Scipedia: Documents published in 2011

Reuse of public sector information and open data in the Spanish and European context. Aporta Project

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:57:27 +0200

The reuse of public sector information is an increasingly key element in the Open data and Open government strategies. The European authorities are promoting public information reuse policies as a pillar for the digital economy and for democratic transparency. In the same way, several public and private reuse initiatives in Spain have sprung up in recent years to maximize public information reuse benefits. In this sense, the Aporta Project, supported by the Spanish Ministry for Territorial Cooperation and Public Administration and the Ministry for Industry, Trade and Commerce, have been working since 2009 in promoting reuse in Spain. Regarding the challenges of the actual reuse policies it is important to point out that a Royal decree that develops the Spanish Reuse Law is being drafted with the aim to solve some indeterminate aspects of the present public information reuse law.

Communication style standards in the corporate identity manuals of the Spanish Public Administration

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:57:17 +0200

Corporate identity manuals used by Spanish public administrations at the state, regional or local level set the standards for the respective corporate image that is displayed to the public. Corporate image is not a static concept, but evolves with society. Concepts such as logo, typography, format and print materials are defined, as well as the stationery for the three most common communications of administrative action: internal memo, inter-office document, and letter.

The electronic ID card: its ecosystem and use in local e-Government

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:57:05 +0200

For local e-government to become a reality, all the elements of the ecosystem must be in place. We search for the elements which constitute the ecosystem, both from the citizen and from the city council point of view, with the electronic identity card (eID) as the core. In order to find out the main deficiencies in the system and to propose solutions, we need to quantify the present situation of each element: from city and county councils websites where eID is needed to use the services offered to the number of eID and compatible readers owned by citizens. According to the latest data, only 2% of the population owns an eID reader: this is the weakest element of our ecosystem.

“Information subsidies” and documentary functions of Spanish ministries online press rooms

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:56:57 +0200

The notion of “information subsidy” was introduced by US media researchers to refer to informational materials that an organization’s press officers place at the disposal of journalists covering an informational event. Based on this idea, this research examines the online pressrooms of Spanish ministries, as organizations of high media interest, to see how they optimize these online spaces for journalists to provide such information subsidies. The content offered as well as its architecture and usability, according to the effectiveness criteria identified by previous researchers, are analyzed.

Access to and reuse of public data: open data and open govern

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:56:50 +0200

Open government is a form of permanent open communication between the administration and citizens, based on transparency from the administration, working with civil society and business. We present one of the key points that are being used to achieve this objective of participation: the open data movement. In Europe, its origins lie in the issuance of Directive 2003/98/EC of the European Parliament and the Council on access to and reuse of public sector information. Open data projects described here provide access to government data according to the recommendations of the W3C . The structure and open format allows data to be reused to provide new services to citizens and businesses. Numerous projects and visualization applications have been developed that realize the potential of this movement. The situation in Spain is emerging and even in a short period of time many initiatives are maturing. This offers us the opportunity to ask what role information managers will take on in this new scenario.

Local e-government benchmarking: limitations of comparative evaluation methods

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:56:39 +0200

We present the need to evaluate and compare the development of e-government, and review benchmarking tools and practices. First we discuss the stages of e-government models that are currently in use and discuss the main characteristics and applications. The different e-government benchmarking approaches are analysed, pointing out that e-administration is the more benchmarked e-government area. A more in-depth analysis of the most relevant benchmarks is performed. Both analyses reveal several limitations of existing studies with respect to applicability to local administration. These include the scarcity of studies focused on this area, the extent of adoption of public services and the use of models of evolution of egovernment that do not reflect the new trends in the provision of services. Finally we point out improvements to be made in future benchmarking of electronic services to increase their applicability in the field of local administration.

E-government: modernization or fossilization of the administration?

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:56:29 +0200

After a general introduction to concepts such as eGovernment, eDemocracy and eGovernance, a brief reflection on the situation of the Spanish public administration in relation to the internet is offered. The opportunities that information and communication technologies offer to carry out deep reforms in administrative procedures is discussed. If we do not seize these opportunities we risk “fossilizing” the administration, making only superficial changes that do not make the needed improvements in efficiency and the services to businesses and citizens.

Analysis and recommendations on software for image archives

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:56:20 +0200

Using internet research to study the current market of programs related to image management, we searched for the best software solutions for the description, dissemination and promotion of a photographic archive. With the experience obtained from using and configuring these programs and with an evaluation using previously established requirements, a list of the most adaptable and versatile software having the added value of being capable of expansion has been elaborated. In addition, we have been able to contribute to establishing the criteria and recommendations to determine which of them are better for each type of archive, for a public or private institution, an agency, or a personal archive.

Groupware and social software: a framework proposal for analytical evaluation of free software tools

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:56:10 +0200

Groupware tools have been standard in the coordination of work in organizations. The development of social networks, has popularized the pattern of collaborative work. This paper aims, first, defining a model for analysis and use of groupware functionality. Second, using the proposed model to establish whether groupware tools are evolving by integrating social features into their performance.

From extended opac to expanded library: at last a reality

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:56:02 +0200

The general idea behind the concept of extended opac or expanded library is to improve the opac to give it a few features that make him an internet portal like any other, in which users can interact with both bibliographic information and otherwise, with librarians and other users. Beyond discovery tools, there is the initiative eXtensible Catalog, aimed at promoting the full functionality of the opac extended, allowing a proper connection between the integrated management system library and content management system Drupal, which heralds a new set of web services based on inteoperability, metasearch aggregation of disparate information sources and catalogs, and the exploitation of the possibilities of web 2.0 and more there, of the Linked data.

Document management: the ups and downs

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:55:53 +0200

Based on experiencies in document and knowledge management, the article explains ten aspects that must be considered in order to carry out successfully a project on document management.

