Library and Information Science Commons^™

Ethical And Anti-Oppressive Metadata: A Collaboration Between Catalogers And Archivists At George Mason University Libraries, Liz Beckman, Lynn Eaton, Yoko Ferguson, David Heilbrun, Rachel Lavender, Tricia Mackenzie, Dorothee Schubel

Collaborative Librarianship

Systems of library and archival resource description have historically reinforced the societal power structures of white supremacy, patriarchy, and cis-heteronormativity. Following the framework of critical librarianship and acknowledging our positionality as predominately white departments, George Mason University Libraries’ Metadata Services (MS) and Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) have been engaging in a variety of projects of reparative resource description. To discuss points of collaboration between the two departments, the Task Force for Ethical and Anti-Oppressive Metadata (TEAM) was formed, consisting of staff and faculty members from both groups who work with resource description. Although the departments have a history of …

Freed Faces, Our Past Americans: Collaborations To Create, Digitize And Describe The “Former Slaves In Freedom” Collection, Gayle Porter

Collaborative Librarianship

The Chicago State University (CSU) Archives collaborated with the International Society of Sons and Daughters of Slave Ancestry (ISDSA), a Chicago-based lineage society, to digitize, describe, and make accessible online a collection of 359 private historic photographs of formerly enslaved African Americans, and 90+ brief family histories, submitted by descendants. This case study describes the benefits, processes, and challenges of this unique, unfinished collaborative project. The study also describes: 1. Creative, flexible approaches to collaborative digital projects by an academic institution and a community organization; 2. Balancing cataloging/metadata standards while respecting a curator’s goals for the collection.

Alumni Oral Histories: A Collaboration Between The Libraries And Development And Alumni Relations, Rebeccca Ciota

Collaborative Librarianship

This article describes a collaboration between Grinnell College’s libraries and its Office of Development and Alumni Relations on an oral history project in which college alumni are interviewed about their experiences at the college. Such close collaborations between development offices and libraries are rare. This collaboration was successful due to the equal participation of all parties.

Electronic Theses And Dissertations Workflows: Interdepartmental Collaboration At The University Of Arkansas Libraries, Rachel Paul, Cedar C. Middleton

Collaborative Librarianship

Creating workflows that involve the work of multiple departments within a large organization can be challenging, especially when the procedures are complex and involve a number of stakeholders. This paper describes and evaluates the redesign of an interdepartmental workflow for the dissemination of electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) at a mid-sized academic library. The paper outlines the collaborative planning process within the library as well as the eventual outreach to additional stakeholders on campus, addressing the challenges of tackling such communication between the library and other ETD stakeholders. It then presents a detailed examination of the newly revised, semi-automated workflow, …

A-Z List Migration: Employing Collaborative Project Management At The University Of Guelph Mclaughlin Library, Kailey Brisbin, Melanie S. Parlette-Stewart, Randy Oldham

Collaborative Librarianship

From 2003 – 2016, the University of Guelph McLaughlin Library maintained a custom ColdFusion database of databases. Motivated by a myriad of issues, a project working group set the goal of decommissioning the ColdFusion A-Z list and migrating to SpringShare LibGuides platform A-Z list feature. This article focuses on our A-Z list migration, highlighting the collaborative approach we took to curating our list of journal databases and operationalizing and distributing this shared task across several teams within our library. This article describes our project and approach, lessons learned, recommendations and best practices, as well as future directions.

Out Of The Basement: Partnering To Enhance The Discovery And Use Of Graphic Novels, Wendy L. West, Rebecca A. Nous

Collaborative Librarianship

This paper presents a project designed to promote and increase the use of graphic novels, previously a seldom utilized collection, at the University at Albany Libraries. Several units in the Libraries collaborated to add additional graphic novels to the collection, augment bibliographic records with genre headings to enhance discovery, and promote this collection in the University Libraries and online. The Libraries used a variety of marketing techniques, including social media. Circulation statistics were recorded before, during, and after the promotional activities. This collaboration not only resulted in an increase in circulation activity for these titles while they were on display …

Characterizing Same Work Relationships In Large-Scale Digital Libraries, Peter Organisciak, Summer Shetenhelm, Danielle Francisco Albuquerque Vasques, Krystyna K. Matusiak

