Thursday, September 30, 2010

Event: International Conference on the Book

While not specifically on digitization, this conference may be of interest to some.

EIGHTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE BOOK
6-8 November 2010
University of St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland

The Book Conference serves as an inclusive forum for examining the past, current and future role of the book. It proceeds from recognition that although the book is an old medium of expression, it embodies thousands of years' experience of recording knowledge. The pervasive influence of this experience continues to shape newer forms of information technology, while at the same time providing a reference point for innovation.

St. Gallen is home to the renowned Abbey of St. Gall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its library houses the oldest collection of books and manuscripts in Switzerland, with pieces dating back to the 8th century. All library books are available for public use, and most recently, a virtual library was created to provide access to the medieval codices of the Abbey Library of St. Gallen. The hall itself, designed in classic Rococo style, is considered to be one of the most beautiful, non-sacred, examples of this style in Switzerland and abroad. On Friday, 5 November 2010, conference participants may register for a guided tour of the Abbey Library of St. Gallen. For more information, or to book a spot on the tour, please see: http://booksandpublishing.com/conference-2010/activities-and-extras/ . Conference participants may also reserve their place on the Chocolateire Shop, Abbey District and Old Town Walking Tour, Saturday, 6 November 2010. Again, further information may be found at http://booksandpublishing.com/conference-2010/activities-and-extras/ .

This year's conference includes the following plenary speakers:   
* Rafael Ball, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany    
* Jens Bammel, International Publishers Association, Geneva, Switzerland    
* Herbert Burkert, University of St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland    
* Stephanie Jacobs, German Book Museum, Leipzig, Germany     
* Vincent Kaufmann, Media and Communication Management Institute, University of St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland     
* Wulf D. von Lucius, Lucius & Lucius Verlag, Stuttgart, Germany     
* Andy Renggil, Media Control AG, Zurich, Switzerland     
* Ernst Tremp, Abbey Library of St. Gallen/University of Freiburg, St. Gallen, Switzerland     

For further information on the Book Conference plenary speakers, please see: http://booksandpublishing.com/conference-2010/plenary-speakers/ .

The conference will also feature a special publishing panel on November 8 entitled 'The Digital Sphere: Opportunity for Growth or Existential Threat?'. The panel serves as a forum for the examination of the publishing industry's key challenges and opportunities provided by the digital sphere. Panel participants include:
* Jochen Gutbrod, Holtzbrinck Group, Stuttgart, Germany     
* Tom Hall, Lonely Planet, London, UK     
* Lucy Kung, University of Jokoping, Jonkoping, Sweden     
* Eric Merkel-Sobotta, Springer Science+Business Media, Berlin, Germany
    
For more information on the panel and its members, see: http://booksandpublishing.com/conference-2010/program/

As well as an impressive line-up of plenary speakers, the conference will also include numerous paper, workshop and colloquium presentations by practitioners, teachers and researchers. We would particularly like to invite you to respond to the conference Call-for-Papers. Presenters may choose to submit written papers for publication in The International Journal of the Book. If you are unable to attend the conference in person, virtual registrations are also available which allow you to submit a paper for refereeing and possible publication.

Whether you are a virtual or in-person presenter at the conference, we also encourage you to present on the conference YouTube Channel. Please select the Online Sessions link on the conference website for further details.

The deadline for the final round in the call for papers (a title and short abstract) is 5 October 2010. Proposals are reviewed within two weeks of submission. Full details of the conference, including an online proposal submission form, are to be found at the conference website - http://www.Book-Conference.com/ .

We also invite you to subscribe to our free, monthly email newsletter, and to our Facebook, RSS or Twitter feeds at http://booksandpublishing.com/ .

