Wednesday, December 9, 2009

New Product - ProQuest Press Display!

We are happy to be offering ths new database from ProQuest. If you would like pricing, or any other information, please let me know!

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We’re pleased to announce that we’re offering NewspaperDirect PressDisplay as a new resource to Califa libraries in 2010.

All orders placed in December (payment in January is fine) will receive an additional 5% discount! Ask us for more info!


This database provides full-color, full-page access to more than 1,000 newspapers in 41 different languages from 84 countries around the world. It reads just like a real newspaper, so you can see every photo, every caption, every ad, classified and article. There is a translator feature to covert the articles from English to another language (or vice versa). There are 130 U.S. papers, including the USA TODAY, San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, Houston Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, Seattle Post, and many more! This database is rich in Hispanic and Asian news – perfect for diverse communities!

Here are some other points of the database that you might find interesting:

· Customizable – put your favorite newspapers as “Librarian’s Picks” on the home page

· We offer dynamic icons for your website. Simply pick a paper (like the LA Times) and include our dynamic URLS and images. Then, every day the icon will change to reflect that day’s front page.

· Front-page News - the front page of the interface offers categories such as Top News, Business, Sports, and the World in Pictures.

· Multi-title searching - users can keyword and topic search across all titles and the entire 60-day rolling archive.

· Library Administration Tool - library staff can now control the content that appears on the front page of PressDisplay through the use of the new library administration tool. Administrators can also pull several different usage reports from this tool.

· Full-page and custom area printing for all titles - users can print page images, in addition to article-level printing.

· Article Rank-measures the interest or popularity of an article, which is determined by the length of time readers spend on that specific article and by the overall attention the article received from all users. Article Rank is continually updated to reflect the most current reading preferences as determined by PressDisplay readers.

· My Newspapers - library staff can customize the front page to display the newspapers their patrons read most.

· Multilingual Interface - the interface is available in English, French, Russian, Italian, German, and Arabic.

· Instant Translation - up to 12 major foreign languages available

· Social Networking - blog, Digg and link to articles in Facebook or Del.icio.us

· Sound Integration - now readers can listen to an audio version of an article through Windows Media Player, while simultaneously reading other newspapers or using other applications (great for the visually impaired!)

· Commenting - join conversations and comment on articles within PressDisplay

· Table of Contents - section-by-section list of articles

· Article Text View - ASCII text view

· Article Jumps and hyperlinks - quick link to the rest of the article

· Live Email - users can email writers with responses and feedback

· Related Articles - users can read additional articles on similar topics

· Remote access is included! Sold by simultaneous users

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

New Califa Vendor: Boopsie

We are very happy to announce that we have an agreement with Boopsie, a mobile solutions provider for libraries and colleges. They are providing 40% savings on first-year cost for libraries that sign up before Jan 31, a 15% discount for libraries that sign up before Feb 28, and a 10% discount for libraries that sign up before Mar 31.

We will be hosting 90-minute introductory webinars on the following dates:

Tuesday Dec 8 at 2pm
Tuesday Dec 15 at 2pm


If you would like to attend one of these webinars, please email me back with your name, library name, and email address in the body of the message. Please also include the session you want to participate in.

Boopsie is WorldCat/OCLC's mobile solution, ALA's partner for ALA 2009, LITA's partner for LITA 2009, CLA's partner for CLA 2009, and are now engaging a broad range of academic and public libraries.

The guys at Boopsie have reduced a complex development and maintenance effort with man-years of resource requirements into a world-class solution that launches in a matter of weeks across all major devices (not just the iPhone!). They take care of all hosting and platform expansion. Note also that they have a next generation native app solution and not simply an older browser-based mobile solution.

The following demos show some of their mobile solutions for libraries:

Santa Clara County Library: http://www.youtube.com/boopsieinc#play/uploads/3/khMZi98k7W8
Indiana University: http://www.youtube.com/boopsieinc#play/uploads/13/ol_GNrlhMmM
WorldCat/OCLC iPhone: http://www.youtube.com/boopsieinc#play/uploads/15/RZ7ekpLihX0
WorldCat/OCLC Windows Mobile: http://www.youtube.com/boopsieinc#play/uploads/9/83Kxxe0CxMQ
WorldCat/OCLC Blackberry: http://www.youtube.com/boopsieinc#play/uploads/10/fBLG0J2etdE
WorldCat/OCLC Android: http://www.youtube.com/boopsieinc#play/uploads/11/sD7eWQo-uzg

If you have questions, would like a quote, or more information about this vendor, please let us know!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Discounts on OCLC Language Sets

Limited Time Discounts on Language Sets Saves You Money

OCLC and Califa are pleased to offer Califa members a group discount on Language Sets ordered between December 1, 2009 and March 31, 2010. When Califa members order Languages Sets, they can combine their purchasing power to earn discounts only available to Califa members.

What are Language Sets?

Language Sets are collections of current and popular books, CDs and DVDs built by language and collection development experts in 13 languages. Each collection includes everything you need to start, maintain or expand a non-English language collection. All you need to do is select language, format, audience, subject and when you would like to receive your materials. OCLC will handle all of the details needed to acquire, select, catalog, discover and promote your non-English language collection, saving your library time and money.

To learn more about Languages Set click here
To see available languages, title lists and set availability click here
To see how Languages Set can save your library time and money click here

Pricing and ordering:
Link to the order form.

Discount structure
All orders received from Califa libraries between December 1, 2009 and March 31, 2010 will be aggregated and will receive a discount of up to 20% using the following discount schedule. The more libraries that order, the larger the discount and there are no restriction on the number collections or shipping dates that you can select.

Timeframe: December 1, 2009 – March 31, 2010
Discounts:
Combined Purchases: Up to $300,000
Single set discount: 10%
Duplicate set discount: 20%

Combined Purchases: $300,001 - $500,000
Single set discount: 15%
Duplicate set discount: 20%

Combined Purchases: $300,001 - $500,000
Single set discount: 20%
Duplicate set discount: 20%


For more information
Contact Jennifer Walsh at 1-800-898-6252, ext. 3803 or e-mail langsets@oclc.org for more information or to place your order.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Upcoming Credo Reference Webinars

For those of you who are interested, here are some more webinars coming up from Credo Reference (and the chance to win a $100 amazon.com gift card).

