BCReview newsletter

June 28, 2007

Emerald Online Training Sessions Available

Here is the opportunity for you and your library staff to benefit from one of Emerald’s online training sessions that cover all aspects of Emerald Management Xtra’s database. The session (approximately 60 minutes in length) walks participants through each feature of the database and its functionality, ultimately affording everyone a greater insight into the database and its benefits.

The session generally includes a complete journey through all the features and resources and their functionality. However, it may be tailored to suit your library's needs and requirements — e.g. a refresher or an overview of specific features or recent enhancements may be all that is needed or required.

For more information and to sign up, see the Emerald Web site: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/info/help/toolkit/webex_training.jsp.

New Journals
Emerald continues to expand its journals offreeings. Four journals have recently been added to the Emerald portfolio:

  • Indian Growth and Development Review
  • International Journal of Workplace Health Management
  • Direct Marketing: An International Journal
  • International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing

For more information on Emerald, please see the BCR Web page at: www.bcr.org/reference/Emerald/index.html.


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Britannica Schedules Free Training Webinars

Attention, Britannica subscribers! Britannica is beginning a series of free webinars to highlight new and expanded features of its public, academic and K-12 online packages.

Discover resources, content, media links and more. Explore features you might not even have known were available with your current subscription. Or learn new aspects of tools you already have mastered. Are you and your young patrons using the Kids Section in the Public Library edition? Do your young scholars store their research materials in their own Workspace for easy and future access to the information they already compiled through Britannica? Is anyone creating graphs and charts from demographics and economic statistics and doing country comparisons with the tools Britannica is offering?

Learn about the expanded resources available with the Britannica online packages. Bring your questions and let the Britannica trainers inform and amaze you with the possibilities Britannica has to offer in the product you already have at your library.

Sessions are planned each month, starting in July and going through December, so there are opportunities for you and your staff to get some free training, convenient to your own schedules.

Dates and times, plus registration information (directly through Britannica) can be found on the BCR Web site at: www.bcr.org/reference/Britannica/britannica-webinars.html.

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Palestinian State Focus of NetLibrary eBook of the Month

Creating a successful Palestinian state poses a wide range of political, economic, social and environmental challenges. In the July eBook of the Month, researchers from the RAND Corporation provide an in-depth and comprehensive nation-building plan to overcome these obstacles, as well as a design to meet the population's infrastructure needs.

The proposals outlined in The Arc: A Formal Structure for a Palestinian State (by Doug Suisman, Steven Simon, Glenn Robinson, C. Ross Anthony, Michael Schoenbaum, researchers from The RAND Corporation) include a landmark infrastructure corridor that runs up the spine of the West Bank and links the West Bank and Gaza. The proposal would promote dramatic new development in Palestine and give Palestinians new access to jobs, food, water, education, health care, housing and public services and would help improve the lives of Palestinians and begin laying the groundwork to sustain long-term development in a future state. This e-book is part of a multivolume study that offers comprehensive recommendations for the success of an independent Palestinian state.

The eBook of the Month showcases new and noteworthy titles available from NetLibrary. Each month, NetLibrary selects a new featured title and provides free, unlimited access through the authenticated homepages of more than 15,000 public, academic and special libraries. To help libraries promote the July eBook of the Month, NetLibrary has developed a tool kit of free promotional resources that includes print-on-demand bookmarks, a sample press release and electronic support materials. More information is available at www.netlibrary.com/Librarian/ToolsAndResources/eBookOfTheMonth.aspx.

For more information about NetLibrary eBooks, contact BCR's Gillian Harrison at gharriso@bcr.org.


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June 25, 2007

Baker & Taylor Records Being Added to OCLC WorldCat

Baker & Taylor, a leading supplier of materials to public libraries, is now adding records to OCLC WorldCat. Baker & Taylor (B&T), provides books, music, DVDs and video games, as well as support for collection management and technical services, to libraries around the world. The titles are being added as part of an agreement between Baker & Taylor and OCLC to partner in providing bibliographic records and expanded technical services to schools and public libraries.

The Baker & Taylor records are from two sources:

  • B&T's cataloging file, containing full and CIP cataloging MARC records from the Library of Congress as well as full cataloging MARC records, produced by Baker & Taylor's MLS Catalogers when no LC record existed.
  • B&T's product file, containing brief non-MARC records used in the B&T Order Processing System. These records are converted to MARC by an OCLC mapping process.

