Digital Commons Network^™

Rethinking The Potential Of Documentation Of Culture As A Data Gathering Practice, Tomasz Umerle

Proceedings from the Document Academy

In this article, I examine the documentation of culture (DoC). This is the practice of gathering and producing the information and data relevant to intangible cultural phenomena. DoC is generally practiced by teams of documentalists generally outside GLAM institutions (i.e., galleries, libraries, archives and museums). As such, it differs from the preservation and description of concrete objects of cultural heritage done within those institutions. I examine how DoC finds it increasingly difficult to clearly define and communicate its role: a) in relation to LIS; b) to the broader academic community; and c) in digital age of information overload. In this …

Planning A Juried Art Exhibit In An Academic Library And Providing Digital Access In An Institutional Repository, Amber Sherman, Elaine Watson, Gwyn Hervochon

Amber Sherman

This article details one academic library’s experience organizing a juried art exhibit, open to the campus and local community, and making digital images of the artwork available in the university’s institutional repository. The article also outlines considerations when creating a digital representation of the art exhibit in the institutional repository.

A Spatial Collaboration: Building A Multi-Institution Geospatial Data Discovery Portal, Mara Blake, Karen Majewicz, Ryan Mattke, Kathleen W. Weessies

Collaborative Librarianship

As academic education and research increasingly take advantage of geospatial data and methodologies, we see a corresponding exponential growth in the number of available geospatial resources in the form of GIS datasets and scanned historical maps. However, users can experience difficulty finding these resources due to the unconnected multitude of platforms and clearinghouses that host them. Additionally, the resources are not always well described with web semantic metadata that facilitates discovery. In response to this challenge, The Big Ten Academic Alliance Geospatial Data Project began in 2015 to provide discoverability, facilitate access, and connect scholars to geospatial resources. Our project …

Launching A Web Archives Program At A Public University, Blake Graham, Jennifer L. Thoegersen, Mary Ellen Ducey

UNL Libraries: Faculty Publications

Many organizations and institutions rely heavily on a web presence to disseminate information and to manage programs and policies. This tendency leaves library and archive professionals with a challenge: how best to capture and preserve web-based information and resources. Over the last few years, the proactive collection and management of web archives has gained traction across all types of libraries and archival repositories. This paper offers a synopsis of actions and initiatives conducted by a small team dedicated to creating a sustainable web archives program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries. The authors discuss (1) how the project team formed …

Research Information Management Systems And The Library, Anne Rauh

Libraries' and Librarians' Publications

A presentation on "Research Information Management Systems and the Library." Presented at the Upstate New York Science Librarians Meeting, Rochester, NY, October 20, 2017. Topics include: What are RIM systems, what types of metadata are included, uses of RIM, Institutional collaborators in the production of RIM data, examples of current tools to manage RIM, challenges in developing and using RIM systems, and the role of libraries and librarians in Research Information Management. Information on global RIM practices.

Dpanther: Benefits And Challenges Of Building And Managing Your Own Digital Repository, Kelley Rowan, Rebecca Bakker

Works of the FIU Libraries

This article addresses the benefits and challenges associated with building your own digital repository platform and managing content, technical hurdles, and partners. The authors discuss the advantages of building a repository that can evolve as standards in the field do and how to handle the problems that arise when you are both the metadata manager and technical support. The authors also discuss difficulties their partners have experienced with the platform and lessons learned. It is the hope that this information will provide those who may be either managing a digital repository or considering a new digital platform, relevant information that …

Application Profile Development For Consortial Digital Libraries: An Ohiolink Case Study, Emily A. Hicks, Jody Perkins, Margaret Maurer

Emily A. Hicks

In 2002, OhioLINK’s consortia of libraries recognized the need to restructure and standardize the metadata used in the OhioLINK Digital Media Center as a step in the development of a general purpose digital object re-pository. The authors explore the concept of digital object repositories and mechanisms used to develop complex data structures in a cooperative environment, report the findings and recommendations of the OhioLINK Data-base Management and Standards Committee (DMSC) Metadata Task Force, and identify lessons learned, ad-dressing data structures as well as data content standards. A significant result of the work was the creation of the OhioLINK Digital Media …

