number: 0600871):

Contributes to the creation and maintenance of the library's digital initiatives. Coordinates the integration of metadata creation, use and practices throughout the library. Provides outreach and leads a program of scholarly information management and retrieval for faculty and students. Contributes to library decision making; serves on teams to carry out library goals as specified in assignments. Keeps up-to-date in librarianship and information technology, applying current information technologies in carrying out assigned responsibilities. Engages in scholarly, professional and service activities. Interacts professionally with all internal and external customers using strong interpersonal skills.

| Digital Scholarship |

Five Research Councils in Denmark Adopt Open Access Policy

Five research councils in Denmark (the Danish Council for Technology and Innovation, the Danish Council for Independent Research, the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation, the The Danish National Research Foundation, and the Danish Council for Strategic Research) have adopted an open access policy.

Peter Suber has provided a Google translation of the policy.

Read more about it at "Researchers' Results to Be Free for All."

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

Digital Initiatives Librarian at Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s George C. Gordon Library

Worcester Polytechnic Institute's George C. Gordon Library is recruiting a Digital Initiatives Librarian.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The Digital Initiatives Librarian will provide the leadership and technical skills to develop further WPI's digital library. In collaboration with librarians, faculty, and administrators, the person in this position will improve access to currently fragmented digital collections such as digitized Theses, Dissertations, Project Reports, and Special Collections. The Digital Initiatives Librarian will develop and implement a forward-looking plan for WPI to archive digitized and born-digital materials collected by the library, including coordination of details such as researcher IDs, access to datasets, and management of metadata schemes. Responsibilities will include conceptual development, planning, and execution of current and future digital library projects in support of WPI's teaching and research mission.

| Digital Scholarship |

Open Data Dialogue: Final Report

Research Councils UK has released Open Data Dialogue: Final Report.

Here's an excerpt:

Undertaken on the behalf of the Research Councils UK in partnership with JISC, the Royal Society and Sciencewise-ERC, this public dialogue explored views on open data, data reuse and data management policies within research.

The public dialogue was designed to:

  • Provide insight on the business issues that the dialogue will support, at the research councils and JISC
  • Build on prior work in the area and account for the wider policy framework
  • Engage people meaningfully around this complex area, enabling the public to frame issues and test out any principles emerging across a range of research contexts.

The research comprised a number of elements:

  • an initial literature and policy review of the area
  • two reconvened discussion groups in Swindon and Oldham
  • a workshop involving key stakeholders conducted between the first and second wave of the public dialogues.

Read more about it at Evaluation of Public Dialogue on Open Data: Report to Research Councils UK.

| Digital Curation Bibliography: Preservation and Stewardship of Scholarly Works | Digital Scholarship |

IT Technical Associate/Digital Repository Developer at Northern Illinois University

Northern Illinois University is recruiting an IT Technical Associate/Digital Repository Developer.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Responsible for the research, development, and ongoing maintenance of the Fedora Commons digital repository and digital collections websites, running in Drupal with the Islandora module. The Digital Repository Developer works with the Digital Collections Curator to plan and design new websites and uses new web service technologies to improve the user experience in discovering, finding, or acquiring library content.

| Digital Scholarship |

Libraries, Patrons, and E-books

The Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project has released Libraries, Patrons, and E-books .

Here's an excerpt:

Some 12% of Americans ages 16 and older who read e-books say they have borrowed an e-book from a library in the past year. . . .

But most in the broader public, not just e-book readers, are generally not aware they can borrow e-books from libraries. We asked all those ages 16 and older if they know whether they can borrow e-books from their library and 62% said they did not know if their library offered that service. Some 22% say they know that their library does lend out e-books, and 14% say they know their library does not lend out e-books.

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

Systems Librarian at North Dakota State University Libraries

The North Dakota State University Libraries are recruiting a Systems Librarian.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The Systems Librarian manages the day to day operations of the Systems Office; implements and operates the Libraries' information systems; liaises with ILS system vendor (Millennium, ExLibris); liaises with Information Technology Services, as needed; and liaises with external groups associated with library information systems issues.

| Digital Scholarship |

"Copyright Risk Management: Principles and Strategies for Large-Scale Digitization Projects in Special Collections"

The Association of Research Libraries has released a pre-publication version of "Copyright Risk Management: Principles and Strategies for Large-Scale Digitization Projects in Special Collections."

Here's an excerpt:

Copyright law often seems unmanageably complex, leading librarians to focus too much on a single aspect of a project and, when that aspect proves inapplicable, to give up the proposed digitization. But the multifaceted nature of the law, especially its variety of limitations and exceptions, should really be seen as an invitation to a holistic evaluation that focuses on risk and considers how each facet can contribute to a risk reduction strategy. If this is done consistently as digitization projects are undertaken, the risk of infringement litigation will usually be seen to be much more manageable, and a great deal of unnecessary self-censorship will be avoided.

See also the pre-publication version of "Digitization of Special Collections and Archives: Legal and Contractual Issues."

| Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography 2010 | Digital Scholarship |