#Metadata Catalog

[thesparrow1996]

the thing that is currently frustrating me about my work is that i have no formal cataloging training beyond a class on very basic marc cataloging which i had mostly already learned from my assistantship. and yet i have two jobs where most of my duties are cataloging or cataloging adjacent but i lack so much of the vocabulary to communicate the concepts even if i know the basic workflow. which results in not feeling like i’ve earned these positions or belong here at all.

[wearelibrarian]

Hey! I'm a fresh-out-of-undergrad prospective MLIS student. I love your blog and am reaching out to ask for any advice you personally have about applying to MLIS programs, and also figuring out your passion within the larger field that is librarianship. No matter how hard I try I keep getting sucked into the cataloguing/metadata side of things, and I'm trying to break free and explore other options. Also, I was wondering if you have any connections to the Fan Culture Preservation Project? For some reason I feel like I've seen you writing about it (or maybe it was ao3cassandraic, who I also follow religiously) and I'm really curious about it.

For applying to LIS degree programs, do some research into what courses and specializations a university offers, and if you’re in the USA see if you can find a solid program in your state. I was accepted into three LIS masters programs. Two of them had solid programs for me, but one was out of state and one was in state - out of state programs mean you’re paying more in tuition. Also, ask about fellowships and assistantships, those can get part of your tuition covered. I chose a program that was in-state and offered me a fellowship to cover 2/3 of my tuition as long as I kept my grades up.

I personally encourage trying to find an in-person program if you can. Online programs can be wonderful, but there’s hands-on experience that you can only get with an in-person degree. If you’d rather do online, see if you can get a job at a library and pursue the degree part time while working. (Some libraries will pay for your LIS masters if you work there full time while taking classes, but don’t count on this.)

For finding your passion in the field, start getting your feet wet in libraries. I STRONGLY discourage jumping straight into a library masters degree without volunteering or working in a library for at least a year first. You could tell who had practical experience and who didn’t among those in my program, and those with experience had fewer struggles when applying to jobs after graduation. A good program will have opportunities to work in libraries on campus while pursuing your degree, and you should try for those jobs, but you really want that practical experience beforehand as well. One piece of advice I got from a friend that was useful: once you start your degree, try to take courses that don’t overlap with your work. For example, if you find work in cataloguing at a library on campus, skip the cataloguing class and take a class on archival preservation or a class on digital curation.

I’m not currently connected to the Fan Culture Preservation Project, I actually hadn’t heard of it until just now.

[naberiie]

oh yes i am having a wonderful sunday. hmm? what am i doing? thinking about knowledge management systems and mental models in the digital age, and how they might evolve as our technology advances (or, honestly, crashes) of course

[jrrtolkiennerd]

Spending the birthday relaxing, and by relaxing I mean building a spreadsheet to catalog our board game collection in preparation for gaming with friends tonight.

[cappurrccino]

[daydreaming about having elias bouchard just hand me a well-paying, fun archive and/or library job at an eccentric little research institution where... sure i can't quit and might get eaten by an eldritch monster, but there's no profit motive and basically free reign to prioritize your own tasks]

[rajaniesh]

Mastering Microsoft Purview Workflow: Revolutionize Your Data Governance

Dive into the world of Microsoft Purview Workflow, a key to mastering data governance. Learn how it automates data integrity, compliance, and collaboration, revolutionizing your organization's data management practices for unparalleled efficiency and sec

[firjii]

Hrmph seriously considering changing music distributors again because one is critically easier to deal with for doing certain things and doesn't charge for re-releases, but HHHHHHHHHH changing distros is So. Much. Work. and the urge to dysfunction about it partway through is. So. Strong.

[hiringlibrarians]

Personal Professional Websites: your premier source for Violet B. Fox info

Personal Professional Websites: your premier source for Violet B. Fox info

Violet Fox is a cataloging & metadata librarian at a large university. She tweets about critical cataloging, zine librarianship, defunding the police, and roadside attractions at @violetbfox. What is your site’s URL? http://violetbfox.info/ What is your tagline or title on your site? your premier source for Violet B. Fox info Briefly, what is the current purpose of your site? To bring…

[riverianepondsims]

SimPrint | Newspapers, payphones, and extras for TS3!

