Category: ARL Libraries

"ARL Membership Refines Strategic Thinking and Design at Spring 2014 Meeting"

ARL has released "ARL Membership Refines Strategic Thinking and Design at Spring 2014 Meeting." Includes a video.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

Here's an excerpt:

ARL president Carol Pitts Diedrichs of The Ohio State University (OSU) convened the 164th ARL Membership Meeting in Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday afternoon, May 6, 2014. Almost all of the program sessions at this meeting focused on the current ARL strategic thinking and design process, upon which the Association embarked in the fall of 2013 to define its role in higher education and to maximize ARL’s ability to be agile and responsive to changing priorities and member needs. . . .

Throughout the spring, ARL design meeting participants began creating a system of action to help research libraries and ARL effect radical change and achieve their desired vision. Six potential components of a system of action were presented to the ARL membership on May 6:

  • Coordinated Management of Collective Collections—federate networks of print repositories, digital repositories, data repositories.
  • Scholarly Publishing at Scale (Short + Long Forms)—bring scholarly publishing back home to the academy with shared-infrastructure press.
  • ARL Academy—reshaping the profession by developing new leaders and leadership teams, establishing an agency with a talent pool to be drawn on by libraries.
  • Boundless Symposium—orchestrate meta-collaborations and meta-conversations across institutional boundaries to build new insights.
  • First Suite of Smart Libraries—design, fund, and build a coalition of libraries that create personalized content delivery.
  • Innovation Lab and (Venture) Capital Fund—create a think tank and pop-up innovation labs, use investment to spur innovation.

Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Sitemap

Web Accessibility Toolkit

ARL has released the Web Accessibility Toolkit.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

On the third annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day (#GAAD), the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is proud to announce the availability of a new resource for the ARL membership and the library community—a Web Accessibility Toolkit for research libraries. ARL's toolkit shares the fundamental goal of GAAD, which is to "raise the profile" of digital accessibility and provide resources for improving access to information to "the broadest audience possible." The toolkit aims to:

  • Promote the principles of accessibility, universal design, and digital inclusion.
  • Help research libraries achieve digital accessibility.
  • Connect research libraries with the tools, people, and examples they need to provide accessible digital content.

Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Sitemap

Vice Provost and Director, UT Libraries at University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas at Austin is recruiting a Vice Provost and Director, UT Libraries.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The Vice Provost (VP) is responsible for the leadership and administration of the UT Libraries, overseeing the innovation and development of the Libraries in the areas of user services, collections and resources, management and infrastructure, cooperative initiatives and outreach, support and funding. The VP articulates a clear vision for the role of the academic research library, develops and implements the Libraries' strategic plan in support of the University's academic priorities, curricula, and research, and represents the UT Libraries to campus administration and external audiences. The VP is expected to be deeply engaged in development opportunities and expanding donor support. The Vice Provost reports to the Provost of the University of Texas at Austin.

Digital Scholarship | Digital Library Jobs | Library IT Jobs | Sitemap

Director and University Librarian at University of Chicago Library

The University of Chicago Library is recruiting a Director and University Librarian.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The Director will oversee a professional and support staff of 302 and will manage in a large and complex academic environment, engaging effectively with other university leaders and constituencies to advance the overall University mission. The Director oversees an annual operating budget of over $35M with over $18M in expenditures for acquisitions.

Digital Scholarship | Digital Library Jobs | Library IT Jobs | Sitemap

Director of Libraries at MIT Libraries

The MIT Libraries are recruiting a Director of Libraries.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Responsible for the MIT Libraries and oversight of the MIT Press, the Director of the MIT Libraries uses visionary leadership to guide both organizations through times of transformation in their respective industries. The Director is expected to leverage an increasingly networked and collaborative information environment as an important partner with MIT's academic and administrative units to advance the Institute's research, teaching, and global agendas in alignment with its mission and values. Reporting directly to the Provost, the Director secures the support and resources necessary for providing outstanding innovative and creative collections and services across a broad range of research disciplines to a world-class scholarly community. The Director will play a prominent role in shaping the larger scholarly communication landscape at MIT and beyond. S/he is expected to grow the Libraries resource development program. Key strategic opportunities for the Libraries include MIT's exploration of new modes of learning and global engagement, upcoming investments in reshaping library spaces, and advancing MIT's commitment and influence in the area of Open Access. S/he is expected to actively build and develop a diverse, skilled, and engaged workforce dedicated to an inclusive MIT community. As the senior officer at MIT with management responsibility for the MIT Press, the Director of Libraries provides strategic guidance to the Press in accordance with its goals, which include greater international engagement and a strong portfolio of evolving business models.

