Applications for the 2018 Institute will be accepted between December 1, 2017 and January 27, 2018. Scholars accepted to the program will be notified in early March 2018.
Title:
Learning to Harness Big Data in an Academic Library
Abstract (200)
Research on Big Data per se, as well as on the importance and organization of the process of Big Data collection and analysis, is well underway. The complexity of the process comprising “Big Data,” however, deprives organizations of ubiquitous “blue print.” The planning, structuring, administration and execution of the process of adopting Big Data in an organization, being that a corporate one or an educational one, remains an elusive one. No less elusive is the adoption of the Big Data practices among libraries themselves. Seeking the commonalities and differences in the adoption of Big Data practices among libraries may be a suitable start to help libraries transition to the adoption of Big Data and restructuring organizational and daily activities based on Big Data decisions. Introduction to the problem. Limitations
The redefinition of humanities scholarship has received major attention in higher education. The advent of digital humanities challenges aspects of academic librarianship. Data literacy is a critical need for digital humanities in academia. The March 2016 Library Juice Academy Webinar led by John Russel exemplifies the efforts to help librarians become versed in obtaining programming skills, and respectively, handling data. Those are first steps on a rather long path of building a robust infrastructure to collect, analyze, and interpret data intelligently, so it can be utilized to restructure daily and strategic activities. Since the phenomenon of Big Data is young, there is a lack of blueprints on the organization of such infrastructure. A collection and sharing of best practices is an efficient approach to establishing a feasible plan for setting a library infrastructure for collection, analysis, and implementation of Big Data.
Limitations. This research can only organize the results from the responses of librarians and research into how libraries present themselves to the world in this arena. It may be able to make some rudimentary recommendations. However, based on each library’s specific goals and tasks, further research and work will be needed.
Big Data is becoming an omnipresent term. It is widespread among different disciplines in academia (De Mauro, Greco, & Grimaldi, 2016). This leads to “inconsistency in meanings and necessity for formal definitions” (De Mauro et al, 2016, p. 122). Similarly, to De Mauro et al (2016), Hashem, Yaqoob, Anuar, Mokhtar, Gani and Ullah Khan (2015) seek standardization of definitions. The main connected “themes” of this phenomenon must be identified and the connections to Library Science must be sought. A prerequisite for a comprehensive definition is the identification of Big Data methods. Bughin, Chui, Manyika (2011), Chen et al. (2012) and De Mauro et al (2015) single out the methods to complete the process of building a comprehensive definition.
In conjunction with identifying the methods, volume, velocity, and variety, as defined by Laney (2001), are the three properties of Big Data accepted across the literature. Daniel (2015) defines three stages in big data: collection, analysis, and visualization. According to Daniel, (2015), Big Data in higher education “connotes the interpretation of a wide range of administrative and operational data” (p. 910) and according to Hilbert (2013), as cited in Daniel (2015), Big Data “delivers a cost-effective prospect to improve decision making” (p. 911).
The importance of understanding the process of Big Data analytics is well understood in academic libraries. An example of such “administrative and operational” use for cost-effective improvement of decision making are the Finch & Flenner (2016) and Eaton (2017) case studies of the use of data visualization to assess an academic library collection and restructure the acquisition process. Sugimoto, Ding & Thelwall (2012) call for the discussion of Big Data for libraries. According to the 2017 NMC Horizon Report “Big Data has become a major focus of academic and research libraries due to the rapid evolution of data mining technologies and the proliferation of data sources like mobile devices and social media” (Adams, Becker, et al., 2017, p. 38).
Power (2014) elaborates on the complexity of Big Data in regard to decision-making and offers ideas for organizations on building a system to deal with Big Data. As explained by Boyd and Crawford (2012) and cited in De Mauro et al (2016), there is a danger of a new digital divide among organizations with different access and ability to process data. Moreover, Big Data impacts current organizational entities in their ability to reconsider their structure and organization. The complexity of institutions’ performance under the impact of Big Data is further complicated by the change of human behavior, because, arguably, Big Data affects human behavior itself (Schroeder, 2014).
De Mauro et al (2015) touch on the impact of Dig Data on libraries. The reorganization of academic libraries considering Big Data and the handling of Big Data by libraries is in a close conjunction with the reorganization of the entire campus and the handling of Big Data by the educational institution. In additional to the disruption posed by the Big Data phenomenon, higher education is facing global changes of economic, technological, social, and educational character. Daniel (2015) uses a chart to illustrate the complexity of these global trends. Parallel to the Big Data developments in America and Asia, the European Union is offering access to an EU open data portal (https://data.europa.eu/euodp/home ). Moreover, the Association of European Research Libraries expects under the H2020 program to increase “the digitization of cultural heritage, digital preservation, research data sharing, open access policies and the interoperability of research infrastructures” (Reilly, 2013).
The challenges posed by Big Data to human and social behavior (Schroeder, 2014) are no less significant to the impact of Big Data on learning. Cohen, Dolan, Dunlap, Hellerstein, & Welton (2009) propose a road map for “more conservative organizations” (p. 1492) to overcome their reservations and/or inability to handle Big Data and adopt a practical approach to the complexity of Big Data. Two Chinese researchers assert deep learning as the “set of machine learning techniques that learn multiple levels of representation in deep architectures (Chen & Lin, 2014, p. 515). Deep learning requires “new ways of thinking and transformative solutions (Chen & Lin, 2014, p. 523). Another pair of researchers from China present a broad overview of the various societal, business and administrative applications of Big Data, including a detailed account and definitions of the processes and tools accompanying Big Data analytics. The American counterparts of these Chinese researchers are of the same opinion when it comes to “think about the core principles and concepts that underline the techniques, and also the systematic thinking” (Provost and Fawcett, 2013, p. 58). De Mauro, Greco, and Grimaldi (2016), similarly to Provost and Fawcett (2013) draw attention to the urgent necessity to train new types of specialists to work with such data. As early as 2012, Davenport and Patil (2012), as cited in Mauro et al (2016), envisioned hybrid specialists able to manage both technological knowledge and academic research. Similarly, Provost and Fawcett (2013) mention the efforts of “academic institutions scrambling to put together programs to train data scientists” (p. 51). Further, Asomoah, Sharda, Zadeh & Kalgotra (2017) share a specific plan on the design and delivery of a big data analytics course. At the same time, librarians working with data acknowledge the shortcomings in the profession, since librarians “are practitioners first and generally do not view usability as a primary job responsibility, usually lack the depth of research skills needed to carry out a fully valid” data-based research (Emanuel, 2013, p. 207).
Borgman (2015) devotes an entire book to data and scholarly research and goes beyond the already well-established facts regarding the importance of Big Data, the implications of Big Data and the technical, societal, and educational impact and complications posed by Big Data. Borgman elucidates the importance of knowledge infrastructure and the necessity to understand the importance and complexity of building such infrastructure, in order to be able to take advantage of Big Data. In a similar fashion, a team of Chinese scholars draws attention to the complexity of data mining and Big Data and the necessity to approach the issue in an organized fashion (Wu, Xhu, Wu, Ding, 2014).
Bruns (2013) shifts the conversation from the “macro” architecture of Big Data, as focused by Borgman (2015) and Wu et al (2014) and ponders over the influx and unprecedented opportunities for humanities in academia with the advent of Big Data. Does the seemingly ubiquitous omnipresence of Big Data mean for humanities a “railroading” into “scientificity”? How will research and publishing change with the advent of Big Data across academic disciplines?
Reyes (2015) shares her “skinny” approach to Big Data in education. She presents a comprehensive structure for educational institutions to shift “traditional” analytics to “learner-centered” analytics (p. 75) and identifies the participants in the Big Data process in the organization. The model is applicable for library use.
Being a new and unchartered territory, Big Data and Big Data analytics can pose ethical issues. Willis (2013) focusses on Big Data application in education, namely the ethical questions for higher education administrators and the expectations of Big Data analytics to predict students’ success. Daries, Reich, Waldo, Young, and Whittinghill (2014) discuss rather similar issues regarding the balance between data and student privacy regulations. The privacy issues accompanying data are also discussed by Tene and Polonetsky, (2013).
Privacy issues are habitually connected to security and surveillance issues. Andrejevic and Gates (2014) point out in a decision making “generated by data mining, the focus is not on particular individuals but on aggregate outcomes” (p. 195). Van Dijck (2014) goes into further details regarding the perils posed by metadata and data to the society, in particular to the privacy of citizens. Bail (2014) addresses the same issue regarding the impact of Big Data on societal issues, but underlines the leading roles of cultural sociologists and their theories for the correct application of Big Data.
Library organizations have been traditional proponents of core democratic values such as protection of privacy and elucidation of related ethical questions (Miltenoff & Hauptman, 2005). In recent books about Big Data and libraries, ethical issues are important part of the discussion (Weiss, 2018). Library blogs also discuss these issues (Harper & Oltmann, 2017). An academic library’s role is to educate its patrons about those values. Sugimoto et al (2012) reflect on the need for discussion about Big Data in Library and Information Science. They clearly draw attention to the library “tradition of organizing, managing, retrieving, collecting, describing, and preserving information” (p.1) as well as library and information science being “a historically interdisciplinary and collaborative field, absorbing the knowledge of multiple domains and bringing the tools, techniques, and theories” (p. 1). Sugimoto et al (2012) sought a wide discussion among the library profession regarding the implications of Big Data on the profession, no differently from the activities in other fields (e.g., Wixom, Ariyachandra, Douglas, Goul, Gupta, Iyer, Kulkami, Mooney, Phillips-Wren, Turetken, 2014). A current Andrew Mellon Foundation grant for Visualizing Digital Scholarship in Libraries seeks an opportunity to view “both macro and micro perspectives, multi-user collaboration and real-time data interaction, and a limitless number of visualization possibilities – critical capabilities for rapidly understanding today’s large data sets (Hwangbo, 2014).
The importance of the library with its traditional roles, as described by Sugimoto et al (2012) may continue, considering the Big Data platform proposed by Wu, Wu, Khabsa, Williams, Chen, Huang, Tuarob, Choudhury, Ororbia, Mitra, & Giles (2014). Such platforms will continue to emerge and be improved, with librarians as the ultimate drivers of such platforms and as the mediators between the patrons and the data generated by such platforms.
Every library needs to find its place in the large organization and in society in regard to this very new and very powerful phenomenon called Big Data. Libraries might not have the trained staff to become a leader in the process of organizing and building the complex mechanism of this new knowledge architecture, but librarians must educate and train themselves to be worthy participants in this new establishment.
Method
The study will be cleared by the SCSU IRB.
The survey will collect responses from library population and it readiness to use and use of Big Data. Send survey URL to (academic?) libraries around the world.
Data will be processed through SPSS. Open ended results will be processed manually. The preliminary research design presupposes a mixed method approach.
The study will include the use of closed-ended survey response questions and open-ended questions. The first part of the study (close ended, quantitative questions) will be completed online through online survey. Participants will be asked to complete the survey using a link they receive through e-mail.
Mixed methods research was defined by Johnson and Onwuegbuzie (2004) as “the class of research where the researcher mixes or combines quantitative and qualitative research techniques, methods, approaches, concepts, or language into a single study” (Johnson & Onwuegbuzie, 2004 , p. 17). Quantitative and qualitative methods can be combined, if used to complement each other because the methods can measure different aspects of the research questions (Sale, Lohfeld, & Brazil, 2002).
Sampling design
Online survey of 10-15 question, with 3-5 demographic and the rest regarding the use of tools.
1-2 open-ended questions at the end of the survey to probe for follow-up mixed method approach (an opportunity for qualitative study)
data analysis techniques: survey results will be exported to SPSS and analyzed accordingly. The final survey design will determine the appropriate statistical approach.
Project Schedule
Complete literature review and identify areas of interest – two months
Prepare and test instrument (survey) – month
IRB and other details – month
Generate a list of potential libraries to distribute survey – month
Contact libraries. Follow up and contact again, if necessary (low turnaround) – month
Collect, analyze data – two months
Write out data findings – month
Complete manuscript – month
Proofreading and other details – month
Significance of the work
While it has been widely acknowledged that Big Data (and its handling) is changing higher education (https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=big+data) as well as academic libraries (https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2016/03/29/analytics-in-education/), it remains nebulous how Big Data is handled in the academic library and, respectively, how it is related to the handling of Big Data on campus. Moreover, the visualization of Big Data between units on campus remains in progress, along with any policymaking based on the analysis of such data (hence the need for comprehensive visualization).
This research will aim to gain an understanding on: a. how librarians are handling Big Data; b. how are they relating their Big Data output to the campus output of Big Data and c. how librarians in particular and campus administration in general are tuning their practices based on the analysis.
Based on the survey returns (if there is a statistically significant return), this research might consider juxtaposing the practices from academic libraries, to practices from special libraries (especially corporate libraries), public and school libraries.
References:
Adams Becker, S., Cummins M, Davis, A., Freeman, A., Giesinger Hall, C., Ananthanarayanan, V., … Wolfson, N. (2017). NMC Horizon Report: 2017 Library Edition.
Andrejevic, M., & Gates, K. (2014). Big Data Surveillance: Introduction. Surveillance & Society, 12(2), 185–196.
Asamoah, D. A., Sharda, R., Hassan Zadeh, A., & Kalgotra, P. (2017). Preparing a Data Scientist: A Pedagogic Experience in Designing a Big Data Analytics Course. Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education, 15(2), 161–190. https://doi.org/10.1111/dsji.12125
Bughin, J., Chui, M., & Manyika, J. (2010). Clouds, big data, and smart assets: Ten tech-enabled business trends to watch. McKinsey Quarterly, 56(1), 75–86.
Cohen, J., Dolan, B., Dunlap, M., Hellerstein, J. M., & Welton, C. (2009). MAD Skills: New Analysis Practices for Big Data. Proc. VLDB Endow., 2(2), 1481–1492. https://doi.org/10.14778/1687553.1687576
Daniel, B. (2015). Big Data and analytics in higher education: Opportunities and challenges. British Journal of Educational Technology, 46(5), 904–920. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12230
Daries, J. P., Reich, J., Waldo, J., Young, E. M., Whittinghill, J., Ho, A. D., … Chuang, I. (2014). Privacy, Anonymity, and Big Data in the Social Sciences. Commun. ACM, 57(9), 56–63. https://doi.org/10.1145/2643132
De Mauro, A. D., Greco, M., & Grimaldi, M. (2016). A formal definition of Big Data based on its essential features. Library Review, 65(3), 122–135. https://doi.org/10.1108/LR-06-2015-0061
De Mauro, A., Greco, M., & Grimaldi, M. (2015). What is big data? A consensual definition and a review of key research topics. AIP Conference Proceedings, 1644(1), 97–104. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4907823
Eaton, M. (2017). Seeing Library Data: A Prototype Data Visualization Application for Librarians. Publications and Research. Retrieved from http://academicworks.cuny.edu/kb_pubs/115
Emanuel, J. (2013). Usability testing in libraries: methods, limitations, and implications. OCLC Systems & Services: International Digital Library Perspectives, 29(4), 204–217. https://doi.org/10.1108/OCLC-02-2013-0009
Graham, M., & Shelton, T. (2013). Geography and the future of big data, big data and the future of geography. Dialogues in Human Geography, 3(3), 255–261. https://doi.org/10.1177/2043820613513121
Hashem, I. A. T., Yaqoob, I., Anuar, N. B., Mokhtar, S., Gani, A., & Ullah Khan, S. (2015). The rise of “big data” on cloud computing: Review and open research issues. Information Systems, 47(Supplement C), 98–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.is.2014.07.006
Laney, D. (2001, February 6). 3D Data Management: Controlling Data Volume, Velocity, and Variety.
Miltenoff, P., & Hauptman, R. (2005). Ethical dilemmas in libraries: an international perspective. The Electronic Library, 23(6), 664–670. https://doi.org/10.1108/02640470510635746
Philip Chen, C. L., & Zhang, C.-Y. (2014). Data-intensive applications, challenges, techniques and technologies: A survey on Big Data. Information Sciences, 275(Supplement C), 314–347. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ins.2014.01.015
Provost, F., & Fawcett, T. (2013). Data Science and its Relationship to Big Data and Data-Driven Decision Making. Big Data, 1(1), 51–59. https://doi.org/10.1089/big.2013.1508
Reyes, J. (2015). The skinny on big data in education: Learning analytics simplified. TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 59(2), 75–80. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-015-0842-1
Schroeder, R. (2014). Big Data and the brave new world of social media research. Big Data & Society, 1(2), 2053951714563194. https://doi.org/10.1177/2053951714563194
Sugimoto, C. R., Ding, Y., & Thelwall, M. (2012). Library and information science in the big data era: Funding, projects, and future [a panel proposal]. Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 49(1), 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1002/meet.14504901187
Tene, O., & Polonetsky, J. (2012). Big Data for All: Privacy and User Control in the Age of Analytics. Northwestern Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property, 11, [xxvii]-274.
van Dijck, J. (2014). Datafication, dataism and dataveillance: Big Data between scientific paradigm and ideology. Surveillance & Society; Newcastle upon Tyne, 12(2), 197–208.
