Everything you ever wanted to know about Systems Librarianship (but were afraid to ask)

NETSL 2016 Annual Conference presentation

Emily Singley, Boston College
Alison Thornton, Harvard University

Transcript

1. EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED
   TO KNOW ABOUT
   SYSTEMS LIBRARIANSHIP
   (BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK)
   Emily Singley, Boston College
   Alison Thornton, Harvard University
   NETSL Annual Spring Conference
   April 8th, 2016
   

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2. What we are going to cover
   • What is a systems librarian?
   • What we do
   • What skills do you need?
   • And where can you get them
   • Questions
   

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3. What is a Systems Librarian, anyway?
   (we have no idea…)
   

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4. View Slide

5. What Emily does
   all day
   Boston College, Gasson Hall
   

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6. the traditional
   systems librarian
   ILS
   discovery system
   proxy server
   link resolver
   ILL system
   website
   

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7. the not-so-traditional
   systems librarian
   open source
   application development
   digital collections
   digital humanities
   linked data
   

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8. Integrated Library System (ILS)
    Managing staff permissions
    Configuring loan rules
    Creating and running batch jobs
    Reporting and analytics
   

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9. discovery system
   Primo user interface
   

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10. Discovery System
    (Primo)
    ILS
    (Alma)
    

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11. Mapping data from ILS
    

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12. MARC XML
    

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13. (So what is a ‘link resolver’ anyway?)
     A system that uses OpenURL
    protocol to parse metadata sent
    over the Web
     Allows users to find all available
    copies of an electronic resource.
     “FindIt” links can be embedded in
    Discovery System, Google Scholar,
    vendor sites, etc.
    link resolver
    

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14. Metadata Full text
    http://alma.exlibrisgroup.com/view/uresolver/01BC_
    INST/openurl?ctx_enc=info:ofi/enc:UTF-
    8&ctx_id=10_1&ctx_tim=2015-10-
    13T21%3A19%3A38IST&ctx_ver=Z39.88-
    2004&url_ctx_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&url_ver=
    Z39.88-
    2004&rfr_id=info:sid/primo.exlibrisgroup.com-
    gale_ofa&req_id=&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:
    &rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=SFX%2C+information
    +needs%2C+the+academic+library%2C+and+its
    +user.%28SFX+bt+Ex+Libris+OpenURL+link+re
    solver%29%28Report%29&rft.jtitle=Library+Philos
    ophy+and+Practice&rft.btitle=&rft.aulast=&rft.auinit
    =&rft.auinit1=&rft.auinitm=&rft.ausuffix=&rft.au=Bar
    ner%2C+Keren&rft.aucorp=&rft.date=20120601&rf
    t.volume=&rft.issue=&rft.part=&rft.date=20120601
    &rft.quarter=&rft.ssn=&rft.spage=&rft.epage=&rft.p
    ages=&rft.artnum=&rft.issn=1522-0222&rft.eissn
    OpenURL
    

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15. (So what is a proxy server, anyway?)
     Server that assigns external users a local IP that is
    recognized by e-resource vendors
     Provides off-site users access to library resources
    proxy server
    

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16. How it works:
    Title Taylor and Francis
    URL www.tandfonline.com
    HJ tandfonline.com
    proxy
    server
    config file
    vendor
    server
    authentication
    

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17. beyond traditional library systems:
     open source systems
     new application development
     supporting digital collections
     supporting digital humanities
    

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18. developing an open source search platform
    Special Collections Blacklight search platform
    

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19. supporting digital humanities projects
    Encoded Franciscan Antiphoner Project
    

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20. building a linguistics database for an undergraduate
    honors project
    Documenting indigenous languages project
    

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21. What Alison
    does all day
    “the hybrid systems
    librarian”
    Widener Library interior
    

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22. • Technical configurations for batch loads
    (dataloads)
    • New technical service initiatives using automation
    • Vendor and staff training
    • Projects and collaborations
    Widener Library exterior
    

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23. Dataloads: MARC
    What are dataloads and why do we use them?
    

