Category: Libraries

"Emerald Group Publishing Tests ZEN, Increases Prices: What Does It Mean?"

Richard Poynder has published "Emerald Group Publishing Tests ZEN, Increases Prices: What Does It Mean?" in Open and Shut?

Here's an excerpt:

So why has Emerald chosen to trial ZEN [Zero Embargo Now] with some of it library journals, what role did the LAG play in the decision, and what do members of the LAG feel about the associated 70% increase in the APCs of 32 engineering and technology journals?

In the hope of finding out I emailed Emerald and asked where I could find a list of advisory group members. It turns out that these are not publicly available.

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"Barriers to Initiation of Open Source Software Projects in Libraries"

Curtis Thacker and Charles Knutson have published "Barriers to Initiation of Open Source Software Projects in Libraries" in the Code4Lib Journal.

Here's an excerpt:

Libraries share a number of core values with the Open Source Software (OSS) movement, suggesting there should be a natural tendency toward library participation in OSS projects. However Dale Askey's 2008 Code4Lib column entitled "We Love Open Source Software. No, You Can't Have Our Code," claims that while libraries are strong proponents of OSS, they are unlikely to actually contribute to OSS projects. He identifies, but does not empirically substantiate, six barriers that he believes contribute to this apparent inconsistency. In this study we empirically investigate not only Askey's central claim but also the six barriers he proposes. In contrast to Askey's assertion, we find that initiation of and contribution to OSS projects are, in fact, common practices in libraries. However, we also find that these practices are far from ubiquitous; as Askey suggests, many libraries do have opportunities to initiate OSS projects, but choose not to do so. Further, we find support for only four of Askey's six OSS barriers. Thus, our results confirm many, but not all, of Askey's assertions.

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"How to Hack it as a Working Parent"

Jaclyn Bedoya et al. have published "How to Hack it as a Working Parent" in Code4Lib Journal.

Here's an excerpt:

The problems faced by working parents in technical fields in libraries are not unique or particularly unusual. However, the cross-section of work-life balance and gender disparity problems found in academia and technology can be particularly troublesome, especially for mothers and single parents. Attracting and retaining diverse talent in work environments that are highly structured or with high expectations of unstated off-the-clock work may be impossible long term. . . .

We present some practical solutions for those in technical positions in libraries. Such solutions involve strategic use of technical tools, and lightweight project management applications. Technical workarounds are not the only answer; real and lasting change will involve a change in individual priorities and departmental culture such as sophisticated and ruthless time management, reviewing workloads, cross-training personnel, hiring contract replacements, and creative divisions of labor. Ultimately, a flexible environment that reflects the needs of parents will help create a better workplace culture for everyone, kids or no kids.

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"Adjunct No More: Promoting Scholarly Publishing as a Core Service of Academic Libraries"

Isaac Gilman has self-archived "Adjunct No More: Promoting Scholarly Publishing as a Core Service of Academic Libraries."

Here's an excerpt:

For small academic libraries, which are largely absent from ARL-dominated literature on library publishing (with some notable exceptions 14), the decision to pivot towards publishing services leads to several key questions: What skills and resources are needed in order to ensure quality and avoid Daniel Coit Gilman's disdained practice of "printing without publishing"?15) In what ways should the traditional work of the library change in order to accommodate this shift in focus? At the same time, in what ways can the work of publication be connected with traditional work and skills found within the library?

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Owning and Using Scholarship: An IP Handbook for Teachers and Researchers

ACRL has released Owning and Using Scholarship: An IP Handbook for Teachers and Researchers by Kevin L. Smith. It is available in print and digital formats, including an open access PDF.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

Copyright and other types of laws regulating intellectual property create an increasing concern for contemporary scholarship. The digital environment has created exciting new opportunities and possibilities for scholars to work and distribute their work. But these new opportunities also create issues that did not arise in the analog world. Owning and Using Scholarship demystifies intellectual property, and especially copyright law, for academic authors and independent scholars who face these dilemmas. It also serves as a comprehensive resource for librarians who are asked to assist with these new and challenging decisions.

