0 Comments OCLC is pleased to announce that a freely-accessible site for searching only OAIster records is now available. With this OAIster site (http://oaister.worldcat.org/), you are able to search only OAIster and its millions of metadata records.
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Find a great introduction to ROI for libraries in wiki form, with tips on conducting an ecoonomic impact study and sharing your analysis of results, from the Nebraska Library Commission: http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/Wikis/ROI4Libraries/
Illinois’ North Suburban Library System offers an ROI calculator for libraries: http://www.nsls.info/roi/?m=library and for users: http://www.nsls.info/roi/
Patron calculator for determining value for each tax dollar contributed (it’s for Colorado libraries, but still a good illustration of value): http://www.lrs.org/public/roi/usercalculator.php
The National Network of Medical Libraries offers a slightly different calculator to show the retail value of the library: http://nnlm.gov/mcr/evaluation/roi.html
How can cultural heritage institutions legally use the Internet to improve public access to the rich collections they hold?
A new digitization manual from Peter Hirtle, Cornell University Library’s senior policy advisor, can help professionals at these institutions answer that question."Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for Digitization for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums," published by Cornell University Library, is based on a well-received Australian manual written by Emily Hudson and Andrew T. Kenyon of the University of Melbourne, and it conforms to American law and practice. See more information about this publication here: http://communications.library.cornell.edu/com/news/PressReleases/manual.cfm
Oxford University Press congratulates Elinor Ostrom and Oliver Williamson, who both won the Nobel Prize in Economic Science for their work demonstrating that community institutions often find ways to mutually resolve problems that arise from free-market competition. Ostrom is the first woman ever to win the prize. Works by both of these Nobel Laureates are published by OUP and are also available through Oxford Scholarship Online and Oxford Handbooks Online.
Elinor Ostrom, a professor of political science at Indiana University, was cited "for her analysis of economics governance, especially the commons." Her work shows that communities often manage common property better on their own, without the regulation of central authorities.
Oliver E. Williamson, a professor in the graduate school at the University of California, Berkeley, was cited "for his analysis of economic governance, especially the boundaries of the firm." His work examines why large corporations arise, and found that "when market competition is limited, firms are better suited for conflict resolution than markets."
The fact that the Prize was given to two social scientists reflects recent changes in economic thought. "It is part of the merging of the Social Sciences," Robert Shiller, an economist at Yale, said. "Economics has been too isolated and these awards today are a sign of the greater enlightenment going around. We were too stuck on efficient markets and it was derailing our thinking."
According to the committee, Professors Ostrom and Williamson were honored because "both scholars have greatly enhanced our understanding of non-market institutions." Professor Shiller elaborates on the decision by explaining that "basically there is a common understanding that develops even among competitors when they are dealing with each other. When people make business contact, even competitors, they can’t anticipate everything, so an element of trust comes in," and that is what the Nobel committee recognized in citing the two.
Below is a full OUP bibliography for both, with links to OSO and OHO when applicable:
Elinor Ostrom
Co-author of The Samaritan’s Dilemma: The Political Economy of Development Aid (OUP, 2005) (http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/oso/public/content/economicsfinance/9780199278855/toc.html)
Editor of Linking the Formal and Informal Economy: Concepts and Policies (OUP, 2007) (http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/oso/public/content/economicsfinance/9780199204762/toc.html)
Author of "Collective Action Theory" in The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Politics (OUP, 2007)
(http://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/oso/public/content/oho_politics/9780199566020/oxfordhb-9780199566020-chapter-8.html)
Oliver Williamson
Author of The Mechanisms of Governance (OUP, 1999)
Author of The Nature of the Firm: Origins, Evolution, and Development (OUP, 1993)
Author of Organization Theory: From Chester Barnard to the Present and Beyond, 2nd Edition (OUP, 1995)
Author of "Economic Institutions and Development: A View from the Bottom" from A Not-so-dismal Science – A Broader View of Economies and Societies (OUP, 2000) (http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/oso/public/content/economicsfinance/9780198294900/toc.html)
Author of "Transaction Cost Economics and Organization Theory": from Technology, Organization, and Competitiveness – Perspectives on Industrial and Corporate Change (OUP, 1998) (http://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/oso/private/content/economicsfinance/9780198290964/p013.html)
Congratulations to these OUP authors!
