Book Group Books on Refwiki
As of today, PALS libraries have entered about 200 different book titles in the directory of discussion book sets on the PALS Refwiki. The titles include contemporary fiction, classic fiction, mysteries, chick lit, children's/YA books, and more.
To add your library's book group books to Refwiki, follow these instructions. For general Refwiki instructions, see the Help pages.
posted at: 10:36 | path: | permanent link to this entry
RUSA reference and marketing classes offered online.
The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is offering five Internet-based courses that offer training in specialized areas of reference and user services:
September 10: Slam the Web Answer Boards!
Bill Pardue, the Arlington Heights librarian who taught an excellent PALS workshop on AskAwayIllinois earlier this year, is encouraging reference personnel to "invade" online Q&A sites - Yahoo Answers, Wikipedia Reference Desk, Answerbag, etc. - with answers from authoritative resources on Monday, September 10. The idea is to boldly demonstrate your expertise and to market your library. For more information, and to list yourself as a participant, see the Slam the Boards! wiki.
posted at: 12:27 | path: | permanent link to this entry
Ask?Away Awareness Week May 7-11
Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White is urging Internet users who have not tried the free, innovative Ask?Away Illinois 24/7 virtual reference program to log on to the site during Ask?Away Illinois Awareness Week, May 7-11.
Libraries (whether they're Ask?Away participants or not) can find the Illinois State Library's press release, printable posters, and other information on the Ask?AwayIllinois website.
posted at: 10:25 | path: | permanent link to this entry
March 28 - What's New in Search + Marketing Your Databases
Wednesday, March 28
11:00am - 3:00pm
Starved Rock Lodge, Utica
Fee: $15.00 includes lunch
Register on CLeO.
Join us at beautiful Starved Rock Lodge in the Utica Room for a day of practical workshops for reference librarians and other public services personnel. Lunch is included.
Program:
If you have any questions, please contact Brian Smith at brians@palsnet.info or at (815) 729-3345 ext. 2704.
Online Database Group Discounts?
If you’re interested in joining a group deal on any of the online products PALS has had on trial for the last month or so, please let us know which one(s) by completing this insanely brief questionnaire before March 9.
The products are:
• EBSCO School Databases
• Facts on File News Services
• LearningExpressLibrary
• Marshall Cavendish Digital
• Morningstar Library Edition
• NewsBank
• TeachingBooks.net
• Teen Health & Wellness
• Unitedstreaming.com
Please do the survey (one per library) even if you’ve already sent an email to indicate your interest. We’ll work on negotiating a group discount for the databases which have the greatest demand. We can’t get price information until we have an idea about how many libraries are participating in a purchase.
More information about the databases may be found by visiting http://www.palsnet.info/members/vdiscount.asp (log in with your CLeO email and password) and clicking on the “Current Database Trials” link. Some of the trial periods may have expired.
For more information, contact Brian Smith at PALS.
posted at: 12:51 | path: | permanent link to this entry
Test drive some databases!
PALS has arranged trials for a number of online products, with the goal of identifying candidates for group purchases. Based on the response from members, we will try to negotiate a discounted group subscription to one or more of these products for PALS members. Trial logins are available for:
Refwiki training in Kankakee, LaSalle, and Freeport
Just added to the PALS calendar:
(Same class, three locations.)
Refwiki is a new web resource for all PALS libraries to use and contribute to. It will include information about each library's collection strengths, online databases, and other resources. And the goal is for it to include a lot more! Refwiki is a collaborative effort built on the same platform as Wikipedia, which means that anyone in a PALS library can add or change pages using simple formatting marks, without needing special software.
This hands-on class will cover:
See Refwiki at http://www.palsnet.info/refwiki.
For more information, contact Brian Smith at PALS.
Refwiki Project
Through an LSTA grant awarded to the Homer Twp. PLD, PALS is surveying ALL member libraries about their collection strengths and other resources they have available. This is a replacement for and enhancement of the old HTLS collection strengths survey and this new information will be incorporated into a PALS-wide reference tool called Refwiki.
The first step in the data entry process is for the person or persons who will complete the online survey for your library to log into Refwiki. Click here to begin the survey. Enter your CLeO username and password. Once you log in and see the greeting on the screen, you can log out again.
Shortly thereafter, Georgiana Carollus will authorize you to add and edit data to the online survey form. She will then send a confirmation email and further instructions after she sets your survey authorization.
For the most part, the survey involves marking a series of checkboxes to indicate resources available at your library. It does not need to be completed all at one time nor by the same person. Thank you for your participation!
