The addition of new types of products and services, new topics in training and unexpected opportunities to form new partnerships, as well as a number of internal changes, permitted BCR to meet all of its organizational strategic objectives for the year. In addition, the merger with the Collaborative Digitization Program (CDP) enabled BCR to expand its expertise in providing digital project training and consulting for cultural heritage institutions.

Every LSA company profile contains detailed and accurate company information drawn from the MedTRACK database, including product details, management information and company news. The entire LSA report collection is refreshed every two months, ensuring that the collection remains an invaluable and up-to-date compendium of company information.

An additional note: Some changes to the Datamonitor Company Profile in all Business Source products being made now will make it necessary to update any persistent links you have created to Datamonitor Company Profile content, by rerunning your original search.

For assistance during this transition, you may contact EBSCO technical support using the EBSCO Support Form or by telephone (U.S. and Canada: 1-800-758-5995).

For questions regarding your subscription or pricing, please contact BCR's Jay Ford (jford@bcr.org).

Short video clips are one-to-five minutes long, while full-length extended play videos run between 15 to 45 minutes. All videos can be played online or downloaded and used in PowerPoint presentations.

The video clips and extended play videos can be found on the homepages of Britannica Online in the Video Collection box or by selecting the media links in the search results and encyclopedia articles. Separate access to the materials is set up for libraries using Britannica's academic edition, school edition (K-12) or public library edition.

Previously owned by Useful Utilities of Peoria, Arizona, EZproxy was developed to provide libraries with a better solution for authenticating remote user access to licensed databases. EZproxy software allows libraries to manage access and authentication configurations through a proxy server so that library users do not have to make any configuration changes to their personal Web browsers.

OCLC will honor EZproxy's current service arrangement for existing and new customers whereby licensees continue to enjoy access to new releases of EZproxy and technical support at no additional charge.

OCLC will continue to develop and support EZproxy by working with commercial vendors to create new connectors to authentication systems and online content resources to libraries. EZproxy version 4.1 is scheduled for release in March 2008.

Visit the OCLC Web site for more information.

John Attig, ALA Representative to the JSC, presented "RDA: a new cataloging standard for a digital future," while Marjorie Bloss, RDA project manager, spoke about "RDA Activities Since June 2007."

The material from both presentations may be found on the JSC RDA: Resource Description and Access Web page.

At the forum, Diana Brooking of the University of Washington and Karen Calhoun, Matt Goldner and Glenn Patton of OCLC discussed some of the questions and issues raised by the challenges that libraries face in presenting their collections and services to their users where those users live and work.

The schedule of speakers and events includes:

• Keynote speaker, Brewster Kahle, U.S. Internet entrepreneur, activist and digital librarian, who will be discussing Internet Archive and the Open Content Alliance.
• Welcome remarks from Bill Knott, County Librarian, Jefferson County Public Library.
• Researcher and library consultant, Pat Wagner, of Pattern Research, Inc.
• George Burke from BookSwim, the online book rental library club that lends paperback and hardcover books directly to your house without the need to purchase them.

Several conference programs are already scheduled — Copyright Basics 101 and Rethinking Resource Sharing (OCLC). In addition, BCR Executive Director, Brenda Bailey-Hainer, and Heather Clark, BCR member services librarian, will report on the "State of Loans in the Lone Star State," a review of a recently completed Texas ILL study.

Registration for the two-day event is affordable at only $85. Conference details, scholarship opportunities and hotel information are available on the conference Web site.

The following sets are now available:

• Springer Architecture and Design
• Springer Behavioral Science
• Springer Biomedical and Life Sciences
• Springer Business and Economics
• Springer Chemistry and Materials Science
• Springer Computer Science
• Springer Earth and Environmental Science
• Springer Engineering
• Springer Humanities, Social Sciences and Law
• Springer Mathematics and Statistics
• Springer Medicine
• Springer Physics and Astronomy
• Springer Professional and Applied Computing

Visit the OCLC Collection Sets Web site for a complete list of available sets. Questions? Contact BCR's Beth Levrault (blevraul@bcr.org) for more information.

