This just in. . .
Welcome to the July edition of The Library Corporation's electronic newsletter, e.EDITION. As this issue circulates, TLC is participating in the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. Stop by Booth 1434 to enjoy a refreshing glass of lemonade and learn about TLC's latest products and services.
We're also looking ahead to the Library•Solution and CARL Users' Annual Conference Sept. 28-Oct. 1 in the greater Washington, D.C., area. If you haven't registered, you may register online. TLC looks forward to seeing you at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center for LiSA/CUGM 2009!
TLC releases LS2 Kids: Software for the next generation
While children in today's libraries may be new readers, they are nonetheless inquisitive and confident technology users, sometimes even more so than their parents or other adults. That's why The Library Corporation (TLC) developed LS2 Kids – exciting new software designed for the next generation of library users.
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 was developed with input from a special focus group of librarians as well as children ages 5 to 11, because young people possess a great deal of technical knowledge and unique ways of looking for materials. For instance, the home screen of the LS2 Kids interface has a scrollable display of popular book series like "Harry Potter," "Dr. Seuss," "Junie B. Jones," and "The Magic School Bus." A single click calls up every title in a selected series, beginning with the most recent publication.
Scout, the curious young pup who greets users of LS2 Kids, guides children as they search for items of interest in their school or public library. Kids can click on an icon in the category wheel that encircles Scout and select from dozens of subject areas – math and reading, of course, but also fun topics like space, baseball, gymnastics, cats, hippos, dinosaurs, scary stories, and many more. They can also type a book name or subject in the search box. If a word is typed incorrectly, no problem – LS2 Kids will offer spelling suggestions and corrections.
When children search for subjects, names, or book titles, they are treated to much more than a static list of results. LS2 Kids takes them to an interactive screen that displays a cover flow of corresponding book jackets that fill the screen and indicate whether a title is available. Clicking on any book jacket spins that title around to reveal detailed information about the publication.
LS2 Kids is simple, intuitive, and playful. Children of all ages can use this powerful, engaging software with little or no assistance, and it encourages them to explore the treasures found within their library.
LS2 Kids is the perfect companion to TLC's Library•Solution® for Schools and Library•Solution®. If your library caters to young borrowers, check out the advantages offered by LS2 Kids by contacting TLC at 1.800.325.7759 or 304.229.0100, or visiting www.TLCdelivers.com.
Back
TLC expands MARC records database with EF Sears
The Library Corporation is pleased to announce that it has bolstered its already impressive ITS•MARC® database with EF SearsTM, a rich and growing collection of MARC records compiled by EF Library Services LLC.
EF Sears uses Sears subject headings in a database of more than 800,000 records. The cataloging includes exhaustive information that goes well beyond most libraries' minimum requirements. Summaries are contained in all records cataloged since 1994, and Accelerated Reader and Reading Counts! data are included for appropriate titles.
TLC is offering EF Sears as a premium add-on to ITS•MARC, one of the world's largest, most current, and authoritative cataloging databases. ITS•MARC is designed to integrate seamlessly with BiblioFile®, TLC's cataloging software that harnesses the flow of MARC information and offers powerful data manipulation features, Unicode editing, local database control, label printing, the Cataloger's Reference Shelf, and more.
ITS•MARC is a collection of more than 41 million MARC records from trusted sources including national libraries, professional cataloging services, and contributing libraries.
"The EF Sears database focuses on titles commonly found in school and small public libraries, to provide high hit rates for such facilities", said Doug Storer, TLC's cataloging product manager. "ITS•MARC delivers more value than ever with the addition of this unique and important database."
"EF Library Services is excited to be part of the data offerings available from TLC," said Karen Folstad, vice president and co-owner of the company that created EF Sears. "I have been a long-time customer of TLC, first using their BiblioFile product in the early 1990s when I was the data entry manager at Winnebago Software Company and, starting in 2006, at EF Library Services using ITS•MARC. TLC has great products and services, and EF Library Services is proud to be a partner with such a reputable company."
EF Library Services was formed by Folstad and Bob Engen in October 2006. On Oct. 1, 2008, it acquired SAVIA Library Services, and the combined firms employ a dozen people in Caledonia, Minn. Three of its employees are catalogers for the EF Sears product, offering nearly a half-century of experience with MARC records. EF Library Services focuses on K-12 and small public libraries, working with them directly or through publishers and distributors. Some of its other product offerings include barcode, spine, and reading program labels, card sets, and pockets.
