Ebooks and Metadata – a combo still trying to find its footing?

Posted on May 2, 2013 by KelliB

For those of you who keep a close eye on digital publishing, you may have seen the recent Digital Book World article that states recent findings by the Book Industry Study Group (BISG) show that “metadata in publishing is a mess…some 95% of publishers reporting changes to the metadata they send out into the supply chain.”

For those of us who have had professional metadata training, we’re probably not overly surprised, considering that some metadata attributions are great, others questionable. I’m curious as to why it’s being changed after it leaves the publisher. That creates questions for me:

  • Are the terms manually-applied or is the system automated?
  • Are they [the publishers or the publishing house staff] applying not-so-apt terms because they aren’t metadata professionals?   OR
  • Are the terms changed because of who the end-users are and how they search? (Either it’s end-user applied content, or the vendor/library changes the terms because they know their end-user audience.)

Working in a library and being familiar with the end product, which has already had the metadata applied, I’m relatively new to the digital publishing world and all its machinations. I look forward to finding out the answers to the above questions (which are likely basic knowledge for insiders).

Note: Metadata is the findability backbone in the newly-launched Public Digital Library of America..

I haven’t seen any code, but I’m guessing they used Dublin Core. I do know that being employed in the capacity of a PDL Metadata Librarian would be a dream job for any of us who love working with metadata/increasing findability.

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New Interactive eBooks w/Crowdsourcing – readers can add permanent content to authors’ works…plus impending launch of the Digital Public Library

Posted on April 8, 2013 by KelliB

New Cloud-Based Social Reading Platform for Web and Mobile From Sumbola

And example of what’s not just around the corner, but here now: readers crowdsourcing content to enhance an author’s work…

“Readers can opt-in to share their page notes and chapter comments, highlights, favorite passages, make recommendations, add contextual dictionary terms… even their artistic inspirations…Readers, for the first time, can make a text-driven book, a transmedia experience by contributing content enhancements in the form of videos, music, images, tweets, blog feeds or other complementary content,” said Mark Hempel, co-founder of Sumbola…and the platform makes it easy to enhance any book.”

The author, of course, does need to okay the content.

I’m personally imagining the amazing images that could accompany one of my favorite fantasy/folk tale books (not to mention how tweeting and blogging would get it more readers), Catherynne Valente’s “In the Night Garden.”

For more information, visit https://www.sumbola.com, or follow Sumbola on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sumbolacosi

Combined with the launch of the Digital Public Library in a few short weeks, I see an incredible public commons soon available. While I don’t think the DPL would allow crowdsourcing to their materials (and I don’t think they should – who would decide it’s worthy or appropriate?), these two projects are helping create amazing information resources.

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Phone Interviews: Best Practices (please comment if you have other tips!)

Posted on May 14, 2012 by KelliB

After reading an article about phone interviews posted in a LinkedIn discussion, I realized that the only tip that you really need to know about a virtual (as opposed to face-to-face)  interview is this: prepare for the phone interview exactly the same way you would an in-person. It’s that simple.
“But what does that mean?” you ask. Well, for a phone interview:

  • Have your examples ready –> just like in a f2f interview, you never know what situational question they will ask – I practice writing these out by hand to try and make them “stick” in the forefront of my thoughts. Glassdoor.com has real interview questions asked to applicants, so see what candidates for similar positions were asked
  • Have questions ready for them. Do your homework on the job & on the company – ask strong questions so they know you took the time to do research (Glassdoor.com also has company information)
  • Have something to drink at hand (except soda – belching is so uncool!)..I always bring water with me to interviews – some places are polite enough to offer it, others aren’t. I even had an experience when interviewers brought water for themselves, but not for me. Wow.
  • Dress in a clean, work-suitable clothing. Although it may be tempting to dress in PJ’s for the phone call because “who’s going to know?”, dressing at least somewhat professionally will get your mind in a more business-like frame of reference.
  • Have hard copies of work samples ready for discussion. Though THEY won’t see them, it will help you remember to bring up some examples of things you’ve done, or bring up interesting topics to discuss.
  • Don’t belabor points – I find I repeat my answers because, as the article points out, there are no visual cues to indicate they got the point, so I emphasize it again to make sure they got it. To combat this, I say it once, and then perhaps turn the question back on them, “What methods do you consider best for handling a disruptive patron?”

Final thought: So what’s the difference between phone & f2f: I think the only big difference is that with a phone interview, you can get up and move around, which I would suggest doing because it helps dissipate nervous energy.

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Videos & CC: Just Do It!

Posted on May 6, 2012 by KelliB

by Kelli Bragg: This is the article I recently wrote for the WLA online newsletter; it’s posted here on my site again because it’s a topic that’s very important to me.

On July 15, 2009, at the ALA Annual Conference, Keith Michael Fels signed a document:  Resolution on Accessibility for Library Websites.

In the final declaration of this document:

“Whereas, Library websites are a key factor in accessing digital library materials; now, therefore, be it: Resolved, that the American Library Association urges all libraries to comply with Section 508 regulations, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0, or other criteria that become widely accepted as standards of accessibility evolve, so that people with disabilities can effectively use library websites to access information with ease.”

