• 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.

New This Week

• Digital Archivist, Princeton University Library, Princeton, NJ
• Emerging Technology and Systems Librarian , University of Wisconsin – Green Bay, Green Bay, WI
• Executive Director, Digital Scholarship Services, Rice University, Houston, TX
• Library Associate – AnswerLine, County Library System, Issaquah, WA
• Reference and Instruction Librarian, Brandywine Campus, The Pennsylvania State University Libraries, Philadelphia, PA

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

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.

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.

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.

Emerald Group Publishing Limited and the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA) sponsor the award that recognizes outstanding individuals or institutions for their long-term contributions in the area of Library and Information Science technology and its application.

After graduating from MIT in 1982, Brewster Kahle developed a system for publishing, distributing and searching information on the Internet, known as the Wide Area Information Server (WAIS), which was a precursor to the World Wide Web. In 1996, he founded the Internet Archive and began archiving and indexing Web pages and other digital content, preserving it for posterity and making it freely and openly accessible. One popular feature of the Internet Archive is the Wayback Machine, which enables users to search and retrieve over 280 billion archived web pages.

Michael Witt, LITA/Hi Tech Award Committee chair, said, “When Brewster started the Internet Archive, he used the analogy of Library of Alexandria to explain what he was attempting to do, and he took the title of Digital Librarian for himself. His goal of enabling universal access to all knowledge speaks directly to the mission of libraries.”

Kahle has been an important advocate for digitization and increasing access to information electronically. He was instrumental in the creation of the Open Content Alliance and the Open Library that provides more than 1 million free e-books online. He has served on advisory boards for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the National Science Foundation and the Library of Congress. He is also a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and National Academy of Engineering. In 2012, Kahle was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame.

The Library and Information Technology Association and Emerald, the publisher of Library Hi Tech, are pleased to present the 2013 LITA/Library Hi Tech Award to Brewster Kahle for his outstanding contributions to communication in library science and technology.  The award will be presented during Sunday Afternoon with  LITA on Sunday June 30, 2013, at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago.

Dr. Barbara Tillett is recognized for her outstanding leadership in library metadata standards, technology integration and international standards in cultural heritage and information institutions. As the chief of the Cataloging Policy and Support Office in the Library of Congress, Dr. Tillett led the work of metadata standards exploration and research for 18 years.

Dr. Tillett is the current chair of the Joint Steering Committee for the Development of Resource Description and Access and is a leader internationally in the world of metadata. She obtained her PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles and her dissertation research, titled “ Bibliographic Relationships: Toward a Conceptual Structure of Bibliographic Information Used in Cataloging,” helped transform the library community’s view of bibliographic metadata and emerging models of records and relationships. This work is still resonating in the field with her leadership in RDA design and adoption.

Dr. Tillett’s long and distinguished career has included work with the Library of Congress, University of California, San Diego, The University of Hawaii and the University of California, Los Angeles.  She has been both a leading practitioner and researcher in library and cultural heritage metadata and has helped influence the profession through service with numerous IFLA and JISC organizations, including RDA and the FRBR working group.  In 1999, Dr. Tillett received the Library of Congress Distinguished service award, as well as the Library’s Meritorious Service Award in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000.

Notified of the award, Dr. Tillett said:  “I’m especially thrilled about this award, as I have worked with LITA and OCLC since the 1970′s and have a great appreciation of the significance of this recognition by my professional colleagues. Thank you so very much.”

Members of the 2013 Frederick G.  Kilgour Award committee are: Brett Bonfield, chair; Nancy Roderer,  past chair; Rene J. Erlandson; Erik Mitchell; David King, LITA board liaison; and Roy Tennant, OCLC liaison.  The award will be presented during Sunday Afternoon with  LITA on Sunday June 30, 2013, at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago.

Kenning Arlitsch, co-author of the new book Improving the Visibility and Use of Digital Repositories through SEO: A LITA Guide is hosting a book signing at the ALA Store at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, Sunday, June 30, 3:00 p.m.

His book, along with all LITA guides, will be available for purchase at 20% off at the ALA Store.

• Rachel Vacek, Vice-President/President-Elect
• Aaron Dobbs, Councilor
• Andromeda Yelton, Jennifer Reiswig, Directors-at-Large

Offered by SemanticWeb.com, supported by OCLC and LITA, the Spotlight will provide a selected individual with the chance to showcase his or her work with linked data and semantic web technologies at the Semantic Technology and Business Conference 2013, June 2 – 5, in San Francisco.

If you know of someone working on an interesting project, nominate him or her for the Spotlight. Note that the project can be ongoing, but significant practical work should have been accomplished prior to March 31, 2013. The Spotlight opportunity gives one selected individual space on the conference program to give a short, lightning-style talk about their work. Travel & lodging costs during the conference will be paid by OCLC, plus a full conference pass from Semantic.Web.com.

Nominations (http://bit.ly/11K9uzJ) for the Spotlight are being accepted through May 10. Self-nominations cheerfully accepted.

Even if you do not nominate anyone, 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

Thanks and good luck!

Please complete this form by May 8 at midnight to be considered.

This program, coordinated by Katie Miller, will be held Saturday, June 29 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Presentations should be 5-7 minutes

Our current system of managing laptops has evolved with hardware choices, staffing changes, patron requests, lending methods and the forward march of technology. We expect to continue this evolution as we address physical and virtual security, increasingly collaborative environments, software virtualization, and the growing momentum behind mobile devices.

•  Are you looking to institute a laptop or other mobile device lending program?
• Do you have an existing program that you’d like to expand?
• Want to gather ideas about what software to offer patrons while keeping the laptops secure?
• Want to see how we clone 350 laptops on a quarterly basis?

Please join us for a hands-on workshop that will help you strategize key technical, administrative and instructional considerations at the LITA Pre-Conference Workshop Creating Scalable Laptop Services in Support of Learning & Research Friday, June 28, 2013, 8:30 am – 4:00 pm Event Code: LIT1

The UCLA Library currently provides close to 500 dual-boot laptops for instruction and short-term loans to all UCLA students, faculty and staff. Each laptop offers the OS X and Windows operating systems with software packages in support of instruction and research. Library staff share the workflow and logistical details for preparing software, imaging the machines, tracking software licensing, processing lending through an ILS (Voyager) and maintaining the hardware and software.

Issue contents are listed below. To receive automatic notifications of future issues, please subscribe to ITAL.

Suggestions and feedback are always welcome, please send to:

Bob Gerrity
ITAL Editor
gerrityr (at) gmail.com

Information Technology and Libraries
Volume 32, Number 1 (March 2013)
CONTENTS

Editorials

Bob Gerrity

Editor’s Comments

Patrick “Tod” Colegrove

Editorial Board Thoughts: Libraries as Makerspace?

Articles

Danielle Becker and Lauren Yannotta

Modeling a library web site redesign process: developing a user-centered web site through usability testing 

This article presents a model for creating a strong, user-centered web presence by pairing usability testing and the design process. Four rounds of usability testing were conducted throughout the process of building a new academic library web site. Participants were asked to perform tasks using a talk-aloud protocol. Tasks were based on guiding principles of web usability that served as a framework for the new site. Results from this study show that testing throughout the design process is an effective way to build a website that not only reflects user needs and preferences, but can be easily changed as new resources and technologies emerge.

Kathleen W. Weessies, Daniel S. Dotson

Mapping for the Masses: GIS Lite & Online Mapping Tools in Academic Libraries

Customized maps depicting complex social data are much more prevalent today than in the past. Not only in formal published outlets, interactive mapping tools make it easy to create and publish custom maps in both formal and more casual outlets such as social media. This article defines GIS Lite, describes three commercial products currently licensed by institutions and discusses issues that arise from their varied functionality and license restrictions.

Vandana Singh

Experiences of Migrating to Open Source Integrated Library Systems 

Interest in migrating to open-source integrated library systems is continually growing in libraries. Along with the interest, lack of empirical research and evidence to compare the process of migration brings a lot of anxiety to the interested librarians. In this research, twenty librarians who have worked in libraries that migrated to open-source integrated library system (ILS) or are in the process of migrating were interviewed. The interviews focused on their experiences and the lessons learned in the process of migration. The results from the interviews are used to create guidelines/best practices for each stage of the adoption process of an open-source ILS. These guidelines will be helpful for librarians who want to research and adopt an open-source ILS.

Danijela Boberic Krsticev

Information Retrieval Using Middleware Approach 

This paper explores the use of a mediator/wrapper approach to enable the search of an existing library management system using different information retrieval protocols  It proposes an architecture for a software component that will act as an intermediary between the library system and search services.It provides an overview of different approaches to add Z39.50 and Search/Retrieval via URL (SRU) functionality using a middleware approach that is implemented on the BISIS library management system. That wrapper performs transformation of Contextual Query Language (CQL) into Lucene query language. The primary aim of this software component is to enable search and retrieval of bibliographic records using the SRU and Z39.50 protocols, but the proposed architecture of the software components is also suitable for inclusion of the existing library management system into a library portal. The software component provides a single interface to server-side protocols for search and retrieval of records. Additional protocols could be used. This paper provides practical demonstration of interest to developers of library management systems and those who are trying to use open-source solutions to make their local catalog accessible to other systems.

• Recommended dashboards for increasing participation by sharing data;
• Avoiding the four most common crawler errors that lead to low rankings;
• How to effectively utilize the Google Keyword Tool;
• The use of domain settings to generate unit-specific reports for special collections, institutional repositories and university presses.

Arlitsch is the dean of the library at Montana State University. Prior to his current position he was the associate dean for information technology services at the University of Utah’s J. Willard Marriott Library. He is the founder of the Mountain West Digital Library and the Utah Digital Newspapers program, as well as co-founder of the Western Waters Digital Library and the Western Soundscape Archive.

