Pushing the Boulder, Pushing the Envelope: Embracing the Iterative Nature of Improving Metadata

Violet Fox, creator of The Cataloging Lab, gave the keynote presentation for the inaugural Metadata Justice in Oklahoma Libraries & Archives where she encouraged metadata and archives professionals to keep up the important work, no matter the pace of the work

Authority Work as Outreach

Authority control in libraries has always been a collaborative effort, but that collaboration has usually been among librarians. Librarians have considered themselves the experts on forming data strings that hewed to an exacting set of standards opaque to all but a small number of gatekeepers who have been through NACO training. In the process of creating personal name authority records, NACO participants usually do not attempt to contact people for whom authorized names are being established, even when the person is known to be alive and contact information is readily available. The exception is when additional information (such as year of birth or middle initial) is needed to differentiate that person from others with the same name. Sending such a query to a creator requires providing a basic explanation of authority control, so NACO participants often develop scripts or templates for this purpose. This chapter looks at existing practices of contacting creators and the outcomes of these practices, and argues that attempting to consult with individuals about their authorized name and data in their authority record should become a standard part of the name authority control process for personal names. The chapter goes on to explore contacting creators not only as a way to ensure the authenticity of the data in the authority file, but as a rare opportunity to highlight the efforts of technical services librarians. The act of explaining authority control principles and asking for creators’ assistance in ensuring accurate information should be viewed as outreach, demonstrating how the work of libraries benefits creators by representing them accurately and facilitating access to their work. Regarding authority work as a collaborative partnership, both in advocacy to creators and managing their identity along with them, will reframe our practice as one of a truly collective process. Approaching personal name authority work as a partnership in which libraries collaborate with creators to promote and implement sound identity management practices will help to us address one of the main ethical questions in name authority control

Best Practices for Cataloging Video Games Using RDA and MARC21

While a cataloger with experience handling different formats will find that many concepts extend to video games, there are a few ‘quirks’ to the format that those unfamiliar with video games should know about

Letter to NLM about MeSH

A letter written to the National Library of Medicine addressing concerns regarding the problematic medical subject heading, Blacks , other problematic terms, and the process by which they are selected. The letter concludes with recommendations for improvement by the authors and endorsed by several hundred signatories. In total, the letter was signed by 726 library workers from around the world and sent by email to National Library of Medicine representatives on Friday, June 10th, 2022. In addition, it was also shared with the Medical Library Association which distributed it through their website under the op-ed, Open Letter to NLM Regarding MeSH Term Changes and later as an MLAConnect post titled, NLM Responds to Librarians’ Open Letter re: MeSH Term Changes

Optimisation and Validation of a conventional ELISA and cut-offs for detecting and quantifying anti-SARS-CoV-2 Spike, RBD, and Nucleoprotein IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies in Uganda.

There is an urgent need for better immunoassays to measure antibody responses as part of immune-surveillance activities and to profile immunological responses to emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. We optimised and validated an in-house conventional ELISA to identify and quantify SARS-CoV-2 spike- (S-), receptor binding domain- (RBD-), and nucleoprotein- (N-) directed IgG, IgM, and IgA binding antibodies in the Ugandan population and similar settings. Pre- and post-pandemic specimens were used to compare the utility of mean ± 2SD, mean ± 3SD, 4-fold above blanks, bootstrapping, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses in determining optimal cut-off optical densities at 450 nm (OD) for discriminating between antibody positives and negatives. "Limits of detection" (LOD) and "limits of quantitation" (LOQ) were validated alongside the assay's uniformity, accuracy, inter-assay and inter-operator precision, and parallelism. With spike-directed sensitivity and specificity of 95.33 and 94.15%, respectively, and nucleoprotein sensitivity and specificity of 82.69 and 79.71%, ROC was chosen as the best method for determining cutoffs. Accuracy measurements were within the expected CV range of 25%. Serum and plasma OD values were highly correlated (r = 0.93, p=0.0001). ROC-derived cut-offs for S-, RBD-, and N-directed IgG, IgM, and IgA were 0.432, 0.356, 0.201 (S), 0.214, 0.350, 0.303 (RBD), and 0.395, 0.229, 0.188 (N). The sensitivity and specificity of the S-IgG cut-off were equivalent to the WHO 20/B770-02 S-IgG reference standard at 100% level. Spike negative IgG, IgM, and IgA ODs corresponded to median antibody concentrations of 1.49, 3.16, and 0 BAU/mL, respectively, consistent with WHO low titre estimates. Anti-spike IgG, IgM, and IgA cut-offs were equivalent to 18.94, 20.06, and 55.08 BAU/mL. For the first time, we provide validated parameters and cut-off criteria for the in-house detection of subclinical SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccine-elicited binding antibodies in the context of Sub-Saharan Africa and populations with comparable risk factors