We look forward to receiving your proposal and hope that you will be able to join us in St. Gallen this November.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Wayback Wednesday: Copyright blog posts from the Digitization 101 archives

Cafe au lait and Beignets at Cafe du MondeThis week, I want to sit back with  cup of coffee and highlight several Digitization 101 blog posts worth remembering on copyright and digitization:
For many institutions, deed of gift forms are very important (and yes, this is related to copyright).  These blog posts are on that topic:
There are other digitization-related copyright resources in this Nov. 2009 resource list.

The blog posts below are not specifically related to digitization, but still worth remembering:
I've tried to check links to see if they still work, but may have missed a few.  If you run into a link that no longer works, try putting the resource's name in your favorite Internet search engine and seeing if its new location comes up.  If you can't find it, give me a shout and I'll see what I can do!  

Want to dig into the archives yourself?  Use the "popular labels" on the right side of the blog OR use your favorite Internet search engine to search this site (e.g, site:hurstassociates.blogspot.com plus whatever terms are relevant to you).

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Factsheet on digital preservation

Saw this in my email and knew some of you would want to know about it.

The Keeping Research Data Safe (KRDS) project has released a new Factsheet on the costs and benefits of digital preservation. The Factsheet is available for download as a PDF from http://www.beagrie.com/KRDS_Factsheet_0910.pdf

According to the email sent by Neil Beagrie:
The A4 four-page factsheet is intended to be suitable for senior managers and others interested in a concise summary of  our key findings. It will be relevant to all repositories and institutions holding digital material but of particular interest to anyone responsible for or involved in the long-term management of research data.

The factsheet covers the following major areas:
  • Cost issues in digital preservation (what costs most, impact of fixed costs, declining costs over time);
  • Benefits from digital preservation (benefits taxonomy, direct benefits, indirect benefits, near-term benefits, long-term benefits);
  • Institutional issues (repository models and structures, key cost variables, data collection levels).
We hope the Factsheet will be of value to the digital preservation and research data communities and plan to release a further KRDS publication later this year (a KRDS User Guide).

Monday, September 27, 2010

For New Yorkers: Report on the Meeting of the Regents Advisory Council on Libraries, Sept. 27

The Regents Advisory Council on Libraries (RAC) met by conference call this morning, rather than spending time/money to meet face-to-face.  Below are my rough notes.  These are not the official minutes from the meeting. If anyone on the call  has a correction, please let me know. Questions (from anyone) are always welcome.

In attendance were members of the  Regents Advisory Council on Libraries and several staff members from the State Library.Norm Jacknis, who is rejoining the Council was on also the call.

Changes in Regents Cultural Education Committee - Regent Tilles is now the chair of this committee. Changes in the committee could broaden its scope to include arts education.

Changes in the New York State Education Department  - One change noted is the new Office of Educational Design and Technology (ED&T) which includes the School Library Services program.

NY - Albany: Empire State PlazaState Library Update - Loretta Ebert gave an update on the Research Library and Carol Desch gave an update on the Division of Library Development.  The broadband initiative is helping to put libraries in the news - a good thing!  Important capital budget requests are being developed (including library construction and broadband maintenance).

Research Library expects to open for Saturday hours beginning on Oct. 16 (9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.).  The move has met with a number of challenges, including the budget, staff concerns, etc.  At a time when people need libraries more than ever, it is felt that this is the right time to expand the hours.  Patron communities have been very supportive of the move.

Downsizing at the State Library - Like other libraries across NYS, retirements as well as the budget's impact have led to downsizing at the State Library.  The State Library is dealing with the impact of these and working to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of NYS residents.

Nylink - Nylink was retrenched by SUNY which effects three three areas of concern to this group:
  • Nylink maintained a contract with OCLC.  Now rethinking/redoing the state contracts is a priority and must abide with State procurement regulations.
  • Nylink handled the land delivery service contract used by CUNYs, SUNYs and others. The remainder of the current contract has been reassigned.  A group is meeting to discuss what to do after this contract ends. 
  • Nylink handled the licensing of databases on a consortium basis.  Consortial purchasing should be able to continue without Nylink.
NOVELny - There was a brief update on this.  Please note that information on the NOVELny Steering Committee is available online.

