James Bennett to offer collectionHQ to libraries

MEDIA RELEASE

Baker & Taylor acquires CollectionHQ Software from Bridgeall Libraries to Improve Library Collection Performance

BROOKVALE, New South Wales – Thursday, December 1, 2011 – James Bennett, the Australian subsidiary of U.S.-based book distributor Baker & Taylor, Inc., will soon offer customers in Australia, New Zealand and Asia the popular collectionHQ library collection performance improvement software, following today’s announcement of Baker & Taylor’s purchase of Scottish technology company Bridgeall Libraries.

The agreement unites two companies that provide critical services to libraries: Baker & Taylor, the leading supplier of products and services for libraries worldwide; and Bridgeall Libraries, developer of innovative software that helps libraries manage their collections more efficiently. Together, and in conjunction with James Bennett, the companies can help libraries provide the best and most appropriate content to the communities they serve.

“This partnership with Bridgeall Libraries is the perfect complement to the innovative and integrated products and services Baker & Taylor is known for.  It strengthens the breadth of products and services we offer libraries worldwide and ensures that we can provide the most innovative workflow solutions in the industry.  collectionHQ gives libraries the information and analytical tools they need to put the most relevant content in the hands of their patrons,” said George Coe, President, Baker & Taylor’s Library & Education division.

“As evidenced by the rapid growth of smartsm over the past four years, we are very proud to have delivered a tool that is hugely popular to libraries.  Baker & Taylor has the global reach, vision and expertise to deliver smartsm –as well as new developments – for even further benefit of libraries worldwide.  We are very pleased that Baker & Taylor has become the custodians of our very exciting technology,” said Stephen Beer, Managing Director of Bridgeall Libraries.

By adding Bridgeall Libraries’ collection-analysis technology to its portfolio, James Bennett can better serve the full range of its library customers’ needs, which include selecting, acquiring and managing printed and digital content.

Bridgeall Libraries’ popular software, known as smartsm in the U.K. and collectionHQ in the rest of the world, empowers libraries to more efficiently manage their holdings and allows them to assess and improve the performance of their collections. With smartsm libraries can better select, acquire and manage printed and digital content, and ultimately serve their patrons better.

In just four years since it was introduced, more than half of the U.K. libraries have subscribed to the service.  In the U.S. and Canada, many top library systems have subscribed since the software was introduced there in 2010.

Software development, sales and customer support will remain headquartered in Glasgow, and the office there is poised to grow as Baker & Taylor helps introduce the technology to library systems in North America and around the world. The Glasgow office will work closely with Baker & Taylor’s U.S. headquarters for customer support operations and future development. 

About Baker & Taylor
Baker & Taylor, Inc. (www.baker-taylor.com) is the world's largest distributor of books, digital content and entertainment products. The company leverages its unsurpassed worldwide distribution network to deliver rich content in multiple formats, anytime and anywhere. Baker & Taylor offers cutting-edge digital media services and innovative technology platforms to thousands of publishers, libraries and retailers worldwide.  Baker & Taylor also offers industry-leading customized library services and retail merchandising solutions.

About James Bennett (www.bennett.com.au)
James Bennett Pty Limited is a major Australian based library supplier and has been servicing libraries since 1964. Based in Brookvale, NSW., James Bennett offers a total package of products and services designed to complement all supply arrangements. As a part of the Baker and Taylor group, James Bennett offers competitive pricing and supply time, with unmatched global resources and cutting-edge technologies.


About Bridgeall Libraries Ltd.
Based in Glasgow, U.K., Bridgeall Libraries Ltd. has developed smartsm® and collectionHQ®, the world leading Evidence Based Stock Management (EBSM®) solutions. EBSM® is the complete library stock improvement methodology, which analyses historic and current information about stock use, to help librarians save time and eliminate waste, improve stock performance and align stock with local demand. smartsm and collectionHQ are the software applications that implement the EBSM® methodology to help libraries achieve stock performance excellence. It is implemented using the Software as a Service model of application deployment. For more information, see www.smartsm.com or www.collectionHQ.com.

