Cultural Research

NCSU Libraries Release WolfWalk Mobile Site

The NCSU Libraries recently released WolfWalk:

"a mobile library project that allows you to explore North Carolina State University campus history using selected mobile devices. WolfWalk provides information on the history of approximately 60 major sites of interest on the NCSU campus, together with multiple current and/or historic images that are sourced from the NCSU Libraries Special Collections Research Center."

This sounds like a great tie-in between special collections and information about a local setting in mobile website form. It's also an example of how traditional library departments, such as special collections, can move from simple access to the creation of meaningful resources, i.e., to digital publishing.

There's more at NCSU Libraries News.

Job Announcement: Grateful Dead Archivist (Santa Cruz, CA, USA)

This job announcement caught my eye and I thought I'd share it.  I imagine the collection has a unique following!

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA CRUZ
Grateful Dead Archivist

The University Library of the University of California, Santa Cruz, seeks an enterprising, creative, and service-oriented archivist to join the staff of Special Collections & Archives (SC&A) as Archivist for the Grateful Dead Archive. This is a potential career status position. The Archivist will be part of a dynamic, collegial, and highly motivated department dedicated to building, preserving, promoting, and providing maximum access both physically and virtually to one of the Library's most exciting and unique collections, The Grateful Dead Archive (GDA). The UCSC University Library utilizes innovative approaches to allow the discovery, use, management, and sharing of information in support of research, teaching, and learning.

Under the general direction of the Head of Special Collections and Archives, the GDA Archivist will provide managerial and curatorial oversight of the Grateful Dead Archive, plan for and oversee the physical and digital processing of Archives related material, and promote the GDA to the public and facilitate its use by scholars, fans, and students.

MINIMUM Qualifications:

• Master's degree from an ALA-accredited program or equivalent accredited graduate archives management program.

• Significant, demonstrated experience working with books, manuscripts, photographs, recordings, or other material in a special collections & archives environment.

• Knowledge of the access tools for special collections and archival material and the standards and procedures for their preservation and conservation.

• Demonstrated experience developing processing plans and creating finding aids in accordance with national standards.

• Knowledge of and ability to maintain awareness of developments in archival processing, digital information technologies, and their uses in special collections and archives.

• Expert knowledge in the history and scholarship of contemporary popular music, or American vernacular culture, preferably the history and influence of the Grateful Dead.

• Excellent analytical, organizational, and time management skills.

• Demonstrated oral, written and interpersonal communication skills sufficient to promote and present the archive to multiple audiences.

• Prior experience directing the work of others.

Strongly Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience working in public services in an academic environment.

• Demonstrated experience working on outreach and other donor related activities.

General Information:
Professional librarians at UC are academic appointees. They are entitled to appropriate professional leave, two days per month of vacation leave, one day per month of sick leave, and a generous benefit program including an excellent retirement system. The University sponsors a variety of group health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans.  Relocation assistance is provided.

Rank:  Associate Librarian or Librarian

Salary:  Appointment Range: Associate Librarian III – Librarian I, with an approximate salary range of $52,860 – $68,892, commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Position Available:  March 1, 2010

To Apply:

Electronic submission of applications is preferred.  All materials can be sent to liboff@library.ucsc.edu.

Applicants should supply a letter of application that includes a statement indicating how applicant’s credentials and experience meet the posted requirements for this position. The letter should also include a resume of their education and experience, as well as the names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of three (3) references that are knowledgeable about their qualifications for the position.

Alternate mailing address:
Library Administration
University of California
1156 High Street
Santa Cruz, CA   95064
Phone: (831) 459-2076   Fax: (831) 459-8206   

Please refer to Position #T10-07 in all correspondence.

Closing date: This position is open until filled. Initial review of applications will begin on December 4, 2009. In order to receive full consideration, all materials should arrive by that date.

If you need assistance due to a disability please contact the Academic Personnel Office at 499 Clark Kerr Hall (831) 459-4300. This position description is available in alternate formats, which may be requested from Academic Personnel at (831) 459-4300.

VISIT THE APO WEB SITE AT: http://apo.ucsc.edu

Terminator: The Cyborg in the Archives

Detail from Self Made Man Episode Still Photo

I've been watching Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and in the second season (disc 3 via Netflix) is an episode entitled Self Made Man (2008) in which an upscale academic library's research archives are a key element.

Cameron, a reprogrammed Terminator cyborg protects John Connor (Sarah's son) and those around him. By the second season she's developing her own network of resources that includes a wheelchair bound grad student who lets her into the library at night when it's closed.

Cameron embarks on a research mission to decipher an image from the 1920's and her search in the library's archives becomes a key storyline for this episode.

Her search entails visiting a number of different collections each of which is stored in a different format. It's a pretty believable romp through the archives with only a couple of unlikely moments that don't mar the pleasant surprise of a library playing a key role in a great television series.

Definitely some potential here to use excerpts from the episode in an introduction to library archives for high school and undergraduate students.

Side note:

The juxtaposition above of the time travelling cyborg on the right, the human in a wheelchair (in a looser sense, also a cyborg) on the left and a traditional card catalog in the background is an interesting one to consider.

Once everything's digitized this story line would have been squashed into a single digital download scene with images from different time periods flickering past.  Who knew old school methods held so much opportunity for drama?

Cambridge Library Collection: Library & Press Partner for Online & POD Access to Special Collections

The Cambridge Library Collection - Books of Enduring Scholarly Value

I used to think of digitization as an incredibly boring topic but the continuing drive to move special collections online, giving potentially universal access to rare materials previously limited to fixed locations, along with Google's massive scanning operation have certainly changed that landscape.

The above video, an excellent marketing tool, discusses the Cambridge Library Collection, a project that grew out of a partnership between the Cambridge University Library and the Cambridge University Press.

What I especially appreciate here is the addition of publish-on-demand (POD) services to the process of scanning out-of-print titles for online access. As I understand it, the Library is responsible for the digitization of the books and maintenance of those archives while the Press handles the publish-on-demand aspect providing individual copies as needed.

This is an awesome example of a partnership that builds on individual strengths to create a complete system providing access to otherwise difficult to obtain materials.

Via TeleRead.