Waller, M. A., & Fawcett, S. E. (2013). Data Science, Predictive Analytics, and Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform Supply Chain Design and Management. Journal of Business Logistics, 34(2), 77–84. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbl.12010
West, D. M. (2012). Big data for education: Data mining, data analytics, and web dashboards. Governance Studies at Brookings, 4, 1–0.
Willis, J. (2013). Ethics, Big Data, and Analytics: A Model for Application. Educause Review Online. Retrieved from https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/idcpubs/1
Wixom, B., Ariyachandra, T., Douglas, D. E., Goul, M., Gupta, B., Iyer, L. S., … Turetken, O. (2014). The current state of business intelligence in academia: The arrival of big data. CAIS, 34, 1.
Wu, X., Zhu, X., Wu, G. Q., & Ding, W. (2014). Data mining with big data. IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering, 26(1), 97–107. https://doi.org/10.1109/TKDE.2013.109
Wu, Z., Wu, J., Khabsa, M., Williams, K., Chen, H. H., Huang, W., … Giles, C. L. (2014). Towards building a scholarly big data platform: Challenges, lessons and opportunities. In IEEE/ACM Joint Conference on Digital Libraries (pp. 117–126). https://doi.org/10.1109/JCDL.2014.6970157
The New Media Consortium (NMC) has released Digital Literacy in Higher Education, Part II: An NMC Horizon Project Strategic Brief, a follow-up to its 2016 strategic brief on digital literacy.
But what does it really mean to be digitally literate, and which standards do we use?” said Dr. Eden Dahlstrom, NMC Executive Director. “This report sheds light on the meaning and impact of digital literacy using cross-cultural and multi-disciplinary approaches, highlighting frameworks and exemplars in practice.
NMC’s report has identified a need for institutions and thought leaders to consider the ways in which content creation is unequally expressed throughout the world. In an examination of digital literacy within European, Middle Eastern, and African nations (EMEA), research has surfaced unequal access to information technology based on inequalities of economics, gender, race, and political divides.
2020
2015
1.
Complex Problem Solving
1.
Complex Problem Solving
2.
Critical Thinking
2.
Coordinating with Others
3.
Creativity
3.
People Management
4.
People Management
4.
Critical Thinking
5.
Coordinating with Others
5.
Negotiation
6.
Emotional Intelligence
6.
Quality Control
7.
Judgment and Decision Making
7.
Service Orientation
8.
Service Orientation
8.
Judgment and Decision Making
9.
Negotiation
9.
Active Listening
10.
Cognitive Flexibility
10.
Creativity
Digital tools themselves are merely enablers, pushing the envelope of what learners can create. No longer is it acceptable for students to be passive consumers of content; they can contribute to the local and global knowledge ecosystem, learning through the act of producing and discussing rich media, applications, and objects. In the words of many institutional mission statements, students do not have to wait until they graduate to change the world.
Using readily available digital content creation tools (e.g., video production and editing, web and graphic tools), students are evolving into digital storytellers,
digital literacy now encompasses the important skills of being able to coordinate with others to create something truly original that neither mind would fathom independently.
The ability to discern credible from inaccurate resources is foundational to digital literacy. my note: #Fakenews
A lack of broad consensus on the meaning of digital literacy still hinders its uptake, although a growing body of research is helping higher education professionals better navigate the continuous adjustments to the field brought about by emerging pedagogies and technologies.
Information literacy is a nearly universal component within these digital literacy frameworks. Critically finding, assessing, and using digital content within the vast and sometimes chaotic internet appears as a vital skill in almost every account, including those published beyond libraries. In contrast, media literacy is less widely included in digital literacy publications, possibly due to a focus on scholarly, rather than popular, materials. Digital literacies ultimately combine information and media literacy.
United States digital literacy frameworks tend to focus on educational policy details and personal empowerment, the latter encouraging learners to become more effective students, better creators, smarter information consumers, and more influential members of their community.
National policies are vitally important in European digital literacy work, unsurprising for a continent well populated with nation-states and struggling to redefine itself… this recommendation for Balkan digital strategy: “Media and information education (with an emphasis on critical thinking and switching from consumption to action) should start at early ages, but address all ages.”
African digital literacy is more business-oriented. Frameworks often speak to job skills and digital entrepreneurship. New skills and professions are emphasized, symbolized by the call for “new collar” positions.
Middle Eastern nations offer yet another variation, with a strong focus on media literacy. As with other regions, this can be a response to countries with strong state influence or control over local media. It can also represent a drive to produce more locally-sourced content, as opposed to consuming
Digital literacy is a complex phenomenon in 2017, when considered internationally. Nations and regions are creating ways to help their populations grapple with the digital revolution that are shaped by their local situations. In doing so, they cut across the genealogy of digital literacies, touching on its historical components: information literacy, digital skills, and media literacy.
Students are not all digital natives, and do not necessarily have the same level of capabilities. Some need to be taught to use online tools (such as how to navigate a LMS) for learning. However, once digital literacy skills for staff and students are explicitly recognized as important for learning and teaching, critical drivers for pedagogical change are in place.
Pedagogy that uses an inquiry based/problem solving approach is a great framework to enhance the use and practice of digital skills/capabilities in the classroom.
The current gap between students’ information literacy skills and their need to internalize digital literacy competencies creates an opportunity for academic librarians to support students in the pursuit of civic online reasoning at the core of NMC’s multimodal model of three digital literacies. Academic librarians need a new strategy that evolves information literacy to an expanded role educating digitally literate students. Let’s build a new model in which academic librarians are entrepreneurial collaborators with faculty,55 supporting their classroom efforts to help students become responsible sharers and commentators of news on social media.
“Digital literacy is not just about ensuring that students can use the latest technologies, but also developing skills to select the right tools for a particular context to deepen their learning outcomes and engage in creative problem-solving”
There is a disconnect between how students experience and interact with technology in their personal lives and how they use technology in their roles as students. Yes, students are digitally savvy, and yes, universities have a role in questioning (insightfully of course) their sometimes brash digital savviness. We have a situation where students are expecting more, but (as I see it) cannot provide a clear demand, while faculty are unable to walk in the shoes of the students.
From: Jodie Borgerding [mailto:Borgerding@amigos.org] Sent: Wednesday, July 05, 2017 3:07 PM To: Miltenoff, Plamen <pmiltenoff@stcloudstate.edu> Cc: Nicole Walsh <WALSH@AMIGOS.ORG> Subject: Proposal Submission for Privacy & Security Conference
Hi Plamen,
Thank you for your recent presentation proposal for the online conference, Privacy & Security in Today’s Library, presented by Amigos Library Services. Your proposal, The role of the library in teaching with technology unsupported by campus IT: the privacy and security issues of the “third-party,” has been accepted. I just wanted to confirm that you are still available to present on September 21, 2017 and if you have a time preference for your presentation (11 am, 12 pm, or 2 pm Central). If you are no longer able to participate, please let me know.
Nicole will be touch with you shortly with additional details and a speaker’s agreement.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks!
___________________
Jodie Borgerding Consulting & Education Services Manager Amigos Library Services 1190 Meramec Station Road, Suite 207 | Ballwin, MO 63021-6902 800-843-8482 x2897 | 972-340-2897(direct) http://www.amigos.org | borgerding@amigos.org
+++++++++++++++++
Bio
Dr. Plamen Miltenoff is an Information Specialist and Professor at St. Cloud State University. His education includes several graduate degrees in history and Library and Information Science and terminal degrees in education and psychology.
His professional interests encompass social media, multimedia, Web development and design, gaming and gamification, and learning environments (LEs).
The virtuality of privacy and security on the modern campus:
The role of the library in teaching with technology unsupported by campus IT: the privacy and security issues of the “third-party software” teaching and learning
Abstract/Summary of Your Proposed Session
The virtualization reality changes rapidly all aspects of learning and teaching: from equipment to methodology, just when faculty have finalized their syllabus, they have to start a new, if they want to keep abreast with content changes and upgrades and engagement of a very different student fabric – Millennials.
Mainframes are replaced by microcomputers, microcomputers by smart phones and tablets, hard drives by cloud storage and wearables by IoT. The pace of hardware, software and application upgrade is becoming unbearable for students and faculty. Content creation and methodology becomes useless by the speed of becoming obsolete. In such environment, faculty students and IT staff barely can devote time and energy to deal with the rapidly increasing vulnerability connected with privacy and security.
In an effort to streamline ever-becoming-scarce resources, campus IT “standardizes” campus use of applications. Those are the applications, which IT chooses to troubleshoot campus-wide. Those are the applications recommended to faculty and students to use.
In an unprecedented burgeoning amount of applications, specifically for mobile devices, it is difficult to constraint faculty and students to use campus IT sanctioned applications, especially considering the rapid pace of such applications becoming obsolete. Faculty and students often “stray” away and go with their own choice. Such decision exposes faculty and students, personally, and the campus, institutionally, at risk. In a recent post by THE Journal, attention on campuses is drown to the fact that cyberattacks shift now from mobile devices to IoT and campus often are struggling even with their capability to guarantee cybersecurity of mobile devices on campus. Further, the use of third-party application might be in conflict with the FERPA campus-mandated policies. Such policies are lengthy and complex to absorb, both by faculty and students and often are excessively restrictive in terms of innovative ways to improve methodology and pedagogy of teaching and learning. The current procedure of faculty and students proposing new applications is a lengthy and cumbersome bureaucratic process, which often render the end-users’ proposals obsolete by the time the process is vetted.
Where/what is the balance between safeguarding privacy on campus and fostering security without stifling innovation and creativity? Can the library be the campus hub for education about privacy and security, the sandbox for testing and innovation and the body to expedite decision-making?
Abstract
The pace of changes in teaching and learning is becoming impossible to sustain: equipment evolves in accelerated pace, the methodology of teaching and learning cannot catch up with the equipment changes and atop, there are constant content updates. In an even-shrinking budget, faculty, students and IT staff barely can address the issues above, less time and energy left to address the increasing concerns about privacy and security.
In an unprecedented burgeoning amount of applications, specifically for mobile devices, it is difficult to constraint faculty and students to use campus IT sanctioned applications, especially considering the rapid pace of such applications becoming obsolete. Faculty and students often “stray” away and go with their own choice. Such decision exposes faculty and students, personally, and the campus, institutionally, at risk. In a recent post by THE Journal (https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2017/06/06/cybersecurity-and-students/), attention on campuses is drawn to the fact of cyberattacks shifting from mobile devices to IoT but campus still struggling to guarantee cybersecurity of mobile devices on campus. Further, the use of third-party applications might be in conflict with the FERPA campus-mandated policies. Such policies are lengthy and complex to absorb, both by faculty and students and often are excessively restrictive in terms of innovative ways to improve methodology and pedagogy of teaching and learning. The current procedure of faculty and students proposing new applications is a lengthy and cumbersome bureaucratic process, which often render the end-users’ proposals obsolete by the time the process is vetted.
Where/what is the balance between safeguarding privacy on campus and fostering security without stifling innovation and creativity? Can the library be the campus hub for education about privacy and security, the sandbox for testing and innovation and the body to expedite decision-making?
Discuss and form an opinion about the education-pertinent issues of privacy and security from the broad campus perspective, versus the narrow library one
Discuss and form an opinion about the role of the library on campus in terms of the greater issues of privacy and security
Re-examine the thin red line of the balance between standardization and innovation; between the need for security and privacy protection a
chat – slide 4, privacy. please take 2 min and share your definition of privacy on campus. Does it differ between faculty and students? what are the main characteristics to determine privacy
chat – slide 5, security. please take 2 min and share your definition of security on campus regarding electronic activities. Who’s responsibility is security? IT issue [only]?
poles: slide 6, technology unsupported by campus IT, is it worth considering? 1. i am a great believer in my freedom of choice 2. I firmly follow rules and this applies to the use of computer tools and applications 3. Whatever…
chat – slide 6, why third party applications? pros and cons. E.g. pros – familiarity with third party versus campus-required
pole, slide 6, appsmashing. App smashing is the ability to combine mobile apps in your teaching process. How do you feel about it? 1. The force is with us 2. Nonsense…
pole slide 7 third party apps and the comfort of faculty. How do you see the freedom of using third party apps? 1. All I want, thank you 2. I would rather follow the rules 3. Indifference is my middle name
pole slide 8 Technology standardization? 1. yes, 2. no, 3. indifferent
chat slide 9 if the two major issues colliding in this instance are: standardization versus third party and they have impact on privacy and security, how would you argue for the one or the other?
Dr. Steve Albrecht, author of Library Security: Better Communication, Safer Facilities, manages a training, coaching, and management consulting firm, using a dedicated and experienced team of subcontractor specialists. He is internationally known for his consulting and training work in workplace violence prevention training programs, school violence prevention, and high-risk human resources. Dr. Albrecht provides HR consulting, site security assessments, coaching, and training workshops in supervisory improvement, workplace violence prevention, harassment prevention, drug and alcohol awareness, team building, and more. He holds a B.A. in English, B.S. in Psychology, M.A. in Security Management, and a doctoral degree in Business Administration (D.B.A.). He has been a trainer for over 26 years and is a certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR), a Certified Protection Professional (CPP), a Board Certified Coach (BCC), and a Certified Threat Manager (CTM).
Session Description: Libraries don’t always need to hire a consultant to review the level of facility security. Using a structured assessment process, librarians can create a report that will help to make their building, staff, and patrons safer.
Chris Markman, MSLIS, MSIT Public Services Librarian Worcester Public Library
Children who use smartphones, tablets, and video games for more than seven hours a day are more likely to experience premature thinning of the cortex, the outermost layer of the brain that processes thought and action, a 2018 study found. https://t.co/OJe6ZTBVkx
But others say banning laptops can be counterproductive, arguing these devices can create opportunity for students to discover more information during class or collaborate. And that certain tools and technologies are necessary for learners who struggle in a traditional lecture format.
Flanigan, who studies self-regulation, or the processes students use to achieve their learning goals, began researching digital distraction after confronting it in the classroom as a graduate instructor.
Digital distraction tempts all of us, almost everywhere. That’s the premise of Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport, an associate professor of computer science at Georgetown University.
The professor is upset. The professor has taken action, by banning laptops.
Bruff, whose next book, Intentional Tech: Principles to Guide the Use of Educational Technology in College Teaching, is set to be published this fall, is among the experts who think that’s a mistake. Why? Well, for one thing, he said, students are “going to have to graduate and get jobs and use laptops without being on Facebook all day.” The classroom should help prepare them for that.
When Volk teaches a course with 50 or 60 students, he said, “the idea is to keep them moving.”Shifting the focal point away from the professor can help, too. “If they are in a small group with their colleagues,” Volk said, “very rarely will I see them on their laptops doing things they shouldn’t be.”
Professors may not see themselves as performers, but if they can’t get students’ attention, nothing else they do matters. “Learning doesn’t happen without attention,” said Lang, who is writing a book about digital distraction, Teaching Distracted Minds.
One aspect of distraction Lang plans to cover in his book is its history. It’s possible, he said, to regard our smartphones as either too similar or dissimilar from the distractions of the past. And it’s important, he said, to remember how new this technology really is, and how much we still don’t know about it.
++++++++++
Study: Use of digital devices in class affects students’ long-term retention of information
A new study conducted by researchers at Rutgers University reveals that students who are distracted by texts, games, or videos while taking lecture notes on digital devices are far more likely to have their long-term memory affected and to perform more poorly on exams, even if short-term memory is not impacted, EdSurge reports.
Exam performance was not only poorer for students using the devices, but also for other students in classes that permitted the devices because of the distraction factor, the study found.
After conducting the study, Arnold Glass, the lead researcher, changed his own policy and no longer allows his students to take notes on digital devices.
A nationally representative Gallup poll conducted in March showed that 42% of K-12 teachers feel that the use of digital devices in the classroom are “mostly helpful” for students, while only 28% feel they are “mostly harmful.” Yet 69% of those same teachers feel the devices have a harmful impact on student mental health and 55% feel they negatively affect student physical health.
According to a 2016 study of college students, student waste about 20% of their class time for “non-class” purposes — texting, emailing, or using social media more than 11 times in a typical day. In K-12, increased dependence on digital devices often interferes with homework completion as well.