Furthermore, the ALA’s Library Bill of Rights is specifically interpreted for Services to Persons with Disabilities:

“A person’s right to use the library should not be denied or abridged because of disabilities. The library has the responsibility to provide materials “for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves”…When information in libraries is not presented in formats that are accessible to all users, discriminatory barriers are created.”

I’ve been noticing many library-created videos (or videos on library websites) failing those who have hearing disabilities by not providing Closed Captioning (CC). Whether the video is a story describing how the library has helped someone achieve a goal; a “fun” video; or an instructional video showing customers how to use a library product, I’ve seen too few provide text for those who may not be able to hear the audio. (Of course, this could include users on public computers without headphones or other reasons for being unable to listen.) If users can’t hear the audio and there’s no text, a discriminatory barrier is created…unacceptable given how easy it is to add captions. And please don’t pawn your Closed Captioning off on the YouTube beta CC: in the videos I’ve watched using that tool, the text either never appears, or content diverges so widely from what’s being spoken that it’s not at all relevant (hence the “beta” descriptor).

I enjoy making video tutorials, and they’re not complete until I include captions. Adding CC isn’t difficult, and I’ll even give you 3 resources:

Overstream is a free editor allowing you to easily generate & synchronize subtitles, in various languages, to any online video; it currently supports YouTube, Google Video, MySpace Video, Veoh, Blip.tv, Archive.org and Vimeo.com formats.

Techsmith’s Camtasia is another great tool, especially for instructional videos. Although a retail product, you can download a free 30-day trial to see if it fits your needs. Adding captions is incredibly easy and you can even import scripts!  They even offer a speech-to-text tool, which translates your narration infinitely better than YouTube’s beta CC.

Windows Movie Maker is a free, downloadable program. Upload your movie, and then use the “Title and Credits” feature to title the selected clip with your captions.

If you’re going to produce videos, please keep  the ALA Bill of Rights and Section 508 compliance in mind  and add captions. It’s simple to do, and it’s simply what you should do if you don’t want to exclude an entire segment of your population from fully using this media.

Any questions or comments? Please contact me at kellibragg at Hotmail dot com

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Take a break! Break Reminder download

Posted on April 29, 2012 by KelliB

If you’re like me, you can get lost in researching/working at the computer, with an hour passing before you know it! Then you suddenly realize it’s way past the break you should have taken to stretch and move around to avoid ergonomic injuries. Kim Kommando has a great download, BreakTaker, to remind you to stand up, move around, and get your body back into happy alignment. (Be advised it’s for Windows machines.)

From the website: “By encouraging you to take short breaks at regular intervals, BreakTaker can increase your overall productivity and can alleviate common workplace injuries resulting from fatigue, eye strain, and repetitive stress injury.” Seems like a good idea to me!

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Book Review: “The Charisma Myth” by Olivia Fox Cabane

Posted on April 29, 2012 by KelliB

The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism
The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism by Olivia Fox Cabane

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So far, this book has been incredible in making me aware of how to best present myself to others. I always thought that being an introvert was a hindrance in the business world, but Ms. Cabane’s exercises and advice about how to exude your innate charisma are showing me that all the aspects of being someone who is quiet, loves intense research, and prefers single-person to single-person interactions aligns well with the traits others see as “charisma”.

Highly recommended, since the tips really do work. I’ve seen some Amazon reviews implying it’s chicanery and trying to fool people by “acting”, but they evidently haven’t read the book. It’s simply showing you how to strengthen the qualities you already possess. It’s also been great for helping me prepare for interviews, which generally seem to be conducted by panels now, a situation I find exhausting and uncomfortable because I like conversations with a single person, not a group of people all at once, as I can’t ‘connect’ like I want to when I feel like I’m being ping-ponged around the table as they take turns asking questions.

Note to interviewers: if you’re looking to fill a research position, please try to incorporate aspects to the interview that accomodate the introvert…it will be greatly appreciated, and you’ll be well-rewarded by uncovering all the talents the potential candidate has to offer.  Current interview methods favor extroverts, who may not be the best researcher for your particular need, by constantly having them be surrounded by and talking with a group of people. Having a half-day or day-long interview, without allowing the candidate any quiet time to recharge, doesn’t serve them well, and you may be passing over a great candidate by erroneously thinking they’re not excited/enthused about the job, because they don’t gush on and on (it’s not in our nature to always be “on” without any restorative solo time — even a few minutes can really be beneficial to getting our energy levels and clear thinking back on track). They are excited, they’re just worn out! Replicate the typical work environment: during the day, an employee has alone time to refocus, so if you see a candidate is an introvert, simply allow at least a 10-minute break, ALONE, to get their energy levels back up.  You may be surprised at the difference you see in level of engagement in future interview sessions if you provide this courtesy. Thank you 🙂

General note: For those who don’t know, introvert has nothing to do with being shy…so many LinkedIn conversations have “helpful” folks saying, after you mention your introvertism(?), “oh, if you’re shy, here’s a great part of librarianship for you”. I’m not shy!!! I just can’t recharge when I’m in a large group of people. Even though I love giving presenations to audiences, I find it draining, and need quite/alone time to recharge. That’s the definition. Shy != introvert.)

