[CODE4LIB] How to involve library workers in application testing?
Good morning. I have a few colleagues that give excellent feedback and suggestions about web applications once they are installed and in use, and various others that give feature suggestions and report problems. I feel that it would be beneficial to start getting people involved earlier in the software process. Acceptance testing for changes to established applications seems like a good place to start. Users would benefit from software with fewer problems. Several developers and admins here came from places with traditional QA teams and/or business analysts and would be more comfortable with this model. There's a testing tradition in place here for catalog and discovery tools, so I have a model to look at, but the apps I work on are much less critical than the catalog. I'm interested in hearing about how other libraries are handling application testing, to what level non-IT people should be involved, and how testing is structured and encouraged. Software testing is often dull. How have you persuaded people to participate, and has this been beneficial? Thanks, Keith
Re: [CODE4LIB] Technology for Librarians / Libraries for Technologians
Hello, When I think of IT and Librarianship I don't see a huge difference. I see librarianship as IT without in depth computer skills. I see IT as Librarianship without concern for teaching and access but major concerns about security. Sent from my iPhone On Sep 3, 2014, at 2:18 PM, Michael B. Klein mbkl...@gmail.com wrote: Hi all, I was talking this afternoon with a friend of mine about what makes a good Director of Library IT. Does the job lie more within librarianship or IT? (Depends on the library.) Is there a natural separation between the Library IT of ILS/MARC/e-resource/circ. technology maintenance and the Traditional IT of network management, staff and public workstation provisioning, telecom, etc? (Also depends on the library.) I know a lot gets said (here and elsewhere) about Technology for Librarians - important skills and standards, what's important/useful/trending/ignorable, and the like. But I'd love to start a discussion (or join one, if it already exists elsewhere) about the other side of things - the library-specific stuff that experienced IT folks might need to learn or get used to to be successful in a library environment. Not just technical stuff like MARC, but also ethical issues like fair use, information privacy, freedom of access, and the like. Of course there are plenty of snarky answers, and I welcome them all, but some constructive input would be nice, too. :-) I hope to compile a So You're an Experienced IT Worker/Administrator Who Wants to Work in a Library? wiki page with pointers to resources. So there's my vague intro. Have at it, code4lib. Michael
[CODE4LIB] SOFTWARE RELEASE: Introducing Fedora 4.0 Beta 3
Sept. 4, 2014 Contact: David Wilcox dwil...@duraspace.org Read it online: http://bit.ly/1uBPJYE Introducing Fedora 4.0 Beta 3 Winchester, MA DuraSpace and the Fedora community of users and developers are pleased to announce that the Fedora 4.0 platform is one step closer to a full production version of the software with the release of Fedora 4.0 Beta 3. The Fedora 4.0 feature setis available for testing with this release, including a human-readable file system export, clustering for high-availability use cases, and support for millions of objects. This release is part of a broad initiative to make significant changes to the robust Fedora framework for building digital repositories to serve the community for the next decade. Full release notes are available, and highlights include: - Transparent JCR/XML file system export - Clustering support for high-availability use cases - Demonstrated performance: 10 million objects via REST-API, 16 million via federation - Reviewed and published Fedora 4 RDF ontology Download Fedora 4.3 Beta here. Get in Here We are making progress towards completing acceptance tests, but we still need to test the remaining features before we can release the production version of Fedora 4.0. Please take some time to install the Fedora 4.0 Beta(or just use the one-click-run application), test out some features, and submit your results. Three Beta Pilot projectsare underway. These projects will test a number of Fedora 4.0 features in a production-like environment over the course of a few months. Each of these projects will be showcased in a short webinar series this Fall - details will be available soon. Beta Pilot Projects represent a larger commitment of time and resources than acceptance tests, but they also present an opportunity to test real institutional use cases with Fedora 4.0, with added support from DuraSpace and the Fedora community. If your institution is interested in participating, please contact David Wilcox dwil...@duraspace.org. How Does DuraSpace Help? DuraSpace works collaboratively with organizations that use Fedora to advance the design, development and sustainability of the project. As a non-profit, DuraSpace provides business support services that include technical leadership, sustainability planning, fundraising, community development, marketing and communications, collaborations and strategic partnerships and administration. About Fedora Fedora is an open source project that provides flexible, extensible and durable digital object management services. First released in 2004, it has hundreds of adopters worldwide, with deep roots in the research, scientific, intellectual and cultural heritage communities. See http://fedora-commons.org/for more information. It is supported by its community of users, and stewarded by DuraSpace.
