LISWire

EBSCO Publishing Releases MEDLINE® Complete – The Largest Full-Text Collection for Biomedical Research Available

~ More Full Text for the Most Prominent Journals Indexed in MEDLINE® ~

IPSWICH, Mass. — February 7, 2012 — EBSCO Publishing (EBSCO) continues to expand access to leading content for biomedical research with the release of MEDLINE Complete® . MEDLINE Complete is the largest full-text companion to the MEDLINE index ever assembled and provides full text for more than 1,850 journals. This wide-ranging file contains full text for many of the most used journals in the MEDLINE index — available in MEDLINE Complete with no embargo.

MEDLINE Complete provides authoritative journal coverage of the following disciplines: medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, the health care system, pre-clinical sciences as well as many other areas. With coverage dating back to 1857 and full-text back to 1865, MEDLINE Complete is the definitive research tool for medical literature.

Users of MEDLINE Complete can access the resource anytime and anywhere using EBSCO’s mobile technology. All databases available through EBSCOhost®, are available through one or more mobile applications that are supported by most mobile devices.

MEDLINE Complete is part of a growing collection of multidisciplinary medical resources offered by EBSCO including resources such as: DynaMed ™, Biomedical Reference Collection: Basic Edition™, The Scientific & Medical ART Imagebase and Cochrane Collection Plus.

About EBSCO Publishing
EBSCO Publishing is the world’s premier database aggregator, offering a suite of more than 350 full-text and secondary research databases. Through a library of tens of thousands of full-text journals, magazines, books, monographs, reports and various other publication types from renowned publishers, EBSCO serves the content needs of all medical professionals (doctors, nurses, medical librarians, social workers, hospital administrators, etc.). The company’s product lines include proprietary databases such as CINAHL®, DynaMed™, Nursing Reference Center™, Patient Education Reference Center™, Rehabilitation Reference Center™, Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine Source™ and SocINDEX™ as well as dozens of leading licensed databases such as MEDLINE®, PsycARTICLES® and PsycINFO®. Databases are powered by EBSCOhost®, the most-used for-fee electronic resource in libraries around the world. For more information, visit the EBSCO Publishing Web site at: www.ebscohost.com, or contact: information@ebscohost.com.

###
For more information, please contact:
Kathleen McEvoy
Public Relations Director
(800) 653-2726 ext. 2594
kmcevoy@ebscohost.com

Categories: LISWire - Latest Releases

OCLC WorldShare Management Services recognized as ‘Outstanding Service of the Year’ with TechColumbus Innovation Award

DUBLIN, Ohio, February 3, 2012—OCLC WorldShare Management Services was recognized as “Outstanding Service of the Year” during the TechColumbus Innovation Awards ceremony at the Greater Columbus Convention Center on February 2. WorldShare Management Services was selected in a category of organizations with more than 250 employees, and from entries in a variety of disciplines and industries. More than 1,100 people attended the premier technology event in central Ohio.

“We at OCLC are honored to receive this prestigious recognition from the professional IT community,” said Jay Jordan, OCLC President and CEO. “OCLC and our members are proud to be leading innovation for libraries. This recognition underscores not only the technological achievements of OCLC staff, but speaks to WorldShare’s growing adoption by the international library community.”

OCLC WorldShare Management Services introduces a cloud-based library management system that helps to unify and simplify library workflows. WorldShare Management Services enable libraries to share infrastructure costs and resources, as well as collaborate in ways that free them from the restrictions of local hardware and software. And libraries using WorldShare Management Services find that they are able to reduce the time needed for traditional tasks and free staff time for higher-priority services.

OCLC WorldShare Management Services were released for general availability July 1, 2011. There are currently more than 35 libraries using OCLC WorldShare Management Services, and more than 180 libraries worldwide have committed to the new service.

“This recognition is a tribute to the libraries and library staff members who have worked closely with OCLC staff to develop and produce a service that is changing the way libraries work,” said Andrew Pace, OCLC Executive Director of Networked Library Services, who accepted the award on behalf of the OCLC cooperative. “This award is really for libraries.”

OCLC WorldShare Management Services were formerly known as Webscale Management Services. The name was changed in December 2011 following launch of the new OCLC WorldShare Platform, and a rebranding of the services.

Speakers at the TechColumbus Innovation Awards event included Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman, Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee, and Les Wexner, Limited Brands Founder, Chairman and CEO.

The TechColumbus Innovation Awards celebrate the spirit of innovation by recognizing outstanding technology achievements in Central Ohio. This prestigious evening showcases the region’s advancements and promising future in technology. For more information, visit www.techcolumbusinnovationawards.org.

Categories: LISWire - Latest Releases

Code4Lib Journal Issue 16 is now available!

Editorial Introduction
Carol Bean
The winter months bring us festivities like Mardi Gras. Here at the Code4Lib Journal, we present you with a veritable feast to indulge in as our mid-winter festival offering. Consume slowly, to fully appreciate the myriad flavors and enjoy the richness of the fare.

Creating a Seamless Cross-Platform Online Experience for Mobile Users
Katherine Lynch
In creating a mobile-optimized website for Drexel University Libraries, we have strived to preserve the seamless transition between platforms that our desktop users experience. We employ separate technology and coding solutions to make Drupal, WordPress, and HTML sections mobile optimized, while continuously improving the mobile user experience in terms of design, usability, and site performance. This paper details how, through extensive research, design, and development, we found the best solution for creating a steady mobile experience for our users.

HTML5 Microdata and Schema.org
Jason Ronallo
On June 2, 2011, Bing, Google, and Yahoo! announced the joint effort Schema.org. When the big search engines talk, Web site authors listen. This article is an introduction to Microdata and Schema.org. The first section describes what HTML5, Microdata and Schema.org are, and the problems they have been designed to solve. With this foundation in place section 2 provides a practical tutorial of how to use Microdata and Schema.org using a real life example from the cultural heritage sector. Along the way some tools for implementers will also be introduced. Issues with applying these technologies to cultural heritage materials will crop up along with opportunities to improve the situation.

Using VuFind, XAMPP, and Flash Drives to Build an Offline Library Catalog for Use in a Liberal Arts in Prison Program
Julia Bauder
When Grinnell College expanded its Liberal Arts in Prison Program to include the First Year of College Program in the Newton Correctional Facility, the Grinnell College Libraries needed to find a way to support the research needs of inmates who had no access to the Internet. The library used VuFind running on XAMPP installed on flash drives to provide access to the Libraries’ catalog. Once the student identified a book, it would be delivered from the Libraries to students on request. This article describes the process of getting VuFind operating in an environment with no Internet access and limited control of the computing environment.

Improving the presentation of library data using FRBR and Linked data
Anne-Lena Westrum, Asgeir Rekkavik, Kim Tallerås
When a library end-user searches the online catalogue for works by a particular author, he will typically get a long list that contains different translations and editions of all the books by that author, sorted by title or date of issue. As an attempt to make some order in this chaos, the Pode project has applied a method of automated FRBRizing based on the information contained in MARC records. The project has also experimented with RDF representation to demonstrate how an author’s complete production can be presented as a short and lucid list of unique works, which can easily be browsed by their different expressions and manifestations. Furthermore, by linking instances in the dataset to matching or corresponding instances in external sets, the presentation has been enriched with additional information about authors and works.

Presenting results as dynamically generated co-authorship subgraphs in semantic digital library collections
James Powell, Tamara M. McMahon, Ketan Mane, Laniece Miller, Linn Collins
Semantic web representations of data are by definition graphs, and these graphs can be explored using concepts from graph theory. This paper demonstrates how semantically mapped bibliographic metadata, combined with a lightweight software architecture and Web-based graph visualization tools, can be used to generate dynamic authorship graphs in response to typical user queries, as an alternative to more common text-based results presentations. It also shows how centrality measures and path analysis techniques from social network analysis can be used to enhance the visualization of query results. The resulting graphs require modestly more cognitive engagement from the user but offer insights not available from text.