TLC was founded in 1974 to create support technology for libraries and school districts of all sizes, including some of the busiest libraries in the world. The Inwood, W.Va.-based company has 200 staff members worldwide serving over 5,000 libraries. TLC's library automation, authority control, cataloging, and online selection and acquisition products also include Library•Solution®, Library•Solution® for Schools, CARL•XTM, and LS2 PAC – all backed by an unparalleled level of customer support and assistance.
For more information on TLC, call 1.800.325.7759 or visit www.TLCdelivers.com. For more information on EF Library Services, contact Karen Folstad at kfolstad@eflibraryservices.com or 1.800.442.7332, or visit www.eflsdata.com.
Back
Grant allows North Carolina library to upgrade
A problem never presents itself at an opportune time. Case in point: The New Hanover County Public Library in Wilmington, N.C., which found itself in need of an automation system upgrade just as the nation's economy started tumbling into a recession.
Library Director Harry Tuchmayer said New Hanover County had been using a VTLS integrated library system (ILS) since 1992, and it was overdue for an upgrade. But it would have cost $80,000 to implement the 21st century features that Tuchmayer wanted at his five library sites.
That's when Tuchmayer realized that $80,000 would be better spent on an entirely new ILS. He researched his options and found exactly what he was looking for with The Library Corporation. "In a nutshell, I was excited about its innovative approach to a number of applications," Tuchmayer said.
The New Hanover County Public Library selected TLC's Library•Solution® automation system and several companion programs, including the beautiful LS2 PAC that makes it possible for library borrowers to access and view digital content. Tuchmayer said LS2 PAC's digital-content management solution was a "big selling point, exactly what we were looking for. And it will be a benefit for many libraries in the future."
Tuchmayer's praise for LS2 PAC continued. "I loved the integration of new technology," he said, noting program features that allow library patrons to add their own unique search tags to items, as well as RSS news feeds that highlight library books related to current events. "We saw this as a catalog that our patrons would enjoy using."
Add in TLC's "forward-looking acquisitions module" and the New Hanover County Public Library was sold. But could the library afford it? Tuchmayer said the county's Board of Commissioners had already braced itself for an $80,000 expenditure, but getting more money for an entirely new ILS appeared unlikely.
Tuchmayer was determined, and his diligence paid off. The New Hanover County Public Library was awarded a federal Library Services and Technology Act grant administered by the State Library of North Carolina. The grant required a 20 percent funding match by the county commissioners, and Tuchmayer said the local contribution was actually well below the $80,000 initially budgeted for the VTLS upgrade.
The New Hanover County Public Library – which has an annual circulation of nearly 1.2 million and is home to 265,000 titles and more than 407,000 other items – will implement TLC's library automation solutions in mid-September. Tuchmayer believes the investment will pay dividends for years to come: "I'm just hopeful that our public is as excited and pleased about this as we are," he said.
Back
Contra Costa County Library selects next-generation ILS
The Contra Costa County Library continues to "Bring People and Ideas Together" with its selection of The Library Corporation's CARL•XTM, a next generation ILS. As the successor to CARL•Solution® – the library's current ILS – CARL•X is the perfect companion for California's Contra Costa County Library and its populous and bustling community.
Known for its inventive use of Web 2.0 technologies and myriad of online innovations such as storytime podcasts and instant-messaging reference services, the January 2010 upgrade of CARL•X will give the library and its borrowers access to a simple, elegant automation system with powerful Google-like search options and artificial intelligence capabilities. Over 400,000 CCCL patrons will also have online payment flexibility through TLC's eCommerce service, and will continue with the popular online borrower registration e-Card service launched in 2007 after the library system upgrades to CARL•X.
Additionally, the Contra Costa County Library will implement TLC's innovative LS2 PAC, a beautiful software add-on that includes the eye-catching Book River display of titles in the CCCL collection, RSS news feeds that highlight current events and related library books, maps that show where items are located within a building, and numerous other amenities valued by borrowers and staff members. For example, a library patron using LS2 PAC will be able to assign a search tag to a favorite book, submit a personal review of the title, and add it to a preferred reading list that can be shared with friends and fellow borrowers through RSS feeds.
