It was standing room only at both of the Public Libraries Standing Committee's Buisness Meetings in beautiful Kuala Lumpur last month. In addition to the 17 SC members who were able to attend, we were joined by 45 observers from 15 countries. A truly international mix!

The Minutes of our meetings are now available on-line including links to the presentations given by SC members and guests. 

We finished with the now traditional photo shoot.

Web site  The VIVO web site has been updated.  See http://vivoweb.org.  Everything looks a bit better, the membership page and the site registry (see below) are much better.  Some things moved around, to improve navigation and simplify the site.  A “Features” page describing VIVO’s features has been added, along with “Join the Community” and “Governance”.  All the pages on the site have been updated.  We hope you like this update to the VIVO web site.

New service provider  Ontocale, headquartered in Bucharest Romania, and led by Brian Lowe, has become a service provider for VIVO.  Brian was one of the originators of VIVO and has deep knowledge of the software and the ontology.  He has helped many sites with the implementations and customizations.  Ontocale joins Clarivate and Symplectic as service providers for VIVO.

Sites  VIVO has a new registry of its sites.  The new registry is much easier to use, more attractive, and easier to update than the old registry.  Do you have a VIVO site?  Not sure if your site is in the registry?  You can visit the new registry here:  https://duraspace.org/registry/?filter_10=VIVO Click on your site and check the information. You can submit changes to update the information.  Do you have a site that’s not in the registry?  You can add easily your site.  We regularly learn of new sites.  Please add your site to the site registry!

VIVO Camp  VIVO Camp is coming up, October 18-20 at the Butler Library at Columbia University.  Camp is a great opportunity to learn more about VIVO, the VIVO ontology, and what it takes to do a VIVO project.  You can learn more and register here:  https://conta.cc/2v93x4x

German VIVO workshop  I’m writing from Hannover, Germany where I will taking part in the third annual German VIVO workshop, organized by TIB.  I look forward to meeting everyone and learning more about VIVO in Germany!

Go VIVO!

Mike

Mike Conlon
VIVO Project Director

The post VIVO Updates September 16, 2018 — updated web site, Ontocale is a VIVO service provider, new site registry, camp is coming up, and see you in Germany! appeared first on Duraspace.org.

Can new librarians have a voice? Training and professional development vs workplace reality.

Join presenters Christine Mackenzie, Catharina Isberg, Elham Sayyad-Abdi and Antoine Torrens as they share their perspectives on this all-important topic.

Monday, 24 September 2018 (Chicago 7am, Paris 2pm, Melbourne 10pm). Visit the World Clock to check the relevant time in your own location. 

The recording of the event will be made available.

Are you keen to learn how to be an open science trainer, or to improve your open science training skills? EIFL, the European Union-funded FOSTER (Facilitating Open Science Training in Europe) project and Riga Technical University (RTU) are inviting early career researchers, research support staff and other stakeholders in Europe to apply to attend an intensive one-day open science training bootcamp in Riga on 1 November 2018.

EIFL, the FOSTER project and Riga Technical University (RTU) in Latvia are inviting early career researchers, research support staff and others who are currently conducting open science training in Europe, or are keen to do so, to apply to attend an intensive open science trainer bootcamp.

Helping researchers to effectively manage, archive and share their data can be challenging. TU Delft believes that in data management there tend to be very few (if any) one-size fit all solutions. In addition, centralised support does not always find its way to all the departments and faculties. Therefore, there is a need to offer…

The post Webinar Video: TU Delft’s Data Stewardship Project appeared first on LIBER.

There has been significant media coverage of the vote in the European Parliament last week on a revised Copyright Directive. Off the back of the mixed results, we (LIBER’s Copyright & Legal Matters Working Group) thought it appropriate to summarise where we stand in the process leading up to a new European Directive on copyright…

The post European Copyright Reform: How Did We Get Here & What Happens Next? appeared first on LIBER.

​

What were your goals?

Association Sénégalaise des Bibliothécaires, Archivistes et Documentalistes (ASBAD) mainly aimed at three objectives through this project:

1. Build capacity of current and emerging leaders in Senegalese library sector on governance and management of library association.
2. Sensitize and train members of the Association on the role and impact of librarian profession in society and national development through cascade workshops in Association branches, interest groups and other frameworks of commitment.
3. Develop a strong and sustainable professional association in Senegal.