Library and Information Science: Faculty Conference Presentations

As digital libraries grow, they are prompting new consideration into same-work relationships. They provide unique opportunities for resource discovery, but their scale and aggregated models lead to challenges presented by duplicates and variants. Addressing this problem is complicated by metadata inconsistencies as well as structural/content differences. Following from work in algorithmically identifying duplicate works in the HathiTrust Digital Library, we present some cases that complicate our existing language for work entity relationships. These serve to contextualize the complexities of same-work alignment in digital libraries, ground future discussion around content similarity, and inform methods to better identify duplicates in large-scale digital …

Creating Community: Drawing On Staff Expertise To Break Down Silos In Academic Libraries, Lori Birrell, Marcy A. Strong

Collaborative Librarianship

A discussion of the strategies and outcomes behind a special collections and metadata collaboration effort at the University of Rochester, River Campus Libraries, to make finding aids more discoverable and interoperable. Through the use of a project charter and specific goals, the project managers sought to create buy-in and build a culture of teamwork amongst the participants, resulting in both improved finding aids and a model for collaborative work across departments.

Librarians’ Roles In Establishing A Multidisciplinary Research Institute, Elizabeth Christian, Kathryn Balek, Sandy Hudock, Rhonda Gonzales

Collaborative Librarianship

This article describes how four librarians contributed to the founding and first-year activities of a multidisciplinary research institute at a regional comprehensive university. The Institute of Cannabis Research (ICR) is the first multidisciplinary research institute on cannabis, an emerging and often controversial field. As faculty representatives on the institute’s steering committee and working groups, librarians were able to leverage interdisciplinary expertise to assist in organizing and disseminating cannabis research. Examples of the reciprocal benefit to both the institution and the library are shared.

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 …

Manipulating Data And Moving Forward: Transitioning To A Shared Cataloging Environment, Jessica Lee, Guy Frost

Collaborative Librarianship

In May of 2017, the University System of Georgia (USG) finished migrating to Alma, a single, shared catalog for all its colleges and universities. Prior to migration, all the University System’s colleges and universities maintained an Integrated Library System (ILS) from Ex Libris, Voyager, which provided a virtual catalog comprising a union catalog, while each institution managed its own database. The current migration took nearly four years from early planning stages to go live. Migrating to a cloud-based shared bibliographic environment where master bibliographic records were not “owned” by anyone was a new concept for USG libraries. Valdosta State University …

The Canadian Linked Data Summit: Developing Canada's Linked Data Future Through Cooperative Alliances, Jennifer J. Browning, Robin Elizabeth Desmeules, Sharon Farnel, Andrew Senior

Collaborative Librarianship

From October 24 to 26, 2016, the Canadian Linked Data Initiative (CLDI) hosted the Canadian Linked Data Summit in Montreal, Quebec with the goal to increase awareness and nurture collaboration for linked data production in Canada. The Summit was inspired by CLDI’s investment in developing and sustaining a cooperative plan for Canadian linked data development for libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions across the country. CLDI, comprising of Canada’s five top research libraries, the University of Toronto, McGill University, Université de Montréal, University of Alberta, and the University of British Columbia, and partners at Library and Archives Canada, Bibliothèque …

Revealing Our Melting Past: Rescuing Historical Snow And Ice Data, Jack M. Maness, Ruth Duer, Michael Dulock, Florence Fetterer, Gloria Hicks, Althea Merredyth, Walker Sampson, Allaina Wallace

University Libraries: Faculty Scholarship

Analog archival data can supplement modern digital research, but only if those data are preserved, described, and migrated to appropriate formats. The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU) is responsible for managing, archiving, and disseminating cryospheric and polar data. The clear majority of these data are digital, but the NSIDC also houses a collection of historical archival materials that include measurements related to the earth's glaciated regions prior to the development of modern instrumentation. Their formats, however, are not conducive to contemporary analysis, rendering them ostensibly “lost” to research. This paper describes …

