ByWater Solutions, America’s forefront provider of Open Source library technology support, announced today that the Library Consortium of Eastern Idaho (LCEI) is now live on Koha!

ByWater completed the transition of the libraries 564,000 plus holdings from Polaris ILS and is providing ongoing support services to Koha member libraries.

Marilyn Kamoe, the President of the Library Consortium of Eastern Idaho, recently commented on the migration.

ByWater Solutions has had staff with us every step of the way making sure the migration went smoothly with as little stress as possible. Kindly accommodating our schedules, they met with us often answering our questions and finding any solution achievable to address our concerns. We have had a phenomenal experience with ByWater Solutions and applaud their communication and customer service.

Member Libraries Customized OPACS
Aberdeen District Library - aberdeen-lcei.bywatersolutions.com
Bear Lake County District Library - bearlake-lcei.bywatersolutions.com
Challis Elementary - challiselem-lcei.bywatersolutions.com
Challis High School - challishigh-lcei.bywatersolutions.com
Challis Public - challis-lcei.bywatersolutions.com
College of Eastern Idaho - cei-lcei.bywatersolutions.com
Grace District Library - grace-lcei.bywatersolutions.com
Hamer Branch - hamer-lcei.bywatersolutions.com
Heart of the Valley - heart-lcei.bywatersolutions.com
Larsen-Sant Public Library - larsensant-lcei.bywatersolutions.com
Leadore Community Library - leadore-lcei.bywatersolutions.com
Marshall Public Library - marshall-lcei.bywatersolutions.com
Portneuf District Library - portneuf-lcei.bywatersolutions.com
Rigby City Library - rigby-lcei.bywatersolutions.com
Roberts Public Library - roberts-lcei.bywatersolutions.com
Soda Springs Public Library - soda-lcei.bywatersolutions.com
Stanley Community Public Library District - stanley-lcei.bywatersolutions.com
Sugar Salem School/Community Library - sugarsalem-lcei.bywatersolutions.com
About The Library Consortium of Eastern Idaho (LCEI)
The Library Consortium of Eastern Idaho is a group of independent libraries that seek to achieve greater strength and balance of service to community and staff through the collaborative acquisition of resources and technology as well as cooperative development of services and expertise.

Read more at https://lcei.lili.org/.

About ByWater Solutions
ByWater Solutions is a full service, high-quality Open Source support and implementation company dedicated to providing libraries with a lower cost, more advanced level of support for their systems than a traditional proprietary solution can offer. ByWater Solutions has a proven track record in the first-rate implementation and support services with library systems of all sizes for the Koha ILS, Aspen Discovery, Folio LSP, Coral ERM, and Libki PC Management.

Our highly ranked, comprehensive support is what sets our company apart from any other vendor in the industry. Partnering with ByWater Solutions not only lowers the cost of implementation and maintenance of OSS but more importantly empowers libraries by giving them the flexibility and freedom they deserve. For more information please visit https://bywatersolutions.com.

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.

For More Information
Jessica Zairo
Marketing & Outreach Coordinator
ByWater Solutions
bywatersolutions.com
Phone:(888)900-8944

Michigan State University Begins Transition to the FOLIO Library Services Platform
~ FOLIO Implementation with EBSCO FOLIO Services will Include EBSCO Discovery Service™ and OpenAthens ~
IPSWICH, Mass. — October 28, 2020 — Michigan State University will be transitioning to the FOLIO Library Services Platform (LSP) and plans to fully implement FOLIO in 2021. Michigan State will be utilizing EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) for EBSCO FOLIO implementation and hosting services and will also leverage EBSCO Discovery Service™ (EDS) and OpenAthens. EBSCO FOLIO Services consist of a highly-trained, experienced team to assist with efficient and well-planned implementations and seamless service support, as well as sophisticated technology and trained engineers for hosting.

The Michigan State University Library and its partners are now moving to FOLIO to be part of the future of libraries and to take advantage of the latest innovation in library automation. Michigan State University Dean of Libraries Joseph A. Salem, Jr. says the new contract with EBSCO to migrate to FOLIO reflects a commitment to access, organization and growth. “Our collections continue to grow, and as they grow, we need a library service platform that can manage various kinds of collections and workflows.” Michigan State is dedicated to the FOLIO community and is taking steps to contribute to the FOLIO Special Interest Groups and Development teams.

Salem says EBSCO FOLIO Services will better serve students, faculty and researchers. “Our partnership with EBSCO to move to FOLIO will support our mission to provide expertise, collections and infrastructure for discovery and creation. It will also serve our partnership with the Library of Michigan, and it will help all who use our collections find the resources they need for the work they do.”

