Digitization 101

One of my favorite copyright court cases is Tasini v. New York Times (filed in 1997), both because of its potential impact on databases and that I am a freelance author.  When looking online for information this case, the trail from its beginning to its final conclusion is not well documented. You have to know that it took several twists and turns in order to find those twists and turns.  And you have to know that there were two similarly named cases AND that there was at least one other case (class action lawsuit) which related to Tasini v. NYT.

When I do an Internet search on this case, I easily find older articles from the early decisions in this case.  Places like Wikipedia, which a person might use to locate additional sources, currently (May 2017) contains older information and is incomplete.  Therefore, it would be easy for anyone to research this case and come to an incorrect decision about its final conclusion (which actually occurred in 2014).

With all this in mind, I have compiled resources which can help someone research Tasini v. New York Times.  These should provide someone with "guideposts", which can help understand the path of the case and then locate additional resources.  (And if  this blog post does help a newbie understand Tasini, then I'll be pleased.)

Relevant Digitization 101 blog posts:

• Writers Settle Tasini Case for $18 Million (2005)
• Tasini v. New York Times: With the Freelance Settlement Rejected, What's Next? (2011)

Additional Resources on Tasini v. NYT and NYT v. Tasini:

• TASINI v. NEW YORK TIMES CO. (1997) [Leagle]
• Tasini v. New York Times Co., 972 F. Supp. 804 (S.D.N.Y. 1997) [Justia]
• TASINI v. NEW YORK TIMES CO. (2000) [Leagle]
• Tasini v. New York Times Co., Inc., 184 F. Supp. 2d 350 (S.D.N.Y. 2002) [Justia]
• Twenty Years Later, Landmark Digital Lawsuit Concludes (2014) [Publishers Weekly]
• New York Times Co. v. Tasini 533 U.S. 483 (2001) [Justia]
• New York Times Co. v. Tasini (2002) [Berkeley]
• Copyright Class Action web site

I think it's time to surface these blog posts me and others, which contain advice that is still relevant and useful.  All of the posts are from 2010-2011.

• What I want LIS students to know by Jill Hurst-Wahl
• Is She Crazy to Want to Work in Libraries? Advice for a Potential Librarian by Bobby Newman
• What I Want LIS Students to Know by Roy Tennant
• An Open Letter to New Librarians by Roy Tennant 

In addition, there is this post from 2014:

Free Advice (Literally) for New Librarians by Naomi House

If you know of other blog posts that offer advice for new librarians, please leave a comment!

This is the last day of 2014 and time to look back over the last 365 days. Two years ago, I wrote "2012 Year in Review: My life as teacher and director," which captures much of what my work-life is like today.  A few things have changed, though.  First, I am focused daily on the SU MSLIS program's accreditation review, which will happen in November 2015.  Do I spend every waking hour on it?  No, but you'd be surprised (and perhaps horrified) about how much of my mind it occupies.  Second, because of the ramp-up to the accreditation review and the other administrative tasks on my to-do list, I am teaching less (3 classes per academic year).

Professor Raul Pacheco-Vega recently wrote "On self-care, balance and overwork in academia." (See also "What Do Professors Do All Day?")  We don't think of academia as being stressful, but for faculty who are early in their careers, and for those who are juggling multiply projects or other high-stakes efforts, it is.  One of my goals this past year has been to remain healthy in mind, body and spirit and I'm carrying that same goal into 2015.

Dave Lankes

Health has also been at the front of my mind over the past two year because of my friend and colleague Dave Lankes.  In January 2013, Dave was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, which led to extensive treatments.  This summer, Dave was declared cancer free, which remains the best news of the year! (You can read an update from him here.) 

I was blessed to be able to attend and present at a number of events during 2014.  The most impactful was the presentation I did at the Computers in Libraries Conference called "Enabling Innovation."  The number of people, who came up to me during the conference and afterwards, with positive things to say about it has been amazing.  That presentation has also led to others that I have given (and will be giving) on innovation.  For me, that one presentation was my biggest event of 2014!  (You can read the ideas generated from the presentation here.)

Below are the most read 2014 posts from this blog.  The most read was clearly "The stratosphere in the library profession & a call for a change," which received a high level of mentions on Facebook, etc.  The conversation around  how members of our profession conduct themselves at conferences has not ended.  I can tell you that associations and conferences are examining their codes of conduct.  I can also tell you that some (like myself) are trying to hold ourselves to a higher standard...and learning about ourselves and others from those efforts.

By the way, if you want to read a post that will open your mind to our lack of privacy in our online environment, read the post entitled "Julie Clegg - Social Media for Investigative Professionals."

Finally, if you look at the right side of this blog and the number of posts I've been writing per year, you'll notice a decrease once I became a program director.  I really don't have the time to blog like I used to.  I blog best/most when I'm at a conference, as you can see if you look at CIL2014 or SLA2014.  During a conference, I can harness my energies to capture information quickly and get a blog post published.  You will also notice, if you're a regular reader of this blog, that I blog more about copyright these days than digitization.  That is due to what I've been teaching and what I've been focusing on. From the statistics for Digitization 101, I can see that this blog still meets a need and so I'll keep on blogging, even if it is not as much as I would like.

As we end 2014, I wish all of you a joyful 2015!  And please send positive thoughts my way, especially in November when the accreditation review occurs.

