Policies for Library Inclusion of Self-Published Works

 

Burns, C. (2016, February 4). Policies for library inclusion of self-published works. Public Libraries Online. https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2016/02/policies-for-library-inclusion-of-self-published-works/

Whipple, Karen

Spring 2025

Summary:

    This short article poses the question of whether self-published works should be accessible through libraries. The article discussed how these works can easily fit into a library's collection with a few caveats. Specifically, it may be necessary to modify the collection development policy to focus on self-published works, and an agreement must be established with the self-publishing companies. As always, libraries need to consider the value of the book and the space they have available for their collection. Ultimately, the article argues for including self-published works but recognizes the library must be willing to create a firm policy and procedures for these works.

Evaluation:

    This brief article was written almost ten years ago, but it has become even more relevant today. Self-publishing is incredibly easy nowadays with the help of self-publishing opportunities like Kindle Unlimited Direct Publishing (KDP), which allows individuals to electronically publish their works and even receive payment when users access and read their books. Many of these books are available in print, eBook, and eAudiobook formats.

    "Indie" authors are no longer the amateurs they were once considered to be. Some indie authors have built successful careers through this nontraditional form of writing, achieving notable success in both income and readership. These self-published works are reviewed by readers on Amazon, and Goodreads, and some have Kirkus reviews as well.

    The question of whether libraries should include self-published works has been on my mind recently, so I was happy to come across this article. I would have loved to have had more detailed information, but this article was relatively brief and was more of an introduction to the idea rather than a fully fleshed-out how-to guide or review of libraries that are currently using self-published works. It is unsurprising, though, as the article was published in 2016; I imagine the idea was still in its infancy. Still, it was an enjoyable, quick read to pique my curiosity.

Curation Situations: Let us count the ways

Stefani, Anne

Valenza, J. (2017, July 5). Curation situations: Let us count the ways. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://blogs.slj.com/neverendingsearch/2017/07/05/curation-situations-let-us-count-the-ways


In “Curation situations, let us count the ways” Joyce Valenza discusses not only the many definitions of curation, but also the critical importance of creating collections to support student learning, especially in a digital format. She and her co-authors conducted several surveys which ultimately led them to the “curator’s taxonomy” which consists of four parts: collecting, connecting, curating, and contributing (Valenza, 2017). She goes on to argue that librarians are critical members of instructional leadership on campus because they possess a holistic view of the learning needs at their site and/or context:

Digital curation is a translation and amplification of our traditional practice. We study the                specific needs and interests of our communities. We have always been around to tame the information flow, to facilitate discovery and knowledge building. Curation is a direct translation of collection building, critical evaluation, instructional partnership, sense making, meeting community needs, knowledge building and instruction. With a school wide perspective spanning disciplines, grade levels and learners’ abilities, we build collections based on decisions relating to quality, diversity and local relevance. We organize resources for intellectual and physical access and equity and our efforts are portable, collaborative, embeddable, easy to access, customized for their audience and optimized for all platforms.

This article really resonated with me because it captures the important role that librarians play in finding resources for everyone on their campus and/or district. Whether it is a video for a teacher, a language tutorial site for a student, or even an article for administration, librarians have the power to create connections and take some of the heavy-lifting off of the shoulders of students and teachers. However, like the article points out, those resources and collections need to be easily accessible for all so that those resources do not just exist in individual silos, but rather are available for all. Digital collections housed on learning commons websites are an excellent way to ensure equal access for all.

I Want it All. And I Want it Now.

Geist, Karen

Brasile, F. (2019). I Want it All. And I Want it Now. The Washington Library
Association Journal,35(1), March, 5-7.

The article I Want it All. And I Want it Now describes how today's collections reflect a different reality.

Library collections have changed over time as new formats emerge and old formats retired. Instead of one
format replacing another, formats now coexist. We have print books, LT books, books on CD, e-books
or e-audio books. Patrons want it all. They have more options than ever to consume content. The formats are more flexible than ever allowing patrons to interact with materials on the road, in the office, or atop a mountain. Digital media circulation has grown substantially while print circulation has decreased.  This is great for the patron but presents significant challenges to many libraries. “Determining how to allocate the library materials budget has become increasingly complex in recent years,” says Helen Gutierrez Collection Services Manager with SPL. Print books have a set cost, digital item pricing is inflated often 3x that of the retail price. Digital collections vary in terms of access- perpetual or metered.  Seeking funds beyond the materials budget also had its limitations. Libraries can select fewer copies of items or eliminate certain formats. All may accomplish the goal of reducing costs but will that negatively impact patron and decrease customer satisfaction? Libraries are trying to work with vendors to develop better tools to aid in managing digital collections and demand. OverDrive is working with libraries by the addition of “Always Available” content.  OverDrive added a collection of travel books that patrons can check out anytime, as many times as they like. They also added fifty of the most popular audiobooks to provide unlimited access. The challenge is going to be how to provide our patrons with well-rounded, current collections with limited funds.

