ALA 2010

In June 2010, I traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the American Library Association's annual conference. I attended the following sessions:

• Beyond Library Guides: Libguides as a Platform for Student Research Projects
• Pecha Kucha Presentations of Marketing Ideas that Worked in Academic Libraries
• Library Instruction Live! Reaching Distance Students in Real Time
• Assessment for the Rest of Us

Each of these presentations gave me practical applications we can use at Medaille.

The Library Guides session was given by Phyllis Conn, Institute for Core Studies, St. John's University and Benjamin Tucker, Instructional Services, St. John's University. They teamed up to use a Libguide as a class wiki for a higher level history class. Students contributed writing in the wiki and peer reviewed each others work. LibGuides now has a new product, CampusGuides, which has a broader scope than the LibGuides. The last part of the session was devoted to small group work to develop a project. I worked with Liz Evans on ideas to use LibGuides or CampusGuides for faculty engagement. For example, the faculty survival guide could be maintained in this type of wiki. Faculty Discussion Groups and Faculty Awards could be documented in a wiki. This would make it possible for colleagues to see what new pedagogical techniques are being developed and utilized at Medaille.

The short presentations about marketing gave me the following ideas:

• traveling exhibits give you opportunities to showcase your own collections along with the materials provided; advertise with tents on dining hall tables and screen savers in libraries; program booklets can highlight student and faculty research and writings aligned with the subject matter of the exhibit
• have a year-long theme: one library had a "Year of the Library" with the positive result of increased usage of the spaces and collections
• Mt. St. Mary College began a series of programs connecting the college and the community; a bibliography was included in each program handout; books & DVDs were available for check out at each lecture
• At Illinois Wesleyan University, the staff used ethnographic methods to find out student perceptions, then they included students in all aspects of the marketing, allowing students to recruit and facilitate focus groups; they learned that "reference" meant nothing to students and they now use "Information & Research Assistance" for signage
• At Gettysburg University, the marketing is linked to the mission and vision of the library; they extended their reach beyond campus; faculty involvement was key to success; a Marketing Committee coordinated the look of all materials used for marketing

I attended "Library Instruction Live" to learn more about ways to connect with students in online classes. The speakers, Nancy Connor from Cuyahoga Community College, and Sheila Bonnand and Mary Anne Hanson from Montana State University, described teaching information literacy using Adobe Connect. They selected this program when Blackboard's Live Classroom product did not work well. They have based their work as instructors on the ACRL Guidelines for Distance Learning Library Services. They described their experiences with teaching synchronous sessions to give students an experience similar to being taught in a class on campus. The sessions are recorded and made available for students not able to attend a live session. They stressed that there are a few technical issues at times and that a quiet space is needed to work from. They use 2 laptops: one logged in as instructor and one logged in as student. There is a learning curve to teach this way, but it is worth the effort.

The session "Assessment for the Rest of Us" provided snapshots of assessment done by academic libraries using a variety of methods. The Cal Arts Student Behaviors and Habits Project, based on some of the work done by the University of Rochester in its Studying Students project, used a variety of interesting and easy ways to get student feedback about the library. The feedback provided leverage for the funding for different printers and computers in the library. Florida State librarians talked with students at the library and outside the library for one month, recording each interview. The feedback was used to reorganize staff and redesign space. Georgia Tech Library used a video assessment to find out student perceptions about the library. Students were asked to video tape and narrate what they saw as they walked through the library. This provided the staff with the patron's perspective. Based on the results of the recorded sessions, the carrels were cleaned of all graffiti and the reference desk was reoriented. At the American University in Dubai, the library staff observed student behavior for 30 minutes, 3 times a week, over a 5 week period, using maps to note observations. From the observations, they were able to make changes to achieve a better balance between high and low use study spaces by reconfiguring study tables and relaxed seating. My overall impression of this session is that assessment can be done on a number of levels to create a culture of assessment. The result of this assessment is that our students and faculty have better learning and teaching experiences.

I spent a great deal of time talking with vendors at the exhibits, including representatives from Oxford University Press, Alexander Street Press, Innovative Interfaces, Gaylord, Gale, Ebsco, WilsonWeb, Mango and Image Access. I also spoke to two RFID vendors: ITG and 3M. The exhibits trade show at ALA is the largest library trade show held in the US annually. I have the opportunity to preview numerous products and resources in one place, making it easy for me to be aware of emerging technologies and new resources.

Attending ALA's Annual Conference is a great opportunity for me to listen to and speak with librarians from all over the United States. I always come back for this conference energized with the possibility of trying new ways to enhance library services at Medaille College.

2010 Innovative Users Group Conference

This years' IUG conference in Chicago was attended by 1,075 people from 19 different countries. The keynote speaker at the opening session was Scott Simon, host of NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday.

The big buzz at this year's conference was SkyRiver, a new bibliographic utility offering a low cost alternative to OCLC for cooperative cataloging. I attended the session "SkyRiver: an Introduction" in which three librarians from public libraries spoke about their transition to SkyRiver. In all, they concluded that the transition to SkyRiver was smooth, the pricing is good, and it is very easy to use. The libraries have discontinued their cataloging subscriptions with OCLC, and two libraries are still paying to upload holdings to OCLC. OCLC has responded by increasing the price for holdings updates. The libraries still perform resource sharing through OCLC. I am happy to see there is competition to OCLC's monopoly in this regard, and will be watching for future developments.

I attended a session on Statistics Reports, presented by Joe Wojtowicz, our III trainer. He covered processes for data cleanup, periodic bibliographic record creation reports, circulation activity reports, cross tab reports, web management reports, and spreadsheet interface reports. It was a good refresher for me.

The Technical Services Development update highlighted new features available with the 2009b upgrade.

The session "Presentation Counts!" by Dorothy Hargett was a wonderful, fun presentation about customer service training. She uses humor to train the circulation staff and she creates a disciplined culture of excellence.

The session "Circulation in the Modern Library" provided information regarding self-check, eCommerce, SMS, and RFID. SMS provides a link in the catalog that sends call number information as a text message--no need to write down a call number before searching in the stacks! RFID facilitates batch check in and check out, is a security tool, and is highly effective in performing inventory of the collections.