OBrien is the Semantic Web research director at the Montana State University Library. Prior to his current position he was the SEO research manager at the University of Utah’s J. Willard Marriott Library. He is an expert in Semantic Web technologies and their application for improving data integration quality, discovering new relationships, and turning diverse data stores into conceptual knowledge. OBrien has more than 15 years’ experience implementing data-driven marketing and risk management strategy within various industries.

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

Thomsett-Scott is currently the engineering librarian at the University of North Texas Libraries. In her previous role as reference unit manager, she assisted with establishing the libraries’ Meebo service, as well as their chat and text messaging services. She has served in various positions in professional associations, including ALA, the Special Library Association and the Texas Library Association. She has published in a variety of journals and presented conference sessions on the topics of website usability, mentoring and training reference staff and students and technology.

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

Zoe Stewart-Marshall, LITA President, welcomes Cory Doctorow to present the LITA President’s program.  Doctorow is a digital rights activist, science fiction writer, and, Boing Boing co-editor.    Stewart-Marshall said “More than a book-lined Internet Café” promises to be a lively, thought-provoking talk on 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.”

Cory Doctorow (craphound.com) is a science fiction author, activist, journalist and blogger — the co-editor of Boing Boing (boingboing.net) and the author of young adult novels like PIRATE CINEMA and LITTLE BROTHER and novels for adults like RAPTURE OF THE NERDS and MAKERS. He is the former European director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and co-founded the UK Open Rights Group. Born in Toronto, Canada, he now lives in London.

The LITA President’s program is part of “Sunday Afternoon with LITA” at the ALA Annual Conference.   “Sunday Afternoon with LITA” begins with the LITA awards presentations, followed by the popular Top Technology Trends panel discussion, and, culminates with the LITA President’s Program.  

Details on all LITA Annual Conference programs and events are available at http://www.ala.org/lita/conferences/annual/2013.

New This Week

Executive Director/System Administrator, Montgomery County Library & Information Network Consortium, Conshohocken, PA

Check out the newest episode of Circulating Ideas, for short interviews with most of the candidates for LITA offices in the upcoming election (I was unfortunately not able to get ahold of all candidates). I encourage everyone in LITA, and throughout ALA, to learn more about the candidates running for office. We don’t have mud-slinging smear campaigns in the library world, but the candidates do all have their own strengths and interests and will take their divisions in different directions. Other March episodes of the podcast will deal with other ALA offices / divisions, so stay tuned.

Thanks for listening and I hope everyone takes the time to vote, starting March 19!

The Library Code Year Interest Group (a joint ALCTS and LITA Interest Group) will be offering a full-day pre-conference workshop on Python before this year’s ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. Attendees will learn the basics of the Python programming language with ample opportunities for hands-on, project-based practice. Using a curriculum based on the one developed by the Boston Python Workshop, we will teach attendees the syntax and key features of Python while providing them with an opportunity to work through practice exercises. During the second half of the day, attendees will have the opportunity to complete a short project in Python to use the skills they have learned. Experienced teaching staff will be on hand to provide support and feedback throughout the workshop.

While we’ll cover a lot of ground, this workshop does not assume any prior programming experience. We will provide a supportive environment and explain everything you need to know through a mix of lecture, self-paced hands-on exercises, and projects. By the end of the day, attendees will be ready to tackle new projects and will have ideas about how they can integrate Python into their work going forward. Whether you have never written a program in your life or you already have experience in other languages and want to add Python to your repertoire, this workshop will be perfect for you! Come to learn a new skills and to meet like-minded individuals in a fun, welcoming setting. While Division members get a discount, you need not be a Division member to attend; we’d love to see all kinds of library staff represented! If you have any questions about the workshop, please feel free to contact Carli Spina (cspina@law.harvard.edu) for additional information. Registration and Cost Information

Please note: Attendees will be asked to bring a laptop with them to the workshop and will need to set up a Python development environment on that computer in advance. The teaching staff will offer support throughout this process, including step-by-step instructions and virtual office hours. Depending on your experience level, this may take anywhere from half an hour to a few hours.

Can’t make it to Chicago for ALA this summer? Want to start learning today? Find out other library coding projects and educational opportunities in the Library Journal Digital Shift’s post Cracking the Code: Librarians Acquiring Essential Coding Skills

Geolocation, native video, offline storage, semantic markup elements, responsive Web design, canvas elements, voice input, drag and drop, opacity, gradients… HTML5 (a generic term which includes new HTML tags, enhanced CSSstyles/behaviors, and new Javascript APIs) has been released and is changing the way Web developers work. With wide support in mobile browsers and the latest browser releases from Google and Firefox, HTML5 is poised to be the technology that will help build the next version of the Web.

Building Web Applications with HTML5, CSS3, and Javascript: An Introduction to HTML5 will consist of four live lectures held from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. CST on March 4, 6, 8, and 11,  with additional self-paced modules in Moodle; lectures will also be recorded and posted to the course Moodle site. Participants will examine the trends and enhancements that HTML5,  CSS3 and the new Javascript APIs enable, talk through the specifics of implementation and work through building a prototype HTML5 application. Visit the LITA web site for registration and additional information.

Join the meeting by clicking the following link: http://ala.adobeconnect.com/r5ox8uqzi5w/

View the meeting agenda: http://connect.ala.org/node/200509

Please note: the meeting begins with a closed Executive Session. The Board anticipates opening the meeting to all at approximately 3:15 pm EST.

If you have any questions, recommendations, or wish to discuss any of this, please leave a comment or contact the LITA office, lita (at) ala.org.

The 2013 National Forum Committee seeks proposals for high quality pre-conferences, concurrent sessions and poster sessions for the 16th annual LITA National Forum to be held in Louisville, Kentucky, November 7-10, 2013.

The 2013 theme is Creation, Collaboration, Community

The Forum Committee welcomes pre-conferences, presentations, and interactive programs related to all types of libraries: public, school, academic, government, special, and corporate. Proposals should relate to the themes of creation, empowering library users, collaboration, cooperation, and building or engaging communities. Proposals may cover projects, plans, ideas, or recent discoveries. We accept proposals on any aspect of library and information technology.

The committee particularly invites submissions from first time presenters, library school students, and individuals from diverse backgrounds.

The Forum Committee is especially interested in presentations highlighting projects that involve the creation of library spaces, the maker movement, and innovative solutions to pragmatic problems. It also encourages sessions that are hands-on.

Possible ideas for topics might include:

• Maker spaces/Maker Movement
• Creation of New Library Spaces
• Data Curation
• Discovery
• User Experience
• Web Services
• Coding
• Digital Libraries
• Institutional Repositories

Presentations must have a technological focus and pertain to libraries. Presentations that incorporate audience participation are encouraged. Sessions can be full-day pre-conferences, concurrent sessions (50 minutes), or poster sessions. The format of the presentations may include single- or multi-speaker formats, panel discussions, moderated discussions, case studies and/or demonstrations of projects.

Vendors wishing to submit a proposal should partner with a library representative who is testing/using the product.

Presenters will submit draft presentation slides and/or handouts on ALA Connect in advance of the Forum and will submit final presentation slides or electronic content (video, audio, etc.) to be made available on the web site following the event. Presenters are expected to register and participate in the Forum as attendees; discounted registration will be offered.

Submit proposals to: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEpzV2N6Unh3UlBsVzBhZ1BRX3dfZUE6MQ

The online form will ask for:

• Contact information
• Title
• Program Description (100 Words) (Please exclude any information identifying the presenter(s) or his/her/their organization.)
• Participatory elements of the presentation
• Level indicator (Introducing, Implementing, Innovating)
• Brief biographical information
• Whether you would like to consider a paper in ITAL based upon your talk
• Do you agree to be streamed: yes or no

You will be notified about the status of your proposal by mid-April, 2013

About Louisville:

Ranked as the #1 US travel destination for 2013 by Lonely Planet, Louisville is moving beyond its reputation for horses and bourbon and gaining a reputation as a cultural hotspot in its own right. With a dynamic, newly revitalized downtown area, vibrant food and arts scenes, and a variety of interesting museums, Louisville offers exciting travel opportunities for all types of visitors.

Any questions regarding the Forum? Please contact the LITA Office: lita (at) ala.org; (312) 280-4268

I’m Steve Thomas, host of Circulating Ideas, and I am going to be interviewing (nearly) everyone on the ballot for LITA positions and a fair number of other ALA positions. I’d like the input of LITA members, to find out what you want to know, what issues you think need to be addressed by your elected officials.

If you’d like to have your question considered for inclusion in the interviews, please visit here and you can up- or down-vote other questions while you’re there. While you’re in a question-asking mood, you can also visit here to ask questions of the ALA Presidential candidates.

Thanks for helping to make LITA a better-informed division!

(Also, if you’re running for office, want to be on the show and haven’t yet spoken to me, please contact me ASAP)

New This Week

Assistant Professor- Science Librarian-pos#8657 , Atkins Library- UNC Charlotte,  Charlotte, NC

 
Records and Library Services Manager, Barr Engineering Co, Minneapolis. MN

Reference and Instruction Librarian, Penn State Brandywine Campus,  The Pennsylvania State University Libraries

Philadelphia, PA

Systems Administrator, State University Libraries, Manhattan, KS

 
Visit the LITA Job Site for more available jobs and for information on submitting a  job posting.

LITA has 20 committees to which members must be appointed annually by the Vice-President. We also send representatives to twenty other committees, groups, task forces and organizations. Some terms are multi-year; some committee members can be reappointed; some chairs come from the pool of members already on the committee; some representatives serve in that capacity by virtue of their position on a committee. Some committees do a lot of work between conferences in virtual meetings, and some don’t. Some committees submit program proposals for Midwinter and Annual conference, and some don’t.