Rapid, early, and potent Spike-directed IgG, IgM, and IgA distinguish asymptomatic from mildly symptomatic COVID-19 in Uganda, with IgG persisting for 28 months.

INTRODUCTION: Understanding how spike (S)-, nucleoprotein (N)-, and RBD-directed antibody responses evolved in mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 in Africa and their interactions with SARS-CoV-2 might inform development of targeted treatments and vaccines. METHODS: Here, we used a validated indirect in-house ELISA to characterise development and persistence of S- and N-directed IgG, IgM, and IgA antibody responses for 2430 SARS-CoV-2 rt-PCR-diagnosed Ugandan specimens from 320 mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases, 50 uninfected contacts, and 54 uninfected non-contacts collected weekly for one month, then monthly for 28 months. RESULTS: During acute infection, asymptomatic patients mounted a faster and more robust spike-directed IgG, IgM, and IgA response than those with mild symptoms (Wilcoxon rank test, p-values 0.046, 0.053, and 0.057); this was more pronounced in males than females. Spike IgG antibodies peaked between 25 and 37 days (86.46; IQR 29.47-242.56 BAU/ml), were significantly higher and more durable than N- and RBD IgG antibodies and lasted for 28 months. Anti-spike seroconversion rates consistently exceeded RBD and nucleoprotein rates. Spike- and RBD-directed IgG antibodies were positively correlated until 14 months (Spearman's rank correlation test, p-values 0.0001 to 0.05), although RBD diminished faster. Significant anti-spike immunity persisted without RBD. 64% and 59% of PCR-negative, non-infected non-contacts and suspects, exhibited baseline SARS-CoV-2 N-IgM serological cross-reactivity, suggesting undetected exposure or abortive infection. N-IgG levels waned after 787 days, while N-IgM levels remained undetectable throughout. DISCUSSION: Lower N-IgG seroconversion rates and the absence of N-IgM indicate that these markers substantially underestimate the prior exposure rates. Our findings provide insights into the development of S-directed antibody responses in mild and asymptomatic infections, with varying degrees of symptoms eliciting distinct immune responses, suggesting distinct pathogenic pathways. These longer-lasting data inform vaccine design, boosting strategies, and surveillance efforts in this and comparable settings

Negotiating Freedoms: Women Experience Homelessness in Eugene, OR

This research includes a literature review, historical background and policy overview, as well as three interviews with women experiencing homelessness, and two interviews with shelter staff in Eugene, Oregon. The purpose of this research is to inquire into the unique nature of women’s homelessness using feminist ethics and urban anthropological methods. Notable facets of existing research include postfeminist and neoliberal perspectives, issues in defining “homelessness,” worthiness, mental health, domestic violence, and much more. This paper offers a place-based approach that is meant to lead to more specific and achievable local change for women in the Eugene homeless community. The findings include a rich and diverse array of stories that indicate the spectral nature of women’s homelessness, as well as highlight flaws in the current bureaucratic structures which are meant to support women out of homelessness both locally, and nationally. Stories and experiences within this paper include themes of resistance, addiction, victimhood, and relationships. The conclusions and recommendations indicate the need for more transitional housing, “wet” shelters, prevention and intervention initiatives, and increased opportunities for healthy relationship and skill-building