•   CAROL HENDRIX, Administration

Oops! I forgot to put my email address on the memo I sent via FLLS delivery bags about the winter issue of the FLLS newsletter.  So…please send articles and pictures, if you have any, to my email address chendrix@flls.org  I will only accept emails; no hand written or typed copy.  Thanks!

  

• ANNETTE BIRDSALL, Youth Services Consultant

Books Abound 2007

Literature Appreciation Conference

November 15^th at the Owego Treadway Inn 

Keynote authors this year are Peter McCarty and Esme Raji Codell. On Wednesday, November 14, the night before, there will be a dessert reception courtesy of Senator Libous and the Four County Library System.  A $50 registration is required. Fees include breakfast and lunch. The cost of lodging is not included in the conference price. Each participant will enjoy two discussion groups, led by local LMS facilitators.  You don’t want to miss this event.  It’s not too late to register.  Please contact me if you need a registration form. Annette@flls.org

 

•  JAN AGUIRRE, Specialist & Training Coordinator

There seems to be some confusion over changing the status of lost items to Withdrawn prior to their deletion.  Do not change the “Lost to patron” status of an item to Withdrawn.  See note at the end of this tip!

• Items lost to patrons can be deleted but their status should remain as “Lost to patron”. This retains the linkage between the lost item and the patron who lost it and has been billed for it.

• Items with a status of Claim Returned or Claim Never Had can also be deleted without changing the status to “Withdrawn”, however while the total number of claims for that patron is retained, the title information linked to the Claimed item is removed. 

• Items with a status of Out, Held, In-Transit, and Transferred should be checked in prior to changing the status to Withdrawn.

• Items with a status of Missing, In-Repair, Bindery, In-Process or Unavailable should have their status changed to Withdrawn and then can be deleted without any problem.

 

 

 When this item is added to a recode set and subsequently deleted, this message is displayed.

 

 Once the lost item record has been deleted, the title is retained in the note field in the Accounts view in Patron Status.

 

TIP: It is suggested that if a lost item owned by your library but lost by a patron from another library, is paid for, that a note is inserted in the Item Record indicating that the item was paid for, by whom and  when.

 

 

•  MARISA IACOBUCCI, Adult Services Coordinator

November 12^th is Fast Approaching, and That Means… 

…we’re getting close to launching our free downloadable audiobooks and eBooks service!   

We will be sending out publicity materials – bookmarks, business card sized information, ‘shelf talkers’ and posters – as soon as they arrive. 

 

Training, Training, Training! 

In the meantime, we encourage all member library staff, volunteers, and trustees, if interested, to participate in the training the OverDrive offers on using the service.  This is highly recommended for all staff that work with the public and may have to answer questions about how to download the software to use the service.   

 There is one training date left: Nov 7^th at 3:00-4:30 EST login code: 5736009

 To participate, you will need to be on a computer with an Internet connection, and also have access to a phone to call a toll free number and participate in a conference call.   You might want to coordinate with the other staff in your library so you can share a phone line. 

 Please read through the directions well before the sessions so you can verify that your computer has the correct software. 

The conference call will be conducted using the ReadyTalk service, which uses online web sharing and telephone conferencing. 

To ensure there are no problems connecting to the call, please be sure to log in to the session 10-15 minutes before the session is due to start or go to and click on “Browser Check” link in the Participant Login box.

1) For the online web sharing please go to the following URL:  http://www.readytalk.com/  It is best to open this URL in Internet Explorer. Java is required to use this service, please confirm you have the latest version of Java installed on the computer(s) you plan to use (http://www.java.com/en/download/index.jsp).

2) On the left hand side, you will see an option that says Participant Login Access Code.  Please enter the access code, for your training date and time, listed above.

3) Please be sure to enter your full name (first and last) and your email address when ReadyTalk requests it as our staff will use that to send follow up information after the call. 

4) For the audio teleconference, call 1-866-740-1260 from any touch-tone phone.  For the benefit of others on the call, please be aware that potentially they will be able to hear background noise around you so ideally call in from a quiet office/location.

Please note: Our ReadyTalk presentations are best viewed using a screen resolution of 1024x768 and with a hard line connection.  We have found that it is difficult to view the presentation through on a wireless network.

 

A Refresher About Downloadable Audiobooks and eBooks:

To check out a downloadable audio book, patrons can simply go to www.flls.org and click on the “Download Audiobooks” icon or go to our catalog and choose the Digital Downloads tab.  They would then install the free OverDrive Media Console software and begin browsing our collection of young adult fiction, adult fiction and nonfiction. Titles can be checked out and downloaded to their personal computer. Once on their computer, the audiobook files can be transferred to a portable MP3 player, and some audiobooks can even be burned to CD.

Downloadable audiobook files expire automatically after 7 days, so there are no late fees, no overdue notices.  On the day a title expires, if there are no requests outstanding for it, patrons may check it out one more time and will not have to re-download that title. You may check an eBook in earlier than the due date.  A valid library card is required, and patrons are limited to checking out three downloadable audiobooks at one time.

The OverDrive Media Console software will operate on computers running Windows 98SE and above, including Microsoft Vista. At this time, OverDrive’s downloadable audiobooks service is not compatible with Apple computers and iPods, due to Apple’s rights management restrictions.

