Loaning iPads

This just in from ALA Mid-Winter -  a vending machine which dispenses iPads for loans!

Mediasurfer is offering this self-service machine according to the blog – No Shelf Required post.

 

The eBook Evolution

The Press Democrat recently published an interesting article entitled “The e-book evolution” that speaks of the diverse ecosystem emerging for digital reading in 2012 as electronic devices become more mainstream and become more widely used by curious, tech-savvy consumers.

Cooperfield’s Books now offers customers to browser the print version and if they want to purchase it, they scan the book barcode, then they get a digital copy to load on to their eReader.

Could this be a model for the library?

Kindle Disclaimer

OverDrive implemented a disclaimer on our site that warns the patron downloading a Kindle book that they are leaving the library’s digital site AND that the commercial site (aka Amazon) doesn’t have the same privacy policies as the library. The wording for this pop-up window was settled on by OverDrive and Amazon. In case the screenshot below doesn’t display for you, the text is:

Attention Kindle Book User:
By clicking “Accept to Continue” you consent to being linked awayfrom the library’s download platform to a commercial service. This third party service does not have the same policies used by the library for your session privacy or use of your user infomration. If you continue, you are advised to consult the commercial website’s privacy policy for additional information. Click “Accept to Continue”

NOTE FOR KINDLE READER DOWNLOADS:
You may receive renewal or purchase messages from Amazon regarding your OverDrive download of library eBooks to Kindle readers. These messages are not from your local library, and do not affect the terms of your library download. The Library never solicits purchases, or charges any fees for the use of digital material.

Reader Advisory

How would you respond to a reader who asked if Guy Gavriel Kay had a new book coming out. Each of the responses below isn’t just about the service we provide. It is about the type of relationship we want to build with a reader.

Which of these responses to the Kay question are you most likely to use? Which do you use most often? Which ones do you think would create a positive relationship with the readers in your community?

When asked about Kay’s next book, you might:

• Check resources and provide the answer. which ones would you use?
• Ask about other books the reader has read and enjoyed.
• Suggest other authors/titles the reader might enjoy based on what you have learned about them as a reader. Use Novelist to find read-a-likes.
• Show the resources you used — or other resources that might be of interest to the reader.
• Urge the reader to sign up for our library’s Science fiction/Fantasy newsletter or other book oriented newsletters.
• Encourage the readers to rate titles that they have read and write reviews for them in the catalog (Ratings are also available in the eMedia Catalog) or share on social media such as FaceBook or Twitter.
• Ask the reader if he would like to come to the library’s next Fantasy book club meeting.

Of course, not every  library will be able to provide all of these responses, but any of them is an opportunity to build stronger, deeper relationships with our readers. We do not want to be just a place that library users come to pick up the books they put on hold, but, through their interactions with us, we want to enrich their reading and their lives.

New Literature Criticism

The following titles are now available in Literature Criticism Online.

Contemporary Literary Criticism Vol 315

Contemporary Literary Criticism Vol 316

Contemporary Literary Criticism Vol 317

Drama Criticism Vol 044

Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism Vol 250

Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism Vol 251

Poetry Criticism Vol 124

Short Story Criticism Vol 159

Short Story Criticism Vol 160

Freegal Updates

Freegal total us today they are going to change the number of songs one can download each week from 3 to 5.  Patrons should be see this change very soon.

Also, a new interface is coming soon to Freegal. It will be more graphic driven and new search engine to make finding songs much better. another feature to be added is a If you Like This..

Freegal continues to add the songs from Ioda.  In total, they will be adding 3 million songs.  The additions start in October and will continue until all 3 million songs have been added.

Watch for these changes occurring before the end of the year.

Your Guide to eReaders and eBooks for Library Staff

Print a PDF version of the guide Your Guide to eReaders and eBooks for Library Staff

Follow these steps to help library patrons in-person or over the phone:Ask the patron what brand of eReader or tablet they have.

