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    June 11th, 2009LISWire aggregatorLISWire

    "LIBRARY JOURNAL" NAMES QUEENS LIBRARY AS 2009 LIBRARY OF THE YEAR Announcement at City Hall Shares News with All of NYC

    According to the June 15, 2009 issue of "Library Journal," Queens Library is 2009 Library of the Year. "Library of the Year" is an annual awards program of "Library Journal," sponsored by Gale, part of Cengage Learning. Queens Library is one of New York City's three public library systems. The recognition was given for the "abililty of the managers and staff to provide an incredibly diverse set of services and continue the constant modernization of the 62 libraries. Their sustained commitment to library service that truly improves the lives of everyone in the borough is what makes the Queens Library so strong." An announcement will be made by Francine Fialkoff, "Library Journal's" Editor-in-Chief and John N. Berry III, Editor-at-Large, on Friday 6/12/09 on the steps of New York City's City Hall.

    Special mentions were also given to Columbus Metropolitan Library, OH; Hoover Public Library, AL and River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester, NY because they "feature the service philosophy and dedication to community that signify a Library of the Year."

    "Library Journal" is the oldest and most respected publication covering the library field. Considered to be the "bible" of the library world, LJ is read by over 100,000 library directors, administrators, and staff in public, academic, and special libraries. It is the single-most comprehensive publication for librarians, with groundbreaking features and analytical news reports covering technology, management, policy, and other professional concerns. Its hefty review sections evaluate nearly 7000 books annually, along with hundreds of audiobooks, videos, databases, web sites, and systems that libraries buy.

    About Cengage Learning and Gale: Cengage Learning delivers highly customized learning solutions for colleges, universities, professors, students, libraries, government agencies, corporations and professionals around the world. Gale, part of Cengage Learning, serves the world's information and education needs through its vast and dynamic content pools, which are used by students and consumers in their libraries, schools and on the Internet. It is best known for the accuracy, breadth and convenience of its data, addressing all types of information needs - from homework help to health questions to business profiles - in a variety of formats. For more information, visit www.cengage.com or www.gale.com.

    Queens Library is an independent, not-for-profit corporation and is not affiliated with any other library. The Queens Library serves a population of 2.2 million in the most ethnically diverse county in the U.S. With a record 22.8 million items in circulation for FY 2008, the Library has the highest circulation of any public library system in the U.S. and one of the highest circulations in the world. For more information about programs, services, locations, events and news, visit the Queens Library Web site at www.queenslibrary.org or phone 718-990-0700. Queens Library. Enrich Your Life ®.

    Joanne King, Associate Director - Communications Queens Library
    89-11 Merrick Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11432 718-990-0704; fax 718-291-2695

    Queens Library. Enrich Your Life.®

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    June 10th, 2009LISWire aggregatorLISWire

    Oscoda County Library (Mich.) Goes Live with Evergreen
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Norcross, GA — June 9, 2009

    Oscoda County Library (Mich.) has gone live with Evergreen, the consortial-quality open-source library automation software. Equinox Software Inc., “The Evergreen Experts,” oversaw data migration and software configuration and will provide round-the-clock ongoing technical support.
    Oscoda Public Library is the most recent addition to Michigan Evergreen, a shared-catalog project administered by the Michigan Library Consortium (MLC). By the end of 2009, Michigan Evergreen will include 8 library systems, representing nearly 200,000 registered users, 2.9 million annual circulations, and 1.6 million books and serial volumes, according to data from 2007.
    “The steady growth of Michigan Evergreen demonstrates the unique ability of Evergreen to grow massive consortial library systems,” said Brad LaJeunesse, Equinox company president. “The transparency and openness of these systems is also in keeping with our most fundamental library values.”
    The Oscoda County Library, located in northern Michigan, holds over 30,000 bibliographic items and has over 6,500 patrons. For more information about the Michigan Evergreen project, see the project wiki at http://mlcnet.org/wiki.

