Tag: open access

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Creating an OER? How to Use Stuff that You Don’t Own

In May, Jill Cirasella, addressed the makers out there with her post, “Creating an OER? How Should You License It?” But before you license your OER, you have to build it. To do so, you will likely need to use another creator’s materials. Can you use extant materials, or does copyright always get in your way?

Consider this: if you plan to share your course widely as an OER, you can no longer count on a jointly-held library affiliation. Therefore, it is important to carefully vet the material you chose to include in your course for any potential copyright violations. It is also best to make sure that the materials you use are available publicly.

We have some tips that should protect you, while keeping your creative vision intact.

Creative Commons

We’ve posted several times about Creative Commons (CC) licenses for content creators (Jill’s post) and (Creative Commons 4.0 for Education).  These licenses help the content user/re-mixer as well. To use them, first consider how you plan to use the materials? Will you display an image, for example, or create derivatives of it? With use in mind, you can search for objects with the appropriate CC license. On Google Images, for example, you can search by license type (select appropriate Usage Rights from the Advanced Search page).  Even better, Creative Commons offers a consolidated search at search.creativecommons.org; participating sites offer audio, video and image files.  When using others’ materials, attribution is always the name of the game, so be sure to give credit where credit is due.

Open Access

If you need readings for your OER, consider open access (OA) publications. You can find them at the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) or OpenDOAR, a directory of open access repositories. Because these materials are OA, they can be used by faculty or students regardless of library affiliation. What’s more, you needn’t post the objects themselves in your OER; it is often sufficient to link to them.

Fair Use

You can also make use of the doctrine of Fair Use. Fair Use is an exception to copyright law that protects the rights of content consumers within certain parameters. As the consumer/re-user, it is up to you to carefully analyze your use of the material, in order to determine if it is Fair Use. While there is no magic formula for this analysis, we recommend this step-by-step worksheet from the University of Minnesota. Here too, attribution is a must.

Are you are planning to create your own OER? Consider this opportunity.

For more copyright resources, see the (C)opyright at CUNY page.

 

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Come Work with Us! Scholarly Communications Librarian @ CUNY

Big news for open access supporters and excellent librarians eager for a new adventure: CUNY is hiring a Scholarly Communications Librarian!

CUNY is the largest urban public university in the United States, and its faculty, staff, and students produce extraordinary (in quantity and quality) scholarly, creative, and educational works. We need you to help us make those works open access! (Curious about the open access efforts and scholarly communication projects already underway at CUNY? Prowl around this blog, the Open Educational Resources @ CUNY blog, and the Just Publics @ 365 blog.)

The Scholarly Communications Librarian won’t work for a specific CUNY campus but rather for the central Office of Library Services, which supports all CUNY libraries. The person who gets this job will be responsible for developing and managing CUNY’s new open access institutional repository and leading related educational/outreach efforts.

We hope you’ll consider applying for this new and exciting position. But don’t mull it over too long — the closing date is June 28!

The full posting is below.  (Note: The language under “General Duties” is standardized for all University Library Systems Manager positions. Look under “Campus Specific Information” for the details specific to this position.)

Job Title: Scholarly Communications Librarian (University Library Systems Manager)
Job ID: 10829
Location: Central Office
Full/Part Time: Full-Time
Regular/Temporary: Regular
Contract Title: Higher Education Associate
FLSA Exempt

GENERAL DUTIES

Manages one or more aspects of the University’s Library technology and systems.

