No Shelf Required

The last question asked during the ALA panel was asked by panelist, Michael Ross from Encyclopaedia Britannica.  He wanted to know from the librarians in the audience, “what do you want from us?” 

Librarians were not shy in extending several responses:

§  I need to make my purchasing decision based on reviews.  So, I need to find reviews and awards information easier on a publishers site, to determine and justify my purchase decision

§  More creative pricing models – to support many sizes and needs of institutions (ie. 2 simultaneous users, own, subscribe, collections)

§  Reference sources are duplicated too much.  We have dozens of articles with same information.  Can you all publish unique things?

§  Consistency in search protocols across platforms – boolean, truncation, plurals, default search, etc -

(better yet, how about one single platform, SP)

Librarians, what else is on your wish list for reference publishers?  Place your comments here so our panelists can see them.

Here’s a snapshot from the ALA Presentation - A View from the Top. 

Left to right:

John Barnes, Gale/Cengage, Rolf Janke, Sage, Sue Polanka, WSU, Michael Ross, Britannica, Casper Grathwohl, Oxford

To start the session, each of the panelists was asked:

                  Will we have reference in 10-15 years?  If so, what will it look like? 

Their responses were:

John Barnes – Yes, but in a different form - digital and more interactive.  The transformation is already happening.  The first step is to get our collections online, which we are doing now.  This might help to ease the “if it isn’t online it doesn’t exist” philosophy of researchers

Rolf Janke – Yes, but google and other web based vendors might share the stage with us.  5 years ago google was a threat, now they are partners.

Michael Ross  – Yes, but the vocabulary will change.  We won’t have collections or series, ’search’ will become ’find,’ and there will be more birthing of products online.  Reference will need to become unbound – in a more transparent environment that address the needs of a variety of people.

Casper Grathwohl – We are not dying, we are knowledge factories.  All of us, including Wikipedia, have a place in the environment. The information is there, we need to determine how to define it and add value to it, and there is no lack of ideas on which direction to go.

From the Internet Archive site:  The Internet Archive is building a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Like a paper library, we provide free access to researchers, historians, scholars, and the general public. Text Archives are:  Free to read, download, print, and enjoy. Some have restrictions on bulk re-use and commercial use, please see the collection or the sponsor of a book.  By providing near-unrestricted access to these texts, we hope to encourage widespread use of texts in new contexts by people who might not have used them before.  Nearly 1/2 a million texts are available for a free download, including titles from Project Gutenberg.

For purchase - new report on ebook use  by libraries.

Data in the report is based on a survey of 75 academic, public and special libraries. Data is broken out by library budget size, for US and non-US libraries and for academic and non-academic libraries. The report presents more than 300 tables of data on e-book use by libraries, as well as analysis and commentary. Librarians detail their plans on how they plan to develop their e-book collections, what they think of e-book readers and software, and which e-book aggregators and publishers appeal to them most and why  

Other issues covered include: library production of e-books and collection digitization, e- book collection information literacy efforts, use of e-books in course reserves and inter- library loan, e-book pricing and inflation issues, acquisition sources and strategies for e- books and other issues of concern to libraries and book publishers.  

For more information please click on:  
http://www.researchandmarkets.com/product/e50cee/library_use_of_ebooks_200809  

ebrary’s latest survey - Global Student ebook survey - is now available.  Click here to register for viewing the results of nearly 6500 student perceptions of ebooks. 

Check out the new Off The Shelf Column  in Booklist, June 1, 2008.  This is a preview to the ALA Program with the same title.  Don’t miss it, Anaheim Convention Center, 204B, Monday, June 30th, 10:30 - 12:00.

International Children’s Digital Library Unveils Breakthrough Enhancements 

From PRWeb

Unique Technology Significantly Improves Translation, Readability

Boston, MA (PRWEB) June 17, 2008 — The International Children’s Digital Library (ICDL) Foundation (www.childrenslibrary.org), which is the world’s largest collection of children’s literature available freely on the Internet, today announced the completion and implementation of its ClearText technology which significantly enhances the translation and readability of the books available from the online library.