The national workshop was opened to current and emerging library sector leaders from Mali, Guinea Bissau and Ivory Coast.

How did you plan to make this happen?

The program of the project was spread over four workshops between October 2017 and February 2018. Three zonal workshops were organized at the level of the regional sections throughout the national territory. A national workshop open to the sister associations of the countries of the sub-region came to close this series of training.

Each workshop was the subject of Terms of Reference to establish the roadmap. The selection of participants was based on a call for applications with criteria established at the start.

The national documentary institutions, the institutional members of the Association and the partners have always been invited to the official ceremonies of the various workshops.

Each workshop was facilitated by five trainers. The participatory approach was favored. For the animation of the zonal workshops the experts of the libraries (Director and heads of institutions) at the local level were involved.

Concerning the national workshop, the Chair of IFLA's Africa Section came to strengthen the trainers' body as an international expert.

With a well-established communication plan, the workshops were mostly covered by the national press. The various communication and information channels of the Association have been used to support all the actions of the process.

How did it work?

Three zonal workshops of two days each in different parts of the country with members of the Association at the base were organized.  A critical mass of colleagues who are able to carry the projects of the association and its animation were selected.

62 librarians, old and new members of the Association were trained. The participants were effectively sensitized on the importance of having a strong library sector, the role and impact of the librarian professions in society and in national development, the importance of collecting data on the library sector. They were trained also in data mining, marketing techniques, lobbying and advocacy on behalf of the library sector.

The program wrapped up with a 3-day national workshop that brought current leaders of the association together with leaders of student library associations, interest groups leaders, and other responsible persons of sections and frameworks of commitment such as Corps of volunteers. It was open also to professional groups outside the Association and colleagues holding project in favor of the community. The selection was made on the basis of a call for applications supplemented by invitations to officials and representatives of the sister associations of the sub region (Mali, Guinea Bissau and Ivory Coast).

The workshop addressed the themes of the 6 modules of the IFLA BSLA Program to build a strong library association. In addition sessions on intergenerational conversation, association culture, developing action plans was in the program. Major IFLA projects and involvements have been presented also like library and UN Agenda 2030, IFLA- IAP, IGVP, LMOW, DA2I.

The interactive sessions during all the workshops facilitated a collective brainstorming that produced excellent lines of work for the association and for the regional branches.

At the end of the process, a total of 76 colleagues were trained during these four workshops. All of them committed at the completion of the workshops to be more active in engagement, awareness and action. The first notable results are the renewed interest in the Association, including new applications for membership from different categories of colleagues and the rush toward our virtual and physical information points.

11 training experts were mobilized in the process of the 4 workshops. These include the former Director of the IFLA Francophone Center, three university library directors, two university professors in library science, and current and past Association officials who have participated in at least two international BSLA workshops and the chair of IFLA Africa Section, as international expert guest.

How did you use communications during the project?

To conduct the process adequately and to communicate efficiently, a communication plan was drafted using the Association digital tools and channels (Newsletter, listserv, Facebook page, Twitter profile, Instagram), classical media TV and Newspaper which cover activities, and also shows TV. Many official letters was sent to different stakeholders (Policy makers, institutional members of the Association, partners) etc.

A dynamic digital policy documents all the process based on our digital identity asbadsn, from call for application to the promotion of the events and follow- up of activities.

Links to workshop albums:

• Dakar zonal workshop
• Thies zonal workshop
• Saint-Louis zonal workshop
• National workshop opened to Mali, Guinee Bissau and Ivory Coast

What did you learn in the process?

The series of workshops has sparked renewed interest around the Association; interactive discussions have also deconstructed the false image that many colleagues had of the Association.

Such workshops give self-confidence to participants and facilitate their commitment to action on behalf of the community.

The relevance of the participatory approach adopted in the implementation of the program which had facilitated during the process a better understanding between stakeholders in the library sector. The program was an effective way to engage the different institutional and associative actors.

The importance of having decentralized zonal workshops was valuable; it has awakened the feeling of belonging to the same professional community of several colleagues who participated.