This article surprised me on a few levels.  I did not realize the actual cost of digital items and never
realized the challenges faced by any Collection Management staff.   I naively thought that you buy a
digital item and it is yours, like a book. There are so many options with various costs. Print books
are on the decline while digital items are in demand but I think that everything will level off.  I think
standardized options for digital items are on the horizon. How can it continue this way? I think more
vendors will brainstorm ideas to make working together with libraries easier and more cost effective.

Issues in URL Management for Digital Collections

Caroline Pallone

IC

Cohen, L. (2004). Issues in URL management for digital collections. Information Technology and Libraries, 23(2), 42-49. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/docview/215831747?accountid=10361 

Summary

This article is about a smaller but no less important issue within the digital collection management process for library management, and that is URL management. This is a detailed and difficult but no less vital process, according to Cohen. "The modern library typically maintains a hybrid collection of print -based materials along with digital resources. While standards and practices for maintaining print -based collections have a long history, libraries are faced with a myriad of new issues in the management of networked digital collection" (2004). The author also points out, "URLs come in many formats, and each should be utilized in the appropriate context. A full -or absolute -URL must always be used to link to a file located on a site that is external to the one in which the link is embedded. This type of outbound URL consists of the following structure: protocol://host. second -level -domain.t op -lev el domain:port/localpath/filename" (2004). The reason this is so important, Cohen explains, is because the number of URLS that need maintaining and cataloging is going to be on the rise in the near future as more items are digitized. This will soon become an important part of the job description for librarians, and it needs to be studied and made more apparent for future librarians.

Evaluation

The reason I believe this article is beneficial is because it talks about a more niche but still important market within the library world. It is all encompassing and informative about a subject that many have not heard of, but should be made aware of. The author makes sure that everyone knows by the end that this is not a field where are URLs can be lumped together, but instead each one must be maintained meticulously. The more people that know about this issue within digitizing articles, the better. 

Cartoons?! Digitizing and Cataloging Challenges...

Nguyen, Jennifer

 

Citation:

Dyer, M. A. (2014). Full Speed Ahead: The Challenges of Cataloging a Historic Editorial Cartoon Collection. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, 33(2) 279-294.

Summary/Notes:

This article is about the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Libraries digitizing [the Charles Henry Sykes Cartoon Collection] of original editorial or political cartoons from the 1940s. Multiple library departments and staff involved in the project included the digital collections systems librarian, the digital specialist, the Digital Scanning Unit, and the metadata catalog librarian. There were cataloging issues due to missing or lack of information about cartoons donated. Image cataloging issues surrounding what the image is of versus what image is about. Scholars scrutinize the lack of cultural context provided with image digitized. And Dyer, wants us to note importance of text used in cartoon, as there aren’t many text used to begin with. Some solutions found were to obtain original newspaper and editorials the cartoons were printed in, document and note front pages of newspaper that contains cartoon to figure out the context of the cartoon. Only with context would we understand the humor of the cartoons drawn by Sykes’.

 

Reflection:

I was looking for ways and how librarians digitize images while researching for presentation 4. I tried to understand the process of digitization so that I can mention it in the digitization of a collection at the academic library I have been studying all semester. This article showed a whole other dimension of digitization that I hadn’t thought of before: cataloging and digitizing dated materials. It wasn’t as simple as I had thought of it. Apparently, it isn’t as easy as scanning and inputting the metadata information. Dyer does a great job explicating how cartoons work, the context and information to catalog, and additional research needed to fully catalog one cartoon image.

This makes me think about how Instagram functions. Images are often posted, but the source, creator, or information isn’t mentioned, just a partial caption underneath the image. Instagram will make it hard for information professionals to categorize or search for images there. But Instagram has hashtags. Some hashtags often used have nothing to do with the image, but more about what the person posting the image has done. Heck, even I have had trouble searching for a restaurant or place I randomly found an image of on Instagram. It takes me an extra 2 to 20 minutes following hashtags, tagged profiles, and locations to find an art exhibit.

            Overall, read this article if you’re thinking about cataloging, digitizing, and working with images during your librarianship. Dyer writes an easy and coherent article about VCU, Sykes, and the struggles of cataloging historical editorial cartoons.

Resource Provisions of a High School Library Collection

Lopez, Carrie

Collins, K.B. & Doll, Dr. C. A. (1 August 2012). “Resource Provisions of a High School Library Collection”, American Association of School Librarians. Retrieved from:

http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/aaslpubsandjournals/slr/vol15/SLR_Resource_Provisions_V15.pdf

Really interesting study of a high school and how it’s teachers and students used and perceive the resources of the school library. I felt that it reflected much of my own teaching experiences and observations of the declining use of print media and increased used of digital media by both teachers and students.