Added product file records are very brief and are coded as abbreviated records (Encoding Level 3). They are not created by or examined by a cataloger. This provides customers using the new Baker & Taylor/OCLC Cataloging Plus service with access to the OCLC number early in the acquisitions workflow.

OCLC encourages member libraries that acquire one of these titles to upgrade and replace the record and receive credit on its OCLC bill for upgrading that record. As Baker & Taylor catalogers are performing cataloging services for customers, they will also be upgrading these records.


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June 20, 2007

CDP@BCR and Libraries Launch Rocky Mountain Online Archive

CDP@BCR, University of New Mexico Libraries and the University of Wyoming have partnered to launch a new regional resource — Rocky Mountain Online Archive. This extensive source of digitized information describes more than 2,000 archival and special collections from cultural institutions in Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming.

CDP@BCR, formerly the Collaborative Digitization Program, which in April merged into the Bibliographical Center for Research (BCR), is nationally recognized for its digitization expertise, including training and best practices guidelines. For the Rocky Mountain Online Archive project, CDP@BCR provided training for regional partners in digital imaging and metadata capture and acted as the resource for EAD creation and project management for all nine Colorado partners.

The Rocky Mountain Online Archives' specialized guides, called finding aids, give detailed descriptions of the unique primary source materials located at 20 different repositories from the three-state area. Students and scholars can begin their research any number of ways. In addition to browsing by state, users can easily begin exploring the Rocky Mountain Online Archive by subject area. Within minutes of accessing the site, users can find descriptions of collections related to architecture, frontier and pioneer life, land grant and water rights, wildlife conservation and more. Now that these materials are online, the regional research potential of these collections has truly been enhanced.

Thanks to generous funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, University of New Mexico Center for Regional Studies, and the University of New Mexico Libraries, the Rocky Mountain Online Archive is now available to the public at rmoa.unm.edu/.

Contact Leigh A. Grinstead, CDP@BCR program coordinator, (lgrinste@bcr.org) for more information.


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Wilson's Standard Catalogs Evolves with New Name, Features and Content

H.W. Wilson's Standard Catalogs is changing. The "librarian's resource for collection development" is getting new content and already has new search options on WilsonWeb and a new name — Wilson Core Collections.

New Names for Databases

Core Collections is not the only new name at Wilson. The individual databases in the collections also have new names:
  • Public Library Core Collection: Fiction, A Selection Guide (formerly Fiction Catalog)
  • Public Library Core Collection: Nonfiction, A Selection Guide (formerly Public Library Catalog)
  • Children's Core Collection, A Selection Guide (formerly Children's Catalog)
  • Middle and Junior High Core Collection, A Selection Guide (formerly Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog)
  • Senior High Core Collection, A Selection Guide (formerly Senior High School Library Catalog)

New Features for Core Collections

  • Years of archival titles (entries from previous editions of Core Collections) are now searchable along with the main titles. Archival titles are noted as such, distinguished from Short List, Core Collection and Supplementary titles. Users will no longer be shown a separate archive database on the database selection screen.
  • Search by Level of Selectivity — Take maximum advantage of the editorial expertise that goes into compiling the Wilson Standard Catalogs by narrowing a search to any of four levels of recommendation: Short List (most highly recommended titles); Core Collection; Supplementary titles; or Archival materials (older titles).
  • "What's New" Query — Find what's been added to the database in the last week, month, year, etc., or since the last time you looked. Users can also configure the database to send e-mail daily, weekly or monthly alerts, citing new materials relevant to your search topic.
  • Dewey Decimal Classification Ranging — Search by a range of Dewey Decimal Classification numbers, as well as by specific numbers.
  • Expanded reading levels — Search any grade level or range of grade levels from an easy dropdown box.
  • Fiction, Nonfiction and Biography Limiters — Limit any search to just fiction, nonfiction or biography.

Coming Soon!

New databases are soon to be added to Wilson Core Collections:

  • New Core Collections Graphic Novels Core Collection — The growing popularity of this literary form makes it an increasingly important part of any school or public library. Graphic Novels Core Collection highlights approximately 2,000 recommended titles with descriptive and evaluative annotations, plus cover art.
  • Nonbook Materials Core Collection — This resource reflects today's multimedia landscape of learning and recreational resources, highlighting some 2,000 videos, sound recordings, audiobooks, games/simulators and periodicals recommended for various types of libraries.

For further information on pricing and ordering these products through BCR, please contact Karen Graham, kgraham@bcr.org.


