LITA Blog LITA Blog Empowering libraries through technology Jobs in Information Technology: August 25, 2020 New This Week Coordinator of Digital Scholarship and Programs, Marquette University Libraries, Milwaukee WI Digital Scholarship Coordinator, UNC Charlotte, Charlotte, NC Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job openings and information on submitting your own job posting. Jobs in Information Technology: August 13, 2020 New This Week Information Systems Manager (PDF), The Community Library Association, Ketchum, ID Children’s Librarian, Buhl Public Library, Buhl, ID Technology Integration Librarian, Drexel University Libraries, Philadelphia, PA Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job openings and information on submitting your own job posting. Your Core Community Update Much has been happening behind-the-scenes to prepare for Core’s upcoming launch on September 1st, so we want to update you on the progress we’ve made. At the 2020 ALA Virtual Conference Council meetings, the ALA Council approved the creation of Core, so we’re official! It’s been a difficult summer for everyone given the global situation, but this was a milestone we’re excited to reach. What We’ve Been Doing In May, the Core Transition Committee (the 9 division presidents plus senior staff) formed 11 working groups of members from all 3 divisions to make recommendations about how to proceed with our awards/scholarships, budget/finance, committees, communications, conference programming, continuing education, fundraising/sponsorships, interest groups, member engagement, nominations for 2021 president-elect, publications, and standards. These groups have done an amazing amount of work in a very short time period, and we’re grateful to these members for their commitment and effort. We’re happy to report... Free LITA Webinar ~ Library Tech Response to Covid-19 ~ August 5th Sign up for this free LITA webinar: Library Tech Response to Covid-19 Libraries are taking the necessary precautions to create a safe environment during the pandemic. Social distancing isn’t the only solution, but providing access to loanable technologies, including handling and quarantine of equipment, cleaning, and other safety and health concerns are just some of the measures put in place. With the ongoing disruption to library services caused by COVID-19, what reopening planning policies should be considered for usage? In this free 90-minute presentation, our presenters will share tips that might be helpful to other librarians before they reopen. The presenters will also talk about the evolution of the phased plan from the establishment of a temporary computer lab in the library as COVID-19 began to spread in March 2020, to the current phased approach for gradual reopening. Justin will also offer insight into managed access, technology and services, workflows, messaging,... Jobs in Information Technology: July 29, 2020 New This Week Library Director, Walpole Town Library, Walpole, NH Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job openings and information on submitting your own job posting. Core Call for 2021 ALA Annual Program Proposals Submit an ALA 2021 Annual Conference program proposal for ALA’s newest division, Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures, which will begin on September 1, 2020. Proposals are due September 30, 2020, and you don’t need to be a Core member to submit a proposal. Submit your idea using this proposal form. Core welcomes topics of interest to a wide range of library professionals in many different areas, including… 1. Access and Equity Advocacy in areas such as copyright, equity of access, open access, net neutrality, and privacy Preservation Week Equity, diversity, and inclusion, both within the division and the profession, as related to Core’s subject areas 2. Assessment Emphasizing the role of assessment in demonstrating the impacts of libraries or library services Assessment tools, methods, guidelines, standards, and policies and procedures 3. Leadership and Management Developing leaders at every level Best practices for inclusion by using an equity lens to examine leadership... Core Call for Webinar Proposals Submit a webinar proposal for ALA’s newest division, Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures, which will begin on September 1, 2020. Proposals are due September 1, 2020, and you don’t need to be a Core member to submit a proposal. Early submissions are encouraged and will be considered for September and October presentations. Submit your idea using this proposal form. Core webinars reach a wide range of library professionals in many different areas, including… 1. Access and Equity Advocacy in areas such as copyright, equity of access, open access, net neutrality, and privacy Preservation Week Equity, diversity, and inclusion, both within the division and the profession, as related to Core’s subject areas 2. Assessment Emphasizing the role of assessment in demonstrating the impacts of libraries or library services Assessment tools, methods, guidelines, standards, and policies and procedures 3. Leadership Developing leaders at every level Best practices for inclusion by using an equity lens to examine... Core Virtual Forum is excited to announce our 2020 Keynote Speakers! Core Virtual Forum welcomes our 2020 Keynote speakers, Dr. Meredith D. Clark and Sofia Leung! Both speakers embody our theme in leading through their ideas and are catalysts for change to empower our community and move the library profession forward. Dr. Clark is a journalist and Assistant Professor in Media Studies at the University of Virginia. She is Academic Lead for Documenting the Now II, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Dr. Clark develops new scholarship on teaching students about digital archiving and community-based archives from a media studies perspective. She will be a 2020-2021 fellow with Data & Society. She is a faculty affiliate at the Center on Digital Culture and Society at the University of Pennsylvania. And, she sits on the advisory boards for Project Information Literacy, and for the Center for Critical Race and Digital Studies at New York University. Clark is an in-demand media consultant... Catch up on the June 2020 Issue of Information Technology and Libraries The June 2020 issue of Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL) was published on June 15. Editor Ken Varnum and LITA President Emily Morton-Owens reflect on the past three months in their Letter from the Editor, A Blank Page, and LITA President’s Message, A Framework for Member Success, respectively. Kevin Ford is the author of this issue’s “Editorial Board Thoughts” column, Seeing through Vocabularies. Rounding out our editorial section, the June “Public Libraries Leading the Way” section offers two items. Chuck McAndrew of the Lebanon (New Hampshire) Public Libraries describes his leadership in the IMLS-funded LibraryVPN project. Melody Friedenthal, of the Worcester (Massachusetts) Public Library talks about how she approached and teaches an Intro to Coding Using Python course. Peer-reviewed Content Virtual Reality as a Tool for Student Orientation in Distance Education Programs: A Study of New Library and Information Science Students Dr. Sandra Valenti, Brady Lund, Ting Wang Virtual reality... Jobs in Information Technology: July 8, 2020 New This Week Dean of Libraries, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA Deputy Library Director, City of Carlsbad, Carlsbad, CA Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job openings and information on submitting your own job posting. Jobs in Information Technology: July 2, 2020 New This Week Web Services Librarian, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job openings and information on submitting your own job posting. Jobs in Information Technology: June 26, 2020 New This Week Metadata Librarian, Librarian I or II, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job openings and information on submitting your own job posting. Jobs in Information Technology: June 19, 2020 New This Week Information Technology Librarian, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD Associate University Librarian for Research and Learning, Columbia University Libraries, New York, NY Library Technology/Programmer Analyst III, Virginia Beach Public Library, Virginia Beach, VA Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job openings and information on submitting your own job posting. Core Virtual Happy Hour Social ~ June 26 Our Joint Happy Hour social at Midwinter was such a success that next week we’re bringing Happy Hour to you online—and registration is free! We invite members of ALCTS, LITA, and LLAMA to join us on Friday, June 26, 5:00-7:00 pm Central Time for Virtual Happy Hour networking and/or play with your peers in a game of Scattergories. Wear your favorite pop culture T-shirt, bring your best Zoom background, grab a beverage, and meet us online for a great time! Attendees will automatically be entered to win free registration to attend the Core Virtual Forum. Winner must be present to redeem prize. Registration is required. Register now at: bit.ly/2NeNprH Michael Carroll Awarded 2020 LITA/Christian Larew Memorial Scholarship Michael Carroll has been selected to receive the 2020 LITA/Christian Larew Memorial Scholarship ($3,000) sponsored by the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA) and Baker & Taylor. This scholarship is for master’s level study, with an emphasis on library technology and/or automation, at a library school program accredited by the American Library Association. Criteria for the Scholarship includes previous academic excellence, evidence of leadership potential, and a commitment to a career in library automation and information technology. The Larew Scholarship Committee was impressed by what Michael has already accomplished and look forward to seeing what he will accomplish after graduation in 2021. Michael has already shown a strong interest in digitization projects. He currently manages a team of students working with digitization. Previously, he has scanned and cataloged many collections. He has also assisted the Presbyterian Historical Society in creating sustainable processes for digitization. Michael has also shown his willingness and ability to work with a wide variety of projects and technologies that span both technical and non-technical including... We are back on Twitter Friday for #LITAchat The fourth in this series of #LITAchats will start on Friday, June 12 from 12-1 Central Standard Time on Twitter. We will be asking you to chat with us about self-care. What are you doing to take care of yourselves during this time? How do you unplug without feeling guilty?  