Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Linked Data Demystified: Practical Efforts To Transform Contentdm Metadata For The Linked Data Cloud, Silvia B. Southwick, Cory K. Lampert

Library Faculty Presentations

The library literature and events like the ALA Annual Conference have been inundated with presentations and articles on linked data. At UNLV Libraries, we understand the importance of linked data in helping to better service our users. We have designed and initiated a pilot project to apply linked data concepts to the practical task of transforming a sample set of our CONTENTdm digital collections data into future-oriented linked data. This presentation will outline rationale for beginning work in linked data and detail the phases we will undertake in the proof of concept project. We hope through this research experiment to …

The History And Current State Of The Information Portal In Libraries, Richard Hacken, Mathew Miles

Faculty Publications

This paper expands upon the concept of the information portal as introduced in the earlier-published article "The Role of Web Services in Portal Design: Approaches for an Algerian University Library." The categories and concepts involved are outlined as follows:
Defining the “portal” and its variants
Identifying variant functions of portals
Notions of portal user profiles and customization
History of portals
Library catalog models
Early library catalog models
Current library catalog models
Metadata repository models
Early metadata repository models
Current metadata repository models
Federated search models
Early federated search models
Current federated search models
Beyond Federated Searching (Centralized Indexes)
Digital library …

Bibliotheca Spices Up The Library Ebook Market, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Another ebook aggregator is about to enter the market, further whetting librarians' appetites and spicing up the market. This time, it is Bibliotheca, a global developer that supplies technologies designed to enhance library efficiency and the user experience (www.bibliotheca.com). More commonly known for its RFID and self-checkout systems, which it supplies to 3,000-plus libraries worldwide, Bibliotheca announced its intentions to support an open source ebook model in a press release on June 19, 2012, just before the American Library Association Annual Conference.

Trailblazers: Moving The Library Upstream In The Digital Distribution Process, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

On Dec. 20, 2010, Jamie LaRue, director of Douglas County Libraries (DCL), asked his associate director of Information technology, Monique Sendze, "Suppose a patron walked in and wanted to donate an ebook to our library. Could they?" Sendze responded, "No, I don't think so." "So, what do we have to do to be able to accept a book?" wondered LaRue. Sendze said she would find out.

It took 18 months and $100,000, but they found the answer together-locally hosting ebook content. LaRue, Sendze, and the DCL staff set out on a mission. A mission to own, not lease, electronic books. …

Ungluing Open Access Ebooks, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Buying a print book is relatively easy. With the introduction of library ebooks in 1999, however, a once-straightforward process took on many complexities. Before starting, ask yourself why your library needs to purchase ebooks. Is it to expand a collection or to increase the buying power of a group of libraries? To replace existing print collections, offer new services, or experiment with new business models in the hope of saving money? Whatever the reason, it is imperative to keep your goals in mind.

An Ebook Primer, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

According to a survey conducted by the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) in the summer of 2011, 39 percent of public libraries had not begun to offer downloadable media service (ebooks, audiobooks, movies) to their communities. COSLA reported that small, rural libraries with limited budgets were most likely not to have access to downloadable media.

COSLA believes that ebooks will be the preferred format for reading materials in the future. As a result, it has set a goal for all U.S. public libraries to offer ebooks and downloadable media by 2015. As a step in that direction, LJ …

Travel Apps, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Like many people, I love to travel. And doing so with my smart phone or tablet device allows me to keep information at my fingertips. Whether you are traveling to a local park, across the country, or internationally, there are a variety of apps to enhance your experience.

The Internet Archive's In-Library Lending Program, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

Libraries bore the brunt of the growing pains of ebooks in 2011-from the HarperCollins Publishers announcement to limit use to 26 circulations to Penguin Group USA's abrupt withdrawal of content from OverDrive, Inc. to Amazon's facilitation of library downloads on Kindle devices. Many librarians realized the hard way that the benefits of ownership do not accrue in electronic formats. It's no wonder librarians everywhere are searching for fair, sustainable, ownership-based models to procure ebook content. Does this perfect solution exist?

It just might, in the form of the Internet Archive's In-Library Lending Program (http:/ /openlibrary.org/borrow)-a collection created by librarians for …

Perceptions Of Usability And Usefulness In Digital Libraries, Krystyna K. Matusiak

Library and Information Science: Faculty Publications

This paper provides an overview of a case study research that investigated the use of Digital Library (DL) resources in two undergraduate classes and explored faculty and students’ perceptions of educational digital libraries. This study found that students and faculty use academic DLs primarily for textual resources, but turn to the open Web for visual and multimedia resources. The study participants did not perceive academic libraries as a useful source of digital images and used search engines when searching for visual resources. The limited use of digital library resources for teaching and learning is associated with perceptions of usefulness and …

University Presses And Ebooks: A New Horizon, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

What's the buzz about? EBook Buzz, ONLINE's newest column, will discuss and debate the advances of ebooks in libraries and scholarly publishing. EBook Buzz will explore varied topics from a practical perspective, whether celebrating successes, exploring opportunities, or sorting through the challenges of ebook adoption. This inaugural column will explore the transformation to ebooks by university presses.

Academic library monograph budgets tell a bleak story. Discretionary funds and approval plans have slowly decreased, favoring instead subscription products and big deal journal collections. It's both alarming for librarians to watch and impossible for publishers to ignore. University presses, owners of the …

Reference--I'Ve Got An App For That!, Sue Polanka

University Libraries' Staff Publications

These days, it seems there's an app for everything. So it should come as no surprise that several reference publishers are producing apps for Apple-and Android-based tablets and phones. Why should reference publishers develop apps? "Our focus is on helping libraries reach new users where they reside. We believe that one of the most effective ways to do this is through apps," says Nader Qaimari, senior vice president of marketing for Cengage Learning. Mike Robinson, e-book sales and marketing manager at Oxford University Press, agrees, stating, "Apps represent a means by which people all over the world are using devices …