I just looked at this site with IE. I rarely use it, but I did just now. I apologize to you for the way that the navigation bar at the top looks. It looks fine with other browsers like Firefox, Opera, and Netscape Navigator, but not IE. So, I usually don’t do this, but if you want to use this site, I recommend that you use something other than IE.
I found this script at Steven Davies’s website. It was designed to insert a random picture into a page. I tweaked it so that it would output a random background image into an embedded CSS. To use it, copy the code below and save it into your directory as rotate_script.php. Make sure to change the $dir variable to the display the directory in which you keep your images. Then include include a line like background-image: <?php include("rotate_script.php"); ?>; in the midst of the embedded style in the header where you want it to appear.
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Gordon, Rachel Singer. The Accidental Systems Librarian, Medford, NJ: Information Today, Inc., 2003.
Rachel Singer Gordon’s The Accidental Systems Librarian, is intended to be a basic guide to the various duties that systems librarians undertake. The title of the book comes from the fact that many librarians find themselves taking on systems duties without any formal training. Gordon begins her treatment by listing many of the duties that systems librarians might undertake. These can involve anything from installing hardware to networking to dealing with vendors to being the point person for digitization projects. Because of these varied duties, selecting a title for a systems librarian can be difficult, and the titles for systems librarians are often varied. She notes that the technical aspects involved in systems librarianship tempt some to leave the systems element to those who have an IT background rather than librarians. She says this is a bad idea because librarians understand the needs and vocabulary of other librarians. The librarian does not learn the IT vocabulary naturally, but it is usually easier for librarians to pick up systems language than vis versa. In essence, the systems librarian becomes a liasion between the library, the library administrator, new staff, and the IT department. Gordon also suggests that systems staff should develop documentation of systems tasks and that libraries develop a set of competencies for the systems libararian, and a set of competencies for the library staff. The New Jersey Library Association offers one example of such competencies.
Gordon provides a good overview for the categories of computer knowledge a systems librarian may need. These include an understanding of Microsoft software, Macintosh, Open Source software, networking, web design, intergrated library systems management, troubleshooting, programming, security, and antivirus. She also suggests that a systems librarian should be active in organizing knowledge. Organizing knowledge involves such things as inventorying computer equipment, compiling various types of statistics for the library, and keeping up with licensing, support information, and systems documentation.
Gordon also says that a librarian’s background provides a good background for library systems work in yet another way; the librarian is familiar with methods for researching. This ability helps in systems work because almost every problem systems librarians encounter requires them to look for an answer. At times, this requires a librarian to look in multiple places. This method applies to repairs, troubleshooting, and purchasing. Likewise, librarians are used to having to ferret out the exact piece of information that patrons want. This should enable them to help customer service representatives know exactly how to help them. They should be prepared with detailed information regarding the issue that necessitated their call.
Gordon encourages systems librarians to pursue numerous avenues of social networking to assist them in their work. These avenues include listservs, associations, conferences, informal networks, and collaborative projects. Developing such contacts will be useful when troubleshooting problems or evaluating products. It also gives the systems librarian a chance to assist other librarians in their work.
Gordon’s chapter on instruction techniques offers several helpful tips. First, she points out that systems librarians often are responsible for instructing both staff and patrons to use technology. For patrons, this can include instruction on how to use Microsoft Office products, the OPAC, databases, or any number of other technologies. For staff, the list can include all of these plus any software used in the course of work in the library. Gordon says that any instruction should be brief, simple, applicable, and to the point. Whether one is instructing patrons or staff, the practical advantages to learning the lesson should be patently obvious. Classes can be formal if the library has a computer lab, but may need to be informal if it does not. Systems librarians should take whatever opportunities they have, even if they are one on one, to offer technology instruction. Gordon takes a similar tack with education for systems librarians. She notes that often libraries are on a tight budget and do not have the financial ability to provide formal education for systems librarians. In such cases, systems librarians may have to look at alternative methods for education, including conferences, workshops, books, and web based training. The final two chapters offer helpful suggestions on how one can plan for various technology changes and how one can proceed in his or her systems librarian career.
The Accidental Systems Librarian is an invaluable (at least for me, at this time in my career) work for anyone who finds themselves in such a position. Gordon’s book is not just a basic overview of the systems librarian position. It is a resource builder. The websites, articles, and books she cites within the book serve as a veritable toolbox for the librarian with systems responsibilities.