Credo is one of our vendors, so if you are interested in them, we do have discounted pricing. Let me know if you'd like a quote.

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You can find the full schedule at http://corp.credoreference.com/webinars


Tuesday, November 17, 2009
3:00PM EST / 2:00PM CST / 1:00PM MST / 12:00PM PST
Meeting Number: 681 615 262
Meeting Password: Demo1234
Toll-free call in number (US/Canada): 866.699.3239

To join the webinar:

1. Go to https://credo.webex.com/credo/j.php?ED=116964697&UID=1053590907&PW=NMjZmMjE5ZWU3&RT=MiMxMQ%3D%3D
2. Enter your name and email address.
3. Enter the meeting password: Demo1234



Thursday, November 19, 2009
11:00AM EST / 10:00AM CST / 9:00AM MST / 8:00AM PST
Meeting Number: 684 688 130
Meeting Password: Demo1234
Toll-free call in number (US/Canada): 866.699.3239
To join the webinar:
1. Go to https://credo.webex.com/credo/j.php?ED=116964782&UID=1053591077&PW=NNWFlMWIxZWYy&RT=MiMxMQ%3D%3D
2. Enter your name and email address.
3. Enter the meeting password: Demo1234

PS: As a reminder, these sessions are geared more toward libraries who are not yet subscribers to Credo Reference – they provide an overview of our content, platform and service and don’t go into the instructional detail of a training session.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Update from Text a Librarian

An update from one of our most interesting vendors, Text a Librarian:

We have added a new package to the Text a Librarian Options. It is called Text a Librarian “Lite”.

You can find more info here: http://www.textalibrarian.com/pricing.php

The additional package is added to your consortia ordering page: https://start.textalibrarian.com/order/c/califa

If you are interested in ordering, please make sure you use the Califa-specific link above to get the best price. Any questions - let us know!

Monday, October 26, 2009

AWE Early Literacy Station Order Time

For those of you who follow these things, it's time for our Fall bulk order of AWE Early Literacy Stations. See the flyer with pricing information here, and let us know if you have any questions or would like more information. This product has been amazingly popular with our members in the past, and we are hoping for another successful order.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

NewspaperArchive.com early bird special

I just heard from our NewspaperArchive.com rep that they would like to implement an early-bird special. Any libraries subscribing before the end of the month will receive an additional 20% discount (total of 40% off list) and any libraries who subscribe before the end of the year will receive an additional 5% off (25% off list).

Let me know if you would like a trial, or have any questions.

Monday, September 28, 2009

New Califa Vendor: CQ Press

We are very happy to announce that we have an agreement with CQ Press, which will hopefully lead to large discounts for everyone based on an aggregated group purchase. While we have pricing available for most of their products, the one product we expect will be the most popular is the CQ Researcher, which starts at just over $900/year, but could get much less expensive if we get more participation from libraries. More information about CQ Researcher is below.

Trials are available, and if you'd like to learn more about the products, we will be hosting a webinar on Thursday, October 8th at 10am. If you would like to attend that webinar, please email us with your name, library name, and email address in the body of the message.

Also, we can offer discounted pricing on the CQ Press Online Collections, Political Reference Suite, and CQ Press Online Editions. For quotes for any of those, please email us.

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The CQ Researcher Online is a primary source for original, comprehensive reporting and analysis on issues shaping our world. CQ Researcher is used by students, researchers, teachers, interested citizens, librarians, journalists, and more, who need to complete an assignment, prepare for a debate, or become a quick expert on a topic. Each 12,000-word report is a unique work, investigated and written by a seasoned journalist. Published 44 times a year, each single-themed CQ Researcher report offers in-depth, unbiased coverage of a pressing political or social issue. Reports features cover topics in health, international affairs, education, public policy, social trends, criminal justice, the environment, technology, and the U.S. economy. Online, you can read CQ Researcher in its entirety or conveniently navigate by section, including the issue “background,” “chronology,” “current situation,” and “pro-con” feature which provides statements from representatives of opposing positions. Easy-to-understand graphics including photographs, tables, maps, and charts help make sense of complex topics. CQ Researcher also offers bibliographies of key sources and links to resources for further information.

Authoritative Information
Balanced, comprehensive coverage of today's most important issues.
Recipient of American Bar Association's Silver Gavel Award and the Society of Professional Journalists Award for Excellence.
Selected by Library Journal as a "Best Reference Database."
Access to reports from 1991 to present.
Original content guaranteed: The CQ Researcher is published by CQ Press and not available through any other source.

Valuable Features
CiteNow!, which provides a citation in APA, Bluebook, Chicago, or MLA style.
Directions on how to "Find a Topic" and "How to Cite," to aid students writing research reports.
"Your Profile" tools such as "Favorite Documents" and "Saved Searches."
"In the News," up-to-date information on issues covered in recent reports.
A redesigned report window, providing improved navigation within report sections.
The option to browse reports by date or topic or to download a PDF of the complete CQ Researcher index

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Text a Librarian update

A quick note about Text a Librarian – they were one of the most popular vendors at the recent Vendor Fair, and so they have sent us a few more links about them, as well as ordering information.

Please note that if you want to order their SMS Reference product, and you want to ensure that you get the Califa discount, you need to use the order page here: https://start.textalibrarian.com/order/c/califa If you order directly through them, you may not get the best price, so please use that link. It’s also up on our website, in case you lose this email.

Also, they have regular webinars which you can sign up for here: http://www.textalibrarian.com/webinar.php

They also have a slideshow/movie up online here: http://bit.ly/1iyda

We look forward to feedback from our members on this product – I know there’s been a lot of buzz about it, but would love to hear from some of you who are actually using and/or considering it.

Monday, September 21, 2009

New Califa Vendor: Newspaper ARCHIVE

We are happy to announce an agreement with Access NewspaperARCHIVE from Heritage Microfilm for discounted pricing for our members. Access NewspaperARCHIVE is a program that gives public libraries and K-12 schools around the world access to NewspaperARCHIVE.com's historical newspaper database. With this service, students and library patrons can browse tens of millions of newspaper pages in our archive through your institution. Access NewspaperARCHIVE will allow users to view, save and print full-page newspapers dating from 1759 to 1977.

