Know Your Crowd: A Case Study in Digital Collection Marketing

Digitized special collections and institutional repositories present unique challenges to libraries struggling to identify marketing strategies that will entice patrons to these services. These collections, which do not have the same mass appeal as full-text articles or author book readings, still must attract use. This case study explores an academic library’s attempts to actively market its digital special collections. They advertised their collections via published marketing materials, a library services fair, and a photography contest. The results were that high-quality, intense, marketing for a general population does not work for specialized digital collections because the subject areas are too narrow for general interest. The scope of the audience was also misplaced since the collections had a greater market outside the university than with the local students. The authors looked at digital special collections that were successful to see what worked to market collections to outside users. They found that collections that were connected to external resources that were affiliated with different interest groups were successful with minimal marketing. The method of linking collections to Wikipedia was identified as a simple and effective method that was more effective than linking the collection to more niche sites. The authors conclude that academic libraries should utilize more focused, community-connecting approaches in order to engage the specialized patrons of digital special collections.     

Electronic Reserves

SUMMARY

At Rutgers University Libraries, the traditional reserve collection has migrated to a paperless electronic reserve service. To justify the change, Library Staff used two methodologies: a user survey and an analysis of reserve collections broken down by location and format, with circulation figures for each category. This change was made in stages; electronic reserves went to a digital only service. Librarians at Rutgers University are using electronic reserve services to gain experience with digital collections, homegrown and commercial databases, collections for distance education, and materials and services to remote users. In this paper we also look at some of the factors affecting academic reserve operations.     

Using Information Architecture to Evaluate Digital Libraries

Information users face increasing amounts of digital content, some of which is held in digital library collections. Academic librarians have the dual challenge of organizing online library content and instructing users in how to find, evaluate, and use digital information. Information architecture supports evolving library services by bringing best practice principles to digital collection development. Information architects organize content with a user-centered, customer oriented approach that benefits library users in resource discovery. The Publication of Archival, Library & Museum Materials (PALMM), a cooperative digital initiative of the state university libraries of Florida, demonstrates the value of information architecture to digital libraries.     

数字图书馆中多媒体馆藏与服务的建立

介绍岭南大学开发网上多媒体馆藏,并在香港开拓性地利用多媒体点播技术,通过互联网提供数字图书馆服务的实践。得出以下结论:多媒体技术对数字图书馆的影响无法估量,图书馆界应仔细研究和分析多媒体对数字图书馆的影响,充分发掘其潜能,并在引入多媒体服务的过程中,彼此分享经验,共建共享数字化资源。     

“Snow Fall”-ing Special Collections and Archives

“Snow Fall” is a Pulitzer Prize winning, digital storytelling project produced by the New York Times. It represents the next step in long-form digital journalism. The web application tells a compelling story about the fate of sixteen skiers and snowboarders during an avalanche. The textual element of the story is wrapped in a slick interface with gently appearing and disappearing images, strategically positioned HTML5 video and image slideshows, maps, and 3-D visualizations. Its title, “Snow Fall,” has become a verb in the digital journalism world. Upon seeing “Snow Fall” and other similar projects, the authors started to make the connection between this form of storytelling and Special Collections. Special Collections are full of interesting, rich, and unique stories. Their digital representation, however, while widespread in systems such as ContentDM, can be lacking in sensory appeal. Because of this, the authors developed a “Snow Fall”-like application for a Special Collections’ exhibit, “Cradle of Coaches,” in the fall of 2013. In addition to this exhibit, they have developed two more using the same template. They feel that this is a new and exciting medium to tell the stories within special collections and archives, as well as general stories about libraries themselves.     

Opportunities for Libraries with Print-on-Demand Publishing

ABSTRACT

Academic libraries, university presses, and commercial ventures are embracing print-on-demand publishing to improve services as well as reduce costs. The concept dates to the early 1990s, but problems with the technology coupled with a lack of interest by libraries and book vendors hindered its popularity. Today, print-on-demand remains ideal for institutional repositories and digital collections, as well as for collection development. It is especially popular for users with print preferences. Many publishers and librarians believe print-on-demand holds more promise for libraries than electronic books.     

