Featured Link

Featured Link: World Book Trade (e-books, awards, videos)

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Jazz Music Library from Alexander Street Press

Jazz Music Library from Alexander Street Press"Jazz Music Library is the most comprehensive collection of jazz recordings available online - covering thousands of artists, ensembles, albums, and genres, from all over the world, from the beginnings of jazz to today. It's an essential resource for the study and teaching of jazz history, performance, theory, or appreciation." From Alexander Street Press

Webinar: How Social is Your Web Site

Webinar: How Social is Your Web Site"Social media is a way for libraries to encourage, promote, innovate, learn, adapt, improve customer service, market library services, and to discover and deliver what users want. With all these benefits it's no wonder that libraries of all types and sizes are exploring the social media landscape. This information packed session will provide practical advice, tools, tips, and tricks on easy ways to optimize your website for this new social environment. Find out how other libraries are using social media to promote libraries and engage with users. Are you ready for the social?" - Presenters: Darlene Fichter, Coordinator for Data Library Services, University of Saskatchewan Library. Jeff Wisniewski, Web Services Librarian, University of Pittsburgh - 7 May 2009 - No charge for SLA Members

FreePint Newsletter 276

FreePint Newsletter 276 - 30 April, 2009 now available

A new look JISC website

"The JISC website is sporting a brand new look and feel, complete with an easy-to-use, topic-based navigation system that will help you find the information you want more quickly and easily. Ben Whitehouse, JISC digital communications manager, said: 'The revamp of the site is the result of listening to you, the people who use it. We have looked at how we can meet your information needs most effectively and improve your online experience.' Some of our work has been informed by our Audience Experts Panel of Librarians and e-Learning practitioners, who took part in focus groups last year. We also collated information via online surveys and some people took part in prototype testing our new customised homepage feature"

Giving It Away: Books, Business and the Culture of Free

Giving It Away: Books, Business and the Culture of Free. Presented by Humber College and the Book and Periodical Council in association with Authors at Harbourfront Centre - June 19, 2009 - Toronto, Canada

AALL Spectrum - May 2009

AALL Spectrum - May 2009 is now available from the American Association of Law Libraries

"At the Library" (SFPL) - May 2009

"At the Library" - Events and happenings at the San Francisco Public Library - May 2009 issue now available

The Berkshire Encyclopedia of China via Exact Editions

The Berkshire Encyclopedia of China via Exact EditionsThe Berkshire Encyclopedia of China is now available in the Berkshire Publishing shop on the Exact Editions platform. The printed volume sets will be released and sent to subscribers shortly, but the whole work is now searchable and freely sampleable. Example results for searches on 'Deng', 'HIV', 'Canton', 'Guangzhou', 'Nixon' 'Obama'







Irish Book Awards 2009 shortlists announced

"The shortlists for the Irish Book Awards 2009 feature an extraordinarily eclectic mix of authors including major literary figures such as Seamus Heaney, Sebastian Barry, Maeve Binchy and Marian Keyes alongside famous names from the world of entertainment and sport including Rachel Allen, Kathryn Thomas, Ross O'Carroll Kelly and Ronan O'Gara. The IBAS is the only industry wide event of its kind in the history of the Irish book sector and no other literary awards cover as broad and varied a range of categories. This year you can cast your public vote online for all categories (except Lifetime Achievement.) The eventual winners will be announced at The Gala Awards Dinner in Dublin's Mansion House on May 6, 2009."

2009 Waltham Forest Literature Festival

2009 Waltham Forest Literature Festival - 15-24 May 2009 - Walthamstow, UK

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Los Angeles Times 2008 Book Prize winners announced

Los Angeles Times 2008 Book Prize winners announcedThe 2008 Los Angeles Times Book Prizes were awarded Friday evening at 8pm, April 24, 2009, in a private ceremony at the Los Angeles Times building

The 56th Jane Addams Children's Book Awards winners

The winners of The 56th Jane Addams Children's Book Awards have been announced

Blackwell revolutionises reading with print-on-demand book machine

"Frustrating 'out-of-print' and 'out-of-stock' books will become a thing of the past with a new machine that prints books on demand. In the future, any novel, manual, journal or academic title, no matter how old or new can be printed in just under five minutes. On 24 April, Blackwell launched the Espresso Book Machine® (the "EBM") at its London flagship store in Charing Cross, which currently holds more than 400,000 publications. By summer there will be over a million titles available, the equivalent of 23.6 miles worth of shelving or over 50 bookshops rolled into one, in a machine the size of a photocopier."

Children's laureates choose their classics (UK)

Michael Rosen"Just William, Stuart Little and Mary Poppins have beaten Harry Potter in being named the greatest children's books of all time. The boy wizard was not chosen for the Laureates' Table, a new promotion at Waterstone's that is part of the 10th anniversary of the Children's Laureate. Children's laureates Quentin Blake, Anne Fine, Michael Morpurgo, Jacqueline Wilson and Michael Rosen (pictured) each selected seven books but have favoured the classics over the modern era. Only five of the 35 books selected were published during the last 20 years." - The Bookseller

SirsiDynix Institute Web Seminar: May 13, 2009

Kitty PopeSirsiDynix Institute Web Seminar - "Leading in Difficult Times" - May 13, 2009. Presented by Kitty Pope, Executive Director, Alliance Library System

E-JASL - Spring 2009

E-JASL: The Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship - v.10 no.1 (Spring 2009) is now available

2009 Locus Award finalists

The top five finalists in each category of the 2009 Locus Awards have been announced. The Locus Awards will be presented during the Science Fiction Awards Weekend in Seattle, WA, June 26-27, 2009

Google adds search power to public data

"We just launched a new search feature that makes it easy to find and compare public data" - Official Google Blog

Read This Now - video from ALA

"ALA's book and media awards represent some of the best works of the year. In this video, the chairs of many of the committees charged with choosing the award winners discuss the winning books and why they were selected"

Scholarly Communication 101 Road Show hosts selected

The ACRL Scholarly Communication Committee has selected five sites from 46 applications to host the Scholarly Communication 101: Starting with the Basics workshop this summer. Recognizing that scholarly communication issues are central to the work of all academic librarians and all types of institutions, ACRL is underwriting the costs of delivering this proven content by sending expert presenters on the road. The 46 applications represented nearly 150 colleges, universities, consortia and library networks from more than 30 states, Canada and Puerto Rico. The institutions selected are:

ACRL Louisiana Chapter, Baton Rouge, La.
Auraria Library, Denver
State University of New York at Buffalo Libraries, Buffalo, N.Y.
University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Literary cat makes library visits (UK)

Literary cat makes library visitsA Kent library has been visited almost every day for two years by its own "puss in books", the council has said. Fidel, an eight-year-old black cat, turns up at Deal library almost every day while his owners are at work. He spends the day on his favourite blue chair, only leaving the building when he sees his owners arriving home. Staff say they have never tried to encourage Fidel with food and even used to put him outside when he first began to visit them, but he always came back. - BBC

Copyright Clearance Center teaches "Copyright Basics" with free animated educational video

Copyright Clearance Center, the rights licensing expert, has released a short animated video designed to help people understand copyright law. "Copyright Basics" is a six-and-a-half minute video that follows the dashing "Jim T. Librarian" as he explains the importance of copyright to a co-worker. The video is free to use for educational purposes by organizations or individuals and can be viewed and downloaded

New blog: Law Librarians of Leisure by Christine Sellers

"My name is Christine Sellers and I am a law librarian, now with some unexpected time on my hands. I was a Senior Research Librarian at Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A., in Columbia, SC, until April 15, 2009. In an effort to provide something positive to the law librarian community out of this experience, I've created this blog. I hope it will serve to gather statistics, post jobs and advice, and provide a place to stay connected."

