Monthly Archives: February 2018

Fondren DOI Services

Posted on by 0

In Fall 2017, Fondren became a member of DataCite, global non-profit organization that provides digital object identifiers (DOIs) for research data and other scholarly objects. In addition to supporting the allocation of DOIs and accompanying metadata, DataCite supports data discovery and promotes data citation.

A DOI is a persistent and unique identifier of an object. It permanently identifies content and related metadata for an object over the course of its lifecycle. DOI names resolve to web locations where the objects they describe can be found. Information about a digital object may change over time, including where to find it and who owns it, but its DOI will not change. The DOI is the most widely used naming standard for digital resources in the publishing world. DOI is an ISO International Standard and more than 120 million DOIs have been assigned worldwide.

As a DataCite member, Fondren can facilitate DOI assignment to content in library-managed repositories (e.g., Rice Digital Scholarship Archive) and other university-managed platforms that are committed to long-term preservation and access.

Two recent projects have helped Digital Scholarship Services navigate the workflows of DOI assignment “in-house” and through a non-library platform. The Kinder Institute has partnered with Fondren to assign DOIs to some public datasets on its new Urban Data Platform. The first DOIs in the Rice Digital Scholarship Archive were assigned to the first two issues of the Rice Historical Review, an undergraduate history journal.

To learn more about Fondren’s DOI services, see the http://bit.ly/FondrenDOI or contact Digital Scholarship Services.

Now Accepting Nominations for Shapiro Innovation Award

Posted on by 0

The Library Travel, Training and Development Committee of Fondren Library is pleased to announce the seventeenth awarding of the Shapiro Library Staff Innovation Award.  This monetary award comes from an endowed fund set up by the estate of Dr. Beth Shapiro who was University Librarian at Fondren Library from January 1991 until her death in 1995.  She received Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Ph.D. degrees in sociology from Michigan State University between 1968 and 1982. Prior to coming to Rice, she was employed at the Michigan State University Libraries where she was Deputy Director.  Dr. Shapiro was professionally active in numerous library organizations for more than twenty years, contributing regularly to the professional literature and serving on many boards and committees.

The purpose of the award is to recognize either a Fondren Library staff member or group who has developed an innovative program to provide library services at Rice University or has shown exemplary service to the University community. Although in the past the Shapiro Award has been given only to individuals, many Fondren groups are making significant and innovative contributions. Therefore, nominations for groups consisting of up to eight Fondren staff members will also be considered.

Nominations for this award may be made by any member of the Fondren Library staff (including self-nominations) or by any member of the University community. It is also acceptable for a library staff member to nominate a group in which he/she is a member. To nominate an individual or group, please fill out the online nomination form available at https://library.rice.edu/shapiro-award.

The deadline for nominations is Friday March 9, 2018.  An Award Selection Committee comprised of the chair of the selection committee, two volunteer members from the Fondren Library staff (one professional and one paraprofessional), one member from the Rice University faculty, and one Fondren Library student worker will review the nominations and select a recipient or recipients of the award. No member of the Award Selection Committee will be eligible for the award while serving on that committee.

The award will be presented at a public ceremony in April or May by the Vice Provost and University Librarian.

Executive Committee Meeting Summary, February 8, 2018

Posted on by 0

1) Denis Galvin informed Exec that it will be necessary to upgrade SirsiDynix Symphony before the LSP migration. The upgrade should happen in the middle of May.

2) Mary Lowery invited staff to attend two upcoming Friends events (both events are now full):

3) Exec discussed the Research Data Management Team’s idea to collect information about the range of skills represented on Fondren’s staff through a survey. Lisa Spiro will draft a survey that will be discussed and refined.

Executive Committee Meeting Summaries, January 25 and February 1, 2018

Posted on by 0

January 25, 2018

1) The Executive Committee met with Debra Kolah, Jeff Koffler and Scott Vieira to discuss the Web Team’s Documentation report. It approved the report’s recommendation that Fondren develop a web portal that makes available information from library departments and committees.  The Web Team hopes to have the portal live sometime this summer

2) Exec discussed the schedule for a visiting Japanese delegation set to come to Rice in June. Mary Lowery will be the point person.

3) Sara Lowman provided an update on the budget and requested input on raises and bonuses by February 9.

4) ARL plans to revive its library management training workshops. Fondren volunteered to host a workshop in Houston.

February 1, 2018

The Executive Committee divided up responsibilities for writing Fondren’s budget document.

Executive Committee Meeting Summaries, Dec. 14, 2017-Jan. 11, 2018

Posted on by 0

December 14, 2017

Stravinsky collection: Fondren has acquired 48 items from the son of composer Igor Stravinsky, purchased from both Woodson and general collections funds.

Charge to Web Team on identifying tool to facilitate access to staff information: Denis Galvin reported that he has asked the team to reorganize its report to separate the main recommendations from auxiliary observations and recommendations. The revised report should be available shortly.

Schedule for performance appraisals: The group will discuss in January after recess.

Town Meeting December 20: The agenda items are Central Quad 4.0 and Customer Service training.

Careers@Rice training: Supervisors are receiving invitations to participate in a series of four training sessions, to precede general training for all staff prior to the implementation of this new position grading system in FY19.

Printing: In response to library user requests for better access to color printing capability, Central IT is relocating a color printer from the Mudd Building to the first floor of Fondren. A resume printer, utilizing acid-free paper, will also be relocated to the library.

Strategic planning: Following anticipated Board approval in January of the final draft of the university’s strategic plan, activity will resume in Fondren to further refine the library’s plan in support of identified university priorities.

January 11, 2018

The group discussed further details of the Careers @ Rice program.

Performance appraisals: All completed appraisals library-wide are due to Sara by March 23. Library managers are free to set schedules in their areas so as to meet the March 23 deadline. Though the library has not yet received the budget letter (so that the salary pool is not yet known), it is likely we will use the same merit rankings and bonus levels as last year. Self-evaluations by Executive Committee members are due Feb. 2.

The group discussed sending Fondren representatives to the GWLA OER (Open Educational Resources) conference.

Having received earlier January 11 the recommendations about subgroups for the Alma implementation project, the group agreed to review the recommendations and discuss them at the next meeting.

Sara shared that she had met recently with the Executive Committee of the Staff Association, learning that they plan to update the organization’s bylaws and procedures.

Black History Month display in Kelley Center

Posted on by 0

The Kelley Center staff invite you to see a selection of federal government publications in our new exhibit for Black History Month. The national theme for 2018 is African Americans in Times of War.

The exhibit case is in the elevator lobby between the GDC and DMC.