Digital Scholarship | "A Quarter-Century as an Open Access Publisher"

"Placements & Salaries 2014: Renaissance Librarians"

Stephanie L. Maatta has published "Placements & Salaries 2014: Renaissance Librarians" in Library Journal.

Here's an excerpt:

The overall average starting salary improved 2.6%, moving above $45,000 for the first time, to $45,650. Other pointers toward an improving job market were revealed in a decline in the rate of unemployment, dropping to 4.3% of those reporting employment status, and an increase in the rate of permanent professional positions, 69.6% of the job placements in 2013, up from 61.2% in 2012.

Digital Scholarship | "A Quarter-Century as an Open Access Publisher"

Younger Americans and Public Libraries

The Pew Research Center has released Younger Americans and Public Libraries.

Here's an excerpt:

Younger Americans-those ages 16-29-especially fascinate researchers and organizations because of their advanced technology habits, their racial and ethnic diversity, their looser relationships to institutions such as political parties and organized religion, and the ways in which their social attitudes differ from their elders.

This report pulls together several years of research into the role of libraries in the lives of Americans and their communities with a special focus on Millennials, a key stakeholder group affecting the future of communities, libraries, book publishers and media makers of all kinds, as well as the tone of the broader culture.

Digital Scholarship | "A Quarter-Century as an Open Access Publisher"

"How Streaming Media Could Threaten the Mission of Libraries"

Steve Kolowich has published "How Streaming Media Could Threaten the Mission of Libraries" in Wired Campus.

Here's an excerpt:

Welcome to content licensing, a great source of anxiety for librarians in the digital era. In previous decades, the university librarians might have bought a CD of the Dudamel album for $25 and kept it in circulation it for as long as the disc remained viable. Here they were asked to pay the publisher 10 times that amount (plus a licensing fee that would probably exceed the processing fee) for access to a quarter of the album for two years.

Digital Scholarship | "A Quarter-Century as an Open Access Publisher"

NMC Horizon Report: 2014 Library Edition

NMC has released the NMC Horizon Report: 2014 Library Edition.

Here’s an excerpt from the press release:

The NMC Horizon Report: 2014 Library Edition, examines key trends, significant challenges, and emerging technologies for their potential impact on academic and research libraries worldwide. While there are many local factors affecting libraries, there are also issues that transcend regional boundaries and common questions; it was with these questions in mind that this report was created.

Digital Scholarship | "A Quarter-Century as an Open Access Publisher"

EU Advocate General Issues Opinion on Library Digitization

The European Union's Advocate General has issued an opinion on library digitization.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

Here's an excerpt:

Next, the Advocate General considers that the directive does not prevent Member States from granting libraries the right to digitise the books from their collections, if their being made available to the public by dedicated terminals requires it. That may be the case where it is necessary to protect original works which, although still covered by copyright, are old, fragile or rare. That may also be the case where the work in question is consulted by a large number of students and its photocopying might result in disproportionate wear.

However, Mr Jääskinen makes clear that the directive permits not the digitisation of a collection in its entirety, but only the digitisation of individual works. It is particularly important not to opt to use dedicated terminals where the sole purpose of doing so is to avoid the purchase of a sufficient number of physical copies of the work.

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Driving With Data: A Roadmap for Evidence-Based Decision Making in Academic Libraries

Ithaka S+R has released Driving With Data: A Roadmap for Evidence-Based Decision Making in Academic Libraries.

Here's an excerpt:

Over the past decade, libraries have expanded their use of various types of service assessment. Initially popularized by the LibQUAL+ service, there is now a robust library assessment community, including dedicated assessment librarians and coordinators at many institutions, who are charged with examining existing services and user perceptions with the purpose of documenting the value of the academic library's collections and services and identifying opportunities for improvement. At some institutions, assessment has become an important element of how libraries establish their key priorities on a regular basis.

Today library leaders must do more than build and manage collections, improve the quality of existing services, and find the funding to support this work. In addition, the library leader is called upon to reconsider or reassert the roles and objectives of the library in a changing information environment and to develop the strategy, services, spaces, and staffing to support these roles. In the remainder of this paper, therefore, we will be focusing on the use of data, including the types discussed in this section, to establish strategy and lead to a decision about future directions.