Access NewspaperARCHIVE has a lot to offer your library or classroom, including:

Convenient online access to full-page historical newspapers from across the US, along with papers in the United Kingdom, Canada, Jamaica and other countries

Tens of millions of newspaper pages are available in the online database

Powerful browse tools allow researches to easily look through newspaper pages by date or location

Califa members will be given a 20% discount on their pricing. For a quote, please email me back at hteysko@califa.org.

Trials are available, and there will also be a webinar for interested libraries, next Tuesday, the 29th, at 10am. If you would like to attend the webinar, email hteysko@califa.org with your name, library name, and email address in the body of the message. Login instructions will be sent the day before the webinar.

We look forward to feedback on this product. We could only find one Califa member already subscribing, so it's fairly new, and we are anxious to see what our members think about it.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Upcoming Marketing Workshops from EBSCO

We are happy to announce two upcoming marketing workshops in Southern California, hosted by EBSCO, on October 6 and 7 at 10am in Burbank and San Diego, respectively.

EBSCO will be sharing some of their new marketing tools as well as best practices and tips from other libraries on how to drive usage, and get the most out of your subscriptions. While the tools they will be presenting are from EBSCO, the advice and tips are applicable to any databases, whether they are from EBSCO or not.

There is no cost to attend these workshops, and refreshments will be provided.

To register for either of these workshops, use the links below - please note, you probably need to copy and paste the links rather than just click on them (my version of outlook does something wonky with links)...

October 6 in Burbank - the Buena Vista Branch 300 North Buena Vista St. Burbank, CA 91505
Register Here

October 7 in San Diego at the San Diego County Library headquarters: 5555 Overland Ave # 1511, San Diego, CA
Register Here

If you have any questions, please let us know.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

New Vendor: BookBrowse (and Webinar Info)

Many of you saw our newest vendor, Bookbrowse, at the Vendor Fair last week. We are happy to be working with this very cool new product, and have come up with a good discount structure.

See below for a description and trial information. We have also scheduled two webinars for members to learn more about the product: September 10 at 10am and September 15 at 10am. To RSVP for either of these webinars, please send a note to Califa@califa.org containing the following information, in this format:

Your Name:
Your Library:
Your Email Address:

You will receive log in information the day before the webinar.

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BOOKBROWSE VENDOR DESCRIPTION

One of the most popular internet destinations for book lovers now offers a customized subscription service for libraries.

A unique hybrid between a readers' advisory database and an online magazine, BookBrowse combines rich content with a user-friendly, fully searchable interface that links back to your library's catalog.

BookBrowse helps busy librarians stay on top of new books, while offering patrons an intuitive, easy-to-use readers' advisory service.

Key features include:

80+ previews and 30+ in-depth reviews each month.
Fully searchable archives of thousands of books, including excerpts, reviews & author biographies.
Read-alike suggestions from all recommended books.
Browse and cross-reference by more than 70 subjects and themes.
Summaries of reviews from multiple sources.
Resources and reading guides for book clubs.

For a trial, please email califa@califa.org.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Upcoming Gale marketing workshops

We are happy to be working with Gale and BALIS to present three marketing workshops in the Bay Area in September (please note that we are trying to get some planned for Southern California as well).

The workshop will last approximately two hours, and there is no charge, but please register by September 16 using the links below.

Taking the Library Out to Patrons

Presenters: Nader Qaimari, Vice President of Market Strategy for Gale Cengage Learning and Patti Brown Finie, Senior Account Executive Public Libraries for Gale Cengage Learning

For years, we have worked on ways to bring patrons into our libraries. This workshop will focus on using the resources and tools that Gale makes available to all of their library subscribers to successfully take the library out to patrons. While the focus will be on Gale's products, the tips and tools Nader will present are applicable to any library product or database and are guaranteed to drive usage.

You will learn how other libraries are using Gale's marketing tools to build awareness of library resources, how Web 2.0 is changing how information is being accessed, and what you can do to really get patrons excited about the resources you have. Gale will provide information on how their databases are being used in our region--what databases are used the most, what topics are people searching for, and what products need more promotion and how to do it. Attendees will also be able to share any additional tools and tips they are using to successfully promote and encourage the use of their own resources.

Dates and Times:

Thursday, September 17, 2009
9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. OR 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
San Francisco Public Library (Main)
Latino/Hispanic Room B
100 Larkin Street

Morning Session: 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
http://host7.evanced.info/califa/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=44
or
Afternoon Session: 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
http://host7.evanced.info/califa/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=45

AND

Friday September 18, 2009

10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Watsonville Public Library – Community Room

275 Main St., Suite 100
Watsonville, CA 95076

http://host7.evanced.info/califa/lib/eventsignup.asp?ID=46

Hope to see you at one of these sessions!

Monday, August 3, 2009

Califa Vendor Fair Update

The First Annual Califa Vendor Fair is only a little over three weeks away on August 27 at Santa Clara University. I have posted a very preliminary program with presenting vendor descriptions on our site - full information, registration, and a link to the program is at http://www.califa.org/vendorfair2009.php. I will continue adding descriptions and information until just a few days before the event, so be sure to check it out.

We have over 15 vendors committed now including Gale, ProQuest, and Ebsco, as well as some new ones like BookBrowse, Text a Librarian, and Altarama. Come on out and enjoy a great day learning about these products in great detail as well as hearing best practices of how other libraries are using them. Breakfast and lunch is included. The fee is $20 per person.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Upcoming Credo Reference Webinars

For those of you who may be interested in Credo Reference, they have some upcoming webinars you may wish to attend. Please let us know if you would like a quote. Login instructions for each webinar is below.

Tomorrow – July 28th 12PM PDT

Wednesday July 29th 9AM PDT

Thursday July 30th 8AM PDT

Access details and instructions can be found at http://corp.credoreference.com/webinars

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

More Altarama Training Webinars Available

For those libraries participating in the Altarama free trial of DeskStats, there are several upcoming webinars that you may want to attend. They are: Staff Introduction and Coordinator Instruction/Creating Reports. For more details, the times, and registration links, see below.

