Featured Link

Featured Link: World Book Trade (e-books, awards, videos)

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Ukraine wary of KGB terror files

Ukraine wary of KGB terror files"Ukraine is opening up part of its old KGB archive, declassifying hundreds of thousands of documents spanning the entire Soviet period. But the move to expose Soviet-era abuses is dividing Ukrainians, the BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse reports from Kiev" - BBC

OCLC eNews - June 2009

OCLC eNews: Newsletter for Europe, Middle East & Africa - June 2009 now available

JISC Podcast/Press Release: Effective Practice in a Digital Age

"In a world where we are surrounded by technology, where boundaries between our personal and professional lives merge, JISC's e-Learning team have been looking at how to support teachers, researchers and academics with best practice advice and guidance for working in a 'digital age'. In this podcast with Rebecca O'Brien, Sarah Knight, a JISC e-Learning programme manager, shares the success of the team's Effective Best Practice guide series and launches a new publication 'Effective Practice in a Digital Age'. This new guide puts the teacher and learning at its centre and takes those new and experienced in using Web 2.0 technologies on a journey to enhance their practices and illustrates through case studies how practitioners are opening up their practice and enhancing the learner experience as well as their own"

InSITE - June 29, 2009

InSITE: A Current Awareness Service of Cornell Law Library - Vol. 14, No. 22, June 29, 2009 is now available

Bagit: Transferring Content for Digital Preservation (Library of Congress)

"The Library of Congress' steadily growing digital collections arrive primarily over the network rather than on hardware media. But that data transfer can be difficult because different organizations have different policies and technologies. The Library - with the California Digital Library and Stanford University - has developed guidelines for creating and moving standardized digital containers, called 'bags.' A bag functions like a physical envelope that is used to send content through the mail but with bags, a user sends content from one computer to another. Bags have a sparse, uncomplicated structure that transcends differences in institutional data, data architecture, formats and practices. A bag's minimal but essential metadata is machine readable, which makes it easy to automate ingest of the data. Bags can be sent over computer networks or physically moved using portable storage devices. Bags have built-in inventory checking, to help ensure that content transferred intact. Bags are flexible and can work in many different settings, including situations where the content is located in more than one place. This video describes the preparation and transfer of data over the network in bags"

JISC Digital Content Conference 2009

JISC Digital Content Conference - 30 June to 1 July, 2009 - South Cerney, Gloucestershire, UK. Update: "The event is full but you can still view and interact with the event. It was always our intention to amplify the event so that as many people could access the event and to a degree interact with the event via twitter and blog posts (tag#jdcc09). We will be live streaming from http://www.jisc.ac.uk/jdcc09 at 11.30 BST."

NASA, Japan release most complete topographic map of earth

NASA, Japan release most complete topographic map of earthNASA and Japan have released a new digital topographic map of Earth that covers more of our planet than ever before. The map was produced with detailed measurements from NASA's Terra spacecraft. The new global digital elevation model of Earth was created from nearly 1.3 million individual stereo-pair images collected by the Japanese Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer, or Aster, instrument aboard Terra. NASA and Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, known as METI, developed the data set. It is available online to users everywhere at no cost

Digital Debut: Tool Time

This video podcast features an insider's presentation of new and soon-to-be-mainstreamed web-based entities providing innovative digital services and tools to authors, publishers and readers. Moderated by Mike Shatzkin, Founder & CEO of Idea Logical Co, Inc, this panel featured Hugh McGuire, co-founder & President of BookOven; Mark Coker, founder & CEO of Smashwords, Inc.; Neil Jones, inventor of the Cool-er Reader; and Peter Clifton, President & CEO, of FiledBy, Inc.

New ALA Web site helps library job seekers succeed

"A new American Library Association Web site - Get a Job! - offers library-job seekers advice, resources, links, best practices and real-life examples. Full of advice for finding a job in the current tough economy, it features information from a range of ALA divisions and units, as well as links to information about general best practices in job seeking"

Monday, June 29, 2009

LISTen: The LISNews.org Podcast - Episode #78

LISTen: The LISNews.org Podcast - Episode #78. "This week's podcast brings you up to date in covering the Ohio libraries situation". Previous Podcasts can be found here

Meeting with Microsoft Bing

Karen Blakeman, Phil Bradley, and other Web 2.0 commentators will be meeting today with Microsoft to discuss the new Bing search service. You can follow the meeting on Twitter via the #meetbing hashtag or RSS Feed

Amazon.ca First Novel Award finalists

The finalists of the Amazon.ca First Novel Award have been announced

Charles W. Bailey, Jr. - A Brief Look Back at Twenty Years as an Internet Open Access Publisher

Charles W. Bailey, Jr. looks back at twenty years as an Internet Open Access publisher

BTB #105: BISG Trends 2009 Report

"In its annual report on the book publishing business, The Book Industry Study Group names the 'leaders and laggards' for 2008, and looks ahead to 2009 and 2010 for signs of recovery and growth. Information 'feeds the agile response' necessary to survival, say co-authors Michael Healy, BISG head, and Leigh Watson-Healy, Outsell chief analyst"

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Papers of Russian-American writer Vladimir Nabokov opened for research at the Library of Congress

"The papers of Russian poet and novelist Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov (1899-1977) are now open to researchers in the Library of Congress Manuscript Division. The collection is of major value to Nabokov scholars as well as to specialists in the areas of Russian and American literary history and translation. The Nabokov Papers are among the Library's holdings of 20th-century novelists' papers such as those of Philip Roth, Bernard Malamud and Ralph Ellison. Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Nabokov and his family were forced into exile after the Russian Revolution. They settled briefly in England before moving to Berlin, Germany, in 1920. Before joining his family in Germany, the multilingual Nabokov earned a bachelor's degree in French and Russian literature at Trinity College in Cambridge in 1922. That same year, his father was assassinated in Berlin by Russian monarchists as he fought to protect their real target, a leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party-in-exile"

SAGE to publish Index on Censorship

"SAGE and the Index on Censorship have announced that SAGE will publish Index on Censorship from January 2010. Launched in 1972, Index on Censorship is the only magazine devoted to protecting and promoting free expression. International in outlook, outspoken in comment, and publishing some of the world's finest writers, Index exposes stories that are suppressed, publishes banned writing, initiates debate and gives breadth to news that has often been 'dumbed down' in the world's media."

Saturday, June 27, 2009

CASLnetwork - Canadian Association for School Libraries

"CASL has created this network so that teacher librarians and school library staff across Canada can meet, discuss issues, ask questions, form like minded groups, (either by province or territory or by themes like Advocacy or Literacy Skills), post pictures and videos. This is the starting point. Anyone working in a school library in Canada is invited to join."

Podcast: Researching the British Empire and Commonwealth

An introduction, using case studies, to the records of British government departments responsible for the administration of colonial affairs from about 1801 to 1968 - UK National Archives - more podcasts

Alice Munro wins Man Booker International Prize 2009

"Alice Munro collected the Man Booker International Prize 2009 during a ceremony at Trinity College Dublin. The Canadian writer received a trophy along with the £60,000 award. The Man Booker International Prize is awarded once every two years to a living author for a body of work. The inaugural award was given to Ismail Kadaré in 2005 and the second to Chinua Achebe in 2007. Jane Smiley, chair of judges, gave a speech asking Alice Munro to receive the prize "as gratitude, our gratitude for her work." Smiley also called for more work to be translated into English and highlighted the importance of the Man Booker International Prize as "It offers a vantage point from which English language readers and publishers may survey the world"."

Royal Society Prize for Science Books shortlist

Royal Society Prize for Science Books shortlist"It's a transatlantic race between the American academics and the UK's journalists and biographers in the competition for this year's Royal Society Prize for Science Books. The shortlist for the world's most prestigious awards for science writing was announced 25 June, and was made up of three books written by US academics and three written by British journalists and biographers."

