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    June 29th, 2021LISWire aggregatorUncategorized

    Four Libraries Share EBSCO Information Services’ 2021 EBSCO Solar Grant
    ~ $200,000 in Grants Provided to Four Libraries Looking to Install Solar Arrays ~

    IPSWICH, Mass. — June 29, 2021 — EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) has selected its four 2021 EBSCO Solar Grant Winners. Hazel Park District Library in Hazel Park, Michigan; Medford Public Library in Medford, Massachusetts; College of Menominee Nation in Keshena, Wisconsin; and the Virgin Islands Montessori School in St, Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, will each receive an EBSCO Solar Grant to pay for the installation of a solar array. The grants offset the cost of installing solar panels and allow the libraries to reduce their electricity expenditures.

    Hazel Park District Library in Hazel Park, Michigan will be utilizing solar arrays to reduce its carbon footprint and achieve sustainability goals, including a rainwater collection system, architectural ultraviolet films on windows, a bicycle-borrowing program and office pods for public use.

    Hazel Park District Library Director, Corrine Stocker says that the grant will have a cascading effect on the community. “By reducing our reliance on the electrical grid, this grant will allow us to save a tremendous amount of money on energy costs. The savings will be used to implement additional programs, services and materials for our residents. Our ultimate goal is to empower the residents of our community by enriching their quality of life and expanding the resources to which they have access. Without this grant, we would not be able to realize this vision.”

    Medford Public Library in Medford, Massachusetts, started the Medford Public Library Foundation in 2018 to solicit, manage and monitor private funds raised for the construction, outfitting, maintenance and operation of the Medford Public Library. One of the foundation’s projects was to support the library’s sustainability goals through the installation of solar arrays.

    Executive Director of the Medford Public Library Foundation, Holly Sargent, says, "This grant will greatly boost our campaign to underwrite the photovoltaic panel array to be installed on the roof of the new Charlotte and William Bloomberg Medford Public Library. This community–supported effort will make the building the first net zero public library in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”

    College of Menominee Nation is located in Keshena, Wisconsin. The mission of the S. Verna Fowler Academic Library/Menominee Public Library is to reflect the sustainability values of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and the College of Menominee Nation by setting an example for the community and by being an advocate for the environment.

    President of College of Menominee Nation, Christopher Caldwell, says the EBSCO Solar Grant is part of a larger College of Menominee Nation 2016 Climate Action Plan. “The College plans to reduce emissions until it becomes a carbon neutral facility. Installing solar panels on the library roof is the ideal next step to see this plan come to fruition. EBSCO Solar will allow the library to serve as a sustainability model to the community and spark interest in solar energy within and around the reservation.”

    Virgin Islands Montessori School and Peter Gruber International Academy (VIMSIA) in St, Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands is looking to use the installation of solar panels to become more sustainable during inclement weather that often hits the U.S. Virgin Islands.

    Head of School, Michael Bornn, says that “VIMSIA has always been on the leading edge of sustainability in the Virgin Islands - we are so grateful for this opportunity presented to us by EBSCO. It would not be a truly modern learning commons without renewable energy. We are excited to begin the process of enhancing our library with the help of the EBSCO grant.”

    For more information on EBSCO Solar, visit www.ebsco.com/solar.

    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.

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

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    June 28th, 2021LISWire aggregatorUncategorized

    Archaeology students, professionals and enthusiasts can now subscribe to the complete and fully-searchable digital archive of The Journal of Irish Archaeology (JIA) through the Exact Editions platform. Issues dating back to 1983 are available to read, browse and search seamlessly across web, iOS and Android devices.

    Produced by the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland and published by Wordwell Ltd., the JIA is a peer-reviewed, annual journal, comprising articles about Irish archaeology and related topics. The editorship of the journal changes every two years, rotating between the archaeology teaching staff in third-level institutions on the island of Ireland.

    The brand new digital resource is available to individuals and institutions around the world. Advanced navigational features such as linked contents pages, Boolean search and cross-platform compatibility make the resource ideal for those with an interest in Irish archaeology, or indeed wider archaeological subject areas.

    The Journal of Irish Archaeology is available in the Exact Editions shops here:

    Individuals: https://shop.exacteditions.com/journal-of-irish-archaeology

    Institutions: https://institutions.exacteditions.com/journal-of-irish-archaeology

    Nick Maxwell at Wordwell Ltd. commented: “The new archive showcases an annual snapshot of up-to-date Irish archaeological research over the past three decades. The plans, maps and photographs that accompany the reports are perfectly displayed on the Exact Editions online reader and really enhance the reading experience.”

