More Books Sell When Cover is “Face Out”

Shelf Awareness Blog reports that retail stores and libraries realize that the more books are “face out” on the shelf, the more books circulate/sell.  With more books “face out” there will be less room for less sold/borrowed materials.  The original Wall Street Journal article (subscription needed)  says at a typical Borders superstore, the reduction of inventory will be between 4,675 and 9,350 titles out of about 93,500. Borders said customers at its new concept store had the impression that more books were available.

So it is not really about the total number of books you have, but how the books are displayed and having lots and lots of high demand items.  To read the article go here.

 

Looking for Library Training and CE Opportunities

Here are some great places to start looking - and most are free (or very cheap):

Library 2.0 Ning Post:

-This is a great list put together by Marianne Lenox. 

The Accidental Technology Trainer:

-This is a VERY comprehensive list put together by Stephanie Gerding - This is a must.  You are bound to find what you are looking for here.

The South Carolina State Library/CE Page:

-I have been keeping a list of resources for training, professional conferences and anything related to South Carolina Library related information.

LibraryTrax Page on this Blog:

-Click on the top tab named “TechTrax” and you will find links to web 2.0 tutorials and more.

The South Carolina State Library/ Calendar of upcoming events:

-You can either check this out on our homepage (http://www.statelibrary.sc.gov/home/) or click the link above.  You can also subscribe via RSS feed from our homepage.

 

LJ’s NetConnect Article on Cataloging–Food for Thought

Ok, I know some of you folks are yawning as I thought I would when beginning to read the NetConnect article called “In Search of a New Model”, but hold on, todays catalog is undergoing a transformation. We are all familiar with the current standards of cataloging using MARC, OCLC, etc. Robert Walven reflects on the current cataloging model is not meeting todays needs and looking for new model(s).Some of the issues presented in the article are:

• Current codes from MARC, OCLC, etc are not working with the diverse materials collected

• Outsourcing cataloging has forced libraries to accept a reduced level of cataloging to provide materials more quickly to our users.

• OPACs, periodical databases and other full-text searching tools have conflicting search methods - a very serious problem for our users!

Take a look here for this rather long article — it is worth reading!

 

Become a Glutton

A book glutton, that is…..

Book Glutton is now available in beta.  What is it?  It’s an online community for readers.  You can read books online (mostly public domain stuff right now), join reading groups, or even upload your own work to share with others.  One of the coolest features is the proximity chat function.  You can do live chat with other people who are enjoying the same book, or even the same passage, at the same time.

Here’s what the creators say about the site in the “About Us” section:

Our intent: build an experience that is simultaneously a book group, a computer, and a book.

We believe firmly that people want to read, annotate and discuss, right there, immersed in the text. That’s the best time to talk about a book. We also respect the solitary side to reading: people should have the chance to tune out the community. We wanted it to be attractive, too; to be an experience.

Check it out at BookGlutton.com

 

Watch Sesame Street on the computer!

Looking for something new to offer to your youngest customers?

The Sesame Street folks have added a video player to their website, providing access to hundreds of short clips from the show.  They feature videos of the major characters, including Cookie Monster, Big Bird, Ernie & Bert, Elmo, Zoe, The Count, and Grover, but you can also do a keyword search to find other characters or topics.

Go to Sesame Workshop to check them out, but don’t forget to spend some time checking out the educational games while you’re there!

(P.S.  Do a search for “library” in the video player.  There are some cute ones available.  My personal favorite is the one of Elmo singing “Where are the computers in your neighborhood?”  At the library, of course!)