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24. • AMALIVRE
    • ASIAN CULTURE PRESS
    • ATC
    • BARLOVENTO (Libros de Barlovento)
    • BENNETT
    • BERENGUER (HB Books)
    • CASALINI
    • CIBTC (China International Book Trading Company)
    • COUTTS
    • DAR UL ILM
    • EASTVIEW
    • EBC (Eastern Book Company)
    • EBSCO
    • ERASMUS
    • GARCIA CAMBEIRO
    • HARRASSOWITZ
    • HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS
    • HEIN
    • HUMANITAT (Studia Humanitatis)
    • IBERBOOK
    • IBEROAMERICANA
    • INCA (Libros Andinos)
    • ISISTU
    • ITURRIAGA
    • JPT (Japan Publications Trading)
    • KARNO
    • LEILA
    • LEXICON
    • LINARDI
    • MARCNOW
    • MARY MARTIN
    • MARKOVIC
    • MEXBOOKS (Books from Mexico)
    • MIPP INTERNATIONAL
    • NATASHA
    • OIONOS
    • PANMUN
    • RETTA (Luis Retta)
    • SOSHKIN
    • SULAIMAN
    • WEINBERG BOOK AGENCY
    • WORLDCAT CATALOGING PARTNERS
    (OCLC)
    • WORLDWIDE BOOKS
    • YBP
    

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25. After record is run through the program
    MARC record as it was sent by the vendor
    

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26. Dataloads: EDI
    So what is EDI anyway?
    

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27. UNA:+.? '
    UNB+UNOC:3+3027180040000:14+0000000020946:14+141121:1021+096'
    UNH+001282096+INVOIC:D:96A:UN:EAN008'
    BGM+380+43013285+9'
    DTM+137:20141121:102'
    NAD+SU+3027180040000::14'
    NAD+BY+0000000020946::14'
    CUX+2:USD:4'
    ALC+C++++FC:::SHIPPING'
    MOA+8:74.68:USD:4'
    RFF+BFN: '
    LIN+1++9782708409774:EN'
    IMD++010+:::Chatenet, M.'
    IMD++050+:::Le prince, la princesse et leur logis. Manières'
    IMD++050+:::d'habiter dans l'élite aristocratique européenne.'
    IMD++109+:::Editions Picard'
    IMD++110+:::Paris'
    IMD++170+:::2014'
    QTY+47:1'
    MOA+146:69.79:USD:4'
    MOA+66:69.79:USD:4'
    MOA+203:69.79:USD:4'
    PRI+AAB:69.79'
    RFF+SLI:1204979'
    EDI format as sent from the
    vendor
    

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28. 
    
    3027180040000
    14 EAN-13 number
    0000000020946
    14 EAN-13 number
    20141121
    1021
    
    001282096
    D
    43013285
    Original
    20141121
    USD
    USD
    Charge
    FC
    000000000074.68
    
    1
    9782708409774
    Chatenet, M.
    Le prince, la princesse et leurs logis. Manières
    d'habiter dans l'élite aristocratique européenne
    Editions Picard
    Paris
    2014
    1
    USD
    Unit price in currency below
    69.79
    USD
    
    69.79
    USD
    Line amount including discount and charges excluding tax
    69.79
    Unit price excluding tax discounts and charges
    69.79
    1204979
    000000000069.79
    
