ITAL Information Technology and Libraries (E-Journal)
Not a member yet
885 research outputs found
Sort by
Implementing Library Maker Projects Outside of the Makerspace: A Case Study
Get PDFThe popularity and relevance of the library makerspace has been well-established and documented in the previous decade of researcher and practitioner work, including numerous hands-on guides from a variety of dimensions relevant to starting and operating a makerspace. Less studied, however, and the focus of this work are the applications of maker technologies within wider library work. Prior qualitative research conducted by the author included interviews with librarians to understand and document their use of maker technologies, such as the Raspberry Pi single-board computer, to support broader library work outside of the makerspace. The findings indicated that common use cases included running library display screens and collecting patron traffic numbers and environmental data. The objective of this subsequent case study is to examine the potential for wider use of such projects by librarians in an academic library setting, by introducing these projects into a new library setting and assessing the related code and educational materials developed by the researcher. This work reports on the findings of the case study, in which the projects were successfully operated in several usage contexts, as well as the challenges and broader implications for adoption within libraries of all types
Text Analysis of Archival Finding Aids: Collection Scoping and Beyond
Get PDFArchival repositories must be strategic and selective in deciding what collections they will acquire and steward. Careful collection stewards balance many factors, including ongoing resource needs and future research use. They ensure new acquisitions build upon existing topical strengths in the repository’s holdings and reassess these existing strengths regularly through multiple lenses. In this study, we examine the suitability of text analysis as a method for analyzing collection scope strengths across a repository’s physical archival holdings. We apply a tool for text analysis called Leximancer to analyze a corpus of archival finding aids to explore topical coverage. Leximancer results were highly aligned with the baseline subject heading analysis that we performed, but the concepts, themes, and co-occurring topic pairs surfaced by Leximancer suggest areas of collection strength and potential focus for new acquisitions. We discuss the potential applications of text analysis for internal library use including collection development, as well as potential implications for wider description, discovery, and access. Text analysis can accurately surface topical strengths and directly lead to insights that can inform future acquisition decisions and archival collection development policies
Letter from the Editors: March 2024
No full textThe editors of Information Technology and Libraries provide an update on Editorial Board activities and summarize the content of the March 2024 issue
Activating Our Intelligence: A Common-Sense Approach to Artificial Intelligence
Get PDFHow can we sift through the AI challenges and create a balanced approach drawing on the library’s strengths? This column presents a reflection on how we can inspire and foster our intelligence and potential to discern useful information about AI and our use of it.  
How Kilgore Memorial Library Fostered County-Wide Collaboration through One Shared Calendar
Get PDFThis essay recounts the development of the “One County, One Calendar” initiative at Kilgore Memorial Library in York, Nebraska. What began as a simple solution for managing the library’s meeting room bookings evolved into a county-wide collaboration aimed at improving communication about local events. By working with the York Chamber of Commerce, the York County Development Corporation, and other county leaders, the library created a shared calendar system that now serves all of York County. This project exemplifies how libraries can play a pivotal role in fostering collaboration and solving community challenges, positioning public libraries as essential facilitators of information and engagement
Adapting Machine Translation Engines to the Needs of Cultural Heritage Metadata
Get PDFThe Europeana digital library features cultural heritage collections from over 3,000 European institutions described in 37 languages. However, most textual metadata describe the records in a single language, the data providers’ language. Improving Europeana’s multilingual accessibility presents challenges due to the unique characteristics of cultural heritage metadata, often expressed in short phrases and using in-domain terminology. This work presents the EuropeanaTranslate project’s approach and results, aimed at translating Europeana metadata records from 23 EU languages into English. Machine Translation engines were trained on a cleaned selection of bilingual and synthetic data from Europeana, including multilingual vocabularies and relevant cultural heritage repositories. Automatic translations were evaluated through standard metrics and human assessments by linguists and domain cultural heritage experts. The results showed significant improvements when compared to the generic engines used before the in-domain training as well as the eTranslation service for most languages. The EuropeanaTranslate engines have translated over 29 million metadata records on Europeana.eu. Additionally, the MT engines and training datasets are publicly available via the European Language Grid Catalogue and the ELRC-SHARE repository
Beyond the Bookshelf: Bringing the Library to Distance Learning Students through Technological Innovation
Get PDFThis column presents a case study exploring innovative approaches to digital librarianship within a distance learning Higher Education institution based in the UK. Key initiatives included asynchronous information literacy instruction, Python scripts for auditing course materials for broken links and copyright compliance, and management of physical extracts via a digital content store. It examines the challenges of building an online library service, balancing learner-centric practice with efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The study analyses the work done and presents future initiatives, offering insights and sharing practices for solo or small team librarians navigating the evolving landscape of both distance and face-to-face education
Technology Integration in Storytime Programs: Provider Perspectives
Get PDFTechnology use is widespread in the lives of children and families, and parents and caregivers express concern about children’s safety and development in relation to technology use. Children’s librarians have a unique role to play in guiding the technology use of children and families, yet little is known about how public library programs facilitate children’s digital literacy. This study sought to uncover librarians’ purposes for using technology in programs with young children as well as the supporting factors and barriers they encountered in attempting to do so. Findings reveal 10 purposes for integrating technology into public library storytime programs and 15 factors across four dimensions that facilitate and/or inhibit its inclusion. If librarians are to embrace the media mentor role with confidence and the necessary knowledge and skills required of the task, much greater attention should be devoted to the responsibility and more support in the way of professional development and resources is necessary
Community-Driven Programming: Offering Coding and Robotics Classes in Your Library
Get PDFMary Carrier serves as the Technology & Growth Specialist for the four counties of the Mohawk Valley Library System in Schenectady, New York. Prior to this position, Mary dedicated over 15 years to teaching digital literacy and technology trends at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library, a suburban public library that has over 40,000 registered patrons and 1,500 visitors per day. The community has a strong presence in youth and family programs and is a popular place for teens and children to learn, play, and create. In 2015, she began offering coding and STEM classes to children and teens at the library and in the community as outreach programs. Mary will share her expertise in technology programming for children and teens and the importance of planning, preparing, and testing curriculum for coding and robotics classes