Digital Collections Cataloger and Archivist at Dickinson State University


The Digital Collections Cataloger and Archivist creates and reviews metadata for collections in the Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library and helps to train and support others assisting with the cataloging. They also work with newly acquired physical archival collections to prepare them for storage, preservation, and presentation on the web and in other media.

https://tinyurl.com/y3h2v68h

| Digital Library Jobs |
| Electronic Resources Jobs |
| Library IT Jobs |
| Digital Scholarship |

"Exploring First-Generation Student Experiences with OER Textbooks"


The other aspect of textbooks that students found very important, at 31 percent (64) or extremely important, at 38 percent (78) was cost. Cost was particularly important for first-generation students. Fifty-nine percent (36) of first-generation students considered cost to be an extremely important factor, compared to twenty-nine percent (42) of continuing-generation students. Strikingly, not a single first-generation student considered cost to be unimportant. . . .

Although the OER sections of ENGL 104 were tagged in the University’s course marking system, a mere 2.9 percent of students (four) reported being aware that their course was an OER course when they registered. By contrast, 96% percent (131 students) reported learning that the textbook was available at no cost when classes were already starting (i.e., on the first day or when they received their syllabus). This delay in learning about textbook costs means that students who could most benefit from a no-cost textbook were unable to strategically select an OER section. . . .

Another important finding is that the primary method by which students accessed their OER textbook, electronic only access, does not align with the access method students stated they preferred. Respondents indicated that they wanted textbooks that they could highlight and make notes in; they wanted a textbook that they could hold in their hands and that didn’t strain their eyes. At the same time, respondents wanted textbooks that they could access from anywhere and that had searchable text. Finally, respondents strongly indicated a desire for a textbook that is not unwieldy and heavy to lug across campus. Print with an electronic copy, the format most popular with students, meets all of these criteria.

https://tinyurl.com/mtnbd963

| Artificial Intelligence |
| Research Data Curation and Management Works |
| Digital Curation and Digital Preservation Works |
| Open Access Works |
| Digital Scholarship |

Media Preservation Residency Librarian, Librarian I – Fixed Term at Michigan State University


The Michigan State University Libraries invites early career professionals to apply for our Residency in Media Preservation. This is a two-year project funded by the National Historical Preservation and Records Commission, and supports the work of the Media Preservation Unit in its effort to preserve the WKAR early television films within the University Archives and Historical Collections. The Film Preservation and Digitization Specialist reports to the Media Preservation Librarian. This is a unique experience for a new professional to develop film preservation skills and work directly with film collections. Work will be performed onsite at the Michigan State University Main Library within the Media Preservation Unit. The Media Preservation Unit (MPU) sustains the life and usefulness of legacy audiovisual content and born digital content collected by the Libraries and supports continued access to these unique and valuable works of intellectual and historical significance. The Media Preservation Unit provides consultation and, where appropriate, conservation treatment and reformatting/digitization services to the Libraries’ collecting units.

https://tinyurl.com/y832de89

| Digital Library Jobs |
| Electronic Resources Jobs |
| Library IT Jobs |
| Digital Scholarship |

"Scaling Up Digital Preservation Workflows With Homegrown Tools and Automation"


At NC State University Libraries, the Special Collections Research Center leverages an integrated system of locally developed applications and open-source technologies to facilitate the long-term preservation of digitized and born-digital archival assets. These applications automate many previously manual tasks, such as creating access derivatives from preservation scans and ingest into preservation storage. They have allowed us to scale up the number of digitized assets we create and publish online; born-digital assets we acquire from storage media, appraise, and package; and total assets in local and distributed preservation storage. The origin of these applications lies in scripted workflows put into use more than a decade ago, and the applications were built in close collaboration with developers in the Digital Library Initiatives department between 2011 and 2023. This paper presents a strategy for managing digital curation and preservation workflows that does not solely depend on standalone and third-party applications. It describes our iterative approach to deploying these tools, the functionalities of each application, and sustainability considerations of managing in-house applications and using Academic Preservation Trust for offsite preservation.

https://tinyurl.com/4mjpzth2

| Artificial Intelligence |
| Research Data Curation and Management Works |
| Digital Curation and Digital Preservation Works |
| Open Access Works |
| Digital Scholarship |

User Experience Researcher/Designer at Harvard University


Reporting to the Head of UX & Digital Accessibility, the UX Researcher/Designer will play a significant role in this project and related user experience research. Building on existing research, the person in this role will engage with users to confirm their needs, preferences, and behaviors for a unified search system and related sites. They will conduct user research with multiple audience segments and synthesize findings into recommendations for the product team. They may also work with library staff on other UX research projects related to discovery and access. Additionally, the person in this role will create wireframes and prototypes as research artifacts that will inform the product development.

https://tinyurl.com/327mby6b

| Digital Library Jobs |
| Electronic Resources Jobs |
| Library IT Jobs |
| Digital Scholarship |

"Embracing the Metaverse: A Survey of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Practices at the United States’ Top One Hundred University Libraries"


The purpose of this study is to learn more about virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) practices at the United States’ top one hundred university libraries, as well as how they are engaging with the metaverse. We conducted qualitative and descriptive analysis on the websites of the top one hundred university libraries in the United States to determine the application fields and application proportions of VR and AR technologies and found good practice examples of using VR and AR technologies in this field. The findings show that 86 percent of the top one hundred US university libraries have implemented VR and AR technologies, with practice areas focused on: VR/AR studio and VR/AR makerspace; immersive learning services and virtual exhibitions/conference services; visual geographic information system and VR navigation services; virtual reading services and visual retrieval services; and VR reference services. The study provides university library administrators and professionals with the most up-to-date information and best practices of VR and AR engagement areas and the proportion of use, which can aid in the development of strategies to leverage VR and AR technologies to improve patron service and embrace the metaverse for the communities they serve.

https://tinyurl.com/55u3hnf3

| Artificial Intelligence |
| Research Data Curation and Management Works |
| Digital Curation and Digital Preservation Works |
| Open Access Works |
| Digital Scholarship |