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February 10th, 2009LISWire
TOOLS OF CHANGE CONFERENCE, NEW YORK CITY, FEBRUARY 10, 2009 – Since 2001, Kirtas Technologies has worked with the world’s most renowned libraries to bring rare, out-of-copyright books into the digital age, making centuries-worth of books available to the world.
Today, Kirtas announces a partnership with the University of Pennsylvania Libraries to make over 200,000 titles available to the public in a unique way.
Using existing information drawn from Penn’s catalog records, Kirtas is able to offer out-of-copyright books for sale through its own retail site, www.kirtasbooks.com. What makes this initiative unique is that the books can be offered for sale before they are ever digitized, so there is no up-front printing, production or storage cost.
"This partnership allows us to gauge reader interest in on-demand digitization and printing services,” said Carton Rogers, Vice Provost and Director of Libraries at the University of Pennsylvania. “That frees us from difficult selection decisions and lets the digital collection grow in response to user demand. The model is efficient and minimizes the risk as we develop new ways of addressing information needs.”
Through www.kirtasbooks.com, customers will be able to search for a desired title, and when found, place a “digitize for me” request. The desired book will be pulled from Penn’s shelves, digitized, processed by Kirtas for optimal reading and printing, and a newly-printed copy will be shipped to the initiator. Or, the customer can purchase access to an online-only version of the book. Once the book has been digitized, it is returned undamaged to the library shelf.
“The Penn Libraries have been delivering digital content from their collections for over a decade,” said David McKnight, director of the Rare Book and Manuscript Library. “We started with extremely rare material, and now we will have the capacity to digitize nearly any book in our collection that’s in the public domain.”
Public Domain books are those that are out of copyright, essentially any title published before 1923. It is estimated that there are several million such titles in existence.
To illustrate the “popular” titles that might be requested through the kirtasbooks.com partnership, a collection of vintage teen-reader books have been selected for initial digitization. Titles such as Caroline at College, by Lela Horn Richards (printed in 1922) and The Baseball Boys of Lakeport: or, the Winning Run by Edward Stratemyer (printed in 1908). "These books are charming," said McKnight.
Through this unique partnership with Kirtas, the Penn Libraries will also earn income on orders of its books. Distribution rights are non-exclusive so the books can be made available through the Penn Libraries, as well as other distribution channels at the library’s request.
“We’re honored to have collections from an institution as distinguished as the University of Pennsylvania as part of the launch of this program,” Kirtas Founder and CEO Lotfi Belkhir said. “It’s a radical approach to digitization in that it eliminates the guesswork involved in selecting the books that will sell.”
About Kirtas Technologies
Kirtas Technologies has pioneered and perfected the technology used today in quality, high-speed, nondestructive mass book digitization. A proven workflow ensuring superior image quality, advanced search capabilities, unique archiving technology, and extensive metadata enabling multiple output options that stand the test of time are what set us apart and keep Kirtas at the forefront of the digital revolution. Learn more at www.kirtas.comAbout University of Pennsylvania
Founded in 1750 to support the College, Academy, and Charitable School of Philadelphia, the Penn Libraries comprise one the nation’s oldest academic library systems. The early collection was assembled by Benjamin Franklin and other prominent figures of the College.Today, the Libraries rank among the largest research libraries in North America. Their collections and staff serve the full range of teaching and research programs at Penn, with more than six million volumes, some 52,000 electronic journals, and a distinctive group of special collections, with particular prominence in early modern manuscripts, the English Renaissance, Judaica, and the papers of contemporary authors and artists. Penn is also home to a sophisticated digital library that represents the equivalent of a multi-million-volume print collection, and includes the Schoenberg Center for Electronic Text and Image, which will take the lead in this digitization program.
