MIT Libraries Research Articles

Exploring Variety in Digital Collections and the Implications for Digital Preservation

The amount of digital content produced at academic research institutions is large, and libraries and archives at these institutions have a responsibility to bring this digital material under curatorial control in order to manage and preserve it over time. But this is a daunting task with few proven models, requiring new technology, policies, procedures, core staff competencies, and cost models. The MIT Libraries are working with the DSpace™ open-source digital repository platform to explore the problem of capturing research and teaching material in any digital format and preserving it over time. By collaborating on this problem with other research institutions using the DSpace platform in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, and other parts of the world, as well as with other important efforts in the digital preservation arena, we are beginning to see ways of managing arbitrary digital content that might make digital preservation an achievable goal.

The Viability of Live Online Reference: An Assessment

The MIT Libraries enthusiastically implemented real-time online reference service in September 2001. After 15 months, Ask Us!—Live was suspended due to ongoing software problems. This article describes the four-part assessment of the service with recommendations for the future.

Envisioning Reference at MIT

SUMMARY In the past few years, the MIT Libraries has been focused on how to turn declining reference statistics, new modes of technology, users' increasing needs and expectations, and constrained staff resources into a robust and valued reference service. A two-year experiment based on chat technology raised questions about future reference service. This article describes how library staff worked together to envision a future of reference at MIT that would incorporate the values of reference, needs of the users, and infrastructure of the Libraries. The final product was the Reference Vision, which now guides all of our new reference services.

Creating metadata practices for MIT’s OpenCourseWare Project

The MIT libraries were called upon to recommend a metadata scheme for the resources contained in MIT’s OpenCourseWare (OCW) project. The resources in OCW needed descriptive, structural, and technical metadata. The SCORM standard, which uses IEEE Learning Object Metadata for its descriptive standard, was selected for its focus on educational objects. However, it was clear that the Libraries would need to recommend how the standard would be applied and adapted to accommodate needs that were not addressed in the standard’s specifications. The newly formed MIT Libraries Metadata Unit adapted established practices from AACR2 and MARC traditions when facing situations in which there were no precedents to follow.

The History Component of the DSpace™ Institutional Repository

Systems which provide a basis for digital preservation within a trusted digital repository must be able to systemically generate and record information about significant activities undertaken upon materials under stewardship. This paper describes the history component of the DSpace™ institutional repository system, which offers an information model suitable for recording such information, and generates metadata which describes how the content and metadata associated with works within the system change over time.DSpace is an open-source software platform originally developed by HP Labs and MIT Libraries that provides the basic functionality required to operate an institutional digital repository. The system is intended to serve as a base for future development to address long term preservation and access issues. An instance of the system has been deployed in production at MIT Libraries since November 2002, where it serves as the basis of MIT Libraries' digital preservation service offering. DSpace has included a history component since its deployment at MIT and release as open-source software. The DSpace history component has since been extended as part of the SIMILE Project to strengthen the underlying information model, and to include networked access and query capability.This paper describes the history component of the DSpace institutional repository system: the motivation for the history component, the functionality of the history component; the information model which underpins the metadata which it generates; architecture and design tradeoffs encountered during its development; lessons learned having undertaken the work to date; and areas for future work.

Using a Standard License for Individual Electronic Journal Purchases: Results of a Pilot Study in the MIT Libraries

This article describes a pilot project in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Libraries in which a standard library license (based directly on the CLIR/NERL/NELINET license) was sent to publishers of individual electronic journals as the initial step in arranging for e-journal access, rather than working first with the publisher's own license. Serials Review 2003; 29:302–304.

Implementing an Institutional Repository

SUMMARYThis paper describes MIT Libraries' experience implementing DSpace, a home-grown open source digital institutional repository, which other institutions may want to introduce as a service to their communities. MIT's introduction of DSpace as an operating service illustrates the many political and organizational considerations that must be addressed to establish and operate institutional repositories. In addition to detailing some of the policies developed and organizational changes undertaken, this article describes the kinds of questions future implementers of DSpace will want to answer. It also outlines the impacts the service has had on the library, on MIT, and on the perception of MIT Libraries within the Institute.

ILS Conversion and the Prediction Pattern Conundrum

SUMMARY The task of setting up predictive serials check-in records after ILS migration can be daunting. However, Michael Kaplan of Ex Li-bris and Kim Maxwell of MIT Libraries explained the advantages of shared prediction pattern records as initiated by CONSER. OCLC/ CONSER implemented the 891 to stand in for holdings. This initiative provides a standardized format that allows libraries to contribute and share predictive patterns in batch, rather than by inputting them one by one.