State Librarian at the Library of Michigan (LM) Randy Riley says that the continuation of the Library of Michigan’s long-standing partnership with Michigan State University Libraries as they migrate to FOLIO will benefit staff and public users. “Through this collaborative arrangement, LM will gain access to a next generation open source catalog that is versatile, flexible, and highly customizable. The agreement also makes available EBSCO’s user-friendly public interface and their state-of-the-art discovery layer. Everybody wins.”

EBSCO Information Services Manager of FOLIO Consulting Services Anya N. Arnold, MLIS, says migrating fully to FOLIO will be a group effort across multiple teams at Michigan State University, FOLIO and EBSCO. “The EBSCO FOLIO Services migration team has facilitated several implementations and created processes to facilitate the collaboration between the library staff and EBSCO. EBSCO and Michigan State will be working closely together throughout the implementation process.”

Michigan State has also signed on to use EDS as the library’s discovery interface, and OpenAthens for single sign-on authentication. EDS will be used as the primary interface for most of the libraries’ print and electronic resources. OpenAthens will allow for single sign-on — a simple, standards-based system that makes it easier for users to access digital resources via the library website.

About Michigan State University Libraries
The MSU Libraries are partners in the teaching, learning, research, and engagement missions of Michigan State University. As the information environment has become more complex, the MSU Libraries have emerged as a revitalized intellectual center on campus. The leading principles of the Libraries are to promote equal access to information and to create an inclusive environment that encourages intellectual discovery.

About FOLIO
FOLIO is a collaborative effort among libraries, vendors, developers and consortia that leverages open source technology and a community-based effort to redefine library services and innovate based on library futures. By building on what libraries need and by leveraging library expertise as well as vendor capacity and velocity, FOLIO is designed to move libraries forward, build on the services they provide and redefine the role libraries play within their institution. FOLIO also levels the playing field and makes open source technology available to all institutions regardless of size or staffing. FOLIO brings vendors together to innovate and host services for customers and introduces open source as a service to libraries. To sign up to participate or receive more information, go to www.folio.org.

About EBSCO Information Services
EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) is the preeminent provider of online research content and search technologies serving academic, school and public libraries; healthcare and medical institutions; corporations; and government agencies around the world. From research, acquisition management, subscription services and discovery to clinical decision support and patient care, learning, and research and development, EBSCO provides institutions with access to content and resources to serve the information and workflow needs of their users and organizations. EBSCO Information Services is a division of EBSCO Industries, Inc., a family owned company since 1944. For more information, visit the EBSCO website at: www.ebsco.com.

###

For more information, please contact:
Kathleen McEvoy
Vice President of Communications
(800) 653-2726 x2594
kmcevoy@ebsco.com

ByWater Solutions, America’s forefront provider of Open Source library technology support, announced today that VOKAL (Vermont Organization of Koha Automated Libraries) has added Swanton Public Library to its consortium. They will be using Koha for their ILS.

ByWater completed the transition of the library's 17,000 plus holdings from Library World ILS and is providing ongoing support services to the library.

Their customized OPAC can be viewed at https://swanton.kohavt.org/.

About Swanton Public Library
The Swanton Public Library was built in 1915 and serves as a hub for books, programs, and community partners.

Read more at https://www.swantonlibrary.org/.

About VOKAL
The Vermont Organization of Koha Automated Libraries (VOKAL) is a project of the Green Mountain Library Consortium dedicated to creating a shared catalog and Integrated Library System.

In late 2007, three Vermont libraries joined with a representative from the Vermont Department of Libraries to explore a replacement ILS for Follett, the system currently used by the three libraries. After exploring many options, the group settled on Koha, an open-source ILS solution originally created in New Zealand.

In May of 2008, the group chose the name VOKAL - the Vermont Organization of Koha Automated Libraries - as a name for the group and the project.

Initially, VOKAL's Koha project was implemented on a stand-alone system. In October of 2010, VOKAL implemented a consortium version of the ILS and began migrating member libraries into the shared system. By January 2011, 4 libraries had been migrated.

Today VOKAL has grown to 59 libraries. Read more at https://www.gmlc.org/index.php/vokal

About ByWater Solutions
ByWater Solutions is a full service, high-quality Open Source support and implementation company dedicated to providing libraries with a lower cost, more advanced level of support for their systems than a traditional proprietary solution can offer. ByWater Solutions has a proven track record in the first-rate implementation and support services with library systems of all sizes for the Koha ILS, Aspen Discovery, Folio LSP, Coral ERM, and Libki PC Management.

