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INFOcus September
2007 |
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Ideas You Can Use |
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Library Newsletters |
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The Palos Verdes Library District (PVLD) has
a PDF version of their monthly newsletter on their Web site: http://www.pvld.org/newsletter/current.pdf This link is placed in a BookLetters custom
newsletter where patrons can subscribe and have it delivered to their E-mail
inbox. This is how it looks in the patron’s inbox: http://www.booksite.com/texis/scripts/bookletter/showlist.html?sid=6177&list=CNL1
This is what the email newsletter
subscription page looks like: http://www.booksite.com/texis/scripts/bookletter/addnluser.html?sid=6177
The RSS subscription page is here: http://www.booksite.com/texis/scripts/bookletter/addrss.html?sid=6177 Courtesy of: Erik Adams, Adult
Services Librarian, Palos Verdes Library District |
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Magazines |
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Have you
considered circulating the current issue of magazines for the remainder of
your current subscriptions on these to see if that might bring the users
out? Or have you considered putting out a simple note on these titles you
are considering canceling with a way to respond (ie, attaching quarter-sized
sheets to the magazine with the name of the magazine and a place to simply
check they would like to keep the magazine)? We sometimes find that
items we thought were never touched actually have a devoted following. |
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Interfiling |
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·
Foreign and Independent DVDs : We interfile all of our feature films (DVDs) and put a
label on the spine indicating the language of the film if it isn't in
English. This way there's only one section patrons have to go to. Also, they
may be more likely to try a film from a different country if it isn't
segregated from the "mainstream" movies. This seems to work for our
patrons. ·
Integrating Reference Titles With Adult Nonfiction: I would never suggest integrating
the reference titles with the adult nonfiction UNLESS you intend to circulate
the reference titles. When I was at the library that interfiled, I
spent a great deal of time explaining why this book or that book couldn’t be
checked out. It was confusing to the patrons and meant we had to say
“no” a lot. If you’re really intent on reducing your reference
collection and reclaiming the space for other things, why not just make most
of the reference titles circulating, but keep a small noncirculating
collection of things you know you use a lot? |
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Message Boards |
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This could be a great opportunity
for our reference librarians to show |
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Del.icio.us |
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I
use Del.icio.us, and already I’ve found it to be a hugely helpful
application. I present lots of classes and programs over our state-run
interactive voice-video network. Most presentations involve Web site
demos. Because I can never originate my programs from the same ICN room
in the city each time, I’m forever moving around and using whatever room is available to me.
Long story short, on any computer in any room, I need only to open my
Del.icio.us account, see all my favorite Web sites, and voila! And one future
use: our regional system uses a group of member libraries as our back-up
reference team. They help answer any reference questions coming in from
our libraries. I’d
like our back-up team to use Del.icio.us to bookmark their favorite Web sites
for reference work; should be great networking amongst this group and also
with the entire region. |
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Reader's Guide |
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We dropped the print in favor of
the online. We also have the retro online. Why? Shelf space and ease of use.
The online is easy to search and does not require any shelf space. |
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Electronic Resource Management
Systems (ERMS) |
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Does your library have an
ERMS? (no, it is not a disease) For the past year I have searched
for information on ERMS for public libraries. I found little help in
the listserves I monitor, even when I searched the archives there was not much
information in originating an RFP. After a year of work, planning and
investigating, we now have our RFP posted on the library's website for
an ERMS. If you have an interest in learning about ERMS, want to read about
it or keep a copy for later use, you can find our RFP at: Courtesy of St. Charles City-County
Library District. |
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Banned Books Displays |
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Years ago at my former library, we lined display cases with brown paper with a few strategic holes cut so folks could peep through and see displays of books that had been challenged or banned. Nothing attracts lookers (or readers) like trying to hide (or remove) books! |
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