Month: August 2012

Key Digital Preservation Standard Updated: Open Archival Information System (OAIS)

ISO has published ISO 14721:2012: Space Data and Information Transfer Systems—Open Archival Information System (OAIS)—Reference Model. A PDF version with marked changes is available from the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems.

Here's an excerpt:

This reference model:

  • provides a framework for the understanding and increased awareness of archival concepts needed for Long Term digital information preservation and access;
  • provides the concepts needed by non-archival organizations to be effective participants in the preservation process;
  • provides a framework, including terminology and concepts, for describing and comparing architectures and operations of existing and future Archives;
  • provides a framework for describing and comparing different Long Term Preservation strategies and techniques;
  • provides a basis for comparing the data models of digital information preserved by Archives and for discussing how data models and the underlying information may change over time;
  • provides a framework that may be expanded by other efforts to cover Long Term Preservation of information that is NOT in digital form (e.g., physical media and physical samples);

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

Digital Projects Librarian/Archivist at University of Georgia Libraries

The University of Georgia Libraries are recruiting a Digital Projects Librarian/Archivist.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The University of Georgia Libraries seeks a Digital Projects Librarian/Archivist who will be responsible for metadata, imaging, vendor relations, student hiring and supervision, quality control, and other duties related to the development of digital resources for Digital Library of Georgia initiatives including but not limited to the federally supported Georgia Historic Newspaper project and America's Turning Point, a collaborative Civil War digitization project between the Hargrett Library, Atlanta History Center, and the Georgia Historical Society. The incumbent performs imaging quality control, preservation metadata creation, and project management as a part of UGA's cost share for federally and other externally funded projects. The Digital Projects Librarian/Archivist reports to the Associate Director of the Digital Library of Georgia (DLG) and works as a member of the DLG's Metadata and Site Development unit.

| Digital Scholarship |

Scholarly Communications Librarian at Iowa State University Library

The Iowa State University Library is recruiting a Scholarly Communications Librarian.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

This position will serve as the Scholarly Communications Librarian and have a key leadership role in coordinating the overall library scholarly communications program, which addresses issues such as open access, e-science, digital data management plans, data curation, copyright, fair use and author's rights; and includes the library digital repository.

| Digital Scholarship |

DOJ Settlement with Sacramento Public Library about Alleged ADA Violations in Its E-Reader Loan Program

The Justice Department and the National Federation of the Blind have reached a settlement with the Sacramento Public Library about alleged ADA violations in its e-reader loan program.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

The Justice Department announced today that it and the National Federation of the Blind have reached a settlement with the Sacramento Public Library Authority in Sacramento, Calif., to remedy alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The agreement resolves allegations that the library violated the ADA by using inaccessible Barnes & Noble NOOK electronic reader devices in a patron lending program.

Under the settlement agreement, the library will not acquire any additional e-readers for patron use that exclude persons who are blind or others with disabilities who need accessible features such as text-to-speech functions or the ability to access menus through audio or tactile options. The library has also agreed to acquire at least 18 e-readers that are accessible to persons with disabilities. The settlement agreement also requires the library to train its staff on the requirements of the ADA.

| Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography 2010 | Digital Scholarship |

Library System Manager at the Libraries of Middlesex Automation Consortium

The Libraries of Middlesex Automation Consortium are recruiting a Library System Manager.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

  1. Manages and assumes overall responsibility for the operation of the integrated library system (ILS) and all of its components including the public catalog interface, mobile and social media components.
  2. Oversees testing and troubleshooting of the ILS software; confers with member library staff on issues of software performance; develops the program to train member library staff in the operation of the system's various modules and updates and creates documentation for the use of library staff.
  3. Works with member libraries to develop policies and procedures to support interlibrary loan, reciprocal borrowing, common and institution-specific circulation.
  4. Assures timely testing and implementation of new modules and software upgrades.

| Digital Scholarship |

Digital Repository Librarian at Texas A&M Libraries

The Texas A&M Libraries are recruiting a Digital Repository Librarian.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Reporting to the Head of Digital Services & Scholarly Communication, the Digital Repository Librarian oversees the day-to-day services of the Texas A&M Digital Repository currently based on the DSpace system. The Librarian also provides basic user support for the digital publishing platforms supported by the Texas Digital Library, particularly the Open Journal System (OJS) and Open Conference System (OCS). The Librarian will maintain current knowledge of the functions and features of DSpace, OJS, and OCS and will educate both Library personnel and campus constituents about the functions and features of these systems.

| Digital Scholarship |

"Digital Copyright, ‘Fair Access’ and the Problem of DRM Misuse"

Nicolo Zingales has published "Digital Copyright, 'Fair Access' and the Problem of DRM Misuse" in the Intellectual Property & Technology Forum & Journal at Boston College Law School.