Photography and public architecture in Argentina. A century in images

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:55:45 +0200

The Documentation and Information Center (CDI) of the Ministry of Economy and Public Finance (Argentina) develops information products and services related to economic, technical and legal issues, and the official architectonic heritage. The activities undertaken contribute to the creation of local knowledge, in a context of increasing global access. These activities involve integrated project design and implementation, and respond to or anticipate users’ demands with products that add value to collections. Here we showcase our experience in the treatment of blueprints and photographs referring to the construction of public buildings. Collected by the Center for Documentation and Research on Public Architecture (CeDIAP), these were used as raw materials to work on a specific task related to the construction and dissemination of the building’s history, within the framework of a wider project which undertakes the construction and dissemination of the ministry’s institutional memory.

Management and conservation of photographic documentation in the Third Sector: the experience in the Vicente Ferrer Foundation

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:55:36 +0200

In the Third Sector photography is doubly important: because of the documentary character of photography and because of the social responsibility of NGOs when it comes to portraying the image of developing countries. The digital revolution increases production and consumption of visual documents and pixels burst into the photo archives, which makes it necessary to change equipments and consider new working models. The working procedures of a photo archive of the Third Sector are developed from the perspective of the experience in the Vicente Ferrer Foundation. Digital image management in a communication department of an NGO for Development (NGDO) is explained.

Image retrieval and visualization systems in stock photography agencies

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:55:28 +0200

The advent of the internet, the impact of digital photography and the ability to scan large volumes of images has revolutionized the stock photography agencies. The transformation from analogue to digital photography has involved a substantial change in daily work processes, providing a large number of images online. The present work will reveal the profile and the basic features that any stock photography agency must offer on issues such as image retrieval, on-screen visualization, and storage for many diverse editorial activities.

Photographic heritage and web 2.0: Flickr The Commons experience

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:55:21 +0200

In last years, many archives, libraries and museums are exploring, participating in, or simply using resources that social networks offer on the internet. The so-called web 2.0 has enabled a new context for these institutions to present their collections and activities to new users. The social networks have also allowed the exploration of new strategies for dissemination and communication. Flickr: The Commons project, jointly developed by the Library of Congress and Flickr ’s photosharing and hosting platform, offers an attractive perspective for many of these institutions to enlarge the possibilities of indexing and of online communities research. This article presents the characteristics of the project, the strategies outlined by each participating institution and an evaluation of the results.

Image databanks in encyclopedia context: the case of Wikimedia Commons

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:55:10 +0200

This paper presents the characteristics and functionalities of the Wikimedia Commons image databank shared by all Wikipedia projects. The process of finding images and ilustrating Wikipedia articles is also explained, along with how to add images to the bank. The role of cultural institutions in promoting free and open cultural heritage content is highlighted.

Understanding the stock photography sector

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:55:02 +0200

Characterization of the stock photography sector in the context of the information ecosystem. Its main features are described in relation to three key axes of dichotomy: contracted vs. stock photography; the editorial vs creative sector; and copyright- protected vs. royalty-free licenses. Finally, a brief review of open repositories and Creative Commons licensed images is offered.

Archiving in the cloud: rules for the creation of contemporary records. Part I: Technologial indicators

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:54:52 +0200

Based on our assertion that current record preservation systems are not feasible in the long term for reasons of scale and cost, we explore the current technological environment where records are created, paying special attention to phenomena such as distributed systems, cloud computing and web 2.0. In two future articles 1) we will explore the social environment where this creation is performed, with special attention to the lack of interest in memory and accountability, and 2) we will suggest a potential scenario for recordkeeping that archivists will have to address at the short term.

Communication strategies in public administration through print advertising

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:54:42 +0200

We present the results of research that has revealed informative-persuasive strategies of current Spanish commercial and institutional display advertising. The study selected 232 periodicals for analysis, which included 7,704 advertisements. Differences were identified between the strategies used in commercial advertising and those used in government communications with citizens.

Photographic documentation in newspapers. Cases of El país, El periódico and La vanguardia

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:54:34 +0200

The role of photography in printed and digital newspapers is presented. Secondly, the documentary treatment of the photographs by newspaper libraries are described and analyzed, based on the study of the Spanish newspapers El país, El periódico and La vanguardia.

Use of photographs from Spanish stock photography banks in advertising

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:54:26 +0200

Agencies and image banks offer millions of photographs for use in advertising and publishing. During the last decade the sector has undergone a radical change due to the digital impact and the globalization of the business. Structures have been refurbished, major investments in digitization have been made and at the same time, new marketing models have been adopted. This study reviews the use of photographs from the commercial stock photography banks in advertising in Spain. Seven agencies of different size and objectives have been chosen as a reference.

Photographic heritage of Catalonia on the Net

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:54:17 +0200

The photographic heritage of Catalonia is analysed, first specifying which photographs to include in this study and then describing the problems of quantifying this heritage. The online presence of this photographic heritage is assessed on the basis of the 26 Catalan institutions that manage photography archives and either make photographs available on the network or have started digitization projects that now include at least 5,000 digitized images. Of these 26 entities, 15 offer Internet access to their collection of photographs, with a total of more than 250,000 photographs available. The study details the total size of each collection, number of digitized images, and how many of these images are available online. The difference between digitized images and images available online is explained by the difficulties encountered in digitizing, cataloguing, and publishing the images online with the appropriate software and managing copyright issues related to the photographs.

Photographic patrimony of the Spanish public institutions: models for the use and reproduction of the documents

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:54:09 +0200

Spanish public institutions have carried out an extraordinary task over the last two decades to recover, manage and promote their photographic patrimony. These actions have been conducted according to diverse criteria and different protocols for action have been adopted. Several of these aspects are studied and, in particular, the models for the use and reproduction of documents. In addition, a series of proposals for action are made and opened for debate.