Though the new study focused on long-term retention, past studies have also shown that indicate a negative correlation between use of digital devices during class and exam scores. A 2015 study by the London School of Economics revealed that pupils in schools that banned cell phones performed better on exams and that the differences were most notable for low-performing students.
Using laptops in class harms academic performance, study warns. Researchers say students who use computers score half a grade lower than those who write notes
findings, published in the journal Economics of Education Review in a paper, based on an analysis of the grades of about 5,600 students at a private US liberal arts college, found that using a laptop appeared to harm the grades of male and low-performing students most significantly.
While the authors were unable to definitively say why laptop use caused a “significant negative effect in grades”, the authors believe that classroom “cyber-slacking” plays a major role in lower achievement, with wi-fi-enabled computers providing numerous distractions for students.
High schoolers assigned a laptop or a Chromebook were more likely to take notes in class, do internet research, create documents to share, collaborate with their peers on projects, check their grades and get reminders about tests or homework due dates.
Blended Learning – the idea of incorporating technology into the every day experience of education – can save time, raise engagement, and increase student retention.
Lets face it, our students are addicted to their phones. Like…drugs addicted. It is not just a bad habit, it is hard wired in their brains(literally) to have the constant stimulation of their phones.
If you are interested in the research, there is a lot out there to read about how it happens and how bad it is.
a Scientific American article published about a recent study of nomophobia – on adults (yes, many of us are addicted too).
The global interactive whiteboard (IWB) market is expected to make a comeback and grow at a compound annual growth rate of almost 7 percent from 2016 through 2020, according to a recent report issued by London-based tech market research firm Technavio.
And according to THE Journal’s “Teaching with Technology” survey published in September, 68 percent of teachers who responded use interactive whiteboards in the classroom, while 8 percent have IWBs on their wish list, and 4 percent will be using them within one year. At the same time, however, 20 percent of respondents said that IWBs would be dead and gone within the next decade, ranking second only to desktop computers
In addition to blended learning, which includes gamification, social learning and bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies, Technavio analysts highlighted the following factors that are contributing to the growth of the IWB market:
Topics of the Conference include (but not limited with) the following:
Information literacy in the workplace
Information literacy and employability
Information literacy and workforce development
Information literacy and career readiness
Information literacy and developing critical and creative workers
Information literacy and 21st century workplace
Information usage in the workplace
Information literacy and organisational success
Information literacy and competitiveness
Critical perspectives on workplace information literacy
Information literacy and the neoliberal agenda
Information literacy and digital empowerment
Information literacy and trans/inter/multiculturalism
Information literacy and community engagement
Information literacy and social change
Information literacy and democracy, citizenship, active participation
Information literacy, libraries, the public sphere
Information literacy and lifelong learning
Information literacy in theoretical context (models, standards, indicators)
literacy, visual literacy, health literacy, multi literacy)civic literacy, transliteracy, metaliteracy, e-literacy, digital literacy, computer literacy, scientific iteracy, lInformation literacy and related concepts (transversal competencies, media literacy, data
Information literacy research (research strategies, methodology and methods)
Information seeking and information behavior
Information literacy good practices
Information literacy policies and policy development
Information literacy and libraries Information literacy and LIS education
Information literacy and knowledge management
Information literacy across disciplines
Information literacy in different cultures and countries
Information literacy in different contexts (law, health, etc.)
Information literacy and education
Information literacy education in different sectors (K-12, higher education, vocational education)
Information literacy instruction
Information literacy for different groups (adults, children, young people, disadvantaged groups)
Photo-sharing Site as Library Tool : A Web-based Survey
peer-reviewed article for Digital Library Perspectives: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/dlp
opportunity to user to develop a sense of ownership over the library resources.
Photo-sharing sites already have taken sharp inroads into the field of teaching-learnin encouraging a shift from teacher-led approach to user centred engagement (Kawka, et al,2012).
Introducing photo-sharing sites and integrating with other social networking sites, libraries are now making their web presence outside the “traditional web platform”. With facility of online managing and sharing of digital images, photo-sharing sites enable users to get remotely connected with others and interact with comment links. Photo-sharing sites that are commonly being used by libraries are Flickr (www.flickr.com), Instagram (instagram.com), Pinterest (in.pinterest.com), Photobucket (photobucket.com), Picasa (picasa.google.com), SmugMug (www.smugmug.com), etc (Bradley, 2007; Kroski, 2008; Salomon, 2013).
The results showed that blog and RSS are among the mostly used applications and web 0 applications are associated with overall website quality, particularly to the service quality.
Stvilia and Jörgensen (2010) suggests that controlled vocabulary terms may be
37 complemented with those user generated tags which users feel more comfortable with for information The study also reflects a growing interest among the user community to be involved in “social content creation and sharing communities in creating and enhancing the metadata of their photo collections to make the collections more accessible and visible”.
page 7-8.
2.1 Steps to increase accessibility to photo-sharing sites a) Improve visibility: To make photo-sharing sites of the library easily visible, a direct link to library homepage is essential
p. 9 2.2 Purposes of using photo-sharing sites a) Organising library tour
b) Community building
c) Tool for digitisation
d) Grabbing the users at their own place
e) Integrating Feeds with other application
f) Displaying new arrivals : Newly added books
g) Sharing news & events and publicize library activities
h) Archives of exhibits
i) Portal for academic and research activity: Photo-sharing sites may serve as platform tofoster teaching learning activity, particularly for those who may use these image resource sites for academic purpose
j) Experimentation : Being a relatively new approach to users service, these tools may be introduced on experimental basis to examine their proper utilisation before final implementation
k) Miscellaneous : Public library can reach out to the community physically, offer service to the traditionally underserved, homebound or people with disability, implement programmes to include marginalised section of the community and showcase its mobile outreach efforts in photo-sharing sites.
page 12-13
Before going to integrate photo-sharing site, a library should set the strategic objectives i.e., what purposes are to be served. “Purpose can provide clarity of vision when creating policies or guidelines” (Garofalo, 2013, p.28). The above discussedrange of purposes may help librarians to develop better understanding to makeinformed selection of photo-sharing utility and the nature of images to be posted through it. Goal setting should precede consideration of views of a sizeable section of all library stakeholders to know beforehand what they expect from the library.
• Once the purposes are outlined, a library should formulate policy/ guideline for photo-sharing practices, based on user requirement, staff resource, available time component and technological support base. Policy offers a clear guideline for the users and staff to decide the kind of images to be posted. A guideline is indeed essential for the optimum use of photo-sharing site. It also delineates the roles and responsibilities of the staff concerned and ensures regular monitoring of the posts. Policy may highlight fair use guidelines and allow re-use of images within the scope of copy-right.
• A best way to start is integrating an app, involving simple design with fewer images and let users be familiarized with the system. During the course of development more and more apps may be added, with more images to be posted to serve variety of purposes, depending on the institutional resource and user demand.
• Accessibility to photo-sharing site largely depends on its visibility to the audience. Icon of photo-sharing utility prominently located on website will increase the presentation of its visual identity. Library may set links to photo-sharing sites at home page or at drilled-down page.
• Being an emerging technology, photo-sharing site needs adequate exposure for optimum usage. Annotations associated to photo-sharing site will give an idea about the online tool and will guide users to better harness the application.
• Photo-sharing sites allow images to be organised in a variety of way. Categorising image resources under various topical headings at one location will improve resource identification and frees one from extensive searching.
• Regular posting of engaging images to photo-sharing site from the library and follow- up will attract users to tag and share images and strengthen community involvement with active user participation.
• “Social and informal photographs” of library staff will make them more approachable and strengthen patron-staff relationship.
• Library should seek user comments and suggestions to improve current photo-sharing application and to incorporate fresh element to library service provision. User feedback may be considered as a tool to evaluate the effectiveness of existing photo- sharing practices.
• To popularise the effort, usual promotional media like physical and online signs/ displays apart, library may use social media marketing platforms like blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc., and increase awareness of photo-sharing tools.
• Imparting technology training may develop necessary knowledge; improve skill, and change the attitude and mindset of library professionals to handle issues related to using this web-based powered-tools and repurpose existing accessibility settings.
• To provide quick link to photo-sharing site from anywhere in the web, a library may use add-ons / plug-ins to embed image sharing tools.
• Photo-sharing site may be implemented to satisfy multiple approach options of users. A section of users use photo-sharing site to have a glimpse of the newly arrived documents, highlights of catalogue, rare books, etc. Some others may use it to find images of historical importance with context. New users may find it attractive to pay
Tomlin, P. (2009). A Matter of Discipline: Open Access, the Humanities, and Art History. Canadian Journal Of Higher Education, 39(3), 49-69.
Recent events suggest that open access has gained new momentum in the humanities, but the slow and uneven development of open-access initiatives in humanist fields continues to hinder the consolidation of efforts across the university. Although various studies have traced the general origins of the humanities’ reticence to embrace open access, few have actually considered the scholarly practices and disciplinary priorities that shape a discipline’s adoption of its principles. This article examines the emergence, potential and actualized, of open access in art history. Part case study, part conceptual mapping, the discussion is framed within the context of three interlocking dynamics: the present state of academic publishing in art history; the dominance of the journal and self-archiving repository within open-access models of scholarly production; and the unique roles played by copyright and permissions in art historical scholarship. It is hoped that tracing the discipline-specific configuration of research provides a first step toward both investigating the identity that open access might assume within the humanities, from discipline to discipline, and explaining how and why it might allow scholars to better serve themselves and their audiences.
Solomon, D. J., & Björk, B. (2012). A study of open access journals using article processing charges. Journal Of The American Society For Information Science & Technology, 63(8), 1485-1495. doi:10.1002/asi.22673
Article processing charges ( APCs) are a central mechanism for funding open access (OA) scholarly publishing. We studied the APCs charged and article volumes of journals that were listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals as charging APCs. These included 1,370 journals that published 100,697 articles in 2010. The average APC was $906 U.S. dollars (USD) calculated over journals and $904 USD calculated over articles. The price range varied between $8 and $3,900 USD, with the lowest prices charged by journals published in developing countries and the highest by journals with high-impact factors from major international publishers. Journals in biomedicine represent 59% of the sample and 58% of the total article volume. They also had the highest APCs of any discipline. Professionally published journals, both for profit and nonprofit, had substantially higher APCs than journals published by societies, universities, or scholars/researchers. These price estimates are lower than some previous studies of OA publishing and much lower than is generally charged by subscription publishers making individual articles OA in what are termed hybrid journals.
Beaubien, S., & Eckard, M. (2014). Addressing Faculty Publishing Concerns with Open Access Journal Quality Indicators. Journal Of Librarianship & Scholarly Communication, 2(2), 1-11. doi:10.7710/2162-3309.1133
BACKGROUND The scholarly publishing paradigm is evolving to embrace innovative open access publication models. While this environment fosters the creation of high-quality, peer-reviewed open access publications, it also provides opportunities for journals or publishers to engage in unprofessional or unethical practices. LITERATURE REVIEW Faculty take into account a number of factors in deciding where to publish, including whether or not a journal engages in ethical publishing practices. Librarians and scholars have attempted to address this issue in a number of ways, such as generating lists of ethical/unethical publishers and general guides. DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT In response to growing faculty concern in this area, the Grand Valley State University Libraries developed and evaluated a set of Open Access Journal Quality Indicators that support faculty in their effort to identify the characteristics of ethical and unethical open access publications. NEXT STEPS Liaison librarians have already begun using the Indicators as a catalyst in sparking conversation around open access publishing and scholarship. Going forward, the Libraries will continue to evaluate and gather feedback on the Indicators, taking into account emerging trends and practices.
Husain, S., & Nazim, M. (2013). Analysis of Open Access Scholarly Journals in Media & Communication. DESIDOC Journal Of Library & Information Technology, 33(5), 405-411.
he paper gives an account of the origin and development of the Open Access Initiative and explains the concept of open access publishing. It also highlight various facets related to the open access scholarly publishing in the field of Media & Communication on the basis of data collected from the most authoritative online directory of open access journals, i.e., Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). The DOAJ covers 8492 open access journals of which 106 journals are listed under the subject heading ‘Media & Communication’. Most of the open access journals in Media & Communication were started during late 1990s and are being published from 34 different countries on 6 continents in 13 different languages. More than 80 % open access journals are being published by the not-for-profit sector such as academic institutions and universities.
Reed, K. (2014). Awareness of Open Access Issues Differs among Faculty at Institutions of Different Sizes. Evidence Based Library & Information Practice, 9(4), 76-77.
Objective — This study surveyed faculty awareness of open access (OA) issues and the institutional repository (IR) at the University of Wisconsin. The authors hoped to use findings to inform future IR marketing strategies to faculty. Design — Survey. Setting — University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, a small, regional public university (approximately 10,000 students). Subjects — 105 faculty members. Methods — The authors contacted 397 faculty members inviting them to participate in an 11 question online survey. Due to anonymity issues on a small campus, respondents were not asked about rank and discipline, and were asked to not provide identifying information. A definition of OA was not provided by the authors, as survey participants were queried about their own definition. Main Results — Approximately 30% of the faculty were aware of OA issues. Of all the definitions of OA given by survey respondents, “none … came close” to the definition favoured by the authors (p. 145). More than 30% of the faculty were unable to define OA at a level deemed basic by the authors. A total of 51 (48.57%) of the survey respondents indicated that there are OA journals in their disciplines. Another 6 (5.71%) of the faculty members claimed that there are no OA journals in their disciplines, although most provided a definition of OA and several considered OA publishing to be “very important.” The remaining 48 participants (46%) were unsure if there are OA journals in their disciplines. Of these survey respondents, 38 answered that they have not published in an OA journal, 10 were unsure, and 21 believed that their field benefits or would benefit from OA journals. Survey respondents cited quality of the journal, prestige, and peer review as extremely important in selecting a journal in which to publish. Conclusion — The authors conclude that the level of awareness related to OA issues must be raised before IRs can flourish. They ponder how university and college administrators regard OA publishing, and the influence this has on the tenure and promotion process
KELTY, C. (2014). BEYOND COPYRIGHT AND TECHNOLOGY: What Open Access Can Tell Us about Precarity, Authority, Innovation, and Automation in the University Today. Cultural Anthropology (Society For Cultural Anthropology), 29(2), 203-215. doi:10.14506/ca29.2.02
In this interview, we discuss what open access can teach us about the state of the university, as well as practices in scholarly publishing. In particular the focus is on issues of labor and precarity, the question of how open access enables or blocks other innovations in scholarship, the way open access might be changing practices of scholarship, and the role of technology and automation in the creation, evaluation, and circulation of scholarly work
Armbruster, C. (2008). Cyberscience and the Knowledge-Based Economy. Open Access and Trade Publishing: From Contradiction to Compatibility with Non-Exclusive Copyright Licensing. Policy Futures In Education, 6(4), 439-452.
Open source, open content and open access are set to fundamentally alter the conditions of knowledge production and distribution. Open source, open content and open access are also the most tangible result of the shift towards e-science and digital networking. Yet, widespread misperceptions exist about the impact of this shift on knowledge distribution and scientific publishing. It is argued, on the one hand, that for the academy there principally is no digital dilemma surrounding copyright and there is no contradiction between open science and the knowledge-based economy if profits are made from non-exclusive rights. On the other hand, pressure for the “digital doubling” of research articles in open access repositories (the “green road”) is misguided and the current model of open access publishing (the “gold road”) has not much future outside biomedicine. Commercial publishers must understand that business models based on the transfer of copyright have not much future either. Digital technology and its economics favour the severance of distribution from certification. What is required of universities and governments, scholars and publishers, is to clear the way for digital innovations in knowledge distribution and scholarly publishing by enabling the emergence of a competitive market that is based on non-exclusive rights. This requires no change in the law but merely an end to the praxis of copyright transfer and exclusive licensing. The best way forward for research organisations, universities and scientists is the adoption of standard copyright licences that reserve some rights, namely Attribution and No Derivative Works, but otherwise will allow for the unlimited reproduction, dissemination and re-use of the research article, commercial uses included.
Kuth, M. (2012). ‘Deswegen wird kein Buch weniger verkauft!’ Hybride Publikation von MALIS Praxisprojekten an der Fachhochschule Köln. (German). Bibliothek Forschung Und Praxis, 36(1), 103-109.
The article reports on a library and information science project at the Fachhochschule Köln (University of Applied Sciences, Cologne), Germany, to produce a hybrid, print and online research publication, “MALIS Praxisprojekte 2011,” which is available at http://www.b-i-t-online.de/daten/bitinnovativ.php#band35. It discusses the publishing process from writing to distribution and the implications of combining open access and for-fee publishing models for value chains in the publishing industry.
