Digital Library Center Blog | UF

DIRECTOR, ONLINE LIBRARY ENVIRONMENT
University of Virginia Library

The University of Virginia Library seeks a strong technical leader for the position of Director of our “online library environment,” a comprehensive suite of tools and services to provide access to the Library’s physical and digital collections.  We seek candidates who can successfully architect and implement solutions providing faculty and students a cohesive, innovative environment for accessing information used in research, teaching, and learning.

Environment:  The University of Virginia Library (http://www.lib.virginia.edu) is a leader in innovative customer service, an international leader in digital library research and digital scholarship, and is recognized for the strength and variety of its collections.  The Library system consists of twelve libraries, with independent libraries for health sciences, law, and business. The libraries support 12,000 undergraduates, 6,000 graduate students and 1,600 teaching faculty. The University and the Library have a strong commitment to achieving diversity among faculty and staff. The Neoclassical buildings of founder Thomas Jefferson’s Academical Village still serve as the center of the University’s Grounds (http://www.virginia.edu/uvatours/slideshow/) and as a unique backdrop for teaching, learning, and research.

Responsibilities:  The Director of the online library environment is responsible for leading the development and implementation of emerging information technologies as well as managing daily operations for the Library’s access and delivery applications. The Director will head a newly formed department of software developers and librarians in carrying out this activity. She or he will have oversight of all aspects of the Library’s Integrated System (ILS – Sirsi/Dynix Unicorn) and will lead development of an information architecture that provides cohesive access and delivery. She or he will assess, architect, and implement new ways to provide content and workflow services traditionally provided by an ILS and develop gateways to other information resources such as the Library’s electronic resources and institutional repositories.

The Director will:

• provide leadership and vision that ensures easy, reliable online access to a wide array of collections, information, and services in support of research, teaching and learning;
• provide technical leadership in the design and implementation of all aspects of the software and infrastructure for ongoing development projects.  Provide technical guidance to developers and systems administrators on project requirements as needed.
• manage the daily operations environment for the Library’s access and delivery applications;  design and implement technical enhancements to the Library’s ILS infrastructure to meet current and future needs.
• supervise the daily work of both faculty and classified staff positions;
• collaborate with and provide technical guidance to partners within the Library and among entities that require access to Library content;
• and engage professionally in activities related to librarianship and digital scholarship.

Qualifications:   Master’s degree in Library Science or master’s degree or PhD in Computer Science, Information Sciences or related area. Successful candidates should have demonstrated significant and progressively responsible experience managing positions with a range of technology-specific and administrative responsibilities.  Experience in libraries or information organizations is preferred.  Preferred candidates will also have:

• demonstrated understanding of digital library concepts and standards (e.g., metadata standards, media-specific standards);
• experience in systems design and systems architecture;
• demonstrated experience in the implementation of Open Source software and tools; these tools include, but are not limited to:
• Enterprise Java development
• Ruby scripting language or equivalent
• Ruby on Rails
• Solr
• Tomcat
• Unix, Linux, AIX preferred
• an understanding of and commitment to library technologies;
• the ability to communicate clearly, both verbally and in writing;
• demonstrated ability to manage and lead information technology staff and projects as well as departmental priorities;
• demonstrated knowledge of emerging technologies and related research;  these include but are not limited to:
• Blacklight
• Fedora/DuraSpace
• Evergreen
• Koha
• other Open Source and proprietary systems related to online library environments
• strong interpersonal skills;
• and a customer-service orientation.

Salary and Benefits:  Competitive depending on qualifications. This position has general faculty status with excellent benefits, including 22 days of vacation and TIAA/CREF and other retirement plans. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.  Applicants must apply through the University of Virginia online employment website at https://jobs.virginia.edu/ Search by position number FP674, complete application, and attach cover letter and resume, with contact information for three current, professional references.  For assistance with this process contact Library Human Resources at (434) 924-3081.

The University of Virginia is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer strongly committed to achieving excellence through cultural diversity. The University actively encourages applications and nominations from members of underrepresented groups.

