We are extremely happy to announce the “soft launch” of our first digitization initiative.  Peace and War in the 20th Century is a collaboration between McMaster, Hamilton Public Library and the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum.  The URL for the project is:  http://pw20c.mcmaster.ca/  It’s still under development so any comments would be welcomed!

We’ve chosen drupal for our platform.  Anonymous users can access all of the collections.  Registered users (anybody can register) can access all of the collections, comment on records, vote comments up or down (kinda like digg), use the Curate It! feature (digg like feature), and utilize the account based bookmarking (Bookbag) to save records for later viewing.  It also includes a faceted search feature like Endeca.  The site is also OAI-PMH compliant and has been harvested by U of Michigan and UIUC.

This is our first major digitization effort.  More to come!

From the Portico press release

Portico, a not-for-profit digital preservation service, introduced three expansions of its preservation work at its third annual Participants’ Meeting, held during the American Library Association Annual Conference in Anaheim, California. In direct response to preservation concerns expressed by libraries and publishers, Portico is moving beyond e-journal preservation.

• Portico now preserves scholarly e-books.
At ALA, Elsevier, a leading scientific journal, database, and book publisher, announced an agreement to preserve in the Portico archive e-book content available in ScienceDirect. (seehttp://elsevier.com/wps/find/authored_newsitem.careers/companynews05_00960). Portico is in active discussions with several other e-book publishers and will announce additional agreements as these are finalized.

• Portico has also initiated preservation activities for digitized newspapers. Discussions with a number of leading publishers of current and historical digitized newspapers are underway, and we will keep the community apprised as these move ahead.

• Portico also announced a new service to enable libraries to preserve locally created/digitized electronic scholarly materials within the Portico archive. Fifteen institutions have agreed to work with Portico in the introductory phase of this service. These institutions include:

° American University
° Baylor University
° Binghamton University
° Brigham Young University
° California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
° City University of New York
° Colorado State University
° McMaster University
° Middlebury College
° Northwestern University
° Trinity College, Dublin
° University of British Columbia
° University of Notre Dame
° University of Queensland
° Vassar College

Portico expects to open this service to interested libraries in mid-2009.

For more than a decade the scholarly community has expressed concerns about preservation, in particular for e-journals, and Portico’s digital preservation service was launched in late 2005 in direct response to this need. As new preservation needs are brought to Portico’s attention by both libraries and publishers, Portico is working to respond to these needs in ways that allow us to more fully meet our mission to preserve scholarly literature published in electronic form and to ensure that these materials remain accessible to future generations of scholars, researchers, and students. Portico’s new activities will proceed as preservation of the more than 7,700 journals committed to the Portico archive continues.

To obtain additional information about participation in Portico or about these preservation activities see www.portico.org or send an email to participation@portico.org.

Regards,

Ken

Kenneth DiFiore, MLS 
Associate Director of Library Relations, Portico
tel: 609 986-2276
fax: 609 951-0020
email: ken.difiore@portico.org
web: www.portico.org

(Press release from Readex)

Readex partners with Center for Research Libraries
to create Web-based World Newspaper Archive

Digitization effort will feature thousands of historical newspaper titles published outside the United States

JUNE 26, 2008 (NAPLES, FL) — , a division of NewsBank, and the  (CRL) announced today that they will create the world’s largest, fully searchable digital archive of international newspapers. The World Newspaper Archive will provide students, teachers and scholars unprecedented access to historical newspapers published outside the United States, advancing research and offering new insights across wide-ranging academic disciplines.

“NewsBank offers the greatest combination of expertise and capabilities to provide our members sustainable access to historical news content,” says Bernard F. Reilly, president of the Center for Research Libraries. “By partnering with its Readex division in this cooperative effort, we plan to systematically digitize and deliver over the Web the foreign newspapers held by CRL and other major newspaper repositories.“

This uniquely comprehensive electronic resource will first offer Latin American newspapers published between 1805 and 1922 in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela and other countries. Further series will focus on historical newspapers published in Africa, South Asia and other areas. Users will be able to seamlessly cross-search the World Newspaper Archive with , including Early American Newspapers and Hispanic American Newspapers.

“Readex and the Center for Research Libraries share a commitment to provide sustainable online access to primary source research collections,” says David Braden, Readex president. “We are delighted to be working in cooperation with CRL—one of the world’s largest and most important newspaper repositories—to launch this landmark digital project and expand opportunities to discover these primary resources.”

The initial Latin American series will offer approximately 35 titles, encompassing nearly one million pages. Among the newspapers expected to be included are La Prensa (Buenos Aires), O Estado de São Paulo (São Paulo), Mercurio (Santiago), La Prensa (Havana), Diario de Centro America (Guatemala City), Daily Chronicle (Georgetown, Guyana), Mexican Herald (Mexico City), El Peruano (Lima), Port of Spain Gazette (Port of Spain), and theVenezuelan Herald (Caracas).