Our highly ranked, comprehensive support is what sets our company apart from any other vendor in the industry. Partnering with ByWater Solutions not only lowers the cost of implementation and maintenance of OSS but more importantly empowers libraries by giving them the flexibility and freedom they deserve. For more information please visit https://bywatersolutions.com.

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.

For more information
Jessica Zairo
Marketing & Outreach Coordinator
ByWater Solutions
bywatersolutions.com
Phone:(888)900-8944

New Instructional Tool Promotes Student Critical Thinking and Digital Literacy Skills Around Social Justice Issues

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – October 27, 2020 – Gale, a Cengage company, is helping college and university instructors develop and strengthen students’ critical thinking skills around contemporary social justice issues using historical content. Gale Case Studies, a new online instructional tool launched by the company today, provides faculty with teaching resources to help students critically analyze culturally relevant social justice issues through the lens of primary sources on topics such as LGBTQ+, race, political extremism and public health concerns. This new resource promotes the student growth of transferable, 21st century skills through an interdisciplinary approach that fosters the use of primary sources to interrogate social issues and develop inferences for the future. Read the Gale blog about why Gale Case Studies was created, here: https://bit.ly/31JUF6A.

Organized by topic, each Gale Case Studies module consists of case studies created from a curated set of primary sources. The modules are interdisciplinary and can be used in history, gender studies, sociology, psychology, English or law courses to help students learn how social issues have evolved from people who have experienced the events first-hand. Through a complete case-based learning experience, students and instructors can access case studies, discussion questions and links to curated content in an online learning environment that’s designed with accessibility in mind.

What sets Gale Case Studies apart is its guided workflow that seamlessly integrates with learning management systems (LMS). This allows materials to be embedded into students’ learning experience without the need for a separate application, making it easier for instructors to align with course scope and sequence. The online format and wide range of content gives learners a destination to dive into topical issues, prepare for informed, course-related discussions and become more proficient at using primary sources for course projects and research papers.

With Gale Case Studies, librarians and faculty save time developing effective course activities by packaging the relevant primary source content with the case study. By modeling best practices for information literacy for novice researchers, students are able to develop inferences and practice their critical thinking skills with a focused set of primary sources before exploring larger research collections.

Intersectional LGBTQ Issues is the first module released today that offers a closer look at the history of the LGBTQ community and activism in the 20th and 21st centuries. It provides insight into both direct-action efforts such as ACT UP’s demonstration at the St. Patrick’s cathedral, as well as local activism aimed at reversing problematic policies such the anti-crossdressing laws and the lack of documentation about violence against LGBTQ people.

“Archives contain millions of documents which can be quite overwhelming, and sorting through all that material can be difficult and onerous. So, having these little case study snapshots can be a good starting place,” said Danielle DeMuth, Ph.D., associate professor at Grand Valley State University and the editor-in-chief of Intersectional LGBTQ Issues. “Gale Case Studies is an entry point into how important archives are, how we can use them, and how to be curious about what has happened in the past.”

Features and capabilities of Gale Case Studies include:

• Curated Content: content is carefully chosen by an editor-in-chief and academic instructor who has thoroughly reviewed the case studies for accuracy and teachability.

• LMS Integration: allows academic instructors to seamlessly upload content into their LMS, creating a streamlined learning experience for students who do not need to leave the LMS to find content. This also makes content compatible for remote teaching.

• Guided Experience: students are guided through a workflow that models the process of analyzing a primary source beginning with the contextualization of a case study, then evaluates the relevance of curated primary sources, and ends with reflective study questions.

• Focused Study Questions: discussion questions are provided at the end of the workflow to act as a prompt for students to critically analyze primary sources and topics.

• Image Viewer: allows users to view the primary sources, such as images, hand-written letters or newspaper articles as they were originally published.

“It’s been said that ‘the past is never dead. It’s not even past.’ To understand today’s social issues, it helps to step back in time and see things from different perspectives. Gale Case Studies primary sources allow students and researchers to author their own interpretations of events past and present. By making comparisons and connections and engaging in dialogue, they can inspire cross-cultural awareness,” said Paul Gazzolo, senior vice president and general manager at Gale. “These rare and compelling primary sources and pedagogical tools are not only timely, but necessary for helping students construct new discourses and develop critical thinking skills.”

For more information or to request a trial, visit the Gale Case Studies webpage: https://bit.ly/31vorw0.