If you have any questions about this new service, please contact Annette Birdsall (ext. 27, annette@flls.org ), Marisa Iacobucci (ext. 26, marisa@flls.org ), or Rex Helwig (ext. 40, rhelwig@flls.org )

 

New Book Group Kits

We have several new Book Group Kits that are available for borrowing:

• My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult

• Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

• The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards

• Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

We will be sending out new information about all available kits soon! 

 

• LINDA BEINS, ILL/Reference Coordinator

RECYCLED REFERENCE BOOKS

Please let me know by November 9 if you are interested in any of the following:

• 2005-2006 United States Government Manual

• Library of Congress Subject Headings (28^th ed, 2005) 5 vols.

• Music, An Appreciation (9^th ed., 2008) A book and set of 9 CDs

• The Statesman’s Yearbook (2005)

       ILL

When submitting an out-of-system request, please check to make sure that the name on the request matches the name in Polaris. If you have more than one patron with the same name, please include the patron’s library card number.

  

DELIVERY SERVICES

Thanks to the 27 libraries that have already returned the completed Delivery Services Survey. I f you haven’t done so, please complete and return the survey to Linda Beins by Monday, November 5.  Let me know if you need a blank survey form. We rely on your feedback to improve services.

 

DATABASES – Rosetta Stone

I regret to inform you that we have received notification that Rosetta Stone Ltd. “has decided to discontinue access online for public libraries” beyond the end of our current contract which ends January 31, 2008. Any new contract would only provide in-library language instruction and would require us to purchase a separate license for each simultaneous user per language offered. That would mean that the cost of the program, if we wanted to offer instruction for ten languages at all of our member libraries, would be almost $25,000 and patrons could only access the program at your library. The conditions being placed by Rosetta Stone Ltd. limits access to this database to such an extent that it would be of questionable value to our library patrons.

As a result, we are exploring other options. I have been in contact with the vendor Auralog which offers the language instruction product, Tell Me More. We are arranging for a trial and I am counting on you to explore this other database and provide feedback. In addition, Amy Humber, TCPL, has selected and will be selecting some language instruction materials in eBook and downloadable formats as part of the new Overdrive service.

 

DATABASES - Learning Express 

I still have 8.5 x 14” posters and bookmarks from LearningExpress to promote this new resource to your library patrons. Call or email me if you would like help in exploring this new database.

  

DATABASES – Novelist  

Did you know that Novelist has Explore Fiction lists for adults, young adults, children, and easy books in a variety of genres? Here's how to access NoveList's Explore Fiction lists:

 1.    Go to www.flls.org

2.    Select Electronic Databases → Literature & Books → Novelist

3.    In Novelist, select the Browse Lists tab.

4.   Under the Explore Fiction heading, select the appropriate reading level link. For example, to find the Adult Historical Fiction list, select the "Adult" link.

5.    You will see a list of genres to choose from. Select the "Historical Fiction" link.

6.    A listing of sub-genres will display. Choose a topic of interest, for example "Immigrant Experience," to see the full list of titles.

 

DATABASES - Novelist Promotional Materials

Go to http://support.epnet.com/training/novelist/NLC/Support_PL.htm for Novelist support materials, including downloadable bookmarks that can be customized for your library, an 8.5 X 11” flyer, and a one-page Quick Start Help Sheet.

 

WEBSITES - Health Behavior of NYS Adults

Summary Reports of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, an annual statewide telephone survey of adults developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and administered by the New York State Department of Health may be found at. http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/brfss/reports. You can find reports that detail the incidence of asthma, arthritis, diabetes, obesity, and smoking as well as the frequency of physical activity and the consumption of fruits and vegetables in the adult population in NYS.  

 

LAST WEEK’S QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK  

Question 1: Where is the corporate headquarters of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts located?  

Winston Salem, NC

At least two of our databases can answer this question.

 Business & Company Resource Center 

1.      At www.flls.org, select Electronic Databases → Business → Business & Company Resource Center

 

 

2.      Enter the search term “Krispy Kreme” and you get:  

3.      Double click on the first entry to get the company profile:

ReferenceUSA

1.      At www.flls.org, select Electronic Databases → Business → Business Telephone & Address Directory(ReferenceUSA)

2.      Select U.S. Businesses

3.      On the Quick Search screen enter “Krispy Kreme” in Company Name box

 

4.      Select any of the entries and click on View in Corporate Family column

5.      The entry on the Corporate Family Tree has the City/State.

If you click on Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc you will get a complete entry which includes Corporate Information, a Company Description, Business Profile, Management Directory, Company News, and links to Competitors.

Question 2: How many Krispy Kreme doughnuts are produced every day?

I’m not sure but its at least 3 million/day. There’s a discrepancy in information from the two databases. According to the information in the Business Profile section of ReferenceUSA, Krispy Kreme produces 3 million doughnuts/day. In the International Directory of Company Histories (2004), accessed by clicking on the Histories tab on Business & Company Resource Center, Krispy Kreme’s production reached 3 million/day in 1999 and 7.5 million/day in 2003.  However, on the Krispy Kreme website they report 3 million/day. Where did the 7.5 million number come from? Is the Krispy Kreme website out of date?

 

 Krispy Kreme Trivia:  The first Krispy Kreme Doughnuts were made on July 13, 1937; two doughnuts cost 5 cents and a dozen cost 25 cents.¹

 ¹ International Directory of Company Histories (2004) (accessed through Business & Company Resource Center) 

 

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION OF THE WEEK   Which authors would you recommend to a patron who, having completed My Antonia and O! Pioneers, is interested in authors similar to Willa Cather?