"RFID: After the Conversion" provided me with some good advice regarding what to expect once the collection has been converted to RFID tags. Carol Gyger and Carson Block from Poudre River Public Library described the workflow for circulation once RFID was enabled. This will help me in the decision making process to convert our library collections to RFID.

The final session I attended was "Managing Your Electronic Resources" which provided an overview of the features of III's Electronic Resource Management (ERM) module. The ERM can provide statistics and management of all electronic resources, helping librarians to use data to make decisions regarding collection development.

As in the past, the IUG conference always gets me thinking about the most effective way to use Millennium to help our patrons discover the resources they want!

Journal of Library Innovation: Vol. 1, Issue 1 (2010)

The inaugural issue of the Journal of Library Innovation (JOLI) was published in March 2010. Vol. 1, Issue 1 (2010) is the culmination of more than 2 years of work by a very dedicated Editorial Team of volunteer librarians from across Western New York. (My editorial provides more discussion.) This online only, open-access, peer-reviewed journal is published by the Western New York Library Resources Council (WNYLRC).

As Managing Editor since March 2008, much of my time over the past two years has been devoted to setting the journal up in the Public Knowledge Project's Open Journal Software (OJS), chairing meetings of the Editorial Team, developing timelines and worflows, learning about the process of publishing, and communicating with readers, authors and reviewers. My project management skills were really put to the test as I managed people working in various capacities all over the region. Everyone on the Editorial Team was very dedicated to our mission and made my job as Managing Editor doable.

Now that the first issue is online, we are working on getting the content indexed and planning for future issues. We have received enough submissions for the next issue and I have established a timeline to publish Vol. 1, Issue 2 in Fall 2010. The next few months will also be spent in developing a plan for sustaining the journal.

Working on JOLI has personally been very rewarding and interesting. I have been able to learn about the processes required to publish an online journal. The Team has very high expectations for the quality of the content and we have worked with the authors to deliver a journal that we hope is relevant and useful to our readers. I am confident that through my work on JOLI, I have contributed scholarly work to my profession.

WNYLRC/RRLC 2009 Leadership Institute

In January 2009, I was accepted as a fellow in the WNYLRC/RRLC Leadership Institute. The fellows met once a month in March, April, May, June, September, and October. Graduation took place on November 18, 2009. Maureen Sullivan, owner of Maureen Sullivan Associates, Professor of Practice in the Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science Ph.D. Program in Managerial Leadership, and recipient of the 2010 Association of College and Research Libraries Academic/Research Librarian of the Year Award, facilitated the Institute. The topics covered included:

• Leadership in Libraries Today
• Understanding Your Work and Leadership Styles
• Building Effective Relationships
• Introduction to Project Management
• Effective Interpersonal Communication
• Risk Taking
• Creativity and Innovation
• Power and Influence
• Inspiring Shared Vision
• Transforming Libraries: Leading Change
• Transforming Libraries: Creating a Culture of Commitment and High Performance
• Valuing Differences and Diversity
• Managing Disagreement and Conflict
• Enabling Others to Act: Working with Groups and Teams
• Developing Others
• Recognition and Appreciation

I was able to put what I learned to work in July 2010 when I facilitated the creation of shared values and a shared vision for the Medaille College Libraries. This has solidified and focused the work the staff is doing to achieve our unit mission and goals which support the mission of the College.

I have also used the techniques discussed at the Institute to improve my work as the Managing Editor of the Journal of Library Innovation. The first issue of the journal was published in March 2010 after almost two years of work by the Editorial Team.

American Library Association 2009 Annual Conference

I attended sessions at the American Library Association's Annual Conference in Chicago, July 11-13, 2009. In selecting which sessions to attend, I looked for topics including research methodologies and using data to develop collections and services. When I attended this conference, I was new to my role as Library Director.
I attended the following sessions:

Designing Effective Research Surveys : Regina McBride, Ph.D., Dean of Library and Information Services, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, presents a program designed to assist academic librarians refine research design skills. The program involves: developing research questions, selecting research methodologies, and designing the research study. Topics include: developing useful questionnaires; techniques for conducting telephone interviews and focus groups, and constructing surveys to get the information needed. A PowerPoint presentation, participant discussions, hands-on exercises, and handouts of sample research designs are included. This program is sponsored by the ACRL Research Committee. This was a basic survey presentation stressing the concepts of validity, reliability, and generalizability.

Millennials in Graduate School: How Do We Support Them? : Millennials, those born between 1982 and 1994, are finishing college and entering graduate school. Surveys suggest that these students use libraries heavily and are less than satisfied with the experience. What do these digital multi-taskers want and expect, and how can university libraries support their needs? This program will bring together a panel of speakers to discuss trends in graduate education, the expectations of this cohort and the successful approaches that will engage them. Speakers: Susan Gibbons, Vice Provost and Dean, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester; Joan K. Lippincott, Associate Executive Director, Coalition for Networked Information; Barbara Dewey, Dean of Libraries, University of Tennessee
Powerpoint presentations can be found on the ACRL website. My notes: The presenters discussed how millennial graduate students research and how studies of this group have improved library services for them. The U of R has a publication detailing a study of graduate students: The Next Generation of Academics: A Report on a Study Conducted at the University of Rochester.

Collection Development 2.0: The Changing Administration of Collection Development : Collection development is undergoing revolutionary changes. In the last few years, most libraries have made major changes in the way they manage collection development. This program will help clarify what new approaches some libraries have taken and why, their consequences (both intended and unintended), and what some of those thinking about these issues see on the horizon. Moderator: Steven Harris, University of New Mexico; Presenters: Jonathan Nabe, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; Martha White, Lexington (KY) Public Library; Rick Anderson, University of Utah. My notes: Current trends include patron-driven acquisition, pay-per-view options, interlibrary loan for titles too expensive to purchase, and true coordinated collection development through consortia. See the ALA Conference wiki for presentations and reading lists.

Listening to the Customer: Using Assessment Results to Make a Difference

From the ALA wiki:

Speaker #1:Catherine Haras, California State University – Los Angeles

Title: Assessing an information literacy initiative

Short description: The JFK Memorial Library at California State University, Los Angeles, has built a healthy information literacy program by continuing to assess student learning as well as faculty perceptions of students’ research habits. Assessment results inform Library curriculum, help to grow program outreach, and have modified campus policy. The Library has developed a sustainable model of information literacy at the first-year and upper-division (capstone) levels, reaching 18,000 students per year through credit-bearing courses and almost 700 course-integrated and stand alone workshops.

