Baker & Taylor is pleased to announce that TLC’s library systems (Library•Solution® and CARL•X™) are the first to seamlessly integrate their library catalogs with the Axis 360 digital media platform.  Using Baker & Taylor’s suite of API services, libraries using TLC’s LS2 PAC catalog can now provide their patrons with full search and discovery of Axis 360 titles, view real-time availability, and complete a checkout or place a hold from a single point of access – the library’s online catalog.

Dianne Coan, LS2 PAC Product Owner, explained the user experience this way, “For TLC libraries that have purchased Axis 360 titles, patrons will discover the e-book titles along with the rest of the collection. To make a selection, they click on the Download button to checkout material or the Place a Hold button to be placed on the waiting list, and the file is delivered. It’s that simple.  The customer never leaves the TLC LS2 PAC to have their e-book delivered.”

“We are excited that TLC has implemented robust API integration with Axis 360, supporting ReadersFirst principles,” said Livia Bitner, Vice President Technical Services and Product Development, Baker & Taylor. “Now patrons of TLC libraries can not only discover digital content in the library’s OPAC, but can also easily checkout or place a hold on a digital title without having to leave the library’s website.”

TLC Senior Vice President of Sales Gar Sydnor added, “One search, one login, one place to view availability, checkout, or place a hold are all included in the ReadersFirst Initiative set of requirements. TLC integrates with e-resource vendors quickly, and this milestone is significant for the breadth of API functionality available to us through Axis 360.  We have 19 ILS customers, including Los Angeles PL, Contra Costa PL, and New Hanover PL, who will take advantage of this service immediately.”

TLC and Baker & Taylor will be demonstrating API integration functionality in their respective booths at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, IL this weekend – TLC at booth #617 and Baker & Taylor at booth #1619.

About Baker & Taylor

Baker & Taylor, Inc. is the world’s largest distributor of books, digital content and entertainment products. The company offers cutting-edge digital media services and innovative technology platforms to thousands of publishers, libraries and retailers worldwide. Baker & Taylor also offers industry-leading customized library services and retail merchandising solutions. Charlotte, N.C.-based Baker & Taylor is majority owned by Castle Harlan Partners IV, L.P., an institutional private equity fund managed by Castle Harlan, Inc., a leading private equity investment firm.

About The Library Corporation

TLC serves more than 4,400 libraries worldwide with Web-based, touchscreen-optimized library systems and cataloging products including Library•Solution®, Library•Solution® for Schools, CARL•X™, LS2 PAC, LS2 Kids, LS2 Staff, eBiblioFile™, Boundless™, and ITS•MARC® – all backed by an unparalleled level of customer support and assistance. For more information, visit TLCdelivers.com.

Baker & Taylor
Jenny Johnson
704-998-3190

Jenny.Johnson@baker-taylor.com

The Library Corporation
Brian Brehm
304-229-0100

bbrehm@tlcdelivers.com

Author information

Brian Brehm

LS2 PAC Product Owner Dianne Coan explains the benefit of this integration for patrons. “The modern design of our LS2 PAC married with the rich data from NoveList equals a superior user experience for our librarians’ patrons. Our users not only find what they’re looking for quickly, but they can also explore the seamless display of reviews, series information and recommended authors and titles.”

NoveList Select enables libraries to add rich reader-focused features including: reading recommendations, series information, events, reviews and book jackets to enrich their catalog and make it a tool for readers to discover great books. NoveList Select works with many major vendors and systems to ensure the content is seamlessly integrated into a library’s catalog. For customers that already have LS2 PAC and NoveList Select, the connection is very easy and no extra charge.

Vice President of NoveList, Duncan Smith, says working with TLC these last 10 years has helped more libraries reach their readers. “Our goal is to put expert reading recommendations and other expanded content into the place where it is most visible to library patrons and now libraries with LS2 PAC as their catalog solution can easily integrate the rich content of NoveList Select into their most frequently consulted resource—the catalog.”

A list of ILS systems that NoveList Select is already integrated with is available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/novelist/our-products/novelist-select-ils.

About EBSCO Information Services

EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) is the leading provider of resources for libraries including EBSCONET^®, EBSCO’s total e-resource management system, and 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.  EBSCO provides more than 375 research databases and more than 400,000 e-books plus subscription management services for 355,000 e-journals and e-journal packages. 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. For more information, visit the EBSCO website at: www.ebsco.com. EBSCO is a division of EBSCO Industries Inc., one of the largest privately held companies in the United States.

