Caroline Pallone
LG
Lopatin, L. (2006). Library digitization projects, issues and guidelines. Library Hi Tech, 24(2), 273. doi:http://dx.doi.org.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/10.1108/07378830610669637
Summary
This article talks about the process of digitizing collection items in a library and how pronounced this has become. However, it is also a long process, but an important one as well. As more people move to digital media to access their books, libraries need to keep up and make these materials available online. Lopatin says, "Since, the early 1990s libraries have been embarking on digitization projects to provide access to and to preserve unique materials in their collections" (2006). The author also says, "Access and preservation of materials are the major reasons that libraries are undertaking digitization projects. Through digitization, the library
is able to provide access to all sorts of materials - text,
photographs, manuscripts, audio, and moving image materials.
Digitization also allows for the preservation of rare, fragile, and
unique materials" (2006). What the article ultimately is trying to convey is that digitization is vital for a library's survival, and thankfully there is plenty of literature exploring this subject, as well as the process that library managers go through in order to digitize items.
Evaluation
I chose this article because I liked how not only did it explain some of the major issues facing those that digitize items in collections, but also evaluated the literature available on digitizing items in collections. It gives people an insightful look at the genre, and those that want a comprehensive look at the field would benefit greatly from this article. It is also comprehensive and informative, and the issues it touches on really hits home.
Sunday, March 17, 2019
Content in Institutional Repositories
Caroline Pallone
CR
Genoni, P. (2004). Content in institutional repositories: A collection management issue. Library Management, 25(6), 300-306. doi:http://dx.doi.org.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/10.1108/01435120410547968
Summary
This article looks at one of the major challenges faced by collection managers, which is "to develop and manage an institutional repository." The paper looks at the "issue of content in repositories, and suggests that librarians need to approach the task of content development by applying some of the procedures and skills associated with collection management within more traditional environments" (2004). This is especially relevant because, "Content-related issues will be crucial to the success of these repositories, be they in universities or some other institutional setting" (2004). Genoni also states:
Many libraries have already begun to recognise the value of informal scholarly communication. This is apparent in the numerous subject "portals" that now form part of libraries' information services, and which frequently include guides or links to non-formal as well as formal sources of information. Similarly, institutional repositories should not necessarily be configured as a surrogate form of distribution for formal or peer reviewed scholarship. Rather their full potential may only be realised if they are allowed to develop into a hybrid form, to be used for the dissemination of both formal and informal scholarly communication (2004).
Finally, the article finishes up by saying that when it comes to institutional repositories, content should be what is first and foremost, the most important issue. If the content is not kept to par, the rest of the collection falls apart. Genoni finishes by saying, "So familiar are these tasks that they should be able to be smoothly incorporated into the current collection management programs of libraries, and the associated policy decisions can be recorded within the framework of existing collection development policy documents" (2004).
Evaluation
I feel that the article does a good job in explaining one of the major issues facing collection management today, and that is making sure there is good content in high ranking institutional repositories. It presents a good study in which data was gathered via surveys, and the author chose from a wide pool of participants. The meticulousness of the study and the details that were gathered really add credibility to the study, and it appears that he is one of the only researchers to tackle this issue. Therefore, this is an article that cannot be overlooked.
CR
Genoni, P. (2004). Content in institutional repositories: A collection management issue. Library Management, 25(6), 300-306. doi:http://dx.doi.org.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/10.1108/01435120410547968
Summary
This article looks at one of the major challenges faced by collection managers, which is "to develop and manage an institutional repository." The paper looks at the "issue of content in repositories, and suggests that librarians need to approach the task of content development by applying some of the procedures and skills associated with collection management within more traditional environments" (2004). This is especially relevant because, "Content-related issues will be crucial to the success of these repositories, be they in universities or some other institutional setting" (2004). Genoni also states:
Many libraries have already begun to recognise the value of informal scholarly communication. This is apparent in the numerous subject "portals" that now form part of libraries' information services, and which frequently include guides or links to non-formal as well as formal sources of information. Similarly, institutional repositories should not necessarily be configured as a surrogate form of distribution for formal or peer reviewed scholarship. Rather their full potential may only be realised if they are allowed to develop into a hybrid form, to be used for the dissemination of both formal and informal scholarly communication (2004).