We hope you’ll join us for #LITAchat and chat about self-care techniques and figuring out how to better take care of ourselves during these tough times. We’re looking forward to hearing from you! Join LITA on Twitter Catch up on the last #LITAchat Join us for ALCTS/LITA/LLAMA e-Forum! Please join us for a joint ALCTS/LITA/LLAMA e-forum discussion. It’s free and open to everyone! Registration information is at the end of the message, along with subscription management options for existing listserv members. Continuing to Manage the Impact of COVID-19 on Libraries June 9-10, 2020 Moderated by Alyse Jordan, Steven Pryor, Nicole Lewis and Rebecca Uhl Please join us for an e-forum discussion. It’s free and open to everyone! Registration information is at the end of the message. Each day, discussion begins and ends at: Pacific: 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. Mountain: 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Central: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Eastern: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Over the past several months, COVID-19 has significantly impacted libraries and library technical service units and departments, including requiring staff to work remotely and determining what services they can provide. As states begin to reopen, libraries face challenges as they determine... Together Against Racism ALA and Core are committed to dismantling racism and white supremacy. Along with the ALA Executive Board, we endorse the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA)’s May 28 statement condemning the brutal murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police Department officers. In their statement, BCALA cites Floyd’s death as “the latest in a long line of recent and historical violence against Black people in the United States.” Not only does Core support the sentiments of BCALA, we vow to align our values regarding equity, diversity, and inclusion with those of BCALA and other organizations that represent marginalized communities within ALA. We also stand strong with the Asian/Pacific American community, which has been the target of xenophobia and racism in the wake of the outbreak of COVID-19, and support the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) and their statement that, “There is no excuse for discriminatory sentiments and actions towards Asians... We are back on Twitter tomorrow for #LITAchat Are you ready for the next Twitter #LITAchat? Join the discussion on Friday, May 22, from 12-1pm Central Time. We will be asking you to tell us about challenges with working from home. Are there things you can’t do and wish you could? Are there issues with your home setup in general? Anne Pepitone will lead the discussion. We invite you to join us tomorrow to share your experiences and chat with your colleagues. Follow LITA on Twitter Catch up on the last #LITAchat We’re looking forward to hearing from you! -The LITA Membership Development Committee LITA Job Board Analysis Report – Laura Costello (Chair, Assessment & Research) LITA Assessment & Research and Diversity & Inclusion Committees Background & Data This report comes from a joint analysis conducted by LITA’s Assessment & Research and Diversity & Inclusion committees in Fall 2019. The analysis focused on the new and emerging trends in skills in library technology jobs and the types of positions that are currently in demand. It also touches on trends in diversity and inclusion in job postings and best practices for writing job ads that attract a diverse and talented candidate pool.  The committees were provided with a list of 678 job postings from the LITA job board between 2015-2019. Data included the employer information, the position title, the location (city/state) the posting date. Some postings also included a short description. The Assessment & Research Committee augmented the dataset with job description, responsibilities, qualifications, and salary information for a 25% sample of the postings from each year using archival job posting information. Committee members also assigned... Congratulations to Dr. Jian Qin, winner of the 2020 LITA/OCLC Kilgour Research Award Dr. Jian Qin has been selected as the recipient of the 2020 Frederick G. Kilgour Award for Research in Library and Information Technology, sponsored by OCLC and the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA). She is the Professor and Director at the iSchool, Syracuse University.  The Kilgour Award honors research relevant to the development of information technologies, especially work which shows promise of having a positive and substantive impact on any aspect(s) of the publication, storage, retrieval and dissemination of information, or the processes by which information and data are manipulated and managed. It recognizes a body of work probably spanning years, if not the majority of a career. The winner receives $2,000, and a citation. Dr. Qin’s recent research projects include metadata modeling for gravitational wave research data management and big metadata analytics using GenBank metadata records for DNA sequences, both with funding from NSF. She also collaborated with a colleague to develop a Capability Maturity Model... LITA/ALA Survey of Library Response to COVID-19 The Library and Information Technology Association (LITA) and its ALA partners are seeking a new round of feedback about the work of libraries as they respond to the COVID-19 crisis, releasing a survey and requesting feedback by 11:59 p.m. CDT, Monday, May 18, 2020. Please complete the survey by clicking on the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/libraries-respond-to-covid-19-may-2020.  LITA and its ALA partners know that libraries across the United States are taking unprecedented steps to answer the needs of their communities, and this survey will help build a better understanding of those efforts. LITA and its ALA partners will use the results to advocate on behalf of libraries at the national level, communicate aggregated results with the public and media, create content and professional development opportunities to address library staff needs, and share some raw, anonymized data elements with state-level staff and library support organizations for their own advocacy needs.  Additional information about... #CoreForum2020 is now a Virtual Event! Join your ALA colleagues from across divisions for the 2020 Forum, which is now a virtual event!  WHERE: In light of the COVID-19 public health crisis, leadership within LITA, ALCTS, and LLAMA made the decision to move the conference online to create a safe, interactive environment accessible for all. WHAT: Call for proposals have been extended to Friday June 12, 2020.  WHEN: Forum is scheduled November 18 and 20, 2020 HOW: Share your ideas and experiences with library projects by submitting a talk for the inaugural event for Core:  https://forum.lita.org/call-for-proposals For more information about the LITA, ALCTS, LLAMA (Core) Forum, please visit https://forum.lita.org  Jobs in Information Technology: May 6, 2020 New This Week Web Services Librarian, Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job openings and information on submitting your own job posting. WFH? Boost your skill set with LITA CE! Reserve your spot and learn new skills to enhance your career with LITA online continuing education offerings. Buying Strategies 101 for Information TechnologyWednesday, May 27, 2020, 1:00-2:30 pm Central TimePresenter: Michael Rodriguez, Collections Strategist at the University of Connecticut In this 90-minute webinar, you’ll learn best practices, terminology, and concepts for effectively negotiating contracts for the purchase of information technology (IT) products and services. View details and Register here. Using Images from the Internet in a Webpage: How to Find and CiteWednesday, June 3, 2020, 2:00-3:30 pm Central TimePresenter: Lauren Bryant, Priority Associate Librarian of Ray W. Howard Library In this 90-minute webinar, you’ll learn practical ways to quickly find and filter creative commons licensed images online, learn how to hyperlink a citation for a website, and how to use creative commons images for thumbnails in videos and how to cite the image in unconventional situations like this. View details and Register here. Troublesome Technology Trends: Bridging the Learning DivideWednesday, June 17, 2020, 1:00-2:30 pm... May 5/1 Twitter #LITAchat Last week, Anne Pepitone kicked off the discussion with Zoom Virtual Backgrounds, shared her favorites, and provided tips on how to use them. The next Twitter #LITAchat will be on Friday, May 1, from 12-1pm Central Time when we’ll talk about apps that help you work from home. What do you use to help with project management, time management, deadlines, or to just stay focused? We invite you to join us tomorrow to share, learn, and chat about it with your colleagues. Follow LITA on Twitter. We’re looking forward to hearing from you! -The LITA Membership Development Committee Jobs in Information Technology: April 29, 2020 New This Week Two Associate Dean Positions, James Madison University Libraries, Harrisonburg, VA Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job openings and information on submitting your own job posting. Data Privacy While Working From Home Today’s guest post is brought to you by our recent presenter, Becky Yoose. Special thanks to Becky for being willing to answer the questions we didn’t have time for during our webinar! Hello everyone from your friendly neighborhood library data privacy consultant! We covered a lot of material earlier this month in “A Crash Course in Protecting Library Data While Working From Home,” co-sponsored by LITA and OIF. We had a number of questions during the webinar, some of which were left unanswered at the end. Below are three questions in particular that we didn’t get to in the webinar. Enjoy! Working from home