Category: Technology
A thought-provoking introduction to metadata for all library and information students and professionals
David Haynes has fully revised his classic metadata textbook to bring it up to date with new technologies and standards. It builds on the concept of metadata through an exploration of its purposes and uses as well as considering the main aspects of metadata management and includes brand new chapters on ‘Very Large Data Collections’ and the ‘Politics and Ethics of Metadata’.
Haynes said,
‘Metadata of Information Management and Retrieval: Understanding metadata and its use is international in coverage and sets out to introduce the concepts behind metadata. It focuses on the ways metadata is used to manage and retrieve information. It discusses the roles of metadata in information governance as well as exploring its use in the context of social media, linked open data and big data’.
The book will be essential reading for students of library and information science, museums, library, archives and records management professionals, publishers and managers of institutional repositories and research data sets.
Neil Wilson, Head of Collection Metadata at The British Library said,
‘Metadata has evolved from being a specialist interest to become a mainstream topic of relevance to anyone concerned with accurate and efficient information management. David Haynes has produced a clear, comprehensive and timely overview of how metadata shapes our digital age, why it’s a key organisational asset and how its value can be released through the use of key standards and technologies.’
About the author
David Haynes PhD MBCS FCLIP conducts research into Privacy and Metadata at the 
Department of Library and Information Science at City, University of London. He is also an Honorary Tutor at the Centre for Archives and Information Studies (CAIS) at the University of Dundee where he specialises in Metadata and Taxonomies. He has been involved in library and information consultancy and research for more than 35 years during which time he has worked on information retrieval, information policy and information governance issues, latterly specialising in privacy and data protection. He is Chair of the UK Chapter of ISKO, the International Society for Knowledge Organization.
Find out more about the book here
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Cutting through the complexity of electronic resources management
Facet Publishing have announced the release of Alana Verminski and Kelly M
arie Blanchat’s Fundamentals of Electronic Resources Management.
Electronic and digital resources are dynamic and ever-changing and there is an increasing demand for competent professionals to manage them. Fundamentals of Electronic Resources Management cuts through the complexity and serves as an invaluable introduction to those entering the field as well as a ready reference guide for current practitioners.
The authors said, “Electronic resources are a reality for libraries today, yet information professionals both experienced and new to the field face a steep learning curve when keeping up with the ever-evolving world of electronic resources management. This book aims to provide hands-on tools that can be used on the job, from beginning to end of the electronic resources lifecycle. It also provides information about the current marketplace and industry practices, putting the work of libraries into context with their external partners.”
The book covers:
- the full range of purchasing options, from unbundling package subscriptions to pay per view
- evaluating both new content and current resources
- common clauses in licensing agreements and what they mean
- selecting and managing open access resources
- understanding methods of e-resources access authentication
- using a triage approach to troubleshoot electronic resources access issues
- the basic principles of usage statistics, and ways to use COUNTER reports when evaluating renewals
- tips for activating targets in a knowledge base
- marketing tools and techniques
- clear explanations of jargon, important terms, and acronyms.
Alana Verminski is the collection development librarian at the Bailey/Howe Library at the University of Vermont.
Kelly Marie Blanchat is the electronic resources support librarian at Yale University Library.
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Kroski’s hands-on sourcebook for makerspaces
Makerspaces are drawing new users into libraries and engaging them as never before. Edited by technology expert Ellyssa Kroski, The Makerspace Librarian’s Sourcebook, is a must-read for any librarian using technology in teaching and learning as well as those considering whether to set up a makerspace, or with one already up and running.
Ellyssa Kroski said,
The Makerspace Librarian’s Sourcebook aims to be an essential all-in-one guidebook to the maker realm written specifically for librarians. I hope it will inspire readers through practical projects that they can implement in their libraries right now. The book is jam-packed with instruction and advice from the field’s most tech-savvy innovators, and will be well-suited for any librarian seeking to learn about the major topics, tools, and technologies relevant to makerspaces today.
The book:
- Shows readers how to start their own makerspace from the ground up, covering strategic planning, funding sources, starter equipment lists, space design, and safety guidelines
- discusses the transformative teaching and learning opportunities that makerspaces offer, with tips on how to empower and encourage a diverse maker culture within the library
- delves into 11 of the essential technologies and tools most commonly found in makerspaces, ranging from 3D printers, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and wearable electronics to CNC, Lego, drones, and circuitry kits.
Find out more about The Makerspace Librarian’s Sourcebook
Ellyssa Kroski is Director of Information Technology at the New York Law Institute, as well as an award winning editor and author. She is a librarian, an adjunct faculty member at Drexel and San Jose State Universities, and an international conference speaker. Her professional portfolio is located at www.ellyssakroski.com.