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June 19, 2007

Revised Drafts of RDA Released and Available for Comment

The Joint Steering Committee for Revision of RDA (JSC) has released revised drafts of RDA (Resource Description and Access) part A, chapters 6-7, and made them available for comment.

For a link to the PDF of these revised chapters, visit http://www.collectionscanada.ca/jsc/rdadraftch6-7.html. For information on submitting any comments you may have concerning these chapters, please follow the link Making comments on RDA drafts from the above site. The deadline for comments is September 17, to allow time for the comments to be compiled for consideration by the JSC at its October meeting.

In addition, the RDA Scope and Structure document has been revised and is available at www.collectionscanada.ca/jsc/rda.html#scope. Two accompanying documents, an RDA element analysis and an RDA to FRBR mapping, are also provided.


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June 18, 2007

WorldCat Cataloging Partners Adds Alliance Entertainment Corporation

Alliance Entertainment Corporation is a new OCLC WorldCat Cataloging Partner. Specializing in public and educational libraries, Alliance Entertainment maintains the largest in-stock catalog of CD titles and DVD titles in the U.S., with a combined total of more than 335,000 titles.

Trading partners include over 10,000 major record labels and movie studios. The company was named the 2007 Large Wholesaler of the Year by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM). Alliance Entertainment is a subsidiary of Source Interlink Companies, Inc., (NASDAQ: SORC) a leading marketing, merchandising and fulfillment company of home entertainment products which, in addition to music CDs and DVDs, also distributes magazines and books and provides a range of in-store services to retailers throughout North America.

Alliance Entertainment’s headquarters is located in Coral Springs, FL. It offers collection development assistance via standing orders, firm orders and approval plans. Their highly trained staff has in-depth music and video knowledge serving to aid libraries with all of their selection needs. For more information about Alliance Entertainment, visit their Web site or contact them by phone at (800) 388-8889 x212 or email to libraries@aent.com.

Libraries may now sign up for WorldCat Cataloging Partners with Alliance Entertainment as a vendor. See a list of all WorldCat Cataloging Partners. For more information, visit OCLC's WorldCat Cataloging Partners Web pages.


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WorldCat.org Adds Ability to Build and Share Lists

WorldCat.org has been enhanced with a new social-networking feature. Users across the Web now can add individual items cataloged in WorldCat to personalized lists. They can group items owned by their library as well as other other WorldCat libraries and can share their lists with friends, colleagues and millions of site users.

Users can add any book, video, article or another item to a list right from its WorldCat record or use the checkboxes and Save to button in WorldCat search results. Library users can build as many lists as they like on any subject and can make lists for every purpose — personal or professional, educational or recreational. Some ideas:

  • Movies I want to check out
  • Mystery novels I recommend
  • Research sources to review for my paper
  • Excellent children’s books
  • Best CD’s for learning about jazz

Share lists with friends and the world — Lists can be public, allowing other WorldCat users to search for and discover them — or private so only the list author can view them. (A list's privacy is easily changed by following its Settings link.) And a public list can be shared with anyone, regardless of whether they've used WorldCat before. The Share link lets a list author send an invitation via e-mail.

Easy to manage and export — List items can be added or removed at any time, and items can even be copied between lists.

Users can also:

  • Reorder a list by title, author, publish date or date added to the list.
  • Save a short note for each added item.
  • Export a list in CSV (comma-delimited) format. The ability to export a list in common citation styles to bibliographic-software formats, including EndNote and RefWorks, will be added soon.

Users can start making lists now. All they need is an e-mail address to create a free WorldCat account. Let your patrons and customers know about this exciting new feature — encourage them to visit WorldCat.org and sign up!

More WorldCat News
WorldCat profiles have expanded — A WorldCat user's online profile now allows them to provide greater detail about their interests and occupation; link to any WorldCat lists they have created; and link to a personal Web page, RSS feed or instant messaging address. Providing this personal information is optional, and the user can still control the public availability of their e-mail address or their entire profile in the privacy settings for their account.

Export bibliographic citations from WorldCat records — Individual WorldCat records now include the option to export a bibliographic citation for the item. Citations can be saved in two popular formats: EndNote and RefWorks. Look for the Export links next to the Cite this Item link. Enhanced export capabilities will be available soon.


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BCR Vendor Partners at ALA Annual Conference

Please join BCR staff and thousands of your fellow library and information professionals in meeting vendors, sampling products, viewing demonstrations and gathering information on new and current products and services being shown by the exhibitors at this year's National ALA Conference, Washington, D.C., June 21-27.