Speaker #2: Dr. Richard Moniz, Johnson and Wales University

Title: Using multiple assessments to evaluate library services

Short description: Dr. Richard Moniz will discuss a number of widely varying assessments such as LibQUAL+, annual library surveys, the Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy (SAILS), and Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis and their application at a somewhat unique private university. With a focus on results or changes made as a result of customer/patron input, Moniz will also briefly discuss the pros and cons of each approach. A brief examination of several approaches is intended to show how no single assessment is enough for a complete environmental scan of the library's services.

Speaker #3: Annie Norman, State Library of Delaware

Title: The Measure of Library Excellence

Short description: The Delaware Division of Libraries / State Library have facilitated a quality learning journey for Delaware libraries since 2002. Library staff participates in training to apply various tools that businesses use to achieve performance excellence, including Baldridge Criteria, Balanced Scorecard, and Six Sigma. Most recently, Division of Libraries staff members are listening to the customer through the Delaware Library Learning Journeys program, an action research project to develop tools, tips, and techniques to unleash inner genius and support lifelong learning. Lessons learned to date will help others to make a difference in their libraries.

My notes: What I learned from these presentations is that anecdotal evidence is not valid. The presenters proved that what they thought was true about the students (anecdotal) proved to be very different from the assessment collected through testing (direct assessment) and surveys (indirect assessment). When the assessment from the direct and indirect assessment was analyzed and compared with faculty focus group findings, the librarians created a more effective information literacy program. Librarians need to develop their pedagogical skills. LIBQUAL+ is a useful survey tool.

Nuts & Bolts for Academic Friends
Friends and development officers for academic libraries are invited to attend this highly interactive session where attendees will share best practices for fund raising, creating endowments, increasing membership, and improving the profile of library Friends and Foundations on campus. Hosted by the Friends section. Speakers: Mary Dodge, Sam Huang. My notes: This session was most helpful to me. I learned about academic library friends groups from two experts in the field. ALADN (Academic Library Advancement and Development Group) holds an annual conference. There is no cost to join the group.

Through Their Eyes: Collecting Visual Data For Designing the Learning Environment : My notes: The presenters described methods for collecting visual data to use in planning renovation or construction. Nancy Kress, University of Chicago, did a way finding study with students to improve the library signage. Judi Briden, University of Rochester, talked about the photo diaries students created to document their school life. Kathleen Webb used photographic studies to develop a method for assessing learning spaces (classroom and non-classroom spaces) and to explore the relationship between learning and the characteristics of space. She co-wrote an article about the study, published in Portal, Oct. 2008 (v.8, no. 4, pp. 407-422). Rebecca Bichel, Kirsten Kinsley and Jill Duncan, Florida State University described a partnership with Herman Miller to develop an actionable assessment which used data analysis to create action steps for transformation. Their key points included: Think big, act fast, test small; Failure is a valuable part of testing; Make the data matter; Tight resources are no excuse.

Pay Attention to Your Users! Conducting Qualitative Research to Reinvent Library Services: In developing library services, librarians place the user at the center of planning. In this program, three experienced researchers show how qualitative methods provide effective means to learn what libraries should do to help people meet their information needs. The presentations will include discussions and examples of software used in qualitative research and ways qualitative research can inform practical management decisions. Speakers: Denise Agosto, Drexel University; Sandra Hughes-Hassell, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Lynn Westbrook, University of Texas at Austin. The Powerpoint presentation can be found with this description on the ALA wiki. My notes: Qualitative research contributes to the profession's development when the findings are shared through presentation and publication. Qualitative research uses verbal, not numerical, data. This research is concerned with the process of an activity. Software for data analysis: HyperResearch.

Scholarly Communication 101

The Association of College and Research Libraries Workshop, Scholarly Communication 101, was held at the University at Buffalo on June 4, 2009. The workshop was facilitated by Marianne Buehler, head of Publishing & Scholarship Support Services, Rochester Institute of Technology; Joy Kirchner, Collections, Licensing, Digital Scholarship, University of British Columbia Libraries; and Molly Kleinman, Copyright Specialist, Special Projects Librarian, University of Michigan Libraries. Scholarly communication enhances the sharing of research. Librarians can play a key role in this communication. ACRL has developed a scholarly communication toolkit. From the toolkit homepage:

New technology and innovative business models offer proven opportunities for enhancing the sharing of scholarly information -- research papers, primary data and other evidence, creative activity and other products of research and scholarship -- across institutions and audiences. This scholarly communication – understood as the system through which research and other scholarly writings are created, evaluated for quality, disseminated to the scholarly community, and preserved for future use – promotes a shared system of research and scholarship.

The workshop addressed the topics of economics (journal publication process), copyright and author rights, open access and openness as a principle, and a discussion of new modes and models. I attended this workshop to further develop my knowledge of scholarly publication to support my work as the Managing Editor of the Journal of Library Innovation.

2009 Innovative Users Group Conference

The 2009 Innovative Users Group Annual Conference was held in Anaheim, California, May 18-20, 2009. I attended a number of interesting sessions over three days. We went live with Millennium circulation and cataloging in July 2008 and had been working in acquisitions for about six months at the time of the conference. Liz Evans and I were able to attend sessions relative to our needs at Medaille.

The keynote speaker at the opening session was Dr. Michael B. Johnson, head of the Moving Pictures Group at Pixar Animation Studios. He gave a very entertaining and informative talk.

The sessions I attended:

Smooth Sailing with Floating Collections

Presenters:
Aimee Fifarek, Technologies & Content Manager, Scottsdale Public Library
Kathy Schoepe, Technology Supervisor, Scottsdale Public Library
John Goodyear, ILS Analyst, Multnomah County Library
Jennifer Steward, Circulation Analyst, Multnomah County Library

Session Number: D03

Published Program Description: Multnomah County Library started floating items in their 17 libraries in 2005. Scottsdale Public Library started floating its entire collection among four libraries on July 1, 2008. Come and hear from the expert and newbie project leads how they prepared for their projects and made the whole thing come together successfully, and why floating is still working today in both systems. This program will include tips, tricks, and a discussion of the philosophies underlying the project, making it perfect for anyone trying to decide whether to consider a floating collection for their institution. The most interesting point about this spirited presentation was that the staff at the library systems experienced a shift in thinking--they now thought at the system level, not at the branch level!