Re: [CODE4LIB] Technology for Librarians / Libraries for Technologians
Hi Cornel, Do IT librarians not teach staff how to use new software? Do IT librarians not provide digital access? I have done three major software upgrades this calendar year alone, all of which included a significant amount of teaching staff how to use our new ILS, for example. And who knows the amount of hours I have spent teaching students how to resize their PDF or how to install print drivers on their laptops. I'm not sure everyone would agree with IT as Librarianship without concern for teaching and access. Thanks, Craig On Thu, Sep 4, 2014 at 8:22 AM, Cornel Darden Jr corneldarde...@gmail.com wrote: Hello, When I think of IT and Librarianship I don't see a huge difference. I see librarianship as IT without in depth computer skills. I see IT as Librarianship without concern for teaching and access but major concerns about security. Sent from my iPhone On Sep 3, 2014, at 2:18 PM, Michael B. Klein mbkl...@gmail.com wrote: Hi all, I was talking this afternoon with a friend of mine about what makes a good Director of Library IT. Does the job lie more within librarianship or IT? (Depends on the library.) Is there a natural separation between the Library IT of ILS/MARC/e-resource/circ. technology maintenance and the Traditional IT of network management, staff and public workstation provisioning, telecom, etc? (Also depends on the library.) I know a lot gets said (here and elsewhere) about Technology for Librarians - important skills and standards, what's important/useful/trending/ignorable, and the like. But I'd love to start a discussion (or join one, if it already exists elsewhere) about the other side of things - the library-specific stuff that experienced IT folks might need to learn or get used to to be successful in a library environment. Not just technical stuff like MARC, but also ethical issues like fair use, information privacy, freedom of access, and the like. Of course there are plenty of snarky answers, and I welcome them all, but some constructive input would be nice, too. :-) I hope to compile a So You're an Experienced IT Worker/Administrator Who Wants to Work in a Library? wiki page with pointers to resources. So there's my vague intro. Have at it, code4lib. Michael
[CODE4LIB] Georgia State University Library releases Library Instruction Recorder plugin as Open Source
*Apologies for cross-posting* Georgia State University Library releases Library Instruction Recorder plugin as Open Source As part of its commitment to the free culture movementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_culture_movement, Georgia State University Library is pleased to announce the initial release of the Library Instruction Recorder (LIR). LIR is a free, open source WordPress plugin that allows librarians and library staff to record and report on library instruction sessions. User education is a core value of Librarianshiphttp://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/statementspols/corevalues#education, and Georgia State University Library takes that commitment seriously by providing a variety of instruction sessionshttp://library.gsu.edu/home/services-and-support/services/library-instruction/ and self-directed learning toolshttp://research.library.gsu.edu/learnhowto?p=754175 to both studentshttp://library.gsu.edu/home/information-for-you/undergraduate-students/ and facultyhttp://library.gsu.edu/home/information-for-you/faculty/. To continue recording and reporting on library instruction sessions, the library needed a tool that was simple, easy-to-use, effective, and focused solely on library instruction needs - finding none, we decided to create our own! LIR is available for download from the WordPress Plugin Directoryhttp://wordpress.org/plugins/library-instruction-recorder/, and the source code is available on BitBuckethttps://bitbucket.org/gsulibwebmaster/library-instruction-recorder. http://homer.gsu.edu/blogs/library/2014/08/29/georgia-state-university-library-releases-library-instruction-recorder-plugin-as-open-source/ __ Cliff Landis, MSLIS Web Services Librarian Georgia State University Library P: 404.413.2772 | E: clifflan...@gsu.edumailto:clifflan...@gsu.edu | W: clifflandishttp://www.google.com/search?q=clifflandis
Re: [CODE4LIB] Technology for Librarians / Libraries for Technologians
