Archive for February, 2010
CONTENTdm now offers expanded Microsoft® Windows and Linux support
OCLC is pleased to introduce CONTENTdm® Digital Collection Management Software version 5.3.
With version 5.3, additional platforms are supported for the CONTENTdm Project Client and CONTENTdm Server. The Project Client now runs on Microsoft Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Vista (64-bit), and the Server now runs on Linux (64-bit) and Windows Server 2008 R2. (For a complete list of supported systems, visit www.oclc.org/contentdm/requirements/.)
Additionally, a new import feature enables libraries, museums, and other cultural heritage organizations with records already in WorldCat to import metadata and OCLC numbers easily into CONTENTdm. Streamlining the import of metadata and OCLC numbers from WorldCat into CONTENTdm will be particularly useful to users that are managing the mass digitization of items with existing WorldCat records.
This release also includes improved sorting and editing functionality in the Project Client’s project spreadsheet. Users will now have the ability to sort all metadata fields (columns) displayed in the project spreadsheet. And when editing metadata in the project tab, the thumbnail image and checkbox are now frozen in the far left columns, which will help users keep the records in the spreadsheet in context while editing and viewing metadata.
Other enhancements include improvements to Upload Manager error reporting and OCR License resetting. The new release is available to current CONTENTdm licensees at no additional charge.
CONTENTdm is used by institutions worldwide to manage thousands of digital collections. To see how some of these institutions are using CONTENTdm, visit www.oclc.org/contentdm/collections/
February 23rd, 2010
A new dition of the Local Holdings Record Updating Service User Guide (PDF) is available on the OCLC web site at:
http://www.oclc.org/us/en/support/documentation/localholdings/LHR_batch_updating_guide/default.htm
This extensively revised Guide relfects OCLC’s implementation of the MARC21 Format for Holdings Data and associated changes in the LHR Updating service. The new edition contains definiteive information about using LHRUS as the batchload solution to keeping your local holdings records up-to-date in WorldCat.
The LHRUS User Guide outlines the stages of an LHR updating project form and provides details on data specifications, file transfer and reports.
February 22nd, 2010
This month, three collections from the CONTENTdm Collection of Collections are featured on the OCLC Web site. The featured collections for February are Butler Center Lesson Plans, John Martin Rare Book Room Digital Collection, and Southern Alberta Newspaper Collection.
Included in the collection information below is a link to each organization’s record, if available, in the OCLC WorldCat Registry. OCLC’s WorldCat Registry allows libraries worldwide to manage and organize their data for vendors and third parties by creating and maintaining a comprehensive institutional profile in a single, Web-accessible location.
Butler Center Lesson Plans – http://www.digital.butlercenter.org/index.php
[WorldCat Registry] Butler Center for Arkansas Studies. Central Arkansas Library System – http://www.worldcat.org/registry/Institutions/8333
The Butler Center Lesson Plans collection contains lesson plans for K-12 teachers in Arkansas to provide clear instructions for implementing Arkansas Curriculum Frameworks with Arkansas-based material. All lesson plans are in .pdf for easy downloading and printing. Plans can be browsed by grade level, curriculum framework, or resource. Topics cover include English language arts, fine arts, library media instruction, mathematics, physical education, science, and social studies.
John Martin Rare Book Room Digital Collection – http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/jmrbr
[WorldCat Registry] University of Iowa – http://www.worldcat.org/registry/Institutions/57888
The John Martin Rare Book Room holds classic works on medicine and the health sciences dating from as early as the 15th century. Derived from lithographs, etchings, engravings, and mezzotints, the images in this digital collection include depictions of human anatomy, disease processes, and surgical techniques.
Southern Alberta Newspaper Collection – http://www.uleth.ca/lib/digitized_Collections/sanews.asp
[WorldCat Registry] University of Lethbridge Library – http://www.worldcat.org/registry/Institutions/43956
The Southern Alberta Newspaper Collection contains locally digitized content from the following historical newspapers: Cardston News’ (1652 issues), Cardston Record (38 issues), Macleod Advertiser (45 issues), Macleod Chronicle (7 issues), Macleod Gazette (5 issues), Macleod News (58 issues), Macleod Spectator (93 issues), & Milk River Review (517 issues).
February 19th, 2010
Enjoy spring savings of 20% on select OCLC Language Sets
Spring is just around the corner! Get ready for the start of the spring season and connect with your non-English speaking community with OCLC Language Sets. Our language specialists do all the research necessary to provide your library with sets of non-English materials designed to meet the diverse cultural needs of your users.