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February 10th, 2009LISWire
Here's your chance to use your information/library science Master's
degree to very good purpose. If this Fellowship doesn't fit with your
interests or timing, please pass this announcement along to others who
may wish to pursue application.The Grace and Harold Sewell Memorial Fund will award two 12-month,
paid "Learning Partnerships" placing experienced health sciences
librarians within leading health care organizations for the purpose of
both partners gaining a greater understanding of how best information
sciences can be effectively applied in each environment.This on-the-edge fellowship offers mid-career librarians the opportunity to
be fully immersed in the environment of a health care organization.
The fellow will participate in team settings designed to utilize the
librarian's skills and knowledge in non-traditional ways, resulting in
a tangible and valuable contribution to the host organization. For
more information about the Grace and Harold Sewell Memorial Fund, the
Learning Partnerships, fellowship application process, and eligibility
requirements, please visit the Sewell Fund Website.Although only two Fellowships will be awarded, three Host
Organizations have been selected to vie for the placements. They
include:• The Preston A. Wells, Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy at
the University of Florida, Shands/UF Hospital, and the UF Health
Sciences Library in Gainesville are working together to experience how
librarians can truly be members of the health care team. They are
designing a position called a "clinical patient informationist". This
unique health care practitioner would work alongside clinicians and
patients to directly impact patient care and outcomes.• San Antonio Metropolitan Public Health District's mission is
to provide leadership and services for San Antonio and Bexar County to
prevent illness and injury, promote healthy behaviors, and protect
against health hazards. As a local governmental public health agency
Metro Health works at the front line of community health by providing
essential health surveillance, laboratory services, education and
outreach, emergency response programs, regulatory activities and
policy interventions. The Learning Partnership Librarian will take a
leadership role in the development and implementation of two major
department initiatives: (1) A comprehensive Employee Education &
Development Program; and (2) An Information & Communications program
to expand the use of information technology to promote awareness of
Metro Health resources and services and respond to public information
needs. Supplementing Metro Health as host of a Learning Partnership
Librarian, the San Antonio Regional Campus of The University of Texas
School of Public Health and the University of Texas Health Science
Center Library have committed as partners to provide resources and
mentorship for the Learning Partnership.• The Public Health Foundation (PHF), incorporated in the
District of Columbia, is a national, non-profit 501(c)3 organization
with a clear focus on improving public health infrastructure and the
performance of public health agencies and systems. For more than 35
years, PHF has been on the forefront of initiatives designed to
strengthen and improve the infrastructure and performance of systems
that protect and promote the public's health. The mission of PHF is:
Improving public health infrastructure and performance through
innovative solutions and measurable results. This mission aims to help
PHF achieve its ultimate vision to create "a high-performing public
health system that protects and promotes health in every community."More information about the host organizations can be found on the
Sewell Fund website at
http://www.sewellfund.org/LearningPartnerships2009.htmEligibility:
• Only those individuals with an MLS or equivalent degree from
an ALA-approved university program are eligible to apply for the
fellowship. Candidates must be mid-career; applicants who have just
finished their MLS will not be considered.
• Must be available for a full-time, 12-consecutive-month fellowship.
• Candidates must be United States citizens or have met the
requirements of I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification for employment
in the United States prior to application for the fellowship
• Prepare to sign a Partnership Agreement with the Host
Organization and the Sewell Fund which specifies performance and
reporting expectations.For more information about the fellowship, please visit the Sewell
Fund website at http://www.sewellfund.org/LearningPartnerships2009.htm -
February 10th, 2009LISWire
Lucky 13! Salmo (B.C.) Public Library Goes Live with Evergreen
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENorcross, GA – February 10, 2009
Salmo Public Library has become the 13th library in British Columbia’s SITKA consortium to go live with Evergreen, the consortial-quality open-source library automation software.
Salmo Public Library’s migration to Evergreen is one more step in a process that will see up to 34 SITKA libraries running Evergreen on a shared catalog by the end of 2009. Equinox Software Inc., the support and development company for Evergreen, is providing ongoing 24/7 technical support for SITKA’s Evergreen implementations.