New guide to data-driven decision-making for library improvement
Facet Publishing have announced the publication of Library Improvement through Data Analytics by Lesley S. J. Farmer and Alan M. Safer.
This book shows how to make sense of data in libraries and use it to inform decision making at every level.
Sound data analytics is the foundation for making an evidence-based case for libraries, in addition to guiding myriad organizational decisions, from optimizing operations for efficiency to responding to community needs. Designed to be useful for beginners as well as those with a background in data, this book introduces the basics of a six point framework that can be applied to a variety of library settings for effective system based, data-driven management.
The guide covers such key topics as:
- the basics of statistical concepts
- recommended data sources for various library functions and processes, and guidance for using census, university, or chamber of comm
erce data in analysis - techniques for cleaning data
- matching data to appropriate data analysis methods
- how to make descriptive statistics more powerful by spotlighting relationships
- 14 case studies which address such areas as digitization, e-book collection development and reference
- staffing, facilities, and instruction.
This book’s clear, concise coverage will enable readers of every experience level to gain a better understanding of statistics in order to facilitate library improvement. It will be essential reading for library managers and key decision makers.
More information: http://www.facetpublishing.co.uk/title.php?id=301614
Exploring Discovery – demystifying the breadth and depth of discovery
Facet Publishing have announced the release of Ken Varnum’s new edited collection Exploring Discovery
We are in a new age of discovery. Not one recalled from history books, where exploration of the physical world proceeded apace, but an age where the incredible breadth and depth of knowledge is just as mysterious to the typical researcher. The new age of discovery builds on decades of advancements in handling metadata and full text in digital formats, natural language process
ing, keyword searching, and information science. The pace of change in the last half-century has been dizzying, enabling library technologists to enable information discovery across multiple scales, with tools and processes specific to each.
The concept of discovery covers scales from billions of items in the large web-scale systems to just hundreds of items at the other end of the scale in purpose-built discovery tools for an individual library. In his new book, editor Ken Varnum brings together leading experts to explore both discovery tools that have been made to enable in-depth access to relatively narrow information silos, as well as tools that enable exploration of broad swathes of digital and off-line content.
Using a series of case studies, Exploring Discovery illustrates the interfaces and technologies that can be used by libraries today and examines the future of discovery. Divided into four sections, I) Vended Discovery Systems, II) Custom Discovery Systems, III) Interfaces, IV) Content and Metadata, the book covers key topics including:
- choosing a web-scale discovery system
- libraries, archives and museums sharing a single discovery tool
- managing internal development requirements with the constraints of a small or medium-sized library
- integrating discovery to improve user experience
- custom discovery systems built with open-source software
- metadata challenges in discovery services
- open access and discovery tools
- regional aggregation and discovery of digital collections.
The Midwest Book Review said, “Exploring Discovery is easy to dip into as needed, and provides a comprehensive examination of discovery services that will prove invaluable to IT, web development, electronic resource management, and technical services staff”.
More information: http://www.facetpublishing.co.uk/title.php?id=300969
Watch Ken Varnum describe the book in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jynPinGopn4
New edited collection on managing digital cultural objects
Facet Publishing have announced the publication of Managing Digital Cultural Objects: Analysis, discovery and retrieval edited by Allen Foster and Pauline Rafferty both at Aberystwyth University.
The book explores the analysis and interpretation, discovery and retrieval of a variety of non-textual objects, including image, music and moving image.
Bringing together chapters written by leading experts in the field, the first part of this book provides an overview of the theoretical and academic aspects of digital cultural documentation and considers both technical and strategic issues relating to cultural heritage projects, digital asset management and sustainability. The second part includes contributions from practitioners in the field focusing on case studies from libraries, archives and museums. While the third and final part considers social networking and digital cultural objects.
Managing Digital Cultural Objects: Analysis, discovery and retrieval draws from disciplines including information retrieval, library and information science (LIS), digital preservation, digital humanities, cultural theory, digital media studies and art history. It’s argued that this multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach is both necessary and useful in the age of the ubiquitous and mobile web.
Key topics covered include:
- Managing, searching and finding digital cultural objects
- Data modelling for analysis, discovery and retrieval
- Social media data as a historical source
- Visual digital humanities
- Digital preservation of audio content
- Photos on social networking sites
- Searching and creating affinities in web music collections
- Film retrieval on the web.
The book will provide inspiration for students seeking to develop creative and innovative research projects at Masters and PhD levels and will be essential reading for those studying digital cultural object management. Equally, it should serve practitioners in the field who wish to create and develop innovative, creative and exciting projects in the future.