3,000 course texts to be made available free online to further education colleges (UK)

"From May 2009 to September 2014, students at UK further education colleges will have free online access to 3,000 course texts as a result of the e-books for FE project, funded by the Learning and Skills Council and JISC. 80,000 votes were received from colleges during the consultation period, and the titles selected cover a diverse range of subjects - from Fashion Design to Engineering, from Heath and Social Care to Automobile Electronics, and from Beauty Therapy to Practical Lambing. The titles will be available on the ebrary platform, and colleges will have the opportunity to buy additional e-books at specially discounted prices to add to the collection. This will enable each college to build a digital library of e-books tailored to meet the needs of its students"

Stumpedia

"Stumpedia is a social search engine that relies on human participation to index, organize, and review the world wide web. Stumpedia does not depend on bots, algorithms, or company insiders to make decisions on the relevance and ranking of search results"

Massachusetts Library Association 2009 Conference

Massachusetts Library Association 2009 Conference - May 5-8, 2009 - Springfield, MA, USA

Wayback Machine comes to life in new home

Brewster Kahle talks about the new computer which houses the Wayback Machine

What is it like to be a Library & Information Professional in the 21st Century?

What is it like to be a Library & Information Professional in the 21st Century?: Forum and debate from a new professionals perspective - 6 July 2009 - London, UK

Amazon buys ebook firm Lexcycle Inc.

"Amazon.com Inc. has acquired Lexcycle Inc., a company that makes a popular ebook reading application for Apple Inc.'s iPhone called Stanza. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed. The acquisition adds to Amazon's growing portfolio of ebook offerings. The Seattle Internet company sells the Kindle e-book reader as well as e-book titles in its own format. In addition, Amazon recently unveiled Kindle software for the iPhone." - WSJ

Technology Competencies Webinar

On April 29 2009 WebJunction is hosting a free webinar about libraries that are using technology competencies to identify what training staff need and how staff can succeed at their jobs. Speakers:

* Lori Reed, Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County (NC)
* Phyllis Winfield and Kim Gales, Worthington Libraries (OH)
* Kris Rosenburg, St. Johns County Public Library System (FL)

The presenters will discuss how they implemented a competency-based program in their library, including steps to:

* create a training program
* define job descriptions and
* assess staff needs.

PLA now accepting talk table proposals for 2010 National Conference

"The Public Library Association is now accepting talk table proposals for its 12th National Conference, to be held March 23-27, 2010 in Portland, Ore. Proposals may be submitted through an online form, available on the PLA National Conference website. Faxed or mailed proposals will not be accepted. Proposals may be created and updated until July 20. PLA will notify all successful applicants by September 1 and provide date and time assignments by November 15" - ALA

2009 STM Spring Conference

2009 STM Spring Conference: What keeps Scholarly Publishers up at Night? Political Environments: Threats & Opportunities, Copyright Challenges & Web 3.0 - 28-30 April 2009 - Cambridge, MA, USA

Monday, April 27, 2009

The Miles Franklin Literary Award 2009

The shortlist for The Miles Franklin Literary Award 2009 has been announced:

Breath - Tim Winton - Penguin
Ice - Louis Nowra - Allen & Unwin
The Pages - Murray Bail - Text Publishing Melbourne Australia
The Slap - Christos Tsiolkas - Allen & Unwin
Wanting - Richard Flanagan - Knopf (Random House Australia)

LISTen: The LISNews.org Podcast - Episode #69

LISTen: The LISNews.org Podcast - Episode #69. "This week's episodes deals with biological science. First up we have about five minutes of audio from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention in Atlanta on Swine Flu. Considering that most libraries are contact environments where such things could spread, this was deemed to be rather important. If circumstances warrant, further coverage may air unscheduled during this week. Following that we've got an interview with Dr. Kirsten Sanford, also known as "Dr. Kiki". A neurophysiologist by training, Dr. Kiki talked to LISTen about changes with Scientific American and how that modifies the knowledge ecology. After that segment, a network operations report is presented followed by the zeitgeist round-up". Previous Podcasts can be found here

JISC Podcast: A self-confessed geek on JISC's 'Developer Happiness' event

"In this podcast Kerry O'Neill talks, via Skype, to digital libraries and e-learning Programme Manager David Flanders who speaks about the benefits of Web 2.0 technologies, as well as the aspirations and outcomes of a JISC-supported event for web developers called 'Developer Happiness Days'"

Information Obesity by Andrew Whitworth

"Information Obesity is an exploration of information literacy and ICT skills education from the point of view of social and political theory. It uses these theories both to argue why the idea of information literacy is so important in the 21st century, and also to develop some teaching strategies to this end. The book argues that only through expanding the range of information literacy education - taking it beyond just formal school and university education and into homes, friendship networks and workplaces - can we construct an effective educational response to information technology in the 21st century. Information literacy includes, but transcends, ICT skills and ultimately is about being politically, socially and communicatively competent in an information society. Although this is a book about 'education', it argues that we need to start thinking of education as something done by families, friends, workmates and society as a whole, as well as schools and colleges. Each chapter introduces the readers to some social and political theory, but in ways accessible to a lay audience. To complement each section, 'think tasks' and practical exercises will help the readers apply the insights in their personal contexts"

World Press Freedom Prize 2009

World Press Freedom Prize 2009The late Sri Lankan journalist and editor of the Sunday Leader Lasantha Wickrematunge, who was assassinated on 8 January this year, has been named laureate of the 2009 UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Life of Pi website relaunched to recruit readers

"Canongate publishers has revamped the Life of Pi website in time for a worldwide readalong of the Man Booker Prize winning novel. Yann Martel's Life of Pi was first published by Canongate in 2001 and went on to win the Man Booker Prize in 2002. Since then it has become one of the biggest selling Man Booker Prize winners in the prize's 40 year history. The relaunch of the Life of Pi website coincides with Canongate's bid to recruit 31,419 readers (taking inspiration from Pi) of the award-winning novel. The readalong, which will take place during August, aims to attract new readers as well as anyone who has already read and loved the book. Those who sign up will join in a shared reading experience with thousands of people all over the world"

Images from the History of Medicine (IHM)

Images from the History of Medicine (IHM)Images from the History of Medicine (IHM) provides access to nearly 70,000 images in the collections of the History of Medicine Division (HMD) of the U.S National Library of Medicine (NLM). The collection includes portraits, photographs, caricatures, genre scenes, posters, and graphic art illustrating the social and historical aspects of medicine dated from the 15th to 21st century. The records from the Images from the History of Medicine database are also searchable in LocatorPlus. The purpose of the IHM database is to assist users in finding and viewing visual material for private study, scholarship, and research. This site contains some materials that may be protected by United States or foreign copyright laws. It is the users' responsibility to determine compliance with the law when reproducing, transmitting, or distributing images found in IHM.

MELUS: Multi-Ethnic Literature of the U.S. via Project Muse

MELUS: Multi-Ethnic Literature of the U.S., published by The Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States, is now available via Project Muse

Project Gutenberg April 2009 Newsletter

The Project Gutenberg April 2009 Newsletter is now available online

Integrative Biology

Integrative Biology is a new, open access, journal of quantitative biosciences from nano to macro

Directory of Open Access Journals - recently added titles

Analele Universitatii Bucuresti : Chimie

Asian Journal of Algebra

Asian Journal of Epidemiology

Crimes and Misdemeanours : Deviance and the Law in Historical Perspective

Pamukkale Universitesi Egitim Fakultesi Dergisi

Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy

Estudos Semióticos

Journal of Computer Science & Systems Biology

The Application of Clinical Genetics

Art and Research : A Journal of Ideas, Contexts and Methods

Dio : The International Journal of Scientific History

Dio and the Journal for Hysterical Astronomy

Nanotechnology, Science and Applications

OncoTargets and Therapy

Open Access Surgery

Psychology Research and Behavior Management

Reports in Medical Imaging

Revista Virtual de Química

Risk Management and Healthcare Policy

Public Reason

EnvironmentAsia

Les Dossiers du Grihl

Revista Corpoica : Cienca y Tecnología Agropecuaria

Revista Discurso Jurídico

Saturday, April 25, 2009

New IFLA website

On Wednesday 22 April Claudia Lux, IFLA President, officially launched the new IFLA website. This happening took place in the presence of all IFLA Governing Board members that were gathered in The Hague at IFLA HQ for the April Governing Board Meeting.

