The December 2018 issue of Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL) marks the end of the journal’s 50th anniversary review with a summary of articles published in the 1990s by Editorial Board member Steven Bowers. That was the decade that introduced the Internet age and many technologies — including the graphic web browser — that laid the foundation for so much of technological progress in libraries ever since.
In this issue:
Gaps in IT and Library Services at Small Academic Libraries in Canada
Jasmine Hoover
Modern academic libraries are hubs of technology, yet the gap between the library and IT is an issue at several small university libraries across Canada that can inhibit innovation and lead to diminished student experience. This paper outlines results of a survey of small (<5,000 FTE) universities in Canada, focusing on IT and the library when it comes to organizational structure, staffing, and location. It then discusses higher level as well as smaller scale solutions to this issue.
The Benefits of Enterprise Architecture for Library Technology Management: An Exploratory Case Study
Sam Searle
This case study describes how librarians and enterprise architects at an Australian university worked together to document key components of the Library’s “as-is” enterprise architecture (EA). The article covers the rationale for conducting this activity, how work was scoped, the processes used, and the outputs delivered.
An Overview of the Current State of Linked and Open Data in Cataloging
Irfan Ullah, Shah Khusro, Asim Ullah, Muhammad Naeem
Linked Open Data (LOD) is a core Semantic Web technology that makes knowledge and information spaces of different knowledge domains manageable, reusable, shareable, exchangeable, and interoperable. The LOD approach achieves this through the provision of services for describing, indexing, organizing, and retrieving knowledge artifacts and making them available for quick consumption and publication. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this review article is the first of its kind that holistically treats the subject of cataloging in the Linked and Open Data environment.
The “Black Box”: How Students Use a Single Search Box to Search for Music Materials
Kirstin Dougan
Given the inherent challenges music materials present to systems and searchers (formats, title forms and languages, and the presence of additional metadata such as work numbers and keys), it is reasonable that those searching for music develop distinctive search habits compared to patrons in other subject areas. This study uses transaction log analysis of the music and performing arts module of a library’s federated discovery tool to determine how patrons search for music materials.
Application Level Security in a Public Library: A Case Study
Richard Thomchick, Tonia San Nicolas-Rocca
Libraries have historically made great efforts to ensure the confidentiality of patron personally identifiable information (PII), but the rapid, widespread adoption of information technology and the internet have given rise to new privacy and security challenges. This report is intended to shed light on the state of HTTPS implementation in libraries, and to suggest ways in which libraries can evaluate and improve application security so that they can better protect the confidentiality of PII about library patrons.
A Technology-Dependent Information Literacy Model within the Confines of a Limited Resources Environment
Ibrahim Abunadi
The purpose of this paper is to investigate information literacy as an increasingly evolving trend in computer education. Based on a quantitative study, a practical, technology-dependent information literacy model was developed and tested in a case study, resulting in fostering the information literacy skills of students who majored in information systems.
Editorial Content
- ITAL is launching a new regular column in 2019, “Public Libraries Leading the Way.” This column will highlight technology-based innovations from the public library perspective. See the Letter from the Editor for more details.
- Other editorial content in this issue includes a letter from LITA President Bohyun Kim about the proposed merger of LITA, ALCTS, and LLAMA
- Our Editorial Board Thoughts column on Critical Technology, contributed this month by Cinthya Ippoliti.
Submit Your Ideas
Contact ITAL Editor Ken Varnum at varnum@umich.edu with your proposal. Current formats are generally:
- Articles – original research or comprehensive and in-depth analyses, in the 3000-5000 word range.
- Communications – brief research reports, technical findings, and case studies, in the 1000-3000 word range.
Questions or Comments?
For all other questions or comments related to LITA publications, contact us at (312) 280-4268 or lita@ala.org.