My late winter and spring schedule

I just noticed that the RSScalendar on the left side of this blog isn't working, and I have no idea why. Hopefully it will correct itself soon. 2/21/2008: I've changed the RSS Calendar twice on the left side of this blog. They made changes to their feeds and have eliminated the feed I really liked. Hopefully, they'll build new feeds so that I can display what is coming this year, without displaying the entire year (and events that have passed).

Although Punxsutawney Phil -- the most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania -- has predicted six more weeks of winter, however, spring will be here very quickly and along with it, some great conferences like Computers in Libraries (April) and the Special Libraries Association Annual Conference (June). I'll be at both of those events (as well as others), and I hope to see you then. Perhaps for coffee?

Here is my current speaking and travel schedule for the next five months, as well as the dates of two conferences that I'm helping to organize:

• Feb. 28 -- Presentation and panel discussion, ASTD CNY Chapter Event on Second Life, East Syracuse, NY
• Feb. 29 -- Workshop, Promotion & Use of Digital Projects, Cortland, NY (SCRLC & CLRC)
• Mar. 4 -- Organizing Committee, Unconference on the Future of Libraries, East Syracuse, NY -- part of the Library Camp@Syracuse
  
• Mar. 5 -- Organizing Committee, Collection Development Conference, East Syracuse, NY -- part of the Library Camp@Syracuse
• Mar. 18 -- Presentation, Tour of InfoIsland, Second Life (web conference for Education Institute)
• Mar. 19 -- Presentation, Second Life & Libraries, Wheeling, IL (North Suburban Library System)
  
• Mar. 27 -- Presentation, Social Networking Tools & Second Life, Cortland, NY (Postponed from December due to the weather)
• Apr. 6 -- Workshop, Digitization 101, Crystal City, VA (Computers in Libraries)
• June 15 -- Workshop, Digitization Essentials, Seattle, WA (SLA Annual Conference)
• June 16 -- Panel Discussion, What's all the Buzz about Social Networking, Seattle, WA (SLA Annual Conference)
• June 17 -- Panel Moderator, Building Bridges, Creating Partnerships, Seattle, WA (SLA Annual Conference)

The workshop at Computers in Libraries (CIL) is a half-day workshop (1:30 - 4:30 p.m.) and is open to anyone. You do not have to register for the conference in order to register for the workshop. The agenda for the workshop includes a look at what digitization is, the five major steps in the digitization process, how project managers create a successful digitization program, copyright and other intellectual property issues, how to market a digitization program and get it funded, trends, and more.

The workshop at the SLA Annual Conference is a full-day workshop (8 a.m. - 5 p.m.) and is open to anyone. You do not have to register for the conference in order to register for the workshop. The description is:

Digitization is much more than converting a physical or analog object into its digital equivalent: it efficiently repurposes crucial information resources to improve their use by staff, colleagues, and end-users. For libraries, digitization can open the collection to a much larger user-base, whether that user-base is comprised of researchers, students, or business people. A dangerous trap for digitization efforts is to focus on the conversion process instead of other, mission critical, pre-scanning issues such as selection criteria, preservation of original documents, metadata creation, software and hardware concerns, integration into existing systems, and legal issues. These issues and more will be discussed in this workshop.

Obviously, there will be much more detail in the full-day workshop. However, I promise to pack everyone's head full of information at CIL as well as provide access to resources that help them in their projects.

For more information on any of the events on my calendar, please contact the sponsoring organization or me. If you would me to speak at your event, please give me a shout.

---

Technorati tags: Digitization, Second Life, Social Networking Tools, SLA2008, CIL2008, unyunc

Digital Information Management Certificate Program at Univ. of Arizona

I've mentioned to a few people recently that it is likely hard to know which university specializes in what. For example, I know that the iSchool at Syracuse University offers a certificate in digital libraries, but I have no idea what certificate programs the other iSchools offer. Well, below is an announcement about a program now being offered at the University of Arizona in digital information management, which includes digital preservation.

---

Digital Information Management Certificate Program Application Deadline Extended; Scholarships available

The University of Arizona School of Information Resources and Library Science is pleased to announce that openings are available, as well as a number of full scholarships, in the school's graduate certificate program in Digital Information Management. The program is scheduled to begin a new series of courses starting this summer. Prospects have until April 1, 2008 to apply for one of the openings and available financial aid.

DigIn, as the program is known, provides hands-on experience and focused instruction supporting careers in libraries and archives, cultural heritage institutions and digital collections, information repositories in government and the private sector and similar institutions. The certificate is comprised of six courses covering diverse topics including digital collections, applied technology, technology planning and leadership, policy and ethics, digital preservation and curation, and other subjects relevant to today's digital information environments.

