Jun 12

Jobs in Library Technology: June 12

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New vacancy listings are posted weekly on Wednesday at approximately 12 noon Central Time. They appear under New This Week and under the appropriate regional listing. Postings remain on the LITA Job Site for a minimum of four weeks.

New This Week

Jun 04

LITA Web Course July 8-28: Getting Started with GIS

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Getting Started with GIS provides an introduction to GIS technology and GIS in libraries. Through hands on exercises, discussions and recorded lectures, students will acquire skills in using GIS software programs, social mapping tools, map making, digitizing and researching for geospatial data. This three week course provides introductory GIS skills that will prove beneficial in any library or information resource position. The course will run July 8-28 and will consist of weekly asynchronous lectures and modules in Moodle.  No previous mapping or GIS experience is necessary.

Presented by Eva Dodsworth, Geospatial Data Services Librarian at the University of Waterloo Map Library in Ontario, the course is modeled on her LITA Guide of the same name.

For registration and additional information, visit: http://www.ala.org/lita/getting-started-gis

 

Jun 04

LITA Lightning Rounds at ALA Annual

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We are pleased to present our Lightning Presentation talks for ALA Annual in Chicago. Please join us at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday in room S102a at the Convention Center!

Andrew Youngkin from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine will talk about “Exploring mHealth devices for health technology instruction.” Andrew will share observations & assessment of several mHealth devices such as the FitBit One, Jawbone Up bracelet, and iHealth Blood Pressure cuff and discuss how these devices will be incorporated into future technology outreach and instruction.

Peter Murray from LYRASIS will talk about “Host Your Own Virtual Lightning Talks using Google Hangout.” It’s a lightning talk about hosting lightning talks. He will discuss how the coordinator of the Code4Lib Virtual Lightning Talks uses Google Hangouts-On-Air to enable presenters and viewers from around the world to share their experience and knowledge and share tips and tricks.

Mike Robinson from the University of Alaska Anchorage will discuss how to do “DIY digital signage.”He will share how to use a $60-80 minicomputer, a TV, and blogging software to create inexpensive digital signage.

Amy Neeser from the University of Minnesota Libraries will discuss “Personal Archiving: Helping Users Manage Digital Materials for Long-term Access.” She will talk about how teaching students how to manage their digital photos today will translate into skills that will help them manage their class notes and research data tomorrow.

Tao Zhang & Ilana Barnes from Purdue University Libraries will discuss “Building Better Help Before We Build It: User Characteristics and Preferences’ Effect on Library Help Website Design.” They still discuss how the conducted a questionnaire survey to measure user characteristics including perceived competence, work avoidance, and task orientation based on psychological scales and user experience research. Based on the survey data, they are constructing a statistical model to examine the relationship between user characteristics and user rankings of help design guidelines as well as help website features. The ranked design guidelines will be used as a basis to evaluate several existing library help systems and identify any gap of user needs based on their help seeking behavior pattern.

Caitlin Shanley of University of Pennsylvania Libraries will discuss “iPads in the Classroom: 5 Lessons Learned in 5 Minutes.” The Weigle Information Commons at Penn Libraries loans iPads for use in the classroom or for class projects. Hear about five lessons learned about mobile device management, deploying apps and settings, advising faculty on iPad assignments, and more.

Frederick Zarndt, Chair of the IFLA Newspapers Section, Joanna DiPasquale, Digital Projects Librarian at Vassar College Libraries and Alyssa Pacy, Archivist at Cambridge Public Library will discuss “SEO for digital librarians: Improving search engine visibility of library digital newspaper collections.” They will briefly view current search engine rankings and results of library digital newspaper collections. They describe simple methods to increase the visibility of these collections by leveraging their primary marketing tool, the collection itself, and show the before and after results of applying these methods to 2 digital newspaper collections.

Jun 03

Sunday Afternoon with LITA at 2013 ALA Annual!

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Please mark your calendars and join us at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference on Sunday, June 30th, beginning at 1pm, for Sunday Afternoon with LITA!  We will start off the day with the LITA awards and scholarships presentation followed by our Top Tech Trends program, moderated by Lorcan Dempsey. Then join us for the LITA President’s Program with Cory Doctorow, and finally, wrap up the day with the LITA Happy Hour at 5:30 at Fado Irish Pub!

TOP TECHNOLOGY TRENDS & LITA AWARDS PRESENTATION

1:00 pm – 2:30 pm McCormick Place Convention Center S105a-c
Panelists: Char Booth, Aimee Fifarek, Sarah Houghton, Clifford Lynch, Gary Price Moderator: Lorcan Dempsey

Presentation of LITA Awards and Scholarships will take place at 1pm, then join the Top Tech Trends panel from 1:30-2:30, for a conversation about trends and opportunities in libraries. Lorcan Dempsey will moderate the following trendsters from across library communities and areas: Char Booth, Sarah Houghton, Gary Price, Aimee Fifarek, and Clifford Lynch.