Most read 2014 Digitization 101 blog posts:

• The stratosphere in the library profession & a call for a change
• Blog post: For God’s Sake, Stop Digitizing Paper
• #SLA2014 : Monitoring Social Media: Beyond Lurking
• #SLA2014 : Julie Clegg - Social Media for Investigative Professionals
• Article: Copyright Office Rejected My Attempt To Copyright A Tweet

---

Updated 01/05/2015: Corrected typos. Also...Raul Pacheco-Vega's blog seems to be offline.  Hopefully it will reappear.  (Perhaps it had more readers than normal and the hosting service got suspicious?)

Among my blog posts are posts that contains tips and other information related to attending conferences.  Those posts include:

• Call me maybe? (Business cards)
• ALA conference tips from T is for Training
• Conference Codes of Conduct: Why they are important
• The Cost of Attending a Conference
• Why conferences matter
• By Request: Networking Advice 

Last week, I spoke at a session for the SU iSchool MSLIS students, who are interested in attending conferences. The New York Library Association Annual Conference is coming up soon (November) and so this was a good time to talk about conferences in general and NYLA specifically. For the session, I developed the handout below, which incorporates advice from several different people. I know that there is much more that could have been said, but I didn't want to totally overwhelm them.  If you find this handout useful, please use it!

When I first got involved in digitization, we called it scanning.  It was a slow process, compared to today, and fraught with finicky and expensive hardware and software.  What we could scan in an hour, we can now do very quickly on a photocopier with scanning capabilities. (And I'll note that the photocopier of today does a better job then the scanners I had access to around 1990.)  Over time, were developed terms, techniques, and processes around digital curation, preservation, etc., and it became much more than just scanning.

Fast forward to 1998-2000 and efforts to get more cultural heritage organizations involved in digitization.  Clearly they all have content that should be more widely available.  Clearly digitization is something that they could benefit from.  Clearly, though, small organization then - and now - do not have the budget or manpower to embark on something like this.  Thankfully, some larger organizations have worked with smaller organizations to get their materials digitized.  For example, in Central New York, the Central NY Library Resources Council has LIS interns working with small cultural heritage organizations to digitized their content

I am tempted to write that digitization is not ubiquitous today, yet that is not true.  I have a multi-function printer at home that scans and I know others do as well.  So the act of turning paper into a digital file is ubiquitous.  People likely do it daily, but never think of the word "digitization".  Nor do they think about what could happen after that paper is made digital.  And that is where we can make a difference.  Not only with people in our communities, but with staff at cultural heritage organizations.  We can be their advisors, their guides, their manpower...but we're not.  Why? Is it that they do not value our skills, don't know about our skills, or that we are looking for bigger/better opportunities?

As I look at my LIS students, I see people who are excited by digital technologies and about areas of study such as data science.  I see them interested in aspects of digital libraries and digitization, but their focus is shifting.  A growing number are interested in the preservation of cultural heritage, which has digitization as one of its electives.    

I am reminded of when I took a course in Cobol (around 1988).  My boss told me that I was taking a history class, because Cobol was a thing of the past.  Today corporations are still looking for Cobol programmers and people who know other "archaic" programming languages.  Will there be a time when the same will be true for digitization?  We will be looking for people who can get down and dirty with the basics?  Who can work with people who are at the beginning of their thought process on making things digital?

Jill...where are you going with this post? Dunno.  I've labeled this post "Wayback Wednesday", which is a label I've used when I've pulled older content from this blog forward into the present.  This post, however, is me ruminating on where we've been (wayback) and where we are today (Wednesday!).  And I don't think I have answers for my questions.  Perhaps I need to continue to think about "digitization" in terms of skills, curriculum, job opportunities, etc.  Like learning Cobol, perhaps I need to find ways of making those basic skills important for today. 

Each year, I now teach a graduate course in copyright for library and information science students. The classes uses several resources for its readings, including Kenny Crews' Copyright Law for Librarians and Educators. Last year, Crews updated the book, which is now in its third edition.  I have found the previous editions - which I've mentioned here before - to be very useful in the classroom because of their clear explanations.  They are also good reference works to be used after class has ended.  This fall, I'll be using the new edition, when I teach the copyright class again (IST 735: Copyright for Information Professionals). I'm sure that my students will enjoy this editions as much as students have enjoyed the previous edition. 

If Kenny Crews is not a person that you are familiar with, here are two Digitization 101 blog posts that will help you get to know him better.

• Interview with Kenneth Crews (audio, 17 min.) 
• Kenneth D. Crews Wins American Library Association's L. Ray Patterson Award

Crews blogs occasionally for the Columbia University Libraries Copyright Advisory office.  This post - Fresh Look at the Fair Use Checklist - will be of interest to anyone who is dealing with Fair Use (Title 17, Section 107).

I cannot let the last Wednesday in 2011 go by without looking backwards over the last 12 months. What stands out amid the growing din of the "news"?

Google

• Google shut down its newspaper digitization program. (post) This was one of many things that Google did away with in 2011, in an effort to rid itself of those products and services that have not had the desired impact. (article)  Of course, after its long shopping spree, something was bound to be let go. (post)
• Google's amended Book Search settlement was rejected. (post) This was, of course, a surprise to no one.

HathiTrust

• In 2011, the Authors Guild turned its attention to the digitization work that the HathiTrust had been engaged in. (post)  The trial is scheduled to begin in November 2012. (article)

Georgia State 

• I keep thinking that the copyright lawsuit against members of the George State University administration should be settled by now.  The judge was expected to release his decision in early fall.  I've searched for any recent news and found none. Because so many colleges and universities are using digital course reserves, this will have far reaching implications. (related blog post)

And...yes...those all (above) have to do with copyright. 