About the editors:
Allen Foster has a BA in Social History, a Master’s in Information Management and a PhD in Information Science. As Reader in Information Science, he has held various roles, including Head of Department for Information Studies, at Aberystwyth University. His research interest areas span the research process of Master’s and
PhD students, the development of models for information behaviour and serendipity, and user experience of information systems, creativity and information retrieval. He has guest edited for several journal special issues, is a regional editor for The Electronic Library and is a member of journal editorial boards, international panels and conference committees.
Dr Pauline Rafferty MA(Hons) MSc MCLIP is a Senior Lecturer and Director of Teaching and Learning at the Department of Information Studies, Aberystwyth University. She previously taught at the Department of Information Science, City University London, and in the School of Information Studies and Department of Media and Communication at the University of Central England, Birmingham.
Contributors:
Sarah Higgins, Aberystwyth University
Katrin Weller, GESIS Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences
Hannah Dee, Aberystwyth University
Lorna Hughes, University of Glasgow
Lloyd Roderick, Aberystwyth University
Alexander Brown, Aberystwyth University
Maureen Pennock, British Library
Michael Day, British Library
Will Prentice, British Library
Corinne Jörgensen, Florida State University (Emeritus)
Nicola Orio, University of Padua
Kathryn La Barre, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Rosa Ines de Novias Cordeiro, Federal Fluminense University, Rio de Janeiro
Practical guidance on using altmetrics to measure, share, connect and communicate research
Facet Publishing have announced the release of Altmetrics: A practical guide for librarians, researchers and academics, edited by Andy Tattersall.
This new book brings together experts in their fields to guide readers through the practical and technical aspects of altmetrics.
Altmetrics focuses on research artefact level metrics that are not exclusive to traditional journal papers but also extend to book chapters, posters and data sets, among other items. It offers additional indicators of attention, review and impact that add highly responsive layers to the slower to accrue traditional research metrics.
Contributed to by leading atmetric innovators including Euan Adie, founder and CEO of Altmetric.com, William Gunn, Head of Academic Outreach at Mendeley and Ben Showers, author of the bestselling Library Analytics and Metrics, the book details the methods that can be employed to reach different audiences, even with only minimal resources.
The book explains the theory behind altmetrics and provides practical advice to using the increasing number of tools available for librarians and researchers to measure, share, connect and communicate research including Academia.edu, Facebook, Mendeley, ResearchGate, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Figshare, Altmetric.com, SlideShare Kudos and many more.
Anyone wanting to understand altmetrics and encourage others to use it will find this book essential reading including library and information professionals working in higher education, researchers, academics and higher education leaders and strategi
sts.
The editor, Andy Tattersall, has also made a video to complement the book which provides a whistle-stop tour of altmetrics and associated tools. The video can be viewed here.
About the authors:
Andy Tattersall (editor) writes and gives talks about digital academia, learning technology, scholarly communications, open research, web tools, altmetrics and social media– in particular, their application for research, teaching, learning, knowledge management and collaboration. He is very interested in how we manage information and how information overload affects our professional and personal lives. His teaching interests lie in encouraging colleagues and students to use the many tools and technologies(quite often freely) available to aid them carry out research and collaboration within the academic and clinical setting. He is Secretary for the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals – Multi Media and Information Technology Committee.
Euan Adie is founder and CEO of Altmetric.com, which supplies altmetrics data to funders, universities and publishers. Originally a computational biologist at the University of Edinburgh, in 2005 Euan developed postgenomic.com, which aggregated blog posts written by life scientists about published scholarly articles. This effort was supported by Nature Publishing Group, where he then worked in product management roles until starting Altmetric.com in 2011.
Claire Beecroft is a university teacher/information specialist at the School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), the University of Sheffield. Claire currently teaches on a variety of courses within ScHARR and the wider university, including the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) and the MScs in Health Informatics, Public Health and HTA. Claire’s key research interests are around e-learning, e-health, applications of Web 2.0 to healthcare, teaching of health informatics and information skills and support for NHS librarians and staff to develop key informatics skills. Her main teaching interests are around literature searching and evidence retrieval, critical appraisal, e-health, telemedicine, media portrayal of health research and health economics, and information study skills.
Dr Andrew Booth is Reader in Evidence Based Information Practice at the School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield. Between 2008 and 2014 he served as Director of Research Information (Outputs) for ScHARR, helping to prepare the school’s Research Excellence Framework submission. Prior to this he worked in a wide range of roles supporting research data management, information management and evidence-based practice and delivering writing workshops to researchers. With a background in information science, Andrew has a particular interest in bibliometrics and literature review. Andrew currently serves on the editorial boards of Systematic Reviews, Implementation Science and Health Information & Libraries Journal. Over his 33-year career to date in health information management and health services research he has authored four books and over 150 peer-reviewed journal articles.
