I am the Web Systems Manager for the University of Michigan Libraries. Library Web Systems creates and maintains the web applications that make the library's web site tick. It's an exciting position and one I'm thrilled to be undertaking. I also maintain a blog, RSS4Lib: Innovative Ways Libraries Use RSS, where I discuss various ways libraries can (or should) take advantage of RSS as an effective data exchange tool. Recent posts:
2004-2007: I was a librarian at the Edwin Ginn Library at The Fletcher School (Tufts University's graduate school for international relations). Half of my position was is mix of traditional and "library 2.0" work -- reference, database development, web site design and programming, and so forth. One of my projects is the Fletcher Faculty Publications database and RSS Feeds. The remainder of my time was spent managing IT services for The Fletcher School's faculty, staff, and students.
1997-2004: I was an Information Specialist for the Ford Motor Company research library. I oversaw the library's web site and information architecture projects. We developed information services including customized e-mail alert services, automatic text classification, and intelligent agents. Please see the Publications and Presentations section, below, for details on some of these projects.
1995-1997: Before working for Ford, I worked for the now-defunct Open Media Research Institute (OMRI) in Prague, Czech Republic. OMRI was a non-profit research and publishing organization that studied the then-new democracies and emerging states of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe and that was funded by the Open Society Institute. Although OMRI no longer exists, the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine has preserved portions of the OMRI web site.
Abstract: The University of Michigan Library's web site is a consistent, integrated front end on what was a collection of 19 distinctly different library sites and multiple library silos. The library's site now combines a variety of tools (including Drupal, VuFind, Springshare's LibGuides, Ex Libris's Metalib, DSpace, and Solr) within a single interface. In this talk, you will learn about the design process that informed the system architecture and the way we are using data from both open source and proprietary software to break down information silos.
Abstract: The University of Michigan Library released a a new library web site at the start of the current academic year, replacing 19 distinctly different library sites with no consistent identity nor functionality. The new unified web site, built on Drupal, VuFind, LibGuides, and Ex Libris's Metalib, integrates library services so they become one overarching resource for our patrons in all subject areas. The new site consolidates the search process by delivering search results from all of our available databases including results from the catalog (with HathiTrust), our ejournals and databases lists, our web site, research guides, and librarian subject specialists.
Presented at the NERCOMP New Discovery Tools Symposium on 1 February 2010. Abstract: At the University of Michigan Library, we recently launched a new library web site [www.lib.umich.edu] that strives to put the library's resources in the foreground while leaving the particular tools that manage and provide access to them in the background. The site, built on Drupal, VuFind, LibGuides, and Ex Libris's Metalib, integrates a range of library services without forcing the user to look in specialized interfaces for them. For example, a site search dynamically returns results from the catalog (including materials available through the HathiTrust), our ejournals and databases lists, our web site, research guides, and librarian subject specialists. Our more static browse pages highlight the best resources in each of these categories for our patrons.
Presented at the Michigan Library Association 2009 Conference on 5 November 2009. Abstract: The University of Michigan library launched MTagger, a social bookmarking tool, during winter 2008. MTagger allows users to add tags to library web pages, catalog records, digital images in the digital library, or to any other web page. The tool is deeply integrated into the alternative library catalog interface (based on VuFind), providing the mechanism for users to select and sort their "favorites." It is also part of the library's new Drupal powered web site. In addition to providing ways for library users to save and organize library resources, MTagger overlays saved items with the concept of "collections." These collections represent the kind of resource (for example, images, catalog items, web pages, journal articles). This allows others to explore the universe of tagged items by kind. MTagger was intended to enhance findability across collections and to expose groups of resources that might otherwise remain "hidden" to particular users.
Presented at Internet Librarian 2009 on 27 October 2009 with Karen Reiman-Sendi and Mike Creech. Abstract: Webpages, research guides from Springshare?s LibGuides, licensed content, full-text journals, subject experts, digital collections ... and books online and offline. How is a library patron to figure out what?s what in this complex environment? Using independently developed tools from various systems to build a seamless whole, the UM library rebuilt its website, bringing the information patrons want into the forefront and the byzantine path to get it in the background. Speakers share results of extensive user studies, how they iteratively designed the site, and discuss the opensource technologies (Solr, Lucene, Drupal, XML, VuFind) that make it work.
Presented at Computers in Libraries 2009 on 30 March 2009. Abstract: MTagger, a social bookmarking tool, launched in the winter of 2008. MTagger allows users to tag a webpage on the library site or anywhere, and catalog records, or digital images. The tool was intended to enhance findability across collections and to expose ?hidden? collections. After launch, the service did not meet our expectations for use, so we embarked on usability testing. This talk covers the questions we asked, why we asked them, and how we're responding.
RSS4Lib
RSS Bumper Sticker
Remote Grinnellian