Kenneth Crews (post), Clifford Lynch (post) and Henrik de Gyor 

• I am always amazed by the people I get to talk to...from Henrik de Gyor (Another DAM Podcast), who is a fellow blogger, to people like Clifford Lynch and Kenny Crews. While these weren't news highlights for you, they were for me!

Martin King III and Ambassador Andrew Young 

•  In April, I was invited to a meeting with Ambassador Andrew Young and Martin King III.  The photo on the right was taken on my iPhone and you can see Ambassador Young checking his iPhone!
• Is this digitization related?  Yes.  JPMorgan Chase has been working with the King Center to digitization over one million documents.  (article)  This fall, Syracuse University's library announced plans to digitize audio and video materials in the King Center archive. (article)  The idea for SU to get involved with digitizing materials at the King Center was born at this meeting.
• There were other digitization-related ideas that came out of this meeting, and I hope they come to fruition.
• The lesson...you never know who is interested in digitization! The project of your dreams may be waiting for you in the next meeting that you attend.

Amazing Digitization Programs

• There are many amazing digitization programs going on now and they people involved aren't always who you would imagine.  For example, it's JPMorgan Chase that is working with the King Center on its digitization efforts. JPMC didn't hand the project off to someone else, instead they learned what needed to be done, how to do it, and then got to work.
• Among the programs that I should be following more closely is the Digital Public Library of America.  This sounds like an effort that more people and organizations need to know about and get involved in. 
• The need to handle "big data" - which can be created through digitization - is growing, and so some of the "projects" people need to get involved in are around analysis, open access, preservation, etc.  These projects may not be glamorous, but they are definitely necessary.
• We have so much born digital content now that comes to us in a variety of way, that digitization doesn't have that "oh wow" affect on people. People are concerned about ebooks, new apps, tablet computers, smartphones, etc.  Digitization remains important when people look for something from the non-computer era, but that isn't something that people do every day.  Does this mean that we should digitize less?  No.  But it does mean that we need to continue to educate people about why it is important.

On a Personal Note

• I wrote more than 130 blog posts this year in Digitization 101.  While that will sounds like a lot to some people, actually my blogging has slowed down...and my focus has shifted.  I find myself drawn more to copyright concerns these days, even though the topic of digitization is important to me (and my teaching).   In 2012, look for a continued stream of posts on digitization, digital libraries, copyright, etc., but don't be surprised if you see a greater proportion of blog posts on copyright.
• Teaching at Syracuse University has kept me quite busy.  (Sometimes too busy!)  Yet this was a prolific year for me in terms of publications.  In March, The Information and Knowledge Professional's Career Handbook written by Ulla de Stricker and I was released and has received positive reviews.  In April, The Atlas of New Librarianship, which was written and edited by David Lankes, was released.  It includes a section on "special librarians" written by Ruth Kneale and I.  And finally, Academic Entrepreneurship and Community Engagement: Scholarship in Action and the Syracuse Miracle which contains a chapter that I wrote.
• I've done my best to enjoy every day!  I hope you've done the same.
  

In September 2010, I wrote a Wayback Wednesday on digital libraries.  Now I want to write another post on the topic, but with a different focus.

We have this concept of a digital library.  If you follow the links below, you will see that there are many definitions of what a digital library is. (more here) Very very simply put, a digital library is some manner of online resources.  There are graduate students who study digital libraries with a goal to become a digital librarian.  What the students learn how to do is to be a librarian whose tool set include the application of normal library ideas to a digital realm. Indeed, because most libraries now contain electronic/digital resources, every librarian is involved in a "digital library". 

I interact daily with students that are interested in digital libraries and who want to take classes in the subject.  Yet, I look at courses such as "reference" and see the amount of digital content in them. Reference is not a course related to the area of digital libraries, yet many digital libraries are used in reference services.  Reference librarian are involved with contract negotiation, discussing the installation of digital resources, etc.  They need to understand a bit about how those digital resources are constructed, in order to teach how to use them.  Does that make a reference librarian a digital librarian?

A cataloguer (or metadata librarian) may not have studied digital libraries, yet the person's work is vital for the creation of digital collections and digital libraries.  Are those workers digital librarians?

I see students learning the latest technologies and delving into database construction, etc., but who do not take digital library specific courses. Yet when they graduate can they call themselves digital librarians?

Or perhaps as hinted in the title of this post, the phrase "digital librarian" has outlived its usefulness.  Maybe it is time to admit that every librarian is a digital librarian.

What do you think?

Previous blog posts:

• What is a digital library? I need YOUR definition. - This contains three definitions.
• David Lankes on “Participatory Librarianship and Digital libraries”
• Paper: Collaboration Services in a Participatory Digital Library: An Emerging Design
• Thomas Frey on electronic outposts (a version of digital libraries)
• John Unsworth's definition of a digital library 

In the copyright class that I teach (Copyright for Information Professionals), we have been discussing lawsuits that involved copyright.  While Google came to everyone's mind, we discussed Texaco and Legg Mason, too.

This blog has always contained posts about copyright, including a number on the Google Book Project. I've mentioned some of the other "famous" lawsuits in passing.  Allow me now to provide more information about those that seem to come to my mind whenever I think of copyright and the courts. The links below lead to a number of sites (noted in parentheses).