    Managing Director of Exact Editions, Daryl Rayner, said: “The JIA will be an excellent addition to any institutional library that supplies the resources for archaeology courses, and a vital research tool for any individual with an interest in the subject.”

    About the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland:

    The Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland (IAI) is the representative organisation for professional archaeologists working in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Founded in 2001, it is the continuing objective of the IAI to advance and strengthen the profession of archaeology in Ireland. The Journal of Irish Archaeology (JIA) is the journal produced by the Institute, and its predecessor IAPA, and has been in publication since 1983.

    About Wordwell Ltd:

    The Wordwell Group, established in 1986, is the publisher of History Ireland, Archaeology Ireland and Books Ireland magazines, alongside Wordwell Books and, as of 2019, Eastwood Books. At the heart of Irish cultural life for more than three decades, publishing in collaboration with cultural institutions such as the National Museum of Ireland and the National Library of Ireland, as well as many of Ireland’s finest authors in the fields of history, heritage and archaeology.

    About Exact Editions:

    Exact Editions is a digital publishing company based in London. It is a team of producers, developers and designers that turns periodicals and books into dynamic, user-friendly digital editions. Exact Editions specialises in digitising content, selling subscriptions and providing streaming solutions across web, iOS and Android platforms. Exact Editions are also the innovators of ‘Reading Room’ technology, which allows publishers to provide streaming, time-limited, access to digital editions.

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    June 24th, 2021LISWire aggregatorUncategorized

    New Political Extremism and Radicalism Archive Examines the Development, Ideologies and Rhetoric of Extreme Right-Wing Groups in America

    FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – June 23, 2021 – Gale, a Cengage company, has released the second installment of its Political Extremism and Radicalism series. Political Extremism and Radicalism: Far-Right Groups in America examines the history of radical right movements in the U.S. from 1850-2010s. Available on the Gale Primary Sources platform, this rare, never-before-digitized collection expands upon the first installment, with a particular focus on white supremacist and nationalist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and Aryan Nations. Now scholars and researchers can analyze the rhetoric, ideology and evolution of fringe, right-wing groups to better understand their impact on today's mainstream politics as well as broader society. Read Gale’s blog about this new archive: https://bit.ly/3xEJSYQ.

    “We created Far-Right Groups in America in response to the growing number of research centers, university departments and undergraduate courses dedicated to the academic study of far-right and extremist political research,” said Seth Cayley, vice president of Gale Primary Sources. “It’s a must-have teaching and learning tool for understanding how the resurgence of right-wing populism and the movement of far-right thinking into the mainstream has been able to develop over the course of the 20th and 21st centuries.”

    California State University (CSU) at Fullerton uses the Political Extremism and Radicalism archive to support research in history and American studies courses. More than 40,000 students have access to the collection through the university’s library. Megan Graewingholt, Social Sciences and Government Documents Librarian at CSU Fullerton’s Pollak Library, believes that primary sources like those found in Political Extremism and Radicalism are invaluable for teaching and learning. They provide students with unique historical insight from multiple points of views to examine and understand current events and issues:

    "Primary sources are snippets of history; they often come without context or are incomplete, but they can help develop critical thinking skills and analytical abilities," said Graewingholt. "They expose students to multiple perspectives on issues, helping them to develop reasoned explanations and interpretations of these events and issues. This collection provides the perfect academic ground to explore the longer history of many present-day political issues."

    Far-Right Groups in America covers topics such as fascism, racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, nationalism, Christian Identity, political misinformation and conspiracy theories. The archive includes essential publications and ephemera that explore the nature of right-wing politics in the U.S., including material that both supports and criticizes the radical right. It examines the varying manifestations of far-right ideologies, looking at their emergence, growth, structure and development, as well as the identities of individual groups, making it an ideal resource for undergraduate teaching.

    Far-Right Groups in America brings together five collections from renowned libraries and institutions that include:

    • University of California, Santa Barbara - Christian Identity and Far-Right Wing Politics: this collection consists of periodicals, pamphlets, programs and other printed ephemera regarding American Christian conservative groups' philosophies, as well as far-right wing politics and election propaganda. It includes both ephemera and periodicals through which researchers can explore the intersection of Christian conservatism and the far right.

