ITAL Information Technology and Libraries (E-Journal)
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Irrelevant Discovery Layers? An Evidence-Based Evaluation of Three Common Library Search Tools
Get PDFOver the past fifteen years, most academic librarians have implemented one-stop search tools, commonly referred to as discovery layers, to accommodate contemporary user expectations. In more recent years these tools have come under criticism due to their limitations and shortcomings. We set out to evaluate if a discovery layer, when prompted with typical user keyword search strings, produced the most relevant search results when compared with two other widely accessible academic search tools. We compared search results from a discovery layer with a central index (WorldCat Discovery) with search results from a subscription interdisciplinary index and abstract database (Academic Search Complete) and a freely accessible academic web search engine (Google Scholar). We created a rubric detailed enough for multiple evaluators, who were the authors, to judge search results for currency, relevancy, proximity, and authority, as well as to assign appropriate penalties. Academic Search Complete search results received the highest overall scores, while WorldCat Discovery search results received the lowest overall scores. When considering individual pieces of the rubric, Academic Search Complete provided the most current and authoritative sources, while Google Scholar provided the most relevant sources. This article provides recommendations for libraries moving forward to consider the benefits and costs of discovery tools
Web Archives Metadata Generation with GPT-4o: Challenges and Insights
Get PDFCurrent metadata creation for web archives is time consuming and costly due to reliance on human effort. This paper explores the use of GPT-4o for metadata generation within the Web Archive Singapore, focusing on scalability, efficiency, and cost effectiveness. We processed 112 Web ARChive (WARC) files using data reduction techniques, achieving a notable 99.9% reduction in metadata generation costs. By prompt engineering, we generated titles and abstracts, which were evaluated both intrinsically using Levenshtein distance and BERTScore, and extrinsically with human cataloguers using McNemar’s test. Results indicate that while our method offers significant cost savings and efficiency gains, human curated metadata maintains an edge in quality. The study identifies key challenges including content inaccuracies, hallucinations, and translation issues, suggesting that large language models (LLMs) should serve as complements rather than replacements for human cataloguers. Future work will focus on refining prompts, improving content filtering, and addressing privacy concerns through experimentation with smaller models. This research advances the integration of LLMs in web archiving, offering valuable insights into their current capabilities and outlining directions for future enhancements. The code is available at https://github.com/masamune-prog/warc2summary for further development and use by institutions facing similar challenges
The Invisible Default: Examining Representation in Digital Collections
Get PDFThis mixed-method study investigates the representation of race and ethnicity within the J. Willard Marriott Digital Library at the University of Utah. The digital collections analyzed in this study come from the Marriott Library’s Special Collections, which represent only a fraction of the library’s physical material (less than 1 percent), albeit those most public facing. Using a team-based approach with librarians from various disciplines and areas of expertise, this project yielded dynamic analysis and conversation combined with heavy contemplation. These investigations are informed by contemporary efforts in librarianship focused on inclusive cataloging, reparative metadata, and addressing archival silences. By employing a data-intensive approach, the authors sought methods of analyzing both the content and individuals represented in our collections. This article introduces a novel approach to metadata analysis—as well as a critique of the team’s initial experiments—that may guide future digital collection initiatives toward enhanced diversity and inclusion
Open for Who? Reality of Knowledge Access in the Prison Industrial Complex
Get PDFThe open movement at large is one of radical redistribution of power. However, as it currently stands, access advocacy often falls short when it comes to individuals within the prison industrial complex. The pervasive assumption that open means accessible inhibits scholarship, especially for justice-impacted scholars who do not have "regular" internet access. While this is especially difficult for students experiencing incarceration, a lack of equitable access is an issue for all library users. This is a reflection on open access, intellectual freedom, digital equity, and the duty of librarians to be mindful of access barriers in conversations surrounding these topics, as well as an overview of the technology and scholarship access within the prison industrial complex. It's informed based on my own experience with justice-impacted scholars in California State Prisons as well as current literature around education programs and digital (in)equity issues for those currently and recently incarcerated. It is a call for furthering our discussions and advocacy by acknowledging current limitations in order to appreciate the full potential of openness as an equalizer, a philosophy and practice that promotes information equity for all
Learning, Listening, and Leading: A Systems Librarian’s First Year