Academic Libraries as Digital Gateways: Linking Students to the Burgeoning Wealth of Open Online Collections

ABSTRACT

Digital collections of full-text e-books are proliferating on the Web and provide a wealth of open content for students. To examine whether academic libraries are providing a digital gateway to these resources, ten e-book titles from open digital collections were searched in the online catalogs and Web pages of ten academic libraries serving distance learners. Only three of the digital collection e-books were available from any of the library catalogs, and none were found on library Web pages. Availability of the ten e-book titles through Google and other digital discovery tools also had mixed results. Continued projects for improved delivery of open online content are necessary. In order to fulfill their role as digital gateways for their academic communities, libraries must pursue metadata standards to support cross-searching, collaborative projects, and development of e-resource search software, which integrates with the library catalog.     

Digital Archival Image Collections: Who Are the Users?

Archival digital image collections are a relatively new phenomenon in college library archives. Digitizing archival image collections may make them accessible to users worldwide. There has been no study to explore whether collections on the Internet lead to users who are beyond the institution or a comparison of users to a national or international audience. This study of the Orang Asli Archive, a repository for anthropological, historical, journalistic, and other documentary sources relevant to Orang Asli peoples and cultures of Malaysia, examines the Web analytics of its digital archival image collections.     

Dissemination and Discovery of Diverse Data: Do Libraries Promote Their Unique Research Data Collections?

ABSTRACT

Academic libraries acquire and steward numeric datasets as well as large collections of image files, audio archives, digital texts, and other non-numeric resources. This article considers how a sample of libraries in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom present these collections and make them available for discovery. And, importantly, the article examines whether these non-numeric collections are positioned on the library Website as research datasets, rather than as artifacts of limited local and/or historical interest. Findings from this analysis may help collection managers and Web designers as libraries define their role in connecting users to research data.     

图书馆联盟内的数字馆藏的建设与共享——华盛顿研究图书馆联盟数字化生产中心介绍

华盛顿研究图书馆联盟是当今美国网络环境下，开展资源共享活动中较为成功的实体。2002年，基于联盟会员图书馆馆藏数字化的需求，联盟扩大资源共享服务范围，在联邦政府基金的帮助下建立了数字化生产中心。该中心由会员图书馆集资，集中利用技术力量、管理人才和设备进行数字化生产。经过四年多的实践，该中心在管理模式和数字化生产技术以及资源共享等方面均有一套独特的合理可行的策略和方针。本文作者以第一手资料详细介绍该中心的服务、管理、数字化馆藏的技术结构以及集中型数字化生产中心的优点。希望将这个模式介绍给国内同行。     

数字馆藏质量管理系统研究

数字馆藏是现代复合图书馆开展计算机网络信息服务的物质基础。数字馆藏的质量管理不仅包括馆藏数字资源质量管理,还包括相应的存取系统和检索系统的质量管理。在数字馆藏的质量管理中,每个阶段影响其质量的因素不同。数字馆藏质量管理系统的主要任务是采集、存储和处理各类质量数据,并以此为基础进行质量分析、评价、控制和决策。数字馆藏质量管理系统包括数字馆藏发展管理子系统、数字馆藏存储管理子系统,数字馆藏服务管理子系统3个子系统。每个子系统有着相应的功能。     