TL;DR? It’s complicated, and I need about 100 people to fill spots that are opening up. I’m going to attack it one committee at a time, so watch this space for a call to action and more information about the committee of the week (roughly).

Have you already volunteered to serve on a committee using the infamous form? GREAT! I have that information. If you have an itch to drop me a line regarding a particular job, that’s great too, do it! Do you know a new LITA member who would be a fantastic committee member? Rat them ou–I mean suggest them! I also collected a lot of photos of badges at Midwinter. If you remember me taking a photo of your badge but you haven’t yet volunteered for a particular committee, please feel free to. (NB: that form is behind a login. Use your ALA credentials. Sorry about that.)

More soon… appointments are supposed to be completed by May, so that interested volunteers can attend meetings during Annual (in person or virtual, we don’t care which!). Do note that your actual appointments begin AFTER Annual, but it’s always good to know what you’re in for.

Questions? Please ask! You can find me @cinditrainor on twitter, at cindiann at that mail from google, or using my Connect contact form.

Please take a few minutes to complete this survey and give the LITA leadership your thoughts on what works in LITA and what you’d like to see LITA become.

Not a LITA member? No worries, we want to hear from you, too!

Thank you from your friendly, neighborhood VP.

New This Week

Information Sciences and Business Liaison Librarian, The Pennsylvania State University Libraries, University Park, PA

Project Manager, Federal Reserve Board,  Washington, DC

Research and Instruction Librarian,  Middlebury College,  Middlebury, VT

Visit the LITA Job Site for more available jobs and for information on submitting a  job posting.

Free live streaming by Ustream

This year’s Town Meeting will be Monday, January 28, from 8:30 – 10:00 PDT, in room 302 of the Convention Center.  We will be streaming audio, and we welcome your participation via IRC and a Google Doc.  Here are the details:

• LITA’s Ustream channel

Because of the wifi challenges, the Town Meeting is a bit broken up on the recordings. The recording is in three parts, but almost the entire thing is available. The challenges of streaming and recording at conferences seemingly never end. Thanks for your patience and interest.

Part the First


Video streaming by Ustream

Part the Next


Video streaming by Ustream

Part the Last


Video streaming by Ustream

Live video from your iPhone using Ustream

• IRC: #litatm (instructions below)
• Google Doc
• Please tag your tweets with #litatm

Please note the chat will be logged for future reference and projected in the room for the benefit of those without devices, as will the Google Doc.

Join us in IRC chat. Never done IRC before? It’s easy!

• Go to : http://webchat.freenode.net/
• Type in your nickname of choice.
• Type in #litatm in Channels.
• You don’t need to click the Auth to services box.
• You do need to fill in the CAPTCHA.
• Some codes will scroll through the status tab, and then a #litatm tab will open.
• You are in! Say hi and chat with us
• When you want to leave type /quit
• Type /me to refer yourself as your nick in the 3rd person.  (If you type “/me likes this”, it will show up as “yournickname likes this”.)

<I>These draw heavily from Bohyun Kim’s IRC instructions. Thanks, Bohyun!  And thanks to Andromeda Yelton, too! </i>

Topic: If Data resides in a Cloud environment, is it still mine?
Panelists: Roy Tennant, Bess Sadler, Todd Carpenter, Carl Grant (moderator), John Law, Mackenzie Smith, Julie Speer
Tweet questions to us with hashtag #alamwttt

Part One, just a few minutes of recording before the wifi went crazy.


Video streaming by Ustream

We missed 8 or so minutes of conversation, then got it running again for Part Two.


Video streaming by Ustream

Part One


Video streaming by Ustream

Part Two


Video streaming by Ustream

New This Week

Assistant Librarian (213UC3358),  University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati ,OH

 
Data Management Librarian , Colorado State University Libraries, Fort Collins, CO

Library Technical Services Manager,  Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, IL

Network Database Specialist, Anne Arundel County Public Library,  Annapolis, MD

Science Liaison Librarians, Colorado State University,  Fort Collins, CO

Visit the LITA Job Site for more available jobs and for information on submitting a  job posting.

The recognition, which is presented by the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy and the Library & Information Technology Association (LITA), showcases libraries that are serving their communities using novel and innovative methods. Libraries or library service areas selected will be highlighted through various ALA publications and featured in a program at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, June 27-July 2, 2013.

“This year’s winners represent creative and cost-effective engagement with technology trends including BYOD (bring your own device), augmented reality, e-government, crowd-sourcing, and online learning,” said Marc Gartler, Branch Manager, Madison Public Library, who chaired the selection subcommittee. “We are excited to recognize these fantastic projects and believe they have the potential to be replicated by many libraries across the country.”

Mobile Digital Learning Tools, Boston College High School’s (BCHS) Corcoran Library, Boston

The Corcoran Library is “meeting students where they are” through their mobile initiative designed to showcase the library’s online resources through mobile sites and apps optimized for mobile searching.  BC High adopted a new cell phone policy which allows students to use their cell phones for research purposes in the library.  Librarians orient students to the new mobile resources through the school iPads and the students’ smart phones.  The aim is to foster an understanding of how these digital learning tools can enhance student information literacy experiences.  The initiative can be replicated by other libraries in schools that are either BYOD (bring your own device) or 1:1 programs by reviewing the library’s website.

German Traces NYC, Goethe-Institut New York Library with Pratt Institute School of Information and Library Science, New York City

The Goethe-Institut and Pratt Institute teamed up to develop German Traces NYC. This mobile experience uses an augmented reality app to allow learners to explore German cultural heritage in New York City. After downloading the app, users can simply hold up their mobile phones and view archival photos layered on top of the images visible through the phone’s camera. The mobile experience also features archival documents, photographs, and multimedia narratives to bring U.S. history to life. It allows users to create a custom walking tour via GPS and access multimedia content. Finally, users can add their own stories to the German Traces webpage. More than 19,000 people visited the website in the year since launch.

Guide on the Side, University of Arizona (UA) Libraries, Tucson, Ariz.

With the launch of Guide on the Side, the UA Libraries turned 12 years of lessons learned developing e-learning tools into an open-source software package that librarians worldwide can download and use to quickly and easily create online, interactive tutorials based on principles of authentic and active learning. The key: a WYSIWYG interface that reduces or eliminates the need for programming assistance and provides considerable time savings. The UA Libraries have developed more than 25 tutorials using the tool, and these tutorials received nearly 73,000 uses in one year. Other libraries have installed the software, begun creating tutorials and joined a discussion group to continue improving the software.

Right Service at the Right Time App, Orange County Library System, Orlando, Fla.

OCLS’ Right Service at the Right Time (RS/RT) mobile optimized website addresses a growing need in public libraries to aid library patrons seeking government assistance, which increasingly is accessible only online. RS/RT uses a database-driven decision-making engine to connect people in need of government and non-profit public services with the appropriate provider. Need areas addressed include family assistance, healthcare, housing, jobs, and transportation. The site was based on feedback from users who access the Internet solely with mobile devices, and it currently offers four language versions. In 2012, the service expanded from five to 36 Florida counties, and it had more than 10.3 million total page views.

WEBOOKS, Genesee Valley Educational Partnership School Library System, Le Roy, N.Y.

Genesee Valley addressed two needs of rural schools with its crowd-sourced WEBOOKS: improved access to digital content and a way to do this at a time of devastating budget cuts. The library system created a Drupal website that allowed librarians across 22 school districts to pool together a portion of their individual library materials aid while maintaining control over spending through a participatory selection process. By purchasing together, the system was able to buy more e-books than each would have been able to afford individually, and the project demonstrated to administrators that the libraries are working together to find creative solutions. Several districts provided additional funds because of the promise of the project.

Additional information is available at http://www.ala.org/offices/oitp/cuttingedge

About the Library & Information Technology Association (LITA)

LITA, a division of the ALA, is the leading organization reaching out across types of libraries to provide education and services for a broad membership of over 3,000 systems librarians, library administrators, library schools, vendors and many others interested in leading edge technology and applications for librarians and information providers. For more information, visit www.lita.org.

About the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP)

The Office for Information Technology Policy advances ALA’s public policy activities by helping secure information technology policies that support and encourage efforts of libraries to ensure access to electronic information resources as a means of upholding the public’s right to a free and open information society. For more information, visit www.ala.org/oitp.

The purpose of the award is to recognize superior student writing and to enhance the professional development of students. The manuscript can be written on any aspect of libraries and information technology. Examples include digital libraries, metadata, authorization and authentication, electronic journals and electronic publishing, telecommunications, distributed systems and networks, computer security, intellectual property rights, technical standards, desktop applications, online catalogs and bibliographic systems, universal access to technology, library consortia and others.

At the time the unpublished manuscript is submitted, the applicant must be enrolled in an ALA-accredited program in library and information studies at the masters or PhD level.

To be eligible, applicants must follow the detailed submission guidelines and complete the application form. Send the signed, completed forms by February 28, 2013 to the Award Committee Co-Chair, Regina Koury, Idaho State University, Eli M. Oboler Library, 950 South 9th, Pocatello, ID 83209-8089. Submit the manuscript to Regina electronically at kourregi (at) isu.edu by February 28, 2013. Detailed information about the award and application process can be found on the LITA web site.

The award will be presented at the LITA President’s Program during the 2013 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago.

About Ex Libris

Ex Libris is a leading provider of automation solutions for academic libraries. Offering the only comprehensive product suite for electronic, digital, and print materials, Ex Libris provides efficient, user-friendly products that serve the needs of libraries today and will facilitate their transition into the future. Ex Libris maintains an impressive customer base consisting of thousands of sites in more than 80 countries on six continents. For more information about Ex Libris Group visit http://www.exlibris-usa.com/.