1. The Kindle Fire can use the built-in browser to go directly to our eMedia Catalog, checkout and download ebooks. They can also download and install the eMedia Console for Android to get ePUB formatted books. To get the Android app have them use this link http://www.overdrive.com/software/omc/AndroidEULA.aspx
2. Kindle eReaders  require a computer to checkout, download and send to their Amazon account. Once the eBook is at their account they need to connect their Kindle eReader to a WiFi network (not 3G) or use a USB cable and a computer to sync their eBook to the Kindle eReader.
3. Sony Reader WiFi (PRS-T1) has a built in app to access library ebooks. See the video on eRead Me Vegas to see how it works with our ebooks  http://readmevegas.blogspot.com/2011/11/sony-ereader-wifi.html   The app is located on page 2 of the eReader.
4. Tablets use the OverDrive Media Console app

i.      iPad, iTouch, iPhones go to the iTunes App Store

ii.      Android tablets (basically all other tables) go to https://market.android.com/search?q=overdrive+media+console&so=1&c=apps for the app

5. Nooks, Pandigital, and other brands of eReaders require a computer and Adobe Digital Editions installed on the computer.

i.      Use the steps below under number 3 to guide them.

6. Confirm the patron has registered their device with the manufacturer

• Kindle with Amazon

• Sony with Sony.com
• Nook with Barnes & Nobles
• iPad, iTouch, iPhone with Apple
• Also various tablets or other eReaders with the manufacturer

• If the patron has a different eReader than mentioned above go to Compatible Devices  http://www.overdrive.com/resources/drc/ to verify the eReader will work with library ebooks.

eReader setup procedures for all devices is available to patrons at our eMedia Catalog under the icon showing below –  http://ebooks.lvccld.org   

1. Click on MyHelp!
2. Select eBooks
3. Select the eReader device
4. Click on View My Help
5. Follow the steps on the Set Up tab for the eReader

Getting eBooks from our eMedia Catalog at http://ebooks.lvccld.org

1. Find a book to checkout
2. Select the format which the device uses
3. Kindle uses Kindle format>/li>
4. Most other ereaders will use ePUB and/or PDF formats with DRM (Digital Rights Management)
5. Add to eMedia Bag
6. Click Proceed to Checkout
7. Log in using your library card number, library and zipcode
8. Select a lending period
9. Click Confirm Checkout
10. Click Download or Get for Kindlebutton

Non-Kindle devices

1. Select Open with Adobe Digital Editions
2. Click OK
3. Once downloaded,  transfer the book from Adobe Digital Editions to the eReader by connecting the eReader to the computer and dragging and dropping the book cover onto the device.

Kindle eReaders

1. At Amazon Click Get Library Book
2. Login to your Amazon account
3.  Select to which Kindle device you want to deliver the book
4. Click Continue
5.  Connect the Kindle eReader to a WiFi network (not a 3G network)
6. Click on Menu
7.  Click View Archived Items
8.  To read click the Title when it appears on the main page

• If the patron has issues checking our ebooks out, check their patron record in III. They must be in good standing and have a valid library card from LVCCLD, North Las Vegas or Boulder City.  Henderson patrons need to use the Henderson Library District’s Overdrive catalog.

• Handouts for patrons: I have similar document like this one for patrons at eRead Me Vegas under Getting Started. Your guide to eReaders and eBooks (patron version) http://librarianbrain.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/your-guide-to-ereaders-and-ebooks-patrons.pdf   or Using eReaders and eBooks from the Library http://librarianbrain.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/emedia-at-your-library-non-lvccld.pdf

• For more detailed information on how to install Adobe Digital Editions and get library eBooks, direct the patrons to eRead Me Vegas http://www.readmevegas.blogspot.com/ under Getting Started  on the left hand side bar select the eBook Downloading 101 for eReaders.

• For patrons with Kindle eReaders direct the patron to eRead Me Vegas http://www.readmevegas.blogspot.com/  under Getting Started  on the left hand side bar select the eBook Downloading 101 for Kindle eReaders

• For patrons with tablets or mobile devices direct the patron to eRead Me Vegas http://www.readmevegas.blogspot.com/  under Getting Started  on the left hand side bar select the eBook Downloading 101 for Tablets and Mobile Devices

If the patron has done all of the above and has a specific issue use eRead Me Vegas-FAQs, Tips and Tricks http://emediatips.wordpress.com/ to solve the problem.  If the problem is not listed then send me an email at lvccld@gmail.com and provide the eReader brand, patron name, phone n

Gale Virtual Reference Library Updates

Our new Gale Virtual Reference Library eBook platform is now live.