Earliest-known book jacket discovered in Bodleian Library

Earliest-known book jacket discovered in Bodleian Library"A librarian at Oxford's Bodleian Library has unearthed the earliest-known book dust jacket. Dating from 1830, the jacket wrapped a silk-covered gift book, Friendship's Offering. Unlike today's dust jackets, wrappers of the early 19th century were used to enfold the book completely, like a parcel. Traces of sealing wax where the paper was secured can still be seen on the Bodleian's discovery, along with pointed creases at the edges where the paper had been folded, showing the shape of the book it had enclosed. The wrapper was discovered by the Bodleian's head of conservation, Michael Turner, when sorting through an archive of book-trade ephemera that had been bought by the Bodleian in a sale in 1892. The jacket had been separated from its book, and had never been catalogued individually. It remained hidden until the library was contacted by an American scholar of dust jackets looking for the earliest known example." - The Guardian

Shh, this is a digital library (UK)

"Once upon a time a love of books and reading was considered a key requirement for an aspiring librarian. Today, with the advent of digitalisation and moves towards the virtual library, such an interest is no longer enough. Librarians must master sophisticated IT and information management skills as well as the traditional techniques..." - Times Online

Appointment of new Librarian and Archivist of Canada

The Prime Minister of Canada has announced changes in the senior ranks of the Public Service including the appointment of Dr. Daniel J. Caron as the new Librarian and Archivist of Canada. Dr. Caron has served at Library and Archives Canada since its creation, most recently as Senior Assistant Deputy Minister. In addition to his years at Library and Archives Canada and before that at the National Archives of Canada, he has held numerous positions in his 27-year career within the federal public service. Dr. Caron's appointment is effective Monday, April 27, 2009

The Shirley Jackson Awards

"In recognition of the legacy of Shirley Jackson's writing, and with permission of the author's estate, the Shirley Jackson Awards have been established for outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic. The Shirley Jackson Award will be voted upon by a jury of professional writers, editors, critics, and academics, with input from a Board of Advisors. The awards will be given for the best work published in the preceding calendar year in the following categories: Novel, Novella, Novelette, Short Story, Single-Author Collection, and Edited Anthology. The Shirley Jackson Awards will be presented on Sunday, July 12 2009, at Readercon 20, Conference on Imaginative Literature, in Burlington, Massachusetts, USA"

2009 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Children's Book Awards shortlists

The shortlists for the 2009 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Children's Book Awards have been announced

Online Catalogs: What Users and Librarians Want

Online Catalogs: What Users and Librarians WantIn 2008, OCLC conducted focus groups, administered a pop-up survey on WorldCat.org - OCLC's freely available end user interface on the Web - and conducted a Web-based survey of librarians worldwide. The Online Catalogs report presents findings from these research efforts in order to understand:

* The metadata elements that are most important to end users in determining if an item will meet his or her needs
* The enhancements end users would like to see made in online library catalogs to assist them in consistently identifying appropriate materials
* The enhancements librarians would recommend for online library catalogs to better assist them in their work
The findings indicate, among other things, that although library catalogs are often thought of as discovery tools, the catalog's delivery-related information is just as important to end users

Six volumes of Papal documents

Six volumes of Papal documents are now live. These consist of Petitions to the Pope, the Calendar of Vatican Papers for the first part of the reign of Elizabeth I, and three volumes of the Papal Registers. The Registers are entries in the Vatican archives which relate to Great Britain and Ireland; more volumes in this series will be published online in the coming months - British History Online

Mashed Library UK 2009

Mashed Library UK 2009 is a semi-unconference style event centred around the theme of data mash-ups in a library context ("bringing together interested people and doing interesting stuff with libraries and technology"). The first event took place at Birkbeck College in November 2008. The main sponsor of the event is Talis. July 7 2009 at the University of Huddersfield, UK

Friday, April 24, 2009

The Friday Brain-teaser from Credo Reference

The Friday Brain-teaser from Credo Reference - this week: General Knowledge. Answers here.

1. What should you do with a "brioche" - play it, eat it, or rub ointment on it?
2. Which American performer wrote and sang songs about "Sweet Caroline" and "Cracklin' Rosie"?
3. How many major tournaments do you have to win in one season to get a "grand slam" in tennis or golf: three, four or five?
4. Is Chianti a red wine or a white wine?
5. Calabria is a region of which country?
6. Which group of brothers starred in the films "Monkey Business", "Horse Feathers" and "Duck Soup"?
7. In which part of your body is the "patella": the arm, the knee or the skull?
8. Is Seoul the capital of North Korea or South Korea?
9. Was the "Cuban Missile Crisis" in 1962, 1972 or 1982?
10. Who drew a cartoon in "New Yorker" magazine with the caption
"Well, if I called the wrong number, why did you answer the phone?"

Reading for Life (UK)

"Reading for Life aims to promote the benefits of reading for your life, opportunities, health, family happiness and overall enjoyment. It's come out of the 2008 National Year of Reading. "

RCUK publishes report on open access study

"Research Councils UK has published an independent study commissioned by the Research Councils into open access to research outputs. The purpose of the study was to identify the effects and impacts of open access on publishing models and institutional repositories in light of national and international trends. This included the impact of open access on the quality and efficiency of scholarly outputs, specifically journal articles. The report presents options for the Research Councils to consider, such as maintaining the current variation in Research Councils' mandates, or moving towards increased open access, eventually leading to Gold Standard"

Gates Foundation pledges $57M to improve library Internet access in Vietnam, Poland, Romania

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will spend $57 million to improve Internet access at public libraries in Poland, Romania and Vietnam. The grants announced this week will focus largely on training librarians to use Internet resources, to make it easier for library patrons to get vital information and educate themselves and their children, officials said - StarTribune

DailyLit's April Newsletter

DailyLit's April Newsletter is now available

Orange Prize for Fiction 2009 shortlist announced

Orange Prize for Fiction 2009 shortlist announcedThe Orange Prize for Fiction 2009 shortlist has been announced:

* Scottsboro by Ellen Feldman
* The Wilderness by Samantha Harvey
* The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt
* Molly Fox's Birthday by Deirdre Madden
* Home by Marilynne Robinson
* Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie

Library Assessment Conference 2008 Proceedings now available

The proceedings of the 2008 Library Assessment Conference, "Building Effective, Sustainable, Practical Assessment," held August 4–7 in Seattle, Washington, are now available freely on the Web and for purchase in print or on CD-ROM

SPARC e-news - April 2009

SPARC e-news - April 2009: a bimonthly newsletter features the latest SPARC activities, an industry roundup, upcoming workshops and events, as well as articles related to developments in scholarly communication

2009 NYLA Annual Conference

2009 New York Library Association Annual Conference. Libraries: Peace, Love & Freedom - October 14-17, 2009 - Niagara Falls, New York, USA

Thursday, April 23, 2009

OCLC announces strategy to move library management services to Web scale

"OCLC is connecting the content, technology and expert capabilities of its member libraries worldwide to create the first Web-scale, cooperative library management service. Member libraries can take the first step to realizing this cooperative service model with a new, 'quick start' version of the OCLC WorldCat Local service"

York University Libraries books scanned, digitized at Internet Archive (Canada)

York University Libraries are working with the Internet Archive to scan thousands of pre-1923 books and get them on the web in high-quality digitized versions available for free to the entire world

JISC Podcast: How JISC opens up resources for education

In this podcast Kerry O'Neill talks with e-learning Programme Manager David Kernohan about what JISC is doing in the Open Educational Resources arena.