The SimTimes finally found room in their budget for color printing of their newspapers! The bad news is, no one reads them anymore. Maybe they'll start now? In other news, The SimNation Telecom Company has been required by law to reactivate disconnected payphones to promote accessiblity to phone connectivity for all. Here's a quarter - go tell someone who might care! Important info and download 💾 under the cut:

This is an assortment of items that I worked on in 2022 and 2023. Most of this is comprised of different newspaper default replacement sets, the textures of which I converted from a few different creators. Additionally, you will find a few different things here... STC Payphone - Network Connected Original creator: Grande Lama I made this phone fully functional, and added geostates for when the phone is in use and when the handset is back on the hook. I also made this phone available in the in-game world editor, and it's flagged for use in CAW as well, so you can place it in your CAW metadata and use in worlds. It does function off-lot (as photographed!)

Crosley Simlish Serenity Payphone Original creator: ArwenKaboom (for The Sims 4 @TSR) I converted this phone and made it fully functional, and like the abovementioned phone, added geostates. I also added Simlish textures for all of the details and writing on the phone. I included the English ones too for those who might prefer them.

Functional Newspaper Stands and Dispensers Original creators: ATS3, phoebejay, alienpod, Episims, VeganKaktus, Budgie I figured I'd add the textures for the various newspapers to newspaper stands and dispensers that alienpod converted and added their textures to. They require the actual script from PhoebeJay to work. Without it, they will be decorative items. They can also be placed off-lot in the in-game world editor or in CAW. PhoebeJay's mod Simlish Bus Texture Override Original creators: FreshPrince, Lyralei As someone who probably spent half of their uni years on public transit, I was so excited for Lyralei's Bus Manager mod and was happy to test it out while testing my tennis mod. At some point I did a quick Simlish recolor override for the signs, license plates, and side-wraps, and I figured I'd share it now with this set! Lyralei Bus Manager Mod I also threw in a few deco book objects I converted from TS2 quite a while ago that I enjoy using in my lots! The newspaper default replacement texture varieties come from the following TS2 creators: Alienpod: Newspaper Defaults Epi's Sims: Newspaper Default Replacements VeganKaktus: Newspaper Default Replacement

I included replacement textures for both the reading version and the folded up versions of the newspapers. Please note that, like with my tennis default replacements, you can only have one active newspaper default replacement in your game at once. Each default includes both the reading and matching folded version. The variety is there in case you would want to switch it up between different saves and/or worlds! Making these made me so nostalgic for the early 2000s...walking to the store with a payphone outside to make an important call and getting a coke ICEE for the journey to visit grandma who has a Crosley phone in her kitchen...our sims deserve that.

Previews, additional credits, location, prices, and download links: 💾 Download Catalog: SimPrint - riverianepondsims

📰📞🚌

[ober-affen-geil]

@januarydivide this one is for you!

In this post that I added to yesterday I talked about some of what a library degree encompasses, and other people have added in the notes about even more. Also in that post, I said that when I was in college I chose to pursue an archive specialty under the Information Science umbrella, so I'm going to talk about what being an archivist actually is!

First, like STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), there is actually an acronym that covers the Information Science professions: GLAM or GLAMR, Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums and sometimes Records depending on who is using the acronym. I bring this up because explaining what an archive is, and what an archivist does, I've found works best if I compare it to things people already are familiar with.

If anyone has any questions, either about something I didn't answer or something I didn't clarify, please ask! Also, if there are any archivists out there who see this and want to add commentary please do so!

Anyhow. Museums, Libraries, and Archives.

Museums are (mostly) public places you can visit that hold collections made up of objects that visitors can look at but not touch (usually), nor can they be taken home.

Libraries are (mostly) public places you can visit that keep collections of published media that visitors can look at, touch, and take home.

Archives are (mostly) public places you can visit that store collections of unpublished, unique primary source material that visitors can look at, usually touch, but can't take home. Things you will typically find in an archive include letters, diaries, scrapbooks, photos, memos, unpublished drafts, and more. Often "special collections" areas include newspaper archives (sometimes on microfilm) and rare books that are old enough or unique enough that they need specialized care or restricted handling. Just like specialized subject libraries like law libraries or medical libraries, there are archives that are specific to mediums like audio/visual (A/V) archives and digital archives.

The most important thing to keep in mind is, because archive collection materials are by nature completely unique, no archive is the same.

So. What does an archivist do? For perspective, my background is primarily in university collections that are mostly paper based but have a smattering of other materials. Currently I work in a historic home that has a significant paper collection as well as an object collection.