EDIFACT Ordering and Invoicing

Presenters:
Debbie Turner, Senior Library Training Consultant, Innovative Interfaces

Session Number: G10

Published Program Description: There are two sides to the EDIFACT process and the library can feel stuck in the middle some times -- between Millennium and the vendors. This session will investigate how to make this process as painless as possible and make sure that you get the most out of the automation. This was a good information session about a process we are thinking about using at Medaille.

RFID -- It's not as scary as you think

Presenters:
Judy Humphreys, Library Services Manager, Mountain View Public Library
Janice Painter, Manager, Access Services, Princeton Public Library
Susan Darkhosh, Manager, Lending Services, Princeton Public Library
Eric Leckbee, Product Manager, Innovative Interfaces

Session Number: H05

Published Program Description: The panel will describe the experiences of two public libraries that are using RFID for checkout, checkin, self-service checkout, and self-service checkin using an automated materials handling system. We will focus on changes in staffing and workflow and provide practical tips for successful use of RFID with Innovative's Item Status API, 3rd party self-checkout, and with an AMH system. This is an introductory level presentation for librarians considering implementing RFID. I attended sessions about RFID to learn more about it and to identify what is needed to implement this security, circulation, and inventory product. RFID enables self-checkout.

Converting our Collection to RFID: Goals Accomplished and Lessons Learned

Presenters:
Carol Gyger, Systems Administrator, Poudre River Public Library District
Carson Block, IT Director, Poudre River Public Library District

Session Number: J04

Published Program Description: The Poudre River Public Library District recently retro-converted its collection to RFID. Come learn why they chose RFID, who helped them, how they organized the real work involved (including funding, project design, weeding, retro-conversion and more), what worked well (and what didn't), and what they think of RFID now. This presentation added to what I learned at the previous session--very helpful.

Encore Implementation: One Academic Library's Experience

Presenters:
Christopher Brown, Reference Technology Integration Librarian, University of Denver, Penrose Library
Elizabeth Meagher, Metadata & Materials Processing Librarian, University of Denver, Penrose Library
Sandra Macke, Catalog Librarian, University of Denver, Penrose Library

Session Number: K05

Published Program Description: Encore leverages complex library collections in exciting ways. One reference librarian and two catalog librarians from the University of Denver present a panel discussion touching on data cleanup before and after implementation, increasing access by amending format icons, leveraging scopings and locations, interfacing with the ERM, providing effective discovery with facets, and more. Hear how an academic library's experiences with Encore has created greater exposure to rich collections. Encore enables data cleanup. This is a very sophisticated product.

Electronic Resource Management Systems: Where is the Value?

Presenters:
Bob McQuillan, Senior Product Manager, Innovative Interfaces
Diane Grover, Electronic Resources Coordinator, University of Washington
Janet Crum, Head, Library Systems & Cataloging, Oregon Health Sciences University
Rae Ann Stahl, Technical Services Manager, San Jose State University

Session Number: L11

Published Program Description: Understanding the value and effectiveness of electronic management systems (ERMS) is becoming more critical as library expenditures increase for electronic resource collections. For many libraries struggling to manage growing electronic resource collections without the benefit of an ERMS, the underlying issue can often focus on how to justify the purchase and implementation of such a system. This is a joint session with representative libraries who share their insights on the value of an ERMS. Topics to include workflow strategies, library staffing, patron experiences, harvesting of usage statistics and how an ERMS fits into the long-term objectives of the library. Managing electronic resources, making them discoverable and accessible, and abiding by licenses is very time consuming. The ERMS has many benefits beyond technical services.

Enhancing your OPAC with Third-Party Applications

Presenters:
Carrie Volk, Coordinator of Interlibrary Loan, Winthrop University
Session Number: L08
Published Program Description: This session will examine how ColdFusion (or any web programming language) and a little JavaScript can be used to embed the Meebo chat program throughout your OPAC. This method of implementation gives librarians control over the Meebo chat widget displaying only during chat services hours and provides an offline contact method. It will also examine a ColdFusion application developed in-house called DacusMaps that gives patrons an interactive interface that assists the user how to locate materials in the stacks all from within the OPAC. Finally, several user-requested customizations to the library's OPAC will be demonstrated. I got so many great ideas from this presentation--how to add a "chat button" in the online catalog, using multiple sign-ons for Meebo, and creating location maps within the catalog.

Collaborative Efforts in Setting Up an Approval Plan for Univ. Press Books

Presenters:
Susan Broome, Associate Director for Technical Services, Mercer University Jack Tarver Library
Linda Chen, Library Systems Coordinator, Mercer University Jack Tarver Library
Theresa Preuit Rhodes, Associate Director for Public Services, Mercer University Jack Tarver Library
Debbie Turner, Senior Library Training Consultant, Innovative Interfaces

Session Number: D01

Published Program Description: A popular country song opines, "I wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then! I wish I could start this whole thing over again." NOT! Approval plans are a practical means of acquiring library materials if there are more funds than employees at your library. Working with Innovative, Midwest Library Service, and PromptCat, we now receive cataloged and processed books weekly with catalog records available and a single lump-sum payment to be made on arrival. Do we wish we had known some things earlier? Certainly. Would we want to start over again? Decidedly not! This session was not what I expected it to be. I did learn that creating profiles for approval plans takes time. At this time, we don't need to set up this type of program.