On Dentographs, A New Method of Visualizing Library Collections
William Denton
A dentograph is a visualization of a library’s collection built on the idea that a classification scheme is a mathematical function mapping one set of things (books or the universe of knowledge) onto another (a set of numbers and letters). Dentographs can visualize aspects of just one collection or can be used to compare two or more collections. This article describes how to build them, with examples and code using Ruby and R, and discusses some problems and future directions.

Using XSLT’s SQL Extension with Encyclopedia Virginia
Matthew Gibson
This paper explores how to integrate data across a hybrid relational database and XML-based management system. It examines specifically how XSLT’s SQL extension can be used to communicate information between SQL tables and TEI-conformant XML documents to make data-centric content more manageable and flexible and thereby leverage the strengths of both systems. In what follows, one will learn about some of the methods, benefits, and shortcomings of XSLT’s SQL extension in the context of Encyclopedia Virginia, an open access publication of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities that utilizes a suite of digital humanities and digital library XML vocabularies such as TEI and METS.

Ref2RIS: Importing Word-Processed Bibliographies into Bibliographic Management Software
Deborah Fitchett
Many who would benefit the most from timesaving bibliographic managers hesitate to adopt the technology due to the difficulties in importing legacy bibliographies developed over years. Existing shortcuts rely on manual reformatting or on re-searching online databases for the records – often almost as laborious as retyping the references. Ref2RIS was developed to automate the task of converting a bibliography in specific citation styles from common word processing document formats into the widely used RIS format. It uses the Unix stream editor sed and the conversion options of Apple’s textutil. It can be invoked as a series of simple shell commands on any Linux terminal, or more simply as a drag-and-drop Applescript application on MacOS 10.4 or higher.

Purposeful Development: Being Ready When Your Project Moves From ‘Hobby’ to Mission Critical
Terry Reese
Throughout the library community examples can be found of development projects evolving into mission critical components within an organization’s workflow. How these projects make that move is unique and varied, but little discussion has been had about how these projects impact their developers and the project community. What responsibilities does a developer have to ensure the long-term viability of their project? Does simply freeing the code meet those long-term responsibilities, or is there an implied commitment to provide long-term “care and feeding” to project communities built up over time? Code4Lib represents a group of developers consistently looking to build the next big thing, I’d like to step back and look at some of my own experiences related to the long-term impacts that come with developing successful projects and communities, and try to provide library developers food for thought as they consider their own ongoing responsibilities to their projects and user communities.

Categories: LISWire - Latest Releases

Six Libraries Partner to Bring DOM Biblio Indexing to Koha

2/2/2012

CONTACT:

Nathan Curulla

(888) 900-8944

sales@bywatersolutions.com

Six Libraries Partner to Bring DOM Biblio Indexing to Koha

ByWater Solutions, an open source community supporter and official Koha support company announced today that six of their library partners are joining forces to bring DOM Biblio Indexing to Koha.

The libraries collaborating on this effort include:

• Arcadia Public Library of Arcadia, CA
• Brooklyn Law School of Brooklyn, NY
• Goddard College of Plainfield, VT
• Marlboro College of Marlboro, VT
• Ripon College of Ripon, WI
• The Vermont Organization of Koha Automated Libraries (VOKAL) of VT

ByWater Solutions will be partnering with Equinox Software, of Duluth, GA on this development, making it a cross company, multi partner collaborative effort.



The DOM Biblio Indexing development will greatly improve authority searching in Koha by allowing for fully coordinated subject heading searches. The development will also provide the option to search for an exact title, including subtitle and title parts, as well as indexing the full title with and without initial stop words to allow for more accurate title sorting.

The DOM Biblio Indexing development also provides the framework for additional features in Koha that otherwise would not be possible to develop such as broader, narrower and related authorities searches and OCLC number record matching. It will also open the door for differentiating Subject heading thesauri, relator term indexing and enhanced item availability limiting.

Brendan Gallagher, CEO of ByWater stated:

“I’m very excited to see so many of our partners joining forces to make this development a reality.  One of the great things about open source software is that different libraries can work together and pool their resources to come up with a solution that will meet all of their needs, while at the same time adding to the functionality of Koha for all of its users.”

About Koha:

Koha is the first open-source Integrated Library System (ILS). In use worldwide, its development is steered by a growing community of libraries collaborating to achieve their technology goals. Koha’s impressive feature set continues to evolve and expand to meet the needs of its user base. It includes modules for circulation, cataloging, acquisitions, serials, reserves, patron management, branch relationships, and more.

Koha’s OPAC, circulation, management and self-checkout interfaces are all based on standards-compliant World Wide Web technologies–XHTML, CSS and Javascript–making Koha a truly platform-independent solution. Koha is distributed under the open-source General Public License (GPL). For more information about Koha, please visit www.koha-community.org

About ByWater Solutions:

With over 10 years of experience, ByWater Solutions offers customized hosting, data migration, configuration, installation, training, top ranked support options and development of enterprise class open-source library systems. Offering a 24/7 technical helpline, ByWater Solutions’ clients have the support system they need to make their software work for them. ByWater Solutions pledges to share 100% of all developed code to the Koha community for the strengthening and advancement of the Koha ILS. For more information about ByWater Solutions, please visit: www.bywatersolutions.com

Categories: LISWire - Latest Releases

Presenting the “Brill” Typeface

http://brill.nl/brill-typeface

Display any language from any period - Freely available for non-commercial use

Brill has taken the initiative of designing a typeface. Named “the Brill”, the new typeface presents complete coverage of the Latin, Greek and Cyrillic scripts with the full range of diacritics and linguistics characters used to display any language from any period correctly. There are over 5,100 characters in all. This indispensable tool for scholars has become freely available for non-commercial use. “The Brill” will be especially welcomed by humanities scholars quoting from texts in any language, ancient or modern. John Hudson of Tiro Typeworks, well-known for his multilingual fonts, is the Brill’s designer.

"Technically, the Brill fonts have to be able to legibly display any combination of the supported characters that might be encountered in text and to be able to do so in typographically sophisticated ways. The idea is that users will be able to throw pretty much any text at these fonts and get back a legible and aesthetically pleasing display."
- John Hudson, designer, Tiro Typeworks

If you would like to receive more information about this project, please contact Dominique de Roo, marketing manager, via roo@brill.nl

Categories: LISWire - Latest Releases

The British Library 19th Century Historical Collection App Wins Prestigious Publishing Innovation Award

At the opening of the Digital Book World Conference in New York City in January, the British Library, together with technology partner, BiblioLabs, LLC, was awarded the prestigious Publishing Innovation Award (PIA) for their British Library 19th Century Historical Collection iPad App. The App, released in August last year to rave reviews from both critics and consumers, offers seamless, cloud-based access to more than 45,000 historical works from the British Library, spanning 21 thematic collections.

The Publishing Innovation Awards were established to honor outstanding digital products that enrich and delight readers. The British Library 19th Century Historical Collection App was named the 2012 Winner in the Reference/Academic category.
Accepting the award, Simon Bell, Head of Strategic Partnership and Licensing at the British Library said “The British Library is delighted to be working with the outstanding team of technologists at BiblioLabs to unlock the potential of devices like the iPad. We are thrilled to have been able to offer these exquisite, high-resolution, full-color facsimiles of 19th Century books in a manner that comes close to the experience of leafing through the original item. This is a great example of how the British Library is using digital technology to make the riches of our historical collections accessible and compelling to a wider audience than was ever previously possible.”