The six books shortlisted by the judges are:

* What the nose knows: The science of scent in everyday life by Avery Gilbert (Crown Publishers)

* Bad science by Ben Goldacre (Harper Perennial)

* The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic generation discovered the beauty and terror of science by Richard Holmes (HarperPress)

* Decoding the heavens: Solving the mystery of the world's first computer by Jo Marchant (William Heinemann)

* The drunkard's walk: How randomness rules our lives by Leonard Mlodinow (Penguin)

* Your inner fish: The amazing discovery of our 375-million-year-old ancestor by Neil Shubin (Penguin)

The winner will be announced at an event at the Royal Society on 15 September 2009 and awarded £10,000. The authors of each shortlisted book will receive £1000

The Michael Marks Awards for Poetry Pamphlets winners

The winners of the Michael Marks Awards for Poetry Pamphlets have now been announced. Elizabeth Burns has won the Poetry Award for The Shortest Days and Oystercatcher Press has won the Publishers' Award

Directory of Open Access Journals - recently added titles

Asian Culture and History

International Education Studies

Journal of Sustainable Development

Open Obesity Journal

Open Prostate Cancer Journal

S : Journal of the Jan van Eyck Circle for Lacanian Ideology Critique

Dicle Medical Journal

Journal of Forensic Dental Sciences

Journal of Gynecological Endoscopy and Surgery

Princípios : Revista de Filosofia

ZooKeys

The Brock Review

Journal of International Research Publications : Economy & Business

Revue de la Régulation : Capitalisme, Institutions, Pouvoirs

Global Journal of Health Science

Journal of Geography and Geology

Applied Physics Research

Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology

AALL Spectrum - July 2009

AALL Spectrum - July 2009 is now available from the American Association of Law Libraries

Call for Submissions: Greening Libraries

"Greening Libraries, edited by Monika Antonelli and Mark McCullough and published by Library Juice Press, is a collection of essays, papers and articles on various aspects of the green library movement. The editors are seeking articles from a variety of perspectives on a wide range of topics related to green practices, sustainability and the library profession. Greening Libraries will offer an overview of important aspects of the growing green library movement, including, but not limited to, green buildings, alternative energy resources, conservation, green library services and practices, operations, programming, and outreach"

The Code4Lib Journal - Issue 7

The Code4Lib Journal - Issue 7 is now available

TechKNOW June 2009

TechKNOW - the quarterly review of bright ideas published by the Technical Services Division of the Ohio Library Council - Volume 15, Issue 1, June 2009 is now available

Veto would wipe out State support for Connecticut libraries

"Librarians in Connecticut are caught in the crossfire of a budget battle between Connecticut Gov. Jodi Rell and the state legislature that could zero out state aid for libraries beginning July 1. Among the programs whose funding would be suspended is the Department of Information Technology's Connecticut Education Network, which subsidies internet connections for schools and libraries statewide"

Friday, June 26, 2009

The Friday Brain-teaser from Credo Reference

The Friday Brain-teaser from Credo Reference - this week: When. This week's brainteaser is about the years when particular things happened. All you have to do is choose the right date from three possibilities Answers here.

1. Did the "Titanic" sink in 1902, 1912 or 1922?
2. Was the film "Jurassic Park" released in 1991, 1993 or 1995?
3. Did the USA enter World War II in 1941, 1942 or 1943?
4. Was the Hubble Space Telescope launched in 1990, 1992 or 1995?
5. Was the Compact Disc (CD), launched as a joint venture by Sony and Philips, first available to the public at the end of 1978, 1980 or 1982?
6. Did King John sign the Magna Carta in 1215, 1315 or 1415?
7. Was the Berlin Wall dismantled in 1985, 1987 or 1989?
8. Was the Beatles' album "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" released in 1966, 1967 or 1968?
9. Did the American Civil War begin in 1851, 1861 or 1871?
10. Was the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart born in 1756, 1796 or 1836?

Open Educational Resources programme launches (UK)

"On June 24, 2009 the Higher Education Academy and JISC launched its Open Educational Resources programme, helping to drive open innovation across the UK. This week's announcement by David Lammy (Minister for Higher Education and IPR) to create an online innovation fund and the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP's celebration of the Open University show the importance of accessing and opening up digital education resources. Open Educational Resources (OER), funded by HEFCE and run by the Academy and JISC, aims to make a wide range of learning resources created by academics freely available, easily discovered and routinely re-used by both educators and learners. OER could include full courses, course materials, complete modules, notes, videos, assessments, tests, simulations, worked examples, software, and any other tools or materials or techniques used to support access to knowledge. These resources will be released under an intellectual property license that permits open use and adaptation."

IMLS launches "Libraries to the Rescue" podcast series

"The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the primary source of federal funding for the United States' 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums, has announced the launch of the Libraries to the Rescue series of podcast episodes. Library use is on a steady rise and the economic downturn has resulted in even greater need for library services. IMLS introduced Libraries to the Rescue to share with libraries steps that other libraries have taken to help their communities"

Twitter for Librarians

This half-day workshop introduces Twitter, the new microblogging service. Participants will learn what Twitter is, why it's useful within a library context, what libraries and librarians are doing with it and it's role within an overall library context. They will also have an opportunity to create an account, start following people, posting 'tweets', using the search options and exploring other Twitter applications. Course leader: Phil Bradley - 24 September 2009, London, UK

EDINA Newsline June 2009

EDINA Newsline June 2009 is now available

ARL Statistics 2007-08 published

ARL Statistics 2007-08 have been published by the Association of Research Libraries

Road to Copenhagen: December 2009 (UK)

From the UK Government:
In December 2009, Denmark will host a major United Nations conference in Copenhagen. At this conference, a meaningful global agreement must be reached to tackle climate change for when the current Kyoto protocol - governing reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases - expires in 2012. Climate change is a global threat, and Copenhagen represents our best opportunity yet to tackle it effectively. The UK Government is aiming to reach an ambitious agreement at Copenhagen, supported by effective domestic action. Together with our EU partners we have already made a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% below 1990 levels by 2020, with an offer to reduce emissions by 30% if an ambitious global deal is agreed.
As part of the countdown to Copenhagen, the Government has published:

* A Road to Copenhagen document, [2MB PDF] laid before Parliament, that sets out why a deal is so important and, for the first time, the details of what kind a deal the UK Government is pushing for.

* Thousands of Road to Copenhagen pamphlets [1MB PDF], which will be sent out to schools, citizens advice centres and libraries explaining why a global deal is vital and giving 15 top tips on what each of us can do to cut our carbon footprint as part of the global effort. You can order the hardcopy pamphlets by emailing actonco2@cambertown.com

* Launching - www.actoncopenhagen.gov.uk – the official UK government website that presents the position on climate change negotiations in Copenhagen, 2009. It will act as the domestic and international hub for information and communications in the lead up to Copenhagen

Thursday, June 25, 2009

2009 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Children's Book Awards winners

The winners of the 2009 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Children's Book Awards have been announced. Siobhan Dowd has won the Carnegie Award for Bog Child and Catherine Rayner has won the Kate Greenaway Award for Harris Finds His Feet

Librarians' Internet Index - New This Week

Librarians' Internet Index - New This Week - June 25, 2009

OUP reference launches on iPhone

Oxford University Press has made 11 of its reference dictionaries available for the first time on the iPhone and iTouch Apps priced GBP8.99 each. The dictionaries have been made available through White Park Bay Software. They are searchable and have unlimited bookmarking. Previously viewed definitions can be logged and revisited later, like the History function on an internet browser

Local and Regional History Online from Alexander Street Press and Arcadia Publishing

Local and Regional History Online from Alexander Street Press and Arcadia Publishing"Alexander Street Press and Arcadia Publishing, whose award-winning history books cover thousands of towns and cultural groups in all fifty states, have partnered to create Local and Regional History Online: A History of American Life in Images and Texts. The online collection is growing to include 5,000 individual volumes, with 650,000 pages and more than a million images. Each book alone tells a small piece of American history. But when searched together through Alexander Street's Semantic Indexing, the collection becomes a massive and powerful primary-source research tool, a tapestry of the places and people that have made America. Libraries are filled with history books about 'great men.' Here is history through the stories and images of everyman and everywoman, giving readers a balanced understanding of history through place and time"

FreePint Newsletter 280

FreePint Newsletter 280 - 25 June, 2009 now available

Nixon Presidential Library opens additional White House tape recordings and textual materials

The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, one of 12 Presidential libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration, has opened approximately 154 hours of Nixon White House tape recordings and approximately 30,000 pages of textual materials from the Nixon Presidency

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

EBSCO Publishing on Twitter

Get the latest Tweets about EBSCO Publishing on Twitter. You will also find lots of other publishing industry resources with Twitter accounts here

AHRC Postgraduate Studentship 2009 - Oxford Internet Institute

An AHRC doctoral studentship is available at the Oxford Internet Institute starting this fall. The studentship provides full fees and maintenance for eligible UK students, or full fees for eligible EU students. The area of study is Librarianship, Archives and Records Management, which is broadly defined and includes information communities and the use and management of information in all forms and in all contexts; all aspects of archive administration and records management; all aspects of information policy in the information society; information systems; systems thinking; systems development; information retrieval (including interfaces and gateways); preservation and conservation of recorded information including Film archiving. The deadline for application is 3 July 2009