Califa DeskStats Project: Coordinator Training
This orientation webinar is intended for the project coordinator for your library.

It routinely lasts no more than 30 minutes, and covers the following topics:
1) The Califa DeskStats Project parameters
2) DeskStats functionality
3) Creating Reports in DeskStats
4) What you need to get started - we will cover this together:
-- Name & contact information for your identified project coordinator
-- Name of your organization/library
-- Names of locations where you receive/capture requests
-- Information to create logins
-- Copy or copies (may be blank) of your current reference statistics form(s)

Register for a session now by clicking a date below:

Wed. July 8, 2009 4pm PDT
Wed. July 15, 2009 4pm PDT
Wed. July 22, 2009 4pm PDT
Wed. July 29, 2009 4pm PDT


Califa DeskStats Project - Staff Orientation
This orientation webinar is intended for librarians who will be working with DeskStats.

It routinely lasts no more than 30 minutes, and covers the following topics:

1) The Califa DeskStats Project parameters
2) DeskStats functionality in your library's setting

Register for a session now by clicking a date below:

Wed. July 8 2009 3pm PDT
Wed. July 15 2009 3pm PDT
Wed. July 22 2009 3pm PDT
Wed. July 29 2009 3pm PDT


Once registered you will receive an email confirming your registration
with information you need to join the Webinar.


System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4 (Tiger®) or newer

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Internet Librarian Discounts Available

We are again offering the Califa rate for our members to attend the Internet Librarian conference this fall. To register, please fill out the form on our website here: http://www.califa.org/uploadfiles/IL09DiscountFormCALIFASAMPLE.pdf and return it to us via mail or fax (the address and fax number is on the registration form) by September 18.

The discounted price is $279 for the three day conference, and checks should be made payable to Information Today.

Please let us know if you have any questions, or would like more information.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

An update from Serials Solutions

Here is a special from Serials Solutions that you may be interested in. Let us know if you have any questions, or would like a quote.

Serials Solutions makes available “Midyear Super Savings” offer for new subscriptions

Serials Solutions is offering a “Midyear Super Savings” program available for a limited time to help you enhance the value and impact of your library. If there is any Serials Solutions 360, Ulrich’s, or WebFeat service you have been wanting, you can realize tremendous savings by taking advantage of our “Midyear Super Savings” program. Find out how much your library can save with a new subscription before June 30, 2009.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

New Califa Vendor: Custom Guide

We are happy to announce that we will be coordinating an aggregated order with Custom Guide, providing customizable computer software trainings to libraries and organizations. While the size of the discount depends on how many libraries are interested in participating in the group buy, it could be substantial.

Below is product information taken from their website (customguide.com). They will be offering a webinar for Califa members on June 16 at 10am. To RSVP for the webinar, please email califa@califa.org and include the following information:


Your Name:
Your Library Name:
Your Email Address:

Also email us for pricing and quotes. We are planning for the bulk order to go in for either an August 1 or September 1 start date, depending on what the participating members require.

Please let us know if you have any questions, or would like more information and a quote. If you do wind up contacting Custom Guide directly to see sample materials, please make sure you speak to our sales rep (I will paste her information below), as the other reps there will not know what Califa is, what the order is about, etc., and won’t give you the correct pricing information.

Again, below is product information for review.


Our Sales Rep for Custom Guide:

Lisa Stelzner
Training Solutions Specialist
Phone: (888) 903-2432 ext 7005
lisa@customguide.com

Customizable Computer Training

Your training needs are unique. CustomGuide provides customizable computer training products that are engaging, effective, and affordable. Our training solutions include:

Customizable Online Learning

• Create custom courses using only the topics you want.
• Add your own lessons and content.
• Get real‐world practice with interactive software simulations.

Customizable Assessments
• Create custom assessments for topics you specify.
• Identify user skills and deficiencies with engaging, interactive software simulations.
• Provide remedial training for missed questions.

Customizable Courseware
• Create customized training manuals that include only the topics you want.
• Unlimited printing rights; print on‐demand with no per copy fees.
• Printable Instructor Guides eliminate prep time.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009


An update from Facts on File...

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Save the Date: Califa Vendor Fair, August 27

We are so excited to be able to announce our upcoming Califa Vendor Fair, to be held August 27 at the University Library of Santa Clara University.

This day will bring together many of our vendors, and members, for extended training and demostration sessions that will allow you to learn about products in depth, get updates, ask questions, and see how colleagues from other libraries are using and marketing their subscriptions. The event will start at 8:30am with breakfast, and then be broken into 50 minute segments. During each segment there will be several demonstrations going on that you may choose from, up to 8 at a time. There will be a total of six segments during the day, and each vendor will have at least two presentation spots.

The Vendor Fair will be unique in that it's not just a chance to learn about new vendors, but also to learn about updates from products you already have, and share best practices with other libraries, learning how they might be using a product you already have, or are considering.

We have started putting information on our website on this page (which is still very much under development): www.califa.org/vendorfair2009.php As more vendors are confirmed, we will be adding them, as well as a final grid of vendors and their presentation slots a few weeks before the event, so attendees can start to plan which demonstrations to see.

There will be a fee of $20 for Califa members to attend, which includes breakfast and lunch ($30 for non-members). You may also register on the information page. Registration is currently open. Please note that registration will be capped at 100 attendees due to space restrictions, so you will want to register early to ensure your place.

Please let us know if you have any questions, and we look forward to seeing you on August 27 in Santa Clara!

Monday, May 18, 2009

Altarama DeskStats Webinars

For those libraries participating in the Altarama free trial of DeskStats, there are several upcoming webinars that you may want to attend. They are: Coordinator Introduction, Staff Introduction and Creating Reports. For more details, the times, and registration links, see below.

Califa DeskStats Project: Coordinator Training
This orientation webinar is intended for the project coordinator for your library.

It routinely lasts no more than 20 minutes, and covers the following topics:
1) The Califa DeskStats Project parameters
2) DeskStats functionality
3) What you need to get started - we will cover this together:
-- Name & contact information for your identified project coordinator
-- Name of your organization/library
-- Names of locations where you receive/capture requests
-- Information to create logins
-- Copy or copies (may be blank) of your current reference statistics form(s)

Register for a session now by clicking a date below:

Thu, May 21, 2009 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM PDT
Thu, May 28, 2009 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM PDT

Thu, Jun 4, 2009 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM PDT


Califa DeskStats Project - Staff Orientation
This orientation webinar is intended for librarians who will be working with DeskStats.

