Featured in American Libraries Direct 9/10/08
The Hub at the University of Kentucky
Stacey Greenwell writes: “At the University of Kentucky, we just launched a video about our information commons, the Hub. As part of a group focused on student and faculty support, the video was a collaboration between the library and the teaching and academic support center. The video takes a humorous look at what the Hub has to offer students. We worked with student actors over the summer (I paid them in vending machine snacks—which also made great props).” They have both a short (0:31) and a long (3:24) version....The Uncommon Commons, Sept. 3; blip.tv
In addition, UK PR created a video on the Young Library which can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MNe7rv7fYQ
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Library Instruction Videos
Cornell University has created a series of library instruction videos and posted them on YouTube (www.youtube.com/user/olinlibrary) Our librarians have developed something similar which can be found in our Research Toolbox -- http://www.uky.edu/Libraries/FindIt/ Ours are DEFINITELY more entertaining! Good work!
Network in Young Library to be Upgraded
For some time we have been requesting funding and working with various areas on campus to plan for an upgrade to the network in the Young Library. While the wireless network was addressed last spring, we continued to work toward an upgrade of the wired infrastructure as well. With funding from the Provost, Campus Information Technology, and our own budget, that upgrade to some of the network equipment in the communications closets of the W. T. Young Library will begin this fall. Kelly will be sending out a more detailed message to the allyoung listserv.
Nancy Lewis Selected for Circles of Power Program
This leadership program for women faculty at UK began in fall 1998 and a number of the libraries’ faculty have participated. This program is “designed to enhance the leadership skills of women who have leadership interests and capabilities. Nancy Lewis has been selected for the program in 2008. Congratulations!
Library Diversity
I have posted two documents about the diversity of the Libraries faculty and staff. The first is the 2007 Minority Utilization Report for the Libraries which has just been received. This new report can be found in SharePoint under the Office of the Dean, Diversity. https://libstaffsrv.uky.edu/OD/default.aspx The reports from 2005 and 2006 are also there for comparison. This report is constructed for the entire university and the each college each year to report the current diversity of our staff. You will see for the purposes of this study (and based on national standards), we are now in the category of professional staff rather than faculty. This was not the University’s decision but rather a change in the national standards.
What the report says:
For the number of females on our staff – we have met our goals in all categories except service and maintenance
For all minorities – faculty and professional staff, we are currently at 4.2% and our goal is 9.1%
For all minorities – staff (office and clerical being our largest category of staff), we are currently 6.4% and our goal is 13.3%
For African-Americans – faculty and professional staff – we are currently 2.8% and our goal is 4.4%
For African-Americans – staff – we are currently 6.4% and goal is 11.0%
The second document I have posted is a summary of minority librarian information from the ARL Annual Salary Survey. This document – minority librarian data FY07 – reveals that while the number of African American librarians working in ARL has increased slightly, those working in our region, East South Central Region, (Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, Louisville, Tennessee, Vanderbilt) has remained exactly the same – 22.
We continue to have much work to do to enhance the diversity of our entire staff. We must and will continue to focus on diversity as a key goal in the months and years ahead.
What the report says:
For the number of females on our staff – we have met our goals in all categories except service and maintenance
For all minorities – faculty and professional staff, we are currently at 4.2% and our goal is 9.1%
For all minorities – staff (office and clerical being our largest category of staff), we are currently 6.4% and our goal is 13.3%
For African-Americans – faculty and professional staff – we are currently 2.8% and our goal is 4.4%
For African-Americans – staff – we are currently 6.4% and goal is 11.0%
The second document I have posted is a summary of minority librarian information from the ARL Annual Salary Survey. This document – minority librarian data FY07 – reveals that while the number of African American librarians working in ARL has increased slightly, those working in our region, East South Central Region, (Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, Louisville, Tennessee, Vanderbilt) has remained exactly the same – 22.
We continue to have much work to do to enhance the diversity of our entire staff. We must and will continue to focus on diversity as a key goal in the months and years ahead.
