MCLS Blog

Enhancements to LearningExpress!

LearningExpress has added sections on career planning and preparation, job search skills, and resume writing and interviewing skills.  These should be valuable to your patrons in this economic climate.

LearningExpress will also release a new interface sometime in January.  Watch the meldatabases listserv for announcements.

Remember, training on all MeL databases is free to any Michigan library staff.  Just contact MLC.

Add comment December 30th, 2008

OCLC Record Use Policy

MLC’s delegates to OCLC’s Members Council have prepared an analysis of OCLC’s recently announced new policy on transfer and use of WorldCat records.

Greetings! As your elected delegates to OCLC Members Council, we wanted to draw your immediate attention to the major changes that OCLC has made to its Policy for Use and Transfer of WorldCat® Records. The Policy explains what may be done with WorldCat records, listing guidelines for OCLC member and non-member institutions, and even discusses how commercial ventures and individuals may work with the records. The policy was announced at the Members Council meeting in October 2008, and several delegates expressed concern that the membership had not had an opportunity to examine the significant implications of such a major change and provide feedback.

Several delegates have since offered suggestions for clarification and improvement that have been incorporated in the Policy. However, we remain uncomfortable with some sections in the new policy.

One concern is that the policy is written in the form of a license agreement, which assumes that libraries are licensing records from OCLC, not actually owing them. Another area of concern is OCLC’s plan to include a link to the updated policy directly into all new catalog records.

Specifically, in section C.3.a. the Policy states “use of WorldCat Records authorized by this Policy is limited to Reasonable Use except as otherwise authorized by written agreement with OCLC.” The definition of “reasonable use” is at the discretion of OCLC and they may interpret “reasonable use” as they choose. We are very concerned about this language.

In section D)3. the Policy states ”OCLC’s approval of the Transfer described in the WorldCat Record Use Form: (i) must be in writing; (ii) may be conditioned upon agreement to additional terms and conditions determined by OCLC; and (iii) may be withheld by OCLC, without liability, within its sole discretion.” This language gives OCLC unilateral power to disallow any records transfer at their sole discretion and gives libraries very little control over their records.

This policy has generated much debate in the library community (this article and this wiki provide good summaries). We urge you to review this policy carefully and send your questions and comments to recorduse@oclc.org. If you wish to take further action, there are two online petitions for you to review here and here.

Please feel free to contact either one of us (George Bishop or Ishwar Laxminarayan) or MLC Executive Director Randy Dykhuis if you need further information or clarification about this very important matter. We look forward to hearing from you.

With warm wishes for the holidays and a very happy New Year!

George Bishop
Ovid Elsie Area Schools
The Information Center
8989 E. Colony Rd.
Elsie, MI 48831
Phone: 989-834-2271 x 1204
Fax: 989-862-4463
E-mail: georgeb@oe.edzone.net

Ishwar Laxminarayan
Jackson District Library
244 W. Michigan Ave.
Jackson, MI 49201
Phone: 517-788-4199
Fax: 517-788-6024
E-mail: ishwar@myjdl.com

Add comment December 19th, 2008

Gigi Lincoln Wins New York Times Award

MLC is thrilled to announce that one of our board members, Gigi Lincoln, has been honored with the New York Times’ prestigious “I Love My Librarian 2008” Award.  Gigi is the Library Media Specialist at Lakeview High School in Battle Creek, Michigan, and is also a MeL Trainer.  Congratulations Gigi!

Gigi was cited for her “immeasurable impact on students and the learning process.” The teachers who nominated Gigi for the award highlighted her willingness to come out of the library to work with teachers on numerous special projects for the students.  For example, one nominator noted: “through her background in Holocaust education and her position as a Museum Teacher Fellow with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Gigi has designed some important supplemental activities impacting students and the learning process at Lakeview High School. She developed blogging projects involving the works of Elie Wiesel and Gerda Weissmann Klein that have enriched Holocaust studies while supporting meaningful technology integration into the curriculum.  During the school year 2005-2006, 10th grade students from Cold Spring Harbor High School, New York, participated with Lakeview students in an online blog while reading Elie Wiesel’s memoir, Night. Gigi set up and monitored the blog at: http://nightwiesel.blogspot.com.”

Another teacher said, “Our school is a better place because of Gigi Lincoln.  There is no doubt about that.  Besides being ready to assist ANY student or teacher at a
moment’s notice at all times, Gigi makes sure that people are recognized for their work, their successes, and their professional and personal accomplishments. …she is always there to train teachers in our own building on how better use the resources available to us in our school and in our classrooms.  All in all, there is no question that Gigi Lincoln has had a tremendous impact on her profession and the field of education as a whole.”

We at MLC are proud to see Michigan librarians honored with this award. The first Michigan librarian to win the New York Times Award was Margaret Wolfe who received the honor in 2003.  Margaret is currently one of five commissioners on the Michigan Commission for the Blind.

Add comment December 8th, 2008