For people just starting in the field or considering career changes, the DigIn certificate program offers an alternative path to graduate studies that helps prepare students for success in traditional graduate programs or the workplace. The certificate also provides a means for working professionals and those who already have advanced graduate degrees in the library and information sciences to broaden their knowledge and skills in today's rapidly evolving digital information landscape.

The program is delivered in a 100% virtual environment and has no residency requirements. Students may choose to complete the certificate in fifteen or twenty-seven months.

The certificate program has been developed in cooperation with the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records and the University of Arizona Office of Continuing Education and Academic Outreach. Major funding for program development comes from the federal government's Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which has also provided funding for a number of scholarships.

Additional details on the program including course descriptions, admissions requirements and application forms may be found on the program website at http://sir.arizona.edu/digin. Or, contact the UA School of Information Resources and Library Science by phone at 520-621-3565 or email at sirls@email.arizona.edu.

---

Technorati tag: Digital Preservation

For New Yorkers: Summary of Jan. 25 Regents Advisory Council on Libraries

On January 25, members of the Regents Advisory Council on Libraries (RAC) met by telephone for about an hour. We called in from across NYS as well as Kentucky and Florida (yes, two of us were on the road). Besides members of RAC, there were also several members of the State Library and the State Education Department that were on the call. Those people helped to provide background and other information as needed. A summary of the conference call is below.

Two things stand out to me from this meeting, and the other two that I have attended. (Note that these are my thoughts and thoughts of no one else.)

First, there are many changes that are occurring in libraries -- for example -- the use of social networking tools to provide additional ways of interacting with patrons, the use of new technologies, and the need to focus less on information delivery and more on understanding analysis/interpretation/use. Although the myriad of changes that are occurring are very important, they are likely impossible to address at a statewide level in New York State because of how our library services are structured. Part of the problem is that are too many layers (or organizations) involved. In addition, we're are focused -- due to budget concerns -- on ensuring that basic library services are provided. Therefore, while some libraries are doing phenomenal work with "new tools", others find themselves woefully behind in just understanding what the tools are and why they might be beneficial.

It would be easy to say that the solution is to get our NYS library leaders setting examples for us by adopting the tools and attitudes that we see in progressive libraries, yet we need more than just examples (since those actually do exist). We need to know that our libraries do not have to worry about basic services, so they can work on new things.

BTW I should note that the changes I'm thinking of are not topics that come up in RAC meetings. We don't discuss Library 2.0, for example. It is the absence of those topics that I notice, although I should note that these topics do get discussed in sidebars (like discussing who is doing what with Second Life).

Second, we need our libraries in NYS to be properly funded. For many years, I have been hearing the plea for our libraries to be funded in a way so they can succeed, yet that has not happened. Each year, the State budget for libraries keeps our libraries at an inadequate status quo. As the summary below states, we'll be meeting with our legislators in February. I know that I may not have enough time with my legislators (State Senator John A. DeFrancisco and Assembly Member Joan K.Christensen) to talk in detail, but here are the things I hope to convey:

• The amount of money in the governor's budget for school library materials is $6.25 per pupil. When was the last time you bought a book for $6.25? For a class of 30 pupils, that is $187.50. In 2006, the average cost for all children and young adult hardcover books was $21.60. That means that 8.6 books could be purchased for those 30 students, including any replacement books needed. If you wonder why outdated books are in some of our school libraries, this is why.
  
• The amount of money in the governor's budget for public library construction is $14 million. NYS has at least 755 public libraries and 313 library branches. That amounts to $13,109.61 per library. Consider that older libraries need to be updated, that library buildings may need repair, and that some need to be expanded, and you'll quickly realize that the construction budget for public libraries is not nearly enough.
  
• Besides the public libraries and library branches, NYS also has 144 bookmobiles, reading centers and other community outlets extending services to people in correctional facilities, nursing homes and urban and rural areas.
  
• The initial proposal for 2008-2009 totaled $49,300,000. While the governor's budget is much less, it is important to note that NYS has 19,306,183 residents and that the budget would have amounted to $2.55 per person. That's less than one fancy coffee per year at Starbuck's for each New Yorker.
  
• When we think of library innovation, we don't think of New York State. For example, when I talk about innovative digitization programs at the state-level, I point to North Carolina, Ohio, and others. If you want to point to truly innovative public libraries, most people will include in that list Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library and The Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County. What public libraries in NYS -- outside of New York Public -- would quickly fall from people's lips?

I have rambled long enough, but there is one more thought I want to put into writing. 5.19% of New Yorkers live in areas that are not served by chartered public libraries. Although that does not necessarily mean that they don't have access to library services, they may not have the same level of access as those who live in an area covered by a chartered public library. In addition, this group may live in areas that do not have high-speed Internet access. There is a move afoot to recharter libraries so that 100% of NYS residents have full access to library services. However, without high-speed Internet access, they may still feel disconnected from information. We can talk about how we might creatively service this population, but the reality is that these people are not on equal information-footing with the rest of the state, and that is sad.

