"TCO and ROI: Assessing and Evaluating an Institutional Repository"

Pamela Bluh has self-archived her presentation "TCO and ROI: Assessing and Evaluating an Institutional Repository," which was given at the at the American Association of Law Libraries 2009, in DigitalCommons@UM Law ("TCO" means Total Cost of Ownership and "ROI" means Return on Investment).

Here's an excerpt:

On the surface, a TCO analysis would seem to be a fairly straightforward process. After all, isn't it just a matter of getting prices for hardware and software and determining the cost of staffing? While TCO can be used to determine the financial implications associated with the implementation of an IR and, at a minimum, should examine the direct cost of hardware and software and of personnel it should also take into consideration the indirect or "hidden" costs for ongoing operations such as training, system upgrades, licenses, technical support, and loss of accessibility due to system downtime. While not specifically part of TCO, a thorough analysis should also take into account intangibles such as the complexity of the implementation, the timely delivery of the product, and the availability of an effective exit strategy or a clearly delineated migration path for software and hardware upgrades.

Analysis of The Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2009

In "Close Reading: The Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2009," Public Knowledge Policy Analyst Mehan Jayasuriya analyzes the Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2009.

Here's an excerpt:

All in all, the Internet Freedom Protection Act of 2009 seems like a great first step toward the goal of enshrining net neutrality in U.S. law. It finally extends Carterfone rules to broadband providers, addresses the long-standing questions surrounding reasonable network management and ensures a number of much-needed protections for consumers. What remains to be seen is how the language of the bill will change as it works its way through Congress, how the FCC will choose to implement and enforce the provisions of the bill and whether or not the bill will be taken up by Congress at all. Only one thing is certain: those few, powerful opponents of net neutrality are not going to let this bill through without a fight.

Gideon Burton on the "The Open Scholar"

In "The Open Scholar," Gideon Burton says that open access is "great for archival purposes, but this is not the next real destination for scholarly discourse." Instead we need a new model: the "open scholar."

Here's an excerpt:

The Open Scholar, as I'm defining this person, is not simply someone who agrees to allow free access and reuse of his or her traditional scholarly articles and books; no, the Open Scholar is someone who makes their intellectual projects and processes digitally visible and who invites and encourages ongoing criticism of their work and secondary uses of any or all parts of it—at any stage of its development.

Public Access Policies, SPEC Kit 311

The Association of Research Libraries has released Public Access Policies, SPEC Kit 311. The table of contents and executive summary are freely available.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

The concept of a public access policy for research results is based on the premise that government-funded research results should be freely available without barriers to taxpayers, who provide support for the funding. With the recent enactment of the US National Institutes of Health Public Access Policy and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Policy on Access to Research Outputs, much attention has been devoted to public access policies. Many academic and research libraries have taken the lead in developing resources and services to support authors who are required to comply with these policies.

This survey was distributed to the 123 ARL member libraries in February 2009. Respondents were asked to provide information on staffing, partnerships, and resources and services developed for public access policy (PAP) compliance support, and the challenges related to providing such support. Seventy libraries (57%) from sixty-seven institutions responded to the survey. Of the respondents, sixty-three were at libraries located within the United States (90%) and seven were at libraries located in Canada (10%).

The majority of the responding libraries provide, or plan to provide, resources and services that help authors affiliated with their institution (and/or the author’s support staff) to comply with public access policies. Thirty-seven respondents (53%) indicated that more than one library within their system provides PAP compliance support; eleven (16%) indicated that just one library within their institution is providing this support. Four other institutions (6%) are planning to support PAP compliance. Of the libraries that do not provide such support, eight (11%) indicated that another department or unit within their institution provides compliance support. Eight others (11%) responded that their institution offers no PAP compliance support.

This SPEC Kit includes documentation from respondents in the form of PAP Web sites, compliance FAQs and flowcharts, handouts and slides from presentations to faculty and library staff, and sample letters to publishers.

Library Systems Manager at University of Maine

Maine InfoNet and the University of Maine System Libraries are recruiting a Library Systems Manager.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The Library Systems Manager will oversee the implementation, operation, configuration and support of the integrated library system (URSUS) that supports the seven campus libraries of the University of Maine System. This position will also work collaboratively with rest of the Maine InfoNet staff to provide comprehensive, hands-on support for MaineCat, Minerva, SOLAR, MARVEL! and other Maine InfoNet services and projects, including direct technical support for rapid response to system support requests. The successful candidate will have integrated library system (ILS) experience, an understanding of the vital importance of communication and public service in a multi-type library environment, and demonstrated experience realizing the full potential of technology to serve library staff and patrons. This position will be based out of the Maine InfoNet offices at the University of Maine in Orono and will report to the Executive Director of Maine InfoNet.