Riedel, S. (2012). Distanz zu Wissenschaftlern und Studenten verringern. (German). Bub: Forum Bibliothek Und Information, 64(7/8), 491-492.
A report from the International Bielefeld Conference on April 24-26, 2012 in Bielefeld, Germany is presented. Presentations discussed include the role of information storage and retrieval in libraries, Open Access publishing and content licenses, and the increased automation of the Bielefeld University library.
Ramirez, M., Dalton, J. j., McMillan, G. g., Read, M., & Seamans, N.. (2013). Do Open Access Electronic Theses and Dissertations Diminish Publishing Opportunities in the Social Sciences and Humanities? Findings from a 2011 Survey of Academic Publishers. College & Research Libraries, 74(4), 368-380.
n increasing number of higher education institutions worldwide are requiring submission of electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) by graduate students and are subsequently providing open access to these works in online repositories. Faculty advisors and graduate students are concerned that such unfettered access to their work could diminish future publishing opportunities. This study investigated social sciences, arts, and humanities journal editors’ and university press directors’ attitudes toward ETDs. The findings indicate that manuscripts that are revisions of openly accessible ETDs are always welcome for submission or considered on a case-by-case basis by 82.8 percent of journal editors and 53.7 percent of university press directors polled.
Schuurman, N. (2013). Editorial /Éditorial. Canadian Geographer, 57(2), 117-118. doi:10.1111/cag.12027
The author reflects on the use of the Open Access (OA) publishing for publications. She states that in OA publishing, an un-blinded peer review format is used wherein the authors’ names are known to the reviewer. She mentions that the countries such as Great Britain and Canada passed legislations which mandates the use of OA journals in university publications and health research. She also relates the impact of the changes in publishing to the print versions of journals.
Bazeley, J. W., Waller, J., & Resnis, E. (2014). Engaging Faculty in Scholarly Communication Change: A Learning Community Approach. Journal Of Librarianship & Scholarly Communication, 2(3), 1-13. doi:10.7710/2162-3309.1129
As the landscape of scholarly communication and open access continues to shift, it remains important for academic librarians to continue educating campus stakeholders about these issues, as well as to create faculty advocates on campus. DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM Three librarians at Miami University created a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) on Scholarly Communication to accomplish this. The FLC, composed of faculty, graduate students, staff, and librarians, met throughout the academic year to read and discuss topics such as open access, journal economics, predatory publishing, alternative metrics (altmetrics), open data, open peer review, etc. NEXT STEPS The members of the FLC provided positive evaluations about the community and the topics about which they learned, leading the co-facilitators to run the FLC for a second year. The library’s Scholarly Communication Committee is creating and implementing a scholarly communication website utilizing the structure and content identified by the 2012-2013 FLC
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, (2010). Freier Zugang zu Forschungsergebnissen. Bub: Forum Bibliothek Und Information, 62(1), 7.
The article reports that the research society Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) has expanded their support of open access publishing so that universities can now request that the DFG finance publication of their scientific works in open access journals.
Ottina, D. (2013). From Sustainable Publishing To Resilient Communications. Triplec (Cognition, Communication, Co-Operation): Open Access Journal For A Global Sustainable Information Society, 11(2), 604-613.
In their opening reflection on Open Access (OA) in this special section, Fuchs and Sandoval (2013) argue the current policy debate on Open Access publishing is limited by a for-profit bias which blinds it to much of the most innovative activity in Open Access. They further argue for a refocusing of the policy debate within a public service, commons based perspective of academic knowledge production. I pick up these themes by looking at another key term, sustainable publishing, in an effort to contextualize the policy debate on OA within the broader context of the privatization of the university. From this perspective, the policy debate reveals an essential tension between top-down and bottomup cultures in legitimizing knowledge. This is a tension that has profound implications for scholarly practices mediated through digital networked communications. Explicitly acknowledging this fundamental tension gives additional insight into formulating strategies for maintaining an academic culture of free and open inquiry. I suggest that the frame of resilient communications expresses the dynamic nature of scholarly communications better than that of sustainable publishing, and that empowering scholars through practice-based OA initiatives is essential in broadening grass roots support for equitable Open Access amongst scholars
Stevens, L. M. (2013). From the Editor: Getting What You Pay For? Open Access and the Future of Humanities Publishing. Tulsa Studies In Women’s Literature, 32(1), 7-21.
The article discusses the potential impact of the open access publishing movement on humanities scholarship and publishing. It is suggested that although the free circulation of knowledge is a positive goal, scholars and activists must be careful not to undermine the value of the scholarly and editorial labor which makes quality humanities publications possible. The author also suggests that authors who post their articles for open access or on university commons should pay journals a fee.
Thatcher, S. (2009). From the University Presses–Open Access and the Future of Scholarly Communication. Against the Grain, 21(5), 78-81.
The article presents a speech by the author, delivered on September 23, 2009 as part of the Andrew Neilly Lecture Series at the University of Rochester, in which he discussed open access publishing in terms of university presses and scholarly communication. He presented an overview of the history of such issues, and a forecast of likely future developments.
Dunham, G., & Walters, C. (2014). From University Press to the University’s Press: Building a One-Stop Campus Resource for Scholarly Publishing. Against The Grain, 26(6), 28-30.
The article examines the Office of Scholarly Publishing (OSP) at Indiana University (IU) in Bloomington, Indiana. Topics discussed include the role played in the OSP by Indiana University Press (IU Press), the role played by IUScholarWorks (IUSW), which is an open access publishing initiative administered by IU Libraries, and the location of the university’s publishing activities, which is the Herman B. Wells Library at IU.
Abadal, E. (2013). Gold or green: the debate on Open Access policies. International Microbiology, 16(3), 199-203. doi:10.2436/20.1501.01.194
The movement for open access to science seeks to achieve unrestricted and free access to academic publications on the Internet. To this end, two mechanisms have been established: the gold road, in which scientific journals are openly accessible, and the green road, in which publications are self-archived in repositories. The publication of the Finch Report in 2012, advocating exclusively the adoption of the gold road, generated a debate as to whether either of the two options should be prioritized. The recommendations of the Finch Report stirred controversy among academicians specialized in open access issues, who felt that the role played by repositories was not adequately considered and because the green road places the burden of publishing costs basically on authors. The Finch Report’s conclusions are compatible with the characteristics of science communication in the UK and they could surely also be applied to the (few) countries with a powerful publishing industry and substantial research funding. In Spain, both the current national legislation and the existing rules at universities largely advocate the green road. This is directly related to the structure of scientific communication in Spain, where many journals have little commercial significance, the system of charging a fee to authors has not been adopted, and there is a good repository infrastructure. As for open access policies, the performance of the scientific communication system in each country should be carefully analyzed to determine the most suitable open access strategy.
Bargheer, M., & Schmidt, B. (2008). Göttingen University Press: Publishing services in an Open Access environment. Information Services & Use, 28(2), 133-139.
The article presents a round table discussion that focuses on publishing services in an open access environment that are offered by Göttingen University Press. Begun as an additional service for the Göttingen State and University Library repository, it offers a publication consulting service on behalf of the university. It covers diverse topics such as sciences, life sciences, and humanities.
Jubb, M. (2011). Heading for the Open Road: Costs and Benefits of Transitions in Scholarly Communications. Liber Quarterly: The Journal Of European Research Libraries, 21(1), 102-124.
This paper reports on a study — overseen by representatives of the publishing, library and research funder communities in the UK — investigating the drivers, costs and benefits of potential ways to increase access to scholarly journals. It identifies five different but realistic scenarios for moving towards that end over the next five years, including gold and green open access, moves towards national licensing, publisherled delayed open access, and transactional models. It then compares and evaluates the benefits as well as the costs and risks for the UK. The scenarios, the comparisons between them, and the modelling on which they are based, amount to a benefit-cost analysis to help in appraising policy options over the next five years. Our conclusion is that policymakers who are seeking to promote increases in access should encourage the use of existing subject and institutional repositories, but avoid pushing for reductions in embargo periods, which might put at risk the sustainability of the underlying scholarly publishing system. They should also promote and facilitate a transition to gold open access, while seeking to ensure that the average level of charges for publication does not exceed circa £2,000; that the rate in the UK of open access publication is broadly in step with the rate in the rest of the world; and that total payments to journal publishers from UK universities and their funders do not rise as a consequence.
Tickell, A. (2013). Implementing Open Access in the United Kingdom. Information Services & Use, 33(1), 19-26. doi:10.3233/ISU-130688
Since July 2012, the UK has been undergoing an organized transition to open access. As of 01 April 2013, revised open access policies are coming into effect. Open access implementation requires new infrastructures for funding publishing. Universities as institutions increasingly will be central to managing article-processing charges, monitoring compliance and organizing deposit. This article reviews the implementation praxis between July 2012 and April 2013, including ongoing controversy and review, which has mainly focussed on embargo length
Hawkins, K. K. (2014). How We Pay for Publishing. Against The Grain, 26(6), 35-36.
The article examines the financial aspects of scholarly publishing. Topics discussed include the impact of these financial aspects on academic libraries and university presses, the concept of open access publishing and the financial considerations related to it, and the use of article processing charges (APC) in open access publishing.
Butler, D. (2013). Investigating journals: The dark side of publishing. Nature, 495(7442), 433-435. doi:10.1038/495433a
The article focuses on the investigation of Jeffrey Beall, academic librarian and university researcher at the University of Colorado in Denver regarding the practices of open-access publishing. It says that Beall who became a watchdog for open-access publishers criticizes them on his blog Scholarly Open Access. Beall adds that he was not prepared for the exponential growth of the occurrence of questionable publishers. The insights of publishers on the approach of Beall are also discussed.
2012 was basically the year of the predatory publisher; that was when they really exploded,” says Beall. He estimates that such outfits publish 5–10% of all open-access articles.
Beall’s list and blog are widely read by librar – ians, researchers and open-access advocates,
many of whom applaud his efforts to reveal shady publishing practices —
Wilson, K. k. (2013). Librarian vs. (Open Access) Predator: An Interview with Jeffrey Beall. Serials Review, 39(2), 125-128.
In February 2013, Kristen Wilson interviewed Jeffrey Beall, scholarly initiatives librarian at the University of Colorado Denver. Beall discusses “predatory” open access and its implications for scholarly publishing
Richard, J., Koufogiannakis, D., & Ryan, P. (2009). Librarians and Libraries Supporting Open Access Publishing. Canadian Journal Of Higher Education, 39(3), 33-48
As new models of scholarly communication emerge, librarians and libraries have responded by developing and supporting new methods of storing and providing access to information and by creating new publishing support services. This article will examine the roles of libraries and librarians in developing and supporting open access publishing initiatives and services in higher education. Canadian university libraries have been key players in the development of these services and have been bolstered by support from librarians working through and within their professional associations on advocacy and advancement initiatives, and by significant funding from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation for the Synergies initiative–a project designed to allow Canadian social science and humanities journals to publish online. The article also reflects on the experiences of three librarians involved in the open access movement at their libraries, within Canadian library associations, and as creators, managers, and editors in two new open access journals in the field of library and information studies: Evidence-based Library and Information Practice published out of the University of Alberta; and Partnership: the Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research hosted by the University of Guelph. As active participants in the creation of open access content within their own field, the authors are able to lend their experience to faculty in other disciplines and provide meaningful and responsive library service development.
Hansson, J., & Johannesson, K. (2013). Librarians’ Views of Academic Library Support for Scholarly Publishing: An Every-day Perspective. Journal Of Academic Librarianship, 39(3), 232-240. doi:10.1016/j.acalib.2013.02.002
This article reports on a study of academic librarians’ views of their work and possibilities regarding support for researchers’ publishing. Institutional repositories and Open Access are areas being dealt with in particular. Methods used are highly qualitative; data was gathered at two Swedish university libraries over a six month period through focus group interview sessions and personal logs by informants. Findings indicate that attitudes are often in collision with practicalities in the daily work in libraries. Even though they have a high degree of knowledge and awareness of scholarly publication patterns, librarians often feel insecure in the approach of researchers. There is a felt redirection in the focus of academic librarianship, from pedagogical information seeking tasks towards a more active publication support, a change which also includes a regained prominence for new forms of bibliographical work. Although there are some challenges, proactive attitudes among librarians are felt as being important in developing further support for researchers’ publishing.
Pinter, F. (2012). Open Access for Scholarly Books?. Publishing Research Quarterly, 28(3), 183-191. doi:10.1007/s12109-012-9285-0
Over the past two decades, sales of monographs have shrunk by 90 % causing prices to rise dramatically as fewer copies are sold. University libraries struggle to assemble adequate collections, and students and scholars are deprived access, especially in the developing world. Open access can play an important role in ensuring both access to knowledge and encouraging the growth of new markets for scholarly books. This article argues that by facilitating a truly global approach to funding the up-front costs of publishing and open access, there is a sustainable future for the specialist academic ‘long form publication’. Knowledge Unlatched is a new initiative that is creating an international library consortium through which publishers will be able to recover their fixed costs while at the same time reducing prices for libraries
Bauer, B., & Stieg, K. (2010). OPEN ACCESS PUBLISHING IN AUSTRIA: DEVELOPMENT AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES. Bulletin Of The Transilvania University Of Brasov, Series IV: Philology & Cultural Studies, 3(52), 271-278.
The following article provides an overview of Open Access Publishing in Austria in 2010. First of all, the participation of Austrian institutions in signing Open Access declarations and Open Access events in Austria are presented. Secondly, the article shows the development of both the Green Road to Open Access (repositories) as well as the Golden Road (Open Access Journals) in Austria. The article also describes the Open Access policies of the most important funding agency in Austria, the biggest university of the country as well as Universities Austria, the association of the 21 public universities in Austria. Finally, the paper raises the question of how Open Access is to be financed and explains the legal framework conditions for Open Access in Austria.
Nariani, R. r., & Fernandez, L. l. (2012). Open Access Publishing: What Authors Want. College & Research Libraries, 73(2), 182-195.
Campus-based open access author funds are being considered by many academic libraries as a way to support authors publishing in open access journals. Article processing fees for open access have been introduced recently by publishers and have not yet been widely accepted by authors. Few studies have surveyed authors on their reasons for publishing open access and their perceptions of open access journals. The present study was designed to gauge the uptake of library support for author funding and author satisfaction with open access publishing. Results indicate that York University authors are increasingly publishing in open access journals and are appreciative of library funding initiatives. The wider implications of open access are discussed along with specific recommendations for publishers.
Stanton, K. V., & Liew, C. L. (2011). Open Access Theses in Institutional Repositories: An Exploratory Study of the Perceptions of Doctoral Students. Information Research: An International Electronic Journal, 16(4),
We examine doctoral students’ awareness of and attitudes to open access forms of publication. Levels of awareness of open access and the concept of institutional repositories, publishing behaviour and perceptions of benefits and risks of open access publishing were explored. Method: Qualitative and quantitative data were collected through interviews with eight doctoral students enrolled in a range of disciplines in a New Zealand university and a self-completion Web survey of 251 students. Analysis: Interview data were analysed thematically, then evaluated against a theoretical framework. The interview data were then used to inform the design of the survey tool. Survey responses were analysed as a single set, then by disciple using SurveyMonkey’s online toolkit and Excel. Results: While awareness of open access and repository archiving is still low, the majority of interview and survey respondents were found to be supportive of the concept of open access. The perceived benefits of enhanced exposure and potential for sharing outweigh the perceived risks. The majority of respondents were supportive of an existing mandatory thesis submission policy. Conclusions: Low levels of awareness of the university repository remains an issue, and could be addressed by further investigating the effectiveness of different communication channels for promotion.
Mussell, J. (2013). Open Access. Journal Of Victorian Culture (Routledge), 18(4), 526-527. doi:10.1080/13555502.2013.865980
An introduction is presented to the articles within the issue on the theme of open access publishing in Great Britain during the early 2010s, including topics on the economic aspects of and the British government’s policy on open access publishing and its impact on university libraries.
Open access is not new: there is a thriving culture of open access in the sciences and
scholars in the digital humanities have been advocating open publication of research
for some time to share methods, results and data. However, the British Government’s
recent endorsement of the Finch Report (officially titled ‘Accessibility, sustainability, excellence: how to expand access to research publications: Report of the Working Group on Expanding Access to Published Research Findings’), has made open access a central concern for all researchers in UK higher education. The underlying economics and politics of journal publication arc now under scrutiny as never before.
an author-pays version of ‘gold’ open access publishing, where costs of publishing were shifted from the customer (university libraries) onto the producer (scholars), was seen by many as a way of implementing open access without disturbing the status quo. Instead of purchasing research once it has been published, universities will pay for research to be published.