Take time to visit some of BCR's vendor partners. We negotiate a variety of discounts for our members, and our vendor partners enjoy hearing from the users of their products. Many are offering some great prizes as well.

EMERALD — In celebration of its 40th birthday, Emerald is offering a free trial to the very popular Emerald Management Xtra. Leave your contact details at the Emerald booth, and you will receive a free trial and be entered into a free prize draw to win an iPod. If you are unable to meet Emerald at ALA, would like to be entered into the free prize drawing and receive a free trial to Emerald Management Xtra, please email ewilliams@emeraldinsight.com.

POTOMAC SYSTEM by Interface Electronics — Learn about the Potomac Electronic Messaging System, built to create a better way to communicate important information to parties associated with your organization. See what applications this system might lend to your library and information enterprise.

BOOKS 24x7 — Discover how Books24x7's premium on-demand collections can help you and your patrons enhance your research and learning experience with front-list, high demand content from 250-plus leading publishers, and enter to win an MP3 player! Three, multi-codec MP3 players will be raffled on Tuesday, June 26. Each player comes equipped with a NAND flash memory of 512MB and will contain a selection of complimentary pre-downloaded content from Books24x7's Leadership Suite and Podcast libraries. Don't miss out on this exclusive offer!

Questions about any of these products? Contact BCR's Gillian Harrison (gharriso@bcr.org).


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BCR's NetLibrary Shared Collections Sign-up Deadline Extended

The deadline to join BCR's NetLibrary Open Shared collections has been extended to June 26. Don't miss out — sign up now for the eBooks 2007 Shared A and Shared B collections and the 2007 eAudiobooks Collection.


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BCR and NetLibrary Hosting eAudiobook Collection Teleconference

BCR's eAudiobook Shared Collection is the focus of an informative teleconference being hosted by NetLibrary and BCR, Wednesday, June 20, 2-3 p.m. Mountain Time. Gillian Harrison, BCR, and Jeff Hastings, OCLC Library Services, will provide an overview of this special package and answer all your questions.

Registration is requested for this audio-only meeting. Sign up online at www.oclc.org/info/bcr/.

It's first offering of this kind, BCR's e-audiobook Shared Collection features:

  • Two hundred titles with a mixture of fiction, non-fiction and some children's titles from major publishers including Random House, Books on Tape, Listen and Live, Listening Library and Blackstone Audio
  • Best-selling authors and current titles

Currently there are three NetLibrary Shared Collections available to BCR members:

  • BCR 2007 eAudiobook Shared Collection — primary focus of the teleconference
  • BCR 2007 Shared A Collection — 350 e-book titles from Oxford University Press, Syngress, Cambridge University Press and more
  • BCR 2007 Shared B collection — 480 e-book titles from McGraw-Hill, Penguin, ipicturebooks and Sphinx Publishing

Sign up through June 26th for any of these shared collections, after which time they will be closed to new subscribers. Subscriptions are based on an access/pricing model, requiring an annual contribution from the library for access in subsequent years.

Get more details, including a complete list of titles (sorted by subject matter), with pricing and order forms, on the BCR Web site.


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June 14, 2007

New RDA Print Survey Available

The co-publishers of Resource Description and Access (RDA) have created a short survey on user preferences for a print version of RDA.

You can take the survey by visiting www.rdaonline.org and selecting the survey link in the left-hand navigation bar.

A separate RDA survey for educators planning to utilize RDA has also been posted in the same location.

Both surveys will be available through July 15, 2007.

For further questions relating to either of these surveys, please contact Catherine English, ALA Editions marketing manager, at cenglish@ala.org


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June 12, 2007

Connexion Client Institution Records Tutorial Available

The Connexion Client Institution Records tutorial is now available on the OCLC Connexion Client Tutorials Web page. The institution record functionality described in this tutorial will be added to the Connexion client, OCLC's Windows-based cataloging interface, as part of version 2.00, expected to be released in late June.

Institution records (IR) are linked to OCLC WorldCat master records and contain additional cataloging data. This tutorial shows how to create, edit, move and delete institution records. It also shows how to derive IRs from bibliographic records and how to search for existing institution records. The tutorial is Flash-based, and the approximate time to complete is 22 minutes.

The tutorial is the eleventh item in the list you see, after Taking Final Actions on Bibliographic Records.