New features include:

• A completely updated, engaging user interface available in more than 35 languages
• Improved user-focused navigation and organization
• Eye catching book covers and interactive online book experience with two-page view and page flipper
• ReadSpeaker text-to-speech technology in 19 languages
• Cross-search and browse easily across series
• Download PDF articles to an eBook Reader

There is a short video which shows all the new features which I recommend you review so you are familiar with the new interface.  Just click on the GVRL image above to go to the video. (Note: it takes a few minutes to load).

New titles just added include:

Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 93
Short Story for Students, Volume 34

Librarians, Plan Ahead for February: Children’s Dental Health Awareness Month

January health program ideas are here to support your library’s health programming strategy – brought to you by The Pulse, part of the Gale’s Health and Wellness Resource Center.    Is your library focusing on February as National Heart Health Month?

February is practically synonymous with Valentine’s Day and Valentine’s Candy. Unfortunately, that candy can cause problems for children’s teeth, many of which go untreated. In fact, one in six children have at least one untreated cavity and one in five children have not visited a dentist in the last year, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Fortunately, February is also Children’s Dental Health Awareness Month and promoting it will be easy and fun with these free resources and with information from  Health and Wellness Resource Center.

• Quick and Easy: printable coloring pages and other activities for children and teens.
• Featured Resources: books for children and their caregivers and links to reliable online information
• Book Club: ideas for your Tween Book Club
• Tie In:  ideas for library programs that will get children and teens brushing
• Community Resources: local agencies to contact
• Publicity Resources: free resources to help you publicize Children’s Dental Health Awareness Month at your library through social networking sites or traditional printed materials
• Fun Stuff: links to fun activities for children

Quick and Easy

Coloring Pages:

• At the Dentist
• Brushing My Teeth
• The Dentist Will Check Your Teeth for Cavities
• Finders Keepers - “color the things that will make your teeth healthy” – from the American Dental Association (ADA)
• Four Fine Friends
• Milk Matters with Buddy Brush – coloring book from the National Institutes of Health
• My Smile Kids – toothbrush
• My Smile Kids – dental floss
• Something’s Missing – insert the missing vowels from dental words – from the ADA
• Visiting the Dentist from the ADA

Activity Pages:

• Draw a Picture of Yourself with a Big Smile!
• Count and Color - from the ADA
• Connect the Dots – from the Canadian Dental Association
• Be a Dentist! Make Healthy Smiles! - fill in the blank worksheet from the ADA
• Dental Word Search – from the ADA
• World’s Wackiest Dental Office – find the mistakes
• Maze: Help me get to my tooth, so that I can keep it healthy and clean.
• Finish the Picture Activity in English and Spanish
• Unscramble the Dental Words
• Teeth to Treasure! Word Search – from the ADA
• Teeth to Treasure! Word Search Challenge – from the ADA
• Watch Your Mouth! Crossword Puzzle – from the ADA
• How the Body Works – The Tooth – label the parts of the tooth from KidsHealth
• Permanent Tooth Development – which teeth have you lost? which ones will you lose next? from the ADA

Brushing Incentives:

• Brushing Chart from Colgate
• I Brush My Teeth Two Times Each Day
• Oral Care Calendar from the ADA
• Toothbrushing chart

Featured Resources

Books

Children’s Dental Health - Picture Books about Dentists and Teeth

Reliable Online Information:

• Academy of General Dentistry – Oral Health Resources
• American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry – Parent Education Brochures and Quick Tips for Busy Parents
• American Dental Association - Oral Health Topics
• American Dental Hygenists’ Association – Oral Health Information
• Canadian Dental Association – Your Oral Health
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics – FASTATS – Oral and Dental Health
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Oral Health Resources
• Medline Plus – Dental Health
• National Institutes of Health – National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research – Dental Health
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Women’s Health - Oral Health Fact Sheet

Book Club

Smile by Raina Telgemeier (Scholastic/Graphix, February 2010). Autobiography/Comic Book, Ages 9 to 13.

From the publisher: “Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night after Girl Scouts she trips and falls, severely injuring her two front teeth, and what follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear, and even a retainer with fake teeth attached. And on top of all that, there’s still more to deal with: a major earthquake, boy confusion, and friends who turn out to be not so friendly. This coming-of-age true story is sure to resonate with anyone who has ever been in middle school, and especially those who have ever had a bit of their own dental drama.”