    About Evergreen
    Evergreen is powerful, highly scalable open-source library software. While Evergreen is best known for its unique ability to meet the needs of very large, high-transaction, multi-site consortia, Evergreen also elegantly scales down to the smallest library sites.
    Since its debut in September 2006 as the software powering the 270-plus libraries of the Georgia PINES consortium, Evergreen has earned acclaim and praise from users worldwide, including a Technology Collaboration Award from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Evergreen now supports hundreds of libraries of every type—public, academic, special, and school media—in 12 states and 2 countries.
    For more information about Evergreen, including a list of all known Evergreen installations, see http://evergreen-ils.org.

    About Equinox Software, Inc.
    Founded by the original Evergreen designers and developers, Equinox Software is a growing team of skilled 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. Equinox also offers hosting packages for libraries that prefer not to maintain local servers.
    For more information on Equinox Software, please visit http://www.esilibrary.com.
    Press contact: Corinne Hall, corinne@esilibrary.com, 678-269-6113
    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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    June 8th, 2009LISWire aggregatorLISWire

    Nine Natural Resources Canada Libraries Migrate to Evergreen
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Norcross, GA –June 8, 2009

    Natural Resources Canada Library, a 13-library organization providing services to one of the largest science-based departments in the Government of Canada, has gone live with the first phase of their migration to Evergreen, the consortial-quality open-source library automation software. This migration includes the seven locations for NRCan Library’s Canadian Forestry Center Library as well as two locations for their Energy, Minerals, and Metals Information Centre. Equinox Software Inc, the support and development company for Evergreen, oversaw the migration of the 300,000 bibliographic records and is providing ongoing 24/7 technical support.
    The second phase of the migration will take place in the fall of 2009. NRCan Library, which has been using two separate integrated library systems, has opted to migrate in phased deployments. Once complete, there will be approximately 500,000 bibliographic records on the new combined catalog.
    “One of the positives about moving to Evergreen is that you don't have to be worried as much about the future of your ILS,” said George Duimovich, Systems Librarian. “We also like the fact that Evergreen has an established presence amongst Canadian academic and public libraries.”
    “With over 100 library systems running Evergreen, Natural Resources Canada is joining a stable, growing trend. Open source makes excellent fiscal sense over both the short and long run,” said Brad LaJeunesse, Equinox company president. LaJeunesse added, “We are delighted to watch the Evergreen community grow and diversify. Equinox is providing services to public, academic, and special libraries worldwide.”

    About Natural Resources Canada
    Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) was created in 1995 through Canada’s Department of Natural Resources Act. NRCan, which employs about 4,200 people, specializes in earth sciences and in the sustainable development and use of natural resources, such as energy, forests, and minerals and metals. The NRCan libraries are distributed across Canada, with five libraries in the Ottawa area. Their website is at http://www.nrcan.gc.ca

    About Evergreen
    Evergreen is powerful, highly scalable open-source library software. Best known for its unique ability to meet the needs of very large, high-transaction, multi-site consortia, Evergreen also elegantly scales down to the smallest library sites.
    Since its debut in September 2006 as the software powering the 270-plus libraries of the Georgia PINES consortium, Evergreen has earned acclaim and praise from users worldwide, including a Technology Collaboration Award from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Evergreen now supports hundreds of libraries of every type—public, academic, special, and school media—in 12 states and 2 countries.
    For more information about Evergreen, including a list of all known Evergreen installations, see http://evergreen-ils.org.

    About Equinox Software, Inc.
    Founded by the original Evergreen designers and developers, Equinox Software is a growing team of skilled professionals who provide comprehensive support for Evergreen software. Equinox develops, supports, trains, migrates, integrates, and consults on Evergreen, and engages with the rapidly expanding Evergreen community. Equinox also offers hosting packages for libraries that prefer not to maintain local servers.
    For more information on Equinox Software, please visit http://www.esilibrary.com.
    Press contact: Corinne Hall, corinne@esilibrary.com, 678-269-6113
    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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    June 4th, 2009LISWire aggregatorLISWire

    CHICAGO—Attend Annual Conference from your desktop this year with the American Library Association’s (ALA) new Virtual Conference. ALA is offering 10 interactive Web sessions on Monday, July 13, and Tuesday, July 14, at the closing of the 2009 Annual Conference in Chicago.

    Interact with speakers and other attendees during each of these hour-long sessions on a variety of exciting topics.