Spot Bonus for Jennifer Mattern
Jennifer Mattern (Circulation Department, Access & Delivery) initiated a project involving delinquent overdue fines in 2007. Jennifer coordinated with the Systems Librarian to run a comprehensive report of all patrons who owed fines of $20 or more (the point at which a patron is blocked by the system), then checked the Voyager accounts against University records and found a number of older fines without blocks, totaling over $40,000. Jennifer placed blocks on the eligible accounts and has since collected over $5,400. In conjunction with this project, she updated the status of lost items over five years old to “Lost-Library Applied” and sent lost item bibliographic records to collection managers for replacement consideration. She is continuing to work on contacting patrons to collect fines and set up payment plans.
Jennifer developed this project on her own initiative, and continues to look for ways that the fines and fees process can work more efficiently. Not only has she retrieved several thousand dollars worth of fines owed to the University, she has also made great strides in cleaning up many item and patron records. This effort helps all those looking for library materials, both library visitors and staff. Congratulations, Jennifer!
Jennifer developed this project on her own initiative, and continues to look for ways that the fines and fees process can work more efficiently. Not only has she retrieved several thousand dollars worth of fines owed to the University, she has also made great strides in cleaning up many item and patron records. This effort helps all those looking for library materials, both library visitors and staff. Congratulations, Jennifer!
Fund to Support SLIS Students Who Work at the UK Libraries
The John Thomas Durham Graduate Student Fund was established by Mr. Henry Durham to honor his son, a 1997 graduate of UK’s School of Library and Information Science. Tom’s experience as a student worker in the UK Libraries while a student at the School of Library and Information Science provided a rich learning environment, and the Fund was established to provide enrichment experiences for SLIS students who are also employed at the UK Libraries. The income from the Fund is “used to support and enrich the experiences of School of Library and Information Science graduate student(s) working in the UK Libraries. Graduate student expenses may be partially or totally supported with the income from the Fund.” “Recipients and use of funds will be selected by the Director of the School of Library and Information Science in consultation with the UK Dean of Libraries.” Specifically, the funding is adequate to support some travel and workshop/conference expenses at this time.
The call for applications and the form for that application process have been sent out by the library school. I have posted the PDF ad and application process on our SharePoint site under Grants and Support.
The call for applications and the form for that application process have been sent out by the library school. I have posted the PDF ad and application process on our SharePoint site under Grants and Support.
Director, Library Desktop Support Position Posted
The faculty position of Director of Library Desktop Support, Information Technology Division, is scheduled to appear on the University's Online Employment System job list on Monday, September 29. The detailed job announcement will also post to the Libraries' website on Monday; the deadline for applications is October 31.
Search Committee for Director, Archives Formed
The search committee for the Director, Archives in Special Collections and Digital Programs has been formed. Laura Whayne will serve as chair of the committee. Other members of the committee are: Jen Bartlett, Doug Boyd, Reinette Jones, Judy Sackett (ex officio), and Carrie Wallis. I appreciate their willingness to serve.
Summary of Focus Groups Done by Web Advisory Committee
As part of planning for redesigning the Libraries’ website, the Web Advisory Committee conducted focus groups with library users. Their purpose was to learn how library patrons currently use our site, what works well and what needs improvement. The first sessions focused on undergraduate students. While the numbers are not large making it hard to draw any significant conclusions, the information uncovered is worth a look. A summary can be found in the FY08 Annual Report from the WAC which is on their SharePoint site at https://libstaffsrv.uky.edu/Committees/WAC/default.aspx and is titled “WAC report 2008.”
Department Heads Meeting Minutes
The meeting minutes from the September 10th department heads’ meeting are now posted on the Department Heads SharePoint site.
