WNYLRC Newsletter

Total Boox–Pay As You Go?

Spancal — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:54:05 +0000

Necessity is the mother of invention we always say. More to the point, every adverse situation is ripe for new business models. In the quicksand that is the landscape of epublishing, libraries, authors and brick and mortar bookstores have tried a myriad of ways to address how we continue to pay people, make a profit and provide information in this new world. The cost of ebooks has the potential to greatly impact the quantity of choices available to the public and to libraries but there are emerging ways to overcome this. Libraries joining together to purchase and share ebooks, free downloads from libraries and now a “novel” approach–paying for only what you read. Total Boox is an offering from founder Yoav Lorch that takes reading at a per page level. The thought has horrified many and pricked the fancy of others. The concept “why should I pay for a whole book which I may start and never finish” is not immediately embraceable but, perhaps, there’s room for this among other methods. Listen to this CBC interview with Lorch and then stay for an author’s not so favorable opinion.

CHIA LibGuide

Spancal — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:23:27 +0000

The CHIA committee is happy to announce the release of our new LibGuide! . The guide features information on consumer health, community resources and fostering a healthy lifestyle. This guide also includes a collection of health and science resources unique to the Western New York region.

Additionally, the guide is being used to post committee information such as meeting agendas, minutes, committee rosters and upcoming events. LibGuides has proven to be a very versatile and useful product for our committee. If other committee members are interested in starting a guide of their own please feel free to contact me jtoner@wnylrc.org

Hug Your Library Gatherings Planned–Community Invited to Show Support for Libraries

Spancal — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 13:45:09 +0000

Posted on behalf of BECPL:

Buffalo & Erie County Public Libraries are reaching out and inviting the community to join an upcoming “Hug Your Library…so it’s here tomorrow” event taking place in the next few weeks. Library Director Mary Jean Jakubowski and Librarians Association President Tim Galvin today announced plans for “Hug Your Library” gatherings beginning with the kick-off at the downtown Central Library on Thursday, June 20 at 5:15 p.m. There are 26 Libraries planning Hug advocacy events over the next few weeks throughout the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library System.

“Hundreds of thousands of Erie County residents use their free public libraries annually and we know they love their libraries,” said Ms. Jakubowski. “We are hoping they all come out and show support for our libraries by attending one of these free Hug Your Library events. The Hug gatherings are intended to show the entire community – individuals, businesses, elected officials, the media – that libraries not only enhance but they enrich lives and, Erie County residents want their libraries open and accessible for generations to come.”

Several libraries have planned special programs, speeches, and entertainers around their Hug gatherings. The Hugs will vary from library to library, and supporters are encouraged to embrace the idea and attend as many as they like. At a designated time, attendees will join hands for a “big Hug around the building” and all will receive a special Hug sticker for participating. A complete list of participating Libraries is enclosed and can be downloaded by going to http://bit.ly/1aYJJOC

We need your help! The Central Library is an expansive building and we need as many supporters as possible to symbolically HUG it on Thursday, June 20^th at 5:15 pm. Gather with us on the front ramp and show your support for the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Can’t make it on the 20^th? Join us and any one of the HUGs listed.

Chairman Urges FCC to Expand Broadband

Spancal — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 18:41:52 +0000

As quoted by Jay Rockefeller “…if every coffee shop in America can offer wireless connectivity, then surely every school in America should be able to offer it as well” with regard to an agreement by the FCC to update the successful E-Rate program. The program, which has been so successful, should further its reach rather than remain stagnant. Read the government’s press release.

Collaboration = Doing More with More

Spancal — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 15:07:29 +0000

Please excuse cross-posting:

Like many others throughout the country, New York libraries have been tasked with providing more essential services with fewer financial resources — an equation that is clearly unsustainable. Instead, libraries must focus on doing more with more, building on existing collaborations and developing new ones, removing barriers to cooperation, and proving that working together ultimately improves the services provided to constituent communities.

That is the conclusion of I2NY: Envisioning an Information Infrastructure for New York, a report released by the NY 3Rs Association, Inc.

“The I2NY Report reflects our assessment of the current conditions for collaboration and shared project management among libraries in the state,” stated Kathleen Miller, Chair of the NY 3Rs Association.

“We are very pleased that there is great interest in moving forward with a number of collaborative initiatives, including statewide digitization of research resources, open access of original research articles and data, and development of models to reduce the cost of e-books and electronic journals through the use of aggregated purchases,” continued Ms. Miller. “We anticipate that this report will be the basis for the development of working task groups in these, and other areas, and we expect a fairly quick turnaround time in beginning the actual work of implementing these important recommendations.”