Digital Scholarship | Digital Library Jobs | Library IT Jobs | Sitemap

ARL Awarded $1 Million Grant for Shared Access Research Ecosystem (SHARE)

ARL has been awarded a $1 million grant for the Shared Access Research Ecosystem (SHARE).

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) has been awarded a joint $1 million grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to develop and launch the Shared Access Research Ecosystem (SHARE) Notification Service. SHARE is a collaborative initiative of ARL, the Association of American Universities (AAU), and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) to ensure the preservation of, access to, and reuse of research findings and reports.

SHARE aims to make research assets more discoverable and more accessible, and to enable the research community to build upon these assets in creative ways. SHARE's first project, the Notification Service, will inform stakeholders when research results—including articles and data—are released.

Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Sitemap

"Digital Preservation File Format Policies of ARL Member Libraries: An Analysis"

Kyle Rimkus et al. have published "Digital Preservation File Format Policies of ARL Member Libraries: An Analysis" in D-Lib Magazine.

Here's an excerpt:

In the interest of gaining a broad view of contemporary digital preservation practice in North American research libraries, this paper presents the findings of a study of file format policies at Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member institutions. It is intended to present the digital preservation community with an assessment of the level of trust currently placed in common file formats in digital library collections and institutional repositories. Beginning with a summary of file format research to date, the authors describe the research methodology they used to collect and analyze data from the file format policies of ARL Library repositories and digital library services. The paper concludes with a presentation and analysis of findings that explore levels of confidence placed in image, text, audio, video, tabular data, software application, presentation, geospatial, and computer program file formats. The data show that file format policies have evolved little beyond the document and image digitization standards of traditional library reformatting programs, and that current approaches to file format policymaking must evolve to meet the challenges of research libraries' expanding digital repository services.

Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Sitemap

Dean of Libraries and Elizabeth D. Rockwell Chair at University of Houston

The University of Houston is recruiting a Dean of Libraries and Elizabeth D. Rockwell Chair.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The University of Houston invites nominations and applications for the position of Dean of Libraries and Elizabeth D. Rockwell Chair. The Dean of Libraries leads the University Libraries and advances the University's mission of research and teaching by ensuring the provision of outstanding library services. The University Libraries comprises the M.D. Anderson Library and three branch libraries (Music, Optometry, and Architecture and Art). The Dean of Libraries serves as the chief executive of the Libraries, with responsibility for oversight of all administrative activities, including budget and personnel management. The Dean provides programmatic and strategic leadership to the Libraries and plays a critical role in the Libraries' development activities. The Dean represents the Libraries within the University, and at the local, state, and national levels. The Dean reports directly to the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and is a member of the Council of Deans. . . .

The University Libraries employs over 69 professionals and 135 support staff. Overall, the campus libraries provide access to over 3.1 million volumes. The UH Libraries are a member of the Association of Research Libraries, the Greater Western Library Alliance, the Hathi Trust, the Council on Library and Information Resources, the Digital Library Federation, and the Texas Digital Library. The Libraries enjoy an endowment of over $7 million, including three endowed chairs.

The Libraries actively supported the University's Tier One effort and continues to focus on UH System's Strategic Initiatives. The Libraries' 2013-2016 Strategic Directions reflect the University's top priorities and position the Libraries to be a contributor to these priorities.

The University of Houston is a publicly supported university, enrolling nearly 40,000 students. The University of Houston campus comprises 13 colleges and schools offering close to 80 degree programs. The University holds the classification of research university with very high activity, the highest Carnegie Foundation designation. Reflecting the multicultural community of metropolitan Houston, UH is one of the most ethnically diverse research university campuses in the nation.