• About the Author
• Author’s Facebook
• Webcomics by the Author
• Author’s Blog
• Click to Look Inside!
• Video Trailer for the Book
• Author Interview
• New York Times Book Review

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (New York: Knopf, 1964). Chapter Book, Ages 9 to 12.

Not only does this beloved book feature chocolate, but also dentists (Willy Wonka’s estranged father). Use the book to discuss the good side and bad side of candy and to discuss dentists and flossing.

• Author Website
• Author Profile and Educator’s Guide to the World of Roald Dahl
• Click to Look Inside!
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Movie Trailer

Tie Ins

Crafts and Other Fun Program Ideas

• Fun, Hands On Science Experiments: Acid Attack, The Power of Fluoride, and Floss Is Boss
• Magazine Smiles Collage: Use those stacks of magazines from last year. Kids simply cut out smiles and glue them on cardstock or cardboard to create their own collage
• Smile for the Collage: Let your teens or tweens take pictures of smiles, and then help them crop and and manipulate them into a collage.
• A Sweet Tooth for You! Make a fun toothbrush Valentine’s Day card.

Healthy Teeth Story Time Fun

• Silverlicous by Victoria Kann - “When Pinkalicious loses her sweet tooth, she turns to the Tooth Fairy for Help.” Read the book and then make an easy tooth fairy envelope.
• A Trip to the Dentist by Penny Smith – “Sarah, Josh and Rabbit are off to the dentist! Find out how they keep their teeth clean and bright!” Read the book aloud and then let the kids read the book online.

Community Resources

Find a local agency to partner with, a speaker, or other local resources here:

• American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry

• District and State Sites
• Find Pediatric Dentist
• American Dental Association

• Find a Dentist
• Find Your Local (Component) Organization
• Find Your State (Constituent) Organization
• National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research – Local Dental Schools
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Health Resources and Services Administration – Find a federally funded, low or no cost health center near you.

Publicity Resources

Use these free resources from the American Dental Association alongside your library’s February programming information – newsletter, blog, posters, or fliers – to promote Children’s Dental Health Awareness Month at your library.

• Give Kids a Smile Press Kit
• Instant Newsletter Articles
• Press Release – Create your own press release for National Children’s Health Awareness Month.
• Public Service Announcements

• Dudley & Friends Public Service Announcements
• Dental History and Education PSAs
• Dental Minutes (in Spanish)

Fun Stuff

Add some interesting and helpful interactive links to a library program, your library website, Facebook page, or Twitter feed:

Interactive Web Sites for Children and Teens

• Online Coloring from My Smile Kids

Librarians Plan Ahead: January Weight

Here are January health program ideas to incorporate into your library’s overall programming strategy – brought to you by The Pulse, part of the Gale Health and Wellness Resource Center.  Keep looking for us on the first of each month to find resources for three months out. Still working on fall and winter? Check out October: National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, November: American Diabetes Month, and December: Holiday and Cold Weather Safety Month

With the optimism that the New Year brings, January is the perfect time to work on creating new, healthy habits. Helping your library users set and keep New Year’s resolutions regarding their weight will be easy with these free resources and with information from Gale Health and Wellness Resource Center:

• Quick and Easy: printable coloring pages and other activities for children and handy printables for adults.
• Featured Resources: books for children and adults and links to reliable online information
• Book Club: ideas for your book discussion group
• Tie In: healthy eating and staying active story time ideas and also ideas for programs that will get kids and teens moving
• Community Resources: local agencies to contact
• Publicity Resources: free items to help you publicize Maintain a Healthy Weight Month at your library through social networking sites or traditional printed materials
• Fun Stuff: links to interactive information

Quick and Easy

Coloring Pages and Activities for Children:

• Fun With Nutrition Educational Coloring Book

• Kids on Bikes - “Eating a wide variety of foods gives us energy to work and play.”
• Kids Playing Baseball - “Eat healthful foods and stay active.”
• Kids Playing Basketball - ”Eat healthful foods and stay active.”
• Circle the Healthful Foods That You Like to Eat

Find the Hidden Fruits and Vegetables

Food Groups Activities

I Can Eat a Rainbow

Eat Well and Stay Fit family activity and information sheet in English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Portuguese and Haitian Creole from PBS

Lesson and Activity Plans:

• Operation FitKids™  - free youth fitness curriculum from the American Council on Exercise (ACE) for grades 3-5 and grades 6-8
• Empower Me 4 Life- a fun and practical 8-session healthy living course equipping kids ages 8-12 with new attitudes, skills and knowledge about eating better and moving more — for life.
  
