Boston Regional Library System

The Digital Commonwealth of Massachusetts (DigiComm) and NELINET, Inc., are pleased to announce that NELINET now manages the DigiComm repository and provides member support.

Erin Logsdon, NELINET’s Consultant for Digital Solutions, will provide training and customer service for DigiComm members. She points out that her first priority is to assist members in preparing their collections for harvest. She is supported by NELINET’s technical staff, who will oversee the portal and repository.

DigiComm Past President Vivien Goldman said, “We are excited to be working with NELINET on this project. We know that NELINET’s experience will help us grow and that our contribution will help develop NELINET’s focus on digital resources.”

Training opportunities for DigiComm members will be announced in the fall via the Digital Commonwealth listserv. To sign up for the listserv, please visit:
http://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/doc/listserv/.

Pricing for repository services is available directly from NELINET. Through a generous grant from the Wilson Foundation, DigiComm is able to offset repository fees for small cultural institutions. Grant guidelines will be available in the fall.

About The Digital Commonwealth of Massachusetts (DigiComm)

The Digital Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a portal to the rich cultural heritage held in museums, historical societies, colleges, libraries and other cultural repositories in Massachusetts. From it site you can search or browse the digital collections of member institutions throughout the state for manuscripts, images, historical documents, and sound recordings. The portal provides you with enhanced access and retrieval of information to the digital assets of eight archives with holdings from over 35 cultural institutions, see: http://www.digitalcommonwealth.org.

About NELINET

NELINET is a member-owned, member-governed cooperative of more than 600 academic, public, and special libraries in the six New England states. Our primary aim is to promote the advancement of libraries and to facilitate the ongoing sharing of library and information resources and services. Today, NELINET accomplishes these purposes by serving as the premier New England regional network for OCLC and by offering a broad variety of non-OCLC-related services, such as educational programs, consulting services, and consortium purchasing.

State Library of Massachusetts

Technology/Digital Services Librarian

Technology/Digital Services Librarian is responsible for the overseeing the technology and digital service needs of the Library; planning, developing and implementing and sustaining the Library’s digital environment; participating in the collection development of digital resources; coordinating library digital projects; analyzing and assessing the usage and effectiveness of electronic resources and technologies; working on the development of library technologies in the context of Library wide planning; and participating in the Library management team.

An ALA-accredited library master’s degree, five years of professional experience; knowledge of library technology needs and products; demonstrated understanding of current trends and issues in digital library services; strong interpersonal skills as well as excellent oral and written communication skills; and knowledge of library management systems and of digital resources. The Technology/Digital Services Librarian reports to the State Librarian. Salary: $56,000.00

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide leadership to and coordination with Library staff and other partners participating in the creation of digital collections and technology.
• Provide expertise on digitization services.
• Participate in a team based environment as required to facilitate improving, evaluating, and promoting overall digital services and initiatives.
• Assist in the acquisition and digitization appropriate collections.
• Provide staff training and support for use of digital management systems and digital collections.
• Lead projects to implement new services for technology and digital resource management.
• Coordinate the resolution of user issues regarding technology and digital resources.
• Assist in the identification and writing of grant proposals geared towards the creation of digitization of digital projects.
• Participate in development of policy, best practices, and procedures necessary to support a wide variety of information delivery services.
• Support staff maintenance of library statistical data and create database analysis and statistical reports.
• Ability to work in a team based environment and manage multiple task concurrently.
• Participate in meetings of the Library Management Team to discuss policy and initiatives; set priorities; and project management.
• Liaison with our integrated library system network (CW/MARS); services on committees and task forces as well as participates in the wider community of digital services and technology librarians.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Please send cover letter and resume to: Albie Johnson, State Librarian,

State Library of Massachusetts, State House Room 341, Boston, MA 02133, or e-mail: library.director@state.ma.us.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Minority and women applicants are encouraged to apply.