Mind The Gap: Curating Digital Commons Metadata For Share, Lisa Palmer, Emily Stenberg, Wendy C. Robertson, Joanne Paterson

Wendy C Robertson

The goal of the SHARE initiative, a partnership between the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and the Center for Open Science (COS), is to build a “free, open, data set about research and scholarly activities across their life cycle.” As of October 12, 2016, 129 repositories and publishers have made metadata available to SHARE for harvesting, and the aggregated data set is available for searching. Many metadata providers are institutional repositories utilizing the bepress Digital Commons platform whose metadata is harvested through the OAI-PMH (Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting) protocol for repository interoperability. As part of the 2016-2017 …

Exposing Hidden Digital Collections: Dams Migration To Better Meet Our Users' Needs, Jeremy Myntti

Faculty Publications

1. Pre-migration work
2. Migration
3. Post-migration work
4. Lessons learned

Show Us Your Omaha: Combating Lgbtq+ Archival Silences, Angela J. Kroeger, Yumi Ohira, Amy Schindler

Criss Library Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) Libraries offers a variety of unique and specialized collections in the Archives & Special Collections (ASC) for UNO and Omaha community members. In 2015, ASC began planning for preserving and providing access to Omaha’s LGBTQ+ history through the Queer Omaha Archives. Archival silences were defined by archivist Rodney Carter as the manifestation of the actions of the powerful in denying the marginalized access to archives with further definition by archivists and researchers expanding this definition. The UNO Libraries has invested in developing digital engagement as a strategic priority through building infrastructure and expanding …

Collaborative Cartography: Creating An Asset Map For Student And Community Success, Dragan Gill, Laura Coelho, Amethys Nieves

ACRL New England Chapter Annual Conference

In this workshop participants will learn key steps in creating campus and community asset maps to help discover areas of strength in communities, including resources and various supports. The workshop will address the following: (1) defining the purpose and audience of the map; (2) creating a shared controlled vocabulary across departments and/or disciplines; (3) choosing the appropriate mapping software; and (4) the process of sharing data with the wider world. Learn from our experience in bringing campus and community projects together with the library to create maps that serve multiple purposes, including interactive databases of campus resources and supports, and …

The Emergence Of The Metadata Cataloger: Are Cataloging And Metadata Two Separate Fields?, Rachel Turner

ACRL New England Chapter Annual Conference

As a new Librarian straight out of my MSIS program, I am seeing a shift in the idea of what constitutes the position of “Cataloging Librarian.” As a student worker at UT Austin while in library school, and in my current position as Cataloging Librarian at Binghamton University, I have seen in both places a rising discussion of how cataloging should evolve to keep up with the reframing and rebranding that is taking place throughout all aspects of libraries and librarianship. A common answer that seems to be rising is that cataloging is and needs to continue its reframing to …

Functionality And Flair: Using Apis For Alma, Kathryn Lybarger

Library Presentations

Alma as a web site lets us view, search, and edit our data in a variety of ways, but what if you want to do something slightly different? Fortunately, Ex Libris provides API access that allows you to add specialized functionality to your Alma workflows, or even access Alma's data through other web sites. In this presentation I will go over the basics of APIs, demonstrate how you can learn about and test them using the Ex Libris Developer Network, and show some examples of how they can be used to extend Alma's functionality.

Business In The Front, Party In The Back: Revising Metadata Processes Up-Front To Benefit Back-End Workflows, Scott Bacon

Library Faculty Presentations

When faced with the prospect of manually uploading thousands of collection objects into our digital repository, I knew I needed to create a workflow to automate batch uploading processes. This resulted in a workflow that allows me to take a metadata spreadsheet containing thousands of rows and transform it into a series of MODS XML files contained in one master file, using OpenRefine's templating tool. The csplit command can be used to split the master file up into thousands of fully-formed MODS XML files. Using a Perl script, the files can be batch renamed to match their corresponding digital object …

Now, What Do You Want Me To Do?: New And Emerging Roles For Cataloging And Metadata Librarians, Jeremy Myntti, Liz Woolcott

Faculty Publications

How are libraries preparing for the changing roles for cataloging and metadata librarians?