While this model ensures an income stream for publishers (and it always costs something to publish), it reconfigures the relationship between scholars, their research and their institution.
The so-called ‘green’ route to publishing, where articles are made open access after their initial publication in a traditional,subscription-based journal, usually by means of deposit in an institutional repository, has focused attention on the embargo periods demanded by publishers.
Leptin, M. (2012, March 16). Open Access–Pass the Buck. Science. p. 1279.
The author reflects on open access as a model for scientific publishing. She notes that most scientists support open access despite continued controversy about the economics and political consequences of open access among various groups, including researchers, publishers, and universities. Also discussed are the financial implications of open access from the author’s point of view as an editor of the non-profit publishing group the European Molecular Biology Organization
Peters, M. A. (2009). Open Education and the Open Science Economy. Yearbook Of The National Society For The Study Of Education, 108(2), 203-225.
Openness as a complex code word for a variety of digital trends and movements has emerged as an alternative mode of “social production” based on the growing and overlapping complexities of open source, open access, open archiving, open publishing, and open science. This paper argues that the openness movement with its reinforcing structure of overlapping networks of production, access, publishing, archiving, and distribution provide an emerging architecture of alterative educational globalization not wedded to existing neoliberal forms. The open education movement and paradigm has arrived: it emerges from a complex historical background and its futures are intimately tied not only to open source, open access and open publishing movements but also to the concept of the “open society” itself which has multiple, contradictory, and contested meanings. This paper first theorizes the development and significance of “open education” by reference to the Open University, OpenCourseWare (OCW) and open access movements. The paper takes this line of argument further, arguing for a conception of “open science economy” which involves strategic international research collaborations and provides an empirical and conceptual link between university science and the global knowledge economy.
Adam, M. (2013). Open-Access-Publizieren in der Medizin – im Fokus der Bibliometrie an der SLUB Dresden. GMS Medizin-Bibliothek-Information, 13(3), 1-11. doi:10.3205/mbi000291
Since 2012, the Team Bibliometrics in the Electronic Publishing Group at the SLUB Dresden has been supporting scientists but also institutes at the Technical University Dresden in bibliometric issues. Open access (OA) publishing is one of the main topics. The recent analysis identified OA journals in the field of medicine indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) database on the basis of the Directory of Open Access Journals. Subsequently, the journal titles were examined according to their importance in the selected subject categories and the geographical distribution of editorial countries in the first part. The second part dealt with the articles in these journals and the citations contained therein. The results show an amount of 9.7 per cent of OA journals in relation to the total amount of all journals in the selected WoS subject categories. 14 per cent could be assigned to the upper quartile Q1 (Top 25 per cent). For most of the OA journals Great Britain was determined as the publishing country. The analysis of articles with German participation reveals interesting methods to obtain information in the participating authors, institutions, networks and their specific subjects. The result of citation analysis of these articles shows, that articles from traditional journals are the most cited ones.
Kersting, A., & Pappenberger, K. (2009). Promoting open access in Germany as illustrated by a recent project at the Library of the University of Konstanz. OCLC Systems & Services, 25(2), 105-113. doi:10.1108/10650750910961901
With the illustration of a best practice example for an implementation of open access in a scientific institution, the paper will be useful in fostering future open access projects. Design/methodology/approach – The paper starts with a brief overview of the existing situation of open access in Germany. The following report describes the results of a best practice example, added by the analysis of a survey on the position about open access by the scientists at the University of Konstanz. Findings – The dissemination of the advantages of open access publishing is fundamental for the success of implementing open access in a scientific institution. For the University of Konstanz, it is shown that elementary factors of success are an intensive cooperation with the head of the university and a vigorous approach to inform scholars about open access. Also, some more conditions are essential to present a persuasive service: The Library of the University of Konstanz offers an institutional repository as an open access publication platform and hosts open journal systems for open access journals. High-level support and consultation for open access publishing at all administrative levels is provided. The integration of the local activities into national and international initiatives and projects is pursued for example by the joint operation of the information platform open-access.net. Originality/value – The paper offers insights in one of the most innovative open access projects in Germany. The University of Konstanz belongs to the pioneers of the open access movement in Germany and is currently running a successful open access project.
Beals, M. H. (2013). Rapunzel and the Ivory Tower: How Open Access Will Save the Humanities (from Themselves). Journal Of Victorian Culture (Routledge), 18(4), 543-550. doi:10.1080/13555502.2013.865977
The author argues in favor of open access publishing, contending that it will bridge university academics and academic scholarship’s relationship with the public sphere. An overview of open access publishing’s impact on academic journals, including in regard to periodical subscriptions, membership fees and the discourse on history within society, is provided. An overview of digital access to open access publishing is also provided.
crisis of authorship has centred on the charging of Article Processing Charges (APCs) and how best to accommodate the shift from pay-to-read to pay-to-publish models.
Pochoda, P. (2008). Scholarly Publication at the Digital Tipping Point. Journal Of Electronic Publishing, 11(2), 8.
The article presents information on a joint publishing project “Digitalculturebooks” between the University of Michigan Press and the Scholarly Publishing Office of Michigan University Library in Michigan. The aim of the project was to publish books about new media in a printed version and an open access (OA) online version. It is mentioned that the project not only intended to publish innovative and accessible work about the social, cultural, and political impact of new and to collect data about the variation in reading habits and preferences across different scholarly reading communities, but also to explore the opportunities and the obstacles involved in a press working in a partnership with a technologically abled library unit with a business model.
Scientific Publishing: the Dilemma of Research Funding Organisations. (2009). European Review, 17(1), 23-31.
Present changes in scientific publishing, especially those summarised by the term ?Open Access? (OA), may ultimately lead to the complete replacement of a reader-paid to an author, or funding-paid, publication system. This transformation would shift the financial burden for scientific publishing from the Research Performing Organisations (RPOs), particularly from scientific libraries, universities, etc, to the Research Funding Organisations (RFOs). The transition phase is difficult; it leads to double funding of OA publications (by subscriptions and author-sponsored OA) and may thus increase the overall costs of scientific publishing. This may explain why ? with a few exceptions ? RFOs have not been at the forefront of the OA paradigm in the past. In 2008, the General Assembly of EUROHORCs, the European organisation of the heads of research councils, agreed to recommend to its member organisations at least a minimal standard of Open Access based on the Berlin Declaration of 2003 (green way of OA). In the long run, the publishing system needs some fundamental changes to reduce the present costs and to keep up its potential. In order to design a new system, all players have to cooperate and be ready to throw overboard some old traditions, lovable as they may be.
Kennan, M. A. (2010). The economic implications of alternative publishing models: views from a non-economist. Prometheus, 28(1), 85-89. doi:10.1080/08109021003676391
In this article the author discusses economic aspects of alternative economic models for scholarly publishing with reference to a report by J. Houghton and C. Oppenheim. The author present information on the economic models discussed in Houghton and Oppenheim report to the Great Britain’s Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC). He discusses the open access (OA) publishing and suggests that mandates should be made by universities for OA.
I cannot respond to their paper in either of these roles. Instead, I propose to respond both as an academic who conducts research, writes about it and tries to get it published, and as a researcher interested in scholarly communication, publishing and open access.
To continue with a system (of scholarly publishing or anything else) without regularly investigating and analyzing the alternatives, is neither common sense nor scholarly.
Hawkins, K. S. (2014). The Evolution of Publishing Agreements at the University of Michigan Library. Journal Of Librarianship & Scholarly Communication, 2(4), 90-94. doi:10.7710/2162-3309.1175
Taking as an example an open-access journal with a single editor, this article discusses the various configurations of rights agreements used by the University of Michigan Library throughout the evolution of its publishing operation, the advantages of the various models, and the reasons for moving from one to another.
Bankier, J., & Perciali, I. (2008). The Institutional Repository Rediscovered: What Can a University Do for Open Access Publishing?. Serials Review, 34(1), 21-26. doi:10.1016/j.serrev.2007.12.003
Universities have always been one of the key players in open access publishing and have encountered the particular obstacle that faces this Green model of open access, namely, disappointing author uptake. Today, the university has a unique opportunity to reinvent and to reinvigorate the model of the institutional repository. This article explores what is not working about the way we talk about repositories to authors today and how can we better meet faculty needs. More than an archive, a repository can be a showcase that allows scholars to build attractive scholarly profiles, and a platform to publish original content in emerging open-access journals. Serials Review 2008; 34:21-26.
Collister, L. B., Deliyannides, T. S., & Dyas-Correia, S. (2014). The Library as Publisher. Serials Librarian, 66(1-4), 20-29.
This article describes a half-day preconference that focused on the library as publisher. It examined how the movement from print to online publication has impacted the roles of libraries and their ability to take on new roles as publishers. The session explored the benefits of libraries becoming publishers, and discussed Open Access, what it is and is not and its importance to libraries and scholarly communication. A detailed case study of the publishing operations of the University Library System at the University of Pittsburgh was presented as an example of a successful library publishing program. The session provided an opportunity for participants to discover ways that libraries can be involved in publishing
OA literature is digital, online, free of charge, and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions. OA works are still covered by copyright law, but spe- cial license terms such as Creative Commons licenses are applied to allow sharing and reuse. All major OA initiatives for scientific and scholarly litera- ture insist on the importance of peer review. OA is therefore compatible with copyright, peer review, revenue (even profit), print, preservation, prestige,
quality, career advancement, indexing, and supportive services associated with conventional scholarly literature. OA is not Open Source, which applies to computer software, nor Open Content, which applies to non-scholarly content, nor Open Data, which is a movement to support sharing of research data, nor free access, which carries no monetary charges for access, yet all rights may be reserved.
Changing laws, like the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and the Research Works Act, as well as the Google Books copyright settlement and its aftermath, have also had an important impact on scholarly communication.
The changing scholarly communication environment has led to chang- ing economic models, including the advent of the “Big Deal” for the purchaseof journals and e-books, the creation of the pay-per-view model and other alternative purchasing models. It has also led to the creation of OA publish- ing models, the Hybrid OA publishing model, and self-publishing. Today,
over 150 universities around the world mandate OA deposits of faculty works and the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) lists 9,437 OA journals in 119 countries.The Directory of Open Access Repositories (OpenDOAR) lists 2,284 open archives in 103 countries.
Potvin, S. (2013). The Principle and the Pragmatist 1 [1] The title draws on David Lewis’s comment: “Open access journals claim two advantages: the first is pragmatic and the second is principled.” See David W. Lewis, “The Inevitability of Open Access,” College &Research Libraries 73:5 (September 2012): 493–506. : On Conflict and Coalescence for Librarian Engagement with Open Access Initiatives. Journal Of Academic Librarianship, 39(1), 67-75.
This article considers Open Access (OA) training and the supports and structures in place in academic libraries in the United States from the perspective of a new librarian. OA programming is contextualized by the larger project of Scholarly Communication in academic libraries, and the two share a historical focus on journal literature and a continued emphasis on public access and the economics of scholarly publishing. Challenges in preparing academic librarians for involvement with OA efforts include the evolving and potentially divergent nature of the international OA movement and the inherent tensions of a role with both principled and pragmatic components that serves a particular university community as well as a larger movement.
Bastos, F., Vidotti, S., & Oddone, N. (2011). The University and its libraries: Reactions and resistance to scientific publishers. Information Services & Use, 31(3/4), 121-129.
This paper addresses the relationship of copyright and the right of universities on scientific production. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are causing many changes in the system of scientific communication, such as the creation of Institutional Repositories that aim to gather scientific production in digital format. The University needs quicker ways of spreading academic production and many questions are emerging due to contexts such as the Open Access movement. Thus, this paper questions the positioning of Universities, especially Public Universities, which despite having policies related to intellectual property to protect the transferring forms of research results to society; many times do not have a positioning or a mechanism that regulates the self-deposit of scientific production in these Institutional Repositories. In order to develop this paper, the following issues are addressed: lack of interest of the University in storing scientific production; reports on the relationship of the library with scientific publishing houses; the participation of faculty members and students in supporting the Free Access movement; and initiatives aimed at greater flexibility of copyright to the context of scientific production. In order to follow the development of these issues at international level, it was opted for qualitative research with non-participating direct observation to carry out the identification and description of copyright policy of important publishers from the ROMEO SHERPA site; therefore, it can be observed that there are changes regarding the publishers’ flexibility before self-archiving of authors in open access institutional repositories in their universities. Given this scenario, we present reflections and considerations that involve the progress and mainly the integration of the University and its faculty members; the institution should recommend and guide its faculty members not to transfer their copyrights, but to defend their right of copy to Institutional Repositories along with Publishing Houses
Jagodzinski, C. M. (2008). The University Press in North America: A Brief History. Journal Of Scholarly Publishing, 40(1), 1-20. doi:10.3138/jsp.40.1.1
Simon-Ritz, F. (2012). Warten auf die Wissenschaftsschranke. Bub: Forum Bibliothek Und Information, 64(9), 562-564.
An article on the debate over copyright law and Open Access publishing in Germany is presented. The author describes the demands for noncommercial secondary usage rights by schools, libraries, and universities, as well as detailing the sections of the copyright laws which he considers most damaging to the larger research community
O’Donnell, M. P. (2014). What is the future of scholarly journals in an open access environment?. American Journal Of Health Promotion, 29(1), v-vi. doi:10.4278/ajhp.29.1.v
This editorial provides an overview of journey of the journal American Journal of Health Promotion. This journal would continue to be allowed to publish these articles but wanted me to understand the public would also have free access to them online. This university was following the lead of the Harvard Law School Open Access Policy, which was adopted by faculty at Harvard and Stanford in 2008, at MIT in 2009, and at many other prestigious universities and colleges since then. The traditional publishers want to maximize subscriber satisfaction so they can sell more subscriptions and minimize the number of accepted manuscripts to reduce the cost of printing, whereas the fee-based online publishers want to increase the number of accepted manuscripts to maximize publishing fees. The cost of this subscription is $895/y. The subscription must be in place before the article is typeset.
Armato, D. (2012). What Was a University Press?. Against The Grain, 24(6), 58-62.
Hall, R. (2014). You Say You Want a Publishing Revolution. Progressive Librarian, (43), 35-46.
A recent study published in PLoS ONE estimated that 27 million, or 24%, of the 114 million English-language scholarly documents available through Google Scholar and Microsoft Academic Search are freely available on the web (Khabsa & Giles, 2014). While this is not nearly as much as open access advocates would like, it shows a significant step in the right direction. Though the authors of this study fail to acknowledge the sources of this free
information, it can be surmised that library publishing initiatives—including open access journals and institutional repositories—have contributed greatly.
Data Visualization Designer and Consultant for the Arts
Lecturer
The University Libraries of Virginia Tech seeks a specialist to join a team offering critical and sophisticated new technology development services that enhance the scholarly and creative expression of faculty and graduate students. This new position will bring relevant computational techniques to the enhance the fields of Art and Design at Virginia Tech, and will serve as a visual design consultant to project teams using data visualization methodologies.
The ideal candidates will have demonstrated web development and programming skills, knowledge of digital research methods and tools in Art and Design, experience managing and interpreting common types of digital data and assets studied in those fields.
The Data Visualization Designer & Digital Consultant for the Arts will not only help researchers in Art and Design fields develop, manage, and sustain digital creative works and digital forms of scholarly expression, but also help researchers across Virginia Tech design effective visual representations of their research. Successful candidates will work collaboratively with other Virginia Tech units, such as the School of Visual Arts; the School of Performing Arts; the Moss Center for the Arts; the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology; and the arts community development initiative VTArtWorks (made possible by the Institute of Museum and Library Services [SP-02-15-0034-15])
Responsibilities
– Investigates and applies existing and emerging technologies that help strengthen the Libraries’ mission to enhance and curate visual representations of data at Virginia Tech.
– Develops and modifies technologies and designs processes that facilitate data visualization/exploration, data and information access, data discovery, data mining, data publishing, data management, and preservation
– Serves as consultant to researchers on data visualization, visual design principles, and related computational tools and methods in the digital arts
– Keeps up with trends in digital research issues, methods, and tools in related disciplines
– Identifies data, digital scholarship, and digital library development referral opportunities; makes connections with research teams across campus
– Participates in teams and working groups and in various data-related projects and initiatives as a result of developments and changes in library services
The James E. Walker Library at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) seeks a systems librarian to contribute to the mission of the library through administration and optimization of the library’s various management systems.
This is a 12-month, tenure-track position (#401070) at the rank of assistant/associate professor. Start date for the position is July 1, 2018. All library faculty are expected to meet promotion and tenure standards.