without a web-based ILS We don’t have a web-based version of our ILS and our County-based IT department says they can’t set up remote desktop (something to do with their firewall)… do you have any recommendations on how to advocate for remote desktop? If I have... Strategies for Surviving a Staffing Crisis Library staff are no strangers to budget and staffing reductions. Most of us have way too much experience doing more with less, covering unfilled positions, and rigging solutions out of the digital equivalent of chewing gum and bailing wire, because we can’t afford to buy all the tools we need. In the last two years, my department at Northern Arizona University’s Cline Library operated with roughly half the usual amount of staff. In this post, I’ll share a few strategies that helped us get through this challenging time. First, a quick introduction. My department, Content, Discovery & Delivery services, includes the digital services unit (formerly library technology services) as well as collection management (including electronic resources management), acquisitions, cataloging, physical processing, interlibrary loan and document delivery, and course reserves. We are a technology-intensive department, both as users and implementers/supporters of technology. Here are some of the strategies we used to... April 4/24 Twitter #LITAchat A lot has changed since we had our last Twitter #LITAchat, Core passed and then COVID 19 happened. We are all navigating new territory in our jobs and life overall. So we wanted to bring you a weekly set of LITAChats discussing our shared experiences during these strange times.  The first in this series of LITAchats will start on Friday, April 24 from 12-1pm Central Standard Time. We will be asking you to show us your Zoom Virtual Backgrounds! We know that Zoom conferencing has been popular among many workplaces so we thought what would be better than showcasing some of the creative backgrounds everyone has been using. If you don’t have a background no worries, you can share about the best backgrounds you have seen from colleagues. Don’t know how to turn on Zoom Virtual Backgrounds? We will cover that too! We hope you’ll join us on Twitter for... Congratulations to Samantha Grabus, winner of the 2020 LITA/Ex Libris Student Writing Award Samantha Grabus has been selected as the winner of the 2020 Student Writing Award sponsored by Ex Libris Group and the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA) for her paper titled “Evaluating the Impact of the Long S upon 18th-Century Encyclopedia Britannica Automatic Subject Metadata Generation Results.” Grabus is a Research Assistant and PhD student at Drexel University Metadata Research Center. “This valuable work of original research helps to quantify the scope of a problem that is of interest not only in the field of library and information science, but that also, as Grabus notes in her conclusion, could affect research in fields from the digital humanities to the sciences,” said Julia Bauder, the Chair of this year’s selection committee. When notified she had won, Grabus remarked, “I am thrilled and honored to receive the 2020 LITA/Ex Libris Student Writing Award. I would like to extend my gratitude to the award committee... Jobs in Information Technology: April 15, 2020 New This Week Web and Digital Scholarship Technologies Librarian, Marquette University Libraries, Milwaukee, WI CEO / Library Director, Orange County Library System, Orlando, FL Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job openings and information on submitting your own job posting. ALA LITA Emerging Leaders: Inventing a Sustainable Division In January 2020, the latest cohort of Emerging Leaders met at ALA Midwinter to begin their projects. LITA sponsored two Emerging Leaders this year: Kelsey Flynn, Adult Services Specialist at White Oak Library, and Paige Walker, Digital Collections & Preservation Librarian at Boston College. Kelsey and Paige are part of Emerging Leaders Group G, “Inventing a Sustainable Division,” in which they’ve been charged with identifying measures that LITA can take to improve its fiscal and environmental sustainability. As a first step in their assessment, the group distributed a survey to LITA members that will quantify interest in sustainable measures such as virtual conferences and webinars. Want to help? Complete the survey to give feedback that may shape the direction of our chapter. Group G is fortunate to have several other talented library workers on its team:  Kristen Cooper, Plant Sciences Librarian at University of Minnesota Tonya Ferrell, OER Coordinator at... Latest in LITA eLearning So much has changed since COVID-19. Online learning is in greater demand and we are working hard to provide you with resources and more professional development opportunities that strengthens the library community. We hope you are well and staying safe. There’s a seat waiting for you. Register today! Digital Inception: Building a digital scholarship/humanities curriculum as a subject librarian Wednesday, April 22, 2020 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. Central Time Presenter: Marcela Isuster, Education and Humanities Librarian, McGill University This presentation will guide attendees in building a digital scholarship curriculum from a subject librarian position. It will explore how to identify opportunities, reach out to faculty, and advertise your services. It will also showcase activities, lesson plans, and free tools for digital publication, data mining, text analysis, mapping, a section on finding training opportunities and strategies to support colleagues and create capacity in your institutions. In this 90-minute webinar, you’ll learn:... Join us this Fall for #CoreForum2020 – Proposal Deadline Extended! Call for Proposals have now been extended to Friday, May 22, 2020. Share your ideas and experiences about library technology, leadership, collections, preservation, assessment, and metadata at the inaugural meeting of Core, a joining of LITA/ALCTS/LLAMA. We welcome your session proposal. For more information about the call for proposals and our theme of exploring ideas and making them reality, visit the 2020 Forum website: https://forum.lita.org  Event Details November 19-21, 2020 Baltimore, MD Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel COVID-19 Planning The 2020 LITA/ALCTS/LLAMA Forum Planning Committee is currently evaluating a contingency plan, should the COVID-19 public health crisis impact Forum in November. Core Is Approved! We’re thrilled to announce that Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures is moving forward, thanks to our members. The three existing divisions’ members all voted to approve the bylaws change that will unite ALCTS, LITA, and LLAMA to form Core: ALCTS: 91% yes LITA: 96% yes LLAMA: 96% yes The presidents of the three divisions, Jennifer Bowen, ALCTS, Emily Morton-Owens, LITA, and Anne Cooper Moore, LLAMA, shared the following statement: “We first want to thank our members for supporting Core. Their belief in this vision, that we can accomplish more together than we can separately, has inspired us, and we look forward to working with all members to build this new and sustainable ALA division. We also want to thank the Core Steering Committee, and all the members who were part of project teams, town halls and focus groups. We would not have reached this moment without their incredible work.” ALA Executive... Free LITA Webinar: Protect Library Data While Working From Home A Crash Course in Protecting Library Data While Working From Home Presenter: Becky Yoose, Founder / Library Data Privacy Consultant, LDH Consulting Services Thursday, April 9, 2020 1:00 – 2:00 pm Central Time There’s a seat waiting for you… Register for this free LITA webinar today! Libraries across the U.S. rapidly closed their doors to both public and staff in the last two weeks, leaving many staff to work from home. Several library workers might be working from home for the first time in their current positions, while many others were not fully prepared to switch over to remote work in a matter of days, or even hours, before the library closed. In the rush to migrate library workers to remote work and to migrate physical library programs and services to online, data privacy and security sometimes gets lost in the mix. Unfamiliar settings, new routines, and increased reliance on vendor... Jobs in Information Technology: March 25, 2020 New This Week Head of Library Technology Services, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job openings and information on submitting your own job posting. March 2020 ITAL Issue Now Available The March 2020 issue of Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL) is available now. In this issue, ITAL Editor Ken Varnum shares his support of LITA, ALCTS, and LLAMA merging to form a new ALA division, Core. Our content includes a message from LITA President, Emily Morton-Owens. “A Framework for Member Success,“ Morton-Owens discusses the current challenges of LITA as a membership organization and reinvention being the key to survival. Also in this edition, Laurie Willis discusses the pros and cons of handling major projects in-house versus hiring a vendor in “Tackling Big Projects.” Sheryl Cormicle Knox and Trenton Smiley discuss using digital tactics as a cost-effective way to increase marketing reach in “Google Us!” Featured Articles: “User Experience Methods and Maturity in Academic Libraries,” Scott W. H. Young, Zoe Chao, and Adam Chandler This article presents a mixed-methods study of the methods and maturity of user experience (UX) practice in... Learn How to Build your own Digital Scholarship/Humanities Curriculum with this LITA webinar Are you a subject librarian interested in building digital scholarships? Join us for the upcoming webinar “Digital Inception: Building a digital scholarship/humanities curriculum as a subject librarian,” on Wednesday, April 22, from 1:00 – 2:30 pm CST.  