a scrabble board with "context", "channel", and "systems" played, and "co*tent" in the foreground, ready to be placed on the board.

On content engineering

For over a year, I have been working as a content engineer. It is not an entirely new role for me; I have worked on similar or related tasks in the past. But it is the first time I have concentrated on the trio of content, metadata, and semantics in the preparation, management, and use of content. It is also the first time I have approached my work as a content engineer.

And that is significant, as content incurs particular challenges, and content engineering brings particular practices to bear on those challenges.

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Posted by Kathleen

information specialist. content practitioner. MLIS.
a cactus in a small paper pot sitting next to an empty clay pot.

Research digest: Managing change for CCMS implementations

The transition to a CCMS can be rather prickly. While a transition may be punctuated with any number of challenges, many organizations suffer a similar pain: they emphasize how the technology will change, neglecting to accommodate the cultural dynamics within the organization that may impede the transition. Consequently, the new system may be met with resistance—either passively, with stakeholders struggling to adapt, or actively, with stakeholders opposing the implementation.

An earlier study of a CCMS implementation proposed an approach for assessing and addressing the organizational factors that may disrupt a successful transition. In 2015, I contributed to a study that took this research to practice, applying the recommended assessment during two CCMS projects.

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Posted by Kathleen

information specialist. content practitioner. MLIS.
post-it note array of early neighborhood book exchange questions.

On the value of exploratory research

I don’t know whether neighborhood book exchanges live up to the claims of providing ‘icebreakers’ or ‘literary watercoolers’ for passersby. But I do know that inventorying a book exchange in the early morning rain tends to prompt conversation—at least the “what are you doing?” variety.

After explaining that I was contributing to a study of neighborhood book exchanges, most left it at that. But several probed further: “what’s your hypothesis?”

My answer, ”It’s not that kind of research. It’s exploratory.”, was always received with dubious or dismissive looks.

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Posted by Kathleen

information specialist. content practitioner. MLIS.
a neighborhood book exchange on the corner of a neighborhood intersection

Research Digest: The Rise of Neighborhood Book Exchanges

There is something striking in stumbling upon a small hutch perched by the sidewalk and filled with books. It is unexpected, unusual, charming.

Recently, these neighborhood book exchanges have captivated mainstream media; hundreds of media stories have been published in the last few years. But neighborhood book exchanges have been quietly propagating through North American neighborhoods for twenty years, at least. Why have they suddenly captured so much attention?

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Posted by Kathleen

information specialist. content practitioner. MLIS.
Collection of research journals

Research Digest: Article Submissions & Resubmissions

When seeking to publish a research article, researchers are vying to maximize the visibility and impact of their work. But they must also conceded to pressures to publish. It can be costly in both time and resources to apply for publication. Researchers must seek venues that are likely to publish their work, but that offer the highest attainable visibility.

The strategies and priorities guiding how researchers apply for publication has not been widely studied. In 2009, I joined a team of researchers interested in investigating this process.

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Posted by Kathleen

information specialist. content practitioner. MLIS.
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