L&LR staff blog

These are my specific objectives for the year ahead – this is where I’m going to take my priorities next.

• Complete, and document, the launch of Find it @ Lincoln
• Write a draft collection development policy to inform the shift from print to ‘e’
• Pilot digital-to-digital copying under the CLA extended licence
• Develop advocacy programme for Institutional Repository
• Investigate and make recommendations re: implementation of innovative discovery tools, e.g. OPAC wrapper
• Write a proposal for the full implementation of online reading lists across all Bb modules

Hi all,

On top of the Athens system crash we experienced today, we’re having a couple of (alright, a few) ongoing issues with Athens at the minute, those being:

1. A number of databases still aren’t allowing direct access via Athens because of an out-of-date system file which forms part of UoL’s AthensDA mechanism (those databases being FAME, Mintel Reports, and the as-yet-unpromoted-to-users-until-we-sort-this-out ChildData). The way around this for the time being is to get the user to log in to MyAthens, and navigate to the database the ‘long way round’. The Online Services Team are helping to fix this.
2. First-time users of Athens are being sent round the houses when they click on their first Athens-enabled link: first to our terms & conditions, then to an Athens page, then back to the e-Library (for some reason), then to Athens’ T&Cs, then to the resource (hopefully!). I need to explore this further with the O.S.T.
3. Direct links to Athens-enabled resources from Blackboard are doubly-cursed, because Blackboard doesn’t set the Athens organisation cookie (as the Portal does). This is fine as long as the user has already accessed an Athens resource via the Portal, but not if their first-ever Athens login is via Bb. This includes links set up via LibraryLink > Find it @ Lincoln.

I’m working on all of these and I’ll keep you informed.

Paul

A few people have asked me if it’s possible to create reliable, persistent links to journal articles on Blackboard, via the link resolver, but without having to use the LibraryLink OpenURL tool.

• Yes, it is (Word doc.)

When you add the resulting link to Blackboard, you must make sure that it’s set to open in a new window. This is for two reasons:

1. Copyright – it’s considered “bad form” (i.e. borderline infringement) to open a third-party site in frames (it can look as if you’re appropriating the content and claiming it as your own). Blackboard uses frames.
2. Not doing so breaks Athens authentication, as I’ve discovered to my cost (I had to re-do a load of links to e-books that were’nt authenticating properly because the authentication was taking place in a frame).

Paul

Julie S. and I have also been working to get the level one module reading lists for all the HE Food & Agriculture awards (FdSc/BSc Food Manufacture, FdSc/BSc Agriculture & Environment, FdSc Commercial Horticulture) on to LibraryLink.

Here they are:

1. Communication And Numeracy For Working Learners
2. Environmental Science
3. Food Quality Assurance And Food Safety
4. Food Supply Chain Systems
5. Forecasting And Planning For Businesses
6. Growing Systems
7. Logistics And Environmental Awareness
8. Managing People
9. Plant Science
10. Policies And Markets
11. Principles Of Animal Science
12. Principles Of Crop Science
13. Principles Of Food Factory Design
14. Principles Of Food Science and Microbiology
15. Principles Of Food Technology
16. Quality, Hygiene And Environmental Systems
17. Raw Materials Control And Supplier Management
18. Project Management

Phew.

Level one:

1. Audio Principles
2. Computer Systems
3. Creative Technologies
4. Data, Networks and the Web
5. Information Systems
6. Interactive Media
7. Introductory Games Studies
8. Multi-track Studio
9. Operating Systems
10. Software Development

Level two:

1. 3D Modelling
2. Audio Processes
3. Audio Technology Group Project
4. Business Processes
5. Computer Games Production Group Project
6. Computer Graphics Programming
7. Computing Group Project
8. Cybernetics Group Project
9. Games Design
10. Games Computing Group Project
11. HCI, Computers and Society
12. Information Systems Group Project
13. Internet Computing Group Project
14. Introduction to Robotics and Artificial Intelligence
15. Media Technology Group Project
16. Media Technology Process and Post-Production
17. Moving Image Manipulation
18. Multimedia Technology Group Project
19. Multimedia Technology Process and Post-Production
20. Network and Databases
21. Server Technologies
22. Software Engineering
23. Software Engineering Group Project
24. Web Technologies
25. Web Technology Group Project

Level three + MComp:

1. Advanced Robotics and Computer Vision
2. Advanced Software Engineering
3. Advanced Web Technologies
4. Audio Technology Group Project (MComp)
5. Computer Games Production Group Project (MComp)
6. Computing Group Project (MComp)
7. Content Creation
8. Cybernetics Group Project (MComp)
9. Digital Special Effects (Media Technology)
10. Digital Special Effects (Multimedia Technology)
11. Enterprise Networks and Network Services
12. Entrepreneurship
13. Frontier Technologies
14. Games A.I. and Simulation
15. Games Computing Group Project (MComp)
16. Industrial Project
17. Information Systems Group Project (MComp)
18. Intelligent Systems
19. Internet Computing Group Project (MComp)
20. Live Production
21. Management, Risk and Decision Support
22. Media Technology Group Project (MComp)
23. Mobile and Distributed Computing
24. Multimedia Technology Group Project (MComp)
25. Professional Practice
26. Project
27. Project Preparation
28. Remix Technologies
29. Software Engineering Group Project (MComp)
30. Web Technology Group Project (MComp)

When I can feel the ends of my fingers again, I’ll consider doing the MSc units.

Paul

Lys Ann and I have been working on the adding the reading lists for the 10 level-one Technology modules to LibraryLink. In various permutations, these modules form the first year for Computer Science, Games Computing, Audio Technology, Media Technology, etc. – studied by about 140 students.

We’ve linked to books and e-books (divided into two separate headings, so that the e-books are more prominent), web site links, and digitised reading (using the “Add WebLink” function and entering the URL of the digitised extract in the Bb Content Store).

The lists are all available now on Blackboard…

1. Audio Principles
2. Computer Systems
3. Creative Technologies
4. Data, Networks and the Web
5. Information Systems
6. Interactive Media
7. Introductory Games Studies
8. Multi-track Studio
9. Operating Systems
10. Software Development

I’ve just been asked if I could arrange to do levels 2 and 3 as well (about another 20 units)…

Paul

I’ve just completed version 1.2.1 of the LibraryLink help guide for staff, and put it online.

It now includes instructions on how to link to an e-journal article using Find it @ Lincoln (our new OpenURL link resolver, for anyone who’s missed it!).

Paul

I delivered this short presentation today (twice…) to staff from Riseholme College at their annual away day, covering a selection of our new resources / services. Please feel free to use or adapt.

Paul

• Developing Library Resources and Services in 2008/9
  (MS PowerPoint show)