Digital scholarship is gaining momentum in academia. What started as a humanities movement is now present in most disciplines. Introducing digital scholarship to students can benefit them in multiple ways: it helps them interact with new trends in scholarship, appeals to different kinds of learners, helps them develop new and emerging literacies, and gives them the opportunity to be creative. This 90-minute presentation will guide attendees in building a digital scholarship curriculum from a subject librarian position. It will explore how to identify opportunities, reach out to faculty, and advertise your services. It will also showcase activities, lesson plans, and free tools for digital publication, data mining, text analysis, mapping, etc. Finally, the presentation will... Jobs in Information Technology: March 11, 2020 New this week Project Manager for Resource Sharing Initiatives, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA Research Data Services Librarian, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington, KY Digital Archivist, Rice University, Fondren Library, Houston, TX Associate Director, Technical Services, Yale University, New Haven, CT Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job listings and information on submitting your own job posting. Congratulations to Alison Macrina, winner of the 2020 LITA/Library Hi Tech Award The LITA/Library Hi Tech Awards Committee is pleased to select Alison Macrina as the 2020 recipient of the LITA/Library Hi-Tech Award. Macrina led the Tor Relay Initiative in New Hampshire, is the founder and executive director of the Library Freedom Project, and has written and taught extensively in the areas of digital privacy, surveillance, and user anonymity in the context of libraries and librarianship. In this role, Macrina was instrumental in creating the Library Freedom Institute, which trained its first cohort in 2018 and will train its third cohort in 2020. Macrina has also spoken on digital privacy and the work of the Library Freedom Project across the United States and published Anonymity, the first book in ALA’s Library Futures Series, in 2019. The committee was fortunate to receive several outstanding nominations for the 2020 award. Macrina stood out in this strong pool of candidates for the broad reach and impact... Nominate yourself or someone you know for the next LITA Top Tech Trends panel of speakers LITA is looking for dynamic speakers with knowledge about the top trends in technology and how they intersect with information security and privacy. Library technology is quickly evolving with trends such as VR, cloud computing and AI. As library technology continues to impact our profession and those that we serve, security and privacy are quickly becoming top concerns. We hope this panel will provide insight and information about these technology trends for you to discuss within your own organization. If you or someone you know would be a great fit for this exciting panel, please submit your nomination today.   Submit your nominations – the deadline is April 17, 2020. The session is planned for Sunday, June 28, 2020, 2:30 – 3:30 pm, at the 2020 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, IL. A moderator and several panelists will each discuss trends impacting libraries, ideas for use cases, and practical approaches for... Jobs in Information Technology: March 4, 2020 New this week Wilson Distinguished Professorship, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC Coordinator of Library Technical Services, Berea College, Berea, KY UI/UX Designer, University of Rochester Libraries, Rochester, NY Technical Support and Hardware Specialist – 2 Openings, St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY ​​​​​​​Software Engineer, Library Systems, Stanford Health Care, Palo Alto, CA Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job listings and information on submitting your own job posting. Hebah Emara is our 2019-20 LITA/OCLC Spectrum Scholar LITA and OCLC are funding Hebah Emara’s participation in the ALA Spectrum Scholars program as part of their commitment to help diversify the library technology field. Emara is a second year distance student at the University of Missouri – Columbia School of Information Science and Learning Technologies MLIS program. She is interested in the ways libraries and technology intersect. Her background in IT and love of learning about technology, computers, and programming drew her to working in library technology. Libraries’ ability to bridge the digital divide and their use of technology to provide opportunities to their communities and solve problems are also of particular interest to Emara. Her decision to apply to the Spectrum Scholarship was fueled by a desire to learn from a community of peers and mentors.  Emara is currently the co-chair of a Tech UnConference to be held in April 2020 and organized by MentorNJ in collaboration with the... Share your ideas and library projects by submitting a session proposal for the 2020 Forum! 2020 Forum Call for Proposals Submission Deadline: March 30, 2020 November 19-21, 2020 Baltimore, Maryland Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel Do you have an idea or project that you would like to share? Does your library have a creative or inventive solution to a common problem? Submit a proposal for the 2020 LITA/ALCTS/LLAMA Forum! Submission deadline is March 30th. Our library community is rich in ideas and shared experiences. The 2020 Forum Theme embodies our purpose to share knowledge and gain new insights by exploring ideas through an interactive, hands-on experience. We hope that this Forum can be an inspiration to share, finish, and be a catalyst to implement ideas… together. We invite those who choose to lead through their ideas to submit proposals for sessions or preconference workshops, as well as nominate keynote speakers. This is an opportunity to share your ideas or unfinished work, inciting collaboration and advancing the library profession... Early-bird Registration for the Exchange Ends in Three Days! The March 1 early-bird registration deadline for the Exchange is approaching. Register today and save! There’s still time to register for the Exchange at a discount, with early-bird registration rates at $199 for ALCTS, LITA, and LLAMA members; $255 for ALA individual members; $289 for non-members; $79 for student/retired members; $475 for groups; and $795 for institutions. Early-bird registration ends March 1. Taking place May 4, 6, and 8, the Exchange will engage a wide range of presenters and participants, facilitating enriching conversations and learning opportunities in a three-day, fully online, virtual forum. Programming includes keynote presentations from Emily Drabinski and Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, and sessions focusing on leadership and change management, continuity and sustainability, and collaborations and cooperative endeavors. In addition to these sessions, the Exchange will offer lightning rounds and virtual poster sessions. For up-to-date details on sessions, be sure to check the Exchange website as new information... Jobs in Information Technology: February 26, 2020 New this week Back End Drupal Web Developer, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR Distance Education & Outreach Librarian, Winona State University, Winona, MN Senior Systems Specialist, PrairieCat, Library Consortium, Coal Valley, IL Training and Outreach Coordinator, PrairieCat, Library Consortium, Coal Valley, IL Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job listings and information on submitting your own job posting. Deadline Extended to March 15 – Submit a Proposal to Teach for LITA The deadline to submit LITA education proposals has been extended to March 15th. We’re seeking instructors passionate about library technology topics to share their expertise and teach a webinar, webinar series, or online course for LITA this year. Instructors receive a $500 honorarium for an online course or $150 for a webinar, split among instructors. Check out our list of current and past course offerings to see what topics have been covered recently. Be part of another slate of compelling and useful online education programs this year! Submit your LITA education proposal today! For questions or comments related to teaching for LITA, contact us at lita@ala.org or (312) 280-4268. The 2020 Census Starts in Two Weeks — Are Your Computers Ready? Post courtesy of Gavin Baker, ALA Office of Public Policy and Advocacy, Deputy Director, Public Policy and Government Relations On March 12, millions of American households will begin receiving mailings inviting them to respond to the 2020 Census. To get an accurate count, everyone has to respond – if they don’t, our libraries and communities will lose needed funding. As the mailings arrive, patrons may come to your library with questions – and, with a new option to respond online, to complete the questionnaire using the library’s computers or internet. To help you prepare, ALA has a new, two-page tip sheet, “Libraries and the 2020 Census: Responding to the Census,” that provides key dates, options for responding, and advice for libraries preparing for the 2020 Census. For instance, the tip sheet explains these important facts: Ways to Respond: Households can respond to the Census online, by phone, or by mail... News Regarding the Future of LITA after the Core Vote Dear LITA members, We’re writing about the implications of LITA’s budget for the upcoming 2020-21 fiscal year, which starts September 1, 2020. We have reviewed the budget and affirmed that LITA will need to disband if the Core vote does not succeed. Since the Great Recession, membership in professional organizations has been declining consistently. LITA has followed the same pattern and as a result, has been running at a deficit for a number of years. Each year, LITA spends more on staff, events, equipment, software, and supplies than it takes in through memberships and event registrations. We were previously able to close our budgets through the use of our net asset balance which is, in effect, like a nest egg for the division. Of course, that could not continue indefinitely. Our path towards sustainability has culminated in the proposal to form Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures. The new division would come with... Boards of ALCTS, LITA and LLAMA put Core on March 2020 ballot The Boards of the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS), Library Information Technology Association (LITA) and the Library Leadership & Management Association (LLAMA) have all voted unanimously to send to members their recommendation that the divisions form a new division, Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures.  