• Energize Our Community: Toolkit for Action from We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition!) a national public education program from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to help prevent overweight and obesity among youth ages 8-13.
• Fast Food Fact Finding from TeacherVision “Using the Internet, children compare and contrast the nutritional value of menu items from different fast-food restaurant chains.”

Printables for Teens and Adults:

• 10 Tips for Keeping Kids Active During the Winter from Alliance for a Healthier Generation
• 20 Tips for Getting Your Family On Track from Shape-up America. Also in Spanish
• New Year’s Resolution Template in Excel
• Portion Distortion Quiz from National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
• Recipes, Sample Menus, and What’s on Your Plate? mini poster (also in Spanish)  from the USDA’s Choose My Plate

Featured Resources

Books

• Books for Children: Healthy Weight through Nutrition and Exercise
• Books for Parents: Help Your Children Develop Healthy Habits
• Hot Diet and Exercise Books (Fall-Winter 2011-2012)
  

Reliable Online Information:

• American Council on Exercise (ACE) Get Fit
• American Dietetic Association
• American Heart Association (AHA)
• National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Aim for a Healthy Weight
• National Institutes of Health – USDA’s MyPlate
• Web MD – Exercise Workout and Fitness

Book Club

Chew on This: Everything You Don’t Want to Know about Fast Food by Charles Wilson and Eric Schlosser (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2006). Non-Fiction, Grades 7 to 12.

• About the Book, Discussion Questions, Activities, and Take Action! ideas from the publisher
• Book Trailer from the publisher and Transcript
• Fast Food Fact Finding activity from TeacherVision

Thin is the New Happy by Valerie Frankel (St. Martin’s Press, 2008). Biography, Adult.

From the publisher: Valerie Frankel, like most women, has spent most of her conscious life on a diet, thinking about a diet, ignoring a diet, or failing on a diet. At age eleven, her mother put Val on her first weight-loss program. As a teen, she was enrolled in Weight Watchers (for which she invented creative ditching methods). As a young woman, her world felt right only when she was able to zip a certain pair of jeans. Not wanting to pass this legacy on to her own daughters, Valerie set out to cleanse herself of her obsession. ”Thin Is the New Happy is the true story of one woman’s quest to exorcise her bad body-image demons, to uncover the truths behind what put them there, and to learn how to truly love herself. It’s a poignant, hilarious, and all-out honest account of one woman’s struggle with body image–the filter through which she’s always seen the world–and the way she ultimately overcame it.”

• About the Author
• Author’s Blog
• Look Inside the book
• Reading Guide from the publisher
• “Posing Nude to Love My Body,” an article by the author appearing in Self magazine

Born to Run: a Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen, by Christopher McDougall (Alfred A. Knopf, 2009)

From the publisher: “McDougall reveals the secrets of the world’s greatest distance runners–the Tarahumara Indians of Copper Canyon, Mexico–and how he trained for the challenge of a lifetime: a fifty-mile race through the heart of Tarahumara country pitting the tribe against an odd band of super-athletic Americans.”

• About the Author
• Author’s  Website
• Look Inside the book
• Barefoot Running Debate

Tie In

Get Active at the Library with Dance Dance Revolution (DDR)

• Gaming for Fines
• DDR Study Break at the library
• How to Run a DDR or Guitar Hero Tournament at Your Library
• The Librarian’s Guide to Gaming from the American Library Association (ALA) – an online toolkit for building gaming at your library

Healthy Eating Story Time Fun

• The only thing more fun than The Runaway Garden by Jeffrey Schatzer is the full color Activity Guide with vegetable songs, coloring pages, activity pages, and more.
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is a story time classic. After you share the story, discuss fruit and nutrition with a Very Hungry Caterpillar Coloring Sheet,  a Booklet to make and color, or Story Cards (p. 9).

Community Resources

Find a local agency to partner with, a speaker, or other local resources here:

• ACE & AARP –  ACE certified professionals offering a 20%  discount and free fitness consultation or group session for seniors who are members of AARP
• ACE-certified Fitness Professional Finder
• Find your local American Heart Association (AHA) chapter
• Fitness and Health Club Finder from ACE
• Become a Community Partner with the USDA/CNNP Nutrition Communicators Network
• Visiting Nurse Associations of America – Find a VNA near you to request a workplace presentation.
• Find a We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition!) program in a community near you
• Find your local YMCA

Publicity Resources

Use these free resources alongside your library’s January programming information – newsletter, blog, posters, or fliers – to promote both your library’s programs and New Year’s healthy weight resolutions.