System requirements for Flash-based tutorials:

  • Macromedia Flash Player
  • Best viewed in 1024x768 screen resolution
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher
  • Firefox 1.0 or higher; Netscape 7.x or higher
  • Pop-up blockers disabled

For other browsers, check the list of system requirements on the Macromedia Web site.

Questions can be addressed to Linda Gonzalez (lgonzale@bcr.org) or Bethany Levrault (blavraul@bcr.org) at BCR, or to OCLC Customer Support Department (CSD) via one of three ways:
• Use the support form • Telephone: 1-800-848-5800 • E-mail: support@oclc.org


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June 11, 2007

Free Training/Demo for Reader's Advisor Online Scheduled for June 13

Sarah Statz Cords, Madison (WI) Public Library, author of The Real Story and associate editor for the Reader's Advisor Online, will be offering a Web-based training/demo on Wednesday, June 13, 1 p.m. EDT / 10 a.m. PDT.

Attendees will view the training via the Web and will be able to call a conference number to enable full participation in the training.

Spaces are limited — please register ASAP! You may reserve a seat by emailing laura.calderone@lu.com. Confirmation of registration and access instructions will be sent by email.


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Free Training/Demo for Reader's Advisor Online Scheduled for June 13

Sarah Statz Cords, Madison (WI) Public Library, author of The Real Story and associate editor for the Reader's Advisor Online, will be offering a Web-based training/demo on Wednesday, June 13, 1 p.m. EDT / 10 a.m. PDT.

Attendees will view the training via the Web and will be able to call a conference number to enable full participation in the training.

Spaces are limited — please register ASAP! You may reserve a seat by emailing laura.calderone@lu.com. Confirmation of registration and access instructions will be sent by email.


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June 08, 2007

BCR Now Offers Early Literacy Station by AWE

BCR is now offering member libraries a new educational resource, a workstation targeted to toddlers through second graders — the Early Literacy Station.

The Early Literacy Station (ELS) is self-contained. You will be able to use it right out of the box. It includes 34 educational software packages across seven curricular areas, all top rated by Children's Technology Review. The ELS is not just another computer with software. Kids are captivated by the interface and start to explore immediately.

What is the Early Literacy Station?

  • The Early Literacy Station is a complete turnkey, stand-alone system with 34educational software packages, preinstalled.
  • Its educational software spans seven curricular areas targeted for preschoolers through third graders.
  • All software is top rated by Children’s Technology Review.
  • The ELS has an imaginative interface that encourages exploration. It comes with a colorful keyboard and tiny mouse.
  • There are no floppy or CD drives and no installation is required. Just take the ELS out of the box and plug it in!

An ELS Bilingual Spanish version is available also.

For more information and pricing, see BCR’s Web page at www.bcr.org/reference/awe/els.html. Questions? Contact Karen Graham (kgraham@bcr.org) at BCR.


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Springer Journal Records Available on FirstSearch

Springer journal records are now available in the WilsonSelectPlus database on the OCLC FirstSearch service.

Springer is the second-largest journal publisher and largest book publisher worldwide in science, technology and medicine and is part of Springer Science+Business Media. This new material comes from 120 different journals, which will include more than 16,000 records. The full-text will only be available in PDF format after a one-year embargo. The coverage is from 2004 through April 2006 and will eventually include content back to 1997.


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Pierian Press Databases to Be Discontinued

After many successful years of operation, time and circumstances have led Pierian Press, Inc. to discontinue production of its three databases, Consumers Index, FactSearch and Media Review Digest.

Current subscribers to the Pierian Press databases on the OCLC FirstSearch service will be contacted regarding subscription refunds. OCLC will continue to offer the databases via per-search access through June 30.

Pierian Press thanks the many subscribers who have used these databases over the years.


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June 06, 2007

CONSER Standard Record Implemented June 1

At their annual meeting in early May, CONSER (the Cooperative Online Serials Cataloging program) operations representatives agreed to implement the CONSER standard record guidelines on June 1, with the understanding that probably not all institutions will be able to implement on exactly that date.

CONSER members will monitor the new practices throughout the coming year and make any recommendations for changes or adjustments as they believe necessary.

To learn about the new CONSER standard record, see the current versions of CONSER's guidelines for it and the related LCRIs (Library of Congress Rule Interpretations) available from the CONSER Web site at www.loc.gov/acq/conser/ (see the What's New section on the right).