ALA and Scholastic Library Publishing announce 2010 National Library Week Grant

Libraries across the United States are invited to apply for the $3,000 Scholastic Library Publishing National Library Week Grant, which will be awarded to a single library for the best public awareness campaign incorporating the 2010 National Library Week theme, "Communities thrive @ your library®." The grant is sponsored by Scholastic Library Publishing, a division of Scholastic, and is administered by the Public Awareness Committee of the American Library Association. This year's application deadline is October 16, 2009. National Library Week is April 11-17, 2010

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Thomson Reuters releases 2008 Journal Citation Reports

"The Healthcare & Science business of Thomson Reuters has announced the release of the 2008 Journal Citation Reports, available to subscribers of the JCR. These metrics have come to define journal performance across disciplines and institutions worldwide. The 2008 JCR contains more than 400 new titles, including more than 350 titles that will have their first published Journal Impact Factor. The release of the 2008 Journal Citation Reports includes the first-ever update to the newly introduced Five Year Impact Factor and Eigenfactor™ Metrics in JCR Web. Eigenfactor™ Metrics use citing journal data from the entire JCR file to reflect the prestige and citation influence of journals by considering scholarly literature as a network of journal-to-journal relationships"

The Idler via Exact Editions - trial issue available

The Idler via Exact EditionsThe Idler is a bi-annual, book-shaped magazine that campaigns against the work ethic. It was founded in 1993 by Tom Hodgkinson and his friend Gavin Pretor-Pinney. The title comes from a series of essays by Dr Johnson, published in 1758-9 in the Gentleman's Magazine. The intention of the magazine is to return dignity to the art of loafing, to make idling into something to aspire towards rather than reject. As well as providing a radical and thought-provoking read, The Idler is also very funny. The trial issue of The Idler is a joint project with those marvellously polite revolutionaries, the men from QI, John Lloyd and John Mitchinson. It features sixteen fascinating facts from the QI databanks, a quite interesting conversation and QI presents idleness among the animals. Other features include Warwick Cairns on why danger is safer, John Mitchinson celebrates the revolutionary life of William Morris and Paul Hamilton explores the wit and wisdom of Andy Warhol

Science Fiction Film and Television via Project Muse

Science Fiction Film and Television, published by Liverpool University Press, is now available via Project Muse

Igitur Newsletter - Issue 2, June 2009

The Igitur Newsletter is a quarterly publication of Igitur, Utrecht Publishing and Archiving Services, a department of the Utrecht University Library. issue 2, June 2009 is now available

2009 Scottish Book of the Year winner

"Acclaimed writer James Kelman has won Book of the Year 2009 in the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Book Awards for his novel Kieron Smith, boy. Managed by the Scottish Arts Council the awards are Scotland's richest book awards and net the author a total prize of GBP30,000. Kelman was presented with his GBP30,000 cheque by Sir Donald MacKay, Chairman of Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust at a prestigious ceremony at Borders Book Festival in Melrose on Friday 19 June, hosted by writer and comedian Rory Bremner"

2008 IFLA Annual Report

"2008 was a full and busy year for IFLA in all areas of our work. It saw changes in HQ staff, prepared the ground for future changes in its professional structure, strengthened the capacity to represent the library and information community by creating a consistent advocacy framework and set the basis for improving internal and external communication. Read all about this exciting year in IFLA's 2008 Annual Report"

Springer launches MyCopy service for eBook users

"Following the successful completion of the MyCopy pilot project, the specialist publishing group Springer Science+Business Media has, with immediate effect, extended this eBook service to all academic libraries in the USA and Canada that have purchased Springer eBook Collections. All registered library patrons will be able to order a softcover copy of a Springer eBook for their personal use by clicking on a button on the Springer platform www.springerlink.com. "

M-Libraries: Information use on the move

"Developing m-library services is usually expensive and resource intensive, requiring expertise that existing library staff may not have. Before committing funding and staff time to such projects, it is important to try and ensure, as far as possible, that such investments are targeted at meeting actual needs, and are adding value to existing library services. The Information Use on the Move project was undertaken in that spirit - to scope the information requirements of academic library users on the move in order to inform future development of library services to mobile devices. The aim was to identify trends in the way people currently interact with information using their mobile phones, and then extrapolate ways that libraries could support those mobile information needs." - A report from the Arcadia Programme, by Keren Mills

Directory of Open Access Journals - recently added titles

International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Ion Exchange Letters

Journal of International Research Publications : Materials, Methods & Technologies

Journal of Young Pharmacists

Digitization of Library Material in Europe

Digitization of Library Material in Europe: Following the successful Workshop on the Digitisation of Library Material in Europe held in 2007, LIBER and EBLIDA will hold a second edition that will take place at the Royal Library of The Netherlands from 19 to 21 October 2009. Topics in the programme are: public-private partnerships, new economic models, digitisation needs of research and public libraries, measuring the impact of digitisation projects, aggregation of digital content, interoperability and metadata issues

All back issues of Cataloging Service Bulletin now available free online

"All 123 issues of Cataloging Service Bulletin (CSB) are now available at no cost. CSB is a quarterly bulletin that includes current, new, and revised information about LC cataloging and classification practices and policies. CSB lists revised AACR2 rules, LC Rule Interpretations, changes to the ALA/LC Romanization tables, changes to the LC Subject Headings, and includes "Cataloging Publication News" and "News of Cataloging Projects," and more. CSB Issue 1 (summer 1978) through the current issue 123 (Spring 2009) can be accessed directly from the Library of Congress's Cataloging Distribution Service (CDS) website. The entire 31 years of CSB are made available by LC as a free service to the worldwide library community."

ACRL announces summer 2009 e-Learning schedule

"The Association of College and Research Libraries is offering a wide variety of online learning opportunities in summer 2009 to meet the demands of your schedule and budget."

Monday, June 22, 2009

LISTen: The LISNews.org Podcast - Episode #77

LISTen: The LISNews.org Podcast - Episode #77. "This week's episode ranges widely. First up we take a first look at Greenstone 2.82. After that we hear from the US Department of Agriculture about a new data set format for their Census of Agriculture. After that we have another installment of Apocalypse Radio that turns to discussing computer training on very specific topics". Previous Podcasts can be found here

JISC Podcast: Virtual Research Environments 3 - bridge the gap for researchers

"As JISC launches a new suite of work in virtual research environments (VRE), Frederique Van Till programme manager in e-research running JISC's VRE3 programme, talks to Rebecca O'Brien about how these environments can not only bring people together within universities but how projects are connecting outside their institution, with industry and business too."

Sunday, June 21, 2009

BMJ Group Institutional Newsletter - June 2009

The June 2009 issue of the BMJ Group Institutional Newsletter is now available

Credo Reference facilitates access to its online reference content

"It's now easier to access Credo Reference remotely. As a result of significant enhancements to the remote user login process, it's much easier for users to find libraries to which they belong and that subscribe to Credo’s award-winning online reference library. The new login process aids remote users in discovering a library through which they can access Credo Reference's online collection of over three million cross-searchable entries from over 400 key titles and 63 publishers. Credo's library discovery page provides three ways for users to locate their library:

* Based on the geo-location of a user's IP address, the discovery page displays links to libraries closest to the user.
* For users who may not be physically close to their library, the discovery page allows them to select a library using country, region and city dropdown menus.
* Users who are travelling can also search for their library by name"

Information Research - March 2009

Information Research - Volume 14 No 1 - March 2009 is now available from Publisher/Editor in Chief, Professor Tom Wilson

The E-Resources Management Handbook

"The E-Resources Management Handbook incorporates 21 chapters covering licensing, statistics, archiving, resource discovery, marketing and ERM systems among many other topics. As a "living" e-book, chapters are reviewed periodically and updated when necessary - but they are never removed, even when superseded, so that the book is an evolving record of the state of the field"

Creating and sharing digital content: promises and pitfalls

Creating and sharing digital content: promises and pitfalls - This seminar offers participants the opportunity to hear from UK based teams about their experiences in relation to the reuse, repurposing and sharing of digital content in the real world - 16 July 2009 - Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK

Reprints Desk launches 'Mighty Linkout Machine' PDF article retrieval solution for scientific, technical, and medical research

