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.
Filed under: Cool Tools | Tagged: ipad circulation | 1 Comment »
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.
Filed under: Cool Tools | Tagged: ipad circulation | 1 Comment »
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?
Filed under: eBooks and eBook Readers | Tagged: bookstores, ebooks, libraries | Leave a Comment »
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.
Filed under: eBooks and eBook Readers | Tagged: Amazon Kindle, Kindle, OverDrive | Leave a Comment »
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:
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.
Filed under: Did you know?, Librarianship, Reference Work | Tagged: Guy Gavriel Kay, library, Readers Advisory | 2 Comments »
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
Filed under: Databases - Updates | Tagged: Literary criticism, Literature | Leave a Comment »
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.
Filed under: Databases - Updates | Tagged: freegal, music | Leave a Comment »
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.
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
eReader setup procedures for all devices is available to patrons at our eMedia Catalog under the icon showing below – http://ebooks.lvccld.org

Getting eBooks from our eMedia Catalog at http://ebooks.lvccld.org
Non-Kindle devices
Kindle eReaders
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
Filed under: eBooks and eBook Readers | Tagged: Adobe Digital Editions, E-book, ebook, ereaders, guide to eReaders, Kindle, OverDrive Media Console | Leave a Comment »
Our new Gale Virtual Reference Library eBook platform is now live.
New features include:
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
Filed under: Databases - Updates, GVRL | Tagged: Gale Virtual Reference Library, new titles | Leave a Comment »
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.
Brushing Incentives:
Children’s Dental Health - Picture Books about Dentists and Teeth
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.”
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.
Add some interesting and helpful interactive links to a library program, your library website, Facebook page, or Twitter feed:
Filed under: Programming ideas | Tagged: American Dental Association, Dental public health | Leave a Comment »
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:
Printables for Teens and Adults:
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
Filed under: Programming ideas | Tagged: health, Health and Wellness Resource Center, Weight Management, Wellness Resource Center | Leave a Comment »
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.
Filed under: eBooks and eBook Readers | Tagged: E-book, OverDrive, Sony, Sony Reader | 1 Comment »
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.
Filed under: eBooks and eBook Readers | Tagged: E-book, Marketing and Advertising, OverDrive | Leave a Comment »
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 |
Filed under: Databases - Updates, GVRL | Tagged: Literary criticism, Literature, poetry, Reviews and Criticism | Leave a Comment »
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.
Filed under: eBooks and eBook Readers | Tagged: Sony eReader | Leave a Comment »
The following titles have been added to Gale Virtual Reference Library:
American Law Yearbook
Business Plan Hand book, Volume 22
Filed under: Databases - Updates, GVRL | Tagged: business plans, law | 2 Comments »
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.
Filed under: Facebook | Tagged: facebook, Las Vegas-Clark County Library District | 1 Comment »
Credo Reference has added these new topic pages this week.
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.
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.
Filed under: Databases - Updates, Topic Pages | Tagged: credo reference, Critcket, Veterans Day | 2 Comments »
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…
Filed under: Librarianship | Tagged: personal service | 1 Comment »
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):
Filed under: eBooks and eBook Readers | Tagged: Amazon.com, Kindle Lending Library | 3 Comments »
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.
Filed under: Databases - Updates, Training | Tagged: Business and Economy, referenceusa | Leave a Comment »