From NCSU Libraries:

North Carolina State University Libraries
DIGITAL REPOSITORY LIBRARIAN
Vacancy Announcement

Between the mountains of the Blue Ridge and the shores of the Outer Banks lies North Carolina’s Research Triangle of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. One of the nation’s premier concentrations of academic, corporate, and public research, the area combines moderate year-round temperatures, rolling hills, championship college athletics, and a rich diversity of cultural events. The Triangle consistently ranks high on lists of desirable American communities, including a recent rating by Forbes as the number-one place for business and careers and as one of Money Magazine’s Best Big Cities. The North Carolina State University Libraries has been recognized as the first recipient of the Association of College and Research Libraries’ Excellence in Academic Libraries Award for its teamwork, innovation, and continuous interaction with students and faculty to further the educational mission of NC State University. A major new science and engineering research library, the James B. Hunt Jr. Library, is under construction and expected to open in 2012/13. It will be the social and intellectual nexus for NC State’s Centennial Campus, a research and advanced technology community that includes the colleges of Engineering and Textiles, a variety of science and technology research centers, and more than 130 companies and government agencies.

The NCSU Libraries invites applications and nominations for the position of Digital Repository Librarian. The NCSU Libraries is engaged in a number of digital repository initiatives focused on sustaining continued access to research outputs, including scholarly publications, electronic theses and dissertations, technical reports, digitized collections, and research data. The Libraries is a partner, with Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, and the Renaissance Computing Institute, in a two-year funded collaborative data repository project. The incumbent will join the Digital Library Initiatives Department (10 librarians and 4 technical and support staff), working in a highly collaborative environment with library colleagues and external partners on digital repository development, digital curation, digital collections access and discovery, and digital services development. A close relationship with the Libraries’ Information Technology Department ensures availability of a robust server, storage, application hosting, and networking infrastructure.

Responsibilities
The Digital Repository Librarian explores, adapts, and implements emerging digital repository technologies and provides leadership for projects that advance continuing access to digital content of enduring value produced or maintained at North Carolina State University. Drawing upon a thorough understanding of current trends and new technologies for digital repositories, the incumbent leads the development of new digital repository services and associated technical infrastructure. Working with key stakeholder groups within the library and across the university, she or he contributes to the planning and development of the library’s digital repository strategy. She or he will work closely with staff in the Digital Scholarship & Publishing Center, the Special Collections Research Center, Collection Management, and Metadata & Cataloging to assess needs and to develop and implement appropriate tools and workflows. The Digital Repository Librarian will play a leading role in developing the university’s digital repository strategy and ensuring that digital repository services provided by the library align with the needs of the NCSU community. She or he participates in library planning, represents the Libraries on university and committees, task forces, and teams, as well as regional and national meetings, consortia, and associations. NCSU Librarians are expected to be active professionally and to contribute to developments in the field. The Digital Repository Librarian supervises a team of two technical staff and reports to the Head, Digital Library Initiatives.

Qualifications
Required:  ALA-accredited MLS or equivalent advanced degree in library or information science plus relevant professional experience. The successful candidate must have experience with current and emerging digital repository technologies and should have demonstrated, successful project management experience. Candidates should have a general knowledge of metadata standards as well as practical experience with XML/XSLT. Experience programming in a scripting language such as Python, Perl, or PHP is necessary, as is a familiarity with the Unix/Linux environment. Outstanding written and oral communications and interpersonal skills are essential, as is the ability to work both independently and in a team environment. Candidates should demonstrate a record of professional development and contribution. Preferred:  Supervisory experience.

The University and the Libraries
Recognized as one of the nation’s leading universities in science and technology, with strong programs in the humanities and social sciences, NC State offers degrees through the Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Design, Education, Engineering, Humanities and Social Sciences, Management, Natural Resources, Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Textiles, and Veterinary Medicine. As the largest academic institution in the state, NC State enrolls more than 33,000 students and offers doctoral degrees in 61 fields of study. The university is ranked 4th in industry research funding and 9th in total research expenditures among universities without medical schools. With more than 660 active patents, NC state is ranked 9th among U.S. universities in patent production, quality, and strength. NC State is a national leader in networking technologies and a charter member of the North Carolina Networking Initiative (NCNI), an Internet2 initiative with the most advanced operational networking system infrastructure in the nation.

The library system (http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/) consists of a central library and branch libraries for design, natural resources, textiles, and veterinary medicine. With a staff of 260+ FTE, the Libraries has more than 4 million volumes in its collection, acquires more than 62,000 print and electronic serials, and has a total annual budget of over $25 million, with approximately $9.5 million allocated to collections. The Libraries is the lead server site for NC LIVE (North Carolina Libraries for Virtual Education), a multi-type library initiative, making digital resources accessible to North Carolina residents.

The NCSU Libraries is a member of the Association of Research Libraries, the Digital Library Federation, the Coalition for Networked Information, the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition, the Council for Library and Information Resources, and the Center for Research Libraries. Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina Central University, and North Carolina State University form the Triangle Research Libraries Network (TRLN), with combined resources exceeding 14 million volumes and collections budgets totaling more than $30 million.