For easier reading of scanned books on a small screen, ClearText allows the user to simply click the desired text to display a magnified version of that text in place, or to read that page in a different language, the user just selects the desired language from a list under the page. The novel book reader technology was developed in-house at ICDL by Dr. Ben Bederson, library co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, working closely with a team from the Human-Computer Interaction Lab at the University of Maryland.

We are constantly working to expand the library and increase its relevance worldwide

For the translation feature, children reading at the ICDL can select the language of their choice at the bottom of each page. As for readability, the text provided by the ClearText technology is sharper than before and will “pop out” to enlarge as needed. Text can even be read with a screen reader to support visually impaired readers. The book reader allows users to see a different version of the text in place and enables the text size to be changed or read aloud using a standard screen reader. It works by visually removing the text from the original image of the book, and then using the Web browser to display the text on top of the image of the book.

Additionally, the ClearText technology allows for users of the library to have increased options in selecting a language in which to read a book. For example, thanks to ClearText, Croatian author Andrea Petrlik’s moving book The Blue Sky is currently available in three languages. In addition to the technology improvements, a massive translation project is currently underway, being conducted by more than 1,200 online volunteer translators. Once a book is translated, there is a second review to validate the translation and ensure accuracy.

“We are constantly working to expand the library and increase its relevance worldwide,” said Executive Director of the International Children’s Digital Library, Tim Browne. “The ClearText application was developed specifically for the ICDL and makes it possible for more children from more countries to enjoy more books. We are delighted to unveil what we view as our most significant advancement to date.”

Posted on behalf of Devon Bell.

ABC-Clio. History Defined
Discussing the Evolution of the Reference eBook

ABC-CLIO would like your voice to be heard!

Join ABC-CLIO on Sunday, June 29, 2008, at ALA Annual in Anaheim, CA. We’ll be hosting a focus group for academic librarians. These discussions will offer you an opportunity to express your needs and opinions on the future of eBooks.

Topics include:

• Updating books and new editions
• Designing your perfect system for reference eBook acquisition and access
• Simplifying purchasing, processing, andadministration
• Purchasing vs. subscription

Library reference is changing: the nature of the products, media, and packaging; business models, policies and budgets; and even the way titles are found and ordered. Publishers and distributors are making changes to their models and systems every day. Now is the perfect time to voice what you want in reference eBooks. All attendees will receive $100 Clio Dollars to use toward the purchase of any ABC-CLIO print or eBook title. All attendees will also be entered to win an iPod Shuffle. If you are interested in participating, please RSVP by June 15 to Elizabeth Marotta at emarotta@abc-clio.com, or call 800-368-6868 ext. 346.

Attendance is limited, so register today.

Sunday, June 29, from 11am-12pm
Refreshments will be served.

The focus group will be held in the Lido A room at the Hilton Anaheim. The hotel is located at 777 Convention Way, Anaheim, CA 98202, adjacent to the Convention Center.

Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to seeing you at ALA Annual.

Kindest regards,
The team at ABC-CLIO
130 Cremona Drive
Santa Barbara, CA 93117
1.800.368.6868

Booth #1200 while at ALA.