About TLC

The Library Corporation is a family-owned company founded in 1974 that serves more than 4,400 libraries worldwide with Web-based, touchscreen-optimized automation and cataloging products including Library•Solution®, Library•Solution® for Schools, CARL•X™, LS2 PAC, LS2 Kids, LS2 Staff, eBiblioFile, Boundless, and ITS•MARC® – all backed by an unparalleled level of customer support and assistance.  Based in West Virginia, TLC has additional offices in Denver, Singapore, and New York City’s Silicon Alley.  For more information, e-mail info@TLCdelivers.com or call 1.800.325.7759.

 ###

For more information on NoveList Select, please contact:

Kathleen McEvoy
Vice President of Communications, EBSCO
(800) 653-2726 ext. 2594
kmcevoy@ebsco.com

Author information

Brian Brehm

For patrons, TLC believes that visiting the library should be as fun and entertaining as it is rewarding. With bookstore-like merchandising displays and multi-database searching, libraries are increasing the connection with their audience. By providing Netflix-like displays in the catalog, Google-like user experiences, and a touchscreen interface ready for any device, your patrons will appreciate the relevance your library catalog will have in their online world.

Worldwide tablet shipments are forecast to total 197 million units in 2013, a 69.8 percent increase from 2012 shipments of 116 million units. “Lower prices, form factor variety, cloud update, and consumers’ addiction to apps will be the key drivers in the tablet market,” said Ranjit Atwal, research director at Gartner Research. “Growth in the tablet segment will not be limited to mature markets alone. Users in emerging markets who are looking for a companion to their mobile phone will increasingly choose a tablet as their first computing device and not a PC.” – Gartner Research (April 2013)

For staff, TLC offers the opportunity to evolve from heavy duty, heavy maintenance PC workstations, Windows interfaces, and obscure icons to a sophisticated and streamlined  Web-based, touchscreen-enabled interface that works just as fluidly on traditional workstations as it does on tablets or other browser-enable devices.  The result is software that is easier to learn and packed with easier-to-see features that busy libraries demand. When you’re ready to cut the PC cord, your software is ready.

“Simply put, hosted software can save a company the headaches of ongoing maintenance, time and money in IT support, and equipment costs.” – Mini Peiris, SmartBiz.com

TLC’s hosted solution option eliminates the need to purchase servers or allocate additional IT staff to maintenance and product updates. Your library’s automation system and OPAC are stored securely, safely archived, and accessible whenever you need them for a simple annual charge. For libraries that no longer prefer to have server(s) on site, it’s an easy choice.

Even as technology changes, some things stay the same. TLC’s top priority has been, and always will be, customer service. This commitment to our libraries is reflected in Marshall Breeding’s annual Perceptions survey, which consistently reflects the positive sentiments of TLC customers. Additionally, contracts representing approximately 1,500 libraries in our customer base were renewed for multi-year agreements the first year we offered it in 2012.

Product development is ongoing at TLC, so the automation system you invest in today will continuously and seamlessly adapt to tomorrow’s technology.

“(TLC demonstrates) that the ILS can be evolved and extended to meet the needs of public libraries, even when challenged by new dynamics such as demand for e-book lending and social interactions.” – Marshall Breeding, Library Journal (April 2, 2013)

To find out how TLC can help your library serve its community, call 1.800.325.7759 and speak with one of our automation consultants.

Author information

Brian Brehm

TLC signed agreements with 196 customer library systems, including 14 new library systems and 182 multi-year agreements with current customers, raising its total customer base to 708 current contracts and over 4,400 installed libraries, facilities, or schools worldwide.

In July, TLC launched a new service, eBiblioFile, in partnership with OverDrive® and 3M™ for libraries using any ILS.  eBiblioFile customers receive full, custom MARC records for their e-resource purchases from these vendors within 48 hours, ready to load in their catalog.  eBiblioFile is now used every day by 194 library systems in three countries, and represents 173 new library customers for TLC in just six months since its launch.

In product news, TLC completed more than 60 migrations of current customers from its Windows interface to the new LS2 suite of browser-based interfaces. These libraries now have access to TLC’s ad-hoc reporting service, Lists & Actions, and are enjoying the benefits of a staff interface designed to work on tablet devices.  Dovetailing with the eBiblioFile service, TLC libraries can now see status and availability for their OverDrive records in their TLC LS2 PAC interface.

