Category: Information Schools

"Data Competency for Academic Librarians: Evaluating Present Trends and Future Prospects"


This paper reports an investigation into the perception of academic librarians on data competency in their daily roles across various library departments in the United States and Canada. . . . The findings reveal a complex engagement pattern with data tasks, with librarians in data-specific roles dedicating a considerable portion of their work to these activities, while the majority engage less frequently, indicating that data tasks are a minor part of their overall responsibilities. . . . Our study identifies a crucial need for improved competencies in data management and collection development. . . Additionally, our findings reveal a critical gap between academic libraries’ demand for data skills and the content coverage in MLIS programs, emphasizing the need for curriculum updates to prepare librarians for the evolving information landscape.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2024.102897

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

Paywall: "Data Curation Education: Cross-Disciplinary Analysis of Master’s Programs "


The main goal of this study is to analyze the course content from the syllabi of various programs to understand what is being taught in LIS schools throughout graduate-level education. Further, because the need for data curation is apparent across different disciplines, and thus not only LIS but also other disciplines have been offering data curation courses, this study also analyzed syllabi from other disciplines. . . . Our findings suggest a notable growth in LIS education in data curation since 2012, but LIS education still provides less training in technical skills. There was also a distinctive difference in educational approach to teach data curation between LIS (user- and service-oriented) and other disciplines (technical skills-focused), which brought different strengths and weaknesses in curriculum.

https://tinyurl.com/bdfjwjbh

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

Paywall: Digital Initiatives in Academic Libraries: Challenges and Opportunities


This article explores the discourse surrounding professional titles and responsibilities in digital initiatives within North American academic libraries between 1990 and 2020. A review of job advertisements, position descriptions, and professional activities reveals ambiguously defined responsibilities, inadequate technical education, and limited opportunities for training. Current trends suggest digital initiatives will expand from traditional digitization and digital library projects toward more diverse and flexible digital project management

https://muse.jhu.edu/article/887663

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

"DH Eh? A Survey of Digital Humanities Courses in Canadian LIS Education"


Library and librarian involvement in digital humanities (DH) has grown over the past few years. However, it is unclear whether current library and information studies (LIS) programs are properly preparing students for this type of work. This study analyzed course offerings at Canadian ALA-accredited LIS programs. While Canadian ALA-accredited LIS programs offer DH-relevant courses, the number of courses offered and their range/scope vary greatly among institutions. Although many are teaching the technical skills required by the field of DH librarianship, collaboration and project management training remain elusive in most programs.

https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.84.2.228

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

Professor of Practice Future of Libraries Distinguished Practitioner in Residence at University of Washington Information School (Term)


The Professor of Practice will serve as a bridge between academia and the library profession and will lead the way towards enhancing the education of future librarians. They will be able to contribute to the teaching mission of the iSchool in several ways: by teaching courses in the MLIS program; by revising current core courses; by integrating some of the iSchool’s cross-disciplinary courses into the MLIS curriculum; and by developing new courses and specializations related to their areas of expertise and interest, helping to shape the MLIS curriculum to better reflect the needs of the future of libraries.

https://apply.interfolio.com/120185

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

"Integrating Research and Teaching for Data Curation in iSchools"

https://asistdl.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/pra2.285

Research Data Curation Bibliography, Version 10 | Digital Curation and Digital Preservation Works | Open Access Works | Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Sitemap

"Identifying Topical Coverages of Curricula using Topic Modeling and Visualization Techniques: A Case of Digital and Data Curation"

Seungwon Yang et al. have published "Identifying Topical Coverages of Curricula using Topic Modeling and Visualization Techniques: A Case of Digital and Data Curation " in the International Journal of Digital Curation.

Here's an excerpt:

Digital/data curation curricula have been around for a couple of decades. Currently, several ALA-accredited LIS programs offer digital/data curation courses and certificate programs to address the high demand for professionals with the knowledge and skills to handle digital content and research data in an ever-changing information environment. In this study, we aimed to examine the topical scopes of digital/data curation curricula in the context of the LIS field. We collected 16 syllabi from the digital/data curation courses, as well as textual descriptions of the 11 programs and their core courses offered in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. The collected data were analyzed using a probabilistic topic modeling technique, Latent Dirichlet Allocation, to identify both common and unique topics. The results are the identification of 20 topics both at the program- and course-levels. Comparison between the program- and course-level topics uncovered a set of unique topics, and a number of common topics. Furthermore, we provide interactive visualizations for digital/data curation programs and courses for further analysis of topical distributions. We believe that our combined approach of a topic modeling and visualizations may provide insight for identifying emerging trends and co-occurrences of topics among digital/data curation curricula in the LIS field.

Research Data Curation Bibliography, Version 10 | Digital Curation and Digital Preservation Works | Open Access Works | Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Sitemap

"Library and Information Science Curriculum in a Changing Professional Landscape: The Case of Copyright Education in the United States"

Dick Kawooya et al. have published "Library and Information Science Curriculum in a Changing Professional Landscape: The Case of Copyright Education in the United States" in the Journal of Copyright in Education and Librarianship.