Questions about the standard or its implementation should be addressed to Les Hawkins, CONSER coordinator at the Library of Congress (lhaw@loc.gov).


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Share Your Opinion of OCLC Connexion Client Help and Documentation

OCLC has prepared an online survey to gather your thoughts about the Connexion client's Help functionality and the client documentation. If you use the client, OCLC would appreciate a few minutes of your time to complete it. The survey is located at www.surveymonkey.com/ConnexionDoc.

Your response is important to OCLC staff as they work to provide online Help and documentation that meets the real needs of Connexion client users. Survey responses will be accepted through Wednesday, June 20.


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OLAC-MOUG 2008 Conference: Save the Date!

The 2008 joint conference of OLAC (Online Audiovisual Catalogers) and MOUG (Music OCLC Users Group) will take place in Cleveland, Ohio, from Friday, September 26, 2008-Sunday, September 28, 2008. Preconference programs will occur Thursday, September 25.

Get a taste of previous OLAC and OLAC-MOUG conferences at: ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/units/cts/olac/conferences/list.html.


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June 05, 2007

BCR Exhibiting at Christian Librarians Conference

Look for BCR's Karen Graham at the Association for Christian Librarians (ACL) annual conference, being held this year on June 13, Cornerstone University, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The exhibit booths for ACL and BCR are located next to each other. Visitors to the BCR booth can take a tour of the CD-ROM version of the Christian Periodical Index (CPI), while those stopping at the ACL booth can view the online version.

CPI is published by the Association of Christian Librarians and provides access to English language articles and reviews from an evangelical perspective. It includes more than 130 selected publications from a broad spectrum of knowledge — science, literature, medicine, music, philosophy, history, sociology, nursing and education. The electronic version of the Christian Periodical Index includes most titles from 1976 to the present. It is available via the Web, which is updated quarterly, or on CD-ROM, which is updated annually.

For information, please contact Karen Graham (kgraham@bcr.org).


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Annual Membership Packet Mailed

Library directors should be on the lookout for BCR’s FY 2007-2008 Annual Membership packet. BCR mailed the packet late last week to member libraries throughout the BCR region. The information should be arriving in your mailbox any day now.

Please take a careful look at all of the information in the Annual Membership packet. Each packet contains:

  • Packet summary and Product Descriptions and Pricing Structure access URL and information
  • Overview of BCR Products and Services
  • Prepaid subscription instructions (which must be received by July 27)
  • Contact information update form
  • BCR publications subscription information

Please contact BCR's Business Manager, Darrell Vigil (dvigil@bcr.org), with questions or if you have problems accessing the information.


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June 04, 2007

Connexion Client 2.00 Enhancements

Connexion Client version 2.00, coming in late June, includes a number of enhancements. For a list of OCLC Enhancements to Z39.50 and Connexion Browser Institution Records, please see the May 18, 2007 announcement.

Export bibliographic records in Dublin Core Qualified in XML with the UTF-8 character set — Before completing the Export command, go to Tools/Options/Export/Record Characteristics to change the output from MARC 21 to Dublin Core Qualified. Continue to create and edit records in MARC displays.

Windows Vista supported — Connexion client 2.00 is supported with Windows 2000, XP and Vista.

New toolbar options and revised menu layout — Specify to display the toolbar on one or two rows. Previously, some of the Connexion client menus became quite long. With client 2.00, some menu items have been regrouped into submenus to make the menu lists shorter. Twelve Edit menu items such as Cut, Copy, Paste, Delete Field, Copy Field and more have been moved to a submenu called Edit/Cut Copy Paste, for example. A complete list of menu changes will be in the Connexion client 2.00 upgrade section of Getting Started.

Z39.50 access to records created in your ILS — Go to Tools/Options/Z39.50 to configure access to your ILS and use Tools/Z39.50/Connect and then Tools/Z39.50/Search to enter a record number to search your ILS. The retrieved record is displayed as a Connexion workform which you can add to WorldCat and/or use to generate authority records on headings.

Holdings submenu — A new Holdings submenu is located on the Action menu. This submenu includes the following actions: Update Holdings, Produce and Update Holdings, Alternate Produce and Update and Delete Holdings, as well as actions related to Institution Records.

Launch WebDewey and Find in a Library Commands moved — The Tools menu in the client now includes both Launch WebDewey and Find in a Library commands.

