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Research libraries will continue to be affected by rapid and transformative changes in information technology and the networked environment for the foreseeable future. The pace and direction of these changes will profoundly challenge libraries and their staffs to respond effectively. This paper presents the results of a survey that was designed to discern the perceptions and preferences of future library leaders related to organizational cultures in these times of precipitous change. The study finds that future leaders of academic libraries perceive a significant gap between their current and preferred organizational cultures and that current organizational cultures limit their effectiveness.

Over the past six years, the University of Utah libraries have developed an extensive international presence through digital resource sharing. Services include instruction, electronic document delivery, shared catalogs, and full-text databases. This paper will describe the process of establishing, extending, and improving these services through international cooperation and collaboration. The benefit to the smaller library with limited funding is dramatic and the impact on the larger library providing the service is minimal. (Contains 3 figures and 1 table.)

Accessibility to information for disabled human users has increasingly become a legal and ethical concern for public education institutions. The Americans with Disabilities Act guarantees freedom from discrimination for disabled Americans, and recent lawsuits and formal complaints about inaccessible website content have propelled enforcement from an historically reactive stance to one that is proactive. Librarians pride themselves on providing information to all users, and the profession has long understood the need to structure data for other applications. However, many of us fail to use even the simple features built into software packages that can ensure accessible documents and presentations from the point of creation. This failure sets up a paradigm of perpetual effort required to remediate content for accessibility. Effective use of accessibility tools in document creation solves two accessibility problems for two audiences at once: humans and machines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic libraries fail to take advantage of the network effect because they manage too many digital repositories locally. While this argument applies to all manner of digital repositories, this article examines the fragmented environment of institutional repositories (IRs), in which effort and costs are duplicated, numerous software platforms and versions are managed simultaneously, metadata are applied inconsistently, users are served poorly, and libraries are unable to take advantage of collective data about content and users. In the meantime, commercial IR vendors and academic social networks have shown much greater success with cloud-based models. Collectively, the library profession has enough funding to create a national-level IR, but it lacks the willingness to abandon local control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the results of two surveys, which gathered data about the reporting practices for institutional repositories (IR). The surveys were completed by library directors and IR managers, and questions were asked about strategic importance, content scope, and the methods and mechanisms libraries utilize to evaluate and report on IR use and impact. Data from the surveys helped inform the research of the project team and led to the development of the web service called the Repository Analytics & Metrics Portal. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Fifty years of the compounding effects of Moore's Law have led to enormous advances in computer processing power. Increased network speeds, the availability of big data, and machine learning techniques have accelerated the development of artificial intelligence; this promises to dramatically change many industries, including libraries. This article offers some thoughts on the effects of automation on employment, the social and political fallout, and the threats and opportunities for academic and public libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semantic Web Identity (SWI) is proposed as the condition in which search engines recognize the existence and nature of entities. The display of a Knowledge Graph Card in Google search results is an indicator of SWI, as it demonstrates that Google has gathered verifiable facts about the entity. Such recognition is likely to improve the accuracy and relevancy of Google's referrals to that entity. This article summarizes part of the research conducted for a recent doctoral dissertation, showing that SWI is poor for ARL libraries. The study hypothesizes that the failure to populate records in appropriate Linked Open Data and proprietary Semantic Web knowledge bases contributes to poor SWI. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article contextualizes the leadership concept of creative tension by describing the acquisition, processing and digitization of the Ivan Doig Archive at the Montana State University Library. The project is framed as an illustration of strategies that can generate and sustain momentum toward achieving ambitious goals while building staff confidence. Perspectives from library staff and faculty who worked on the project are included alongside the view of the dean and an external organizational development manager. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A primary impact metric for institutional repositories (IR) is the number of file downloads, which are commonly measured through third-party Web analytics software. Google Analytics, a free service used by most academic libraries, relies on HTML page tagging to log visitor activity on Google's servers. However, Web aggregators such as Google Scholar link directly to high value content (usually PDF files), bypassing the HTML page and failing to register these direct access events. This article presents evidence of a study of four institutions demonstrating that the majority of IR activity is not counted by page tagging Web analytics software, and proposes a practical solution for significantly improving the reporting relevancy and accuracy of IR performance metrics using Google Analytics. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Researcher services have proliferated in recent years and numerous free or fee-based sites now promise increased visibility and impact for authors or contributors of publications and other research products. Not all services have the same goals, however, and it can be difficult to know with which services researchers should engage. In this article we establish three categories (author/researcher identification, academic/professional networking, and reference/citation management) and examine nineteen services that fit into those categories. Column Editor's Note This JLA column posits that academic libraries and their services are dominated by information technologies, and that the success of librarians and professional staff is contingent on their ability to thrive in this technology-rich environment. The column will appear in odd-numbered issues of the journal, and will delve into all aspects of library-related information technologies and knowledge management used to connect users to information resources, including data preparation, discovery, delivery and preservation. Prospective authors are invited to submit articles for this column to the editor at kenning.arlitsch@montana.edu [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to tolerate ambiguity is an important attribute of successful leaders. In this article the metaphor of off-road motorcycling is used to introduce the concept of ambiguity and the virtues of becoming tolerant and comfortable with the uncertainty that has become a hallmark of information age organizations. Tolerance of Ambiguity is a known leadership concept that also extends to employees. Many employees want to be involved earlier in the planning and decision making process of the organization, but may be uncomfortable with the ambiguity characteristic of early stage planning. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This JLA column posits that academic libraries and their services are dominated by information technologies, and that the success of librarians and professional staff is contingent on their ability to thrive in this technology-rich environment. The column will appear in odd-numbered issues of the journal, and will delve into all aspects of library-related information technologies and knowledge management used to connect users to information resources, including data preparation, discovery, delivery and preservation. Prospective authors are invited to submit articles for this column to the editor at kenning.arlitsch@montana.edu. The cost of building library collections continues to increase, forcing librarians to think differently about their budget models. Increasing costs of IT infrastructure needed to connect to information resources also adds to budget concerns. The idea of changing the emphasis of collections budgets to one of broader access is not new, but formally acknowledging the need to support local technology infrastructure and other means of access may offer a new way of promoting the collections budget to university administrators. We propose a budget model that acknowledges these broader requirements and includes concepts of surfacing and discovery, provision, creation, and acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Google is the single largest driver of traffic to library Web sites and digital repositories, and librarians would do well to listen when the search giant reveals information about its practices or makes recommendations. Recently, Google announced that it would begin to favor Web sites that use the secure hypertext transfer protocol (HTTPS) in its search results rankings. HTTPS encrypts data transmission and one of Google's stated reasons for this change is to help make the Web safer and minimize data theft. Similar announcements by Google have sometimes been ignored by librarians, to the peril of the visibility and use of library products and services on the Web. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article argues that library data interchange protocols have hurt the relevance of libraries by limiting the utilization of the Internet to connect with patrons. The author argues that libraries' thorough metadata standards and data interchange protocols are not applicable to online search engines, and he is critical of the inconsistency of data interchange efforts such as Machine Readable Cataloging (MARC), the Text Encoding Initiative (TEI), and the Encoding Archival Description (EAD).