View all my reviews

Posted in Book Review, Non-fiction | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Social Learning Summit: Free & Online, Saturday, April 21st

Posted on April 9, 2012 by KelliB

For those lucky enough to have off on April 21st, please note this great learning opportunity : a one-day free virtual conference that is being held as a partnership of Classroom 2.0 and the Discovery Educator Network, Saturday, April 21st, 2012, from 9:00am – 3:00pm US Eastern Time. The conference theme is using social media and Web 2.0 in teaching and learning; the conference URL is  http://www.sociallearningsummit.com/ (the URL currently leads to the Conference Announcement page).

Classroom 2.0 is “…the social network for those interested in  Web 2.0, Social Media, and Participative Technologies in the classroom.” Although I’m not an educator, I have found recent webinars useful in learning how to better present information to others.

While the deadline has passed for submitting a presentation proposal, you can see the accepted proposals here. Presentations are 30 minutes long, and when I last looked, there were 7+ pages of topics to be presented. A very short list to show the type of presentations to expect:

Cool Educational Uses for QR Codes

Creating ePortfolios using Weebly

The Digital Citizenship Project

At the sharp end of the pencil” – Driving Technology Adoption

Anywhere, Anytime Learning

Making Online Learning Environments “Brain Friendly”

Transforming Lessons with Technology – 2012 DEN Guru Finalist

So if you have this Saturday free – stop by and see what’s going on!

Logos available here: http://www.classroom20.com/page/2012-social-learning-summit-artwork

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Rise of Digital Influence

Posted on March 22, 2012 by KelliB

On Twitter, I follow digitalassetman, who posted this link to an article by DAMFoundation (DAM = digital asset management)…it’s an examination of the three pillars – Reach, Resonance, Relevance – that make up an organziation’s digital influence. It then explores how to digitally engage your customers through social networking  (increasing your ROI) http://www.briansolis.com/2012/03/report-the-rise-of-digital-influence/trackback/

By coincidence, I just started reading, “Users not customers: Who really determines the success of your business“, a book discussing the fact that if you create a powerful user experiences (not focusing on customers, but on users) which these days means a digital experience, you will naturally increase your customer base. Highly recommended reading for management folks.

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Does Social Media really make us better communicators?

Posted on March 14, 2012 by KelliB

I’ve been reading articles online lately arguing that social media is improving communication (as well as being told so in a couple of online webinars I attended).

For the most part SM is incredible…Twitter has saved me quite a few times when I’ve been out and about, using my smartphone and coming across a great article that I want to save, but don’t feel like hassling through all my saved bookmarks on the tiny screen: I just Tweet myself, then I can read the item in its entirety on my much-larger computer screen when I get home (tho I still think that tweeting is best served as a tool for cursory discussions until you can get to a different medium, unless you have a great code system that abbreviates all words…but  that skill belongs to a relative who worked as a cryptologist for the NSA, not me :-)).

Blogs are great because, like here at WordPress, you can build a pretty website, upload files, and garner comments, as well as comments to comments, in a fairly easy-to-use interface (although some WP tools that allow you to really control your website do take some technical skill to invoke).

In terms of people with disabilities, SM seems a great communication equalizer for most people. Since Dragon Naturally Speaking is available in iOS and Andriod app form (Dragon Go!), people who needs this tool to write text are no longer tethered to their home machines.  Similarly, some brilliant engineers at Georgia Tech have developed an input system that turns an iPhone’s touch screen into a braille soft-touch keyboard. There are other apps, like Everyware’s TypeInBraille app, as well as an another version developed at Stanford . Not only do they work from within your iPhone (Android apps are soon on the way!), they’re much cheaper. How freeing is that?

But all these benefits mean nothing if you have poor communication skills: if you’re a bad communicator, having techy tools isn’t going to make you better. So no, I don’t think SM makes us better communicators: it just gives those who are good at communication more outlets to use, and the ability to reach exponentially more people at a single time (because people can follow your blog, your tweets, etc.) For people who don’t communicate well….your local librarian can help you find some great books and online sources to help!

Posted in Information Science | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Hathi Trust, Digitization, and Accessibility for PWD

Posted on March 8, 2012 by KelliB

I’ve been sporadically following the Hathi Trust Fair Use and digitization brouhaha, and it leaves me wondering if and/or how it will affect equal Accessibility for those with print disabilities re: the cultural record.

Digitization to me means an increase in access because once digitized, the information can more easily be consumed in a usable format. Do you think there will be ramifications that will hamper universal access in the future? For example, will institutions that have the funding to do a similar project now be reluctant to try and digitize the totality of the human experience for fear of being sued? Or will the attempt be made, but the legal hoops needing to be jumped through might make the project take an interminable amount of time?

I would love to hear feedback 🙂

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