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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.

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"Four Facets of Privacy and Intellectual Freedom in Licensing Contracts for Electronic Journals"

College & Research Libraries has released an eprint of "Four Facets of Privacy and Intellectual Freedom in Licensing Contracts for Electronic Journals."

Here's an excerpt:

This is a study of the treatment of library patron privacy in licenses for electronic journals in academic libraries. We begin by distinguishing four facets of privacy and intellectual freedom based on the LIS and philosophical literature. Next, we perform a content analysis of 42 license agreements for electronic journals, focusing on terms for enforcing authorized use and collection and sharing of user data. We compare our findings to model licenses, to recommendations proposed in a recent treatise on licenses, and to our account of the four facets of intellectual freedom. We find important conflicts with each.

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WIPO Talks Collapse on Copyright Exceptions for Libraries Issue

World Intellectual Property Organization talks on copyright exceptions for libraries have collapsed over EU concerns.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

Discussions by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Standing Committee on Copyright & Related Rights (SCCR) broke down in the early hours of Saturday morning 3 May, after the European Union (EU) attempted to block future discussion of copyright laws to aid libraries and archives fulfill their missions in the digital environment. . . .

The meeting ended in disarray at 1:30am on Saturday morning, after the EU tried to have crucial references to “text-based” work on copyright exceptions removed from the meeting conclusions—a move viewed by other Member States and library and archive NGOs present as an attempt to delay, if not derail, any progress on copyright exceptions at WIPO.

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"Librarian, Heal Thyself: A Scholarly Communication Analysis of LIS Journals"

Micah Vandegrift and Chealsye Bowley have published "Librarian, Heal Thyself: A Scholarly Communication Analysis of LIS Journals" in In the Library with the Lead Pipe.

Here's an excerpt:

This article presents an analysis of 111 Library and Information Science journals based on measurements of "openness" including copyright policies, open access self-archiving policies and open access publishing options. We propose a new metric to rank journals, the J.O.I. Factor (Journal Openness Index), based on measures of openness rather than perceived rank or citation impact. Finally, the article calls for librarians and researchers in LIS to examine our scholarly literature and hold it to the principles and standards that we are asking of other disciplines.

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LJ 2014 Movers & Shakers

Library Journal has released its 2014 list of Movers & Shakers.

Here's an excerpt:

Welcome to the 2014 LJ Movers & Shakers. The 50 individuals recognized here are passionate about what all types of libraries can do to enhance lives—for adults, teens, schoolchildren, infants, and toddlers. If there's a common theme among their profiles, it's that as much as the library is a place to go, it is also a place on the go—to wherever patrons or potential patrons are.

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"Keeping Up With… Augmented Reality"

ACRL has released "Keeping Up With… Augmented Reality."

Here's an excerpt:

At a minimum, libraries will need to be prepared to support augmented reality if and when it becomes more prevalent in textbooks and other print materials. But, while these materials are certainly relevant to the work of academic libraries, there are also several interesting library-specific augmented reality tools in use at various institutions. ShelvAR, developed by the Miami University Library, is an excellent example of how augmented reality can increase the efficiency of libraries' existing workflows. Available for use with any iOS or Android device with a camera, this app can scan any tagged library materials and overlay a red X over any item that is out of place on the shelf.

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"Impact of Public Domain Resources On Public Libraries in the United States"

Anne Arendt and Dustin Fife have published "Impact of Public Domain Resources On Public Libraries in the United States" in the Journal of Librarianship and Information Science.

Here's an excerpt:

Ownership and rights issues relating to electronic resources can be a source of angst, confusion and litigation. This is due in part to the automatic copyright many individuals receive, including in the United States, upon creation of an original work. However, there are options available for relaxing these rights. One of these options is Creative Commons Zero. . . . Based on the above, this document researches the awareness, complexity and effects of Creative Commons Zero and related licenses on libraries as perceived by library directors and managers across the United States. In order to accomplish this, a quantitative survey was administered in an anonymous web-based format.