Additionally, in order to support its growth and continued software development, TLC opened a new office location in New York City’s “Silicon Alley” to focus primarily on User Experience and new product development for the entire TLC product line.

The Library Corporation is a family-owned company founded in 1974 to serve the automation and cataloging needs of libraries worldwide. For more information, visit TLCdelivers.com or contact Brian Brehm at bbrehm@TLCdelivers.com or 1.800.325.7759.

Author information

Brian Brehm

“This report, based on survey responses from over two thousand libraries, aims to give some measure of how libraries perceive their current environment and probes at their inclinations for the future,” Breeding wrote.

The report released on Jan. 27 notes that TLC was a “very strong” performer among public, school, academic, and special libraries. A total of 105 TLC libraries responded to the 2010 survey and gave overall high marks to our company and its products and services.

Breeding asked libraries to rate their automation systems, services, and vendors on a scale of 0 to 9, with 0 being “Not Satisfied” and 9 being “Very Satisfied.” The median scores for TLC were:

• Satisfaction with current integrated library system (ILS) – 8
• Satisfaction with ILS vendor – 8
• Likelihood that library will purchase its next ILS from the same vendor – 8
• Satisfaction with vendor’s customer support services – 8
• Improvement of vendor’s customer support from previous year – 8
• Likelihood that library will consider purchasing an open source ILS – 2

The survey results were gratifying because TLC prides itself on offering top-tier automation solutions and unparalleled service and support. Our goal is to constantly improve so that TLC libraries will always have the tools and resources they need to thrive.

For the complete Perceptions 2010: An International Survey of Library Automation report, click here or visitwww.librarytechnology.org/perceptions2010.pl.

Author information

Nydia Parries

“Our libraries have told us that they must be able to search and view e-resources along with their physical collection in one public catalog interface,” said Dianne Coan, LS2 PAC Product Owner. “Most of our customers already use OverDrive services, and this integration will make it easier for their patrons to see their investment in these titles without having to look in a separate place or make a separate search.” The released functionality shows the user the OverDrive item status, as well as an indication of item popularity, by showing the current OverDrive holds queue within the catalog result list. OverDrive is expected to release a second set of APIs to provide more access to its service in 2013.

OverDrive is a leading full-service digital distributor of e-books, audiobooks, and other digital content. Founded in 1986, the Cleveland, Ohio-based company’s digital distribution services are utilized by more than 18,000 libraries, schools, and colleges worldwide.

The Library Corporation is a family-owned company founded in 1974. More than 4,400 libraries worldwide use TLC’s automation systems and software. For more information, contact Brian Brehm at bbrehm@TLCdelivers.com or 1.800.325.7759.

Author information

Nydia Parries

“As we adapt our library system interfaces to work best on tablets and mobile devices, providing a seamless experience for users to search and retrieve e-resources is critical for any library worried about meeting the future demands of their patrons,” said Gar Sydnor, TLC’s Vice President of Sales. “Now using one interface, the same interface, no matter what device, our libraries and their users can search simultaneously the whole collection, including magazine databases, e-books and audiobooks, RSS feeds, and, of course, books. Patrons don’t have to hunt for the library’s e-book collection and they don’t need to leave the interface they already know and use to start a new search.”

TLC’s eBiblioFile service is available for any library using any ILS. To find out more, go to eBiblioFile.com or e-mail ebibliofile_support@tlcdelivers.com.

The Library Corporation is a family-owned company founded in 1974. More than 4,400 libraries worldwide use TLC’s automation systems and software. For more information, contact Brian Brehm at bbrehm@TLCdelivers.com or 1.800.325.7759.

Author information

Nydia Parries

“The longevity here is truly impressive,” said President and CEO Annette Harwood Murphy, noting that the vast majority of current TLC staffers have been with the family-owned company for five years or more. “You are part of a global enterprise, and what you’re doing is reaching millions. It’s truly amazing how far we’ve come.”

