SLA Military Libraries Blog

DTIC Debutes Aristotle

FORT BELVOIR, Va. - The Defense Technical Information Center (DTICR)

launched Aristotle, a professional social networking site for the Department

of Defense (DoD) science and technology (S&T) community.  Aristotle provides

a secure environment for scientists, engineers, researchers and program

managers to network, create and collaborate with other experts in the S&T

community.

Aristotle is a Web-based social media tool that adds a new dimension to

professional social networking for DoD employees. Users not only network

with other individuals; they can link to Topics, Projects and Documents.

Aristotle provides situational awareness of the larger DoD S&T community.

This powerful application helps S&T professionals do their jobs more

efficiently and effectively.  Users can organize and share information, and

collaborate with colleagues around the world on Projects; gather, prioritize

and utilize information; and keep up-to-speed on developments in areas vital

to their work.  Through Aristotle, users have access to DTIC's technical

reports and research summaries.

Federal government and DoD employees and their contractors must register with DTIC to

access Aristotle.  In addition to the security provided by the requirement

to sign on with a userid and password or by using a registered Common Access

Card (CAC), users can assign permissions to everything they create in or

upload to Aristotle. 

To access Aristotle visit: https://www.dtic.mil/aristotle.

To register for DTIC visit: http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/registration/.

DTIC is a DoD Field Activity aligned with the Director, Defense Research and

Engineering (DDR&E).  The premier provider of DoD scientific and technical

information, DTIC has served the information needs of the defense community

for 65 years. 

DoD Hiring Reform Homepage

Whether you are a supervisor struggling to write a job opportunity announcement (JOA) or  new l-school graduate wondering how to apply for a Department of Defense librarian position, the Department of Defense Hiring Reform Homepage may have something for you.

From the homepage: 

On June 30, 2010, DoD launched its Hiring Reform campaign with the delivery of an enhanced Hiring Manager’s Toolkit.  This is a collection of artifacts intended to assist the hiring manager in understanding and executing his or her role in the hiring process.  In close partnership with an HR specialist, the hiring manager can utilize these quick guides and checklists to facilitate the job announcement, selection, and on-boarding processes.  These specific artifacts were developed in close conjunction with a cross-Component working group consisting of hiring managers, HR professionals, & senior leaders.  They can be accessed in the Hiring Manager Job Aides section of this site.  The toolkit includes:

• Hiring Options & Incentives Guides & Matrix
• Hiring Reform “Mission Critical” Campaign Posters
• Hiring Managers Checklist
• Mandatory & Priority Placement Programs Quick Guide

If you will be writing a JOA, checkout the DOD job announement templates.  Althought none of the templates are for a librarian, the hints are still valuable. http://www.cpms.osd.mil/hiringreform/hiring_JOA.aspx

Potential employees may be interested in understanding the proces better.

Did you know there were no more KSAs?

 

DMIL Blog and Announcements Now Available on Twitter

Military Libraries Division is pleased to announce our Twitter account: @SLA_DMIL (http://twitter.com/SLA_DMIL)

Any Board or Committee member wishing to tweet Division news and happenings, please email the webmaster for the account password.

Happy Tweeting!

Associated URL:
http://twitter.com/SLA_DMIL

ollow us via Text Message, too!

Get MLD Announcements and blog updates! Just text 'follow SLA_DMIL' (sans quotes) to 40404 to receive SMS text messages (via Twitter) whenever content is updated.

Standard message rates as deterimed by your wireless provider probably apply. ;-)

2010 Best Practices for Government Libraries--Now Seeking Submissions

Marie Kadell, Sr Information Professional Consultant for LexisNexis, is once again soliciting submissions for her annual Best Practices for Government Libraries.  This year's theme is Value 2.0: Developing It, Delivering It, and Demonstrating It.

This is from Marie's original email.

This is Marie Kaddell, LexisNexis Senior Information Professional Consultant for government librarians and your librarian peer resource at LexisNexis.  I'm inviting you to be one of the authors for the 2010 Best Practices for Government Libraries!  

Why should you contribute to this edition of Best Practices for Government Libraries? 