For further information, please contact Mary Taylor at LITA, 312-280-4267.

New This Week

Diversity Residency Program Librarian (2 positions), The Pennsylvania State University Libraries, University Park, PA

Electronic Resource Metadata Management Librarian, New York University – Division of Libraries,  New York, NY

 
Regular Part-Time (25%) Librarian,   Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Edinboro, PA

Visit the LITA Job Site for more available jobs and for information on submitting a  job posting.

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

Online Learning Technologies Librarian, Macomb Community College,  Warren, MI

Online Content Specialist, Computercraft Corporation,  Bethesda, MD

 
Visit the LITA Job Site for more available jobs and for information on submitting a  job posting.

Please join the LITA Membership Development Committee and members from around the country and beyond for networking, good cheer, and great fun! Expect lively conversation and excellent drinks. Cash Bar.  See you there!

Modeled on Eva Dodsworth’s LITA Guide of the same name, Getting Started with GIS will provide participants with an introduction to the both online and desktop GIS currently being used by library administrators, librarians, library support staff and library users.  The three week course will run February 11 – March 4 and will consist of weekly asynchronous lectures and modules in Moodle. Participants will learn firsthand how to create online maps; how to properly use maps in library web pages; how to embed GIS technology into library projects; and how to enjoy GIS and mapping technologies in personal endeavors.  Students will be exposed to many online resources that are currently being used by public, academic and special libraries across North America.  No previous mapping or GIS experience is necessary.

Inclusive Gigabit Libraries will help libraries identify ways to lead in building next-generation Internet applications and services designed to operate on ultra-fast broadband networks that several communities are already building. Consisting of two, 2 hour live lectures, held February 21 and 22, noon – 2:00 pm CST, participants will learn what gigabit networks are and how they work in accessible terms, identify strategies to leverage networks for new library services and opportunities based on case studies, and develop general concepts that would help apply the strategies in other contexts.

For registration and additional information on both courses, visit the LITA web site.

New This Week

Coordinator of Technical Services, ESU — East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, PA

Head of Web Services, University Libraries,  Athens, OH

Web Developer,  Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, MO

Visit the LITA Job Site for more available jobs and for information on submitting a  job posting.

President-elect

•   Frank Cervone
•   Rachel Vacek

Councilor

•   Aaron Dobbs
•   Holly Yu

Directors at Large

•   Jason Battles
•   Brett Bonfield
•   Jennifer Reiswig
•   Andromeda Yelton

The slate was recommended by the Nominating Committee.  Tom Wilson is chair of the Committee and Karen Schneider and Ranti Junus are the Committee members.   The Board thanks the Nominating Committee for all their work.

New This Week

Visit the LITA Job Site for more available jobs and for information on submitting a  job posting.

Customer Experience Manager, Hartford Public Library, Hartford, CT

Faculty Librarian with Outstanding Tech Skills, 9 month , Glendale Community College, Glendale, AZ

Head of Systems, University Libraries (Job #989924), Kent State University, Kent, OH

 Library Technology Coordinator, University of North Alabama, Florence, AL

Tombros Librarian for Classics and Humanities, The Pennsylvania State University,  University Park, PA

Visit the LITA Job Site for more available jobs and for information on submitting a  job posting.

http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital/issue/current

Issue contents are listed below. To receive automatic notifications of future issues, please subscribe to ITAL here:

https://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital/notification/subscribeMailList.

Please note the the first volume of the Journal of Library Automation (JOLA), first published in 1968, is also now available online. JOLA was the predecessor to Information Technology and Libraries. Additional volumes will be published shortly.

Suggestions and feedback are always welcome: please send to Bob Gerrity, ITAL Editor, at gerrityr (at) gmail.com.

Information Technology and Libraries

Volume 31, Number 4 (December 2012)

CONTENTS

Editorials

Bob Gerrity

Editor’s Comments

http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital/article/view/3012

Ed Tallent

Editorial Board Thoughts: Technology and Mission: Reflections of a First-Year Library Director

http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital/article/view/3001

Articles

David Ward, Jim Hahn, Kirsten Feist

Autocomplete as a Research Tool: A Study on Providing Search Suggestions

http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital/view/1930

As the library website and on its online searching tools become the primary “branch” many users visit for their research, methods for providing automated, context-sensitive research assistance need to be developed to guide unmediated searching towards the most relevant results. This study examines one such method, the use of autocompletion in search interfaces, by conducting usability tests on its use in typical academic research scenarios. The study reports notable findings on user preference for autocomplete features, and suggests best practices for their implementation.

Susan Thompson

Student Use of Library Computers: Are Desktop Computers Still Relevant in Today’s Libraries?

http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital/view/2284

Academic libraries have traditionally provided computers for students to access their collections and, more recently, facilitate all aspects of studying. Recent changes in technology, particularly the increased presence of mobile devices, calls into question how libraries can best provide technology support and how it might impact the use of other library services. A two-year study conducted at California State University San Marcos library analyzed student use of the computers in the library, both the library’s own desktop computers and laptops owned by students. The results found that, despite the increased ownership of mobile technology by students, they still clearly preferred to use desktop computers in the library. It also showed that students who used computers in the library were more likely to use other library services and physical collections.

Victor Jesús Sosa-Sosa and Emigdio M. Hernandez-Ramirez

A File Storage Service on a Cloud Computing Environment for Digital Libraries

http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital/view/1844

This paper introduces a file storage service that is implemented on a private/hybrid cloud computing environment. The entire system was implemented using open source software. The characteristic of elasticity is supported by virtualization technologies allowing to increase and to decrease the computing and storage resources based on their demand. An evaluation of performance and resource consumption was made using several levels of data availability and fault tolerance. The set of modules included in this storage environment can be taken as a reference guide for IT staff that wants to have some experience building a modest cloud storage infrastructure.

Eun G. Park and Sam Oh

Examining Attributes of Open Standard File Formats for Long-term Preservation and Open Access

http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital/view/1946

This study examines the attributes that have been used to assess file formats in literature and compiles the most frequently used attributes of file formats in order to establish open standard file format selection criteria. A comprehensive review was undertaken to identify the current knowledge regarding file format selection criteria. The findings indicate that the most common criteria can be categorized into five major groups: functionality, metadata, openness, interoperability, and independence. These attributes appear to be closely related. Additional attributes include presentation, authenticity, adoption, protection, preservation, reference, and others.

New This Week

Educational Technology & Reference Librarian,  Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA

Visit the LITA Job Site for more available jobs and for information on submitting a  job posting.

New This Week

Library Web Applications Developer, Rice University, Houston, TX

Engineering Liaison Librarians, The Pennsylvania State University Libraries,  University Park, PA

Systems Librarian, Xavier University of LA,  New Orleans, LA

Visit the LITA Job Site for more available jobs and for information on submitting a  job posting.

Editor Jane Monson gathers a full range of perspectives in this clear, concise overview of the core concepts and competencies of digital librarianship.  Twenty-one experienced practitioners from a variety of settings offer realistic views of today’s job market, typical project dynamics and employer expectations. New graduates just starting out as well as seasoned professionals transitioning from other areas will benefit from this book’s valuable coverage of topics such as:

• Activities and roles of the digital librarian, including management of digital projects and collaboration;
• Developing and using transferable skills;
• Becoming familiar with metadata;
• How digital librarians are re-shaping scholarly publishing;
• The concept and framework of digital preservation best practices;
• Technical competencies such as XML and content management systems.

Monson received her MLS from the University of Iowa and is digital initiatives librarian at the University of Northern Colorado. She was previously digital projects librarian at Truman State University in Missouri. She has been published in Computers in Libraries magazine, is a book reviewer for the Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship and serves on the Library and Information Technology Association’s (LITA)Publications Committee.

LITA, a division of ALA, educates, serves and reaches out to its members, other ALA members and divisions, and the entire library and information community through its publications, programs and other activities designed to promote, develop, and aid in the implementation of library and information technology. LITA also hosts its own Job Site focused on library technology jobs across the country. Updates are posted every Wednesday.

ALA Store purchases fund advocacy, awareness and accreditation programs for library professionals worldwide. Founded in 1976 by Patricia Glass Schuman and John Vincent Neal, ALA Neal-Schuman, now an imprint of ALAPublishing, publishes professional books for librarians, archivists, and knowledge managers. Contact us at (800) 545-2433 ext. 5418 or editionsmarketing@ala.org.

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.

Building Web Applications with HTML5, CSS3, and Javascript: An Introduction to HTML5; Washington State Convention Center, room TCC 204
Speaker: Jason Clark, Montana State University
Geolocation, Native video, Offline storage, Semantic markup elements, Responsive web design, Canvas elements, Voice input, Drag and Drop, Opacity, Gradients… HTML5 has been released and is changing the way web developers work. With wide support in mobile browsers and the latest browser releases from Google and Firefox, HTML5 is poised to be the technology that will help build the next version of the Web. In this workshop, we’ll look at some of the possibilities, trends, and enhancements that HTML5, CSS3, and the new Javascript APIs enable. As a workshop deliverable, we’ll talk through the specifics of implementation and work through building a prototype HTML5 application.

Developing a Web Analytics Strategy for Your Library: Using Data to Measure Success; Washington State Convention Center, room TCC 205
Speakers: Tabatha Farney, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs; Nina McHale, Arapahoe Library District
Web analytics strategy combines the library’s mission, identified website goals, and customized Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure those goals. A web analytics strategy is essential for libraries because it helps them focus on the data that matters and defines what a library expects from an effective site. It also guides future development of the site and indicates potential areas for usability testing. The workshop covers important web analytics concepts, metrics, and reports, discusses best practices for creating a web analytics strategy, specifically focusing on goal creation and selecting KPIs that fit; and demonstrates how to review the website use data to determine if the site is meeting the set expectations and the actions to take if it is not. Recommendations on how to report and share this data will also be included. By the end of the session, each participant will have a beginning draft to a web analytics strategy that contains measurable goals and identified KPIs that fit their library’s needs. While no prior experience with web analytics is required, participants should have access to the web analytics tool used to track they website they want to focus on in this session.