Here's an excerpt:

This article points out one of the ways the development of these new technologies has altered the boundaries of copyright, specifically by enabling copyright holders to strategically expand the scope of protection through the strategic use of Digital Rights Management (hereinafter, DRM). After a brief overview of these technologies and their contribution to the development of online markets for copyrighted works, the article discusses the risks of using DRM as a means of stretching the legal protection conferred by Intellectual Property law.

As a potential solution to such problem, the article looks at the role of the courts and the approach embraced vis a vis specific cases of abuse of DRM in the copyright context. . . . The article then concludes recommending a two-fold approach to the assessment of the legality of such practices, where antitrust analysis and IP principles are intermingled, proposing a legal test to facilitate this complex assessment.

| Reviews of Digital Scholarship Publications | Digital Scholarship |

Simons Foundation Gives arXiv Multi-Year Operating Grant

The Simons Foundation has given arXiv a multi-year matching operating grant from 2013 through 2017.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

Thanks to an operating grant from the Simons Foundation, Cornell University Library has helped arXiv take a major step toward sustainability. Beginning in January and running through 2017, the Simons Foundation will provide up to $300,000 per year as a matching gift for the funds generated through arXiv's membership fees. The grant also provides $50,000 per year as an "unconditional gift" that recognizes the Library's stewardship of arXiv. . ..

The Library has been steering arXiv toward sustainability since January 2010, when it launched an initiative to create a business model that would engage libraries and research laboratories that benefit most from arXiv's service. A 2011 planning grant from Simons Foundation helped arXiv's leaders develop operating principles and establish a governing board for the new model.

Annual membership fees, paid by voluntary contribution from these institutions, help cover arXiv's costs—and, now, will provide a sum for the Simons Foundation to match.

The newly established model has garnered partners all over the globe. To date, more than 120 member institutions in over a dozen countries have pledged their support, totaling $285,000. Among the 100 institutions that use arXiv most heavily, nearly three-quarters committed to five-year pledges.

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

"The Inevitability of Open Access"

David W. Lewis has published "The Inevitability of Open Access" in the latest issue of College & Research Libraries.

Here's an excerpt:

Open access (OA) is an alternative business model for the publication of scholarly journals. It makes articles freely available to readers on the Internet and covers the costs associated with publication through means other than subscriptions. This article argues that Gold OA, where all of the articles of a journal are available at the time of publication, is a disruptive innovation as defined by business theorist Clayton Christensen. Using methods described by Christensen, we can predict the growth of Gold OA. This analysis suggests that Gold OA could account for 50 percent of the scholarly journal articles sometime between 2017 and 2021, and 90 percent of articles as soon as 2020 and more conservatively by 2025.

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

Digital Initiatives Librarian at University of Northern British Columbia Library

The University of Northern British Columbia Library is recruiting a Digital Initiatives Librarian.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Responsibilities of this position also include, but are not limited to: supervising library IT support staff, providing leadership and direction with web design and usability, overseeing customization of access enhancements to web applications related to the library's integrated library system, e-resources, and online services and resources, providing leadership, assistance and support to library staff in the development of library related web-pages and web-based applications used in library instruction, administering the Library's web content management system, providing technical oversight and expertise for the development and managements of UNBC's digital institutional repository and electronic publishing platforms by coordinating activities of key library staff and the university community engaged in dissemination of scholarship in a variety of digital formats, providing technical expertise and liaising with the Archives in the continued development and enhancement of the Northern BC Archives digital infrastructure, and providing reference (evening and weekend work may be required), instruction, liaison, and collection development in designated subject areas.

| Digital Scholarship |

Copyright and the Digital Economy

The Australian Law Reform Commission has released Copyright and the Digital Economy.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