Netflix Model for Magazines
From American Libraries Direct
The Netflix model for magazines
Maghound is Time Inc.’s new service that lets the consumer choose which magazines to receive each month—with no hassles, at three prices (three titles for $5 a month, five for $8, seven for $10). This may not save the magazine industry, but it’s a good product for anyone who likes magazines. Assuming Maghound takes off, it will offer a pure look at what consumers want to read....Gawker, Sept. 16
The Netflix model for magazines
Maghound is Time Inc.’s new service that lets the consumer choose which magazines to receive each month—with no hassles, at three prices (three titles for $5 a month, five for $8, seven for $10). This may not save the magazine industry, but it’s a good product for anyone who likes magazines. Assuming Maghound takes off, it will offer a pure look at what consumers want to read....Gawker, Sept. 16
When Google Isn't Enough
From American Libraries Direct
When Google isn’t enough
When you need to delve deep into a subject, sometimes Google just won’t do. What you really need is a research engine that explores the unindexed reaches of the Deep Web. For that, there’s now Infovell, “the world’s research engine.” This new subscription-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) engine scours through open-access repositories of information like PubMed Central and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Claims, but it also allows access to scholarly journals such as those from Oxford University Press, Sage, Taylor and Francis, Annual Reviews, and Mary Ann Liebert Publications. Infovell is available for a 30-day free trial....ReadWriteWeb, Sept. 18
When Google isn’t enough
When you need to delve deep into a subject, sometimes Google just won’t do. What you really need is a research engine that explores the unindexed reaches of the Deep Web. For that, there’s now Infovell, “the world’s research engine.” This new subscription-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) engine scours through open-access repositories of information like PubMed Central and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Claims, but it also allows access to scholarly journals such as those from Oxford University Press, Sage, Taylor and Francis, Annual Reviews, and Mary Ann Liebert Publications. Infovell is available for a 30-day free trial....ReadWriteWeb, Sept. 18
Hakia Calls for Help
From American Libraries Direct
Hakia calls for help
Semantic search engine hakia announced September 22 an open call to librarians and information professionals to participate in a new program to unlock credible and free resources to web searchers. Currently, hakia is generating credibility-stamped results for health and medical searches to guide users towards credible web content. These results come from websites vetted by the Medical Library Association. Now, hakia is aiming to further its coverage to all topics, with the participation of other librarians and information professionals....Hakia, Sept. 22
Hakia calls for help
Semantic search engine hakia announced September 22 an open call to librarians and information professionals to participate in a new program to unlock credible and free resources to web searchers. Currently, hakia is generating credibility-stamped results for health and medical searches to guide users towards credible web content. These results come from websites vetted by the Medical Library Association. Now, hakia is aiming to further its coverage to all topics, with the participation of other librarians and information professionals....Hakia, Sept. 22
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Record Breaking Phonathon
Our record-breaking Libraries phonathon has hit $41,029 in dollars pledged. This is a 36.66 percent increase ($11,006) over the previous record set last year. And when compared to three years ago, the dollar amount in the annual Libraries phonathon has more than tripled – $41,029 this year compared to $13,344 three years ago – an increase of 207.47 percent ($27,685). The record number of pledges in this year’s phonathon has now reached 567 – an increase of 6.58 percent (35 donors) over the previous record from last year, and an increase of 180.69 percent (365 donors) from three years ago! To add to that good news, one of our long time library supporters made a challenge grant to match increased gifts of this year’s gift over last year’s gift and we have now maximized all $12,500 of that grant.
I am grateful to those members of the Libraries staff and faculty who have made a contribution to support the Libraries. If you have not been called and would like to make a gift you can contact our development officer Sharon.Ross@uky.edu at 257-0500 ext 2159 or give on line at https://iweb.uky.edu/giveonline/
I am grateful to those members of the Libraries staff and faculty who have made a contribution to support the Libraries. If you have not been called and would like to make a gift you can contact our development officer Sharon.Ross@uky.edu at 257-0500 ext 2159 or give on line at https://iweb.uky.edu/giveonline/
New University Web Pages
Somewhat unexpectedly to us, the University introduced a new web site this week. The good news is that the Libraries has returned to the portion of the page where there are a series of links – in essence we have a link for the Libraries on the front page. The not quite so good news is that the University has inserted an interim page between the main page and our usual home page. These was done in large part as the University is trying to improve the consistency of style across the web page. Kelly Vickery and Rob Aken are working with the University to determine what our options are for further customizing this page so that it can include links that take the user directly to key areas. They will be working with our Web Advisory Committee as well. More when we know it.
Another piece of good news is that you will find our reference desk in Young Library highlighted on the UK Jobs page. The picture features Debbie Sharp and Peter Hesseldenz. On the main page -- http://www.uky.edu/ -- click on Libraries to go to the interim page or click on UK Jobs to see the photo of Debbie and Peter. My thanks to Sharon Ross for bringing this to our attention.