Harrison is looking forward to meeting library staff from Alaska's far-flung library community and answering your questions. She is eager to provide information on the many ways BCR can help your library deliver effective and timely solutions to help keep pace with the ever-expanding diversity of information services.

Dedicated to bringing libraries together for greater success by expanding their knowledge, reach and power, BCR staff offer personal attention and access to resources in a number of service areas, including productivity, promotion, training and continuing education, databases and e-content, Collaborative Digitization Program (CDP), financial and administrative services, consulting and special project management.

As part of the update, OCLC has also revised and expanded the Law division of the Conspectus considerably. Based on feedback from law librarians at the AALL Conference, OCLC has overhauled the existing Law division, making it much more granular. The revision increases the amount of call number ranges in Law (i.e., lines) by 191 percent, allowing libraries to drill-down and analyze much more specific areas of their law collection and the law collections of other libraries.

For a list of recent enhancements to WCA, visit the Product Updates section of OCLC's WCA site. Product updates are located on the bottom of the right sidebar.

1. Wrapped Text in Two-page Printouts
   The text in two-per-page printouts needs to be modified so that text does not wrap around in the printouts. (Some users are referring to this issue as the printouts being jumbled, scrunched, etc.) OCLC is working to make the printouts more user-friendly, and a fix is expected in February or March.
2. Issues Related to Browser Settings
   
   • After printing the first 100 requests, additional requests do not print
   • Automatic updating of pending to in process (Some users of IE 6.0 and IE 7.0 experience both of these issues)

   Users need to modify their browser settings so that they're able to download the full number of requests. First, close down all active applications (including Outlook, Word and all instances of Internet Explorer, etc.)

   Open your browser

   Select the following options:

   • Tools
   • Internet Options
   • Security
   • Internet
   • Custom level
   • Make sure that the settings are as illustrated below

   Once enabled, close your browser before resuming your work.

3. Page Scaling Results in Smaller Font Size
   Page scaling is an option that appears in the dialog box after selecting Print in an Adobe document. The message that appears in red, "When printing from Adobe Reader, users must confirm that Page Scaling is set to none in the print dialog box. If page scaling is set to any other setting, requests will not print on the page correctly" displays for all users. It is not an error message unique to your library.

   After opening requests to print, this dialog box opens and displays several options. Page Scaling is one of these options. Users must be sure to adjust their page scaling to NONE in the dialog box before printing.

   

Please also be sure to set OCLC as an Allowed Site in your browser settings.

If you have continued issues, please contact Beth Levrault at BCR (blevraul@bcr.org) or OCLC Customer Support at support@oclc.org or (800) 848-5800.

WorldCat Local was introduced as a pilot in April 2007. Pilot projects are currently under way to determine interoperability with a variety of systems. University of Washington, Peninsula Library System in California, Libraries in Illinois, Ohio State University Libraries and the University of California Libraries are all currently involved in WorldCat Local pilot projects. WorldCat Local moves from pilot into production in 2008.

For more information on the pilot, please see OCLC's full news release. Additional information on WorldCat Local can be found at OCLC's WorldCat Local Web site.

The application includes a home screen with the WorldCat search box, as well as quick links to WorldCat searches based on topics listed in a Facebook profile as personal interests. The application also includes:

• A built-in, advanced WorldCat search
• A panel that allows users to invite other Facebook friends to install WorldCat
• A Something to Read panel that displays books recently added to WorldCat lists
• A Favorite WorldCat Lists panel where users track their own lists or those of other WorldCat users

Visit worldcat.org/toolbars/default.jsp to learn more.

Don't miss out on this NetLibrary collection especially selected to include titles featuring high-demand subject areas such as social science, business, medicine, literature, psychology and education, with a frontlist content from 2005 to present. For more detailed information on the collection and to access the online order form, see BCR's Web site.

Guest speakers and their presentations are listed below:

• Jennifer Kuehn, Ohio State University, will present her library's results after taking advantage of LHM to set copy/loan bytes for special collections.
• Judy Murran, OCLC, will talk about batch updating of Local Holdings Records.
• Christa Starck, OCLC, will discuss deflection and the role played by copy/loan bytes in Local Holdings Records.