  • Analyzes, specifies, and implements systems improvements and processes
  • Conducts design and setup activities supporting University-wide Library systems and databases; assists in implementing upgrades and new systems
  • Develops and manages procedures related to quality assurance for University Library systems; revises and maintains complex configuration tables
  • Monitors Library applications and databases
  • Creates, prepares, and analyzes reports on systems activities
  • Works collaboratively with the Office of Library Services, Computer Information Services, library staffs, and vendors to refine workflows and develop useful systems tools
  • Performs related duties as assigned

CAMPUS SPECIFIC INFORMATION

The Office of Library Services (OLS) at the Central Administrative Office of CUNY supports the libraries at the University’s 24 campuses to coordinate and enhance library services for students and faculty in partnership with campus librarians. The Office provides the CUNY+ online catalog, negotiates University-wide contracts and licenses, provides central cataloging services, and subsidizes the CUNY Digital Library Collection and resource sharing. The Office seeks a Scholarly Communications Librarian to provide leadership for scholarly communication and digitization initiatives at CUNY. Scholarly communication is a strategic priority for CUNY.

The position reports to the University Director of Library Systems and is responsible for managing and developing the newly instituted Digital Commons institutional repository (a cloud-based solution from bepress) of scholarly and creative works, publications, and digital objects by members of the CUNY community. The librarian will organize, oversee, and assess the processes (e.g., faculty outreach, copyright compliance) related to the repository’s maintenance and development. S/he will collaborate with the vendor and CUNY-wide libraries to create, develop, and optimize publishing/ingest workflows, establish/codify best practices in repository management including reporting and optimizing metadata management related to the CUNY’s nascent repository. The Scholarly Communications Librarian establishes communication procedures and platforms for campuses to use to work with contributing authors (faculty, staff, students, alumni). The librarian leads education and outreach to faculty and provides guidance to library colleagues and others on issues relevant to the dynamic scholarly publishing landscape, including author rights, open access (OA) publishing, and alternative publishing trends related to tenure and promotion. The position also serves as the Office of Library Services’ primary resource on copyright compliance, fair use, and other copyright issues pertinent to CUNY library collections and services. Provides supervision for planning and implementing digitization projects in alignment with the library’s mission and strategic goals. Collaborates with liaison librarians to provide tools and educational opportunities in the adoption of best practices in scholarly communication relevant to CUNY’s academic mission.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s Degree and six years’ related experience required; MLS degree and/or Master’s in a related field may be substituted for a portion of the experience requirement.

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate will have the following skills, knowledge, and abilities:

  • Master’s degree from an American Library Association (ALA)-accredited school is strongly preferred and may be accepted for up to two years of the required six years of experience
  • Three years’ experience managing library information services, systems, and/or programs required
  • Working knowledge of digitization standards and formats, rights management and academic publishing practices, including familiarity with one or more major descriptive metadata standards (Dublin Core, EAD, METS, MIX, MODS, PREMIS, or others); demonstrated project management skills to plan, implement, and assess digital initiative
  • Demonstrated understanding of the width and breadth of information and information-seeking processes to structure and deliver library services for users; ability to apply requirements, best practices, and guidelines for scholarly communication relevant to CUNY Libraries’ digital initiatives and processes
  • Marketing and outreach skills to discover and recruit institutional scholarly input, research data, and other content for inclusion in the institutional repository; ability to participate in grant and other external funding opportunities in support of the library’s mission and strategic goals
  • Ability to communicate scholarly communication issues in a balanced way that can be adjusted to a wide range of audiences across the disciplines and work collaboratively and effectively with diverse groups
  • Detail oriented and accurate with strong organizational skills to establish plans, manage multiple assignments and conflicting priorities, and meet deadlines
  • Excellent verbal/written communication and interpersonal skills with strong consultation, presentation, and group facilitation skills
  • Proficiency using academic, administrative, and financial computer programs, systems, and databases

COMPENSATION

Commensurate with qualifications and experience.

BENEFITS

CUNY offers a comprehensive benefits package to employees and eligible dependents based on job title and classification. Employees are also offered pension and Tax-Deferred Savings Plans. Part-time employees must meet a weekly or semester work hour criteria to be eligible for health benefits. Health benefits are also extended to retirees who meet the eligibility criteria.