Establishing transparent selection criteria from the outset helped to avoid frustrations and challenges in the selection of participants

The challenges of driving such type of program alongside institutional and professional commitments of board members.

Difficulties to adapt the funding model to the realities of the field and the program's funding chapters.

It appears the need to constantly re-adapt the communication policy of the Association by taking into account some parameters as the specificities of the young target.

The openness to sister associations in neighboring countries facilitates the implementation of sub-regional activities.

What are your next steps?

• Leverage the momentum of engagement of participants from different workshops to have a strong voice around a shared vision.
• Build a dynamic framework based on the energy that has emerged from the gathering of current and potential leaders of the library sector in Senegal and the sub-region.
• Implement a synergy of action based on the cohorts of trained colleagues, the institutions involved, the committed partners and the authorities that accompanied the process of workshops.
• Run a project to a collect and exploit library sector data in Senegal and in the Francophone sub-Saharan region.
• Engage trained colleagues as a force of contribution and proposition to conduct advocacy campaigns internal and external to the Association.
• Create a real craze around professional values and go to the development of codes of ethics and deontology of the profession at national level.
• Implement sectoral animation programs at the branches level of the Association and other remote locations in the country.
• Rely on the strength that comes from the interactivity of young professionals and experienced professionals around a strong leadership to carry out large-scale actions at zonal, national and sub regional levels.
• Meet with the national authorities in charge of the sector on the implementation and follow up of conclusions and orientations issued by the workshops.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands, 13 September 2018—

In a vote on copyright today, Members of the European Parliament offered welcome support to libraries’ heritage work. However, disappointing decisions elsewhere mean that IFLA, its members and its partners will need to continue working towards a law that empowers libraries to help users share, create and innovate.

IFLA Secretary General Gerald Leitner said:

Libraries across Europe are working hard to build stronger, richer, fairer societies through access to information. We need forward-looking copyright reforms to deliver this. Europe still has a way to go before it has the laws its libraries deserve".

The European Union’s draft Directive on copyright has been the subject of intense discussion for almost two years. It is a crucial document for libraries, with provisions relating both to core activities for our institutions, as well as the way people express themselves and access information online.

IFLA has therefore worked hard on behalf of its European members, and in order to set the right precedent internationally. Our members have engaged with their representatives as part of a concerted campaign. And in most of the areas where libraries have focused most, there has been welcome progress.

If the text agreed by the Parliament becomes law, libraries will have clearer possibilities to digitise works for preservation, including via cross-border networks. They will benefit from possibilities to digitise and upload books, articles and other documents which are no longer on sale, and so not available anywhere else. And they will have a right to benefit from copyright exceptions for teaching.

Yet elsewhere, the majority of the European Parliament voted for provisions which could do serious damage to the not-for-profit platforms that host open access articles and open educational resources. They also proposed to make use of two-word fragments of news articles subject to payment. Finally, they have introduced complexity into the rules around text and data mining, which could create confusion and risk setting Europe further behind in the global innovation field.

The next stage for the reform is discussions between the European Commission, and representatives of the Parliament and Member States. IFLA will make sure that all involved know what they need to do to set the right course for a more creative, innovative future.

See our analysis of the impact on libraries of the Parliament's position.

About IFLA

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is the leading international body representing the interests of library and information services and their users. It is the global voice of the library and information profession. Founded in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1927 at an international conference, IFLA now has over 1,400 Members in more than 140 countries around the world. IFLA was registered in the Netherlands in 1971. The Royal Library, the national library of the Netherlands, in The Hague, generously provides the facilities for IFLA headquarters.

 

The European Parliament today voted to approve proposed changes to copyright reform. LIBER welcomes improvements which will help libraries to better preserve, digitise and share their collections but remains deeply concerned that a lack of support for critical technologies such as Text and Data Mining (TDM) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) imply a bleak future for…

The post European Research & Innovation At Risk After Copyright Vote appeared first on LIBER.

Seventeen trainers from public libraries in Namibia will attend a three-day workshop on e-resources and internet search skills organized by EIFL and the Namibia Library and Archives Service (NLAS).

The training will take place at the National Library of Namibia in Windhoek. The trainers are Raymond Chepkwony from Kenya National Library Service / Nairobi Area Public Library in Kenya and EIFL Public Library Innovation Programme Capacity Building Manager Susan Schnuer.

