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Announcing the December 2020 Issue of Information Technology and Libraries

The December 2020 issue of Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL) was published on December 21, rounding out a year many of us are glad to see behind us. Contrary to my fears as the year started, library technologists of all stripes continued to do great things and write about them. Our final issue of 2020 has some great material for you. Core President Christopher Cronin writes about the possibilities brought forward by the creation of Core out of the previous ALA divisions in Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures. Our December “Editorial Board Thoughts” column, Public Libraries Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Creating a New Service Model, by board member Jon Goddard, highlights some of the ways COVID-19 has changed the landscape of service for libraries of all kinds, but particularly for public libraries. In our “Public Libraries Leading the Way” column this issue, Jessica Hall at the Fresno Public Library describes an…Continue Reading

Core at 2021 ALA Midwinter Virtual

The 2021 ALA Midwinter Virtual event will be held January 22-26, 2021. Core will not be holding any programs, events, or meetings during ALA Midwinter Virtual, however, we will be presenting a special session of Top Technology Trends focusing on the dangers of technology. This program will explore different technologies that may present dangers to you and your users. For more information, including how to register, visit the ALA Midwinter Virtual registration page. We understand that in the past committees, sections, and interest groups used the ALA Midwinter Meeting as an opportunity for their groups to meet in person, however, since Core group engagement and activities are year-round we will not require or allocate special times for groups to meet at ALA Midwinter Virtual. For more information about Core committees, sections, and interest groups visit the Core Member Center. If you have specific questions about Core groups, contact Jenny Levine,…Continue Reading

New Core Jobs: December 29, 2020

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Browse new job openings on the Core Jobs Site

University Librarian, Dominican University, River Forest, IL Assistant Manager, Metadata Services, The New York Public Library, Long Island City, NY Visit the Core Jobs Site for additional job openings and information on submitting your own job posting.

Support library workers in need with new, cool, radical Core wear

We are pleased to announce the launch of the apparel collection from Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures. “Libraries are radical, and so are you” is a slogan inspired by our current Core President-Elect, Lindsay Cronk, who’s very passionate about every aspect of librarianship. Celebrate the radical librarian in you, and the amazing work that you do by purchasing your new Core wear! All shirts from this line are available in the color charcoal gray (per popular member vote via Twitter). 100% of our profits will be donated to the Core Advancement Fund, supporting a Core membership for library workers in need. Treat yourself or someone else to new Core wear, and give the gift of membership.

New Core Web Course Explores Fundamentals of Digital Library Projects

Core is pleased to announce the release of a new web course on the introduction to fundamental concepts of digital library projects. This course was developed by Jennifer Roper, Director, Digital Strategies and the University of Virginia Library in Charlottesville, Virginia, Gretchen Gueguen, an archivist and librarian specializing in digital libraries and technology and an adjunct professor for the Clarion University, and Ivey Glendon, Manager for Metadata Analysis & Design at the University of Virginia Library.  Jennifer Roper and Gretchen Gueguen will lead the course. The Fundamentals of Digital Library Projects course introduces students to the breadth of considerations, standards and skills needed to successfully launch and manage a digital library program. It provides an opportunity for hands-on activities to develop critical thinking and decision-making skills within the context of a digital library. Upon completion of this six-week course, attendees will: Gain an understanding of the types of expertise and skills needed to successfully manage a digital library: such as digitization and…Continue Reading

New Core Jobs: December 17, 2020

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Browse new job openings on the Core Jobs Site

Dean of Libraries, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS Director, Learning Commons, Tyler Junior College, Tyler, TX University Dean for Libraries and Information Resources, City University of New York, New York, NY Head, Scholarly Communications & Collections Strategy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Libraries, Cambridge, MA Repository Services Manager, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO Visit the Core Jobs Site for additional job openings and information on submitting your own job posting.

Implementing a Contactless Pickup Service Model at LUC Libraries

This article is from our guest blog contributor, Chris Martin, Head of Access Services / University Libraries, Loyola University Chicago Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of conversations within access services circles—notably the LIB-CIRC-PLUS listserv—have centered on establishing “contactless pickup” for the circulation of physical items. Yet for academic libraries, there is a lack of thorough documentation about models of such service, as well as an accounting of how they work. This post outlines how Loyola University Chicago Libraries planned and implemented our contactless pickup service this summer (with ongoing adjustments) and describes the results so far. Systems Choices and Practical Considerations The Libraries’ physical locations closed when Loyola transitioned to a remote learning environment on March 24. For most of the remaining spring and early summer, Libraries administration and staff were hoping to return to on-site work by early August, though limited on-site staffing ultimately did not…Continue Reading

Core Call for Nominations: Core President-Elect

The Nominating Committee for the 2021 Core election is soliciting nominees to run on the Spring 2021 ballot for the office of Core President-Elect. The Core Nominating Committee seeks qualified individuals with strong service and leadership records in ALA, ALCTS, LITA, LLAMA, (or equivalent library associations) who will successfully advance Core’s vision and values in close collaboration with the Core Board and the rest of the Core leaders. Candidates will be expected to describe experience in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the library communities. Participation in the transition activities in launching the Core division and good project management skills will be extremely helpful.   The President-Elect will serve a three-year term: as President-Elect, in 2021-2022, as President in 2022-2023, and as immediate Past-President in 2023-2024. Candidates must be current Core members at the time of the election. The Nominating Committee will select two candidates to be placed on the ballot…Continue Reading

Final Summary of “Regarding Library Database Cleanup” (December 2020 Core e-forum)

The two-day “Regarding Library Database Cleanup” e-forum that was continued from October 2020 in December 2020 had 152 messages posted from 31 participants who were from academic or public libraries or vendors.  Our discussions included the types of projects undertaken and some best practices, the methods that revealed the need for these projects, and the software or programs that are used to carry out, track or document the projects.  Our final discussions surrounded barriers to performing these projects as well as the underlying philosophy with which these projects are carried out.  Finally, the resources shared by the three co-hosts and participants can be found at the end of this summary. The participants used Voyager, Alma, or Aleph (from Ex Libris), Symphony or EOS (SirsiDynix), Sierra (Innovative) or LS2 (TLC) and reported that they work with all types of records (bibliographic, holdings, item, order, and authority records) for all types of…Continue Reading

Nomination Deadlines for Core Awards and Scholarships Are Quickly Approaching—Submit Your Nominations Soon!

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Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures invites nominations for its 2020-2021 awards and scholarships, including four awards run on behalf of ALA or with another ALA division and three scholarships from the previous divisions that support LIS students and international members. The following are Core awards and scholarships that are currently accepting nominations and applications. Awards ALA/AIA Library Building Awards Application deadline January 12, 2021, 5 p.m. ET Co-sponsored by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the American Library Association (ALA) and managed by the Core Library Buildings Awards Committee, the ALA/AIA Library Building Awards is an annual competition that recognizes excellence in the architectural design and planning of libraries. This award acknowledges and honors distinguished accomplishment in library architecture by an architect licensed in the U.S. for any library in the U.S. or abroad. Frederick G. Kilgour Award for Research in Library and Information Technology Application deadline January 1, 2021…Continue Reading