This position reports to the team director. The successful candidate will collaborate with campus faculty and library colleagues to ensure long-term preservation and accessibility of digital assets, projects, and datasets collected and created by the library, and to support metadata strategies associated with digital scholarship and special collections. The person in this position will engage in national and/or international initiatives and insure that best practice is followed for curation of digital materials.
Responsibilities:
Coordinate management of digital repositories, working across teams, including Digital Initiatives & Scholarly Communication, Special Collections & Archives, Technology, and Resource Services, to ensure the sustainability of projects and content
Create and maintain policies and procedures guiding digital preservation practices, including establishing authenticity and integrity workflows for born digital and digitized content
In collaboration with the Digital Collections Librarian, create guidelines and procedures for metadata creation, transformation, remediation, and enhancement
Perform metadata audits of existing digital assets to ensure compliance with standards
Maintain awareness of trends in metadata and resource discovery
Participates in team and library-wide activities; serves on Library, Librarians’ Assembly, and University committees; represents the library in relevant regional, state, and national organizations
Participates in local, regional, or national professional organizations; enriches professional expertise by attending conferences and professional development opportunities, delivering presentations at professional meetings, publishing in professional publications, and serving on professional committees
Perform other duties as assigned
Required Qualifications:
Master’s degree in Library Science from an ALA-accredited program or a master’s degree in a related field
Knowledge of best practices for current digital library standards for digital curation and of born digital and digitized content
Knowledge of current trends in data stewardship and data management plans
Experience with preservation workflows for born digital and digitized content
Experience with metadata standards and protocols (such as Dublin Core, Open Archives Initiative-Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH), METS, MODS, PREMIS)
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, effectively identify and leverage resources, as well as meet deadlines and budgets
Aptitude for complex, analytical work with an attention to detail
Ability to work independently and as part of a team
Excellent communication skills
Strong service orientation
Desired Qualifications:
One to three years of experience with digital preservation or metadata creation in an academic library setting
Experience with developing, using, and preserving research data collections
Familiarity with GIS and data visualization tools
Demonstrated skills with scripting languages and/or tools for data manipulation (e.g. OpenRefine http://openrefine.org/, Python, XSLT, etc.)
++++++++++++++++++
Mimi O’Malley is the learning technology translation strategist at Spalding University
THE DIGITAL HUMANITIES: IMPLICATIONS FOR LIBRARIANS,
LIBRARIES, AND LIBRARIANSHIP
The redefinition of humanities scholarship has received major attention in higher education over the past few years. The advent of digital humanities has challenged many aspects of academic librarianship. With the acknowledgement that librarians must be a necessary part of this scholarly conversation, the challenges facing subject/liaison librarians, technical service librarians, and library administrators are many. Developing the knowledge base of digital tools, establishing best procedures and practices, understanding humanities scholarship, managing data through the research lifecycle, teaching literacies (information, data, visual) beyond the one-shot class, renegotiating the traditional librarian/faculty relationship as ‘service orientated,’ and the willingness of library and institutional administrators to allocate scarce resources to digital humanities projects while balancing the mission and priorities of their institutions are just some of the issues facing librarians as they reinvent themselves in the digital humanities sphere.
A CALL FOR PROPOSALS
College & Undergraduate Libraries, a peer-reviewed journal published by Taylor & Francis, invites proposals for articles to be published in the fall of 2017. The issue will be co-edited by Kevin Gunn (gunn@cua.edu) of the Catholic University of America and Jason Paul (pauljn@stolaf.edu) of St. Olaf College.
The issue will deal with the digital humanities in a very broad sense, with a major focus on their implications for the roles of academic librarians and libraries as well as on librarianship in general. Possible article topics include, but are not limited to, the following themes, issues, challenges, and criticism:
Developing the project development mindset in librarians
Creating new positions and/or cross-training issues for librarians
Librarian as: point-of-service agent, an ongoing consultant, or as an embedded project librarian
Developing managerial and technological competencies in librarians
Administration support (or not) for DH endeavors in libraries
Teaching DH with faculty to students (undergraduate and graduate) and faculty
Helping students working with data
Managing the DH products of the data life cycle
Issues surrounding humanities data collection development and management
Relationships of data curation and digital libraries in DH
Issues in curation, preservation, sustainability, and access of DH data, projects, and products
Linked data, open access, and libraries
Librarian and staff development for non-traditional roles
Teaching DH in academic libraries
Project collaboration efforts with undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty
Data literacy for librarians
The lack of diversity of librarians and how it impacts DH development
Advocating and supporting DH across the institution
Developing institutional repositories for DH
Creating DH scholarship from the birth of digital objects
Consortial collaborations on DH projects
Establishing best practices for dh labs, networks, and services
Assessing, evaluating, and peer reviewing DH projects and librarians.
Articles may be theoretical or ideological discussions, case studies, best practices, research studies, and opinion pieces or position papers.
Proposals should consist of an abstract of up to 500 words and up to six keywords describing the article, together with complete author contact information. Articles should be in the range of 20 double-spaced pages in length. Please consult the following link that contains instructions for authors: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?journalCode=wcul20&page=instructions#.V0DJWE0UUdU.
Please submit proposals to Kevin Gunn (gunn@cua.edu) by August 17, 2016; please do not use Scholar One for submitting proposals. First drafts of accepted proposals will be due by February 1, 2017 with the issue being published in the fall of 2017. Feel free to contact the editors with any questions that you may have.
Kevin Gunn, Catholic University of America
Jason Paul, St. Olaf College
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Transformational Initiative for Graduate Education and Research (TIGER) at the General Library of the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez (UPRM) seeks an enthusiastic and creative Research Services Librarian to join our recently created Graduate Research and Innovation Center (GRIC).
The Research Services Librarian works to advance the goals and objectives of Center and leads the creation and successful organization of instructional activities, collaborates to envision and implement scholarly communication services and assists faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students in managing the lifecycle of data resulting from all types of projects. This initiative is funded by a five year grant awarded by the Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans Program (PPOHA), Title V, Part B, of the U.S. Department of Education.
The Research Services Librarian will build relationships and collaborate with the GRIC personnel and library liaisons as well as with project students and staff. This is a Librarian I position that will be renewed annually (based upon performance evaluation) for the duration of the project with a progressive institutionalization commitment starting on October 1st, 2016. .
The Mayaguez Campus of the University of Puerto Rico is located in the western part of the island. Our library provides a broad array of services, collections and resources for a community of approximately 12,100 students and supports more than 95 academic programs. An overview of the library and the university can be obtained through http://www.uprm.edu/library/.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Master’s degree in library or information science (MLS, MIS, MLIS) from an ALA (American Library Association)-accredited program • Fully bilingual in English and Spanish • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work well with a diverse academic community • Experience working in reference and instruction in an academic/research library and strong assessment and user-centered service orientation • Demonstrated experience working across organizational boundaries and managing complex stakeholder groups to move projects forward • Experience with training, scheduling and supervising at various settings • Ability to work creatively, collaboratively and effectively on teams and on independent assignments • Experience with website creation and design in a CMS environment and accessibility and compliance issues • Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Experience creating and maintaining web-based subject guides and tutorials • Demonstrated ability to deliver in-person and online reference services • Experience helping researchers with data management planning and understanding of trends and issues related to the research lifecycle, including creation, analysis, preservation, access, and reuse of research data • Demonstrated a high degree of facility with technologies and systems germane to the 21st century library, and be well versed in the issues surrounding scholarly communications and compliance issues (e.g. author identifiers, data sharing software, repositories, among others) • Demonstrate awareness of emerging trends, best practices, and applicable technologies in academic librarianship • Demonstrated experience with one or more metadata and scripting languages (e.g. Dublin Core, XSLT, Java, JavaScript, Python, or PHP) • Academic or professional experience in the sciences or other fields utilizing quantitative methodologies • Experience conducting data-driven analysis of user needs or user testing.
Second master’s degree, doctorate or formal courses leading to a doctorate degree from an accredited university
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES
Manages daily operations, coordinates activities, and services related to the GRIC and contributes to the continuing implementation of TIGER goals and objectives.
Works closely with liaison and teaching librarians to apply emerging technologies in the design, delivery, and maintenance of high-quality subject guides, digital collection, learning objects, online tutorials, workshops, seminars, mobile and social media interfaces and applications.
Provide support to faculty and graduate students through the integration of digital collection, resources, technologies and analytical tools with traditional resources and by offering user-centered consultation and specialized services 4. Participates in the implementation, promotion, and assessment of the institutional repository and e-science initiative related to data storage, retrieval practices, processes, and data literacy/management.
Advises and educates campus community about author’s rights, Creative Commons licenses, copyrighted materials, open access, publishing trends and other scholarly communication issues.
Develops new services as new needs arise following trends in scholarly communication e-humanities, and e-science.
Provides and develops awareness and knowledge related to digital scholarship and research lifecycle for librarians and staff.
Actively disseminates project outcomes and participates in networking and professional development activities to keep current with emerging practices, technologies and trends.
Actively promote TIGER or GRIC related activities through social networks and other platforms as needed.
Periodically collects, analyzes, and incorporates relevant statistical data into progress reports as needed (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Springshare, among others).
Actively collaborates with the TIGER Project Assessment Coordinator and the Springshare Administrator to create reports and tools to collect data on user needs.
Coordinates the transmission of online workshops through Google Hangouts Air with the Agricultural Experiment Station Library staff.
Collaborates in the creation of grants and external funds proposals.
Availability and flexibility to work some weeknights and weekends.
SALARY: $ 45,720.00 yearly+ (12 month year).
BENEFITS: University health insurance, 30 days of annual leave, 18 days of sick leave.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Technology Integration and Web Services Librarian
The Ferris Library for Information, Technology and Education (FLITE) at Ferris State University (Big Rapids, Michigan) invites applications for a collaborative and service-oriented Technology Integration and Web Services Librarian. The Technology Integration and Web Services Librarian ensures that library systems and web services support and enhance student learning. Primary responsibilities include management and design of the library website’s architecture, oversight of the technical and administrative aspects of the library management system and other library enterprise applications, and the seamless integration of all library web-based services. Collaborates with other library faculty and staff to provide reliable electronic access to online resources and to improve the accessibility, usability, responsiveness, and overall user experience of the library’s website. Serves as a liaison to other campus units including Information Technology Services. The Technology Integration and Web Services Librarian is a 12-month, tenure-track faculty position based in the Collections & Access Services team and reports to the Assistant Dean for Collections & Access Services.
Required Qualifications: ALA accredited master’s degree in library or information science by the time of hire. Minimum 2 years recent experience in administration and configuration of a major enterprise system, such as a library management system. Minimum 2 years recent experience in designing and managing a large-scale website using HTML5, Javascript, and CSS. Demonstrated commitment to the principles of accessibility, universal design, and user-centered design methodologies. Recent experience with object-oriented programming and scripting languages used to support a website. Experience working in a Unix/ Linux environment. Experience with SQL and maintaining MySQL, PostgreSQL, and/ or Oracle databases. Knowledge of web site analytics and experience with making data-driven decisions.
DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL PROJECTS, MIT Libraries, to direct the development, maintenance, and scaling of software applications and tools designed to dramatically increase access to research collections, improve service capabilities, and expand the library platform. Will be responsible for leading efforts on a variety of collaborative digital library projects aimed at increasing global access to MIT’s collections and facilitating innovative human and machine uses of a full range of research and teaching objects and metadata; and lead a software development program and develop partnerships with external academic and commercial collaborators to develop tools and platforms with a local and global impact on research, scholarly communications, education, and the preservation of information and ideas.
MIT Libraries seek to be leaders in the collaborative development of a truly open global network of library repositories and platforms. By employing a dynamic, project-based staffing model and drawing on staff resources from across the Libraries to deliver successful outcomes, it is poised to make immediate progress.
REQUIRED: four-year college degree; at least seven years’ professional experience and increasing responsibility with library systems and digital library strategy and development; evidence of broad, in-depth technology and systems knowledge; experience with integrated library systems/library services platforms, discovery technologies, digital repositories, and/or digital preservation services and technologies and demonstrated understanding of the trends and ongoing development of such systems and of emerging technologies in these areas; and experience directly leading and managing projects (i.e., developing proposals; establishing timelines, budgets, and staffing plans; leading day-to-day project work; and delivering on commitments). Job #13458-S
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA LIBRARIES Digital Projects Librarian Position Description
General Summary of Responsibilities
The University of Alabama Libraries seeks an innovative, dynamic, and service-oriented professional for the position of Digital Projects Librarian. Reporting to the Head of Web Services, this position is primarily responsible for development, implementation, and project management of technology projects in a collaborative environment, as well as supporting the development and management of the UA Libraries various web interfaces. This position will also act as primary administrator for LibApps and similar cloud-based library application suites.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
Reporting to the head of Web Services, the Digital Projects Librarian will manage and extend the University Libraries services by planning and implementing a variety of projects for internal and external audiences. The position will also integrate, manage, and extend various software platforms and web-based tools using LAMP technology skills and web programming languages such as PHP, CSS, and JavaScript. S/he will support tools such as the University Libraries web site and intranet, will work with an institutional repository instance and digital archives website, and will work with the LibApps suite of library tools. Will modify, implement and create widgets and small applications for learning tools and other interfaces and APIs. The librarian will interact with a wide range of individuals with differing technological abilities and will be expected to successfully collaborate across departments. The librarian will maintain a knowledge of current best practices in security for web tools, and library privacy concerns. The librarian will work to identify promising new technologies that can impact services and generate a better user experience. The librarian will be expected to have some participation in usability and user experience studies.
Department Information
The Web Services Unit is part of the University Libraries Office of Library Technology and is responsible for web applications, web sites, content, and services that comprise the University Libraries web presence. Among its duties, Web Services manages the University Libraries discovery service application, multiple instances of the WordPress CMS, WordPress Blogs, the LibApp suite of library tools, and Omeka as well as other tools, along with usability and accessibility efforts.
Duties
Administrate the UA suite of the LibApps tools (LibGuides, LibCal, LibAnswers, etc.); responsible for implementation of existing guidelines and maintaining continuity of look, feel and action;
Works as part of team that is responsible for management and extension of the University Libraries various web-based applications and tools (such as WordPress as a CMS and other CMS frameworks, WordPress Blogs, custom apps using an Angular JS framework and Bootstrap, Omeka, Drupal);
General, project-based web development and UX implementation within the framework of our web site, intranet and student portal;
Responsible for creating, modifying and implementing learning-tool solutions, such as Blackboard Learn widgets;
Evaluate the use and effectiveness of web applications and other technological services using analytics, usability studies, and other methods;
Work to identify and assist in implementing and evaluating promising emerging technologies and social media tools;
Provide technical expertise for the use of social media applications and tools;
Other duties as assigned.
Required qualifications
Master’s degree in Library & Information Sciences from an ALA-accredited program or advanced degree in Instructional Technology or comparable field from an accredited institution;
Ability to successfully initiate, track, and manage projects;
Demonstrated experience working on digital library projects;
Experience administering CMS-type tools and an understanding of web programming work;
Familiarity with the Linux and/or Unix command-line;
Excellent interpersonal, communication, and customer service skills and the ability to interact effectively with faculty, students, and staff.
Preferred Qualifications
One year of experience working in an academic library on large digital projects – either implementation or programming/developing, or both.
Demonstrable experience creating course and/or subject guides via LibGuides or a comparable application;
Experience developing for libraries using current best practices in writing and implementation of multiple scripting or programing languages;
Experience with automated development repository environments using Grunt, Bower, GitHub, etc.
Experience with an Open Source content management systems such as WordPress;
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a large and complex environment;
Familiarity with project management and team productivity tools such as Asana, Trello, and Slack;
Knowledge of XML and library metadata standards ;
Knowledge of scripting languages such as XSLT, JavaScript, Python, Perl, and PHP;
Familiarity with responsive design methodologies and best practices;
Familiarity with agile-design practices;
Knowledge of graphic design and image editing software.
Environment:
The University of Alabama, The Capstone University, is the State of Alabama’s flagship public university and the senior comprehensive doctoral level institution in Alabama. UA enrolls over 37,000 students, is ranked in the top 50 public universities in the United States, and its School of Library and Information Studies is ranked in the top 15 library schools in the country. UA has graduated 15 Rhodes Scholars, 15 Truman Scholars, has had 121 Fulbright Scholars, is one of the leading institutions for National Merit Scholars (150 in 2015), and has 5 Pulitzer Prize winners among its ranks. Under the new leadership of President Stuart Bell, UA has launched a strategic planning process that includes an aggressive research agenda and expansion of graduate education. UA is located in Tuscaloosa, a metropolitan area of 200,000, with a vibrant economy, a moderate climate, and a reputation across the South as an innovative, progressive community with an excellent quality of life. Tuscaloosa provides easy access to mountains, several large cities, and the beautiful Gulf Coast.