The article discusses the use of the Semantic Web information technology (IT) in academic libraries. The authors address several services that academic libraries can offer at a network scale, including discussions of social media strategies, the management of faculty activity data and the Institutional Repository (IR), and establishing semantic identities for search terms

The article examines the importance of cyber security for personal and professional environments following the increased number of data thefts in 2013. Particular attention is given to the theft of customer data such as credit card numbers, personal identification numbers (PINs), and mailing addresses from retailer Target that was reported in December 2013. Additional details are provided on cyber attack and computer hacking techniques as well as methods for protecting personal information and software.

The article discusses grantsmanship, or the process of writing grant proposal, and examines its importance within library science. Noted reasons for librarians to submit grant proposals include advancement of knowledge, economic development through research, and career development. Particular attention is given to the specific aspects of a grant proposal, such as the narrative, budget justification, and sustainability plan.

The article discusses issues related to search engine optimization management which can be of help to library administrators. It explores the advantages of emphasizing Internet search engines over libraries' own web sites as a means of encouraging users to adopt digital libraries. It also provides an overview of driving search engine optimization strategically to ensure its success.

A new toolkit that helps libraries establish baseline measurements and continuous monitoring of the search engine optimization performance of their digital repositories is one of the products of research funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The "Getting Found" Cookbook includes everything necessary for implementing a Google Analytics dashboard that continuously monitors SEO performance metrics relevant to digital repositories. While the Cookbook has been created for use with Google Analytics, the principles and practices described can be applied to any page tagging analytics software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to describe the creation of the Mountain West Digital Library (MWDL), a cooperative regional program distributed throughout Utah and Nevada. Its metadata are aggregated at a single web site. Six digitization centers at the largest universities in both states digitize their own collections and support partner institutions in their geographic regions. Each center runs a CONTENTdm server; and an aggregating server at the University of Utah harvests metadata into a single searchable index. Local control and identity of collections are hallmarks of the MWDL. Design/methodology/approach - This paper describes the technical structure of the MWDL, focusing on the multi-site server aggregating software from DiMeMa Inc. Findings - The MWDL was the first cooperative digital project to implement this software, and inspired the same infrastructure for a nine-state project known as the Western Waters Digital Library. In 2005 the MWDL will also become the first in the nation to aggregate distributed digital newspaper collections. Practical implications - Describes the creation and aggregation of a distributed regional digital library with digital asset management software that is already in use at over 200 institutions in the US. The solutions implemented in the MWDL offer a mechanism for large and small institutions to work together in a cost-effective manner. Originality/value - Examines the benefits and problems associated with creating a regional digital library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past six years, the University of Utah libraries have developed an extensive international presence through digital resource sharing. Services include instruction, electronic document delivery, shared catalogs, and full-text databases. This paper will describe the process of establishing, extending, and improving these services through international cooperation and collaboration. The benefit to the smaller library with limited funding is dramatic and the impact on the larger library providing the service is minimal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the Utah Digital Newspapers Program at the University of Utah's Marriott Library. Background information regarding the historical importance of newspapers, the current state of commercial newspaper digitization, and the problems with small newspaper digitization are reviewed, and the solution provided by the University of Utah is offered. Details are provided for the program's history, funding, goals, and future plans. Other topics covered include the trade-offs between micro-film and hard copy source materials, how titles were selected, the processes and technologies utilized, Website organization, displaying PDF files with Macintosh computers, and using bi-tonal or grayscale images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the issues of microfilm, paper and optical character recognition in newspaper digitization. The Marriott Library at the University of Utah has a long history of large-scale newspaper projects beginning with the National Endowment for the Humanities' United States Newspapers Program in the 1980s, in which the library led the effort to catalog and microfilm Utah newspapers. The involvement continues with the Utah Digital Newspaper (UDN) program, which is digitizing historic Utah newspapers, making them searchable and available on the Internet. With the first of three Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grants, the Marriott Library digitized 30 years of three weekly newspapers in 2002. During the first phase of the program, the newspaper digitization process was developed and the UDN Web site was launched with some 30,000 total pages. A second LSTA grant, which ran from January-September 2003, digitized 106,000 new pages, effectively quadrupling the collection. In addition, the grant also funded a project director to run day-to-day operations and secure ongoing funding, and funded a publicity campaign to insure broad knowledge of the program across the state.