面向馆藏数字资源的多模交互模型与影响因素研究

[目的 /意义]面对数字资源的智能化、可感知、沉浸式和可互动的未来趋势,三维实体、全景视频等新型资源形态成为记载和传播知识的重要形式。以往用户界面模型难以较好地支撑图博档等公共机构的互动情境式数字文化服务,公众需求和交互情境更迭呼唤沉浸体验、自然流畅的新型交互界面。[方法 /过程]通过对数字馆藏资源与服务、多模交互界面与体验的相关问题进行探讨,提出面向馆藏数字资源的多模交互界面模型;多模交互的信息交换过程须以人的信息加工能力为约束,通过给出多模交互的信息加工模型,剖析虚拟现实情境下馆藏资源的用户交互认知过程。立足面向馆藏资源的多模交互模型,基于“界面-认知-情境”递进逻辑,分析影响用户交互体验的关键因素。[结果 /结论 ]面向馆藏数字资源的多模交互界面模型应由交互模态、交互原语、交互任务三个关联递进的层级构成,以人为核心的多模交互可在多模感知、思维决策和交互执行等阶段增强人类的认知能力。沉浸流畅的用户交互体验取决于界面感知交互模态、心智模型匹配程度、交互情境沉浸维度等关键因素,可为多模交互设计、数字文化服务开展等提供参考。     

Integrating Image-Based Research Datasets into an Existing Digital Repository Infrastructure

In 2011, the University of North Texas (UNT) Libraries partnered with researchers in the university's academic departments to describe and provide access to items not traditionally included in the UNT Libraries’ systems. Including more than 1,400 items apiece, the two projects are considered active datasets by their respective users. Each collection provided new challenges in harmonizing partner, metadata, and end-user requirements. This article discusses the projects, workflow for defining requirements, and final implementation in the UNT Digital Library. These collections serve as a model for integrating other research projects easily and inexpensively into a repository infrastructure.     

The Economics and Management of Digital Resources in a Multi-Campus,Multi-Library University

ABSTRACT

The three papers that follow detail the funding issues that underlie a multi-campus shared digital collection; the implementation of an experiment to determine costs incurred and avoided, usage and user preferences when print journals are relocated to storage and users must rely on the electronic versions; and finally, campus perspectives on UC libraries' collaborative environment, the co-investment models used to fund shared collections and University-wide participation in an extensive and complicated research project.     

直面数字文献的挑战

探讨数字技术给文献管理带来的风险与新问题,论述相应的解决方案与正在开展的研究工作。建议全面、广泛地研究数字图书馆,以减少数字文献管理过程中的隐患。     

基于用户需求的博物馆藏品档案服务对策研究

博物馆藏品档案是博物馆藏品的重要组成部分,对藏品档案的开发利用已经引起了社会的关注。研究藏品档案用户需求行为有利于展现藏品档案独特的历史记忆,发挥博物馆文化服务平台的作用。以用户需求行为角度出发,采用定量分析的方法,对藏品档案用户需求行为进行研究分析,通过数据分析发现现如今博物馆藏品档案服务与时代发展脱钩,不能满足用户日益增长的多元需求,并从深化服务理念、建设数字化管理、加强先进技术使用三方面给出服务改进建议。     

图书馆数字馆藏控制理论初探

随着数字资源的迅速增加,有关数字资源的馆藏控制进入了各图书馆的议事日程。如何对数字馆藏实施有效的控制?该文首先回顾了传统馆藏控制理论,接着介绍了数字馆藏控制的基本概念和内容,并从数字资源保存、备份、信息生命周期、控制数字资源采集量、数字资源的分级与剔除四个方面具体地介绍了数字馆藏控制的主要范畴。于论文的最后部分,作者还从建立数字资源存储图书馆、建立数字资源评估体系、设备更新、与其他有关厂商协作、建立专门的研究队伍等五个方面简介了与数字馆藏控制相关的问题。     

Managing Serials in a Large Digital Library: Case Study of the UNT Libraries Digital Collections

The Portal to Texas History (http://texashistory.unt.edu) and the University of North Texas (UNT) Digital Library (http://digital.library.unt.edu) contain more than 445,000 items collectively, hosted by the UNT Libraries. These collections include a variety of serial publications such as newsletters, magazines, scholarly journals, annual reports, and yearbooks. Many of these serials are key resources for the user groups of both repositories. In this article, we discuss the importance of serials within our collections, some of the challenges, the standards we use, and how we leverage metadata to facilitate access to serials for diverse global users.