Here’s something for your patrons doing genealogy research. The Genealogy Guys have a weekly podcast to discuss genealogy.  The podcast is a 30-minute long mp3 file.  The two genealogy guys, George G. Morgan and Drew Smith, have a conversation that includes helpful hints, research ideas, reviews of genealogy software, and much more.  It’s very easy to listen to: listen through your Web browser plugin or download the file to experience on your portable mp3 playing device.

Need a refresher on using OCLC’s CatExpress or Interlibrary Loan tools? OCLC has a number of free, online tutorials that are easy to use and don’t take much time to complete.

Topics include:

CatExpress
Introduction to MARC Tagging, and
WorldCat Resource Sharing (ILL)

“More than 60 percent of all respondents, regardless of geographic region, are extremely familiar, very familiar or somewhat familiar with search engines. Just 1 percent of all respondents surveyed have never heard of search engines.

In the 12 years that search engines have been in existence, they have achieved a familiarity that is slightly high than that of physical libaries and considerably higher than that of online libraries.”

This is from OCLC’s newest publication “Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources,” which reports the findings of an extensive research study of consumers. Read this report. It is informative and important as we consider delivery of library services to our users and those we hope will be our users in the future.

Here's more on how people view libraries. We have our work cut out for us. (in case you lack time to read the entire report, look at the conclusion and then work your way back).

OCLC Perceptions

We are pleased to welcome aboard the Phase 3 participating libraries to LiLI Unlimited Resource Sharing. There are now 115 libraries in Idaho participating in this fantasic program.

Participating libraries have raved about the faster processing times and the increased access for resource sharing–all resulting in better service for library users.

To see which libraries are participating, see the list (with their OCLC symbols) on the LiLI Website at http://libraries.idaho.gov/lili-u-participating-libraries.

Libraries that received Gates Public Access Computers 5 years ago are probably aware that they do not have the CDs for all the software on those computers. As the computers are upgrades and/or replaced, libraries may be wondering how they can upgrade and still keep the children's educational programs that have been so popular.