In search of lost time

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:54:00 +0200

Personal impressions of working in photographic archives are presented here from the viewpoint of the researcher in photography, specifically one who has used these stores of material in several countries. The writer’s many years of experience permits an assessment of the evolution undergone by institutions that house these materials. After noting the beginnings of studies in photographic history and the first periodical publications in this area, the analysis focuses on how materials are organized from the user’s point of view. The early definition of photographic archives rested in organizations’ interest in constructing their own histories, and therefore the archives were organized by local topics or sites. Photography was considered as auxiliary to history. On the other hand, the historian of photography has other needs in the study of photography from an artistic, biographic, or technical angle. Some of the world’s great museum-quality collections are treated in this way -less subjectively- and several cases are described in which the author participated in their assessment and organization based on photographers, facts, or contexts that fell under the heading “Spain”, although not always involving works by Spaniards, strictly speaking. The author also describes the experience of consulting photographic archives prior to and in the early years of democracy in Spain; later on, a surge of concern emerged in Spain for both public and private photographic collections. Finally, technical considerations such as the access to, treatment and conservation of archives are touched upon from the viewpoint of firsthand experience with institutional archives.

MIAR: A collaborative environment of editors, authors and journal reviewers

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:53:52 +0200

The evolution of the MIAR project (Matriu d’Informació per l’Avaluació de Revistes ) –Journal evaluation information matrix– is described. Originally MIAR was designed to quantify the indexing of humanities and social sciences journals in bibliographic data bases. Given the present availability of various journal evaluation systems in Spain, MIAR could evolve into a collaborative portal where stakeholders can share the main features of the journals in which they participate directly or indirectly. The project would use social networks, voting and commenting systems, and technologies like open linked data, thus enabling a greater dissemination and socialization of the data collected for each publication. In this way data could be better used by the three most directly concerned groups: referees, publishers and authors/readers.

Devuélveme la voz. The University of Alicante’s project to recover Radio Paris broadcasts aired during the Franco regime.

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:53:40 +0200

Documentary collections held by the communications media have become a source of essential information for research. Scholars of contemporary history have found in them both the official information and the opinion of government opponents that allows them to compare, refine and supplement their research. Some collections exist in media formats that are now difficult to reproduce, as in this project at the University of Alicante . Radio broadcasts preserved on open-reel tapes require technology that has already disappeared, and the reproduction of the original source involves progressive destruction. Therefore, digitization of this content and a technical approach that will allow open access constitute a high-value initiative for researchers.

Inspec, an essential database for physics and engineering

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:53:30 +0200

The Inspec database contains more than 12 million bibliographic records on physics, electronics, computer science and engineering. Combining tradition, quality and thoroughness it is unmatched in its topic area in the current information market. From a strictly documentary point of view, Inspec is considered as one of the best-designed systems for its balanced and effective indexing, based on its well known classification and thesaurus. A brief description of its contents, value-added fields and new developments is presented.

Efficient management of electronic mail: a corporate case study

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:53:20 +0200

Information overload, and more specifically the overload and associated activity due to the large amount of email received and issued in our organizations, affects business productivity, efficiency, creativity and innovation. This article presents a practical experience of improved email management based on the development of guidelines and tools addressed to creating less mail and more quality, and managing personal and departmental inboxes more efficiently. The project’s goals, its implementation through workshops, and the main results achieved are reviewed.

Towards a new paradigm in librarianship? The new digital order

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:53:11 +0200

The library models emerging in a framework of digital information and communication technologies are analyzed, taking into account the changes that leaded to the current library paradigm. The models are seen as an adaptation of the libraries to a society based on an intensive use of the ICTs and the economic order that supports it. The article focuses on the new alliances among libraries (joint-use libraries), and also with other services (information commons) and institutions like archives and museums (LAM).

Ontologies and thesauri in information systems

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:53:00 +0200

Since the (re)appearance of ontologies in the late nineties, there is a debate about the relationship between thesauri and ontologies. This article presents a synthesis of this debate, focusing on the use of these tools in the information systems area, which is the best one to compare both technologies, utilizing the concept of document description semantics.

Infosociability: Monitoring and research on the web 2.0 for decision making

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:52:52 +0200

This methodology offers an approach to studying the information available within Web 2.0 Media and User-Generated Content (MUGC). The large-scale generation of online information is the result of collective social action based on information: infosociability. Competitive Intelligence (CI) aims to monitor and research a company’s web 2.0 environment for information relevant to its decision-making process. Facing the possibilities and limitations that today’s technology offers for processing the communication of meanings and abstract ideas in text format, a methodology derived from empirical research on web 2.0 is proposed. Monitoring and research are identified as the two key processes that generate insights aimed to facilitate decision-making. The relevance of each stage is illustrated with reference to the diverse methodological challenges encountered while extracting and analyzing large amounts of online information.

Umap, collective intelligence extracted from social networks

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:52:44 +0200

The Umap project is a practical attempt to obtain collective intelligence from the flow of social networks: links that users share are analyzed, filtered and rated, making it feasible to convert collective intelligence into structured information. For example, information, comments and links that are shared by users belonging to a certain community –e. g., linguistic, social, thematic, organizational- are analyzed in real time to obtain trends at specified intervals (e. g., hourly, daily, weekly...). By means of simplicity search algorithms, the information flow becomes an automated news bulletin with its own value but to which opinions and the relevance that users of social networks give them are added. Umap opens the way for future applications centred in the extraction of information and collective intelligence from communities that share social, political, economical, trading, business, products, brand, technological and other interests through social networks. The first applications of the Umap project developed by CodeSyntax are already available at http://www.umap.eu

Technology watch sector studies for the business and research community of Andalusia

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:52:35 +0200

The Technology watch sector studies published by the Agency for Innovation and Development of Andalusia in coopera tion with SCImago research group are aimed to provide the business and research community of the Spanish autonomous region of Andalusia with the states of the art of particular sectors. These reports are produced by analyzing scientific and technological information on a regional, national, and international level. The methodology behind the elaboration of these studies is presented, discussing its structure and the type of information analyzed.

Social networks that support competitive intelligence. Proposal of a synthetic index.

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:52:26 +0200

We present the theoretical and methodological basis of a model that offers the managers information about their own social networks. We analyzed the nursing directors social networks of hospitals belonging to the Network of Hospitals for Public Use (XHUP ) of Catalonia, Spain, and studied the information retrieved from these networks. The proposed model is applied to make a comparative analysis of managers surveyed, in order to improve strategies and to enhance outcomes of competitive intelligence projects.