Web 2.0 Made Easy: Our Implementation of LibraryThing for Libraries

Presenters:
Candace Lebel, Innopac Coordinator, Claremont Colleges Libraries
Alexandra Chappell, Reference Librarian, Claremont Colleges Libraries

Session Number: K09

Published Program Description: Looking for a way to improve the catalog and make it more social, the Claremont Colleges partnered with LibraryThing to quickly and easily incorporate a folksonomy and book suggestion feature into their WebPAC. LibraryThing For Libraries matches the ISBNs of books in Claremont's WebPAC with ISBNs for books in LibraryThing and then inserts tags and similar books suggestions into the display of the bibliographic record. For all user levels, this presentation will show you just how easy it is to add Web 2.0 features to your WebPAC with LibraryThing for Libraries. I am always interested in new Web 2.0 applications to serve as discovery tools for patrons. This was an interesting application, but not one I think we will use.

Digitization with Millennium and CONTENTdm

Presenters:
Stuart Hunt, Data Services Manager, University of Warwick Library

Session Number: D05

Published Program Description: This presentation will provide an overview of the digitization of a special collection of rare textual materials. The use of Millennium Media Management will be discussed in contrast to the use of CONTENTdm. Workflows for the digitization process will be discussed, including deriving metadata from Millennium and its use in CONTENTdm. The possible different methods for achieving this will be highlighted, including the use of Create Lists and XML Harvester. Techniques for linking Millennium to CONTENTdm to enhance discovery will be illustrated. Since I have worked with a committee at WNYLRC to develop the regional digital collection using CONTENTdm, I just had to hear this presentation. I found it very interesting--especially the innovative way that the University of Warwick librarians used to choose which collections to digitize first: they worked with undergraduates to make the selections! Millennium and CONTENTdm work well together.

The conference wasn't as well attended as last year's, but the sessions were excellent.

Fostering a Campus Culture of Assessment

On April 27, 2009, I attended a Middle States Commission on Higher Education retreat in New York City with Medaille colleagues Douglas Howard, Barbara Kurasch, Brad Hollingshead and Judith Horowitz. The retreat, Fostering a Campus Culture of Assessment: A Retreat for Campus Leaders was held at Pace University. This retreat gave us the opportunity to brainstorm strategies related to assessment. We participated in exercises which allowed us to reflect on where we are presently as an institution of assessment and what we need to do to improve and encourage a culture of assessment. The one day retreat allowed us to take the time to work together on this very important endeavor and helped to focus the work of the Institutional Assessment Coordinating Team (IACT).

A Personal Note

I have been very busy professionally, and plan on adding new posts soon about that. On a personal note, life has been a challenge since September 2008 when my husband was injured at work. He herniated discs in his neck while moving a bag of packages at UPS. From the moment he was injured, the worker's compensation system worked to delay his treatment and he was turned away from health care professionals who refuse to take injured workers. He was in terrible pain and began to lose strength in his arms and legs. All of this caused my husband undue stress which resulted in anxiety and clinical depression. He had an alterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) performed on him on November 21, 2008. The doctor had to replace 4 levels of discs. While the surgery was successful, John became increasingly anxious and depressed and was having a difficult time coping with the recovery. He had to wear a neck brace 24/7 for four months. John was an active man, always fixing things and playing his bass. He was very limited in his activity and could not cope. He lost 35 pounds. He walked miles every day. He did the dishes. He isolated himself. He asked for help and it took months to get that help. He was denied anti-depression and anti-anxiety medication by worker's compensation. He had what I later learned was a psychotic episode on March 19, 2009. I had no idea what was happening to him, so I called crisis services and was told to call a 24 hour pharmacy to see if his behaviour was caused by the medicine he was taking. My husband killed himself six hours later. He could no longer cope with the complicated process of worker's compensation or with his feelings that resulted from the injury. His supervisors at UPS were supportive of him, but Liberty Mutual (the insurance carrier for UPS) made it difficult to get counseling. He tried to hold on, but he couldn't. My husband should not have died. He should have been helped sooner.

I went to work everyday worrying about him and told very few people about his ordeal. I often cried on my way to work because I didn't know how to help John, the man I had lived with for more than 20 years. We have two children. We had plans for the future. Now I have attorneys fighting to get me the death benefit from worker's compensation. Was John's suicide linked to his injury? Absolutely. My husband never had clinical depression or anxiety before this injury. All the medial professionals have connected his mental state to the injury, yet the worker's compensation board will make me attend hearing after hearing and ask the medical professionals to provide more documentation. My husband took his life because he couldn't cope with the recovery from this injury. My family's future is now uncertain and I am filled with grief. I cannot stop and grieve now, thanks to worker's compensation. I must continue to fight for John and I will. He is worth fighting for. I miss him and love him.

Workshop notes: Legal Issues in Digitization Programs

October 1, 2008

Legal Issues in Digitization Programs

Grant writing: Include section on c. issues & how to deal w/ it in order to get funding—many funders are now requesting this info.

Copyright issues in a couple different areas: grants & contracts
--Contracts: copyright statements on web, deeds of gift, etc.
--Contract issues are of paramount importance online

Lack of mandatory copyright registration has caused problems in determining transfers of copyright & in establishing copyright clearance.

Copyright: can get protection w/out formal action: don’t have to add a copyright statement to have copyright protection

Rules:
1. Copyright is ubiquitous
2. Exceptions outnumber rights
--Sections 107-122 contain exceptions—we need to know them and how to use them
3. Contracts change everything: in networked environments, contracts are essential
4. Ownership of an item does not provide you with any legal rights to the item. Possession is different from the legal rights. Rightful possession does not equate copyright.

Ex: CD w/ book—can library make copy of CD?
There might be an exception (rule 2), but if there is a statement on the item that prohibits copying, that constitutes a contract (rule 3). You must follow the contract.


Originality + Fixation = Copyright

Federal Intellectual Property: Trademark, Patent, Copyright
State Intellectual Property: Licensing, Trade Secret
--License grants access to info under certain terms & conditions

Copyright & Licensing clash and create issues

DMCA=Digital Millennium Copyright Act--codified in chapter 12
--deals w/ areas not related to originality & fixation

Current copyright act is the 1976 Act.


Public Domain: 1976 Act

--WORKS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR COPYRIGHT: ex.: names, titles, factual info. (may be eligible for other forms of IP), compilation of facts (like telephone books) may not be copyrighted unless something in their arrangement or presentation meets rules of originality & fixation

---who decides what is copyrightable? A person asserts that an item is eligible for c. protection by adding a copyright statement. Only a challenge in federal court can determine the answer to the question. In order to file for c. infringement upon your work, the work must be officially registered to proceed in court.

