Showing papers in "Australian Library Journal in 2015"
TL;DR: This article explored the specific challenges experienced by a traditional academic librarian at Griffith University as she moved into a new role as a data librarian and found that this transition needed to be underpinned by a skills development programme, a mentor/coach and a support network of specialists.
Abstract: In recent years, there has been considerable discussion about the key role which university libraries can play by engaging with their research community. As a result libraries are scoping, developing and implementing new roles and service models, especially in the relatively new area of research data. This article explores the specific challenges experienced by a traditional academic librarian at Griffith University as she moved into a new role as a data librarian. It was found that this transition needed to be underpinned by a skills development programme, a mentor/coach and a support network of specialists. The authors then outline some strategies to facilitate this type of role transition, which include investing in a range of training and staff development activities, leveraging existing core librarian capabilities and understanding the researcher perspective. The article concludes with a suggestion that several national organisations will continue to have an important role in supporting librarians as...
65 citations
TL;DR: Mackey and Jacobsen as mentioned in this paper presented on the topic of metal-theoretic concepts of library and information science during the Seventh International Conference on Conceptions of Library and Information Science in 2010.
Abstract: Mackey and Jacobsen began working on this book during the Seventh International Conference on Conceptions of Library and Information Science in 2010, where they presented on the topic of metalitera...
39 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined six Australian public libraries, investigating why and how they established a pop-up library, and reflecting on their successes, challenges and what they have learnt from the process.
Abstract: This paper examines the pop-up concept, a world-wide trend which has been employed in various commercial and community settings, with a particular interest in how it has been applied to literary environments, using both physical and digital resources. The report examines six Australian public libraries, investigating why and how they established a pop-up library, and reflecting on their successes, challenges and what they have learnt from the process. The paper provides a definition of pop-up libraries and outlines how to create a pop-up library for a public library service, exploring the risks, benefits and issues to consider when planning for a successful pop-up library.
23 citations
Abstract: This document exists because ALJ publishers Taylor & Francis commissioned UK scholarly communications marketing specialists tbi Communications (www.tbicommunications.com) to ‘provide an overview of...
22 citations
TL;DR: The Migrating Heritage: Networks and Collaborations across European Museums, Libraries and Public Cultural Institutions Conference held in Glasgow in 2012, an output of an EU-funded research project.
Abstract: The chapters that make up this book were initially presented as conference papers at the Migrating Heritage: Networks and Collaborations across European Museums, Libraries and Public Cultural Institutions Conference held in Glasgow in 2012, an output of an EU-funded research project, European Museums in an Age of Migrations (MeLa). The focus of the book, therefore, is on the movement of people, whether as a consequence of voluntary or forced migrations, the experiences of refugees, immigrants, nomadic peoples and their contributions to shaping the cultural heritage of different places. Editor Perla Innocenti provides a very scholarly and detailed introduction to the field of study as a prelude to introducing the four main themes of the collection:
20 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss how the liaison librarian can and should work towards building similar long-term "personal" relationships with individual students over the entire period of a student's degree program.
Abstract: Instead of encouraging librarians to focus only on collaboration between themselves and academic staff, this text discusses how the liaison librarian can and should work towards building similar long-term ‘personal’ relationships with individual students over the entire period of a student’s degree programme. Such relationships are intended to provide students with the confidence and ability to seek for information independently and should also provide them with an ongoing and approachable means of support. The chapters of this collection are arranged in a logical order and serve to scaffold the concepts covered in an extremely well-organised and clear manner. Context and background are provided in earlier chapters, as well as detail on the development and case studies of implementation of the personal librarian concept. Further chapters discuss how it relates to information literacy, embedded librarianship and the academic library environment. Later chapters incorporate a ‘real-world’ perspective in that they provide relevant insight from businesses and other academic service areas and cleverly include a ‘faculty perspective’ on the personal librarian. Overall I found this book to be clever and insightful. I would recommend this text, particularly the checklist and best practice chapters, to academic librarians and any other librarians.