Ultimately, it is the archivist's job to a) make sure the collection materials are actually useable by patrons, b) help people trying to use the collection access it, and c) ensure the long term safety/security of the collection by caring for the materials. (All while remembering that the collection creators were people and their agency needs to be part of the ethical balance.)

Let's break that down.

Making the collection useable. With paper collections, the big step here is what's called "processing"; trying to determine if there is an "original order" that the creator of the collection kept and creating one if there isn't. This also includes shifting the materials into acid free folders and boxes, assigning them internal unique identifiers/shelf locations, and creating a "finding aid" that is similar to the index of a book that has a top-level summary of what's in the boxes/folders. Most times (but not always), this includes creating what's called "metadata" that covers descriptors that helps to catalog the material internally and makes the collection material searchable externally. For A/V material this can also include creating subtitles/transcripts.

Help people access the collection. This is mostly down to being as knowledgeable as possible about the collection(s) that are in the archive, and also a little bit of other collections that have related material. Sometimes people come to the archive knowing exactly what they want, usually tracking a reference from a published source. This is incredibly rare. Usually what happens is people are working on a project and they have a subject area they know they need to research. The archivist's job at that point is to recommend which materials, if any in the collection, would be most helpful for them to look at. Archives are typically also what's called "closed stacks", meaning that the physical materials in the collection are not accessible by anyone but the staff. Requested material is brought out individually to the visitor, and it's the archivist that does this. If the person needs to use special equipment to access the material (a microfilm machine, a reel to reel player, etc) or if the material has special needs associated with it (a book cradle, photographs out of sleeves, textiles or objects, etc) it's the archivist's job to facilitate that.

Caring for the collection. I've put this last, but it is without at doubt the most important part of an archivist's job. This encompasses everything from monitoring for pest activity, ensuring the temperature and humidity of the collection storage area is constant and safe for the materials, cleaning/maintaining materials, and sometimes advocating for funding from within or without the organization that the archive is part of. This can also include raising public awareness of the collection materials by creating exhibits and/or creating handout materials, leading educational sessions/workshops, and maintaining a social media presence.

This is by no means a comprehensive overview of everything that being an archivist is, but it's a taste of some of the things I've been responsible for while I've been one.

[upthewitchypunx]

Just repotted tomatoes and asking friends for more plastic pots to report our ridiculous amount of peppers.

Repotting plants was much more enjoyable than the last few days of wrestling with website metadata.

And now I have 7 new zines to add to the catalog that all arrived today. Ugh, I hate adding new things to the catalog, but I love having new things in the catalog to share with people.

[mdabdurrajjakmia]

#__How_do_search_engines_work?

Search engines are complex software systems that help users find information on the internet. They work by crawling, indexing, and ranking web pages to provide relevant search results when a user enters a query. Here's a high-level overview of how search engines like Google work:

Web Crawling:

Search engines use automated programs called web crawlers or spiders to browse the internet. These crawlers start by visiting a few known websites and follow links from those pages to discover new ones.

Crawlers download web pages and store them in a vast database known as the index. This process is continuous, with crawlers revisiting websites to look for updates and new content.

Indexing:

Once web pages are crawled, search engines analyze the content of each page, including text, images, links, and metadata (e.g., page titles and descriptions).

This information is then organized and stored in the search engine's index. The index is like a massive library catalog that helps the search engine quickly retrieve relevant web pages when a user enters a query.

Query Processing:

When a user submits a search query, the search engine processes it to understand the user's intent. This may involve analyzing the query's keywords, context, and user history (if available).

Search engines use algorithms to determine which web pages are most likely to satisfy the user's query. These algorithms consider various factors like relevance, freshness, and user engagement.

Ranking:

Search engines assign a ranking to each web page in their index based on how well they match the user's query and other relevance factors. Pages that are more relevant to the query are ranked higher.

Ranking algorithms are highly complex and take into account hundreds of signals, such as the quality and quantity of backlinks, page load speed, and user engagement metrics.

Displaying Results:

The search engine then displays a list of search results on the user's screen, usually with a title, snippet, and URL for each result.

Search engines aim to present the most relevant and high-quality results on the first page of results, as users are more likely to find what they need there.

User Interaction:

Search engines also track user interactions with search results, such as clicks, bounce rates, and time spent on pages. This data can be used to refine rankings and improve the search experience.

Continuous Improvement:

Search engines are constantly evolving and improving their algorithms to provide better search results and combat spammy or low-quality content.