• Cambridge University Press et al v. Patton et al (Justia) - also known as the Georgia State case, which deals with course reserves.  (ongoing)
• Research Guide on Georgia State University Course Management System and E-Reserves Lawsuit (Rutgers)
• Georgia State Copyright Case: Resources (Educause)
• The Authors Guild, Inc. et al v. Hathitrust et al  - Litigation over the making, storing, and providing access to scans of digital books. (Hathitrust) (ongoing)
• The Authors Guild, Inc. et al v. Hathitrust et al (Justia) (ongoing)
• Google Books (Charles Bailey Jr.) (ongoing)
• Audio recordings on the Google Book Settlement (Copyright Clearance Center) - I have mentioned a number of these in individual blog posts over the years.  In addition, this post provides links to many of them and to several transcripts.
• Field v. Google, Inc. - "Google did not infringe on Field's copyright by indexing and caching his online story. Website owners can use meta tags or robots.txt files to keep a search engine from indexing a particular page. Also Google's use of the materials in their database was fair use."  (from the Stanford Copyright & Fair Use site) (2006)
• Perfect 10 v. Google, Inc. - "Google's creation and public display of 'thumbnails' likely do directly infringe P10's copyrights as part of a preliminary injunction decision." (from the Stanford Copyright & Fair Use site)  (2006)
• Feist Publications, Inc. v. Rural Telephone Service Co. "Rural's white pages are not entitled to copyright, and therefore Feist's use of them does not constitute infringement."  (Justia) (1991)
• American Geophysical Union v. Texaco - "A corporate researcher who made copies of journal articles for his files could be infringing copyright, and should license the articles instead." (from the Stanford Copyright & Fair Use site)  (1995)
• Tasini v. New York Times (Justia) - dealt with the rights of freelance authors. (2001)
  
• Tasini v. New York Times: With the Freelance Settlement Rejected, What's Next? (from Digitization 101) (2011)
• Lowry's Reports v. Legg Mason (Outsell) - Litigation over systematic illegal photocopying within an organization. The two sides reached an undisclosed settlement after the verdict. (2004)

This list contains those that I find myself mentioning and it is not exhaustive. (more here) 

As I told my students, as a corporate librarian, the Texaco case got me more interested in copyright.  That case affected what I did (and didn't do).  It had a definite impact and would have had a bigger impact if it had gone to the Supreme Court.  I also point to that case as an example of how long a court case can take until it is truly finished.  That one lasted 10 years.

What copyright litigation has caught your eye and made you delve deeper into the law?  Leave a comment and tell me.  I and my students would be interested to know!

Recently, I have been spending a lot of time giving advice, whether it be advice on careers, grad school or job hunting. After I found myself pointing someone toward an old Digitization 101 blog post, I realized that I needed to resurface a few advice-giving blog posts that are still relevant. They are:

• By Request: Networking Advice
  
• What I want LIS students to know
• Follow-up to "What I want LIS students to know"
  
• My top seven presentation tips

And then there is the book that Ulla de Stricker and I wrote, which was published earlier this year.  (blog post) The Information and Knowledge Professional's Career Handbook is full of advice for new and seasoned information and knowledge professionals. Some of the advice from that book is in a 20-minute podcast, which was mentioned here several months ago.

If there is a piece of advice that you are seeking that is not covered above, leave a comment or send me a message and I'll consider making it a future blog post.

The timing of Seth Godin's blog post about libraries on Monday was fortuitous because Monday I was part of a discussion on that topic at the Regents Cultural Education Committee in Albany, NY.  There are indeed many discussions occurring on what libraries will or should be in the future.  Even though there is no agreement, all of the discussions are very necessary so we can get every idea and every option out on the table.

To that end, the Regents Advisory Council on Libraries began last year to solicit input in order to "develop and recommend to the Board [of Regents] a 2020 vision for library services and an innovative plan for ensuring the greatest access to information for all New Yorkers."  Our public work on this began at the NYLA conference last November.  This spring, we asked people to repond to 10 questions and nearly 100 responses were received from individuals and organizations.  A timeline has been developed for seeking additional input and then developing a draft - and final - plan.  While we will keep the Regents in the loop along the way, we have promised to have our final plan to them by May 2012 and ready for their approval.  All of this work is in an effort to update the statewide plan developed in 2000.

On Monday, Norm Jacknis, John Hammond, Sara Kelly Johns, John Monihan, Mary Mary Muller, Louise Sherby, Jerry Nichols and I met with Regents Tilles and Dawson (chair and past chair of the Cultural Education Committee) and Regents Cea, Norwood and Cottrell, who are not part of the committee but who were compelled by the topic to attend the meeting. (As is often the case, there was a competing meeting, which some CE committee members needed to attend.) While it is clear that the Regents are interested in a positive future for our libraries, it seems - to me - that the articulation of that future needs to place libraries firmly and obviously in context with the other educational activities (and changes) occurring in the state.  While you may think that this is obvious already, then consider that the connections need to be blatantly obvious not only to the Regents but to all of the other stakeholders (including members of the education and business communities). 

As they have in the past, the Regents connected libraries in the discussion to other cultural heritage and educational organizations, as well as other cultural activities.  Like us, they don't see libraries as standalone entities.  They do want those connections to be meaningful and visible.  It is as if they are throwing their arms wide open and (in their best Southern drawl) saying "y'all".  Recognizing that libraries are entwined in their communities with other organizations, etc., the Regents have asked that we solicit input for the 2020 vision from a wider cross-section of people and we'll do that.