BiblioLabs, LLC (www.bibliolabs.com) is the fast growing software-media company that built the cloud-based technology platform to manage the selection, enhancement, and distribution of the featured British Library collection. BiblioLabs, LLC has become a global leader in the creation of interactive Apps featuring historical books and artifacts from the world’s leading libraries and cultural institutions.

The Company only recently moved into digital book distribution. It began in 2007 as a print-on-demand (POD) publisher offering historical reproductions. Prior to founding BiblioLabs, LLC the same group started BookSurge, LLC the world’s first truly global POD (one book at a time) retail infrastructure, which was sold to Amazon.com in 2005 and was integrated to become Amazon’s global print-on-demand solution as well as the Amazon self-publishing service CreateSpace.

“The exciting thing for us is that this is the first App we created and we did it with a very small team, in a very short time,” says BiblioLabs founder and Chief Business Officer Mitchell Davis. “It met with phenomenal success as a consumer product when it launched and it has continued to grow” (today it has over 350,000 users in over 150 countries and growing).

“To also have our innovative approach to content distribution recognized by the industry is really an honor and a signal to the great things you will see from us.” Davis added “The British Library is an ideal partner. They care deeply about their materials, and the public they serve. They are continuously looking for ways to innovate and increase the impact of their services. Working with them is a true partnership.”

Building on the things they learned this past year, BiblioLabs, LLC will roll out a larger App in April 2012 - BiblioBoard. “Tens of millions of historical artifacts are available and our mission is to curate the interesting, quirky, important, weird, or forgotten, then integrate creative modern context and make engaging thematic content products. BiblioBoard is the unified interface where curators will meet readers and this will happen across tens of thousands of books, articles and images within hundreds of curated niche Apps.” Curious bibliophiles can sign up for pre-release, preview access at BiblioBoard.com.
At launch BiblioBoard will contain more than forty niche Apps including a number of micro-collections from the British Library. “Our team is hugely excited that as we are winning this award we are already moving to the next generation product.” Davis says.

Categories: LISWire - Latest Releases

Library & Archival Tour 2012 An Introductory Tour to Turkey

Come with us this spring as we explore Turkey and meet the Turks!

While our tour includes elements of special interest to library professionals and bibliophiles, anyone with an interest in history, the arts, and archeology is welcome to join this introduction to Turkey’s illustrious past and contemporary attractions.

We begin in Istanbul, the only city to straddle both Europe and Asia. Let us open the doors to mosque collections dating from the 15th century and to the extraordinary German Archeological Institute archives. We’ll travel to the Aegean region and visit the acropolis of Pergamon (whose library treasures were Marc Anthony’s wedding gift to Cleopatra). Pondering the glory that was Rome, we can contemplate the magnificent Library of Celsus in Ephesus, the grandest city of the eastern Roman Empire.

Springtime in Asia Minor presents us with a riot of native blooms, and anyone with botanical enthusiasms will enjoy the journey as we trace the Meander River eastwards to Konya, center of the mystical Whirling Dervish sect. Here, as in so many Turkish provincial cities, there are private museums and libraries open to public. Crossing the high Central Anatolian Plateau, we proceed to Cappadocia,whose eerie, wind-sculpted, volcanic valleys are dotted with hundreds of early churches.

Traditional agrarian rhythms persist in central Turkey, and we’ll learn about one of the region’s earliest social entrepreneurs who worked to increase literacy and bring the printed word (via donkeys laden with books!) to remote villages.

Through all of this we’ll include the famous highlights that have drawn visitors to Turkey for centuries- Haghia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome, Topkapi Palace, the fanciful waterfront mansions of the Bosphorus….

The Pergamon Asklepion where Galen practiced medicine… Ephesus’s famous colonnaded street and theatre where St. Paul addressed the populace …. the flower-strewn site and sculpture museum of Aphrodisias, sacred to the pagan Goddess of Love. Rumi’s brilliant turquoise-tiled shrine, and the lunar landscape of Cappadocia.

Land Program in Turkey: $2,425.00 per person, double occupancy.

The tour begins and finishes in Istanbul, 17 April – 26 April 2012.

Separate extensions for Istanbul or other regions of Turkey can be made on a customized basis.

Airfare to/from Turkey is NOT included, but we are happy to advise you about economical flights or help you make the most of your frequent flyer miles.

For the complete, day-by-day itinerary of this tour or other programs, please email either-Equinox Travel info@Equinox.com.tr or Holly Chase Holly@HollyChase.com

Categories: LISWire - Latest Releases

Bielefeld University in Germany Chooses EBSCO Discovery Service™

~ Content Coverage and Subject Indexes Key Factors in Decision ~

IPSWICH, Mass. — February 2, 2011 —Bielefeld University has chosen EBSCO Discovery Service™ (EDS) from EBSCO Publishing (EBSCO) citing superior content coverage as one of the main factors in its decision. Bielefeld selected EDS after an intense and detailed review of the service, determining that EBSCO Discovery Service provided the best content coverage plus the option to integrate high quality subject indexes.

University Library Bielefeld is one of the most prestigious libraries worldwide with a strong focus on the quality and development of services provided to its users. The university had been looking to replace its Journal Articles Database, known and used Germany-wide under the name of JADE, which the library created and developed in the mid 1990s.

Mr. Dirk Pieper, Media Department Head, says the university library was very pleased with the content in EBSCO Discovery Service and it was one of the major factors when choosing EDS as its discovery solution. “Our decision to choose EDS was primarily due to the superior content coverage provided in the Base Index. EDS convinced us with its high quality A&I data and will replace our own journal articles database, JADE, which can be seen as a first kind of discovery development started by our library itself in the mid 90s.”

Libraries subscribing to subject indexes on EBSCOhost can leverage EBSCO's "platform blending" technology to infuse results from these high-end indexes into the EDS result list, heightening the overall value and experience for end users. For Pieper this unique attribute of EDS was a major factor in the decision to implement EDS. “We were very pleased with the integration of EBSCO database subject indexes and the option to blend in high quality subject indexes. In addition EBSCO’s web services help us to accomplish integrating the strong EDS index into our own library catalog using a very comfortable interface (API).”

EBSCO Discovery Service creates a unified, customized index of an institution’s information resources, and an easy, yet powerful means of accessing all of that content from a single search box — searching made even more powerful because of the quality of metadata and depth and breadth of coverage.

The Base Index for EBSCO Discovery Service forms the foundation upon which each EDS subscribing library builds out its custom collection. Beginning with the Base Index, each institution extends the reach of EDS by adding appropriate resources including its catalog, institutional repositories, EBSCOhost and other databases, and additional content sources to which it subscribes. It is this combination that allows a single, comprehensive, custom solution for discovering the value of any library’s collection.

The EDS Base Index is comprised of metadata from the world’s foremost information providers. At present, the EDS Base Index represents content from approximately 20,000 providers in addition to metadata from another 70,000 book publishers. Although constantly growing, today the EDS Base Index provides metadata for nearly 64,000 magazines & journals, approximately 825,000 CDs & DVDs, nearly six million books, more than 320 million newspaper articles, more than 400,000 conference proceedings and hundreds of thousands of additional information sources from various source-types.

About University Library Bielefeld
University Library Bielefeld stands in the library community worldwide for innovative, user-friendly information services that were developed and tested in Bielefeld and later adopted by library unions and single libraries joining their user groups. University Library Bielefeld was the first library to run an OPAC in Germany in 1979. University Library of Bielefeld is the host and organizer of the Bielefeld Conference, a bi-annual conference, set up 1992 to especially create a discussion forum focused on library innovation (10th International Bielefeld Conference: 24 - 26 April 2012), and is known for technological innovation in search engines and communication systems, of which the open access platform BASE (Bielefeld Academic Search Engine) is only one example.