Bookarmy

Bookarmy"Bookarmy is a social networking website for every sort of reader. Whether you're a bookaholic or someone who picks up a book only once a year while relaxing on holiday, bookarmy is the place to discuss and review books, build reading lists, get the best book recommendations, and where you and your friends, family or classmates can read books together. What makes bookarmy different from other book sites is that here you can make direct contact with authors; see what star rating they have given books, browse their reading lists, ask them questions about their own writing, and recommend titles to them"

Henry VIII blog at The British Library

Henry VIII blog at The British Library"News, reviews and updates on the British Library's major exhibition on Henry VIII, running from 23 April to 6 September 2009" There is also an RSS Feed

Panlibus Magazine - Spring 2009

Panlibus Magazine - Spring 2009 edition now available from Talis

The Orwell Prize 2009 winners announced

The winners of The Orwell Prize 2009 have been announced:

* Andrew Brown wins Book Prize for Fishing in Utopia
* Patrick Cockburn wins Journalism Prize for London Review of Books and The Independent
* Jack Night wins Special Prize for Blogs for NightJack - An English Detective
* Judges award additional Special Prize to Tony Judt

5th International Digital Curation Conference

5th International Digital Curation Conference: "Moving to Multi-Scale Science: Managing Complexity and Diversity" - 2-4 December 2009 - London, UK

The People's Book Prize (UK)

The People's Book Prize - a unique award in three genres in which the public is judge and jury - will launch on 1 June. The power behind it is Tatiana Wilson, Publisher of Delancey Press, whose objective is the discovery of "quality work by new authors", and the award's patrons are novelist Beryl Bainbridge and broadcaster Paul Blezard.

Docklands library at 'heart of buzzing town centre' (UK)

Docklands library at 'heart of buzzing town centre' (UK)"Plans for a GBP14m library that will dominate a new civic plaza in London's docklands have been unveiled by Southwark Council. Shaped like an inverted pyramid the striking structure will overhang the Canada Water basin. Designed by Piers Gough the four-storey building also has an atrium, with a timber-lined central spiral staircase, and will have a grass roof and a ground source heat pump. The library will sit at the edge of a new town centre open space that will be designed to provide facilities for a farmer's market, large TV screenings and festivals"

Librarians' Internet Index - New This Week

Librarians' Internet Index - New This Week - April 23, 2009

Google Librarian Central - April 2009

Google Librarian Central - April 2009 issue now available

'Orwell' library to be restored

'Orwell' library to be restored The library where George Orwell researched his book The Road To Wigan Pier is to be restored. The Grade II-listed building, now the History Shop in Wigan town centre, will receive a GBP1.6m transformation over the next year to create a heritage hub. Restoration firm William Anelay said it meant Wigan's history would be in one place for the first time. "It's the story of Wigan from the Romans to the Battle of Wigan Lane," said a spokesman for the company. The Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust said the conservation project was possible following a £500,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. - BBC

Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source™

Coming in 2009, EBSCO Publishing will release Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source™. The schedule for release is:

* Release of BETA Version: April 17, 2009
* Full Release: June 1, 2009

"The release of Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source means that dental practitioners and researchers now have a definitive place to start and finish their online dental literature research. This revolutionary new database contains cover-to-cover indexing and abstracts for 160 journals and dozens of monographs. It includes indexing for all dentistry and oral sciences journals commonly purchased by dental schools and other related institutions"

DailyLit collaborates with HarperStudio

DailyLit is collaborating with HarperStudio to launch Who is Mark Twain?, a collection of never-before-published-essays by Mark Twain. This collection is being made completely free to DailyLit readers

Oxford University Press releases "Lessons from the Identity Trail"uUnder CC license

Oxford University Press releases Lessons From The Identity Trail: Anonymity, Privacy and Identity in a Networked Society is a collection of essays edited by Ian Kerr, Valerie Steeves, and Carole Lucock recently published by Oxford University Press. Focusing on "the importance and impact of anonymity and privacy in a networked society", Lessons From The Identity Trail is being released under a CC BY-NC-ND license, allowing for the free sharing and spreading of the work.

CLA/ACB announces 2009 winner of the CLA/YBP Award for Outstanding Contribution to Collection Development and Management

The Collection Development and Management Interest Group of the Canadian Library Association/Association canadienne des bibliothèques has announced that Carol Stephenson (Wilfrid Laurier University Library) is the 2009 winner of the CLA/YBP Award for Outstanding Contribution to Collection Development and Management. Ms Stephenson is currently Head of Collections and Acquisitions at Wilfrid Laurier University and has served with distinction not only at Wilfrid Laurier University but also at the University of Waterloo, and previously as Project Manager for the OCUL VDX project.

New ACRL publication: Library Rx

The Association of College and Research Libraries has announced the publication of a new title, Library Rx: Measuring and Treating Library Anxiety by Martina Malvasi, Catherine Rudowsky and Jesus M. Valencia. "Library Rx" presents research findings on library anxiety in college and university students. There is strong evidence that library anxiety, the inadequate feeling students have when lost in overwhelming buildings that present mountains of information in all formats and professionals who may seem busy and unapproachable, has a negative impact on undergraduate student performance. The authors review existing research on student reactions to the library environment, describe the finding of a research project on library anxiety and present ideas for its treatment.

C&RL News seeks cover art

College & Research Libraries News is looking for images from library collections to feature on upcoming covers

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Piped music in libraries may encourage young people in, but it risks forcing older readers out

"A spokeswoman described it as "quiet background #music"; a user said it was a song by the Sugababes. It is not for me to decide whether or not the two claims are compatible. The debate was about the decision by the Gloucestershire libraries service to introduce piped music into some of its libraries. The majority of visitors enjoyed the atmosphere, the spokeswoman said, and the library at the centre of the alleged Sugababes outrage has been "very busy since we introduced music". The complaining borrower, however, aged 76, found that she couldn't concentrate on choosing her books because of the thumping background beat." - The Guardian

Judy Krug Memorial 1940-2009

A memorial video to intellectual freedom legend Judith Krug, the long-time director of the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom and Freedom to Read Foundation, featuring messages from colleagues, interviews featuring Judy, and photos of Judy from throughout her career.

Earth Day 2009

"Earth Day, celebrated April 22, is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is celebrated in many countries every year. This date is Spring in the Northern Hemisphere and Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere"

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Bards in the Bog update

Bards in the Bog update"Launched in February 2009, the Bards in the Bog project displays original poetry in Shetland's public toilets. Poet Jen Hadfield has selected the first six poems. They are published here as well as on the toilet doors. The standard was extremely high, with entries from around the world. Congratulations to our published poets. There will be two more chances to submit poems for Bards in the Bog - advertised later this year"

PulpFest 2009

PulpFest 2009PulpFest 2009 "is a new and improved version of the venerable convention catering to fans and collectors of vintage popular fiction" - July 31 to Aug 2 - Columbus, Ohio, USA. Subscribe to the RSS feed

RecordKeeping magazine - April 2009

RecordKeeping magazine - April 2009The April 2009 edition of RecordKeeping magazine is now available to download. This quarterly magazine is aimed at archivists, records managers, and everyone involved and interested in archives and records. Highlights of this issue include:
* BT Archives launches its online catalogue
* Supporting religious archives in the UK
* Digital preservation roadshow 2009

Marsh's Library: a mirror on the world

Marsh's Library: a mirror on the worldMarsh's Library: a mirror on the world: Law, learning and libraries, 1650–1750. Muriel McCarthy & Ann Simmons, editors. In 1707 an act of parliament established Marsh’s Library as 'a publick library for ever'. This volume contains the papers presented at a conference to commemorate the 1707 act which took place in the library in October 2007. The topics covered were 'Parliament and Legislation', 'Enlightenment and Counter-Enlightenment' and 'Collectors and Collections'. Muriel McCarthy has been Keeper of the library since 1989. The second edition of her book on the library, Marsh's Library: all graduates and gentlemen, was published by Four Courts Press in 2003. Ann Simmons has worked at Marsh's Library for fifteen years and is Deputy Keeper of the library

CLIR Issues - Number 68

CLIR Issues - Number 68, March/April 2009 - is now available from the Council on Library and Information Resources

2009 Pulitzer Prizewinners and Nominated Finalists

The 2009 Pulitzer Prizewinners and Nominated Finalists have been announced

2009 Outstanding Service to Librarianship Award announced by the Canadian Library Association

"The Canadian Library Association/Association canadienne des bibliothèques has announced that the 2009 Outstanding Service to Librarianship Award is being presented to Barbara Clubb. The Outstanding Service to Librarianship Award is generously sponsored by Bowker. As noted by one nominator, 'For many people, Barbara Clubb's name is synonymous with outstanding service to libraries. There is no type of library or library service that is not of interest to her. Barb combines great intellect, energy and curiosity, all in support of providing the best possible service to library users. She is a library advocate at every opportunity, great or small.' The fact that the Award Committee received two independent nominations for Ms. Clubb for this award, both heaping praise on her long list of accomplishments, is further testament to her leadership and vision in a career spanning over forty years in Canadian libraries."