Another piece of good news is that you will find our reference desk in Young Library highlighted on the UK Jobs page. The picture features Debbie Sharp and Peter Hesseldenz. On the main page -- http://www.uky.edu/ -- click on Libraries to go to the interim page or click on UK Jobs to see the photo of Debbie and Peter. My thanks to Sharon Ross for bringing this to our attention.
Former Acquisitions Librarian Passes Away
Dorothy R. Hill passed away on September 4 after a long illness. Noted medical librarian and co-author of the Brandon/Hill Selected Lists of Books and Journals for the Small Medical Library; Nursing; and Allied Health, her work influenced the development of medical library collections worldwide. Daughter of the late Arthur T. and Ruth Hill, Dorothy received numerous awards for her work with medical libraries and had a long career building medical library collections at the University of Kentucky, Johns Hopkins, and Mount Sinai School of Medicine where she spent the last 33 years of her career.
Janet tells me that Ms. Hill was the first Acquisitions Librarian for the UK Medical Center Library and helped our first library director, Al Brandon develop the initial collection of books and journals when the Medical Center opened in 1960
Janet tells me that Ms. Hill was the first Acquisitions Librarian for the UK Medical Center Library and helped our first library director, Al Brandon develop the initial collection of books and journals when the Medical Center opened in 1960
Save the Date! Instruction Symposium
SAALCK will be sponsoring an Instruction Symposium on October 23rd at EKU. This symposium will be similar to others we have held on shared storage, reference redesign etc. An outside speaker has been engaged and we will forward information about the details as soon as they are available.
10 ways to cope with information overload
From American Libraries Direct
10 ways to cope with information overload
Sarah Houghton-Jan writes: “What is information overload? 27 instant messages. 4 text messages. 17 phone calls. 98 work emails. 52 personal emails. 76 email listserv messages. 14 social network messages. 127 social network status updates. 825 RSS feed updates. 30 pages from a book. 5 letters. 11 pieces of junk mail. 1 periodical issue. 3 hours of radio. 1 hour of television. That, my friends, is information overload. Here are 10 techniques for managing it, each in a distinct area of information input.”...Ariadne 56 (July)
10 ways to cope with information overload
Sarah Houghton-Jan writes: “What is information overload? 27 instant messages. 4 text messages. 17 phone calls. 98 work emails. 52 personal emails. 76 email listserv messages. 14 social network messages. 127 social network status updates. 825 RSS feed updates. 30 pages from a book. 5 letters. 11 pieces of junk mail. 1 periodical issue. 3 hours of radio. 1 hour of television. That, my friends, is information overload. Here are 10 techniques for managing it, each in a distinct area of information input.”...Ariadne 56 (July)
Key Stakeholders in the digital transformation of higher education
From American Libraries Direct
Key stakeholders in the digital transformation of higher education
Ithaka’s white paper (PDF file) summarizing its 2006 survey is the first to offer an extensive comparison of attitudes and perspectives of academic faculty with those of academic librarians on the perceived roles of the library and librarian on campus; the effects of transitioning to electronic material on library practice; the place of digital repositories in the campus information-services landscape; and the future plans of academic libraries. Librarians surveyed include both directors and collection development leaders from a wide variety of four-year academic institutions across the United States....Ithaka, Aug. 18
Key stakeholders in the digital transformation of higher education
Ithaka’s white paper (PDF file) summarizing its 2006 survey is the first to offer an extensive comparison of attitudes and perspectives of academic faculty with those of academic librarians on the perceived roles of the library and librarian on campus; the effects of transitioning to electronic material on library practice; the place of digital repositories in the campus information-services landscape; and the future plans of academic libraries. Librarians surveyed include both directors and collection development leaders from a wide variety of four-year academic institutions across the United States....Ithaka, Aug. 18
WorldCat Copyright Evidence Registry
From American Libraries Direct
WorldCat Copyright Evidence Registry
OCLC is piloting a new service for libraries that encourages librarians to discover and share information about the copyright status of books. The WorldCat Copyright Evidence Registry is an effort to build a union catalog of copyright evidence based on WorldCat. Its goal is to encourage a cooperative environment to discover, create, and share copyright evidence through a collaboratively created and maintained database, using the WorldCat model to eliminate duplicate efforts....OCLC, Aug. 25
WorldCat Copyright Evidence Registry