For further information on this project, feel free to contact Brian Smith at bsmith@homerlibrary.org
posted at: 15:35 | path: | permanent link to this entry
AskAway Illinois (Illinois Virtual Reference)
The Illinois State Library is pleased to announce the formation of a statewide virtual reference service. Librarians interested in participating will be able to provide reference services on a 24/7 basis utilizing OCLC's QuestionPoint software. This service is designed to reach all library types and sizes. Excellent pricing is available with the cost for public libraries under 5,000 at $25.00 for the first year (with 1 hour staffing per week required). To encourage a wide range of participation options are available in lieu of staffing. This includes e-mail responses, quality control, serving on VR subcommittees and other VR needs. More information is available at AskAway Illinois
br
An orientation/training session has been scheduled for March 3, 2006 at the Shorewood Service Center. Debbie Aggertt, Illinois State Library Virtual Reference Coordinator will talk about the service and provide hands on training.
posted at: 16:10 | path: | permanent link to this entry
One Last Chance to Join the PALS Audio Ebook Consortium!
If your library would like to offer your patrons downloadable audio ebooks offered by Recorded Books/netLibrary for this calendar year, it is not too late to join the PALS Audio Ebook consortium. PALS is able to offer one more opportunity for members to enroll, and after that the next enrollment opportunity will be late in the year for participation for calendar year 2007. Libraries that participate in this program currently have access to 1,161 audio ebooks, with approximately 30 titles added per month for the rest of 2006. These downloadable ebooks are not compatible with IPods due to digital rights management issues, but here is a list of MP3 players that are compatible. Members enrolling with this final offer will begin their access in March and your subscription will end on December 31, 2006, at which time you will be asked if you would like to renew. Deadline to enroll for this last opportunity for this year is March 1, 2006. Submit the enrollment form to Judy at PALS-CVSC via delivery (RBLG) or via fax at 309-799-7916. Contact Judy with questions at x3150 or judyh@palsnet.info.
posted at: 13:30 | path: | permanent link to this entry
Illinois Library System Eresources Survey
Illinois Library Systems and System staff are currently gauging the interest of Library System members in a group purchase of e-resources, and we would like to know your thoughts. Please go to the following survey to submit your response: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=361081340331. Please only submit one response per agency. If you are unable to answer the questions, please pass this message on to a staff member who works with e-resources. The survey will be open from February 1 to March 1.
posted at: 08:21 | path: | permanent link to this entry
Reference Service Forum
The Reference Services Forum is a group of refence librarians dedicated to enhancing reference services statewide. In the past the forum has been responsible for planning programming for the ILA conference, including the Reference Services Forum luncheon. This past year's luncheon included Sally Decker Smith (Indian Trails Public Library) as speaker and was a huge success. Future activities include development of a website, and a mid-year event.
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 4th from 10-12. It is a videoconference meeting that is available at each service center. Please contact Karen Becker for additional information.
posted at: 12:30 | path: | permanent link to this entry
Try It Illinois
Secretary of State/State Librarian Jesse White and the Illinois State Library are pleased to announce Try-It Illinois 2005. This popular database trial offers staff and patrons of the more than 4000 ILLINET member libraries the chance to try out new databases. Try It Illinois runs through November 30th and can be accessed at the following URL: http://www.eliillinois.org/tryit login is nofee and password is tryitil
Libraries are encouraged to use the databases, as well as make them available to patrons. PALS is currently working with several vendors to secure discounted pricing on a variety of databases. Please take some time and look at the following vendor/products.
Learning Express Advantage
Thomson-Gale
Facts on File News Services
Facts on File Online
Proquest
American Periodicals Series Online
Ancestry Library Edition
Chicago Tribune
CultureGrams
Factiva
Illinois Digital Sandborn Maps
Periodicals Contents Index Full Text
Contact Karen Becker karenb@palsnet.info with additional questions and comments.
posted at: 16:26 | path: | permanent link to this entry
Google Librarian Center
Google has created a Librarian Center that is meant to be the first step in an outreach effort to librarians.
posted at: 19:20 | path: | permanent link to this entry
Current Database Trials Website Now Available
PALS is making a concentrated effort to negotiate reduced pricing and extend current group purchases of electronic databases. To help facilitate this process a webpage of current trial offering has been set up. Take a moment to try out what's available. An evaluation form will be up shortly to send feedback. Pleae contact Karen Becker karenb@palsnet.info ext 2704 or Judy Hutchinson judyh@palsnet.info for login and password information.
posted at: 14:40 | path: | permanent link to this entry