Google News Timeline

Google News Timeline - "a new feature on Google Labs that organizes many different types of search results on a zoomable, graphical timeline. Google News Timeline presents search results from a wide range of sources. You can search and browse results from Google News, including headlines, quotes, photos from Google's Hosted News partners, and YouTube partner videos. You can also search for thousands of archival newspapers and magazines from Google News Archive Search and Google Book Search"

The World Digital Library is now live

The World Digital Library makes available on the Internet, free of charge and in multilingual format, significant primary materials from countries and cultures around the world. The principal objectives of the WDL are to:

* Promote international and intercultural understanding;
* Expand the volume and variety of cultural content on the Internet;
* Provide resources for educators, scholars, and general audiences;
* Build capacity in partner institutions to narrow the digital divide within and between countries.

Monday, April 20, 2009

LISTen: The LISNews.org Podcast - Episode #68

LISTen: The LISNews.org Podcast - Episode #68. "This week's episode of LISTen is dedicated to recently departed freedom crusader Judith Krug. A news analysis is presented relative to a censorship matter. Coming back from a stand-down, the episode is kept short intentionally". Previous Podcasts can be found here

Pulitzer Prize First Edition Collecting Guide

Pulitzer Prize First Edition Collecting GuideThe Pulitzer Prize First Edition Collecting Guide provides all the details necessary to help you identify first edition Pulitzer Prize for Fiction books

28th Annual Course on International Law Librarianship

28th Annual Course on International Law Librarianship - 11-15 October 2009 - Istanbul, Turkey

Sunday, April 19, 2009

2009 Indies Choice Book Award winners (USA)

2009 Indies Choice Book Award winners"The American Booksellers Association has announced the winners of the inaugural Indies Choice Book Awards. Formerly the Book Sense Book of the Year Awards, the new Indies Choice Book Awards reflect the spirit of independent bookstores nationwide through new categories and a broader range of winners and honor books"

NTIS Technical Reports Newsletter - April 2009

NTIS Technical Reports Newsletter - Volume 1, Number 10, April 2009 is now available from the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA, USA

Warminster’s new mobile library van takes to the roads (UK)

"Wiltshire Council will be helping to make a difference for people in the Warminster area when a brand new mobile library vehicle with additional facilities takes to the roads. The new van will be launched on Friday April 24 at Sutton Veny School at 9.45am. The Warminster mobile library route is concentrated in the west and south of the county and visits over 70 locations, including, Bishopstrow, Tilshead, Dilton Marsh and Staverton. It visits 12 village schools and is used by hundreds of school children. The new mobile library has a computer terminal on board with internet access for the public to use at the longer stops, and holds over 2,000 items. These cover reading for all ages from picture books, to books in large print, audiobooks and DVD’s. It has over 1,500 members and issues more than 30,000 items per year"

Iran National Library to boost ties with Asian, European institutions

Iran National Library to boost ties with Asian, European institutionsThe Iran National Library and Archive will sign memorandums of understanding with libraries in several Asian and European countries in near future, INLA director Ali-Akbar Ash'ari told ISNA. INLA will sign the MOUs with Austria, Macedonia, China and Ukraine in the near future to boost cultural ties between Iran and the other countries, he said. The director of the Austrian National Library and the delegation will travel Tehran to visit INLA and sign agreements with the library in the near future, he said. Despite the negative propaganda of the western media, Iran is ready to sign agreements with other countries to manifest Iran's capabilities and present a true picture of the country, he mentioned - NetNative

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Tenso via Project Muse

Tenso, published by Société Guilhem IX, is now available via Project Muse

OCLC presents outcomes from Symposium for Publishers and Librarians

OCLC recently hosted a Symposium for Publishers and Librarians to explore metadata needs and practices. View the report and outcomes

All 1911 census records for England now online

All 1911 census records for England now onlineThe 1911 census records for Northumberland, Cumberland and Westmorland - 443,204 new records - are now available to search and download on 1911census.co.uk. The records for Gateshead have also been added to the county of Durham. With completion of work on these counties, the service now covers the whole of England. The Welsh counties will be added soon; the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, as well as naval and overseas military records, will be made available over the coming months. 1911census.co.uk is run by findmypast, in association with The National Archives

Podcast: Naturalisation and alien registration (UK)

Using records at The National Archives, this talk examines the various Alien Acts that affected the status of foreigners resident in the UK from the 19th century, and the reasons why so many chose to become naturalised British citizens

EDUCAUSE Review March/April 2009

EDUCAUSE Review March/April 2009EDUCAUSE Review Volume 44, Number 2, March/April 2009 is now available online

Directory of Open Access Journals - recently added titles

International Journal for Researcher Development

Sustainability

ASEAS : Österreichische Zeitschrift für Südostasienwissenschaften

Acta Cientifica Estudiantil

Science of Tsunami Hazards

Doctor Virtualis

International Journal of Wine Research

International Medical Case Reports Journal

Journal of Asthma and Allergy

Journal of Inflammation Research

Journal of Pain Research

Medical Devices: Evidence and Research

Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis in Social Sciences

Technology Interface Journal

InDret

Bangladesh Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Clinical and Experimental Gastroenterology

Clinical Epidemiology

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology

Facta Universitatis : Series Physical Education and Sport

Infection and Drug Resistance

Journal of Automation, Mobile Robotics & Intelligent Systems

Mediterranean Journal of Educational Studies

Transformative Works and Cultures

International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Computational Biology and Chemistry : Advances and Applications

Éducation et Francophonie

Human Genomics and Proteomics

Revista de História Regional

Stem Cells and Cloning : Advances and Applications

Digital Repositories Research Group (DR-RG)

"The goal of the Digital Repositories Research Group (DR-RG) is to analyze how digital repositories can be built on top of federated storage infrastructure, focusing on the exploitation of existing data-related standards and the identification of need for new or revised data-related standards"

Groups on WebJunction

WebJunction members have created nearly 100 groups. They are now listed on a single page. WebJunction is an online community where library staff meet to share ideas, solve problems, take online courses

Friday, April 17, 2009

The Friday Brain-teaser from Credo Reference

The Friday Brain-teaser from Credo Reference - this week: Animals. Answers here.

1. Is a "merino" a type of cow, goat or sheep?
2. The ostrich cannot fly. Is this true or false?
3. Is someone who studies butterflies and moths called an entomologist, a lepidopterist or an ornithologist?
4. What is the usual word for the larva of a frog or toad?
5. Which German breed of dog has a name which means "badger dog"?
6. If a horse is "piebald", its coat has large patches of which two colours?
7. Kenneth Grahame's "The Wind in the Willows" is about a group of four humanlike animals. What are three of the four animals?
8. Which is normally taller and heavier: the Indian elephant or the African elephant?
9. Aardvarks exist mainly on a diet of which other animal?
10. There are two species of camel: the Arabian and the Bactrian. Which of these species has only one hump?