About EBSCO Publishing
EBSCO Publishing is the producer of EBSCOhost®, the world’s premier for-fee online research service, including full-text databases, subject indexes, point-of-care medical reference, historical digital archives, and eBooks. The company provides more than 350 databases and nearly 300,000 eBooks. Through a library of tens of thousands of full-text journals and magazines from renowned publishers, EBSCO serves the content needs of all researchers (Academic, Medical, K-12, Public Library, Corporate, Government, etc.). EBSCO is also the provider of EBSCO Discovery Service™ (EDS), which provides each institution with a fast, single search box for its entire collection, offering deeper indexing and more full-text searching of journals and magazines than any other discovery service (www.ebscohost.com/discovery). For more information, visit the EBSCO Publishing Web site at: www.ebscohost.com, or contact: information@ebscohost.com. EBSCO Publishing is a division of EBSCO Industries Inc., one of the largest privately held companies in the United States.

###
For more information, please contact:
Kathleen McEvoy
Public Relations Director
EBSCO Publishing
(800) 653-2726 ext. 2594
kmcevoy@ebscohost.com

Categories: LISWire - Latest Releases

Amigos Library Services and Missouri Library Network Corporation Announce Agreement to Explore Merger. Combination Will Create One of the Nation’s Largest Library Service Organizations

January 31, 2012
For Immediate Release

Dallas, TX — Amigos Library Services, a leading library membership organization based in Dallas, and the Missouri Library Network Corporation (MLNC), a similar St. Louis-based library membership organization, today announced that they have entered into a working agreement to explore merging operations. If the organizations merge, Amigos will be the largest library consortium west of the Mississippi River, comprised of approximately 1,000 libraries and cultural heritage institutions in 22 states.

Following lengthy exploratory discussions, members of the Boards of Directors of Amigos and MLNC have both unanimously approved a working agreement as the definitive guideline for further activities leading to merger. Member votes on the merger are scheduled for mid-April and early May. Pending member approval, the merger will be completed July 1, 2012.

Both networks bring unique services of interest to a larger member base and both have strong continuing education programs to share. Current MLNC and Amigos members will benefit from increased ability to leverage library resources for purchasing thousands of library products and services from leading providers.

“I am excited because a merger will enhance services to the collective membership,” said Bonnie Juergens, President and Chief Executive Officer of Amigos. “It will expand resource-sharing opportunities for both member communities and strengthen our ability to provide current and new services into the future.”

Tracy Rochow Byerly, Executive Director of MLNC, commented “I couldn’t be more pleased about this announcement! The prime motivation of the MLNC Board has been to meet the needs of MLNC’s members and fulfill our mission. The Board conducted a thorough analysis of options and concluded that this merger will help MLNC achieve that goal.”

About Missouri Library Network Corporation
The mission of MLNC is to organize and deliver to its member libraries and other contracting entities electronic services and content, and provide training in the management and use of information. Founded in 1981 to serve the needs of Missouri libraries, MLNC has grown to serve the needs of over 300 members in the Midwest region. Known for excellent customer service, flexibility and solutions that save members time and money, MLNC has shown itself to be an agile organization in a changing world. Members utilize the many continuing education opportunities; turn to MLNC for help in implementing change; and have supported the organization’s move into association management services.

About Amigos Library Services
For more than 35 years, Amigos Library Services has helped members obtain affordable services and share library resources and knowledge. With over 600 members, Amigos is one of the largest consortia of libraries and cultural heritage institutions in the United States. Membership in Amigos helps libraries gain access to the latest innovations and services in the library community; pursue opportunities for continuing professional education; leverage buying power; and preserve the region’s rich cultural heritage. This collaboration strengthens each member’s ability to serve and lead its community in the creative and effective use of information resources.

For information about the Amigos/MLNC merger exploration, contact Dr. Anne Prestamo, Chair of Amigos (anne.prestamo@okstate.edu); Dr. Sharon Bostick, President of MLNC (bosticks@umkc.edu); Bonnie Juergens, President and CEO of Amigos (Juergens@amigos.org), or Tracy Rochow Byerly, Executive Director of MLNC (tracy@mlnc.org).

Categories: LISWire - Latest Releases

ByWater Solutions Names Nicole C. Engard VP of Education

1/26/2012
CONTACT:
Nathan Curulla
(888) 900-8944
sales@bywatersolutions.com

ByWater Solutions Names Nicole C. Engard VP of Education

ByWater Solutions, an open source community supporter and the US's forefront provider of Koha (www.koha-community.org) support, is happy to announce the promotion of Nicole C. Engard to Vice President of Education.

Nicole started with ByWater Solutions in September of 2009 and in that time she has educated hundreds of librarians on the use of their new Koha ILS installations. In her new role, Nicole will continue to manage education efforts for the company with a new focus on teaching librarians the nature of open source and how they can participate in community efforts. She will also continue in her role as Documentation Manager for the official Koha ILS project and help with supporting those using Koha in their libraries.

"I have been extremely impressed with all of the high quality work that Nicole has done while with ByWater Solutions." states Brendan Gallagher, CEO of ByWater Solutions. "We are more than pleased to reward Nicole with this promotion."

Nicole comments on her new role, "Working at ByWater Solutions these past couple of years has been an amazing experience. I love getting to meet and train librarians around the world and I am excited to get started with my new responsibilities and new training initiatives."

About ByWater Solutions:
With over 10 years of experience, ByWater Solutions offers customized hosting, data migration, configuration, installation, training, top ranked support options and development of enterprise class open-source library systems. Offering a 24/7 technical helpline, ByWater Solutions’ clients have the support system they need to make their software work for them. ByWater Solutions pledges to share 100% of all developed code to the Koha community for the strengthening and advancement of the Koha ILS. For more information about ByWater Solutions, please visit: http://bywatersolutions.com

About Koha:
Koha is the first open-source Integrated Library System (ILS). In use worldwide, its development is steered by a growing community of libraries collaborating to achieve their technology goals. Koha's impressive feature set continues to evolve and expand to meet the needs of its user base. It includes modules for circulation, cataloging, acquisitions, serials, reserves, patron management, branch relationships, and more.

Koha’s OPAC, circulation, management and self-checkout interfaces are all based on standards-compliant World Wide Web technologies--XHTML, CSS and Javascript--making Koha a truly platform-independent solution. Koha is distributed under the open-source General Public License (GPL). For more information about Koha, please visit: http://koha-community.org/

Categories: LISWire - Latest Releases

Equinox Software Announces Canadian Subsidiary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Duluth, GA —January 25, 2012

Equinox Software, Inc., the open source experts, is proud to announce the formation of a wholly-owned Canadian-based subsidiary, Equinox Library

Services Canada (ELSC). ELSC was formed in response to Canadian libraries requesting that ILS systems be physically located in Canada; all ESLC hosting

services will be provided from a Toronto datacenter. ELSC will also provide implementation, support, training, and other services for Evergreen and Koha.

“The formation of Equinox Library Services Canada is a huge leap forward in expanding Evergreen and Koha’s reach into Canada,” said Equinox Software’s

president, Brad LaJeunesse. “Canada is very friendly to open source—and we already have many existing Canadian customers—but the Canadian subsidiary will allow us to offer even more services that libraries are asking for.”

Equinox Library Services Canada is accepting new customers immediately. For more information, please contact Equinox sales at sales@esilibrary.com or +1 770-709-5555.

About Equinox Software, Inc.

Founded by the original Evergreen designers and developers, Equinox Software is a leader in open source solutions for libraries. Their goal is to

engage and support a rapidly growing open source community while assisting libraries in moving away from expensive proprietary vendors and products.

For more information on Equinox Software, please visit http://www.esilibrary.com.