Register online at OCLC for this free Local Holdings user group webinar.

If you have any questions about the webinar, please contact OCLC's Myrtle Myers at myersm@oclc.org.

East View Information Services, founded in 1989, is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has major offices in Russia and Ukraine. With more than 150 employees worldwide, East View has developed a reliable and extensive acquisition network and is a leader in providing high-quality information resources to libraries from the countries of the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

For more information see the East View and OCLC WorldCat Selection Web sites. For a complete list of partners, both current and forthcoming, see OCLC's Selection Partners Web site.

The change resolves issues with the barcode printout for users of Netscape and Firefox Web browsers. Help files have also been updated to assist users with the change.

Note: users should make sure that OCLC is a trusted site for .PDF downloads. Before printing, check to be sure that Page Scaling is set to "None" in the Print dialog box.

If you are experiencing issues, please contact Beth Levrault (blevraul@bcr.org) at BCR for help.

• Opera: an encyclopedia of world premieres and significant performances, singers, composers, librettists, arias and conductors, 1597-2000
• A dictionary-catalog of modern British composers
• Encyclopedia of the blues (ISBN: 0415926998)

Thanks go to editor Robert Bratton, cataloging librarian at the Jacob Burns Law Library, George Washington University, and all contributors, past and present.

Encyclopaedia Britannica's Guide to Black History represents an effort to trace the African American experience and achievements in the United States and elsewhere over two millennia. The browse features enable users to pinpoint the central people, places, topics and events covered in Black history, and Spotlight has biographies on people such as Alvin Ailey, Matthew Henson, Mary McLeod Bethune and Hank Aaron. In addition, a subject browse feature allows a patron or student to look up people, places, issues and events based on a particular topic.

Choose the academic, school (K-12) or public library edition to see what is available.

If you don't already receive Britannica, BCR offers a discounted group subscription, and it's not too late to join. Sign up now and receive prorated subscription access pricing through May 31, the remainder of the subscription period. Just fill out BCR's Britannica Web order form or contact BCR's Chris Cook (ccook@bcr.org) for more information or to request a free trial.

Through an expanded partnership with Blackstone Audio, the third largest producer of unabridged audiobooks in the United States, NetLibrary will offer libraries an extensive collection of 1,800 e-audiobook titles available on a subscription basis. Approximately 15 to 25 new titles will be added to the collection each month at no additional cost.

The Blackstone collection offers a variety of best-selling and award-winning titles that library patrons are looking for. Key subject areas include fiction and literature, biography, business, religion, philosophy, science fiction, nonfiction, mystery and suspense. The collection includes popular titles such as Charlie Wilson's War by George Crile, and I Am Legend by Richard Matheson.

The subscription is delivered under a simultaneous, multi-user access model and will seamlessly integrate with a library's existing NetLibrary e-book and e-audiobook holdings. Any number of patrons can access the same e-audiobook title at the same time through the Internet. Users will have the ability to check out and download up to 10 titles at one time for a period of 21 days.

More information on NetLibrary eAudiobooks can be found on the NetLibrary Web site. Please direct subscription or pricing questions to BCR's Chris Cook (ccook@bcr.org).

Each of the four news services, World News Digest, Today's Science, Issues and Controversies and Issues and Controversies in American History will have new and updated information, with new home page features including improved navigation and search options. However, some features like Hot Topics and Subject Index in Today's Science have been retained, still giving users access to popular features.

New features available in all four databases include:

• Redesigned home pages with faster, more direct access to database content, including encyclopedia and almanac data
• More powerful search tools that rank results according to relevance by default, making additional search options (fulltext/title-only search, date-range search and date-ordered results options) available from any screen in any database
• Results displayed in tabbed categories
• Advanced search option accessible from any screen in any database

In addition, some previously existing features have been renamed and relocated. One change now utilizes a new Available Databases link that replaces most of the former product tabs at the top of the existing products. The cross-search functionality previously available from the home pages for subscribers to multiple databases has been moved to the the new Advanced Search area. The former Resource Center has been renamed Curriculum Tools. Now when users click on the Curriculum Tools link, they will be taken directly to a helpful menu page with links to additional educator and student resources.