ALCTS, LITA and LLAMA will vote on the recommendation during the upcoming American Library Association (ALA) election. If approved by all three memberships, and the ALA Council, the three long-time divisions will end operations on August 31, 2020, and merge into Core on September 1. Members of the three Boards emphasized that Core will continue to support the groups in which members currently find their professional homes while also creating new opportunities to work across traditional division lines. It is also envisioned that Core would strengthen member engagement efforts and provide new career-support services. If one or more of the division memberships do not... Jobs in Information Technology: February 19, 2020 New this week Librarian (Emphasis in User Experience and Technology), Chabot College, Hayward, CA Librarian II (ILS Admin & Tech Services), Duluth Public Library, Duluth, MN Distance Education & Outreach Librarian, Winona State University, Winona, MN Head, Digital Initiatives – Tisch Library, Tufts University, Medford, MA Online Learning and User Experience Librarian, Ast or Asc Professor, SIU Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL Discovery and Systems Librarian, Hamilton College, Clinton, NY Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job listings and information on submitting your own job posting. Early-bird registration ends March 1st for the Exchange With stimulating programming, including discussion forums and virtual poster sessions, the Exchange will engage a wide range of presenters and participants, facilitating enriching conversations and learning opportunities in a three-day, fully online, virtual forum. Programming includes keynote presentations from Emily Drabinski and Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, and sessions focusing on leadership and change management, continuity and sustainability, and collaborations and cooperative endeavors. The Exchange will take place May 4, 6, and 8. In addition to these sessions, the Exchange will offer lightning rounds and virtual poster sessions. For up-to-date details on sessions, be sure to check the Exchange website as new information is being added regularly. Early-bird registration rates are $199 for ALCTS, LITA, and LLAMA members, $255 for ALA individual members, $289 for non-members, $79 for student members, $475 for groups, and $795 for institutions. Early-bird registration ends March 1. Want to register your group or institution? Groups watching the... Jobs in Information Technology: February 13, 2020 New this week Upper School Librarian (PDF), St. Christopher’s School, Richmond, VA Diversity and Engagement Librarian, Ast or Asc Professor, SIU Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL Repository Services Manager, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO Information Technology Librarian, Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery (UMBC), Baltimore, MD Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job listings and information on submitting your own job posting. LITA Blog Call for Contributors We’re looking for new contributors for the LITA Blog! Do you have just a single idea for a post or a series of posts? No problem! We’re always looking for guest contributors with new ideas. Do you have thoughts and ideas about technology in libraries that you’d like to share with LITA members? Apply to be a regular contributor! If you’re a member of LITA, consider either becoming a regular contributor for the next year or submitting a post or two as a guest. Apply today! Learn the latest in Library UX with this LITA Webinar There’s a seat waiting for you… Register for this LITA webinar today! How to Talk About Library UX – Redux Presenter: Michael Schofield Librarian / Director of Engineering, WhereBy.Us Wednesday, March 11, 2020 12:00 – 1:00 pm Central Time The last time we did this webinar was in 2016 – and a lot’s changed. The goal then was to help establish some practical benchmarks for how to think about the user experience and UX design in libraries, which suffered from a lack of useful vocabulary and concepts: while we might be able to evangelize the importance of UX, LibUXers struggled with translating their championship into the kinds of bureaucratic goals that unlocked real budget for our initiatives. It’s one thing to say, “the patron experience is critical!” It’s another thing to say, “the experience is critical – so pay for OptimalWorkshop, or hire a UX Librarian, or give me a... Joint Working Group on eBooks and Digital Content in Libraries John Klima, the LITA Representative to the Working Group on eBooks and Digital Content, recently agreed to an interview about the latest update from ALA Midwinter 2020. Watch the blog for more updates from John about the Working Group in the coming months! What is the mission and purpose of the Working Group on eBooks and Digital Content? Quoting from the minutes of the ALA Executive Board Fall meeting in October of 2019: [The purpose of this working group is] to address library concerns with publishers and content providers specifically to develop a variety of digital content license models that will allow libraries to provide content more effectively, allowing options to choose between one-at-a-time, metered, and other options to be made at point of sale; to make all content available in print and for which digital variants have been created to make the digital content equally available to libraries without... 2020 Forum Call for Proposals LITA, ALCTS and LLAMA are now accepting proposals for the 2020 Forum, November 19-21 at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel in Baltimore, MD. Intention and Serendipity: Exploration of Ideas through Purposeful and Chance Connections Submission Deadline: March 30, 2020 Our library community is rich in ideas and shared experiences. The 2020 Forum Theme embodies our purpose to share knowledge and gain new insights by exploring ideas through an interactive, hands-on experience. We hope that this Forum can be an inspiration to share, finish, and be a catalyst to implement ideas…together. We invite those who choose to lead through their ideas to submit proposals for sessions or preconference workshops, as well as nominate keynote speakers. This is an opportunity to share your ideas or unfinished work, inciting collaboration and advancing the library profession forward through meaningful dialogue. We encourage diversity in presenters from a wide range of background, libraries, and experiences. We deliberately... LITA announces the 2020 Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction Notable Lists The LITA Committee Recognizing Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction presents the 2020 Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction Notable Lists. The lists are composed of notable children’s and young adult science fiction published between November 2018 and October 2019 and organized into three age-appropriate categories. The annotated lists will be posted on the website at www.sfnotables.org. The Golden Duck Notable Picture Books List is selected from books intended for pre-school children and very early readers, up to 6 years old. Recognition is given to the author and the illustrator: Field Trip to the Moon by John Hare. Margaret Ferguson Books Hello by Aiko Ikegami. Creston Books How to be on the Moon by Viviane Schwarz. Candlewick Press Out There by Tom Sullivan. Balzer + Bray The Babysitter From Another Planet by Stephen Savage. Neal Porter Books The Space Walk by Brian Biggs. Dial Books for Young... Jobs in Information Technology: February 5, 2020 New this week (Tenure-Track) Senior Assistant Librarian, Sonoma State UniversityRohnert Park, CA Data Services Librarian for the Sciences, Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job listings and information on submitting your own job posting. Teach for LITA: Submit Proposals by February 16 Reminder: The deadline to submit LITA education proposals is February 16th. Please share our CFP with your colleagues. We are seeking instructors passionate about library technology topics to share their expertise and teach a webinar, webinar series, or online course for LITA this year. All topics related to the intersection of technology and libraries are welcomed, including: Machine Learning IT Project Management Data Visualization Javascript, including: jquery, json, d3.js Library-related APIs Change management in technology Big Data, High Performance Computing Python, R, GitHub, OpenRefine, and other programming/coding topics in a library context Supporting Digital Scholarship/Humanities Virtual and Augmented Reality Linked Data Implementation or Participation in Open Source Technologies or Communities Open Educational Resources, Creating and Providing Access to Open Ebooks and Other Educational Materials Managing Technology Training Diversity/Inclusion and Technology Accessibility Issues and Library Technology Technology in Special Libraries Ethics of Library Technology (e.g., Privacy Concerns, Social Justice Implications) Library/Learning Management... Jobs in Information Technology: January 29, 2020 New this week STEM, Instruction, and Assessment Librarian, McDaniel College, Westminster, MD Data Science/Analysis Research Librarian, Hamilton College, Clinton, NY Electronic Resources Librarian, Brown University, Providence, RI Systems Librarian, Brown University, Providence, RI Head, Technical Services, Brown University, Providence, RI Network and Systems Administrator, St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job listings and information on submitting your own job posting. Emily Drabinski, Rebekkah Smith Aldrich to deliver keynotes at the Exchange Virtual Forum The Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS), the Library Information Technology Association (LITA) and the Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA) have announced that Emily Drabinski and Rebekkah Smith Aldrich will deliver keynote addresses at the Exchange Virtual Forum. The theme for the Exchange is “Building the Future Together,” and it will take place on the afternoons of May 4, 6 and 8. Each day has a different focus, with day 1 exploring leadership and change management; day 2 examining continuity and sustainability; and day 3 focusing on collaborations and cooperative endeavors. Drabinski’s keynote will be on May 4, and Smith Aldrich’s will be on May 8.  