• We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition!) a national public education program from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to help prevent overweight and obesity among youth ages 8-13.

• Public Visibility Tools: Media Messages, Print and audio PSAs, Launch Prototypes, Timeline Checklist, Sample Press Release, Sample Proclamation, and more
• Complete Toolkit also available.

Choose My Plate graphics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA):

• 1-page graphics slick
• more MyPlate graphics
• MyPlate Style Guide and Conditions of Use for the Icon

Fun Stuff

Add some interesting and helpful interactive links to a library program, your library website, Facebook page, or Twitter feed:

Free Apps:

• BMI Calculator from USA.gov
• Calorie Counter and Meals and Exercise Journal from Everyday Health
• Y-Finder Find your local YMCA

Interactive Web Sites for Children and Teens

• Fit! an interactive website from WebMD – Junior, Kids and Teens
• Lunch-O-Matic: a Cafeteria Challenge, online game from PBS
• MyPyramid Plan for Your Preschoolers: where parents can create a customized eating plan for their preschoolers.
• Zis Boom Bah: where “It’s ok to play with your food!”
• Food and Nutrition at BAM!: where kids and teens can “separate food fact from food fiction to look good and feel fabulous.”
• Papaya Head: where parents can plan meals, enter and analyze their recipes, find recipes, and create shopping lists based on their custom profile.
• My Calorie Counter from Everyday Health

New Test Drive Program

Shannon Lichty Nov 22, 2011 1:37 PM – Show original item

We are proud to announce Test Drive™, a program for libraries to support demonstration and lending of eBook reading devices and tablets to their patrons. The program includes device recommendations and guidelines for setup, maintenance and support, as well as best practices for institutions that want to stock and lend eBook readers and tablets to patrons.

Whether you are considering providing demo units inside or lending devices outside the library, our Test Drive program will provide useful guidelines to work within the framework of your OverDrive eBook lending collection.

We are also proud to announce that the Sony® Reader™ Wi-Fi (Model PRS-T1) has been selected as the first “Test Drive Approved” device. Test Drive Approved device requirements include compatibility with the library’s eBook catalog, direct Wi-Fi checkout and eBook download via an onboard browser or app, and copyright protection (DRM) and lending practices that conform to rules as required by publisher permissions. Test Drive devices are selected based on durability, ease-of-use for library staff and patrons to setup and maintain, as well as battery life, performance, and other usability factors.

Over the coming weeks and months, we will be announcing additional “Test Drive Approved” eBook readers and tablets, including color units for use with illustrated eBook genres such as children’s titles, graphic novels, cookbooks and other image-rich titles. OverDrive is also testing and preparing to release information for Test Drive Approved accessible devices for print-impaired readers. Accessible eBook reading devices in the Test Drive program for US public libraries will support the Library eBook Accessibility Program (LEAP), OverDrive’s free service to libraries that offers accessible eBooks in partnership with Bookshare.org.

The OverDrive Test Drive program was developed in response to recommendations by The Council of State Librarians (COSLA) from its 2010 report that outlined the need for low-cost, library-friendly eBook devices that library staff could use to train and lend to patrons. Accessibility and upholding publisher rights and library policies were among the requirements listed in that report. OverDrive’s Test Drive program gives the libraries the tools needed to effectively and efficiently develop programs to select and provide their staff and patrons with such devices.

I have signed up for the program to see what they are offering. They are providing a tool kit to loan  or create a try it display within the library with the new Sony Reader WiFi model PRS-T1.  The Library will be receiving a couple of these ereaders but  I need to have a discussion with Robb about this option to see what would be possible.  If you have any suggestions please comment here.

New Marketing Kit for eBooks!

OverDrive has a new marketing kit for our eMedia collection so be sure to check it out! Here’s the poster with our URL added:

eMedia Poster (for this pdf version you will need to add the URL information before printing)

There are other marketing materials available including bookmarkets and shelf talkers.