The Contra Costa County Library serves a population of nearly 1.1 million in the San Francisco Bay area with a variety of programs and services. It is comprised of 25 library buildings and another nine service points within the community, including three popular Library-a-Go-Go lending machines. The library system offers 338,621 titles and 1,408,736 items, and has an annual circulation of more than 6.1 million.
Back
Indiana library 'looking forward to moving to TLC'
When administrators at the Warsaw Community Public Library realized the time had come to upgrade their integrated library system (ILS), they wanted a customized system that would allow them to offer more to their community. So they decided to step up to The Library Corporation's Library•Solution®.
"Of the systems that we looked at, it offered the most of what we looked for, especially in the acquisitions area," Joni L. Brookins, the Indiana library's assistant director responsible for technical services at the facility, said of the Library•Solution ILS and its add-on products. Brookins praised TLC's Online Selection and Acquisitions program, which will help her library manage the entire acquisitions process – selection, purchasing, receiving, invoice management, fund accounting – while serving various collection needs, creating wish lists of books to be ordered, and providing complete ordering, invoicing, and fund-management functions.
Brookins said she was also "very impressed" with LS2 PAC, and she believes the Warsaw-area residents who visited her library about 264,000 times last year will be, too. LS2 PAC boasts the Book River, an eye-catching representation of titles available in the Warsaw Community Public Library, as well as RSS news feeds that highlight topical events and related library books, maps that show where items are located within the library, list-creation capabilities for book clubs and other community groups, and more. "I think they'll really like the functions that are now going to be included – tagging, the faceted search capability, (and the ability to) do reviews of materials they've used," Brookins said. "Those are things we haven't had that are going to be very nice."
The amenities won't be confined within the library's walls. Thanks to TLC's automation solutions, Brookins said, "We're going to be able to more closely mesh our online presence with our catalog, offering our library users Web 2.0 applications."
"At a time when library automation is increasingly seen as a generic utility or commodity, we are happy that Warsaw Community Public Library recognizes and shares TLC's commitment to using the latest technology to improve the library experience in its community, allowing staff to focus more time on customer service," said Gar Sydnor, senior vice president of The Library Corporation.
The Warsaw Community Public Library opened in 1917 in downtown Warsaw, a northern Indiana township. The library, which serves a population of over 25,000, implemented its first automation system in 1995. Its holdings include about 167,600 titles and approximately 206,603 items, which account for an estimated total of 549,000 checkouts per year.
"We're looking forward to moving to TLC in August, and what TLC can do for our customers," Brookins said.
Back
BiblioFile update released
Version 1.5 of BiblioFile has been released and is available for download. This new version of The Library Corporation's popular cataloging software for MARC records is primarily a licensing update, but it does include important corrections for Z39.50 and ISBN-13. Additionally, the latest Cataloger's Reference Shelf is included as part of the free BiblioFile update. The revised CRS incorporates recent 440 field changes.
BiblioFile users should upgrade their workstations as soon as practical, because version 1.4 of the program will cease to function after Aug. 1. The new version 1.5 can be downloaded at no charge from www.itsmarc.com/BiblioFileDownloadPage.asp. Please note the special instructions for installing BiblioFile on Vista computers.
Any questions regarding the update or its installation may be referred to TLC Support at 1.800.852.4911 or 304.229.0100. BiblioFile users may also visit www.itsmarc.com/BiblioFileNews.asp for more information.
Back
Active Directory available
Active Directory is an implementation of LDAP directory services by Microsoft for use primarily in Windows environments. The Library Corporation's utilization of Active Directory with Library•Solution software will provide central authentication and authorization services for Windows-based computers, making log on faster and simpler by employing the user's network credentials to access TLC's software suite. For more information, contact your TLC representative in Inwood, W.Va., at 1.800.325.7759 or 304.229.0100.
While Active Directory is only offered with Library•Solution, CARL.X users can take advantage of single log on and Webcheck. To learn more, visit TLC's Knowledge Base or get in touch with your TLC rep in Denver at 303.758.3030.
Back
Reports Manager download posted
The Second Quarter 2009 release of standard reports for Reports Manager is available for download in the Technical Information/Reports section on the Library•Solution customer Web site. The package is entitled "Reports Only - build 13" and is for TLC customers using Library•Solution 4.x. On the site, there are instructions for importing the reports into your Library•Solution Reports Manager system.