About Evergreen

Evergreen is a robust, open-source integrated library system best known for its unique ability to meet the needs of very large, high-transaction,

multi-site consortia. However, it has also proven equally successful scaled down for even the smallest libraries. Evergreen now supports over 1,000

libraries of every type-public, academic, special, and school media centers across 4 countries, 31 U.S. states, and 8 Canadian provinces. The Georgia

PINES, King County Public Library System, SCLENDS, and NC Cardinal consortiums are all currently running Evergreen.
For more information about Evergreen, including a list of all known Evergreen installations, see

http://evergreen-ils.org.

About Koha

Created in 1999 by Katipo Communications for the Horowhenua Library Trust in New Zealand, Koha is the first open source Integrated Library System to

be used worldwide. The software is a full-featured ILS with a dual-database design (search engine and RDBMS) built to be compliant with library

standards. Koha’s OPAC, staff, and self-checkout interfaces are all web applications. Distributed under the General Public License (GPL), libraries are

free to use and install Koha themselves or to purchase support and development service. For more information on Koha, please visit http://koha-community.org.

Press contact: Corinne Hall, corinne@esilibrary.com, 770-709-5571

Categories: LISWire - Latest Releases

Digitizing the Nineteenth Century: Gale Outlines First Archives for Nineteenth Century Collections Online

Farmington Hills, Mich., Jan. 20, 2012 — Gale, part of Cengage Learning and a leading publisher of research and reference resources for libraries, schools and businesses, today announced the source libraries, collections and plans for the first four modules of Nineteenth Century Collections Online, its global digitization and publishing program that brings together rare nineteenth-century primary source content. Currently still in development, the modules will be available this spring.

Nineteenth Century Collections Online is an ongoing publishing program with content and partner libraries being added continuously. The British Library, The National Archives (United States), The National Archives at Kew, United Kingdom, the Bodleian Library – University of Oxford, and Castle Corvey in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany have all provided primary source content to be digitized and included in the archive. Approximately 150 collections from these institutions—as well as from many other libraries and archives-- will be included in modules this year.

“One of the important elements of Nineteenth Century Collections Online is that most of the content has never before been digitized, and a great deal of the content has never been captured for microfilm or been otherwise made available outside the source institution,” said Jim Draper, vice president and publisher, Gale. “This archive is opening up rare and important materials to a world of researchers, no matter their location.”

The first modules of Nineteenth Century Collections Online, to be released this spring, include:

• British Politics and Society – will present a range of primary sources covering such topics as British domestic and foreign policy, the working class, trade unions, Chartism, Owenism, public protest, radical movements, the cartographic record, political reform and many others. It will feature the following collections, among others:
 British Cabinet Papers, 1880-1916
 Civil Disturbance, Chartism and Riots in NineteenthCentury England
 People’s History: Working Class Autobiographies
 Radicals and Reformers in Britain: The Papers of John Cam Hobhouse, 1809-1865
• Asia and the West: Diplomacy and Cultural Exchange – will cover such topics as British and U.S. foreign policy and diplomacy; Asian political, economic, and social affairs; the Philippine Insurrection, the Opium Wars and more. Featured collections include:
 Dispatches from U.S. Consuls in Osaka and Hiogo (Kobe), Japan, 1868-1906
 Dispatches from U.S. Ministers to Korea, 1883-1905
 History of the Philippine Insurrection Against the United States, 1899-1903, and Documents Relating to the War Department Project for Publishing of History, 1899-1903
• British Theatre, Music, and Literature: High and Popular Culture – will include a range of materials, including playbills, scripts, operas and scores – many of them never before filmed or made available electronically – covering such topics as Victorian popular culture, street literature, music and bloods and penny dreadfuls. Collections include:
 Archive of the Royal Literary Fund
 Drury Lane Under Sheridan, 1776-1812, Manuscript Plays and Correspondence
 English State After the Restoration, 1733-1822
 Popular Literature in Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Britain, Parts Three-Ten: The Barry Ono Collection of Bloods and Penny Dreadful
• Corvey Collection of European Literature: 1790-1840 – is a unique collection of monographs covering a wide range of Romantic literature published in English, French and German. Sourced from Corvey Abbey in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, it is one of the most important collections of works from the period in existence. Focused on rare works, specifically difficult-to-find works by lesser-known women writers, this collection includes:
 Novels and Gothic Novels
 Belles-Lettres
 Short Prose Forms
 Dramatic Works
 Poetry

For more information on Nineteenth Century Collections Online, please visit http://gdc.gale.com/products/nineteenth-century-collections-online/ or download Nineteenth Century Collections Online Museum, the free iOS application available in the iTunes app store (search: nineteenth century). It provides free content and the opportunity to interact with materials (including manuscripts, sheet music, photos and more) in the context which is most relevant to the user. The application also enables researchers to receive information regarding events, enhancements and research tips, as well as the opportunity to provide feedback and drive development of the program.

Gale will also be previewing the groundbreaking new publishing platform of Nineteenth Century Collections Online at its booth (#2219) at the ALA Midwinter meeting in Dallas, TX, Jan. 20-23.

If you have any questions, please contact Kristina Massari at kristina.massari@cengage.com.

About Cengage Learning and Gale
Cengage Learning is a leading provider of innovative teaching, learning and research solutions for the academic, professional and library markets worldwide. Gale, part of Cengage Learning, serves the world's information and education needs through its vast and dynamic content pools, which are used by students and consumers in their libraries, schools and on the Internet. It is best known for the accuracy, breadth and convenience of its data, addressing all types of information needs – from homework help to health questions to business profiles – in a variety of formats. For more information, visit www.cengage.com or www.gale.cengage.com.

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Categories: LISWire - Latest Releases

Students and Librarians More Satisfied with Gale’s Biography in Context

Resource Named to Library Journal’s 2011 Best Databases List

Farmington Hills, Mich., Jan. 24, 2012 — Gale, part of Cengage Learning, today announced results of independent customer satisfaction research and analysis that revealed high school students and librarians are highly satisfied with Biography in Context, an online resource designed from user input and continually enhanced based on librarian and student feedback. The increase in satisfaction follows ongoing improvements in search functionality and the addition of new content and hundreds of portals.

“From day one, it has been paramount to have user and librarian feedback drive the design and overall look and feel of our In Context products,” said Frank Menchaca, executive vice president and publisher, Gale. “We understood it would take time for our users to adjust and become comfortable with the new databases, and we are pleased to see, as demonstrated by these high satisfaction scores, that librarians and users are truly embracing the enhancements, additions and tireless work we’ve put into Biography in Context.”

ForeSee surveys showed that the overall satisfaction score among all users of Biography in Context has increased to 71, exceeding the content industry satisfaction benchmark and demonstrating users are happy with ongoing enhancements to the product. Student and Librarian satisfaction with Biography in Content was measured in the content category by ForeSee Results, Inc., a well-known independent, international online customer satisfaction firm. Satisfaction scores are reported on a 0-100 scale with a score of 70 setting the industry standard for “good” satisfaction.

An analysis of ForeSee survey data revealed overall librarian satisfaction scores increased a dramatic 9 points to 73 for the period ending Nov. 2011, a more than significant increase. High school student satisfaction increased an impressive 5 points to 76 for the same period, and college student satisfaction continues to be exceptional, scoring above 80. Changes in satisfaction over time are very meaningful - a sustained change of 2-3 points (up or down) is statistically significant and changes greater than 5 points are considered major events.