---

February 4, 2008

Colleagues in New York Libraries and Library Systems -

A brief unofficial summary of the January 25 conference call of the Regents Advisory Council on Libraries (RAC) follows. Please contact me or any of the Council members if you have questions or ideas to share.

Visit http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/adviscns/rac/roster.htm to find a list of current RAC members with contact information.

Yours,

Lucretia McClure
Chairperson, Regents Advisory Council on Libraries

*****************
Regents Advisory Council on Libraries
Unofficial Meeting Notes
Conference Call
January 25, 2008

Please note: This summary is not intended to be all inclusive. Its purpose is to highlight issues of statewide importance discussed by the Regents Advisory Council that will significantly impact the New York library community.

Proposed 2008 Executive State Budget: The 2008 State Budget proposed by the Executive would result in a decrease of $5 million in library funding from 2007-2008. The library package is the same as the Executive proposal sent to the Legislature last year. The New York Library Association is asking the library community to urge State legislators to consider reinstating the $5 million and increasing the library aid package. For information on the Board of Regents 2008 budget proposal for libraries and library systems, visit http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/fundingproposals/.

Members of the Regents Advisory Council will be meeting with State legislators on Tuesday, February 26th in Albany to discuss the need for increased library funding.

RAC Goals: The Goals of the Regents Advisory Council were amended to better reflect a commitment to communication with the field and an ongoing effort to build consensus on policies and programs affecting all types of libraries in the state.

2008 Report to the Regents: Members of the Advisory Council are scheduled to meet with the Board of Regents on May 19th or 20th to offer their recommendations for the 2009-10 Budget and Legislative agenda. At this point, the primary initiative will be the creation of a “New York Digital Library” as discussed at previous meetings. An outline of this proposal is available at http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/adviscns/rac A meeting will be held this winter to bring together various stakeholders in the state’s current digitization efforts to discuss the proposal and fill in the details.

Joseph F. Shubert Award: The 2008 Joseph F. Shubert Award application for libraries and library systems will soon be posted on the RAC web page at: http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/adviscns/rac/. The $1,000 award is made possible by EBSCO Information Services.
State Library News:

New York State Universal Broadband Access Grant Program: The State Library, in partnership with the 23 public library systems and the New York Library Association, has applied to the Governor’s Office for Technology for a $1.25 million State universal broadband access grant to improve broadband access and digital literacy programs for the public through public libraries and neighborhood branches, particularly those libraries located in high-need areas of the State. For more information on this OFT grant program, visit http://www.oft.state.ny.us/oft/UniversalBroadband/overview.htm.

IMLS Connecting to Collections Grant: The federal Institute of Museum and Library Services has awarded the State Library and State Archives a 2008 federal “Connecting to Collections” statewide planning grant for $37,277. The project, titled "Partnership for New York's Cultural Heritage" also includes as partners the New York State Council on the Arts, New York Library Association, New York Archives Alliance, Museum Association of New York, Lower Hudson Conference of Historical Agencies & Museums, and Upstate History Alliance. The project will survey the state’s cultural repositories to learn the risks to their collections, challenges in preserving their collections, and their need for education.

New Associates in School Library Services:

Ms. Welch announced the appointment of two new Associates in School Library Services to the State Education Department’s P-16 Office. John Brock joined the Department on December 12, 2007; Dr. Joanne Parnes Shawhan joined the Department on December 31. Both John and Joanne have been assigned as staff liaisons from P-16 to the Regents Advisory Council on Libraries.

1/30/08

---

Technorati tags: Regents, New York State, NYS, RAC, libraries, state library

White Paper: Optimizing OCR Accuracy on Older Documents

I received a question about OCR, which led me to find this document revised in 2006 and published by the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO):

Optimizing OCR Accuracy on Older Documents: A Study of Scan Mode, File Enhancement, and Software Products, by Jon M. Booth and Jeremy Gelb, Revised June 2006 (v.2)

This document is technical and not an overview of OCR, so it is not for everyone. The conclusions, though, are interesting:

1. Older and discolored documents must be scanned in RGB mode to capture all the image data, and to maximize OCR accuracy.
2. The character accuracy produced by scanning older documents in RGB mode meets (GPO’s meeting of the experts) 99% OCR accuracy requirement, even without applying file enhancement.
3. No single type of file enhancement, applied individually, improves character recognition rates forOCR.
4. Specifically, the Downsampling enhancement type does not improve character recognition rates, despite OCR software manufacturers’ claims that a 300 dpi is optimal for recognition rates.

In conclusion, the combination of these facts demonstrate that file enhancement is not needed, because the recognition rates are already at an acceptable level, and more importantly, it does not improve the character recognition rates for OCR.