Salary and Benefits
The Libraries offers a highly competitive salary in recognition of applicable education and experience for this position. Librarians have non-tenure track faculty status (without levels of rank). Benefits include:  24 days vacation, 12 days sick leave; State of NC preferred provider medical insurance, and state, TIAA/CREF, or other retirement options. Additional and optional dental, life, disability, deferred compensation, and legal plans are offered. Tuition waiver program for all campuses of The University of North Carolina is available. More benefits information is available at http://www7.acs.ncsu.edu/hr/benefits/

Application process and schedule
Applications will be reviewed upon receipt; applications will be accepted until finalist candidates are selected. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to receive full consideration. The nomination committee may invite candidates for confidential, pre-interview screenings. This position is available immediately; start date is negotiable.

Applicants must apply through the NC State University online employment website at https://jobs.ncsu.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=86412 .  Complete application, and attach cover letter and résumé, with contact information for four current, professional references.  For assistance with this process contact NCSU Libraries Personnel Services Office (919) 515-3522.

Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer

NC State welcomes all persons without regard to sexual orientation

Persons with disabilities requiring accommodations in the application and interview process please call (919) 515-3148.

Peter Suber has written an excellent summary of the current situation the University of California System is facing with the Nature Publishing Group (NPG). If a reasonable proposal doesn’t come about, UC will be forced to boycott. While there hasn’t been recent news, the eventual resolution - whatever it may be - will be repercussions for academic libraries.

The US Government Printing Office (GPO) is celebrating its 150th anniversary! Congratulations GPO!

And, congratulations to all of us, who benefit from GPO’s work and from the closely related Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). FDLP is an early and brilliant program in collaborative library operations to ensure access and preservation.

The University of Florida Libraries is the FDLP Regional Depository Library for Florida, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. The University of Florida is also a core partner in similar collaborative programs that date back multiple decades, like the current Digital Library of the Caribbean which has an over 80 year history of collaborative preservation and access work using microfilm and now digital technologies.

The FDLP website explains FDLP:

The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) was established by Congress to ensure that the American public has access to its Government’s information. Since 1813, depository libraries have safeguarded the public’s right to know by collecting, organizing, maintaining, preserving, and assisting users with information from the Federal Government. The FDLP provides Government information at no cost to designated depository libraries throughout the country and territories. These depository libraries, in turn, provide local, no-fee access to Government information in an impartial environment with professional assistance.

As institutions committed to equity of access and dedicated to free and unrestricted public use, the nation’s nearly 1,250 depository libraries serve as one of the vital links between “We the people” and our Government. Anyone can visit Federal depository libraries and use the Federal depository collections which are filled with information on careers, business opportunities, consumer information, health and nutrition, legal and regulatory information, demographics, and numerous other subjects. (citation)

News story below from FDLP.gov:

The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) kicked off its 150 year anniversary celebration on June 23, 2010. GPO was created when President James Buchanan signed Joint Resolution 25 on June 23, 1860. GPO opened its doors for business nine months later on March 4, 1861, the same day Abraham Lincoln took the oath of office becoming the 16th President of the United States. GPO began celebrating this milestone with an event that honored its current and retired employees. Public Printer Bob Tapella and Archivist David Ferriero unveiled a facsimile of the seven-page handwritten document that created the agency.

“When you think about GPO’s rich history and what has made GPO successful for the past 150 years, it’s our hardworking employees,” said Public Printer Bob Tapella. “GPO is a family business. We have families who have contributed to this agency that span three and four generations. It’s that dedication which has made GPO one of the largest printing, secure credentialing and digital information facilities in the world.”

As part of the celebration, GPO launched a Web page devoted to the agency’s 150 year history that includes portraits of past public printers as well as a video of the history of GPO. To learn more about the history of the GPO, GPO has reissued 100 GPO Years, 1861-1961, which can be purchased from the U.S. Government Bookstore. Read the GPO press release.

A new CLIR Report, The Idea of Order: Transforming Research Collections for 21st Century Scholarship includes a report, “On the Cost of Keeping a Book,” by Paul Courant and Matthew “Buzzy” Nielsen. This report examines the costs of keeping physical books (pbooks) and electronic books (ebooks) and finds a significant cost savings in ebooks over print-based libraries.

