Modelling the ‘library domain’: a consultative workshop on June 19
The challenge of making library resources visible and accessible in the Web 2.0 environment was a major focus of last year’s JISC/SCONUL study of Library Management Systems.
The JISC TILE (Towards Implementation of Library 2.0 and the e-Framework) project was subsequently commissioned to draft a high level ‘library domain model’ which could be used to further thinking about the functions and processes that library systems need to support in future.
We are now organising a workshop to consult on the domain model proposed, and how it might be used in the future.
Who should attend?
The workshop is intended for a mix of senior and middle library managers in a range of roles (so, not confined to colleagues with formal IT/systems management responsibilities).
Where and when is it?
Friday 19th June 2009 at the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Savoy Place, central London.
What is the programme for the day?
The programme consists of a mixture of presentations and group work.
How do I register?
Due to the consultative nature of this workshop, we have a limited number of places. If you would like to attend, please register your interest by 18th May 2009, and we will contact you thereafter to confirm your place or add your name to a waiting list.
“Good APIs”
What makes a “good” API”? Can we say anything about good practice in providing or using machine interfaces to third party services on the web? UKOLN have consulted widely and suggest, among other things, that providers of APIs should make it useful, keep it simple, follow standards and use consistent naming structures. For API users there is perhaps less obvious good practice, but it’s important to choose the API carefully (they explain what this might mean), to think about risks, and respect the API terms of use.
UKOLN are now asking developers to comment on these principles; do they seem right? Is it useful to document them? For whom? How?
If you’ve got views on this then here’s where to post comments: http://blogs.ukoln.ac.uk/good-apis-jisc/.
A recruitment toolkit for JISC projects
The JISC Repositories Start Up and Enhancement (SUE) strand is coming to an end now. There were 44 projects in that strand all working with repositories in some way or another. One of the most common problems experienced by the projects was with recruiting staff to work on the project. In some cases the problems were so severe that the project outputs needed to be scaled back.
In an effort to help future projects avoid the recruitment problems experienced by the SUE projects, we commissioned Brunton Consultancy limited to produce a recruitment toolkit to help project managers with recruiting.
The toolkit is available now and is full of helpful advice, templates and resources that deal with the whole process of project recruitment from planning through advertising to the job offer. It also has a section on employing consultants.
The toolkit was commissioned specifically to help repository projects so some of the information is specific to that community, however most of the toolkit will be relevant for anyone who finds themsleves having to recruit staff for a project.