ITAL

Catch up on the June 2020 Issue of Information Technology and Libraries

LITA ITAL logo

The June 2020 issue of Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL) was published on June 15. Editor Ken Varnum and LITA President Emily Morton-Owens reflect on the past three months in their Letter from the Editor, A Blank Page, and LITA President’s Message, A Framework for Member Success, respectively. Kevin Ford is the author of this issue’s “Editorial Board Thoughts” column, Seeing through Vocabularies. Rounding out our editorial section, the June “Public Libraries Leading the Way” section offers two items. Chuck McAndrew of the Lebanon (New Hampshire) Public Libraries describes his leadership in the IMLS-funded LibraryVPN project. Melody Friedenthal, of the Worcester (Massachusetts) Public Library talks about how she approached and teaches an Intro to Coding Using Python course. Peer-reviewed Content Virtual Reality as a Tool for Student Orientation in Distance Education Programs: A Study of New Library and Information Science Students Dr. Sandra Valenti, Brady Lund, Ting Wang Virtual reality…

ITAL

Propose a Topic for the ITAL “Public Libraries Leading the Way” Column

LITA ITAL logo

Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL), the quarterly open-access journal published by ALA’s Library Information Technology Association, is looking for contributors for its regular “Public Libraries Leading the Way” column. This column highlights a technology-based innovation or approach to problem solving from a public library perspective. Topics we are interested in include the following, but proposals on any other technology topic are welcome. 3-D printing and makerspaces Civic technology Drones Diversity, equity, and inclusion and technology Privacy and cyber-security Virtual and augmented reality Artificial intelligence Big data Internet of things Robotics Geographic information systems and mapping Library analytics and data-driven services Anything else related to public libraries and innovations in technology To propose a topic, use this brief form, which will ask you for three pieces of information: Your name Your email address A brief (75-150 word) summary of your proposed column that describes your library, the technology you wish to…

ITAL

September 2019 ITAL Issue Now Available

LITA ITAL logo

The September 2019 issue of Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL) is available now. In this issue, ITAL Editor Ken Varnum announces six new members of the ITAL Editorial Board. Our content includes a recap of Emily Morton-Owens’ President’s Inaugural Message, “Sustaining LITA“, discussing the many ways LITA strives to provide a sustainable member organization. In this edition of our “Public Libraries Leading the Way” series, Thomas Lamanna discusses ways libraries can utilize their current resources and provide ideas on how to maximize effectiveness and roll new technologies into operations in “On Educating Patrons on Privacy and Maximizing Library Resources.“ Featured Articles: “Library-Authored Web Content and the Need for Content Strategy,” Courtney McDonald and Heidi Burkhardt Increasingly sophisticated content management systems (CMS) allow librarians to publish content via the web and within the private domain of institutional learning management systems. “Libraries as publishers”may bring to mind roles in scholarly communication and…

Publications

Call for LITA Guide authors

LITA Guides covers for Fall 2019 titles

We’re looking for authors for our popular LITA Guide series. Submit your proposals Current topics of interest include, but not are not limited to:  Mapping software in the library Artificial intelligence and machine learning Virtual reality in labs Data privacy Linked data Universal design Vendor relations APIs and ILS challenges Non-tech staff in IT – what they need to know Website usability 3D Printing–safety, best practices, advanced printing techniques Emerging technologies Scholarly communication Open educational resources Discovery tools Project management Metadata work Change management required for technological innovation Have a question about your proposal or the process? Send it to Marta Deyrup, LITA Acquisitions Editor.

ITAL

June 2019 ITAL Issue Now Available

LITA ITAL logo

The June 2019 issue of Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL) is available now. Our regular content includes Bohyun Kim’s final LITA President’s Message as her term concludes, “Moving Forward with LITA,” summarizing the work that has gone into the planned division merger that would combine LITA, ALCTS, and LLAMA. Editorial Board member Cinthya Ippoliti discusses the role of libraries in fostering digital pedagogy in her Editorial Board Thoughts column, “Digital Faculty Development.” And, in the second of our new Public Libraries Leading the Way series, Jeffrey Davis discusses the technologies and advantages of digital pass systems in “Online Ticketed-Passes: A Mid-Tech Leap in What Libraries Are For. In this issue: No Need to Ask: Creating Permissionless Blockchains of Metadata RecordsDejah Rubel This article describes how permissionless metadata blockchains could be created to overcome two significant limitations in current cataloging practices: centralization and a lack of traceability. The process would start…