It routinely lasts no more than 30 minutes, and covers the following topics:

1) The Califa DeskStats Project parameters
2) DeskStats functionality in your library's setting

Register for a session now by clicking a date below:

Wed, May 20, 2009 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PDT
Wed, May 27, 2009 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PDT
Wed, Jun 3, 2009 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PDT
Thu, May 21, 2009 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM PDT
Thu, May 28, 2009 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM PDT
Thu, Jun 4, 2009 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM PDT

Califa DeskStats Project - Creating Reports
This orientation webinar is intended for the project coordinator for your library.

It routinely lasts no more than 30 minutes, and covers the following topics:

1) Creating reports in DeskStats

Register for a session now by clicking a date below:

Wed, May 20, 2009 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM PDT
Wed, May 27, 2009 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM PDT
Wed, Jun 3, 2009 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM PDT

Once registered you will receive an email confirming your registration
with information you need to join the Webinar.


System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4 (Tiger®) or newer

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Califa Member Helpdesk

We are excited to share with you our new "helpdesk" for members to ask us questions. Rather than using traditional email, which can be lost and difficult to manage, we are implementing RefTracker from Altarama for all questions from members.

On our Contact Us page of our website, Califa.org, members will now see several options for submitting questions including vendor quote requests, tech support, and billing queries. When you submit a query, you will now be able to track the status of the question, see who has been assigned to answer it, and the estimated time to receive your answer. For Califa, it will allow us to build a knowledge base of frequently asked questions over time, and more easily track requests from our members.

We are very excited to use this new system. It will help us answer your questions more efficiently, and will help members to continually track and update their questions without having to keep track of an email trail. Feel free to try it out and let us know what you think.

The direct link is here: http://www.califa.org/directory.php We look forward to receiving your feedback!

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Spring order time for AWE

It's time for our seventh (time flies!) bulk order of the AWE Early Literacy Stations. For more info, view this flyer. And let us know if you have any questions.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Interesting article in the Wall Street Journal on the future of books and ebooks.

Monday, April 27, 2009

An easy way to sign up for the free deskstats trial

For those of you who haven't heard, Altarama is graciously allowing each Califa member to use DeskStats free for the rest of the calendar year, so till December 31, 2009. To sign up, use this form.

Let us know if you have any questions.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Newsbank offer

Newsbank is offering special pricing again on their LA Metro Collection and Bay Area Mero Collection. Details and trial information are below; the source list is attached. If you would like more information, or a quote, please let me know.

NewsBank Spring Offer Subscription period – July 2009 – June 2010

LA Metro Collection
Bay Area Metro Collection

The trial will run through May 15th - please contact us for trial login information.

For demonstrations, questions or to set a live meeting contact Samantha Hobbs 800-762-8182 or shobbs@newsbank.com

Important Notes for Orders:

Upon placement of orders access will be given at no charge through June 31, 2009
Subscriptions will run from July 1, 2009 – June 31.2010

Note: NewsBank offers 50+ Domestic and International E.Image Edtions including the San Francisco Chronicle, New York Times and Barron’ Financial. Please contact Samantha Hobbs for details and price. Orders will run through the league.

Larger packages of CA, United States and International Coverage are available upon request.

Option #1 Bay Area Metro Collection – This is a subset of the California Collection and includes 64 Sources from San Francisco Bay area to San Jose along with the San Francisco Chronicle Electronic Image Edition.

Option #2The LA Metro Collection plus – This is a subset of the California Collection and includes 96 sources from the LA and surrounding counties - this includes the E. Image Edtions of the LA Times.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Regular webinars from Credo Reference

For those of you interested in Credo Reference, they have now scheduled free webinar sessions twice each week. The full schedule can be found at http://corp.credoreference.com/webinars.

Check one out and let us know what you think.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Upcoming Webinar from Booklist

We just got this from Booklist Online:
----
Free Webinar..
Using Booklist Online for Collection Development

Space is limited.Reserve your Webinar Seat Now at:
http://link.ixs1.net/s/lt?id=98728268&si=8180861999&pc=i2002&ei=9343502
Streamline collection development at your library with Booklist Online. Reference Books Bulletin Editor and Booklist Online Managing Editor Mary Ellen Quinn will walk you through all of Booklist Online's collection development features and functions and share tips and tricks for maximizing your use of this powerful collection development tool.
Reserve your seat today!
Title:

Using Booklist Online for Collection Development
Date:
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Time:
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM CDT

System RequirementsPC-based attendeesRequired: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista
Macintosh®-based attendeesRequired: Mac OS® X 10.3.9 (Panther®) or newer

Friday, April 10, 2009

Upcoming workshop in NorCal

Protecting Library & Archive Collections:
Disaster Preparedness, Response & Recovery
Part 1: Planning & Response – 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Richmond: Monday, May 4, 2009 – Richmond Public Library
Oroville: Tuesday, May 5, 2009 – Butte County Library
Part 2: Recovery & Training – 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Richmond: Monday, June 1, 2009 – Richmond Public Library
Oroville: Wednesday, June 3, 2009 – Butte County Library

Sponsored by Western States & Territories Preservation Assistance Service (WESTPAS)
Workshop instructor: Julie Page is the Co-Coordinator of the California Preservation Program & WESTPAS
************************************************************************
The “Protecting Library & Archive Collections” workshops are presented in a 2-part sequence to produce the following outcomes for disaster preparedness activities:
Complete a disaster plan by the end of Part 2.
Learn how to train staff to implement your plan effectively.
Set pre- and post-disaster action priorities for your collections.
Learn how to use practical decision-making skills during an emergency.
Experience salvage procedures for books, documents, and non-print media.

The workshop days are scheduled 4 weeks apart. Participants will prepare short assignments prior to the first session; between sessions, they will undertake additional assignments resulting in a completed disaster plan at the end of Part 2. Upon completion, the institution will be invited to join an informal network of WESTPAS trained personnel to provide mutual aid in the event of emergencies involving collections in the region.