In addition, the results show that high school student satisfaction in all measured categories – content, look and feel, navigation, search, site performance, likelihood to return and likelihood to recommend – has increased for the time period ending Nov. 2011:
• Content – 81 (+5 points)
• Look & Feel – 71 (+1 point)
• Navigation – 76 (+5 points)
• Search – 73 (+1 point)
• Site Performance – 78 (+3 points)
• Likelihood to Return – 83 (+2 points)
• Likelihood to Recommend – 71 (+3 points)

For librarians, satisfaction maintained or increased in all categories for the same time period, including significant increases in navigation, search and likelihood to return and recommend:
• Content – 78 (no change)
• Look & Feel – 74 (+1 point)
• Navigation – 72 (+7 points)
• Search – 72 (+5 points)
• Site Performance – 79 (+1 point)
• Likelihood to Return – 87 (+6 points)
• Likelihood to Recommend – 83 (+6 points)

Librarians and Library Journal reviewers also affirmed the value of Biography in Context by naming the resource to the Library Journal 2011 Best Databases List, which was published in the November 15th issue and is available online here.

ForeSee Results satisfaction scores are based on the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), the leading national indicator of customer satisfaction with goods and services in the U.S. economy, and a patented scientific approach to customer satisfaction measurement. ForeSee Results applies the ACSI methodology to the web to measure key elements of online satisfaction (site performance, navigation, etc.), and analyzes how these elements impact overall user satisfaction and future behavior.

For more information on Biography in Context, please visit http://www.gale.cengage.com/InContext/bio.htm. For more information on these results or to set up a free trial, please contact Kristina Massari at kristina.massari@cengage.com.

About Cengage Learning and Gale
Cengage Learning is a leading provider of innovative teaching, learning and research solutions for the academic, professional and library markets worldwide. Gale, part of Cengage Learning, serves the world's information and education needs through its vast and dynamic content pools, which are used by students and consumers in their libraries, schools and on the Internet. It is best known for the accuracy, breadth and convenience of its data, addressing all types of information needs – from homework help to health questions to business profiles – in a variety of formats. For more information, visit www.cengage.com or www.gale.cengage.com.

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Categories: LISWire - Latest Releases

OCLC establishes strategic partnership with Sustainable Collection Services

OCLC has established a strategic partnership with Sustainable Collection Services, LLC, an organization founded by the principals of R2 Consulting, that leverages WorldCat Data to help libraries intelligently manage their print monograph collections.

Sustainable Collection Services (SCS) makes use of the WorldCat Search API to provide decision-support for collection assessment, deselection, and shared print projects. The firm's data-driven services enable carefully-managed drawdown of low-use print monographs while supporting resource sharing and print archiving efforts.

The SCS service leverages WorldCat data, the largest aggregation of bibliographic data in the world, as a primary source for deselection metadata. Access to this data is enabled by the OCLC WorldShare Platform, which exposes OCLC's Web services and data for use and reuse by third party partners.

This strategic partnership reflects OCLC's commitment to provide broader access to the Platform environment and WorldCat data. Partners like SCS can take advantage of the same infrastructure that OCLC uses to build and maintain its own services, providing libraries with an extended range of application options that take advantage of the same core data.

The SCS service will complement current OCLC offerings to help libraries analyze their collections, joining WorldCat Collection Analysis and a wide range of reports that are currently available using the OCLC Stats.org tool.

"OCLC's work with Sustainable Collection Services illustrates the value of building partnerships in service to libraries using the OCLC WorldShare Platform," said Chip Nilges, OCLC Vice President, Business Development. "OCLC considers all types of partnerships that add value to the library community. Working with WorldCat, Sustainable Collection Services is better equipped to make the right recommendations for libraries and their lending partners."

"WorldCat holdings data is central to a well-coordinated print management project," notes Rick Lugg, President of SCS. "Responsible deselection relies on knowledge of the collective collection, and WorldCat is the single best source for that information. OCLC has been enormously helpful during our first year of operation, streamlining access to library holdings through its WorldCat API. Our strategic partnership builds on that foundation and broadens the scope of our collaboration, enabling SCS to develop an innovative collection analytics application. My partners and I at SCS look forward to exploring the full potential of the OCLC WorldShare Platform."

Sustainable Collection Services was formed just over a year ago. In the first year of operation, it has worked with more than a dozen academic libraries and consortia across the country to consult on print management strategies, and to generate withdrawal and preservation candidate lists based on library-defined criteria.

About Sustainable Collection Services LLC:
Sustainable Collection Services (SCS) provides tools and advice to support data-driven deselection of monographs. Founded in January 2011 by Rick Lugg and Ruth Fischer of R2 Consulting, along with partners Andy Breeding and Eric Redman, SCS focuses on collection analytics. The company’s services enable libraries to analyze circulation and holdings data, and to generate actionable title lists for withdrawal, storage, preservation, and shared print archiving. (www.sustainablecollections.com)

About OCLC
Founded in 1967, OCLC is a nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world’s information and reducing library costs. More than 72,000 libraries in 170 countries have used OCLC services to locate, acquire, catalog, lend, preserve and manage library materials. Researchers, students, faculty, scholars, professional librarians and other information seekers use OCLC services to obtain bibliographic, abstract and full-text information when and where they need it. OCLC and its member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat, the world’s largest online database for discovery of library resources. Search WorldCat.org on the Web at www.worldcat.org. For more information, visit the OCLC website at www.oclc.org.

Categories: LISWire - Latest Releases

The Cybrarian’s Web: New Book Is an A–Z Guide to More Than 100 Free Internet Applications That Libraries Can Use to Enhance, Expand, and Promote Their Services

For Immediate Release
Contact: Rob Colding
Information Today, Inc.
(609) 654-6266, ext. 330

January 23, 2012, Medford, New Jersey—Information Today, Inc. (ITI) announced the publication of The Cybrarian’s Web: An A–Z Guide to 101 Free Web 2.0 Tools and Other Resources by Cheryl Ann Peltier-Davis.

In The Cybrarian’s Web, published simultaneously in print and ebook editions, Peltier-Davis introduces and describes 101 free internet tools with applicability to all types of libraries. She covers blogging resources, RSS feeds, photo and video sharing services, folksonomies and tag clouds, podcasting services, instant messaging solutions, wikis, mashups, virtual worlds, social networks, social bookmarking services, productivity tools, Q&A services, and more.

Each of the 101 listings includes an overview of a Web 2.0 resource along with illustrative screenshots, details of important features, and innovative examples of how libraries can and are using the resource to improve user services and build a stronger library community.

“Web 2.0 refers to a perceived second generation of web-based services that emphasize online collaboration and sharing among users,” according to Peltier-Davis. “Some have ventured to draw the distinction between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 by describing the former as a place to go and get, and the latter as a place to be and do.” She adds, “It is not surprising that the potential benefits of Web 2.0 technologies have not gone unnoticed in the library community. There has been widespread consensus that these cutting-edge tools should be immediately adopted in a bid to retain core library users and cajole new users into the library.”

“This book belongs on every library innovator’s bookshelf,” says Stephen Abram of Cengage Learning in the book’s foreword. “Web 2.0 is first and foremost about the end-user experience and, so, for every reference librarian, trainer, director, web content writer, blogger, and library leader, review the opportunities in this guide as part of your strategic planning process. You’ll be glad you did!”

In addition to practical, easy-to-implement coverage of 101 free applications recommended by the author, The Cybrarian’s Web features tips and techniques for keeping current on Web 2.0 technology, a glossary of terms, a list of all sites and services referenced in the book, and an index. The author’s companion website (cybrariansweb.com) is designed to keep readers up-to-date on the latest Web 2.0 developments and as a place to share their own experiences and recommendations.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cheryl Ann Peltier-Davis is the archives and digital librarian at the Alvin Sherman Library, Research and Information Technology Center, at Nova Southeastern University in Florida. She has given conference presentations on a diverse array of library-related topics including Web 2.0 and libraries, core competencies for librarians, digitizing library collections, information management, and Caribbean public libraries. She is the editor, with Shamin Renwick, of the award-winning book Caribbean Libraries in the 21st Century: Changes, Challenges, and Choices, recipient of the Association of Caribbean University, Research, and Institutional Libraries (ACURIL) award for Excellence in Research and Publication. She is the author of Caribbean Connector, a blog she created to connect Caribbean librarians and deliver relevant and timely information directly to their desktops.