Back to Seth Godin, who is fueling a public and heated discussion on libraries.  This time, people are agreeing with him, but some don't agree totally with him.  Allow me to pull some highlights from his blog post.  Godin wrote:

A librarian is a data hound, a guide, a sherpa and a teacher. The librarian is the interface between reams of data and the untrained but motivated user.

He then spent a lot of time talking about books, which makes me wonder if he understands what libraries actually do.  But then he  wrote:

The library is no longer a warehouse for dead books. Just in time for the information economy, the library ought to be the local nerve center for information.

And...

The next library is a place, still. A place where people come together to do co-working and coordinate and invent projects worth working on together. Aided by a librarian who understands the Mesh, a librarian who can bring domain knowledge and people knowledge and access to information to bear.

Thankfully, Godin ends up advocating the type of libraries that we all want.

As you ponder about Godin's blog post and the future of libraries, here are excerpts from some of our colleagues:

Caroline J. Posynick:

Whether it's a library, museum, shop, or government office, it's the people who work there that create a connection to the information and value of the institution, one person at a time.

Bobbi Newman:

We ARE fighting for the future of the librarian as a producer, concierge, connector, teach and impresario, but we know to do that we need books. We need the information contained in those books, so we DO need “clever ebook lending solutions”. Information is not free, it costs. One of the many roles of the public library is to ensure that all people have access to that information.

Nancy Dowd:

I know many of you may feel we are already doing these things. We’ve been calling libraries community centers and offering tech support and classes, but I think Seth is calling for a new mindset. He isn’t asking us to improve what we are doing, he is suggesting that we need to change the core thinking of what we do, re-imagine the core purpose of why libraries exist. Revamp our perceptions from “people should” to “people are” by accepting that the changes in technology are changing the needs of people. It isn’t that we need to add a tech center, it’s that we need to change our mindset. Don’t be disappointed that people aren’t reading; embrace communication as a fluid process that encompasses all mediums- print, visual, auditory. People are free to use whatever medium they chooses to use to communicate the ideas. Don’t be worried that people aren’t using the “best” resources; understand that information needs are relevant to the solutions people are seeking. Don’t defend the need to remain the way we are because we must provide internet access or books to the poor, look beyond to see a world where connections are the commodities that people will need to succeed. 

Buffy Hamilton:

My takeaway from Godin’s post is that we may not all agree on the details, but the value of these kinds of posts is that they can initiate and sustain conversations about how we can better improve the work we do and the roles we play in better helping our communities. 

Diane Cordell:

Change is not only an option, change is an imperative. Don't just get your feathers ruffled: inquire, assess, learn, adapt. Evolve.

Wayback Wednesday posts are meant to surface information from previous blog posts in order to keep that content alive.  This one, however, is a reminder that this topic is not new to Digitization 101.  Related Digitization 101 blog posts:

• That mention Seth Godin 
• Related to libraries in New York State

It has been announced that Seth Godin will be speaking in Syracuse on May 17 as part of the Famous Entrepreneurs Series.  Of course, the first thing that came to mind was how Godin rubbed librarians the wrong way in January 2010 (post, post).  I also thought of a blog post I did in 2008 for SLA about his appearance at the SLA Annual Conference in Seattle.  Then searching my older posts here, I've realized that I've mentioned Seth Godin quite a few times.

First, here is an excerpt from my SLA blog post about Seth Godin:

Wednesday afternoon was the closing keynote speaker and the Association's annual meeting.  A year ago, I knew that "the event" of the conference -- for me -- was going to be Seth Godin's keynote.  I had read his book Unleashing the Ideavirus on my PDA and have followed his blog for a number of years.  Godin recognizes that changes that have occurred in marketing in recent years and the need to change our paradigm from shouting our message at everyone to getting people in our niche to spread our message themselves. 

Some people seemed to be typing every word he said, so I hope his points better than my notes (e.g., here).  Here are some quick thoughts from my chicken-scratch:

• "Ideas that spread win."
• "The people who don't know they have a problem aren't listening to you."
• "The spamming isn't working the way it used to." (Meaning that inundating people with messages isn't working.)
• "the amount of noise...is excessive."
• "Every Google search is its own [media] channel."
• "Connect people who want to talk to each other."

Rather than finding customers for our products, we need to find products for our customers.
Rather than insisting on commitment before success, we need to have success before commitment.

The "marketing" cycle is now Be Remarkable --> Tell A Story to Your Sneezers (those who will spread your message) --> They Spread The Word --> Get Permission (from those who are interested in you) --> Be Remarkable {and the cycle continues}

There were four questions asked at the end of his presentation, and I asked one of them.  I had read Unleashing the Ideavirus on my PDA and wondered what he had learned about the future of the book from that experience.  Godin said that books have become souvenirs, memorabilia and artifacts.  He originally disseminated  Unleashing the Ideavirus as an ebook for free and it was quickly downloaded by thousands of people.  After a while, people asked for a print version that they could have on their shelves and point others to.  Do we use all of the books we own?  Not really.  In fact, he had just given away his entire business library because he found that he no longer referred to the hardcopy books.  So what was the lesson he learned?  Give away information.  Write short books and given them away.  Then have people pay for the longer version or a customized version of the book. He said he made more money on a free book, than many have on books that they sold in hardcopy.  "Free" allowed his message to spread quickly and then got people to talk to him and hire him.