Emily Drabinski is the Critical Pedagogy Librarian at Mina Rees Library, Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY). She is also the liaison to the School of Labor and Urban Studies and other CUNY masters and doctoral programs. Drabinski’s research includes... Jobs in Information Technology: January 22, 2020 New this week Information Technology and Web Services (ITWS) Department Head, Auraria Library, Denver, CO Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job listings and information on submitting your own job posting. Advice for the New Systems Librarian – Building Relationships 2.0 Advice for the New Systems Librarian – Building Relationships, Part 2 Previous articles in this series: Building Relationships, Helpful Resources, A Day in the Life I am at the two-year mark of being in my role as systems librarian at Jacksonville University, and I continue to love what I do. I am working on larger-scale projects and continuing to learn new things every week. There has not been a challenge or new skill to learn yet that I have been afraid of. My first post in this series highlighted groups and departments that may be helpful in learning your new role. Now that I’m a little more seasoned, I have had the opportunity to work with even more departments and individuals at my institution on various projects. Some of these departments may be unique to me, but I would imagine you would find counterparts where you work. The Academic Technology... Jobs in Information Technology: January 15, 2020 New this week Performing and Visual Arts Librarian, Butler University, Indianapolis, IN Librarian, The College of Lake County, Grayslake, IL User Experience (UX) Librarian, UNC Charlotte, J. Murrey Atkins Library, Charlotte, NC Southeast Asia Digital Librarian, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY Head of Digital Infrastructure Services at UConn Library, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job listings and information on submitting your own job posting. LITA Education Call for Proposals for 2020 What library technology topics are you passionate about? Have something you can help others learn? LITA invites you to share your expertise with an international audience! Our courses and webinars are based on topics of interest to library technology workers and technology managers at all levels in all types of libraries. Taught by experts, they reach beyond physical conferences to bring high quality continuing education to the library world. We deliberately seek and strongly encourage submissions from underrepresented groups, such as women, people of color, the LGBTQA+ community, and people with disabilities. Submit a proposal by February 16th to teach a webinar, webinar series, or online course for Winter/Spring/Summer/Fall 2020. All topics related to the intersection of technology and libraries are welcomed, including: Machine Learning IT Project Management Data Visualization Javascript, including: jquery, json, d3.js Library-related APIs Change management in technology Big Data, High Performance Computing Python, R, GitHub, OpenRefine,... Jobs in Information Technology: January 8, 2020 New this week Web Services & Discovery Manager, American University Library, Washington, DCSenior Research Librarian, Finnegan, Washington, DC Electronic Resources and Discovery Librarian, Auburn University, AL ​​​​​​​Discovery & Systems Librarian, California State University, Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job listings and information on submitting your own job posting. UX “don’ts” we still need from Erika Hall The second edition of Erika Hall’s Just Enough Research dropped October 2019; although this excellent volume was previously unknown to me I am taking the opportunity now to consume, embody, and evangelize Hall’s approach to user research. Or, as Hall might put it, I’m a willing convert to the gospel of “Enoughening”. Hall is a seasoned design consultant and co-founder of Mule Design Studio but her commercial approach is tempered by a no-nonsense attitude that makes her solutions and suggestions palatable to a small UX team such as my own at Indiana University Bloomington Libraries. Rather than conduct a formulaic book review of Just Enough Research, I want to highlight some specific things Hall tells the reader not to do in their UX research. This list of five “don’ts” summarize Hall’s tone, style, and approach. It will also highlight the thesis of the second edition’s brand new chapter on surveys.... Jobs in Information Technology: December 18, 2019 New this week Vice Provost and University Librarian, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR Data Migration Specialist (Telecommuting position), Bywater Solutions, Remote Position Research Librarian, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job listings and information on submitting your own job posting. Announcing the new LITA eLearning Coordinator We are proud to announce that Kira Litvin will be the new LITA eLearning Coordinator. Litvin has been the Continuing Education Coordinator at the Colorado School for Public Health for the past six months. She provides distance/online learning library services and instruction and works regularly with other librarians, instructional designers, faculty, and educators to collaborate on instructional delivery projects. “I am passionate about being a librarian and working with people in an online environment!  For the past nine years I have worked with libraries that are exclusively online. My roles include administering and managing electronic library systems, including Springshare products, and providing virtual reference and instruction to students, faculty and staff. More recently I have transitioned to working as an eLearning Instructional Designer which means I design and develop instructional content available for asynchronous learning and professional development. As online learning continues to grow, I believe that libraries need to... Submit a Nomination for 2020 Awards and Scholarships Hugh C. Atkinson Memorial Award The award honors the life and accomplishments of Hugh C. Atkinson by soliciting nominations and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of an academic librarian who has worked in the areas of library automation or library management and has made contributions (including risk taking) toward the improvement of library services or to library development or research. Nomination deadline: January 9, 2020 Winner receives a cash award and a plaque. Learn more about the requirements for the Atkinson Memorial Award. Ex Libris Student Writing Award The LITA/Ex Libris Student Writing Award is given for the best unpublished manuscript on a topic in the area of libraries and information technology written by a student or students enrolled in an ALA-accredited library and information studies graduate program. Application deadline: February 28, 2020 Winner receives a $1,000 cash and a plaque. Learn more about the requirements for the Ex Libris Student... Submit a Nomination for the Hugh C. Atkinson Memorial Award LITA, ACRL, ALCTS, and LLAMA invite nominations for the 2020 Hugh C. Atkinson Memorial Award. Please submit your nominations by January 9, 2020. The award honors the life and accomplishments of Hugh C. Atkinson by recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of an academic librarian who has worked in the areas of library automation or library management and has made contributions (including risk taking) toward the improvement of library services or to library development or research. Winners receive a cash award and a plaque. This award is funded by an endowment created by divisional, individual, and vendor contributions given in memory of Hugh C. Atkinson. The nominee must be a librarian employed in one of the following during the year prior to application for this award: University, college, or community college library Non-profit consortium, or a consortium comprised of non-profits that provides resources/services/support to  academic libraries The nominee must have a minimum... Core Update – 12/12/2019 Greetings again from the Steering Committee of Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures, a proposed division of ALA. Coming up this Friday, December 13 is the last of four town halls we are holding this fall to share information and elicit your input. Please join us! Register for Town Hall 4 today. ALCTS, LITA, and LLAMA division staff will lead this town hall with a focus on Core’s mission, vision, and values; benefits organizationally; benefits to members; and opportunities in the future. Our speakers will be Jenny Levine (LITA Executive Director), Julie Reese (ALCTS Deputy Executive Director), and Kerry Ward (LLAMA Executive Director and interim ALCTS Executive Director). We’re excited to share an updated Core proposal document for ALA member feedback and review, strengthened by your input. We invite further comments on this updated proposal through Sunday, December 15. Meanwhile, division staff will incorporate your comments and finalize this proposal document for... Jobs in Information Technology: December 11, 2019 New this week Senior Specialist – Makerspace, Middle Tennessee State University, Walker Library, Murfreesboro, TN User Experience Librarian, Auburn University, Auburn University, AL Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job listings and information on submitting your own job posting. Announcing the new LITA Blog Editor We are proud to announce that Jessica Gilbert Redman will be the new editor of the LITA Blog.  