Implementation of a model of human capital management in a research group

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:52:18 +0200

The implementation of a model of human capital management in a research group in Colombia is presented, with the intention of addressing some existing shortcomings associated with the group’s composition and structure. The model is based on five phases of development related to knowledge management. Disadvantages resulting from erroneous allocation of roles, poor distribution of tasks, lack of fundamental skills and shortage of relevant value practices, among others, are described. Solutions that counteract these conflicts, which hinder the group’s development and diminish its chances of successful performance, are proposed.

Mobilised opinion recovery and analysis for social climate research

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:52:10 +0200

Mobilised opinion and social media have become a valuable source of information for organisations and individuals in operational and strategic decision making processes, such as marketing campaigns, product monitoring and development, search for new markets or the improvement of customer relations. The emergence of social media monitoring companies has brought a new job market for information professionals, to the extent that this information has to be collected and processed, and new automated monitoring systems have to be developed. This article outlines a process of recovery and treatment of mobilised opinion on the internet as a source for social climate analysis by organisations. The specific characteristics and problems of this type of opinion are highlighted, which points to the need for the participation of human agents in the development of the process.

Emerging applications of competitive intelligence in the universities

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:52:02 +0200

Different authors have pointed out the importance of applying competitive intelligence (CI) to non-business sectors (public administration, universities, non-governmental organizations, etc.). Besides, universities increasingly apply management tools and techniques coming from the business field. On the other hand, in recent years universities have perceived an environmental pressure as a consequence of a) their implication in regional development where they are located, and b) their need to reform their program offerings according to the needs of society and the requirements of the labour market, as well as a result of the process of adapting their degrees to the European Higher Education Area (Bologna process). This paper describes and characterises CI practices in the universities and analyses the CI contribution to the design of degree courses. The research is based on qualitative methods, and data were collected through interviews. Results suggest that the use of CI in universities is mainly reactive, and addressed only to organisational tactics.

Technology watch in the metal industrial SMEs: knowledge, application and assessment

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:51:54 +0200

The complexity of the economic and technological environment requires companies to improve their competitiveness through innovation. In this context technology watch (TW), a systematic process that supports innovation, becomes an essential tool. In the literature, interest in TW has evolved from the definition of the concept, implications and resources to its practical development, focused on case studies in large organizations. However, there is a lack of works that analyze its use and results in SMEs. Thus, we examine the degree of knowledge and application of TW, how processes are developed and what are its benefits in 83 metal industry SMEs.

Competitive intelligence: successes and challenges

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:51:47 +0200

Description of some of the critical issues that a competitive intelligence and surveillance technology professional has to take into account when implementing such functions in an organization. The achievements and challenges summarized in the text come from the author’s experience, both in the implementation of platforms and intelligence units in government and private companies in Spain and abroad, as well as from research work done so far.

ISI rankings of Spanish universities according to fields and scientific disciplines (2nd ed. 2011)

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:51:37 +0200

The update of the ISI rankings of Spanish universities according to fields and scientific disciplines (2nd ed. 2011) is presented. Specifically, in this second edition we focus on the inclusion of 19 new scientific disciplines and the creation of a dynamic new website. Various bibliometric analyses of the different rankings are also shown. Firstly, the updated data for the rankings on 12 scientific fields for the 2006-2010 period are presented focusing on the changes in the positions compared to the 2005-2009 period. Secondly, we present the results in the scientific disciplines during the 2006-2010 period, on the one hand for the Spanish university system as a whole, and on the other hand showing the major universities in 19 new disciplines. Finally we conclude that the 2nd edition of the ISI Rankings improves the global analysis of strengths and weaknesses in the Spanish higher education system and more precisely profiles the performance of Spanish universities in more specific areas.

Resource description and access, RDA. Another delay to better prepare for the change

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:51:28 +0200

After seven years of intense work, the final version of Resource description & access: RDA was published in the summer of 2010. This set of guidelines and instructions was developed to replace the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules. The text pro voked a great deal of criticism and debate in the library community in the United States, prompting the three U. S. national libraries to conduct a test before deciding to implement the new code. The article reviews and discusses the results of this test and the effects that the implementation of the new rules will have in the medium term.

Adapting the ContentDm digital collection manager to a corporate environment

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:51:19 +0200

The measures taken to adapt the ContentDm application to users’ validation requirements are introduced, along with the collections in the Instituto Cervantes image bank creation project. The project’s general characteristics are then laid out in a presentation. This is followed by a summary of the objectives and strategies inherent within the complex task of implementing a document manager which is suitable for both internal use to meet the needs of an institution’s personnel and for the publishing of images on the internet. Finally, there is an account of the suggestions which have been put into practice to further tailor users’ needs to the digital collection manager’s characteristics.

Dolceta online consumer education: development of the financial education module in Spain

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:51:10 +0200

Dolceta (Development of online consumer education tool for adults) is an ongoing project involving 28 countries of the European Union, with support from the European Commission. The main objective of this paper is to describe how the Dolceta module on financial education was constructed in the case of the Spanish platform, how decisions related to this module were made, and the cooperation and coordination processes developed to construct the contents and activities of this module in line with the other participating European countries. Thus, we intend to describe the organization and development at the European level of a learning experience through the use of new information and communication technologies (ICT) in the fields of financial and consumer education, in order to publicize this experience and to guide other similar initiatives, especially at an early stage.

BiblogTecarios: the power of connections and crowdsourcing

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:51:02 +0200

BiblogTecarios (“blogging librarians”) was created with a clear objective: to offer its members the possibility of having a platform to publish their knowledge, concerns and opinions about their professional sector, that of Information and Documentation. Since its beginnings it has been clear that the purpose of the project was not intended to allow a few to publish each day, but rather that the more people participating in the project, the greater variety of topics could be discussed.Now that BiblogTecarios has 40 blogs, communication tools are essential for the proper functioning of the website, as well as the desire to work on a joint (collaborative and cooperative) project. Crowdsourcing, or the collective intelligence of its members, helped this project to grow; personal connections and collective work are the key pillars for its continued growth. BiblogTecarios connects people: it is crowdsourcing.