The Cybrarian’s Web (512 pp/softbound/$49.50/ISBN 978-1-57387-427-4) is published by Information Today, Inc. (ITI) and is available wherever professional books and ebooks are sold. For more information, contact the publisher by calling (800) 300-9868; faxing (609) 654-4309; emailing custserv@infotoday.com, or visiting the ITI website at www.infotoday.com.

Categories: LISWire - Latest Releases

EBSCO Discovery Service™ (EDS) to Provide Greater Value through Full Integration of EBSCO A-to-Z® and LinkSource®

~ Integrating A-Z Listing Service and Link Resolver as Part of EDS Provides Enhanced Usability Along with Greater Efficiencies In Cost and Resource Management ~

Ipswich, MA & Birmingham, AL — January 20, 2011 — EBSCO Discovery Service™ (EDS) is set to benefit from the formal merging of EBSCO A-to-Z® and LinkSource® into EBSCO’s overall discovery solution. The two resources, which are relied upon by thousands of universities and other institutions around the globe, will become an integrated part of EBSCO Discovery Service. The EDS technology and service teams will work to provide additional value for EDS customers via a seamless integration of the services with EBSCO Discovery Service.

While high-end indexing, search value and user experience are most often the driving forces for discovery evaluation and adoption, tight integration of resource browsing within the EDS discovery experience will bring unparalleled functionality to the industry. According to, EBSCO Publishing’s Executive Vice President and CIO, Michael Gorrell, “Our vision is to provide the most complete and highest quality discovery experience for our users. Tightly integrating the A-to-Z browse functionality from within EDS represents a major step in this direction.”

While EDS is currently able to leverage the EBSCO A-to-Z knowledgebase to facilitate quality linking and limiting for a customer’s holdings, regardless of which resource listing product a customer subscribes to, this change will allow EDS customers to gain unique functionality in EDS. Complete browsing of a library’s e-resources will be possible within the same experience in which users conduct their keyword discovery searches. EBSCO A-to-Z and EDS customers will also reap the benefits of a unified administrative tool (under EBSCOadmin™) that will allow for streamlined management process for all products.

“By integrating these products which are the primary means of access to a library’s resources, we are able to create solutions that are very high up on the value/functionality curve,” said Gorrell. “This integration will be a big win for customers.”

EDS User Group Meeting
EBSCO plans to begin the process for integrating the services over the coming months, and will be conducting focus groups and engaging customers to ensure the greatest possible value upon initial integration. The company is planning the facilitation of a formal customer-driven EDS User Group Meeting that is currently planned to take place in summer of 2012. Additional detail on the EDS User Group Meeting is forthcoming.

About EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS)
EBSCO Discovery Service creates a unified, customized index of an institution’s information resources, and an easy, yet powerful means of accessing all of that content from a single search box-searching made even more powerful because of the quality of metadata and depth and breadth of coverage.

The Base Index for EBSCO Discovery Service forms the foundation upon which each EDS subscribing library builds out its custom collection. Beginning with the Base Index, each institution extends the reach of EDS by adding appropriate resources including its catalog, institutional repositories, EBSCOhost and other databases, and additional content sources to which it subscribes. It is this combination that allows a single, comprehensive, custom solution for discovering the value of any library’s collection.

The EDS Base Index is comprised of metadata from the world’s foremost information providers. At present, the EDS Base Index represents content from approximately 20,000 providers in addition to metadata from another 70,000 book publishers. Although constantly growing, today the EDS Base Index provides metadata for nearly 64,000 magazines & journals, approximately 825,000 CDs & DVDs, nearly six million books, more than 320 million newspaper articles, more than 400,000 conference proceedings and hundreds of thousands of additional information sources from various source-types.

About EBSCO
EBSCO encompasses both EBSCO Publishing and EBSCO Information Services. In addition to EBSCO Discovery Service, EBSCO Publishing is the producer of EBSCOhost®, the world’s premier for-fee online research service, including full-text databases, subject indexes, point-of-care medical reference, historical digital archives, and eBooks. The company provides more than 350 databases and nearly 300,000 eBooks. Through a library of tens of thousands of full-text journals and magazines from renowned publishers, EBSCO serves the content needs of all researchers (Academic, Medical, K-12, Public Library, Corporate, Government, etc.).

EBSCO Information Services, the provider of EBSCONET®, is the world’s leading information agent providing consultative services and cutting-edge technology for managing and accessing quality content, including e-journals, e-packages, eBooks, and more. Now more than ever libraries and research organizations are looking for new ways to manage their collections more efficiently. EBSCO has developed the most comprehensive “e” discovery and management solutions, offering unparalleled integration to help librarians save time and money while empowering their users.

EBSCO Publishing and EBSCO Information Services are divisions of EBSCO Industries Inc., one of the largest privately held companies in the United States.

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For more information, please contact:
Kathleen McEvoy
Public Relations Director
EBSCO Publishing
(800) 653-2726 ext. 2594
kmcevoy@ebscohost.com

Categories: LISWire - Latest Releases

EBSCO Publishing Releases American Antiquarian Society (AAS) Historical Periodicals Collection: Series 5 (1866–1877)

~ Completes the Five Series Collection from American Antiquarian Society ~

IPSWICH, Mass. — January 20, 2012 — The fifth and final series from the American Antiquarian Society (AAS) Historical Periodicals Collection has been released by EBSCO Publishing (EBSCO). American Antiquarian Society (AAS) Historical Periodical Collection: Series 5 (Series 5) includes more than 2,500 titles dating from 1866-1877.

The themes presented in American Antiquarian Society (AAS) Historical Periodicals Collection: Series 5 reflect a nation that persevered through a most difficult set of circumstances: a bloody civil war that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives; the incorporation of the recently-freed African Americans into American life; a population that rapidly expanded into the Western territories. Broad subject areas covered in the collection reach into every facet of American life, including science, literature, medicine, agriculture, fashion, family life, politics and religion.

Series 5 provides researchers with a unique look at a nation that has reached its 100th birthday and continues to grapple with the growing pains of transnational expansion, the aftermath of war, and the extending of American democratic life to its African American population. More detailed subjects include, but are not limited to: African American freedom, agriculture, children's literature and education, leisure and hobbies, medical advances, temperance and religion, trade and commerce, and fashions for men and women. Series 5 contains nearly two million pages of content.

Combined with the four previously released Series, the complete American Antiquarian Society (AAS) Historical Periodicals Collection from EBSCO is the most comprehensive digital collection of its type.

American Antiquarian Society (AAS) Historical Periodical Collection: Series 5 is available through the state-of-the art EBSCOhost® Content Viewer , specifically designed to meet the needs of scholars and researchers by enabling them to navigate historical content in new ways. This interface allows researchers to navigate historical content in a manner that is fast and natural while preserving the possibility of serendipitous discovery that is a highlight of doing historical research with hard copy primary documents. EBSCOhost Content Viewer replicates the experience of browsing and reading the original archival material while also allowing users to explore, manipulate, collect, take notes, and export content.

The collection also includes the Reference Shelf feature which provides contextual essays, terminology guides, and citation instructional assistance in a variety of styles. The contextual essays, written by experienced historians, provide overviews of important titles in the collection and connect them to broader themes in American history.

American Antiquarian Society (AAS) Historical Periodicals Collection: Series 5 is the last of the five series collection that includes digitized images of the pages of American magazines and journals never before available outside the walls of the American Antiquarian Society, the premier research library documenting the life of America’s people from the Colonial Era through the Civil War and Reconstruction. EBSCO partnered with the American Antiquarian Society to create the American Antiquarian Society (AAS) Historical Periodicals Collection which contains a total of more than 7,600 periodical titles estimated at seven million pages of content.

