OCLC Systems & Services

Elaine L. Westbrooks

2005 OCLC Systems & Services

doi: 10.1108/10650750510578073

Purpose – As digital resources proliferate, libraries plan to grant easy access to a distributed set of resources from one single entry point inside and outside the OPAC. The quest to manage the metadata about these resources becomes more important than ever. Thus, the term, “metadata management” is being used by various communities creating spatial data, enterprise applications, data warehouses, legacy environments, and bibliographic data. Unfortunately, metadata management is sparsely mentioned in the traditional information technology journals, grey literature, information technology company web sites, and the library science literature. The purpose of this viewpoint is to examine the limited use of the term metadata management in the library community and to introduce a new definition of it. Design/methodology/approach – This viewpoint examines the limited use of the term metadata management in the library community and introduces a new definition of it. Findings – Although the proposed definition captures the activities that libraries should be engaged as they provide access to millions of resources, this definition should constantly be examined as new technologies emerge, personnel change, and financial resources diminish. Originality/value – The author's definition is a good start; however, to get to the complete definition of metadata management, a more comprehensive look at the workflow and procedures that exist in libraries for managing metadata is necessary.

Norm Medeiros

2005 OCLC Systems and Services: International digital library perspectives

doi: 10.1108/10650750510578082

Purpose – This article discusses the impact of electronic resources on the suite of services provided by serials agents. Design/methodology/approach – The article describes the changing needs of academic libraries in this new environment, and the ways in which serials agents can repurpose themselves to remain a corner‐stone of serials management. A white paper by R2 Consulting is referenced for its insights into the expectations and requirements of academic libraries. Brief statements by two Otto Harrassowitz executives are included. Findings – If agents are to take on these new responsibilities for e‐journals, libraries must expect to pay something beyond typical service fees. Many cash‐strapped libraries will find it difficult to pay higher fees to agents than they do presently, even for services that could save hundreds of hours per year in staff time. Consortia‐purchased collections and the proclivities of a handful of large publishers aside, it will no doubt become necessary for libraries to entrust all subscriptions to agents as the majority of subscriptions maintained by libraries migrate from print to electronic. Originality/value – Outlines a role for serials agents in the new digital information world.

Elizabeth Yakel

2005 OCLC Systems and Services: International digital library perspectives

doi: 10.1108/10650750510578091

Purpose – To report on the October 2004 Choices and Challenges Conference and cross‐cutting themes in libraries, archives and museums. Design/methodology/approach – This is a conference report and viewpoint article. Findings – The Choices and Challenges Conference sponsored biennially at the Henry Ford brings together professionals from archives and museums including archivists, curators, and conservators. As such, it is one of the few conferences that enable an interdisciplinary dialog between the different professionals involved with the administration of cultural resources. The October 2004 conference featured talks on legal issues, education, and preservation. However, it is the cross‐cutting theses of visibility, advocacy, convergence and collaboration, and a focus on the researcher or visitor that made the conference compelling and thought‐provoking. Practical implications – Libraries, archives and museums can benefit from learning about one another's approaches to the common challenges facing cultural institutions. Originality/value – Introduces the idea of the convergence in the management of cultural institutions and in the education of professionals staffing these institutions.

Jeremy Frumkin

2005 OCLC Systems & Services

doi: 10.1108/10650750510578109

Purpose – To look at how collaborative tools, such as Wikis, can be utilized in a digital library environment. Design/methodology/approach – A discussion of Wikis and postulation as to how such a tool might be used to facilitate research and collaboration in a digital library setting. Findings – Three potential applications of a digital library Wiki are discussed – the Wiki as a knowledge base tool, the Wiki as a content management tool, and the Wiki as a tool to empower interactive finding aids. Originality/value – Provides ideas for digital library developers and implementers, especially those looking for increasing collaboration and interactivity in digital libraries.

Robert Fox

2005 OCLC Systems and Services: International digital library perspectives

doi: 10.1108/10650750510578118

Purpose – To explore the potential impact of Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan's classification theories on the accessibility and exposure of digital repository content. Design/methodology/approach – Conceptual analysis of: faceted classification schemes; the symantic web; object‐oriented analysis, design and programming; and digital repository content. Findings – With the rapid proliferation of digital repositories and digital archives comes the need for appropriate and flexible classification schemes that can be implemented in conjunction with current technology such as object‐oriented programming techniques. Shivali Ranganathan was a forerunner in the area of classification systems, and developed a classification system, which is very suited to the need at hand: faceted classification. This column explores the relationship between Ranganathan's theories and their potential use in the contemporary digital library context (specifically digital repositories). Practical implications – Ranganathan's methodology may help libraries to expose digital repository content on a larger scale within a very flexible and forward‐looking framework. This will allow libraries to anticipate the development of the semantic web and become key players in this environment. Originality/value – Suggests a theoretical framework for describing and syndicating digital repository content, which is flexible and anticipatory in nature, based on the work of Shiyali Ranganathan.