The Art of Claiming

Summary The workshop offers a practical approach towards improving claiming functions for serials. Kim Maxwell, Serials Librarian at MIT Libraries, analyzes the common characteristics of claims, discusses particular problems and exceptions of which to be aware, and enumerates sources of helpful information to aid in the processing of claims. Some of these sources for training are given on her Web site and can be helpful in setting up a local training site. Bob Boissy, Manager of Standards and Interface Services for Faxon RoweCom, describes the current model of electronic serials claims and the benefits of using ILS claiming modules.

Improving Access to E-Journals and Databases at the MIT Libraries

Summary The MIT Libraries provide access to databases and electronic journals via the online catalog and the Web. The Vera database was created in order to improve public access to a growing number of resources listed on Web pages and also to help the staff more easily maintain these pages. Details of the database, called “Vera” (Virtual Electronic Resource Access), are described, including field definitions and how the database is used by both staff and public. The development of the database helped to improve access and made it easier to maintain a growing number of resources. It has also led to many further questions and discussions among the staff of the MIT Libraries about the scope of the OPAC and how tools like Vera should be related to it.

Public Sector Operations Research: A Personal Journey

It all started at an MIT fraternity mixer party in September 1965. Another brother and I, noting the need for additional female attendees—to balance the gender ratio—fulfilled our brotherly duties by bringing over from Boston’s Back Bay an additional six partygoers. The problem was that two of the recruits—whom we had not known previously— turned out to be professional thieves. Before we knew it, they had left the party, but not before ransacking the ladies’ powder room, taking from purses cash, credit cards, and IDs. That fact did not become apparent until 1:00 a.m., when all the trusting young women went to pick up their purses that they had innocently left in the powder room. When I heard of this, I felt terrible, personally responsible. Grand larceny. Little did I know that this one event would change my life and shape my future career. During the following weeks in an attempt to catch the thieves, I played the role of private detective. I followed up every lead they had given us. One said she went to a secretarial college in the Back Bay of Boston. I talked my way into the president’s office, claiming that one of their students had lost a valuable gold watch at that party; as a result I was able to see the photographs of each of the students registered at that college—but no luck. Similarly, I followed all other leads to no avail. Soon in my “Detective Larson” zeal I found myself carrying a half a dozen books in criminology and forensic sciences checked out from the MIT libraries. I became fascinated, for instance, with the potential for computers to automatically recognize latent fingerprints. The following semester I registered in one of MIT’s first courses in artificial intelligence to undertake the fingerprint project. One day MIT’s Professor Alvin W. Drake noticed me carrying seemingly random library books and asked me what they were. I related to him the story, and he urged me to register with him under a special research project focusing on operations research problems in urban policing. Stunned that I could do such a thing at MIT, I leapt at the opportunity. Professor Drake soon arranged a high-level meeting involving executives at Arthur D. Little, commanders of the Boston Police Department, and yours truly. Thus began my manyyear odyssey of riding in the back seats of police cars in Boston, St. Louis, Wilmington (Delaware), Worcester (Massachusetts), and elsewhere. Soon I realized that the police emergency response system was a priority-oriented tandem queueing system. At that time, in the mid-1960s, no one had studied urban policing from an operations research point of view. Wow, there was my master’s thesis topic!

Public Sector Operations Research

It all started at an MIT fraternity mixer party in September 1965. Another brother and I, noting the need for additional female attendees-to balance the gender ratio-fulfilled our brotherly duties by bringing over from Boston's Back Bay an additional six partygoers. The problem was that two of the recruits-whom we had not known previouslyturned out to be professional thieves. Before we knew it, they had left the party, but not before ransacking the ladies' powder room, taking from purses cash, credit cards, and IDs. That fact did not become apparent until 1:00 A.M., when all the trusting young women went to pick up their purses that they had innocently left in the powder room. When I heard of this, I felt terrible, personally responsible. Grand larceny. Little did I know that this one event would change my life and shape my future career. During the following weeks in an attempt to catch the thieves, I played the role of private detective. I followed up every lead they had given us. One said she went to a secretarial college in the Back Bay of Boston. I talked my way into the president's office, claiming that one of their students had lost a valuable gold watch at that party; as a result I was able to see the photographs of each of the students registered at that college-but no luck. Similarly, I followed all other leads to no avail. Soon in my Detective Larson zeal I found myself carrying a half a dozen books in criminology and forensic sciences checked out from the MIT libraries. I became fascinated, for instance, with the potential for computers to automatically recognize latent fingerprints. The following semester I registered in one of MIT's first courses in artificial intelligence to undertake the fingerprint project. One day MIT's Professor Alvin W. Drake noticed me carrying seemingly random library books and asked me what they were. I related to him the story, and he urged me to register with him under a special research project focusing on operations research problems in urban policing. Stunned that I could do such a thing at MIT, I leapt at the opportunity. Professor Drake soon arranged a high-level meeting involving executives at Arthur D. Little, commanders of the Boston Police Department, and yours truly. Thus began my manyyear odyssey of riding in the back seats of police cars in Boston, St. Louis, Wilmington (Delaware), Worcester (Massachusetts), and elsewhere. Soon I realized that the police emergency response system was a priority-oriented tandem queueing system. At that time, in the mid-1960s, no one had studied urban policing from an operations research point of view. Wow, there was my master's thesis topic!

