May 2023 – Page 2 – DigitalKoans

Pew Research Center: "A Majority of Americans Have Heard of ChatGPT, but Few Have Tried It Themselves"

However, few U.S. adults have themselves used ChatGPT for any purpose. Just 14% of all U.S. adults say they have used it for entertainment, to learn something new, or for their work. This lack of uptake is in line with a Pew Research Center survey from 2021 that found that Americans were more likely to express concerns than excitement about increased use of artificial intelligence in daily life.

https://cutt.ly/Ywqld1X7

Learning Technologies and Data Librarian at Coastal Carolina University

The Learning Technologies and Data Librarian plays a central role in shaping data services, extended reality (XR) support and in fostering the tactile learning, entrepreneurship, and innovation that result from using makerspace technologies.

https://jobs.coastal.edu/postings/20313

"European Scholarly Journals from Small- and Mid-Size Publishers: Mapping Journals and Public Funding Mechanisms"

This study investigates the relationship between scholarly journal publishing and public funding, specifically concerning the context of small- and mid-sized journal publishers in European countries. As part of the movement towards open science, an increasing number of journals globally are free to both read and publish in, which increases the need for journals to seek other resources instead of subscription income. The study includes two separate components, collecting data separately for each European country (including transcontinental states): (1) the volume and key bibliometric characteristics of small- and mid-sized journal publishers and (2) information about country-level public funding mechanisms for scholarly journals. The study found that there are 16,387 journals from small- and mid-sized publishers being published in European countries, of which 36 per cent are already publishing open access. There is a large diversity in how countries reserve and distribute funds to journals, ranging from continuous inclusive subsidies to competitive grant funding or nothing at all.

https://doi.org/10.1093/scipol/scac081

Senior Library Technologist – Digital Technologies – Digital Records, Projects and Application Support at Brown University

The successful candidate will be responsible for performing skilled tasks in support of the ongoing maintenance, enrichment, and improvement ofthe Library’s systems maintained by Digital Technologies that support research, digital preservation, teaching, and scholarship, including the various web archiving tools, the digital repository, digital exhibitions, and course reserves.

https://bit.ly/3Msu7NT

"’More Than 600,000 Students and Teachers Use Z-Library’"

Pirate eBook repository Z-Library has shared some interesting data concluding that more than 600,000 students and scholars use the site. This is likely an underestimation, as the findings are based on email addresses. The United States is excluded from the analysis, Z-Library notes, due to the criminal prosecution of two alleged operators of the site.

https://bit.ly/4326X86

Digital Initiatives and Engagement Librarian at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo

As part of the library’s 2023 cluster hire, and under the direction of, and reporting to the Executive Director of Collection Strategies, Access and Systems this newly created position leads and develops the strategy, planning and design of the library’s digital platforms and public-facing digital interfaces, including the library website. Through the lens of equitable information access, this position gathers feedback and engages stakeholders to ensure continuous improvement of the library’s digital platforms that support teaching, learning, and scholarship

https://csucareers.calstate.edu/detail.aspx?pid=103981

Council of the European Union: "Council Calls for Transparent, Equitable, and Open Access to Scholarly Publications"

In its conclusions, the Council calls on the Commission and the member states to support policies towards a scholarly publishing model that is not-for-profit, open access and multi-format, with no costs for authors or readers. Some Member States have introduced secondary publication rights into their national copyright legislation, enabling open access to scholarly publications which involve public funds. The Council encourages national open access policies and guidelines to make scholarly publications immediately openly accessible under open licences. The conclusions acknowledge positive developments in terms of monitoring progress, like within the framework of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), and suggest including open science monitoring in the European Research Area monitoring mechanism. The Council conclusions also encourage Member States to support the pilot programme Open Research Europe (to create a large-scale open access research publishing service), the use of open-source software and standards, to recognise and reward peer review activities in the assessment of researchers as well as to support the training of researchers on peer-review skills and on intellectual property rights.

https://bit.ly/3MS2leY

Affordability and Digital Initiatives Librarian at St. Cloud State University

St. Cloud State University Library seeks a collaborative and innovative Affordability and Digital Initiatives Librarian to strengthen and support the University in the areas of affordable learning initiatives, institutional repositories, outreach, and library instruction and research services.

https://stcloudstate.peopleadmin.com/postings/3666

Paywall: "Automated Scholarly Paper Review: Concepts, Technologies, and Challenges"

In this paper, we propose the concept and pipeline of automated scholarly paper review (ASPR) and review the relevant literature and technologies of achieving a full-scale computerized review process. On the basis of the review and discussion, we conclude that there is already corresponding research and preliminary implementation at each stage of ASPR. We further look into the challenges in ASPR with the existing technologies.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.inffus.2023.101830