More information on EBSCO’s digital historical archives may be found on the digitals archives web page at: http://www.ebscohost.com/archives.

About EBSCO Publishing
EBSCO Publishing is the producer of EBSCOhost®, the world’s premier for-fee online research service, including full-text databases, subject indexes, point-of-care medical reference, historical digital archives, and eBooks. The company provides more than 350 databases and nearly 300,000 eBooks. Through a library of tens of thousands of full-text journals and magazines from renowned publishers, EBSCO serves the content needs of all researchers (Academic, Medical, K-12, Public Library, Corporate, Government, etc.). EBSCO is also the provider of EBSCO Discovery Service™ (EDS), which provides each institution with a fast, single search box for its entire collection, offering deeper indexing and more full-text searching of journals and magazines than any other discovery service (www.ebscohost.com/discovery). For more information, visit the EBSCO Publishing Web site at: www.ebscohost.com, or contact: information@ebscohost.com. EBSCO Publishing is a division of EBSCO Industries Inc., one of the largest privately held companies in the United States.

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For more information, please contact:
Kathleen McEvoy
Public Relations Director
(800) 653-2726 ext. 2594
kmcevoy@ebscohost.com

Categories: LISWire - Latest Releases

LYRASIS launches FOSS4LIB to provide guidance to libraries about open source software

FOSS4LIB offers a set of Decision Support Tools for the library community to assess open source readiness and related decisions. The tools include:

• a self-paced survey to determine the best open source hosting option;
• a list of questions that helps libraries understand open source software requirements and how to integrate with their larger institutional technology environments;
• a list of factors that impact the true cost of implementing open source; and
• a document to guide the final software package selection.

The site also details current information about open source software service providers, events and usage. Through its open source software registry, FOSS4LIB enables providers to highlight their software packages and benefits, libraries to submit firsthand experience with open source software, and users to learn about open source software updates and releases.

FOSS4LIB is accessible at http://foss4lib.org/. Software package creators, service providers and library professionals are encouraged to add their contact information to the registry. LYRASIS is providing additional information about this free online resource via free webinars and online classes, and will present overviews at the ALA Midwinter Conference.

• January 21st from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM (CST), City Center Marriott Somerset Room
• January 22nd from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM (CST), City Center Marriott Bordeaux Room

About LYRASIS

LYRASIS partners with member libraries to create, access and manage information, while building and sustaining collaboration, enhancing library and technology operations, and increasing buying power. For more information, please visit www.lyrasis.org.

Categories: LISWire - Latest Releases

ByWater Solutions to Offer Free Open Source Webinars

1/19/2012

CONTACT:

Nathan Curulla

(888) 900-8944

sales@bywatersolutions.com

ByWater Solutions to Offer Free Open Source Webinars

ByWater Solutions, an open source community supporter and official Koha support company is happy to announce a new open source education initiative. In an effort to educate library staff about the true nature of open source ByWater Solutions will be offering a series of free webinars entitled: Open Source in Libraries: Freedom and Community.

We at ByWater Solutions are dedicated to supporting open source software in libraries and support starts with Education. It is with that in mind that we would like to offer free training webinars to teach you all about open source.

Taught by our Vice President of Education, Nicole C. Engard, these 1.5 hour webinars will walk attendees through the history and meaning of open source software. Nicole comments on this series of webinars: “After years of training librarians how to use the Koha ILS I have found that there is still a lack of knowledge of open source software and I’d like to help combat that with these lessons.”

Librarians have adopted a culture of helplessness and workarounds when it comes to our software. Open source software is a way to get freed from these chains. But open source is about more than just software, it’s about community and a philosophy of freedom. This session will give librarians the facts about open source software by introducing them to what open source is and what it means for libraries.

Join us online for one of our first two lessons (space is limited so register early).

February 16, 2012 at 10am-11:30am EST

Register Online: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/993578942

March 13, 2012 at 2pm-3:30pm EST

Register Online: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/636868638

About ByWater Solutions:

With over 10 years of experience, ByWater Solutions offers customized hosting, data migration, configuration, installation, training, top ranked support options and development of enterprise class open-source library systems. Offering a 24/7 technical helpline, ByWater Solutions’ clients have the support system they need to make their software work for them. ByWater Solutions pledges to share 100% of all developed code to the Koha community for the strengthening and advancement of the Koha ILS. For more information about ByWater Solutions, please visit: http://bywatersolutions.com

Categories: LISWire - Latest Releases

University of Delaware Library joins OCLC WorldShare community

DUBLIN, Ohio, January 18, 2012—The University of Delaware Library has selected OCLC WorldShare Management Services as its Web-based cooperative library management system for metadata management, acquisitions, circulation, discovery, license management and workflow improvements. The University of Delaware Library is the first member of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) to join the OCLC WorldShare Management Services community.

The University of Delaware Library will implement OCLC WorldShare Management Services, including the OCLC WorldShare License Manager, by the summer of 2013. The new “cloud-based” system will increase effectiveness and better utilize the Library’s vast resources, according to the University.

In 2008, the Library was one of the first institutions to implement WorldCat Local, OCLC’s Webscale discovery and delivery service. Since then, 29 ARL libraries have implemented WorldCat Local.

“OCLC has a long and distinguished history of supporting libraries in their role of bringing information to users,” said Susan Brynteson, Vice Provost and May Morris Director of Libraries, who has been involved with the OCLC cooperative for many years. “The University of Delaware Library is delighted to be at the forefront in this next-generation of library services.”

“OCLC’s Webscale solution represents transformative change,” said Gregg A. Silvis, Assistant Director for Library Computing Systems, University of Delaware. “Libraries have been working toward this type of solution for years. Taking routine library functions to the cloud will reduce duplication of loading records locally, and eliminates the need for maintaining local systems. In addition, as the first academic research library in the U.S. to implement OCLC WorldShare Management Services, the Library is glad to have the opportunity to develop these services to help meet the needs of other research libraries.”

Tom Apple, Provost of the University of Delaware, stated, “The implementation of WorldShare Management Services demonstrates the commitment of the Library to provide first-rate research services to the faculty and students of the University of Delaware.”

The University of Delaware Library will have an improved means for getting users to resources of all types and formats, according to Silvis. “WorldShare Management Services will provide the Library the opportunity to conduct careful analysis of our workflows across the library.”

“We at OCLC greatly appreciate the University of Delaware’s willingness to work with the OCLC cooperative in innovative ways that advance research, scholarship and education,” said Jay Jordan, OCLC President and CEO. “We look forward to working with the staff of this important research library in implementing a new cooperative model that will benefit students, faculty and librarians.”

Andrew Pace, OCLC Executive Director of Networked Library Services, explained that the cooperative works collaboratively with the membership to ensure that services have meaning to and impact on the library community. “The University of Delaware Library will be invaluable in helping OCLC shape and enhance WorldShare Management Services.”

Libraries using OCLC WorldShare Management Services lower the total cost of ownership for their library’s management and free staff time for higher-priority services. These services provide a Web-based environment that streamlines cataloging, acquisitions, license management and circulation. OCLC WorldShare Management Services enable libraries to share infrastructure costs and resources, as well as collaborate in ways that free them from the restrictions of local hardware and software.

In 2010, OCLC announced that it was making OCLC WorldShare Management Services available to a group of early adopters. OCLC WorldShare Management Services was released for general availability July 1, 2011. There are currently 33 libraries using OCLC WorldShare Management Services; and 171 libraries worldwide have committed to the new service.

More about OCLC WorldShare Management Services can be found on the OCLC website at http://www.oclc.org/webscale/.

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