text:
On 1st December, DSS held a Town Hall meeting in the Special Events Room of McKeldin Library; all UMD Library staff were invited to attend. Questions were submitted prior to the meeting via an online form with the opportunity for in-person questions on the day.
The meeting began with an introduction by Trevor Munoz since Babak Hamidzadeh was unable to attend. This interactive conversation between DSS and other divisions is supported by a monthly blog: DigiStew.
Department updates followed
Robin Pike – DCMR [Digital Conversion & Media Reformatting]
- Digitization projects for FY17 are on track
- Rebecca Wack, Digital Projects Librarian, will begin work in January
- Scott Pennington continues to manage a Mellon Grant funded digitization project
- Eric Cartier has been planning 2017 in-house digitization
- Mary Dulaney is assisting with fundraising opportunities
Kate Dohe – DPI [Digital Programs & Initiatives]
- The cross-divisional digital preservation team is due to report in early 2017.
- Josh Westgard has been working on migrating content into ArchiveSpace
- E-publishing: one faculty and one student-run journal will be published
- Terps Publish is a new student publishing event to be piloted in 2017
- ICDL and the Health Equity repository is near completion
Ben Wallberg – SSDR [Software Systems Development & Research]
- An Annual Staffing Request application to replace spreadsheets will roll out next week. Andrea White will conduct training.
- Hippo upgrades: version 10 is due in January, version 11 in the spring. Hippo will release version 12 in the summer. This will bring us up to date; annual upgrades will follow.
- Libi migration: development is paused while the Libi Advisory Team consult with, and get feedback from, divisions. Development work will resume in February. Two standalone applications, Student Applications and Idea Board, will be released next year.
- Website stability has improved following work with USS on server improvements.
David Dahl – CLAS [Consortial Library Applications Support]
- USMAI now has 17 members: Loyola/Notre Dame joined in the summer and their migration to Aleph is due for completion in January.
- Aleph will be the ILS for the foreseeable future. CLAS is monitoring potential new systems.
- The USMAI Data Collection and Analysis Working group will produce a report in January.
- The pilot institutional repository is ending. Further plans are in progress.
Uche Enwesi – USS [User & Systems Support]
- USS supports over 1000 machines and 60 printers
- USS have have received over 7700 calls in the helpdesk and USS have closed over 5500 service requests.
- Work continues with Div IT to manage desktop machines using SSCM to push out upgrades.
- Makerspace: USS driven printing is decreasing while training is increasing: the trend is for self printing. Andy Horbal and Preston Tobery are working with professors to integrate 3-D printing into the curriculum.
- The public and TLC machines have been upgraded; staff upgrades are now in line.
- Researching VDI technology to deploy a new machine image quickly and smoothly.
- Researching Mobile printing for smart-phones and tablets is being investigated for used with pay for print.
- Additional training on Google Suite will take place in December.
- Exploring the possibility of Windows 10 for staff and public use. Asking staff if they are interested to test out Windows 10 to contact DSS helpdesk.
Trevor Muñoz – MITH [Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities]
- Synergies among African American History and Culture, and Digital Humanities (AADHUM) multi-year initiative
- Digital Humanities incubators (part of AADHUM): training begins in January
- Documenting the Now – social media research continues
Next, managers answered questions that were submitted ahead of time
Q Do we know everything DSS does so we can say which ones need to be discontinued? What are DSS priorities?
Judi read out Babak's response:
We have a list of projects and all managers are aware of their initiatives and operations. Our priorities really boil down to what the units in DSS do. Much of what DSS does is driven by priorities and demand from other Divisions and is coordinated with other divisions.
Q Everything in the Libraries nowadays is technology related. Sometimes decisions are made in DSS without any input from the rest of the Libraries. Sometimes it feels as if DSS is very self-centric and makes decisions for all of us without any input.
Judi read Babak's answer:
The bulk of what DSS does is driven by priority and demand from other divisions in Libraries. There are projects that DSS initiates, within its mandate, with other units on Campus, or on its own as part of a known DSS service. There may be cases where better communication and coordination is needed. If those cases are raised, we would appreciate it and will try to respond to them and improve communication.
Q Why is the ITD sign still on the main stairwell door?
Judi: a new sign has been ordered.
Q What is the status of upgrade to Fedora 4? And the upload of the backlog of materials that are ready for entry into University AlbUM?