OCLC is piloting a new service for libraries that encourages librarians to discover and share information about the copyright status of books. The WorldCat Copyright Evidence Registry is an effort to build a union catalog of copyright evidence based on WorldCat. Its goal is to encourage a cooperative environment to discover, create, and share copyright evidence through a collaboratively created and maintained database, using the WorldCat model to eliminate duplicate efforts....OCLC, Aug. 25
RDA: The Basics
From American Libraries Direct
RDA: The basics
Ann Chapman writes: “Resource Description and Access is the new cataloging code due to be published next year. The development process has generated (sometimes heated) discussion. It’s designed as an online resource. RDA is a content standard—a set of guidelines for describing a resource. It sets out what information needs to be recorded and in what level of detail in order to support the catalog user in finding, identifying, selecting, and obtaining a resource, enabling them to make informed choices.”...Update (CILIP), Aug. 15
RDA: The basics
Ann Chapman writes: “Resource Description and Access is the new cataloging code due to be published next year. The development process has generated (sometimes heated) discussion. It’s designed as an online resource. RDA is a content standard—a set of guidelines for describing a resource. It sets out what information needs to be recorded and in what level of detail in order to support the catalog user in finding, identifying, selecting, and obtaining a resource, enabling them to make informed choices.”...Update (CILIP), Aug. 15
Kindle 2.0 in the works
From American Libraries Direct
Kindle 2.0 in the works
Michael Arrington writes: “More rumors about the new Kindle are emerging. The first device will have a similar-sized screen as the existing model but will have a much enhanced form factor. The second will be a large-screen device aimed at students and will come later. Somewhere around a quarter of a million Kindles have been sold to date and Amazon is clearly pushing out the last of the current units via a credit-card promotion on their site that drops $100 off the $359 device.”...TechCrunch, Aug. 26; Business Week, Aug. 25
Kindle 2.0 in the works
Michael Arrington writes: “More rumors about the new Kindle are emerging. The first device will have a similar-sized screen as the existing model but will have a much enhanced form factor. The second will be a large-screen device aimed at students and will come later. Somewhere around a quarter of a million Kindles have been sold to date and Amazon is clearly pushing out the last of the current units via a credit-card promotion on their site that drops $100 off the $359 device.”...TechCrunch, Aug. 26; Business Week, Aug. 25
Global information literacy logo contest winner
From American Libraries Direct
Global information literacy logo contest winner
Artist Edgar Luy Pérez of Havana, Cuba, has won the $3,000 prize for creating a global information literacy logo. The winning design was unveiled at the UNESCO session of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions annual congress in early August. Almost 200 designs were submitted by 139 artists from 36 countries. IFLA’s Information Literacy Section will develop a toolkit to promote the logo’s international use....International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, Aug. 10
Global information literacy logo contest winner
Artist Edgar Luy Pérez of Havana, Cuba, has won the $3,000 prize for creating a global information literacy logo. The winning design was unveiled at the UNESCO session of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions annual congress in early August. Almost 200 designs were submitted by 139 artists from 36 countries. IFLA’s Information Literacy Section will develop a toolkit to promote the logo’s international use....International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, Aug. 10
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Gloria Kennedy Plans to Retire
After 19+ years, Gloria Kennedy (Law Library) has indicated her plan to retire on December 5, 2008. Gloria began work with the Libraries on April 3, 1989. Gloria tells us that she and her husband plan to do some traveling and have their passports ready and waiting! We thank her for all of her good work for the Libraries and wish her and her family much happiness in the coming years.
Judge Denise Clayton to Speak
Judge Denise Clayton, Kentucky Court of Appeals, will speak about the Racial Fairness Commission on Wednesday, September 17, beginning at noon, followed by a reception outside the College of Law Courtroom. Judge Clayton’s presentation is sponsored by the UK Libraries and the College of Law. In October 2007, Judge Clayton became the first African American female Kentucky Court of Appeals Judge, representing the 4th Appellate District, Division 2. She was also the first African American female Circuit Court and Chief Circuit Court Judge in Kentucky. Judge Clayton is the chair of the Commission on Racial Fairness for Jefferson County courts. My thanks to Reinette Jones for working with the College of Law to arrange for Judge Clayton’s visit.