The package contains 23 new, three rewritten, and 14 updated reports. Report names and descriptions can be found on the Library•Solution customer Web site in the Documentation/L.S Reports Manager section. If you need help with the import, please contact TLC Support and we will be glad to walk you through the process.
Back
Customers praise TLC's Denver office
The Library Corporation's Denver office has been hearing lots of kind words from CARL customers:
- Arlington Public Library
- "Thanks for the extended effort and attention to Arlington's issues this week. We appreciate it and we look forward to continuing to work together to follow up and resolve some of the really significant ones. It is always a revelation how much more understanding of the actual issues and progress toward resolution occurs when we have an opportunity for an onsite discussion."
- Arlington Public Schools
- "I personally appreciated all that you did yesterday and the follow-up e-mail . . . . that was in my in box this morning when I arrived at work. . . . I commend you on all your efforts. We have a lot to do and I'm looking forward to our continued work together, as a team, to resolve the issues."
- Contra Costa County Library
- "We got the new machine plugged in today and it's making calls right now. Thanks for doing such a great job on it!"
- Pasco County Library System
- "We . . . appreciate the time and effort you spent with our staff explaining this new product (LS2 PAC) we were so lucky to beta test. You answered our long list of questions, and were not exasperated when we continually brought up the difficulties with the login. It all worked out and there were not the hundreds of angry e-mails I anticipated, only seven. We are happy with the product, love the features – but mostly we are happy you thought it important enough to train us on it. Thanks so much for your energy."
- "… I am very pleased with the use of Google Analytics in LS2. It works better than I imagined. I especially find the fact that I can pull stats on individual searches and sort them either by number of visits or number of searches to be useful. I see this as a tremendous asset for collection development and for the IT department in regards to asset allocation. It will allow us to measure the success of library programs that promote materials contained within our catalog, promotional materials on third-party sites (Vimeo, Myspace, Blogspot, etc.), and our Web page. Those measurements will give us the flexibility to continue and duplicate the successful efforts and discontinue others."
- Sno-Isle Regional Library System
- "Thanks again to you and your colleagues for assisting us with our recent data request. You really saved us and I can't express how grateful we are, especially to perform this on such short notice."
At TLC, customer service is always our top priority. CARL users can look forward to several product upgrades in the coming weeks, including the releases of CARLwebX 7.2 and CARL•X 7.3, both on Aug. 5, and CARL•Solution 5.5 on Aug. 3. For details, check with your TLC representative in Denver.
Back
Calendar of Events |
IFLA |
Library.Solution and CARL Users' Annual Conference |
Kentucky Library Association |
North Carolina Library Association |
Missouri Library Association |
Illinois Library Association |
Pennsylvania Library Association |
Ohio Library Council |
Arkansas Library Association |
Virginia Library Association |
ISLMA |
California Library Association |
We're pleased to participate in this year's 75th IFLA General Conference and Assembly at Fiera Milano Convention Center. Please visit us at Booth #814 
Make plans now to join us for LiSA/CUGM 2009 at the Greater Washington, D.C. Area 
Make plans now to join us at the 2009 KLA/KSMA Conference at the Galt House Hotel & Suites, September 30 - October 3, 2009. Please visit the The Library Corporation booth. 
We're pleased to participate in the 2009 NCLA Conference in Greenville, NC, October 6 - October 9, 2009. Please visit The Library Corporation booth.
We're pleased to participate in this year's Illinois Library Association at the Peoria Civic Center in Peoria, IL. Please visit The Library Corporation at #207.
We're pleased to participate in the Pennsylvania Library Association Conference at the Harrisburg Hilton in Harrisburg, PA. October 18 - October 21, 2009. Please visit The Library Corporation booth.
We're pleased to participate in the Ohio Library Council Conference at the Renaissance Hotel in Cleveland, OH October 21 - October 23, 2009. Please visit The Library Corporation booth.
We're pleased to participate in the ISLMA Conference at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield, IL October 29 - October 31, 2009. Please visit The Library Corporation booth.
We're pleased to participate in the California Library Association Conference in Pasadena, CA October 30 - November 2, 2009. Please visit The Library Corporation booth.