Category: Libraries

Information Professionals 2050: Educational Possibilities and Pathways

The School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has released Information Professionals 2050: Educational Possibilities and Pathways.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

Information Professionals 2050: Educational Possibilities and Pathways, a book that includes the thoughts and ideas of some of the brightest leaders of the information and library science world, is now available in both paper and e-book form at lulu.com . The book is a compilation of position papers written by these leaders and initially prepared and presented at a special two-day symposium and conference on June 4 and 5, 2012 at the William and Ida Friday Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

| Reviews of Digital Scholarship Publications | Digital Scholarship |

Younger Americans’ Reading and Library Habits

The Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project has released Younger Americans' Reading and Library Habits.

Here's an excerpt:

Among the main findings:

  • 83% of Americans between the ages of 16 and 29 read a book in the past year. Some 75% read a print book, 19% read an e-book, and 11% listened to an audiobook.
  • Among Americans who read e-books, those under age 30 are more likely to read their e-books on a cell phone (41%) or computer (55%) than on an e-book reader such as a Kindle (23%) or tablet (16%).
  • Overall, 47% of younger Americans read long-form e-content such as books, magazines or newspapers. E-content readers under age 30 are more likely than older e-content readers to say that they are reading more these days due to the availability of e-content (40% vs. 28%).

| Digital Scholarship's Digital/Print Books | Digital Scholarship |

"Libraries, Scholars, and Publishers in Digital Journal and Monograph Publishing"

Rowland Lorimer has published "Libraries, Scholars, and Publishers in Digital Journal and Monograph Publishing" in the latest issue of Scholarly and Research Communication.

Here's an excerpt:

In the 1970s, research libraries developed data systems and expertise that, in the 1990s, led to new services such as institutional repositories and journal hosting and, in the 2000s, led to forays into monograph publishing. In contrast, also beginning in the 1970s, university presses found themselves being cast out of their traditional role as providers of research publishing services that created the public record of knowledge and into the marketplace. Continued development of information and communication technology (ICT) in library operations and in research activity stimulated entrepreneurship and scholar/library partnerships with scholar-controlled digital journal publishing. Again in contrast, the market orientation of university presses, combined with a lack of appreciation in the library community for the value added by professional publishers, hampered the extension of collaboration into three-way partnerships among scholars, libraries, and publishing professionals. Recognition of the roles of all parties holds the greatest promise for the evolution of digital scholarly publishing.

| Transforming Scholarly Publishing through Open Access: A Bibliography | Digital Scholarship |

E-Books And Libraries: An Economic Perspective

ALA has released E-Books And Libraries: An Economic Perspective.

Here's an excerpt:

This paper provides a preliminary economic analysis of how publishers provide digital content to libraries, focusing mainly on the value that libraries place on access to e-books and how that is affected by the various restrictions that publishers place on access and use. However, because publishers are just starting to adapt to the new environment, and appear uncertain as to how to adapt, we consider not only the behavior of publishers that we currently observe in the marketplace but also possible "models" of the library-publisher relationship that may come into existence in the future.

| Scholarly Electronic Publishing Weblog | Digital Scholarship |

European Parliament Passes Orphan Works Bill

The European Parliament has passed an orphan works bill.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

Under the new rules, a work would be deemed to be "orphan" if a "diligent" search made in good faith failed to identify or locate the copyright holder. The legislation lays down criteria for carrying out such searches.

Works granted orphan status would be then be made public, for non-profit purposes only, through digitisation. A work deemed to be "orphan" in any one Member State would then qualify as "orphan" throughout the EU. This would apply to any audiovisual or printed material, including a photograph or an illustration embedded in a book, published or broadcast in any EU country.

MEPs agreed that the right holder should be entitled to put an end to the orphan status of a work at any time and claim appropriate compensation for the use made of it.

They nonetheless inserted a provision to protect public institutions from the risk of having to pay large sums to authors who show up later.

| Digital Scholarship's Digital/Print Books | Digital Scholarship |

"The Liblog Landscape: Where Are They Now?"

Walt Crawford has published "The Liblog Landscape: Where Are They Now?" in the latest issue of Cites & Insights: Crawford at Large.

Here's an excerpt:

As I was preparing the two-part Words essay Thinking About Blogs, and specifically Part 2 with its emphasis on libraries and liblogs, I got to wondering: Where are they now? And I'd seen hints here and there that people were missing a reasonably comprehensive list of what's out there. . . .