HOW TO APPLY

For full consideration, submit a position focused cover letter and résumé with your online application. Your cover letter should clearly explain how your experience and credentials fulfill the duties and qualifications outlined. The direct link to the job opening from external sources is: http://tinyurl.com/CUNYScholComm

(The full address for the direct link is: https://home.cunyfirst.cuny.edu/psp/cnyepprd/
GUEST/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_CE.GBL?Page=HRS_CE_JOB_DTL&Action=A&
JobOpeningId=10829&SiteId=1&PostingSeq=1)

CLOSING DATE

6/28/2014

JOB SEARCH CATEGORY

CUNY Job Posting: Managerial/Professional

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

We are committed to enhancing our diverse academic community by actively encouraging people with disabilities, minorities, veterans, and women to apply. We take pride in our pluralistic community and continue to seek excellence through diversity and inclusion. EO/AA Employer.

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Share It Now or Save It For Later: Making Choices about Dissertations and Publishing

You are invited to an event in the Information Interventions @ CUNY series:

Share It Now or Save It For Later:
Making Choices about Dissertations and Publishing
Thursday, May 1, 2014
2-4 p.m.
Graduate Center Room C198
Live stream: http://videostreaming.gc.cuny.edu/videos/

Join us for a lively panel debate on the sharing versus embargoing of dissertations and theses. We’ll explore the pros and cons of this nuanced issue with a panel including representatives from Columbia University Press, Penn Press, and the Modern Language Association, as well as recent GC alums who made different choices about their dissertations. (We’ll also tell you how to change your embargo settings if you’ve already deposited!)

Our panelists:

  • Kathleen Fitzpatrick, Director of Scholarly Communication, Modern Language Association
  • Philip Leventhal, Editor for Literary Studies, Journalism, and U.S. History, Columbia University Press
  • Jerome Singerman, Senior Humanities Editor, University of Pennsylvania Press
  • Gregory Donovan, Assistant Professor, Sociology and Urban Studies, Saint Peter’s University and Graduate Center Alumnus
  • Colleen Eren, Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice, LaGuardia Community College and Graduate Center Alumna
  • Polly Thistlethwaite, Chief Librarian, Graduate Center (Moderator)

Background:

Last summer, the American Historical Association made headlines when it issued a statement encouraging universities to allow their history Ph.D. graduates to embargo, or keep private, their dissertations for up to six years, claiming that “an increasing number of university presses are reluctant to offer a publishing contract to newly minted PhDs whose dissertations have been freely available via online sources.” Meanwhile, a survey of scholarly publishers revealed that a majority of university press editors are happy to consider proposals for books based on open access dissertations. And the executive director of the Association of American University Presses reported, after talking to the heads of 15 university presses, “I haven’t found one person who has said if it is available open access, we won’t publish it.”

These statements generated a raging debate that has left many graduate students unsure of their options and unsure how to proceed:

  • Are open access dissertations really less likely to be published as a book? Or are they more likely to be found, read, and responded to, thus demonstrating to book publishers their appeal and marketability?
  • Just how similar is a dissertation to a book, anyway? How much does it change between graduation and publication?
  • Is the real problem tenure and promotion committees that expect applicants to have authored scholarly books, which, as the landscape of scholarly publishing evolves, seem to be increasingly difficult to publish? Do they need to adjust their expectations in response to current publishing realities?
  • Do universities have a responsibility to share with the world the research produced in their graduate programs? Are long embargoes antithetical to scholarly values? Do they hinder disciplinary advancement? How long is enough?
  • And where does this leave graduate students — in all disciplines, not just history or the humanities? Should they make their dissertations and theses open access, or should they embargo them — and if so, for how long?

Details and how to register:

Light refreshments will be served.
Space is limited! Please RSVP by April 23.

This event is co-sponsored by the Office of Career Planning and Professional Development, the LACUNY Scholarly Communications Roundtable, the Graduate Center Library, and Just Publics @ 365.

Dissertation Dilemma: To Embargo or Not To Embargo?
Dissertation Dilemma: To Embargo or Not To Embargo?
Photo is © Pino, used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license.