20 citations
TL;DR: Examples in this article examine how libraries are taking up opportunities enabled by the convergence of technologies into mobile devices in the participatory culture context – tapping into new communities, engaging with their stakeholders in meaningful ways, enhancing their social impact and transforming their essential roles in today's knowledge society.
Abstract: Libraries are often hailed as the cultural and learning hub of their communities. To deepen community engagement and social inclusion, libraries are adopting new technologies to facilitate a participatory and learning culture. With market saturation of smartphones and tablets and their associated apps, new affordances for content creation, curation and sharing show great potential to enhance participatory culture. The typical smartphone or tablet now incorporates digital technologies such as geo-location, audio, video, photo and web technologies. Bringing these technologies into a single device has enabled the development of apps such as Instagram, HistoryPin and SoundCloud. It has also changed the way users engage with established social networks and photo-sharing sites. Users can now create and share content on an unprecedented scale from any accessible Wi-fi or mobile phone network. Libraries are embracing these technology-rich apps to interact with their customers in many different ways. Examples in t...
18 citations
TL;DR: This is an excellent introduction to user experience design for libraries and embodies the authors’ own advice in being particularly usable and useful.
Abstract: This is an excellent introduction to user experience design for libraries and embodies the authors’ own advice in being particularly usable and useful. Schmidt and Etches succinctly introduce the principles of user experience design and give an overview of user research techniques employed in the book. They utilise the concept of ‘touchpoints’, or potential places of interaction for the user: a library’s website, telephone service, building, shelving, signage, events, library card and library staff, to name a few. Their trinity of great user experience rests on the library’s products and services being simultaneously useful, usable and desirable. While this may sound overwhelming, the book allays trepidation by taking readers systematically through the different areas to be addressed. Each chapter covers a library touchpoint, which includes physical space, service points, policies, signage, collections and online presence. The chapters contain a series of checkpoints that tackle specific aspects of the relevant touchpoint. For example, Chapter 4 on service points contains the following checkpoints:
13 citations
TL;DR: The Minecraft Gaming Day was a uniquely creative experience linking traditional library service provision with socialisation, identity, and the building of community as mentioned in this paper, which challenged the traditional programming approach for young people and creating a program with young people, allowing young people to have a role in library programming, treating them as valued community members.
Abstract: Minecraft is a popular building block game ubiquitous in the cultural landscape of young people. Noticing a gap in traditional library programs for virtual games such as Minecraft, children and youth services librarians at North Melbourne Library developed a collaborative Minecraft Gaming Day between librarians and young library patrons. The Minecraft Gaming Day was a uniquely creative experience linking traditional library service provision with socialisation, identity and the building of community. It challenged the traditional programming approach for young people and creating a program with young people, allowing young people to have a role in library programming, treating them as valued community members, and giving them the ability to contribute their vision to the future of library services. The combination of digital and real play spaces gave the young community a positive, educational and active way to participate in library programming and demonstrated how young people and librarians can work to...
13 citations
TL;DR: This paper explores how linked data is being used in libraries and related institutions in Australia and globally and what makes some projects more successful than others.
Abstract: The semantic web and linked data technologies show great promise for organising and integrating information on the Web. As custodians of bibliographic information, libraries are ideally placed to play a leading role by providing authoritative information in this domain. The semantic web and linked data have been hyped as the solution for everything from integrating legacy data-sets and improving search through to working with big data problems. However, the vision of the semantic web is a long way from being realised. This paper explores how linked data is being used in libraries and related institutions in Australia and globally. Examples are given of linked data in practice and what makes some projects more successful than others.
13 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report on the recent implementation of RFID technology in the library at the University of Technology Sydney, providing insights into the change management process of the RFID implementation.