This is definately off topic, but I have been playing with the PSP my sister got me for Christmas, and I just put an ebook on it. I bought a 2GB Sandisk memory card this week, so I have been playing around with it. I decided to see if I could put James Petigru Boyce’s Abstract of Systematic Theology on my PSP just for kicks. I went to the Founders Ministries website, because they have the .html text there. Luckily, when I went into the index for the book, they had a tar.gz file of the whole book there. I simply downloaded it and unzipped it into a folder on my PC’s desktop. I called the folder “boyce”. Then I connected my PSP and my PC via USB and just moved the folder over to the E drive (the drive that represents my PSP).
Now here is the not so tricky part. I found the table of contents file that provided the main structure for the rest of the site. I opened the browser on my PSP and entered the address file:/boyce/toc.html. I bookmarked it so that I would never have to manually enter the address again. I now have a fully functional copy of the entire book that I can read whenever I want.
If you can get to the directories (folders) of other such html based books that do not have the tar.gz files, you can use the firefox extension Down Them All to download all of the files into a folder you can put on your PSP.
I love technology.
I am currently learning php by reading the book that I am currently reviewing entitled Learning PHP5. At the same time, I have recently run into a problem because I needed to convert RSS into OPML and I did not know how. Tonight, I was elated when I was able to modify a php script found here to allow me to create the nice blogroll that you see on the sidebar of this blog. WordPress allows you to upload OPML files, but I can only generate an RSS feed with my account at del.icio.us. This script allows you to generate OPML from an RSS feed using php. Sweet. Changing the script to suit my needs was a good lesson in php editing. I also had to install MagpieRSS to get the script to run. I feel like a major genius now. I had created simple php documents before, but this was much different. I know this edit is probably simple, but it was a major accomplishment for me.
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Elizabeth Yakel’s Starting an Archives is an entry level book on how one should go about starting an archival program within an institution. Yakel begins her work by noting that the term archive can denote the official noncurrent records of an institution, the agency that preserves such records, or the building in which such records are housed. Yakel distinguishes between archives and manuscripts by pointing out that manuscripts can refer to an individual’s papers, a collection of items put together by a person or persons, or individual items obtained because of some special significance. In short, an archive is produced by an institution and a manuscript is produced by a person.
An institution that starts an archive has crucial decisions to make about the institutional commitment, archival staff, and archival facilities. The institution has to decide if it wants to commit the time, money, and resources to starting such a program. The benefits are great in terms of preservation, but they can be expensive. Some institutions may let an outside agency care for their records. If an institution decides to start an archive, the administration should give the archive authority over records and place it as an independent wing within the institution, probably under a vice president. It must also commit to funding such things as staff compensation, a supply budget, and education. The selection of archival staff should be limited to persons who are active workers that are interested in preserving records. The archives is not just a place to send older workers so they can retire. The people who work within archives should immerse themselves in archival culture. Finally, an archives must be willing to invest what can be a substantial amount of money to the upkeep of a building in which to house the archive.
Yakel contends that several documents are necessary to the formation of an archive. First, the archive needs a statement of authority, that delineates where the archive falls within the hierarchy of the institution. The archive also needs a mission statement that describes what the archive documents, how the program was initiated, what materials it collects, and what groups it serves. Additionally, the archive needs a document that sets forth the plans and priorities of the archive for both the long and short terms. Finally, the archive needs to have an annual report, a collection development policy, a description of positions, a budget, and an advisory board.
Yakel provides an in depth look at what elements should be included in a collection development policy. She contends that one of the first things that an archive needs to do is survey their records to see exactly what materials comprise the materials. This process informs both the mission and the collection development policy of the institution. Archivists should also make a practice of appraising records within their institiution in order to determine which records are of enduring value. Likewise, archivists should maintain intellectual control over their materials via paperwork. Their should be a clear paper trail from the time of accessioning all the way through the life of the materials until, if necessary, deaccessioning. This paper trail includes an accession record, a deed of gift or transfer form, and a deaccession list.
Yakel’s chapter on arrangement and description defines several useful concepts. Provenance is the concept that records from one creator should not be mixed with those of another. Record Groups are records that are arranged together and related because of provenance. A series is a division of similarly organized materials created by the creator of the records. All arrangement of records is to take place with these concepts, as well as the idea of original order, in mind. Yakel contends there are five levels of arrangement: repository, record group, series, file unit, and item. One essential feature of records description is the finding aid. Yakel says this is comprised, at minimum, of two parts: a orientating narrative section, and a file or container list.