Carolyn Walters Named Interim Dean of Indiana University Libraries

Carolyn Walters has been named Interim Dean of the Indiana University Libraries. Previously, she served as Executive Associate Dean of the Libraries.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

In her role as associate dean of the University Libraries, Walters was responsible for public services, technical services, collection development and scholarly communication initiatives, and University Archives. She has led the planning for the proposed Research Commons in the Herman B Wells Library and the proposed renovation of the Business/SPEA Information Commons.

In her 22 years with the IU Bloomington Libraries, Walters has also served as head of the Journalism Library, acting director of Collection Development, head of the Undergraduate Library, head of Information Commons/Undergraduate Library Services and director of public services. In 2002, she became the first librarian to receive the Michael Gordon Faculty Award presented by IU's Division of Student Affairs.

Walters was a fellow in the Academic Leadership Program of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (2006) and was selected to participate in the Frye Leadership Institute (2005), sponsored by the Council on Library and Information Resources, EDUCAUSE and Emory University. She was a member of the inaugural group of IU's LEaD Program, a year-long leadership development program. In her positions at IU, Walters has distinguished herself in areas including undergraduate services, space planning, and scholarly communications.

The dean of University Libraries provides administrative leadership for a system of libraries on IU eight campuses. On the Bloomington campus, the dean provides strategic planning and policy direction in the areas of collection development, public and technical services, facilities planning and personnel policies.

ARL Webcast: Reaching Out to Leaders of Scholarly Societies at Research Institutions

The Association of Research Libraries has released its archived "Reaching Out to Leaders of Scholarly Societies at Research Institutions" webcast. Access is free, but registration is required.

Here's an excerpt from the press release :

On August 6, 2009, the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) hosted a Web conference on “Reaching Out to Leaders of Scholarly Societies at Research Institutions,” August 6, 2009, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. (EDT) as part of an ongoing initiative to enhance library outreach.

Complementing the recently released guide on outreach to scholarly society leaders, the 60-minute webcast will introduce the goals and key talking points for campus outreach to leaders, editors, and members of academic scholarly societies. It will support development of faculty outreach programs at ARL member libraries by offering strategy and tactics for increasing engagement with association leaders at the institution.

Successful campus outreach should encourage and support society leaders to engage in positive change that advances the scholarly communication system, promotes new research modes, and offers a path forward in a time of paradigm shift.

Scholarly Electronic Publishing Weblog Update (8/12/09)

The latest update of the Scholarly Electronic Publishing Weblog (SEPW) is now available. It provides information about new works related to scholarly electronic publishing, such as books, e-prints, journal articles, magazine articles, technical reports, and white papers.

Especially interesting are: "The Antaeus Column: Does the 'Open Access' Advantage Exist? A Librarian's Perspective"; "Copyright Issues in the Selection of Archival Material for Internet Access"; Creating Digital Collections: A Practical Guide; "Equity for Open-Access Journal Publishing"; "If You Build It, They Will Scan: Oxford University's Exploration of Community Collections"; "Measuring Mass Text Digitization Quality and Usefulness: Lessons Learned from Assessing the OCR Accuracy of the British Library's 19th Century Online Newspaper Archive"; "Overlay Journals and Data Publishing in the Meteorological Sciences"; "PLoS ONE: New Approaches and Initiatives in the Evolution of the Academic Journal"; "Research Data Preservation and Access: The Views of Researchers"; "The Return of FRPAA"; and "Scholarly Communication: ARL as a Catalyst for Change."

Office of Scholarly Communication Program Manager at Harvard

The Harvard Office of Scholarly Communication is recruiting an Office of Scholarly Communication Program Manager ("three year funded term appointment, currently in year two, with continuation subject to an annual review").

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Reporting to the faculty director and working closely with HUL administration and programs, the Scholarly Communication Program Manager is responsible for aspects of program development and implementation of new initiatives relevant to open access and to the broader set of issues related to scholarly communication. The OSC Program Manager will also be responsible for conforming with HUL and University administrative policies incl. finance, human resources, and publications. S/he provides leadership in development of the Office for Scholarly Communication (OSC):