----It’s all about the level of risk you are willing to take.

Digitization programs issues:
--license
--copyright
--born-digital items
--international copyright
--historical issues
----different legal regimes
----in US: 3 diff. copyright acts over time
----state c. issues (esp. before 1976 act, when c. became a federal act)

--TERM EXPIRED: many items can have terms extended (life of author + 70 years)
------ex. Mickey Mouse, Gershwin music had term extended with this change to the c. act
2017 is next time term limits will come up for discussion to change
---this is not as viable an area to feed into public domain anymore

--WORKS OF FEDERAL GOV’T
-----States, Cities, Towns, may receive c. protection for their work: including statutes, maps, etc. Selling or licensing this information is a revenue stream for these entities.

Database Vendors license agreement makes it difficult to gain access to public domain works (esp. in Lexis Nexis). We could negotiate pricing based on this knowledge.

Something in Public Domain presented in a new way by a vendor may be copyrightable. Is it worth the premium the vendor is charging?

Colleges are risk-adverse. If there isn’t a clear shot of public domain or the items aren’t clearly eligible for digitization activity, some institutions won’t take a risk.

Copyright Analysis Process

Is the work copyrightable?—sections 102, 103, 105
Is the work copyrighted?—300 level sections
Who owns or controls the copyright?—sections 201, 202
What rights does the owner control?—section 106, 106a, 113
What rights are at issue?—section 106
What exceptions apply?—107-122
What is your exposure?---registration pre-requisite – deals with infringement –500 level sections

RIGHTS (#4 & #5 above)
Reproduction: always an issue in digitization
Territory
Term
Format
Party
Derivative Works
Distribution
Public Performance: public perf. VS. non-public perf. is defined
Public Display: esp. inherent w/ digitization
Public Performance: Digital Audio

EXCEPTIONS ANALYSIS (#6 in analysis list)
Libraries exceptions: 108
Schools have separate exceptions

The broader the exception, the more risk is involved. The narrower the exception, the least risk involved. Ex.: Greater risk in using section 107 (fair use).

Library is not defined in the copyright act.

Electronic reserves: falls into gap between sections 108 & 110—it has grown extremely controversial over the past 2 years with the lawsuits between publishers and higher education institutions (Georgia Tech, Syracuse University). Is it a substitute for purchasing another copy? Georgia Tech was not using authentication to access. Policy needs to be customized. Websites on institution servers that contain pdfs of course material are subject to scrutiny. Items within BbVista stand a better chance of being copyright compliant.

Contracts=Deeds of Gift, Wills & Trust, License, Terms of Use

*****While other factors change (technology, risk level, personnel, law), the analysis process never changes

Librarians should not be interpreting the law—that is the job of an attorney. Knowledge of copyright relating to information and knowledge is very specialized. Librarian may be in position to brief an attorney not specializing in this area with reference to the specific appropriate sections that support and contradict the case.

MORAL RIGHTS
--originally a European concept that is embedded in creative works in US after the 1990 Visual Artists Rights Act
--visual art: has additional coverage in sections 106a and 113—ALSO, in NY and CA
there are state statutes that can be applied
106a only applies during the life of the author—not life + 70 years, and are non-transferable rights. These rights, while non-transferable, may be waived.

Recommended reading for working with works of visual art: Leonard Duboff writes on art law

Good info from Peter Hirtle: www.copyright.cornell.edu/public_domain

Fact finding: Copyright held under which act? Published—yes or no? If yes, when? Copyright registered? --Answer the questions from the Copyright Analysis Process above.
Digitization for preservation w/out making it available freely on the web…

Kenneth Crews’ book is helpful

COPYRIGHT CLEARANCE

Identify relevant rights (CAP #5)
Is clearance necessary?
Not copyrightable (CAP #1)
Public domain
i. Section 302 (CAP 2)
ii. Section 108(h) (CAP 6)
c. Statutory exception (CAP 6)
3. State copyright
4. Identify owner (CAP 3)
--Does same party own or control other rights?
--Trademark
--Right of publicity
5. Negotiate permission


NY State Common Law Copyright applies to sound recordings made before Feb. 15, 1972. In digitizing recordings from this era, take this into account.

Getting copyright permission info by Stim—Nolo Press

Be aware of trademarks appearing in digitized materials—especially if fees are charged.

New York General Business Law—section 360 covers trademarks

RIGHTS OF PRIVACY & PUBLICITY

Right of Publicity is a subset to the right of privacy—a person’s right to control his or her likeness or name

Rights of Publicity die when person dies (except in Tennessee—thanks to Elvis; and in California—Fred Astaire act)

The 1st Amendment limits (trumps) the right of publicity

Portraits: model releases

If donor is from another state, the state of the donor’s residence may have laws that apply.

CONTRACTS

Deeds of gift: permanent ownership transfer is best—106 (4) copyright transfer is essential

Trusts: gain possession before the person dies

Licenses: unusual for print material; relevant with multi-media material (software code, e.g.)

Term of Use: important with online display – should we have one for WNY Legacy?
--should match terms & conditions of gift as it relates to access, distribution, reproduction, copyright statement
Google: “terms of use” digitization to get examples

K. Matthew Dames
Email: contact@copycense.net
On the web: http://www.copycense.com/

How do we engage faculty in Web 2.0?

In August 2008, two committees at Medaille College, Faculty Development and the Ad Hoc Educational Technology Committee, teamed up to present an event about Web 2.0 and education. With short notice to prepare the event, a local presenter was chosen. John Thompson, Associate Professor in the Computer Information Systems Department at Buffalo State College gave a lecture/presentation. The presenter was not very well received, but in listening to the discussions that ensued, I kept asking myself the same question: How do we (we being librarians and faculty committee members) engage faculty in Web 2.0?


As a librarian, my career would have probably come to an end by this point if I had not accepted the change that technology brings at a neck-breaking speed. How did I come to accept and work with Web 2.0 (or Library 2.0)? While working as a Technical Services Librarian at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, I had the opportunity to move the library from a card catalog to an online catalog. I learned about library systems from the inside out and upside down. We didn't have a big staff (actually almost no staff), but with the help from two colleagues in our IT Department, I learned about relational databases and how the information we enter into that relates to what the public sees, what the staff sees, and how the staff creates reports. I worked with IT to manage our library computers and our systems. I didn't have to maintain the server, but I needed to be able to communicate with the IT staff to keep everything running smoothly. It worked out wonderfully. I learned and the Gallery Library moved into a new era.

