David Vess Email & Phone Number

Harrisonburg, Va, Us

Harrisonburg, Virginia

Harrisonburg, Virginia

I start on Halloween but I couldn't resist updating my info.Here's what I aspire to do for JMU Libraries & Educational Technologies (L&ET):The Digital User Experience Librarian will provide leadership in understanding users' technology needs and coordination in enhancing user experiences.* Provide leadership in user research related to web services and public computing within JMU Libraries.* Coordinate and manage web and computing projects to support and enhance our users' online experiences.* Serve as one of two faculty librarians within the Digital Services unit and works closely with all unit members (web manager, designers, programmers, and desktop support staff) to make strategic, iterative, and programmatic web and computing improvements to enhance user experience.* Manage an established usability testing program. Lead efforts to learn about users' technology needs and expectations, working closely with the Planning and Assessment unit. (Anticipated initiatives include but are not limited to increasing libraries’ current use of Google Urchin, Google Analytics, search logs, and direct interactions with users.)* Partner with Public Service and Technical Service units responsible for services, instruction and research. (Anticipated collaborative projects Include mobile computing initiatives, social networking, and online help.)* Supervise Digital User Experience Specialist and report to the Director of Digital Services.* Serve as a liaison librarian to an academic department (Social Work!) with responsibilities for information literacy, collection development, research assistance, and outreach.* Serve on L&ET and University committees. Participate In library-wide activities and represent the Library and the University in a variety of groups and forums.

Responsibilities included: provided direction and support for a team of librarians and research programmers working on a grant funded project sponsored by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) which leveraged and enhanced the locally developed (UIUC Library) Easy Search metasearch family of technologies; engaged in research about user behavior, transaction log analysis, human computer interaction in a search/information need context, and software development processes; advocated for users throughout the software development cycle and nurtured a culture of user-centered design around the project; conducted user studies on prototype systems, analyzed and reported on data gathered from user studies; assisted in transaction log analysis and the characterization of user search behavior; assisted in incorporating identified user’s needs, expectations, and behaviors from the transaction log and user studies into system features and design.

Responsibilities: developed an initial plan for integrating the popular book sharing site, LibraryThing into library catalog for the Undergraduate Library’s popular fiction collection; supported and extended existing efforts of the University Library in the virtual world, Second Life; observed and applied University graphic standards and identity for the library’s presence in Second Life; compiled best practices for academic library engagement in virtual worlds and developed a plan for tools to facilitate that engagement; assisted in the long-term weeding process of the Undergraduate Library print reference collection by comparing the existing, print collection (2906 titles) against a title list (8627) of a popular full-text reference product using automated text manipulation techniques and tools.

Responsibilities: reorganized department’s online resources to better support over fifty selectors in their collection development & fund management duties by examining the departmental charge and assessing constituent need; though liaison work with campus technologies organization (Campus Information Technologies and Educational Services), piloted a wiki to document complexities of collection development in the Library; developed a fiscal calendar illustrating state, university and Library fiscal cycles; converted Office of Collections website into the OpenCMS content management system; observed accessibility standards as put forth by state and federal law; assisted in research project by managing and conducting an online survey for ARL preservation librarians about their profession & training; served as ex officio member of the Large-Scale Digitization Working Group by supplying data from the OCLC collections analysis tool for both the Open Content Alliance and Google Book projects; managed the photography of eighty bronze plaques listing honor role students from drafting the Request for Proposal (RFP) to answering media questions about the project upon completion, processed images of bronze tablets for watermarking and prepared images for conversion into JPEG2000 images for zoomable viewing, loaded images and metadata into ContentDM digital collections system, processed text of names from aggregate departments on campus listed on plaques for search functionality; member of the Library Web Content Swat Team, charged with converting large numbers of Library web pages into the OpenCMS content management system, observing accessibility and XHTML standards; acting as project manager/reader/editor for a book edited by the Associate University Librarian for Collections.

Responsibilities: conducted collection development of web materials in an open and exploratory manner to establish a basis for new collection development model; developed list of groups that maintain web resources and conducted weekly web crawls of those resources; maintained a weekly log of all work conducted; explored preservation aspects of digital collections; established protocols for ongoing acquisition process; monitored library and archive literature for collecting in collecting digital materials.

Responsibilities: provided in-depth and ready reference services to students, faculty, staff, and the general public at reference desk via online chat, instant text messaging, telephone, email, and face-to-face contact; used a wide range of online and print reference tools covering general, humanities, and social sciences; corrected problem citations for interlibrary loan department to assist in locating requested items; identified problem-records in the online catalog and reported problems to the proper department; completed special projects as requested such as weeding reference collection, creation of graphic identity of department signage and name badges; edited training materials on an annual basis.

Responsibilities: though interview of stakeholders, redesigned the site architecture, designed and tested a staff development and training website for diverse group of users that included: library faculty, staff and student worker population; researched library literature and similar library staff training initiatives; gathered and presented diverse resources in an easily navigable user interface; observed accessibility standards as put forth by state and federal law.

Responsibilities: managed art object database; managed preparations for migration to new collection management software; organized digital images of art work for loading into new database; maintained and improved printed artist and object files; extensively used library archives and government documents for provenance research; general art handling responsibilities in the Virginia Capitol Square buildings; use of EmbARK collections management software.

Responsibilities: managed library during evenings; directed student employees on various projects as needed; provided reference and circulation services to diverse body of students, faculty, staff and general public; taught Information Literacy courses on library catalog and a variety of article databases; provided class instruction on Microsoft Office products, troubleshooter for student and faculty problems with computers and printers; use of Notis collection management system.

Responsibilities: assisted in the management of negative, slide and photograph archives; cataloged photographic materials including: objects, events; building documentation and construction projects; managed circulating slide library and circulating photo materials; created, updated and migrated negative database records; developed electronic cataloging and access procedures of photographic archive; created digital scans of images for pubic and internal use; managed projects of one part-time employee, volunteers and interns; primary liaison with public clientele and museum staff concerning all image needs; supported the image research needs of large and small scale museum monographs; assisted the public and museum staff borrow and return materials; improved filing systems and organization of photographic files of event and object photography; assisted with rights and reproduction contracts of museum images; assisted in development of long-term departmental priorities and goals; assisted in departmental purchasing and budget management; demonstrated knowledge of archival procedures; use of RE:Discovery database software, and PhotoShop.

Responsibilities: assisted staff and public with photographic archives; communicated with various museum staff concerning photographic and cataloging and publication projects; organized, cataloged, labeled and filed various photographic materials; corresponded with national and international clientele concerning image reproduction contracts.

Responsibilities: assisted faculty and students with slide collection; maintained a collection of over 250,000 slides; conducted collection development and expansion; worked directly with faculty to support their instructional and research needs; applied Visual Resource Associations standards for cataloging and care of collection; supervised two student workers in daily operation of office; managed departmental purchasing and budget.

Responsibilities: assisted a large number of faculty and students with slide collection holding over 600,000 images; expanded and maintained collection; applied Visual Resource Associations standards for cataloging and care of collection; worked directly with faculty to support their instructional and research needs; use of Macintosh versions of Microsoft Office, Word Perfect, and PhotoShop.

Education record

Bachelor Of Arts, History Of Art

Associate Of General Studies, General Studies