Media Contacts:

Baker & Taylor
Kimberly Kuo
Kimberly.Kuo@baker-taylor.com
704-998-3118


James Bennett
Andrew Hocken
ahocken@bennett.com.au 
61-8-9364-1964


Bridgeall Libraries
Stephen Beer
stephen.beer@bridgeall.com


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Know it All Find it Fast for Academic Libraries

We were absolutely delighted to see this new book from Facet Publishing arrive on our desk today!  The Know it All, Find it Fast books for the enquiry desk are quite popular - and here we have one specifically designed for Academic Libraries.  Naturally, being published in the UK, the book's listings are skewed towards the UK, however they also list International resources to help guide librarians as to "where to look" for information.

Know it All, Find it Fast for Academic Libraries, is a comprehensive and easy-to-use guide developed specifically for information professionals working in academic libraries.

Tackle the questions most commonly asked by students, academics and researchers! 

A broad cross-disciplinary A-Z of themes including topics such as literature searching, plagiarism and using online resources are covered helping you to address any query confidently and quickly. Each topic is split into four sections to guide your response:

• typical questions listing the common enquiries you’ll encounter
• considerations exploring the issues and challenges that might arise
• where to look listing annotated resources in print and online
• tips and pitfalls outlining useful suggestions and common problems.

This will prove an indispensable day-to-day guide for anyone working with students, academics and researchers in an academic library.


About the author

Heather Dawson is an Academic Support Librarian in the Information Services Department of the LSE Library

 Now available from Inbooks / James Bennett 

387pp; paperback; ISBN 9781856047593; £49.95 (approx AUD $88.68 GST Inclusive) 

Competitive library discounts apply. 

Order your copy on JBO today!  

Not a James Bennett customer but would like to order a copy of this book?  Contact jbmarketing@bennett.com.au and reference this blog entry to receive free freight within Australia.  Offer applies only until 14/12/11.  Please note we take Mastercard, Visa, and cheque only.

You can contact Inbooks, the exclusive Australasian distributor for Facet Publishing, on (02) 8988 5082 or email orders@inbooks.com.au

Staff Focus-Customer Service Co-ordinator

This month we focus on......

This month's Bennett Blurb newsletter focuses on customer service. Whether you are a public, academic, specialist or government library, James Bennett is renowned for our superb customer service in the library supply chain. We have the service - and the experience - you need to provide your own patrons, colleagues and staff with a successful and popular library service.

This month we're introducing you to Claire McManaway. She answered some general questions in the Bennett Blurb but she also allowed us to do our own profile of her, here in The Bennett Blog. How did she get to where she is now? What makes her tick? Read on and discover for yourself.

Name: Claire McManaway
Position: Customer Co-ordinator (Academic)

When did you start at James Bennett? A few years ago...about 11-12 years!
What were your previous roles (here or elsewhere)? Inbooks Customer Service, Data entry (Order Services), Operations, Binner in the Warehouse. I was about 15kg lighter - all that walking helped!
Describe your job: Answering to the needs of all our wonderful customers. We are here to help!
What do you enjoy most about your job?Completing that email. Finishing things off and getting a result. It’s great when you get a reply back thanking you for your efforts. We are stars and angels with a couple of awesomes in between .
Describe James Bennett in five words? OMG, we are the best!
What would you like customers to know about the work you do? That we are reliable as individuals and as a team. Finding those hard titles that you know are out there somewhere - it’s just putting your finger on it and hopefully being able to purchase it on behalf of the customer. We do source far and wide and are always looking for the best possible price. Getting results is always great. And things do take time…
What are the challenges you are facing? Keeping up with Claims!
What gets you excited about your day? Coming to work at James Bennett is great, we have a great location, friendly staff. We do have lovely customers from all walks of life, most of them I have never meet, but when we speak to them on the phone or via email it like I have known them for years. Most of my customers are listed on my phone so I know when you ring…
What books do you like to read? Suspense and action.
Do you have a favourite author? Robert Ludlum.
Last book you read? The Help.
Currently reading? The Most Wanted Man.
On the wishlist? (Keeping in mind this was a book question.....) That the All Blacks win the Rugby World Cup 2011

(Well, Claire, they did - by a point!)

We hope you enjoyed reading about Claire and what it's like to work behind the scenes in Customer Service. What staff member would you like to see a Focus On here on the Bennett Blog or in our newsletter service? Contact Marketing and we'll see what we can do!