For subscription and pricing information, contact BCR's Chris Cook (ccook@bcr.org).

The session provided participants with an update on Connexion and other cataloging products and services. An overview of CONTENTdm and introduction of new Connexion tools related to uploading CONTENTdm data also was provided. Please visit the OCLC Connexion Users Group Web site to view or download the presentation.

TheirSpace: Using Technology to Reach Your Students Where They Already Are (9:15-11:30 a.m.)
This two-hour hands-on workshop will take a look at some exciting ways that teachers and librarians can take valuable information and push it to our students where they already hang out. We'll explore ways to make MySpace an educational resource and learn about some other cool tools with relevance to teaching and learning along the way. Topics covered will include MySpace, RSS and iGoogle.

Can You Hear Me Now? What They're Doing On Their Phones When They're Not Talking (12:30-3:00 p.m.)
The image of the teenage girl talking on the phone for hours has been around as long as there have been teenage girls and phones, but cell technology has totally changed the rules. Of course they could talk on the phone, but why talk when they can text? IM? Surf the Web? Check movie times? This two-hour workshop will demonstrate a variety of uses for cell phones and help teachers and librarians understand the appeal of mobile devices. We'll also discuss potential applications to teaching and learning.

The two-day event brings together educators from across Colorado to learn about the Library of Congress' American Memory Web site and 21st century instructional applications for using digital resources in the classroom. Additional details about the conference and registration can be found on the Librarian Days Web site.

Online NW — February 22, Corvallis, Oregon
Session 2, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Drumm and Barret Havens, Centralia College, have conjured up an informative and timely presentation, "Making the Magic Really Happen: Real Applications and Real Tools for Really Simple Syndication (RSS)." Realizing that by now most librarians are familiar with a host of 2.0 tools, but still may not have the technical knowledge to take advantage of them, Drumm and Havens have created a program designed to present a few ways that librarians can harness the power of RSS to broadcast quality information into the places that matter most to our patrons.

CLiC — February 25-26, Grand Junction, Colorado
February 25, 9:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
In "Library 2... Oh! Now I get it: Practical Applications of 2.0 Tools," Drumm will explore RSS technology, moving into practical applications of interest to academic and public librarians. She will include extensive (hopefully live!) demonstrations of how RSS-powered content from blogs, news sites, library databases and more can be delivered to our patrons when they want it, where they want it. Tools explored may include blogs, podcasts, an RSS to Javascript converter (possibly Feed2JS or FeedDigest) and may use MySpace or Facebook as well as Google Pages.

Drumm will also be available in the BCR exhibit booth to answer questions, provide information and meet with library staff. Please drop by to visit and learn how BCR can help your library deliver effective and timely solutions to help keep pace with the ever-expanding diversity of information services.

All course materials will be available on the Dewey Web site at no charge. The presentations and exercises assume the availability of the latest version of the DDC database (i.e., OCLC WebDewey), and a professor, trainer and/or experienced Dewey user for offering explanations and fielding questions.

Currently available are the following modules within the basic course:

• Technical Introduction to the DDC
• WebDewey: Basics
• Introduction to Table 1

The short course, "Technical Introduction to the DDC (Refresher) Choice of Number Review Number Building: Add Tables," is also available.

Look for announcements of future modules on 025.431: The Dewey blog. Descriptions of the current modules are available there as well, and comments about a module may be made directly on the blog entry for it. Comments may be sent privately to dewey@loc.gov (please include the title of the module in the subject line of your message).

The following development is in the current edition of DDC:

The following modification is proposed:

The Decimal Classification Editorial Policy Committee (EPC) is seeking user feedback on the proposed change. Please either post any comments to the 025.431: Dewey blog entry on this topic or send comments to dewey@loc.gov by February 15.

According to Scott Wicks, Interim Assistant University librarian, Cornell University Library, "We have now migrated from ITSO CUL to WorldCat Selection and continue to see these great savings in staff costs (approximately $100,000 per year), but more importantly, with immediate access to the broad array of member copy from WorldCat at the point of order, our users reap the benefits of shorter turnaround from order to shelf."