Finally, the article finishes up by saying that when it comes to institutional repositories, content should be what is first and foremost, the most important issue. If the content is not kept to par, the rest of the collection falls apart. Genoni finishes by saying, "So familiar are these tasks that they should be able to be smoothly incorporated into the current collection management programs of libraries, and the associated policy decisions can be recorded within the framework of existing collection development policy documents" (2004).
Evaluation
I feel that the article does a good job in explaining one of the major issues facing collection management today, and that is making sure there is good content in high ranking institutional repositories. It presents a good study in which data was gathered via surveys, and the author chose from a wide pool of participants. The meticulousness of the study and the details that were gathered really add credibility to the study, and it appears that he is one of the only researchers to tackle this issue. Therefore, this is an article that cannot be overlooked.
Friday, March 15, 2019
Librarians and OER: Cultivating a Community of Practice to be More Effective Advocates
Shana Hay
Smith, Brenda and Lee, Leva. (2015). Librarians and OER: Cultivating a Community of Practice to Be More Effective Advocates, Paper presented at the Distance Library Services Conference, Pittsburgh, PA, April 20, 2016. Vancouver: University of British Columbia. Retrieved from: https://bccampus.ca/files/2016/04/DLS-Conference.pdf
This paper discusses how a group of academic librarians working in the province of British Columbia, Canada joined forces to share best practices, ideas and tools with the aim of creating resources to support fellow academic librarians in OER-related interactions. By entering into a community of practice, the BCOER librarians were able to support each other, ensuring no librarian was left feeling overwhelmed in the face of this additional responsibility. The paper also brings up some of the reasons OER development has not been tackled more aggressively in many academic libraries- mainly faculty uncertainty as to the reliability of information obtained through OERs versus traditionally published materials. This paper highlights the role librarians in academic institutions can play in changing this attitude of resistance through promotional campaigns, the development and maintenance of relevant OERs, the provision of long-term, stable access, and by linking OER resources to the OPAC for ease of access and a sense of curation. Some of the interesting events BCOER have sponsored include hackathons and OER awareness events throughout the community. Some of the tools the BCOER librarians have collaborated to develop include an OER Repository Assessment Rubric, and OER advocacy poster for conference use, and BCOER Guides which are LibGuides for OER material sorted by type.
This paper did a great job of addressing the various reasons the use and development of OERs has met with resistance, both from the point of view of librarians (who have a tonne to do already) and faculty (who trust traditional texts and require reliability). By highlighting ways this resistance can be overcome namely through cooperation between librarians and education between librarians and instructors, the authors of this paper make an excellent argument for the increased adoption of OERs in the academic world. By stressing the importance of things such as communication and building relationships across library systems, the BCOER offers a template for other libraries, encouraging them to overcome perceived obstacles and harness the power a of well-maintained network of OERs for their patrons.
Smith, Brenda and Lee, Leva. (2015). Librarians and OER: Cultivating a Community of Practice to Be More Effective Advocates, Paper presented at the Distance Library Services Conference, Pittsburgh, PA, April 20, 2016. Vancouver: University of British Columbia. Retrieved from: https://bccampus.ca/files/2016/04/DLS-Conference.pdf
This paper discusses how a group of academic librarians working in the province of British Columbia, Canada joined forces to share best practices, ideas and tools with the aim of creating resources to support fellow academic librarians in OER-related interactions. By entering into a community of practice, the BCOER librarians were able to support each other, ensuring no librarian was left feeling overwhelmed in the face of this additional responsibility. The paper also brings up some of the reasons OER development has not been tackled more aggressively in many academic libraries- mainly faculty uncertainty as to the reliability of information obtained through OERs versus traditionally published materials. This paper highlights the role librarians in academic institutions can play in changing this attitude of resistance through promotional campaigns, the development and maintenance of relevant OERs, the provision of long-term, stable access, and by linking OER resources to the OPAC for ease of access and a sense of curation. Some of the interesting events BCOER have sponsored include hackathons and OER awareness events throughout the community. Some of the tools the BCOER librarians have collaborated to develop include an OER Repository Assessment Rubric, and OER advocacy poster for conference use, and BCOER Guides which are LibGuides for OER material sorted by type.
