April 26, 2010, Medford, New Jersey—Information Today, Inc. (ITI) has announced the publication of The Accidental Health Sciences Librarian by Lisa A. Ennis and Nicole Mitchell.

“The Accidental Science Health Sciences Librarian provides a starting point for accidental health sciences librarians in all library environments, from solo hospital librarians to librarians working for large federal departments,” the authors write in the book’s Introduction. “This isn’t intended to be a comprehensive text book (there are plenty of those) or a step-by-step manual (there are plenty of ‘how-to’ books already). Instead, we want to impart a broad overview of the field … written in a casual, easy-to-read style.”

Sparked by an aging baby boomer population, the dizzying pace of breakthroughs in medical research, and an unprecedented proliferation of health information, many librarians are discovering career opportunities in health sciences librarianship—an area of librarianship in which few, if any, have an academic background or coursework. In the new book, Ennis and Mitchell offer guidance on a wide range of critical resources, tools, and functions, covering essential topics such as HIPAA and MeSH and sharing a wealth of expert tips and advice.

“[This] is a must-read for all those interested in a profession that will enable them to grow and be rewarded by serving others,” according to Jean P. Shipman, 2006–2007 President of the Medical Library Association. Writing in the Foreword to the book, Shipman adds, “It should be promoted by library school educators and become a part of library school student’s required reading. … highly recommended for inclusion in the K–12 guidance counseling collections and for those who help to direct students with their career options.”

Barbara Shearer, Director of the Charlotte Edwards Maguire Medical Library, called The Accidental Health Sciences Librarian, “a skillfully organized, readable book, a pleasing mixture of reference material, personal stories, and links to quality internet sources.” Shearer said, “Though I’ve been a librarian for thirty years, I found new insights and information about working in a profession that is continually being both tested and blessed by changes brought about by new technologies.”

The Accidental Health Sciences Librarian includes the following chapters:

1. Health Sciences Librarianship
2. Putting the Medical in Health Sciences Librarianship
3. It’s All About the People
4. Technology
5. Databases and Resources
6. Resources and Networking

Based in part on an online survey with over 300 respondents, the book’s four appendices feature the survey questionnaire, selected survey responses, a round up of key health sciences library associations, and a recommended reading list. In addition, the book includes a glossary, an index, and a list of all websites mentioned in the book, organized by chapter, which the authors are maintaining and updating online as a reader bonus at ahslbook.wordpress.com.

About the Authors

Lisa A. Ennis is a graduate of the University of Tennessee’s School of Information Sciences and is currently the systems librarian at Lister Hill Library of The Health Sciences at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. Nicole Mitchell has an MLIS from Georgia College & State University and works at the Lister Hill Library of The Health Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham as a reference librarian and liaison to the School of Optometry.

The Accidental Health Sciences Librarian (232 pp/softbound/$29.50/ISBN 978-1-57387-395-6) is published by Information Today, Inc. It is available in bookstores and direct from the publisher. To order, call (800) 300-9868 [outside the U.S., call (609) 654-6266]; fax (609) 654-4309; email custserv@infotoday.com; or visit the ITI website at www.infotoday.com.

April 29th 2010
CONTACT:
Nathan Curulla
(888) 900-8944
sales@bywatersolutions.com

ByWater Solutions’ Nicole C. Engard to Educate and Present at the SLA Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA.

ByWater Solutions, an open source community supporter and official Koha support company, is proud to announce that Nicole C. Engard, Director of Open Source Education for ByWater, will be presenting at this years SLA Conference in New Orleans, LA. on the power and value of open source and it's communities

Nicole will be teaching a CE workshop, and giving a lecture on open source implementation for libraries.

CE Workshop:
Saturday, 06/12/2010 1:00PM – 5:00PM
The library community is a buzz about open source software (OSS). What will it mean to our libraries? How can it save us money and time? What will open source mean to our libraries? More flexibility and freedom! Why open source; because both the open source community and the library world live by the same rules and principles. This course will give you the facts about OSS by not only introducing you to what OSS is, how it is developed and maintained, and what it means for libraries, but also by providing attendees with a toolbox of over 50 OSS products to use in their libraries.

Open Source Lecture:
Monday, 6/14/2010 2:00PM-3:30PM
An introduction to open source software for libraries; what it is, what it does, how it came to be, and how you can take advantage of the many benefits it presents. It is more than just free software!

Nicole will also be promoting her upcoming book on open source software for libraries which is due out in July.

Nicole C. Engard has been a pillar of the Koha community since 2008 and acts as documentation manager for the project. In 2009 Nicole signed on with ByWater Solutions as Director of Open Source Education, and is well known outside of the Koha community as a speaker, teacher and writer. She has also been recognized as one of Library Journal’s Movers & Shakers for 2007.

About SLA 2010:
The Big Easy's convivial environs are the perfect backdrop for the 2010 SLA Annual Conference & INFO-EXPO. You'll enjoy endless opportunities to network with information professionals from around the world . . . participate in a dizzying array of professional development sessions featuring illustrious thought leaders . . . listen to captivating keynote speakers who will spark your imagination and color your conversation . . . and chat with exhibitors from top product and service providers and learn what's hot and what's essential. For more information, visit the SLA website.

About ByWater Solutions:
With over 10 years of experience, ByWater Solutions offers customized hosting, data migration, configuration, installation, training, support options and development of enterprise class open-source library systems such as Koha and Evergreen. Offering a 24/7 technical helpline, ByWater Solutions’ clients have the support system they need to make their software work for them. ByWater Solutions pledges to share 100% of all developed code to the Koha community for the strengthening and advancement of the Koha ILS. For more information about ByWater Solutions, please visit: www.bywatersolutions.com

No, not that kind of pirate, the good kind. A new website http://www.booksalepirate.com has book lovers and bibliophiles of all sorts in mind by being a new home for book sales, bookstores and book signings. Book enthusiasts are just a click away from three of their favorite things. Organizations such as libraries, bookstores and book authors can promote themselves or events with free listings on Book Sale Pirate.

Booksalepirate.com set sail in April 2010 with a sense of fun and a love of books. Now, less than two weeks old, there are more than 100 library books sales, books stores and author signing events listed and rapid growth is expected. Booksalepirate.com wants to be a gathering place for book lovers of all sorts. Booksalepirate.com is a one stop shop where users quickly find the best local events and places to enjoy their hobby no matter where in the USA or Canada they find themselves. The information is a mere click a way.

“We strive for ease of use and a clear, uncluttered presentation. Our users want to find a place to enjoy their reading hobby and not click through miles of other information to get to what they want. In short, we want the website to be useful and fun,” said chief pirate, Scott Stepanski. Stepanski is hopelessly addicted to bookstores and library book sales. He playfully hands out business cards listing himself as “Pirate King” due to an admitted life long love of both books and Gilbert & Sullivan.

Book Sale Pirate’s creator, Scott Stepanski, is a freelance science, nature and travel writer and published author or co-author of two books on geology and gem collecting. His latest article is featured in the current May issue of Jewelry Artist magazine and co-authored book Gem Trails of Pennsylvania and New Jersey is available from Gem Guides Book Co.

Contact:
Scott Stepanski
Booksalepirate.com —a Butter Side Down company
ahoy@booksalepirate.com
(856) 226-9749
PO Box 248
Richwood, NJ 08074

The McGraw-Hill Companies Marks Financial Literacy Month with Drive to Help More Than 100,000 Citizens Make More Informed Financial Decisions

--Campaign Will Connect McGraw-Hill and Other Experts with New York Public High Schools
-- McGraw-Hill and New York Public Library to Open “Financial Literacy Central”
-- Company to Host Students and Teachers at New York Stock Exchange

NEW YORK, April 21, 2010—To celebrate Financial Literacy Month, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is creating new opportunities to enhance financial literacy throughout New York City and across the United States. Through its Financial Literacy Now campaign, the Corporation expects to help more than 100,000 students and adults in 2010 through a series of educational programs and the establishment of a center dedicated to financial literacy at The New York Public Library.