General information

Interview with Ken Varnum, Editor of “New Top Technologies Every Librarian Needs to Know”

Ken Varnum as Editor book covers

For over the past two decades Ken Varnum has become a leading expert in library technology, focusing his research on discovery systems and library analytics.  He has lent this expertise once again as editor to two recently released titles from ALA publishers, the new LITA Guide New Top Technologies Every Librarian Needs to Know and Beyond Reality: Augmented, Virtual, and Mixed Reality in the Library. He is the Senior Program Manager at the University of Michigan and the editor of Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL). In our interview he provides his insights on the landscape of library technology, future challenges, and what he hopes his reader’s take away from his books.  What technology/technologies will have the largest impact on libraries in the upcoming decade? I think there are several intersecting trends that will continue to have an impact in the coming decade. The first is consolidation of metadata into increasingly…

ITAL

Join the ITAL Editorial Board

LITA ITAL logo

Information Technology and Libraries [ITAL] is LITA’s quarterly, open-access, peer-reviewed journal. If you are a LITA member who is interested in furthering the scholarly record for library technology, apply to serve on the ITAL Editorial Board. The Board has a critical role to play in building the foundation for the journal’s next 50 years and as such, we try to make it reflect the broad diversity of the LITA membership. Members of the Board have several key responsibilities: Reviewing articles submitted to the journal and providing guidance to the editor on suitability for the journal and contribution to the field; Shaping the direction and strategy for the journal; and Soliciting and developing articles from your peers. Subject Expertise: In particular, we need editorial reviewers in the areas of user experience, library services platforms and metadata management, and discovery systems. However, individuals with expertise in all areas at the intersection of…

ITAL

March 2019 ITAL Issue Now Available

LITA ITAL logo

The March 2019 issue of Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL) is available now. With this issue we begin a new regular column, “Public Libraries Leading the Way.” The column will highlight technology-based innovations from a public library perspective. The inaugural piece is The Democratization of Artificial Intelligence: One Library’s Approach, by Frisco (Texas) Public Library’s Thomas Finley. If you work in a public library and have an idea for a column to share, please check out this LITA blog post with details on how to submit your idea. In this issue: Library Services Navigation: Improving the Online User Experience Brian Rennick While the discoverability of traditional information resources is often the focus of library website design, there is also a need to help users find other services such as equipment, study rooms, and programs. A recent assessment of the Brigham Young University Library website identified nearly two hundred services. Many…

ITAL

Propose a Topic for the new ITAL Public Libraries Leading the Way Column

LITA ITAL logo

ITAL’s look back at the last 50 years is complete, and we’re taking the opportunity to start something new in 2019. There will be a regular, quarterly, column in Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL), the open-access LITA journal titled “Public Libraries Leading the Way” that will highlight technology-based innovation from a public library perspective. Submit your idea proposal now! Topics we’re interested in include the following, but proposals on any other technology topic are also welcome: Virtual and augmented reality Artificial intelligence Big data Internet of things 3-D printing and makerspaces Robotics Drones Geographic information systems and mapping Diversity, equity, and inclusion and technology Privacy and cyber-security Library analytics and data-driven services Anything else related to public libraries and innovations in technology Columns are in the 1,000-1,500 word range and may include illustrations. These will not be research articles, but are meant to share practical experience with technology development or uses…

ITAL

December 2018 ITAL Issue Now Available

LITA ITAL logo

The December 2018 issue of Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL) marks the end of the journal’s 50th anniversary review with a summary of articles published in the 1990s by Editorial Board member Steven Bowers. That was the decade that introduced the Internet age and many technologies — including the graphic web browser — that laid the foundation for so much of technological progress in libraries ever since. In this issue: Gaps in IT and Library Services at Small Academic Libraries in Canada Jasmine Hoover Modern academic libraries are hubs of technology, yet the gap between the library and IT is an issue at several small university libraries across Canada that can inhibit innovation and lead to diminished student experience. This paper outlines results of a survey of small (<5,000 FTE) universities in Canada, focusing on IT and the library when it comes to organizational structure, staffing, and location. It then…