Search results

The purpose of this paper is to expand the information technology concept of toil by applying it to system analysis for academic libraries. System mapping and toil definitions are used to measure costs and benefits of maintaining library information systems. The concept of toil provides a vehicle to shape the decisions made by managers when refining or building new library system infrastructure.

Using a system map of all library systems, the definition of toil was used to identify highly manual or high toil systems. This mapping was used to illuminate the need to migrate or eliminate certain library systems to managers in order to reduce the amount of toil undertaken by library employees.

Two library systems were identified for migration to more automated systems and two library systems were recommended for elimination in order to reduce the overall amount of toil present in the library systems ecosystem.

Using system mapping and toil definitions are helpful in identifying and relaying the cost of outdated systems to library managers.

This paper provides library managers an easy way to assess the ecosystem and efficiency of library systems without the need for technical expertise. It also expands the use of information technology concepts into the field of academic libraries.

This paper aims to present a case wherein a public archive intervenes in maintaining and preserving digital records (including underlying technological infrastructure) created by a private company to protect the trustworthiness of records, thereby helping the company to discharge their accountability.

This paper details the intervention of Tianjin Municipal Archives in the management of the records of Tianjin Otis Elevator Co., Ltd, the technical infrastructure that enables and supports such configuration, the issues encountered and the theoretical implications of this case.

This case suggests that not only does the concept of archives as a trusted third party remain relevant in the changing technological environment but also, in certain cases (e.g. wherein the supplier of evidentiary documents holds a monopoly over an industry), archives are becoming increasingly critical in maintaining the reliability and authenticity of digital records in the cloud environment.

Given the challenges raised by the emerging cloud environment, it is vital to develop a renewed understanding of the concept of archives as a trusted third party, the relationship between archives and commercial third party services and the relationship between public archives and private records. Furthermore, this case identifies the need to re-examine archival methodologies to protect the authenticity of structured data.

This case exemplifies how archives can help private organizations address issues related to guaranteeing and demonstrating the evidential nature of digital records and provides empirical evidence for archives being conceptualized as a trusted third party in maintaining and preserving digital records.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the evolving field of cloud computing and its usefulness for library technology departments. It seeks to consider what types of projects are good candidates for the cloud and which are not.

The authors spent a year trying out different projects using Amazon's Web Service. They discuss what went right and what went wrong. They brought up their own machine image and tested out web sites and applications in the cloud. They discuss the different types of cloud services, evaluating and choosing a provider and the types of projects which best fit into this architecture. Advantages and considerations are highlighted as well as an alternative to the public cloud.

There are some projects that are better suited to cloud computing than others. Flexibility and cost savings are the best reason for moving projects to the cloud. There are also good and valid reasons not to move some projects off into the cloud.

This is an on‐the‐ground look at running projects in the cloud that used to be done on back‐end servers. The bulk of the paper looks at infrastructure as a service. All of the work that has been done is in production and has been tested for over a year.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss three projects from three institutions that are dealing with challenges with natural sciences field documentation. Each is working to create the collection, item and data-level description required so that researchers can fully use the data to study how biodiversity has changed over time and space. Libraries, archives and museums recognize the need to make content searchable across material type. To create online catalogs that would make this possible, ideally, all records would describe one item. Museums and libraries describe their materials at the item level; however, archives must balance the need to describe the collection as a whole alongside needs of collection materials that may require more description to reconnect with library and museum items. There is a growing determination inside of archives to increase this flow of data, particularly for the natural sciences, by creating workflows that provide additional description to make these data discoverable. This process is a bit like drilling into the earth: each level must be described before the next can be dealt with.

The piece describes challenges, approaches and workflows of three institutions developing deeper levels of description for archival materials that will be made available online to a specialized audience. It also describes the methods developed so that the material’s data can eventually be accessed at a more granular level and linked to related resources.

Current systems, schema and standards are adapted as necessary, and the natural sciences archival community is still working to develop best practices. However, they are getting much closer through the collaboration made possible through grants in the recent years.

The work described in this paper is ongoing, and best practices resulting from the work are still under development.

The purpose of this paper is to report on the Spring 2013 MARAC Conference.

This report focuses on the use of technology in archives, libraries, and museums, as presented in various sessions at the Spring 2013 MARAC Conference.

Archives, libraries, and museums are utilizing various technologies including QR codes, data visualization, open‐source platforms, and single search boxes to better reach and serve the demands and expectations of today's users.

The paper condenses the author's notes from various sessions.

Experiential learning incorporated into library and information science education in the form of a practical placement has long been accepted as important. However, it is not always possible for students to undertake a traditional internship because of constraints associated with the physical location of internship sites. The purpose of this paper is to explore virtual alternatives, in the context of digital curation.

Surveys exploring the internship experience were conducted of students and supervisors, leading to the development of a pilot study. In addition, discussions were held with possible supervisors in a country with a small population, faced with the challenge of building capability in digital curation.

The concept of a virtual internship is entirely appropriate given the focus on digital tools, information and systems in digital curation. A new dimension to the traditional internship experience is the potential for sharing expertise internationally, in diverse settings.

Although the paper describes activities taking place through the School of Library & Information Science at San Jose State University, the findings can be used to justify virtual internship programs and develop strategies to be employed by other Schools at the University and other Universities within and outside the USA.

This paper includes implications for the development of successful virtual internship programs on the Master's degree level, including those for students preparing for careers in digital curation.

The paper provides insight into the practical issues associated with incorporating experiential learning into digital curation curricula and signals the potential for approaching internships from a global perspective.