Non-Latin script enhancements — When typing in a non-Latin script, entering the keystroke for the delimiter character now automatically changes the keyboard to English for the delimiter character and the alphabetical or numeric subfield code, and then automatically returns to the non-Latin script keyboard, saving you from having to manually change to the English keyboard to enter the delimiter and subfield code.

RLIN21 keyboards for Arabic, Cyrillic, Hebrew, and Latin

  • Download and use RLIN21 keyboards which were previously created for use with RLIN21. RLIN21 Arabic, Cyrillic, and Hebrew keyboards include characters specific to each script, whereas the Microsoft keyboards include characters specific to a language written in a specific script. For example, use the single RLIN21 Arabic keyboard to generate Arabic script characters for the Arabic, Persian and Urdu languages instead of switching between Arabic, Persian and Urdu Microsoft keyboards.
  • While using the keyboards, you will not be able to use some of the keystrokes mapped in Connexion client such as keymaps that include Alt, Ctrl Alt and Ctrl Alt Shift, since these combinations are used with the RLIN keyboards. However, function keys and assigned keymaps to alpha/numeric characters that include Ctrl, Alt Shift and Ctrl Shift will be available. For example, the default keystroke for the menu item Action, Delete Record is mapped to Ctrl-Alt-D, so it cannot be used with the RLIN21 keyboards; you would need to remap this menu item to use a keyboard shortcut for this command while using the RLIN21 keyboards. However, you can continue to use the default keystroke for the delimiter character (Ctrl-D) and the default keystroke for the menu item Action, Export Records (F5), since they do not conflict with the RLIN21 keyboards.
  • In addition, former RLIN21 users can use the RLIN21 Latin keyboard, which includes keystrokes for entering diacritics and special characters in the Connexion client that are already familiar to RLIN21 users.

Unicode Control Characters for Arabic and Hebrew script cataloging — Manually enter bidirectional Unicode control characters in Arabic and Hebrew script to resolve issues with entering left-to-right multiple-digit numbers and punctuation in right-to-left fields. Enter characters using the new right-click mouse menu, Insert Unicode Control Character, or create text strings containing the characters which can be entered using a keystroke. New characters include Left-to-Right Mark, Right-to-Left Mark, Start of Left-to-Right Embedding, Start of Right-to-Left Embedding, Start of Left-to-Right Override, Start of Right-to-Left Override and Pop Directional Formatting. Previously available characters, Zero Width Joiner and Zero Width Non-Joiner, can also be entered from the new right-click submenu.

See OCLC Institution Records for more information and for enhancements specific to Institution Records.


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BCR Adds GIS Resource Tools for Public Libraries

Make your public library a more valuable resource for the businesses in your community. BCR and CIVICTechnologies have partnered to offer BusinessDecision Pro, a suite of library geographic information system (GIS) planning tools.

Designed to provide business and community leaders with the resources needed to build and enhance their businesses and understand their markets, BusinessDecision is a database, reporting and mapping service which small- and medium-size business patrons can use to access resources formerly only available to large corporations and communities.

Through BusinessDecision Pro, businesses can organize data in various forms which can then be used to analyze information to help increase productivity, competitiveness and profitability. BusinessDecision Pro can help business owners and community leaders focus their resources and execute business plans more effectively by analyzing trade areas, revealing untapped markets, selecting the right merchandise mix and much more. BusinessDecision Pro also can provide libraries with tools for their own strategic, marketing and facilities planning.

Learn more about this valuable resource for the business and community decision makers in your library's service area. Visit BCR's Web page for more information or contact Chris Cook (ccook@bcr.org) at BCR.


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June 01, 2007

NetLibrary eBook of the Month Spotlights Genealogy Research

People everywhere are trying to discover information about their ancestors; many are doing genealogy research — just for fun or as a serious family project. Whether you're just starting your search or filling the gaps in your family tree, NetLibrary's June eBook of the Month is packed with ideas about the different aspects of genealogy and the many free or low cost resources available to help you in your quest.

Written by Dr. Harry Alder, a prolific writer and long-time researcher, Tracking Down Your Ancestors offers clear, accessible and inspiring text, plus practical tips and key Web sites to support your research. It will help you find answers to key questions, including:

  • What sort of people were your ancestors?
  • What did they do?
  • Where did they live?
  • Is the house still standing?
  • Can I walk where they walked?
  • Were any of my ancestors famous?
  • Are there any skeletons in my closet?

This book will lead you to the vast number of genealogy Web sites, where family history research that used to take months can now produce exciting results in a weekend. Or you can find out how to do your own detective work at friendly record offices and beautiful parish church cemeteries.