WorldCat Selection allows selectors of new materials at your library to view notification records from multiple materials vendors in one central comprehensive system. And it makes it easier for you to get WorldCat records for newly selected materials into your integrated library system early in the technical services process.

Register for one of the upcoming Web sessions to discover how the service works, which library materials vendors are participating and which ones soon will be. Whitehair will show you how to control your library’s selection process and eliminate the need to send items via paper slips.

For more information and to register, please visit the WorldCat Selection Web site. Links to registering appear on the right side of the site.

The American Library Association has embarked on an effort to develop a national Library Support Staff Certification Program (LSSCP). At this free session, you will get a chance to hear the rational behind the LSSCP, how competencies are being developed, major issues being faced and the timeline for implementation. Project directors Nancy Bolt and Dr. Karen Strege will be our presenters. This project is funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

Two sessions are scheduled — 10-11 a.m. or 2-3 p.m., Mountain Standard Time. There are a limited number of seats available, so you will need to register (www.bcr.org/training/workshops/register.html) for this free presentation. We also ask that you indicate what session you are registering for in the Comments box.

Can't make the live presentation? This Free Friday Forum will be recorded and available for viewing a few days after the session. Visit the BCR Free Friday Forum Archive Web page for access instructions.

BCR has been an active participant in the Iowa library community for many years, but maybe it's time to learn a little more about us. Ask Chris about all the benefits available to small libraries in Iowa, including:

• What it means to be a member of BCR (all libraries in Iowa are BCR members)
• The types of databases and e-content available to our member libraries
• Training and continuing education opportunities
• Digitization projects and how CDP@BCR can help your library move into the digital age
• OCLC products and services
• Consulting and special project management
• Financial and administrative services

For more information about the conference, please visit the Iowa Small Libraries Online Conference Web page. Questions about BCR? Contact Chris Cook (ccook@bcr.org).

Included in the collection information below is a link to each organization's record in the OCLC WorldCat Registry. OCLC's WorldCat Registry allows libraries worldwide to manage and organize their data for vendors and third parties by creating and maintaining a comprehensive institutional profile in a single, Web-accessible location.

University of Utah Institutional Repository — The Institutional Repository at the University of Utah brings together scholarly materials and institutional archive materials. A collaborative project between the libraries at the University of Utah and the University community, the Institutional Repository provides access to the intellectual capital of the University and makes these scholarly materials freely available on the Internet. (University of Utah WorldCat records)

TIDES — The TIDES program is an online effort to provide access to primary resources in East Texas educational institutions, libraries, archives, museums and other cultural institutions. Partner institutions now include Mexican schools, museums and wildlife centers. It began in 2002 through a Texas Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund grant and continues to expand through an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant awarded in 2005. (Stephen F. Austin State University WorldCat records)

Francisco Goya Prints — Francisco de Goya y Lucientes (1746-1828) was one of history's most masterful printmakers and social satirists. Pomona College Museum of Art is proud to own first edition sets of all four of his etching series, a total of 211 prints. This collection includes digital representations of all of them. (Claremont Colleges WorldCat records)

These are just a few of the many outstanding digital collections created by CONTENTdm users. Visit the CONTENTdm home page to access the entire Collection of Collections.

On the librarian side, the interface is the same as it is today, with all the tools you need to collaboratively handle chat patrons, review and refer session transcripts and obtain reports and statistics on chat activity. On the patron side, you will be able to provide access to your chat service via a widget, which will connect to your QuestionPoint account.

Here's how it works:
When you deploy Qwidget on your library Web site, your users will enter your service through the widget interface. On the librarian side, they will appear in the chat monitor inside QuestionPoint. This allows multiple librarians to use your existing QuestionPoint account to handle users that come in via the widget, along with all other patrons arriving via the Web-based chat and email forms in use today. The same collaborative and administrative tools would be available as well.

What is a widget?
A widget is a small application that adds utility or other information from external sources, via html code that you add to your Web page.