Now I work as the change agent for library technology at Medaille College. We have been implementing a new integrated library system and I have been evaluating everything we do and how we do it. As we moved through implementation, I kept the staff informed as to our progress and time line. The Support Services wiki became an essential tool we used to track our decisions and projects. The wiki, a Web 2.0 technology, has been a wonderful collaborative project management tool.


Web 2.0 is about conversation. I'd like to see more faculty take part in the conversation. How do I do that? I think that one way to do this is by building confidence and enabling individuals to try something new. Acceptance that it is possible to relate to and engage students in active learning by using the educational technology available to all faculty might be realized as faculty become more comfortable working with technology. So, I will continue to teach workshops and work with faculty individually to help build the confidence necessary to converse in the Web 2.0 world.

11/5/08

CONTENTdm training

On September 23, 2008, Laura Osterhout, Regional Services Librarian at the Western New York Library Resources Council (WNYLRC), and I taught "Introduction to CONTENTdm for WNY Legacy". This 5 hour workshop was attended by 11 local library employees, mostly librarians, and was part of WNYLRC's Digitization Boot Camp: Image Series. The advertisement for this workshop stated: During this session, participants will be introduced to WNYLRC's WNY Legacy digital repository, and will get hands-on experience uploading images using the CONTENTdm Acquisition Station. The workshop will include a step by step workflow for uploading images as well as a detailed discussion of the use and importance of metadata.

CONTENTdm is digital collection management software. WNYLRC has purchased a license for use by its members. WNY Legacy is the local CONTENTdm site which brings together digital collections from libraries and library systems in Western New York. As part of WNYLRC's efforts to spearhead the creation of library digital collections, the Regional Digital Heritage Advisory Subcommittee was formed in 2004. I have been on this subcommittee since its inception and served as chair for two years (2005-2007). Laura has also been on the committee since its inception and now manages the CONTENTdm site. To read more about the WNYLRC Regional Digitization Program, visit the WNYLRC website page for the program.

The workshop gave the participants hands-on experience working with CONTENTdm and thinking through the process of assigning metadata. Laura and I used images from Laura's own photograph collection to provide examples to work with. Each participant was able to upload and create metadata for 2 images by the end of the class. We stressed the use of WNYLRC's metadata template in CONTENTdm along with the other online tools available to help in the creation of meaningful metadata, including the WNYLegacy Metadata Dictionary we started on WNYLRC's wiki site. Other metadata resources discussed were Dublin Core and controlled vocabularies.

What I might do differently if asked to present this again would be to do an in-class evaluation of a few of the participant's final uploaded images and metadata. Having a discussion with the entire class about why the item was cataloged with particular phrases, subjects, etc. would be helpful in teaching context of the metadata. It is important to catalog each item with enough information to describe it on its own, but also place it in the larger context of the collection. This is a difficult concept and one that is key to providing relevant metadata.

All in all, the class was well received and the evaluations were very positive.

And the Beat Goes On

This past spring has flown by with work devoted to our library system migration: training classes, weeding projects, testing, and data analysis. We are now ready to move from the test database to our "live" database.
One project management tool that has worked very well is our wiki. The Medaille Library Support Sevices wiki now contains information specific to our decisions made regarding best practices and procedures. We have even kept a running to-do list for projects we would like to tackle in the future.
Liz Evans and myself attended the Innovative Users Group meeting in Washington, D.C. in April 2008. Many of the sessions I attended dealt with acquisitions functions. I learned how other libraries have set up their workflows for ordering and receiving materials and I came away with some good ideas to use at Medaille. The conference was a wonderful opportunity to meet other librarians who have been working with Innovative for a long time.
Another venture I have undertaken is to work with a group of librarians here in Western New York in the creation and publication of a new online journal: The Journal of Library Innovation. We have set January 2010 as the date for publication of the premier issue. We too have set up a wiki to manage the work we are undertaking. It is all very interesting and exciting work!

Documenting and Managing Projects

For our migration project, I have committed the Support Services team to documenting our decisions on a wiki. I hope this will prove a worthy task in the future when we (or someone following us) wants to know why or when a decision was made regarding cataloging and ILS management.

I have also asked the two other people in Support Services to provide me with quarterly reports including projects tackled, statistics accumulated, and continuing education opportunities attended. This will provide me with "snapshots" of everyone's work from which to manage priorities and create strategies for accomplishing our mission to provide access to the resources provided by the library.

We have a number of clean up projects to tackle before we send the final bibliographic load to Innovative in June. Reports of lost, missing, and overdue materials have been run and decisions on each title are being made after the shelves are checked for the items. We have incorrectly tagged call numbers to fix. Weeding of the collection is ongoing.

Since we will be implementing electronic serials check-in, we have made the updating of all serials holdings a priority. A new manual check-in procedure was started in the fall. Each print title is being evaluated for retention and correct holdings data is being collected. Once this is complete, a title by title evaluation of the cataloging will begin. Most of our library's cataloging for serial titles has not been updated regularly. Our holdings will be updated on OCLC as the cataloging is updated. Once we have migrated to Innovative, we will add the holdings data in our catalog. This is a very time consuming, labor-intensive project, but one that will add value to our catalog. Once the titles are updated, a regular schedule of title evaluation will be implemented.

A Busy New Year

It has been almost 2 months since my last post, but rest assured, I have been busy. Not only did the usual holiday preparations and festivities consume my time away from work, but I have been busy at work with the beginnings of migrating our library's catalog to Innovative Interfaces Inc.'s Millennium integrated library system (ILS). At Medaille, we are not using a full ILS; we use TLC's catalog and circulation products, but acquisitions is not integrated. We will be using Millennium for acquisitions, cataloging, circulation, and serials check-in. We will be starting our training at the end of January and hope to go live with the catalog and circulation early in June. In the meantime, we in technical services are busy evaluating workflows as they exist with an eye towards making positive changes to keep the library running smoothly.