Who should attend: Administrators and staff responsible for emergency preparedness, response and decision-making, in all types of libraries and archives. By registering for the workshop, the institution commits to supporting the attendee(s) to achieve the workshop's disaster preparedness goals. When possible, please send two attendees from a library or archive so they can work together on the disaster preparedness activities.

Cost: No charge to the institution. Funding provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Co-sponsored by the California State Library & California State Archives.

Registration: Pre-registration required. Register online at: WESTPAS workshop http://tinyurl.com/bkfc44
For registration assistance contact: Kathy Krause krause@plsinfo.org
For general & content information contact: Julie Page jpage@westpas.org

Monday, April 6, 2009

New Offer on Ulrich's Online Services

Serials Solutions now offers the Ulrich’s Online Services to Califa members at a discount. And for a limited time (through May 26th), Califa libraries will receive an additional 15% discount and up to two months of free service on new subscriptions to Ulrichsweb.com and the Ulrich’s Serials Analysis System.

Ulrichsweb.com is an upgrade or complement to the print edition of the Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory, long the authoritative source for information about serials. The electronic version is a user-friendly and up-to-date one-stop shop for all the library’s information needs when it comes to periodicals.

A few of the features of Ulrichsweb.com are:
· Ability to link to Serials Solutions A-Z list, reviews, JCR web, Library Catalog, OCLC and other outside sources
· The online edition of Ulrich’s is updated on a weekly basis
· Multiple users at one time and subscriptions based on unlimited users
· Enhanced information on A&I coverage
· Table of Contents links
· The personalization tools in Ulrichsweb.com – such as Lists – let users create and share list of titles they’ve located in Ulrich’s. This is a time-saving workflow tool. Users may also set up personalized alerts based on changes in a particular subject category.

Ulrich’s Serials Analysis System offers the library a number of tools, supported by the qualitative information in Ulrichsweb.com, for assessing your collection and accomplishing a wide variety of serials analysis projects -- from print-to-electronic migrations to identifying the last available copy – more efficiently and effectively, a task more critical than ever in today’s economy. A subscription to the Analysis System includes Ulrichsweb.com for free.
Pricing for these products is based on population served and starts as low as $917 with the Califa discounts and current special offers.

For pricing, to request a trial or to sign up for a webinar to be held on April 21st at 10:30 am, please email hteysko@califa.org.
You may also contact the Serials Solutions sales representatives with any specific questions at 866-737-4257, x. 1048 or ashley.bass@serialssolutions.com.
More information about the Ulrich’s online services is available at http://www.serialssolutions.com/ulrichs.html.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Update from ProQuest

A letter from ProQuest:

Dear Colleague:
You offer expert help and the most relevant information resources, just when people need them the most. So, make sure you’re getting the word out. Download your free library marketing toolkit today for helpful tips and tools.

When you need to offer the most relevant, local news, look no further than ProQuest. Our California News solutions are easy to search, whether your users are beginners or experienced researchers. And, these databases are available to visitors in your library or from home, 24x7. Click here to test them for yourself.

ProQuest California News SolutionsWhether your users need current information or historical background, ProQuest can help you support their news needs:

ProQuest California Newsstand: More than 25 current, full-text local titles from across the state, in ASCII format. Many are available with more than 15 years of easily searchable backfile.
Library PressDisplay: A complement to California Newsstand, PressDisplay offers today’s full-image newspapers online, in their language of origin. Titles include the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, La Opinion, El Universal, El Mensajero, Sonoma Index-Tribune, Hollywood Reporter, and hundreds of others from around the world, helping you serve your multicultural community.

ProQuest Historical Newspapers™: Help your visitors explore regional and world events and opinions with this definitive digital collection. Continuous runs of more than 30 U.S., international, and historical black newspaper titles are available, including the Los Angeles Sentinel (1934-2005), the Los Angeles Times (1881-1986), the San Francisco Chronicle (1865-1922), and The New York Times (1851-2005) with Index (1851-1993). These newspapers are cross-searchable with one another, providing an enlightening look at how information spread from coast to coast and beyond.

And, only from ProQuest: Los Angeles Times (1881-today). ProQuest is the exclusive provider of the full run of the Los Angeles Times, from the first issue forward. Full-image issues are available from 1881 to 1986, and ASCII format issues are available from 1986 through today.

FREE TRIAL: For your complimentary trial of ProQuest’s California News solutions, click here.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Upcoming Digital Resources Meeting

Califa has a quarterly meeting of folks interested in the Digital Resources and eBook/eAudio worlds - all Califa members are welcome to attend, whether you participate in any of our programs or not.

The next ones will be April 1 (San Jose) and April 8 (Downey). The agenda is below. Please RSVP if you plan on attending either one.

Thanks!

Califa Digital Resources Steering Committee
San Jose Public Library and Downey City Library
10 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
April 1, and April 8 2009
Introductions

Agenda:

Safari
Dan and Aimee from ProQuest will demonstrate the new subaccount features of Safari for libraries, explaining how to download the new marc records, get stats, and other new capabilities.

Quick overview of new ProQuest developments.

MyiLibrary Recap of overview of new shared collection and feedback from demo's.
Report of any libraries currently set up.
Launch collection information.

NetLibrary
Recorded Books subscription options, and possible shared collection with some DRM-free ipod titles.Legal Collection update
General Collection update

Database Package Negotiations Feedback from webinars, and updated information on current offers from Gale and Ebsco

Califa Offerings:Digital products: free DeskStats from Altarama until the end of the calendar year, Text-a-Librarian, Shoutbomb,
Physical products: New 3M order in the spring, AWE coming up in May.Next meeting: TBA

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Text a Librarian order deadline reminder

If you are interested in ordering Text a Librarian, the service that allows patrons to send SMS reference questions, which the librarian can answer on their computer, our deadline is coming up on March 31. For pricing and information, email Heather. Thanks!