Update on the Regents Commission on Library Services Recommendation - The State Library has compiled a 20-page draft document on what has occurred (or not) since the Commission issued its recommendations.  The Council was asked to review the document and provide any comments/feedback.

2020 Future Vision for Library Services in NYS - "What’s Your Vision for Library Services in New York State?", Thursday, November 4, 2010, 3:15 – 4:30 p.m. Saratoga City Center, Saratoga Springs: (flier states)
Join the Regents Advisory Council on Libraries, NYLA leaders, and your colleagues in discussing a future vision for library services in New York State.
  • What services will New Yorkers expect from their academic, public, school, and special libraries in 2020?
  • What strategies will best position library organizations to deliver those services?
  • What role should the State play in order to serve libraries and New Yorkers more effectively?
Among the panelists will be:
  • Bridget Quinn-Carey, Chair, Regents Advisory Council on Libraries
  • Roberta Stevens, President, American Library Association
  • Kathy Miller, NYLA President
  • Jeffrey W. Cannell, Deputy Commissioner for the Office of Cultural Education
The group discussed using a back-channel (e.g., Twitter) during the session to allow library staff members not at NYLA to participate in the event.

Shubert Award - The committee gave its report.  The winner will be at the NYLA conference, and the award will be given then. The award was more broadly publicized this year, which brought in more applications!

READ doorSchool Library Services - RAC continues to be concerned about having certified school librarians in all elementary schools in well-maintained libraries. Studies continue to demonstrate that this has a positive impact of student learning.

Information Literacy Standards - While there are recognized AASL standards on information literacy, NYS has not adopted any standards on this.

2010-2011 RAC Meeting Schedule -
  • Dec. 3, 2010 - at METRO in NYC
  • Jan. 28, 2011 - conference call
  • April 4 or 5, 2011 - attend Regents Cultural Education Committee meeting in Albany
  • Sept. 23, 2011 - Tentatively in NYC
  • Dec. 2, 2011 - Tentatively in NYC
The group discussed adding a conference call in June.  A date for such will need to be found.

Your Thoughts? The Regents Advisory Council on Libraries is always seeking input from the library community.  If you have thoughts to share or questions to ask, please contact any member of the Council.


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Wednesday, September 22, 2010

First DAMMY of the Year Award

Digital asset management (DAM) is a process that is used in many industries.  I'm sure cultural heritage organizations tend to look at what organizations like them are doing, and forget that many other organizations (including for-profit companies) are quite reliant on DAMs.  Recognizing that this is an area where people are innovating (as well as getting more people to pay attention to it), Createasphere has created the DAMMY.

The DAMMY Awards, the first honors specifically recognizing excellence in innovative digital and media asset management technology, methodologies and services, have announced that Jason Bright of Media Beacon has won the DAMMY of the Year Award. 
You'll notice that the DAMMY is being given at a DAM conference.  I wonder how many of you have thought about attending a conference specifically on digital asset management OR considered holding your own roundtable discussion on the topic?

Friday, September 17, 2010

Wanted: Champions!

As I re-surface old blog posts here in Digitization 101, I'm also thinking about past content from my other blog (eNetworking 101).  Many many months ago, I wrote blog posts both in eNetworking 101 and in Digitization 101 about the book Tribes by Seth Godin.  As I look back at those blog posts and the book Tribes, it occurs to me that our digitization programs need followers (tribe members), leaders and champions.  A champion is someone who understands what has to happen and want is needed so everything goes smoothly. A champion then uses his or her connections to acquire resources and eliminate roadblocks.  Most importantly, a champion erects roadblocks to stop those that want to interfere.  Stopping interference can be critically important, since well-meaning people will want to intrude for a variety of reasons.  A champion needs to be able to understand the intrusions and handle each in an appropriate way.  If there are legitimate ideas and concerns, then the champion needs to work to get that information to the team in a way that is constructive and not disruptive.