Seventeen public librarians from Namibia will attend a two-day training-of-trainers workshop organized by EIFL and the Namibia Library and Archives Service (NLAS).

The training will take place at the National Library of Namibia in Windhoek, and will be conducted by EIFL Public Library Innovation Programme Capacity Building Manager Susan Schnuer. The 17 trainees will train other public librarians in the NLAS network of 65 public libraries in skills and topics covered by the EIFL training.

Violeta Ilik, and Nataša Popović for the organizing committee

VIVO 2019 is coming to Montenegro!

Podgorica, Montenegro, and surrounding area — Durmitor national park, Sahat Kula (the clock tower), downtown Podgorica, and bridges by night. Original images Andrea Polereczky CC BY-SA 3.0, Richard Schofield CC BY 2.0, Nije bitno CC BY 3.0, and Aleksandar Jaredić CC BY-SA 3.0 respectively. Derivative, composite image by M. Conlon

The School of Medicine at University of Montenegro, Clinical Center of Montenegro, and the Institute of Public Health of Montenegro are our hosts for the VIVO 2019 Conference in the gorgeous capital city of Podgorica. VIVO would like to thank the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for preparing an outstanding proposal for hosting the 2019 conference. The LOC members are:

• Nataša Popović, MD, PhD, Vice Dean for Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montenegro
• Maša Ždralević, PhD, Head of the Center for Scientific Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montenegro
• Ljiljana Vučković, MD, PhD, Pathohistology specialist, ClinicalCenter of Montenegro
• Dragan Laušević, MD, PhD, Epidemiologist, Institute of Public Health of Montenegro

Save the date and we hope to see you in Podgorica, Montenegro on September 4th to 6th 2019!

Program Chair

RubenVerborgh is a professor of Semantic Web technology at Ghent University – IMEC and a research affiliate at the Decentralized Information Group at MIT. The VIVO community had a chance to hear Professor Verborgh at the VIVO 2016 Conference when he presented his talk: “The Future is Federated” and lead a workshop titled: “Linked Data Fragments: Hands-On Publishing and Querying.” The leadership of the VIVO project was inspired by his presentations and added the Triple Pattern Fragments (TPF) server to the VIVO software.

Professor Verborgh aims to build a more intelligent generation of clients for a decentralized Web at the intersection of Linked Data and hypermedia-driven Web APIs. Through the creation of Linked Data Fragments, he introduced a new paradigm for query execution at Web-scale. He has co-authored two books on Linked Data, and contributed to more than 250 publications for international conferences and journals on Web-related topics.

About Podgorica

As the capital of Montenegro, Podgorica is used to hosting events of similar size. In addition, in 2017 Montenegro has been chosen by Vogue magazine as one of the most tempting destinations to travel, because of its natural beauty and significantly more affordable prices compared to its neighbors Italy, Greece, and Croatia.

Podgorica is the capital of Montenegro with population of about 150,000, positioned in the middle of the country, in a picturesque area with 2 rivers. Prepare to swim, hike, and enjoy the natural beauty of Montenegro before, after, or maybe during the conference.

The conference center in Podgorica is located close to cultural monuments such as: Ribnica fortres, Old city and Clock tower, King Nikola’s winter residence and Kings park.

Historic places

Left to right, Ostrog monastery, city of Kotor, streets of Cetinje. Original images Branko Marinković yCC BY-SA 4.0, Chensiyuan CC BY-SA 4.0, Marianne van Twillert-Wennekes [http://montenegro-for.me/2017/10/5-things-you-should-not-miss-in-cetinje/] respectively. Derivative, composite image by M. Conlon

The city is located close to the:

• Mediterranean coast with sandy beaches and historic cities of Bar, UNESCO-protected bay of Kotor, and Budva (1 hour car ride from Podgorica to Budva)
• Lake Skadar National Park with fishing villages Rijeka Crnojevica, Vranjine and Virpazar (30 minute car ride from Podgorica to Rijeka Crnojevića)
• Durmitor National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site (2 hour ride from center of Podgorica to glacial lakes and stunning mountain peaks of the Dinaric Alps)
• City of Cetinje, the Old Royal Capital of Montenegro, is a beautiful historic town, just a 30 minute drive from the center of Podgorica. In Cetinje, the visitors can see the Blue Castle — the official home of today’s president of Montenegro. Cetinje is home to many impressive historic buildings that housed embassies during the 19th century, and the monastery that allegedly keeps the right hand of John the Baptist and a piece of the Holy Cross.
• Ostrog Monastery built into the cliff of a mountain located about 1 hour from Podgorica by car.

