San Diego, CA and Farmington Hills, MI, June 5, 2012 — Gale, part of Cengage Learning and a leading publisher of research and reference resources for libraries, schools and businesses, and Library Journal magazine today announced that San Diego County Library is the 2012 Library of the Year. Each year this prestigious recognition goes to a public library that most profoundly demonstrates service to community, creativity, leadership and innovation in developing community programs, particularly programs that can be emulated by others. In addition to a cash award of $10,000, the San Diego County Library (SDCL) will be featured as the cover story for the June 15 issue of Library Journal and at LibraryJournal.com.

“Despite massive budget cuts in a time of overwhelming need for California residents, the San Diego County Library has demonstrated ingenuity, creativity and perseverance in serving the needs of all residents—and has done so with record-breaking success,” said Francine Fialkoff, editor-in-chief, Library Journal. “We’re thrilled to name them Library of the Year.”

The SDCL has been serving the community for almost a century, and it currently serves a population of over one million. Its 33 branches cover a county bigger than the state of Connecticut, and one that includes an international border, mountains, shoreline, desert, city and suburbs. Like most California libraries, the SDCL has faced dire budget cuts—30% over the last three years—but through unique programming and strategic budget allocation has managed to triple its materials circulation and quadruple program attendance over the last six years. At the same time, SDCL has implemented an ambitious capital improvement program, retained all staff and greatly increased volunteer numbers.

Under the leadership of Director José Aponte, SDCL has moved toward automating more services and reconfiguring library spaces in order to increase staff’s face-to-face time helping customers. “Floating” collections organized via state-of-the-art technology and regional consortia have boosted stagnant circulation even with a drastically depleted materials budget. Circulation has increased to 12.4 million items, tripling from 4.1 million in 2008. However, it is in the area of programming where SDCL shines the brightest.

From his arrival, Aponte encouraged all staff to develop programming ideas for library customers of all ages – and everyone has stepped up. Last year, the SDCL offered more than 22,000 programs, an average of 60 programs every calendar day, with an attendance of nearly half of a million. Since 2005, programming has grown five-fold, and attendance has more than quadrupled. In the past six months alone, SDCL increased adult programming by 20%, with a 40% increase in attendance. A few of the many innovative programs offered include:
• Parent Education/Platicas de Vida – Fulfilling a dire need for bilingual parental guidance for parents of school-age youth, the SDCL has served 587 families since 2008.
• Off-Site Summer Reading Club – Delivers reading club-in-a-box kits to youth groups unable to transport kids to libraries. Since 2007, 850 kits have been distributed and more than 32,000 youth served.
• Service Learners – With the recession making work for teens scarce, SDCL hired them as volunteer Service Learners – enriching their resumes and providing an opportunity for mentoring, while also expanding library service operations. Last year, 1,578 Service Learners gave more than 30,000 hours, the equivalent of $800,000+ in staffing value.
• Health and Fitness Programming – California has the highest percentage of residents without health insurance (21%). Through partnerships with community organizations, SDCL provides vital health screenings and expert presentations on a regular basis. Certified Application Assistants also help families complete paperwork for health and food assistance.
• Professional Group Study – A program to help new refugees, it has given more than 60 physicians, engineers, architects, dentists, veterinarians, and other professionals an opportunity to prepare for U.S. license exams. Several participants have earned their U.S. engineering licenses, and others have been admitted to U.S. medical residency programs.
• HOME Clinics – With residents hit hard by the housing crisis, the SDCL partnered with housing authorities to offer free clinics providing them with information to make educated financial and legal decisions about their homes. The successful program has since been replicated in other counties.

“Supporting libraries that truly transform the lives of those in their community is at the core of Cengage Learning’s mission. Given all that they have done and continue to do, we are very excited to recognize San Diego County Library with this award,” said Nader Qaimari, senior vice president, marketing, Cengage Learning.

“SDCL has always been and always will be about the people. The people we serve give us our purpose - they inspire our dedicated staff to provide the best services possible,” said José Aponte, director, San Diego County Library. “There is no greater way to honor our community, our staff, and our library. We’re delighted to receive this recognition from Gale and Library Journal.”

The 2012 Library of the Year Award will be presented formally at a gala reception at the American Library Association Annual Conference in Anaheim, CA on June 24, 2012. For more information, please contact Kristina Massari at kristina.massari@cengage.com or Polly Cipparrone at polly.cipparrone@sdcounty.ca.gov.