JAMES BENNETT

Your Library Vendor of Choice in the Australasian marketplace 

We launch a new partnership with ebrary

MEDIA RELEASE

September 7, 2011 – Palo Alto, CA, USA – ebrary ®, a leading provider of e-books and research technology, today announced it has partnered with James Bennett, a leading library acquisitions services supplier, to make e-books more readily and efficiently available to libraries throughout Australasia.  Libraries may now seamlessly integrate ebrary’s e-books into their acquisition workflow by ordering titles directly through James Bennett Online (JBO).

Additionally, ebrary has signed new publishing partner Australian Academic Press, a highly respected publisher in the Australian academic market.  ebrary also offers e-books from James Bennett’s top publisher list including Aboriginal Studies Press, University of New South Wales Press, University of Queensland Press, Wiley, Oxford University Press, Allen & Unwin, and many others. 

“As e-books are critical to scholarly research, we are pleased to offer our customers titles from ebrary, which include the vast majority of university presses and other esteemed academic publishers throughout the world,” said Nada Stanojlovic, James Bennett’s General Manager, Library Services & Business Development.”  We believe researchers will find great value in ebrary’s content as well as their technology that makes it easy to discover, use and share valuable information.”

“ebrary is a trusted and well-known brand in the academic and other library markets,” said Stephen May, Managing Director of Australian Academic Press.  “We are excited to make our e-books available on the ebrary platform through James Bennett and other global distribution channels, and we expect to see an increase in revenue as a result.”   

“The e-book market is growing rapidly in many regions throughout the world, so it is critical that we partner with leading distributors such as James Bennett as well as expand our publisher partnerships outside of North America to enhance our products and extend our reach,” said Matt Barnes, Vice President of Marketing at ebrary.  “We look forward to working with James Bennett to meet the specific needs of libraries in Australia.”


About Australian Academic Press (www.australianacademicpress.com.au)

Australian Academic Press is a niche academic publisher for the behavioral sciences, specialising in psychology. Established in 1987, the press publishes a range of books, evidence-based clinical treatment and prevention resources, scholarly monographs, and journals, for both the academic and trade markets.

About James Bennett (www.bennett.com.au)

James Bennett Pty Limited is a major Australian based library supplier and has been servicing libraries since 1964. Based in Brookvale, NSW., James Bennett offers a total package of products and services designed to complement all supply arrangements.  As a part of the Baker and Taylor group, James Bennett offers competitive pricing and supply time, with unmatched global resources and cutting-edge technologies.

About ebrary (www.ebrary.com)

ebrary is a leading provider of e-books and research technology to libraries worldwide. Founded in 1999, the company offers more than 273,000 e-books from over 500 trusted publishers under flexible models including subscription, perpetual archive (purchase), patron driven acquisition, and short-term loans. ebrary is the only e-book provider that enables customers to upload and integrate their own digital materials right from their computers with DASH!™ (Data Sharing, Fast) technology as well as apply cross-referencing with multiple online resources with InfoTools™ technology.  A member of the ProQuest® family of companies, ebrary is headquartered in Palo Alto, CA, USA.

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For more information please contact:

Rachael McDiarmid
Publisher Relations & Marketing Communications Manager
Tel: (02) 8988 5000
Email: jbmarketing@bennett.com.au

Read it! Love it? Add Peter James to your Profile

As many of our blog readers know, we have a service called Read it Love it Add it to Your Profile.  Designed for public libraries comfortable with an outsourced model for profiling & selection, it's a way to bring authors to the attention of the libraries and adding them to their existing profile with us.  That way, the next book published by that author will be automatically sent to them and everybody wins - the reader, the library, the author, the publisher, and us as their library vendor of choice.

This month's selection for Read it Love it Add it to Your Profile service is an author already established in the marketplace, particularly in the UK.  Peter James was born in Brighton, England.  He was educated at Charterhouse then at film school. His novels, many of which have been "Sunday Times" top 10 bestsellers, have been translated into thirty languages and, not surprising considering his background, three have been filmed. He actually has a very impressive resume.  We would encourage you to visit his website and read more about him here.

International best-selling crime thriller novelist published in 34 languages doesn't begin to cover it!