Kate: The Diamondback has been released to DPI and will be imported into Fedora 4.
Migration of existing content is being planned for 2017; stakeholders are being consulted.
Partnering with SSDR:
- The Fedora 4 administrative interface for collection managers, tentatively named Archelon, is due early in 2017.
- Work continues on a newspaper viewer enabling users to clip, download a newspaper article and use OCR with the image. A demo is coming soon. The intent is to repurpose this open source software for other applications.
DPI, USS and SSDR analysed Fedora 4 storage needs and solutions: recommendations are due in 2017.
Q I'd like to know about the role of the data services librarian (i.e. Karl's old position). This type of service is interesting and I am always looking to learn more about library/researcher collaboration/interaction.
Kate: The search is underway; this position is intended to play an active role in data management serving the needs of Maryland faculty.
Q I think DSS should help us develop a more comprehensive tool for analyzing our subscribed resources – databases and journals. The work that was led by Mark Hemhauser was great, but needed tweaking. This year's serials review abandoned the great work that Mark started, and it was a step back. We are spending so much money on collections, and it is sad that we are not trying to do some more comprehensive evaluation of the use, cost, etc. Mark's work was a good start. What happens after a person has left the organization?
- How do we support applications that are not ready to go into full production? Send in a helpdesk ticket if you would like to set up a sandbox or trial to see whether you like an application. No support or backups are provided with sandboxes; it is a quick way to see how an application works. If the sandbox test is successful, then full production is considered.
- Tracking applications: we write a Service Level Agreement [SLA]. This is a process for both parties to set out expectations, timelines and periodic reviews. Documentation is amended when a person leaves the Libraries.
- In this case the documentation shows that the application started as a pilot, moved into production, was monitored, assessed and data was downloaded. Stakeholders agreed to decommission the production application.
David: The USMAI Data Collection and Analysis working group have conducted an initial investigation of USMAI's data needs for reporting and assessment purposes. USMAI's new Acquisitions & Licensing Coordinator is leading an initiative to identify an ERM [Electronic Resource Management system] to aid license management and cost analysis.
Q Is Aleph here to stay? What happened with testing on circ/print functions before the upgrade to Aleph v22?
David: The short answer is yes, Aleph, is here to stay. An email update was distributed this morning with more details. CLAS team continue to maintain and enhance Aleph to support the consortium's work.
Aleph upgrade:
- First upgrade in 6 years; CLAS carried out a review of the migration.
- Each USMAI campus has responsibility for testing locally
- Future upgrades will emphasise the need for local testing, especially for printing and unique workstation setups.
Q Messages from DSS to USMAI are not conveyed to Library staff. Only people subscribing to the USMAI reflector get to know them. Shouldn't someone inform UMD Libraries Staff of USMAI initiatives/updates/etc?
- The CLAS team communicate with USMAI; each USMAI campus communicates with its staff
- UMD Campus Contacts are Angie Ohler and Tim Hackman
- Circulation, electronic resources, and other functional contacts should use judgement to forward to Library staff as necessary. Any staff member may join USMAI Communities of Interest, which are listed on the USMAI Staff Site (usmai.umd.edu/groups)
- CLAS is looking at our systems for facilitating communication and collaboration within the consortium
Q When will you transfer the conference rooms from Exchange to Google Calendar?
Uche: this has already happened. Room owners have been contacted by USS.
Q I would like you to confirm times for on-site and/or virtual Help Desk visits (re: troubleshooting, software updates, hardware replacement)
Uche: USS contact staff via email and leave a phone message if necessary. In cases where Div IT inform of a security issue, USS will take control immediately. In case where we do not need the user input, USS staff will take control and fix the problems.
Q I would like you to make sure staff images have up-to-date versions of software (ILLiad, Ares, etc.) so that we don't need to submit upgrade tickets for new machines / new staff.
Uche: We are working with Div IT to use SSCM which will push out upgrades so that all machines have the same image.
Q Why do you close helpdesk tickets before confirming that the problem has been resolved?
Uche: Let Uche or Cece know if this happens to you. Re-open the helpdesk ticket if necessary.


text:
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Considering Different Design Elements for a Log Cabin Home in Houston, TX
The idea of investing in a Log Cabin Home in Houston TX sounds great, but there are some details that need to be settled before the construction begins. Doing so will ensure the home provides everything the owner needs now and quite a bit of what will be needed in the years to come. Here are some examples of what to consider before starting the construction.