"Reprints Desk, Inc. has announced the launch of Mighty Linkout Machine, an article retrieval solution that simplifies access to scientific, technical and medical research for end users, and saves research intensive organizations between tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in document delivery costs. Mighty Linkout Machine enables research scientists and other knowledge professionals to access scientific literature in one of three ways, all through a single user-defined interface: Via an article-level link to electronic holdings, a bounceback link to an item that can be sourced from a local library collection, or a document delivery link to download a single pay-perview PDF journal article"

CQ Press' Political Contact Suite goes mobile

"CQ Press' Political Contact Suite has gone mobile. The CQ Press Congressional Staff Directory is now accessible on BlackBerry and iPhone. Mobile access to the CQ Press Federal Staff Directory and Judicial Staff Directory will also be possible soon. The CQ Press Political Contact Suite is an integrated online resource comprising eight authoritative directories containing nearly 170,000 contacts, profiles, and biographies for the members and staff of Congress, the federal government, and the judiciary, as well as non-governmental organizations"

New version of the Oxford English Dictionary on CD-ROM

"With a brand new interface, new words and meanings, and now Mac-compatible, this new CD-ROM of the Oxford English Dictionary has many exciting features, including a word-wheel which supports incremental letter-by-letter browsing"

2009 Charleston Conference - registration open

"The 2009 Charleston Conference is an informal annual gathering of librarians, publishers, electronic resource managers, consultants, and vendors of library materials in Charleston, SC, USA, November 4-7, to discuss issues of importance to them all. It is designed to be a collegial gathering of individuals from different areas who discuss the same issues in a non-threatening, friendly, and highly informal environment" - Registration is now open

CLIR Issues - Number 69

CLIR Issues - Number 69, May/June 2009 - is now available from the Council on Library and Information Resources

JISC Inform 25

JISC Inform 25 is now available from the Joint Information Systems Committee

Saturday, June 20, 2009

BBC launches Queen Elizabeth archive

"This collection follows Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's journey from Princess to Queen, from her first broadcast at the age of 14 to the announcement of her accession at 24. The programmes reveal the role that the young princess played both during the difficult days of World War II and in the years following, when the nation struggled to recover from the devastation of war. They also recall the huge public affection Princess Elizabeth attracted through her early dedication to her country and the newly formed Commonwealth"

"Take Your Book Club to Guernsey" sweepstakes (US residents only)

Enter for a chance to win a trip to Guernsey, UK, with your book club. One lucky winner will travel to Guernsey with five friends from Friday October 2 through Monday October 5, 2009. Activities will include a joint book discussion with a UK book group, an island tour, and more. No purchase necessary. U.S. residents over the age of 18 only. Residents of Florida, New York, and Rhode Island not eligible. All travel must be completed by December 31, 2009. Other restrictions apply. (Random House, Inc.)

U.S. National Archives launches YouTube Channel

On Friday, June 19, the U.S. National Archives formally launched a YouTube channel to showcase popular archived films, inform the public about upcoming events around the country, and bring National Archives exhibits to the people. The launch coincides with the National Archives 75th Anniversary

Entire 1911 census now online

The complete 1911 census records for people living in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are now online at 1911census.co.uk, including full details of British Army personnel and their families stationed overseas.

Webcast: Burial clubs: the unfriendly societies

Friendly Societies were popular in the 19th Century, and were regulated by law. Surprisingly, burial clubs, which offered a form of life insurance, didn't always fall into this category, and provided many incentives to commit fraud - and even murder! - UK National Archives webcast

Vintage to publish new Man Booker Prize editions

Vintage to publish new Man Booker Prize editionsVintage have announced they are publishing beautiful new editions of nine Man Booker Prize winning titles which will all be available this August as the Vintage Booker collection. The titles are:

Amsterdam by Ian McEwan (1998)
Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee (1999)
How Late It Was, How Late by James Kelman (1994)
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie (1981)
Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle (1993)
Possession by A.S. Byatt (1990)
The Famished Road by Ben Okri (1991)
The Gathering by Anne Enright (2007)
The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch (1978)

These nine books were chosen from a number of previous Booker winners published by Vintage including: The Old Devils by Kingsley Amis (1986), J M Coetzee's The Life and Times of Michael K (1983), Stanley Middleton's Holiday (1974) and David Storey's Saville (1976). They will be available as Vintage paperbacks from 6th August 2009, each at GBP5.99.

The Miles Franklin Literary Award 2009 winner

The Miles Franklin Literary Award 2009 winner is Tim Winton for Breath

American Libraries - June/July 2009

American Libraries - Volume 40, Issues 6 and 7, June/July 2009 - is now available

John Berger to donate archive to British Library

The eminent writer, critic, and thinker John Berger has announced the donation of his archive to the British Library. The archive of previously unseen 'put-aside objects' (Berger's description of archives in his collection Here is Where we Meet) is to be transferred to the care of the British Library from its current home in a remote French Alpine village later this month (June 2009). Jamie Andrews, Head of Modern Literary Manuscripts at the British Library, will travel to the Alps (setting off on 20 June 2009) to help sort through the papers - currently stored in an old stables - and bring them back to the climate-controlled storage areas in the heart of the British Library's flagship St Pancras building

Webcast: Introduction to Taxonomy Development

Introduction to Taxonomy Development - Live Webcast - November 10, 2009 - 11 a.m. Pacific | 12 p.m. Mountain | 1 p.m. Central | 2 p.m. Eastern - Webcast Presenter: Jenny Benevento, Taxonomist/User Experience Architect, Sears Holding Corp

Friday, June 19, 2009

The Friday Brain-teaser from Credo Reference

The Friday Brain-teaser from Credo Reference - this week: Your body. Answers here.

1. What is the more common name for the illness known as avian flu?
2. Pneumonia affects which part of the body?
3. The cerebellum is the second largest part of which organ in the body?
4. What is the name for the clear, domed front of the eyeball?
5. The average human skeleton has how many bones: 106, 206 or 306?
6. There are four types of human teeth. Name three of them.
7. In humans, is the sense of taste much more sensitive than smell or is the sense of smell much more sensitive than taste?
8. Is "trachea" another name for the stomach, the spine or the windpipe?
9. Describing an infection, what does "AIDS" stand for?
10. Most people have how many pairs of ribs?

Handheld Librarian Online Conference 2009

"More people than ever are using mobile devices for a wide variety of purposes including communication, internet access, text messaging, and entertainment. It is important that libraries provide services on these devices as use increases. The first ever Handheld Librarian Online on July 30, 2009 is the place to learn about these and other topics related to using wireless and handheld devices in your library. The program - sponsored by Alliance Library System, LearningTimes and Infoquest - will include a variety of ways to collaborate, network and learn from a great group of experts in the field. In addition to live interactive webcasts, we will have a collection of available resources, discussions boards, and access to the recording of all live events for one year after the conference"

Directory of Open Access Journals - recently added titles

Advances in Astronomy

International Journal of Cell Biology

International Journal of Endocrinology

International Journal of Otolaryngology

International Journal of Rheumatology

Journal of Transplantation

Research Letters in Biochemistry

Perfiles Latinoamericanos

RAE : Revista de Administração de Empresas

British Newspapers 1800-1900 - The British Library

British Library digitised newspapers opened to publicBritish Newspapers 1800-1900 - Explore two million pages of 19th century newspapers. Search 49 local and national titles using keywords. See your search terms in context. View complete articles from the Penny Illustrated Paper and The Graphic free of charge, or buy a 24-hour pass for £6.99 allowing you to view up to 100 articles, or a seven-day pass with 200 article views for £9.99. Access the whole site free if you are a member of a subscribing institution

E-News for ARL Directors - June 18 2009

E-News for ARL Directors, June 18, 2009 is now available online

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Google Books updated with new features

Google Books has seven new and useful features, including the ability to easily embed a book into a blog post, better search within books, easier access to tables of content, and a way to turn pages, as well as an improved Book Overview page

Resource of the Month from Ovid - June 2009

Each month, Ovid provides you with the opportunity to "test drive" a sampling of its content, tools and services - free of charge - through its Resource of the Month program. June Resource of the Month is the GeoRef

2009 Roger K. Summit Scholarship for North America

Dialog awarded the 2009 Roger K. Summit Scholarship for North America to Tania Alekson, a student in the School of Library, Archival and Information Studies at the University of British Columbia. Ms. Alekson had the rare opportunity to accept the scholarship from Roger Summit, who was attending the Special Libraries Association's centennial celebration conference in Washington, D.C., where the scholarship presentation took place