This paper did a great job of addressing the various reasons the use and development of OERs has met with resistance, both from the point of view of librarians (who have a tonne to do already) and faculty (who trust traditional texts and require reliability). By highlighting ways this resistance can be overcome namely through cooperation between librarians and education between librarians and instructors, the authors of this paper make an excellent argument for the increased adoption of OERs in the academic world. By stressing the importance of things such as communication and building relationships across library systems, the BCOER offers a template for other libraries, encouraging them to overcome perceived obstacles and harness the power a of well-maintained network of OERs for their patrons.
Monday, March 4, 2019
Toward Evidence-Based Collection Management
Crawford, S. & Syme, F. (2018). Enhancing Collection Development with Big Data Analytics. Public Library Quarterly, 37(4), 387-393. DOI: 10.1080/01616846.2018.1514922
Summary
The article looks at ways for libraries to develop their collections more efficiently by using evidence-based decision making (or EBSM, Evidence-Based Stock Management) and appropriate software to mine the structured, semi-structured and unstructured data they store on patron information behavior. If Ranganathan’s fifth law of library science holds true, it stands to reason that we speak about libraries as if they are indeed alive; we grow collections, we analyze their performance, we develop them, we lovingly weed them. To take the metaphor further, Crawford and Syme reference an interesting new metric: DOA. This term refers to the number of new items a library adds to its collection that never check out, never circulate, and are, in fact, Dead On Arrival. The authors point out the waste that this phenomenon portends in a paradigm of decreasing budgets. They argue that evidence-based selection planning using Big Data can help tackle the problem of DOA by using “predictive analytics to help staff select material that meets patron demand by consulting a number of data sources including evidence from collectionHQ (their collection management software), an author’s past performance, BISAC (Book Industry Standards and Communications) Subject performance, how an author has performed in a particular BISAC Subject Group, reviews on a title, demand, and many more” (p. 388-389). They then go into four interesting case studies to further illustrate their overall point: use of evidence-based management and selection tools keep libraries on the “right path to increased circulation, improved turnover, and enhanced customer satisfaction” (p. 392).
Commentary
I agree that evidence-based decision making is just good policy. Most libraries are not blessed with large endowments or perpetually increasing budgets, facts which therefore necessitate choices and trade-offs. Sound understandings of the patron base and ever-changing demand patterns are foundational to any decisions library staff might be called upon to make. Choosing appropriate books that will not end up DOA, and then using the data available to track, market, and measure the performance of the collection will hopefully lead libraries further down the “right path.”
Note: Crawford is Vice President and General Manager at collectionHQ and Syme is a Marketing Manager there. Not surprisingly, the article comes across with heavy bias toward the collection HQ software.
Summary
The article looks at ways for libraries to develop their collections more efficiently by using evidence-based decision making (or EBSM, Evidence-Based Stock Management) and appropriate software to mine the structured, semi-structured and unstructured data they store on patron information behavior. If Ranganathan’s fifth law of library science holds true, it stands to reason that we speak about libraries as if they are indeed alive; we grow collections, we analyze their performance, we develop them, we lovingly weed them. To take the metaphor further, Crawford and Syme reference an interesting new metric: DOA. This term refers to the number of new items a library adds to its collection that never check out, never circulate, and are, in fact, Dead On Arrival. The authors point out the waste that this phenomenon portends in a paradigm of decreasing budgets. They argue that evidence-based selection planning using Big Data can help tackle the problem of DOA by using “predictive analytics to help staff select material that meets patron demand by consulting a number of data sources including evidence from collectionHQ (their collection management software), an author’s past performance, BISAC (Book Industry Standards and Communications) Subject performance, how an author has performed in a particular BISAC Subject Group, reviews on a title, demand, and many more” (p. 388-389). They then go into four interesting case studies to further illustrate their overall point: use of evidence-based management and selection tools keep libraries on the “right path to increased circulation, improved turnover, and enhanced customer satisfaction” (p. 392).
Commentary
I agree that evidence-based decision making is just good policy. Most libraries are not blessed with large endowments or perpetually increasing budgets, facts which therefore necessitate choices and trade-offs. Sound understandings of the patron base and ever-changing demand patterns are foundational to any decisions library staff might be called upon to make. Choosing appropriate books that will not end up DOA, and then using the data available to track, market, and measure the performance of the collection will hopefully lead libraries further down the “right path.”