  • Works closely with the Faculty Director in the development and coordination of a program dedicated to open access for Harvard's scholarly output. At the outset, the primary focus will be on communications, consultations, and problem-solving in an effort to solicit faculty deposits of journal articles, conference proceedings and other published and unpublished research.
  • Develops effective working relationships with individuals, as designated by the faculty head, involved in the program including: FAS and HCL, Deans of the Faculties, the Office of General Counsel.
  • Monitors experience with the program to refine procedures and also the nature and frequency of consultations on policy and legal matters.
  • Coordinates, staffs, and facilitates the work of the libraries' Scholarly Communication Faculty Advisory Committee.
  • Works closely with the faculty director on policy issues.
  • Works with OIS on all aspects of the design, implementation, and maintenance of the open access repository.
  • Develops a high level of knowledge of legal and policy issues with potential to affect Harvard's program; works with colleagues in other Harvard schools regarding their programs; monitors developments in other research universities; tracks legislative developments relevant to the program.
  • Gathers and analyzes data to identify trends, problem areas, opportunities for growth; prepares periodic reports on the program; develops a plan for sustainability after the initial start-up phase of the program.
  • Supports fundraising/development efforts.
  • Act as a resource and educator to promote scholarly communication across the University:
    • Works collaboratively as directed with representatives of the faculties through their Academic Affairs Offices to increase awareness of issues relating to scholarly communication and to ensure that these deans are kept informed of the program's directions.
    • Organizes forums on open access, copyright, and scholarly communication for the Harvard community. Provide guidance to library staff regarding scholarly communication through coordinating with liaison librarians, bibliographers, and other library specialists to broaden the understanding of the program's goals. Advises faculty on procedures and options as they work with specific publishers; communicates with publishers and others regarding Harvard policies.

ILS and Discovery Systems Specialist at New York University

The New York University Libraries are recruiting an ILS and Discovery Systems Specialist.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The NYU's Division of Libraries seeks the ideal candidate for the ILS and Discovery Systems Specialist position. This position will play a lead role in implementing new technologies for both inventory control and discovery systems. The selected candidate will collaborate with the Metadata Services Librarian, Web Development team and Database Administrator to develop workflow and criteria for importing and exporting data and metadata to/from various systems including the Integrated Library System (ILS), web-based discovery system, federated search tool and open URL resolver. This newly created position plays an integral role in supporting both virtual and physical access to the Libraries collections, irrespective of format or location. This position reports to the Metadata Services Librarian Initially, the position will be focused on stabilizing and optimizing the ILS environment. The successful candidate will perform data analysis on metadata record structures in various applications, databases and external formats, including ExLibris and III catalogs, federated search tools, DSpace, Luna, ARTstor, SOLR, flat files (.txt, .xml, .csv), spreadsheets, Archivists Toolkit, etc. as well as design and implement routines, scripts and methods for record extraction and transformation into various output formats (MARC, XML, .txt, etc.).

Pamela Samuelson on "The Audacity of the Google Book Search Settlement"

In "The Audacity of the Google Book Search Settlement," noted copyright expert Pamela Samuelson examines the Google Book Search Settlement.

Here's an excerpt:

However, much larger questions call into question whether the settlement should be approved. One is whether the Authors Guild and AAP fairly represented the interests of all authors and publishers of in-copyright books during the negotiations that led up to the settlement agreement. A second is whether going forward, they and the newly created Registry to which they will give birth will fairly represent the interests of those on whose behalf the Registry will be receiving revenues from Google.

Digital Preservation: Repository of Authentic Digital Objects Source Code Released

The National Archive Institute of Portugal has released the Repository of Authentic Digital Objects source code.

RODA works in conjunction with the Fedora (Flexible Extensible Digital Object Repository Architecture) software.

Read more about it at "RODA—A Service-Oriented Repository to Preserve Authentic Digital Objects" and "Source Code Available from RODA 'Repository of Authentic Digital Objects'" (includes a QuickTime video about RODA).

Now Available from Amazon.com: Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography: 2008 Annual Edition

The Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography: 2008 Annual Edition is now available from Amazon.com as a 372-page, 6" by 9" paperback book on white paper (ISBN: 1448624908, EAN: 139781448624904).

The bibliography presents over 3,350 English-language articles, books, and other printed and electronic sources that are useful in understanding scholarly electronic publishing efforts on the Internet (see the table of contents for details). Most sources have been published between 1990 and 2008; however, a limited number of key sources published prior to 1990 are also included. Where possible, links are provided to works that are freely available on the Internet, including e-prints in disciplinary archives and institutional repositories.

Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography: 2008 Annual Edition

The bibliography is also available from CreateSpace (identical to the Amazon.com edition) and Lulu (same page length and size, but it is printed on cream paper and it does not have an ISBN or EAN.)