The champion may not be the manager and it may not be someone who has been appointed "the champion".  Likely it is someone who sees the need and then fills it.

As you look at your program, do you have a champion?  If you don't have one, do you need one?  If the answer is yes, look around your organization for someone who has the "social capital" to fill the role for you. You'll need to approach the person and tell them what you're looking for. Be sure to tell the person that this is a role that requires being aware of what is occurring in the organization and the ability (and willingness) to provide some influence on behalf of your program.  If the person is unsure of the role, just say "hey could you keep your ears open for me and tell me if there is something I need to know that is going to affect this project?"  If the person can do that, then he or she is one step closer to being your champion.

Champions do need information from you, so be sure to keep your champion in the loop on what's going on. This could be a simple as checking-in over a cup of coffee.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Wayback Wednesday: Remembering blog posts on digitization resources in the Digitization 101 archives

Cafe au lait and Beignets at Cafe du MondeThis week, I want to sit back with  cup of coffee and highlight several Digitization 101 blog posts worth remembering that point to more information on digitization:
Every list of web sites - like some of the ones above - will contain links that no longer work.  Sadly, that is the nature of the Internet.  If you run into a link that no longer works, try putting the resource's name in your favorite Internet search engine and seeing if its new location comes up.  If you can't find it, give me a shout and I'll see what I can do!

Want to dig into the archives yourself?  Use the "popular labels" on the right side of the blog OR use your favorite Internet search engine to search this site (e.g, site:hurstassociates.blogspot.com plus whatever terms are relevant to you).

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Event: Deciding to Digitize: Legal, Ethical, and Copyright Considerations

The Center for Intellectual Property at the University of Maryland University College offers many educational programs for its members.  Below is information on a course that would be of particular interest to you.  If you are not a member of CIP, you may want to consider becoming a member so you can participant in their training events.



Deciding to Digitize: Legal, Ethical, and Copyright Considerations
Dates: February 14-March 11, 2011 (Register by February 4)
Instructor: Peggy Hoon, J.D.

Description: The advent of digitization, combined with the widespread access to the Internet, has forever changed how we access and interact with information. Every one of us, in varying degrees, relies upon digital technology and digitized materials at work, home, and play.

Our computers, cell phones, and other devices deliver digital content to us daily: e-mail, text messages, documents, e-books, journals, databases, and web sites with images, graphs, photos, and animations. We also use fax machines, scanners, digital recorders, cameras, memory cards, DVDs, CDs, HDTV, and game consoles. Almost invisible to us, too, are the digital elements embedded in our cars, appliances, security systems, and air conditioning.

Our belief in the advantages and inevitability of a digitally dominated world, including digital versions of our cultural past, places us at a fascinating point in history where “born digital” and “digitized” works exist side-by-side. This raises numerous critical and important questions, particularly for copyright holders and for those who face the decisions of what, when, and how to digitize.
  • How does digitization affect the traditional balance of competing interests in intellectual property?
  • What should copyright holders do to protect their works? What role does digital rights management play?
  • Is what we can digitize (technologically) synonymous with what we may (lawfully) or should (ethically)?
  • What can be done with the digitized object, and who will maintain it?
  • What are the legal and ethical principles and guidelines to help in these decisions?
  • How do we best move forward in developing best practices and reasonable guidelines?
  • What risk management strategies have been deployed successfully?
  • What is the role of and enforceability of web site terms and conditions?
This course, which assumes a working knowledge of copyright basics, will address the legal and ethical issues and copyright considerations underpinning the formation of a responsible and balanced digitization practice, policy, procedure or workflow.

