My Repository Rant

Unofficial response to a conference's call for lightning talks. Script: https://purplesquirrel.dsalo.info/2014-2/my-repository-rant/

Transcript

1. My unaffiliated with and not accepted or endorsed by Open Repositories 2014 or anyone or anything else for that matter certainly not any employer I have ever had Repository Rant
2. Hello. My name is Troy McClure
3. ... actually, my name is not Troy McClure
4. My name is Dorothea Salo
5. You may know me from such rants as... Photo: Dan Ox, “Pig head,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/danox/4021821330/ CC-BY-SA
6. or... Abstract Library-run institutional repositories face a crossroads: adapt or die. The “build it and they will come” proposition has been decisively proven wrong. Citation advantages and preservation have not at- tracted faculty participants, though current-generation software and services offer faculty little else. Academic librarianship has not sup- ported repositories or their managers. Most libraries consistently under-resource and understaff repositories, further worsening the Innkeeper at the Roach Motel Dorothea Salo
7. ISSN 2162-3309 JL SC How to Scuttle a Scholarly Communication Initiative Dorothea Salo Faculty Associate, School of Library and Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison COMMENTARY Since Cli ord Lynch’s infamous call to arms (2003), ac- ademic libraries have been wasting their time trying to change the scholarly communication system on the fee- blest of rationalizations. Proper librarians know that the current system is obviously the most sustainable, since it’s lasted this long and provided so much bene t to librar- ies (Rogers, 2012a) and pro t to organizations as diverse as Elsevier, Nature Publishing Group, and the American Chemical Society, as well as their CEOs (Berrett, 2012). Moreover, faculty have proclaimed loudly and clearly that selves in the shoes of abbot Johannes Trithemius, whose De laude scriptorum (1494) presciently railed against the damage that Gutenberg’s printing press would do to monasteries’ lucrative scriptoria. Protecting the con- tours of librarian employment is of paramount concern, especially given the manifest impossibility of retraining existing sta to cope with the complexities of copyright (Hirtle, Hudson, & Kenyon, 2009), outreach to faculty (Malenfant, 2010), and digital preservation (Digital Pres- ervation Coalition & University of London Computer
8. I’ve been around the a few times. Photo: Salim Virji, “Block Drug Stores,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/44124427152@N01/3887194884/ CC-BY
9. Photo: Roger Braunstein, “Embers,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogerimp/2615270750/ CC-BY As a result, I
10. So now I’m in a library school. Photo: Cliff, “Classroom with three figures,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/nostri-imago/2872099576/ CC-BY
11. And you know what they say about I mean, we all know. Of course we do. Photo: Cliff, “Classroom with three figures,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/nostri-imago/2872099576/ CC-BY
12. Those who can, do... ... but teachers SUCK, amirite?! CENSORED
13. Well, I think that’s actually a Photo: Mark McElroy, “ fair -hdr,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/madebymark/377097371/ CC-BY Photo: Paul Keller, “ cop ,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulk/27206307/ CC-BY
14. I can’t do repositories any more. Not won’t. Can’t. Health won’t permit.
15. Photo: Roger Braunstein, “Embers,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogerimp/2615270750/ CC-BY When I I don’t do it halfway.
16. But hey, I was no damn good at repos anyway. No loss, right? CENSORED
17. So those who can, do... ... but teachers SUCK, amirite?! ESPECIALLY in library schools. It’s all our fault you can’t hire. Or so they say. CENSORED
18. That one? Also a Photo: Mark McElroy, “ fair -hdr,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/madebymark/377097371/ CC-BY Photo: Paul Keller, “ cop ,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulk/27206307/ CC-BY
19. It’s 100% my fault. Why? Let me tell you about my students and me. And your job-applicant pools, so don’t tune out, okay?
20. I get pretty about my students. Photo: Aaron Villescas, “ Mama Bear ,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/online_paparazzi/2943107731/ CC-BY
21. Photo: Roger Braunstein, “Embers,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogerimp/2615270750/ CC-BY I do not want them the way I did.