Collaborative Cataloging Pilot Project, Jamey Harris, Marilou Hinchcliff

Collaborative Librarianship

Two Keystone Library Network of Pennsylvania academic libraries, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania and Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, partnered to conduct a pilot project involving assistance from one library with cataloging of materials for the other. This article describes the steps involved in obtaining approvals, meeting legal, identifying appropriate materials and transporting them, establishing guidelines, and conducting email consultations as needed. Once the materials were cataloged and returned, assessment criteria were developed and agreed upon, assessment was conducted, and discussion was held regarding future similar projects. As a result, a cataloging business plan was developed and approved, and a new service …

Multilingual Metadata For Cultural Heritage Materials: The Case Of The Tse-Tsung Chow Collection Of Chinese Scrolls And Fan Paintings, Krystyna K. Matusiak, Ling Meng, Ewa Barczyk, Chia-Jung Shih

Library and Information Science: Faculty Publications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore multilingual access in digital libraries and to present a case study of creating bilingual metadata records for the Tse-Tsung Chow Collection of Chinese Scrolls and Fan Paintings. The project, undertaken at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries, provides access to digital copies of calligraphic and painted Chinese scrolls and fans from the collection donated by Prof Tse-Tsung Chow (Cezong Zhou).

Design/methodology/approach – This paper examines the current approaches to multilingual indexing and retrieval in digital collections and presents a model of creating bilingual parallel records that combines translation with controlled vocabulary …

Making Lemonade: The Potential Of Increased Peer Metadata Training Among Cultural Heritage Professionals, Ingrid Schneider

Collaborative Librarianship

This paper explores training in metadata creation for digital collections among cultural heritage communities in the context of a challenging economic and professional development climate. It is the author’s experience that many cultural heritage professionals from smaller institutions have not had the resources to obtain training in the standards and best practices necessary for building and maintaining digital collections that are robust and interoperable outside of their local context. This paper draws on theory and personal experience to propose that larger institutions should assist their smaller counterparts through localized peer training programs, and that the benefits drawn from these programs …

Review Of Library Mashups: Exploring New Ways To Deliver Library Data, Megan Tomeo

Collaborative Librarianship

No abstract provided.

Evolving In Collaboration: Electronic Thesis And Dissertation Workflows In North Carolina, Mary G. Early, Anne Marie Taber

Collaborative Librarianship

Thirty-seven colleges and universities in North Carolina offer advanced degrees, and most require a thesis or dissertation. The websites of thirteen (35%) indicate they accept or require electronic submission of dissertations and/or theses (ETD). How do these institutions handle the interdepartmental communication and collaboration needs of ETD programs? To begin answering this question, this study examines current practices among ETD administrators in North Carolina and in current national literature, paying special attention to communication, collaboration, workflows, and divisions of labor. The literature review surveys current (since 2003) library and higher education articles on topics related to collaboration, workflows, and divisions …

Review Of Biblios.Net—Collaborative Cataloging, Wendy Austin

Collaborative Librarianship

No abstract provided.

A New Way To Manage Uncataloged Materials: A Case Study From Moving The University Of Nevada, Reno’S Federal Depository Collection, Amalia Beisler, Patrick P. Ragains

Collaborative Librarianship

In 2008, the University of Nevada, Reno Library moved into a new building, the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center. As part of this move, approximately half of the library’s print collections were moved into the building’s automated storage and retrieval system; a substantial portion of these materials were federal depository materials. This case study describes how cataloging and government documents staff at the University of Nevada, Reno collaborated to achieve intellectual and physical control over a huge, largely uncataloged government documents collection destined for automated storage. More than 9,000 linear feet of uncataloged government documents had to be placed into an automated …

Better, Faster, Stronger: Integrating Archives Processing And Technical Services, Gregory C. Colati, Katherine M. Crowe, Elizabeth S. Meagher

University Libraries: Faculty Scholarship

The University of Denver’s Penrose Library implemented a consolidated cataloging and archives processing unit for all materials, taking advantage of the structure, workflow design, and staff resources that were already in place for library-wide materials processing: acquisitions, cataloging, binding, and stacks maintenance. The objective of Penrose Library’s integrated approach was to efficiently create metadata that allow searches based on subject relevance rather than on collection provenance. The library streamlined archives processing by integrating digital content creation and management into the materials processing workflow. The result is a flexible, sustainable, and scalable model for archives processing that utilizes existing staff by …