Once you realise what an interesting man Peter James is, have a look at his books!  His website presents his titles in a way that filters just the novels featuring Detective Superintendent Roy Grace of the Sussex police force.  Seven books have already been written featuring DS Roy Grace and in an interview with Shots Magazine, Peter James had this to say about his creation:

Roy Grace has indeed been through the grinder, in his private life, both with his beloved Sandy’s disappearance and now Cleo’s perhaps endangered pregnancy… and professionally with a boss who disliked him, largely for his maverick behaviour and tried hard to undermine him.   But he’s a survivor, and above all, he is a good man in a dark world.

We also liked what Lee Child had to say about one of Peter's earlier books - Dead Like You -  "Sinister and riveting, Peter James is one of the best British crime writers". 

 

So with that background information, we'd like to introduce this month's title for Read it Love it Add it to Your Profile - Dead Man's Grip by Peter James.

    “ I want them to suffer, and I want them dead ...   ”

Carly Chase is traumatised ten days after being in a fatal traffic accident which kills a teenage student from Brighton University. Then she receives news that turns her entire world into a living nightmare.The drivers of the other two vehicles involved have been found tortured and murdered. Now Detective Superintendant Roy Grace of the Sussex Police force issues a stark and urgent warning to Carly: She could be next.The student had deadly connections. Connections that stretch across the Atlantic. Someone has sworn revenge and won't rest until the final person involved in that fatal accident is dead.

The police advise Carly her only option is to go into hiding and change identity. The terrified woman disagrees - she knows these people have ways of hunting you down anywhere. If the police are unable to stop them, she has to find a way to do it herself. But already the killer is one step ahead of her, watching, waiting, and ready ...

Is it his most nail-biting thriller yet?  You tell us!  Request a copy at your local library today.

ISBN 9780230747241 | Paperback | 408 pages | published July 2011 by Pan Macmillan Australia

Ebrary, ebooks and libraries

James Bennett will shortly be representing ebrary in the Australasian marketplace.  As many of our libraries would know, ebrary has had a close working relationship with our parent company - Baker & Taylor - for years.  James Bennett has been working with ebrary on integration for the ANZ region for several months now and we're pleased to be adding another market-leading ebook platform to our stable.  Contact us today to discuss James Bennett selecting, profiling and purchasing ebrary titles on your library's behalf.  You can call your nominated Customer Co-ordinator or email our dedicated eResources team.

For those of you wanting to know what took us so long - well, it's been a challenge integrating ebrary into the James Bennett system.  This is not due to our close and long-standing relationship with our other ebook vendor, EBL, but due to the use of the ISBN as the primary identifier in the James Bennett database. Publishers generally use one e-ISBN across multiple ebook systems and platforms.  Our database links one ISBN to a vendor and our IT team has spent years working their way through all the e-ISBN issues including pricing, markets, special prices, loans/rentals, and more.  We won't go into details today but you can probably imagine our relief this project is nearly finished and we can represent many more digital products in future.

That said, we have represented ebrary's subscription product for public libraries for over 12 months.  That was easy to manage in the database and through our Standing Orders area. Contact your account representative for a demo or contact the eResources team to set up a trial for you.

So, want to know more about ebrary?  Here's just a snapshot!

Key features and benefits

• Works on multiple devices
• Contextual linking across multiple online resources with InfoTools™
• Unique ability to upload and integrate a library’s own digital content with DASH! and Software as a Service (SaaS) Shareable bookshelves that automatically store links
• Notes and highlights
• Multiple options for searching and navigating
• Automatic citations when text is printed or copied and pasted into Word or any text applications. Citations include an automatic URL hyperlink back to the source
• Ability to transform text into a hyperlink to a URL of the end-user’s choice
• Text-to-speech and other keyboard shortcuts to assist end-users with special accessibility needs

Platform Overview

• Available in multiple languages including English, Arabic, Chinese (simplified), French, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Swedish, and Turkish, with additional languages in the works
• Compatibility with a range of discoverability and technology services including the ProQuest platform, SerialsSolutions Summon™, Ex Libris SFX, Doody’s Core Titles, Eduserv OpenAthens, Shibboleth®, Blackboard, RefWorks, EndNote, Moodle, and moreFree on-demand MARC records
• COUNTER-compliant usage statics

Request a soft copy of the ebrary Pocket Guide for Academic Libraries and the Pocket Guide for Public Libraries, contact Marketing today! 

