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Jennifer Bowen | 2 Nov 20:22
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eXtensible Catalog Project Phase 2 Funded

(Apologies for duplicate postings to multiple lists)

We are pleased to announce that the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded
the University of Rochester River Campus Libraries a grant to support Phase
2 of the eXtensible Catalog Project.

During Phase 2 of the eXtensible Catalog Project, the XC Project Team at the
University of Rochester, together with XC Partner Institutions, will develop
the XC software, a set of open-source applications to provide libraries with
an alternative way to reveal their collections to library users.

The full press release is available at:
http://www.rochester.edu/news/show.php?id=3032

More information about the eXtensible Catalog project is available at
www.eXtensiblecatalog.info.

Jennifer Bowen
Co-Principal Investigator, eXtensible Catalog Project
Director of Metadata Management
River Campus Libraries
University of Rochester
352A Rush Rhees Library, Box 270055
Rochester, NY 14627-005
jbowen <at> library.rochester.edu
ph:   585-275-0004 [please note new phone number!]
fax:  585-273-1032
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Ross Singer | 6 Nov 02:42
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Bibliocommons featured on ITConversation

Jon Udell recently interviewed Beth Jefferson of Bibiocommons on ITConversation.

http://itc.conversationsnetwork.org/shows/detail3424.html

Bibliocommons is a federated social software layer for library
collections, centralizing the community to reach critical mass.   Beth
talks a bit about the philosophy behind their approach, their vision
and current practice.  If you've seen Beth present about
Bibliocommons, you'll probably be pretty familiar with everything in
this, but I reckon majority of the subscribers to this list haven't.

It's a bit long (over 45 minutes) but very NextGen-y.
-Ross.
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Andrew Nagy | 6 Nov 17:45
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Position: Programmer at Villanova University Library

The Falvey Memorial Library at Villanova University is currently seeking a Library Software Development
Specialist to work with the Technology Development Team.
This position reports to the Technology Management Team and is responsible for designing, developing,
testing and deploying new technology methods, tools and resources to extend and enhance
digitally-mediated or digitally-delivered library services, including but not limited to, Web
interfaces, digital reference and research assistance, digitization and digital library
development, institutional repository services, "portalization" and personalization of library
resources, the integration of handheld devices into the library service environment, Web content
management, collaboration software, staff Intranet services, online knowledge base development, and
related areas.  This person will also serve as trainer and mentor to librarians and other library staff
involved in new technology initiatives, with an emphasis on skill transfer, skill development, and the
expansion of the library's technology base in support of continuously improving digital services for
library users.

Requirements include:  Bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems or a related field
required; 1 year of professional experience developing and implementing technology projects in a
collaborative, team-based, goal-oriented environment; ability to work independently on programming
and technology implementation projects; ability to listen to and act upon the needs and suggestions of
others, in support of user-oriented systems design and development; excellent analytical skills to
support problem solving, systems analysis, software functional specification, and debugging;
ability to juggle multiple competing priorities; excellent writing skills for the preparation of
clear, user-oriented documentation; capacity for higher-level strategic analysis of technology
trends; working knowledge of PC and Unix-based computing platforms and operating systems; working
knowledge of web development tools and technologies, including PHP, ASP, .Net, Java, HTML and CSS, AJAX,
XML, XSLT and XQuery; working knowledge of Unix server administration and related scripting languages;
working knowledge of SQL, database systems, and basic principles of database design.

You may email resumes, but please include a cover letter, resume and references in only one attachment. 
Please submit resumes to hr <at> villanova.edu<mailto:hr <at> villanova.edu>, or fax to (610) 519-6667. 
Please send only one resume.
(Continue reading)

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Bill Burkholder | 6 Nov 19:35
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What Happened

Hi,

I've been a constant lurker on this listserv. I am in awe with responders'
expertise and enjoy reading your posts. This listserv has been an invaluable
resource. I'm just checking to see if I've been bumped from this listserv or
has it retired?

Bill Burkholder
Library System Work Group Leader
Bertrand Library
Bucknell University
570-577-3251, burkhldr <at> bucknell.edu
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Eric Lease Morgan | 6 Nov 20:37
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Re: What Happened

On Nov 6, 2007, at 1:35 PM, Bill Burkholder wrote:

> I've been a constant lurker on this listserv. I am in awe with
> responders'
> expertise and enjoy reading your posts. This listserv has been an
> invaluable
> resource. I'm just checking to see if I've been bumped from this
> listserv or
> has it retired?

No, the list has not been retired. I guess we're just resting.  :-)

--
Eric Lease Morgan
University Libraries of Notre Dame

(574) 631-8604
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Eric Lease Morgan | 6 Nov 20:57
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building communities

At the risk of looking like I'm just trying to fill a void, I have
been thinking about building communities and "next generation"
library catalogs.

More specifically, I'm wondering how groups of people interested in
this issue can *physically* get together to discuss the issues. There
have been a number of symposiums across the United States relating to
this topic. A number of virtual interest groups have formed, this
mailing list being one of them. There are a number of large-scale
investigations taking place as well as a number of smaller ones.
Technical solutions both open source and proprietary have presented
themselves.

While I do not advocate a centralized effort, I do advocate
additional communication methods. Email can only go so far.
Conference reports can only go so far. Once people get together in
the same room they can more easily share ideas, identify
similarities, make priorities, and create plans. I sincerely believe
most of the constituents outlined above have more things in common
than differences. Yes, let a thousand flowers bloom. By coupling our
networked environment with face-to-face communication we can build
more bridges and have a stronger vision of where we want to go.

Put another way, if you are working on some sort of "next generation"
library catalog thingee, then please consider reaching out to your
fellow problem solvers to garner their input. You do not have to do
this work alone.