Kate Seago Selected for TRLN Management Academy
I’m pleased to announce that Kate Seago has been selected as one of 36 participants in the 2008 Triangle Research Libraries Network Management Academy. This leadership program will be held in Chapel Hill, NC in November and is designed to prepare current and potential mid-level managers in academic libraries to operate with entrepreneurial and business acumen in the management of financial and human resources. Congratulations, Kate.
Terry L. Rusch to Speak
Director of the Office of Admission, State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, Terry L. Rusch will speak on Kosovo, Bhutan, and Iraq on Friday, September 12, at 10:00 a.m. in the Auditorium of the William T. Young Library. Rusch’s talk is titled “The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program: The Humanitarian Track in U.S. Immigration.” This presentation is sponsored by the UK Libraries’ Wendell H. Ford Public Policy Research Center.
ILL Technician Position Posted
As part of our ongoing review of vacant positions, the Executive Committee recently approved proceeding with the filling of the Library Technician position in the Access & Delivery Division.
The Hub Video Highlighted in Stephen Abram's Blog
Stacey Greenwell and the recently released Hub video have been noted and praised in Stephen Abrams’ blog, Stephen’s Lighthouse. The entry is dated September 7th at http://stephenslighthouse.sirsidynix.com/archives/2008/09/index.html
New ARL Rankings Released
Each year with the publication of the Chronicle of Higher Education’s Almanac issue, ARL’s ranking index is released. Based on data from June 30, 2007, UK’s ranking has risen slightly. We are currently ranked #62 among all 113 ARL libraries; #35 among public university libraries. Last year’s rankings were #63 and #37 respectively. You may recall that ARL began using a new set of criteria (based largely on expenditures) with last year’s index. Frankly, UK does not fare as well in this new index as we did in the previous one. You'll find a chart which provides a summary of our ranking in this new index since 2003 in the version of this Dean's update on our SharePoint site.
Rankings do not, of course, reflect the dedication, commitment, services and successes we have had in providing the needed services and collections for our faculty, staff and students. But, they are one way in which the University measures progress toward its goal to be a Top 20 public university.
Rankings do not, of course, reflect the dedication, commitment, services and successes we have had in providing the needed services and collections for our faculty, staff and students. But, they are one way in which the University measures progress toward its goal to be a Top 20 public university.
University Press of Kentucky Signs with ebrary
The University Press of Kentucky has signed a deal with ebrary to distribute its electronic books. ebrary, a “provider of e-content services and technology, today announced that it is greatly enhancing its growing selection of more than 170,000 titles with e-books and other authoritative materials from more than 14 new publishing partners. ebrary has now secured partnerships with more than 300 of the world’s leading publishers of scholarly, STM, trade, and reference content.” See the press release at http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080825005388&newsLang=en
12 Tools that will soon go the way of fax and CDs
From American Libraries Direct
12 Tools that will soon go the way of fax and CDs
Dave Pollard writes: “How does the information behavior of Millennials differ from those of previous generations, and what will that mean for the tools they will and won’t be using in the future? I’ve come up with a list of 12 tools, technologies, and other artifacts that will probably disappear within the next generation, just as fax essentially disappeared less than 20 years after it first became popular, and just as CDs—which my generation thought were the last word in music storage—are disappearing even faster.”...How to Save the World, Aug. 5
http://blogs.salon.com/0002007/2008/08/05.html#a2212
12 Tools that will soon go the way of fax and CDs
Dave Pollard writes: “How does the information behavior of Millennials differ from those of previous generations, and what will that mean for the tools they will and won’t be using in the future? I’ve come up with a list of 12 tools, technologies, and other artifacts that will probably disappear within the next generation, just as fax essentially disappeared less than 20 years after it first became popular, and just as CDs—which my generation thought were the last word in music storage—are disappearing even faster.”...How to Save the World, Aug. 5
http://blogs.salon.com/0002007/2008/08/05.html#a2212
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