What is amazing is that they did achieve 98-99% without -- seemingly -- much fuss.

---

Technorati tag: OCR

Press Release: CLOCKSS Works

This press release below caught my eye. Lots Of Copies Keeps Stuff Safe (LOCKSS) is a strategy that has been developed by the Stanford University Libraries Program and it is in its 10th year. Controlled LOCKSS (CLOCKSS) is:

a partnership of libraries and publishers committed to ensuring long-term access to scholarly work in digital format. As more and more content moves online, there is growing concern that this digital content may not always be available. CLOCKSS addresses this problem by creating a secure, multi-sited archive of web-published content that can be tapped into as necessary to provide ongoing access to researchers worldwide *for free*.

The pilot project will conclude later in 2008 and CLOCKSS will go into full production mode.

There is a nice table comparing LOCKSS and CLOCKSS here. [Modified 2/6/2008 to point to an updated table.]

For other mentions of LOCKSS in Digitization 101, go here.

---

Press Release: CLOCKSS Works

Researchers increasingly access journal articles online, but the real possibility exists that, due to natural disaster or human/computing failure, digital content might not always be available. Libraries and publishers have joined forces in an initiative called CLOCKSS*, providing leadership and the supporting technology, to ensure reliable, long-term access to scholarly e-content.

The moment has arrived to see how CLOCKSS works.

As of today, the web-published content of the journal Graft: Organ and Cell Transplantation (SAGE Publications) has been exported from the CLOCKSS archive, and is now available to the world from two CLOCKSS hosting platforms at universities in Europe and the US. Released under a Creative Commons license, this content is free to researchers, students and the general public, without need of any subscription.

CLOCKSS is a trusted and secure dark archive, preserving scholarly journal content from the world’s leading publishers. The CLOCKSS system is based on geographically-dispersed nodes located at major research libraries into which e-journal content from publishers is routinely ingested. Archived copies remain "dark" (hidden, secure and unavailable for use), until a trigger event and the CLOCKSS Board votes to "light up" the content and restore access to it again via a hosting platform. At present there are seven archive nodes and two hosting platforms. These numbers are expected to double in order to achieve added security from global coverage.

SAGE Publications is one of 11 premier publishers (together accounting for about 60% of e-journal content) participating in the CLOCKSS Pilot and serving on the CLOCKSS Board. When SAGE announced that it was discontinuing Graft, this became the first real-world test for the CLOCKSS system and its procedures: the CLOCKSS Board, comprising both publishers and library organizations, determined that a trigger event had occurred; instruction was given for Graft content to be copied from archive nodes in the CLOCKSS network to the designated hosting platforms; and 18 issues of Graft became available to the world.

Stanford University, where the underlying LOCKSS software was developed, and the University of Edinburgh are among the seven participants on the library side, acting as stewards for the CLOCKSS system. The two universities have also been designated as CLOCKSS hosting platforms in order to demonstrate, through the release of content, how CLOCKSS works, with EDINA, the UK national data centre at Edinburgh, playing that role for Europe, and Stanford University Library doing so for the US. Both serve as points of worldwide access, free to all, without any prior subscription, fee, or registration.

To read Graft, please click here: http://www.clockss.org/clockss/Graft_Public_Copies

* CLOCKSS is transitioning from a Pilot Program to an organization for the long-term, building on the technology and findings of LOCKSS (for Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe).

Additional Information about CLOCKSS

Libraries in the CLOCKSS Pilot: Indiana University, New York Public Library, OCLC, Rice University, Stanford University, University of Edinburgh, and University of Virginia

Publishers in the CLOCKSS Pilot: American Chemical Society, American Medical Association, American Physiological Society, Elsevier, IOP Publishing, Nature Publishing Group, Oxford University Press, SAGE Publications, Springer, Taylor & Francis, and Wiley-Blackwell

In June 2007 CLOCKSS was the inaugural winner of the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS) Outstanding Collaboration Citation, which recognizes and encourages collaborative problem-solving efforts in the areas of acquisition, access, management, preservation or archiving of library materials. The ALCTS is a division of the American Library Association.

The CLOCKSS initiative is funded by participating publishers and library organizations, as well as by a grant from the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP) via the US Library of Congress. The grant is intended to finance CLOCKSS through a mixture of ingest fees from publishers and revenue from an endowment raised from voluntary contributions over the next five years. The need to secure long-term sustainable funding for CLOCKSS will be one of the key strategic issues facing the Board in 2008.

This announcement forms part of the CLOCKSS campaign to engage support across the research community and help raise that endowment.

---

For information on joining the CLOCKSS initiative, please visit http://www.clockss.org or contact clockss-info (at) clockss (dot) org.

January 30, 2008
CLOCKSS
http://www.clockss.org
Stanford University Libraries
Stanford, California USA

---

Technorati tag: Digital Preservation