The Georgia Writers Association (GWA) announces the call for nominations for the 48th Annual Georgia Author of the Year Awards (GAYA).

The Georgia Writers Association (GWA) announces the call for nominations for the 48th Annual Georgia Author of the Year Awards (GAYA). All Georgia resident authors with books published in the calendar year of 2011 are eligible for the competition. The books can be traditionally published, independently published or self-published. Book categories include 3 Fiction categories, 6 Nonfiction categories and 2 Children’s book categories. Nominations will close on January 31, 2012. The winners of the 48th GAYA will be honored at an Awards Ceremony on June 16th 2012, at the Kennesaw State University Center.

An important part of the GAYA Awards Ceremony is the announcement of the GWA Lifetime Achievement Awards. Mr. Terry Kay, one of Georgia’s premier writers was recognized at last year’s GAYA celebration. The Executive Director of GWA, Margaret Walters, said, “we were honored to have Terry Kay come and deliver an acceptance speech that included his message about the importance of educating our young people about Georgia’s writers. Terry’s speech was inspirational to the writers in attendance and to the Georgia Writers Association, which plans to begin bringing such education into our public schools.”

The Georgia Author of the Year Awards showcases and honors the work of new and seasoned Georgia writers. It is a wonderful way to celebrate the writing life.

Guidelines and nomination criteria are available at www.georgiawriters.org. Nominations must be submitted online. After submitting online, applications must be completed with both a hard copy portion (two copies of the book for each category it is nominated in) and an electronic portion (the application, head shots, book cover jpeg). Nominations will not be considered without all required materials. Any questions about the application process can be directed to Lisa Russell at 770-420-4736. Hard copy portions should be mailed to Georgia Writers Association, 1000 Chastain Road #2701, Kennesaw, GA 30144. The electronic portion of the application (head shots and book covers)should be emailed to lmrussell@georgiawriters.org.

cybrarian cloud based library management software

Despite whatever general public thinks or is aware of, there are still libraries  doing the things manually in the 21st century without automation of their libraries. In fact, many small and big libraries still utilize manual cataloging to manage their collections. Recently I happened to speak to a Librarian who had just discovered that their library had never undergone retrospective conversion because of the myth that the library automation is a very costly affair and they can’t afford to buy the costly computer hardware, software, and other resources necessary to convert their library holdings to an automation system. This is just a myth & nothing else in today’s world of Cloud Computing.  Fortunately there’s a low-cost, state-of-the-art and unusually powerful library automation software based on Cloud computing which can help move these libraries into the 21st century with global exposure over the net.

Cybrarian^®
www.cybrarian.in

Cost
For the complete online circulation and live catalog, tariffs begin at as low as Rs. 6,839 per year per library or campus.

The Big Picture

Cybrarian provides a unique opportunity for budget-strapped libraries to migrate to an online system without investing lakhs of rupees in new equipment, purchasing a dedicated server, or extending the support of IT department staff to help during data corruption, virus attacks, etc. In fact, most librarians who’ve had any experience creating online wikis or working with programs such as Google Docs will find that CR2’s automation system – Cybrarian is similarly intuitive and easy to manipulate.

A cloud-based system—in which services and storage are provided over the Internet or “cloud” and delivered to the user anywhere at the point and time of need— Cybrarian provides users with the ability to create their own online library circulation and cataloging systems made available on demand through an Internet website address. Because there’s no software to install, hardware to purchase, or maintenance, Cybrarian provides school, private, public, and academic libraries with the option of offering online circulation/cataloging for their entire library system, regardless of whether that involves several individual libraries or a single collection.

Library data is securely hosted within the Cybrarian Data Center in multiple locations, where it’s backed up each night. Each library resides in its own SQL (Structured Query Language) database, which is stored on mirrored drives. Copies of backups are kept for fifteen days, weekly backups are retained for a month, and monthly archives are kept for six months. Each library automation program contains the following modules: catalog; circulation; patron management; inventory; reports; settings; OPAC; and mobile searching. The AWS regulatory compliance can help one secure their system and data.

Each module allows for importing, exporting, and global updates or changes. All library collections are provided pre-paid credits as per their opted plan for online storage and management of the library program. Cybrarian has been designed to handle large collections and offers many of the same features found in other, highly expensive and hardware hungry automation systems—some of which involve an upgrade expense.

Librarians interested in reviewing all of the system’s features can visit http://www.cybrarian.in.

Look and Feel

Cybrarian provides a streamlined and easy-to-use interface, which, for the experienced librarian, might appear far too simplistic to support a large collection. However, professionals will soon discover that this automation system provides many of the same features found in other products costing lakhs of rupees or more. A Google-like search feature allows users to quickly search for materials by title, author, subject, barcode, ISBN, or “all words” (comparable to a keyword search). Book-Cover thumbnails are displayed in either a list view or a “bookshelf” view similar to the display you find in sites such as Amazon.

The Dashboard of Cybrarian is quite interactive providing complete information including due materials, due memberships, due periodical arrivals, system checks, tasks etc. in one single screen.

Results are shown by title and author information listed along with a brief descriptive blurb, the call number, number of copies held by the library, and the availability of the material. Click on the item to get a detailed record, which includes details such as reviews, subject headings, reading and interest levels, reading program information (such as Accelerated Reader), and any additional information provided in the MARC record. Holdings information includes copies, call numbers, location, and even collection (such as professional and special collections, graphic novels, etc.).

Each library may customize its OPAC homepage to look like the library or institute’s website. Within the administrator’s module, librarians can add plain text or HTML code into the “About Library” box, pictures or other images, links to other websites, and set display preferences.

How It Works

Users can access each of the modules within Cybrarian without having to undergo extensive training. In the catalog module, users can import records from standard MARC format, manually enter records, or pull records from one of many online resources, including a Z39.50 connection to the Library of Congress or any other Library or Amazon. The catalog module also allows for the addition of one or more copies to specific catalog records and the performance of basic or advanced searching. Book cover images are included (with the option of changing or adding your own cover images), making it easy to identify items. All catalog and holding records can be exported in standard MARC format using the export command.

In the patron module, one can import user records or manually enter patron information. In addition, an image option allows you to upload student / patron photos for quick user verification. Within the patron module, librarians can see items checked out, reserved, or placed on hold, and items can be checked in or out, or cleared from the patron’s record without having to go back into the circulation module.

The circulation module provides for fast check-in, check-out, renewals, holds, and reserves of items for patrons. Librarians can enter a patron’s barcode number and check out one or several different items, without clearing the screen, then enter the next patron’s barcode number. By using a barcode scanner at the circulation desk, librarians seldom have to touch the keyboard in order to circulate hundreds of items to a group of users / patrons visiting the library.

The serials module provides an easy and effective method for tracking subscriptions. Once a magazine or journal title is entered into the system, the next expected issue is automatically created after the last item has been received. Within the inventory module, librarians can access a missing items report, which lists any items that haven’t been checked in properly and aren’t shown as being available on the library shelves.

Cybrarian also has a wide range of reports for each module, including catalog reports, patron overdue notices, lists, letters, statistical reports, library spine and pocket labels, top circulating items, circulation activity reports, and much more.

The OPAC provides basic and advanced searching with multiple display modes, item status, and book cover display. Links within the OPAC record will take users from the catalog to any outside resource listed for a seamless transition to library searching with a return link back.

Cybrarian automatically sends emails reminders as per library’s configuration to the patrons / students and vendors for overdue periods.

Reservation and Fine management are also quite user friendly and intuitive.

For Patrons / Students and Teachers

Existing patrons/students records can beeasily imported to Cybrarian, which quickly enables & hastens the circulation process.

On adding MARC records to the system, within minutes one can see what is available (this is perhaps the first time one can see in actuality records of all items in the library). From the list, one can find the title, author, publisher, copyright date, and any call numbers assigned to each item, as well as the number of holdings for each title. Using this list, heis able to review possible selections for weeding and search for items that were listed, but which were never seen on the shelves.

Within the MARC record, one is able to make corrections, add missing fields and subfields (such as award-winning book information, reading or interest levels), and correct any misspellings. Although the Cybrarian program doesn’t offer a general clean-up module to correct problems often found in MARC records supplied by outside sources, it is possible to use another system to update and correct the MARC information and re-enter it without duplicating the records after the second download.

To test whether the system would support electronic resources, hyperlinked content, and digital information that are often supplied by vendors that produce online content, one can download the MARC record information from books into the system. The electronic content can be made immediately accessible and with only a few updates (including the addition of book jacket), the entries are automatically available from the online catalog.

After reviewing the contents of the online catalog, one can begin adding patrons to the circulation module. Like most catalogs, the circulation module allows to import patron information manually or from an Excel file. It is also possible to add a photo of each of the patrons/students and include details (such as the name of the student’s teacher, their home room number, etc.) within the patron module. There are additional data fields for email addresses, joining date, and two customizable fields.

Because the circulation system allows the librarian to move within the patron module to check out materials to that individual, he is able to enter the patron’s barcode information and check out items using your existing barcode scanners. No new equipment or hardware is needed to operate Cybrarian.

Report Card

Cybrarian – Asia’s 1^st SaaS based Library Automation System can easily meet the needs of all academic and public libraries migrating to an online system or those seeking a tool to update their current automation system. With each additional project idea that is developed to test the system’s ability to provide information for the users, the system allows to continue updating and adding content to stretch the usability functions.

Cybrarian’s online catalog is publicly available (webOPAC.cybrarian.in) for those investigating options in cloud-based access to their collections.

For those seeking an inexpensive, easy to use, scalable, powerful method for providing patron access to their library holdings, Cybrarian deserves a solid A in the automation systems class.

~ More Than 1.4 Million Up-To-The-Minute Biographies to be Searchable via EBSCO Discovery Service™ for Mutual Customers ~

IPSWICH, Mass. — December 8, 2011 — Marquis Who’s Who content will soon be available via EBSCO Discovery Service™ (EDS) from EBSCO Publishing (EBSCO) for mutual customers. The new agreement will add metadata from the Marquis Who’s Who database into the Base Index of EDS and provide seamless access and full text searching for mutual customers, enabling them to search Marquis Who’s Who collection of over 1.4 million biographies alongside their own library’s collection.

Marquis Who’s Who content includes up-to-the-minute biographies of leaders and achievers from around the world in the areas such as business, law, science, medicine, the arts, government and entertainment. Mutual customers are able to access all the biographies that have appeared in 24 Marquis Who’s Who print titles since 1985 as well as historical biographies Who Was Who American Volumes 1607-1985. Updates to existing biographies and new biographies are added daily.

The addition of Marquis Who Who’s extensive biography collection to EDS will greatly enhance the discovery experience for mutual customers. The collection of biographies will serve the needs of researchers for academic libraries, public and school libraries, alumni offices, media professionals, corporate libraries, recruiters and law firms.

Marquis Who’s Who is part of a growing list of publishers and other content partners that are taking part in EDS to bring more visibility to their content. Partners include the world’s largest scholarly journal & book publishers including Elsevier, Wiley Blackwell, Springer Science & Business Media, Taylor & Francis Informa, Sage Publications, and thousands of others. Partners also include content providers, such as LexisNexis, Thomson Reuters (Web of Science), JSTOR, ARTstor, Credo Reference, World Book, ABC-CLIO, and many others.

The EDS Base Index represents content from approximately 20,000 providers (and growing) in addition to metadata from another 70,000 book publishers, representing far more content providers and publishers than any other discovery service.

EBSCO Discovery Service creates a unified, customized index of an institution’s information resources, and an easy, yet powerful means of accessing all of that content from a single search box—searching made even more powerful because of the quality of metadata and depth and breadth of coverage.

