There are some changes afoot

On January 9th Linda Crowe, Califa's Executive Director announced her retirement and today Susan Hildreth was announced as her successor. Ms. Hildreth will start on March 1.

Dear Colleagues,

It is with both regret and a sense of anticipation that I officially announce my retirement today. I came to PLS in 1983 and have seen PLS grow and move forward in a true model of sharing and collaboration. The work in building the mega systems and PLP has been challenging and rewarding. While I have been Executive Director of Califa, we have had many entrepreneurial enterprises and opportunities that have benefited all libraries in California, both from a visionary as well as a cost-savings perspective. I will continue to work part-time for Califa with CENIC on the broadband infrastructure project.

I expect that an announcement will be made next week regarding my successor and the timing of the transition, but I wanted to give you this information personally.

Linda Crowe

-----

The Peninsula Library System, a consortium of public and community college libraries in San Mateo CA, is pleased to announce that Susan Hildreth will be joining the System as its Executive Director.  She will also assume the responsibilities for its affiliated partners, the Pacific Library Partnership, a California Library Service Act system and Califa, a 501(c)(3) not for profit membership organization that provides services and programs to libraries throughout California.  Hildreth served as the State Librarian of California from 2004 – 2009 and has served in leadership positions in California public libraries since 1980.  Hildreth will complete her term as the Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services in Washington, DC, on January 18, 2015 and will assume her new position on March 1.

ScienceFlix, a new Scholastic product

We're excited to introduce ScienceFlix, a brand-new digital STEM product from Scholastic.

Please join us on January 13th at 10:00 am for an in-depth review of the many features and assets in this dynamic resource. 

To register: http://bit.ly/1A07tPY

ScienceFlix offers 30 complete scientific units over six curricula strands, each featuring:

· Engaging videos to build background knowledge and introduce the topic and key vocabulary

· Anchor articles written at three reading levels

· Supplemental articles written at three reading levels

· Project and experiment ideas

· Science career section

· News article with study guide

· Multimedia including interactive timeline, slideshows, videos and more

· Lesson plans

· Thousands of vetted websites on related content

For additional information, here is review from School Library Journal:

http://www.slj.com/2014/12/reviews/digital-resources/scienceflix-an-in-depth-exploration-to-tempt-budding-scientists-reference-online/

Webinars this Week

Save the dates for webinars from these vendors. Please see our calendar for invite information: http://califa.org/calendar/

BookFlix: 

December 11, 2014 at 11 am​

This webinar will cover:

* BookFlix introduction

* Features

* Correlations to the Common Core

* Resources available for library staff/patrons

* Questions

Pronunciator: 

December 10, 2014 at 11 am

Pronunciator will demonstrate its sleek new interface; learning guides (up to 22 months of guided instruction per language); and ProRadio feature (streaming major label music with lyrics) 

Skillsoft Books24X7: 

December 9, 2014 at 1:30 pm

Skillsoft’s Books24x7 provides business, technical and well being content containing thousands of digitized books, book summaries, research reports and best practices. There are also instructional videos covering a wide range of IT, programming and desktop topics.

Internet Librarian 2014

For those of you that like to plan ahead, Internet Librarian is October 27-29 in lovely Monterey, California. Califa Members can register online at https://secure.infotoday.com/forms?form=il2014 and use code 14CAL to receive the consortial discount.

This year’s Internet Librarian 2014 conference focuses on the strategies, services and tools that enable us to engage, connect and build relationships with the communities who use our libraries, fund our libraries, and support and defend our libraries. The program includes discussions about how the use of mobile devices and electronic collections is changing the spaces in libraries and the services libraries provide. It focuses on the skills, competencies, and roles that are evolving to deal with these and other changes in our towns, campuses, agencies and corporate enterprises. Information Today’s 17th annual Internet Librarian caters to all interests and all levels of knowledge with five simultaneous tracks, including Internet@Schools. The conference provides the ideal opportunity to gather insights and ideas to ignite our imaginations and spark innovation while it creates lots of opportunities for connections and conversations.

Join us at the most comprehensive conference for library and information professionals interested in technology to discover the insights, strategies and practices that allow us to push the envelope in expanding the net, managing libraries and digital information, and enhancing the information sharing and learning experience of people in our communities. Internet Librarian 2014 provides attendees with lots of opportunities to meet and hear from leading “movers and shakers” in the information industry in all types of environments – leaders in the information industry are integrating content and delighting their clients, organizing and managing digital content in creative ways, setting the context for excellence in information utilization in their organizations, revolutionizing the roles of info pros, building strong collaborative communities among their customers and colleagues, and using new technologies in exciting ways. This conference encourages you to bring and share your ideas and champion new practices – this is where ideas and action come together, where innovation ignites.

Enki will be offering stories from JukePop

JukePop and Califa Library Group Reach Agreement to Offer JukePop e-Books on Califa's Enki Library E-book Platform

PALO ALTO, CA--(Marketwired - June 11, 2014) - JukePop, Inc., the pioneering e-book discovery site using crowd sourced reading analytics to identify up-and-coming literary talent, announced that it has reached an agreement with the Califa Library Group to offer fresh and popular stories from JukePop's self-published authors on Califa's Enki Library E-book Platform. Developed in conjunction with the Contra Costa County Library, the Enki Library E-book Platform currently serves 35 libraries in California. This new agreement will provide these library patrons access to JukePop emerging new authors with the click of a mouse.

