Month: November 2012

Current News: Twitter Updates for 11/6/12

| Digital Scholarship |

Senior Analyst/Developer at Duke University Libraries

The Duke University Libraries are recruiting a Senior Analyst/Developer.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The Senior Analyst/Developer provides leadership, development and analysis toward the onboarding of the next-generation library management services (Kuali OLE) within an integrated university technology environment. S/He works with an applications management team to provide technical support for the current-generation integrated library systems (ILS) and automated systems used by the staff and patrons of the library.

| Digital Scholarship |

Electronic Media Project Archivist at George Washington University Libraries

The George Washington University Libraries are recruiting an Electronic Media Project Archivist.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The Project Archivist will be responsible for taking a lead in determining the appropriate routine methodology for preserving, arranging, and providing access to electronic media materials ranging from audiotape, videotape, digital files on tape, diskette, CD-ROM, and other electronic media as they develop, in consultation with the Manuscripts Librarian and the Associate University Librarian for Collections and Scholarly Communications.

| Digital Scholarship |

FOSS Accessibility Tools for Libraries: Step-by-Step Guide

EIFL has released the FOSS Accessibility Tools for Libraries: Step-by-Step Guide.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

Using technology appropriately can enhance the library experience for all users, but is particularly significant for users with disabilities. Creating electronic resources as accessibly as possible is a useful starting point, but for some users specific technologies will be needed to access those resources. There are many FOSS tools available to support library users with a variety of needs, ranging from those with visual impairment or blindness, to users with dyslexia or who have difficulty using a mouse, or simply users who have limited reading ability or prefer to listen to text than read it on-screen. Most librarians are not specialists in this area and can be discouraged by the sheer number and variety of FOSS tools available to support disabled users. This is why EIFL have created a step-by-step guide to some of the most helpful and easy-to-use tools.

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

Specialist IV/V, Information Technology at Auburn University Libraries

The Auburn University Libraries are recruiting a Specialist IV/V, Information Technology.

Here's an excerpt from the ad (req nbr: 24414):

Essential functions include, but are not limited to: develops library-oriented software applications as needed, a duty that may include modifying and adapting open-source software applications or utilities; writes custom scripts for routine library functions; works with Auburn University Libraries faculty and staff on digital library projects requiring in-house coding; works with faculty and IT staff from other university departments on related projects, including an institutional repository (IR) and undergraduate research journal; serves as a backup System Administrator (In this capacity, helps Systems staff manage the Library's Linux and Windows servers, including software upgrades and patches, security, and backup.); and installs, configures, maintains, and (if necessary) extends third-party software applications (e.g. Integrated Library Systems, digital content-management software, document-delivery software); helps maintain an in-house Wiki on various aspects of library IT; shares a rotating weekly schedule of evening and weekend on-call duty; serves on university committees as needed and represents the Auburn University Libraries at the state, regional, and national levels.

| Digital Scholarship |

How Teens Do Research in the Digital World

The Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project has released How Teens Do Research in the Digital World.

Here's an excerpt:

  • Virtually all (99%) AP and NWP teachers in this study agree with the notion that "the internet enables students to access a wider range of resources than would otherwise be available," and 65% agree that "the internet makes today's students more self-sufficient researchers."
  • At the same time, 76% of teachers surveyed "strongly agree" with the assertion that internet search engines have conditioned students to expect to be able to find information quickly and easily.
  • Large majorities also agree with the notion that the amount of information available online today is overwhelming to most students (83%) and that today's digital technologies discourage students from using a wide range of sources when conducting research (71%).
  • Fewer teachers, but still a majority of this sample (60%), agree with the assertion that today's technologies make it harder for students to find credible sources of information.

| Reviews of Digital Scholarship Publications | Digital Scholarship |

Library Web Apps Developer II at Rice University’s Fondren Library

Rice University's Fondren Library at Library Web Apps Developer II.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The Library Web Applications Developer II designs, develops, codes, tests, implements and manages innovative and complex web-based applications that improve the user experience in discovering, accessing, and using library resources and services. S/he gathers requirements, writes code, maintains documentation and works with the Web/Graphic Designer on web design and layout. S/he is responsible for maintaining various local and cloud based servers.

| Digital Scholarship |

Report of the ARL Joint Task Force on Services to Patrons with Print Disabilities

The Association of Research Libraries has released the Report of the ARL Joint Task Force on Services to Patrons with Print Disabilities.

Here's an excerpt from:

This ARL task force report highlights emerging and promising strategies to better align research libraries with other institutional and related partners in ensuring accessibility to research resources while fully meeting legal requirements. The report addresses the technological, service, and legal factors relating to a variety of information resources with respect to print disability. These factors resonate closely with the existing research library agenda to make scholarly communication more open, to foster independence among its user base by teaching information literacy, to honor and invest in diversity, as well as to focus on the growing trend toward universal design in instruction.