And of course, order your library's ebrary titles through your trusted library supplier, James Bennett.  We aim to provide you with the best from the digital world with our renowned - and superior - local service.

A formal media release will follow in due course.

Library & Information Week

Congratulations to all librarians - this is your week!  

We so love the tagline this year: "We Find Stuff".  It says it all really.  We read somewhere it was considered controversial, which was a little surprising.  Isn't that what you do?!!  You find stuff, you catalogue stuff, you look up stuff, you research stuff, you know stuff!  What an amazing thing you do.

We were reminded of the important role librarians play when we came across a wonderful website recently that had gift ideas for librarians.  No doubt many of our customers will have already discovered it (afterall, you "find stuff"!) but the reason we mention it here is the fun t-shirt and other promotional items they had listed that said "Librarian: the original search engine".  The word itself was often made to look like the Google logo.  Clever.  But true wouldn't you say?!

We also liked "be nice to your librarian, it could mean the difference between a right and wrong answer" and we couldn't help chuckling at "Librarian by Day, Deadly Ninja by Night".  Needless to say, a wide range of materials were on offer and there's many more sayings we could share with you, but we digress.

It's Library & Information Week.  And as Australia's largest and leading library supplier to public, academic, specialist, government and reference libraries, we're celebrating with you.  Afterall, as your support network, don't we help you "find stuff" or at least source the raw materials on your behalf?  We work with thousands of suppliers locally and internationally and sometimes we know what it's like to be finding a needle in a haystack.  But we do it.  You expect it of us.  And together we can put the workflows and systems in place that help you "find stuff" for your patrons every day.

Library and information services are important to us.  And we are here to support your efforts.  Tell us about what you're doing.  If you're on Facebook, Twitter or here on Blogger, link your site to us.  And that goes for our publishing partners too.  We're all in this industry together, let's have some fun, share the joy of reading, spread the word about our products and services, and ensure future generations love books, their libraries and the world in which they live. 

WIN LIBRARY SCIENCE BOOKS THIS WEEK!

For those of you reading this blog during Library and Information Week 23 - 29 May 2011 click on our Facebook page, follow us, and comment on our Library & Information Week post by telling us What Library & Information Week means to you.  The winning entry will receive $200 worth of nominated library science books from Facet Publishing, Libraries Unlimited, ALA, Neal Schuman - thanks to our Inbooks business unit, also proudly supporting Library and Information Week.  The winner will be announced the following week and naturally some conditions apply.  Make sure you let us know what library you are from when you comment and keep an eye on those Facebook feeds for news on this and many more promotions from James Bennett.

Archiving and Recordkeeping

As many of our customers know, we have been representing Library & Information Science presses for many years.  These days they are managed by a separate division, a business unit that specialises in book distribution to the broader trade called Inbooks.  If you are after a library science book, fingers crossed they distribute it and have it in stock at our Brookvale facility.  And of course, James Bennett receives wonderful terms of trade from them which we can pass onto our library customers! 

With Information Awareness Month, the Inbooks team wanted to make sure they were part of the blog particularly when IAM has, according to the website, grown into a collaborative event between various bodies within the records/archiving/information management community including:

•     Records and Information Management Professionals Australasia (RIMPA)
•     Australian Society of Archivists (ASA)
•     National Archives of Australia (NAA)
•     Health Information Management Association of Australia (HIMAA), Institute for Information Management (IIM)
•     Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA)
•     Public Records Office of Victoria (PROV)

When they read about the first few bodies above, the Inbookers begged me to tell our blog readers about books we have just for those that work in archiving.  Seeing we love books from Facet Publishing, we thought why not!?

Here's a few titles you must have on your shelves for Information Awareness Month:

The Future of Archives and Recordkeeping: a reader

Things you need to know.  The book is:

- A clearly structured approach to developments in archives and record keeping  
- A timely reader that asks where the discipline has come from and where it must now go to remain professionally relevant in the 21st century.

The changes of the past few decades have occasioned a review of what it is that archives are doing as a discipline. These changes have come from several quarters: interdisciplinary engagement with the notion of the archive; technological developments, not least the advent of Web 2.0; and the information explosion and the growth of several allied disciplines, including records and information management. This timely reader asks where the discipline has come from and where it must now go to remain professionally relevant in the 21st century, by negotiating the complex boundaries and borders of the ‘state of the archive’, in terms of geographical borders and nationalities and disciplinary borders.