The results come in two flavors. This essay offers the basic facts: How many have disappeared, how many appear to be moribund (or have officially closed) but are still visible, how recently each blog had been updated and some overall comments on longevity. The second flavor is a new page linked to from Walt at Random consisting of two lists of hyperlinked liblog names: One for blogs updated sometime within the past year (when checked—that is, sometime after July 30, 2011) that haven't explicitly closed, one for closed and apparently-moribund blogs. Blogs that disappeared entirely aren't in either list. You'll find that list at waltcrawford.name/liblogs.

| Digital Scholarship's Weblogs and Tweets | Digital Scholarship |

Moving Towards an Open Access Future: The Role of Academic Libraries

Sage has released Moving Towards an Open Access Future: The Role of Academic Libraries.

Here's an excerpt:

On 26 April 2012, a group of 14 librarians and other industry experts met together at the British Library to discuss the role of the academic library in an open access (OA) future. The aims of the roundtable were to provide an international perspective on the likely impact of an open access future on librarians, to identify support and skills required for librarians in such a future, and to further current discussion on support for the library community from their institutions, publishers, funders and other parties.

The group discussed a number of key questions, beginning with setting parameters for what the likely shift towards OA might be in different disciplines and different geographic regions, then considering what the impact of such a shift would mean for the academic library community. This report is a summary of that discussion and the opinions of all participants.

| Transforming Scholarly Publishing through Open Access: A Bibliography | Digital Scholarship |

DOJ Settlement with Sacramento Public Library about Alleged ADA Violations in Its E-Reader Loan Program

The Justice Department and the National Federation of the Blind have reached a settlement with the Sacramento Public Library about alleged ADA violations in its e-reader loan program.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

The Justice Department announced today that it and the National Federation of the Blind have reached a settlement with the Sacramento Public Library Authority in Sacramento, Calif., to remedy alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The agreement resolves allegations that the library violated the ADA by using inaccessible Barnes & Noble NOOK electronic reader devices in a patron lending program.

Under the settlement agreement, the library will not acquire any additional e-readers for patron use that exclude persons who are blind or others with disabilities who need accessible features such as text-to-speech functions or the ability to access menus through audio or tactile options. The library has also agreed to acquire at least 18 e-readers that are accessible to persons with disabilities. The settlement agreement also requires the library to train its staff on the requirements of the ADA.

| Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography 2010 | Digital Scholarship |

Ebook Acquisition and Lending Briefing: Public, Academic and Research Libraries

The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals has released Ebook Acquisition and Lending Briefing: Public, Academic and Research Libraries .

Here's an excerpt:

This paper presents some of the legal, strategic and technical problems that arise from the addition of scholarly and trade ebooks to library collections, together with possible solutions. Some of the most common business models are briefly set out. The latest data on ebook usage is also included.

Also of interest: ALA's recent Ebook Business Models for Public Libraries.

| Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography 2010 | Digital Scholarship |

Judge Issues Order in Georgia State University E-Reserves Copyright Case: GSU’s Defense Costs to Be Paid by Plaintiffs

Judge Orinda Evans has issued an order in the Georgia State University e-reserves copyright case that says, in part, that the defendants's attorney's fees and other defense costs will be paid by plaintiffs.

Here's an excerpt from the order:

In this litigation, the Court limited Plaintiffs to claims arising in three semesters in 2009 but did not require Plaintiffs to pursue all claims. When the trial began, Plaintiffs chose to pursue 99 claims out of 126. They then dropped 25 claims (and added one) during the trial. As to the remaining 75 claims, no prima facie case was proven in 26 instances. Digital permissions were unavailable in 33 instances. Neither digital nor hard copy permissions were available in 18 cases. Although the Court does not doubt Plaintiffs' good faith in bringing this suit, and there was no controlling authority governing fair use in a nonprofit educational setting, Plaintiffs' failure to narrow their individual infringement claims significantly increased the cost of defending the suit.

For these reasons, the Court exercises its discretion to award to Defendants their reasonable attorneys' fees. Other costs will also be taxed in favor of Defendants and against Plaintiffs to the extent permitted by statute.

Read more about it at "Judge Denies Publishers' Request for Relief in Georgia State U. E-Reserves Case" and "The Prevailing Party."

| Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography 2010 | Digital Scholarship |

Libraries, Patrons, and E-books

The Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project has released Libraries, Patrons, and E-books .