Bart Harloe, Executive Director of the ConnectNY Library Consortium and a participant in the planning process agreed, stating: “The I2NY report and subsequent initiatives represent important opportunities to address long-standing concerns about the need to develop more cost effective and efficient collaborative models for libraries of all kinds.”

A copy of the I2NY Report can be found at http://www.ny3rs.org/i2ny-2/ and at the websites of the various NY 3Rs Association members. The I2NY Report is also being distributed to the New York State Board of Regents, the governor and state legislators, the media and the library community throughout New York.

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About the NY 3Rs Association, Inc.: the NY 3Rs Association is an educational corporation founded in 2003 by the nine reference and research library resources in New York state. The purpose of the Association is to improve library services in New York; further the development of research resources on a statewide level; increase cooperation and resource sharing among libraries and library systems; and support improved economic development, health care, and information technology thorough libraries in New York.

What’s New at OCLC

Spancal — Thu, 30 May 2013 15:35:25 +0000

Excuse cross-posting but important news from OCLC:

Skip Prichard named OCLC President and CEO

An experienced senior executive in the information services market, Mr. Prichard has led multi-national organizations that serve libraries across the full spectrum of library services and content needs. Most recently, he was President and CEO of Ingram Content Group Inc., which provides a broad range of physical and digital services to the book industry.
Mr. Prichard will succeed Jay Jordan, who will retire June 30 after 15 years as OCLC President and CEO. He will serve as OCLC President-elect, effective June 3, and will officially become President and CEO on July 1.

View news release »

Join OCLC for Events at ALA Annual 2013

June 28th, 2013 – July 1st, 2013

If you’re heading to Chicago in June for ALA Annual 2013, join your colleagues to discover, share and celebrate the accomplishments of the OCLC cooperative. OCLC events are open to all conference registrants.

View a complete listing of OCLC events at ALA and sign up here

WorldCat Database Reaches Two Billion Holdings

University of Alberta adds the milestone holding to world’s most comprehensive online library catalog

On Saturday, May 4 at 2:58 a.m. (MDT), the holding symbol for the University of Alberta Libraries, in Edmonton, was set through an automated process to the WorldCat record for the e-book, Evaluation of the City of Lakes Family Health Team Patient Portal Pilot Project: Final Report. It was the 2 billionth holding set in WorldCat.

View news release »

Tablet Testers Meeting #3

Spancal — Wed, 29 May 2013 19:07:28 +0000

Gadgets and Gear 3 is only days away, so here is the report of our final Tablet Testers meeting. Once again, the tablets and testers are:

Karlen Chase: Google Nexus7
Sheryl Knab: 3rd Generation iPad
Jaclyn McKewan: iPad Mini and Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1
Janelle Toner: Windows Surface

Content Universes

A big topic of discussion was “content universes.” This is the idea that each mobile operating system, such as iPhone/iPad, Android, or Windows, has particular apps and features available to it. Those features, as well as the necessity of creating an account, as well as having many items in the “cloud” may encourage users to stick with one system over others.

For example, Sheryl stated that she feels very “invested” in Apple, not only having an iPad and iPhone, but also an Apple TV at home. She would continue to use Apple devices in the future because she has so much of her data in Apple accounts already and she is accustomed to the operating system.

Jaclyn is an Android user, and likes how her Galaxy Note easily integrated with her existing accounts for Gmail, Google Calendar and other Google functions. She was disappointed that there were no Google apps available on her iPad mini other than Gmail, although she was able to view her Google Calendar through the native iPad calendar app.

Karlen stated that she doesn’t like to be locked into a particular system or format, which is why she does not use a Kindle. She currently owns an Android phone but would consider an iPhone in the future depending on her needs and the features available. She likes the fact that presentation software Prezi works on an iPad, but it is unfortunately not available for Android.

Janelle has not been impressed with her Windows Surface and finds that there is a lack of apps on the Windows 7 system compared to iPhone or Android. She currently has an iPhone but is also open to trying new operating systems in the future.

Overall

Both Jaclyn and Karlen didn’t care for the small size of their devices (in Jaclyn’s case, the iPad mini). Jaclyn preferred the size of her Galaxy note for easier web browsing and Karlen also felt that a bigger size would have worked better for her.