Abstract: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology is being increasingly implemented in academic libraries due to a promise of increased collections management efficiency. This paper reports on the recent implementation of RFID technology in the library at the University of Technology Sydney, providing insights into the change management process of RFID implementation. The paper focuses on the implications of the implementation and indigenisation of RFID technology for three specific and symbiotic areas of the library: people, processes and technology. Data from interviews with eight participants involved at various levels of the academic library were collected. This paper develops a best practice model through the insights gained by the people involved in the RFID implementation. The case study posits the dynamic relationships between people, processes and technology as greatly impacted by the implementation process, and analyses the divergence between projected and actual outcomes in the implementation pr...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors test ALIA's statement that library print and ebook collections will establish a 50:50 equilibrium by 2020 against the experience and likely trajectory of the Curtin University Library.
Abstract: This article tests ALIA's statement that ‘library print and ebook collections will establish a 50:50 equilibrium by 2020’ against the experience and likely trajectory of Curtin University Library. It identifies features of the higher education landscape that have led to the development of epreferred strategies, outlines current collection principles, and describes the current state of the Library's holdings. Looking ahead, the article charts the likely impact of the current collection development framework over the next six years, considering questions relating to budget, use of space, client experience and treatment of the legacy print collection.
TL;DR: To lack the skills and resources to be online in today's world means being excluded from a great many activities and opportunities essential for life and growth Government departments, corporations as discussed by the authors...
Abstract: To lack the skills and resources to be online in today's world means being excluded from a great many activities and opportunities essential for life and growth Government departments, corporation
TL;DR: The State Library of New South Wales has its own deep memories that condition its present and contribute to its future as discussed by the authors, and they have their own memories, enshrined in their collections and buildings and as mutable as human memory.
Abstract: Memory institutions, including libraries, transmit experience and creativity across the borders of time and space, language and custom, tribe and individuality. As institutions, they have their own memories, enshrined in their collections and buildings and as mutable as human memory. Those memories echo through the institutions, shaping expectations and possibilities. Tracing its history back nearly two centuries, the State Library of New South Wales has its own deep memories that condition its present and contribute to its future. This paper offers a case study of that Library to explore the nature and consequences of institutional memory in memory institutions. The address on which this paper is based opened the 11th Library History Forum held at the State Library of New South Wales on the 18th and 19th November, 2014.
TL;DR: Drawing on the industry experience of a linked data university lecturer and consultant, as well as a researcher in semantic hypermedia, Linked data for libraries, archives and museums is a practical guide to publishing quality metadata as linked data.
Abstract: Digitisation projects are the norm now in libraries, but are you getting the most out of the data? You may not be. This highly practical book will shed some light on how you can enrich and streamline the metadata you are creating and help ensure that our precious cultural heritage has greater exposure beyond the walls of our institutions. Drawing on the industry experience of a linked data university lecturer and consultant, as well as a researcher in semantic hypermedia, Linked data for libraries, archives and museums is a practical guide to publishing quality metadata as linked data. After an introduction to basic metadata principles, the authors explore how to model, clean, reconcile, enrich and publish metadata to become a valuable part of the Semantic Web as linked data. They also delve into the topics of controlled vocabularies (SKOS, RDFS and OWL), crowdsourcing, APIs, data profiling and code. The goal of the book is ‘the sustainable publication of linked data’ and to ‘lower the technical barrier towards understanding linked data’. It does this by providing the reader with conceptual and practical understanding. The book’s accompanying website provides the reader with downloadable metadata files that correspond to the case studies and exercises in the book. These practical hands-on tasks go a long way to achieving the goal of lowering the technical barrier to understanding linked data by providing the reader with a means to do, conceptualise and understand, rather than just read and theorise. Whilst at times highly complex, this seven-chapter book by no means has to be read in chapter sequence or in its entirety.One canflick through sections or skip themaltogether if they seem irrelevant. Another positive feature of this book is that, even though its provenance is the UK, it is by no means worthwhile only to professionals in the UK. The book provides case studies from around the globe, including one fromAustralia’s very own PowerhouseMuseum. Some of us assume that linked data are coming, but the reality is, as this book underlines, that it is already here. If we do not make the effort to understand its theoretical concepts as it develops, we will be left in the dark, asking why we failed to make our collections and valuable data discoverable. If you are a cataloguer or similar metadata enthusiast wanting to broaden your knowledge and become more at home with linked data, then this is one book worth reading, especially now that libraries around the world are implementing RDA, and with BIBFRAME on the way.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors define who librarians are as: "Our communities still think of us as keepers of books, and although that is still a big part of being a librarian in many instances, it is not the only thing."