SAGE Acquires CQ Press,Book-Publishing Unit of Congressional Quarterly Inc. Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore and Washington, DC (May 30, 2008) — CQ Press, the book publishing unit of Washington-based Congressional Quarterly Inc. (CQ), has been sold to SAGE, the leading independent academic publisher. The sale was announced jointly by Robert W. Merry, CQ’s President and Editor-in-Chief, and Blaise Simqu, SAGE’s President and CEO. CQ’s corporate parent, Times Publishing Co. of St. Petersburg, Florida, announced on January 3 that it would divest CQ Press in order to direct investment resources to other opportunities, notably the core CQ publishing business and the company’s award-winning newspaper, The St. Petersburg Times. CQ Press serves the library, college and professional markets with a diverse array of print and online products. It publishes about 100 new titles each year, with a growing and authoritative list of textbooks and reference titles focusing on political science, mass communication and related disciplines. SAGE plans to keep CQ Press intact as a separate division based in Washington, D.C., bearing the CQ Press imprint, and retaining all CQ Press employees under the senior management team that will remain in place, including Publisher John A. Jenkins, who will also carry the title of President of CQ Press. “We’re very pleased CQ Press is joining the global SAGE family,” said Simqu. “CQ Press and SAGE enjoy a shared mission and values. Both are driven by a passion for scholarship and innovation that impacts education and public policy. John Jenkins and the rest of the CQ Press executive team have created an impressive publishing enterprise that will further enhance SAGE’s presence in the marketplace.” SAGE, founded in 1965 as a publisher of academic journals, has expanded into a global education publisher of books, journals and electronic products. In four locations around the world, SAGE publishes more than 500 journals and 700 books a year encompassing 40 disciplines within the academic and scholarly arena. “I couldn’t be more delighted with this outcome,” said Merry. “Everyone in our company felt SAGE was ideally positioned to take this fine enterprise to new heights while preserving its culture and stability.” He added he was particularly impressed with SAGE’s commitment to editorial excellence and business integrity – two qualities highly prized at CQ and the Times Publishing Co. Merry said the sale will allow CQ to focus resources on its traditional journalistic enterprise as the premier provider of news and analysis on Congress, politics and public policy. He added the company will expand its mission aggressively, particularly in web publishing.  The Jordan Edmiston Group, Inc., the leading provider of independent investment banking services for the media and information industries, represented Times Publishing Co. in this transaction. ### SAGE is a leading international publisher of journals, books, and electronic media for academic, educational, and professional markets. Since 1965, SAGE has helped inform and educate a global community of scholars, practitioners, researchers, and students spanning a wide range of subject areas including business, humanities, social sciences, and science, technology and medicine. A privately owned corporation, SAGE has principal offices in Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, and Singapore. www.sagepublications.com CQ Press is a leading publisher of books, directories, research publications, and web products on U.S. government, world affairs, and communication. Its College Publishing Group produces an authoritative list of textbooks on political science and mass communications. The Reference Information Group provides reference and business information to libraries and professional markets, with a growing focus on digital content and delivery. CQ Press’s content is known for its objectivity, breadth and depth of coverage, and high standards of editorial excellence. www.cqpress.com Congressional Quarterly Inc. keeps the public informed and updated through print and online publications and books, with more than 150 reporters, editors and researchers covering Capitol Hill and Washington. CQ provides comprehensive and objective information on Congress, politics and public policy. Its products include: CQ Weekly, CQ Today, CQ.com, CQ Homeland Security, CQ Budget Tracker, CQ HealthBeat, CQ MoneyLine, CQ Politics, and Governing magazine. www.cq.com  CONTACT:  For SAGEMary Kay Jezzini212-352-1404publicity@sagepub.com For Congressional Quarterly Robert W. Merry 202-419-8564 rmerry@cq.com  For CQ PressJohn A. Jenkins202-729-1818jjenkins@cqpress.com

Headed to Anaheim?  Mark your calendars for this not to miss event: 

2008 ALA Annual, Anaheim
Monday, June 30, 2008 10:30 - 12:00
Anaheim Convention Center 204B
Reference Books Bulletin (Booklist) sponsored program:

The Future of Electronic Reference Publishing: A View from the Top.

Top managers from reference publishing share their views about planning for tomorrow in a digital age and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Speakers:
John Barnes, Exec. V.P. Marketing and Strategic Planning, Gale/Cengage
Casper Grathwohl, V.P. and Publisher, Oxford University Press
Rolf Janke, VP/Publisher, SAGE Reference
Michael Ross, Sr. V.P. Corporate Development, Encyclopedia Britannica

Moderator:
Sue Polanka, Chair, Reference Books Bulletin Editorial Board