Sheryl loves her iPad, but still likes the idea of a small device because of its portability. Ideally, she would love to have both an iPad and iPad mini. She recently discovered that an iPad can be used as a camcorder when mounted to a tripod, and then videos can be edited right on the device. She will be demonstrating this at Gadgets and Gear.

Janelle is still not a fan of the Windows Surface tablet. Although she found it works well for watching videos or checking email, the battery life is terrible. She also doesn’t use it for reading much because of the shiny screen.

We hope to see many of you on Friday when we demonstrate these devices in person!

New Serenity Space at Sisters Hospital by Janelle Toner

Spancal — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:57:21 +0000

As we have all come to learn over the past few years, library space is at a premium and budgets are shrinking. It is our job as librarians to ensure that the library, although smaller, still serves the needs of our users. We need advocate for ourselves and pursue innovative ways to increase usage and economize our space

In a hospital environment, providing nurses with strategies for stress management is essential for retaining staff, particularly new nursing graduates. Nursing stress is linked to high turnover, decreased well being, and a decreased ability to make critical decisions. To promote stress reduction, Diane Ceravolo, Director of Professional Nursing Practice at Sisters of Charity Hospital approached me to research “restoration rooms”. These are places where nurses can relax and distress during a trying shift or after a traumatic event on their floor. According to the literature, having this resource available reduces stress and enhances workplace wellbeing. Diane and I decided that the unused storage and utility area of the library would be ideal for such a place.

Serenity Space

We approached the administration with our plans for the room including new carpeting, soft lighting inspirational posters, a large photo mural and comfortable seating. The costs incurred from this project were minimal and the administration was very supportive.
The new Serenity Space was opened at the beginning of May just in time for Nurse’s Week. This innovative project will bring new users to the library and is a great example of how downsizing can actually work for the library’s benefit. It also serves as a springboard for future library renovations including new office space, carpets and equipment.

Lightning Talks at MLA 2013

Spancal — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:52:00 +0000

The HLSP librarians recently attended the annual conference of the Medical Library Association in Boston, MA. On Sunday 5/6 we attended “This Just in: Lightning Talks on One Health”, which consisted of over a dozen brief presentations on emerging trends in health sciences librarianship and innovative ways to provide service. Each presenter was allowed up to 3 slides and 5 minutes to introduce their topic. The presenters were available after the session ended to take questions from audience members.

Several of our Buffalo colleagues including Dean Hendrix, Pam Rose and Liz Stellrecht participated. Their topics included, administering e-textbooks for nurses, clinical librarians in dental clinics and the benefits of therapy dogs.

We were also fortunate to meet Richard Ssenono, a medical librarian at the Infectious Diseases Institute in Kampala, Uganda. His presentation titled “Virtual Reference: A future for Ugandan Libraries” detailed ways in which resource poor libraries can supplement their collections with free virtual reference services. To our surprise, one of the services he uses is our very own AskUs 24/7! We met up with Richard after his presentation to talk about Africa and the challenges that he faces providing library services. With rapidly expanding mobile adoption in Uganda, Richard is ahead of the curve promoting virtual reference and providing service at the point of need. For more information on mobile technologies in Africa see the following link http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/13/world/africa/mobile-phones-change-africa

For more information: Presentation_Uganda

Richard Ssenono and HLSP Librarians

AskUs image in presentation!

Publishers Still Trying Out DRM-Free Books by Jaclyn McKewan

Spancal — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:16:25 +0000

Back in 2010 we wrote about the success of O’Reilly’s decision to sell their ebooks without DRM (Digital Rights Management). Now another publisher, Tor Books UK, has tried this method, writes David Pogue of the New York Times. The company reported that there was no discernible increase in piracy after this change was made. While anything that’s available electronically has the potential to be pirated, experiments such as these show that when something is reasonably priced and easy to acquire, people are willing to pay for it.

What does this mean for libraries? The part about being “easy to acquire” is still an issue. You may have seen this cartoon showing the difficulties of downloading an audio book from a library website and why some people may find it easier to just pirate the file instead. But because most ebook lending programs rely on a third-party such as Overdrive and Ebsco, the lending process is likely to remain inherently more complicated than with physical books.

Initiatives such as the Douglas County Libraries’ model of buying the ebooks themselves do give libraries more control over the process. However, this model still uses Overdrive as well as DRM. Most likely the best “solution” to the DRM issue will involve a revolutionary change, and the creation of a new ebook model from the ground up. The next few years will be exciting as we see how this plays out.