Bibarnabloc, the liquid project of Barcelona Public Libraries

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:50:53 +0200

Bibarnabloc (Bloc de les Biblioteques de Barcelona) is a blog maintained as a collaborative project of Barcelona Public Libraries professionals, with the goal of promoting and enhancing the collections as well as the interaction with the public. The Bibliostarting point and first six months of life, including the technical and human resources required for implementation, are described. Publication circuits, information architecture, and online and offline marketing strategies are specified. A qualitative and quantitative assessment is presented. Finally, future challenges are discussed.

Social networks and university students. From digital native to healthy informivore

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:50:44 +0200

Online social networks are one of the technological tools most used by university students at present. Likewise, some enterprises are beginning to use them to support their business process. However, one part of the society has the impression that these are just a waste of time. Despite this, studies have shown that, properly used, social networks can have great benefits, such as the development of information literacy, access to information repositories and the development of social capital. Being a digital native does not guarantee that university students will be able to obtain these benefits. Teachers and universities in general, rather than block student access to these networks, must concern themselves with developing the necessary information literacy to produce healthy informivores.

New business strategies and valorization of online audiovisual archives

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:50:37 +0200

Digitization and the rapid development of Internet capabilities are encouraging audiovisual archives to add parts of their collections to the web, both for commercial and for nonprofit or education purposes. This article describes the different services offered by online archives, befitting the nature of the archive and of the end users in each case, their development of new business strategies, presence in social networks, creation of distribution channels, educational programs and collaboration projects. Moreover, the open access that the Internet allows also helps film production companies, who find in these archives a new source of inspiration.

Blogs as a new source of health information for patients

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:50:26 +0200

Patients are turning increasingly to blogs to learn about health and to share experiences related to this area. These blogs are written by patients or health professionals and constitute an exceptional aid for the promotion of education in health issues for this population. The high educational level of the bloggers, the variety of sources of information used and the different aims pursued make these blogs full participants in the health area. The article concludes that the blog is a new meeting point between doctor and patient that has a positive impact on the improvement of the health service offered by hospitals.

Recommender systems as sources for information in web 2.0

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:50:14 +0200

In a Web dominated by social media for information, relationships and communication, the established dynamics between content, people and technology change radically. Given the relevance of the user-generated content in such a scenario and its essentially relational nature, successfully locating the best sources of information requires the development of recommender systems that incorporate the social characteristic of scenarios built on a network that goes beyond the original Internet. The article provides a review of current approaches to the process of recommendation, placing them in the context of consolidated trends associated with the phenomenon of Social Computing, and highlights some lines of development in the area of redefining the problem of recommendation in a context dominated by social networks and user-generated content.

Evaluation of free metasearch engines specialized in health sciences

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:50:06 +0200

Although new information retrieval systems (search engines, metasearch engines, databases, etc.) continually appear, the daily work of information professionals leaves little time to evaluate them. As a result, on numerous occasions a system is used, and even recommended, without knowledge of its functions and the adequacy of its search algorithm. An analysis was conducted to better understand the specifics of the search engines specialized in health sciences freely accessible via the internet, to assess for quality and determine which ones offer the best results.

Web 2.0 sources and journalists. Changes in museum communications

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:49:56 +0200

This research aims to explore the media relations in museums, through the interaction between the press office and the specialized journalists. It attempts to quantify the use of documentation provided by Internet and Web 2.0 tools and observe to what extent traditional professional habits have changed. It describes the results and puts forward conclusions that can be interesting for both researchers and public relations practitioners. It provides knowledge about an emerging model of organizational communication and information processing in museums, in a new cultural and media setting.

Internet as an information source in the purchasing process: towards a comprehensive consumer approach

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:49:49 +0200

Traditional purchasing processes have become more complex and sophisticated with the appearance of the internet. The increasing number of internet users and the ease of access to information are pushing businesses to revise their communication strategies and management plans for online and offline channels. This study analyses the relationship between the information search and the point of purchase in multichannel environments. The main result of this research is that a comprehensive analysis of the consumer and the ability to track their online and offline purchasing habits can provide businesses with valuable data to deploy information resources in a way that optimally meets consumer needs according to the products offered.

The idea of grey literature makes no sense in the 2.0 era

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:45:27 +0200

The rapid progress that ICTs have introduced to our field is not always accompanied by updates of the theoretical bases that sometimes are in danger of becoming obsolete and useless. An example of this problem is the concept of “grey literature”, which remains practically unchanged in the textbooks and study manuals written in Spanish. This has not been the case at an international level, where various international conferences have been organized to update this discipline. While the attempt was noteworthy, in the current context of web 2.0 the concept does not seem justified. The traditional differentiating features used by the proponents of this idea, and many of those that have been added over time, have become obsolete. Today it makes no sense to hold on to grey literature.

Use of Twitter and Facebook by Iberoamerican media

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:44:32 +0200

The aim of the present study is to examine the use of social media by 27 news outlets from Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, Spain and Venezuela. To determine how these news media receive and disseminate information as well as interact with their audience, the research method combines analysis of Twitter and Facebook profiles and semi-structured interviews.

IRC 2.0. Social media for information, relationship, and communication in the web 2.0 era

Scipedia content — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:43:50 +0200

The rapid pace at which trends, news, tools, technologies, devices, services, etc. come and go in our information society requires of every citizen a certain capacity to internalize the perceived complexity behind the metaphors we are used to hearing from IT professionals, as well as to assess the impact of these changes on everyday life. The article briefly introduces and develops a simplified model that helps in presenting three key phenomena that are relevant enough for understanding the current developmental stage of the Web as most visible part of the Network itself. It is based on three elements (infotechnologies, people and content) and it is developed along three axes (information, relations and communication). The model also wants to serve the reader as an intellectual and conceptual tool to delve into any of its dimensions.