  • Follow us on twitter @toptechtrends #ala2013ttt

MORE THAN A BOOK-LINED INTERNET CAFE: LITA PRESIDENT’S PROGRAM

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm McCormick Place Convention Center S105a-c
Speaker: Cory Doctorow

LITA President Zoe Stewart-Marshall welcomes digital rights activist, science fiction writer and Boing Boing co-editor, Cory Doctorow. This lively, thought-provoking talk will look at how libraries can and do stand on the front lines of the debate over the role of free information, and free information technology in ensuring the healthy maintenance of a free society. And yes, he will talk about DRM.

LITA HAPPY HOUR

5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Location: Fado Irish Pub, 100 West Grand Avenue (312) 836-0066

Please join the LITA Membership Development Committee and members from around the country for networking, good cheer, and great fun! Expect lively conversation and excellent drinks; cash bar.

May 22

A LITA guide to technology for small and one-person libraries

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For those working in a small library, particularly one that may have little technical support, a foundational knowledge of technology is crucial. Written for librarians, library staff and administrators at libraries serving populations of 15,000 or less, “Technology for Small and One-Person Libraries: A LITA Guide,” published by ALA TechSource, shows how to successfully develop, implement, sustain and grow technology initiatives. Editors Rene J. Erlandson, Rachel A. Erb and their contributors draw from personal experience in rural libraries and regional state university libraries to offer guidance for making sound technology decisions. Whether looking for a quick answer or starting an in-depth technology project, readers will quickly find basic information on the full range of library technology, organized into chapters with numerous headings for easy scanning. Topics include:

  • An overview of library technology basics;
  • Electronic resource fundamentals, including a look at licensing issues;
  • Webpage development, Open-source (OS) applications and a six-step plan for social media and social networking;
  • How to create and sustain an effective technology strategy.

Erlandson is the director of virtual services at the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) libraries, with oversight of computer systems, digital asset management, digital collection development, electronic resource management, emerging technologies, library systems, network infrastructure and Web development. Prior to joining the University of Nebraska faculty, she worked at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and Iowa State University over the course of two decades. As the senior cataloger and project coordinator for the Library of Congress-administered Illinois Newspaper Project at UIUC, she visited many small libraries throughout the state of Illinois and was often consulted on technology questions by librarians working in those libraries.

Erb has been working in technical services for over a decade with substantial experience in cataloging materials of various formats and in managing integrated library systems. She recently transitioned to focusing on electronic resources and is now the electronic resources management librarian at Colorado State University (CSU). Most of her professional experience consists of working in either rural settings with limited resources or regional state universities. She has also written several case studies of technical services operations in these environments.

ALA Store purchases fund advocacy, awareness and accreditation programs for library professionals worldwide. Contact us at (800) 545-2433 ext. 5418 or editionsmarketing@ala.org.

May 22

Jobs in Library Technology: May 22, 2013

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New vacancy listings are posted weekly on Wednesday at approximately 12 noon Central Time. They appear under New This Week and under the appropriate regional listing. Postings remain on the LITA Job Site for a minimum of four weeks.

New This Week

May 22

Kevin Ford awarded 1st SemTechBiz Spotlight

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The SemanticWeb.com Spotlight on Library Innovation
Update

Thank you for all the nominations we received for the first Semantic Web.com Spotlight on Innovation in Libraries.

We are pleased to announce that Kevin Ford, from the Network Development and MARC Standards Office at the Library of Congress, was selected for the Semantic Web.com Spotlight on Innovation for his work with the Bibliographic Framework Initiative (BIBFRAME) and his continuing work on the Library of Congress’s Linked Data Service (loc.id). In addition to being an active contributor, Kevin is responsible for the BIBFRAME website; has devised tools to view MARC records and the resulting BIBFRAME resources side-by-side; authored the first transformation code for MARC data to BIBFRAME resources; and is project manager for The Library of Congress’ Linked Data Service. Kevin also writes and presents frequently to promote BIBFRAME, ID.LOC.GOV, and educate fellow librarians on the possibilities of linked data.

Without exception, each nominee represented great work and demonstrated the power of Linked Data in library systems, making it a difficult task for the committee, and sparking some interesting discussions about future such spotlight programs.

Congratulations, Kevin, and thanks to all the other great library linked data projects nominated!

TheSemanticWeb.com Spotlight on Library Innovation team

We’d also like to remind the library community that the Semantic Technology and Business Conference is well worth experiencing. SemTechBiz brings together industry thought leaders and practitioners to explore the challenges and opportunities jointly impacting both business leaders and technologists. Conference sessions include technical talks and case studies that highlight semantic technology applications in action. The program includes tutorials and over 130 sessions and demonstrations as well as a hackathon, start-up competition, exhibit floor, and networking opportunities.