Brigham and Women’s CWN 7 Hospital Nurse Educator Carol Prone and Gyn-Oncology and CWN Float Pool Nurse Manager Bernadette Quigley-Lavoie had a vision! Since inpatients on the 7th Floor of the Center for Women and Newborns (CWN) could not leave their rooms to come to the Kessler Library, they wanted to bring the library’s research resources to them. They worked with Kessler Library Chief Librarian, and BRLS Advisory Board member, Cara Helfner to design a computer cart on wheels with a customized desktop providing access to online patient education resources.

CWN-7 patients may request the computer cart from their nurse to research their condition and treatment through the online Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Dana Farber Cancer Institute Cancer Information Centers, the National Cancer Institute and the Kessler Library’s Gale Virtual Reference Library (with access to the eEncyclopedia of Cancer), OCLC NetLibrary, (with access to the BWH eBook The Breast Cancer Survivor’s Fitness Plan) and EBSCO Consumer Health Source databases (full-text journals include Cancer and Harvard Women’s Health Watch).

For more information about the Kessler Library and its services, email kesslerlibrary@partners.org.

Join author Garth Stein in the McKim Orientation Room at the Boston Public Library on Wednesday, June 11, 6:00 p.m. Garth will be talking about his latest novel, The Art of Racing in the Rain, a heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope. Told from the point-of-view of Enzo, the family dog, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a beautifully crafted and captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life . . . as only a dog could tell it. The Art of Racing in the Rain is Starbuck’s Book Pick for the month.

Garth Stein is the author of three novels: The Art of Racing in the Rain (Harper, 2008); How Evan Broke His Head and Other Secrets (Soho Press, 2005), which won a 2006 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Book Award, and was a Book Sense Pick in both hardcover and paperback; and Raven Stole the Moon (Pocket, 1998). He has also written a full-length play, Brother Jones, which received its first production in Los Angeles, in February, 2005, and was described as “brimming with intensity,” by the L.A. Weekly. For more information on Garth Stein and all of his books visit www.garthstein.com. And be sure to visit Enzo on MySpace at www.myspace.com/enzoswift.

Don’t miss this wonderful evening at the Boston Public Library where three local authors, Scott Heim, Margot Livesey, and Mameve Medwed will read from their latest novels and talk about their lives as writers. The event will take place in the historic Abbey Room at the Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston Street, 6 p.m. This event is free and open to all.

Scott Heim, 41, was born and raised in central Kansas. He holds degrees from the University of Kansas and Columbia University. He has lived and worked in New York, London, and Cape Cod, and currently makes his home in Boston. His latest novel, WE DISAPPEAR, revolves around lost innocence, family responsibility, and the dangers of obsession. It examines our fascination with mystery and crime, and ultimately shows the power of love between a mother and son. He has published two previous novels, Mysterious Skin and In Awe, as well as a book of poems, Saved from Drowning. In 2005, the film adaptation of Mysterious Skin was released to critical acclaim. More information, as well as his ongoing weblog, can be found at: www.scottheim.com.

Margot Livesey is the award-winning author of the novels Homework, Criminals, The Missing World, Eva Moves the Furniture, and Banishing Verona. Her fiction has appeared in “The New Yorker” and “Ploughshares,” and she is the recipient of grants from both the NEA and the Guggenheim Foundation. Her latest novel, The House on Fortune Street explores the relationship between two fast friends, Abigail and Dara. As revealed through four ingeniously interlocking narratives, luck - good or bad - plays a vital role in all of our lives, and searching for truth, or love for that matter, can be a dangerous undertaking. Written with Margot Livesey’s characteristic elegance and wit, The House on Fortune Street probes the depths of betrayal and forgiveness to offer a surprisingly suspenseful detective story of the heart. Born in Scotland, she currently lives and teaches in the Boston area.