Please note: you do not have to register for ALA Midwinter Meeting to attend a workshop. Visit the LITA website for more information on registration and other LITA events at ALA Midwinter.

Zach is currently a systems and emerging technologies librarian at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, PA.  Zach is a member of the LITA Publications Committee.  Margaret is currently a web services librarian at the Dominican University Library in River Forest, IL.  Margaret is a member of the LITA Education Committee and 2013 LITA Forum Planning Committee.

The LITA Board wishes to maximize the Emerging Leaders experiences within LITA, therefore Zach and Margaret will work closely with the LITA President-elect.

The ALA Emerging Leaders Program enables newer librarians from across the country to participate in problem-solving workgroups, network with peers, gain an inside look into ALA structure, and have an opportunity to serve the profession in a leadership capacity.  Each participant is expected to provide one year of service to ALA or one of its units.

LITA had a number of excellent applicants and congratulates these additional LITA members on being accepted into the ALA Emerging Leaders Program as well:  Holli Beckman, Wei Cen, Ana Elisa De Campos Salles, and Berika Williams.   LITA has a very bright future with such bright, rising stars.

The award, given to either an individual or an institution, may recognize a single seminal work or a body of work created during or continuing into the five years immediately preceding the award year.  The body of work need not be limited to published texts, but can include course plans or actual courses and/or non-print publications such as visual media.  More information and a list of previous winners can be found at www.lita.org  in the Awards and Scholarships section.

Currently serving officers and elected officials of LITA, members of the LITA/Library Hi Tech Award Committee, and employees and their immediate family of Emerald Press are ineligible.

Nominations must include the name(s) of the recipient(s), basis for nomination, and references to the body of work and should be sent to mwitt (at) purdue.edu.  Electronic submissions are preferred, but print submissions may be sent to Michael Witt, Purdue University, 504 W State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2058.

The award will be presented at the LITA President’s Program during the 2013 Annual Conference of the American Library Association in Chicago.

About Emerald Group Publishing, www.emeraldinsight.com

Established in 1967, Emerald Group Publishing is the world’s leading publisher of management research.  In total, Emerald publishes over 700 titles, comprising 200 journals, over 300 books and more than 200 book series as well as an extensive range of online products and services.  Emerald is borht COUNTER and TRANSFER compliant.  The organization is partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation.

For further information, contact Mary Taylor, 312-280-4267.

Join the meeting by clicking the following link: http://ala.adobeconnect.com/r25o1o9ytqw/

View the meeting agenda: http://connect.ala.org/files/7917/111912BoardAgenda.rtf

Please note: the meeting begins with a closed Executive Session. The Board anticipates opening the meeting to all at approximately 1:30 pm EST.

If you have any questions, recommendations, or wish to discuss any of this, please leave a comment or contact the LITA office, lita (at) ala.org.

New This Week

Chief Technology Officer,  Cleveland Public Library, Cleveland,  OH

Deputy Library Director,  The City of Phoenix,  Phoenix,  AZ

Executive Director of the Library (Non Unit), Worcester State University, Worcester, MA

Visit the LITA Job Site for more available jobs and for information on submitting a  job posting.

New This Week

Archivist for Collections Management, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC

Director for Academic and Research, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR

Manager of Data Center Operations and Help Desk,  Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY

Metadata Librarian for Special Collections, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte – Atkins Library,  Charlotte, NC

Visit the LITA Job Site for more available jobs and for information on submitting a  job posting.

The 2013 National Forum Committee seeks proposals for high quality pre-conferences, concurrent sessions and poster sessions for the 16th annual LITA National Forum to be held in Louisville, Kentucky, November 7-10, 2013.

The 2013 theme is Creation, Collaboration, Community

The Forum Committee welcomes pre-conferences, presentations, and interactive programs related to all types of libraries: public, school, academic, government, special, and corporate. Proposals should relate to the themes of creation, empowering library users, collaboration, cooperation, and building or engaging communities. Proposals may cover projects, plans, ideas, or recent discoveries. We accept proposals on any aspect of library and information technology.

The committee particularly invites submissions from first time presenters, library school students, and individuals from diverse backgrounds.

The Forum Committee is especially interested in presentations highlighting projects that involve the creation of library spaces, the maker movement, and innovative solutions to pragmatic problems. It also encourages sessions that are hands-on.

Possible ideas for topics might include:

• Maker spaces/Maker Movement
• Creation of New Library Spaces
• Data Curation
• Discovery
• User Experience
• Web Services
• Coding
• Digital Libraries
• Institutional Repositories

Presentations must have a technological focus and pertain to libraries. Presentations that incorporate audience participation are encouraged. Sessions can be full-day pre-conferences, concurrent sessions (50 minutes), or poster sessions. The format of the presentations may include single- or multi-speaker formats, panel discussions, moderated discussions, case studies and/or demonstrations of projects.

Vendors wishing to submit a proposal should partner with a library representative who is testing/using the product.

Presenters will submit draft presentation slides and/or handouts on ALA Connect in advance of the Forum and will submit final presentation slides or electronic content (video, audio, etc.) to be made available on the web site following the event. Presenters are expected to register and participate in the Forum as attendees; discounted registration will be offered.

Submit proposals to: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEpzV2N6Unh3UlBsVzBhZ1BRX3dfZUE6MQ

The online form will ask for:

• Contact information
• Title
• Program Description (100 Words) (Please exclude any information identifying the presenter(s) or his/her/their organization.)
• Participatory elements of the presentation
• Level indicator (Introducing, Implementing, Innovating)
• Brief biographical information
• Whether you would like to consider a paper in ITAL based upon your talk
• Do you agree to be streamed: yes or no

You will be notified about the status of your proposal by mid-April, 2013

Any questions regarding the Forum? Please contact the LITA Office: lita (at) ala.org; (312) 280-4268

Please also note that these are ALA-level, and NOT LITA committees, though you can volunteer for LITA committees using the same form, and of course, I urge you to! These are also not the Committees of the ALA Council.

Click the name of each committee below to read its complete charge and current roster, or view all Committees of the Association.

Committee on Accreditation
“To be responsible for the execution of the accreditation program of ALA, and to develop and formulate standards of education for library and information studies for the approval of council.”

American Libraries Advisory Committee
“To review and recommend editorial policies for American Libraries and to provide oversight for the implementation of those policies. To communicate with, and operate within, the frameworks established by the ALA Publishing Committee. To serve as a channel for member communication regarding the scope and coverage of American Libraries.”

Awards Committee
(a very long charge, including administering the “ALA General Awards”)  View all ALA awards, scholarships and grants.  Recognize the hard work of your fellow librarians!

Chapter Relations
“To develop and recognize chapters as integral components of ALA. To encourage discussion, activities and programs that support the mutual interests of ALA and the chapters.”  (and more!)

Conference
The charge involves policy work regarding conferences, but perhaps more interestingly: “To review recommendations of specific sites and dates prior to their presentation by conference services to the ALA executive board; and To recommend to council and to ALA staff a means for communications with the membership to hear their concerns about conference and meeting procedures and policies.”

Constitution and Bylaws
“To consider amendments to the constitution and bylaws; to review and draft rules for the conduct of council and membership meetings; to review and draft rules for the preparation of resolutions, memorials, and tributes; and to make recommendations to the association in accordance with the provisions of articles xi and xii of the constitution.”

Election
“To monitor ALA elections for association officers, councilors, and constitution and bylaws.” Importantly: “To consist of six ALA members who agree to travel to ALA headquarters at no cost to the association.”

Human Resource Development and Recruitment Advisory Committee
“To advise the Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment (formerly Office for Library Personnel Resources, OLPR) on activities, problems, and procedures related to library concerns in such areas as recruitment, utilization, education and training, and staff welfare….”

Information Technology Policy Advisory Committee
“To advise the Office for Information Technology Policy on priorities, policies and strategies for the Association that promote the development and utilization of electronic access to information.  To provide an ongoing channel for member communication, working closely with other units, committees and officers of the Association in matters touching information technology.”

Committee on Literacy
“To develop and recommend the association’s policies related to the promotion of literacy…”

Literacy and Outreach Services Advisory Committee
“To offer policy guidance to the Office for Literacy and Outreach Services; to advise and assist the Office in establishing programs and priorities; to examine and assist in coordinating the various relevant programs and activities with ALA; to recommend new programs; to provide a channel through which membership may make recommendations; to issue reports; and to promote any other activities that will improve the quality of library services to the rural and urban poor and to ethnic minority groups.”

Membership Committee
To establish general policies, programs, and procedures to secure new members; to be responsible for the implementation of these programs; to coordinate membership promotion activities of all units and chapters of the association; to coordinate the ALA committee internship program; to make recommendations concerning membership dues; and to serve the association as a sounding board on membership”

Membership Meetings Committee
To plan the agenda for the membership meetings specified in ALA policy 7.4.10; to identify potential discussion topics for the membership meetings; to educate the membership about the purposes of the membership meeting and the opportunities it offers members; to identify and recommend incentives for attendance; to advise staff on logistics for membership meetings; to oversee publicity plans for membership meetings; to assess the effectiveness of the membership meetings in addressing the ALA membership’s needs; and to recommend changes in light of that assessment.

Public and Cultural Programs Advisory
“To serve as an advisory committee to the ALA Public Programs Office. To promote excellence in cultural programming; to assist library staff to become more effective providers of cultural programming; to identify and disseminate resources for cultural programming; and to promote the cultural communities fund.”