It's important to note that different search engines may have their own unique algorithms and ranking criteria, and they may prioritize different factors based on their specific goals and philosophies. Google, for example, uses the PageRank algorithm, among others, while Bing and other search engines have their own approaches.

[girderednerve]

list!!

okay i am heading into my last week at this job, which is also the last week of summer programming, so it is going to be busy & socially fraught (not excited about this!!). i have to make cookie dough and slime with children, and also get through my exit interview with my stupid boss who lied to my face & then impugned my professional integrity when i disagreed with him. HOWEVER this weekend has been pretty great: i made pizza with my partner, we went out to our CSA farm & picked cherry tomatoes & basil & tomatillos & late season blueberries, later we are going to make salsa & pesto & feast upon blueberry bounty. also we watched the gold medal men's basketball game, which was really fun. steph curry at it again, etc.

anyway here is a list of things i am thinking about doing with my pending unemployment, other than panicking about my future & feeling guilty for quitting my stupid job, and obviously applying for other, hopefully less stupid, jobs:

weaving! i got a second heddle & i am going to attempt simple 3x1 twill. i got yarn to make my partner a scarf & hopefully i will have managed it by fall, aka scarf szn. also i have to figure out what i'm doing with the baby blanket i am making for my friend: the fabric is off the loom but the two panels aren't quite identical, so i could either do a big hem (don't want to do this), do some surgery (nervous but probably best option), or wet finish it & then line it with some kind of cute fabric to hide its flaws (i'm considering a couple different spoonflower dragons?). feel free to weigh in if you have Thoughts™

sorting through our books for ones we no longer need & generally tidying up. i find this sort of thing very difficult but it will be good once it is done

drop spindle!! considering getting a cheap 3D printed turkish spindle & seeing if i like that, but also i got some dyed top so i'll be able to see what i'm doing when i try to figure out plying. my dream is to make reasonably cute textured handspun that i can weave into placemats and then mail to my mother

i'm gonna sign up for a class to learn how to do MARC records. i didn't take a dedicated cataloging class in grad school (not required in my program & offered relatively infrequently/at terrible times), just the required one about the general principles. i wanna know how the metadata works

looking at schools. nobody needs two advanced degrees but sometimes it turns out that i am nobody

baking projects! i want pavlova, which is in my opinion an objectively perfect dessert, and also it's coming up on apple season, which means mandatory galette

podfic. i have ideas but as always if you have a thing you want a recording of please feel free to ask

i owe at least one person a letter & i have a stash of fun stationery! i want to write LETTERS let me know if you want one & you might receive one in um. like. a calendar month. i'm a mess but letters are fun!

friend of mine is considering running an old gods of appalachia campaign and i could be annoying about it. i'm considering being soooo annoying about it, like have you ever heard of a better excuse to finish reading all of my appalachian labor history pdfs??

anyway i'm sure i'll end up doing maybe a third of this at best but it's good to have plans. i hope you also have time in your life to do things which are important to you! if you have hobbies you are up to please feel personally invited to tell me about them :)

[scenestamps]

Scenestamps

Scenestamps is an innovative platform dedicated to cataloging and providing detailed information about memorable scenes from movies and TV shows. Scenestamps serves as a comprehensive database for film and TV enthusiasts, offering a unique way to explore, analyze, and contribute to the world of cinematic and television scenes.

The platform features a rich database where each scene entry includes timestamp of the scene, scene summary, featuring dialogue, actions, and significant moments. Accompanied by metadata such as the movie or TV show title, director, release date, and cast, Scenestamps offers a detailed and organized way to delve into specific scenes. Advanced search capabilities allow users to find scenes, dialogues and movies by keywords, while categorization by genre, tags and other relevant criteria ensures easy navigation.

Visit : scenestamps.com

[charlestrask]

tagged by @theclowncowboy thank youuu. true to my word i am doing this because im bored at work

1. are you named after anyone?

named myself so technically yes named after young neil from scott pilgrim. also my middle name is my grandad's.

2. when was the last time you cried?

uhhhh probably a while ago i dont really cry. lets say like a year or two ago. i dont count crying at movies because thats not organically caused by my emotions

3. do you have kids

i WISH. not right now and not for a long time but i would like kids someday...

4. what sport did you play/ have you played?

None ^_^ i like ice skating recreationally

5. do you use sarcasm?