The book is divided into four primary sections covering the following key themes:

•     defining archives
•     shaping a discipline
•     Archives 2.0: archives in society,
•     archives in the information age: is there still a role for the archive professional?

This book offers a clearly structured approach to developments in archives and record keeping and will prove an invaluable resource for students following postgraduate training courses in archive administration as well as for archive professionals wishing to refresh and update their understanding of the profession.


ISBN 9781856046664 | Hardback | 256 pages | £49.95  
Log into JBO today for your library price

Archives: principles and practices

An authoritative handbook from an experienced archives professional.  Divided into four main parts addressing the contextual, strategic, operational and practical issues associated with creating an archival institution, the text covers everything the archivist needs to know: establishing principles, policies and procedures; managing day-to-day operations; caring for different types of archival materials; enhancing outreach and public access; and ensuring the growth and sustainability of the institution and its services.

Whether an institution has a collections orientation or whether it is primarily responsible for managing institutional archives in conjunction with an organizational records management programme, those responsible for records and archives management in the establishment and operation of an archival facility need specialist practical guidance.

The key chapters are:

• understanding archives
• the social and cultural context of archives
• the legislative and organizational context of archives
• the professional context of archives management
• the theoretical framework for archives management
• establishing a policy-based framework
• managing resources
• ensuring physical protection
• acquiring archives
• appraisal of archives
• arrangement of archives
• processing archives
• describing archives
• providing reference services
• enhancing access
• ensuring sustainability

The accessible language ensures that the fundamental principles and practices are outlined clearly for novice archivists and non-specialists; and experienced professionals, will find the work of immense value in validating or updating their understanding of archival operations. The issues addressed are relevant to archival practice in all developed English-speaking countries, and concepts in place in different parts of the world are examined in order to provide a global context.

ISBN 9781856046732 | Hardback | 256 pages | £44.95
Log into JBO today for your library price

Customers can request LIS catalogues from the Inbooks marketing team via email by clicking here. 

Read it! Love it? Add Christine Stinson to your James Bennett profile

The first book on the new James Bennett Read it, Love it, Add it to Your Profile service is Christine Stinson's It Takes A Village.  It's also our Book of the Month for May. 

Christine Stinson's second book, it is an absorbing, witty coming-of-age story set in postwar Sydney.  And we loved it.

Published by Pan Macmillan Australia this month, we found it to be very Maeve Binchy-esque in the way it explores community and family.  A perfect read for many of your library patrons.

We're introduced to Sophie Barton when she's eight years old.  It's the spring of 1952 and she's just been told she's a "bastard".  Who is her father and why did her mother never tell anyone who he was?  Sophie is being raised by her reclusive grandfather and a wonderful community of Australian characters, many of whom we'd recognise from our own upbringing.  Compared to today, post-war Australia was a much simpler time - but not for our Sophie.  Life is full of complications.  She gets into all scrapes and along the way she learns about herself, her family, and the agony and ectasy of falling in love.

"Sophie wasn't sure why catching a husband was so important but a lot of grown-up people seemed to think that it was.  Just the other week she'd heard Mick's mother and Mrs Salter talking about how Shirley Harris was out to catch herself one.  The two ladies had been standing on the footpath outside of Mick's house; they didn't see Sophie but she'd been able to hear them from Grandpa's front porch.  Shirley Harris was the new girl Mr and Mrs Carmichael had hired to help them in their chemist shop.  Sophie had seen her when she went in to pick up some things for Mrs Hogan and she'd thought Shirley Harris was beautiful, almost as beautiful as Angela Dimarco, Luc's older sister.  But Sophie's neighbours didn't seem to think much of Shirley Harris at all."

We shouldn't give too much away but you'll enjoy reading about Sophie, Mick, Mrs Hogan, Luc and all the wonderful characters that Christine Stinson brings to life in this book - you'll have to experience that pleasure all for yourself. 

In a time when experiences are shared around the kitchen table, over the back fence or up at the corner shop, Sophie learns that life is rarely simple, love is always complicated and sometimes it takes more than blood ties to make a family.

Check out a copy at your local library today.