New Literature Criticism Titles

The following new titles have been added to Literature Criticism Online:

Contemporary Literary Criticism Vol 314
Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism Vol 248
Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism Vol 249
Poetry Criticism Vol 123
Short Story Criticism Vol 158
Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism Vol 258
Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism Vol 259

Sony eReader Wifi

The new Sony eReader allows you to search, checkout and download directly on the eReader. No computer needed! This ereader would be a great choice for patrons who don’t own a computer or lack computer skills.  Check out the video on eRead Me Vegas to see how it works.

New GVRL Titles

The following titles have been added to Gale Virtual Reference Library:

American Law Yearbook

Business Plan Hand book, Volume 22

Libraries Claimed on Facebook

We have started claiming more of our libraries on Facebook.  So far we have Windmill, Whitney, Clark County and Laughlin Library.

Please encourage staff or patrons to like the pages so we can claim a unique name for the Library.  We need 25 Fans to get the name.  Clark County and Windmill libraries already have their name on their Facebook URL.

New Topic Pages at Credo Reference

Image via Wikipedia

Credo Reference has added these new topic pages this week.

Cricket 

Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir have been sentenced to prison terms for spot-fixing and match-fixing in exchange for large incentives enabled by large gambling rings. Such sentencing is the first of its kind as communication in a globalized world makes such situations more and more common not only in the cricket world, but also in sports.

Image by Josh LeClair via Flickr

Veterans Day

Just in time for Veterans Day (or Armistice Day), President Obama has launched his “We Can’t Wait” initiative in which veterans, particularly those serving post-9/11 and those who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, will have access to databases that will match skills learned in the military to civilian jobs in addition to job postings geared to veterans. The goal being that every veteran will be employed shortly after arriving home.

How to keep libraries thriving: Make personal service a priority

Here’s an interesting article entitled “Personal Service is Priority” by Whitman County Librarian, Kristie Kirpatrick, that gave a glowing synopsis of the Whitman County Library’s efforts to give “fantastic personal… Read More…

Kindle Starts Lending Library

The Kindle eBook lending service is real and is now live. It will  add a new variable as libraries rethink their roles, collection building, eBook services for libraries, and many other issues.

Here’s some fast facts and a number of restrictions and limitations as of today. Of course, if this initial launch is successful, this will very likely change.

Fast Facts (As of Today):

• The Kindle Lending Library is ONLY Available to Those Who Own a Kindle Device AND Subscribe to the Amazon Prime Service
• The Service is Only Available for U.S. Customers
• None of the Six Largest U.S. Publishers are Participating
• Books Can Be Read on Multiple Kindle Devices, as Long as They’re Registered to the Same Eligible Account
• Books CANNOT Be Read on Kindle Reading Apps (Android, iOS, PC, Mac, etc.)
• One Book Can be Borrowed at a Time, and There are No Due Dates
• You Can Borrow a New Book as Frequently as Once a Month, Directly on a Registered Kindle Device, and You Will Be Prompted to Return the Book That You are Currently Borrowing
• If You Have Already Borrowed a Book in that Calendar month, You are Not Yet Eligible to Borrow a New Book Until the Next Calendar Month.  There is No “Roll-Over” or Accrual of Unused Borrowing Eligibility
• Bookmarks, Notes, and Highlights are All Available on Kindle Owners’ Lending Library Titles, and Will be Saved to your Amazon.com Account  If You Borrow Again or Purchase the Book in the Future, Your Notes and Highlights Will be Available for You
• A Few of Titles Available at Launch

• 100 current and former New York Times Bestsellers
  
• Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, The Big Short and Liars’ Poker by Michael Lewis
• The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
• Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
• Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

ReferenceUSA

ReferenceUSA has a YouTube site with a host of videos on how to use ReferenceUSA database. You can also subscribe to updates so you will know when new videos are posted.

Another new site  is ReferenceUSA Resource Center. (beta site).

This is where they post daily – responding to frequently asked questions, demonstrating search strategies, profiling interesting people and places or discussing various aspects of ReferenceUSA that we know are of interest.

The Learning Center is where they link you to their on going series of web-based tutorials that cover topics of interest including using ReferenceUSA as part of a job search strategy and how businesses use ReferenceUSA.  You will also find short form tutorials that demonstrate various search scenarios, tips and techniques.

Library Resources offers access to a number of items that you can download and print for your patrons – Sample Search Sheets, flyers, bookmarks and brochures.  There is also a convenient order form available.