 And here are links to other blog posts where I've mentioned Godin while talking about a variety of different topic:  (Enjoy!)

• Wanted: Champions!
• Seth Godin and libraries
• More from Seth Godin on libraries
• My top seven presentation tips
• U.S. Presidential Election
• Aqua Teen Hunger Force guerrilla marketing in Boston
• Blog post: Godin on Trademark
• Blog post: They didn't get the memo
• Can I have that digital asset to go?
• Book: Tribes - We Need You to Lead Us
• Seth Godin talks about creating bibliographies
• The information life-cycle
• Search is hard (off-topic)
• The Best of Eyetrack III: What We Saw When We Looked Through Their Eyes

Looking back through my blog posts, I can see that I've mentioned my SU class - IST 677: Creating, Managing and Preserving Digital Assets - a few times.  Often it has been to tell you that my students are blogging about digitization program (example, example). 

In past semesters, every blog post was about a different digitization program.  This semester, each student is selecting a program and then blogging four times about that program.  At the end of the semester, the student will then write a wiki page about the program.Specifically:

• Post #1 – Introduce the program. What is the focus of the program? What types of materials have been digitized? Who is the audience for the program? How was it funded (if known)? You may include comments on the site itself and its usefulness. 
• Post #2 – Copyright concerns. Every digitization program must consider copyright. From what you can discern, how has copyright affected the selection criteria for this program? What questions do you have about its treatment of copyright? Has the program adequately communicated copyright and “terms of use” to its users? What should it be doing differently?
• Post #3 – Metadata and search. Discuss how the program has described its digital assets. Do the descriptions and metadata help or hinder the user? Is the search capability easy to understand and use? What concerns or recommendations do you have?
• Post #4 – Digital preservation. Most digitization programs do not consider digital preservation (or long-term access) until a disaster occurs. From the information available, is the program involved in any digital preservation? What digital preservation concerns do you have about this site? What  recommendations do you have in terms of digital preservation?
• Wiki Contribution: You will take the information from the four blog posts, as well as any additional information you believe is relevant, and edit it into one wiki page for the Digital Libraries Wiki. The amount of content on the page will be whatever you deem appropriate.

I hope you'll take time to look at the blog, read what the students are saying, and leave comments. I'm sure they would appreciate reading your thoughts.

The current IST 677 blog is not where students have always blogged for this class.  Those sites include:

• IST 677, Fall 2009
• IST677 Blog, Spring 2009
• IST677 Blog: 2006 – 2008

Want to dig into the archives yourself?  Use the "popular labels" on the right side of the blog OR use your favorite Internet search engine to search this site (e.g, site:hurstassociates.blogspot.com plus whatever terms are relevant to you).

I just answered a question about this and, since I had to dig through old blog posts for part of the answer, this seems like a good topic for a Wayback Wednesday.

I have blog posts in 2005 and 2007 that talk about digitization kiosks for patrons.  These kiosks allow for the digitization of microforms or hardcopy materials. The kiosks may allow for the images to be printed as well as saved to disc/USB drive or even emailed.  This means that the equipment is to replace conventional microform readers as well as other copiers.

More companies are now offering kiosks.  Last fall, I saw a kiosk that is sold by the DRS Group, who is offering the book2net products.  Other companies that have products in this space include (and are not limited to):

• Digital Library Systems Group / Image Access
• Indus USA
• S-T Imaging
• eImageData
• nextScan 
• Konica Minolta 

While you could create your own DIY system for your patrons, you may be better off purchasing a system that comes with support and a user-base.  It is up to you to decide which way to go.  Yes, some of the prices may seem high, which means you'll need to think about how much the equipment will be used (cost/use), etc.

Given the number of companies in this space it is likely that (1) you can view a system at regional/national library conference and (2) someone in your region has one that could be demoed for you.

Want to dig into the archives yourself?  Use the "popular labels" on the right side of the blog OR use your favorite Internet search engine to search this site (e.g, site:hurstassociates.blogspot.com plus whatever terms are relevant to you).

As I do at the end of each year, I want to spent time looking back at the last 12 months with a few lists and more.

I see four trends as I scan the horizon:

1. Digitization is no longer an exceptional activity. While digitization is not a normal activity still for many organizations, it is much more mainstream that is was several years ago.  Look around...can you find a workshop on digitization or on scanning?  Yes, they still exist, but they are definitely not as prevalent as they were before.  Those that haven't jumped on the "digitization train" yet are finding themselves left behind.  (I should note that universities are offering courses on digitization, digital libraries, etc., which go into more depth and which are attracting a high number of students. These courses prepare the students for the growing number of digital library positions that are being advertised.)
   
   In the same vein, one thing to notice is that digitization is no longer in the news as it has been. It is no longer that shiny object that captures the media's attention.  For a while, Google Book Search kept digitization in the news, but even that story is no longer capturing headlines as the sides work toward an agreement.
 
2. Digital preservation is where most of the action is in terms of conversations, conference sessions, research, etc.  This is true because we are a digital society and if we cannot ensure long term access to our digital content, we're doomed.  Losing digital content could mean losing the data and information that we need to run our governments, businesses, academic institutions, etc.  It could also mean losing our history.
   
   If you are not thinking about how to ensure long-term access to your digital content, please begin thinking about it now. You might even make it a New Year's resolution. (Yes, do jump on the digital preservation bandwagon.)
 