Nylink offers Oxford Scholarship Online and Oxford Handbooks Online – please contact services[at]nylink.org for details, or see the Oxford University Press page at nylink.org
Well, he doesn’t seem to have a thorough knowledge of interlibrary loan, but Sergey Brin, Google co-founder and technology president, does make some interesting points about the Google Books project in an Op-Ed for the NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/09/opinion/09brin.html
Nylink’s position is expressed in a joint objection from Lyrasis, NYLINK, and the Bibliographical Center for Research (BCR), which states that, while the settlement “has the potential to provide unprecedented public access to a digital library containing millions of books,” if not modified, it could lead to “unwarranted exclusion of library consortia.”
They said that the term “Institutional Consortium” is defined as including members of the International Coalition of Library Consortia with the exception of OCLC-affiliated networks. They said that there’s no consensus as to the definition of OCLC-affiliated network and that, even if there were, the understanding became moot because of recent changes in OCLC business arrangements.
Because of the many objections received by the court, the Google Book Settlement has been delayed. An amended version must be submitted by November 9th. Significant amendments were suggested by the Open Book Alliance, a group opposing the settlement that represents companies like Microsoft and Amazon (and NYLA), the nonprofit Internet Archive, and trade groups like American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), but the revision will most likely address Justice Department concerns regarding specific clauses.
Interesting announcement on Library Journal yesterday from Marshall Breeding: Innovative Interfaces owner and co-founder Jerry Kline is launching a new bibliographic utility intended to compete directly with OCLC. Called SkyRiver, the utilty is already fully operational and is being used by library development partners for cataloging. Technology infrastructure and support is contracted from Innovative, and the service will launch its website at http://theskyriver.com on Friday, October 9.
SkyRiver differs from LibLime’s biblios.net in that it offers more functionality. However, the service is not intended to enable interlibrary loan or function as a discovery service for patrons. Read more about this development at Library Journal.
Tweet Deck (in beta) is a great, compact little program that helps you track twitter searches, keep current on your friends and neighbors tweets, see when your tweets have been re-tweeted or otherwise referenced, and find great new twitterers to follow. One of its nicest features, if you happen to be a twittering hydra with multiple logins, is the ability to track all of your twitter accounts in one place. More information about Tweet Deck here.
How do you recover from massive disaster? This weekend will mark the four-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall, and the New Orleans Public Library system continues to answer that question with grace and ingenuity. Below are some notes from the long-term planning to recover and reimagine the NOPL system after Katrina, taken from a summer 2008 newsletter. Since the newsletter, the system has seen new temporary branches open and damaged buildings demolished. In June, the city saw oral presentations from three firms to design and build five branches.
When the levees broke, all of New Orleans’ thirteen public libraries were damaged, eight so badly they could not be reopened. More than 300,000 books, CDs, and other items were destroyed—nearly half the collection. The devastation was an opportunity to rebuild a better library system. Our twenty-year master plan will dramatically improve New Orleans Public Library’s facilities and operations.
By 2030, the New Orleans Public Library will boast a network of libraries to meet ambitious goals. A new Main Library will be a state-of-the-art cultural destination for residents and visitors alike. And a companion archival facility will safeguard our nationally important City Archives & Special Collections—documents more than 200 years old still at risk in underground stacks.
Building this network of libraries will require $200 million (in current 2008 dollars). When we reach our 2030 planning horizon, New Orleans will have invested $640 million in staff, operations, and buildings, elevating NOPL to a leading position among cities of similar size (Projected 2030 population:
409,000).
NOPL will be our city’s gateway to the world’s knowledge and information; it will also speak volumes to the world about our heritage, reflecting distinctive aspects of New Orleans’ culture, including jazz, food, and architecture.
The New Orleans Public Library will support the rebirth of our storm-damaged community, and like libraries everywhere, ours will foster the aspirations of every individual, and protect intellectual freedom and the democratic dreams of all.
Cornell University’s Albert R. Mann Library will increase access to The Essential Electronic Agricultural Library (TEEAL) database for researchers and students in sub-Saharan Africa, supported by a $1.8 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The goal of the project is to strengthen the scientific foundation for agriculture research and education in sub-Saharan Africa by providing 115 institutions in 14 countries access to more than 140 key agricultural journals. More information is available online
There are lots of ways to find great programs and performers for your library. Start at a high level by taking a peek at the National Performers Directory: http://www.nationalperformers.com/pages/info/libraryperformers.html. Or restrict your search to the Empire State at the very nicely organized Performers and Programs page created by New York public libraries: http://performersandprograms.com/index.html. Local systems also have versions. Here in the capital region, you can take advantage of the Mid-Hudson Library System’s EZProgram directory at http://support.midhudson.org/ezprogram/ezprogram.htm to find performers and great ideas to put on your own programs.