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"Copyright in the Digital Age"

Kyle K. Courtney has self-archived "Copyright in the Digital Age" in SSRN.

Here's an excerpt:

The goal of this chapter is to provide the fundamental instruction for some of the most popular topics facing law libraries in the digital age. Whether it is scanning chapters for e-reserves or accessing databases online, knowledge of copyright law can help mitigate risk, and enhance our patron's services. As librarians, we want to provide whatever our patron's desire. But, we also must balance the law versus the patrons needs. Fortunately, copyright law does not always restrict a patron's uses. In many cases a solid understanding of copyright can help ease a patron's fears, or provide legal alternatives to a patron's request, or help educate the community at large.

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Best of Both Worlds: Museums, Libraries, and Archives in a Digital Age

The Smithsonian has released the Best of Both Worlds: Museums, Libraries, and Archives in a Digital Age by G. Wayne Clough.

Here's an excerpt:

The review in this document illustrates how many cultural institutions have already found innovative applications for digital technology, but it is more than just a matter of "using." Digital technology will also change the basics of how these institutions work as we move forward. Collections will be shared across institutions through the linked data cloud; the public will participate in the creative activities of cultural institutions through engagement platforms; and informal education will merge with formal education. Cultural change is never easy, and while an institution might be able to avoid it for a while, this time it will be so big that no one will escape in the long run.

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"Mining for Gold: Identifying the Librarians’ Toolkit for Managing Hybrid Open Access"

Jill Emery has published "Mining for Gold: Identifying the Librarians' Toolkit for Managing Hybrid Open Access" in the latest issue of Insights: the UKSG Journal.

Here's an excerpt:

In 2012, the author and colleagues surveyed eight publishers that had been involved with the Publishing and the Ecology of European Research (PEER) project to learn about the state of hybrid journal publishing. At the same time, one of the key questions asked to a panel of librarians at the International Association of Scientific, Technical & Medical Publishers May 2012 Meeting was what role librarians would play if scholarly publishing shortly went open access (OA) across the board? From the survey of the market, and the rapid OA developments in the UK and EU that include hybrid OA, a picture has begun to emerge of what roles librarians can play with regard to supporting hybrid OA publishing at their institutions. This article focuses on developing new partnerships within a given institution, looks at new budgetary models and the tracking of local scholarship creation. Current pertinent standards are highlighted.

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"Digital Copyright and Public Access: Why the Knowledge Principle Dictates a Fair Access Right for Public Libraries"

Jenny Lynn Sheridan has self-archived "Digital Copyright and Public Access: Why the Knowledge Principle Dictates a Fair Access Right for Public Libraries" in SSRN.

Here's an excerpt:

This Article proposes an alternative model to the conventional copyright theories, focusing on the critical role that access to knowledge resources plays in the dynamic processes at work in the production of knowledge and the creation of new works. This Article proposes a non-waivable "fair access" right exercisable by public libraries in order to realign copyright with its Constitutional justification, and more importantly to support the knowledge creation process for the future of our democratic society.

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Riding the Waves or Caught in the Tide? Insights from the IFLA Trend Report

IFLA has released Riding the Waves or Caught in the Tide? Insights from the IFLA Trend Report.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

In the global information environment, time moves quickly and there's an abundance of commentators trying to keep up. With each new technological development, a new report emerges assessing its impact on different sectors of society. The IFLA Trend Report takes a broader approach and identifies five high level trends shaping the information society, spanning access to education, privacy, civic engagement and transformation. Its findings reflect a year's consultation with a range of experts and stakeholders from different disciplines to map broader societal changes occurring, or likely to occur in the information environment.

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Elsevier Buys Woodhead Publishing, including Chandos Publishing

Elsevier has bought Woodhead Publishing Limited, including Chandos Publishing. Chandos is a major library and information science book publisher.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, today announced it has acquired Woodhead Publishing Limited, an award-winning, UK-based publisher known for its high-quality content in the fields of materials science, food science, engineering, energy & environmental technology, textile technology and biomedicine. The acquisition of Woodhead Publishing also includes Chandos Publishing, which is known for its strong publishing program in library information science and Asian studies.

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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.

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