Participatory Prototype Design: Developing A Sustainable Metadata Curation Workflow For Maternal Child Health Research, Amanda Harrigan, Saurabh Vashishtha, Sharon Farnel, Kendall Roark

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

This paper describes the findings from a participatory prototype design project, where the authors worked with maternal and child health (MCH) researchers and stakeholders to develop a MCH metadata profile and sustainable curation workflow. This work led to the development of three prototypes: 1) a study catalogue hosted in Dataverse, 2) a metadata and research records repository hosted in REDCap and 3) a metadata harvesting tool/dashboard hosted within the Shiny RStudio environment. We present a brief overview of the methods used to develop the metadata profile, curation workflow and prototypes. Researchers and other stakeholders were participant-collaborators throughout the project. The …

Now What Do You Want Me To Do? New And Emerging Roles For Cataloging And Metadata Librarians., Liz Woolcott, Jeremy Myntti

Library Faculty & Staff Presentations

No abstract provided.

From Digital Repositories To The Library Catalogue: Two Workflows For Transforming Metadata, Amy Leigh Allen, Deborah E. Kulczak, Mary A. Gilbertson

University Libraries Faculty Publications and Presentations

Making a connection between digital repositories and library catalogues is an issue many libraries and archives face, especially when dealing with items that traditionally received full cataloguing records. This paper explores different workflows for reusing metadata to create catalogue records, connecting the two resources together. In order to have one interface to search both the older physical items and newer digital items, the archives and technical services department of the University of Arkansas Libraries worked together to create different workflows to save time and eliminate the need for double entry, using the open source software MarcEdit and XML Notepad. Two …

Western Name Authority File: Creating A Collaborative Regional Vocabulary, Jeremy Myntti, Anna Neatrour

Faculty Publications

1. investigating data models to express local/regional name authority data using linked data standards
2. evaluation of tools used for creating, maintaining, and making this data available
3. pilot implementation using the tools investigated in the second phase
4. assessment of how this type of authority data can improve digital collection metadata on a local, regional, and national level.

The Western Name Authority File: Building Shared Authorities For Regional Digital Collections, Jeremy Myntti

Faculty Publications

More metadata, more metadata problems

• Vendor based DAMS often not offering good authority control solutions
• Libraries in Utah often consult additional regional names sources
• Hosting collections for many partners means less control over cataloging practices.
• Use LC Authorities as best we can

Mind The Gap: Curating Digital Commons Metadata For Share, Lisa Palmer, Emily Stenberg, Wendy C. Robertson, Joanne Paterson

Lisa A. Palmer

The goal of the SHARE initiative, a partnership between the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and the Center for Open Science (COS), is to build a “free, open, data set about research and scholarly activities across their life cycle.” As of October 12, 2016, 129 repositories and publishers have made metadata available to SHARE for harvesting, and the aggregated data set is available for searching. Many metadata providers are institutional repositories utilizing the bepress Digital Commons platform whose metadata is harvested through the OAI-PMH (Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting) protocol for repository interoperability.

As part of …

Mind The Gap: Curating Digital Commons Metadata For Share, Lisa Palmer, Emily Stenberg, Wendy C. Robertson, Joanne Paterson

Western Libraries Presentations

The goal of the SHARE initiative, a partnership between the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and the Center for Open Science (COS), is to build a “free, open, data set about research and scholarly activities across their life cycle.” As of October 12, 2016, 129 repositories and publishers have made metadata available to SHARE for harvesting, and the aggregated data set is available for searching. Many metadata providers are institutional repositories utilizing the bepress Digital Commons platform whose metadata is harvested through the OAI-PMH (Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting) protocol for repository interoperability.