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

Assistant Archivist—Digital Collections and Services at Brooklyn Museum

The Brooklyn Museum is recruiting an Assistant Archivist—Digital Collections and Services.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Under the direction of the Head of Digital Collections and Services, the Assistant Archivist (AA) will create and manage digital assets to populate the Luna DAMS and Museum website, scan analog materials, create metadata, load images and metadata into Luna, and check and maintain image and data quality.

| Digital Scholarship |

Information Professionals 2050: Educational Possibilities and Pathways

The School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has released Information Professionals 2050: Educational Possibilities and Pathways.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

Information Professionals 2050: Educational Possibilities and Pathways, a book that includes the thoughts and ideas of some of the brightest leaders of the information and library science world, is now available in both paper and e-book form at lulu.com . The book is a compilation of position papers written by these leaders and initially prepared and presented at a special two-day symposium and conference on June 4 and 5, 2012 at the William and Ida Friday Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

| Reviews of Digital Scholarship Publications | Digital Scholarship |

E-books: Developments and Policy Considerations

The OECD has released E-books: Developments and Policy Considerations.

Here's an excerpt:

The essential distinction between permanent and effective ownership of a physical book, and conditional rights of access to the e-book, has, so far, been somewhat obscured by marketing strategies and use of visual images, which tend to present e-books as a superior, but also substitutable, version of the print book product. Given the virtual reality of "traditional books" presented by e-Book platforms, buyers of e-books are likely to confuse their rights (i.e. after purchase) with the property rights model for print books. Users may be surprised to find that they are prevented from doing certain things7 with their e-book, within their private/ personal sphere.

| Reviews of Digital Scholarship Publications | Digital Scholarship |

UK PubMed Central Renamed as Europe PubMed Central

UK PubMed Central has been renamed as Europe PubMed Central.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

As announced in July, the European Research Council (ERC) becomes the third European funder to join UKPMC, following Telethon Italy and the Austrian Research Fund. As a result of this participation, the 18 existing UK and European funders agreed that the UKPMC service should be rebranded as Europe PMC by 1 November 2012. . . .

UKPMC was originally launched in January 2007, initially as a mirror of the US National Institute of Health's PubMed Central (PMC), providing international preservation of open- and free-access biomedical literature. The UKPMC funders require that research papers funded by them must be made freely available via UKPMC no later than 6 months after publication.

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

Digital Archivist at Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is recruiting a Digital Archivist.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Reporting to the Director of Creative Services, the Digital Archivist oversees all aspects of the Family of Museums (Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits, Hart Museum) assets, including photographs, illustrations, certain content, brand identity tools, digital media, slides, negatives and moving images from the Marketing and Communications Department. This includes: the care, organization, upkeep of assets, and providing research assistance to users; and ensuring best practices and standards, set by the Society of American Archivists, American Library Association, American Alliance of Museums, and other applicable organizations are followed for digital asset initiatives.

| Digital Scholarship |

Digital Curator-Journalism/Mass Media at University of Missouri Libraries

The University of Missouri Libraries are recruiting a Digital Curator-Journalism/Mass Media .

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The University of Missouri Libraries seeks a highly motivated professional to exercise leadership in strategically planning, developing, and implementing policies and practices relating to the management, preservation, and access to digital media and historical documents created by the journalism profession and allied organizations. Principal duties include formulating and executing a cohesive collection development plan for journalism records in all formats. Leads in the appraisal, inventory, acquisition and storage of journalism collections and works with Missouri School of Journalism staff and faculty to locate and solicit important primary source materials. Provides curatorial and archival guidance to programs of the Missouri School of Journalism and affiliated organizations. Assists the University Archivist in developing a business plan to create sustainable archival services for journalism associations and organizations.

| Digital Scholarship |

Scholarly Electronic Publishing Weblog (October 31, 2012)

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

| Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography 2010 | Digital Scholarship |

"Testing the Finch Hypothesis on Green OA Mandate Ineffectiveness"

Yassine Gargouri, Vincent Lariviere, Yves Gingras, Tim Brody, Les Carr, Stevan Harnad have self-archived "Testing the Finch Hypothesis on Green OA Mandate Ineffectiveness" in arXiv.org.

Here's an excerpt:

We have now tested the Finch Committee's Hypothesis that Green Open Access Mandates are ineffective in generating deposits in institutional repositories. With data from ROARMAP on institutional Green OA mandates and data from ROAR on institutional repositories, we show that deposit number and rate is significantly correlated with mandate strength (classified as 1-12): The stronger the mandate, the more the deposits. The strongest mandates generate deposit rates of 70%+ within 2 years of adoption, compared to the un-mandated deposit rate of 20%. The effect is already detectable at the national level, where the UK, which has the largest proportion of Green OA mandates, has a national OA rate of 35%, compared to the global baseline of 25%. The conclusion is that, contrary to the Finch Hypothesis, Green Open Access Mandates do have a major effect, and the stronger the mandate, the stronger the effect (the Liege ID/OA mandate, linked to research performance evaluation, being the strongest mandate model). RCUK (as well as all universities, research institutions and research funders worldwide) would be well advised to adopt the strongest Green OA mandates and to integrate institutional and funder mandates.

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