Research and Statistics
“To facilitate research and related activities in all units of the association, especially activities related to library statistics; to advise the ALA council and executive board on programs, policy, and priorities regarding research and related activities;” and much more!

Rural, Native and Tribal Libraries of All Kinds Committee
“To review issues and challenges facing rural, native and tribal libraries of all kinds; to collaborate with other ALA units addressing the needs of rural communities; and to serve as an advocate for and partner with libraries serving rural, tribal and native populations.”

Scholarships and Study Grants Committee
“To make recommendations to the executive board and the ALA council on all policies relating to ALA scholarships, study grants, conference sponsorships or research grants to be made or sponsored by ALA and its units. It shall administer the general scholarships, study grants, conference sponsorships, and research grants presented in the name of the American Library Association, known as ‘ALA general scholarships and study grants.’ all ALA general scholarships and study grants shall exist to advance study or knowledge in library science.” …and much more!

Training, Orientation, and Leadership Development Committee
“To plan and coordinate training, orientation, and leadership development for member leaders at all levels across the association. To inventory training and orientation modules in divisions, round tables, and other association groups. To coordinate the ALA committee internship training program.”

Website Advisory Committee
“To develop, review and recommend to council association policies for the ALA website. To recommend editorial or structural guidelines for the ALA website,” and much more!

Next up: LITA Committees.

Questions? Please do ask. You are welcome to comment here, or you can find my contact information on my Connect page.

“We want to showcase libraries that are serving their communities with novel and innovative methods and provide the library community with some successful models for delivering quality library service in new ways,” said Patty Saidenberg, chair of the Cutting-edge Technology in Library Services selection committee.

Last year, four libraries were cited for their work: Contra Costa County Library in Pleasant Hill, Calif., New Canaan High School Library in New Canaan, Conn., New York Public Library in New York, and Scottsdale Public Library in Scottsdale, Ariz.

A joint committee of members from the Subcommittee on America’s Libraries for the 21st Century and LITA will review all nominations and may conduct selected interviews or site visits to identify those libraries that are truly offering a best practice or most innovative service.  Libraries or library service areas selected will be publicized via the OITP and LITA websites, highlighted through ALA publications, and featured in a program at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference.

“Cutting-edge” refers to tested and successful implementations of technological advancements used in services such as:

• Improvements in traditional services and processes by inventing/re-inventing/twisting technology
• Introduction of new, innovative services that are flexible and responsive to community needs
• Methods for connecting libraries to their communities
• Funding initiatives or organizational models that ensure library information technology will remain current

Interested parties must submit nominations by November 6, 2012 (Election Day!), and winners will be announced at the ALA Midwinter Meeting, January 25-29, 2013. Additional details, including submission information, for the nomination process can be found on the OITP website.

• Eric Hellman
• Ben Shneiderman
• Sarah Houghton

can be found at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/lita-forum

Also, you can see photos of the forum via the Flickr group Pix4LITA

• Eric Hellman on Friday, Oct 5th at 1pm EDT
• Ben Shneiderman on Saturday, Oct 6th at 9am EDT
• Sarah Houghton on Sunday, Oct 6th at 10:30am EDT

At http://www.ustream.tv/channel/lita-forum (Recordings will be available via USTREAM  after the event.)

Also, check out photos of the forum via the Flickr group Pix4LITA

My first phone call with Mary Taylor, LITA’s Executive Director (ALA Staff) earlier this year was very pleasant.  She called to deliver the news that I had won the election, and that my term as Vice-President/President-Elect would start after the Annual conference in Anaheim.  She was clearly excited about the upcoming year, and reminded me of these Vice-Presidential duties:

1. Attend training that would help Mary and me establish a working relationship.
2. Attend two CNI meetings as LITA’s representative.
3. Appoint members to LITA’s committees.
4. Appoint LITA representatives to a few ALA committees.
5. Plan and run the LITA Town Meeting at the Midwinter meeting in Seattle.

Some of these I already knew about, and some were new to me.  I actually have already attended the training (which I have yet to write about, boo), and I had my first conference call as LITA’s representative to the ALA Committee on Appointments, which is the official way of stating #4.

I have been LITA VP for a month and a half now, and things are really starting to ramp up.  Stay tuned here to learn what I’m doing, and I hope, to learn more about what LITA and ALA are all about.

Questions?  Please ask!

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 four weeks.

New This Week

Director of Digital Strategies & Services, Smith College, Northampton, MA

Emerging Technologies Librarian, Marquette University Libraries, Milwaukee, WI

Emerging Technologies Librarian, University of Wisconsin – Parkside, Kenosha, WI

Head of Reference and Instruction, University of Wisconsin – Parkside, Kenosha, WI

 Web Services Librarian, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA

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 four weeks.

New This Week

Dean of the University Libraries, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY

Instructional Designer,  Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL

Senior Medical Librarian,  Lehigh Valley Health Network,  Allentown, PA

Visit the LITA Job Site for more available jobs and for information on submitting a  job posting.

Issue contents are listed below. To receive automatic notifications of future issues, please subscribe to ITAL.

Suggestions and feedback are always welcome, please send to:

Bob Gerrity
ITAL Editor
gerrityr (at) gmail.com

Editorials

Bob Gerrity
Editor’s Comments

Cynthia Porter
Editorial Board Thoughts: Appreciation for History

Articles

Ian Chan, Pearl Ly, Yvonne Meulemans
Extending IM beyond the Reference Desk: A Case Study on the Integration of Chat Reference and Library-Wide Instant Messaging Network

Openfire is an open source IM network and a single unified application that meets the needs of chat reference and internal communications. In Fall 2009, the California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) Library began use of Openfire and other Jive software instant messaging technologies, to simultaneously improve our existing IM-integrated chat reference software and implement an internal IM network. This case study describes the chat reference and internal communications environment at the CSUSM Library and the selection, implementation, and evaluation of Openfire. In addition, the authors discuss the benefits of deploying an integrated instant messaging and chat reference network.

Richard Gartner
METS as an ‘Intermediary’ Schema for a Digital Library of Complex Scientific Multimedia

The use of the Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard (METS) schema as a mechanism for delivering a digital library of complex scientific multimedia is examined as an alternative to the Fedora Content Model (FCM). Using METS as an ‘intermediary’ schema, where it functions as a template which is populated with content metadata on-the-fly using an XSLT transformation, it is possible to replicate the flexibility of structure and granularity of FCM while avoiding its complexity and often substantial demands on developers.

Emily Morton-Owens and Karen Hanson
Trends at a Glance: A Management Dashboard of Library Statistics

Systems librarians at an academic medical library created a management data dashboard. Charts were designed using best practices for data visualization and dashboard layout, and include metrics on gatecount, website visits, IM reference chats, circulation, and ILL volume and turnaround time. Several charts draw on EZproxy log data that has been analyzed and linked to other databases to reveal use by different academic departments and user roles (such as faculty or student). Most charts are bar charts and include a linear regression trendline. The implementation uses Perl scripts to retrieve data from eight different sources and add it to a MySQL data warehouse, from which PHP/Javascript webpages use Google Chart Tools to create the dashboard charts.

Kate Pittsley and Sara Memmott
Improving Independent Student Navigation of Complex Educational Web Sites: An Analysis of Two Navigation Design Changes in LibGuides

Can the navigation of complex research web sites be improved so that users more often find their way without intermediation or instruction?  Librarians at Eastern Michigan University discovered that students were not recognizing navigational elements on web based research guides and tested possible solutions. In this study, two types of navigation improvements were applied to separate sets of online guides. Both sets of experimental guides showed an increase in use of navigation to secondary pages of the guides..

Bojana Dimi? Surla
Eclipse Editor for MARC Records

Editing bibliographic data is an important part of library information systems. In this paper we discuss existing approaches in developing user interfaces for editing MARC records. There are two basic approaches: screen forms that support entering bibliographic data without knowledge of the MARC structure, and direct editing of MARC records that is shown on the screen. The main result presented in the paper is the Eclipse editor for MARC records that fully supports editing of MARC records. It is written in Java as Eclipse plug-in so it is platform-independent. It can be extended for use with any data store. The paper also presents a Rich Client Platform application made of a MARC editor plug-in which can be used outside of Eclipse. The practical application of the results is integration of the Rich Client Platform application in the BISIS library information system

Yongming Wang and Trevor Dawes
The Next Generation Integrated Library System: A Promise Fulfilled

The adoption of Integrated Library Systems (ILS) became prevalent in the 1980s and 1990s as libraries began or continued to automate their processes.  These systems enabled library staff to work, in many cases, more efficiently than they had been in the past.  However, these systems were also restrictive – especially as the nature of the work began to change, largely in response to the growth of electronic and digital resources – for which these systems were not intended to manage.  New library systems – the second (or next) generation library systems are needed in order to effectively manage the processes of acquiring, describing and making available all library resources.  This article examines the state of library systems today and describes the features needed in a next generation library system.  The authors also examine some of the next generation library systems currently in development that purport to fill the changing needs of libraries.

Melanie Schlosser and Brian Stamper
Learning to Share: Measuring Use of a Digitized Collection of Flickr and in the IR

There is very little public data on usage of digitized library collections. New methods for promoting and sharing digitized collections are created all the time, but very little investigation has been done on the effect of those efforts on usage of the collections on library websites. This study attempts to measure the effects of reposting a collection on Flickr on use of the collection in a library-run institutional repository. The results are inconclusive, but the paper provides background on the topic and guidance for future efforts.