Particularly worth noting is the statement on the overall cost savings when digitizing pbooks and then storing them as ebooks:

If the cost of digitization is less than the difference in present value between print storage and digital storage, adding back in the cost of maintaining a shared print archive, there will be a net gain to the university sector of digitizing print collections and using the digitized versions for access. For most of our estimates of the cost of ebook and pbook storage, these conditions would hold. If another party, for example, Google or the Internet Archive, undertakes the digitization and provides the access, the argument becomes all the stronger.

Europeana just released their first white page, “Knowledge = Information in Context.”

The paper covers the importance of data standards, clean data, linked data, and tools and ways to link data (more standards and APIs). The paper is an excellent paper on the importance of making digitized materials useful by creating context.*

The article as a whole discusses different standards and principles (RDF triples, Linked Data, FOAF, SKOS, semantic connections), all of which are integral parts of the web but which are not necessarily part of many cultural heritage collections. Open Library has been intensively working on issues related to linked data, as has the Library of Congress, and the University of Florida Digital Collections are connecting more metadata in the database for linked subject terms, citation fields, and facets, and much more is in the works.

* The paper appears to have been written for translatability - sometimes odd language usage is necessary for ease of translating, and this is common in technical manuals for ubiquitous software - so some of the wording is a bit unusual, but the overall shape of the argument is accurate.

Europeana has released their Public Domain Charter. The document seeks not be be prescriptive, but to foster discussion and innovation to aid cultural heritage institutions in meeting their core missions with costly digitization as a new and growing part of that mission.

This is one of the best documents I’ve seen in terms of explaining the necessity and difficulty of balancing support for open and free public access with the costs of creating and maintaining digitized content.

See the excerpt from the Public Domain Charter below, with my bolding of significant portions for emphasis:

This Charter is a policy statement [...]

[T]he transformation from guardians of analogue collections to providers of digital services places enormous challenges on these organisations. Creating and maintaining digital collections is expensive; the cultural heritage sector may lack resources for this new responsibility. Government sponsors may encourage or require organisations to generate income by way of licensing content to a wide variety of commercial users.

Public-Private Partnerships have become one option for funding large scale digitisation efforts. Commercial content aggregators pay for the digitisation in exchange for privileged access to the digitised collections. These activities are seen as a reason for attempting to exercise as much control as possible over digital reproductions of Public Domain works. Organisations are claiming exclusive rights in digitised versions of Public Domain works and are entering into exclusive relationships with commercial partners that hinder free access.

When this exclusivity locks down digital content and inhibits access and re-use by teachers, innovators and citizens, memory organisations may be compromising their core mission and undermining their relationship with their users. Works that are in the Public Domain in analogue form must remain freely available in digital form and digitisation of such works must lead to increased access by the public instead of new restrictions. To remain relevant in the digital age, cultural and scientific heritage organisations must strive to increase access to our shared knowledge and culture by being the primary points of access to the works that they have in their collections. Value-added services can be developed around content without the need to claim exclusive rights over works that have been in the Public Domain in analogue form.

Ultimately, at a political and policy-making level, it is in the interests of society that Public Domain knowledge and information be digitised. Once digitised, it should be freely available to creative enterprise, R&D innovators and technical entrepreneurs to use as the basis for generating ideas and applications yet to be envisaged.

The aim of this Charter is to give a clear signal to content providers, policy makers and the public that Europeana and the Europeana Foundation believe in and wish to strengthen the concept of the Public Domain in the digitised world.
(direct link to English online version of the Charter)

The  University of Florida Digital Collections (UFDC) now have over 5 million pages!

The more than 5 million pages - maps, aerials, audio, video, books, historic documents, museum objects, herbarium specimens, photographs, newspapers, oral histories, and more - are all openly and freely online for the world!

Check out the collections: www.uflib.ufl.edu/ufdc

The University of Florida Digital Collections (UFDC) are always improving. Most of our current improvements at the moment are from moving servers to newer, more stable equipment (and making updates required from the server move). Despite the time that the server move requires, listed below are some of our recent and particularly great new enhancements to share!

Facets

The University of Florida Digital Collections (UFDC) now has facets to help refine searches and browses by language, subject terms, and more. See this page for an example http://ufdcweb1.uflib.ufl.edu/ufdc/?a=fdnl1&m=lbball

Citation Links

Key components of the citations for each item are now also linked for easy searching, as in this example.

User Contributed Descriptions

UFDC now allows for user contributed descriptions. The descriptions can be activated for any collection (they’re turned off by default). When activated, this allows any logged in user to add a description to an item. The description is added in a note field, and the username and date that the description was added are automatically added as well.

Coming Soon

The next project (aside from the server move and related updates) is EAC/EAD integration. That’s expected soon and more details will be available as it gets closer to implementation.