Good Morning, I'm happy to have stumbled upon this conversation this morning. I think IT Librarians or Directors of IT in the library need to be both IT professional and librarian. Yes, there is the every day upkeep of the public and staff workstations and printers and myriad other technologies. But there is also the support of the ILS and other library systems. It is possible to support the hardware and software of the library without specific library knowledge, but understanding how the patrons and staff interact with technology has a major impact on what types of technology should be provided to them and I think that requires at least some understanding of librarianship. Additionally, as libraries become more and more digital and/or depending on technology for things such as instruction, reference and the catalog, the Systems Librarian or IT director is called on more and more to be a part of those conversations. Therefore, an even more in-depth understanding of librarianship is required to be an integral part of the library decision-making team, especially when it comes to technology. My two cents. Sincerely, Cynthia On Thu, Sep 4, 2014 at 9:17 AM, Craig Boman craig.bo...@gmail.com wrote: Hi Cornel, Do IT librarians not teach staff how to use new software? Do IT librarians not provide digital access? I have done three major software upgrades this calendar year alone, all of which included a significant amount of teaching staff how to use our new ILS, for example. And who knows the amount of hours I have spent teaching students how to resize their PDF or how to install print drivers on their laptops. I'm not sure everyone would agree with IT as Librarianship without concern for teaching and access. Thanks, Craig On Thu, Sep 4, 2014 at 8:22 AM, Cornel Darden Jr corneldarde...@gmail.com wrote: Hello, When I think of IT and Librarianship I don't see a huge difference. I see librarianship as IT without in depth computer skills. I see IT as Librarianship without concern for teaching and access but major concerns about security. Sent from my iPhone On Sep 3, 2014, at 2:18 PM, Michael B. Klein mbkl...@gmail.com wrote: Hi all, I was talking this afternoon with a friend of mine about what makes a good Director of Library IT. Does the job lie more within librarianship or IT? (Depends on the library.) Is there a natural separation between the Library IT of ILS/MARC/e-resource/circ. technology maintenance and the Traditional IT of network management, staff and public workstation provisioning, telecom, etc? (Also depends on the library.) I know a lot gets said (here and elsewhere) about Technology for Librarians - important skills and standards, what's important/useful/trending/ignorable, and the like. But I'd love to start a discussion (or join one, if it already exists elsewhere) about the other side of things - the library-specific stuff that experienced IT folks might need to learn or get used to to be successful in a library environment. Not just technical stuff like MARC, but also ethical issues like fair use, information privacy, freedom of access, and the like. Of course there are plenty of snarky answers, and I welcome them all, but some constructive input would be nice, too. :-) I hope to compile a So You're an Experienced IT Worker/Administrator Who Wants to Work in a Library? wiki page with pointers to resources. So there's my vague intro. Have at it, code4lib. Michael -- *Cynthia Schwarz *| Senior Systems and Technology Librarian | Temple University Health Science Libraries | cynth...@temple.edu | 215-707-4953
[CODE4LIB] NERCOMP 2015 Call for Proposals
Hello Code4Lib, I am chairing the Library/IT track for this year’s NERCOMP Annual Conference (EDUCAUSE) and wanted to share our conference invitation with the Code4Lib crew. As the worlds of Libraries and IT continue to evolve and intertwine, we are interested in highlighting innovations and successes - especially on the coding and research data management fronts. Last year, NERCOMP 2014 had some excellent library-centric presentations. Many of the Code4Lib 2014 presentations would fit perfectly into the NERCOMP schedule. I encourage all to consider presenting. The deadline for proposals is October 17th. http://www.educause.edu/events/nercomp-annual-conference/call-proposals NERCOMP's mission is to enhance the communication and dissemination of information related to the use of computers, networks and information technology in education, academic research and educational administration throughout the Northeastern United States. NERCOMP is an associate of EDUCAUSE. March 30–April 1 | Providence, Rhode Island The 2015 NERCOMP Annual Conferencehttp://educause.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT00MjM1ODUzJnA9MSZ1PTEwMDAwMzc2MTEmbGk9MjQ1MDQzODQ/index.html knows we're In IT Together, so we need you to submit a proposal to showcase solutions and strategies. Our everyday actions and decisions impact one another and the future of our higher education IT community. From the frontline staff up to the CIO, we are all dependent on one another. When we come together, we can do transformative things. Submit a proposal on any of these topics (read full descriptions)http://educause.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT00MjM1ODUzJnA9MSZ1PTEwMDAwMzc2MTEmbGk9MjQ1MDQzODU/index.html: * IT Services: Support Models and Practice * Leadership and Organizational Development * Libraries and Scholarship in the 21st Century * Policy, Regulations, and Security * Systems and Solutions * Teaching and Learning Sincerely, Themba Themba Flowers Manager, Academic IT Solutions, Research Technologies Co-Director, Center for Science and Social Science Information (CSSSI) Yale University | 219 Prospect • New Haven • 06520 | 203.432.3278
[CODE4LIB] CFP: Deadline tomorrow for “Library Hacks: New Roles, New Tech, New Spaces” in midwest region.