22. And since I’ve been around the a few times... Photo: Salim Virji, “Block Drug Stores,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/44124427152@N01/3887194884/ CC-BY
23. I am on to you. Some of you, anyway.
24. ISSN 2162-3309 JL SC How to Scuttle a Scholarly Communication Initiative Dorothea Salo Faculty Associate, School of Library and Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison COMMENTARY Since Cli ord Lynch’s infamous call to arms (2003), ac- ademic libraries have been wasting their time trying to change the scholarly communication system on the fee- blest of rationalizations. Proper librarians know that the current system is obviously the most sustainable, since it’s lasted this long and provided so much bene t to librar- ies (Rogers, 2012a) and pro t to organizations as diverse as Elsevier, Nature Publishing Group, and the American Chemical Society, as well as their CEOs (Berrett, 2012). Moreover, faculty have proclaimed loudly and clearly that selves in the shoes of abbot Johannes Trithemius, whose De laude scriptorum (1494) presciently railed against the damage that Gutenberg’s printing press would do to monasteries’ lucrative scriptoria. Protecting the con- tours of librarian employment is of paramount concern, especially given the manifest impossibility of retraining existing sta to cope with the complexities of copyright (Hirtle, Hudson, & Kenyon, 2009), outreach to faculty (Malenfant, 2010), and digital preservation (Digital Pres- ervation Coalition & University of London Computer
25. “Coordinator” when there ain’t one damn thing to coordinate. CENSORED
26. NO BUDGET NO SUPPORT NO INFRASTRUCTURE NO EXPERTISE other than the hiree’s direct reports? dev support? as if.
27. and only the hiree has any real in the Photo: Jan, “New Game :)” http://www.flickr.com/photos/garlandcannon/3290901509/ CC-BY Photo: Jessica, “aftershock!” http://www.flickr.com/photos/jetsettica/300302295/ CC-BY
28. Software that people right off of. Photo: Gordon, “ Bounce House Batman,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkeymashbutton/8474117225/ CC-BY
29. I’ve had plenty of developers me off about usability/UX. Photo: Laura Tourette, “blew,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/laurapandora/5284996511/ CC-BY
30. Cut out the devsplaining. It’d take a deity to run a popular repo off this damn I have the damn screenshots. I’ve run the damn workshops too. CENSORED NSORED Photo: Spencer Wright, “Dancing Bear, Legoland Windsor,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/spencer77/ 5896899572/ CC-BY CENSORED
31. Usability critiques ARE contributions to the community.
32. Yeah, I’ve been around the a few times. Photo: Salim Virji, “Block Drug Stores,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/44124427152@N01/3887194884/ CC-BY
33. So here is my rant: ... wait, you thought I was already ranting? nah. I ain’t hardly even STARTED ranting yet.
34. Stop writing damn job ads for And stop blaming me for not producing them. I ain’t even listening to that nonsense. CENSORED Photo: Rachel Fury, “purple unicorn,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/rachelfury/7842982936/ CC-BY
35. My students are not your damn Stop expecting them to save you. CENSORED Photo: Nestor Gallina, “Superheroes,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/nestorgalina/2406748368/ CC-BY
36. My students are not your staff’s for work they fear or don’t want. Photo: Ryan Wick, “Old dumptruck,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/ryanwick/3517668994/ CC-BY
37. My students are not your staff’s for resentment and discontent, either. Photo: Ryan Wick, “Old dumptruck,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/ryanwick/3517668994/ CC-BY
38. It is not my students’ job to for staff’s inability or unwillingness to reskill or step up. Photo: zeevveez, “Every Pot Has Its (WRONG) Lid,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/zeevveez/5596641001/ CC-BY
39. My students should not need to the rest of staff. Much less their reporting chain. Photo: Jeff Hitchcock, “Collection,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/arbron/196889232/ CC-BY
40. Bottom line:
41. If you and your staff cannot properly my students and their work... Photo: David Veksler, “Atlas - New York City Jan 2005” http://www.flickr.com/photos/heroiclife/17456175/ CC-BY