The weather

During this time of year you will enjoy a mild, very pleasant climate.

The venue

The LOC has selected the Hilton Hotel as our conference venue which can accommodate 150 attendees in its conference rooms.  

You can also stay at the Hilton hotel where rates should be around 125 Euros per night. Alternatively, on-line sources such as booking.com and similar web-sites offer affordable luxury residential apartment accommodation located a short distance (3-5 blocks) from the conference center.

The post Save the Date! VIVO 2019, September 4-6, Podgorica, Montenegro appeared first on Duraspace.org.

Third annual VIVO workshop in Hannover, Germany, September 17-18  Next week is the third annual VIVO workshop in Hannover, Germany, organized by TIB.  See https://events.tib.eu/vivoworkshop2018/ I hope to see you there!

September Sprint  VIVO is planning a development sprint for September 17-28.  See http://bit.ly/2CaFnxh

The SPARQL Book  SPARQL is a query language used to get data from VIVO.  You can use SPARQL to make reports and visualizations, inspect data in your VIVO, build new interfaces, and much more.  Learning SPARQL is fun (at least it was for me).  One reason learning SPARQL was fun was a great book, the SPARQL book Learning SPARQL by Bob DuCharme.  If you are learning about the semantic web, RDF, and VIVO, you won’t do better than DuCharme’s clear text. Highly recommended for all those working with VIVO and VIVO data.

DuCharme, B. Learning Sparql, 2nd edition.  O’Reilly. 2013.  386 pg.  ISBN13  978-1449371432.

If you’d like a gentle hands-on introduction to the VIVO ontology, RDF, and SPARQL, consider attending VIVO Camp at Columbia University in New York City, in October.  We cover ontology, SPARQL, and much more.  Information on the camp is available here:  https://conta.cc/2v93x4x

Go VIVO!

Mike

Mike Conlon
VIVO Project Director

The post VIVO Updates September 9, 2018 — VIVO workshop in Germany, September Sprint, the SPARQL Book appeared first on Duraspace.org.

The Open Access Tracking Project (OATP), a collaborative, crowdsourced project which captures and shares information about open access (OA), is calling for volunteer taggers to help tag OA information from across the world.

OA is a widening and fast-moving field, and the OATP is the most comprehensive global source of information, news, discussion and opinion about OA. The OATP organizes information by tag or subtopic for easy searching and sharing, preserves it in a database and shares it through feeds and real-time alerts.

We’re happy to announce the DuraSpace Registered Service Provider (RSP) Program has been restructured and rebranded in 2018 as the DuraSpace Service Provider (DSP) Program. It offers different types of service providers in our community, large and small, more ways to collaborate with DuraSpace.

The DSP establishes partnerships with service providers that wish to provide open source software services with the support of DuraSpace.

The goals of the new Program are four-fold:

• Working more closely with open source service providers to generate qualified leads and promote the adoption of DuraSpace open technologies to a broader group of prospect organizations
• Celebrating the expertise and in-kind contributions of service providers as it propels the quality and functionality of our code-bases and open knowledge to empower users
• Providing support and mentorship to service providers who want to start contributing to our communities
• Generating revenue to fund DuraSpace staff positions to manage code contributions/ merges, releases, bug fixes, and community leadership and outreach efforts in support of DuraSpace open technologies and communities

The new DuraSpace Service Provider (DSP) Program has three tiers:

Certified DuraSpace Partners
Certified DuraSpace Contributors
DuraSpace Listed Service Providers

Each tier has categories for DSpace, Fedora (Samvera/Islandora), VIVO, DuraCloud, and ArchivesDirect.
Our current list of service providers is available, here: https://duraspace.org/community/service-providers/. A summary of the DSP program is available in our Program Outline.
If you have a question, please contact Erin Tripp at etripp@duraspace.org.