Note: Crawford is Vice President and General Manager at collectionHQ and Syme is a Marketing Manager there. Not surprisingly, the article comes across with heavy bias toward the collection HQ software.
Sunday, March 3, 2019
Managing Collections (Book Chapter)
Tammy Ross
Disher, W. (2015). Managing collections. In S. Hirsch (Ed.) Information services today: An introduction (pp. 242-249). New York, NY: Rowman & Littlefield.
Summary
Wayne Disher’s chapter describes collection management as a “complex process that involves strategic planning, innovation, change management and community analysis” (p. 242). He provides a brief history to show how library collections have evolved over time to include more than just books. Since today’s librarians are in a position to advance information literacy in their communities, they must take into account new trends, technology and changes in user behavior. Disher calls the strategic planning process a “critical aspect of collection management” that helps information professionals “recognize when user demands are shifting” and adapt their collection management plans accordingly. “Managers must continuously reposition their collections and keep them viable in a technologically and information-literate society” (p. 244). Although he doubts we will become a completely paperless society anytime soon, Disher notes that today’s users are placing more value on access to digital content, citing the increase in e-book use as evidence. In addition, collection content has become user driven, and collection managers must capitalize on innovative collection models (such as patron-driven acquisition) to help them “meet demand, provide wider access, and increase the relevancy” of their collections (p. 246). Disher also promotes partnerships (e.g. consortia) in which organizations share information resources cooperatively to circumvent budget constraints. Ultimately, he states, information organizations must build collections that “accelerate learning, increase global access, improve convenience and add value to the user experience” (p. 247). The chapter’s appendix provides an overview of basic collection management activities, from community analysis to weeding.
Evaluation
Disher’s chapter provides a solid overview of collection management, but does not take a deep dive into the key aspects of the process, such as conducting a community analysis or developing a strategic plan. It provides an introduction to collection management concepts, with basic recommendations for building, maintaining and evaluating a collection. The chapter emphasizes how important it is for a library collection to reflect the ever-changing needs of the community it serves but does not offer insights into how that might look for different types of libraries. Do you think collection management is more challenging for urban libraries, suburban libraries or rural libraries?
Disher, W. (2015). Managing collections. In S. Hirsch (Ed.) Information services today: An introduction (pp. 242-249). New York, NY: Rowman & Littlefield.
Summary
Wayne Disher’s chapter describes collection management as a “complex process that involves strategic planning, innovation, change management and community analysis” (p. 242). He provides a brief history to show how library collections have evolved over time to include more than just books. Since today’s librarians are in a position to advance information literacy in their communities, they must take into account new trends, technology and changes in user behavior. Disher calls the strategic planning process a “critical aspect of collection management” that helps information professionals “recognize when user demands are shifting” and adapt their collection management plans accordingly. “Managers must continuously reposition their collections and keep them viable in a technologically and information-literate society” (p. 244). Although he doubts we will become a completely paperless society anytime soon, Disher notes that today’s users are placing more value on access to digital content, citing the increase in e-book use as evidence. In addition, collection content has become user driven, and collection managers must capitalize on innovative collection models (such as patron-driven acquisition) to help them “meet demand, provide wider access, and increase the relevancy” of their collections (p. 246). Disher also promotes partnerships (e.g. consortia) in which organizations share information resources cooperatively to circumvent budget constraints. Ultimately, he states, information organizations must build collections that “accelerate learning, increase global access, improve convenience and add value to the user experience” (p. 247). The chapter’s appendix provides an overview of basic collection management activities, from community analysis to weeding.
Evaluation
Disher’s chapter provides a solid overview of collection management, but does not take a deep dive into the key aspects of the process, such as conducting a community analysis or developing a strategic plan. It provides an introduction to collection management concepts, with basic recommendations for building, maintaining and evaluating a collection. The chapter emphasizes how important it is for a library collection to reflect the ever-changing needs of the community it serves but does not offer insights into how that might look for different types of libraries. Do you think collection management is more challenging for urban libraries, suburban libraries or rural libraries?
Crash Course: Data and Infographics
Young, Christina
CrashCourse. (2019.February 26) . Data & Infographics: Crash Course
Navigating Digital Information #8 [Video file]. Retrieved from:
Summary: This is the eighth episode of the current Crash Course series,
“Navigating Digital Information”. It looks at data and infographics to
show how data can be represented and misrepresented. It is geared to
a high school audience.