"We are thrilled to be working with Califa Library Group, the largest consortium in California, serving 220 jurisdictions and 1200 libraries," said JukePop Founder, Jerry Fan. "The agreement enables our authors to offer their content to library patrons throughout California.  In addition, the agreement enables libraries to incorporate content that e-book platforms used by libraries had up to now no way to accommodate. And libraries get to play a key role in identifying and proliferating emerging authors that would otherwise not have a venue to showcase their talent."

"Califa is pleased to have JukePop join its growing number of e-book publishers providing content on the Enki Library E-book Platform," said Califa's Assistant Director of Innovation and Development, Heather Teysko. "We have over 120 publishers working with Califa, now including JukePop. We have a shared collection that has 20,000 items. The shared content belongs to the consortium and is not licensed as with other platforms used in the past.  Beginning in July individual libraries will be able to acquire their own e-books from JukePop and every other publishers, that will be hosted on the Enki Library servers."

About Enki

The Enki Library E-book Platform, a collaboration between Califa Library Group and Contra Costa County Library, Launched in May of the 2013. Modeled on a system that Douglas County Colorado developed, it was designed to host and lend library-managed e-books.  

About JukePop Inc. 

JukePop is an incubation platform that combines community driven feedback and data analytics to help authors turn their concepts into great books.  We believe there's at least one great book in every author, the difference is in how the story is told.

http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1981207

Media Contact:

Jerry Fan

JukePop Inc.

Jerry@jukepop.com

Heather Teysko

Califa Library Group

hteysko@califa.org

From Booklist Online

THE POWER OF LIBRARIES BOOTH AT BOOK EXPO 
Lucky enough to be attending Book Expo America conference in NYC this week? Be sure to stop by the Power of Libraries, in booth #1242 (naturally, come say hello to us at the Booklist booth, as well, booth #1043!).

There are five library consortia from across the country that are collaborating on this theme.
The groups are: Amigos (TX), Califa (CA), LYRASIS (GA), MLS (MA), and RAILS (IL)
Collectively they represent over 6,000 libraries of all types across the United States.

Each of these groups have statewide e-book platforms, and they seek to strengthen the library-publisher relationship, especially in this time of great flux in the e-book marketplace. Some of their goals with this Power of Libraries campaign are to:

Engage in dialogue with authors and publishers on the importance of e-books in libraries, and voice current concerns held by librarians and patrons while respecting the views and interests of authors and publishers.

Demonstrate the collective buying power of libraries in the e-book market.

Keep letting publishers know that readers use libraries AND buy books.

Reinforce the fact that librarians have the expertise to bring readers to new books that they may eventually buy.

Take some time away from the galley grab of BEA and spend a moment talking to Veronda Pitchford and the Power of Libraries team. They’ll be distributing a fun comic strip showcasing librarians as superheroes.   Let them know Booklist sent you!

- See more at: http://blog.booklistonline.com/2014/05/28/the-power-of-libraries-booth-at-book-expo/#sthash.CFh08NAb.B0uthDzm.dpuf

California Emerging Technology Fund Names Linda Crowe 2014 Broadband Champion

Peninsula Library System Leader Acts to Close the Digital Divide

Los Angeles and San Francisco, CA – March 26, 2014 – The California Emerging Technology Fund is pleased to announce Linda Crowe, Executive Director of the Peninsula Library System (San Mateo County) and Califa, a consortium of more than 220 California public libraries, is a 2014 Broadband Champion.  Fifteen individuals are being recognized for their groundbreaking work and strong commitment to close the Digital Divide.  

The Champions were selected in consultation with dozens of broadband leaders, community advocates and state and local policymakers.  The 15 individuals are featured in the California Emerging Technology Fund 2013-2014 Annual Report and will be recognized at events in San Francisco on March 27 and in Pasadena on May 19. 

“We congratulate Linda and all of the Broadband Champions.  From El Centro to Silicon Valley, from Hollywood to Humboldt, they are representatives of trailblazers who work throughout California and beyond to point the way for policymakers to understand the opportunities afforded by information technology and high-speed Internet access,” said CETF President and CEO Sunne Wright McPeak.  “The Champions also share the moral imperative not to leave anyone behind or offline.  Each of these individuals inspires us to act to close the Digital Divide,” she said.   Photo of Linda Crowe and the full list of recipients are available on request. 

Linda Crowe:  Moving California Libraries into the Digital Age

Linda Crowe understands the power of networks.  She serves as Executive Director of the Peninsula Library System, which includes Silicon Valley cities, and of Califa, a consortium of more than 220 California public libraries.  A pioneer on national and state digital initiatives, including leading a national task force focused on equal access to electronic resources, Linda for a decade has worked to develop a library network for California. In 2012, the state’s academic-based network agreed to invite public libraries, but then the State Library budget was slashed.  Undeterred, Linda and others conducted a “needs assessment,” which showed that 52% of California public libraries had unacceptably slow Internet connections.  Now, the Governor’s proposed budget for 2014-15 includes $3.3 million for upgrading connections to join the network.  Linda is not looking back:  Instead she asks “What’s next?” and “How can we make it better?”