Here's an excerpt:

Some 12% of Americans ages 16 and older who read e-books say they have borrowed an e-book from a library in the past year. . . .

But most in the broader public, not just e-book readers, are generally not aware they can borrow e-books from libraries. We asked all those ages 16 and older if they know whether they can borrow e-books from their library and 62% said they did not know if their library offered that service. Some 22% say they know that their library does lend out e-books, and 14% say they know their library does not lend out e-books.

| Digital Scholarship's Digital/Print Books | Digital Scholarship |

Social Metadata for Libraries, Archives, and Museums. Part 3: Recommendations and Readings

OCLC Research has released Social Metadata for Libraries, Archives, and Museums. Part 3: Recommendations and Readings.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

In the first report, the 21-member Social Metadata Working Group reviewed 76 sites relevant to libraries, archives, and museums that supported such social media features as tagging, comments, reviews, images, videos, ratings, recommendations, lists, links to related articles, etc. The results from a survey of site managers conducted in October-November 2009 were included in the second report. Social Metadata for Libraries, Archives and Museums, Part 3: Recommendations and Readings provides recommendations on social metadata features most relevant to libraries, archives, and museums and an annotated reading list of the literature consulted during this research. Social Metadata for Libraries, Archives and Museums: Executive Summary provides a high-level overview of all three reports. The group's final recommendation is that it is riskier to do nothing and become irrelevant to our user communities than to start using social media features.

Also available: Social Metadata for Libraries, Archives and Museums: Executive Summary."

| Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography 2010 | Digital Scholarship |

"’As We May Digitize’—Institutions and Documents Reconfigured"

Mats Dahlström, Joacim Hansson, and Ulrika Kjellman have published "'As We May Digitize'—Institutions and Documents Reconfigured" in the latest issue of LIBER Quarterly: The Journal of European Research Libraries.

Here's an excerpt:

This article frames digitization as a knowledge organization practice in libraries and museums. The primarily discriminatory practices of museums are compared with the non-discriminatory practices of libraries when managing their respective cultural heritage collections. . . . Two poles along a digitization strategy scale, mass digitization and critical digitization, are distinguished in the article. As memory institutions are redefined in their development of digitized document collections, e.g., by increasingly emphasizing a common trans-national rather than national cultural heritage, mass digitization and critical digitization represent alternative avenues. . . . The article re-contextualizes current digitization discourse: a) historically, by suggesting that digitization brings ancient practices back to life rather than invents entirely new ones from scratch; b) conceptually, by presenting a new label (critical digitization) for a digitization strategy that has hitherto been downplayed in digitization discourse; and c) theoretically, by exploring the relations between the values of different digitization strategies, the reconfiguration of collections as they are digitized, and the redefinition of MLA institutions through those processes.

| Digital Scholarship's Digital/Print Books | Digital Scholarship |

The 2012 State of America’s Libraries: A Report from the American Library Association

American Libraries has released the The 2012 State of America’s Libraries: A Report from the American Library Association.

Here's an excerpt:

Academic libraries find themselves embracing new roles in at least two key areas:

  • Publishing. More academic libraries are entering the world of scholarly publishing by creating or expanding services. About half the respondents in a recent survey had (or were developing) library publishing services in order to support change in scholarly publication. Three quarters of the respondents indicated they published journals, while half indicated they were publishing monographs and/or conference proceedings. . . .
  • Data curation. Funding agencies including the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) now have requirements that promote open access to the underlying data gathered during grant-funded research projects. . . . . Some academic libraries are already creating services that help campus researchers comply with the requirements to create the plans and to archive and share the data once it is gathered while many more are preparing to "embrace the role of data curator to remain relevant and vital to our scholars."

| Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography 2010: "SEP [Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography] is compiled with utter professionalism. It reminds me of the work of the best artisans who know not only every item that leaves their workshops, but each component used to create them—providing the ideal quality control." — Péter Jacsó ONLINE 27, no. 3 (2003): 73-76. | Digital Scholarship |

Journal of eScience Librarianship Launched

The Lamar Soutter Library has launched the Journal of eScience Librarianship.