3. Institutional repositories are where many are focusing their energy. Whether it is a repository of preprint material, course material, lab notebooks or other content, many organizations are creating institutional repositories.  These repositories include digitized and born digital material that require many of the skills we've been fostering in our digitization programs.
   
   If you haven't heard about a repository in your organization, check to see if one is being built that you don't know about, and then see if you can get involved.  If one hasn't been started in your organization, be sure to position yourself so you will be involved in it.  They will need your skills.
 
4. Collaboration is still very important.  I know that there are some institutions where it is difficult to build external collaborations, but those institutions are rare.  If at all possible, reach out and build collaborations with other cultural heritage organizations, schools, and even businesses.  Also build internal collaborations whenever possible.  Remember that collaborative programs are more successful.

As you know, I am a full-time professor, which means that I not only look at what's happening in cultural heritage institutions with my "gee how can I use this in my practice" hat on, but I also think about what I should be introducing to my students.  This year, one of the technologies that captured  my imagination was QR codes.  I've begun to use them personally, as well as give assignments about them.  If you know nothing about QR codes, check out:

• CIL2010: QR Codes - Relatively short post with introductory information.
• Being Social #13 - Quick Response! - This is from my other blog called eNetworking 101.
• QR codes & libraries by Renata Curty, SU iSchool doctoral student.  As part of her teaching practicum with me this fall, Renata developed and presented this lecture on QR codes, which includes links to QR code generators and readers.

Undoubtedly, you are looking at that two-dimensional thing that looks like modern art and wondering if you really need to know anything about it.  QR codes are being used all around you, even if you are unaware of it.  Manufacturers are using smaller versions of these codes to track inventory.  I've found a QR code on cold medication, for example. Someone spotted a QR code in an airport that would provide access to two free ebooks.  Lots of organizations are using QR codes to deliver content to people on their cell phones quickly and easily.  Imagine, for example, having a QR code in an exhibit that linked the person to online content about each specific item exhibited.  As part of an assignment, my students found ways of using QR codes to link people with library content from a wide variety of locations.

That QR code above contains my basic contact information.  If you have a camera phone and QR code software (e.g.,  i-nigma), you should be able to read it and add me to your contacts.

I have three posts that were the most read Digitization 101 blog posts of 2010. Each received an amazing amount of attention:

• Seth Godin and libraries - This was in response to his blog post where he posited that libraries didn't have winning long-term strategies. Really?  
• Jill's alternate to the 2014 Beloit College Mindset List - This is my take on what has influenced the mindset of this year's university freshmen.
• What I want LIS students to know - A post full of advice for library and information science (LIS) students.

What I want LIS students to know was mentioned in a number of locations on the Internet and sparked a few similar posts by others.  In addition, I received tweets, emails and other communications from LIS students who valued the advice.  From the sounds of it, my post reached some students when they needed the advice the most.

This blog post may not have received a high number of hits yet, but it is one that I think is worth highlighting:

When a student's work intersects with copyright, integrity and ethics (Opinion/Rant)

In September, I began a series called Wayback Wednesday, which I hoped would facilitate me resurrecting worthwhile posts from the Digitization 101 archives.  As my fall semester as a professor got busier, my time for blogging grew shorter, and Wayback Wednesday didn't become a weekly feature.  I do, however, intend to produce more of them in 2011 and on a more regular - but not weekly basis.

Here's a list of the Wayback Wednesdays to date:

• Wayback Wednesday: 5 interesting blog posts worth remembering from the Digitization 101 archives
• Wayback Wednesday: Blog posts on digital libraries worth remembering from the Digitization 101 archives
• Wayback Wednesday: Remembering blog posts on digitization resources in the Digitization 101 archives
• Wayback Wednesday: Copyright blog posts from the Digitization 101 archives
• Wayback Wednesday: Metadata blog posts from the Digitization 101 archives

A Moment About Me - My days have been very full this year and one of my goals has been to find a better balance, and to not be over-committed.  However, I enjoy making a difference if at all possible and being involved, which does lead to me having a very full plate of activities...and I enjoy them all!

Two things from my very full plate that I want to highlight are:

• SLA elections results, my past & your future - By the way, my term as a member of the Special Libraries Association Board of Directors begins in just a few days!
• Jill interviewed on Another DAM Podcast - Henrik de Gyor interviewed me this fall for his DAM (Digital Asset Management) Podcast.  The wonderful side benefit was meeting - via Skype - someone whom I knew virtually.

A Moment About Digitization 101 - In May, I updated all of my web sites to have a consistent look and feel.  An unintended consequence is that the archive of Digitization 101 is difficult to access.  The labels on the right side of the blog will show you recent posts on that topic, but may not go back far enough.  I didn't think this would be a problem, but I've received a few emails from people who want to be able to search the archives and so I'll have a search feature implemented in 2011.

By the way, you can use your favorite Internet search engine to search this site (e.g, site:hurstassociates.blogspot.com plus whatever terms are relevant to you).

That's it until 2011!  Wherever you are, I hope that 2010 is ending on a positive note. I know that some of you have been adversely affected by budget cuts, unusual weather, and personal/family hardships.  Ending 2010 on a positive note may just been that you have survived the year.  If that is true, do take a moment to look ahead to 2011 as a new year and a fresh start.  Remember that you have friends and colleagues that are their to listen, to help, and to send positive energy your way.