    These interactive programs from ALA’s Washington Office, the Office of Intellectual Freedom and several other divisions and offices will be the next best thing to being right at the Annual Conference itself.

    Topics will include accessing stimulus money for broadband deployment, greening your library and best customer service.

    Some of the featured programs are:

    * “Conversants”— explore a new way of looking at librarianship as centered on learning and enhancing the conversation of communities.
    * “Be My Guest: Customer Service from the Best,” presented by ASCLA—learn ways to make library patrons feel welcome and have a positive experience.
    * “You Got Me, Do You Like Me? Evaluating Next Generation Catalogs,” presented by RUSA—hear from a panel of academic and public information professionals who have been evaluating their open source and off-the-shelf next generation catalogs.
    * “Overview of the Broadband Deployment and Infrastructure Development: How Libraries Can Access the $7.2 Billion,” featuring John Windhausen, Jr., president of Telepoly Consulting.
    * “Small Scale Green”—learn how to “green” existing library facilities without having to start anew.

    The Virtual Conference is perfect for those who can’t make it to Chicago this year or for Conference attendees who missed sessions due to busy or conflicting schedules.

    All full registrants for the ALA Conference will have access to these sessions after the conference. Those not attending Conference in-person can register for the Virtual Conference online through the ALA Web site. The cost is $215 for ALA members, $210 for division members, $120 for student members, $145 for retired members, $298 for non-members and $215 for institutional members.

    Libraries or schools can also receive the following special group rates: $300 for one to three employees; $500 for four to nine employees; and $1000 for 10-plus employees. Register online at http://ala.org/ala/conferencesevents/reg/index.cfm.

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    June 4th, 2009LISWire aggregatorLISWire

    Borders(R) has launched "Babel Clash," a new Science Fiction blog that proudly features the geekiest debates in the galaxy. Accessible at http://scifi.bordersblog.com/, "Babel Clash" is moderated by Borders' expert Science Fiction Buyer Morgan Burns and includes a rotating cast of authors and guest contributors who engage in debates on all things sci-fi. About every two weeks, a new guest contributor will join the blog to introduce new debate topics. Currently, Burns and New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison, whose new book "Once Dead, Twice Shy," hit shelves just days ago, are discussing this summer's blockbuster movies. Future guest contributors will include well known sci-fi authors Brandon Sanderson, who penned "Mistborn," and China Mieville, author of "The City & The City."

    Babel Clash" is just one of many ways Borders is connecting with book and entertainment lovers through social media. Borders also recently launched the "Borders Ink" Facebook(R) page, a source of information on all things related to teen literature and graphic novels moderated by Borders' expert Young Adult (YA) Fiction Buyer Liz Marotte. The Borders Books Facebook page, which features author interviews, book recommendations, photos, guest postings, exclusive author content and more, has been reaching tens of thousands of book, music and movie lovers for the last several months. Further, those who want to be plugged into Borders to learn what's going on every day, can follow Borders on Twitter. Borders recently plugged its followers into Book Expo America (BEA), the premier North American publishing event, where staffers "tweeted" regularly about authors and books. Likewise, authors such as Jeff Kinney, Nicholas Sparks, Lisa Scottoline and Audrey Niffenegger, who stopped by the Borders booth at BEA to talk about their books, tweeted about Borders.

    "We wanted to get a good discussion going around the genres that really matter to our customers, so we created 'Babel Clash,' our sci-fi blog, and 'Borders Ink,' our Facebook page dedicated to YA fiction and graphic novels," said Rich Fahle, vice president of Borders.com. "These communities are moderated by our buyers, whose passion for books is unparalleled - and contagious! They're great ambassadors for books and Borders and I think book lovers are really going to love being part of the conversations and debates they generate.

    "We're always exploring new ways to connect with readers about books, music and movies," added Fahle. "By engaging on Facebook and Twitter, we're not only taking our conversation viral, but we're going where readers are already hanging out."

    About Borders Group

    Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., Borders Group, Inc. (NYSE: BGP) is a leading retailer of books, music and movies with more than 25,000 employees. Through its subsidiaries, the company operates approximately 1,000 stores worldwide primarily under the Borders(R) and Waldenbooks(R) brand names. For online shopping, visit Borders.com. For more information about the company, visit www.borders.com/media.

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