“A greater emphasis on financial education is absolutely essential to creating a stronger, more vibrant economy and to the economic empowerment of millions of citizens,” said Harold McGraw III, chairman, president and chief executive officer of The McGraw-Hill Companies. “Public-private partnerships can play an important role in increasing financial literacy, and we are committed to helping people of all ages learn the financial concepts they need to make informed spending and saving decisions.”

There is a clear need for more and better financial education. Personal bankruptcies rose 30 percent between 2006 and 2008, and 73 million Americans currently are “underbanked” or “unbanked.”

Financial Literacy Now—a joint effort of McGraw-Hill, the Council for Economic Education, Literacy Partners, Inc., The New York Public Library, Talking FinLit and Working in Support of Education (W!SE)—is focused on giving teachers, students and the public the resources they need to improve their understanding of important financial principles.

Speaker Series
Starting April 12, the campaign began connecting a wide range of financial experts with at least 28 New York City public high schools to share their insights on such topics as investing, credit cards, and banking. Experts who are slated to hold discussions with students and teachers include:
• Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist, Standard & Poor’s;
• Rocky Clancy, executive director, financial services, J.D. Power and Associates; and
• Jack Kapoor, lead author of McGraw-Hill’s market-leading high school program Business and Personal Finance.

The campaign’s goal is to serve 100 schools and 6,000 students by the end of the year.

The campaign also is supporting the Council for Economic Education’s teacher workshops and conferences, which are in turn expected to benefit 100,000 students. In addition, McGraw-Hill Education recently developed a Web-based professional development platform for the Council.

Financial Literacy Central
Later this spring, Financial Literacy Now will open a new center dedicated to financial literacy at The New York Public Library’s Science, Industry and Business Library (SIBL) located at 188 Madison Avenue at 34th Street. Financial Literacy Central, modeled after the Library’s popular Job Search Central, will serve as a hub for free personal finance information and resources – including computer access to popular business and finance databases powered by Standard & Poor’s, Dun & Bradstreet, Morningstar, and others. More than 100 McGraw-Hill Education titles on topics ranging from investing to retirement will also be available, and financial planners will be on hand several days a week. The Library expects to serve more than 20,000 patrons by the end of the year through its existing financially focused classes and the resources provided through Financial Literacy Central.

NYSE Bell Ringing
A group of New York City public high school teachers and students are scheduled to join representatives of Financial Literacy Now to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on April 30. The NYSE has designated the last week of April as Financial Literacy Week. After the bell ringing, teachers and students will receive a tour of the NYSE and learn more about how the stock market operates.

The McGraw-Hill Companies’ financial literacy initiatives are serving communities in other cities across the country as well. For example, the Corporation is supporting a financial literacy event at the Houston Public Library on May 1, and the company is assisting the Chicago Treasurer in providing piggy banks to Chicago Public School classrooms to advance financial literacy.

For more information about Financial Literacy Now, visit www.financiallitnow.org and stay up-to-date about all of the campaign’s activities on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FinLitNow.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies:
Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a global information and education company providing knowledge, insights and analysis in the financial, education and business information sectors through leading brands including Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, Platts, and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2009 were $5.95 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

Investor Relations: http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/investor_relations

Get news direct from McGraw-Hill via RSS:

http://investor.mcgraw-hill.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=96562&p=newsRSS

Release issued: April 21, 2010

Contacts:
Frank Briamonte
Senior Director, Corporate Communications
(212) 512-4145 (office)
(201) 725-6133 (mobile)
frank_briamonte@mcgraw-hill.com

Jason Feuchtwanger
Director, Corporate Media Relations
(212) 512-3151 (office)
(347) 419-4169 (mobile)
jason_feuchtwanger@mcgraw-hill.com