The first issue's "full-length papers" are:

| E-science and Academic Libraries Bibliography | Digital Scholarship |

Social Metadata for Libraries, Archives, and Museums. Part 2: Survey Analysis

OCLC Research has released Social Metadata for Libraries, Archives, and Museums. Part 2: Survey Analysis.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

In the first report, Social Metadata for Libraries, Archives, and Museums, Part 1: Site Reviews, the 21-member RLG Partners Social Metadata Working Group reviewed 76 sites relevant to libraries, archives, and museums that supported such social media features as tagging, comments, reviews, images, videos, ratings, recommendations, lists, links to related articles, etc. In this second report, we analyzed the results from a survey of site managers conducted in October-November 2009. Forty percent of the responses came from outside the United States. The survey focused on the motivations for creating a site, moderation policies, staffing and site management, technologies used, and criteria for assessing success. In our upcoming third report, we provide recommendations on social metadata features most relevant to libraries, archives, and museums as well as the factors contributing to success.

| Digital Scholarship's Digital Bibliographies | Digital Scholarship |

"From Stacks to the Web: The Transformation of Academic Library Collecting"

College & Research Libraries has released a preprint of "From Stacks to the Web: The Transformation of Academic Library Collecting" by David W. Lewis.

Here's an excerpt:

The existence of a ubiquitous and cheap worldwide communication’s network that increasingly makes documents easily and freely available will require a transformation of academic library collecting practice. It will be driven by a number of specific developments including: the digitization of content; the development of print repositories; the development of e-readers and print-on-demand publishing; the growth of open access; challenges to establish academic publishing organizations; and the growth of new forms of scholarship based on openness and social productivity. If academic libraries are to be successful, they will need to: deconstruct legacy print collections; move from item-by-item book selection to purchase-on-demand and subscriptions; manage the transition to open access journals; focus on curating unique items; and develop new mechanisms for funding national infrastructure.

| E-science and Academic Libraries Bibliography | Digital Scholarship |

World Intellectual Property Organization: Draft Compilation on Limitations and Exceptions for Libraries and Archives

The World Intellectual Property Organization's Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights has released the Draft Compilation on Limitations and Exceptions for Libraries and Archives.

Here's an excerpt from the "SCCR Releases Draft Compilation on Limitations and Exceptions for Libraries and Archives":

The Draft Compilation is an extensive document, which the library delegation warmly welcomed. Its 45 pages contain comments and proposals by Member States on each of the 10 clusters of limitations and exceptions for libraries and archives. It is extremely encouraging that Ecuador has now tabled additional language for each cluster that mirrors the proposals contained in IFLA's TLIB 4.1 document. Consequently, IFLA believes the Draft Compilation is an extremely valuable document going forward.

| New: Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography, Version 80 | Digital Scholarship |

Pew Research Center Gets $1.4 Million Grant to Study Role of Public Libraries and Library Users in the Digital Age

The Pew Research Center has been awarded a three-year $1.4 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to study role of public libraries and library users in the digital age.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

Through national surveys, a series of focus groups in a diverse mix of communities, and special surveys of library patrons, the Pew Internet Project will examine how library users' habits and tastes are changing in the age of e-books, widespread mobile connectivity and the existence of vast digital collections. . . .

"Few institutions have been more challenged by the rise of the internet and mobile connectivity than the local library," said Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet Project. "Many libraries have responded with innovations and sweeping overhauls in the way they deliver on their missions. With the Gates Foundation's support, the Pew Internet Project will provide an in-depth, data-driven analysis of how libraries are responding to technology trends, and how communities' expectations are changing at a time when library functions are in flux."

| Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography 2010 | Digital Scholarship |

"The Long Wait: LJ‘s Placements & Salaries Survey 2011"

Stephanie L. Maatta has published "The Long Wait: LJ's Placements & Salaries Survey 2011" in Library Journal.

Here's an excerpt:

The challenge for many was finding a permanent professional position. Of the 1,547 graduates reporting a job of any type, a mere 59.2% described those jobs as being both permanent and professional. This was another year of decline in permanent positions, dropping from 61% in 2009 and a high of 75.8% in 2007.

| New: Institutional Repository and ETD Bibliography 2011 | Digital Scholarship |

Conference of European National Librarians Will Use Open Licensing for Data

The Conference of European National Librarians members will use open licensing for their data.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

Meeting at the Royal Library of Denmark, the Conference of European National Librarians (CENL), has voted overwhelmingly to support the open licensing of their data. CENL represents Europe's national libraries, and is responsible for the massive collection of publications that represent the accumulated knowledge of Europe. . . .