Major takeaways:
-data needs to be accurate & relevant
-sources need to be reliable
-data needs to be represented honestly and contextually
Evaluation: I have really been enjoying the new Crash Course “Navigating
Digital Information“ series and this week’s episode seemed especially pertinent
to our class because we will soon be working on visual representations of our
collections. This youtube video discusses how visual representations can be used
to enhance or obscure an information consumer’s understanding of data.
One example is the National Review and the Washington Post using the same
NASA data to represent climate change.
 |
| (CrashCourse, 2019) |
The chart on the left, billed by the National Review as “the only climate change
chart you’ll ever need”,makes it look like the climate hasn’t been warming by
using a y axis of values between -10º-110º. On the Washington Post’s chart’s y
axis goes from 55º-60º. Crash Course also emphasizes that context is important.
For example, if you know that small shifts of even a degree of global temperature
are unusual and can impact climate, the Washington Post’s chart seems more
relevant than the National Review’s although both are technically correct.
As I develop infographics for my collection I will have to make sure to
provide context and guard against misrepresenting my data.
Friday, March 1, 2019
Ethical Issues In Collection Development
Hay, Shana
Morrisey, L. J. (2008). Ethical issues in collection
development. Journal of Library
Administration, 47(3/4), 163-171.
doi: 10.1080/01930820802186506
Evaluation: This article looks at some of the ethical issues
that may arise in the undertaking of a collection development policy. The
author specifically outlines how information obtained from interactions between
the managers, vendors, and patrons of a given library system can have a direct
effect on the resources available in a library. It is critical that collections
staff make equitable and ethical decisions when considering what materials to acquire,
and this paper recommends utilising a combination of the ALA Code of Ethics, internal
collections guidelines, and collaboration with fellow collections staff as a way
of ensuring ethical guidelines are being followed when building and providing
access to library resources.
Summary: This article poses several questions designed to
help librarians assess the ethical issues that may affect the development of an
equitable collection reflective of the community being served by a given
library system. I appreciated how Morrisey took specific lines from the ALA’s Code
of Ethics and showed how those principles can guide collections development,
and he brought up several points I had never considered. First, he outlines the
importance of establishing a mechanism for accepting and responding to
collection requests- allowing patrons to directly influence purchases and thus
creating a collection reflective of the community (and not the preferences of
the collections librarian!). Interestingly, the author recommends not acknowledging
what he defines as “self interested communication”, in other words, direct
contact from publishers or authors. I don’t know if I agree with this rule, as I
can see benefits from building relationships with content creators, however I
understand the need to look at these connections with some caution to avoid the
appearance of favouritism.
One of the more
interesting sections of the article deals with the need for collections librarians
to separate personal feelings when evaluating controversial materials. The
example of a librarian working in a religious institution tasked with deciding
what resources related to birth control or LGBTQI topics to include. Librarians
must resist all efforts to censor library resources, but how can this principle
be practically applied, and how is this ensured? This ties into the author’s
later conversation regarding the importance of distinguishing between personal
convictions and professional duties and stresses the need for collections decisions
to be made collaboratively when possible, to avoid personal bias. Collaboration
also helps ensure that the interests of library users come before the personal
interests of a particular librarian.
The notion of gifts
and perks was one I had never connected with librarianship before, and this
article does a great job of outlining some of the concerns surrounding receiving
gifts such as dinners or appointments to vendor advisory boards. These gifts should
only be accepted with conditions that the acceptance does not indicate a
preference for one vendor over another. When considering a digital subscription,
it is also important to understand the scope of the vendor’s access to patron
information. Will they be able to track individual users? Will they use collected
stats to market other services to the library? The answers to these questions may
impact the adoption of a service and should be considered before entering into
any agreements with vendors.
This article highlights
some of the important ethical issues that should be considered by collections
staff as they develop the resources of their institution. By outlining the specific
sections in the ALA’s statement on the ethical responsibilities of librarians
and providing examples of when those responsibilities may be tested, this
article serves as a practical resource for libraries as they continue to
develop their collections. Morrisey has developed a useful best practice guide
that offers easy to follow advice related to tackling issues of ethics in
library collections.
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