Determining the Number of Bedrooms
How many bedrooms are needed to ensure the Log Cabin Home in Houston TX is large enough for the family? Along with planning for each person to have a room, remember to add one or two extra. Doing so ensures that, if loved ones come to spend the weekend, everyone has a place to sleep.
How About the Bathrooms?
Having enough bathrooms is also something to consider. Many people like the idea of a private bath that is accessed from the master bedroom. A second bathroom may be positioned so it is easy for those who sleep in the other bedrooms to reach when the need arises. Consider adding a third bathroom off the main living area of the home. That will make it much easier for guests to use the facilities and get back to the party without missing a beat.
Separate or Combined Dining and Living Areas?
Many log cabin home designs sport a more open floor plan. This would mean the inclusion of what is known as a great room rather than separate living and dining rooms. This open approach does make it easier to experiment with the furniture arrangement. When the kitchen is positioned so it's possible to open directly into the great room, even those who are busy preparing food can participate in conversations.
Before making any solid plans for that new home, take a moment and visit us to website. Check out some of the layouts already offered and contact a professional to see what other ideas can be included in the designs. With a little time and planning, it is possible to come up with something that fits the needs of the family today and also allows for whatever the future may bring.


text:
Your crawl from rags to riches,
From broken pathways of mud,
Running like streams through harvested fields,
To sovereign bungalows looking over the Capital's naval,
Gorging on the country's yields,
Was balanced on your labor wheels,
Yet, what ignited your engine for the victorious path,
Were blessings from a million hearts,
Many a brother of yours might have toiled more hard,
But, power awaited you, your ambitions shone right from the start,
Into bureaucratic caves with the nation over phones,
Your lifetime opportunity to eat to the bones,
The crouching tiger, snarling hungry, beating years,
Is now unlocked, unchained served with meat,
Will he only eat only whatever's served?
Or, will he hunt down darling helpless babies, call a curfew?
Your hungry past has stirred you so well in that greedy beer,
You're scoring acres in ripening lands, blinded you're poisoning our future,
Or maybe it's your plan to relieve the nation, slash the burden of its poor,
Let's see how high you soar,
The Mother's curse shall soon break your oars,
Let your sins mount, breathes heavy this blood-stained topography,
Trust me you'll be painted naked on wall graffiti,
Stripped off, your serious mask of philanthropy…
(An enraged expression directed at a corrupt governmental machinery, responsible for the recent headlines :
"22 children die after eating mid-day meal in Bihar school"
"Autopsies find insecticide in food given to Bihar school kids"
Image Credits:


text:
Faculty ProfilesBack
Farh, Jiing-Lih Larry
Honorary Professor,
ABN AMRO Chair in Management, CEIBS
Dr. Jiing-Lih Larry Farh is Honorary Professor and ABN AMRO Chair in Management at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS). Prior to joining CEIBS, he was Chair Professor of Management at the School of Business and Management, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Dr. Farh received his Ph.D. in Organisational Behaviour and Personnel from Indiana University at Bloomington. His current research focuses on management theories as adapted and practiced in Chinese contexts. He is best known for his seminal works on Chinese leadership (paternalistic leadership model), organisational citizenship behaviour in Chinese contexts, guanxi and trust, and how personal values of traditionality and power distance affect employee work behaviour. He has published more than 50 articles in top international management journals, such as Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, Organisation Science, Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Management, Journal of Vocational Behaviour, and Organisational Behaviour and Human Decision Processes. His scholarly works have been impactful with over 12,000 Google Scholar citations, and over 3,200 Web of Science citations. His co-edited book with Xiao-Ping Chen and Anne Tsui on research methodology for Chinese management research published by Peking University Press is the best-selling methodology text book in graduate management studies in China.
Dr. Farh co-founded the International Association for Chinese Management Research (IACMR), the largest scholarly association devoted to the promotion of management research in China. He was President of IACMR (2014-2016) and the Program Chair of its 5th Biennial Conference in Hong Kong in 2012. He currently serves on the Advisory Boards for Management and Organisation Review and Academy of Management Discoveries. He was recipient of the Citation of Excellence Award from Emerald Management Review in 2013 and 2015. He also was a Keynote Speaker for Asian Academy of Management Biennial Conference in 2015 and for IACMR Biennial Conference in 2016.