? yes of course

6. what’s the first thing you notice about people?

probably hair im really bad at paying attention to what people look like until i actually know them

7. what’s your eye color?

dark brown

8. scary movies or happy endings?

both :) very odd dichotomy being presented here

9. any talents?

sure i dont keep a list but i would generally say im a pretty capable person. im good at writing...singing..organizing..et cetera

10. where were you born?

scotland :3

11. hobbies?

poetry, collage-making, watching movies, reading, uhhhh making spreadsheets..

12. do you have any pets?

not anymore my cat just died a few months ago

13. how tall are you?

5'1" :/

14. fave subject in school?

like in high school? probably english or math. right now currently it would probably be my metadata class

15. dream job?

some sort of archivist... which is also what i am right now but the dream would be to have an actual full time permanent job. i think the goal rn is to land a cataloging job

i taggg.... @tabiheel @fortheturnstiles @saulgoodmanonlyfans.... and YOU

[pretensesoup]

How to Publish a Book, pt 1

I told @tryxyhijinks I was gonna turn this into a shitpost, so here we go: how to publish an ebook in ten easy steps.

Write the book. This is, believe it or not, the fun part.

Edit the book. Slightly less easy, but you have to do this, no matter what anyone else has told you about "minimum viable product" or what have you. You can force your friends to read it, you can have a program read it aloud to you, you can read it backwards, you can hire someone to line edit your work, you can do some or most of the above, just get it edited. (Additional point: when hiring a professional, if you're happy with the plot, ask for line or copyediting; if you're not sure about plot points, ask for developmental editing; if you just need guidance, you may want to start with an editorial letter.)

Get a cover. You can make one yourself or pay someone to do it. You're going to want it to be about 1600x2500 pixels and 72 dpi. It's good to have a really nice cover, because covers sell books.

Typeset the book. I use Atticus to create an epub file. If you are also doing a print version or you are a control freak, I recommend it. Vellum and Reedsy are about the same, I think. If you have a lot of illustrations--big ones, I mean, not just an author photo--you should beg, borrow, or steal a copy of InDesign. You can use Calibre to compress your output epub file if you want to make sure you earn every available penny. However, my book is 6mb and it is about 8 cents to download. Also, if you're trying to do this on the cheap, you really can just do it in Word. The layout won't be as fancy, but you can do it. (Layout granularity, from least to most granular, is probably Word->Atticus->InDesign.)

If you want to publish under a press name that is not your name, you will need to start a business. Laws around taxes and registration may vary depending on where you are, but in general, you will want to register your name with your state or county registrar (for me, this cost $30 and I had to get a piece of paper notarized). Then you can get a business checking account (for me this part was free--I went through the bank I already have accounts with). In the US, sole proprietorships like this are taxed as pass-through entities, so you will pay personal income taxes on whatever money you make, but you don't have to pay corporate income taxes. If you are publishing books that could possibly get you sued (e.g., The Big Book of Welding While Juggling or Now You're Cooking with Napalm) you may want to form an LLC. Talk to a lawyer.

Open a KDP account. If you hate the Zon and want to only publish somewhere else (Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, whatever), that's fine--the process is about the same. If you think you previously had a KDP account and then didn't use it, search your emails etc. to try to find out, because if they figure that out, they'll close both accounts and then you won't get paid.

Add your new title to the catalog (you will need to add metadata, like your name, series name if there is one, and a description of the book) and set the prices. Unless your book is super big, you'll probably earn more if you select the 70% option. For some reason, I changed a few of the prices. If you're planning to publish on several platforms, I don't recommend this--just set your price in one place and then let it convert those. Otherwise, you'll have to reinput everything over and over, because it's in the terms of service that you need to price things the same on Kobo as you do on Amazon (and so on).

Set the day of publication and tell people about it. Like your mom. Your weird aunt who's always so supportive. Your friend who has been listening to you bitch about how hard writing is for the past six months.

???

Profit.

Q: Hey, I want my book in several online stores, not just Amazon.

A: You have a few options. Draft2Digital/Smashwords and IngramSpark both distribute digitally to various places so you only have to set things up once. But they take a cut of the profit for this service. You can also set up independent accounts with each store and upload your stuff.

Q: What happens in step 9?

A: You know. Meet other indie writers and try to gain their trust. Read a lot. Work on the sequel. Get some sleep, because deadlines are exhausting, even self-imposed ones. Learn about advertising. That sort of thing.

Next time, I'll do the paper side of things.