Dr William Gunn is the Head of Academic Outreach for Mendeley. He attended Tulane University as a Louisiana Board of Regents Fellow, receiving his PhD in Biomedical Science from the Center for Gene Therapy at Tulane University. Frustrated with the inefficiencies of the modern research process, he left academia and established the biology programme at Genalyte, a novel diagnostics start-up, then joined Mendeley. Dr Gunn is an Open Access advocate, co-founder of the Reproducibility Initiative and serves on the National Information Standards Organisation (NISO) Altmetrics working group.
Ben Showers is a Digital Delivery Manager at the Cabinet Office, using digital technologies to transform government services and systems for the better.Previously,he worked at JISC where he was Head of Scholarly and Library Futures, working on projects that included a shared library analytics service, as well as projects exploring the future of library systems, digital libraries, usability and digitization. He is the author ofLibrary Analytics and Metrics: using data to drive decisions and services (Facet Publishing, 2015).
Copyright and E-learning: a guide for practitioners
Guest post by Jane Secker
The second edition of the 2010 book Copyright and E-learning: A guide for practitioners is now available. The book covers the topic that has fascinated me for over a decade and been central to the job I do at LSE: copyright law and its relationship to e-learning or online learning.
This edition of the book benefits from being co-authored by Chris Morrison, who is Copyright Compliance and Licensing Officer at the University of Kent. Chris has not only helped me to improve and update the book, but made the research and writing process more enjoyable. When I first approached Chris to help update the book, I thought that his unbounded pedantry forensic attention to detail and wealth of knowledge about broader copyright issues might make him a useful proof-reader. I had done a first run through of the book to identify some key areas I wanted to update in light of the Hargreaves Review in 2014 and the new copyright exceptions in UK law. However, overall I felt much of the first edition might remain the same, perhaps with a few changes to take into account new terminology. It quickly became apparent once we started reviewing the content and discussing the book, that we had the opportunity to significantly update it, and make it a far better book. It was also clear I had more than a proof-reader but a co-author. As with any book about technology, 5 years is a long time, and technological developments made much of the contents of some chapters in need of real updating. For example, the term web 2.0 used throughout the first edition, really started to sound very dated.
Much of the intentions behind the first edition remain however. The book is designed to be read by practitioners and so it tries to offer pragmatic advice on a range of topics issues from digitising orphan works, to lecture recordings, the use of social media and MOOCs. We tried to write the book in a jargon-free easily digestible way, to hopefully make it a practical guide for learning technologists, but also teachers, lecturers and other learning support staff in higher education, schools, further education and even in a workplace learning setting, where online learning is used extensively.
Find out more about the book here or read Jane and Chris’ post on the CILIP blog where they provide six practical tips that are important to helping you approach any copyright issue.
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Image Credit: Flickr user eddiedangerous – Copyright Sign, Image used under license (CC BY 2.0)
Enhance your library’s web-scale discovery systems
New from Facet Publishing: Managing Metadata in Web-scale Discovery Systems edit
ed by Louise F. Spiteri, Dalhousie University.
Libraries are increasingly using web-scale discovery systems to help clients find a wide assortment of library materials, including books, journal articles, special collections, archival collections, videos, music and open access collections. Depending on the library material catalogued, the discovery system might need to negotiate different metadata standards, such as AACR, RDA, RAD, FOAF, VRA Core, METS, MODS, RDF and more.
With this new book, you can harness the power of linked data and web-scale discovery systems to manage and link widely varied content across your library collection.
Editor Louise Spiteri and a range of international experts show you how to:
- maximize the effectiveness of web-scale discovery systems
- provide a smooth and seamless discovery experience to your users
- help users conduct searches that yield relevant results
- manage the sheer volume of items to which you can provide access, so your users can actually find what they need
- maintain shared records that reflect the needs, languages, and identities of culturally and ethnically varied communities
- manage metadata both within, across, and outside, library discovery tools by converting your library metadata to linked open data that all systems can access
- manage user generated metadata from external services such as Goodreads and LibraryThing
- mine user generated metadata to better serve your users in areas such as collection development or readers’ advisory.
The book will be essential reading for cataloguers, technical services and systems librarians and library and information science students studying modules on metadata, cataloguing, systems design, data management, and digital libraries. It will also be of interest to those managing metadata in archives, museums and other cultural heritage institutions.
A guide to Scoop.it and other tools for curating content
In this fourth in a series of ten videos designed to complement each chapter his new book, Social Media for Creative Libraries, Phil Bradley provides a guide to using Scoop.it and other tools for curating content.
Facet Publishing 