Tag Archives: LITA

LITA provides privacy checklists for libraries

LITA 50th anniversary logo

One of the primary ethical obligations for library people is to preserve the privacy of their patrons. This can be tough to do sometimes, and we can be leaking information in ways we have not even considered.  To help us all provide quality service, the Library Information Technology Association, working with the Intellectual Freedom Committee, has put together some checklists for you to use in your own library.

Remember: even if you are alone in your library, you are part of the CMLE system, and part of the larger profession of library and information science! We are all working together to provide great service to all our communities!

Continue reading LITA provides privacy checklists for libraries

Digital Library Federation establishes a new group

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We are passing on a call for you to join this group if you are interested in data management and digital scholarship work!

From LITA:

I’d like to share an opportunity for those of you involved in data management and digital scholarship services at research libraries: the Digital Library Federation (DLF) has opened a call for interest regarding its 2017 eResearch Network (eRN).

The eRN is a community of practice focused on resource-sharing, collaboration, and networking. Over the course of six months, our amazing faculty, Jason Clark and Sara Mannheimer, will lead teams through a series of webinars, practical assignments, and cohort discussions that will help them build skills and programs at their institutions. Continue reading Digital Library Federation establishes a new group

LITA Forum 2015 Summary: A CMLE Scholarship

The following post was submitted by CMLE Scholarship recipient, Violet Fox, College of St. Happy Holidays!Benedict/St. John’s University Metadata Librarian.

I was able to attend LITA Forum 2015 (sponsored by the American Library Association’s Library and Information Technology Association division) in Minneapolis in November. It was my first time at LITA Forum, which is designed for those working on the cutting edge of technology to bring innovative services to library users. I found the Forum unique in its focus on experimentation and sharing—many speakers encouraged attendees to “get their hands dirty” and try out new projects.

I attended a number of sessions focused on how the shift to Linked Data can open new methods of research and discovery. Making resources easy to find and providing new ways to present data were on the minds of many at the Forum. Particularly interesting to me were the ways that people were working with legacy data and finding ways to effectively manipulate disparate metadata. Again and again I heard common themes emerge: thorough documentation and user testing are essential components of any project, as well as flexibility in responding to changing needs.

I found Mx A. Matienzo’s keynote especially inspiring. Director of Technology for the Digital Public Library of America, Matienzo discussed how the good intentions of libraries can lead to shortchanging our users by speaking over their voices. Matienzo also reminded attendees to be vigilant in keeping our communities in mind, empowering them to interpret their own past and shape their own future. The keynote made me reconsider the value that libraries have (perhaps unthinkingly) placed in centralization of knowledge organization—one-size-fits-all doesn’t necessarily apply to controlled vocabularies or classification schemes, so how can we create systems that work best for our local users?

A list of presentations and posters from LITA Forum (many of which have accompanying slides) can be found at the wiki.  I’m so grateful for the opportunity to attend my first LITA Forum, and I’m looking forward to experimenting with the implementation of new features for my own library’s catalog.

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/nuex2ot, licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

2015 LITA Forum is in Minneapolis!

LITA ForumThe 2015 LITA Forum includes 3 amazing Keynotes
Minneapolis, MN
November 12-15, 2015

Registration is now open!

This year’s Forum has three amazing keynotes you won’t want to miss:

LISA WELCHMAN

President of Digital Governance Solutions at ActiveStandards. In a 20-year career, Lisa Welchman has paved the way in the discipline of digital governance, helping organizations stabilize their complex, multi-stakeholder digital operations. Lisa’s focus centers on understanding and interpreting how the advent and prolific growth of digital impacts organizations, as well as the maturation of digital as a distinct vocational discipline in the enterprise. Her book Managing Chaos: Digital Governance by Design was published in February of 2015 by Rosenfeld Media.

MX A. MATIENZO

Director of Technology for the Digital Public Library of America, he focuses on promoting and establishing digital library interoperability at an international scale. Prior to joining DPLA, Matienzo worked as an archivist and technologist specializing in born-digital materials and metadata management, at institutions including the Yale University Library, The New York Public Library, and the American Institute of Physics. Matienzo received a MSI from the University of Michigan School of Information and a BA in Philosophy from the College of Wooster, and was awarded Emerging Leader Award of the Society of American Archivists in 2012.

CARSON BLOCK

Carson Block Consulting Inc. Carson Block has led, managed, and supported library technology efforts for more than 20 years. He has been called “a geek who speaks English” and enjoys acting as a bridge between the worlds of librarians and hard-core technologists. He has a passion to de-mystify technology for the uninitiated, and to help IT professionals understand and support the goals of libraries. As a consultant, Carson is often brought in to help solve complex institutional issues and to help align the library’s public service mission with its technology efforts to serve the needs of patrons and staff.


Don’t forget the Preconference Workshops

  • So You Want to Make a Makerspace: Strategic Leadership to support the Integration of new and disruptive technologies into Libraries: Practical Tips, Tricks, Strategies, and Solutions for bringing making, fabrication and content creation to your library
    ◦Leah Kraus, Director of Community Engagement and Experience at the Fayetteville Free Library.
    ◦Michael Cimino, Technology Innovation and Integration Specialist at the Fayetteville Free Library.
  • Beyond Web Page Analytics: Using Google tools to assess searcher behavior across web properties.
    ◦Robert L. Nunez, Head of Collection Services, Kenosha Public Library, Kenosha, WI
    ◦Keven Riggle, Systems Librarian & Webmaster, Marquette University Libraries

The 2015 Library and Information Technology Association (LITA) Forum is a three-day education and networking event featuring 2 preconferences, 3 keynote sessions, more than 55 concurrent sessions and 15 poster presentations. This year including content and planning collaboration with LLAMA. It’s the 18th annual gathering of the highly regarded LITA Forum for technology-minded information professionals. Meet with your colleagues involved in new and leading edge technologies in the library and information technology field. Registration is limited in order to preserve the important networking advantages of a smaller conference. Attendees take advantage of the informal Friday evening reception, networking dinners and other social opportunities to get to know colleagues and speakers.

Libguides 2.0: your library’s next website?

icon-lg-220In a recent lita (Library Information and Technology Association) blog post, Michael Rodriguez, Assistant Professor at Hodges University, talks about his small university’s migration to Libguides 2.0.

Libguides is an easy to use Content Management System used by many thousands of libraries worldwide. It is developed by SpringShare and promises to be an ideal tool to market library resources and services.

In the article, Rodriguez talks about the migration from version 1 to 2 of Libguides. He also talks about some its benefits:

  • Mobile responsive
  • Modern code
  • Custom URLs
  • Hosting
  • A-Z Database List
  • Customizations
  • Dynamic design

Are you already using Libguides v2? Still on version 1? Or are you thinking about taking the leap? Share your story below!