About Cengage and Gale
Cengage is the education and technology company built for learners. The company serves the higher education, K-12, professional, library and workforce training markets worldwide. Gale, a Cengage company, provides libraries with original and curated content, as well as the modern research tools and technology that are crucial in connecting libraries to learning, and learners to libraries. For more than 60 years, Gale has partnered with libraries around the world to empower the discovery of knowledge and insights – where, when and how people need it. Gale has 500 employees globally with its main operations in Farmington Hills, Michigan. For more information, please visit www.gale.com.

Follow Gale on:
• Twitter - @galecengage
• Gale Blog - https://blog.gale.com/
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/GaleCengage
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/gale

Facet Publishing announce the publication of Visual Research Methods: An Introduction for Library and Information Studies, edited by Shailoo Bedi and Jenaya Webb

Visual research methods (VRM) comprise a collection of methods that incorporate visual elements such as maps, drawings, photographs, videos, as well as three-dimensional objects into the research process. VRM including photo-elicitation, draw-and-write techniques, and cognitive mapping are being leveraged to great effect to explore information experiences and investigate some of the central questions in the library and information science field; expand theoretical discussions in LIS; and improve library services and spaces.

Visual Research Methods: An Introduction for Library and Information Studies is the first book to focus on visual research methods in LIS, providing a comprehensive primer for students, educators, researchers and practitioners. This book showcases examples of VRM in action and offers insights, inspirations, and experiences of researchers and practitioners working with visual methods. Readers are introduced to visual research methods including a discussion of terminology, and an overview of the literature on VRM in libraries. The methodological framing, including discussion of theory and epistemology, explores both the practical and ethical considerations for researchers embarking on VRM projects.

Alison Hicks, of the Department of Information Studies at University College London, said: ‘The book forms a timely introduction to visual research methods for LIS practitioners and researchers who are looking to extend the ways in which they understand libraries, library patrons and other information-related activities. Providing a useful guide to the theoretical underpinnings of visual research, including vital methodological and ethical considerations, the book is also brimming with practical detail related to the mechanics of working with participatory, non-participatory and arts-based methodologies alike. A vital toolbox for novice and experienced LIS researchers!’

Featuring contributions from international researchers and practitioners based in Australia, Canada the UK and US, the book includes many examples of VRM in action, including drawing techniques, photographic techniques, and mixed methods. The results of visual research methods are discussed, as well as reflections on VRM for research in information studies.

- End

Press and review copies contact:
Sinéad Murphy, Marketing & Sales Manager, Facet Publishing
Tel: +44 (0)20 7255 0594
Email: sinead.murphy@facetpublishing.co.uk

Notes:

Visual Research Methods: An Introduction for Library and Information Studies | Oct 2020 | 248pp | Paperback: 9781783304561| £50 | Hardback: 9781783304578 | £100 | http://www.facetpublishing.co.uk/title.php?id=304578

Dr. Shailoo Bedi works at the University of Victoria (UVic) as both Director, Academic Commons and Strategic Assessment with the Libraries as well as Director, Office of Student Academic Success with Learning, Teaching Support & Innovation. She holds a PhD in Education, Curriculum and Instruction, and is an adjunct professor with UVic’s Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies department. Shailoo’s research interests include the construction and issues of identity for racialized minority leaders, as well as student experience with learning spaces, student research creation, and visual research methods. She is passionate about fostering intellectually engaging and inclusive learning environments.

Jenaya Webb is the Public Services and Research Librarian at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) Library at the University of Toronto. She earned her MA in Anthropology at the University of Alberta where she examined the power of images as research evidence both to measure landscape change and to generate stories of place in Jasper National Park, AB. Since completing her MLIS at the University of Toronto, she has worked to bring visual methods and approaches to the library context to explore user experience, wayfinding, and meaning-making in library spaces.

Contributors:

Angela Fritz, Head of the University of Notre Dame Archives

Jenna Hartel, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Information, University of Toronto

Deborah Hicks, Assistant Professor, School of Information, San José State University

Chelsea Misquith, Emerging Technologies Librarian, Ruth Lilly Medical Library, Indiana University School of Medicine

Rebecca Noone, artist, researcher and educator, PhD University of Toronto Faculty of Information

Andy Priestner, consultant and trainer in user experience research and design, former librarian at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge

Elizabeth Tait, Professor of Information Management, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University

The book is published by Facet Publishing and is available to order from NBN International | Tel: +44 (0)1572 202301| Fax: +44 (0)1752 202333 | Email: orders@nbninternational.com | Web: www.facetpublishing.co.uk | Mailing Address: NBN International, Airport Business Centre, Thornbury Road, Plymouth, PL6 7PP | It will be available in North America from the American Library Association (https://www.alastore.ala.org/content/visual-research-methods-introductio...)