The following team members at TLC’s Inwood, W.Va., headquarters were awarded with certificates honoring service milestones:

• 30 YEARS – Michelle Weidman, Product Implementation Assistant Manager/Team Leader
• 25 YEARS – Lisa Rauh, Director of International Sales; Woody Woodsmall, Inwood Operations Director of Customer Assurance; Calvin Whittington, Director of Finance and Administration; Vickie Curry, PAC Implementation/Data Specialist
• 20 YEARS – Valencia Godlove, Inside Sales Representative
• 15 YEARS – Larry Waugh, Research & Development Principal Software Engineer; Beth Lentz, Product Implementation Data Analyst
• 10 YEARS – Dianne Coan, Product Management Strategist; Philip Puffinburger, Research & Development Application Developer
• 5 YEARS – Phillip Green, Automation Consultant; Cody Hartle, Research & Development Junior Software Developer; Joshua “Jabe” Bloom, TLC CTO; Alvin Knight, Product Management Agile Project Manager; Jonathan Lorusso, Research & Development; Damon Martin, Customer Support Principle Support Technician; Ryan Jones, Product Implementation Web Design

TLC employees recognized for achieving service milestones in 2012 were (from left) Vickie Curry, Calvin Whittington, Damon Martin, Ryan Jones, Phillip Green, Cody Hartle, Jonathan Lorusso, Alvin Knight, Dianne Coan, Philip Puffinburger, Larry Waugh, Beth Lentz, Joshua “Jabe” Bloom, and Michelle Weidman. Not pictured are Lisa Rauh, Woody Woodsmall, and Valencia Godlove.

• TLC was founded in 1974 to serve the automation and cataloging needs of libraries worldwide. In addition to its headquarters in Inwood, the company has offices in Denver, New York City, and Singapore.

Author information

semanticwill

When TLC’s Library•Solution® integrated library system was implemented in the nearby Winnipeg School Division, Purdon took notice. “If you could handle their division in terms of service, you could handle ours,” she said.

The Winnipeg School Division in southern Manitoba includes 77 schools and serves more than 32,000 students. The Dauphin, Manitoba-based Mountain View School Division is comprised of 16 schools and 3,300 students.

Purdon said she was impressed by TLC’s willingness to customize Library•Solution in ways that allow staff in Mountain View’s 17 libraries to continue working as they had become accustomed. “There are things we do that other companies weren’t willing to accommodate,” she said. For example, “We print our own barcodes, we print our own labels, and having TLC see that these things were important to us made a huge difference. They allow us to do things the way we do them, and I like that.”

Purdon said Library•Solution was up and running by the start of the new school year in September, less than six months after she signed the purchase order. “We went from one library system to another without any issues. I’ve never had user complaints. To me, that’s the sign of a good implementation.”

Purdon said she and her staff are impressed with the comprehensive cataloging and reports functionality of Library•Solution, and the division’s teachers and students are enjoying the improved search capabilities of the system’s OPACs – LS2 Kids in the elementary schools, LS2 PAC in the middle and high schools. And since the ILS is Web-based, she said it serves the small, outlying schools an hour away from Dauphin just as efficiently as the larger schools in the heart of the district.

“I’ve certainly found TLC very good to deal with, and I’m certainly a satisfied client,” Purdon said. “You get your money’s worth, and I think it’s a very good value.”

The Library Corporation, a family-owned company founded in 1974, creates and distributes automation and cataloging software to library systems worldwide. For more information, e-mail Brian Brehm at bbrehm@TLCdelivers.com, or call 1.800.325.7759.

Author information

semanticwill

Heather Powers, product owner, explains: “To register, our customers select eBiblioFile as their MARC vendor for e-resources. From there, they automatically begin receiving our custom MARC records. Unlike other services, we don’t require the library to do any additional work.”

As the first e-resource on-demand service, eBiblioFile has evolved to handle large back-orders seamlessly and painlessly.

“It’s a wonderful service; I couldn’t be happier,” says Ruth Ann Copley, the cataloging coordinator for the North Carolina Digital Library. “eBiblioFile’s much faster than our last service. Turnaround is so much faster on bib records.”

The advantages of eBiblioFile don’t end with convenience. For many libraries, eBiblioFile is also the most cost-effective option on the market. For consortiums, one record is provided that can then be distributed to member libraries. This streamlined measure is less work for the library and, in many cases, a major savings.

Scott Reinhart, e-resource coordinator for the Maryland eLibrary Consortium, says, “With eBiblioFile, we have the assurance that we are going to get all of our records within two days of ordering. We didn’t have that with our previous vendor. As a pilot consortium, we didn’t expect the process to be as painless as it was.”

Libraries that register for eBiblioFile are also signing up to receive a superior level of customer care.

As Reinhert says, “They are a pleasure to work with … straightforward and flexible. The fact that they actually care about the customer is readily apparent with every interaction.”

To find out more, go to www.ebibliofile.com or e-mail ebibliofile_support@tlcdelivers.com.

Author information

semanticwill