About Christine Stinson

Christine is a former language teacher who has been making up stories for as long as she can remember.  Her first novel Getting Even with Fran, was also published by Pan Macmillan Australia.  She is currently working on her third novel, Epiphany and lives in Pymble, Sydney.  You can find out more about Christine Stinson on her website: http://www.christinestinson.com/

Read it Love it Add it to Your Profile

We'd like to add Christine Stinson to the profiles of all libraries using our Profiling & Selection Services. Make sure you've got a copy of It Takes a Village on order through James Bennett and then contact jbmarketing@bennett.com.au to add Christine to your profiled orders.  We'll ensure all future books from this talented author are then sent to you on publication.

It Takes A Village 

ISBN 9781405040273

ARP $32.99 - usual library discounts apply

Order your copies today on JBO, contact your Customer Co-ordinator on (02) 8988 5000, fax your order to (02) 8988 5090 or email info@bennett.com.au 

Managing Information Services - emphasising a sustainable future

The latest edition of Jo Bryson's highly regarded Managing Information Services is about to publish in the UK and we're pretty excited about it.  Not only is it a good book, the timing for Information Awareness Month couldn't be better!

The third edition of Managing Information Services has been thoroughly revised with an emphasis on managing for a sustainable future.  We are all aware that libraries and information services are facing uncertain times.  How do you tackle the challenges of planning and managing change?  Future-proof for tomorrow?  Lead the transformation to a sustainable future?  Published by Ashgate, the book also addresses the integration of information services including librarianship, records management and ICT.

A comprehensive and detailed reference on the key management topics for information service managers, it really is a must have book. 

Rather than supply the typical author bio, why don't you check out Jo's LinkedIn profile by clicking here.

And then once you've done that email jbmarketing@bennett.com.au and say in 25 words or less why you think you should have a copy of this book.  Ashgate has kindly offered one for Bennett Blog readers so think how this book can help you in your professional career and enter now.  We'll review the responses on the 10th June 2011 so tell your colleagues and enter now.

Of course, make sure you've got a copy on order anyway! 

ISBN 9781409406945 - hardcover
ISBN 9781409406969 - paperback
Login to JBO today to see your library price or contact your Customer Co-ordinator on (02) 8988 5000


Contents: Preface; Part I Management Influences in a Changing Landscape: Managing in an uncertain world; Strategic influences. Part II Strategy and Planning: Strategic planning: positioning for a sustainable future; Attracting and retaining talented people in challenging times; Ensuring value for money and enabling a cost-sustainable future; Knowledge and information management – a key to survival; Strategic technology and asset management – a smarter approach. Part III Leadership and Innovation: Leadership; Utilizing a values-driven culture for sustainability; Innovation and creativity; Engaging change in positioning for the future; Group dynamics and team building; Effective negotiation and conflict management; Managing the political arena; Policy making; Personal communication and networking; Managing yourself and others in challenging times. Part IV Governance and Social Responsibility: Ensuring good corporate governance; Using authority and influence; Encouraging transparency; Managing for sustainability; Managing risk; Sustaining trust and continued operations; Evaluating benefits and performance. Part V Customer and Market Focus: Competitive strategies; Corporate image and communications; Ensuring service quality. Part VI Success and Sustainability: Bringing it all together. Index.

Information Awareness Month - celebrating the second week with a giveaway!

As you know from our last post, we're committed to bringing important titles from our LIS publishers to your attention.  And what better time than during Information Awareness Month!  Last week we focussed on James Herring's Improving Students' Web Use and Information Literacy: A Guide for Teachers and Teacher Librarians as well as Information Policies and Strategies by Ian Cornelius.  Both were published by Facet Publishing and both are on campaign at present (log-in to JBO for special price information or contact Marketing if you are not a James Bennett customer).  This week sees another interesting book from Facet:

DIGITAL INFORMATION order or anarchy?

If the vision for the future of digital information is order, ease of access, discoverable resources and sustainable business models, how might this be achieved?

In an information environment shaped by an ever-growing and persistent demand for more and more digital content from every direction, it has become increasingly important that publishers, libraries, and information professionals understand the challenges and opportunities of the Google environment.  This book addresses these issues and carves out a strategy for the future of digital information.  Put together by an international, cross-sectoral team of contributors, each authored chapter provides a snapshot of where we are now and considers how the barriers to success might be overcome and what the digital information environment might look like if these issues are - or indeed are not - addressed.

