New Product News – May/June 2013
OCLC’s Library Spotlight
When a patron is looking for your library on the Internet, they might not always be able to find the correct information. OCLC has developed a new
program called Library Spotlight, which pulls information from the World-Cat Registry and connects your library’s information with online directories like Yelp. Libraries can update their Library Spotlight profile with basic information, such as hours, as well as include photos, Wi-Fi access, and other social content. OCLC hopes that with Library Spotlight, the library will be seen as a place, like other social institutions
in a community. To claim your library’s spot, visit www.worldcat.org/spotlight/organization and create an account.
Hachette Now Offers E-Books to Public Libraries
Since May 8, Hachette Book Group has been offering its e-books to public libraries. The e-books will cost three times the price of the print book, but libraries will be able to lend them out an unlimited number of times to a single user. All the books in Hachette’s e-book collection will be available, including new releases. Once the book has been published for one year, the e-book price will decrease.
Hachette Book Group spent years with the American Library Association (ALA) and the New York Public Library (NYPL) developing this price plan and has launched pilots in hopes that this plan will benefit both Hachette Book Group and libraries across the country. ALA President Maureen Sullivan said, “I applaud Hachette Book Group’s decision to broaden its offerings to public and school libraries. Hachette will now include new e-book releases with no embargo period and an unlimited number of circulations. This step moves libraries closer to ensuring that patrons will be able to enjoy the same access to e-books as they have to print books. It also recognizes the critical role that libraries play in bringing authors and readers together in the digital age.” This price plan will be reviewed annually, with the help of ALA.
Gale Expands to Offer National Geographic Kids
Gale, part of Cengage Learning, is now adding National Geographic Kids as part of its National Geographic Virtual Library products. The National Geographic Kids collection will contain issues of the magazine from 2009 to present, 500 downloadable images, and reference and nonfiction books published by National Geographic Kids. National Geographic Readers are another great included resource, which feature detailed information on a specific wildlife, certain historic figures, natural phenomenon, and more. A special interface has been created so that kids can
easily access the content.
Baker & Taylor Introduces axisReader for Axis360
Baker & Taylor has developed a brand new e-reader app called axisReader that will allow patrons to checkout, download, and read books from their library as long as their library has Axis360. The app will be available for iOS through iTunes and Android through Google Play. They will continue to offer the Blio e-reader, another Baker & Taylor app that provides a fully accessible reading experience.
EBSCO Adds Primary Source Civil War Documents to Historical Collection
Ever growing its digital archive, EBSCO has added Civil War Primary Source Documents, a selection of holdings from the New York Historical Society, to its collection. Documents can be accessed through EBSCO’s Historical Digital Archives Viewer, a way for patrons to explore and collect
content for their historical research projects. The collection will include documents from 1861 to 1865 from both sides of the war, including manuscripts, diary pages, photos, images, and more. Highlights include letters and first-person accounts from such well-known leaders as Ulysses S. Grant; the papers of David Cronin, a famous soldier and artist; soldiers’ diaries chronicling daily life and experiences as prisoners of war; Union Defence Committee records; and Confederate Army records.
Gale Forms Partnership with Associated Press
Gale has announced that it has formed a partnership with the Associated Press (AP), thus adding millions of news articles from AP to its database, as well as bureau records, letters and personal papers from reporters, and more. Unpublished materials will also be included in the archives, as well as journalists’ notes, adding a dimension to news stories that have never before been experienced. “We’re thrilled to be embarking on this partnership with one of the most respected news organizations in the world,” said Frank Menchaca, executive vice president, research solutions, for Cengage Learning. During this multi-year project, Gale will form a team specifically to work on developing digital products to go with the materials, with the first products rolling out sometime next year.
Simon & Schuster Starts E-Book Pilot Program
New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and the Queens Public Library have begun a one year e-book pilot program with publisher Simon & Schuster. During the pilot, the libraries will be able to circulate books from Simon & Schuster, and titles will include all published books as well as new titles. Every book purchased would circulate at one user per copy. Patrons of the libraries will be offered a chance to buy the books, and if they do, the library will receive a percentage of the profits. 3M will be responsible for the distribution of the Simon & Schuster titles for lending, while BiblioCommons will be responsible for the purchase experience. “As our users increasingly turn to digital media, public libraries need to be poised and ready to serve their needs with a range of digital materials including e-books and loanable e-readers,” said Queens Library President and CEO Thomas W. Galante.
Innovative Interfaces and Overdrive Working to Develop Deep API Integration
Public Libraries using Innovative Interfaces, Inc. (III) platforms, such as Sierra and Encore Discovery Services, will now be able to integrate Overdrive into the platform for a seamless checkout experience for their patrons. III and Overdrive has been planning a deep API integration of Overdrive’s “Content API,” which would allow for patrons to place holds and checkout items from a library’s digital collection catalog. A “patron authentication API” will also be added so that libraries ensure the security of patron accounts. “Innovative is actively seeking out partnerships like this one that will enhance integration and provide more seamless service to library users,” said Innovative CEO Kim Massana. “I’m very pleased to be partnering with OverDrive on this important e-books initiative and applaud them for making such a strong commitment to openness and integration with our core products.”