To celebrate the new season, enjoy savings of 20% on Chinese, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese OCLC Language Sets when you order by May 28, 2010, and request shipment by June 30, 2010.
OCLC Language Sets provide everything you need to start, maintain, and expand a collection of non-English books, CDs and DVDs. They also come with MARC records for each title, and all materials are available for discovery on the Web through WorldCat.org.
Offer good until May 28, 2010
Call 1-800-898-6252, e-mail langsets@oclc.org or visit www.oclc.org/info/languagesets
February 17th, 2010
QuestionPoint’s latest enhancements provide more opportunities for libraries to reach out to their users. The Qwidget (QuestionPoint’s chat widget) is now accessible on selected mobile devices and on Facebook. Join us today for a no-cost, live Web information session to find out more about QuestoinPoint’s Mobile Webkit, expanded Qwidget customization options, and our new knowledge base Web service. We will also discuss our collaboration with Text a Librarian and plans for incorporating SMS texting into QuestionPoint.
QuestionPoint provides a complete reference management system incorporating chat, e-mail, knowledge base and administrative tools. Libraries may also participate in the 24/7 Reference Cooperative to provide live 24-hour service to their users.
DATE / TIME
Wednesday, February 24, 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET
Register today >>
February 3rd, 2010
As part of a multi-phase effort to make Batch Processing easier to use and more efficient, additional enhancements have been made to the service. Previous enhancements initiated ordering through the Online Service Center (OSC) and introduced automated processing of files as they are received. January 2010 enhancements include expanding automated processing capabilities and OSC ordering.
January 2010 enhancements
The most recent enhancements are highlighted by the following:
- In addition to WorldCat Local, automated processing and OSC ordering have been expanded to include projects that support Group catalog, WorldCat Navigator, and WorldCat Collection Analysis
- Automated processing and OSC ordering are now available for the following standard single institution projects:
- One-time reclamation projects
- One-time retrospective projects
- Cancel holdings projects
- Ongoing projects
- Local Holdings Record Updating service (LHRUS) projects are now ordered via the OSC
- OSC ordering for Batch Processing services projects is now globally available
A convenient, efficient way to maintain current and complete holdings
Now it’s easier than ever for libraries to maintain current and complete holdings in WorldCat. Accurate, up-to-date holdings information enhances the use of many OCLC products and services including:
- WorldCat Local—Use local holdings data to qualify local searching by branch or collection and enrich record displays for serials with item-specific data
- WorldCat.org—Web access to items available in libraries
- WorldCat Resource Sharing—Better visibility and accuracy of shared resources to lending libraries and library users
- WorldCat cataloging—Your library participates more fully in the worldwide library community
- WorldCat Collection Analysis—A more complete view of the collection aids collection development decisions
Additional enhancements to the service are planned and will be announced as they become available.
OCLC Batch Processing service uses advanced technology and expert analysis to build OCLC’s WorldCat database, the world’s largest online database for discovery of library resources. In 2009, 49 million new records were added to WorldCat by the Batch Processing service. Batch Processing takes catalog records from library local systems and integrates the information into WorldCat. WorldCat connects local library catalogs, giving library users all over the world a portal to local, regional, national, and global library resources.
More information
For more information, visit Batch Processing on the Web.
February 2nd, 2010
OCLC is pleased to announce that a freely-accessible site for searching only OAIster records is now available. With this OAIster site (http://oaister.worldcat.org/), you are able to search only OAIster and its millions of metadata records.
OAIster records will continue to be indexed in WorldCat.org, and will be integrated in WorldCat.org search results along with records from thousands of libraries worldwide. They will also be included in WorldCat Local and WorldCat Local “quick start” search results. Additionally, they will continue to be available on the OCLC FirstSearch service to Base Package subscribers, providing another valuable access point for this rich database and a complement to other FirstSearch databases.
More about OAIster
OAIster is a union catalog of digital resources hosted at the University of Michigan since 2002. Launched with grant support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, OAIster was developed to test the feasibility of building a portal to open archive collections using the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH). In 2009, OCLC formed a partnership with the University of Michigan in order to provide continued access to open-archive collections through the OAIster database.
OAIster has grown to become one of the world’s largest aggregations of records pointing to open archive collections with more than 23 million records contributed by over 1,100 organizations worldwide.
February 1st, 2010