Get PDFStarting a systems librarian role after a prolonged vacancy presents a distinct set of challenges and opportunities. This reflective column explores the experience of navigating the first year in such a position, emphasizing the importance of learning through action, relationship-building, and adaptive leadership. From mastering core systems to establishing connections across campus IT and internal library departments, the column highlights strategies for building credibility and trust while supporting critical library services. It also examines the transition from technical contributor to departmental leader, illustrating how systems librarians increasingly engage in strategic planning, policy development, and organizational change. This column offers practical insights for new systems librarians stepping into evolving roles at the intersection of technology, user experience, and institutional priorities
Free Online Graphic Design Software: Canva versus Adobe Express
Get PDFThe need to capture patrons attention with interesting flyers and advertisement is extremely critical to library staff’s work. So having an easy to use graphical program that can help even the most novice designer can help elevate designs to the next level. Two free online graphic design programs, Canva and Adobe Express, make it easy for any creative project. While each program is fairly similar, the few difference between the two programs may help decide why chose one over the other
Weaving the Threads of Bibliographic Ontologies: Application of a Reference Ontology to Advance Semantic Interoperability
Get PDFBibliographic ontologies are crucial to make the most of networked library metadata, but they show interoperability limitations in the Semantic Web. Following a research study on the subject, this paper presents a possible solution to such limitations by means of a reference ontology (RO) intended to allow integration of different ontologies without imposing a common central one and to overcome limitations of mapping techniques, such as crosswalks and application profiles, most used in interconnecting bibliographic ontologies. Interoperability issues of Resource Description and Access (RDA) and Bibliographic Framework Initiative—BIBFRAME (BF) ontologies are addressed using real-world examples from the Library of Congress (LoC) and Biblioteca Nacional de España (BNE) datasets. For a proof of concept of the RO, this paper is focused on two specific interoperability problems that are not solvable with the usual data transformative techniques: misalignments concerning the definition and representation of Work and Expression classes; and the absence of formalization of properties essential to whole-part relationships, namely transitivity, nonreflexivity and asymmetry. The potential of the RO for solving such problem examples is demonstrated by making in-depth use of Resource Description Framework Schema/Web Ontology Language (RDFS/OWL) semantic reasoning and inference mechanisms, combined with Shapes Constraint Language (SHACL), when restrictions are needed to impose data constraints and validation. The RO innovation consists in the formulation of an independent high-level ontology, through which the elements of different source-ontologies are interlinked without being modified or replaced, but rather preserved, and in using semantic mechanisms to generate additional elements needed to consistently describe the relationship between them
Enhancing Discoverability: Transitioning a Board Game Collection from a LibGuide to a CollectionBuilder Site
Get PDFAs board game collections continue to grow in popularity at academic institutions, the University of Idaho Library wanted to establish an accessible and easy-to-use discovery tool for its physical game collection. At the collections’ origins, a LibGuide was created by librarians for this purpose, but as the collection records continued to grow into the triple digits, something more adaptable and customizable was necessary. In the summer of 2023, a team of librarians came together to build a custom site to house the game collection’s information using CollectionBuilder, an open-source framework for digital collections and exhibits websites that are driven by metadata and powered by modern static web technology. Creating this site came with unique challenges and considerations specific to the University of Idaho Library’s needs in displaying their board games. CollectionBuilder’s ability to support iterative and agile development, ample instructional documentation, and seemingly endless customizations makes it a suitable solution for a growing and changing collection discovery tool
Chatbots and Scholarly Databases: Impressions from Trying Out Scopus AI
Get PDFThis viewpoint article explores Scopus AI—Elsevier’s innovative add-on to the Scopus database—which allows users to engage with Scopus in natural language rather than via Boolean operators. Scopus AI’s strength lies in combining the communication properties of a large language model with the information integrity of peer-reviewed sources. It does not substitute the need to review the literature but can be helpful in search, especially if stakes are low and a systematic approach is unnecessary. Because of increased sophistication of tools and information systems, the degree of competencies required from users also increases. Reasonable understanding of how AI works, as well as search expertise, a critical approach to source evaluation, and scientific skepticism remain essential. With these in place, and with a clear understanding of the purpose of various information tasks, users can be better positioned to decide how best to employ various tools to get the job done