Quintura relaunches its Quintura.com search destination homepage

"Quintura, a visual-based search engine, has announced the re-launch of its search destination homepage, Quintura.com. The new homepage on Quintura.com simplifies access to online search services offered by Quintura such as web search, site search and kids-friendly search. The new 'look and feel' of Quintura.com is fueled by demand from Quintura users including online publishers, web masters and search engine industry professionals"

Primary Source - April 2009

Primary Source - April 2009 issue now available from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Washington, DC, USA

Boards recommend NELINET join Lyrasis

"The Boards of Directors of NELINET and Lyrasis approved a resolution to recommend NELINET join Lyrasis. Together, Lyrasis and NELINET will comprise the largest membership collaborative of its kind serving more than 4,500 libraries and cultural heritage institutions in New England, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Southeastern United States. The leadership of both organizations recognize this is an exciting opportunity for these successful, membership-driven organizations to join together to serve their diverse library communities."

FreePint Newsletter 275

FreePint Newsletter 275 - 16 April, 2009 now available

Copyright and E-learning A guide for practitioners by Jane Secker

Copyright and E-learning: A guide for practitioners by Jane Secker. This book is essential reading for anyone working in education including learning support staff and teachers using e-learning, learning technologists, librarians, educational developers, instructional designers, IT staff and teachers. It is also relevant for anyone working in the education sector from school level to higher education, and those developing learning resources in commercial organisations and the public sector including libraries, museums and archives, and government departments. Published in December 2009

CILIP Libraries Change Lives Award 2009 finalists

"Leeds librarians help and support local families whose children have Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) with advice and the use of picture communication software; an Edinburgh initiative encourages and promotes reading as a normal activity for vulnerable young people in residential care; and a national project that involves a range of local libraries to give book-shy adults the chance to enjoy reading for pleasure are all in the running for the 2009 CILIP Libraries Change Lives Award. The winner of the award will be announced by the 2008-2009 Poet Laureate and Chair of the Museums Libraries and Archives Council, Andrew Motion, on 15 July 2009 at CILIP's biennial Umbrella 2009 conference, held at The DeHavilland Campus, University of Herfordshire in Hatfield"

The State of America's Libraries Report 2009

"The value of libraries in communities across the country continued to grow in 2008 - and accelerated dramatically as the national economy sank and people looked for cost effective resources in a time of crisis, according to the American Library Association's annual State of America's Libraries report, released as part of National Library Week, April 12-18, 2009. U.S. libraries experienced a dramatic increase in library card registration as the public continues to turn to their local library for free services. More than 68 percent of Americans have a library card. This is the greatest number of Americans with library cards since the American Library Association started to measure library card usage in 1990, according to a 2008 Web poll conducted by Harris Interactive. The report also says library usage soared as Americans visited their libraries nearly 1.4 billion times and checked out more than 2 billion items in the past year, an increase of more than 10 percent in both checked out items and library visits, compared to data from the last economic downturn in 2001"

Early Manuscripts of Anselm: a discussion with five manuscripts

Early Manuscripts of Anselm: a discussion with five manuscriptsThe Bodleian Library, Lambeth Palace Library, and Trinity College Cambridge present Early Manuscripts of Anselm: a discussion with five manuscripts - Bodleian Library, Oxford, Monday, 27 April, 2009 10:30 am-4:30 pm, New Library Seminar Room. The manuscripts themselves will be present. It is intended that there should be ample opportunity for discussion

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Books lent out to Tube commuters (UK)

Books are being loaned to commuters on the London Underground in a scheme aimed at giving readers an alternative to free newspapers. Novels are handed out free to commuters outside five Tube stations once a month in the Choose What You Read scheme. They are returned the following month or to a central London "drop" box. Co-founder Alfie Boyd said: "Everyone enjoys reading a nice story rather than about a useless celebrity that no-one really cares about too much." He began the scheme with friend Claire Wilson to give commuters an alternative to the "tonnes of free newspapers dished out and thrown away every day" - BBC. The Choose What You Read website is here

The David Gemmell Legend Award for Fantasy shortlist

The shortlist for The David Gemmell Legend Award for Fantasy has been announced:

* Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie
* Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier
* The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
* Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski
* The Way of Shadows by Brent Week

Librarians' Internet Index - New This Week

Librarians' Internet Index - New This Week - April 16, 2009

The Bloomsbury Library Online

A message from Colin Midson, Acting Publicity Director, Bloomsbury Publishing, London, UK:

Bloomsbury is set to transform the relationship between publishers and libraries, and between libraries and readers, with an innovative development in public lending: The Bloomsbury Library Online. At a time when the British library system is under pressure to reach larger audiences with tighter budgets, and when the reading public is feeling the pinch, Bloomsbury is launching a unique, affordable and user-friendly online initiative. In association with www.exacteditions.com and using existing technology in libraries across the country, Bloomsbury is rolling out a groundbreaking e-lending strategy which will allow readers to read collections of bestselling books at local library terminals or with the use of a library card on home computers and internet enabled devices.

The Bloomsbury Library Online will consist of a number of themed shelves: children's books, sports titles, international fiction, Shakespeare plays, reference books and more. They will launch with a shelf of Book Group titles including Galaxy Book of the Year, The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, by Kate Summerscale, Orange Prize longlisted Burnt Shadows, by Kamila Shamsie, word-of-mouth phenomenon The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer, and international bestseller The Death of Vishnu by Manil Suri. Embracing the advantages of the online format, users will be able to read the book, search the text, access author interviews, reviews, press features, and links to specially commissioned reading group guides.

How will it work?
• The Bloomsbury Library Online will be sold on subscription - libraries will subscribe to a bookshelf for a year at a time and will pay according to the size of population served.
• New titles will be added on a continuous basis - free of charge within the subscription year.
• Users will click through from the Library terminals or through an online portal accessible via any web browser (including those found on iPhone and Blackberry) anytime, anywhere in the UK.
• Text accessible through screen readers and therefore available to blind and partially-sighted users.

Bloomsbury Executive Director Richard Charkin said "Libraries are hugely important to readers, communities and authors and are under severe financial constraints. While never forgetting the importance of books themselves, they're also being pressured to adapt to the demands of the 21st century: bridging the digital divide, serving multicultural communities, attracting new users and reaching into homes. The Bloomsbury Library Online serves to fill that hole and will hopefully blaze a trail for similar developments in the library system."

Kate Summerscale added: "I'm delighted that The Suspicions of Mr Whicher will be part of The Bloomsbury Library Online - it sounds a great scheme, especially for book groups."

The system is set to go live on May 4th 2009.

For further information please contact Colin Midson on +44 207 494 6054 or email on colin.midson@bloomsbury.com
To find out more about Exact Editions, please contact Daryl Rayner on +44 207 554 8632 or email on daryl.rayner@exacteditions.com

The Crystal Palace Children's Book Festival (UK)

The Crystal Palace Children's Book Festival takes place 24-26 April 2009 at the Upper Norwood Joint Library in London. Authors include:
* Alex Milway
* Alexander Gordon Smith
* Guy Bass
* Sarah Horne
* Sarwat Chadda
* Sue Eves
* Viviane Schwarz

International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics via Project Muse

International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics, published by Indiana University Press, is available via Project Muse

The complete works of Mendelssohn online at the Bavarian State Library

The complete works of Felix Mendelssohn are available online at the Bavarian State Library through a partnership with Google Books

Reality Bites: Periodicals Price Survey 2009

Library Journal: "As waves of grim economic news wash over state and federal governments here and abroad, libraries of all types and sizes are bracing for budget cuts the likes of which have not been seen in three generations. Unlike most financial crises, this one is ubiquitous, with all but a handful of states in the red and getting redder. Globally, the meltdown is playing havoc with currencies, and the cost of journals priced in currencies other than the pound, the euro, or the U.S. dollar have skyrocketed. Severe losses in endowment revenue, which in the past insulated materials budgets to a degree, have left even larger and wealthier libraries facing cuts..."

Cites & Insights 9:6 (May 2009)

Cites & Insights 9:6 (May 2009) is now available for downloading

The University of Ottawa's Cochrane Center now offers Canadians free access to the health information found in The Cochrane Library

"The Canadian Cochrane Network and Centre has announced that everyone in Canada with access to the Internet will be able to view the full content of The Cochrane Library, an on-line resource that provides evaluations on health treatments

What future for Digital Information - order or anarchy?