Abstract: Who are we as librarians? Our communities still think of us as keepers of books, and, although that is still a big part of being a librarian in many instances, it is not the only thing. On the othe...
TL;DR: The authors explored the changing relationship between family historians and libraries from a sociological perspective, tracking changing trends in the kinds of family and social histories that libraries make accessible and family historians pursue.
Abstract: This article explores the changing relationship between family historians and libraries. Written from a sociological perspective, it tracks changing trends in the kinds of family and social histories that libraries make accessible and family historians pursue. Looking back at library services in past decades, it can be seen that libraries, as well as genealogical societies, once qualified access to information according to social conventions of propriety. However, in recent times, libraries have increasingly democratised their services and accommodated family historians, just as family historians have begun to unearth more diverse, ‘common,’ and concealed histories. Drawing together a range of sources – including memoir, library user survey results, and contemporary sociological studies – the paper examines how cultural institutions have affected and responded to changing preferences in family history research.
TL;DR: Halstead, Clifton and Wilson as discussed by the authors take response planning a step further than usual, focusing on continuiteted library disaster planning, which has been extensively addressed over the years.
Abstract: Library disaster planning has been extensively addressed over the years, but here Halstead, Clifton and Wilson take response planning a step further than usual. They particularly focus on continuit...
TL;DR: With good foundational information and excellent illustrative examples of consortia from which to learn, librarians will find Library Consortia: Model for Collaboration and Sustainability a valuable tool in achieving and sustaining library cooperation.
Abstract: brings much of value to all those who participate. But consortia do not always succeed for many and varied reasons. So, how do we ensure these valuable arrangements are successful and will continue to be so into the future? Editors Horton and Pronevitz, who have also written some of the content, have over 35 years of managing five different library consortia between them. Thus they bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to Library Consortia: Model for Collaboration and Sustainability in their effort to help libraries create, maintain or rejuvenate existing consortia so that they benefit all those involved for the long term. The book is divided into two parts, the first giving an overview of library consortia, the current landscape, managing consortia and ending with a chapter each on consortial arrangements for e-resources and physical resources. These chapters are written by the editors, with two co-written with other authors. Each of these chapters also includes a short list of quality references for further exploration of the topic. The second part is dedicated to case studies of selected consortia, written by staff involved in them, as well as case studies on particular types of consortia that cover inter-consortial licensing and local history digital initiatives. The book is very US-centric, as the survey and case studies are based on US consortia and references are to the US legal requirements for library consortia. The narrower focus is only a small detraction from the content, however, as most of the information, from management practices to online training to cataloguing to discovery tools, either applies, or is easily translatable, to the Australasian library environment. Australian libraries are already heavily involved in local consortia and, in times of tightening budgets, are finding them of more value than ever before. With good foundational information and excellent illustrative examples of consortia from which to learn, librarians will find Library Consortia: Model for Collaboration and Sustainability a valuable tool in achieving and sustaining library cooperation.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors measured the usage of print books and ebooks at the Barwon Health Library, Geelong, Victoria from 2012 to 2014 as a means of predicting future use.
Abstract: This study measures the usage of print books and ebooks at the Barwon Health Library, Geelong, Victoria, from 2012 to 2014 as a means of predicting future use. A literature review was conducted to identify studies of ebook usage and factors affecting the balance between print and ebook usage in hospital and health libraries around the world. In 2014, the authors collated data about the Library's print and ebook collections: collection size, expenditure on print books and ebooks, and usage statistics. The literature review showed that in health/hospital libraries, the use of ebooks was increasing, with static or declining use of print collections. Factors affecting use included availability, accessibility (to content and technical mechanisms) and discoverability, with some flexibility around format preference. Cost and other limitations were ongoing challenges for health libraries. Data collected for this case study indicated a reversal in the balance between usage of print and ebooks, with about 30% print...