It means that the datasets describing all the millions of books and texts ever published in Europe—the title, author, date, imprint, place of publication and so on, which exists in the vast library catalogues of Europe—will become increasingly accessible for anybody to re-use for whatever purpose they want.

It will mean that Wikipedia can use the metadata, linking it to all sorts of articles; it will mean that apps developers can embed it in new mobile tools for tourism or teaching. Crucially, for information scientists, it will mean that vast quantities of trustworthy data are available for Linked Open Data developments, creating relationships between elements of information that's never been possible before. . . .

The first outcome of the open licence agreement is that the metadata provided by national libraries to Europeana.eu, Europe's digital library, museum and archive, via the CENL service The European Library, will have a Creative Commons Universal Public Domain Dedication, or CC0 licence.

| Transforming Scholarly Publishing through Open Access: A Bibliography | Digital Scholarship |

Social Metadata for Libraries, Archives, and Museums, Part 1: Site Reviews

OCLC Research has released Social Metadata for Libraries, Archives, and Museums, Part 1: Site Reviews.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

Traditionally, staff at libraries, archives, and museums (LAMs) create metadata for the content they manage. However, social metadata—content contributed by users—is evolving as a way to both augment and recontextualize the content and metadata created by LAMs. Many cultural heritage institutions are interested in gaining a better understanding of social metadata and also learning how to best utilize their users' expertise to enrich their descriptive metadata and improve their users' experiences.

In order to facilitate this, a 21-member RLG Partners Social Metadata Working Group reviewed 76 sites relevant to libraries, archives, and museums that supported such social media features as tagging, comments, reviews, images, videos, ratings, recommendations, lists, links to related articles, etc. In addition, working group members surveyed site managers, analyzed the survey results and discussed the factors that contribute to successful—and not so successful—use of social metadata. They also considered issues related to assessment, content, policies, technology, and vocabularies.

This report includes an environmental scan of 76 social metadata sites and a detailed review of 24 representative sites.

| New: Institutional Repository and ETD Bibliography 2011 | Digital Scholarship |

OCLC Releases Seeking Synchronicity: Revelations and Recommendations for Virtual Reference

OCLC has released Seeking Synchronicity: Revelations and Recommendations for Virtual Reference.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

Seeking Synchronicity: Revelations and Recommendations for Virtual Reference, from OCLC Research, in partnership with Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and additionally funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), distills more than five years of VR research into a readable summary featuring memorable quotes that vividly illustrate very specific and actionable suggestions. Taken from a multiphase research project that included focus group interviews, online surveys, transcript analysis and phone interviews, with VR librarians, users and non-users, these findings are meant to help practitioners develop and sustain VR services and systems.

| Digital Curation and Preservation Bibliography 2010 | Institutional Repository Bibliography | Transforming Scholarly Publishing through Open Access: A Bibliography | Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography 2010 |

Who’s in the Queue? A Demographic Analysis of Public Access Computer Users and Uses in U.S. Public Libraries

The Institute of Museum and Library Services has released Who's in the Queue? A Demographic Analysis of Public Access Computer Users and Uses in U.S. Public Libraries.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

Public access computers in U.S. public libraries continue to be in high demand according to Who's in the Queue: Public Access Computer Users, a new research brief by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The report dispels some myths that have lingered regarding the target service population for public access computers in U.S. public libraries. It also provides a demographic analysis of public access computer users and uses and demonstrates that public libraries are providing much more than basic technology access. . . .

This newly released research brief relies on data compiled for U.S. Impact Study, which was conducted by the University of Washington in summer of 2009 and funded by IMLS and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The mixed method national survey was administered at the point-of-service in public libraries across the country via a web-based tool and as a national household survey. There were over 48,000 respondents to the study in the public data file. This data set provides information on the demographics of respondents and the nature of their public access computer use.

The brief also analyzed data from the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly survey of households conducted by the Bureau of Census for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It provides a comprehensive body of data on the labor force, employment, unemployment, persons not in the labor force, hours of work, earnings, and other demographic and labor force characteristics. The 2009 computer use data was collected through a supplement to the CPS. The survey has included questions on Internet use since 1997.

| Digital Curation and Preservation Bibliography 2010 | Electronic Theses and Dissertations Bibliography | Google Books Bibliography | Institutional Repository Bibliography | Transforming Scholarly Publishing through Open Access: A Bibliography | Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography 2010 | Digital Scholarship Publications Overview |