As supporters of the SemanticWeb.com Library Spotlight, LITA and OCLC members will get a 50% discount on a gold conference pass – use discount code LITA or OCLC when registering -

LITA members – http://semtechbizsf2013.semanticweb.com/?c=stsflita – discount code “lita” minus quotes

OCLC members – http://semtechbizsf2013.semanticweb.com/?c=stsfoclc – discount code “oclc” minus quotes

May 14

Marta M. Deyrup receives Award for Distinguished Service

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Marta M. Deyrup of Seton Hall University Libraries is the recipient of the 2013 Distinguished Service Award, granted by the New Jersey Library Association’s College and University Section / Association of College and Research Libraries New Jersey chapter. This honor is awarded annually to an individual who, by his or her outstanding contributions, has directly enriched the profession of librarianship in New Jersey.

This award honors Marta’s excellent, energetic, prolific, and long-standing contributions to New Jersey librarianship both in information literacy instruction and as an international educator, editor and writer in information science.

Marta has twice received the prestigious Researcher of the Year Award at Seton Hall University Libraries. She has long been an active participant in NJLA CUS/ACRL-NJ. She was a member of the team that won the first NJLA CUS/Technology Innovation Award in 2002 for “Information Literacy in the Wired University.” She has served the VALE Committee on Information Literacy, the VALE Committee on Bibliographic Control and Metadata and is an active member of the VALE Assessment, Evaluation and Statistics Committee where she helped to create the new VALE Survey Planning Checklist.

Marta currently serves as Acquisitions Editor for LITA Guides and is on the editorial boards for the Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship as well as the Technical Services Quarterly. She has written extensively on technologies and scholarship in librarianship and has contributed to the literature for Slavic librarians.

Along with her many contributions, Marta has also served as the Co-Director of the Elizabeth Ann Seton Center for Women’s Studies at Seton Hall University. She has also served as a Fulbright Senior Specialist in Library Science for the Institut Morocain d’Information Scientifique et Technique in Morocco as well as for the University of Zadar in Croatia.

Marta received her Master of Library and Information Science at Rutgers University and her PhD in Slavic Languages and Literature at Columbia University.

A formal presentation of the award will take place at the College and University Section’s luncheon at 12:30 pm on Wednesday June 5th 2013 at the NJLA Conference at Revel Hotel, Atlantic City, NJ. Please join the NJLA-CUS/ACRL-NJ Executive Board in offering Marta congratulations and appreciation for the many years she has dedicated to the academic library profession.

May 14

2013 LITA Scholarship Winners

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LITA has announced the winners of annual scholarships it sponsors jointly with three organizations: Baker & Taylor, LSSI and OCLC, Inc. These scholarships are for master’s level study, with an emphasis on library technology and/or automation, at a library school program accredited by the American Library Association.

This year’s winner of the LITA/Christian Larew Memorial Scholarship ($3,000) sponsored by Baker & Taylor is Daniel Verbit, who will pursue his studies at The University of Alabama. The LITA/LSSI Minority Scholarship ($2,500) winner is Elizabeth Tham who will pursue her studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana -Champaign. Lisa Lynn Tyler, the winner of the LITA/OCLC Minority Scholarship($3,000), will pursue her studies at the University of Washington.

Criteria for the scholarships include previous academic excellence, evidence of leadership potential and a commitment to a career in library automation and information technology. Two of the scholarships, the LITA/LSSI Minority Scholarship and

LITA/OCLC Minority Scholarship, also require U.S Citizenship and membership in one of four minority groups: American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian or Pacific Islander, African-American, or Hispanic.

The Scholarship winners will be honored at the LITA Awards Ceremony, which will be on Sunday, June 30, 2013, 1:00 pm in Chicago, Ill. at the McCormick Convention Center in S105a-c.

May 13

2013 LITA/Ex Libris Student Writing Award

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Karen Doerksen, MLIS degree candidate at the University of Alberta School of Library and Information Studies, has been named the winner of the 2013 LITA/Ex Libris Student Writing Award, sponsored by Ex Libris Group and the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA).

Doerksen’s paper, titled “A Sight to Be Held: Adapting Comics and Graphic Novels for Visual Impairment,” describes the vital role of graphics and pictures in the development of early literacy and examines the challenge of adapting comics and graphic novels into assistive formats to support the achievement of graphicacy in visually impaired individuals.

“The members of the LITA/Ex Libris Student Writing Award Committee are pleased to acknowledge and honor with this award Karen Doerksen’s thought-provoking manuscript, which reconsiders the position that comics and graphic novels are highly unsuitable for adaptation for the visually impaired,” said Regina Koury and Heidi Hanson, co-chairs of the committee.  “Ms. Doerksen’s paper illuminates the challenges and controversies surrounding this complex topic, and explores the possibilities inherent in emergent assistive technologies.”

The award will be presented at the LITA Awards Ceremony on Sunday, June 30, 2013 during Sunday Afternoon with LITA at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago.