Contact:

Kat Kamp
Backstage Library Works
Phone: 801.356.1852 | Fax: 801.356.8220
news@bslw.com | www.bslw.com

PROVO, Utah, July 29, 2016 –– Backstage Library Works (www.bslw.com) is pleased to announce its conference schedule from August through December 2016.

Backstage representatives will be present as sponsors, exhibitors or hosts at these library events:

Archives*Records Conference
The Joint Annual Meeting of the Council of State Archivists
and the Society of American Archivists
July 31 to August 6
Hilton Atlanta
Booth 607
http://www2.archivists.org/am2016

Backstage Seminar: Hidden Collections – Chicago
August 24
Cantigny Park
Wheaton, Illinois
http://bslw.com/presentations/hidden_collections/

Backstage Seminar: Metadata Matters II
September 21
Tower Hill Botanic Gardens
Boylston, Massachusetts

New England Library Association Conference (NELA)
October 16-18, 2016
DoubleTree by Hilton
Danvers, Massachusetts
http://conference2016.nelib.org/

Digital Library Federation Forum (DLF)
November 7-9, 2016
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
https://www.diglib.org/forums/2016forum/

About Backstage Library Works

Backstage’s objective is to provide the most technologically advanced, high quality, yet efficient means for delivering professional library services. With over 25 years of experience, the company is known for its expertise in handling complex and unique projects. Backstage specializes in solutions for cataloging, authority control, digitization, preservation microfilm, and on-site needs. In providing services to more than a thousand libraries, large and small, public and private, and in locations across the globe, Backstage has cultivated an understanding of libraries, their mission, their operations, and the challenges they face. Backstage offices are located in Provo, Utah, and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Meet authors John Huber (Lean Library Management) and Steve Potter (public library administer) August 24-25 at the Conference on the Purpose-Based Library in Kansas City, MO. The day and a half conference will examine the premises behind their book:

• Survival depends on quicker, faster, better lean core services
• Success depends on community/library partnerships and value-added metrics
• Growth depends on libraries communicating, reflecting and pursuing their true purpose

Library Journal recently recognized Huber and Potter’s book in this article. While attending the conference, you will learn to use The Purpose-Based Library approach to developing an essential, sustainable, community based library. You will also take the first steps in developing a work plan for implementing the approach.

“We’ve planned an exciting conference for those libraries interesting in adopting all or some of the concepts presented in The Purpose-Based Library,” says Tracy Rochow Byerly, Chief Communications, Education and Membership Officer. “Authors and implementers will be there to interact with attendees at this event to add value and take these ideas to the next level.”

Take advantage of the opportunity to learn and network from these authors. To see the full schedule and to sign up for the conference, visit the conference website.

About Amigos Library Services - We are one of the largest consortia of libraries and cultural heritage institutions in the United States. For more than 40 years, Amigos members have collaborated to obtain affordable services and shared library resources and knowledge. Through membership in Amigos, libraries collectively gain access to the latest innovations and services in the library community; pursue opportunities for continuing professional education; leverage their buying power; and preserve the rich cultural heritage of their communities. This collaboration strengthens each member’s ability to serve and lead its community in the creative and effective use of information resources.

7/27/2016
CONTACT:
Nathan Curulla
(888) 900-8944
sales@bywatersolutions.com

Fargo Public Library Goes Live on ByWater Solutions Koha Support

ByWater Solutions, an open source community contributor and America's forefront provider of Koha support, announced today that the Fargo Public Library of Fargo, North Dakota is now live on their Koha open source integrated library system.

ByWater Solutions has completed the migration of the Libraries' more than 165,000 titles late last year and is providing ongoing hosting and support services to the library. The Fargo Public Library's customized online catalog can be viewed at:https://catalog.fargolibrary.org

Timothy Dirks, Director of the Fargo Public Library, commented on their move to Koha with ByWater:

"The Fargo Public Library is excited to be part of the dynamic Koha community and work with our partners at ByWater Solutions for the continued development and enhancement of the Koha integrated library system."

Brendan Gallagher, CEO of ByWater also commented on the Library's move to Koha:

"We're always happy to welcome a new partner at ByWater and Fargo Public Library is no exception. In choosing Koha as their ILS, Fargo has shown a commitment to open source and forward thinking innovation that we love to see in libraries. We look forward to working closely with the staff of the library to make their patron's experience even better through the use of open source."

About the FargoPublic Library:
The Fargo Public Library, with three locations in Fargo, North Dakota, provides educational and entertainment materials for people of all ages.Hours for the three libraries vary based on location.The Fargo Public Library has a collection of more than 165,000 books, 10,000 DVDs and many other physical (external link)and electronic resources. All three locations provide public access computers and wireless internet access for laptops. The library also has children's, teen, and adult programming including story times, computer classes and delivery to homebound citizens through our outreach service. Check out the calendar of events for programming information.

Please explore the links to the left for information on our various locations and services. The links at the top of the page will take you to our catalog and the links to the right will take you to library card sign up and other Web-based services. For more information please visit:http://www.cityoffargo.com/CityInfo/Departments/Library/

About Koha:
Koha is the first open-source Integrated Library System (ILS). In use worldwide, its development is steered by a growing community of libraries collaborating to achieve their technology goals. Koha's impressive feature set continues to evolve and expand to meet the needs of its user base. It includes modules for circulation, cataloging, acquisitions, serials, reserves, patron management, branch relationships, and more.

Koha's OPAC, circulation, management and self-checkout interfaces are all based on standards-compliant World Wide Web technologies,HTML5, CSS and Javascript,making Koha a truly platform-independent solution. Koha is distributed under the open-source General Public License (GPL). For more information about Koha, please visit: http://koha-community.org/

About ByWater Solutions:
ByWater Solutions is a full service, high quality support and implementation company dedicated to providing libraries with a lower cost, more advanced level of support for their ILS than a traditional proprietary solution can offer. ByWater Solutions has a proven track record in first rate Koha implementation and support with library systems of all sizes. Our highly ranked, comprehensive support is what sets our company apart from any other vendor in the industry. Partnering with ByWater Solutions to support Koha not only lowers the cost of implementing and maintaining an ILS, but more importantly empowers libraries by giving them the flexibility and freedom they deserve. For more information please visit: http://bywatersolutions.com/

Facet Publishing have announced the release of Ken Varnum’s new edited collection Exploring Discovery

We are in a new age of discovery. Not one recalled from history books, where exploration of the physical world proceeded apace, but an age where the incredible breadth and depth of knowledge is just as mysterious to the typical researcher. The new age of discovery builds on decades of advancements in handling metadata and full text in digital formats, natural language processing, keyword searching, and information science. The pace of change in the last half-century has been dizzying, enabling library technologists to enable information discovery across multiple scales, with tools and processes specific to each.

The concept of discovery covers scales from billions of items in the large web-scale systems to just hundreds of items at the other end of the scale in purpose-built discovery tools for an individual library. In his new book, editor Ken Varnum brings together leading experts to explore both discovery tools that have been made to enable in-depth access to relatively narrow information silos, as well as tools that enable exploration of broad swathes of digital and off-line content.

Using a series of case studies, Exploring Discovery illustrates the interfaces and technologies that can be used by libraries today and examines the future of discovery. Divided into four sections, I) Vended Discovery Systems, II) Custom Discovery Systems, III) Interfaces, IV) Content and Metadata, the book covers key topics including:

• choosing a web-scale discovery system
• libraries, archives and museums sharing a single discovery tool
• managing internal development requirements with the constraints of a small or medium-sized library
• integrating discovery to improve user experience
• custom discovery systems built with open-source software
• metadata challenges in discovery services
• open access and discovery tools
• regional aggregation and discovery of digital collections.

The Midwest Book Review said, “Exploring Discovery is easy to dip into as needed, and provides a comprehensive examination of discovery services that will prove invaluable to IT, web development, electronic resource management, and technical services staff”.

- ends

Notes:

Exploring Discovery: The front door to your library’s licensed and digitized content | Jul 2016 | 304pp | Paperback; 9781783300969; £64.95

About the author

Ken Varnum is the Senior Program Manager for Discovery, Delivery, and Learning Analytics at the University of Michigan Library. Ken's research and professional interests include discovery systems, content management, and user-generated content. From 2007-2015 he was the Web Systems Manager at the U-M Library, where he managed the library's Drupal-driven website. He wrote Drupal in Libraries (2012) and edited The Top Technologies Every Librarian Needs to Know (2014) and The Network Reshapes the Library: Lorcan Dempsey on Libraries, Services and Networks (2014). You can learn more about Ken at http://varnum.org and find him on Twitter at @varnum.

Watch Ken Varnum describe the book in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jynPinGopn4

The book is published by Facet Publishing and is available from Bookpoint Ltd | Tel: +44 (0)1235 827702 | Fax: +44 (0)1235 827703 | Email: facet@bookpoint.co.uk | Web: www.facetpublishing.co.uk. | Mailing Address: Mail Order Dept, 39 Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4TD. It is available in North America from the American Library Association.

Franklin Public Library Goes Live on the Pioneer LibLime Koha Union Catalog
North Bethesda, MD, July 15, 2016 – The Franklin Public Library has now joined the Pioneer Consortium LibLime Koha union catalog for all collection and patron management services. Library staff has worked with LibLime Project Management to successfully migrate their bibliographic, item, and patron data into the union catalog.

About the Franklin Public Library
The Franklin Public Library is a focal community institution in the city Franklin, NE. Nestled in the rolling hills of the Great Plains of America’s Midwest near the Republican River, Franklin is a city surrounded by verdant farmland, native prairie, springs and creeks lined with massive walnuts, elms and cottonwoods where good old fashion home town values still exist. Named after Ben Franklin and settled by pioneers, this is the true home where the buffalo roam and the land of the Pawnee. Visitors and residents enjoy one of the most impressive migratory bird routes for geese, cranes and ducks which number in the tens of thousands in flocks that stretch as far as the eye can see. The library has a substantial print collection and also offers users access to eBooks through their membership in the Nebraska Overdrive Library program.

About the Pioneer Consortium
The Pioneer Consortium serves libraries throughout the state of Nebraska. The consortium continues to expand the number of members that share the LibLime Koha union catalog annually. The success of the early members of the consortium have been rewarded as many other libraries throughout the state join the union catalog and expand the collections available for resource sharing. The membership has grown from the initial four members to over two dozen in a few short years, with several others joining later this year.

About LibLime-PTFS
LibLime, a division of PTFS, is the global leader in providing support for open development Library Service Platforms (LSP). Rather than sell software licenses for static, hard-to-customize software products, LibLime educates libraries about the benefits of open development, enabling them to make choices about how best to provide their communities and staff with better technology services. LibLime then facilitates deployment of the LSP in libraries by providing outstanding consulting, development, implementation and support/hosting services. PTFS is also the developer of the world’s leading content management software, Knowvation, and specializes in meeting library personnel staffing requirements, digitization and metadata keying services. For more information, see http://liblime.com or http://ptfs.com.