*[apologies for cross posting]* *Call for Proposals!* The Indiana Online Users Group http://www.iolug.org/ (IOLUG) Program Committee invites you to submit a proposal to present at the Fall 2014 IOLUG program: “Library Hacks: New Roles, New Tech, New Spaces” on Thursday, October 30, 2014, at Indiana Wesleyan in Indianapolis, IN. The deadline for proposals is Friday, September 5th, 2014 Get some inspiration from previous years’ sessions on the IOLUG Website. http://www.iolug.org/conferences.html Whether it be changes to our roles as librarians, changes in the technology we use to perform our jobs and that we teach our patrons how to use, or changes to our very library environments, the Library is a constantly changing and evolving entity. Our Fall Program theme is Library Hacks: New Roles, New Tech, New Spaces, and the IOLUG Program Committee is interested in hearing about ways that you hack the way you perform your role, how you design your spaces, or how you find and utilize emerging technologies. What new ideas are you implementing to make you or your library more relevant and engaging to those you serve? The committee is particularly interested in proposals that address: · Grassroots approaches to doing things differently · New Library Spaces - changing/adapting/modifying your physical or digital systems · MOOCs · Innovation and innovative ideas · Digital Literacy · Hacking Librarianship - new roles/philosophies/opportunities · Emerging Technologies - how we use and find them to educate ourselves and/or our patrons · Library Collaborations - with community organizations, other departments on campuses, other schools or academic institutions, etc. · User Experience or User-Oriented Design · Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) · Media Center Innovations · Assessment Submit your proposal using the online form https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?usp=drive_webformkey=dDkzd2lRWnVjSTFGb1ZKc2tMdGRzU2c6MA#gid=0by *Friday, September 5th.* *Heather Rayl* *Emerging Technology Librarian* *Indiana State University*
[CODE4LIB] DC-2014 early registration *DEADLINE EXTENSION* to September 20th
***Apologies for cross-posting*** The deadline for registration for DC-2014 has been *EXTENDED to 20 September 2014*. All you have to do to get the Early Registration price is go to our registration page on the Conference website listed below and follow the simple instructions. If you work in metadata, you won't want to miss DC-2014. *** *REGISTRATION:* http://ow.ly/B65by *CONFERENCE WEBSITE:* http://ow.ly/B65OM *CONFERENCE DATES:* 8-11 October 2014 *CONFERENCE VENUE: * ATT Executive Education and Conference Center, University of Texas at Austin campus *CONFERENCE THEME:* *Metadata Intersections: Bridging the Archipelago of Cultural Memory* *** Metadata is fundamental in enabling ubiquitous access to cultural and scientific resources through galleries, libraries, archives and museums (GLAM). While fundamental, GLAM traditions in documentation and organization lead to significant differences in both their languages of description and domain practices. And yet, the push is on for radically open cultural heritage data that bridges these differences as well as those across the humanities and the natural sciences. DC-2014 will explore the role of metadata in spanning the archipelago of siloed cultural memory in an emerging context of linked access to data repositories as well as repositories of cultural artifacts. This year, the DCMI Annual Conference and Meeting of DCMI (DC-2014) is being hosted by the Texas Digital Library and held in Austin on the beautiful University of Texas campus. Four days of exciting sessions have been planned. While early registration has been extended, please don't wait until the last minute. The *Austin City Limits Music Festival* overlaps the conference dates and hotel rooms will become increasingly scarce! Won't you join us in Austin? Sincerely, Stuart A. Sutton DCMI Managing Director
Re: [CODE4LIB] Technology for Librarians / Libraries for Technologians
I know a lot gets said (here and elsewhere) about Technology for Librarians - important skills and standards, what's important/useful/trending/ignorable, and the like. But I'd love to start a discussion (or join one, if it already exists elsewhere) about the other side of things - the library-specific stuff that experienced IT folks might need to learn or get used to to be successful in a library environment. Not just technical stuff like MARC, but also ethical issues like fair use, information privacy, freedom of access, and the like. I think some of these issues are distractions as they aren't specific to libraries, aren't really different than any IT work involving private information (i.e. virtually all IT work), and don't require library expertise to understand. However, on the question of whether the job of Director of Library IT is more about librarianship or IT, I'd always assumed the former is the case. Library IT needs to leverage library specific knowledge/technologies to perform functions that plain IT cannot if the cost of an independent IT unit is to be justified. Everyone relates to public search interfaces, but there's an entire infrastructure that makes a combination of licensed, purchased, locally created, and borrowed resources with differential access for various user groups (some of them external) possible. Knowledge of formats, protocols, standards, and common practices is helpful, but understanding business needs that are common to libraries but not really thought of elsewhere is also essential. If we mostly duplicate commodity functions that are already performed elsewhere, we just set ourselves up to be outsourced. kyle