The University of Alabama is an equal opportunity employer and is strongly committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. Applicants from a broad spectrum of people, including members of ethnic minorities and disabled persons, are especially encouraged to apply. The University Libraries homepage may be accessed at http://libraries.ua.edu
Prior to employment the successful candidate must pass a pre-employment background investigation.
SALARY/BENEFITS: This will be a non-tenure track 12-month renewable appointment for up to three year cycles at the Assistant Professor rank based on performance, funding, and the needs of the University Libraries. Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience. Excellent benefits, including professional development support and tuition fee waiver.
Columbia University Libraries seeks a collegial, collaborative, and creative Digital Humanities Developer to join our Libraries IT staff. The Digital Humanities Developer will provide technology support for digital humanities-focused projects by evaluating, implementing and managing relevant platforms and applications; the Developer will also analyze, transform and/or convert existing humanities-related data sets for staff, engage in creative prototyping of innovative applications, and provide technology consulting and instructional support for Libraries staff.
This new position, based in the Libraries’ Digital Program Division, will work on a variety of projects, collaborating closely with the Digital Humanities Librarian, the Digital Scholarship Coordinator, other Libraries technology groups, librarians in the Humanities & History division and project stakeholders. The position will contribute to building out flexible and sustainable technology platforms for the Libraries’ DH programs and will
also explore new and innovative DH applications and tools.
Responsibilities include:
– Evaluate, implement and manage web and related software applications and platforms relevant to the digital humanities program
– Analyze, transform and/or convert existing humanities-related data sets for staff, students and faculty as needed
– Engage in creative prototyping and model innovative technology solutions in support of the goals of the Digital Humanities Center
– Provide technology consulting, guidance and instruction to CUL staff a well as students and faculty as required
– Conduct independent exploration of technology issues and opportunities in the Digital Humanities domain
The successful candidate will have great collaboration and communication skills and a strong interest in developing expertise in the evolving field of digital humanities.
Columbia University is An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and strongly encourages individuals of all backgrounds and cultures to consider this position.
-Bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field, with experience in the humanities, a minimum of 3 years of related work experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
Significant experience with UNIX, relational databases (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL), and one or more relevant software / scripting languages (e.g., JavaScript, PHP, Python, Ruby/Rails, Perl); experience with modern web standards (HTML5 / CSS / JavaScript); ability to manage software development using revision control software such as SVN and GIT/GITHUB; strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work as part of collaborative teams; ability to communicate effectively with faculty, students, and staff, including both technical and non-technical collaborators; commitment to supporting and working in a diverse collegial environment
Advanced degree in computer science or a related field, or an advanced degree in the humanities or related field; experience in one or more of the following areas: natural language processing, text analysis, data-mining, machine learning, spatial information / mapping, data modeling, information visualization, integrating digital media into web applications; experience with XML/XSLT, GIS, SOLR, linked data technologies; experience with platforms used for digital exhibits or archives.
Experience in the design, development and management of web interfaces, including demonstrated pro?ciency with HTML, CSS, and web authoring tools.
Working knowledge of relevant coding languages such as Javascript and PHP
Ability and willingness to develop work?ows and standards related to all aspects of the library’s web presence and services including related applications.
Strong problem solving skills
Excellent organizational skills, including the capability for managing a variety of tasks and multiple priorities
Demonstrated initiative and proven ability to learn new technologies and adapt to changes in the profession.
Understanding of library services and technologies in an academic environment.
Strong service orientation and awareness of end user needs as related to library online services and technologies
Possesses an understanding of, and a commitment to, usability testing and ongoing assessment of web interfaces
Demonstrated ability to thrive in a team environment, working both independently and collaboratively as appropriate.
Ability to learn new technical skills quickly and adapt emerging technologies to new domains.
Proven ability and willingness to share expertise with colleagues and to articulate technology strategy to non-technical sta? and patrons.
Must be available to respond to situations and systems maintenance work that will occur during weekends or evenings.
Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication, including the ability to develop written project documentation, process procedures, reports, etc.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Knowledge of Responsive Web Design and W3C Web Usability Guidelines.
Experience supporting an Integrated Library System (ILS)/Library Management Platform and/or discovery system such as Ex Libris’s Primo.
Experience using web development languages such as PHP, Javascript, XML, XSLT, and CSS3.
Experience with content management systems such as Drupal or WordPress
Familiarity with the technical applications and strategies used to enhance the discover ability of library and digital collections.
Experience with managing projects, meeting deadlines, and communicating to various stakeholders in an academic library environment.
Experience working in a Linux environment.
Experience supporting web applications utilizing the LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP).
The University Libraries at Appalachian State University seeks a responsive and collaborative Electronic Resources Librarian. The Electronic Resources Librarian will ensure a seamless and transparent research environment for students and faculty by managing access to electronic resources. Working collaboratively across library teams, the Electronic Resources Librarian will identify and implement improvements in online content, systems and services. The successful candidate will have strong project management, problem solving, and workflow management skills. The Electronic Resources Librarian is a member of the Resource Acquisition and Management Team.
Required
ALA-accredited master’s degree.
Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
Demonstrated e-resources project and workflow management skills.
Preferred
Experience with integrated library systems (Sierra preferred).
Experience with setup and maintenance of knowledge base, OpenURL, and discovery systems (EDS preferred).
Experience with proxy setup and maintenance (Innovative’s WAM, and/or EZ Proxy preferred).
Knowledge of security standards and protocols such as LDAP, Single-Sign On, and Shibboleth, and data transfer standards and protocols such as IP, FTP, COUNTER, and SUSHI.
Advanced skills with office productivity software including MS Office, and Google Apps for Education.
Evidence of establishing and maintaining excellent vendor relationships.
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across library teams.
Demonstrated skill in technical trouble-shooting and problem-solving.
Demonstrated supervisory skills.
Second advanced degree.
———————————————————————–
—–Original Message—–
From: lita-l-request@lists.ala.org [mailto:lita-l-request@lists.ala.org] On Behalf Of Spencer Lamm
Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2016 12:13 PM
To: lita-l@lists.ala.org
Subject: [lita-l] Jobs: Digital Repository Application Developer, Drexel University Libraries
Summary
Drexel University Libraries seeks a collaborative and creative professional to develop solutions for managing digital collections, research data, university records, and digital scholarship. Working primarily with our Islandora implementation, this position will play a key role as the Libraries advance preservation services and public access for a wide array of digital content including books, articles, images, journals, newspapers, audio, video, and datasets.
As a member of the Data & Digital Stewardship division, the digital repository application developer will work in a collaborative, team-based environment alongside other developers, as well as archives, metadata, and data services staff. The position’s primary responsibility will be working in a Linux environment with the Islandora digital repository stack, which includes the Fedora Commons digital asset management layer, Apache Solr, and Drupal. To support the ingestion and exposure of new collections and digital object types the position will extend the repository using tools such as: RDF, SPARQL, and triplestores; the SWORD protocol; and XSLT.
Reporting to the manager, discovery systems, the developer will collaborate with collection managers and stakeholders across campus. In addition, the successful candidate will play an active role in the Islandora and Fedora open source communities, contributing code, participating in working groups and engaging in other activities in support of current and future implementers of these technologies.
Librarian and Instructional Technology Liaison – Data Services (#459)
Date Posted: 10/19/2016 Type/Department: Staff in Library, Information & Technology Services
As a member of a fully blended group of librarians and instructional technologists in the Research & Instructional Support (RIS) department, the Librarian/Library and Instructional Technology Liaison (title dependent on qualifications) will work closely with fellow liaisons in RIS to provide forward-looking library research and instructional technology services to faculty and students, with a special focus on data services.The liaison collaborates broadly across LITS as well as with internal and external partners to support faculty and students participating in the College’s data science curricular initiative and in data-intensive disciplines. The liaison coordinates the development, design, and provision of responsive and flexible data services programming for faculty and students, including data analysis, data storage, data publishing, data management, data visualization, and data preservation. The liaison consults with faculty and students in a wide range of disciplines on best practices for teaching and using data/statistical software tools such as R, SPSS, Stata, and MatLab.All liaisons collaborate with faculty to support the design, implementation and assessment of meaningfully integrated library research and technology skills and tools (including Moodle, the learning management system) into teaching and learning activities; provide library research and instructional technology consultation; effectively design, develop, deliver, and assess seminars, workshops, and other learning opportunities; provide self-motivated leadership in imagining and implementing improvements in teaching and learning effectiveness; serve as liaison to one or more academic departments or programs, supporting pedagogical and content needs in the areas of collection development, library research, and instructional technology decisions; maintain high levels of quality customer service standards responding to questions and problems; partner with colleagues across Library, Information, and Technology Services (LITS) to ensure excellence in the provision of services in support of teaching and learning; and actively work to help the RIS team and the College to create a welcoming environment in which a diverse population of students, faculty, and staff can thrive.Evening and weekend work may be necessary. In some circumstances, it may be important to assist during adverse weather and emergency situations to ensure essential services and service points are covered. Performs related duties as assigned.Qualifications:
Advanced degree required, preferably in education, educational technology, instructional design, or MLS with an emphasis in instruction and assessment. Open to other combinations of education and experience such as advanced degree in quantitative academic disciplines with appropriate teaching and outreach experience.
3-5 years experience in an academic setting with one or more of the following: teaching, outreach, instructional technology and design support, or research support.
Significant experience with statistical/quantitative data analysis using one or more of the following tools: R, SPSS, Stata, or MatLab.
Significant experience with one or more of the following: data storage, data publishing, data management, data visualization, or data preservation.
Skills:
Demonstrated passion for the teaching and learning process, an understanding of a variety of pedagogical approaches, and the ability to develop effective learning experiences.
Demonstrated ability to lead projects that include diverse groups of people.
A love of learning, the ability to think critically with a dash of ingenuity, the open-mindedness to change your mind, the confidence to admit to not knowing something, and a willingness to learn and move on from mistakes.
Attention and care for detail without losing sight of the big picture and our users’ needs.
Flexibility to accept, manage, and incorporate change in a fast-paced environment.
Excellent oral and written communication, quantitative, organization, and problem-solving skills.
The ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
Able to maintain a professional and tactful approach in all interactions, ensuring confidentiality and an individual’s right to privacy regarding appropriate information.
Enthusiastic service orientation with sensitivity to the needs of users at all skill levels; the ability to convey technical information to a non-technical audience is essential.
Ability to travel as needed to participate in consortia and professional meetings and events.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From:lita-l-request@lists.ala.org [mailto:lita-l-request@lists.ala.org] On Behalf Of Williams, Ginger Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2016 8:37 AM To: ‘lita-l@lists.ala.org’ <lita-l@lists.ala.org> Subject: [lita-l] Job: Library Specialist Data Visualization & Collection Analytics (Texas USA)
library Specialist: Data Visualization & Collections Analytics
The Albert B. Alkek Library at Texas State University is seeking a Library Specialist: Data Visualization & Collections Analytics. Under the direction of the Head of Acquisitions, this position provides library-wide support for data visualization and collection analytics projects to support data-driven decision making. This position requires a high level of technical expertise and specialized knowledge to gather, manage, and analyze collection data and access rights, then report complex data in easy-to-understand visualizations. The position will include working with print and digital collections owned or leased by the library.
RESPONSIBILITIES: Develop and maintain an analytics strategy for the library. Manage and report usage statistics for electronic resources. Conduct complex holdings comparison analyses utilizing data from the Integrated Library System (ILS), vendors and/or external systems. Produce reports from the ILS on holdings and circulation. Develop strategies to clean and normalize data exported from the ILS and other systems for use in further analysis. Utilize data visualization strategies to report and present analytics. Conduct benchmarking with vendors, peer institutions, and stakeholders. Coordinate record-keeping of current and perpetual access rights for electronic resources and the management of titles in preservation systems such as LOCKSS and PORTICO. Maintain awareness of developments with digital preservation systems and national and international standards for electronic resources. Serve as the primary resource person for questions related to collections analytics and data visualization. Represent department and library-wide needs by participating in various committees. Participate in formulating departmental and unit policies. Pursue professional development activities to improve knowledge, skills, and abilities. Coordinate and/or perform special projects, participate in department & other staff meetings and perform other duties as needed.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Required: Ability to read, analyze, and understand data in a variety of formats; strong written, oral, and interpersonal skills, including ability to work effectively in a team; experience using R, Tableau, BayesiaLab or other data visualization or AI applications, demonstrated by an online portfolio; advanced problem solving, critical thinking, and analytical skills; demonstrated advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel, including experience using VBA, macros, and formulas; intermediate familiarity with relational databases such as Microsoft Access, including creating relationships, queries, and reports; innovative thinking including the ability to utilize analytics/visualization tools in new, creative, and effective ways.
Preferred: Bachelor’s degree in quantitative or data visualization field such as Applied Statistics, Data Science, or Business Analytics or certificate in data visualization; familiarity with library collection management standards and tools, such as reporting modules within integrated library systems, COUNTER, SUSHI, PIE-J, LOCKSS, PORTICO, library electronic resource usage statistics, and continuing resources; experience with SQL or other query language.
SALARY AND BENEFITS: Commensurate with qualifications and experience. Benefits include monthly contribution to health insurance/benefits package and retirement program. No state or local income tax.
BACKGROUND CHECK: Employment with Texas State University is contingent upon the outcome of a criminal history background check.
Texas State University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Texas State, a member of the
Texas State University System, is committed to increasing the number of women and
minorities in administrative and professional positions.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Assistant Professor
Working Title
Assistant Professor – Web Development Librarian #002847
Department
Office of the Dean – Hunter Library
Position Summary
Hunter Library seeks an enthusiastic, innovative, collaborative, and user-oriented librarian for the position of Web Development and User Experience Librarian. This librarian will research, develop, and assess enhancements to the library’s web presence. The person in this position will design new sites and applications to improve the user experience in discovering, finding, and accessing library content and services. Providing vision and leadership in designing, developing and supporting the library website content and integrating it with the larger library web presence, which includes discovery tools, digital collections, and electronic resources; supervision of one technology support analyst, as well as staff/student employees engaged in related work, as assigned. Monitors workflow and deadlines; day-to-day management, including programming and editorial recommendations, of the library’s web pages and intranet; serves as a member of the library’s web steering committee, an advisory group that includes representatives from across the library; development and implementation web applications and tools, particularly for mobile environments. The library values collaboration and broad engagement in library-wide decisions and initiatives. This position reports directly to the Head of Technology, Access, and Special Collections.
Carnegie statement
WCU embraces its role as a regionally engaged university and is designated by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a community engaged university. Preference will be given to candidates who can demonstrate a commitment to public engagement through their teaching, service, and scholarship
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities Required for this Position
Strong leadership skills and ability to lead a web based electronic content management development team; experience in designing, developing, and supporting web sites using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript; familiarity with User Experience Design; basic skills in graphic design; familiarity with usability testing, WAI guidelines, and web analytics; familiarity with mobile platforms, applications, and design; familiarity with responsive design; familiarity with content management systems, intranets, relational databases, and web servers; demonstrated flexibility and initiative; strong commitment to user-centered services and service excellence; strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to work effectively with faculty, staff, and students; superior oral and written communication skills; ability to achieve tenure through effective job performance, service, and research.
Minimum Qualifications
ALA-accredited master’s degree or international equivalent in library or information science; strong leadership skills and ability to lead a web based electronic content management development team; experience in designing, developing, and supporting web sites using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript; familiarity with User Experience Design; basic skills in graphic design; familiarity with usability testing, WAI guidelines, and web analytics; familiarity with mobile platforms, applications, and design; familiarity with responsive design; familiarity with content management systems, intranets, relational databases, and web servers. Demonstrated flexibility and initiative; strong commitment to user-centered services and service excellence; strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to work effectively with faculty, staff, and students; superior oral and written communication skills; ability to achieve tenure through effective job performance, service, and research
Preferred Qualifications
Academic library experience; demonstrated skills in User Experience Design; demonstrated experience with usability testing, WAI guidelines, and web analytics; demonstrated experience with mobile platforms, applications, and design; demonstrated experience developing responsive web pages or applications; demonstrated experience with content management systems, relational databases, and web servers; skills or interest in photography; experience with graphic design software; familiarity with a programming environment that includes languages such as ASP.NET, PHP, Python, or Ruby
Position Type
Permanent Full-Time
Position: Library Information Analyst
Position summary
The Library Information Analyst coordinates Access & Information Services (AIS) technology assessment activities, working in a 24/5 environment to support the technology needs of customers. This position will analyze and report quantitative and qualitative data gathered from various technology-related services including the iSpace (library maker space), equipment lending, and all public-facing user technology. Using this data, the incumbent will support strategic planning for improving and operationalizing technology-related services, provide analysis to support a wide variety of data to management, and makes recommendations for process improvements.