TL;DR: In the years following the Second World War and in the context of decolonisation and the Cold War, the public library was promoted at a global level by a variety of organisations such as UNESCO, the International Federation of Library Associations and regional organizations such as the South Pacific Commission as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: In the years following the Second World War and in the context of decolonisation and the Cold War, the public library was promoted at a global level by a variety of organisations such as UNESCO, the International Federation of Library Associations and regional organisations such as the South Pacific Commission. This promotion saw both the idea of the public library being championed – as a means to democracy, individual self-empowerment and modernity amongst other things – as well as practical advice and assistance being given by the developed nations. Australia played a role in this, seeking to assist many countries in the region and even further afield to develop their library infrastructure. Australian librarians such as Harold V. Bonny and Lionel Courteney Key were important in this significant chapter in twentieth century library history. This work sought to bring the public library to all the people of the world.
TL;DR: This paper analysed a range of forecasting reports in order to identify the themes and trends that are most likely to have an impact on how Australian public library services are offered, operated, funded and used into the future, a future which is in flux and uncertain.
Abstract: It is important for libraries to confront and successfully adapt for the future needs of users in a world which is continually and rapidly changing. The Australian Library and Information Association believes that Australian libraries are part of a worldwide network of libraries and that the future success of Australia’s public library networks will be determined in part by the future successes, or failures, of public libraries on a global scale. In order to do the planning required, libraries in Australia and internationally are envisioning their future. This research analysed a range of forecasting reports in order to identify the themes and trends that are most likely to have an impact on how Australian public library services are offered, operated, funded and used into the future, a future which is in flux and uncertain. A range of published documents address the predicted future of libraries. These documents cover various time spans, from 2012 out to 2030, and vary in their predictions. The intent of...
TL;DR: In Australia, crime fiction writers have mastered the art of recreating settings in both rural and metropolitan landscapes as discussed by the authors, providing a rich, if surprising, source of material for the merely curious and the professional researcher.
Abstract: Since the publication of Australia’s first crime novel in 1830, Australians have read crime fiction for entertainment, for the reassurance that wrongdoers will be punished, and to test their deductive skills against those of their favourite sleuth. The novels, short stories and plays within the crime fiction genre that have been produced in Australia between colonial times and the present day also offer opportunities to investigate a particular place or a particular time. Indeed, many crime fiction writers have mastered the art of recreating settings in both rural and metropolitan landscapes. The details provided within these works ultimately reveal a culprit (usually a murderer), yet they also outline the availability of certain products, bus and train timetables, the floor plans of local hotels or world-famous buildings and numerous other particulars, thus providing a rich, if surprising, source of material for the merely curious and the professional researcher. Crime fiction stories set within librarie...
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TL;DR: Rainee, Zickuhr, Purcell, Madden, and Brenner as mentioned in this paper argue that libraries were initially denied access to affordable frontlist content on terms that were fair and reasonable.
