Join MLNC online for “Cataloging Non-Print Materials”

In this two-part online class, you will learn how to use MARC and AACR2 to describe sound recordings, videos, kits, and more. Topics include finding the key sections of AACR2 that apply to describing special materials and recognizing MARC fields that are specific to non-print materials. The workshop will be held online 3/18/2008 and 3/20/2008 via Centra from 9:30am - 11:30am each day.

For more details or to register, visit http://www.mlnc.org/workshops/nonprint.html.

Free trial and webinars-Britannica Online

From now until March 31st visit Britannica Online for a free trial. MLNC members can go to www.britannica.com/memberlogin and login with: username: mlnc

password: mlnc

You can also visit http://info.eb.com/library/info/webinar_subcription.html at any time to see a list of upcoming, free webinars/demos. Session are designed specifically for K12, Public and Academic libraries and are a great way to see just how Britannica can work for you.

Britannica Online now available

MLNC is happy to announce we are now able to offer Britannica Online and several of their online resources directly to our members. Britannica is a leading provider of learning and knowledge products and one of the world’s most trusted sources of information on every topic imaginable - from the origins of the universe to current events and everything in between.

MLNC member libraries receive up to a 25% discount off Britannica Online, Britannica School Edition, Eciclopedia Universal, World Data Analyst, Annals of American History, and Webster’s Third New International Dictionary. These resources are a great addition to your reference department.

For more information visit www.mlnc.org/electronic/britannica and for a custom quote contact Asia Gross, Electronic Resources Librarian at asia@mlnc.org or call 1-800-969-6562 x814.

New database demonstrations

MLNC is pleased to offer several Database Demonstrations this coming spring. Join us to take a look at databases available from Facts on File and Oxford University Press, as well as demonstrations of CAMIO, ArchiveGrid, and AccessScience.Facts on File will present a demonstration of their numerous history databases and tour Science Online and Health Resource Center. Oxford University Press will demonstrate their new Encyclopedia of Popular Music and Islamic Studies Center as well as present an overview of all their products, including several new updates.

CAMIO is a growing online collection documenting works of art from around the world, while ArchiveGrid is an important destination for searching for historical documents, personal papers and family histories held in archives throughout the world.

AccessScience features continually updated scientific and technical information, including the entire content of the 10th edition of McGraw-Hill’s Encyclopedia of Science & Technology

All of these databases are available from MLNC at a discounted price and are great choices for Public, Academic and K12 libraries. For more information on individual databases visit www.mlnc.org/electronic.To register for demonstrations or for more details visit www.mlnc.org/workshops.

HW Wilson free trial

MLNC is pleased to announce a free trial to several of HW Wilson’s award winning databases. From now until March 31st visit www.hwwilson.com/mlnc.htm to access Wilson Business Full Text, Current Issues, Art Museum Image Gallery, Wilson Biographies, Book Review Digest, Applied Science & Technology, and Applied Science & Business. These databases are an excellent addition to any library and with an MLNC discount they are an affordable supplement to your reference collection. Additional discounts are also available to libraries that subscribe before March 25th.

For more information, including pricing and ordering, visit www.mlnc.org/electronic or email asia@mlnc.org.

Nominations being sought for Resource Sharing Innovation Award

The Rethinking Resource Sharing Initiative was started to advocate for a complete rethink of the way libraries conduct resource sharing in the context of the global internet revolution. In order to showcase resource sharing innovation, the Rethinking Resource Sharing Initiative has created an award to encourage libraries and librarians to make changes in how they do resource sharing and improve service to users.

Up to three winning submissions will be awarded a cash prize of $1,000 each.  Recipients will be announced at the ALA RUSA STARS Rethinking Resource Sharing ALA Preconference on June 27, 2008 in Anaheim, CA, and also will be invited to present at the IFLA satellite preconference, Rethinking Access to Information: Evolving Perspectives on Information Content Delivery in Boston in August 2008.  Funding for the 2008 Innovation Awards was provided by the Alliance of Library Service Networks www.librarynetworks.org.

To be considered for the award, please submit a description of the user-centric service change you have made that has improved resource sharing in your library, consortium, or state.  Full details for submission can be found at www.rethinkingresourcesharing.org.

The deadline for applications/nominations is May 15, 2008 (post-mark or date of e-mail).  Submissions are sent to the chair of the Rethinking Resource Sharing Innovation Awards Committee:

Anne K Beaubien
Director, Cooperative Access Services
Grants Officer
University of Michigan Library
920 North University
106 Hatcher Graduate Library
Ann Arbor, MI  48109-1205
(734) 936-2322  fax (734) 647-2050
beaubien@umich.edu

Learn more about OCLC’s WorldCat Local

Join MLNC and OCLC on March 5th at 10:00 a.m. for a FREE webinar on the new WorldCat Local service.

WorldCat Local allows libraries to access the global holdings of OCLC in WorldCat.org, through a customized, locally branded interface. Join this workshop to learn more about the consistent search environment that provides results with relevancy ranking to access local, consortium and global level materials. Topics will include:

– WorldCat Local features
– Interoperability with library data management systems
– Future enhancements

For more details or to register online, visit http://www.mlnc.org/workshops/worldcat.html.  We hope that you’ll join us to learn more about this exciting new service from OCLC!

Academic ebook III offer extended

The MLNC Academic eBook Collection III has been extended.  This is your chance to fill the last few remaining spots in this exciting collection.

This ebook collection has a different format than previous MLNC NetLibrary shared collections. The first half of the collection has been ordered from an initial title list of 2007 and 2008 titles. The other half of the collection will be chosen from approximately 900 selected titles that meet our subject criteria in a Patron-Driven Acquisition program (PDA). Patron usage will determine which titles from this pre-selected pool of content are purchased to complete the collection.

Libraries also have the opportunity to purchase the Ready Reference Collection, which includes 100 reference titles with2006 or 2007 publication dates.  This is a one-time purchase. For more information, including title lists and pricing details, go to http://www.mlnc.org/electronic/netlibrary/academicthree. 

Local Holdings Offline Product now available

The Local Holdings Offline Product is now available. Individual libraries can order a tab delimited file of all of the local holdings they currently have in WorldCat. Once produced the tab delimited file will be available for download from the Product Services Web and can be imported into a spreadsheet package. If your library has more than 20,000 local holdings records, multiple files will be provided with up to 20,000 records in each file. There is no charge for this report.

A Quick Reference guide is available and covers the order process, how to download the file, and information on how to import the file into Microsoft Office Excel.

Metadata for digital project staff - Independence - 3/11/2008

Join us for a FREE digitization workshop at the Mid-Continent Public Library Distribution Center in the Kansas City area on March 11. “Metadata for Digital Project Staff” will be taught by Gayle Palmer of OCLC Western.Designed for non-catalogers, this full-day workshop focuses on using metadata to facilitate both access to and preservation of digital resources. Topics include: review of metadata schema choices, development of a preservation metadata model, and using XML to store metadata.This session is funded through the Missouri State Library as part of the Missouri Digitization Planning Project. You must register to attend. A limited number of stipends are available for hotel rooms for the workshop. Contact Keri Cascio (keri@mlnc.org, ext. 813) at the MLNC office for more information.

For more information about the workshop and to register, please visit http://www.mlnc.org/workshops/metadata.html. We hope to see you there!