Bringing the Human Touch to Digital Library Services

SUMMARY Since the evolution of the World Wide Web, the presence of libraries and their resources has grown at a dramatic pace. Increasingly, the users of this information are primarily accessing library resources remotely. While libraries have put many collections and services online, most are just beginning to plan services that will provide similar real-time assistance currently available at library service desks. The MIT Libraries' experience with providing real-time digital reference has been extremely well received by users, which in addition has led to a 52% increase in email reference service. It has revealed a variety of technical challenges. The greater, long-term challenges revealed, however, are staff-related.

Focusing on the User for Improved Service Quality

SUMMARY With the recent explosion of the World Wide Web, people now have many options when seeking information. They are much less likely to look first to the wealth of resources and services that libraries offer. One of the greatest challenges for libraries today is to re-establish ourselves as the first and foremost gateway to which our users turn for assistance in navigating through the vast amount of information at their fingertips. A key to our success will be a focus on our users, proactively assessing their needs and responding with quality service that meets those needs-before they find the need to go elsewhere. This article will describe what MIT Libraries Public Services have done to address this challenge over the past three years as we directly confronted issues of service quality and performance measurement. Two key outcomes that will be discussed are the development of user groups to focus on users and their issues, and a service philosophy statement that is the basis for the creation of a strategic plan for quality service.

Beyond Print

Summary Electronic serials, especially Web-based serials, present new challenges as welt as new opportunities for serials acquisitions departments. Web-based serials require an entirely new workflow, one that is no longer a series of linear and standardized steps, but is rather a complex, cyclical, labor-intensive, variable, and team-based process. License negotiation and compliance demand an entirely new set of skills to be added to the serials acquisitions repertoire. The impact of Web-based serials on every area of serials acquisitions has been dramatic, from ordering through receipt and claiming. This is apparent from an examination of the MIT Libraries' serials acquisitions process as a case study. Staffing patterns have begun to shift in the face of these new demands. Serials librarians are uniquely positioned to meet these demands by leveraging their experience with print serials to carve out a niche in the world of the Web. Serials acquisitions

Web Access to Japanese Science and Technology Information

The MIT Libraries, in collaboration with the MIT Japan Program, are conducting the Japanese Science and Technology Information (JSTI) Project, currently focusing on the field of materials science and engineering. The objectives of this project are (1) to increase the flow of science and technology information from Japan to U.S. researchers and managers by creating a World Wide Web resource, and (2) to enhance cooperation among researchers in the U.S. and Japan by creating an interactive listserv. This paper presents a brief background and general overview of the project; analyzes the statistics to determine numbers, types, and locations of users; and comments on some issues in accessing Japanese science and technology information.

Electronic Journal Update:

The Chicago Journal of Theoretical Computer Science is an experimental electronic journal from MlT Press begun in an effort to establish an economic model for pure electronic journals from standard publishers. The journal is published article-by-article to speed the time from acceptance to publication, with articles available in LaTeX source and PostScript forms. Arrangements with the MIT Libraries and Information Systems Department ensure archiving in several forms. I will update the status of the journal, its costs, subscription level, and feedback from users and contributors, and MIT Press's future plans.

Electronic journals in the MIT libraries: Report of the 1995 E-journal subgroup

Electronic journals in the MIT libraries: Report of the 1995 E-journal subgroup

Electronic journals in the MIT libraries: Report of the 1995 E-journal subgroup

Electronic journals in the MIT libraries: Report of the 1995 E-journal subgroup

The MIT libraries electronic journals project: Reports on patron access and technical processing

The MIT libraries electronic journals project: Reports on patron access and technical processing