“International newspapers have long been highly valued by students and researchers in the humanities and social sciences,” says Glenda Pearson, Human Rights Librarian and Head of Newspaper Collections at the University of Washington. “This exciting joint project between CRL and Readex will advance scholarly inquiry, while ensuring worldwide access to these invaluable publications for generations to come.”

Participating members of CRL will enjoy permanent access to the World Newspaper Archive, while all others around the world will be offered access by Readex. Charter CRL participants now include Harvard University; McMaster University; New York Public Library; Princeton University; University of California, Berkeley; University of California, Los Angeles; University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign; University of Texas; University of Washington; and Yale University.

About the The Center for Research Libraries is an international partnership of over 240 universities, colleges and independent research libraries. CRL supports advanced research and learning in the humanities, sciences and social sciences by ensuring the survival and accessibility of source materials vital to those disciplines.

About , a division of For more than 50 years, the Readex name has been synonymous with research in historical materials and government documents. Recognized by librarians, students and scholars for its efforts to transform academic scholarship, Readex offers a wealth of Web-based collections in the humanities and social sciences, including the Archive of Americana and the Foreign Broadcast Information Service Daily Reports.

For more information or to speak with a Readex expert, contact Readex Marketing Manager David Loiterstein by calling 203.421.0152 or emailing dloiterstein@readex.com.

Our Centre for Leadership in Learning (faculty development) and Learning Technologies Resource Centre (LMS/learning technologies) will be moving to newly renovated space in our Thode Library (Science and Engineering).

This move is significant and will provide our campus with a “one stop shop” for faculty development. There is tremendous potential in this new relationship!

http://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/story.cfm?id=5473

Pictures from our celebration of our partnership with Lulu/Kirtas can be found at:  http://flickr.com/photos/macetg/

Included are pics of Bob Young (Lulu) and Lotfi Belkhir (Kirtas)

Enjoy!

Imagine owning a copy of Galileo’s 1632 book, Dialogo di Galileo Galilei (Galileo’s Dialogue), challenging the traditional thinking that the universe revolves around the earth. At the time, the book and its concepts were so controversial, that Galileo was convicted of heresy in 1633 and the book was placed on the Index of Forbidden Books.

Or perhaps a first-edition, autographed copy of H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine is a more suitable choice for your own personal library?

These books and more will be made available to the public, beginning this fall, through a unique partnership between McMaster University Library and U.S.-based companies Kirtas Technologies, Inc. and Lulu.com.

With the support of Kirtas’ Canadian reseller Ristech, McMaster University will be using the Kirtas APT BookScan 2400RA to digitize rare, out-of-print books. Once the books are digitized and processed, McMaster faculty, students and staff will have free access to digital copies of the entire collection of scanned materials. The world will be able to access McMaster’s unique collections online, and even purchase as print-on-demand books from Lulu.com.

“We have significant collections that we would like to make more widely accessible through digitization,” said Jeffrey Trzeciak, University Librarian at McMaster University. “The digitization technology provided by Kirtas, the support and service we receive from Ristech, and the ability of Lulu to pull it all together increases both the electronic availability and the availability of the books in print for those who choose print on demand.”

As the publisher of these unique books, the Library also hopes to generate revenue through the print-on-demand service.

“We see more and more universities taking advantage of the print-on-demand option that is enabled through the digitization process,” said Kirtas Founder and CEO Lotfi Belkhir. “Not only are these institutions sharing their unique collections, but they are also creating a revenue stream that allows them to reinvest in their access and preservation efforts.”

“This is a tremendous opportunity for our customers to obtain books that may not be easy to find,” said Lulu.com CEO and Founder Bob Young. “In addition to being a place to publish, Lulu is a vast marketplace where anyone can buy books on just about any subject.” A native of Hamilton, Ontario, the affiliation puts Young in familiar territory.

McMaster University Library will be hosting a launch event celebrating their entry into mass digitization and publishing on Monday, May 26th at 9:30 a.m. The event will take place in the Mills Learning Commons at Mills Memorial Library and will include a demonstration of the machine and display some of the Library’s rare book collection.

To keep up to date on this project, please visit, http://digi.blog.lib.mcmaster.ca

GIS Librarian

McMaster University Libraries is seeking an energetic, innovative and service-oriented individual with excellent communication skills to fill the position of GIS Librarian. The successful candidate will be a creative and self-motivated person who works well with colleagues in a challenging and changing environment.

This is a full-time continuing appointment reporting to the Director of Library Services, Maps, Data and GIS.

The successful candidate will be responsible for the optimal development, organization, access and use of digital geospatial information and related data resources in support of the learning, teaching and research missions of McMaster University.