Monday, March 16, 2009

Change in Consulta subscriptions

We just received this from Oceano, one of our vendors:

Océano Digital, a division of Grupo Océano, announces that after June 30, 2009, the Spanish-language reference database Consulta will no longer be represented and sold exclusively by Thomson Gale. Previously, Consulta was represented by Gale and that agreement will dissolve at the end of June this year. Océano Digital has developed a new partnership with the Califa Library Group to represent and sell Consulta in the California public, school, and academic library market. Consulta will still be accessed in the same manner as it is currently, only the administration of subscription sales will change. Libraries with current subscriptions to Consulta are asked to contact Heather Teysko (email: hteysko@califa.org) of Califa to arrange for renewal information and pricing.

Consulta is a Spanish-language electronic database which offers a tremendous amount of reference information in a very simple and efficient way. With extensive full text articles, documents, maps, images, historical documents, anatomy charts, and entries culled from more than 100 encyclopedic works, Consulta provides the user online content in Spanish, plus it is useful for those patrons wanting to learn Spanish as a second language.

Califa and Océano Digital are committed to keeping renewal costs flat – there will be no increase in renewal costs for current subscribers for the 2009-2010 subscription period. Furthermore, libraries will be offered two additional databases from Océano Digital at no additional cost upon renewing Consulta. Océano Digital is the publisher of the databases: Aula de Padres (parenting, childcare database), Saber (general referenced database), Universitas (student reference database), Escolar (elementary level reference database), Administración de Empresas (business database), and Medicina y Salud (healthcare database).

For more information, please contact Heather Teysko (email: hteysko@califa.org) of Califa or Alan Diehlmann (email: alan.diehlmann@oceanousa.com), sales director of Editorial Oceano, Inc./ Océano Digital.

Friday, February 27, 2009

New Digitization Grant Opportunities

In addition to the recently-announced LHDRP grants, Califa has compiled a list of other digitization grants for 2009 on our wiki. Check it out, and let us know if you have any questions or comments.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

New Califa Vendor

We are very pleased to announce a new partnership with Altarama, who have a suite of Reference support products including RefTracker, SMSreference, and IM-RefChatter. Altarama became a Califa vendor because so many Califa member libraries persuaded them that it would be a good thing, so thank you to all of the libraries who suggested this to them - it made them very eager to put together a compelling offer for our members.

The discounts vary per product and range between 5 and 12% with additional incentives if orders are placed within certain time periods. For pricing and discounting information, as well as trials, please email califa@califa.org

To announce their relationship with Califa, and introduce their products, they will be hosting two webinars next week. Tuesday the 3rd at 10am which will cover: IM-RefChatter/SMS-SMSreference and DeskStats as well as Thursday, the 5th, which will cover RefTracker–request management and VRLplus–live chat reference. To RSVP for either - or both - of these webinars, please send an email to califa@califa.org specifying which webinar you want to attend and including your name, library name, and email address. Login instructions will be sent out the day before each respective webinar.

Additionally, they are offering all Califa members a free subscription to DeskStats - a web-based tool that allows for capture and reporting of reference transactions – until December 31. Please see their memo to Califa members below, outlining this offer, and let us know if you would like to participate.

Also, let us know, as always, if you have any questions.

February 24, 2009
Dear Colleagues,

As the newest member of the CALIFA vendor community, we have been thinking about how best to introduce ourselves to CALIFA members. While the CALIFA staff have negotiated for quite aggressive member discounts on our family of reference management products, we have determined that something more is called for. So we have decided to do something we think will be useful for each CALIFA member, whether or not the member ultimately purchases anything from us.

Since for most libraries reference statistics are problematic, we have arranged with CALIFA to provide its member libraries with shared access to our DeskStats system at no cost for the rest of this calendar year. DeskStats is a Web-based tool that allows librarians to capture and report reference (and other) transactions simply and flexibly.

At no cost, we’ll provide training and support for any CALIFA member that wants to use DeskStats, allowing them to capture, examine, report and export statistical information on as wide a variety of activities as they choose to include.

The catch? Only that after December 31, 2009, any library wishing to continue using DeskStats will need to purchase a license or subscription. For those who don’t choose to continue, we’ll provide a full export of the data they have collected—again at no charge—and they’re under no further obligation of any kind.

Since this will be a shared system, CALIFA members will have access to view each other’s reference statistics. And, while each library can define its own transaction types and groups, there will be a few profile points on which general agreement will be necessary. Still, DeskStats allows each individual staff member or service point to see only those transactions that are relevant to their tasks, making the capture of statistical informant remarkably quick and easy. And each member will have the ability to report and export its own data in real time, anytime.
We’ll be doing a series of webinars on our full range of reference management tools, including DeskStats, beginning next week. We hope you’ll join us, and that you’ll let CALIFA staff know if this is something you’d like to pursue.

We look forward to a long and productive relationship with CALIFA and its members as we deliver excellent tools and support services for today’s reference librarians.

Sincerely yours,
Arthur L. Brady, President

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

New Califa Vendor - Shoutbomb

We are happy to announce a new vendor, discovered by one of our members who has happily worked with them. Shoutbomb is a company specializing in SMS applications and currently offer notifications such as late fees, holds, overdue and renewal notices of library items using text messaging applications. The software is hosted by the vendor, and the pricing includes unlimited notifications and text messages.

To announce their new service for libraries and their partnership with Califa, they will be hosting a webinar on March 12 at 10am. To RSVP for this webinar, please email califa@califa.org and include your name, library name, and email address.

While Shoutbomb is fairly new, several libraries are already using their services. You can view these posts from various Shoutbomb library customers to see how it is being used in libraries arleady.

Skokie Public Library: blog
Peninsula Library System: info

If you would like pricing, please also email califa@califa.org and let us know if you have any questions.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Califa Vendor Showcase

We recently told you about the Vendor Day on March 9 held by our partner consortium, SCELC (a consortium for academic libraries), at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

The following day, March 10, Califa will be hosting a select number of vendors at the MCLS office in Monrovia to present products and offers that specifically relate to public libraries, and particularly offers that are current for our members. You may RSVP for individual sessions, or for the entire day, but please note that space is very limited, and I can only accept the first ten RSVPs for each demo. Also, if you RSVP and are then unable to make the demo, please let us know so that someone else can take your place.

There is no cost to attend this Vendor Showcase, and both breakfast and lunch will be provided by Califa.