Buenos Aires named World Book Capital 2011

The city of Buenos Aires (Argentina) was named the World Book Capital 2011 by the selection committee, composed of representatives of the three main professional associations in the book industry and UNESCO, at the conclusion of their meeting on 12 June at UNESCO in Paris. Buenos Aires is the eleventh city to be designated World Book Capital, after Madrid (2001), Alexandria (2002), New Delhi (2003), Antwerp (2004), Montreal (2005), Turin (2006), Bogotá (2007), Amsterdam (2008), Beirut (2009) and Ljubljana (2010)

Librarians' Internet Index - New This Week

Librarians' Internet Index - New This Week - June 18, 2009

Dartmouth College Library launches open beta for the Summon service

"Dartmouth College Library continues to seek ways to make it easier to connect users with the wealth of information resources offered through the library. Summon is a next generation discovery tool that has been under development over the past year: the library has been one of the first beta partners with Serials Solutions through this development phase, and is now ready to offer Summon for public beta testing. The goal of Summon is to provide a simple, user friendly discovery tool that includes all of the library's content: books, newspaper articles, journal articles, manuscripts, digital collections, and more"

Elsevier and NextBio sign partnership to enrich ScienceDirect content

"Elsevier has announced a new partnership agreement with NextBio, provider of an innovative platform that enables life science researchers to search, discover, and share knowledge locked within public and proprietary data to enrich ScienceDirect content. This agreement allows for an integration of NextBio's unique set of ontology-based semantic tools and a compilation of high quality sources of public data on ScienceDirect, providing health science, life science and chemistry researchers with a dynamic platform to improve discoverability and research productivity"

907 museums, libraries, and archives selected to receive IMLS Connecting to Collections Bookshelf (USA)

"Dr. Anne-Imelda Radice, Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), has announced that 907 museums, libraries, and archives have been selected to receive the IMLS Connecting to Collections Bookshelf. She made the announcement during her opening remarks at the fourth and concluding Connecting to Collections forum, Stewardship of America's Legacy: Answering the Call to Action in Buffalo, NY. This is the third and final installment of the Bookshelf program, which has distributed 2,751 sets of books, online resources, and a user's guide to institutions in every part of the country

Library Associations release guide to Google Book Search amended agreement

The American Library Association (ALA), the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), and the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) have announced the release of A Guide for the Perplexed Part II: The Amended Google-Michigan Agreement. The amendment represents important additions and this guide provides an overview to help librarians better understand the revised terms.

Bayside library for disabled gets needed upgrade (Virginia)

"Bayside is a network library under the National Library Service that serves 1,100 people in South Hampton Roads who are blind or have vision impairments or physical disabilities. The service is a part of the Library of Congress and has libraries in all 50 states. Patrons sign up to receive materials through their state's regional special services library."

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Oxfam Bookfest 2009

Oxfam Bookfest 2009"From 4 to 18 July, Oxfam will be celebrating its love of books with more than 250 events in Oxfam shops, libraries, community centres and other venues around the UK, featuring a host of authors and celebrities. Some of the big names taking part in Bookfest include: Poet Laureate Carol Anne Duffy, Ian Rankin, Alexander McCall Smith, Mark Haddon, Kate Atkinson, Vikram Seth, Joanna Trollope, Anne Fine, Jonathan Coe, Marina Lewycka, Michael Faber and Nicholas Shakespeare. Plus there's James Robertson, Linda Newbery, Aileen Paterson, Mark Billingham, James Mayhew, Adele Geras, Cath Staincliffe, Barbara Erskine and Erica James..."

Western American Literature via Project Muse

Western American Literature, published by The Western Literature Association, is now available via Project Muse

Revista Hispánica Moderna via Project Muse

Revista Hispánica Moderna, published by University of Pennsylvania Press, is now available via Project Muse

Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies via Project Muse

Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, published by Harvard-Yenching Institute, is now available via Project Muse

Archives of Asian Art via Project Muse

Archives of Asian Art, published by University of Hawai'i Press, is now available via Project Muse

Nature honored as 'journal of the century' at SLA meeting

Nature has been named 'journal of the century' by the BioMedical & Life Sciences Division (DBIO) of the Special Libraries Association (SLA). The award was presented at the annual DBIO Business Luncheon during the SLA's Centennial Conference in Washington D.C.

Wales Book of the Year 2009 winners

Wales Book of the Year 2009 winners"A debut collection of short stories has won its author the Wales Book of the Year 2009 accolade. Deborah Kay Davies beat poet Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch and writer Gee Williams to the GBP10,000 prize with her book Grace, Tamar and Laszlo the Beautiful. The judges called Ms Davies' stories of two sisters set in the south Wales valleys "an amazing piece of work". William Owen Roberts won the Welsh language award for his novel Petrograd, set in the Russian revolution." - BBC

Serials Solutions announces New Ulrich's™ XML Data Service

"Serials Solutions has announced the release of the Ulrich's™ XML Data Service, a data retrieval service that provides a comprehensive set of Ulrich's metadata to enhance the library's local web services and improve patron experiences. The Ulrich's XML Data Service delivers continuously updated serials and publisher information that libraries and other organizations can integrate into their homegrown and open-source applications."

DailyLit enables third party identity logins

Now you can use your username and password from Google, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, AOL, Windows Live ID, Yahoo, and OpenID to log in to your DailyLit account

From the Publisher's Office - Penguin Books

"From the Publisher's Office makes it easy to learn more about your favorite authors - and to discover a few new favorites in the process. We hope you'll watch, listen to, and read the programs found on these pages.

WATCH! In the Screening Room you can watch shows produced by us on a wide range of topics - from whether hypnosis really works to what Jon Scieszka, Ambassador for Children's Literature, thinks about when he's sitting down to write. From how an author and illustrator collaborate to create beloved characters to a look at what vampire romance fans are after now.

LISTEN! In the Radio Room you can hear editors at Penguin Classics interview scholars about enduring works, get tips for running a great small business, learn how following your passion can lead to professional success, and peek inside a poet's process.

READ! In the Reading Room you can read early excerpts from a soon-to-be-published novel and read articles from some of our biggest nonfiction authors. Be sure to come back to chat with the author in one of our scheduled live chats."

Europeana - UK Conference 26th June

Europeana - UK Conference 26th June is organised by Collections Trust. It will take place on Friday the 26th June at the Commonwealth Club, near Trafalgar Square. It starts at 10am and finishes at around 4pm

IFLA Classification and Indexing Section Newsletter - June 2009

The June 2009 issue of the IFLA Classification and Indexing Section Newsletter is now available

Digital Britain: The Final Report

"The Digital Britain Report is the Government's strategic vision for ensuring that the UK is at the leading edge of the global digital economy. It is an example of industrial activism in a crucial growth sector. The report contains actions and recommendations to ensure first rate digital and communications infrastructure to promote and protect talent and innovation in our creative industries, to modernize TV and radio frameworks, and support local news, and it introduces policies to maximize the social and economic benefits from digital technologies"

C&RL Preprint: Sustainability Challenge for Academic Libraries

Article Title: Sustainability Challenge for Academic Libraries: Planning for the Future
Author: Maria A. Jankowska
Accepted: June 4, 2009
Anticipated Publication Date: March 2010

Joseph Janes to discuss "future connections"

"The final installment in the series of ALA President Jim Rettig's ALA Connections Salons will be an online discussion with Joseph Janes, associate professor at the information school of the University of Washington. Janes will be joined by his students at the University of Toronto to discuss the future of ALA, libraries and librarianship. The discussion will take place from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. EDT Friday, June 19. Janes was the founding director of the Internet Public Library and writes the 'Internet Librarian' column for American Libraries magazine. He has co-authored eight books on librarianship, technology and their relationship and is the 2006 recipient of ALA's Isadore Gilbert Mudge award for distinguished contributions to reference librarianship. Janes is also a member of the ALA Committee on Accreditation. Online Programming for All Libraries (OPAL) Coordinator Tom Peters will begin the hour with an interview with Janes. Following the interview, participants will be free to ask questions and engage with Janes and with one another to discuss other ways ALA can make connections."