The post Announcing the New DuraSpace Service Provider (DSP) Program appeared first on Duraspace.org.

Following the launch of a guide to implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty and a statement on copyright literacy at the World Library and Information Congress, IFLA has continued to make the case for copyright that works for libraries. In the last two weeks, the focus has been on the operation of collective rights management and the EU’s copyright reforms.

 

Getting Collective Rights Management Right

IFLA’s work on copyright involves advocacy at both the international and regional/national levels. We argue that libraries need the right laws and practices, everywhere, in order to do their jobs.

At the international level, IFLA is closely engaged in the work of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). As well as providing a forum to discuss copyright law, WIPO has an important role in improving the operation of copyright on the ground.

In order to support this, the Organisation is producing a best practice toolkit setting out rules and codes of conduct for the work of collective rights management organisations.

These bodies collect money when works – books, songs, films – are used, and pay them to creators. They can play a very useful role in simplifying the operation of copyright, not least for libraries. However, for the sake of libraries, users and creators, they need to be well-managed.

Working with EIFL and the International Council on Archives, IFLA has therefore submitted comments to WIPO on the second draft of this guide. This follows a response to the first public draft earlier this year.

These comments underline the need to respect limitations and exceptions to copyright as well as openly licensed works, as well as ensure that libraries are fully engaged in licence discussions.

A new version of the toolkit will be available in the coming months.

 

Crucial Decisions in Europe

As part of its efforts to support its members in their own advocacy, IFLA has played an active role in the ongoing European copyright reform.

This reform creates both opportunities and risks for libraries. At best, it will offer clarity to libraries that they can continue to support research, education and preservation in a digital age, as well as giving access to works which cannot be bought on the market.

At worst, it could lead to unnecessary complexity and restrictions on library activities, and do major damage to the open access and open education movements.

IFLA has therefore submitted voting recommendations to all Members of the European Parliament, and has invited libraries across Europe to echo these points to their own representatives. In this, we have been lucky to work with a strong coalition of organisations representing libraries, universities and research organisations, notably EBLIDA, LIBER, EUA, Science Europe, SPARC Europe, and EIFL.

Read more about the position taken by IFLA in our previous news story, and contact us if you want to get involved.

DuraSpace presents a Community Webinar, “ArchivesDirect Overview: Standards-Based Preservation with Hosted Archivematica”

On Wednesday, September 19, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. ET (convert to your timezone), Sarah Romkey, Archivematica Program Manager from Artefactual Systems and Heather Greer Klein, Services Coordinator from DuraSpace will present a one-hour webinar, “ArchivesDirect Overview: Standards-Based Preservation with Hosted Archivematica.”

This webinar will provide an overview of ArchivesDirect, a hosted instance of Archivematica that includes DuraCloud preservation storage and is provided by DuraSpace in partnership with Artefactual Systems. We’ll cover what hosted Archivematica can do for your organization; how it integrates with other systems and services; and the training and support provided with an ArchivesDirect subscription.

Archivematica is an integrated suite of open-source software tools that allows users to process digital objects from ingest to access in alignment with the OAIS reference model. Together, Archivematica and DuraCloud provide a powerful, fully-hosted digital preservation software and storage solution. ArchivesDirect also includes onboarding and training by digital preservation experts to support your digital preservation goals and processes.

Space is limited and pre-registration is required.  Register today!

The post Webinar Registration Open: ArchivesDirect Overview: Standards-Based Preservation with Hosted Archivematica appeared first on Duraspace.org.

The European Parliament will hold a critical vote on the draft copyright directive on Wednesday. It may be last time the details of the Directive are discussed in an open and transparent way. LIBER is therefore asking its libraries to contact their Members of the European Parliament and encourage them to vote in support of…

The post LIBER Libraries: Urge Your MEPs to Support Libraries in the Copyright Vote appeared first on LIBER.

This guide, edited by Victoria Owen, and with the wecome support of the World Blind Union, the Canadian Association of Research LIbraries, and the Unviersity of Toronto, offers answers to frequently asked questions. It can also be adapted by national actors to their own laws - IFLA encourages this, in order to get the largest possible number of libraries involved. 

The guide is available in the following languages:

• English (pdf, word)
• Français (pdf, word)
• Espanol (pdf, word)