An overview of the UH Libraries and a video are available. Short biographies of Paula Myrick Short (Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, UH System, and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, UH) and Renu Khator (Chancellor, UH System, and President, UH) are available on UH's leadership page. Information about the UH System and its four component universities is available at its website.

Digital Scholarship | Digital Library Jobs | Library IT Jobs | Sitemap

"E-Science as a Catalyst for Transformational Change in University Research Libraries"

Mary E. Piorun has self-archived her dissertaion "E-Science as a Catalyst for Transformational Change in University Research Libraries."

Here's an excerpt:

Changes in how research is conducted, from the growth of e-science to the emergence of big data, have lead to new opportunities for librarians to become involved in the creation and management of research data, at the same time the duties and responsibilities of university libraries continue to evolve. This study examines those roles related to e-science while exploring the concept of transformational change and leadership issues in bringing about such a change. Using the framework established by Levy and Merry for first- and second-order change, four case studies of libraries whose institutions are members in the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) are developed.

Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Sitemap

Anne Kenney Given 2014 Hugh C. Atkinson Memorial Award

Anne Kenney has been given the 2014 Hugh C. Atkinson Memorial Award.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

Anne R. Kenney, the Carl A. Kroch University Librarian at Cornell University, has been named the 2014 winner of the Hugh C. Atkinson Memorial Award. The American Library Association (ALA) will present the award to Kenney at the ALA Annual Conference in Las Vegas this summer. Kenney is being honored for her innovative achievements and service to the profession, especially her leadership on such projects as 2CUL, arXiv, Project Euclid, and Making of America; her work on large-scale digitization and digital preservation standards; and her global contributions in Myanmar, Cuba, China, and elsewhere.

See also: "Anne R. Kenney Wins 2014 Hugh C. Atkinson Memorial Award."

Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Sitemap

Dana C. Rooks to Step Down as Dean of the University of Houston Libraries

Dana C. Rooks has announced her intention to step down as Dean of the University of Houston Libraries when her successor is appointed.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

"Dana has helped shape library services in the state of Texas," [Provost Paula] Short said in the email. "She is recognized as one of the founders of TexShare, an innovative model for statewide library resource sharing. She is also one of the founders of the Texas Digital Library and currently serves as chair of its governing board." . . .

"I am pleased that upon her stepping down, she has agreed to assist me on several new initiatives in a new role in the provost office," Short said in the email.

Among her many accomplishments, Rooks was active in the UH Libraries' pioneering digital publishing program, serving as an associate editor of The Public-Access Computer Systems Review, the first open access journal in the field of library and information science, founding co-editor of Public-Access Computer Systems News, an early electronic newsletter, and moderator of PACS-L, an early LISTSERV mailing list about public-access computers in libraries.

Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Sitemap

Université de Montréal Will Cancel about 75% of Wiley Online Library Periodicals

The Université de Montréal will cancel about 75% of its Wiley Online Library periodicals.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

Out of 1510 periodicals in the Wiley Online Library, the Université de Montréal is cancelling subscriptions to 1142 titles at the end of January. As a result, and from this point on, the articles found in the cancelled titles will no longer be available on-line. However, access to earlier issues will be entirely maintained.

This action results from a process that started a long while ago. The financial cut-backs imposed by the Québec government only accelerated the decision process. The result of the analysis is simple: libraries have been driven to the wall because of the yearly rise of subscriptions to periodicals that hover between 3% and 6%. They cannot go on cutting back the acquisition of monographs to compensate for such price increases. As a result, this conclusion, as well as the adopted solution, would have been the same a few years down the line, independently of the financial context.

Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Sitemap

Press and Library Collaboration Survey

The AAUP Library Relations Committee has released the Press and Library Collaboration Survey.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

The Library Relations Committee of the Association of American University Presses (AAUP) today issued a number of broad conclusions and recommendations for successful collaboration between presses and libraries. These conclusions are the product of extensive surveying and interviews with member institutions of both AAUP and the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), conducted through 2012-2013.

Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Sitemap

"The Confluence of Collections at Johns Hopkins’s Sheridan Libraries"

Liz Mengel has published "The Confluence of Collections at Johns Hopkins's Sheridan Libraries" in a special issue of Research Library Issues on mainstreaming special collections.

Here's an excerpt:

Since the creation of the Milton S. Eisenhower Library in 1964, Special Collections at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) has been housed in the main library and has been a part of the daily flow of overall library operations. As with many other special collections departments, this department was securely sheltered behind doors where the staff performed similar activities to other library departments such as collection development, reference, and instruction. Over the past four years, the Sheridan Libraries have been making deliberate efforts to remove the metaphorical silos that separate Special Collections and other library departments. In particular, the libraries have done this by looking at how collection funds are used and by blending positions to work in both Special Collections and the Academic Liaison Department.

Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Sitemap

Yolanda Cooper Named University Librarian at Emory University

Yolanda Cooper has been named University Librarian at Emory University.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

Cooper will join Emory from the University of Miami, where she has most recently served as librarian associate professor, deputy university librarian, and acting dean and university librarian.

On Jan. 15, Cooper will step into the new role leading the Emory Libraries—part of a broad, overall organizational restructuring implemented under the leadership of Rich Mendola, enterprise chief information officer and senior vice provost of library services and digital scholarship, that has combined Emory's library and informational technology organizations and reflects the increasingly important relationship between digital technologies and research libraries. . . .

Cooper has 25 years of administrative experience in university libraries across five research library systems.

At the University of Miami, Cooper has been responsible for services, programming and operations of all libraries on the Coral Gables and Virginia Key campuses. Her background also includes work with research library systems at Indiana University Bloomington, the University of Virginia, the University of Northern Colorado, and the University of Illinois, Urbana.

Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Sitemap

Constantia Constantinou Named Dean of University Libraries at Stony Brook University

Constantia Constantinou has been named Dean of University Libraries at Stony Brook University.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

Constantinou has served as the Library Director and Library Department Chair at the SUNY Maritime College Library since 2001. The SUNY Maritime College Library is considered a premier maritime library, a national leader in maritime collections, innovative research services, and rare collections. Under her direction, the Library's world-renowned rare collections have been enhanced with strong museum partnerships and collaborations with professional organizations. Constantinou has also served in a number of library leadership positions on advisory councils and governing boards, leading library organizations through ambitious strategic processes, partnerships in resource sharing and innovative services.

Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Sitemap

New Roles for New Times: Transforming Liaison Roles in Research Libraries

ARL has released New Roles for New Times: Transforming Liaison Roles in Research Libraries.

Here's an excerpt:

The liaison role in research libraries is rapidly evolving. An engagement model in which library liaisons and functional specialists collaborate to understand and address the wide range of processes in instruction and scholarship is replacing the traditional tripartite model of collections, reference, and instruction. New roles in research services, digital humanities, teaching and learning, digital scholarship, user experience, and copyright and scholarly communication are being developed at research libraries across the country, requiring professional development and re-skilling of current staff, creative approaches to increase staff capacity, the development of new spaces and infrastructure, and collaborative partnerships within libraries, across campus units, and among research institutions.

Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Sitemap

Digital Image Collections and Services, SPEC Kit 335

ARL has released Digital Image Collections and Services, SPEC Kit 335.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

ARL has published Digital Image Collections and Services, SPEC Kit 335, which examines how research libraries and their parent institutions have responded to the transition from analog to digital images and the growth of digital images available from commercial vendors and/or created within institutions or their libraries. The survey gathers information about current practices relating to the development and management of institutional digital image collections and the acquisition and use of licensed image databases.

Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Sitemap

Martha Bedard Named Vice Provost for University of Connecticut Libraries

Martha Bedard has been appointed as the Vice Provost for University of Connecticut Libraries.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

Martha Bedard has been appointed the Vice Provost for University of Connecticut Libraries, effective October 14. She is currently Dean of University Libraries at the University of New Mexico, a position she has held since 2007. . . .