ISO 30300. Management system for records

Scipedia content — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 16:29:49 +0200

The first two products of the series of ISO 30300 Management system for records standards are going to be published soon. Their principal characteristics are described, as well as the integration process with other MSS (management system standards) like ISO 9000 or 14000. Key issues for practical implementation are presented.

Research impact of national higher education systems

Scipedia content — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 16:29:34 +0200

Research impacts of national higher education systems are compared using their normalized impacts (ratio of institution’s average impact to the world’s average). Fifty countries are analyzed, taking into account their research ratio between firms and universities, as well as the homogeneity of their universities. The baseline data were obtained from SCImago Institutions Rankings system.

Centralized vs institutional archives: are we going the wrong way with the fragmentation of repositories?

Scipedia content — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 16:29:16 +0200

This paper advocates the advantages of centralized repositories against the spread of institutional projects. The continuing emergence of new resources, open archives and digital libraries affects both academia and institutions that house ancient collections. The current “ribbon-cutting culture” should be subject to safeguards for the preservation and provision of good services. This paper lists some cooperative services in the academic world and a concrete example of digitization of an early collection of Spanish journals at the University of Connecticut.

2.0 integral dentro y fuera de la Biblioteca Nacional de España

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:13:45 +0200

Desde la creación de su página en Facebook, la Biblioteca Nacional de España ha ido creando un entorno 2.0 caracterizado por la apertura de canales institucionales en diversas redes sociales, como YouTube o Flickr, amén de otras iniciativas como la publicación de un blog corporativo o la incorporación de funcionalidades 2.0 a la Biblioteca Digital Hispánica. A esto se añaden otras iniciativas en marcha, como la apertura de un canal en SlideShare o la inminente presencia en Twitte.

Quinto Anuario ThinkEPI

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:13:38 +0200

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First official version of ICA-AtoM

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:13:32 +0200

The main features of ICA-AtoM, a free software developed by the Canadian company Artefactual Systems, under the patronage of ICA (International Council of Archives) and Unesco, are described.

Augmented reality for everyone: creating geolocated data layers

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:13:23 +0200

Smartphones have implemented augmented reality applications, with virtual layers overlapping real images. One of the uses of augmented reality is to display information related to the place where we are, superimposed on an image of reality (captured from the camera of the device). Although it may seem complex, it is easy for any internet user to publish location-based content through augmented reality browsers like Layar or Wikitude. This text sets out some ways to do it.

Html5: the new basic standard of the Web

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:13:16 +0200

In late 2009 the W3C stopped developing xhtml2 and focused on defining html5 instead. Since then, there has been some confusion and heated debates about the proper markup language for future web development. Html5 was conceived with the aim of simplifying the designers’ work and improving the sites’ performance, especially on mobile devices. This paper analyzes the final draft of the html5 specification and discusses the most significant issues: syntax, DOM, information gathering and presentation, and multimedia processing.

The library from a mobile application

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:13:07 +0200

Since the Apple Store opened in 2008, apps have become an interesting business model for developers and a fun way to spread the features of handheld devices (mobile phones, smartphones and tablets). Libraries are beginning to explore them to provide content and services. This articles describes some of these initiatives and their potential benefits, with a focus on the search for value-added solutions.

Electronic books and DRM

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:12:59 +0200

The emergence of electronic ink, reading devices with legibility levels comparable to paper books, with capacity to store several thousand books, the increase of digital publishing offerings and their increasing presence in publishers’ catalogues, the iPad success with benefits beyond conventional reading, and the emergence of new business models draw an inexorably digital picture in which the issue of copyright protection is essential for the development of the cultural industry. The success of internet business models depends in large measure on systems of digital rights protection. In this context, the development of DRM (Digital Rights Management) has been fundamental and is allowing the management of electronic rights with a certain confidence. This paper discusses DRM systems, their development, the content in which they are applied, and controversies generated in relation to matters such as the right to privacy.

Technological trends in 2010

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:12:51 +0200

In 2010 technology trends became popular that were as diverse and innovative as net neutrality, internet television, video on demand, mobile commerce (due to the increase of the smartphone market), new algorithms that try to compete with Google, content spam, augmented reality, progress on ebooks and transmedia, multitouch interaction, digital out-of-home (dooh) advertising or digital signage, and open data web (open data and linked data) that replaces the semantic web, while the popularization of web 2.0 leads to intensive use of social networks in all areas of digital life, including social commerce.

Data extracted from PubMed records are not reliable

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:12:43 +0200

Bibliometrics on a research subject needs a careful selection of bibliographic records to be retrieved and downloaded. Whenever national production is evaluated or international output is compared, it is essential to have full information on institutional and country affiliation of every author. As Medline offers only the affiliation of the first author, it is mandatory to combine its results with other databases. Scopus is the obvious choice because it offers common elements in its data schema (such as PMID and Indexterms) and complete information on authors’ affiliation.

Customization and interactivity in university rankings published on the Web

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:12:36 +0200

Since the first decade of the 21st Century, an explosion has occurred in the publication of university rankings. Due to the quantity and variety of initiatives, some authors and institutions reflect on the future development of university league tables which, among other factors, will focus on the use of clusters and the interactivity and customization possibilities that webs allow. This paper describes the main characteristics of these new trends, exemplified by initiatives such as the Centrum für Hochschulentwicklung (CHE), Complete university guide (CUG), and College Navigator of Taiwan. Their advantages and disadvantages are discussed.

Google Scholar: all that glitters is not gold

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:12:28 +0200

After a short historical perspective of bibliographic databases with citations, which allow bibliometric studies, the features of Google Scholar as a possible database for the same purpose are discussed. While Scholar is free and more comprehensive than WoS and Scopus, its use is not recommended for bibliometric analysis, especially for the evaluation of individuals and institutions.