--
Eric Lease Morgan
(Continue reading)

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Mike Cunningham | 6 Nov 20:56
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Re: Bibliocommons featured on ITConversation

Thanks for pointing that out. I just saw Beth speak last week and at
this point, the BiblioCommons software is the most interesting NGC I've
seen...very promising stuff...

> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Date:    Mon, 5 Nov 2007 20:42:38 -0500
> From:    Ross Singer <rossfsinger <at> GMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Bibliocommons featured on ITConversation
>
> Jon Udell recently interviewed Beth Jefferson of Bibiocommons on ITConversation.
>
> http://itc.conversationsnetwork.org/shows/detail3424.html
>
> Bibliocommons is a federated social software layer for library
> collections, centralizing the community to reach critical mass.   Beth
> talks a bit about the philosophy behind their approach, their vision
> and current practice.  If you've seen Beth present about
> Bibliocommons, you'll probably be pretty familiar with everything in
> this, but I reckon majority of the subscribers to this list haven't.
>
> It's a bit long (over 45 minutes) but very NextGen-y.
> -Ross.
>

--
Mike Cunningham
Web Services Librarian
Cambridge Libraries
(Continue reading)

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Caryn Anderson | 6 Nov 21:31

NEASIST Event - Guerilla Innovation (Nov. 15)

LAST CALL - REGISTRATION OPEN THROUGH FRIDAY

****** Please excuse cross postings *******

 From Guerilla Innovation to Institutional Transformation:
Information Professionals as Change Agents

Thursday, November 15, 2007, 8:30a - 3:45p
Providence College, Providence, RI

Register Now: http://www.neasist.org/pc/programs/20071115.html

Embedded libraries... usability and findability... hacking your
OPAC... agile development... metadata aggregators... Web 2.0 and
social software... user-centered design... library as experience. In
the past few years we continue to see an explosion of visionary new
strategies for organizing and providing access to information products
and services. The forward-thinking problem-solvers among us have
eagerly educated ourselves and developed plans to apply this next
generation of theoretical and practical approaches to the toughest
dilemmas in our information environments. And then we hit the wall...

No matter how brilliant the idea or solution, only organizations with
an established "culture of transformation" seem to even listen to our
cutting edge solutions, never mind providing the resources and
leadership support to explore these potential innovations.

So how do we cultivate "cultures of transformation" in our
institutions? How do we carve out time and space for exploration and
experimentation? How do we encourage the kind of unrestrained
(Continue reading)

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Joseph Lucia | 6 Nov 21:37
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Re: building communities

   I'm a long-term lurker on this list and the director of the library at Villanova, where we initiated the
VuFInd project.  I like what Eric has written below.  We are planning a VuFind interest group meeting at
Mid-Winter.  We have a room and a time (10:30 a.m. on Saturday). More details when ALA Midwinter is closer
upon us.  While I obviously have a great interest in encouraging uptake and engagement with VuFind, I would
be happy to have that gathering also serve the function of a general meeting of the minds around open source
NGCs and related initiatives. The "social functionality" asepct is critical.  I think the more
collaboration and cross-pollination we can get in this arena, the faster the tools will develop and the
better they'll be.

*********
Joe Lucia
University Librarian
Villanova University
610-519-4290

-----Original Message-----
From: Next generation catalogs for libraries [mailto:NGC4LIB <at> listserv.nd.edu] On Behalf Of Eric Lease Morgan
Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2007 2:57 PM
To: NGC4LIB <at> listserv.nd.edu
Subject: [NGC4LIB] building communities

At the risk of looking like I'm just trying to fill a void, I have
been thinking about building communities and "next generation"
library catalogs.

More specifically, I'm wondering how groups of people interested in
this issue can *physically* get together to discuss the issues. Ther3
have been a number of symposiums across the United States relating to
this topic. A number of virtual interest groups have formed, this
mailing list being one of them. There are a number of large-scale
(Continue reading)

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Joseph Lucia | 6 Nov 23:01
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A Thought Experiment

  My reply to Eric's message has spurred me on to share a few other thoughts that have been kicking around in my
head about the success prospects for open source applications in libraries.  What most frustrates me in a
general sense is the degree to which in libraries our human capital and our financial resources are tied
into commercial software that rarely meets our needs well.  That is old news.  The issue is how to break free
of the inertia that keeps us in a technologically paralyzed state.

  I have initiated a number of conversations within the mid-Atlantic region about the very real potential
for a shift of those investments from commercial software support (and staff technical support for
commercial products) to a collaborative support environment for open source applications facilitated
by our regional network (in this case Palinet, where, in the interest of full disclosure, I currently
serve as board president).

   It is frightening for many to contemplate the leap to open source, but if there were a clear process and
well-defined path, with technical partners able to provide assistance through the regional networks, I
suspect some of the hesitancy to make this move, even among smaller libraries, might dissipate quickly. 
Within Palinet, for instance, we have a small regional public library system that has successfully made
the transition to Koha and has been able to re-direct funds that used to go into software support to local
initiatives.  There's also a publlic library that has transitioned its public computing environment to
Linux, at considerable savings and with reduced support & acquisition costs for technology.  The success
models are there and developing best practice frameworks and impl
 ementation support methods that will scale will not be rocket science.

   These are small test cases but I think they prove the concept.  Evergreen is clearly a project on a much larger
scale that is working. And it seems to be driven by the same economies I am trying to describe here. I look  at
my own technology budget and think about how much we expend annually for inferior commercial software. 
Then I ask myself what if I could find even just a handful of regional partners to pool funds and initiate a
support & development consortium for Evergreen (as one obvious choice).  I can easily envision a
collaborative group of academic libraries identifying a million dollars of "liberated" software
support funds within a year.
(Continue reading)

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