EBSCO Discovery Service is quickly becoming the discovery selection for many libraries (www.ebscohost.com/discovery/eds-news), and an obvious partner for content providers. Because the service builds on the foundation provided by the EBSCOhost® platform, libraries gain a full user experience for discovering their collections/OPAC—which is not typical in the discovery space. Further still, in the many universities and other libraries where EBSCOhost is the most-used platform for premium research, users are not asked to change their pathways or habits for searching. There’s simply more to discover on the familiar EBSCOhost platform, and the same can be said for library administrators who can leverage their previous work with EBSCOadmin™.

About Marquis Who’s Who
Marquis Who’s Who publications, first published in 1899 with Who’s Who in America, contains biographies of the nation’s most prominent individuals representing virtually every major field of endeavor in a single, comprehensive resource. Compiled by Marquis Who’s Who editors using proprietary standards developed over 110 years ago and refined annually, this database is the ultimate biographical reference tool for networking, fact-checking, and recruiting.

While the number of noteworthy names profiled in Who’s Who in America has grown substantially throughout the years, their diversity remains unchallenged. Included are Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, legendary athletes, best-selling authors, university presidents, accomplished artists, renowned entertainers, entrepreneurs and corporate executives, government and religious leaders, innovators/inventors, as well as professionals in the fields of education, law, medicine, broadcasting, publishing, information technology and more. As a consequence, Who’s Who in America remains the unchallenged leader in the field of biographical reference works. For more information about Marquis Who’s Who please visit www.marquiswhoswho.com.

About EBSCO Publishing
EBSCO Publishing is the producer of EBSCOhost®, the world’s premier for-fee online research service, including full-text databases, subject indexes, point-of-care medical reference, historical digital archives, and eBooks. The company provides more than 350 databases and nearly 300,000 eBooks. Through a library of tens of thousands of full-text journals and magazines from renowned publishers, EBSCO serves the content needs of all researchers (Academic, Medical, K-12, Public Library, Corporate, Government, etc.). EBSCO is also the provider of EBSCO Discovery Service™ (EDS), which provides each institution with a fast, single search box for its entire collection, offering deeper indexing and more full-text searching of journals and magazines than any other discovery service (www.ebscohost.com/discovery). For more information, visit the EBSCO Publishing Web site at: www.ebscohost.com, or contact: information@ebscohost.com. EBSCO Publishing is a division of EBSCO Industries Inc., one of the largest privately held companies in the United States.

###
For more information, please contact:
Kathleen McEvoy
Public Relations Director
(800) 653-2726 ext. 2594
kmcevoy@ebscohost.com

For Immediate Release - 12.07.11

Mosio Improves Mobile Patron Relationship Management With New Text a Librarian Features

Text Message Alerts, Announcements and Single Patron Messaging Functionality Enables Increased Engagement with More Patrons on their Mobile Devices

San Francisco, CA - Mosio, an award winning mobile software company providing text messaging and mobile web solutions for businesses and organizations, today announced the launch of new Mobile PRM (Patron Relationship Management) tools included with all Text a Librarian plans.

Built specifically for libraries on its easy-to-use, web-based, mobile carrier approved technology, Text a Librarian’s Mobile PRM features enable libraries to send text message alerts and announcements to subscriber lists or individual patrons, keeping them abreast of news, updates or individual follow up from their library. Mosio’s two-way text messaging features enable patrons to reply to the messages they receive, which will be sent back to their library, starting a “text chat” conversation.

The mobile patron relationship management features are tied-in to a library’s Text a Librarian account. Mosio’s mobile carrier-certified network uses a permitted text messaging short code and offers advantages over 10 digit local numbers and other SMS hacks, ensuring message delivery and avoidance of blocking or carrier blacklisting.

“Text a Librarian’s Mobile PRM tools are a response to the growing interest we have seen in libraries wanting to engage and interact with more mobile patrons. Text messaging is the most utilized channel on the mobile phone, making it a must-have strategy for all organizations” says Noel Chandler, Co-Founder and CEO of Mosio.

“As companies and technologies increasingly demand patron attention, the importance of the personal touch in communications has never been more important. These new tools continue to solidify Mosio’s standing as the leading mobile software company for library patron relationship management. We are committed to providing the most reliable, accessible and easy-to-use mobile technologies to libraries in their efforts to stay top of mind with patrons,” Chandler added.

More Than Virtual Reference
The changing landscape of mobile technology requires libraries and other organizations to stay relevant by proactively engaging with as many patrons as possible. Text messaging is available on over 99% of all mobile phones with over 95% of text messages read within 15 minutes, making it a ubiquitous, powerful two-way mobile communication technology. With Text a Librarian's Mobile PRM features, libraries control the dynamics and frequency of their communications with mobile patrons.

3 Library Benefits from Text a Librarian’s Mobile PRM Features:
1. Increased patron engagement, awareness and interaction through text message alerts and announcements.
Scheduled text message blasts to subscribers, compliant with MMA guidelines. These can be used for library announcements and alerts, but also as fun ways of keeping patrons engaged with the library (quotes, facts, trivia, etc), much in the same way companies use the SMS channel for mobile marketing and reminders.

2. Efficient, trackable single patron messaging from the Text a Librarian web dashboard.
The ability to send a text message to a patron as a part of follow up rather than calling? For example, "after we locate what it is you're looking for, should we call, email or text you?"

3. Improved patron services through reliable, secure, two way text messaging for questions, comments and feedback.
Using the same, web-based, user-friendly dashboard created specifically for libraries, librarians can receive and respond to patron reference questions from any computer connected to the Internet.

Existing Text a Librarian customers will receive a notice instructing them on how to promote and use the mobile patron relationship management feature. Libraries interested in benefiting from all of Text a Librarian’s features can visit www.textalibrarian.com, call 877.667.4699 or text ASKTAL to 66746 from their mobile phone for more information.*

###

About Text a Librarian
Mosio's Text a Librarian is web-based text messaging software developed specifically for libraries by taking an award-winning mobile questions and answers technology and consulting with over 1,000 reference and patron services librarians to find out what would make it useful, accessible and affordable for libraries to use.

Text a Librarian services patrons in over 800 libraries across the U.S., including the New York Public Library, Yale University, Cornell University, Maricopa County Community Colleges, State Library of Ohio, Los Angeles Public Library, ITT Technical Institute and the Free Library of Philadelphia.

More Info: www.textalibrarian.com

About Mosio
Mosio is a mobile software and solutions company providing text messaging and mobile web solutions helping organizations connect with customers and members on the go, using their mobile presence as a competitive advantage to increase sales and brand loyalty. Utilizing relationships with 59 mobile carriers on over 280 million U.S. mobile phones, Mosio is able to provide text messaging services in a secure, spam-free environment, with assurance of message delivery.

Headquartered in San Francisco, Mosio's mobile technologies have served Microsoft, Pepco, U.S. Remodelers, Enterprise Holdings, American Hospital Association, Walt Disney, State Farm Insurance, Healthy Heartland and the United States Department of Health and Services.

More Info: www.mosio.com

Creative Child Magazine has awarded Little Librarian with a Seal of Excellence Award for 2011. This library toy is featured in the Winter 2011-2012 edition of Creative Child Magazine.

Little Librarian is a play kit which provides book lovers with everything they need to transform their book collection into a library. This kit provides wanna- be librarians with old fashioned book pockets and book cards as well as paper library cards, overdue slips, reading awards, and bookmarks, and a reading journal. Parents can reminisce with their children about how libraries worked in the days before electronics.

Little Librarian was created after a grade school librarian shared supplies with an enthusiastic library patron. Her home library convinced the mother-daughter team that other children would enjoy playing library too. The kit is made in the USA, and assembled by individuals with disabilities.

The Little Librarian play kit, which came out in 2010 was selected as a finalist for Disney Family Fun Magazine Toy of the Year Award last year. It is sold at The Library of Congress, The Library Store of Los Angeles, and many library friend shops around the country.

The website is www.littlelibrarian.net, where there are photos, ideas for play, and a list of where to purchase.