No Shelf Required

Those of you who are Reference Universe users just got an early holiday gift - a new interface.  For details on the changes, check out the Paratext overview document.
Highlights include:

customized library logos
simplified email/download and export functions - direct to RefWorks and EndNote too
eBook only display
classification number options - LC, Dewey,  both, or none
quick format identification
stationary […]

[Read more →]

UT-Austin Libraries has a huge eBook collection, about 600,000 titles in all.  Lindsey Schell, Librarian for Journals, English Lit, and Women’s Studies, has had plenty of experience in acquiring eBooks for UT-Austin.
In this interview, Lindsey and I discuss the variety of eBook collections/platforms at UT, the successes and challenges of their eBook program, purchasing eBooks […]

[Read more →]

I just had a nice conversation with John Barnes, Executive VP Strategic Marketing and Business Development, at Gale/Cengage.  I asked John if Gale would be introducing new business models directed towards end users with their recent acquisition of HighBeam.  Below is a brief summary of our discussion.  Thanks John.
HighBeam’s clients are a combination of students […]

[Read more →]

Gale/Cengage recently acquired HighBeam Research Inc.  If you are unfamiliar with HighBeam, they are an online reference source with access to over 3500 resources from magazine/newspaper articles to  journal articles to popular reference sources.  HighBeam provides it’s services to companies, small groups, and individuals rather than libraries.
This is a very interesting acquisition to me.  I […]

[Read more →]

Just in time for your holiday shopping, another source for free ebooks - Finding Free eBooks - a blog, from Christine (no last name listed).
Plenty of other free ebook sites exist.  For a list of the top 20, see Hongkiat.com’s list, also linked from the NSR blog.

addthis_url = ‘http%3A%2F%2Fwww.libraries.wright.edu%2Fnoshelfrequired%2F%3Fp%3D150′;
[…]

[Read more →]

TeleRead, one of my favorite ebook blogs, just posted a “Primer on DRM.” It is a really good summary of DRM - Digital Rights Management.  What’s not included is information on how/why libraries use DRM.  For more information on that, check out a previous NoShelfRequired post on DRM.

addthis_url = ‘http%3A%2F%2Fwww.libraries.wright.edu%2Fnoshelfrequired%2F%3Fp%3D149′;
[…]

[Read more →]

Daily Lit, the leading publisher of serialized books in digital format, recently announced a partnership with the University of North Carolina Press.  Several UNC Press books will be digitized, including two children’s titles - Teach’s Light and Taffy of Torpedo Junction.
I really enjoy the format of Daily Lit titles.  I get a daily email (RSS […]

[Read more →]