Electronic Resources Access Coordinator at Ohio State University

The position coordinates electronic content access by overseeing the activation, configuration, and data management needs for electronic resources. Specific duties include activation and maintenance of access to the libraries electronic resources, including databases, journals, books, and newer formats such as streaming video and purchased data sets; configuration of supporting interfaces for user discovery, including cataloging; and trouble-shooting reported access problems. This work includes the administration of discovery management services and related knowledge bases for database and journal lists (i.e., Serials Solutions 360 Core, 360 MARC), Open URL link resolver (i.e., 360 Link), administration of EZproxy, used for managing off-campus access to resources, and holdings management for discovery and resource sharing (i.e., OCLC WorldShare Management Knowledge Base, Innovative Sierra ERM).

https://bit.ly/3BOXEMU

WorldFAIR Project (D13.2) Cultural Heritage Image Sharing Recommendations Report

Deliverable 13.2 aims to build on our understanding of what it means to support FAIR in the sharing of image data derived from GLAM collections. This report looks at previous efforts by the sector towards FAIR alignment and presents 5 recommendations designed to be implemented and tested at the DRI that are also broadly applicable to the work of the GLAMs. The recommendations are ultimately a roadmap for the Digital Repository of Ireland (DRI) to follow in improving repository services, as well as a call for continued dialogue around "what is FAIR?" within the cultural heritage research data landscape.

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7897243

Digital Collections & Metadata Coordinator at San José State University

This position specializes in creating, maintaining, and enhancing metadata for complex and varied digital media types. Format types include audio, video, and 3D assets; virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) objects and programs; born-digital and digitized documents; and other digital objects. The Digital Collections and Metadata Coordinator identifies and implements novel solutions for new and emerging format types, working closely with colleagues to establish policies and practices that enhance discoverability, interoperability, and preservation of the library’s digital materials.

https://bit.ly/3BPj2Sg

"Gold Open Access Output and Expenditures in the United States in the Past Decade"

In this study we demonstrated some of the main differences in Gold Open Access publications and expenditures across various states and institutions in the United States. Our data shows that the majority of states published between 1,000 – 7,000 Gold Open Access publications and spent up to 6million dollars in the past 10 years. However, there are some noteworthy outliers such as Washington, Minnesota and Maryland with relatively low number of publications and high expenditures while states such as California, Ohio and especially New York which published relatively high number of Gold Open Access papers with relatively low costs comparatively.

https://doi.org/10.55835/64410a4a643beb0d90fc4707

Visual Information Specialist I at Emory University

Reports to the Co-Directors of the Emory Center for Digital Scholarship (ECDS).

Responsible for 3D modeling, digital media, teaching and training, and collaboration with libraries and academic units.

Creates, modifies, and configures using a variety of computer modeling, simulation software, and geospatial data under the direction of senior team members.

Uses computer software to prepare aesthetically composed digital media through graphic design, image processing, and data visualization for use in ECDS supported digital scholarship projects.

https://bit.ly/43iHney

"Research Libraries Advance Open Scholarship and Community Engagement"

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) has published brief profiles of the eight institutions that participated in the 2021–2022 pilot program Accelerating the Social Impact of Research (ASIR). The pilot engaged small teams from eight ARL member libraries who wanted to share strategies to accelerate the adoption and implementation of open-science principles for social-impact and community-engaged research and scholarship.

https://bit.ly/3pZKqtU

Archivist (Humanitarian Archives) at University of Manchester

We are seeking to appoint an Archivist with a proven track record in digital archives. As part of a Wellcome grant devoted to the history of humanitarian medicine, the post holder will work on developing the humanitarian archive, collecting the personal papers of humanitarians and small NGOs and cataloguing recently acquired collections. A core part of this role is to create a digital toolkit for contemporary humanitarians and NGOs seeking to develop sustainable archives. . . . The Humanitarian Archivist will work closely with the Library’s Digital Preservation and Systems Manager to develop workflows for the ingest and management of a range of born digital records into the Preservica digital preservation system.

https://bit.ly/3pYKkD1

"Books in a Bubble.: Assessing the OAPEN Library Collection "

Open access infrastructure for books is becoming more mature, and it is being used by an in-creasing number of people. The growing importance of open access infrastructure leads to more interest in sustainability, governance and impact assessment. For this paper, we will assess the OAPEN Library. In the spring of 2022, it passed the milestone of 20,000 titles. This was a good moment to evaluate the core asset of the OAPEN Library: its collection.

The OAPEN Library contains freely accessible books and chapters, all of which have undergone external peer review. In other words, it functions as an academic library and in our assessment we should treat it as such. However, it is an online library and the limitations of physical books do not play a part. Shelf space is not to be considered.