    • University of Iowa - Social Documents Collection: contains a large accumulation of materials published by conservative organizations; groups generally considered to be to the right on the political spectrum. Far-right Groups in America includes a number of pamphlets, publications, leaflets, correspondence and ephemera focusing specifically on material related to far-right groups that have been selected from the wider Social Documents Collection. Materials concern a range of right-wing and far-right thinking from Second Amendment gun rights and tax protest to anti-communist, racist, anti-Semitic, Neo-Confederate thinking and much more.

    • University of California, Davis - Walter Goldwater Radical Pamphlet Collection: was established in 1966 with a collection of pamphlets purchased from Walter Goldwater, a book dealer who specialized in radical politics, and who was also one of the first book dealers to specialize in African American Studies. Through the material in this collection researchers can explore the role that the far-right plays in the U.S., with titles authored by both those in support of and criticizing far-right viewpoints, and which cover topics such as the Ku Klux Klan, communism, politics, racism and fascism.

    • Idaho State University - James Aho Collection: comprised of a variety of materials documenting right-wing extremism in Idaho and the Pacific Northwest. Materials consist of printed matter, recordings, and ephemera with the bulk of the collection consisting of newsletters from various churches and organizations promoting their beliefs. Of particular interest is the collection of recorded sermons and interviews (hosted as audio files and transcripts) that provide an interesting window into the viewpoints and inner workings of far-right groups such as Aryan Nations.

    • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Files: files on Joseph McCarthy, Charles Lindbergh, Ezra Pound and the Posse Comitatus document the FBI’s surveillance of influential right-wing thinkers and one extremist hate group. These fascinating materials will appeal to anyone interested in 20th century American social history as well as far-right extremism in America.

    Political Extremism and Radicalism series is available on the Gale Primary Sources platform, enabling cross-archival searching to help users make new connections across topics. For those looking to explore even deeper insights, the series is also available through the Gale Digital Scholar Lab. This allows researchers to apply natural language processing tools to raw text data (OCR) from the collections or Gale Primary Sources archives and perform textual analysis on large corpora of historical texts. Now researchers can analyze and explore historical text more interactively, generating new research insights and content sets not previously possible.

    Gale will showcase the new archive at the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Virtual Conference, June 23-26.

    For more information on Far-Right Groups in America, visit the Political Extremism and Radicalism series webpage: https://bit.ly/3gR9rAx.

    About Cengage and Gale
    Cengage, an education technology company serving millions of learners in 165 countries, advances the way students learn through quality, digital experiences. The company currently serves the K-12, higher education, professional, library, English language teaching 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/

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    June 23rd, 2021LISWire aggregatorUncategorized

    ByWater Solutions, America’s forefront provider of Open Source library technology support, announced today that they are providing support services for the Koha ILS for Santa Fe Public Library in New Mexico! Santa Fe Public Library also went live on Aspen Discovery in January 2021.

    You can view their catalog here: https://catalog.santafelibrary.org/

    Nate Curulla, CRO, commented on the implementation, "We are excited to further our relationship with Santa Fe Public Library. We have been working closely with them since 2020, first migrating them to Aspen Discovery and now getting them up and running with the Koha ILS. We look forward to working with them for years to come!"

    About Santa Fe Public Library
    The mission of the Santa Fe Public Library is to inform, enrich, and educate the members of the community by creating and promoting access to a diversity of ideas and information, and by supporting lifelong learning and reading. In accomplishing its mission, the library honors the community's unique cultural heritage and traditions, while preparing its community members for the future.

    Read more at https://santafelibrary.org/

    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 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 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.

    For More Information
    Jessica Zairo
    Director of Library Sales & Outreach
    ByWater Solutions
    bywatersolutions.com
    Phone:(888)900-8944

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    June 23rd, 2021LISWire aggregatorUncategorized

    Duluth, Ga., June 23, 2021: Equinox Open Library Initiative is pleased to present the poster “Developing Open Source Tools To Support Libraries During COVID-19” at the 2021 American Library Association Annual Conference, June 23-29, 2021. The poster describes the programs, workflows, and software that Equinox designed to provide support to libraries and library staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Equinox team members Lisa Carlucci, Galen Charlton, Sally Fortin, Angela Kilsdonk, Andrea Buntz Neiman, and Mike Rylander contributed to the poster, with audio description by Sally Fortin. The digital poster presentation can be viewed on the ALA Annual Conference platform here: https://bit.ly/EquinoxALAAC21

    “Equinox’s poster tells the story of an extraordinary moment in time. As libraries faced the unknowns of providing library services during the pandemic, we asked, ‘How can Equinox help?’” said Lisa Carlucci, Executive Director. “We reached out to our professional communities and partners to identify specific initiatives and to develop new ways to strengthen and expand our services. We shifted educational resources to remote platforms, created new professional development opportunities, and developed new workflows and tools for Evergreen and Koha.”

    Equinox created the SubjectsPlus guide, “Developing Open Source Tools To Support Libraries During COVID-19,” to accompany the ALA Annual Conference poster presentation. Resources in the guide cover Koha ILS and Evergreen ILS topics including going fine free, handling unplanned closures, managing items in quarantine, and configuring and using the Evergreen ILS curbside pickup module. View the poster and enhanced collection of resources at: https://splus.equinoxoli.org/subjects/equinox_covid19tools. Equinox recently announced the launch of SubjectsPlus, a user-friendly, open source, content management system, and will be hosting a SubjectsPlus launch event immediately following the 2021 ALA Annual Conference on June 30, 2021 from 1:00pm-2:00pm (ET). Registration is now open: http://bit.ly/SubjectsPlus

    “I am thankful we were able to provide educational resources to help our library communities safely transition to new working environments and new service models,” said Angela Kilsdonk, Product and Education Manager at Equinox. “It’s particularly heartening that the work we did during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic led to the development of the equinoxEDU open educational program.”

    The equinoxEDU program is now an ongoing educational initiative which delivers free and frequent opportunities for library and open source community members to learn about open source software, expand their skills, and network with library and information science professionals interested in open source software. The equinoxEDU program provides webinars, workshops, and an expanding video library. Learn more about equinoxEDU at https://www.equinoxoli.org/learn.

    “Libraries provide essential services and this is especially true in times of crisis. Library staff ensure access to urgent and timely information, critically important technologies, and library collections, all of which are substantial supports during quarantine and beyond,” said Carlucci. “The Equinox team extends our gratitude to the many library staff and frontline information service providers delivering library services and supporting communities worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

    Connect with Equinox Open Library Initiative on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Vimeo for the latest updates.

    To receive news directly in your inbox: https://www.equinoxOLI.org/#signup

    For more information:

    Laura Barry
    Communications Coordinator
    Equinox Open Library Initiative, Inc.
    EquinoxOLI.org
    laura.barry@equinoxOLI.org
    877.OPEN.ILS (877.673.6457)

    About Equinox Open Library Initiative
    Equinox Open Library Initiative provides innovative open source software for libraries of all types and delivers extraordinary service at exceptional value. As the successor to Equinox Software, Inc., Equinox Open Library Initiative builds upon more than a decade of trusted service and technical expertise, providing consulting services, software development, hosting, training, and support for Evergreen ILS, Koha ILS, and other open source library software. To learn more, please visit https://www.equinoxOLI.org. For Equinox Library Services Canada, please visit https://www.equinoxOLI.ca.

    About Evergreen
    Evergreen Integrated Library System is an award winning and trusted library solution used by more than 1,800 libraries worldwide. Evergreen ILS is a web-based and mobile-friendly system which provides attractive, easy to use interfaces for library acquisitions, administration, cataloging, circulation, OPAC, reports, course reserves, and serials functionality.

    Evergreen ILS is an enterprise level system designed to manage a scalable catalog shared across libraries, including large public and academic library consortia. While designed for large collections, Evergreen is suitable for libraries of any size and type from government libraries to museum and special library collections. Its flexibility enables libraries to configure policies and settings that work best for their communities and to maintain ownership of their library and systems data.

    Evergreen differs from other library management systems in that there are no licensing fees. The software is released under the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 3.0 or higher. For more information about Evergreen: https://www.equinoxoli.org/products/evergreen/.

    About Koha ILS
    Created in 1999 by Katipo Communications for the Horowhenua Library Trust in New Zealand, Koha is the first open source Integrated Library System to be used worldwide. The software is a full-featured ILS with a dual-database design (search engine and RDBMS) built to be compliant with library standards. Koha’s OPAC, staff, and self-checkout interfaces are all web applications. Distributed under the General Public License (GPL), libraries are free to use and install Koha themselves or to purchase support and development services. For more information on Koha, please visit https://koha-community.org.

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