Prior to New Mexico, Bedard held positions at Texas A&M University (TAMU) and the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. At TAMU, she served in various leadership roles beginning in 2000, including Associate Dean for Information and Collection Services. Her previous positions at TAMU also included Associate Dean and Director of the Medical Sciences Library, Associate Dean for Advanced Studies, and Associate Dean for Digital Initiatives.

Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Sitemap

Library Publishing Coalition Launches Website

The Library Publishing Coalition has launched a website.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

The Library Publishing Coalition (LPC)—a library led, two-year initiative to advance the field of library publishing—has launched its new website at http://www.librarypublishing.org/. Current LPC activities include development of a Shared Documentation Portal that hosts model documents, compilation of a Directory of Library Publishing Services, and planning for a forum to be held in March 2014.

Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Sitemap

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Names John P. Wilkin as University Librarian and Dean of Libraries

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has named John P. Wilkin as its new University Librarian and Dean of Libraries.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

Wilkin is an associate university librarian at the University of Michigan, where he also leads Michigan's library information technology and publishing divisions, including the University of Michigan Press. He also is the executive director of the HathiTrust Digital Library, an online repository established in 2008 to unite the digitized collections of more than 60 research libraries, including the U. of I.'s, in an effort to preserve the published cultural record.

Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Sitemap

AAU, APLU, and ARL: Shared Access Research Ecosystem (SHARE) Proposal

The Association of American Universities, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, and ARL have released a draft of the Shared Access Research Ecosystem (SHARE) proposal.

Here's an excerpt:

Research universities are long-lived and are mission-driven to generate, make accessible, and preserve over time new knowledge and understanding. Research universities collectively have the assets needed for a national solution for enhanced public access to federally funded research output. As the principal producers of the resources that are to be made publicly available under the new White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)[1] memorandum, and that are critical to the continuing success of higher education in the United States, universities have invested in the infrastructure, tools, and services necessary to provide effective and efficient access to their research and scholarship. The new White House directive provides a compelling reason to integrate higher education's investments to date into a system of cross-institutional digital repositories that will be known as Shared Access Research Ecosystem (SHARE).

Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Sitemap

"ARL Library Budgets after the Great Recession, 2011-13"

Charles B. Lowry has published "ARL Library Budgets after the Great Recession, 2011-13" in the latest issue of Research Library Issues: A Report from ARL, CNI, and SPARC.

Here's an excerpt:

In short, for five years ARL institutions have been in a pattern that departs from the historic expectation of increased funding intended to at least ameliorate the inflation rate for library acquisitions and the cost of operations and personnel. Like acquisitions, administrative budgets have demonstrably suffered more since 2008 than at any time in recent decades. In sum, the downturn of 2008 was followed by a progressive de-funding of library budgets that reflected what was happening in higher education institutions generally. Recent years are best characterized as highly volatile. The trends do not encourage optimism that budgets have turned the corner, and this will have consequences for the teaching and research within higher education and in the market place of scholarly communications internationally.

Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Sitemap

John P. Culshaw Named University Librarian at University of Iowa

John P. Culshaw has been named University Librarian at the University of Iowa.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

Culshaw joined the university libraries at CU-Boulder in 1991 as central reference librarian. From 1996 to 2008, he oversaw the libraries' Systems Department, providing leadership and direction for information technology, media, and web services. In 2008 he was appointed associate director for administrative services. His position was renamed senior associate dean of libraries in 2011.

As senior associate dean, Culshaw provides administrative and budgetary leadership for libraries that have an annual budget of $20.9 million and staff in six physical locations.

Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Sitemap

Gerald Beasley Appointed Vice-Provost and Chief Librarian at University of Alberta

Gerald Beasley has been appointed Vice-Provost and Chief Librarian at the University of Alberta.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

Concordia University Librarian Gerald Beasley has been appointed vice-provost and chief librarian at the University of Alberta, effective July 1, 2013, for a five-year term. . . . .

Beasley came to Concordia in 2008 from Columbia University, where he was director of the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library. His previous appointments include the positions of head librarian and associate chief curator at the Canadian Centre for Architecture. Beasley holds an MA in Library Studies from University College, and an MA and BA in English Language and Literature from Oxford University.

Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview | Sitemap