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Ottawa Public Library finds new home (Canada)

The Ottawa Public Library's main branch will soon have a new location, just west of where it is now. The library's board said it plans to build a new $180-million library building in the city block bordered by Albert, Lyon, Bay and Slater streets. The current building at Metcalfe and Laurier streets, officials said, was built 35 years ago, and as a result, has modern accessibility and security challenges that couldn't be overcome

InSITE - June 15, 2009

InSITE: A Current Awareness Service of Cornell Law Library - Vol. 14, No. 21, June 15, 2009 is now available

Evidence Based Library and Information Practice 4/2

Evidence Based Library and Information Practice - Vol 4, No 2 (2009) is now available

Transformative Issues for Special Collections, Web Conference

The Association of Research Libraries is hosting a Web conference on Transformative Issues for Special Collections in ARL Libraries, July 7, 2009, at 1:00 p.m. EDT. This event offers an interactive opportunity to discuss and provide feedback on the recently released report of ARL’s Special Collections Working Group, "Special Collections in ARL Libraries: A Discussion Report from the ARL Working Group on Special Collections." Alice Prochaska, chair of the working group, will moderate a short discussion by an expert panel drawn from leaders in the special collections community. Panelists will provide analysis of issues presented in the report as well as other provocative insights about critical issues relevant to the management and use of special collections in research, teaching, and learning. Participants will have the opportunity to ask the panelists questions and offer their own feedback. The discussion will inform planning for a forum ARL will hold along with the Coalition for Networked Information in Washington DC, October 15–16, 2009

2010 National Diversity in Libraries Conference

The National Diversity in Libraries Conference is a biennial event that serves as a regional meeting for library staff members to discuss diversity issues, especially issues common to the host region's culture. With the theme, NDLC 2010: From Groundwork to Action, the conference will take place from July 14-16, 2010 in Princeton, New Jersey

2009 Appledore Book Festival (UK)

2009 Appledore Book Festival will be held 26 September to 4 October in the village of Appledore, Devon, UK

Monday, June 15, 2009

Emerald to preserve e-journals with Portico

"Emerald Group Publishing has announced its recent agreement with Portico. Portico provides a service to permanently preserve scholarly research in electronic form so that this information will remain accessible to scholars in future years. Portico will receive Emerald content via an electronic data feed, which they will convert to a standardized archival format. They will maintain and operate the archive on behalf of Emerald. Each new publication will be added as and when published, with a view to archiving back issues in the future. This development will provide Emerald with security in the event of potential loss and will provide Portico's participating libraries with content if an incident occurs that causes the material to be inaccessible from Emerald"

Pinter honoured with plaque (UK)

" The Worthing Society conservation group unveiled a blue heritage plaque in Ambrose Place to commemorate the late Harold Pinter, who lived there for about 18 months during the 1960s. The society commissioned the memorial after the idea was suggested by Paul Holden, editor of the Argus' sister publication Worthing Sentinel. About 50 people applauded as Worthing mayor Noel Atkins revealed the plaque, which reads: 'Harold Pinter, 1930-2008, playwright, actor and director lived here 1962-1964.' David Sumner, chairman of the Worthing Society, said Pinter wrote one of his bestknown plays, The Homecoming, while in Worthing. He added that Ambrose Place was one of the town’s architectural treasures - The Argus

JURN

JURN is a curated academic search-engine, indexing 3,056 free ejournals in the arts & humanities

LISTen: The LISNews.org Podcast - Episode #76

LISTen: The LISNews.org Podcast - Episode #76. "This week's episode is longer than our past couple. We feature two interviews this week. The first interview is with independent consultant Karen Coyle. In that chat we discuss the leviathan that is OCLC and breach questions as to OCLC's nature. Following the discussion with Karen Coyle, the next discussion was with Rangeview Library District Director Pam Smith. In this chat the depths of WordThink were further explored and explained. Although the production team is aware of the situation in Iran, right now reports remain sporadic. The team also got very close to a hard upper limit on time this week. If we have reports of special interest to LIS audiences, we might post specials as required.". Previous Podcasts can be found here

Sunday, June 14, 2009

CABI launches enhanced life sciences delivery platform

"CABI has launched a new and improved version of its database platform CAB Direct, incorporating the leading bibliographic databases in life science information - CAB Abstracts and Global Health. The new CAB Direct offers a better experience for students and researchers as they search for important life science information. The content on CAB Direct has not changed, but the new design will improve its discoverability - saving researchers time and effort.

Pubget

Pubget"Pubget solves the problem of full-text document access in life science research. Instead of search results linking to papers, with Pubget's proprietary technology, the search results ARE the papers. Once you find the papers you want, you can save, manage and share them - all online"

European History Primary Sources

"European History Primary Sources is an index of scholarly websites that offer online access to primary sources on the history of Europe. Each website that is listed in this portal has a short description and is categorised according to country, language, period, subject and type of source. The portal can be searched in a variety of ways. Most of the listed websites can be accessed for free, though sometimes a registration is required. EHPS is a joint initiative of the Library and the Department of History and Civilisation of the European University Institute. It is also part of the World Wide Web Virtual Library - History that is hosted at the EUI."

1st Conference on Open Access Scholarly Publishing

The Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association and the DOAJ/Lund University Libraries have announced the 1st Conference on Open Access Scholarly Publishing, which will be held at the Scandic Star hotel in Lund, Sweden from the 14th to the 16th of September. Participants will have the opportunity to hear from many leading figures within the open access publishing movement, and to participate in workshops that will highlight a number of important issues related to open access publishing. Participants who are members of the Open Access Scholarly Publishing Association are invited to participate in the first Annual General Meeting of OASPA, which will be held in the afternoon on September 16th following the end of the conference

1911 Census records for Wales now online

"Census records of the 2.4 million people recorded as living in Wales on the night of Sunday 2 April 1911 are now available to search and download on 1911census.co.uk. Records for the whole of England are already available, with the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, as well as naval and overseas military records, to be made available over the coming months. The census reveals fascinating information about the family history of some of Wales' most famous sons and daughters, including Richard Burton, Dylan Thomas, Charlotte Church and Tom Jones. 1911census.co.uk is run by findmypast, in association with The National Archives"

Alexander Street is giving away 50 subscriptions to American History in Video - one in every U.S. state

Alexander Street is giving away 50 subscriptions to American History in Video - one in every U.S. stateAlexander Street Press writes: "...this is in part our response to the economic downturn - a way to support libraries facing budget cuts. It's also a way for us to learn more, because - and here's the bonus - for the year of this free subscription, we will work with the 50 libraries in a true collaboration to build patron awareness. Together, we'll gather solid, actionable knowledge about what works when libraries and publishers work together to drive usage"

Podcast: Titanic Lives: The Crew of RMS Titanic

"Much has been written about RMS Titanic, but this has tended to concentrate on the ship and its passengers. Using sources such as crew lists, local newspapers, Titanic Fund minute books and the newly released 1911 census, this talk traces the lives of a crewmen and his family and seeks to answer the question: What was life like for families in Southampton in the aftermath of the tragedy" - UK National Archives

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Mohsin Hamid’s novel to be given to all St Andrews undergraduates (Scotland)

Mohsin Hamid’s novel to be given to all St Andrews undergraduates (Scotland)"Mohsin Hamid's acclaimed novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist is to be required summer reading for all new students at one of Britain's leading universities. The University of St Andrews is gifting a copy of the 2007 Man Booker Prize-shortlisted work to every one of its 1500 new undergraduates in a new initiative designed to offer students a common topic for discussion and focus energies on reading and intellectual debate. The scheme was conceived by University Principal Dr Louise Richardson and Jonathan Taylor, chair of the Booker Prize Foundation who are generously supporting the project. Each year a different work from the prize shortlist will be chosen to send to all St Andrews intending undergraduate"

Anne Frank museum to display her actual diaries

"From now on, all the diaries and writings of Anne Frank will be on display in the house in which they were written, the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. The Minister of Education, Culture and Science, Ronald Plasterk, has approved an agreement concluded by the Netherlands Institute for War Documentation, the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Anne Frank House, under which the NIOD will permanently give all the writings of Anne Frank on loan to the AFH. All the parties involved, including the Minister, signed this agreement on 11 June 2009, on the eve of the 80th anniversary of the birth of Anne Frank. From 1 November 2009, all the works of Anne Frank will be on public display in a newly designed exhibition hall in the Anne Frank House

June 2009 Early Reviewer books at LibraryThing

The June 2009 batch of Early Reviewer books is now available at LibraryThing. There are 1796 copies of 68 books available this month

EBSCO A-to-Z® offers improved access to e-journal content

"EBSCO has announced a new feature of its A-to-Z listing service which enables researchers to browse e-journal tables of contents and directly access articles to more quickly discover the information they need for their research"

Stanford University Libraries cutbacks

"Stanford University Libraries and Academic Information Resources, the academic unit that oversees more than a dozen libraries, and the Stanford Center for Professional Development in the School of Engineering have announced 2010 budget cutbacks. University Libraries announced Wednesday that it has laid off 32 employees. It also offered nine other staff members the option of being laid off and receiving severance benefits instead of staying in revamped positions at reduced pay or reduced hours. The unit also announced plans to permanently close the Physics Library in the summer of 2010 and transfer its holdings to other locations, including the Engineering Library in the Jen-Hsun Huang Engineering Center—currently under construction—and the Stanford Auxiliary Library in Livermore. Most of the affected employees were laid off Wednesday and will be eligible for the university's enhanced severance package, which expires June 30."