* Ph.D., Organisational Behaviour & Personnel, Indiana University
* M.B.A., Personnel Management, National Chengchi University
* B.S., Psychology, National Taiwan University
* Leadership in Chinese contexts
* Cultural values and business ethics
* Organisational citizenship behaviour
* Team motivational processes
* Organisational behaviour
* Leadership in organisation
* Human resource management
* Behavioural research methods


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As the returns come in, many media outlets will begin sharing exit poll data.
Studies of the last four presidential elections have shown these exit polls to be tremendously skewed towards the Democrat -- meaning that they showed a much greater percentage of the vote going to the Democrat than the actual results.
With this in mind, NewsBusters readers are warned to take them with a grain of salt.
Below the fold is a memo concerning this matter from the polling organization Public Opinion Strategies:
As we have seen in previous election cycles, the exit poll results do leak early and that ends up influencing the coverage of the race before even the first state polls close at 6:00 PM Eastern. [...]
Here are the key points to keep in mind when the exit poll data starts being leaked:
1. Historically, exit polls have tended to overstate the Democratic vote.
2. The exit polls are likely to overstate the Obama vote because Obama voters are more likely to participate in the exit poll.
3. The exit polls have tended to skew most Democratic in years where there is high turnout and high vote interest like in 1992 and 2004.
4. It is not just the national exit poll that skews Democratic, but each of the state exit polls also suffers from the same Democratic leanings.
5. The results of the exit polls are also influenced by the demographics of the voters who conduct the exit polls.
After the 2004 election, the National Election Pool completed a study investigating why the exit polls that year showed John Kerry over performing 5.5 net points[1] better than the actual results showed him to have done. Their conclusion was that the primary reason the exit polls was that Kerry voters and Democrats were more likely to participate in the exit polls.
"Our investigation of the differences between the exit poll estimates and the actual vote count point to one primary reason: in a number of precincts a higher than average Within Precinct Error most likely due to Kerry voters participating in the exit polls at a higher rate than Bush voters. There has been partisan overstatements in previous elections, more often overstating the Democrat, but occasionally overstating the Republican."[2] (Emphasis added)
We believe that this will hold true this year. The recent Fox News survey[3] showed that 46% of Obama voters said they were very likely to participate in the exit polls, while just 35% of McCain supporters are.
In fact, even the 2004 exit poll report noted that higher turnout nationally and higher levels of voter interest in both 1992 and 2004 correlated with greater Within Precinct Error.[4]
The overstating of the Democratic vote did not only occur in the national exit polls, but also occurred in the state exit polls. The 2004 exit poll report cited that the Kerry vote was overstated by more than one standard error in 26 states, while the Bush vote was overstated in just four states.[5] So we should also expect the individual state exit polls on Tuesday to be more Democratic as well.
So given that turnout is expected to be even higher than 2004 and that Democrats are more likely to participate in the exit polls, this means we should expect greater fluctuation and variation in the exit polls from the actual election results.
The 2004 exit poll report also showed that the greatest error in the exit poll came in precincts where the interviewer was younger. The completion rates were lower and the refusal rates and Within Precinct Error was higher when the interviewers were under the age of 35.[6] Complicating this is that nearly half the interviewers were under the age of 35, including 35% who were 18-24 and another 15% were 25-34.[7]
Based on the previous exit poll results, we should expect once again that Tuesday's exit poll data could overstate the Obama vote and under represent the McCain vote.
[1] Evaluation of Edison/Mitofsky Election System, Page 20
[2] Evaluation of Edison/Mitofsky Election System, Page 3
[3] http://www.foxnews.com/projects/pdf/103008_poll.pdf
[4] Evaluation of Edison/Mitofsky Election System, Page 35
[5] Evaluation of Edison/Mitofsky Election System, Page 3
[6] Evaluation of Edison/Mitofsky Election System, Page 43
[7] Evaluation of Edison/Mitofsky Election System, Page 52
Something to bear in mind is that given the race element this year, exit polls could be even more skewed towards the Democrat than usual.
To give you an idea why, just imagine how difficult it might have been for exit pollsters to find folks willing to admit they voted for McCain with these two Black Panthers standing by the front door of the polling station at 1221 Fairmount Avenue in Philadelphia: