The Tools and Resources sections for English, Spanish and French now cover such topics as "Living in France," "Varieties of Present-day Spanish" and "Writing Effectively in English" (for non-native speakers).

In December, OUP continued to grow its French, German and Italian sections, with the inclusion of more than 850 new words, definitions, idioms, phrasal verbs and more. Visit the Oxford Language Dictionaries website to discover the more notable additions, including the French word for "social networking" (réseautage social); the Italian verb for "to blog" (bloggare); or the German word for "tax relief" (steuererleichterung).

Word of the Day
Sign up to receive the Word of the Day in French, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese and Russian.

Don't forget that Oxford is happy to provide promotional materials to help promote your subscription in-house. Contact OUP to request Oxford Language Dictionaries Online flyers, posters or bookmarks.

BCR's Chris Cook (ccook@bcr.org) can help with subscription, pricing or service questions.

For institutions that use the Text Only interface for accessing EBSCOhost via a handheld device and for those that use the Text Only interface to minimize connectivity speed issues based on the limitations of a local network, the new EBSCOhost 2.0 provides a streamlined design and features not found in the Text Only interface. In addition, a brand new product for accessing handheld devices is currently in development and scheduled for release in the spring.

For anyone still using the EBSCOhost Text Only interface, you will need to change your links and start using EBSCOhost 2.0 now. For assistance in making the update, see the FAQ page or contact Technical Support at any time using the EBSCO Support Form. For more information and user reviews of EBSCO's 508 Accessibility, please visit the EBSCO website.

For questions that BCR members may have with regard to EBSCO products and services, contact BCR's Chris Cook (ccook@bcr.org).

The online workshop, Basic Records Operations, describes what to file, how to file it and how to remove files no longer needed for current business. It covers the variety of activities involved in the maintenance and use, as well as the disposition, of Federal records. Participants will get practical how-to's in handling records of various types and media.

Each session is taught by NARA instructors. The course allows participants to use a records inventory database tool (provided during the first session) to develop a records inventory of their records and information through the four 90-minute sessions.

Register now to discover how to build your skills and apply what you learn in your workplace. Sessions are scheduled for January 6, 13, 20 and 27, and the entire series costs only $125.

If you missed the workshop series beginning January 6, additional workshop sessions are scheduled for May 5, 12, 19 and 26 or September 1, 8, 15 and 22.

Visit the RM Learn Center to register online for any workshop series. For more information, contact NARA at 1.781.663.0148 or send an email to workshop@nara.gov.

With the integration of the two platforms, users will be able to search simultaneously across multiple catalogs and databases, seeing the results and submitting requests based on the actual availability of items. Libraries that need to place limits on what can be requested can require additional checking based on the user profile.

If the item of interest is not available locally or through another member of a consortium, a request may be placed that is sourced from another library or via a utility or document delivery service such as OCLC, Rapid ILL, the British Library, CISTI or Libraries Australia. A wide range of options allows each library to define local preferences, policies and procedures. Industry standards, such as Z39.50 and NCIP, provide the framework for this new resource sharing solution.

For more information about BCR's partnership with Relais International and how your library can benefit, contact Maura Hadaway (mhadaway@bcr.org), or visit the BCR website.

Finding Citation Information
All Facts on File News Services databases now have the capability to display citation information. This means that most types of content in these databases automatically displays full citation information in the Modern Language Association (MLA) style on all article pages, printable versions and emailed versions. In addition, content pages also give templates for preparing citations in the American Psychological Association (APA) format. Citation information displays at the bottom of article and printable pages and at the top of emailed articles.

The Citing Sources guide is a valuable source of background information for students and educators. Located in the Curriculum Tools for Students section of each database, these documents also explain the procedures for citing special types of content in the databases and filling in the supplied APA citation templates.

New Features
The redesigned News Services databases can now be cross-searched directly from the Available Databases page. Just submit a query using the search box found in the upper right-hand corner of the Available Databases page to search all authorized News Services databases. Results are then displayed in separate labeled tabs. Selecting the All Results tab gives the complete list of results derived from the search. Selecting any result displays it within the appropriate product interface, which opens in a new window. To perform another cross-search, return to the original window or select the Available Databases link at the top right of the screen.

Also improved is the search functionality and navigation of some individual databases. For details, click on the question mark (?) below the Available Databases link and then select What's New. A list of technical improvements and a short description will appear along with links to previous editions of the Facts on File News Services bulletin.

Browse Diagrams in Today's Science
Found under Special Features and Curriculum Tools for Educators, the new Diagrams listing is a teaching tool for the classroom and student research. It provides easy access to the full collection of scientific diagrams in Today's Science. In addition, all diagrams are fully searchable and available from the complete Image Gallery.

For additional information on the Facts on Files databases available through BCR, including how to sign up for a free trial, visit the BCR website. BCR's product support specialist, Chris Cook (ccook@bcr.org), can help you with questions related to subscriptions and pricing.

Two- and four-year universities and colleges may subscribe to any one of the three databases and save 20 percent on the first year subscription at any user level. Or subscribe to two or more databases and save 30 percent. Current subscriptions count toward the bundle discount. For example, if a library is already subscribing to Grove Music, a subscription to the Encyclopedia of Popular Music can be added at a savings of 30 percent.

Grove Art Online, Grove Music Online and Encyclopedia of Popular Music Online provide the best in art and music-related databases.

• Grove Art Online is the unsurpassed authority on all aspects of art from prehistory to the present day. The relaunched Grove Art Online offers new design, content, functionality and partnership links.
• Grove Music Online has been completely redesigned and now forms the cornerstone of an important new online gateway, Oxford Music Online. Oxford Music Online now acts as the access-point for new and forthcoming Oxford music reference subscriptions and products, offering users the ability to access and cross-search Grove and Oxford reference content in one location.
• Available for the first time in an online format, the 10-volume Encyclopedia of Popular Music is already established worldwide as the most comprehensive reference work devoted exclusively to popular music. In addition to being regularly updated, it is also fully cross-searchable alongside Grove Music Online within the new Oxford Music Online gateway.

This special offer expires January 31. For additional subscription and pricing information, contact BCR's Chris Cook (ccook@bcr.org). Visit the BCR website for more information.

Says Lauren Lampasone, author of the article, "The simple search field on the front page belies the sheer volume and quality of information in Credo Reference (formerly Xrefer). Users can get to one of the three million-plus entries contained in over 360 reference sources from about 60 publishers through precise searching or a more general concept map."

Discover why Credo Reference earned top ratings in the categories librarians deem most important. Visit the BCR webpages for more information or contact BCR's Jay Ford (jford@bcr.org).

This collection focuses on content specifically chosen to represent the finest in high-demand reference sources and frontlist titles. Libraries can choose from three collections — Ready Reference, Community College or Academic. Participation is a one-time cost for ongoing access to the content in each collection and allows users access to the titles anywhere, anytime.

For additional details on this valuable resource, visit the BCR website.

For pricing information or to order any of these collections, complete the BCR Order Form. Questions? Contact BCR's Chris Cook (ccook@bcr.org) before the end of the year.

Act now to take advantage of these special offers expiring December 31.

• Understanding the Financial Crisis — Two collections that address the growing economic crisis. Purchase any title from NetLibrary's financial resources collections and save 10 percent off list price. Or purchase an entire collection for savings of 15 percent. Two collections are featured: Recession-Proofing Your Financial Future|Corporate Finance: Responding to Today's Market
• Historical Dictionaries — Select from a collection of more than 200 historical dictionaries from Scarecrow Press, and save 50 percent off list price. Written by leading experts, Scarecrow Press historical dictionaries include cross-referenced dictionary entries, chronologies and introductory essays on ancient civilizations, historical eras and geographical areas.
• Elsevier Science and Technology Books — NetLibrary's partnership gives subscribers access to limited-time pricing on nearly 6,000 business, scientific, technical and medical eBook titles published by Elsevier through 2006. Earn 50 percent off list price by ordering a minimum of 25 titles.

Libraries now have the opportunity to provide their users with unlimited, simultaneous access to children's and young adult titles, bestselling adult titles and audio titles specially selected for academic libraries. Recorded Books, the world's largest independent publisher and distributor of unabridged audiobooks, is offering a premium eAudiobook subscription program consisting of three all-new collections. Once a library has subscribed to a qualified premium collection, a catalog of more than 700 Recorded Books titles is available for purchase, or a library can elect to enroll in a Recorded Books Continuous Order Plan for automatic delivery of new titles and a savings of 20 percent.

The discounts offered by NetLibrary are in addition to savings earned through a library's BCR NetLibrary subscription. Contact Chris Cook (ccook@bcr.org) to learn more or for pricing and subscription details.

In this uncertain economy, it's important to be able to predict costs for the coming year. By providing this advance announcement, subscribers know that at least one part of their 2009/2010 budget will not increase.

The Rosen team also is offering free webinar training and custom email. Schedule a free webinar to share the database with colleagues. Or get help creating a customized email message to make colleagues and patrons aware of this award-winning resource. Contact Rosen via email to take advantage of these free tools.

To learn more, contact Chris Cook (ccook@bcr.org). She also can help with questions related to subscription terms and pricing. Visit the BCR website for additional information about Rosen's Teen Health & Wellness database resource.

Titles that received updates in the last month in the Music and Performing Arts collection include:

• African American Music Reference
• American Song
• Classical Music Library
• Classical Scores Library
• Dance in Video
• Opera in Video
• Contemporary World Music

In the Religion and Theology group, Release 5 of The Digital Karl Barth Library is now live. This release includes seven new volumes (volumes 37-43) of Karl Barth's collected works.

The new Sneak Peek Subscription gives users the option of signing up to receive a username and password good for 48 hours every time a new collection is launched. Just enter an email address to be the first to know about new titles coming from Alexander Street Press.

Finally, Alexander Street Press blogs help keep users up-to-date on what's new and gives them insights into how other libraries are making use of and promoting Alexander Street Collections. Take a look now.

For subscription and pricing details, contact BCR's Chris Cook (ccook@bcr.org) or visit the BCR website.

With a single click of the mouse, the Media Center will check out an eAudiobook, acquire the user license and download the title to a PC or portable device. Among its many features, discover:

• One-click transfer to a computer or portable device — The Media Center combines a simpler, more visual user interface with streamlined navigation to create a unique user experience.
• Enhanced browse and search features — Browse eAudiobooks by genre or search for eAudiobooks by title, author, subject or narrator. Results are displayed in either list view or a carousel-style glance view and include cover images, bibliographic information and other descriptive content.
• Full-featured audio player — Listen to titles directly from a desktop or laptop. Integrated playback controls not only adjust the volume and pause the play, but allow a user to jump from section to section and even control the pace of the narration.
• Free training resources — With easy to follow step-by-step instructions, the free NetLibrary eAudiobooks Guide answers many basic questions, including how to download NetLibrary Media Center, how to search for eAudiobooks and how to transfer content to portable devices.
• Much more.

Getting Started
In order to provide users with access to the NetLibrary Media Center, you will need to complete a Media Center Activation Request and return it to NetLibrary. Be sure to include your library name and ID along with staff contact information. Once you have activated Media Center, you and your users will be able to download Media Center from the NetLibrary website and install to your desktop. Complete installation details are available from the NetLibrary Help section.

Interested in learning more about NetLibrary? Contact BCR's Chris Cook (ccook@bcr.org) or visit the BCR webpages.

Focusing on current front-page news topics about green issues, the database includes colorful graphics, charts and illustrations displayed alongside 100 percent full-text articles from highly respected publications.

Currently the database consists of 50 topics including wildlife conservation, clean energy, deforestation and environmental philosophy, while subtopics range from geothermal energy to rain forests in art. Many of the topics are unique to Current Issues: Environment, while all include an Editor's Introduction providing background information and an overview of coverage. Wilson expects to add at least 10 new topics each year, and all topics will continually be updated to provide only the most current, relevant information to users.

For further information, please visit the BCR website, or contact Maura Hadaway at mhadaway@bcr.org.

BCR will also be closed on Friday, December 19, from 12 noon to 5 p.m. (MST)

In addition, BCReview, BCR's weekly e-newsletter, will not be published on Tuesday, December 30.

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Britannica Online Primary Sources — This new collection integrates eBooks and documents into search results, allowing users to access tens of thousands of original documents directly from Britannica Online. In addition to articles, videos, images, website and other reference tools, search results deliver full-text eBooks and original documents that are related to a specific query. Users will save valuable research time by having all of this information available from one easy-to-navigate article page. For example, by searching for "Mark Twain," the Primary Sources button provides a list of links giving instant access to all of his works.

Primary Sources is available in Britannica Online Academic Edition, Britannica Online School Edition (in the Encyclopedia Britannica tier) and Britannica Online Library Edition (in the Britannica Reference Center tier).

Britannica Digital Learning — New features that have been added to Britannica Digital Learning include:

Free Webinar Training: Britannica's free one-hour online presentations give training without travel. To sign up for a webinar, choose a session, select the appropriate link and fill out the online registration form. Then watch your email for instructions and a registration confirmation. Technical requirements: Computer (either PC or MAC) with access to view the presentation; Telephone to hear the presentation (a toll-free number is provided). A speaker phone is required if you have a group of people.
• Elementary school sessions are currently scheduled for Thursday, January 15, 11:00 a.m. (CST)
• Secondary school sessions are currently scheduled for Thursday, January 15, 3:00 p.m. (CST)

Britannica Online School Edition: Visit the new web page. The redesign is intended to help students and teachers get the resources they need quickly and easily. It points students to the appropriate reading level and puts Teacher Resources, including curriculum standards and learning materials, right on the home page.

Learning Zone for Early Children Classrooms: New early literacy activities have been added. Play, discover, create — these are the cornerstones of learning for young children. PreK-2nd grade teachers will find that this interactive learning environment provides early learners enjoyable, engaging and age-appropriate activities to help grow their minds and spirits.

Britannica Private Account: This workspace feature that "you can take with you" allows teachers to collect those special Britannica articles, images, videos, websites and learning materials and organize them into a coherent tool. It allows teachers to come back to it again and again, from the classroom, the library or home.

Student Research Guides: For teachers working with students on how to take notes, make an outline, form conclusions and more, Britannica's new five-step research guide helps them learn the basics of research. With student activities, reproducible masters and a quick one-page evaluation chart, this guide helps your students achieve at a higher level. Select the Elementary Student Guide or the Secondary Student Guide.

Curriculum Standards: Get support, teacher resources and more.
• State Standards resource finder with more than 16,000 teacher resources and lesson plans
• PowerPoints for easy teacher training on Britannica
• Sign up for the free Inside Britannica monthly newsletter archive with new ideas for the classroom
• Full-length videos for science, geography, world studies and the arts available for download and instructions on how to download

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.

Cambridge Histories Online brings the texts to life, adding immense value to any aspect of research. This vast collection of scholarly content covers a diverse range of topics, allowing access to the most authoritative thinking and making this comprehensive compendium of the past a key resource of the future.

Cambridge Histories Online is an established and essential component to the academic research library. Discover:

• More than 15 academic subjects in 250 volumes and 196,000-plus pages of unrivalled scholarship published since 1960.
• Content that is well-known, trusted and used by librarians and researchers alike.
• A comprehensive feature set that includes tools for personalization and reference linking.
• Easy online accessibility.

For more information and pricing, including how to sign up for a free trial, visit the BCR website or contact BCR's Maura Hadaway (mhadaway@bcr.org).

The new content features prominent artists such as Robert Chamberlain, 18th century English enameller and porcelain manufacturer, and American industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss, in addition to entries on pieces and techniques, such as hooked rugs, crackle, Amberina glass and Denby Pottery. Complementing these articles are more than 300 updated decorative arts bibliographies as well as 185 new images throughout the site. While these images are accessible via search and browse, here is a list of some of the more notable additions:

• Man’s cotton mantle (hinggi), from Sumba, c. 1920
• Four-cornered hat, camelid hair, from Bolivia, Tiahuanaco, Middle Horizon, 5th–9th centuries
• Embroidered medallion, silk, 1368–1644
• Netsuke in the form of a rabbit, ivory, 19th century
• Sutra box showing a dragon, red lacquer with engraved gold decoration (qiangjin), c. 1403–24
• Silk covered shoes, leather, French, 1690–1700
• Stirrups, iron, gold and silver, 16th–18th centuries
• Saddle, iron, gold, wood and leather, eastern Tibet, 15th–18th centuries
• Sword (detail), iron, gold and silver, Chinese or Tibetan, 14th–16th centuries

More Learning Units from MoMA
This update also sees the inclusion of five additional comprehensive learning units from MoMA. Each learning unit contains an introduction along with five to six lesson plans all focused on a given topic, ranging from photography (19th century to the present day), to the work of Louis I. Kahn, to the development and evolution of modern art during the mid 20th century.

Need to promote your subscription to your patrons? Oxford has available a wide selection of promotional materials such as flyers, posters or pens. Just send an email to request any of these items.

For additional information regarding these or any other OUP products, contact BCR's Chris Cook (ccook@bcr.org) or visit the BCR website.

At the beginning of 2004, Barack Obama was an almost unknown Illinois state legislator and a candidate for the U.S. Senate. Today, Obama’s straightforward policy recommendations, message of hope and inclusion and charismatic style have propelled him to the highest office in the nation.

Authors Martin Dupuis and Keith Boeckelman trace the roots of President-elect Obama's politics and presidential campaign strategy in this detailed political biography, ascending from his successful run in 1996 to represent Chicago's South Side in the Illinois Senate, through his partial term as the junior U.S. senator from Illinois beginning in 2004, to his campaign for the presidency. Dupuis and Boeckelman analyze in illuminating detail the critical ways in which the political calculus so brilliantly deployed in Obama's 2007-2008 national campaign was shaped by the lessons he learned from the successes and failures of his previous local and statewide campaigns.

With his election as the first black president, Obama has captured the world’s imagination because his story reflects many of the most positive beliefs that permeate American culture: that underdogs can triumph, that the American dream of success is open to immigrants and their children if they work hard, that racism is fading. He also appeals to Americans searching for common ground in an era of political division and hyperpartisanship and gives them hope that wealth, nepotism and negative campaigning are not the only tickets to success in contemporary politics.

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. To access each month's eBook as well as a tool kit of free promotional materials that can be downloaded and personalized for your library, visit the NetLibrary eBook of the Month resources webpage.

For more information about eBooks, please contact BCR's Chris Cook at ccook@bcr.org.

Information about the OCLC Board may be found on the OCLC website.

McGraw-Hill Professional is comprised of innovative databases created specifically for the scientific and medical communities. Updated daily, these databases provide professionals and students with information on the latest scientific developments from trusted sources.

Among the key features of the new site are the ProQuest Support Center, bringing its acclaimed customer service, technical support and training onto the web 24/7. The redesigned site has a more powerful search engine and an all-new product access feature that directs end-users to library gateways.

"ProQuest has grown significantly in the past two years, with new acquisitions, new products and really, a new sophistication in the way we serve our customers and partners," said Lynda James-Gilboe, senior vice president of marketing and customer care for ProQuest. "We had two challenges for this website redesign. First, we needed to integrate the breadth of our product lines and brands so that visitors — no matter who they might be — could find what they needed simply, without missteps or confusion. Second, we needed to make the website a service center, so that customers have a reliable, 'round the clock' resource to answer their questions and so we can help them address problems. That's a tall order for a company that's as complex as ProQuest and I think this debut is off to a fantastic start."

The redesigned website will continue to evolve over the coming months, creating an even more seamless user experience for ProQuest customers, partners and researchers. Read the ProQuest press release to learn more.

For information about subscribing to any of the ProQuest family of databases, contact BCR's Maura Hadaway (mhadaway@bcr.org) or visit the BCR website.