ITAL Information Technology and Libraries (E-Journal)
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Mapping for the Masses: GIS Lite & Online Mapping Tools in Academic Libraries
Get PDFCustomized colorful maps depicting complex social data are much more prevalent today than in the past. Not only in formal published outlets, interactive map sites make it easy to create and publish custom maps in more casual outlets such as social media. This article defines GIS Lite, describes three licensed products currently licensed by institutions, and discusses issues that arise from their varied functionality and license restrictions.
 
KWIC Index to Government Publications
Get PDFUnited States and United Nations publications were not efficiently proc- essed nor readily available to the reader at Brandeis University Library. Data processing equipment was used to make a list of this material which could be referred to by a computer produced KWIC index. Currency and availability to the user, and time and cost efficiencies for the library were given precedence over detailed subject access. United States and United Nations classification schemes> and existing bibliographies and indexes were used extensively
Animated Subject Maps for Book Collections
Get PDFOf our two primary textual formats, articles by far have received the most fiscal and technological support in recent decades. Meanwhile, our more traditional format, the book, seems in some ways to already be treated as a languishing symbol of the past. The development of OPACs and the abandonment of card catalogs in the Eighties and Nineties is the seminal evolution in print monograph access, but little else has changed. To help users locate books by call number and browse the collection by subject, animated subject maps were created. While the initial aim is a practical one, helping users to locate books and subjects, the subject maps also reveal the knowledge organization of the physical library, which it displays in a way that can be meaningful to faculty, students, and other community members. We can do more with current technologies to assist and enrich the experience of users searching and browsing for books. The subject map is hopefully an example of how we can do more in this regard
Content Management Systems: Trends in Academic Libraries
Get PDFAcademic libraries, and their parent institutions, are increasingly using Content Management Systems (CMSs) for website management. In this study, the author surveyed academic library web managers from four-year institutions to discover whether they had adopted CMSs, which tools they were using, and their satisfaction with their website management system. Other issues, such as institutional control over library website management, were raised. The survey results showed that CMS satisfaction levels vary by tool, and that many libraries do not have input into the selection their CMS because the determination is made at an institutional level. These findings will be helpful for decision makers involved in the selection of CMSs for academic libraries
Editorial Board Thoughts: The Promise of Immersive Libraries
Get PDFEditorial Board Thoughts: The Promise of Immersive Librarie
Searchable Signatures: Context and the Struggle for Recognition
Get PDFSocial networking sites made possible through Web 2.0 allow for unique user-generated tags called “searchable signatures.” These tags move beyond the descriptive and act as means for users to assert online individual and group identities. A study of searchable signatures on the Instagram application demonstrates that these types of tags are valuable not only because they allow for both individuals and groups to engage in what social theorist Axel Honneth calls the struggle for recognition, but also because they provide contextual use data and sociohistorical information so important to the understanding of digital objects. This article explores how searchable signatures might be used by both patrons and staff in library environments
A Comparative Analysis on the Effect of the Chosen ILSes on Systems and Technical Services Staffing Models
No full textThis analysis compares how the traditional ILS and the next-generation ILS impact systems and technical services staffing models at academic libraries. The method used in this analysis is to select two categories of ILSes—two well-established traditional ILSes and three leading next-generation ILSes—and compare them by focusing on two aspects: (1) software architecture, and (2) workflows and functionality. The results of the analysis show that the next-generation ILS will have substantial implications for library systems and technical staffing models in particular, suggesting that library staffing models should be redesigned and key librarian and staff positions be redefined to meet the opportunities and challenges brought on by the next-generation ILS.
Keywords: next-generation ILS, client-server computing, cloud computing, library staffing mode
Detection of Information Requirements of Researchers Using Bibliometric Analyses to Identify Target Journals
Get PDFIn this study, we used bibliometric analyses to identify journals that are representative of SRC VB “Vector” and IPGG SB RAS. We also describe methods to semiautomatically collect data for an institute’s publications and which journals they cite. Citation analyses of lists of articles and their citations can help librarians to quickly identify the preferred journals in terms of the number of publications, and the most frequently cited journals. The librarian can use these data to generate a list of journals that an institute should subscribe to
First Aid Training for Those on the Front Lines: Digital Preservation Needs Survey Results 2012
Get PDFEvery day history is being made and recorded in digital form. Every day, more and more digitally-captured history disappears completely or becomes inaccessible due to obsolescence of hardware, software, and formats. Although it has long been the focus of libraries and archives to retain, organize, and preserve information, these communities face a critical skills gap. Until we have in place the infrastructure, expertise and resources to distill critical information from the digital deluge and preserve it appropriately, what steps can those in the field take to help mitigate the loss of our cultural heritage? This article argues for the need for practical, accessible free or low-cost digital preservation training webinars, and reports on the results of a survey to identify the most important topics and types of materials on which to focus.
 
An Evaluation of Finding Aid Accessibility for Screen Readers
Get PDFSince the passage of the American Disabilities Act in 1990 and the coincident growth of the Internet, academic libraries have worked to provide electronic resources and services that are accessible to all patrons. Special collections are increasingly being added to these Web-based library resources, and they must meet the same accessibility standards. The recent popularity surge of Web 2.0 technology, social media sites, and mobile devices has brought greater awareness about the challenges faced by those who use assistive technology for visual disabilities. This study examines the screen reader accessibility of online special collections finding aids at 68 public U.S. colleges and universities in the Association of Research Libraries