New This Week

Anythink Web Ninja (part webmaster, part virtual library visionary, part social media guru), Anythink Libraries,  Denver, CO

Clinical Outreach, Liaison and Instruction Librarian,  The Pennsylvania State University Libraries, Hershey, PA

Reference/Emerging Technologies Librarian, Nevada State College, Henderson, NV

Visit the LITA Job Site for more available jobs and for information on submitting a  job posting.

Last chance to save up to $50 on registration for the 2012 LITA National Forum “New World of Data: Discover. Connect. Remix.,” to be held October 4-7, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency Downtown in Columbus, OH.

Don’t forget to book your room at the Hyatt by September 3, 2012 to guarantee the LITA room rate.

This year’s Forum will feature keynote speakers Eric Hellman, Ben Shneiderman, and Sarah Houghton. More than 30 concurrent sessions and a dozen poster sessions will provide a wealth of practical information on a wide range of topics. Two preconference workshops will also be offered; Tabatha Farney, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs and Nina McHale, Arapahoe Library District, CO will present “Developing a Web Analytics Strategy for Your Library: Using Data to Measure Success” and Christopher Manly, Cornell University will present “Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Running Your Systems (And Are Afraid to Ask!).”

Networking opportunities, one of the small conference advantages, are an important part of the Forum. Take advantage of the Friday evening reception and sponsor showcase, networking dinners, meals and breaks throughout the Forum to get to know LITA leaders, Forum speakers, sponsors, and peers.

Visit the LITA web site for more information.

The ALCTS/LITA Metadata Standards Committee will play a leadership role in the creation and development of metadata standards for bibliographic information. The Committee will review and evaluate proposed standards; recommend approval of standards in conformity with ALA policy; establish a mechanism for the continuing review of standards (including the monitoring of further development); provide commentary on the content of various implementations of standards to concerned agencies; and maintain liaison with concerned units within ALA and relevant outside agencies.

The Metadata Standards Committee will begin its work at the Midwinter Meeting of the American Library Association, January 2013. While composition of the committee is still under discussion, membership will likely include equal numbers of voting members appointed by ALCTS and LITA and a voting liaison member appointed by RUSA. The committee will actively seek input from many groups and communities of practice in its work.

Having formed this new committee to spearhead participation in developing a wide range of applicable metadata standards, the three ALA divisions have also voted to disband the ALCTS/LITA/RUSA Machine-Readable Bibliographic Information (MARBI) Committee, as of June 30, 2013. After June 2013, the MARC Advisory Committee (MAC) (http://www.loc.gov/marc/marbi/advisory2.html) is expected to continue to advise the Library of Congress on MARC development. While there will no longer be MARBI involvement with MAC, other ALA representatives and liaisons as noted on the MAC roster will continue to advise LC about MARC. If a major issue related to MARC requires the attention of a voting ALA body, the issue may be brought to the new ALCTS/LITA Metadata Standards Committee. MARC, however, is not expected to be the prevailing focus of the new ALCTS/LITA committee.

For the past several decades, MARBI has played a critical role in improving library metadata, particularly the MARC formats. ALCTS, LITA, and RUSA thank all those who have contributed to MARBI’s many accomplishments. We look forward to working with the metadata community broadly in developing and monitoring current and emerging metadata standards.

Zoe Stewart-Marshall

LITA President 2012/13

Trainor has been active in LITA since 2007, when she served on the LITA Library Hi Tech Award Committee and participated in the Blogs, Interactive GroupWare and Wikis Interest Group (BIGWIG).  Since then, Trainor has served on the Web Coordinating and the Top Tech Trends Committees and the Online Programming and Electronic Participation Implementation Task Forces.  As a director-at-large on the LITA Board, Trainor has served on the Executive Committee and has liaised with the Web Coordinating and the Assessment and Research Committees.

“LITA’s members are its strength and its life, and I want to build on that by helping to transform LITA into an organization that is attractive to potential new members and home to existing ones,” said Trainor.

This year two newly elected directors-at-large begin their three-year terms:    Cody Hanson, website architect and UX analyst, University of Minnesota Libraries, Minneapolis, and, Rachel Vacek, head of Web Services, University of Houston, Texas.

In exchange for the discounted registration, students will assist the LITA organizers and the Forum presenters with the on-site operations for the Forum.  This year’s theme is “New World of Data.”  We are anticipating an attendance of 400-500 decision makers and implementers of new information technologies in libraries.

The selected students will be expected to attend the full LITA National Forum, Friday noon through Sunday noon, but not the pre-conferences on Thursday and Friday.  You will be assigned a variety of duties, but will be able to attend the Forum programs, which include 3 keynote sessions, approximately 30 concurrent sessions, and 12 poster presentations.

The student rate is $180 – half the regular registration rate for LITA members.  This rate includes a Friday night reception at the hotel, continental breakfasts, and Saturday lunch.

To apply for the student registration rate, please provide the following information:

1. Complete contact information including email address,
2. The name of the school you are attending, and
3. 150 word (or less) statement on why you want to attend the LITA National Forum

Please send this information no later than August 24, 2012 to lita@ala.org, with LITA Forum Student Registration Request in the subject line.

Those selected for the student rate will be notified no later than August 31, 2012.

Invitation and Call for Proposals

Do you love exploring new ideas? Always secretly wished you knew more about how to create an app? Wonder what the next wave of library innovation might be?

If you answered yes, then Innovation in Libraries 2012 is for you. The event will happen after LITA Forum concludes on Oct. 7, and will continue through the morning of Oct. 8. Sponsored by OCLC and held at the Columbus Metropolitan Library Main Library, Innovation in Libraries 2012 is your chance to hear from experts and colleagues, and contribute your ideas. Library innovation of all flavors will be on tap; you are invited.

To register and learn more about Innovation in Libraries 2012, go to: http://www.oclc.org/innovation.

Proposals requested

Whether you plan to attend LITA Forum or not, you are encouraged to share your innovations, ideas and instructive failures with fellow attendees at Innovation in Libraries 2012. There are three (3) potential ways to participate:

• 20 minute sessions These are your standard presentations where you showcase the interesting work you’re doing at your library/consortium, etc
•  5 minute lightning talks These are pecha kucha-style sessions designed to have 20 slides each
• 1 hour breakout session leader Brush up your group facilitation skills by volunteering to lead a breakout discussion on a specific topic. Examples include:

• Building apps for tech services
• Building apps for discovery layers
• Library integration with nonlibrary functions
• Nonlibrary apps and “what’s out there”
• Your interesting topic here….

Potential themes

The following topics might get your creative juices flowing:

• App ideation and creation
• Apps usage and outcomes, results
• Using APIs and Web services
• Platform usage
• Building a staff culture of creativity
• Building useful tools for your library
• Widgets, gadgets, plug-ins
• Strategies to help staff innovate
• Strategies to help users innovate

Basically, share something interesting, include a technical angle and explain how it helped your library/users/libraries worldwide in the process.

Deadline is now 31 August 2012.
Submit your proposal at http://registration.oclc.org/reg/?pc=innolib12proposal.

Registration for Innovation in Libraries 2012 is open now, at http://www.oclc.org/innovation. All accepted proposals will also need to register separately for the event, which is free to all attendees.

The program is designed to enable library workers to get on the fast track to ALA and professional leadership.  Participants are given the opportunity to work on a variety of projects, network with peers and gain an understanding of the ALA structure and wide range of activities.

Individuals who are considering applying to the program should be under 35 years of age or be a new library professional of any age with fewer than five years of experience working at a professional or paraprofessional level in a library.  They should also be able to attend both the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, Wash. (Jan. 25–29, 2013) and the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago (June 27–July 2, 2013).  Additional criteria can be found on the Emerging Leaders’ Web page.

An ALA division, round table, ethnic affiliate, state chapter or school library media affiliate will sponsor nearly all of the selected applicants.  Each sponsor will contribute $1,000 toward expenses of attending the ALA Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference ($500 for each conference).  Sponsorship is not required for participation in the program.

A list of sponsoring units is included as part of the online application. Applicants can indicate on the application which groups they want to consider them for sponsorship.  Applicants may also check with various state associations and/or state chapters to find out if they are participating and how to apply for their sponsorship.

No more than one person from any institution will be selected for participation in the program in any given year.

For more information, visit the Emerging Leaders’ Web page or contact the program coordinator, Beatrice Calvin.

Changes from last year!!

• Due to changes announced in June by the ALA Conference Committee – DS comments, all divisions are limited to accepting 20 programs each next summer.
• All programs will be 90 minutes, located in the convention center, and will be recorded.
• All proposal submissions will need to choose a Conference Track. Please see Appendix A in the Roadmap here (http://connect.ala.org/node/178761) for more details.
• Vendors wishing to submit a proposal should partner with a library representative who is using the product. The library/librarian should submit the proposal.

*When/Where is the Conference?*
2013 Annual ALA Conference, Chicago, IL: June 27-July 2, 2013

*What kind of topics are we looking for? *
We’re looking for programs that can scale to other libraries, inspire technological change and adoption, or go above and beyond the every day.

Successful topics in the past have included Data Management Services, Responsive Web Design, and Homegrown Technology Tools.

*When are proposals due? *
August 24, 2012

*How I do submit a proposal? *
Fill out this form
Program descriptions should be 75 words or less.

*When will I have an answer? *
The committee will be reviewing proposals after August 24, final decisions will be made in September.

*Do I have to be a member of ALA/LITA/an IG/a committee?*
No! We welcome proposals from anyone who feels they have something to offer regarding library technology. Unfortunately, we are not able to provide financial support for speakers. Because of the limited number of programs, LITA IGs and Committees will receive preference where two equally well written programs are submitted. Presenters may be asked to combine programs or work with an IG/Committee where similar topics have been proposed.

*Got another question?*
Please feel free to email me (abigailgoben@gmail.com) and the group will figure it out.