Mameve Medwed’s latest novel, Of Men and Their Mothers, tells the story of Maisie Grey–formerly Maisie Grey-Pollack of Pollack Poultry–who is fed up. With an ex-mother-in-law from hell, an on-again/off-again boyfriend, and a teenage son who shows all the signs of following in his (gulp) father’s family’s footsteps, it’s enough to make her lose it. But when Maisie strikes up an unlikely alliance with a young mother at odds with the child welfare system, things in her hometown will never be the same. Medwed is the author of three previous critically acclaimed novels including last year’s Massachusetts Book Awards Honors winner in fiction, How Elizabeth Barrett Browning Saved My Life, and is a long-time teacher of fiction writing. Her short stories, essays and reviews have appeared in many publications, including “Redbook,” “Missouri Review,” “The Boston Globe,” “Playgirl” and “Newsday.” Born in Maine, she currently lives in Boston with her husband. For more information about Mameve, check her website: www.mamevemedwed.com

Metadata / Systems Librarian
Job Announcement

Fenway Libraries Online (FLO), www.flo.org, a growing library consortium of ten academic and special libraries in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, seeks a Metadata / Systems Librarian. This is a full-time position with benefits in a collaborative, team-oriented environment.

The candidate should have knowledge of library technical services operations including electronic resource management, strong computer and systems competence, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work in a collaborative environment. The successful candidate will provide support for the Voyager integrated library system (ILS) and other applications including Ex Libris MetaLib, SFX, Massachusetts Virtual Catalog, MDID and IRIS. The Metadata / Systems Librarian should be creative, flexible, energetic, and able to communicate effectively with all levels of library staff.

Responsibilities:

• Provide support for library staff in their use of the Voyager ILS, including training and documentation.
• Lead the implementation of Ex Libris MetaLib beginning fall 2008.
• Maintain and ensure the quality of records in FLO supported databases, including bibliographic and authority records, and electronic resources.
• Provide expertise to guide the migration of records into the FLO catalog with the addition of new members into the FLO consortium.
• Serve as liaison between FLO and software vendors for system and staff support.
• Conduct training sessions for library staff.
• Provide staff support and direction for the Quality Control and Acquisition/Serials committees.
• Assist with the evaluation of new products and services.
• For complete list of responsibilities, see job description (available upon request).

Qualifications:

• MLS or MLIS degree required.
• 2-3 years library experience required, preferably in an academic setting.
• Knowledge of an integrated library system; Ex Libris Voyager preferred.
• Knowledge of library technical services functions (cataloging, acquisitions, serials, ILL, reporting), including cataloging experience using AACR2, MARC formats, and LC subject heading and classification schemes.
• Knowledge of cataloging standards for digital formats and familiarity with established and emerging metadata standards.
• Experience with training and documentation desirable.
• Desire to participate in collaborative problem solving.
• Advanced competence with desktop software applications, including productivity and web-publishing software.
• Knowledge of a command-line operating system such as Unix or Linux preferred.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills required.
• Flexibility appropriate for a dynamic work setting, including schedule changes that respond to the needs of the consortium.

Salary: Competitive salary plus attractive benefits package.

Start Date: July 1, 2008

To apply:

Send email including resume, cover letter, and contact information for three professional references to Walter Stine, Executive Director, Fenway Libraries Online, c/o Wentworth Institute of Technology, 550 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115. Email: stine@flo.org.

Fenway Libraries Online encourages the application of all candidates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, or veteran status.

The Boston Regional Library System presents the second CE course in our series on Collection Development, and it should be fascinating. Archiving the Web: Building your Library’s Online Collection with Archive-It features the Internet Archive’s effort to build and preserve collections of born-digital information. Information on the program is listed below. To register, Regional members can contact Garry Wong at 617-859-2380, or by e-mail at gwong@bpl.org. This is a joint program of the Boston Regional Library System and the Boston Library Consortium.

Archiving the Web: Building your Library’s Online Collection with Archive-It

Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library that has been archiving the web since 1996, and is currently the largest public available web archive in existence with 100 billion pages.
The library also hosts large collections of digitized books, audio files and moving images. All collections are publicly available over the web at www.archive.org.

Since 2001, Internet Archive has been working with memory institutions to create more focused collections that allow partners to control and manage their data. One of the services introduced in the fall of 2005 is Archive-It, a web based subscription service, which now has 60 memory institutions who partner with Internet Archive to build and preserve collections of born-digital information.

Molly Bragg, Senior Partner Specialist for Internet Archive will discuss the significance and the impact of web archiving, including best practices. She will highlight some strategies for creating, maintaining and accessing collections of archived web pages using content from the local Boston and New England area.