The schedule of the day will be:

9am - arrive, sign in, coffee/snacks
9:30 - HW Wilson will be discussing their new products for public libraries including the new Cinema Image Gallery.
10:30 - MyiLibrary will be demonstrating their new ipod-compatible eAudio product, and specifically discussing the Califa shared collection.
11:30 - Altarama will demonstrate RefTracker, DeskStats, and their new SMS Reference product
12:30 - LUNCH1:15 - SerialsSolutions will share an overview of their new developments and products
2:15 - ProQuest will share their new packages for public libraries.
(note: ProQuest demo is still to be confirmed).

The day will end at 3pm.

To RSVP, please send an email to Califa@califa.org specifying which demo you want to attend, or if you want to attend the entire day. After you RSVP an email will be sent to you with driving directions and parking information.

This is a great opportunity to meet with several popular, and new, vendors at one time, get your questions answered, and discuss the specifics of offers made to Califa members.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

New Califa Vendor - Vault.com

After polling members a month ago, we realized that there was enough interest to pursue a discount on Vault.com. We are happy to let members know that we now have secured a 10% discount from Vault, the publishers of Career Guides and Company Insider Guides, for their online subscription. The discount is for all new customers who place orders before July 1, 2009.

Below is more information on Vault. We have also scheduled a webinar to introduce the product. The webinar is scheduled for March 17 at 10am. To RSVP, please send an email to califa@califa.org stating that you would like to attend, and include your name, email address, and library name.

This product is a good example of how member input can help us get discounts for everyone. Because the member reaction was so supportive to Vault, we were able to move quickly to ensure a discount for all members. Thanks for your feedback!

Links and more info on Vault(please note that if these links don't work, you can cut and paste them.

Library Journal reviewed this resource, and Vault was recently named one the Journal’s Top 10 Outstanding Electronic Resources of 2007 -- here are links to both the articles: http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6440569.html
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6547055.html

An event that Vault did with the New York Public Library

Wall Street Journal - Folks Are Flocking to the Library

Features
80 Vault Career Guidebooks
4,000+ Company Profiles
50 GOLD Company Profiles customizable to your local area
NEW! 50+ Vault Insider Videos
Internship Database
Access to the Vault Message Boards
Insider College Admissions Reports
3,000 Career Advice Articles
Sample resumes and cover letters, and interview tips
Industry and occupational research

Benefits
Insider Information: Vault surveys thousands of professionals every year to get the inside scoop on companies and industries.

Access: Reach more patrons effortlessly. Your users can access the content 24/7 from any computer with internet access, and you are allowed unlimited concurrent users.

Customization: We give the Online Career Library the look and feel of your site, including the logo and navigation tools.

Trusted Content: The Online Career Library is used at over 1,000 subscribing institutions.
Quick & Painless: Vault does all the work. We build and host the Online Career Library–you just post the link on your site to give your patrons access.

Price Security: When you license the Online Career Library, Vault has built in a minimal 10% renewal fee for clients. This is price protection for our continued partners since the cost of the Online Career Library increases upwards of 30% or more each year.

Tracking: Upon your request, Vault provides statistics monitoring usage. This way you ensure a return on your investment.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Califa Member Survey Time

It's time for Califa's annual survey of members. This evaluation is extremely important for Califa's staff and Board to improve Califa's current services and plan future services. Please spend a few minutes answering the seven questions of this brief survey. The survey will close on Friday, February 27 (only open for two weeks). Thanks for your consideration, and we hope, your participation.

Califa Members 2009 Survey:
http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB228S8AAQW93

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Upcoming SOPAC webinar

We are happy to announce that Joseph Muennich from YourLibrarySite.com will be doing a webinar for our members on new developments in SOPAC and Druple on February 24 from 2pm-3pm. Full description is below.


There is no cost for this webinar. To RSVP, please email califa@califa.org and you will be sent a link to complete your registration. Also let us know if you have any questions. Please note that Califa offers a discount on any services through YourLibrarySite.com, including SOPAC integration.
--

Drupal is the content management system (CMS) being used by many libraries to create and maintain their library website. Why? I plan to discuss the benefits of using a CMS and Drupal in particular – covering the most current features developed for Drupal version 6. I specifically will cover SOPAC – a module recently contributed to Drupal by John Blyberg of the Darien Public Library. I will show the behind-the-scenes administrative interface for several library websites built with Drupal.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Discount on Infopeople Digital Preservation workshop

Many of you have seen the upcoming Infopeople workshops on Digital Preservation. We are happy to let our members know that there is a discount for Califa members.

For registration and complete information on the workshop, go to the link in the instructions below.

Select the class you want under Digital Preservation: How to Preserve Digital Assets, click the "Registration" button for the class you want, click "Proceed to checkout" button. On the Billing Information page at the bottom, use the following Promotion Code: CALIFA (case is not important). When you click Continue you will see the confirmation page with the cost of $75 and a discount of $25 and the final cost of $50. All you have to do then is click the Complete Registration button.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Trial from Facts on File

Facts on File is doing a Spring trial for our members, which will make all their databases available until March 15. Califa members currently receive discounts on all FOF databases. For login information, email hteysko@califa.org.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

New Vendor - Text a Librarian

We are excited to announce a new discount for our members with Text A Librarian. This SMS reference service integrates with existing email or IM software and allows patrons to send questions and receive answers from their mobile phones, while the librarians receive and reply on their computers. For more information check out their website: http://www.textalibrarian.com.

Califa will be aggregating an order for this product at the end of March to get aggregated threshold discounts. For pricing, or any questions, please email califa@califa.org.

Additionally, we will be hosting several webinars and in-person demos. The first webinar is next Tuesday, February 3, at 10am. There will be an in-person demonstration at the Califa office in San Mateo on February 10 at 2pm.

To RSVP for either of these, please send an email to califa@califa.org letting us know whether you will be attending the webinar or the meeting.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Upcoming ALA event for Califa members

For those of you attending ALA Midwinter - MyiLibrary, which is launching their ipod-compatible eAudio product, is having a special demo followed by a meeting to discuss our shared collection. The demo will be at 3pm on Saturday, Jan 24. The meeting will immediately follow. If you would like to attend and want more information, email califa@califa.org.