Simon & Schuster eBooks now available on Scribd

Approximately 5,000 top Simon & Schuster eBooks are available for purchase on Scribd at a discounted rate

Digital Map - Beta

The "Digital Map - Beta" is the first step toward a new generation of digital topographic maps delivered by the U.S. Geological Survey. These maps are built from The National Map data, which are integrated from local, State, Federal, and other sources. The initial version of the "Digital Map - Beta" includes orthoimagery plus roads and geographic names in the traditional 7.5 minute quadrangle format. "Digital Maps - Beta" are available free on the Web in the GeoPDF format. File size is about 15 to 20 Megabytes

e-books for FE Project (UK)

The e-books for FE Project will provide Further Education colleges in the UK with access to a Core Collection of e-books on a platform which provides functionality suitable for the needs of the community

Reminder: SLA 2009 Annual Conference

"The Special Libraries Association will hold its Annual Conference in Washington, DC, USA at the Washington Walter E. Washington Convention Center 14-17 June 2009. The conference will create an environment for networking, communication, learning and other developmental opportunities for information professionals" Follow SLA #sla2009 RSS feed on Twitter

Library Journal named Queens Library its 2009 Library of the Year

"Library Journal named Queens Library its 2009 Library of the Year. The announcement was made on the steps of New York's City Hall by Francine Fialkoff, Library Journal's Editor-in-Chief and John N. Berry III, Editor-at-Large. It is the cover story of the publication's June 15, 2009 issue. They were joined on the podium by leaders of City government. 'Library of the Year' is an annual awards program of Library Journal, sponsored by Gale, part of Cengage Learning. Queens Library is one of New York City's three independent public library systems"

The World Factbook website gets re-designed

"Completely redesigned website - presenting a cleaner look, improved navigation, and a host of added features - launched on the World Wide Web. Among the major enhancements are downloadable and printable photos for nearly 100 countries, a 'Did You Know?' section explaining the impact of the Factbook around the world, and built-in world rankings for many of the Factbook information fields. Government sections reflect the results of recent parliamentary elections in Kuwait - where women were elected for the first time - and India, as well as presidential elections in Lithuania, Mongolia, Panama, and South Africa"

ECDL 2009 registration now available

Registration is now available for ECDL 2009: 13th European Conference on Digital Libraries - September 27 to October 2, 2009 - Corfu, Greece

New ACRL publication: Influencing Without Authority

"The Association of College and Research Libraries announces the publication of a new title, 'Influencing Without Authority' by Melanie Hawks. The second entry in the ACRL Active Guides series, 'Influencing Without Authority' provides guidance to those seeking to gain support for their ideas, developing collaborative relationships and becoming recognized leaders regardless of their positions or titles. Working effectively in the library profession means finding ways to reach and lead those who are not required to listen or follow. The ability to influence others is a required workplace skill and yet it is one in which very few people receive education. 'Influencing Without Authority' is designed to help individuals develop the skills they need to influence peers, library administrators, college and university faculty, students and external stakeholders"

Friday, June 12, 2009

The Friday Brain-teaser from Credo Reference - this week: Lead Singers. Answers here.

1. Who was lead singer with the Supremes until she began a solo career in early 1970?
2. Roger Daltrey is the lead singer of which group?
3. Michael Hutchence was the lead singer of which group until his death in 1997?
4. Which US hip-hop group has had vocalists named Kim Hill and Fergie?
5. Who was lead singer of Black Sabbath until leaving it in 1978 to pursue a solo career?
6. Who was the lead singer and principal songwriter of Roxy Music?
7. Chrissie Hynde is the lead singer of which group?
8. Which Northern Irish rock singer and songwriter first came to attention as the lead singer with the Irish band Them?
9. In 1972, which female singer formed a band called Rufus: "a white soul band with a black singer"?
10. Chuck D was the lead singer with which rap group?

Open Access Scholarly Information Sourcebook

"The Open Access Scholarly Information Sourcebook (OASIS) aims to provide an authoritative 'sourcebook' on Open Access, covering the concept, principles, advantages, approaches and means to achieving it. The site highlights developments and initiatives from around the world, with links to diverse additional resources and case studies. As such, it is a community-building as much as a resource-building exercise. Users are encouraged to share and download the resources provided, and to modify and customize them for local use"

2009 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award winner

Man Gone Down by Michael Thomas is the winner of the 2009 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, the world's richest literary prize

The New Angle Prize for Literature shortlist

The Ipswich Institute (UK) has announced the shortlist of books chosen by judges for the first New Angle Prize for Literature, worth GBP2,500. The books demonstrate the appeal of the region to a great variety of authors:

* Suffolk Boy by Alasdair Eoin Aston
* Scapegallows by Carol Birch
* Story of the Southwold-Walberswick Ferry by Dani Church with Ann Gander
* Crow Country by Mark Cocker
* Notes from Walnut Tree Farm by Roger Deakin
* Constable in Love by Martin Gayford
* What I Was by Meg Rosoff
* Coke of Norfolk (1754-1842) by Susanna Wade Martins

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Pioneer of the World Wide Web to advise the UK government on using data

Pioneer of the World Wide Web to advise the government on using dataThe UK Prime Minister has announced the appointment of the man credited with inventing the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee as expert adviser on public information delivery. The announcement was part of a statement on constitutional reform made in the House of Commons this afternoon. Sir Tim Berners-Lee, who is currently director of the World Wide Web Consortium which overseas the web’s continued development. He will head a panel of experts who will advise the Minister for the Cabinet Office on how government can best use the internet to make non-personal public data as widely available as possible. He will oversee the work to create a single online point of access for government held public data and develop proposals to extend access to data from the wider public sector, including selecting and implementing common standards. He will also help drive the use of the internet to improve government consultation processes.

Digital Defoe

Digital Defoe "...unlike the pricey databases accessible only to those working in universities with big budgets, Digital Defoe is a publicly accessible, subscription-free peer-reviewed journal and online forum which all those working in higher and secondary education, as well as those outside of academia, are welcome to join..."

Library 2.0 Gang 06/09: Library System Suppliers view of OCLC Web-scale

Library 2.0 Gang 06/09: Library System Suppliers view of OCLC Web-scale

Librarians' Internet Index - New This Week

Librarians' Internet Index - New This Week - June 11, 2009

DeepDyve

"DeepDyve, formerly Infovell, delivers the research engine for information-savvy consumers who want access to expert content on topics they care about. For the first time, researchers, students, technical professionals, business users, and other information consumers can access a wealth of untapped information that resides on the "Deep Web" - the vast majority of the Internet that is not indexed by traditional, consumer-based search engines. The DeepDyve research engine unlocks this in-depth, professional content and returns results that are not cluttered by opinion sites and irrelevant content."