This Issues Paper is the first formal publication of the Inquiry, intended to help frame discussion and encourage public consultation at an early stage. It provides background information about copyright in the digital environment, highlights the issues so far identified in preliminary research and consultations, and outlines the principles that will shape the ALRC's proposals for reform. It asks more than 50 questions about how the current copyright framework is affecting both commercial and creative enterprise and how current exceptions and statutory licences are working in the digital environment.

| Digital Scholarship Overview | Digital Scholarship |

Web Services Librarian at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus’ Health Sciences Library

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus' Health Sciences Library is recruiting a Web Services Librarian.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus' Health Sciences Library (HSL) seeks an entry-level, innovative, service-oriented Web Services Librarian (WSL). The successful candidate will coordinate, develop and maintain web sites and services for the library. These include web resources provided by vendors, the library's web site, mobile site, catalog, repository, weblog, and other web sites and services as required.

"Modern Technology, Leaky Copyrights and Claims of Harm: Insights from the Curious History of Photocopying"

Diane Leenheer Zimmerman has self-archived "Modern Technology, Leaky Copyrights and Claims of Harm: Insights from the Curious History of Photocopying" in SSRN.

Here's an excerpt:

The core problem this paper attempts to address what should count as "economic harm" in determining whether particular kinds of copying are appropriately treated as copyright infringement. . . . The argument that copying without permission, especially on the internet, is per se harmful has led to a variety of increasingly stringent self-help and legislative measures designed to prevent and to punish the activity, although often without evidence of success. But researchers who study such things continue to find evidence of the damage, at least from noncommercial activity, elusive. The reasons this might be so, and the inferences to be drawn from it are an interesting subject for copyright theorists to consider, but so far, very little serious attention has been paid to examining the phenomenon. This paper is an effort to begin filling in that blank by setting out a case study of a rampant form of copying technology that long pre-dates the internet: photocopying. In many ways, the photocopying story is a microcosm of what happens when a new technology bursts onto the copyright scene, and as such, it is a possible source of learning about how copyright should treat the issue of noncommercial copying generally, whether it happens compliments of Xerox, or compliments of your regional ISP.

| Digital Scholarship |

Digital Scholarship Initiatives Coordinator at Cornell University Library

The Cornell University Library is recruiting a Digital Scholarship Initiatives Coordinator.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The Cornell University Library is seeking a Digital Scholarship Initiatives Coordinator. Reporting to the AUL for Digital Scholarship & Preservation Services (DSPS), the Digital Scholarship Initiatives Coordinator will provide leadership in conceptualizing and implementing new digital scholarship and preservation initiatives with a focus on needs assessment, requirements analysis, and business planning. One of the key responsibilities will be facilitating the implementation of CUL's scholarly communication outreach program by partnering with subject liaisons to understand service needs, coordinate awareness sessions, and facilitate forming new partnerships with faculty in pursuing digital research and teaching initiatives.

| Digital Scholarship |

"Ten Recommendations for Libraries to Get Started with Research Data Management"

The LIBER working group on E-Science has released "Ten Recommendations for Libraries to Get Started with Research Data Management."

Here's an excerpt:

LIBER installed the 'E-Science working group' in 2010 to investigate the role libraries can and should play in the field of E-Science. The group decided to focus on research data as it was felt to be the most urgent element of e-science that is of relevance to the community of (research) libraries. The group has held three workshops, the first during the LIBER conference 2011 in Barcelona, the second during the IDCC 2011 conference in Bristol and the third and last one during the LIBER conference 2012 in Tartu. The results of the first two workshops were used as a basis for compiling recommendations to the LIBER ommunity. The "10 recommendations for libraries to support research data management" (see side bar) were finalized and prioritized during the final workshop at the LIBER-conference in Tartu.

| Digital Curation Resource Guide | Digital Scholarship |

Digital Repository Manager at University of Alabama Libraries

The University of Alabama Libraries are recruiting a Digital Repository Manager.