Associate Dean of Libraries for Technical & Automated Services at Adelphi University

The Adelphi University are recruiting an Associate Dean of Libraries for Technical & Automated Services.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

Reporting to the Dean of Libraries, the Associate Dean for Technical and Automated Services provides leadership and administrative responsibility for Acquisitions, Cataloging, Serials, Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery, and Systems operations including digital initiatives. As a member of the Libraries’ senior administrative team, the incumbent participates in a wide range of administrative activities and works closely with the Associate Dean for Public and Administrative Services in budgeting, personnel, and other administrative areas. Supervises approximately 20 full and part-time library faculty and staff in a collaborative environment.

Blog Report on Beyond the Fringe: Repository Fringe 2009

The DataShare blog has been posting summaries of the Beyond the Fringe: Repository Fringe 2009 sessions.

Systems Integration Librarian at the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources

The North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources is recruiting a Systems Integration Librarian.

Here's an excerpt from the ad:

The State Library of North Carolina seeks an enthusiastic, innovative, & outgoing Systems Integration Librarian to serve as an integral member of the Digital Information Management Program (DIMP) team. The DIMP works to ensure preservation & permanent public access to digital information produced by N.C. state government. The position explores, adapts, & implements emerging technologies in support of the Library s digital collections & preservation initiatives. Using a combination of XML, XHTML, CSS, Javascript, SQL, & PHP (or additional programming languages), will manage the Library s hosted instance of CONTENTdm & affiliated websites, & will investigate, develop, & incorporate Web 2. 0 applications, such as RSS feeds & improved search mechanisms to support specialized digitization & digital preservation projects; responsible for file & directory management on a hosted server system, including data loads to and from local servers; Manages web statistics & related data analysis tools & metadata ingest & sharing (including Dublin Core, METS, OAI, & MARC-based XML).

ACRL, ALA, ARL Submit Letter to Justice's Antitrust Division about Google Book Search Settlement

ACRL, ALA, ARL have submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division about the Google Book Search Copyright Class Action Settlement.

Here's an excerpt from the press release :

The American Library Association (ALA), the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) and the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) sent a letter to William Cavanaugh, Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Antitrust Division yesterday, requesting the Division to advise the court presiding over the Google Book Settlement to supervise the implementation of the settlement closely, particularly the pricing of institutional subscriptions and the selection of the Book Rights Registry board members.

The letter, which was sent following a meeting the library groups had with the Antitrust Division, also recommended that the Division itself actively monitor the parties' compliance with the settlement's provisions.

In particular, the library groups urged the Division to ask the court to review pricing of institutional subscriptions whenever the Division concludes that the prices do not meet the economic objectives set forth in the settlement. In order to evaluate the price of an institutional subscription, the groups believe the Division should have access to all relevant price information from Google and the Registry.

The library associations assert that the Division should ask the court to review any refusal by the Registry to license copyrights in books on the same terms available to Google and to also review the selection process for the Registry Board to ensure the interests of all rightsholders are considered.

Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2009

Reps. Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA) have introduced the Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2009.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

"The Internet is a success today because it was open to everyone with an idea," said Rep. Markey. "That openness and freedom has been at risk since the Supreme Court decision in Brand X. This bill will protect consumers and content providers because it will restore the guarantee that one does not have to ask permission to innovate."

"The Internet has thrived and revolutionized business and the economy precisely because it started as an open technology," Rep. Eshoo said. "This bill will ensure that the non-discriminatory framework that allows the Internet to thrive and competition on the Web to flourish is preserved at a time when our economy needs it the most."

H.R. 3458, the Internet Freedom Preservation Act, is designed to assess and promote Internet freedom for consumers and content providers. The bill will also require the FCC to examine whether carriers are blocking access to lawful content, applications, or services. The legislation calls for the FCC to conduct eight public broadband summits around the country no less than a year after the bill is enacted. These summits will be used to gather input from consumers, small business owners, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders on Internet freedom and U.S. broadband policies affecting consumer protection, competition, and consumer choice.

Here's an excerpt from the "Public Knowledge Hails Internet Freedom Preservation Act":

[Gigi B. Sohn, president and co-founder of Public Knowledge] "The requirements in the bill are very straightforward. In essence, the bill would return non-discrimination to communications law, preventing Internet service providers (ISPs), such as telephone and cable companies, from interfering in that end-to-end relationship. The requirements would curb the ability of ISPs from using the claim of network management to impose their own priorities on data traffic, based on financial arrangements or other considerations."

Sony Offers One Million Public Domain Books for Its Current E-Book Readers

Sony has announced that one million public domain books from Google are available for its current e-book readers.

In related news, there are rumors that two new Sony e-book readers may be released in August.

Read more about it at "Sony E-Readers Get Access to 1M Free Public Domain Books from Google" and "Sony to Offer 1 Million Google Books through Its Readers."