Abstract: The year 2010 was the year ebooks and ereaders took off and kept going. There had been devices on the market before this, but by the end of 2010 people not only had the choice of the Amazon Kindle, Sony, Kobo and the Apple iPad, but the online book stores also started to offer a wider range of content to read on them. In November 2010, 6% of adults in the US owned ereaders; by the middle of January 2012, it was 19% (Rainee, Zickuhr, Purcell, Madden, & Brenner, 2012). In January 2014, according to Pew Research, ‘overall, 50% of Americans now have a dedicated handheld device–either a tablet computer like an iPad, or an e-reader such as a Kindle or Nook–for reading e-content’ (Zickuhr & Rainie, 2014). With ebooks available from mainstream retailers, it was only a matter of time before readers would expect to be able to borrow ebooks from libraries. While every kind of library, including university, special and school libraries, needed to tackle the implications of the new digital format, public libraries were in the frontline in terms of consumer demand. In 2012, the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Board initiated an advocacy programme to support libraries in the move to ebooks and in their relationships with publishers and aggregators. It was clear that publishers were struggling on a number of fronts, not only with the challenges of the electronic medium, locking down content and possible loss of income through illegal file sharing, but also with the growing market domination of global online retailers, and these pressures left the publishers little room to develop their thinking around elending. Even the big six publishers worldwide – Allen and Unwin, Hachette, Harper Collins, Penguin, Random House and Simon and Schuster – found it difficult to develop an economic model and pricing structure that worked in the online environment. As a result, libraries were initially denied access to affordable frontlist content on terms that were fair and reasonable. Publishers responded with pricing plans that could be three to four times the retail price of an ebook, and terms that included libraries serving large populations being required by one publisher to buy multiple copies of an ebook, even if only one print copy would have sufficed. Overdrive, based in the USA, was by far the dominant aggregator until recently. In 2010 it was the only viable option for Australian public libraries as an elending platform that bolted onto the library’s own website. Other companies, notably Wheelers from New Zealand, Bolinda, an Australian company, Baker & Taylor and 3M have since entered the arena. These companies have had some success negotiating with publishers for
TL;DR: Geocaching can also be used by libraries as an educational tool, and examples of educational outcomes related to geocaching are provided in this paper, where the placement of a geocache within the Macquarie University Library building is used as an example of a library using Geocaching as an education and outreach tool.
Abstract: Geocaching is an activity which libraries of all types can use as an educational and promotional tool. It is a variation on a scavenger hunt and allows libraries to showcase their services and facilities to people who may not be regular users of the library. Geocaching can also be used by libraries as an educational tool, and examples of educational outcomes related to geocaching are provided. The placement of a geocache within the Macquarie University Library building is used as an example of a library using geocaching as an educational and outreach tool. The geocache has received a very positive response from the local geocaching community. This article provides some background to geocaching, as well as examples of library-related geocaches from around the world.
TL;DR: In this article, a comprehensive guide to collection development and management practices for students and a reference book for practitioners is presented, together with a survey of the most popular collection development practices.
Abstract: First published in 2004, this updated third edition aims to be both a comprehensive guide to collection development and management practices for students and a reference book for practitioners. The...
TL;DR: ‘Data’ is the current buzzword in all organisations, not least in the library and cultural heritage sectors, and libraries have been collecting data about their services and collections for a long time.
Abstract: Currently ‘data’ is the current buzzword in all organisations, not least in the library and cultural heritage sectors. Libraries have been collecting data about their services and collections for a...
TL;DR: The authors presented contrasting snapshots of two school libraries to demonstrate the impacts of greater and lesser collaboration in the designing process, and concluded that design outcomes are enhanced through collaboration between professional designers and key school stakeholders including teacher-librarians, teachers, principals and students.
Abstract: Designing a school library is a complex, costly and demanding process with important educational and social implications for the whole school community. Drawing upon recent research, this paper presents contrasting snapshots of two school libraries to demonstrate the impacts of greater and lesser collaboration in the designing process. After a brief literature review, the paper outlines the research design (qualitative case study, involving collection and inductive thematic analysis of interview data and student drawings). The select findings highlight the varying experiences of each school’s teacher-librarian through the four designing phases of imagining, transitioning, experiencing and reimagining. Based on the study’s findings, the paper concludes that design outcomes are enhanced through collaboration between professional designers and key school stakeholders including teacher-librarians, teachers, principals and students. The findings and recommendations are of potential interest to teacher-librarians, school principals, education authorities, information professionals and library managers, to guide user-centred library planning and resourcing.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss how Australia's public libraries can continue their tradition of education and community development, retaining their relevance by embracing change, and discuss the need for a reinvention that truly reflects their full value in 2015.
Abstract: Technology, new demands from consumers and changing social needs – all the uncontrollable, incredibly fast forces of modern Australia – mean that public libraries need to keep up to avoid going the way of the movie rental store, travel agents, catalogues or even the computer. Can ‘The Library’ be saved or do we need a reinvention that truly reflects their full value in 2015? This paper discusses how Australia's public libraries can continue their tradition of education and community development, retaining their relevance by embracing change.