Here's an excerpt from the ad (requisition number: 007089):

The Digital Repository Manager will be focused on the management and support of our growing repository of content, as well as development of support for new and better functionality. This person will research software developments in the field and potentially modify those we adopt to meet our own needs. He or she would be deeply involved in infrastructure development and support for long-term access. The Digital Repository Manager will analyze technical and work flow problems and devise and implement solutions.

| Digital Scholarship |

NISO Releases JATS: Journal Article Tag Suite, ANSI/NISO Z39.96-2012

NISO has released JATS: Journal Article Tag Suite, ANSI/NISO Z39.96-2012.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

The National Information Standards Organization (NISO) announces the publication of a new American National Standard, JATS: Journal Article Tag Suite, ANSI/NISO Z39.96-2012. JATS provides a common XML format in which publishers and archives can exchange journal content by preserving the intellectual content of journals independent of the form in which that content was originally delivered. In addition to the element and attribute descriptions, three journal article tag sets (the Archiving and Interchange Tag Set, the Journal Publishing Tag Set, and the Article Authoring Tag Set) are part of the standard. While designed to describe the textual and graphical content of journal articles, it can also be used for some other materials, such as letters, editorials, and book and product reviews. "Al

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

Special Collections & Digital Initiatives Librarian at Longwood University’s Greenwood Library

Longwood University's Greenwood Library is recruiting a Special Collections & Digital Initiatives Librarian.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Longwood University's Greenwood Library seeks a creative, dynamic and service-oriented individual to serve as the new Special Collections & Digital Initiatives Librarian who will shape the future direction of the department and contribute to the strategic plan of the Library. The successful candidate will provide expertise and leadership in areas of special collections, archives, and digital project management. S/he will have primary responsibility for launching and maintaining the university's institutional repository that is hosted on the Digital Commons platform.

| Digital Scholarship |

You’ve Got to Walk Before You Can Run: First Steps for Managing Born-Digital Content Received on Physical Media

OCLC Research has released You've Got to Walk Before You Can Run: First Steps for Managing Born-Digital Content Received on Physical Media,

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

You've Got to Walk Before You Can Run: First Steps for Managing Born-Digital Content Received on Physical Media is intended for anyone who doesn't know where to begin in managing born-digital materials. It errs on the side of simplicity and describes what is truly necessary to start managing born-digital content on physical media, and it presents a list of the basic steps without expanding on archival theory or the use of particular software tools. It does not assume that policies are in place or that those performing the tasks are familiar with traditional archival practices, nor does it assume that significant IT support is available.

Read more about it at "Defining 'Born Digital': An Essay by Ricky Erway, OCLC Research."

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

Current News: Twitter Updates for 8/22/12

| Digital Scholarship |

Associate Dean for Digital Scholarship and Technology Services at Florida State University Libraries

Florida State University Libraries are recruiting an Associate Dean for Digital Scholarship and Technology Services.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The FSU Libraries seek an innovative, experienced information professional to work with a variety of constituencies at a major research university to (1) provide high-quality digital information services, (2) develop a robust institutional repository and other tools that support digital scholarship, (3) encourage innovation in digital scholarship, (4) provide leadership on scholarly communication issues through broad-based solutions that work in a diverse, fast-paced academic environment.

| Digital Scholarship |

"A Portrait of Today’s Smartphone User"

The Online Publishers Association has released "A Portrait of Today's Smartphone User."

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

The OPA collaborated with Frank N. Magid Associates, Inc. to conduct the study, which found that the population of smartphone users is growing rapidly. An estimated 44% of the U.S. internet population, ages 8-64, owns a smartphone (107 million consumers*), up from 31% in 2011 (73 million consumers*) and expected to reach 57% by Q2 2013 (142 million consumers*). Aside from making phone calls, 93% of smartphone users regularly access content and information above any other activity, followed by accessing the internet (59%) and checking email (58%). The primary types of content smartphone consumers access are weather information (47%), video (31%), local news (29%) and national news (24%).

Digital Publishing and Digital Preservation Librarian at Washington University Libraries

Washington University Libraries are recruiting a Digital Publishing and Digital Preservation Librarian.

Here's an excerpt from the ad (job ID: 24326):

The Digital Publishing and Preservation Librarian is responsible for the management of archival and access digital assets for the campus-wide digital repository based in the Washington University Libraries. . . .

Primary content for the access repository represents targeted services to our users and stakeholders that meet demonstrated needs: electronic theses and dissertations, undergraduate honors theses, open-access scholarly contributions from Washington University faculty, and scientific data sets; archival digital assets from select digital projects across campus and those created within the University Libraries. Support for original publication of locally created online journals, conference proceedings and similar content is an emerging priority.

| Digital Scholarship |