LS2 Kids at ALA conference: 'Wow!'
The Library Corporation (TLC) unveiled its newest product, LS2 Kids, on July 11 at the American Library Association Annual Conference in Chicago. The response from conference attendees who enjoyed hands-on time with the software was gratifying.

LS2 Kids is the children's version of TLC's successful LS2 PAC – the same technology with new features oriented to younger library users. It's powerful software with an intuitive, easy-to-use interface that helps children find exactly what they're looking for within a library's collection. LS2 Kids is the perfect companion to TLC's Library•Solution^® for Schools and Library•Solution^® integrated library systems.

One of the first people to try the new LS2 Kids software in Chicago was a little girl who was attending the ALA conference with her mother, a librarian. Product Owner Dianne Coan, who guided the LS2 Kids development team, tells the story:

"The little girl was using the software, completely unassisted, while her mom and I chatted. After a bit, Mom indicated it was time to leave and tried to get her daughter to go. The little girl was quite insistent about wanting to stay. Finally, after walking 15 feet away and calling back to her daughter that she was really going to leave, the mom came back into the booth and said to me, 'You have a real winner on your hands.' She scooped up her daughter and they headed off."

That positive response to LS2 Kids was not unique or isolated. According to Coan, "We had many children in the booth – this is the first time I can recall we had this many children in the booth. I LOVED when each child made a beeline to the screen that was running the LS2 Kids software."

Coan took note of some of the things children were saying about LS2 Kids:

• "No, mommy. I want to stay and play!" – 6-year-old
• "It is really pretty cool, actually." – 11-year-old
• "It is a fun way to find stuff." – 9-year-old
• "I like it!" – 8-year-old

Several adults also had positive comments:

• "It is gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous." – Children's librarian
• "This, I guess, would compete with Follett, but it is much more intuitive." – Media specialist/Follett customer
• "This is what we are getting? Oh, the staff is going to love this!" – Children's library coordinator/TLC customer
• "Wow!" – Library board member

If your library caters to young borrowers, check out the advantages of LS2 Kids or calling TLC at 1.800.325.7759 or 304.229.0100.
Back

Chicago Public Schools chooses TLC
The Library Corporation (TLC) achieved its largest Library•Solution^® for Schools partnership through a contract signed last year with the Chicago Public Schools.

The district of more than 650 schools will upgrade from multiple library automation systems, including Follett and Sagebrush, to Library•Solution for Schools, TLC's Web-based, centralized automation system. The implementation of the new system is based on a five-year plan beginning with a pilot phase that was recently completed.

CPS serves more than 408,000 students and employs more than 44,000 staff members. It is the third largest school district in the United States, with an annual budget of over $5 billion. The new library automation system from TLC will greatly improve student access to information, while centralizing will streamline district operations.

Paul Whitsitt, director of Libraries and Information Services for CPS, said: "We're excited to be able to offer 24-hour access to our collections, enhanced electronic resources, and student-generated content for students and teachers throughout the district. The opportunities for improved teaching and learning are enormous!"

Joint CPS/TLC load testing of the system has shown a capacity to handle in excess of 4,500 circulation transactions per minute, as well as 2,400 LS2 PAC searches per minute. This is equivalent to a capability of over 2 million transactions per day.

Gar Sydnor, senior vice president at TLC, commented: "We understood early on that Chicago Public Schools chooses its vendors very carefully because of its size. TLC's attention to detail is ideally suited for these large implementations, and our speed and performance testing speaks for itself."

Library•Solution for Schools software offers media specialists and students advanced features that include Web 2.0 technologies such as user reviews, ratings, and dynamic tagging. Staff has single-click access to reports, training, and other applications including quick class sets and student photos. Circulation and automatic cataloging functions are all performed from within a browser. The students at CPS will be able to find books using predictive searching and library mapping functions. They can get federated results from electronic databases with every search.
Back

Special message for CARL•Solution EDI users
In July 2007, TLC introduced Direct Order (formerly known as Local EDI) to its CARL customer base for use with Acquisitions to allow processing of electronic orders directly from the library site to the vendor, as well as provide additional functionality to libraries. This eliminated the need for TLC's Denver office to be the intermediary for the overnight batch processes in what staff has called the Centralized EDI model.

Effective Aug. 15, TLC will begin moving away from the Centralized EDI model. Therefore, the Denver office will begin migrating all CARL sites that continue to use this option so that the full customer base is using the newer Direct Order model for EDI. Additionally, TLC must also discontinue setup of any new vendors on the Centralized EDI model immediately, as the hardware used to support this service is at capacity and we do not feel confident that the system can support additional vendors.

The Direct Order model offers increased reliability by submitting orders directly to the EDI vendor, as opposed to the Centralized EDI model that relies on transmissions to come through the TLC Denver office. It is already used by many CARL•Solution^® customers and all CARL•X^TM sites. Additionally, with Direct Order, libraries may take advantage of other improvements offered for EDI. However, all existing processes for batch overnight order processing continue to be supported in Direct Order. Moving all CARL customers to a single EDI support model will streamline support for this product and eliminate the need for OSC resources to spend time manually sending orders to vendors and monitoring success.

If your site uses the Centralized EDI model, please contact Beth Lazarczyk to schedule your cut-over. She will work with each site individually to meet their EDI and cut-over date needs. Please know that the impact on your library will be minimal as use of Direct Order does not require any workflow change, with the single exception of retrieving EDI confirmations from the Acquisition Client rather than via e-mail. All sites will be migrated to Direct Order by Dec. 31, 2009. At that time, TLC will discontinue support for the Centralized EDI model altogether.