Here's an excerpt:

Despite the importance placed on copyright and intellectual property literacy by the American Library Association, as evidenced in the accreditation standards, issues pertaining to copyright education remain marginal in the library and information science (LIS) curriculum and research. Today, copyright intersects with every library and information service in any type of information institution, yet few librarians get copyright training as part of the formal LIS curriculum in library schools. Lack of copyright education leaves many librarians unable to properly identify and address copyright issues in the workplace. This paper offers a critical analysis of LIS programs over the past 10–12 years with a specific focus on trends in the teaching of copyright matters. Employing a qualitative methodology with a mixed-method approach, the authors analyzed the syllabi of courses dedicated to copyright and intellectual property offered at select LIS programs. The goal was to understand what the copyright courses cover, how they are taught, instructional sources and resources, and curriculum changes over time, where applicable. Findings show that the few LIS programs offering copyright courses have rigorous and dynamic copyright curriculum that constantly changes with the evolving copyright environment. The main takeaway and recommendation is that some kind of coordination is needed in the teaching of copyright and that LIS programs may need minimum standards for the core curriculum of copyright courses. The coordinating mechanism will ensure that periodic review of the core curriculum occurs and takes into account the rapid changes in the different library environments where library students work.

Research Data Curation Bibliography, Version 10 | Digital Curation and Digital Preservation Works | Open Access Works | Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Sitemap

"Copyright Literacy and the Role of Librarians as Educators and Advocates: An International Symposium"

Jane Secker, Chris Morrison, and Inga-Lill Nilsson have published "Copyright Literacy and the Role of Librarians as Educators and Advocates: An International Symposium" in the Journal of Copyright in Education and Librarianship.

Here's an excerpt:

The paper is inspired by the opening panel of the International Federation of Library Associations’ (IFLA) World Library and Information Congress off-site meeting held in Poland in August 2017 on models for copyright education. . . . The members of the panel considered the rationale for copyright education, why it might be viewed as part of wider information literacy initiatives, and the specific challenges and opportunities that it presents.

Research Data Curation Bibliography, Version 9 | Digital Curation and Digital Preservation Works | Open Access Works | Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Sitemap

"Charles McClure Wins 2019 LITA/OCLC Kilgour Research Award"

ALA has released Charles McClure Wins 2019 LITA/OCLC Kilgour Research Award.

Here's an excerpt:

Charles McClure has been selected as the recipient of the 2019 Frederick G. Kilgour Award for Research in Library and Information Technology, sponsored by OCLC and the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA). He is the Francis Eppes Professor of Information Studies in the School of Information at Florida State University and the Director of the Information Use Management and Policy Institute at FSU. Previously he was a Distinguished Professor at the iSchool at Syracuse University and Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma.

Research Data Curation Bibliography, Version 9 | Digital Curation and Digital Preservation Works | Open Access Works | Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Sitemap

"Placements & Salaries 2016: Explore All the Data"

Suzie Allard has published "Placements & Salaries 2016: Explore All the Data" in Library Journal.

Here's an excerpt:

Dig through these tables to discover the details about where 2015 LIS grads are landing jobs, at what salaries, and in what kinds of roles, or see the full feature for all the analysis.

Digital Curation and Digital Preservation Works | Open Access Works | Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Sitemap

University of Arizona Launches School of Information

The University of Arizona has launched its School of Information headed by Bryan Heidorn.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

The iSchool combines the School of Information Resources and Library Science, or SIRLS, located in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and the School of Information: Science, Technology, and Arts, or SISTA, located in the College of Science.

The iSchool will include additional affiliate faculty from the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and the College of Science, as well as faculty from College of Fine Arts and the College of Humanities who have research interests in digital arts and humanities. . . .

The Master of Arts in library and information science is accredited by the American Library Association and prepares students for careers in libraries, museums and archives, as well as in government and business information centers. . . .

Students in the doctoral program in information learn to develop and apply computational methods to challenges that overlap multiple academic disciplines—from discovering signaling pathways in cells, to understanding musical improvisation, to training digital video cameras to understand what they see—and will be prepared for careers in academia, government and industry.

A Master of Science in information is undergoing university approvals and is expected to be available for classes beginning in the fall.

The iSchool also will offer a variety of certificates. Like most of the degrees, they will be offered face-to-face and online. They are:

  • The DigIn (Digital Information Management) graduate certificate, which trains professionals to create and manage large, complex digital collections.
  • The certificate in archival studies, which teaches students how archival practices affect the composition and meaning of cultural artifacts and the historical record.
  • The legal information and scholarly communication certificate, which prepares students to serve in various types of libraries, archives, government agencies and businesses where legal information is critical for success. For jobs where a Juris Doctorate is required, the school provides a law librarianship graduate certificate.
  • The certificate in medical and community health information, which will involve skills in the acquisition and dissemination of quality health information as well as training on providing culturally competent health information services.

Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Sitemap