The incumbent will:

   * develop, manage and deliver library services related to geospatial

     data

   * act as the Liaison Librarian for Geographic Information Systems to

     faculty in all disciplines and work with faculty to integrate

     library GIS and data resources and services into the curriculum

   * provide reference services, consultation and/or advice on the use

     of GIS and geospatial data to support research and teaching activities

   * provide instruction to library patrons in the use of GIS software

     and data

   * develop and maintain a GIS services delivery system and web site

   * lead library service development in GIS and in emerging

     neogeography technologies

   * manage collection development, organization and maintenance of the

     Library’s spatial data collections

   * participate in initiatives related to the collection, organization

     and maintenance of GIS data generated by McMaster University

     researchers and affiliates

   * assist with the provision of twenty-first century fluencies

     training (including spatial and numeric literacy)

   * provide reference services and support related to the Lloyd Reeds

     Map Collection and the Library Data Service as required

   * keep up with emerging trends in GIS and other library-related

     information technologies, and demonstrate a commitment to

     professional issues in librarianship through participation in

     professional organizations, research and publication

The successful candidate must hold a MLS from an ALA-accredited library school or information science program. The preferred candidate will also hold a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject area such as Geography or Environmental Science with a major in GIS, or additional GIS qualifications such as a community college diploma in GIS, or two (2) years of professional experience relevant to the position.

The successful candidate will have pertinent knowledge of and experience in the use of GIS and a variety of kinds of maps and geospatial data, as well as a knowledge of and experience working with general academic library tools and resources. The successful candidate must also demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication skills and the potential to excel as an instructor. A current working knowledge of GIS software, particularly ESRI products, is expected. The ability to convey complicated information to a variety of end-users at different technical levels is essential.

The preferred candidate should demonstrate a high degree of computer literacy and a demonstrated interest in geographic information technologies and their applications to academic libraries. The candidate should demonstrate a commitment to developing, maintaining and sharing technical expertise, and the ability to work creatively, collaboratively and effectively, both as a team member and independently.

This position is included in the McMaster University Faculty Association (MUFA) for Librarians. The appointment will be made at Level 2, Annual Salary Floor $50, 556; Ceiling $82, 072. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. The position includes a competitive and comprehensive benefit package.

The Position Responsibility Statement is available from the Library Human Resources Office. Further information about the Library is available from its web site at http://library.mcmaster.ca/. McMaster University Libraries is the first Canadian library to be awarded the prestigious Excellence in Academic Libraries Award from the Association of College and Research Libraries in 2008 (http://library.mcmaster.ca/php/blog.php?id=832&display=full <http://library.mcmaster.ca/php/blog.php?id=832&display=full>).

Applications must be received by June 13, 2008.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be considered first for this position. McMaster University is strongly committed to employment equity within its community and to recruiting a diverse faculty and staff. The University encourages applications from all qualified candidates, including women, members of visible minorities, Aboriginal persons, members of sexual minorities and persons with disabilities.

Librarians who wish to be considered for this opportunity should send their Curriculum Vitae with a covering letter and the names of three references to:

Library Human Resources Office

Mills Memorial Library, Room 209

1280 Main Street West

Hamilton, Ontario

Fax: 905.522.0691 ext. 24722

E-mail: libjobs@mcmaster.ca 

I am very pleased and proud to announce that the McMaster University Libraries are the recipient of the *2008 Excellence in Academic Libraries Award* from the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).

The press release announcing the award is available at
http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2008/january2008/academic08.htm.

Sponsored by ACRL and Blackwell’s Book Services, the award “recognizes the staff of a college, university and community college library for programs that deliver exemplary services and resources to further the educational mission of the institution.” Mary Ellen Davis, president of ACRL calls the award a “tribute to a library and its staff for the outstanding services, programs and leadership they provide to their students, administrators, faculty and community.”

The recipients are selected by committee after an extensive application and review process. The commitee selected McMaster as it “exemplifies a successful transformation from a traditional research library to an innovative, user-centered library using technological advances to accomplish its goals,”

Over the past 18 months the libraries have moved forward thoughtfully in response to the significant changes that have taken place in how students learn and how faculty teach and conduct their research. In some cases, we have taken calculated risks designed to place us at the forefront of academic librarianship in North America. Receiving this award is an indication that the McMaster University Libraries are indeed leading the way!  McMaster University can say proudly that it has —and deserves —the very best in academic libraries.

The McMaster University Library and McMaster’s Classroom Audio Visual Services have merged.  I’m very pleased about the merger and look forward to our organizations working much closer together as a result. The merger will allow us to work much closer to the faculty not only on library resources but also on the technologies needed to access these resources in their teaching environments.  The change has been recent so watch this space for future developments!

This model is quite familiar to me as my former institution (Wayne State University) was also a ‘merged model’.  Other US institutions like the University of Oregon also use this model.  However, I believe it is quite different here in Canada.

The change was only announced on our campus this week.  We’ll be working more closely together in the coming months to develop a plan for fully integrating CAVS into the “library family”

Over the last few months I have mentioned that we’ve received a “major gift” for renovations at the Thode Library of Science and Engineering.  I’m pleased to say that I can now share the full details with you.  The estates of James Mason Young and Alice Mary Young have generously provided us with a gift for the Thode renovation as part of the Campaign for McMaster.  This gift of $847,000 will allow us to move forward with “phase one” of the Thode Renovations.   In the coming weeks I’m sure you’ll be hearing more about the gift as planning for the renovation takes shape.