What future for Digital Information - order or anarchy?: "Librarians, information professionals and publishers all face major new challenges and opportunities as they meet increasing demand for high-quality digital content. To help them find a way through the digital maze, CILIP has launched a major new conference for all those affected by the impact of this irreversible trend" - 17 November 2009 - London, UK

RFID in Libraries Conference 2009

RFID in Libraries Conference 2009 - November 10, 2009 - London, UK

The Newbery and Caldecott Awards: A Guide to the Medal and Honor Books, 2009 Edition

The Newbery and Caldecott Awards: A Guide to the Medal and Honor Books, 2009 Edition"ALA Editions, the publishing imprint of the American Library Association, is releasing The Newbery and Caldecott Awards: A Guide to the Medal and Honor Books, 2009 Edition by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). This annual guide covers the most distinguished American children's literature and illustration. Librarians and teachers everywhere have come to rely on updated content for quick reference, collection and curriculum development and readers' advisory. With a fresh look and format, locating information on the award-winning books is easier than ever before"

Celebrate National Bookmobile Day during National Library Week 2010

From ALA: "Bookmobiles and direct-delivery outreach services are an integral, vital part of libraries around the country. Their contribution to public life will be recognized during National Bookmobile Day, Wednesday, April 14, 2010, as part of National Library Week. National Library Week is an annual celebration of the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians. All types of libraries - school, public, academic and special - participate. For more than 100 years, bookmobiles have served rural, urban, suburban and tribal areas, bringing access to information and life-long learning resources to all classes and communities as a central part of library service. National Bookmobile Day will serve to highlight their value and extend their reach."

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Digital Library Federation to continue programs in Council on Library and Information Resources

"The Board of the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) has voted to merge the Digital Library Federation (DLF) into CLIR as a program of the Council, starting July 1, 2009. The vote follows recommendations by a DLF Review Committee in March 2009 to merge the two organizations, and a unanimous vote of consent by the DLF Board on April 8. With the merger, DLF's current members will become "charter sponsors" of the DLF program at CLIR. CLIR will hire a program officer to lead DLF initiatives. CLIR will continue to convene forums and will also convene special thematic sessions, with a goal of more in-depth exploration of collaborative activities."

Gates Foundation and OCLC will develop community-based awareness campaign to increase support for libraries

"The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced a $5 million grant to the OCLC library cooperative to develop a public information campaign that will help public library leaders heighten awareness of the needs of local libraries and increase support for the services they provide during these challenging times. OCLC will pilot the campaign in select areas of Georgia and Iowa starting this summer as well as a limited number of other communities which will be selected later this spring. Later in the year, OCLC will make available community awareness campaign materials and other guides to assist library leaders throughout the country in their efforts to strengthen support for local libraries."

Wales' past to go online

"GBP2m will be allocated from the Assembly Government's Strategic Capital Investment Fund specifically to digitise 2 million pages of newspapers and magazines relating to Wales. The publications date as far back as the 18th century and covering up to 300 titles from children's magazines like Cymru'r Plant to popular newspapers such as the Star of Gwent, Tarian y Gweithiwr, Herald y Rhos and the Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian. Readers will be able to read first-hand accounts of events like the Chartist march on Newport, the Rebecca riots, early rugby and football matches and vital snippets which could help with vital clues for family and local history. The site will form an easily accessible teaching and research library for every university, school, college and home across Wales. It will help to address the shortage of online learning materials relating to the culture, history and identity of Wales and will create the largest body of Welsh language material yet published online"

Public Library Journal articles available online (UK)

To improve accessibility and attract new readers, Public Library Journal is making all its articles fully available online, nine months after publication of the print version. Articles from Spring 2008 are now available

Library Connect - January 2009

Library Connect Volume 7, No 1, January 2009 is now available from Elsevier

Library 2.0 Gang Podcast: April 2009: The mess of ERM

"Electronic Resource Management has evolved alongside Integrated Library Systems over the last decade, reaching a point today where many would agree it is a bit of a mess." - Richard Wallis

Librareo 2009 "Power to the user" Ad Madness

"This year's Librareo video contest challenges you to create a one-minute commercial describing how libraries bring needed services to communities in challenging times"

Credo Reference content expands to include EBSCO Publishing linking

"Customers of Credo Reference and EBSCO Publishing now have access to more content thanks to a new custom linking agreement. Mutual customers of Credo Reference and EBSCOhost are now able to expand their searches and easily link from one resource into the other.Credo Reference is now able to offer custom linking results to related subjects in EBSCOhost. The linking agreement will allow Credo Reference customers to start a search in Credo Reference and continue the same search into EBSCOhost. In Credo, users will see a link in the result list that says 'continue search in EBSCOhost' while in EBSCOhost, users will see a link in the result list that says, "Search for related subjects through Credo Reference.""

DSpace 1.5.2 stable released

This release is primarily a bug fix release incorporating numerous bug fixes and enhancements:

- SWORD module/version 1.3.1 supporting the sword standard version 1.3
- cocoon upgraded to 2.2
- fix for the UTF-8 issues with the XMLUI
- new authentication methods: Hierarchical LDAP and Shibboleth
- full update translations: German, Italian for both XMLUI and JSPUI and Ukrainian for JSPUI
- new translations for 1.5.x: Greek and Thai
- graceful resolver for urn in the item page for the JSPUI

Specify 6

"After more than twelve developer years of design and engineering and over two million USD of investment, the Specify Software Team is delighted to release Specify 6 for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux desktops. Specify is a client-server database platform for museums and herbaria which processes specimen information for computerizing holdings, managing collection management transactions, and for mobilizing species occurrence data to the web. Specify is free and open source software licensed under the GNU GPL2. Downloadable installation packages for all three desktop flavors as well as Specify's Java source code are linked to this site. Specify is an integration platform that will transform biological collections computing. Specify's network savvy and pluggable architecture is designed for adding web service links and functional extensions. With our open source model, we look forward to community software development collaboration to extend Specify to bring specimen data to broader computational research and networking initiatives in the environmental sciences"

ACRL launches redesigned web site

"The update is the result of an extensive planning and redesign process in order to better serve the information-seeking needs of the ACRL membership and general public. The results of an ACRL membership survey informed the redesign process, with many suggestions on usability incorporated into the final design"

Electronic Collection Development for the Academic E-Library

Electronic Collection Development for the Academic E-Library: An ACRL Online Seminar - May 18 to June 6, 2009. "In this hands-on course you will learn to create an academic e-library collection development plan for free and fee-based Web-accessible resources for a patron community of your choice. Students will focus on developing a collection plan for one library patron group of their choice. Patron groups may include: faculty, students, researchers, general public, subject specialists, etc. This collection plan will be developed in five parts. Each part includes lecture, discussion and hands-on activities that will step participants through creating or assessing a collection plan for developing a e-library collection"

Radio LPL at Live365.com (Liverpool Public Library, NY)

"Radio LPL is produced by Liverpool Public Library in Liverpool, New York. Tune in for selections from the library's collection of music recordings. We feature classical, jazz, popular, folk, musicals, new age, soundtracks, and local artists"

Webcast: Podcasting for Libraries

Podcasting for Libraries - Live Webcast - June 2, 2009 - 11 a.m Pacific; 12:00 p.m. Mountain; 1:00 p.m. Central; 2:00 p.m. Eastern - 1.5 hours. "Webcast description: Podcasting is like an Internet radio show, or a blog with audio. It uses the power of RSS syndication to automatically deliver new episodes to listeners. There are millions of podcasts available, covering nearly any topic imaginable. Any library can produce a podcast using free software and inexpensive hardware. If you can post to a blog and talk into a microphone, you can create a podcast. How can your library use podcasting as a tool for teaching, promotion, outreach and programming?"