H. Frank Cervone

2005 OCLC Systems & Services

doi: 10.1108/10650750510578127

Purpose – To outline methods for group process within a digital library team. Design/methodology/approach – Literature‐ and practice‐based analysis of seven key methods for making decisions within a group. Findings – One of the many issues that digital library project managers face is getting people to make decisions. Decision making can usually be accomplished in an effective manner if the project manager uses a sound methodology for having the group come to a decision. Using a consistent approach to decision making allows the team to deal with the complexity of issues by providing a structure for organizing issues. Research limitations/implications – The individual context of an organization will require adapting some of the methods to local practice. Practical implications – Provides a methodology for decision making within a group/team‐based context. Originality/value – Provides caveats and guidelines for team leaders/project managers who must facilitate decision‐making processes.

Linda Cantara

2005 OCLC Systems and Services: International digital library perspectives

doi: 10.1108/10650750510578136

Purpose – To present a concise introduction to and history of the Text Encoding Initiative (TEI). Design/methodology/approach – Presents the TEI from a literature‐based, chronological perspective. Findings – The de facto standard for electronic text encoding in the humanities, the Text Encoding Initiative (TEI), an international and interdisciplinary standard for the electronic representation of documents in the humanities, has influenced the development of the Extensible Markup Language (XML) family of standards, and has become an indispensable tool for building digital libraries. Practical implications – Reinforces the primacy of TEI in the creation of interchangeable electronic texts, particularly in humanities disciplines. Originality/value – The first part of a two‐part column, explains how the TEI came into being, how it has influenced the evolution of world wide web standards, and why it has become an integral tool for digital library development.

Jenn Riley; Kurt Whitsel

2005 OCLC Systems and Services: International digital library perspectives

doi: 10.1108/10650750510578145

Purpose – Formal quality review processes are a necessary part of any digital imaging workflow. This article illustrates a set of quality review processes implemented in the Indiana University Digital Library Program's Digital Media and Image Center. Design/methodology/approach – A methodology for automatic batch review of large numbers of images is presented, along with rationale and procedures for supplemental visual review. The initial stages of an effort to further automate and centralize image quality control at Indiana University are described. Findings – Automation of checks for objective image criteria, together with formal visual review of a sample of digitized images, is an effective means of implementing a quality review process. Originality/value – The methodologies described can be used as a model for other institutions performing digital imaging projects of any size.

Karen G. Lawson

2005 OCLC Systems and Services: International digital library perspectives

doi: 10.1108/10650750510578154

Purpose – To demonstrate that adult learning can be improved through the use of eclectic digital resources to enhance instructional methods rather than through learning skills in isolation. Design/methodology/approach – During the past two decades, a significant research has focused on adults as learners. Many adults take classes for skills improvement, job advancement, and personal understanding. The demand for training programs to help workers keep current and competitive is growing. It is likely that more adults from all walks of life will be continuing their education in a variety of settings. For example, librarians do instruction for their communities in the areas of internet searching, electronic database use, and personal computing skills. Many of their students are adults, including other library staff members, community members, and non‐traditional students. Findings – A learning program that includes digital resources helps provide the opportunity for instructors to help their students make connections and form relationships across the boundaries of classroom, discipline, skill, and background. By incorporating an eclectic assortment of digital resources into computer/internet‐related training an instructor ensures that adult learners are better able to connect what they have learned in life and are learning in the classroom. Research limitations/implications – Relies on availability of internet access. Practical implications – Librarians are frequently in the position of providing computer/internet‐related training for a wide variety of audiences, including adults. Originality/value – Librarians are perfectly poised to combine sound pedagogy with their expert knowledge of available digital resources to promote adult achievement in technology education. An instruction program integrated with evocative digital resources provides the opportunity for instructors to reduce anxiety and to help their students make connections and form relationships across the boundaries of classroom, discipline, skill, and background.

Andreas Stanescu

2005 OCLC Systems and Services: International digital library perspectives

doi: 10.1108/10650750510578163

Purpose – To describe INFORM, a new methodology for investigating and measuring the risk factors of digital formats and providing guidelines for preservation action plans. Design/methodology/approach – Construction of a model which aims to discover specific threats to preservation and measure their possible impact on preservation decisions. The methodology defines: risk categories of digital formats and their dependencies; risk factors for each category; scales to measure probability of occurrence and impact; and methods to collect, report and interpret the results. Findings – While individuals are biased and subjective in their aversion to risk, collating the assessments of many individuals should generate group‐consensus or group‐averaged objective results. Hence, preservation plans can be based on objective analysis of risk trends instead of individuals’ opinions developed in the relative isolation of their institutions. The methodology takes into consideration individuals’ aversion to risk, therefore refraining from imposing specific courses of action, but simply making suggestions of possible actions. Research limitations/implications – A comprehensive approach to the format assessment must also consider, in addition to the risk factors, two other considerations, reflecting the quality of the digital format specification: significant properties of the format under consideration; the features of the format as defined in the format specification. These two aspects will be defined at a later time. Practical implications – Digital archives, institutional repositories and digital libraries can take advantage of the measurements offered by the INFORM method to select digital formats most apt for long‐term viability. Moreover, by repeating the process, involved parties can detect changes in the threat model over time, to which digital collections managers can act accordingly. Originality/value – Risk management has been previously used to detect the potential of loss of web resources and has been inspirational to this author. However, this method is the first to use risk factors to measure digital preservation viability of digital formats. The results of the measurements described here can be used by: content creators and publishers, to suggest best formats to use; content curators, to restrict what is collected; content managers, to know in advance how difficult to handle a certain collection may be; and preservation planners, to define and implement preservation plans, in the form of either, migration strategies or short‐term emulation solutions.