Sharon Herbert, Project Manager for the Evergreen implementation project at BC SITKA, said, "British Columbia's strategic plan for libraries includes the goals of facilitating equitable access to information and encouraging collaboration and partnerships to improve service delivery in a cost-effective manner. Evergreen provides a solid foundation for us to achieve both of these goals."
“Evergreen provides SITKA’s libraries features they could only dream of before,” said Equinox company president Brad LaJeunesse, citing courtesy notices, smooth staff workflows, and user-friendly bookbags as just three features in Evergreen with wide appeal. LaJeunesse added, “As Evergreen communities grow and flourish worldwide, everyone wins.”
SITKA is following a gradual approach to moving libraries over to Evergreen; libraries opt-in on their own schedule. Many libraries are anticipated to join over the next several years when their existing automation vendor contracts expire.
Established in the 1950s by residents of Salmo (population 2,487), today the Salmo Public Library is located in a former pharmacy that has been renovated and upgraded to meet the library’s needs. Their new online catalog is at http://salmo.catalogue.bclibraries.ca and their website is at http://salmo.bclibrary.ca/. The collective holdings for the SITKA libraries running Evergreen are at http://catalogue.bclibrary.ca and a description of SITKA is at http://sitka.bclibraries.ca/ .
About Evergreen
Evergreen is consortial-quality, open-source library software initially developed to support Georgia PINES, a resource-sharing consortium with over 270 public libraries. Evergreen was designed from the ground up to be robust, fault-tolerant, service-oriented, and standards-based. Evergreen nimbly evolves to meet the needs of very large, high-transaction, multi-site consortia, while elegantly scaling down to the smallest library sites.
The growing, multinational Evergreen development community has shepherded Evergreen through a series of carefully-planned releases that have further strengthened Evergreen’s consortial capabilities while adding popular and useful functionality. Evergreen 2.0, due out in 2009, will add acquisitions, serials, and reserves to Evergreen’s outstanding functionality.
From its debut in September 2006, Evergreen has earned acclaim and praise from users worldwide, including a Technology Collaboration Award from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Additional Evergreen implementations include consortial projects such as Michigan Evergreen and Evergreen Indiana, and libraries such as Kent County Public Library in Maryland, Marshall Public Library in Missouri, the National Weather Center Library, and the University of Prince Edward Island. King County Library System, a public library system in Washington State, has also contracted with Equinox Software for Evergreen development. For more information about Evergreen, visit http://evergreen-ils.org
About Equinox Software, Inc.
Founded by the original Evergreen designers and developers, Equinox Software is a growing team of skilled developers and other professionals who provide comprehensive support for Evergreen, the consortial-quality, open source Integrated Library System (ILS). Equinox develops, supports, trains, migrates, integrates, and consults on Evergreen, and engages with the rapidly expanding Evergreen community. Instead of one-size-fits-all support, Equinox works closely with libraries to ensure Evergreen is implemented in the manner that best fits their individual needs.
In addition to support, custom development and integration services, Equinox offers complete Evergreen hosting packages for libraries wishing to outsource their ILS infrastructure. Equinox also provides consulting services for libraries seeking more insight into the value proposition of open source software.
Press contact: Corinne Hall, corinne@esilibrary.com, 678-269-6113
For more information on Equinox Software, please visit http://www.esilibrary.com.
Evergreen is open source software, freely licensed under the GNU GPL. Evergreen and the Evergreen logo are trademarks of the Georgia Public Library Service.
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February 10th, 2009LISWire
Library Associates Companies (LAC) Finalize Agreement with DuPage Library System (DLS) to Provide Staffing Services
Unique Arrangement Lends Needed Support to Over 100 Multi-type Illinois LibrariesLOS ANGELES, CA – February 6, 2009 — Library Associates Companies (LAC) is pleased to announce that a final memorandum of agreement has been signed with DuPage Library System to provide top to bottom staffing services and support for its 132 members which include academic, public, school, and special libraries in 388 facilities in parts of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, and Will Counties.