Gilbert Redman has been the web services librarian at the University of North Dakota for the past three years. She coordinates and writes for the library blog and maintains the library website. She has completed a post-graduate certificate in user experience and always seeks to ensure that end users are able to easily find the information they need to complete their research. Additionally, she realizes communication is the key component in any relationship, be it between libraries and their users or between colleagues, and she always strives to make communication easier for all involved. “I am excited to become more involved in LITA, and I think the position of LITA Blog Editor is an excellent way to meet more people within LITA and ALA, and to maintain a finger on the pulse of new... Jobs in Information Technology: December 4, 2019 New this week Digital Discovery Librarian/Assistant Librarian, Miami University, Oxford, OH Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job listings and information on submitting your own job posting. Jobs in Information Technology: November 27, 2019 New this week Web and Digital Scholarship Technologies Librarian, Marquette University Libraries, Milwaukee, WI Digital Access and Metadata Librarian, Marquette University Libraries, Milwaukee, WI Librarian (San Ramon Campus), Contra Costa Community College District, San Ramon, CA Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job listings and information on submitting your own job posting. Support LITA Scholarships this #GivingTuesday It’s almost #GivingTuesday, so we’re highlighting the difference that LITA scholarships can make, and inviting you to join us in increasing access to LITA events by donating to our scholarship fund today. You can help us to provide more scholarships to events like AvramCamp and LITA Forum, as well as sponsor Emerging Leaders, with your donation today! Your donation of $25 could open up untold opportunities for other library technology professionals. “The LITA scholarship afforded me the opportunity to present at the 2019 AvramCamp and ALA conference. It was an incredible opportunity to network with dozens of information professionals, build connections with people in the field, ask them all of my questions and exchange our technical acumen and job experiences. As a result, I have been offered two interviewing opportunities that were an incredibly valuable experience for my career development. I am very grateful to LITA for the opportunity to... Jobs in Information Technology: November 22, 2019 New This Week Metadata Specialist III, Metadata Services, The New York Public Library, New York, NY eResources Librarian, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD Multiple Librarian Positions, George Washington University, Washington DC INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ANALYST, San Mateo County Libraries, San Mateo County, CA Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job listings and information on submitting your own job posting. Call for Blog Coordinator for the Exchange: An ALCTS/LITA/LLAMA Collaboration The Exchange: An ALCTS/LITA/LLAMA Collaboration brings together experiences, ideas, expertise, and individuals from the three ALA divisions. Broadly organized around the theme of “Building the Future Together,” the Exchange will examine the topic in relation to collections, leadership, technology, innovation, sustainability, and collaborations. Participants from diverse areas of librarianship will find the three days of presentations, panels, and lightning rounds both thought-provoking and highly relevant to their current and future career paths. The Exchange will engage a wide range of presenters and participants, facilitating enriching conversations and learning opportunities. Divisional members and non-members alike are encouraged to register and bring their questions, experiences, and perspectives to the events. As part of the conference experience, the Exchange plans to host regular blog posts in advance of the conference. Blog posts will serve multiple purposes: generate excitement and interest in content, encourage participation outside of simply watching presentations, and provide an avenue... The Exchange Call for Proposals and Informational Webinar ALCTS, LITA, and LLAMA are now accepting proposals for the Exchange: Building the Future Together, a virtual forum scheduled for May 4, 6, and 8, 2020. The twelve hour virtual event will take place over three afternoons, featuring the following themes and topics: Day 1 – Leadership and Change Management Day 2 – Continuity and Sustainability Day 3 – Collaborations and Cooperative Endeavors Session Formats The Exchange will feature the following session formats: Full-session Proposals Presenters prepare content for a 35-minute session, with an additional 10-minute Q&A period for all presenters. Full-session proposals may include multiple presentations with content that is topically related. Lightning Round Each participant is given five minutes to give a presentation. At the end of the lightning round, there will be a 10-15-minute Q&A period for all presenters in the session. Topics for lightning rounds related to innovative projects or research are encouraged. Proposals will be... Registration is Now Open for the Exchange In May 2020, join ALCTS, LITA, and LLAMA for an exciting and engaging virtual forum. Registration is now open!   The Exchange: An ALCTS/LITA/LLAMA Collaboration brings together experiences, ideas, expertise, and individuals from the three ALA divisions. Broadly organized around the theme of “Building the Future Together,” the Exchange will examine the topic in relation to collections, leadership, technology, innovation, sustainability, and collaborations. Participants from diverse areas of librarianship will find the three days of presentations, panels, and lightning rounds both thought-provoking and highly relevant to their current and future career paths. The Exchange will engage a wide range of presenters and participants, facilitating enriching conversations and learning opportunities. Divisional members and non-members alike are encouraged to register and bring their questions, experiences, and perspectives to the events. “Building on the rich educational traditions of the three divisions, the Exchange provides the opportunity to break down silos and explore synergies... Core Call for Comment Greetings again from the Steering Committee of Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures, a proposed division of ALA. The Steering Committee welcomes comments on the draft division proposal documentation through November 25th. Please join the conversation! Your perspectives and input are shaping the identity and priorities of the proposed division. We’re asking for you to respond to the documents with key questions in mind, including: Does this make sense to someone new to ALCTS/ LITA/ LLAMA? Does this piece of the plan reflect how members want the new division to function? Are there any points that are cause for concern? If you’re interested in helping us in the review process or other work ahead, please consider volunteering for Core. We’re eager to collaborate with you! We’re working hard to ensure everyone can participate in the Core conversation, so please let us know what could make Core a compelling and worthy division home for you. Keep the feedback and input coming! Full details for all our upcoming events are... LIS Students: Apply for the 2020 Larew Scholarship for Tuition Help The Library and Information Technology Association (LITA) and Baker & Taylor are accepting applications for the LITA/Christian (Chris) Larew Memorial Scholarship for those who plan to follow a career in library and information technology, demonstrate potential leadership, and hold a strong commitment to library automation. The winner will receive a $3,000 check and a citation. The application form is open through March 1, 2020. Criteria for the Scholarship includes previous academic excellence, evidence of leadership potential, and a commitment to a career in library automation and information technology. Candidates should illustrate their qualifications for the scholarships with a statement indicating the nature of their library experience, letters of reference and a personal statement of the applicant’s view of what they can bring to the profession. Winners must have been accepted to a Master of Library Science (MLS) program recognized by the American Library Association. References, transcripts, and other documents must be postmarked no... Jobs in Information Technology: November 13, 2019 New This Week Full Time Faculty – Non Tenure Track, SJSU School of Information, San Jose, CA Digital Collections Librarian, Union College, Schenectady, NY Web Services Librarian, University of Oregon Libraries, Eugene, OR GALILEO Programmer/Analyst, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, GA Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job listings and information on submitting your own job posting. LITA Opens Call for Innovative LIS Student Writing Award for 2020 The Library and Information Technology Association (LITA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is pleased to offer an award for the best unpublished manuscript submitted by a student or students enrolled in an ALA-accredited graduate program. Sponsored by LITA and Ex Libris, the award consists of $1,000, publication in LITA’s referred journal, Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL), and a certificate. The deadline for submission of the manuscript is February 28, 2020. The award recognizes superior student writing and is intended to enhance the professional development of students. The manuscript can be written on any aspect of libraries and information technology. Examples include, but are not limited to, digital libraries, metadata, authorization and authentication, electronic journals and electronic publishing, open source software, distributed systems and networks, computer security, intellectual property rights, technical standards, desktop applications, online catalogs and bibliographic systems, universal access to technology, and library consortia. To be eligible, applicants must follow these guidelines and fill out the application form (PDF).... Jobs in Information Technology: November 6, 2019 New This Week Open Educational Resources Production Manager, Oregon State University – Ecampus, Corvallis, OR User Experience Librarian, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) Librarian, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Baltimore, MD Director of Collections & Access, Wheaton College, Norton, MA Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job listings and information on submitting your own job posting. Nominate a Colleague Doing Cutting Edge Work in Tech Education for the LITA Library Hi Tech Award Nominations are open for the 2020 LITA/Library Hi Tech Award, which is given each year to an individual or institution for outstanding achievement in educating the profession about cutting edge technology within the field of library and information technology. Sponsored by the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA) and Library Hi Tech, the award includes a citation of merit and a $1,000 stipend provided by Emerald Publishing, publishers of Library Hi Tech. The deadline for nominations is December 31, 2019. The award, given to either a living individual or an institution, may recognize a single seminal work or a body of work created during or continuing into the five years immediately preceding the award year. The body of work need not be limited to published texts but can include course plans or actual courses and/or non-print publications such as visual media. Awards are intended to recognize living persons rather than to honor the deceased; therefore,... Propose a Topic for the ITAL “Public Libraries Leading the Way” Column Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL), the quarterly open-access journal published by ALA’s Library Information Technology Association, is looking for contributors for its regular “Public Libraries Leading the Way” column. This column highlights a technology-based innovation or approach to problem solving from a public library perspective. Topics we are interested in include the following, but proposals on any other technology topic are welcome. 