Course goals include:
  1. Gain a broader understanding of the effect of digitization on both copyright holders and intellectual property users;
  2. Be able to articulate how digitization has altered the traditional balance of interests in copyright law;
  3. Acquire exposure to current digitization practices in various industries with emphasis on libraries and higher education; Analyze available best practices documents;
  4. Evaluate and critique institutional policies, procedures, and practices, including your own;
  5. Assess various large scale digitization projects, such as Google Books  (pros and cons);
  6. Gain an overview of the current litigation environment, including P2P file sharing activity;
  7. Present the positions and practices of libraries, special collections, museums, archives, and distance education faculty;
  8. Identify issues surrounding the use of licenses for digitized materials;
  9. Choose potential risk management strategies for your own institution.
Participants encouraged to attend include:
  • Members of cultural institutions, such as librarians, archivists and museum curators;
  • Members of the higher education community, including distance education units and faculty, IT support, faculty development personnel, and university counsel;
  • Individuals in such businesses as presses and publishers and others who interact with these stakeholders.
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Wednesday, September 08, 2010

Wayback Wednesday: Blog posts on digital libraries worth remembering from the Digitization 101 archives

Seattle Public LibraryThis week, I want to highlight a series of Digitization 101 blog posts that tried to define the term "digital library":
Those blog posts were a precursor to a graduate class that I taught in 2009 in which the students had to create their own definition as well as compile information on digital libraries.  Their work became a public wiki housed at Syracuse University's School of Information Studies.

I'd also like to mention a blog post entitled Digital "librarians" from this past winter. The post was inspired by students who were interested in being a digital librarian, but who weren't sure if people really did that type of work!  Please be sure to read the comments which include information on more people who are digital librarians.

Want to dig into the archives yourself?  Use the "popular labels" on the right side of the blog OR use your favorite Internet search engine to search this site (e.g, site:hurstassociates.blogspot.com plus whatever terms are relevant to you).

Tuesday, September 07, 2010

SLA elections - Remember to vote!

At the Special Libraries Association (SLA) Annual Conference in June, one question that people asked candidates was "when is the election?" Well, the time to vote has finally come! The voting system will open at midnight on Sept. 8 and close at 5 p.m. on Sept. 29 (all U.S. Eastern Time Zone).  If you are an SLA member and want to review information on the candidates, here are the links you will need:
Jill Hurst-WahlIn regards to my candidacy, I wrote a Digitization 101 blog post in  April about it.

I must tell you that the more Board meetings I observe as a candidate and the more I hear about the challenges that are facing the Association, the more I want to serve on the Board. Yes, I'm up for the challenges that the three year term will provide!  SLA has been important to me since I joined in 1990, and I want to ensure that it remains a strong and viable Association for current and future librarians and information professionals.

Monday, September 06, 2010

Audio textbooks

As school has begun the last several years, I've received emails and IMs from people asking about audio textbooks for use with students that print impaired. Often the person wonders if digitization could help.While the answer is "yes", I'm sure that there are rules to be followed, etc.  This is not any area that I'm follow, so it would be much better if people interested in audio textbooks (and other formats) contact their state or provincial library for help.  In addition, Family Connect has a list of over 200 "Libraries/Alternate Media and Learning Resources" in the United States.  For those outside of the U.S., another resource to contact is your national library.

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Wayback Wednesday: 5 interesting blog posts worth remembering from the Digitization 101 archives

Cafe au lait and Beignets at Cafe du MondeSince August 30, 2004, there have been more than 2000 posts published in this blog.  In order to surface some of the meatier posts, I'm starting "Wayback Wednesdays".  On Wednesdays, I'll be digging into the archives and pulling out blog posts that are worth remembering.  In this issue, let's sit back with a cup of coffee and remember some of the off-topic posts that attracted attention (and perhaps still do!):
Want to dig into the archives yourself?  Use the "popular labels" on the right side of the blog OR use your favorite Internet search engine to search this site (e.g, site:hurstassociates.blogspot.com plus whatever terms are relevant to you).