Qwidget availability:
Qwidget will be available as part of QuestionPoint. A preview version of Qwidget will be available after the next software install (currently scheduled for March 2008). OCLC will be showing a prerelease view of Qwidget at the OCLC booth (#1543) at ALA Midwinter, as well as at the QP User Group meeting, January 14, 10:30 to noon. In addition, OCLC plans to hold a virtual user group meeting prior to the release, and details will be sent via the QuestionPoint listserv and posted on the Blog.

The schedule of speakers and events is continually growing and includes:

• Keynote speaker, Brewster Kahle, U.S. Internet entrepreneur, activist and digital librarian, who will be discussing Internet Archive and the Open Content Alliance
• Researcher and library consultant, Pat Wagner, of Pattern Research, Inc.
• George Burke from Bookswim, the online book rental library club that lends paperbacks and hard covers directly to your house without the need to purchase them

Several conference programs are already scheduled — Copyright Basics 101, Rethinking Resource Sharing (OCLC) and the Texas ILL Study Unveiled. In addition, attendees are encouraged to take advantage of opportunities to interact with vendors and OCLC during the day.

Registration for the two-day event is affordable at only $85. Watch for conference details, information on scholarship opportunities and hotel information on the conference Web site.

Eleven state library agencies within BCR, along with the Colorado Library Consortium (CLiC), together have funded a group license with the College of DuPage which was negotiated by BCR on their behalf. This cooperative effort makes it possible for staff at all member libraries — both at libraries in member states and at individual member libraries in other states — to participate in the teleconferences at no charge.

Register with BCR for the satellite downlink or to view the webcast. For details, visit the BCR teleconference Web site. Questions? Contact Regan Harper (rharper@bcr.org) or Stephanie Jauregui (sjauregu@bcr.org).

Catalogers in the Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division, in cooperation with CPSO, have begun to create proposed authority records to aid in discussions related to the development of these genre/form headings. Although these records are not yet approved, they may be consulted in the Library of Congress authorities database. As with other proposed subject headings, these sample records may not reflect the final forms, reference structures, et cetera, but are provided to assist in the development process:

• Audience participation radio programs (sh2007025534)
• Christmas radio programs (sh2007025570)
• Horror radio programs (sh2007025535)
• Radio adaptations (sh2007025531)
• Western radio programs (sh2007025532)

A draft instruction sheet detailing the creation and application of these headings is also being written for inclusion in the Subject Cataloging Manual: Subject Headings and will be posted on CPSO's Web site for public comment. An alert will be sent to various discussion lists when that occurs.

Please direct any comments or questions about the genre/form projects to Janis Young (jayo@loc.gov).

MyiLibrary's unique aggregated platform offers organizations the ability to acquire and access digital content on an individual title, publisher-specific or subject collection basis, based on their unique requirements and resources.

The demonstration sessions will focus on MyiLibrary's easy-to-navigate user interface, which allows for fast access to electronic information, making MyiLibrary an indispensable tool. The demonstration will guide participants through MyiLibrary's comprehensive search and retrieval capabilities and illustrate the ability for individual users to annotate and store searches and notes for access at a later date.

To register for either the morning or afternoon session, go to BCR's workshop registration page. Questions? Contact Chris Cook (ccook@bcr.org) at BCR.

Christie Brandau, state librarian from the State Library of Kansas, will chair BCR's 2008 Nominating Committee. Brandau will be joined on the committee by Sharon Morris, Technology and Digital Initiatives consultant, Colorado State Library; Mary DeWalt, director, Ada Community Library (Idaho); Sheryl Bissen, Library Systems support technician, Grinnell College Libraries (Iowa); and Cindi Hickey, WebJunction coordinator and Continuing Education librarian, State Library of Kansas.

OCLC Members Council Election
Any BCR/OCLC member may suggest a candidate for the committee to consider for the OCLC Members Council delegate slate by submitting the signature of one official voting representative and the written permission of the potential nominee. The delegate position held by James LaRue, Douglas County Libraries (Colorado), is open this year.