IMLS awards more than $1.2 million to support Native American Libraries

"The Institute of Museum and Library Services has awarded $1,217,000 to 208 Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages as part of the Native American Library Services program. With this funding, the libraries will be able to strengthen their core services for the benefit of the tribal communities and villages they serve"

Directory of Open Access Journals - recently added titles

Revista Ambiente Construído

AIDAinformazioni : Trimestrale di Scienze dell'Informazione

International Journal of Mormon Studies

Journal of Case Research in Business and Economics

Research in Business and Economics Journal

PLoS Progress Report: June 2009

The PLoS Progress Report: June 2009 is now available from The Public Library of Science

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

FreePint Newsletter 279

FreePint Newsletter 279 - 11 June, 2009 now available

Cites & Insights 9:8 (July 2009)

Cites & Insights 9:8 (July 2009) is now available for downloading

EBSCO Publishing makes Footnote.com available to libraries

"EBSCO Publishing (EBSCO) and Footnote have announced a distribution deal making EBSCO the exclusive worldwide distributor of Footnote.com for libraries and institutions. Footnote.com combines original historical documents and personal histories, creating a unique historical and genealogical resource. The Footnote.com collections feature over 55 million images available from a content partnership with The National Archives and other regional archives - most never before available on the Internet. These digital images of records, preserved in the National Archives, represent a growing collection of historic documents"

DPC What's new in digital preservation - Issue 20

DPC What's new in digital preservation - Issue 20 (January 2009 - April 2009). Compiled by Najla Rettberg for the Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC) and reviewed by PADI, The National Library of Australia

Scholarly Electronic Publishing Weblog update

The June 10, 2009 edition of the Scholarly Electronic Publishing Weblog from Charles W. Bailey, Jr. is now available

The Calendar of the Cecil Papers preserved in Hatfield House is now live

These 24 volumes cover the papers of the leading political family of Elizabethan and Jacobean England. William Cecil, Lord Burghley, was chief advisor to Elizabeth I, and his son Robert was Secretary of State to both Elizabeth and James I. Unusually, these state papers have remained in the family archives at Hatfield House. Among other highlights, this calendar covers the Casket Letters attributed to Mary, Queen of Scots and material relating to the Gunpowder Plot - British History Online

Ariadne - Issue 59, April 2009

Ariadne - Issue 59, April 2009 is now available. Ariadne is targeted principally at information science professionals in academia, and also to interested lay people both in and beyond the Higher Education community. Its main geographic focus is the UK, but it is widely read in the US and worldwide

Google Translator Toolkit

Google Translator Toolkit is "a powerful but easy-to-use editor that enables translators to bring that human touch to machine translation"

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Coming soon: SAGE Reference Online Handbook Collection

"SAGE Reference Online has hosted high-quality, authoritative and award-winning encyclopedia content since its inception in 2007. Soon, SAGE Reference Online will also host more authoritative, interdisciplinary content by publishing 80 handbook titles online."

New City Library in Newcastle (UK)

New City Library in Newcastle (UK)The New City Library in Newcastle "opened its doors for the first time on Sunday 7 June at 11.00am. Opening this wonderful new library on a Sunday was a symbolic statement, and one which emphasises Newcastle City Council's commitment to providing contemporary and easily accessible services"

Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 2009 shortlist

The shortlist for the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 2009 has been announced:

Death Message - Mark Billingham
The Accident Man - Tom Cain
Bad Luck And Trouble - Lee Child
Gone To Ground - John Harvey
Ritual - Mo Hayder
The Garden of Evil - David Hewson
A Cure For All Diseases - Reginald Hill
The Colour Of Blood - Declan Hughes
Dead Man's Footsteps - Peter James
Broken Skin - Stuart MacBride
Beneath The Bleeding - Val McDermid
Exit Music - Ian Rankin
Friend Of The Devil - Peter Robinson
Savage Moon - Chris Simms

Library + Information Gazette now available to all

Library + Information Gazette, the fortnightly magazine for the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, is now available online to everyone

Public Library Authorities Conference 2009 (UK)

Public Library Authorities Conference 2009 - This year's conference explores the importance of community involvement in the development of library services. Speakers from a wide range of backgrounds will provide insights into the impact of libraries on individuals and communities through work with young people, health, digital neighbourhoods and much more - 7-9 October 2009 - Bristol, UK

Anthony Browne announced as the sixth Children's Laureate (UK)

Anthony Browne announced as the sixth Children's Laureate (UK)Anthony Browne, internationally acclaimed, award-winning author and illustrator was announced as the Children's Laureate for 2009-11 at a ceremony at Centre Point, London on 9 June

Monday, June 08, 2009

UKSG Introduction to Serials and E-Resources Today: London

UKSG Introduction to Serials and E-Resources Today: London is designed particularly for staff new to working with serials, whether from a publisher, an intermediary or a library. This seminar may also be of interest to those looking to consolidate and update their serials and e-resources knowledge - 30 June 2009

LISTen: The LISNews.org Podcast - Episode #75

LISTen: The LISNews.org Podcast - Episode #75. "This week's podcast gets to deal with messy, emotion-laden, sometimes painful topics. First up we look at the Laporte-Arrington dispute and discuss how the corporate structures of media outlets can act as firewalls and buffers to prevent this. After that we highlight a case where a United States Attorney served a newspaper with a subpoena seeking every scrap of information possible to identify anonymous commenters who spoke about a pending grand jury investigation. Anonymity online may not be as secure or as thorough as you might imagine due to the underlying technical infrastructures involved". Previous Podcasts can be found here

The CWA Dagger in the Library, 2009 shortlist

The shortlist for The CWA Dagger in the Library, 2009 has been announced

Late at the Library: A night with Henry VIII

"This lavish evening of Tudor festivities will range from the sublime, with an opening performance by vocal consort Alamire, to the ridiculous, when the King's favourite jesters, circus acts and comedians take over the proceedings. The evening’s revelry will be topped off by the incomparable Circulus, an extraordinary live band who build the sound of the past into something very special indeed" - 24 June, 2009 - British Library, London, UK

Red House Children's Book Award 2009 winners

The winners of the Red House Children's Book Award 2009 have been announced

Sunday, June 07, 2009

FreePint News and Digest - June 2009

FreePint News and Digest - June 2009 is now available

Crossroads - June 2009

Crossroads: the newsletter of WebJuntion.org - June 2009 issue is now available

Tyldesley Diary damage update

Peter Tyldesley writes: "It's now June 2009 and more information is available than when Dalya Alberge first reported that the manuscript of the Tyldesley Diary had been extensively damaged whilst in the custody of the British Library. Dalya's reports can be found in The Times of 14 May 2007 and 29 December 2007"

Librarian Portal for AAP Journals

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has announced the launch of the new Librarian Portal for AAP Journals. Librarians can access 2010 pricing, usage reports, and the latest subscription information

10% price rollback for SPIE Digital Library

"SPIE has announced a 10% rollback in pricing for institutional subscriptions to the SPIE Digital Library for 2010. This action comes as the result of a year-long study involving numerous librarians and researchers and supports the Society's commitment to enabling the broadest possible dissemination of information to the worldwide optics and photonics community"

Romani Studies via Project Muse

Romani Studies, published by Liverpool University Press, is now available via Project Muse

World Scientific and Nature Publishing Group's first book collaboration

"World Scientific Publishing Company and Nature Publishing Group have announced their first co-publishing project. Entitled Nanoscience and Technology: A Collection of Reviews from NATURE Journals, the publishers will launch the book in October 2009 at Frankfurt Book Fair. The book is a collection of more than 30 review articles by internationally-renowned researchers working in nanoscience and nanotechnology. The review articles were first published in a variety of Nature-branded journals. Among the topics covered are: nanomaterials and nanostructures; molecular machines and devices; nanoelectronics; nanophotonics; nanobiotechnology and nanomedicine; and applications of nanotechnology"

Saturday, June 06, 2009

Library of Congress acquires archives of world's largest performing rights organization

"The Music Division in the Library of Congress has acquired archival materials from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publisher (ASCAP) Foundation, the not-for-profit arm of the world's largest performing-rights organization, representing more than 275,000 creators. The ASCAP Collection has been established to preserve the history and to create a repository for video and audio materials, photos, scores, documents and artifacts relevant to the rich history of the institution of ASCAP and ASCAP members as contributors to American culture. The gift of these materials reunites much of it with many of the special collections given to the Music Division over the years by individual ASCAP members, including Victor Herbert, Leonard Bernstein, Irving Caesar, George and Ira Gershwin, Vernon Duke and Aaron Copland"

Library of Congress Digital Preservation Newsletter - June 2009

The June 2009 issue of the Library of Congress Digital Preservation Newsletter is now available

RIPM Online Archives of Music Periodicals (FullTEXT)

EBSCO has announced the release of RIPM Online Archives of Music Periodicals FullTEXT), a unique collection of primary source material for the study of music and musical life from approximately 1800 to 1950

Directory of Open Access Journals - recently added titles

Biologics : Targets & Therapy

Clinical Interventions in Aging

International Journal of COPD

International Journal of Nanomedicine

Advances in Materials Science and Engineering

Advances in Mechanical Engineering

Case Reports in Medicine

Clinical Ophthalmology

International Journal of Microbiology

Journal of Case Studies in Accreditation and Assessment

Journal of Management and Marketing Research

Journal of Social Intervention : Theory and Practice

Journal of Technology Research

Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment

Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management

Journal of Academic and Business Ethics

Journal of Behavioral Studies in Business

Journal of Instructional Pedagogies

Journal of International Business and Cultural Studies

Research in Higher Education Journal

ASN Neuro