The eBook of the Month showcases new and noteworthy titles available from NetLibrary. Each month, NetLibrary selects a new featured title and provides free, unlimited access through the authenticated homepages of more than 13,000 public, academic and special libraries. NetLibrary has developed tool kit of free promotional materials that can be downloaded and personalized for your library.

For more information about eBooks, please contact BCR's Gillian Harrison at gharriso@bcr.org.


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BCR NetLibrary Shared Collections Closing Soon

Don't miss out. The deadline to subscribe to the 2007 BCR Shared Collections for NetLibrary is June 15, so complete your order for these products now. The collections can only be offered if enough members choose to participate. Take a look at the 2007 offerings now and sign up so your library patrons don't miss out on these exceptional groups of e-books and e-audiobooks.

BCR's 2007 Shared A e-book collection focuses on books for the social sciences, computers and technologies, literature, education and medicine. Titles in the Shared B e-book collection were chosen by public library personnel, and topics cover a wide gamut of interests, from health and wellness and travel, to Spanish titles and children's works. New for 2007 is the e-audiobook collection with 200 titles spread among recent fiction and non-fiction works. Visit BCR's NetLibrary Web site to see the title lists and descriptions for all three collections.

For additional information, contact BCR's Gillian Harrison (gharriso@bcr.org).


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EBSCO Changes Domain Name for Several Database Packages

EBSCO has changed the domain name for accessing K-12 and General and Business packages. Users will need to change their access points to the new URL.

The new URL is http://search.ebscohost.com. Please note that Epnet.com connections will be unavailable by the end of June for accessing the databases.

For further information, go to EBSCO's Web site where questions related to issues involving access for your library's computers can be answered. URL changes must be made on any computers which allow access to these databases. Further explanation and details can be found on the EBSCO Support News Web page. EBSCO's Technical Support department is available at (800) 758-5995.

For questions regarding subscriptions through BCR, contact Chris Cook (ccook@bcr.org).


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Greenwood Resources Named to LJ 2006 Best Online Reference List

BCR libraries have access to two Greenwood Publishing resources recently named to the Library Journal 2006 Best Online Reference List. The African American Experience, An American Mosaic database and World Folklore and Folklife, a Daily Life Online database, both earned this highly respected honor. Additionally, Greenwood has released a new database, The Latino American Experience, an American Mosiac.

The African American Experience, An American Mosaic — Drawing from nearly 400 titles, Greenwood's The African American Experience provides rock-solid information from authorities in the field, and through a wealth of primary sources, allows African Americans to speak for themselves from their first arrival in the New World to the present day. To access the free trial, enter username "greenwood" and password "collection."

World Folklore and Folklife, A Daily Life Online — Tracing the origins and development of all aspects of traditional cultures around the world, World Folklore and Folklife bridges the gap between past and present and offers a fresh slant of such core curriculum topics as literature, social and religious practices, history, world cultures, art, music, and languages. This is the only electronic resource broad enough to provide both folk material and the textual content needed to understand it. Using the user name "greenwood" and password "collection," access a free trial.

New! The Latino American Experience, An American Mosaic — Comprehensive, informative and easy to use, the Latino American Experience marks the first-ever database dedicated to the history and culture of Latinos. Specially designed, developed and indexed to meet the research and curriculum needs of students, teachers, librarians, and researchers, The Latino American Experience offers unparalleled depth and content. "Much needed, very timely, muy fresca." To access a free trial, visit the Greenwood Web site, and enter username "greenwood" and password "collection."

For more information and to subscribe, contact Karen Graham (kgraham@bcr.org) at BCR.


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BCR Training Costs Increase

Beginning July 1, BCR is changing its fee schedule for online and in-person workshops.

The following schedule of fees will apply to all in-person and online BCR workshops and training sessions:
  • Full-day in-person or online equivalent workshop
    • Members $125.00
      Nonmembers $175.00
      Early registration discount $15.00
  • Half-day in-person or online equivalent workshop
    • Members $100.00
      Nonmembers $125.00
      Early registration discount $10.00
  • Two-day in-person workshop
    • Members $290.00
      Nonmembers $390.00
      Early registration discount $25.00

Special workshops will continue to have special pricing. Multiple session, online ILL workshops will increase to $50.00 per session or $125.00 for all three sessions.

Questions? Please contact Regan Harper (rharper@bcr.org), BCR's manager for Training & OCLC Services.


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