The Aneca effect in the Social science citation index: Spain’s productivity in communication research

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:12:20 +0200

Effects of the evaluation criteria used by assessment agencies on Spanish productivity in communication research. On the one hand, the number of academic journals has increased and their quality has improved; on the other hand the production of Spanish authors in journals indexed in the Social Science Citation Index has spectacularly increased in the last years.

Book citation index: a new take on “big science” and “little science”

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:12:13 +0200

The new bibliometric product announced by Thomson Reuters, Book citation index, is described. The authors discuss how this powerful company can carry out this big project (big science) and also improve its other products, taking advantage of the many studies undertaken by small bibliometric research teams (little science) in previous years. The new index promises to be successful because books are the main communication vehicle in the humanities.

Library analytics: online metrics in web information services

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:12:05 +0200

Introduction to the web analytics concept and its application to library portals. It is proposed to establish the goals the library wants to reach and then to define indicators to measure their achievement, such as number of visits, time connected to the web, conversion to book loans, physical visits to the library, fidelity and suitability of the descriptors to the vocabulary used by users.

Happiness depends on the neighborhood: Spanish journals as source publications in Web of science

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:11:57 +0200

This paper analyzes the situation of Spanish journals in the master journal list of ISI Thomson Reuters’ citation indexes. The changes since 2007 will influence future results of bibliometric indicators of Journal Citation Reports. The presence of Spanish journals has increased significantly, especially in Social Sciences, where it started from a situation of invisibility. However, there are two important constraints in this success: the percentage of Spanish publications remains very limited and not all scientific fields will benefit equally from this progress.

2010 bird’s eye view: scientific publishing, OA, indicators and infometrics

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:11:50 +0200

Review of the scientific publication situation in Europe and especially in Spain. Among other issues, infometrics, indicators, university rankings, databases, WoS and Scopus, and open access repositories are discussed.

The search engine that was something more

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:11:42 +0200

The changes that Google have introduced in the search results for “guessing” user’s preferences, and trying to give results closer to their intended search targets (and also for the sake of advertising), can hinder some uses of the search engine. For example, unlike when it was less “intelligent”, now Google gives biased results toward local information deemed to be nearer to the user, or corrects the spelling of common terms when looking for the unusual ones.

Search analytics: how and what users are looking for

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:11:32 +0200

Some examples of search terms and phrases used by Google users, which are available free of charge on the Google Adwords service, are discussed. The analysis of why and how the public searches for information can offer interesting guidelines for deciding particular subject headings in libraries, and for search engine optimization (SEO) to improve the position of a website in the search engine results pages.

Cataloguing cultural objects and digital dissemination of cultural heritage

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:11:26 +0200

Having observed the progress of museums in the computerization of collections, the author warns about the need to ensure that the cataloguing efforts adopt appropriate technological solutions to produce value on Web 2.0. Metadata should be able to define complex cultural objects much more broadly than the simple description of a single piece or monument. Context and environment information should be added. Formal description processes should not be limited to inside the museum.

New cataloguing rules: steps toward a promising but uncertain future

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:11:18 +0200

The main features of the resource description and access (RDA) standard, published in 2010, are analyzed. Designed to facilitate the capture, storage, retrieval and visualization of data with the most advanced data base technologies, RDA remains compatible with older technology still in use. Its advantages and disadvantages, relationship to other bibliographic standards and some consequences of its implementation are discussed.

Science 2.0: contribution of university libraries

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:11:10 +0200

The report of the Spanish Network of University Libraries (Rebiun) “Science 2.0: implementation of the social web to research” is discussed, and the main websites that allow scientists to cooperate or share in the three facets of research, resources and results are listed. University libraries should play an active role in the 2.0 environment to serve scientific research.

Evolution of the Social Web in 2010

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:11:02 +0200

Short summary of the Web situation in 2010, analysing the situation of 2.0 technologies and their evolution to adapt to the new conditions of creation of, access to and dissemination of information. Taking into account the Spanish society, the most important changes in 2010 and how they can influence the services that libraries offer are described. Finally, some predictions about 2011 are envisaged.

The end of book and the beginning of reading: electronic books and iPad phenomenon

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:10:39 +0200

Ebooks have undergone a spectacular development in the past two years, extending their success beyond the forecasts of specialists. Attest to this digital reading statistics, the growth of the publishing offer, and the increased reading devices sales. One interesting thing has been the emergence of the iPad, a device introduced in early 2010 that, although it is not specifically devoted to reading, it has been discovered as one of the preferred e-readers. The importance of the phenomenon is in the fact that major publishers and authors, and large media groups are producing applications and products for exclusive use in this device. In contrast to static and mimetic reading of traditional books, there are new products and ways of digital reading with multimedia features.

The scientific information ecosystem: structure and aggregation levels

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:10:31 +0200

The structure and characteristics of the main products for accessing scientific information are described. The different types of content, the technology used (assignment and harvesting of metadata, full text indexing, or federated search) and their results are analysed. The products are: bibliographic databases, academic journals portals, repositories, academic search engines, academic metasearch engines, and library metasearch engines.

Mediation and disintermediation in the digital environment: new roles in the ebook chain

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:10:23 +0200

The editorial function has been characterized by a strong systems component, in the sense that all chain elements are closely interrelated in a necessary concatenation. The emergence of digital technologies has led to a breakdown of this logical structure, altering traditional mediation and intermediation systems and allowing the disappearance of some essential elements. Thus, roles such as the publisher or distributor, essential elements in an analog environment, may disappear in some of the models that are being generated. In line with this, new business models are also emerging and new actors in this field, with concurrent advantages which their previous experiences allow them. Amazon, Apple and Google are taking a strong position in the electronic book market.

They who have the data have the power

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:10:16 +0200

The development of online information services that make intensive use of data and information of all kinds, such as social networks, raises questions about their custody and ownership. It also raises legal issues of data protection and privacy. The tension over ownership and use of data is spreading to all areas, and is no stranger either to the world of libraries and archives. This text reflects on this problem.