• Join the list of 75+ peer contributors who have made the annual publication a must-read for the government librarian community
• Showcase your best practices for innovating and creating success in your workplace and beyond
• Enjoy the recognition of being published in Best Practices and via the Government Info Pro

This year, the Best Practices topic is Value 2.0: Developing It, Delivering It, and Demonstrating It.  We seek examples of your efforts to create, provide, and showcase the value of the library and yourself, as an information professional. Your submission could be electronic or hard copy, cutting-edge or time-tested but with a new twist, in place or conceptual, in the workplace or in the community.  In 2010, we look forward to seeing even more of your good ideas!

The scope of submissions is only limited by your imagination. In past years, we have received: program descriptions and promotional materials, planning documents, websites and blog entries, video, displays, original articles, tips and techniques, testimonials, awards, and personal observations on the topic.

I particularly want to encourage you to consider the submission of a short, original article on the topic of VALUE from any angle: library, organization, profession, or personal. 

For the 2010 edition of Best Practices, please submit your electronic documents to marie.kaddell@lexisnexis.com or mail hard copy contributions to Marie Kaddell, LexisNexis,

Suite 600

1150 Eighteenth Street, NW

Washington, D.C. 20036

The deadline for submission is April 7, 2010.

This is your opportunity to step into the spotlight! Take advantage of it and share your successes, your ideas, and your wisdom. I am looking forward to seeing a broad spectrum of content again this year and I hope you will make it a point to participate.

Share! Write! Get Published!

http://www.governmentinfopro.com/federal_info_pro/2010/02/a-reminder-to-government-librarians--------you-are-invited-to-be-one-of-the-authors-for-the-2010-best-practices-for-govern.html

Army Launches Software Application Development Challenge "Apps for the Army"

$30,000 in employee cash awards for web and mobile application development

The Pentagon, Arlington, VA (March 1st, 2010) - Today the Army announced its first internal applications development challenge, dubbed Apps for the Army or A4A.  Open to all Soldiers and Department of the Army civilians, A4A offers Army personnel the opportunity to demonstrate their software development skills and creativity.  In return, the Army hopes to improve its current capabilities or to add new ones - all through the ingenuity of its people. 
 
"We're building a culture of collaboration among our Army community to encourage smarter, better and faster technical solutions to meet operational needs," said Army Chief Information Officer/G-6 Lt. Gen. Jeff Sorenson.
 
"Soldiers and Army civilians will be creating new mobile and web applications of value for their peers-tools that enhance warfighting effectiveness and business productivity today," Sorenson said.  "And, we're rewarding their innovation with recognition and cash."
 
Participation in A4A is limited to the first 100 Army personnel (active duty, Army Reserve and Army National Guard on active duty, and civilians) who enroll.  Teamwork is encouraged but not required.  The Army will recognize the top submissions at the LandWarNet Conference in August 2010.  Winners will receive monetary awards; the total cash pool is $30,000.
 
A4A applications may tackle any aspect of Army IT - distributed training, battle command, career management, continuing education, or news and information distribution, for example.  A4A will further deviate from traditional development practices by utilizing the latest in collaborative development media.   
 
"Apps for the Army features an innovative cloud computing service for participants to use during software creation," Sorenson noted.  "This is key because it eliminates the constraints of hardware provisioning prior to prototype evaluation."
 
The service, provided by the Defense Information Systems Agency and known as the Rapid Access Computing Environment (RACE), offers access to on-demand virtual Windows and Linux development environments.  Participants will be able to pursue Web application development using all available programming languages supported by Windows Server and the Linux, Apache, MYSQL and PHP (LAMP) frameworks.  They also will be able to build emulated Blackberry, iPhone and Android applications.  
 
Forge.mil will serve as the collaborative software repository for competing teams.  The tools inherent in milBook and AKO will facilitate the cross-pollination of ideas, problems and solutions relevant to the Apps for the Army initiative.
 
The registration form, rules and instructions are located at the Apps for the Army Web site on the AKO portal: http://www.army.mil/ciog6/armyapps.  Rolling registration begins March 1, 2010.  Apps must be submitted by May 15, 2010.  Questions can be addressed to CIO/G6ArmyApps@conus.mil.
 
A media and bloggers' roundtable will take place March 3 at 1:30 pm in the Pentagon, Room  1E462.  To attend the roundtable in person, or if you plan to call in, please contact: Ms. Ashley McCall-Washington at 703-614-1649 or ashley.mccall1@us.army.mil
 
For general media inquiries, please contact: Margaret McBride, 703-693-3067, margaret.mcbride@us.army.mil.