More important is the question of how well the collection meets the needs of its users. The OAPEN Library sees global usage; the collection reflects this by offering titles in over 50 languages. The collection is not focused on a specific subject area, but the choice of medium — books and chapters, not journals and articles — is more strongly associated with the humanities and social sciences. It does not track its users, but the supporters of the OAPEN Libraries are globally dis-tributed academic institutions, scientific and scholarly funders and publishers. An assessment of the OAPEN Library should therefore take into account the diversity of languages, subjects and stakeholders.

https://doi.org/10.36253/jlis.it-498

Metadata Specialist at Illinois State University

The primary purpose of this position is to incorporate new content into the digital collections repository, enabling discovery and accessibility of those materials. This includes subject analysis of digitized items and the creation, enhancement, and maintenance of descriptive metadata for a range of digital media types such as images, books, manuscripts and diaries, oral histories, audio files, moving images, maps, broadsides, and three-dimensional objects in the library’s digital collections.

https://bit.ly/45owtWS

"Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) Releases the National Advocacy Framework for Open Educational Resources (OER)"

The Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) is proud to announce the release of a comprehensive document, A National Advocacy Framework for Open Educational Resources in Canada, aimed at advancing the adoption and support of open educational resources (OER) across the country.

This framework is the result of collaborative efforts involving diverse stakeholders, including national student groups, provincial open education organizations, scholars, advocates in open education, and representatives from higher education institutions. Its purpose is to help advance and inform advocacy efforts directed at the Federal government. The ultimate goal is to provide guidance to stakeholders in advocating for federal involvement in OER.

https://bit.ly/3OvhBzL

Discovery Systems Librarian at Texas A&M University

The Assistant Librarian will participate in the development and administration of the Libraries’ Discovery Technology portfolio through the planning, configuration, and operation of the Libraries’ Resource Discovery Layers and Library Service Platforms. The Discovery Systems Librarian will participate in the design, testing, deployment, and maintenance of discovery and inventory systems including Application Program Interfaces (APIs) from Library vendors.

https://cutt.ly/a6N5rsX

"Rethinking Transparency and Rigor from a Qualitative Open Science Perspective"

To further complicate matters, many qualitative researchers would posit that while secondary data are a combination of the researcher’s perceptions and observations, even primary data, such as interview transcripts, are filtered to some extent through the researcher. This is because, in qualitative research, the researcher is an instrument of both data collection and analysis . . . .

The researcher-as-instrument tradition also complicates discussions around reproducibility (i.e., the ability for another researcher to look at someone’s data and reproduce the analyses), one of the key components of rigor as it is currently discussed in the open science movement (NIH, n.d.). Quantitative researchers’ focus on reproducibility is often contrary to the tenets of qualitative research, particularly in methodologies aiming to uncover new ways of knowing, such as constructivist and grounded theory approaches. If one understands the researcher as a data collection instrument and a filter through which data is processed, strict quantitative-focused reproducibility becomes less likely—not through misconduct or error, but because ultimately, people conduct research, and people are not likely to have exactly the same perspectives. Guidelines that reinforce reproducibility without addressing this tension are not going to be useful for all researchers.

https://bit.ly/3MEbtnk

Software Applications Developer 1 at University of Cincinnati

Full-time staff appointment responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining software, applications, and innovative technologies to advance UC Libraries’ operations and services. Supports an increasing portfolio of IT needs related to the Libraries’ strategic initiatives including digital transformation, digital humanities, digital literacy, and search and discovery.

https://bit.ly/3MEbGH8

"UC Berkeley University Librarian Jeff MacKie-Mason Announces Retirement Plans"

Among the hallmarks of MacKie-Mason’s tenure at the Library has been his commitment to open access. As co-chair of the University of California’s publisher negotiation team, he was instrumental in the university system securing a groundbreaking deal with publishing giant Elsevier. To date, UC has struck open access deals with 15 publishers, including all of the top five publishers of UC-authored articles. Together, these agreements make it possible for 54 percent of all UC-authored articles to be published open access, so they are freely available to anyone, anywhere in the world.

https://bit.ly/3IoEfGm

Cataloging and Digital Projects Librarian at University of Arkansas

Reporting to the Director for Content Services, the Cataloging and Digital Projects Librarian serves as the primary metadata specialist for the Libraries’ CONTENTdm digital collections, working collaboratively with the department head, the Digital Services Department, the Special Collections Division, and other staff in Content Services to complete individual projects. The librarian also collaborates with the Office of Scholarly Communications and User Services to create metadata for University of Arkansas Department of Music concert recordings in the ScholarWorks (Digital Commons) institutional repository. The librarian harvests ScholarWorks metadata for graduate theses and dissertations for import into WorldCat and Alma.

https://bit.ly/3MCNFjY

"EU’s New AI Law Targets Big Tech Companies but Is Probably Only Going to Harm the Smallest Ones"

In a bold stroke, the EU’s amended AI Act would ban American companies such as OpenAI, Amazon, Google, and IBM from providing API access to generative AI models. The amended act, voted out of committee on Thursday, would sanction American open-source developers and software distributors, such as GitHub, if unlicensed generative models became available in Europe. While the act includes open source exceptions for traditional machine learning models, it expressly forbids safe-harbor provisions for open source generative systems.

Any model made available in the EU, without first passing extensive, and expensive, licensing, would subject companies to massive fines of the greater of €20,000,000 or 4% of worldwide revenue.

(Quote from Technomancers.ai.)

https://bit.ly/3ociZwo