42. YOU AND YOUR STAFF DO NOT DESERVE MY STUDENTS.
43. Now, I’ve been around the a few times. Photo: Salim Virji, “Block Drug Stores,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/44124427152@N01/3887194884/ CC-BY
44. I know all your dodges. I can spot them in job ads.
45. And because I am a about my students... Photo: Aaron Villescas, “ Mama Bear ,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/online_paparazzi/2943107731/ CC-BY
46. I tell my students: “Some jobs you shouldn’t take.” “Oh, look, there’s one right there!”
47. So when you can’t hire a because my students know better than to apply to your no-win jobs? Photo: Rachel Fury, “purple unicorn,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/rachelfury/7842982936/ CC-BY
48. It’s 100% my fault. And I am completely with that. Photo: Cornelia Kopp, “meditation,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicepopkorn/1676300378/ CC-BY
49. Done ranting. Aren’t you glad? I sure am. I don’t (despite appearances) enjoy doing this. It just seems like the only way I can get through to people sometimes.
50. Now, I do actually want to succeed. YOUR REPOSITORY
51. I want to succeed. YOUR LIBRARY
52. I want to succeed.
53. But most of all, I want to succeed. MY STUDENTS
54. (It’s my JOB to want that most.) (I work for THEM now.)
55. So I am you here... BEGGING
56. ISSN 2162-3309 JL SC How to Scuttle a Scholarly Communication Initiative Dorothea Salo Faculty Associate, School of Library and Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison COMMENTARY Since Cli ord Lynch’s infamous call to arms (2003), ac- ademic libraries have been wasting their time trying to change the scholarly communication system on the fee- blest of rationalizations. Proper librarians know that the current system is obviously the most sustainable, since it’s lasted this long and provided so much bene t to librar- ies (Rogers, 2012a) and pro t to organizations as diverse as Elsevier, Nature Publishing Group, and the American Chemical Society, as well as their CEOs (Berrett, 2012). Moreover, faculty have proclaimed loudly and clearly that selves in the shoes of abbot Johannes Trithemius, whose De laude scriptorum (1494) presciently railed against the damage that Gutenberg’s printing press would do to monasteries’ lucrative scriptoria. Protecting the con- tours of librarian employment is of paramount concern, especially given the manifest impossibility of retraining existing sta to cope with the complexities of copyright (Hirtle, Hudson, & Kenyon, 2009), outreach to faculty (Malenfant, 2010), and digital preservation (Digital Pres- ervation Coalition & University of London Computer Please, please, PLEASE read and take it to heart.
57. It’s There’s really no excuse.
58. ISSN 2162-3309 JL SC How to Scuttle a Scholarly Communication Initiative Dorothea Salo Faculty Associate, School of Library and Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison COMMENTARY Since Cli ord Lynch’s infamous call to arms (2003), ac- ademic libraries have been wasting their time trying to change the scholarly communication system on the fee- blest of rationalizations. Proper librarians know that the current system is obviously the most sustainable, since it’s lasted this long and provided so much bene t to librar- ies (Rogers, 2012a) and pro t to organizations as diverse as Elsevier, Nature Publishing Group, and the American Chemical Society, as well as their CEOs (Berrett, 2012). selves in the shoes of abbot Johannes Trithemius, whose De laude scriptorum (1494) presciently railed against the damage that Gutenberg’s printing press would do to monasteries’ lucrative scriptoria. Protecting the con- tours of librarian employment is of paramount concern, especially given the manifest impossibility of retraining existing sta to cope with the complexities of copyright (Hirtle, Hudson, & Kenyon, 2009), outreach to faculty (Malenfant, 2010), and digital preservation (Digital Pres- Do the opposite of anything suggests.
59. Photo: Roger Braunstein, “Embers,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogerimp/2615270750/ CC-BY Because ain’t good for anybody.
60. This rant is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 United States license. Please also respect the CC licenses of included photos. Thanks! Thank you. Photo: Dan Ox, “Pig head,” http://www.flickr.com/photos/danox/4021821330/ CC-BY-SA