The University of Alabama Libraries seeks a talented and energetic professional Web Development Librarian in the Web Technologies and Development unit. Reporting to the Manager of Web Technologies and Development, this position will be responsible for supporting and extending the Libraries’ custom web applications, tools, and web presence. The position will also engage in project work, and support new technology initiatives derived from our strategic plan. The position duties will be split among extending and supporting our custom PHP web apps framework, maintaining and enhancing our web site, maintaining and extending our custom Bento search tool, and developing for open-source digital initiatives such as EBSCO’s FOLIO library framework. The position will also support inter-departmental development and troubleshooting using your front-stack and back-end skills.
The successful candidate will maintain a knowledge of current best practices in all areas of responsibility with special attention to security. S/he will identify promising new technologies that can positively impact services or generate a better user experience and will be an innovative and entrepreneurial professional who desires to work in a creative, collaborative and respectful environment.
The Web Technologies and Applications department is responsible for the development of such nationally-recognized tools as our Bento search interface and our innovative applications of Ebsco’s EDS tool. The University Libraries emphasizes a culture of continuous learning, professional growth, and diversity through ongoing and regular training, and well-supported professional development.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
MLS/MLIS degree from an ALA accredited program, or
Demonstrated ability to work independently, as well as collaboratively with diverse constituencies; comfortable with ambiguity; and effective oral, written and interpersonal communication
Experience (1 year+) developing for LAMP systems / extensive familiarity with PHP and MySQL or other back-end development Eg, must be able to write SQL queries and PHP code, and show understanding of web application usage using these tools within a Linux and Apache environment.
Extensive familiarity with front-stack development using Javascript and Javascript libraries, AJAX, JSON, HTML 5 and
Familiarity with version control usage systems in a development
Familiarity with basic UX, iterative design, accessibility standards and mobile first
Experience developing within a WordPress
Ability to problem solve
Ability to set and follow through on both individual and team priorities and
Aptitude for learning new technologies and working in a dynamic
Demonstrated comfort with an evolving technology
A desire to be awesome, and develop awesome projects.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
1-3 years of programming and development experience in a web environment using LAMP
Experience developing for, and supporting, common open-source library applications such as Omeka, ArchiveSpace, Dspace,
Experience with Java, Ruby, RAML
Familiarity with NoSQL databases and
Experience interacting with and manipulating REST API data
Application or mobile development
Experience with professional workflows using IDEs, staging servers, Git, Grunt, and
Familiarity with js, Bootstrap, Angular.js, Roots.io.
Familiar with UX methodologies and
Experience with web security issues, HTTPS, and developing secure
Experience developing for and within open-source
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Web Developer/Content Strategist
0604162
University Libraries
Desired Qualifications
– Experience working with Drupal or similar CMS.
– Experience working with LibGuides.
– Familiarity with academic libraries.
General Summary: Designs, develops and maintains websites and related applications for the University Libraries. The position also leads a team to develop holistic communication strategies including the creation and maintenance of an intuitive online experience.
– Develops web content strategy for all University Libraries departments. Serves as Manager for CMS website. Leads effort to coordinate website messaging across multiple platforms including Libraries CMS, LibGuides, social media, and other electronic outlets. Leads research, organization, and public relations efforts concerning the development and release of new websites.
– Designs, tests, debugs and deploys websites. Maintains and updates website architecture and content. Ensures website architecture and content meets University standards.
– Collaborates with University staff to define and document website requirements. Gathers and reports usage statistics, errors or other performance statistics to improve information access and further the goals of the University Libraries.
– Works with Libraries Resource Management to incorporate web-related materials and resources from the Integrated Library System into other web platforms. Works with Libraries IT Services to coordinate maintenance of the architecture, functionality, and integrity of University Libraries websites.
Minimum Qualifications
– Bachelor’s degree or higher in a related field from an accredited institution.
– Three years’ relevant experience.
– Strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills.
– Experience documenting technical and content standards.
Under supervision of the Director of Educational Technology, the Academic Technology Specialist will implement complex technical programs and/or projects; perform a range of work in development/programming, communications, technical support, instructional design, and other similar functions to support faculty, staff and students depending on the needs of the Office of Educational Technology; and provide input to educational technology policy-making decisions.Key Responsibilities and Activities:
Support in the implementation of 21st Century technologies, such as ePortfolios, blended/asynchronous courses, mobile learning, Web 2.0 tools for education;
Develop and implement innovative pedagogical applications using the latest computer, mobile and digital media;
Develop educational and interactive websites, including interactive learning modules, multimedia presentations, and rich media;
Provide one-to-one guidance to faculty in Blackboard, ePortfolios, blended/online learning, mobile learning, and digital media use in the classroom across all disciplines in a professional setting;
Support and enhance existing homegrown applications as required;
Develop and administer short-term training courses for faculty and students. Provide support for Blackboard, Digication, and WordPress users.
Keep abreast of the latest hardware and software developments and adapt them for pedagogical uses across disciplines.
Other Duties
Manage multiple projects in a dynamic team-oriented environment;
Serve as a liaison between Academic Departments and the Office of Educational Technology, and as a technical resource in all aspects of instructional design, as well as technologies used in the classroom.
Qualifications
Bachelor Degree in Computer Science or related field, and three years of related work experience. Master Degree preferred.
In-depth experience of programming in ASP.NET MVC, PHP and C#;
Strong understanding of database design (MySQL, MS SQL);
Strong understanding of HTML5, CSS3, HTML, XHTML, XML, JavaScript, AJAX, JQUERY, and Internet standards and protocols;
Strong teamwork and interpersonal skills;
Knowledge of project development life cycle is a plus;
Strong understanding of WordPress Multisites, Kaltura, WikiMedia, and other CMS platforms is a plus;
Experience with Windows Mobile, iOS, and other mobile environments / languages is a plus.
_______________________________
Digital Literacies Librarian
Instruction Services Division – Library
University of California, Berkeley Library
Hiring range: Associate Librarian
$65,942 – $81,606 per annum, based on qualifications
This is a full time appointment available starting March 2019.
The University of California, Berkeley seeks a creative, collaborative, and user-oriented colleague as the Digital Literacies Librarian. The person in this role will join a team committed to teaching emerging scholars to approach research with confidence, creativity, and critical insight, empowering them to access, critically evaluate, and use information to create and distribute their own research in a technologically evolving environment. This position also has a liaison role with the School of Information, building collections and supporting research methodologies such as computational text analysis, data visualization, and machine learning.
The Environment
The UC Berkeley Library is an internationally renowned research and teaching facility at one of the nation’s premier public universities. A highly diverse and intellectually rich environment, Berkeley serves a campus community of 30,000 undergraduate students, over 11,000 graduate students, and 1,500 faculty. With a collection of more than 12 million volumes and a collections budget of over $15 million, the Library offers extensive collections in all formats and robust services to connect users with those collections and build their related research skills.
The Instruction Services Division (ISD) is a team of seven librarians and professional staff who provide leadership for all issues related to the Library’s educational role such as student learning, information literacy, first-year and transfer student experience, reference and research services, assessment of teaching and learning, instructor development, and the design of physical and virtual learning environments. We support course-integrated instruction, drop-in workshops, online guides, and individual research. Our work furthers the Library’s involvement in teaching and learning initiatives and emphasizes the opportunities associated with undergraduate education. We cultivate liaison relationships with campus partners and academic programs.
The School of Information (I School) offers: professional masters degrees in information management, data science, and cybersecurity; a doctoral program in Information Management & Systems; and a Graduate Certificate in Information and Communication Technologies and Development. Research areas include: natural language processing, computer-mediated communication, data science, human-computer interaction, information policy, information visualization, privacy, technology for developing regions, and user experience and design.
Responsibilities
Reporting to the Head of the Instruction Services Division, the Digital Literacies Librarian will further the Library’s digital literacy initiative (Level Up) by working with colleagues in the Library and engaging with campus partners. This librarian will play a key role in supporting information literacy and emerging research methods across the disciplines, partnering with colleagues who have expertise in these areas (e.g. Data Initiatives Expertise Group, Data and GIS Librarians, Digital Humanities Librarian) and campus partners (e.g. D-Lab, Academic Innovation Studio, Research IT, Research Data Management). Collaborations will be leveraged to identify, implement, and promote entry-level research support services for undergraduate users. This librarian will actively participate in the Library’s reference and instructional services—providing in-person reference, virtual reference, individual research consultations, in-person classes, and the development of online instructional content. This librarian will provide consultation and training to students, faculty, and librarians on using digital tools and techniques to enhance their research and to improve teaching and learning. Serving as a liaison to the I School, this position will establish strong relationships with faculty and graduate students and gain insights into trends in information studies that can be incorporated into the library’s instructional portfolio, with a special focus on undergraduates.
Working with colleagues in ISD and across the Library, the Digital Literacies Librarian will develop innovative programs and services. A key pedagogical tactic is promoting peer-to-peer learning for undergraduates, including administering the Library Undergraduate Fellows program. The Fellows program provides students with training and networking opportunities while helping the Library experiment and pilot service models to best support emerging scholars. New service models are piloted in the Center for Connected Learning (CCL) beta site in Moffitt Library. Currently in the design phase, the CCL is a hub for undergraduates to engage in multidisciplinary, multimodal inquiry and creation. Students learn from peers and experts as they ask, seek, and find answers to their questions in an environment unbound by disciplines or domain expertise. Students discover possibilities for learning and research by experimenting directly with new methods and tools. The space is run in partnership with students, and they are empowered to influence service and space design, structure, and policies. The Digital Literacies Librarian will contribute to this ethos by ensuring that emerging scholars are supported to experiment and be connected to the Library’s wealth of scholarly resources and programs.
Qualifications
Minimum Basic Qualification required at the time of application:
● Bachelor’s degree
Additional Required Qualifications required by start date of position:
● Master’s degree from an ALA accredited institution or equivalent international degree.
● Two or more years experience providing reference and/or instruction services in an academic or research library.
● Two or more years experience using digital scholarship methodologies.
Additional Preferred Qualifications:
● Experience applying current developments in information literacy, instructional design, digital initiatives, and assessment.
● Demonstrated understanding of methods and tools related to text mining, web scraping, text and data analysis, and visualization.
● Experience with data visualization principles and tools.
● Demonstrated ability to plan, coordinate, and implement effective programs, complex projects, and services.
● Demonstrated analytical, organizational, problem solving, interpersonal, and communication skills.
● Demonstrated initiative, flexibility, creativity, and ability to work effectively both independently and as a team member.
● Knowledge of the role of the library in supporting the research lifecycle.
● Participation in Digital Humanities Summer Institute (DHSI), ARL Digital Scholarship Institute, Library Carpentry, or other intensive program.
● Experience with or coursework in collection development in an academic or research library.
● Knowledge of licensing issues related to text and data mining.
● Familiarity with data science principles and programming languages such as Python or R.
+++++++++++++++++++
Making and Innovation Specialist, UNLV University Libraries [R0113536]
The Making and Innovation Specialist collaborates with library and campus colleagues to connect the Lied Library Makerspace with learning and research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. This position leads the instructional initiatives of the Makerspace, coordinates curricular and co-curricular outreach, and facilitates individual and group instruction. The incumbent coordinates daily Makerspace operations and supervises a team of student employees who maintain safety standards and provide assistance to users. As a member of the Department of Knowledge Production, this position works jointly with all disciplines to explore the application of technology in learning and research, and prioritizes creating inclusive spaces and experiences for the UNLV community.
QUALIFICATIONS
This position requires a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university and professionals at all stages of their career are encouraged to apply.
Required
Technology
Ability to use technology in creative ways to facilitate research and learning.
Ability to maintain and troubleshoot digital fabrication technology.
Experience with 3D modeling and printing principles including equipment, software, and basic CAD skills.
Working knowledge of vector graphic editors and laser cutting or vinyl cutting equipment.
Experience with circuitry, Arduino microcontrollers, and Raspberry Pi single-board computers.
Coding skills as they apply to circuitry preferred.
Instructional & Organizational
Ability to create and maintain policies and instructional materials/guides for Makerspace equipment and services.
Managerial skills to hire, train, supervise, and inspire a team of student employees.
Excellent oral and written communication skills including the ability to describe relatively complex technical concepts to a non-technical audience.
Aptitude for developing and supporting learner-centered instruction for a variety of audiences.
Demonstrated capacity and skill to engage students and contribute to student success.
Ability to work creatively, collaboratively, and effectively to promote teamwork, diversity, equality, and inclusiveness within the Libraries and the campus.
Experience in a relevant academic or public setting preferred.
ACRL e-Learning webcast series: Learning Analytics – Strategies for Optimizing Student Data on Your Campus
This three-part webinar series, co-sponsored by the ACRL Value of Academic Libraries Committee, the Student Learning and Information Committee, and the ACRL Instruction Section, will explore the advantages and opportunities of learning analytics as a tool which uses student data to demonstrate library impact and to identify learning weaknesses. How can librarians initiate learning analytics initiatives on their campuses and contribute to existing collaborations? The first webinar will provide an introduction to learning analytics and an overview of important issues. The second will focus on privacy issues and other ethical considerations as well as responsible practice, and the third will include a panel of librarians who are successfully using learning analytics on their campuses.
Webcast One: Learning Analytics and the Academic Library: The State of the Art and the Art of Connecting the Library with Campus Initiatives
March 29, 2016
Learning analytics are used nationwide to augment student success initiatives as well as bolster other institutional priorities. As a key aspect of educational reform and institutional improvement, learning analytics are essential to defining the value of higher education, and academic librarians can be both of great service to and well served by institutional learning analytics teams. In addition, librarians who seek to demonstrate, articulate, and grow the value of academic libraries should become more aware of how they can dovetail their efforts with institutional learning analytics projects. However, all too often, academic librarians are not asked to be part of initial learning analytics teams on their campuses, despite the benefits of library inclusion in these efforts. Librarians can counteract this trend by being conversant in learning analytics goals, advantages/disadvantages, and challenges as well as aware of existing examples of library successes in learning analytics projects.
Learn about the state of the art in learning analytics in higher education with an emphasis on 1) current models, 2) best practices, 3) ethics, privacy, and other difficult issues. The webcast will also focus on current academic library projects and successes in gaining access to and inclusion in learning analytics initiatives on their campus. Benefit from the inclusion of a “short list” of must-read resources as well as a clearly defined list of ways in which librarians can leverage their skills to be both contributing members of learning analytics teams, suitable for use in advocating on their campuses.
student’s opinion of this process
benefits: self-assessment, personal learning, empwerment
analytics and data privacy – students are OK with harvesting the data (only 6% not happy)
8 in 10 are interested in personal dashboard, which will help them perform
Big Mother vs Big Brother: creepy vs helpful. tracking classes, helpful, out of class (where on campus, social media etc) is creepy. 87% see that having access to their data is positive
librarians:
recognize metrics, assessment, analytics, data. visualization, data literacy, data science, interpretation
INSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT – N.B.
determine who is the key leader: director of institutional research, president, CIO
who does analyics services: institutional research, information technology, dedicated center
analytic maturity: data drivin, decision making culture; senior leadership commitment,; policy supporting (data ollection, accsess, use): data efficacy; investment and resourcefs; staffing; technical infrastrcture; information technology interaction
student success maturity: senior leader commited; fudning of student success efforts; mechanism for making student success decisions; interdepart collaboration; undrestanding of students success goals; advising and student support ability; policies; information systems
developing learning analytics strategy
understand institutional challenges; identify stakeholders; identify inhibitors/challenges; consider tools; scan the environment and see what other done; develop a plan; communicate the plan to stakeholders; start small and build
ways librarians can help
idenfify institu partners; be the partners; hone relevant learning analytics; participate in institutional analytics; identify questions and problems; access and work to improve institu culture; volunteer to be early adopters;
questions to ask: environmental scanning
do we have a learning analytics system? does our culture support? leaders present? stakeholders need to know?
questions to ask: Data
questions to ask: Library role
learning analytics & the academic library: the state of the art of connecting the library with campus initiatives
questions:
literature
7 Things You Should Know About First-Generation Learning Analytics. Published:
Barneveld, A., Arnold, K., & Campbell, J. (2012). Analytics in Higher Education: Establishing a Common Language. Educause Learning Initiative. Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI3026.pdf
causation versus correlation studies. speakers claims that it is difficult to establish causation argument. institutions try to predict as accurately as possible via correlation, versus “if you do that it will happen what.”