Geolocation, Native video, Offline storage, Semantic markup elements, Responsive web design, Canvas elements, Voice input, Drag and Drop, Opacity, Gradients… HTML5 (a generic term which includes new HTML tags, enhanced CSS styles/behaviors, and new Javascript APIs) has been released and is changing the way web developers work. With wide support in mobile browsers and the latest browser releases from Google and Firefox, HTML5 is poised to be the technology that will help build the next version of the Web. Building Web Applications with HTML5, CSS3, and Javascript: An Introduction to HTML5 will consist of four live lectures held August 6, 8, 10, and 13, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm CDT with additional self-paced modules in Moodle. Participants will examine the trends and enhancements that HTML5, CSS3, and the new Javascript APIs enable, talk through the specifics of implementation, and work through building a prototype HTML5 application.

Modeled on Eva Dodsworth’s LITA Guide (http://neal-schuman.com/gsgis/) of the same name, Getting Started with GIS will provide participants with an introduction to the both online and desktop GIS currently being used by library administrators, librarians, library support staff and library users.  The three week course will run August 13- September 4 and will consist of weekly asynchronous lectures and modules in Moodle. Participants will learn firsthand how to create online maps; how to properly use maps in library web pages; how to embed GIS technology into library projects; and how to enjoy GIS and mapping technologies in personal endeavors.  Students will be exposed to many online resources that are currently being used by public, academic and special libraries across North America.  No previous mapping or GIS experience is necessary.

For registration and additional information on both courses, visit: www.ala.org/lita/learning/online

• What repositories are appropriate for a researcher to submit his or her data to?
• How do users find appropriate data repositories and discover datasets to meet their needs?
• How can librarians help patrons locate and integrate data into their research or learning?

Databib begins to address these needs for data users, data producers, publishers, librarians, funding agencies, and others engaged in data-driven research.

In addition to the website, Databib is made available using a variety of machine interfaces (RSS, RDF/XML, OpenSearch, RDFa/Linked Data) for easy integration with other tools and environments without restriction (CC0). Databib’s international advisory board represents global support for collaborating to develop such a global registry of research data repositories.

The development of Databib was initially supported by a Sparks! Innovation National Leadership Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

CALL FOR EDITORS

Nominations for an Editorial Board are being solicited to ensure the coverage and accuracy of Databib. Editors ideally will have expertise in a specific research domain or knowledge of research data repositories in a particular geographic region as well as experience with descriptive metadata. The primary role of an Editor is to review, edit, and approve submissions to Databib and contribute to the enhancement of the metadata and functionality of Databib for a voluntary, three-year term. The Editorial Board will meet (virtually) a minimum of twice a year and will correspond as needed by email.

Please send nominations or questions to databib@gmail.com, or visit http://databib.org/about.php for more information.

Cohen’s paper, titled “Extending LOCKSS: The Preservation Risks of Private LOCKSSNetworks”, provides a review of the basics of the LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe) project, originally designed to ensure long-term preservation of and access to e-journal content, and considers the potential preservation risks of private LOCKSS networks (PLNs) which are exploring how to extend LOCKSS in preserving collections more diverse and less predictable than e-journal content.

“The members of the LITA/Ex Libris Student Writing Award Committee and I are pleased to acknowledge and honor with this award Cynthia Cohen’s clear and cogent manuscript, which presents a balanced view in an area in which opinions are very divided,” said Heidi Hanson, chair of the committee.  “Ms. Cohen’s paper examines both the technology being applied to the task of preserving digital content and the philosophical questions and challenging decisions facing organizations interested in more specialized applications of the LOCKSS technology to support a common preservation mission for unique special collections.”

The $1,000 award will be presented at the LITA Awards Ceremony on Sunday, June 24, 2012 during  the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif. at the Anaheim Convention Center in Ballroom A. Ms. Cohen’s paper will be published in Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL), LITA’s open access scholarly journal.

broadcasting on Ustream

At yesterday’s meeting, the Board spent time crafting a new vision statement for LITA.  We would LOVE your feedback on this before we finalize it on Monday afternoon, in the form of comments below, tweets, photos, whatever!  If you’re in Anaheim this weekend, buttonhole one of your Board members in the hallway–look for our light blue “LITA Board of Directors” badge ribbons.  We want to hear from you!  If you provide feedback online, please tag with #litavision so we can keep track.

“LITA builds a community of professionals, thinkers, doers and makers who foster innovation and leadership in library technology.”

Ready, set, go!

http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital/issue/current

Issue contents are listed below. To receive automatic notifications of future issues, please subscribe to ITAL here:

https://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital/notification/subscribeMailList.

Suggestions and feedback are always welcome: please send to Bob Gerrity, ITAL Editor, at gerrityr (at) gmail.com.

Information Technology and Libraries

Volume 31, Number 2 (June 2012)

CONTENTS

Editorials

Colleen Cuddy
President’s Message: Year in Review–Open Everything
http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital/article/view/2230

Mark Cyzyk
Editorial Board Thoughts: Doesn’t Work
http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital/article/view/2161

Articles

Tudor Groza, AAstrand Grimnes, Siegfried Handschuh
Reference Information Extraction and Processing Using Conditional Random Fields
http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital/article/view/2163

Fostering both the creation and the linking of data with the scope of supporting the growth of the Linked Data Web requires us to improve the acquisition and extraction mechanisms of the underlying semantic metadata. This is particularly important for the scientific publishing domain, where currently most of the datasets are being created in an author-driven, manual manner. In addition, such datasets capture only fragments of the complete metadata, omitting usually, important elements such as the references, although they represent valuable information. In this paper we present an approach that aims at dealing with this aspect of extraction and processing of reference information. The experimental evaluation shows that, currently, our solution handles very well diverse types of reference format, thus making it usable for, or adaptableto, any area of scientific publishing.

Heather Hessel and Janet Fransen
Resource Discovery: Comparative Survey Results on Two Catalog Interfaces
http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital/article/view/2165

Like many libraries, the University of Minnesota Libraries-Twin Cities now offers a next-generation catalog alongside a traditional online public access catalog (OPAC). One year after the launch of its new platform as the default catalog, usage data for the OPAC remained relatively high, and anecdotal comments raised questions. In response, the libraries conducted surveys that covered topics such as perceptions of success, known-item searching, preferred search environments, and desirable resourcetypes. Results show distinct differences in the behavior of faculty, graduate student, and undergraduate survey respondents, and between library staff and non-library staff respondents. Both quantitative and qualitative data inform the analysis and conclusions.

Kimberly D. Pendell and Michael S. Bowman
Usability Study of a Library’s Mobile Website: An Example from Portland State University
http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital/article/view/1913

To discover how a newly developed library mobile website performed across a variety of devices, the authors used a hybrid field and laboratory methodology to conduct a usability test of the website. Twelve student participants were recruited and selected according to phone type. Results revealed a wide array of errors attributed to site design, wireless network connections, as well as phone hardware and software. This study provides an example methodology for testing library mobile websites, identifies issues associated with mobile websites, and provides recommendations for improving the user experience.

Mike Kastellec
Practical Limits to the Scope of Digital Preservation
http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital/article/view/2167

This paper examines factors that limit the ability of institutions to digitally preserve the cultural heritage of the modern era. The author takes a wide-ranging approach to shed light on limitations to the scope of digital preservation.  The author finds that technological limitations to digital preservation have been addressed but still exist, and that non-technical aspects—access, selection, law, and finances—move into the foreground as technological limitations recede.  The author proposes a nested model of constraints to the scope of digital preservation and concludes that costs are digital preservation’s most pervasive limitation.

Stuart Williamson
Public Library Computer Waiting Queues: Alternatives to the First-Come-First-Served Strategy
http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital/article/view/2164

This paper summarizes the results of a simulation of alternative queuing strategies for a public library computer sign-up system.  Using computer usage data gathered from a public library, the performance of these various queuing strategies is compared in terms of the distribution of user wait times.  The consequences of partitioning a pool of public computers are illustrated as are the potential benefits of prioritizing users in the waiting queue according to the amount of computer time they desire.

Angela Dresselhaus and Flora Shrode
Mobile Technologies: Do Students Use Mobile Technologies in Their Academic Lives and are Librarians Ready to Meet this Challenge
http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital/article/view/2166

The authors report on two surveys and offer an introductory plan that librarians may use to begin implementing mobile access to selected library databases and services. Results from the first survey helped us to gain insight into where students at Utah State University (USU) in Logan, Utah, stand regarding their use of mobile devices for academic activities in general and their desire for access to library services and resources in particular. A second survey, conducted with librarians, gave us an idea of the extent to which responding libraries offer mobile access, their future plans for mobile implementation, and their opinions about whether and how mobile technologies may be useful to library patrons. In the last segment of the paper, we outline steps librarians can take as they “go mobile.”

Eva Dodsworth and Andrew Nicholson
Academic Uses of Google Earth and Google Maps in a Library Setting http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/ital/article/view/1848

Over the last several years, Google Earth and Google Maps have been adopted by many academic institutions as academic research and mapping tools. The authors were interested in discovering how popular the Google mapping products are in the academic library setting. A survey was conducted to establish the mapping products’ popularity, and type of use in an academic library setting. Results show that over 90 percent of the respondents use Google Earth and Google Maps either to help answer research questions, to create and access finding aids, for instructional purposes or for promotion and marketing. The authors recommend expanding the mapping product’s user base to include all reference and liaison librarians.

It’s also in the official planner so you can add it to your busy busy schedule. See you there!

UPDATE: Emerald’s Library Hi-Tech is celebrating 30 years and they will be joining us at Happy Hour and generously sponsoring some refreshments!  The first 50 people to ask at their booth  (1772)  in the Exhibits will get a voucher for a free drink and slice of cake.