“As the internal staffing organization for DLS, LAC will not only help us streamline the search to fill full-time and temporary staff positions, but will help us expand our pool of applicants,” states Pamela Kramer, DLS Acting Executive Director. Among its many offerings, LAC provides international library personnel recruitment and placement services, which will benefit DLS in attracting top candidates to its institutions. LAC also provides end-to-end project services, such as the design, implementation, and staffing of the Tulane Recovery Center in post-Katrina New Orleans, Louisiana.
Elisa Topper of LAC will be the site director for the DuPage Library System. Topper has over 30 years of professional librarianship experience in special, public and university libraries. She has also worked with the American Library Association, and has served as Assistant Dean at the Graduate Library School at Dominican University. Most recently, she was the Director of the Dundee Public Library, Dundee, Illinois. Ms. Topper received her BA in American Studies from the University of South Florida, her MLS from Florida State University and a Master’s degree from Loyola University of Chicago in Industrial Relations/Personnel.
“This is an exciting undertaking, and I am delighted to be part of it,” states Topper. “As more institutions find it difficult to support and staff a dedicated human resources office, services like this will become increasingly critical for libraries. By sharing expertise and costs, all of DLS’ members will benefit from faster job fill rates, with high caliber candidates, which ultimately means better customer service for their patrons.”
About Library Associates Companies
Library Associates Companies (LAC) provides recruiting, consulting and project management within the rapidly-evolving information industry. With over 200 employees, more than 55% of whom are information professionals, we provide a full range of services to a client base that ranges from billion-dollar government agencies to global law firms, from leaders in the technology and automotive industries to public, academic and special libraries
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February 10th, 2009LISWire
Library Associates Companies (LAC) Finalize Agreement with DuPage Library System (DLS) to Provide Staffing Services
Unique Arrangement Lends Needed Support to Over 100 Multi-type Illinois LibrariesLOS ANGELES, CA – February 6, 2009 — Library Associates Companies (LAC) is pleased to announce that a final memorandum of agreement has been signed with DuPage Library System to provide top to bottom staffing services and support for its 132 members which include academic, public, school, and special libraries in 388 facilities in parts of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, and Will Counties.
“As the internal staffing organization for DLS, LAC will not only help us streamline the search to fill full-time and temporary staff positions, but will help us expand our pool of applicants,” states Pamela Kramer, DLS Acting Executive Director. Among its many offerings, LAC provides international library personnel recruitment and placement services, which will benefit DLS in attracting top candidates to its institutions. LAC also provides end-to-end project services, such as the design, implementation, and staffing of the Tulane Recovery Center in post-Katrina New Orleans, Louisiana.
Elisa Topper of LAC will be the site director for the DuPage Library System. Topper has over 30 years of professional librarianship experience in special, public and university libraries. She has also worked with the American Library Association, and has served as Assistant Dean at the Graduate Library School at Dominican University. Most recently, she was the Director of the Dundee Public Library, Dundee, Illinois. Ms. Topper received her BA in American Studies from the University of South Florida, her MLS from Florida State University and a Master’s degree from Loyola University of Chicago in Industrial Relations/Personnel.
“This is an exciting undertaking, and I am delighted to be part of it,” states Topper. “As more institutions find it difficult to support and staff a dedicated human resources office, services like this will become increasingly critical for libraries. By sharing expertise and costs, all of DLS’ members will benefit from faster job fill rates, with high caliber candidates, which ultimately means better customer service for their patrons.”
About Library Associates Companies
Library Associates Companies (LAC) provides recruiting, consulting and project management within the rapidly-evolving information industry. With over 200 employees, more than 55% of whom are information professionals, we provide a full range of services to a client base that ranges from billion-dollar government agencies to global law firms, from leaders in the technology and automotive industries to public, academic and special libraries