Music Preservation at UCLA

Russell, M. (2014). Music at Library Special Collections, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Music Reference Services Quarterly, 17(2), 92-100. doi:10.1080/10588167.2014.905738

I came across this interview while doing my additional reading and really loved it. Russell, the author, interviews Peggy Alexander, Curator of Performing Arts at UCLA. Alexander is in charge of the special collection, which aims to preserve music and performing arts pieces digitally in the library. Alexander also discusses the future of the collection and where she thinks digital collections are headed in the future.

What I like most about this article is the inclusion of the digital medium, which adds to what the library physically owns. UCLA has hosted many student concerts and shows, of course, but the school has also attracted world renowned musicians from all kinds of genres. This special collection gives the students at UCLA free access to those performances, which is incredible. I really enjoyed this interview, and it highlights the kind of collection I wasn't very aware of before taking this class. 

A library of design: Electronic collections inspire modern research spaces

Pierucci, Jessica

Hampton, N. (2015). A library of design: Electronic collections inspire modern research spaces. Codex: The Journal of the Louisiana Chapter of the ACRL, 3(2), 68-79. Retrieved from http://journal.acrlla.org/index.php/codex

Summary

This article discusses the transition to focusing on curating an electronic collection at the Xavier University of Louisiana Library Resource Center. The library lost part of its collection when 18 inches of water flooded the first floor during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The library did not have money available for easy replacement of lost materials at the time so the library relied on gifted items and interlibrary loan instead. In 2013, noticing the print materials left were not well used, the library undertook a collection evaluation and determined the best and most cost efficient way forward was through collecting electronic versions of many materials, including many journals, and getting rid of print versions to open up library space for a new information commons area where shelving could be removed after weeding. Feedback showed the project transitioning to more electronic resources and using the freed up library space for an information commons was overall a success.

Evaluation

The article is a great example of what I see as a likely future of academic libraries where parts of the print collection that duplicate the online collection move to just online, freeing up the library's physical space for study space. The article specifically discusses the transition of the library's journals, which I think are a prime candidate for removal from the print collection when the material is accessible, and more easily searchable and findable, online. Where I work we've weeded to only keep the last five years of print journals where we have online access and in the future I would be unsurprised if there's a decision to cancel all of these print subscriptions where we have online access to avoid duplication and free up shelf space for other uses. I really liked seeing how well this transition worked at one school and the benefits of having a nice new collaborative space for students to use in the library. I'm curious to see more examples of this transition and how it plays out in different types of library spaces in the coming years.

Empowering Libraries to Innovate

Clark, L. (2015, June 02). Empowering Libraries to Innovate. American Libraries, 46, 20-24. Retrieved December 3, 2015, from Academic Search Premier.

Summary:

This article discusses the Knight Foundation’s attempt to inspire libraries to innovate. The article reviews the Knight Foundation’s challenge to increase the effectiveness of technology to meet users’ needs in more effective and efficient ways. This foundation is funding projects for libraries to increase access to digital technology. The foundation is attempting to streamline the process of cataloging public domain books. The purpose of funding these projects is to motivate libraries to become more innovative,

Evaluation:

This article examines the issues that come with trying to digitalize content in libraries. In an increasingly digital world, libraries need to become more innovative in incorporating digital content into their collections. Libraries need to become innovative if they wish to stay relevant in this new digital age. This article gives several innovative solutions to increasing digital access to library users.

The Nation's First Fully Digital Public Library

Hays, A. (2014, April). The Nation’s First Fully Digital Public Library: How a Texas County Made it Happen. Retrieved from http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2014/05/the-nations-first-fully-digital-public-library-how-a-texas-county-made-it-happen/

Summary:

This article discussed the opening of a completely digital library in San Antonio, Texas. The library is the first of its kind in the United States and it open its doors in September of 2013. This library’s collection is entirely digital. There are IPad, e-readers, laptops, computers, and interactive tables for community members to access their collection. The library also includes community activity rooms, group study rooms, and a cafe. There is Wi-Fi connection available within the library so that library patrons can access the digital collections. There is not one book in the entire library. 

Evaluation:

This new digital library is a first picture of what 21st-century libraries could look like as libraries become more modernized.  Collections have increasingly become digital and this public libraries bold jump to an entirely digital collection demonstrates to other libraries that they can still be relevant in a digital age. This library's collection is a blueprint for libraries of the future to follow. Libraries cannot meet the needs of modern users with the traditional print format. Libraries need to reimagine and reenvisions themselves in the 21st-century.