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Public libraries: efficient, effective and innovative |
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A new series of one-day regional seminars for librarians has been well-received by audiences in York, Manchester and Glasgow. The seminars focus on how trends in technology are allowing library services to improve the customer experience, save costs and increase efficiency.
Future events are in London in April and Bristol in May. The Midlands regional seminar is at Warwick University on Wednesday 9th of June, the day before the SCL annual seminar that takes place 10th-11th June at the same venue, allowing SCL delegates to extend their visit and take in this additional valuable seminar. It's free to attend. The seminar will bring together leading representatives from the library supply industry to illustrate how innovation is changing the face of libraries through the adoption of online services, RFID technology, evidence based stock management, integrated management systems and enhanced product information. For details, click here.
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The children of cyberspace |
Is the pace of change in the digital world creating mini-generation gaps even among young children? This article from the New York Times looks at what it means to be growing up with new devices and new ways of reading books.
And to draw attention to the way digital natives are changing the demands made on library services, this clever one minute video from Melbourne has three year old Abbey, who loves libraries, books and reading, asking for semantic tagging of her online resources. |
COMPANY NEWS |
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Civica's SELMS Consortium enlists its 11th member |
Now in its third year, Civica's SELMS (South East Library Management System) Consortium last month enlisted its eleventh member, Hertfordshire, shortly after its tenth – Slough. SELMS was launched in May 2007 with just six members and is a practical and successful example of how the consortium service model can equip modern library services with the latest automated processes. Services are based on Civica's Spydus product, which automates traditional library administrative functions and integrates with the latest technologies such as RFID, allowing library services to modernise bibliographic services and deliver service improvements via a complete outsourced model based on proven experience.
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When bibliographic data and self-service combine |
Intellident and leading information data provider Bibliographic Data Services have signed a deal which will, for the first time, see the use of BDS's information-rich data appear within self-service kiosks.
With the release of version 5 of Intellident's award-winning Liber8™ software the user experience will be further enhanced with the inclusion of book jacket images and covers on music CDs and DVDs. The aim is to make the borrowing of books, DVDs and games more intuitive, informative, helpful and even entertaining.
The option of viewing enhancements via Intellident kiosks will be available to any local authority using the BDS XML API Image or the Image Grabber service. Existing BDS customers using these services will be entitled to this option at no increased BDS subscription fee, and all Intellident’s existing customers will have access to this feature as part of their on-going software renewal programme. |
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Sources from history |
The British Library has launched Timelines an interactive timeline that allows online users to explore collection items chronologically from medieval times to the present day. It's an invaluable resource for teachers and learning services librarians, with support notes and additional resources available.
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GBS or GBH? What does the Google thing mean? |
If you're trying - and failing - to keep up with the Google Book Settlement (GBS) and what all the fuss is about, whether the fuss is unreasonable, whether we should all be very afraid, and what it all means for libraries and the publishing world, then this non-legal language summary will help. |
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Services