Instructor: Molly Bragg, Senior Partner Specialist, Internet Archive
When: Thursday, June 19, 2008
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: BPL Orientation Room

All LLMA Institute alumni (2005 and 2007) are invited to a follow-up workshop On Negotiation at the Massachusetts Library Association Conference, SeaCrest Resort and Conference Center in Falmouth. The session will take place on Friday, May 9, from 1:45-4:30. Maureen Sullivan is the speaker.

Maureen is an organizational development consultant who focuses on the delivery of consulting and training services to libraries and other information organizations. She designed and facilitated the LLMA 2007 Institute with Jack Siggins. On the faculty of the annual ACRL/Harvard Leadership Institute, Maureen is a professor of practice in the new Ph.D./Managerial Leadership in the Information Professions program at Simmons College.

Participants will have the opportunity to:
• Learn and practice the skills for effective negotiation
• Understand the key steps in the negotiation process
• Determine specific steps to improve their effectiveness in negotiation and exercising influence
• Identify next steps in their leadership development

The workshop will be followed by a reunion of 2005 and 2007 alumni. You’ll have an opportunity to re-connect with your LLMA colleagues amid conversation and refreshments.

Join us! It will be a pleasant way to wait out the Cape traffic and start on the road re-charged!

See the full Conference program at: http://www.masslib.org/conference/2008Conference/index.htm

Stay in touch with the LLMA Blog! : http://llma.blogspot.com/ Add your news, questions, and accomplishments!

April 10, 2008, 6:00 pm
Rabb Auditorium, Boston Public Library Copley Square

Spend an evening with Amnesty International Peace Activist and Reebok Human Rights award winner Arn Chorn-Pond. Arn’s story connects his unique personal experiences as a Cambodian Genocide survivor to universal experiences of others who find their way to the United States each year.

This event is an opportunity to listen to Arn Chorn-Pond, who is featured in one of the components of the Choosing to Participate exhibition and study guide, tell his story in his own words.

Presented in partnership with the Facing History’s Choosing to Participate and the Lowell Lecture Series.

To learn more about Arn, and other young human rights activists, please visit Be the Change: Upstanders for Human Rights.

The Head of Special Collections is responsible for the Special Collections Department. The Department contains the Library’s most valuable materials and is a repository of information about Massachusetts history and government.

The job of the Head of Special Collections is to provide leadership, organization and management and to ensure that the collection is available to researchers, is preserved for future generations of users, and grows in rational directions. The Head ensures that the physical plant protects the collection from harmful physical conditions so that long-term access is assured. The Head is also involved in materials acquisition for the State Library and works with various historical agencies and institutions to acquire appropriate items. The Head of Special Collections reports to the State Librarian. Starting salary: $46,000.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Establishes policy for the Special Collections Department, use of library materials, reproduction of materials, and security of the Deptment.
• Establishes policy for preservation, including prioritization of preservation projects and techniques of preservation and works with facility and construction employees to ensure climate-control of the vault.
• Ensures that the material in Special Collections is appropriately accessible to the public by overseeing cataloging of special collections items and preservation efforts.
• Establishes and implements the collections development policy for Special Collections by identifying, acquiring and processing appropriate manuscript Collections.
• Provides reference and information services to the public in person, by e-mail, and by letter, and ensures that the other staff members who provide such service are adequately trained.
• Provides supervision, coordinates staff workflow and participates in hiring, and evaluating departmental staff.
• Prepares and maintains departmental statistics.
• Maintains federal documents housed in the department, following FDLP guidelines.
• Experience developing exhibits and public program to promote archival holdings.
• Participates in meetings of the Library Management Team (Department Heads) to discuss policy and projects for the Library.
• Serves on committees and task forces in the Library as well as participates in the wider community of special collections librarians and archivists.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Please send cover letter and resume to: Albie Johnson, State Librarian,

State Library of Massachusetts, State House Room 341, Boston, MA 02133, or e-mail: library.director@state.ma.us.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Minority and women applicants are encouraged to apply.