Re: [CODE4LIB] Technology for Librarians / Libraries for Technologians
On Sep 4, 2014, at 8:25 PM, Kyle Banerjee kyle.baner...@gmail.com wrote: I think some of these issues are distractions as they aren't specific to libraries, aren't really different than any IT work involving private information (i.e. virtually all IT work), and don't require library expertise to understand. However, on the question of whether the job of Director of Library IT is more about librarianship or IT, I'd always assumed the former is the case. Library IT needs to leverage library specific knowledge/technologies to perform functions that plain IT cannot if the cost of an independent IT unit is to be justified. Everyone relates to public search interfaces, but there's an entire infrastructure that makes a combination of licensed, purchased, locally created, and borrowed resources with differential access for various user groups (some of them external) possible. Knowledge of formats, protocols, standards, and common practices is helpful, but understanding business needs that are common to libraries but not really thought of elsewhere is also essential. If we mostly duplicate commodity functions that are already performed elsewhere, we just set ourselves up to be outsourced. Yes. Exactly. This is the sort of distinction you should be expecting from your vendors, as well, btw. Although, at the same time, there’s a balance. The “unique snowflake” mentality has just as often been used to disregard trends and technologies from outside libraries. You want an understanding of library needs, workflows, and culture without any navel gazing. -Ross.
Re: [CODE4LIB] Georgia State University Library releases Library Instruction Recorder plugin as Open Source
Hey, Cliff! Congratulations on the release of the software. I took a look at the screenshots on WordPress.org and it seems like this is going to fill a needed niche. Could you add information about the package (https://foss4lib.org/node/add/package) and its first release (https://foss4lib.org/node/add/release) to FOSS4Lib? Doing so will help others to find it, whether by the FOSS4Lib site or through announcements on its Twitter timeline or through automatic posting of FOSS4Lib items into the Code4Lib Planet RSS Feed Aggregator. I’ll have the FOSS4Lib site sent you details about an account. Best, Peter On Sep 4, 2014, at 9:28 AM, Cliff Landis clifflan...@gsu.edu wrote: *Apologies for cross-posting* Georgia State University Library releases Library Instruction Recorder plugin as Open Source As part of its commitment to the free culture movementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_culture_movement, Georgia State University Library is pleased to announce the initial release of the Library Instruction Recorder (LIR). LIR is a free, open source WordPress plugin that allows librarians and library staff to record and report on library instruction sessions. User education is a core value of Librarianshiphttp://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/statementspols/corevalues#education, and Georgia State University Library takes that commitment seriously by providing a variety of instruction sessionshttp://library.gsu.edu/home/services-and-support/services/library-instruction/ and self-directed learning toolshttp://research.library.gsu.edu/learnhowto?p=754175 to both studentshttp://library.gsu.edu/home/information-for-you/undergraduate-students/ and facultyhttp://library.gsu.edu/home/information-for-you/faculty/. To continue recording and reporting on library instruction sessions, the library needed a tool that was simple, easy-to-use, effective, and focused solely on library instruction needs - finding none, we decided to create our own! LIR is available for download from the WordPress Plugin Directoryhttp://wordpress.org/plugins/library-instruction-recorder/, and the source code is available on BitBuckethttps://bitbucket.org/gsulibwebmaster/library-instruction-recorder. http://homer.gsu.edu/blogs/library/2014/08/29/georgia-state-university-library-releases-library-instruction-recorder-plugin-as-open-source/ __ Cliff Landis, MSLIS Web Services Librarian Georgia State University Library P: 404.413.2772 | E: clifflan...@gsu.edumailto:clifflan...@gsu.edu | W: clifflandishttp://www.google.com/search?q=clifflandis -- Peter Murray Assistant Director, Technology Services Development LYRASIS peter.mur...@lyrasis.org +1 678-235-2955 800.999.8558 x2955