Related blog posts:

• Digitization 101: 2009 Year in Review
• Digitization 101: 2008 Year in Review
  
• Thank you (and some statistics) (2007)
• Digitization 101 Year in Review: Words to Take into 2007 (2006)
• Digitization 101 Year in Review: News (2006)
• Digitization 101 Year in Review: Influences (2006)

Since I don't describe myself as a metadata librarian, metadata can make my eyes cross. However, I have discussed metadata in this blog (quite amazing!.  So this Wednesday night, I want to curl up with cup of coffee and highlight several Digitization 101 blog posts on it.)

• Metadata (definition)
• The "M" word
• Taxonomies
• Talking across time and space 
• Metadata is still not understood
• IL2007: Searching, Metadata, and my final post about the conference -- Read the notes about Tom Reamy's presentation

Want to dig into the archives yourself?  Use the "popular labels" on the right side of the blog OR use your favorite Internet search engine to search this site (e.g, site:hurstassociates.blogspot.com plus whatever terms are relevant to you).

This week, I want to sit back with  cup of coffee and highlight several Digitization 101 blog posts worth remembering on copyright and digitization:

• Book: Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for Digitization for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums
• Book: Handbook on Copyright and Related Issues for Libraries
• Strategy: Well-intentioned practice for putting digitized collections of unpublished materials online 
• Report: Acquiring Copyright Permission to Digitize and Provide Open Access to Books
• Blog post: The myth of the pre-1923 public domain
• Paper: Mass Digitization and Copyright Law, Policy and Practice

For many institutions, deed of gift forms are very important (and yes, this is related to copyright).  These blog posts are on that topic:

• If your organization accepts gifts (items), then it needs a Deed of gift form
• A personal deed of gift experience
• Why is this item important? (A personal deed of gift experience, part 2)

There are other digitization-related copyright resources in this Nov. 2009 resource list.

The blog posts below are not specifically related to digitization, but still worth remembering:

• People to listen to and learn from concerning copyright law
• Video: Copyright Basics
• Educational material from the Copyright Clearance Center
• Book: The Illustrated Story of Copyright
• 40% Increase in Copyright Risk Management Concerns over Last Year
• Copyright, Fair Use and Blogging
• Article: Urban Copyright Legends
• Martin Luther King Jr. and the "I have a dream speech"
• Book Chapter: Copyright Law, Intellectual Property Policy, And Academic Culture
• Web resource: Frequently Asked Questions about Copyright: Issues Affecting the U.S. Government

I've tried to check links to see if they still work, but may have missed a few.  If you run into a link that no longer works, try putting the resource's name in your favorite Internet search engine and seeing if its new location comes up.  If you can't find it, give me a shout and I'll see what I can do!  

Want to dig into the archives yourself?  Use the "popular labels" on the right side of the blog OR use your favorite Internet search engine to search this site (e.g, site:hurstassociates.blogspot.com plus whatever terms are relevant to you).

This week, I want to sit back with  cup of coffee and highlight several Digitization 101 blog posts worth remembering that point to more information on digitization:

• Digitization 101 Resource List (Nov. 2009)
• WebJunction Resources on Digitization and Preservation 
• METRO's Digitization LibGuide
• Book: Digitization in the Real World
• Digitization-related books
  
• Microfilm digitization
  
• Book: Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for Digitization for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums
  

Every list of web sites - like some of the ones above - will contain links that no longer work.  Sadly, that is the nature of the Internet.  If you run into a link that no longer works, try putting the resource's name in your favorite Internet search engine and seeing if its new location comes up.  If you can't find it, give me a shout and I'll see what I can do!

Want to dig into the archives yourself?  Use the "popular labels" on the right side of the blog OR use your favorite Internet search engine to search this site (e.g, site:hurstassociates.blogspot.com plus whatever terms are relevant to you).

This week, I want to highlight a series of Digitization 101 blog posts that tried to define the term "digital library":

• What is a digital library? I need YOUR definition. - This contains three definitions.
• David Lankes on “Participatory Librarianship and Digital libraries”
• Paper: Collaboration Services in a Participatory Digital Library: An Emerging Design
• Thomas Frey on electronic outposts (a version of digital libraries)
• John Unsworth's definition of a digital library 

Those blog posts were a precursor to a graduate class that I taught in 2009 in which the students had to create their own definition as well as compile information on digital libraries.  Their work became a public wiki housed at Syracuse University's School of Information Studies.

I'd also like to mention a blog post entitled Digital "librarians" from this past winter. The post was inspired by students who were interested in being a digital librarian, but who weren't sure if people really did that type of work!  Please be sure to read the comments which include information on more people who are digital librarians.

Want to dig into the archives yourself?  Use the "popular labels" on the right side of the blog OR use your favorite Internet search engine to search this site (e.g, site:hurstassociates.blogspot.com plus whatever terms are relevant to you).

Since August 30, 2004, there have been more than 2000 posts published in this blog.  In order to surface some of the meatier posts, I'm starting "Wayback Wednesdays".  On Wednesdays, I'll be digging into the archives and pulling out blog posts that are worth remembering.  In this issue, let's sit back with a cup of coffee and remember some of the off-topic posts that attracted attention (and perhaps still do!):

• Seth Godin and libraries
• Experience before training
• My top seven presentation tips
• Advice to conference/training/event organizers as well as presenters/speakers/trainers
• Opinion: Katrina - The world is watching

Want to dig into the archives yourself?  Use the "popular labels" on the right side of the blog OR use your favorite Internet search engine to search this site (e.g, site:hurstassociates.blogspot.com plus whatever terms are relevant to you).