About Cengage Learning and Gale
Cengage Learning is a leading provider of innovative teaching, learning and research solutions for the academic, professional and library markets worldwide. 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.cengage.com.

About Library Journal
Founded in 1876, Library Journal is one of the oldest and most respected publications covering the library field. More than 100,000 library directors, administrators, and staff in public, academic, and special libraries read LJ. Library Journal reviews more than 8,000 books, audiobooks, videos, databases, and Web sites annually, and provides coverage of technology, management, policy, and other professional concerns. For more information, visit www.libraryjournal.com. Library Journal is a publication of Media Source Inc., which also owns School Library Journal, The Horn Book Magazine, and Junior Library Guild.

About San Diego County Library
San Diego County Library has diligently served the community of San Diego County since 1913. Through 33 community branches and two bookmobiles, SDCL provides access to over 33.7 million items and more than 22,000 free programs each year. SDCL’s mission statement (To Inform, Educate, Inspire, and Entertain) is embodied by 290 staff members who serve the information needs of over one million residents.

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~ EBSCO Discovery Service™ API Connects Researchers to EBSCO’s Superior Content and Enhanced Search Features via Customized Search Interfaces ~

IPSWICH, Mass. — June 5, 2012 — EBSCO Publishing (EBSCO) continues its commitment to performance and stability with the release of EBSCO Discovery Service™ API (EDS API), representing the new standard for comprehensive content and an array of intricate software features and functionality. EBSCO Discovery Service API enables libraries to use their own portals or website applications for a discovery user interface while making the most of their discovery solution by connecting researchers to the superior content and enhanced search features available from EBSCO Discovery Service.

The EBSCO Discovery Service API solution complements and enhances the search experience for libraries with custom discovery solutions by providing access to premium content available through EDS, as well as a robust set of EDS features and functionality. With EDS API, libraries can integrate critical components of EDS into their library solution including rich metadata, superior relevancy ranking, full-text linking, (including SmartLinks™), persistent links, custom links, facets, limiters and expanders, and book jacket images. By utilizing EDS API libraries also gain access to critical subject indexes via Platform Blending™ which combines rich metadata with subject indexing and abstracts from leading subject indexes that aren’t available through any other discovery service (subscription via EBSCOhost® required).

Ron Burns, Senior Director of EBSCOhost Product Management says the EDS API solution provides a robust set of features for libraries that want to use alternative portals or website applications for their discovery user interface while still providing their users with tremendous EDS functionality. “EDS API gives libraries that are heavily invested in their OPAC or VuFind implementations, or that have developed their own solutions, an easy integration option that greatly enhances every search with superior content and features.”

While EBSCO has long provided open APIs for its products, the company was determined to build a superior, state-of-the-art API for EDS and created EDS API from the ground up. EBSCO’s goal was to create an API with simplicity in mind. In order to offer an easy, simple integration for API consumers, EBSCO designed EDS API to allow for integration with the most popular systems such as VuFind, Drupal, etc. In addition, EDS API provides comprehensive developer documentation and support including XSD (XML Schema Definition), sample XSLTs, VuFind demo as well as sample applications and code.

When creating the API, EBSCO also wanted to enable libraries to create their own user interface experience. EDS API delivers this experience with expanded web service interfaces (SOAP and REST) and improved response formats (XML and JSON) that enable programmers to easily reproduce the EDS result list and detailed record exactly as seen in EDS or to customize the display to fit the interface.

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. The EDS Base Index is comprised of metadata from the world’s foremost information providers. At present, the EDS Base Index represents content from approximately 20,000 providers in addition to metadata from another 70,000 book publishers. Although constantly growing, today the EDS Base Index provides metadata for more than 64,000 magazines & journals, approximately 825,000 CDs & DVDs, nearly six million books, more than 320 million newspaper articles, nearly 400,000 conference proceedings and hundreds of thousands of additional information sources from various source-types.

Go to: www.ebscohost.com/discovery/api for more information on EBSCO Discovery Service API.

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 e-books. The company provides more than 350 databases and nearly 300,000 e-books. 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.
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For more information, please contact:
Kathleen McEvoy
Public Relations Director
(800) 653-2726 ext. 2594
kmcevoy@ebscohost.com