Wikileaks

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:10:09 +0200

The organization Wikileaks delivered to five international media 250,000 cablegrams that had been sent by U.S. ambassadors in countries around the world to their government. After the media published those most relevant to public opinion, the organization was the subject of cyber attacks tomake it disappear. Likewise, the PayPal account (through which Wikileaks received donations) and the PostFinance bank account (where they maintained its activity) were cancelled. Also they were excluded from internet services like Amazon and were censored in Twitter. In response, a group of activists and hackers named Anonymous released coordinated attacks on MasterCard, Paypal and PostFinance bank on December 8.

Comments in news: online newspapers’ nightmare

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:10:01 +0200

Media have quickly integrated audience participation on their websites, and comments on the news have become very popular. But this participation has produced many problems and discussions. The strategies media have implemented to reduce the problems that arise are described.

Online journalism in 2010

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:09:54 +0200

This radiography of the state of digital media in 2010 pays special attention to the situation in Spain, with references to the international one. The main points are: the crisis of the media, the return to pay-for-content, reading devices for news as the iPad, developments in social media and real time news.

STM information. Multidisciplinary products and services in 2010

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:09:46 +0200

Review of the status of scientific information market in 2010. Presentation of the most relevant multidisciplinary products and services. All major platforms, journal aggregators, bibliographic databases, open access repositories and academic search engines are reviewed.

How to make the Spanish model of public libraries more flexible

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:09:38 +0200

The aim of this paper is to explain some ways of innovation that are being extended to Spanish public libraries, and to consider that these changes require a more flexible model of management and service. To illustrate these new models we describe libraries such as Alhóndiga Bilbao, Cubit at Zaragoza, and Library at Tenerife space for arts (TEA). These libraries have been created with adifferent model, mainly conditioned by their location inside big cultural or arts centres, where they coexist with other cultural services and events.

“Wikipedias” and public libraries. A way to participate in digital local content through “localpedias”

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:09:30 +0200

This paper justifies participation by public libraries in designing and publishing in “localpedias” as a way to promote collaboration in the creation of local content. For this purpose, the “localpedia” concept is explained and some of the main Spanish localpedia experiences described. Finally, some difficulties in consolidating this way of creating and sharing local knowledge are discussed.

Libraries and librarians in search of innovation

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:09:21 +0200

Although information professionals are working with the newer technologies, sometimes little innovation is seen in their services. The innovation skills of professionals and students of library and information science are discussed. The possibilities to be innovative are considered, given the existing structures and senior personnel that sometimes are reluctant to make changes.

Community memory projects and web 2.0 content-oriented libraries

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:09:15 +0200

Reflection on the role of public libraries in the digital information environment. The appropriate digital content niche that concerns libraries working in a collaborative approach with other cultural and local institutions is defined. The need for community-oriented content and crowdsourcing is described. Libraries could act as mediators between local cultural agents to support information quality and licensing in social web sites.

Digital edition and management in the public library

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:09:08 +0200

With the advent of digital books it is recommended that librarians take an active role, defending the rights of citizens to be able to continue enjoying free reading, and also maintaining their own image of being up-to-date professionals. Librarians should know technical, economic and legal details of the publishing world to act on new fronts, such as being literary agents, promoters of issues of local interest or licensing consultants.

Libraries as e-government laboratories

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:09:01 +0200

Given the backwardness of public administrations to implement e-government tools in practice and in everyday life to make life easier for citizens, public libraries prove to be far more advanced, offering both technical infrastructure and advice to their users to search information and to carry out transactions. E-government suffers from technological inefficiency and also reflects little understanding of the transformation of the socio-technical framework and its impact in shaping relationships with citizens.

Libraries: a year of crisis. And transformation?

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:08:54 +0200

This review of major developments in the library world in 2010 analyzes the impact of the global economic crisis through budget cuts to library services, with some examples from the Anglo-Saxon world in contrast to the Spanish case, and its adverse impact on the supply of services, collections and investments. On the contrary, we see continued and rising demand, mainly focused on collections and digital based services. The digitization of collections and the incorporation of electronic books are consolidated as the central elements of the operation and services of all types of libraries.

Information professionals and commitment to development

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:08:47 +0200

The professional commitment of those who work in the information sector goes beyond the exercise of their technical activities. We live in a time when problems are universal. Therefore, we can’t disconnect from our tasks when we leave the workplace. The social reality ethically engages information professionals in cooperative development activities. This text reflects on this commitment and the different ways to carry it out.

Integrated into the research: the embedded librarians

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:08:37 +0200

With desktop availability of electronic publications, researchers have reduced significantly their visits to libraries. A new role for librarians is described: their integration into academic departments, becoming part of research teams. They would perform tasks such as information searching for projects, database management, uploading documents to repositories, writing reports, building and maintaining web sites, preserving datasets, etc.

From ICT to LKT: learning and knowledge technologies

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:08:30 +0200

Librarians and information scientists must seek collaboration with other professionals, not only –as until now– with the computer scientists, but also with teaching experts. In this sense they must talk less about information and communication technologies (ICT) and more about learning and knowledge technologies (LKT). Libraries (school, public, university) do not centralize the information flows anymore, so their work must now be more oriented to user education and training.

Professional facets of audiovisual information

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:08:23 +0200

The new definition of the professional profile of information managers in the digital era cannot be uniformly considered, but will be determined by particular variations in each sector. The specific field of audiovisual production, defined by the ever increasing consumption of image-based digital content and a fragmented market of providers, will require a multi-skill profile that is not always compatible with the former monographic identity of information managers in some organizations. This change will not be viable without the provision of appropriate training opportunities that cover all the main new skills requested by this sector, which are identified in this paper.

Information professionals: is there some progress?

Scipedia content — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 11:08:16 +0200

For years, librarians, record managers and information scientists have seen themselves as outside of the labor market associated with new technologies. It seems that the profession remains mired in the past, rather passive and with little ambition. Certainly information and communication technologies (ICT) applications have been adopted and used, but very few information professionals have taken a leadership role at the level of designing them as one might have expected.