Coffee|Code : Dan Scott

What a night. I upgraded Serendipity, DokuWiki, Drupal, involving four different servers and three different Linux distros, and shifted one application from one server to another (with seamless redirects from the old server to the new) with close to no downtime. I think this is the first time I've completed a single upgrade without having to manually patch at least one file.

Either I'm getting smarter, or the software is getting more robust.

Wow. Eileen R. Kontrovitz, a board member of CODI (Customers of Dynix, Inc.) wrote, as part of her summary of the recent CODI conference:

Many very nice things happened at the conference but the buzz, the thing everyone who was not there wants to hear about is the unannounced, invitation only meeting with Martin Taylor from Vista Equity Partners about open source. Mr. Taylor began the meeting in a very cordial way and with a charm about him that belied the basic message he proceeded to give. That message was, we know more than you do and if you don't like it you can go to some other "happy place". He actually said that on more than one occasion.

I guess Vista feels quite threatened by open source library systems, even though they currently account for only 1% of the US public library market today, if they're willing to have their top brass lay on the fear, uncertainty, and doubt campaign to their top customers behind closed doors. It also seems that Mr. Taylor's tactics have backfired, at least in this case; after praising the common SirsiDynix employees, Eileen goes on to say that Vista's attitude has almost ensured that her library (Ouachita Parish Public Library) will not move to Symphony. This, even though Eileen says:

...I happen to agree with his assessment of open source for a library ILS at this point in time and the many problems with the very nature of the beast without some kind of regulating body...

Perhaps this should be the subject of another blog post, but I believe there are actually a number ways Evergreen is regulated. First is that an open source project is not an "anything goes" project: the committers for the project act as a level of quality control for Evergreen. If code doesn't further the Evergreen mission by contributing towards stability, robustness, flexibility, security, or user-friendliness, then it's simply not going to go into the project proper. Second is that at least one company (Equinox) is staking its success on Evergreen, and others are starting to build up business around Evergreen. They're not going to sit back and rest easy; they know that they have to enhance Evergreen beyond its current core strengths if they want to build inroads into markets like academic libraries. Third is that Evergreen's open source license also acts as a regulator - the code that comprises Evergreen can never be pulled from the market, so the future of Evergreen is always in the hands of the community.

Hey folks, if you're interested in working at Laurentian University, we've got a couple of tenure-track positions looking for qualified people who can stand the thought of working with me... (nothing like narrowing the field dramatically, ah well). The following position descriptions are straight out of the Employment Vacancies page at LU - check the document titled "Multiple Faculty Positions (.pdf)" for the complete details, including deadlines and application procedures. The starting date for these positions would be July 1, 2008.

E-learning Librarian

The J.N. Desmarais Library invites applications from an innovative and creative individual for a for a tenure-track faculty position which will focus on E-Learning. The E-Learning Librarian is responsible for technology-enhanced instruction through the development of learning objects, streaming audio-video, web-based modules, and e-learning within course management systems such as WebCT. The incumbent will lead projects relating to the assessment of the impact of technologies in information literacy instruction. The E- Learning Librarian will also collaborate with liaison librarians to create discipline-specific modules, web-based exercises, simulations, and other applications. The incumbent will also bear overall responsibility for the development of the library's website. Reporting to the Director of the library, the incumbent will work collaboratively as a member of a dynamic team of librarians, participate in collection and liaison activities for several academic departments, including live instruction upon request. The incumbent will also provide reference assistance in both official languages and may serve on library and university committees. Evening rotations at the Reference Desk may be required. As faculty members, librarians are expected to perform scholarly work.

Qualifications:

• Required: ALA-accredited MLS degree, or recognized foreign equivalent. Ability to work in both English and French. Experience in an academic library. Knowledge of information literacy concepts and issues and their connections with teaching and learning issues in higher education. Demonstrated knowledge of instructional design, reflected in instructional products and materials. Demonstrated experience with project management. Knowledge of, and experience with, web development tools such as Dreamweaver and other instructional technologies such as Macromedia Captivate; familiarity with streaming audio- video technologies, learning objects, simulations, and course management systems. Demonstrated ability to develop interactive learning environments. Evidence of energy, initiative, and commitment to professional growth.
• Preferred: Advanced degree in instructional technology, instructional design, education or other appropriate field.

University Archivist.

Reporting to the Director of the Library, the incumbent will be part of a professional team providing management, promotion, reference and diffusion of the Laurentian University Archives.

The incumbent will be responsible for the management of institutional archives. In this capacity, he or she will evaluate the program and make recommendations, and write policies and procedures concerning the management and the development of this activity of the Archives. The incumbent will coordinate the acquisition, processing, and production of finding aids for institutional archives, as well as for "associate fonds", such as the fonds of the faculty, student associations, and other organizations of the university community. The incumbent will work closely with a team of librarians coordinating the development of the University's institutional repository. He or she will develop the archives component of the repository, and will initiate and implement projects of digitization of archives. He or she may also be asked to participate in the formulation of procedures and policies for archiving and preserving electronic and digital records.

Qualifications The successful candidate will have a Masters degree in Archival Science (MAS), or a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS), with completion in archival courses, from an ALA-accredited institution, and a minimum of 3 years of experience in an archival position. The candidate has extensive knowledge of management and preservation of electronic documents, and experience in human resources management. Excellent oral and written communication skills in both English and French are required. Experience in project management is an asset.

Archivists are members of the Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA), and are expected to participate in university governance through service on various committees, and participate in professional organizations. They must also be active in scholarly research and publication.