Petitions to nominate candidates must be received at BCR's Aurora office no later than January 31, 2008. The petition form is found at www.bcr.org/elections/mc/mcelect.html. The signed form should be faxed to BCR at (303) 751-9787. Based on a review of the nomination forms received, the 2008 Nominating Committee will create a slate of three candidates.

BCR Board of Trustees Election
The Nominating Committee also will develop a slate of candidates for the trustee election. BCR members this year will elect a research libraries trustee, public libraries trustee, academic libraries trustee and one at-large trustee for the BCR Board. Information about the Board election can be found on the BCR BOT elections Web page (www.bcr.org/elections/board/botelect.html). The deadline for submitting the name of a nominee is January 31, 2008.

Contact BCR's Sharon Hoffhines (shoffhin@bcr.org) if you want to be considered for the election slate. She will pass the information on to the Nominating Committee. Any 10 BCR members also may assure that a write-in candidate for the BCR Board is automatically added to the slate by sending the written permission of the nominee and the signatures of 10 voting BCR members to BCR. Contact Hoffhines for a write-in nomination form. Once completed, the form may be faxed to (303) 751-9787.

Watch for updated information on the elections on BCR's Web site.

Cards are now printed on better quality card stock and represent characters such as the double tilde, euro sign and high comma (centered and off-center) more accurately. Additionally, the new system now adds the characters authorized in the 2006 MARC Update (see Technical Bulletin 252), including spacing underscore, musical sharp and copyright mark.

The plan is customizable — you design the plan to fit your needs, selecting which titles from which publishers you wish to add to your collection — and it's all done automatically. Choose from publishers such as Books on Tape, Listening Library, Brilliance Audio, BBC Audiobooks America, Blackstone Audio, HarperCollins and more.

When you sign up for OverDrive's Download Standing Order Plans, you select the publisher plan and how many units of each frontlist title you wish to receive each month. New titles will appear on your Web site when they are available — sometimes even before their release date — so patrons can place holds on the titles they want to check out.

Current OverDrive library partners can log on to Content Reserve to sign up for Download Standing Order Plans. If you are new to OverDrive, contact BCR's Chris Cook (ccook@bcr.org) to learn how your library can loan bestselling audio books, e-books, music and videos to your patrons 24/7 through the Internet.

• The Britannica Blog — This is the place for smart, lively conversations about a broad range of topics. Art, science, history and current events are all grist for the mill. Jump in and add your own thoughts to those of Britannica's writers.

• Britannica Academic edition — Britannica can still provide your users access to the elementary and concise editions, so any searches run on Britannica Academic will include results from the elementary and concise editions, as well as from your primary academic edition. This feature just needs to be activated. To do so, contact BCR's Chris Cook (ccook@bcr.org).

The NetLibrary Western Regional Shared eBook Collection comprises a wide variety of titles in high-demand subject areas, with a special emphasis on languages, literature, medicine and the social sciences. All titles in the collection feature frontlist content and are hand-selected by the collection development team.

This collection, which includes content from 2005 to present, features a tiered pricing schedule with built-in discounts for early adopters. The schedule is based on FTE and population served, making it extremely affordable, regardless of library size.

For more information about this collection or its pricing, please contact Chris Cook at (303) 751-6277, X138; (800) 397-1552; or ccook@bcr.org.

Staff from BCR member libraries may attend using BCR's group registration rate of $219 for the three-day event (regular price is $449). Discount prices of $99 for the Internet@Schools East conference (regularly $199) and $219 for the combo of Internet@Schools East and Computers in Libraries general conferences (actual price is $449) are also available. No discount rates are available for pre- or post-conference events.

• Deadline for discount registration — February 22, 2008
• Registration — Complete and print out the Registration form
• Payment — Make your checks payable to Information Today, Inc.
• Send your completed registration form and payment to: Bibliographical Center for Research (BCR) 14394 East Evans Avenue Aurora, CO 80014-1408

Details about the conference are available on Information Today's Web site.

For more information about the discounted rates, contact BCR's Stephanie Jauregui at sjauregu@bcr.org, 800.397.1552 or 303.751.6277, ext 127.