As part of …

Ten Keyword Tips For Digitalcommons@Tmc, Laurel Sanders

Library Staff Publications

This document contains guidelines for selecting keywords for DigitalCommons contributors.

The Western Name Authority File: Improving Access For Digital Collections And Archives, Jeremy Myntti, Anna Neatrour

Faculty Publications

Value of name authority control:

• Easier searching for known names
• Make searching more predictable
• Consistency of records
• Organize and collocate information
• Efficiency for metadata creators
• Easier to maintain data over time
• Less errors in data
• Differentiate similar names
• Provide context for names

Early American Cookbooks: Creating And Analyzing A Digital Collection Using The Hathitrust Research Center Portal, Gioia Stevens

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The Early American Cookbooks project is a carefully curated online collection of 1450 cookbooks published in the United States between 1800 and 1920. The purposes of the project are to create a freely available, searchable online collection of early American cookbooks, to offer an overview of the scope and contents of the collection, and to use digital humanities tools to explore trends and patterns in the metadata and the full text of the collection. The project has two basic components: a collection of 1450 full-text titles on HathiTrust and a website site to present a guide to the collection and …

Linking People: Collaborations Between Metadata Librarians And Programmers, Jeremy Myntti, Anna Neatrour, Liz Woolcott

Faculty Publications

More metadata, more metadata problems

• Vendor based DAMS often not offering good authority control solutions
• Libraries in Utah often consult additional regional names sources
• Hosting collections for many partners means less control over cataloging practices.
• Use LC Authorities as best we can

Overcoming The Challenges Of Implementing Standardized Metadata Practices In A Digital Repository, Sai Deng

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

While implementing standards in cataloging digital collections is often a Metadata Librarian’s conscience or inner desire, sometimes it’s a challenge to do so if a system is not built to accommodate such standardized practices. This kind of dilemma is not uncommon in the metadata and digital repository arena. This presentation will address the various challenges in working with metadata in digital repositories such as, name authority control for authors, departments and colleges, type values selection, keywords and subject choices, whether to add linked data URIs to various fields in the records and data discrepancies in harvesting data into the OCLC’s …

Metadata Migration Managed: Fixing Metadata That Was Up To No Good, Jeremy Myntti, Anna Neatrour, Brain Mcbride, Alan Witkowski, Matt Brunsvik

Faculty Publications

• Overview of Marriott Library Digital Collections
• Utah Digital Newspapers (UDN)
• DAMS review in 2013
• CONTENTdm set-up vs Open source set-up
• Benefits of new system
• Speed and indexing improvements
• SIMP Tool for metadata management
• Metadata template customization in CDM
• Metadata issues we had to correct during migration
• UDN migration vs. digital library migration
• Future plans for metadata fixes

Diving Into The University Knowledge Community: Navigating The Expanded Role Of The Metadata Librarian, Sai Deng

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Metadata librarians' engaging in the university knowledge community is becoming a trend in recent years. In preparing for this change, it can be challenging for the metadata librarians to step out of the "back room", engage in scholarly communication and actively participate in the university knowledge community. This presentation discusses the shifting environment, the required changes for the metadata librarians such as developing professional and technical competency, acquiring new knowledge and skills and getting into the new world to be more connected to students, faculty and researchers, and various factors that will affect the situation. It concludes that the best …

Beyond Discovery: Cross-Platform Application Of Ecological Metadata Language In Support Of Quality Assurance And Control, Jon Wheeler, Mark Servilla, Kristin Vanderbilt

University Libraries & Learning Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Metadata may be generally understood to support discovery and performance of bibliographic functions against a given resource or set of resources. For example, a limited set of basic descriptive metadata can be used to index sets of items, group or otherwise associate similar items through shared metadata values, or to establish means of defining and enforcing relevance or other ranking systems. Within the context of curating research data, descriptive and other types of metadata (notably those defined the CCSDS Reference Model for an Open Archival Information System) may be more broadly applied to administer access and reuse policies, define …