    XML format for loading into
    Aleph
    

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29. • AMALIVRE
    • ASIAN CULTURE PRESS
    • ATC
    • BARLOVENTO (Libros de Barlovento)
    • BENNETT
    • BERENGUER (HB Books)
    • CASALINI
    • CIBTC (China International Book Trading Company)
    • COUTTS
    • DAR UL ILM
    • EASTVIEW
    • EBC (Eastern Book Company)
    • EBSCO
    • ERASMUS
    • GARCIA CAMBEIRO
    • HARRASSOWITZ
    • HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS
    • HEIN
    • HUMANITAT (Studia Humanitatis)
    • IBERBOOK
    • IBEROAMERICANA
    • INCA (Libros Andinos)
    • ISISTU
    • ITURRIAGA
    • JPT (Japan Publications Trading)
    • KARNO
    • LEILA
    • LEXICON
    • LINARDI
    • MARCNOW
    • MARY MARTIN
    • MARKOVIC
    • MEXBOOKS (Books from Mexico)
    • MIPP INTERNATIONAL
    • NATASHA
    • OIONOS
    • PANMUN
    • RETTA (Luis Retta)
    • SOSHKIN
    • SULAIMAN
    • WEINBERG BOOK AGENCY
    • WORLDCAT CATALOGING PARTNERS
    (OCLC)
    • WORLDWIDE BOOKS
    • YBP
    Vendor and staff
    training and communication
    

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30. New initiatives using automation
    • Direct to Destination (pilot)
    • Provide patrons with faster, more direct access to new
    acquisitions in the collection
    • POOF (Pre-Order Online Form) (in production)
    • Developed by Cornell and Columbia, hosted by Cornell
    

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31. Projects and collaborations
    • Other technical configurations & troubleshooting
    • Ad hoc/time limited projects
    • Linked Data
    • Search & Discovery Education Working Group
    

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33. @prefix rdfs: .
    @prefix foaf: .
    @prefix xsd: .
    @prefix owl: .
    @prefix rdf: .
    foaf:name "James M. McHaney" .
    foaf:name "Alexander G. Hardy" .
    foaf:name "Arnost Horlik-Hochwald" , "Esther J. Johnson" .
    foaf:name "Hans W. (Hans-Wolfgang) Romberg"
    ;owl:sameAs "http://viaf.org/viaf/51461218" .
    foaf:name "Sigmund Rascher" ;owl:sameAs
    "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Rascher" .
    foaf:name "Siegfried Ruff" .
    foaf:name "Nini Rascher" .
    foaf:name "Marion Dabrowski" ;
    owl:sameAs "http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/idcard.php?ModuleId=10006321" .
    foaf:name "Oskar Schroeder" ;
    owl:sameAs "http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oskar_Schr%C3%B6der" .
    foaf:name "Konrad Wilhelm Schaefer" .
    foaf:name "Ernst Grawitz" .
    foaf:name "Ignaz Bauer" , "Josef Tschofenig" ;
    owl:sameAs "http://collections.yadvashem.org/photosarchive/en-us/10363.html" ;
    foaf:name "Fritz Pillwein" .
    

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34. So what do you need to know to be a
    systems librarian?
    

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35. • Willingness to try new things
    • Ability to learn on the job
    • An interest in new technologies and tools
    • Flexibility and adaptability to a changing environment
    • Ability to work within a team environment and actively
    promote collaboration
    And……experience with some of the following:
    

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36. • Library systems and tools
    • Web application development in a Unix/Linux
    environment
    • Web technologies including HTML, CSS, JavaScript,
    XML/XSLT
    • Web services such as SOAP, REST and other XML-
    based APIs
    • Structured programming languages such as PHP,
    Ruby, Python, Java
    • Library data formats and standards such as MARC,
    Dublin Core, METS, MODs
    • Proxy servers and/or authentication and authorization
    services
    

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37. How (and where) can I learn new skills?
    • Lynda.com
    • Codecademy (free)
    • Codeschool.com
    • Pluralsight.com
    • Library Juice Academy
    • Women’s Coding Collective (Boston area)
    • AWS, Digital Ocean, Reclaim Hosting
    • Freely available webinars & slides
    • Continuing Education classes
    • Social media
    • Learn from mentors, colleagues, and friends
    • Find a safe space and play!
    Most important—don’t be scared to try!
    

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38. Questions?
    Thank you!
    Emily Singley
    Head Librarian, Systems & Applications
    Boston College
    emily.singley@bc.edu
    Alison Thornton
    Technical Services Systems Support Librarian
    Metadata Management
    Harvard Library
    alison_thornton@harvard.edu
    

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