Besides saving time and money by managing your library's borrowing, lending and document delivery services, other benefits and features of OCLC ILLiad include:

• Automated routine loan functions
• End-user tracking of ILL requests
• Elimination of time-wasting rekeying chores
• Elimination of time-consuming paperwork

For more information or to place your order, please contact BCR's Beth Levrault (blevraul@bcr.org).

Regularly updated and revised, the database is a vast and unique resource covering all aspects of popular music, including:

• The full content from the 4th edition published in late 2006, with more than 27,000 entries
• Comprehensive coverage of popular music of all genres and periods from 1900 to the present day, including rock & roll, jazz, country, folk, rap, reggae, techno, musicals, world music and more
• A broad musical scope with a multicultural world view of popular music
• Thousands of entries covering genres, trends, styles, record labels, venues and music festivals
• Key dates, biographies and further reading are provided for artists covered, along with complete discographies that include record labels, release dates and a five-star album rating system
• Revision and expansion of popular and growing genres including modern R&B, alternative, country, lo-fi, jazz, punk, metal and hip hop

The newly-designed interface provides clear and easy access to exceptional content. Users can:

• Search by genre and by decade
• Search discographies by label, date and album rating
• Perform extensive cross-references between articles for ease of research
• Cross-search alongside Grove Music Online within Oxford Music Online
• Export citations to citation management software, such as Endnote, Procite, RefWorks and Reference Manager
• Print articles with ease

BCR member libraries have access to extensive online help as well as detailed usage statistics that allow tracking the number of times your users are accessing the database. In addition, OpenURL compliance enables users to query their library catalogue with bibliographic information.

For subscription and pricing details, contact Chris Cook (ccook@bcr.org) at BCR.

All libraries are eligible for special discounts on the following subscription services:

• Art Gallery & Art FullText — 20 percent discount for new and existing subscribers who upgrade and subscribe to both databases
• Essay and General Lit — current print customers save under the school rate
• Current Issues: Reference Shelf Plus — flat rate pricing at every level
• Current Issues: In Health — flat rate pricing at every level

Public libraries are eligible for the following discounts:

• First 30 branches of all libraries are included at no charge
• Retrospective databases — all branch fees are waived for service areas of less than 200,000 (custom quotes available for libraries with a larger service area)
• Book Review Digest — current print customers receive a 60 percent discount

Academic libraries save significantly:

• Book Review Digest — current print subscribers can sign up for WilsonWeb access at a 40 percent discount

Small colleges (academic libraries with an FTE of less than 2000):

• All databases (except retrospective) — discounts remain at 20 percent
• Omni Mega — site license available at 20 percent off the current rate for one (1) simultaneous user
• Retrospective databases — 10 percent discount

Contact BCR's Maura Dunn at mdunn@bcr.org for further details or fill out our online quote request form to see the savings your library can enjoy on these popular Wilson products.

• Forward Focus: A Fond Farewell to Action for Libraries
  Brenda Bailey-Hainer, BCR's executive director, bids a fond farewell to BCR's long-running publication. However, coming in February, readers will soon discover BCR's new image and a new quarterly publication with timely communications about BCR activities and much more.
• Analyzing ILL Usage: Texas State Library and Archives Commission Project
  Heather Clark, BCR member services librarian, reports on the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) project completed in mid-December. A team from BCR, including Brenda Bailey-Hainer (BCR executive director), Clark and Lynn Taylor (BCR contract consultant), joined with two consulting partners to examine current ILL practices and create a blueprint of options for building a statewide ILL service for Texas.
• BCR Conference Management Services
  Discover how BCR's new conference management service can help you run a successful conference. BCR staff can handle all the details and create a polished resource to communicate with attendees and exhibitors.
• The Great TechScape — E-Reference: Doing It on the Fly and On the Cheap!
  Shelly Drumm, BCR's emergent technology trainer, reviews some great tools that are free and easy-to-use to help librarians answer reference questions. Take a look at Google Docs, IM, Meebo and MeeboMe, as well as Jing, a really cool new tool to illustrate just about anything online to someone who's not in the same room.
• And more... much more!

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