If you have questions about this positive move, feel free to contact Beth Lazarczyk or Lorrie Ann Butler.
Back

Library•Solution 4.2 patch released
TLC recently released Patch 2 for its Library•Solution^® 4.2 integrated library system. This patch provides numerous improvements to the Circulation and Preferences applications, and addresses defects identified in the Circulation client. The complete Patch 2 Enhancement and Patch documentation is available on TLC's Knowledge Base.

Library•Solution 4.2 customers are encouraged to contact TLC's Support Department to schedule a time to coordinate the installation of this latest patch. As another means to schedule the update, you can enter a support ticket at www.TLCdelivers.com/helpdesk.
Back

The Library Corporation prides itself on customer service, so it offers several ways for its valued clients to seek help and stay informed.

Library•Solution^®, Library•Solution^® for Schools, and CARL users can access customer Web sites for their products at www.tlcdelivers.com/tlc/login.asp. Log in and find up-to-date news and information about user groups, services, products, software updates, new releases, and more. The CARL Users Forum – a customer-to-customer communication channel that allows CARL customers to share important ideas and observations beyond the annual CARL Users Group meeting – also is accessible through this site.

TLC's Knowledge Base, commonly referred to as the KB, is an online repository of information that facilitates communication between TLC and Library•Solution users. Access it often for important product news, software updates, and a vast array of expert insight. Log on at http://kbase.tlcdelivers.com:8080/kbase. If you have problems or questions about using the KB, call TLC Support at 1.800.852.4911.

The Online Support Center is an interactive, Web-based system that allows you to communicate with the TLC Support Team, decide your issue's priority, and track its resolution. When you use the OSC, you'll complete a short online form called a "support request." TLC technicians will immediately respond via e-mail. As they work on your issue, you can check its status in the OSC at any time. After resolution of your request, you'll receive an email noting the problem and the solution.

Of course, you can always contact TLC's Support Team via phone, e-mail, and fax. Friendly, knowledgeable individuals are on staff from 7:30 a.m. to midnight (EST) weekdays, and emergency support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Support Phone Numbers

• Circulation: 1.800.247.2546
• Cataloging: 1.800.852.4911
• PAC: 1.800.342.5852
• Fax: 1.304.229.7759
• E-mail: support@TLCdelivers.com

Cataloging savings as easy as 1-2-3
Why should your library spend a fortune on cataloging when The Library Corporation can provide high-quality service at a fraction of the price? TLC's powerful suite of cataloging tools connects your library to 41 million MARC records from most of the same sources you already trust, including the Library of Congress, the British Library, and the National Library of Canada.

TLC's top-of-the-line yet affordable cataloging solution includes three powerful resources:

1) ITS•MARC^® – One of the world's largest, most current copy cataloging resources available. With easy access methods – Z39.50 and World Wide Web – MARC records are delivered with the quickest search technology in the library industry. ITS•MARC is updated daily with records from the Library of Congress, and a score of other databases are updated weekly, monthly, or quarterly. Best of all, ITS•MARC is offered at one low, fixed annual price, so your library can easily budget for access to a massive pool of MARC records.

2) BiblioFile^® – TLC's cataloging software for the desktop harnesses the vast amount of metadata available from ITS•MARC and other databases. BiblioFile has a respected track record of serving libraries since 1985. Today, it continues to offer powerful data manipulation features, local database and authority processing control, MARC record validation, label printing, book jacket views, Unicode features, and much more.

3) The Cataloger's Reference Shelf – A context-sensitive digital library of MARC manuals and lookup tables is included free with all TLC cataloging software products, including BiblioFile. CRS is based on two dozen electronic MARC manuals and reference works published by the Library of Congress, and has proven to be an invaluable tool for libraries by providing quick, easily accessed information about cataloging standards. The Web version of CRS is available to all users free of charge.

Discover for yourself how saving money on your library's cataloging needs is as easy as 1-2-3. For a free 30-day trial of ITS•MARC and BiblioFile with CRS, call TLC at 1.800.325.7759. You have nothing to lose and a great deal of money to save.
Back

Customers tout TLC products
TLC has been hearing a lot of positive comments in recent months from its Library•Solution^®, Library•Solution^® for Schools, and LS2 PAC customers. Here's a few of our favorites:

Countdown to LiSA/CUGM 2009
Time is running out to register for TLC's Library•Solution and CARL Users' Annual Conference. LiSA/CUGM will be held Sept. 28-Oct. 1 at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center along the banks of the Potomac River in National Harbor, Md., just 15 minutes from Washington, D.C.

The conference is reasonably priced at $250 per participant, but the registration rate rises to $300 as of Sept. 12. In addition to saving money, early registrants will have an opportunity to win a free executive suite at the Gaylord National Hotel for use during the conference. The executive suites are 850 to 1,000 square feet and include a separate bedroom with a king-size bed, a deluxe living area, a dining area that seats six, and a spacious bathroom. TLC is giving away three executive suites, with drawings taking place every time 50 people register. The first suite was already awarded to Deborah Cooke of Chesterfield County Public Schools in Richmond, Va., but two more are still up for grabs. The second drawing will be held when TLC receives a total of 100 registration forms (which could happen any day now), and the final drawing will occur when 150 participants sign up.

For those who aren't lucky enough to win an executive suite, the Gaylord is offering a special single and double discounted room rate of $139 a night, which includes $15 in resort fees. To ensure the special rate, reservations must be made by Sept. 11 by calling 1.301.965.2000 and mentioning The Library Corporation. To learn more about the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center, visit www.gaylordnational.com.

TLC promises a wealth of worthwhile activities and information during LiSA/CUGM 2009, including training and support sessions, product demonstrations, and special seminars. There also will be ample opportunities for networking and relaxing, including an optional water taxi ride to downtown Alexandria, Va., on the evening of Sept. 30.

For a program schedule and online registration form, log on. TLC looks forward to seeing you at LiSA/CUGM 2009!
Back