3-D printing and makerspaces Civic technology Drones Diversity, equity, and inclusion and technology Privacy and cyber-security Virtual and augmented reality Artificial intelligence Big data Internet of things Robotics Geographic information systems and mapping Library analytics and data-driven services Anything else related to public libraries and innovations in technology To propose a topic, use this brief form, which will ask you for three pieces of information: Your name Your email address A brief (75-150 word) summary of your proposed column that describes your library, the technology you wish to... ALCTS, LITA and LLAMA collaborate for virtual forum The Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS), the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA) and the Library Leadership & Management Association (LLAMA) have collaborated to create The Exchange, an interactive, virtual forum designed to bring together experiences, ideas, expertise and individuals from these American Library Association (ALA) divisions. Modeled after the 2017 ALCTS Exchange, the Exchange will be held May 4, May 6 and May 8 in 2020 with the theme “Building the Future Together.” As a fully online interactive forum, the Exchange will give participants the opportunity to share the latest research, trends and developments in collections, leadership, technology, innovation, sustainability and collaborations. Participants from diverse areas of librarianship will find the three days of presentations, panels and activities both thought-provoking and highly relevant to their current and future career paths. The Exchange will engage an array of presenters and participants, facilitating enriching conversations and learning opportunities.... Submit your 2020 Annual Meeting Request by Feb 7 The LITA meeting request form is now open for the 2020 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, IL. All LITA committee and interest group chairs should use it to let us know if you plan to meet at Annual. We’re looking forward to seeing what you have planned. The deadline to submit your meeting request is Friday, February 7, 2020. We’re going to change how we’ve listed meetings in the past. If you do NOT submit this form, your group will NOT be included in the list of LITA session on our website, the online scheduler, or the print program. While we’ll still hold the Joint Chairs meeting on Saturday from 8:30-10:00am and use that same room for committee and IG meetings from 10:30-11:30am, your group will only be listed if you submit this form. You should also use it if you want to request a meeting on a different day... Submit a Nomination for the Prestigious Kilgour Technology Research Award LITA and OCLC invite nominations for the 2020 Frederick G. Kilgour Award for Research in Library and Information Technology. Submit your nomination no later than December 31, 2019. The Kilgour Research Award recognizes research relevant to the development of information technologies, in particular research showing promise of having a positive and substantive impact on any aspect of the publication, storage, retrieval, and dissemination of information or how information and data are manipulated and managed. The winner receives $2,000 cash, an award citation, and an expense-paid trip (airfare and two nights lodging) to the 2020 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, IL. Nominations will be accepted from any member of the American Library Association. Nominating letters must address how the research is relevant to libraries; is creative in its design or methodology; builds on existing research or enhances potential for future exploration; and/or solves an important current problem in the delivery of... Core Update – October 23, 2019 Greetings again from the Steering Committee of Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures, a proposed division of ALA. Thank you for all of your questions and feedback about the proposed new division! The Steering Committee has been revising Core documents based on what we’ve heard from you so far in order to share draft bylaws and other information with you soon. We want you to know that we are continuing to listen and incorporate the feedback you’re providing via Town Halls, Twitter Chats, the Core feedback form, and more.  In our next Steering Committee meeting, we will be discussing how we can support the operational involvement of interested volunteers. If you have ideas on how members should be involved, please share them with us through the feedback form.  We’re working hard to ensure everyone can participate in the Core conversation, so please let us know what could make Core a compelling and worthy division home for... Jobs in Information Technology: October 23, 2019 New This Week Metadata & Research Support Specialist, Open Society Research Services, Open Society Foundations, New York, NY Head of Public Services in The Daniel Library, The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, Charleston, SC Engineering and Science Liaison, MIT, Cambridge, MA Head of Technical Services – Library, The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, Charleston, SC Analyst Programmer 3, Oregon State University Libraries and Press, Corvallis, OR Collection Information Specialist, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston, MA Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job listings and information on submitting your own job posting. Jobs in Information Technology: October 16, 2019 New This Week Metadata Librarian for Distinctive Collections, MIT, Cambridge, MA Electronic Access Librarian, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY Dean, University Libraries, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO Administrative/Metadata Specialist, ASR International Corp., Monterey, CA Core Systems Librarian, University of Oregon Libraries, Eugene, OR Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job listings and information on submitting your own job posting. September 2019 ITAL Issue Now Available The September 2019 issue of Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL) is available now. In this issue, ITAL Editor Ken Varnum announces six new members of the ITAL Editorial Board. Our content includes a recap of Emily Morton-Owens’ President’s Inaugural Message, “Sustaining LITA“, discussing the many ways LITA strives to provide a sustainable member organization. In this edition of our “Public Libraries Leading the Way” series, Thomas Lamanna discusses ways libraries can utilize their current resources and provide ideas on how to maximize effectiveness and roll new technologies into operations in “On Educating Patrons on Privacy and Maximizing Library Resources.“ Featured Articles: “Library-Authored Web Content and the Need for Content Strategy,” Courtney McDonald and Heidi Burkhardt Increasingly sophisticated content management systems (CMS) allow librarians to publish content via the web and within the private domain of institutional learning management systems. “Libraries as publishers”may bring to mind roles in scholarly communication and... Jobs in Information Technology: October 9, 2019 New This Week Information Research Specialist, Harvard Business School, Boston, MA 2020-2021 Library Residency Program (Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship), New York University, Division of Libraries, New York, NY Executive Director, Library Connection, Inc, Windsor, CT Associate University Librarian, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY Visit the LITA Jobs Site for additional job listings and information on submitting your own job posting. New vacancy listings are posted on Wednesday afternoons. Latest LITA Learnings There’s a seat waiting for you… Register today for a LITA webinar! Guiding Students through Digital Citizenship Presenter: Casey Davis Instructional Designer (IT), Arizona State University Wednesday, October 16, 2019 12:00 – 1:30 pm Central Time As academic librarians, we help build our students into digital citizens. It’s our duty to make sure students have the tools and resources to be savvy tech users, become information literate, and understand the permanence of their digital actions. In this 90-minute webinar, you’ll learn research-based best practices you can implement using the framework of the hero’s journey without creating an additional burden on faculty, staff, and students. Learning objectives for this program include: • An expanded understanding of digital citizenship within the context of college/university life • Examining areas where increased awareness and practice is needed within the college/university community • Creating authentic training for increasing digital citizenship within the college/university community View details and Register here. In-House vs....