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Joint Conference on Digital Libraries 2009

Joint Conference on Digital Libraries 2009 - June 15-19, 2009 - Austin, Texas, USA. Conference RSS Feed

Baker & Taylor launches Digital Media Services Group

Baker & Taylor has launched its new Digital Media Services group, to better support the escalating demand from its publishers and clients for bundled physical and digital media distribution services

University of Kentucky Libraries' online African American history tool wins RUSA award

"Robert A. Aken II, Web administration librarian and Reinette F. Jones, diversity and multicultural activities librarian, both of the University of Kentucky Libraries, have won the 2009 Gale Cengage Learning Award for Excellence in Reference and Adult Library Services for the University of Kentucky Libraries' Notable Kentucky African Americans (NKAA) Database. The award is administered by the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) and is given to a library or library system for development of an imaginative and unique resource to meet patrons' reference needs. The NKAA Database was selected not only for its role as an important educational tool, but its unique patron-driven approach to African American history both within and beyond the state of Kentucky. In the four years of the database's existence, it has grown and adapted to meet research needs and to accommodate the voluminous contributions of both library patrons and researchers. It has also had local and national impact, easily serving a broad audience thanks to its user-friendly search interface"

Third OCLC Research Software Contest

OCLC Research is once again celebrating libraries, archives and museums, and their heritage of technological innovation, by sponsoring a software contest to encourage innovation in the use of web-based services

InSITE - April 6, 2009

InSITE: A Current Awareness Service of Cornell Law Library - Vol. 14, No. 16, April 6, 2009 is now available

"Getting Started" in HeinOnline webinar

The HeinOnline webinar, on April 15, 2009, will aid new users in the following areas:
- Logging in to the database and accessing the content
- Navigating from one collection to another
- How to navigate within the content using the interface (viewing table of contents, using search tools, finding a citation, using title lookup)
- How to use the Field and Advanced Search options providing specific examples from the Law Journal Library, CFR, and U.S. Supreme Court Libraries
- How to print/download documents
- Where to find additional help and resources for specific collections

ARL selects Research Library Leadership Fellows for 2009–10

The Association of Research Libraries has selected 21 individuals to participate in the 2009-10 ARL Research Library Leadership Fellows Program. "This executive leadership program meets the increasing demands for succession planning for research libraries with a new approach to preparing the next generation of deans and directors. Library directors are seeking a cohort of well-trained and sophisticated candidates who possess the necessary experience and perspective to succeed in premier leadership positions in large, complex institutions. The RLLF Program provides such a cohort"

Edinburgh International Book Festival 2009

Edinburgh International Book Festival 2009 - 15-31 August 2009 - Edinburgh, Scotland

Monday, April 13, 2009

Judith Krug, founder of Banned Books Week, dies

"Judith Krug, left, a director of the Chicago-based American Library Association and a founder of its Banned Books Week, has died. She was 69. Judith Platt, president of the ALA's Freedom to Read Foundation, says Krug (KROOG) died late Saturday at Evanston Hospital in suburban Chicago following a battle with stomach cancer. She says Krug had been ill for more than a year. She had been head of the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom since 1967. Banned Books Weeks has been observed since 1982 during the last week of September. ALA officials say the event celebrates intellectual freedom."

ProQuest encourages libraries to explore popular advocacy program tools and dervices during National Library Week

"ProQuest is celebrating National Library Week by encouraging libraries to take advantage of the company's popular advocacy program. The program includes tools and services that help librarians connect with their user communities, free database access and scholarship support for library students, and awards to recognize outstanding library school educators and those who protect intellectual freedom."

The Edward C. Simpson Antiquarian Book Auction, 22nd April 2009

"One of the most significant private collections of rare books in Australasia is about to go under the hammer in Wellington. The collection includes a page from one of the world's first printed books and manuscripts that are nearly 1,000 years old. The books are so valuable; they are kept under lock and key. "We're talking old books and really significant from the 12th 13th century on through to the 18th century," says Anthony Gallagher, Dunbar Sloane Auction House. The books have survived plagues, book burnings and bloody wars. One of the oldest books in the collection is a Persian manuscript, written in 1059, making the pages nearly 1000 years old. Before settling in Wellington, the collection's late owner Ted Simpson was a librarian at England's John Rylands Library which holds one of Europe's best collections of rare books."

Fifth Annual New York Round Table Writers' Conference

Fifth Annual New York Round Table Writers' Conference - April 24-25, 2009 - New York, USA

Amazon 'glitch' removes sales rank from gay books

From AP - "A "glitch" on Amazon.com has caused the sales rank to be removed from gay- and/or lesbian-themed books by James Baldwin, Gore Vidal and others. "There was a glitch in our systems and it's being fixed," Amazon's director of corporate communications, Patty Smith, said in an e-mail Sunday. As of Sunday night, books without rankings included Baldwin's "Giovanni's Room," Vidal's "The City and the Pillar" and Jeanette Winterson's "Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit." The removals prompted furious remarks on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere online. Craig Seymour, author of the gay memoir "All I Could Bare," wrote on his blog Sunday that his sales rank was dropped in February, then restored nearly four weeks later, after he was told by Amazon that his book had been "classified as an Adult product.""

Sunday, April 12, 2009

SUNCAT Newsletter - March 2009

SUNCAT Newsletter - Issue 7: March 2009 is now available online. SUNCAT = The Serials Union Catalogue for the UK

Seventh International Conference on the Book

Seventh International Conference on the Book - 16-18 October 2009 - Edinburgh, Scotland

OCLC Research releases software suite to help museums exchange data

"Made possible by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the software was released as part of the OCLC Research Museum Data Exchange project. This project supported the RLG Partnership and its art museum partners in defining the requirements for tools, and created or contracted the creation of software. The suite of tools allows museums to share information about collection items and digital images from their own institutions with other art museums, and with content aggregators such as ARTstor or OCLC. Participating museums include Harvard Art Museum; Metropolitan Museum of Art; National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; Princeton University Art Museum; and Yale University Art Museum"

New journals from Inderscience Publishers

International Journal of Autonomic Computing

International Journal of Computational Intelligence in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology

International Journal of Information and Coding Theory

International Journal of Materials Engineering Innovation

More than 9,000 National Academies Reports now available in open access

"The National Academies has announced the completion of the first phase of a partnership with Google to digitize the library's collection of reports from 1863 to 1997, making them available – free, searchable, and in full text - through Google Book Search. The Academies hope that wider availability of its reports will be of use to scientists in developing countries as well as researchers and historians"

Canadian Library Association announces 2009 Young Adult Book Award winner and Honour Books

The Young Adult Services Interest Group of the Canadian Library Association/Association canadienne des bibliothèques has announced the 2009 Young Adult Canadian Book Award winner and Honour Books for books published in 2008. The award is generously sponsored by Tutor.com. Chanda's Wars by Allan Stratton, published by HarperCollins, is the winner. The Honour Books are Would You by Marthe Jocelyn, published by Tundra Books, and The Apprentice's Masterpiece by Melanie Little, published by Annick Press

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Atwood, Newman, Whyte vie for National Business Book Award

"Margaret Atwood, Peter C. Newman and Kenneth Whyte are among finalists for this year's National Business Book Award. Atwood is up for Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth. Better known for her works of fiction than books about business, Atwood is "an intelligent outsider who seams together patterns and facts that provide context to the current crisis and where it slots into the human experience," said a statement from prize organizers. Newman is shortlisted for Izzy: The Passionate Life and Turbulent Times of Izzy Asper, Canada's Media Mogul. The book profiles the entrepreneur who founded CanWest Global Communications Corp. Whyte's book The Uncrowned King: The Sensational Rise of William Randolph Hearst looks at the American tycoon's early life and the growth of his newspaper holdings. The other finalists are Gordon Pitts for Stampede: The Rise of the West and Canada's New Power Elite and Relentless: The True Story of the Man behind Rogers Communications, written by Ted Rogers and Robert Brehl. The winner, who receives $20,000, will be announced May 7. The award is sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and BMO Financial Group." - CBC