Serials control is a big issue for us. We are evaluating all serial titles and updating cataloging, which has not been done regularly for some time. Also, tracking and checking-in of serial subscriptions (print and online) has now become a function of technical services, bringing all bibliographic control for serials to the technical services department.

Introduction to Second Life

On November 6, 2007, I attended the Introduction to Second Life demonstration given by Jill Hurst-Wahl of Hurst Associates, Ltd. at WNYLRC. Jill discussed what librarians are doing in Second Life (SL): providing reference and reader advisory services, networking, supporting virtual communities, learning to use virtual space for education. It is possible to use Second Life for free; Jill has been doing this for more than a year now. I attended this class to get a better sense of how librarians can provide different service to patrons via SL and what the benefits of such an endeavor are. I definitely came away with a better sense of what the SL world can provide for librarians.

In Their Face

I just read a blog post by Karen Coombs about re-thinking the approach we librarians take in developing our library websites. I agree with her thoughts. My mission is to make sure the library is visible where our community is looking for information. One of the first things I did was request that the library's website be added as a link in the "Campus Bookmark" section in the College's course management product. Likewise for the Banner site for student and employee services. These were simple first steps to reducing the number of clicks a patron needs to do to get to the library's resources. I hope to work with my colleagues to conduct focus groups to determine how our students and faculty are able not only to use our website, but also to determine how and where they start looking for information. As Karen points out, a product to give consideration to may be LibX. Linking the College Library to the wider Web enivronment is key to easing the patron's ability to discover information.

Change or Die

Pam Sandlian-Smith referred to Change or Die: the three keys to change at work and in life by Alan Deutschman (Los Angeles : Regan, c2007) in her talk at ALA on transformation of staff, so I decided to read it. Why won't people make changes when their lives are at risk? For example, why do most heart attack survivors not make permanent lifestyle changes to insure a longer life? Deutschman believes it is because death is too hard to think about, so it is pushed aside. Doctors don't create relationships with patients that will help the patient reframe how they live to make change viable. Deutschman uses three scenarios to explain the three keys he sees as essential to making lasting change: heart patients, Delaney Street ex-convicts, and Toyota Corporation.

The three keys to change:

1. Relate. Relationship building and community can restore hope to a hopeless situtation. Mentors, partners, or leaders can make you believe you have the ability to change and encourage you to do it.
2. Repeat. You need to learn and practice new skills over time.
3. Reframe. The new relationships will help you look at yourself differently.

In conclusion, Deutschman states that instead of thinking about change as change or die, think about change as change and thrive. In working with staff, I see that this idea can be essential to changing a mindset about trying new services. Change can be positive. A good leader will build goodwill and give staff ownership of their work, giving them the latitude to try new programs or services. As the staff becomes more confident that they will not be undermined, the library will evolve (change). Sandlian-Smith's library has evolved in the past decade from a rules-oriented, underutilized public library to a vibrant community center.

Transforming Your Staff (ALA)

The Transforming Your Staff program at ALA was my favorite program. I found something valid in what each of the speakers had to say. This program was part of the Libraries Transform Communities track and was presented by Maureen Sullivan, Consultant; Tom Galante, Queens Library; Stanley Wilder, University of Rochester; and Pam Sandlian-Smith, West Palm Beach Public Library.

Transforming with Technology (ALA)

The session Transforming your Library, and Your Library's Future, with Technology was part of the Libraries Transform CommunitiesTrack organized by ALA President Leslie Berger. The speakers were Lori Ayre, Galecia Group; Casey Bisson, Plymouth State University; and Roy Tennant, OCLC.

Lori Ayre:

• Use physical spaces differently; use physical technology to create the best environment for our patrons
• Take advantage of technology whenever possible
• Different spaces for different people (e.g., teens, seniors)
• Build the Library IT department--no more "accidental systems librarians"--become tech savvy from within the library in order to get things done.
• Good ideas for physical technology: central sorting systems; self check kiosks; automated check-in; compact shelving for staff access storage areas (now available with automated retrieval systems); University of Chicago compared costs of storage options and publicly accessible shelves--public shelving is the most expensive; adequate space for staff with ergonomically designed furniture.
• Strive to provide the patron a productive (convenient) experience: home delivery of materials.; more library outlets: kiosks in malls, bookmobiles with computers for public use, book drops around town (not just at the library), option to return materials through the mail.

Casey Bisson:

• Challenges to catalogs: usability, findability, remixability.
• Google calendar can be used for events listings
• The library website is NOT a marketing tool, it is a service point. The patron is looking for information, often self-service resources.
• Commenting is essential in digitized, online collections and in the catalog.
• Don't let the library staff size stop you from trying to change things to benefit the patron experience.

Roy Tennant:

• Technology is a tool used by people to accomplish goals.
• Decision-making for application of technology: understand the needs of your users; consider your mission & priorities; get advice; how new is the technology? is it proven yet?; pilot or prototype is a good way to test something new.
• Hire the right people: ability to learn constantly (self-learners); flexible; project management experience; excellent communication skills; critical thinking skills about technology.
• Project: institutional support is essential to succeed; training and documentation; market new services.
• Every technology (except toilet paper) eventually dies. Run the numbers to analyze if it is time to end something.
• Create agile organizations: use standing committees for communication--use task forces to get work done.
• Be a change agent: being knowledgeable and connected is essential; read outside the profession; strategic partnerships (like with IT); exploit and create opportunities.
• Good characteristics for change agents: ability to think cautiously and critically about technologies; ability to listen and to empathize; ability to communicate simply and well; work to find solutions to valid objections; great sense of humor.
• Strategic learning: learn enough to get by; learn when you have a problem to solve--learn it just in time, not just in case; find someone experienced to show you 3 important things; find and use a good reference book or website.

The presenters offered some excellent advice. Technology can provide libraries with opportunities to present the communtites we serve with better service by instituting more self-service points and removing barriers from our traditional methods of service. Use Netflix as a model for delivery--I think this is a fantastic idea. I like the idea of being a change agent to implement technology and to provide the best service to our community. The bottom line is that our patrons are becoming more and more self-service oriented and the more libraries adapt to this change, the more viable we will remain as a source of information.