DOD Policy on Social Networking Services

Directive-Type Memorandum (DTM) 09-026 - Responsible and Effective Use of Internet-based Capabilities, February 25, 2010

This memorandum establishes DoD policy and assigns responsibilities for responsible and effective use of Internet-based capabilities, including social networking services (SNS) [Internet-based capabilities. All publicly accessible information capabilities and applications available across the Internet in locations not owned, operated, or controlled by the Department of Defense or the Federal Government. Internet-based capabilities include collaborative tools such as SNS, social media, user-generated content, social software, e-mail, instant messaging, and discussion forums (e.g., YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Google Apps)]. This policy recognizes that Internet-based capabilities are integral to operations across the Department of Defense.

The Non-Classified Internet Protocol Router Network (NIPRNET) shall be configured to provide access to Internet-based capabilities across all DoD Components. Commanders at all levels and Heads of DoD Components shall continue to defend against malicious activity affecting DoD networks (e.g., distributed denial of service attacks, intrusions) and take immediate and commensurate actions, as required, to safeguard missions (e.g., temporarily limiting access to the Internet to preserve operations security or to address bandwidth constraints)."

Deployment Internet Support Center

Military Libraries and Information Centers are treasure troves of information just waiting ot be discovered and shared.  The Deployment Internet Support Center at the Bigss Library and and Information Center at Ft Eustis is one such site. 

The site's purpose is

Provides the accelerated delivery of critical deployment knowledge and transportation training using current and emerging doctrine and resources that address issues affecting the worldwide deployment community; assists US Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers with discrete information needs for curriculums on pre-deployment and theater force projection; contains links to digitized, on-line references in both graphic and text media; provides the  capability to submit information requests and feedback on-line and to receive timely responses and appropriate referrals; collects and provides access to a variety of current and historical resources, including Army transportation operations and  training events.  This includes lessons learned, after action reports, and oral history transcripts concerning selected training exercises and contingency operations for he intended use by military commanders, researchers and staff and students of the Army Transportation School. 
 

Report: Social Networking in Government: Opportunities & Challenges, Human Capital Institute, January 2010

From the Executive Summary

Social networking (SN) has become the new online rage. Blogs, wikis, RSS feeds and social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn have provided creative ways to recruit, engage, connect and retain employees. They have also provided an opportunity to facilitate strategic knowledge sharing across organizations and government agencies. Most SN tools are Web-based and provide a variety of ways for users who share interests and/or activities to interact. Users can share best practices and build communities of practice. These tools provide email and instant messaging services — constant connectivity. SN tools can help with the current challenges facing today’s government agencies such as brain drain from a retiring workforce, the need to create inter-agency knowledge sharing and an increased need to imbed talent tools where the work is getting done."

Read the full report.

New GAO Reports Available

Several new GAO  Reports are available:

Afghanistan and Pakhistan:  Oversight of US Agency Efforts-GAO 09-1015T http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d091015t.pdf

Homeland Defense:  U.S. Northern Command Has a Strong Exercise Program, but Involvement of Interagency Partners and States Can Be Improved  GAO 09-849 http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09849.pdf

Military Base Realignments and Closures: Transporation Impact of Personnel Increases Will Be Significant, but Long-Term Costs Are Uncertain and Direct Federal Support Is LimitedMilitary Base Realignments and Closures: Transporation Impact of Personnel Increases Will Be Significant, but Long-Term Costs Are Uncertain and Direct Federal Support Is Limited  GAO 09-750 http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09750.pdf

United States Merchant Marine Academy: Internal Control Weaknesses Resulted in Improper Sources and Uses of Funds; Some Corrective Actions Are Under Way,GAO-09-635 http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09635.pdf

Information Technology: DOD Needs to Strengthen Management of Its Statutorily Mandated Software and System Process Improvement Efforts, GAO-09-888

 http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09888.pdf

 

Military Services Differ on the Social Media Sites that can be Accessed

As DoD solicits the public for input on its social media policiies, an article in Stars and Stripes discusses the discrepancies among the armed services.  In general, the Marines are the most restrictive.  The Air Force encourages airmen to access certain sites, while precluding their access from work PCs.  The Army, Navy, and perhaps DOD allow access to Twitter and Face Book.  None of the services allow access to You Tube or the seemingly rapidly fading My Space.  Read the complete article to find out more.