They include:

• digital information: an overview of the landscape
• scholarly communications: the view of the library
• scholarly communications: the publisher's view
• ebooks and scholarly communication futures
• digitising the past: next steps for public sector digitisation
• resource discovery
• who owns the content in the digital environment?

Edited by Hazel Woodward & Lorraine Estelle, and contributions from Rick Anderson, Alastair Dunning, Ian Russell, Wilma Mossink, Colin Steele, and Graham Stone, this book is essential reading for all library and information professionals, researchers and library students.  It will also be of interest to publishers wishing to reconcile their own digital strategies with those of both information consumers and providers.

9781856046800 | 2010 | Hardcover | 208 pages | Facet Publishing | OUR RRP $84.95 now on campaign! Log into JBO for your special price.

We've also got a copy of Digital Information: order or anarchy? to giveaway!  Simply email us before Sunday 15th May and tell us why you'd like a copy.  Are you on the publishing side or are you a library professional? What are the digital issues and strategies that are most important to you.  Share with us and you might just win a copy (if not we've got a great price to offer you!).


James Bennett, proudly getting behind Information Awareness Week in the library community and publishing environment.  

Keesing's World News Archive: providing your library with a trusted comprehensive source for research and fact checking

James Bennett is pleased to announce that Keesing's World News Archive has been added to the eResources stable.

Scholars and librarians agree that Keesing’s World News Archive is the most efficient  and cost effective way to research world events. Published since 1931, Keesing’s has been serving scholars, students, writers and reference librarians with factual information on the most important political, social and economic events by providing carefully vetted, accurate, objective and concise reports from every part of the world.  

  

Written for the permanent record and with no political or advertising masters to appease, Keesing’s is a uniquely neutral and accurate source of information. Keesing’s is used in more than 80 countries by academics, businesses and governments seeking to get quick access to important historical background. The entire 80 year, 100,000+ article archive is available with either an annual or perpetual license. And it’s updated each month with more than 55,000 words in at least 150 articles. 

IN RESEARCHING THE NEWS AND IN WRITING THEIR ARTICLES THEY ARE GUIDED BY FOUR ESSENTIAL EDITORIAL PRINCIPLES:

• Internationalism: Keesing’s is committed to providing comprehensive information on all regions of the world, covering all major developments in all countries.
• Accuracy: their reputation for accuracy, preserved and nurtured since Keesing's was first published in 1931, is their greatest asset. They work with the benefit of greater hindsight than that enjoyed by newspapers or the electronic media and thus have more time for checking facts and authenticating information.
• Objectivity: Keesing’s aim to be as objective as is humanly possible. They do not editorialise and they do not pass judgement upon the events which they record. The organisation is totally independent, with no political agenda to promote and no external commercial interests to placate.
• Permanence: Keesing’s is not producing disposable news. They are writing "for the record", and thereby providing a "first take on history". They do not sensationalise or distort for the sake of creating a eye-catching headline. Their aim is to establish the truth, to present it clearly, and to preserve it for future generations of researchers. 

The result of this process is that the Keesing's World News Archive contains a wealth of hard information: news upon which you can rely.

We are delighted to represent this product in the Australasian marketplace so if you would like to set up a 30 day FREE trial for Keesing's please contact our e-team on eresources@bennett.com.au

If you would like to keep up-to-date on new e-Resources via email, please send your contact details and subject interests to jbmarketing@bennett.com.au 

We look forward to being of service to your library.

Help your library deliver new services and remain relevant in the digital age

The Tech Set, created and edited by Ellyssa Kroski and co-published by Facet Publishing and Neal-Schuman Publishers, was recently awarded the 2011 Greenwood Publishing Group Award for Best Book in Library Literature by the American Library Association. As per the press release from CILIP the Award committee praised the “creative, innovate approach” of this ten-volume set that shows librarians how to employ new technologies to create, deliver, and market new user services.

Covering topics such as social networking, mobile technologies, blogging, webcasts, gaming, and other current technologies that aid and improve libraries, each book is supported with an author wiki containing new advice and recommended resources and a podcast where authors discuss their books, current research, and the latest developments in their fields.

These practical, fast-paced guides will have librarians ready to implement all the essential technologies and tools they need to deliver outstanding new services and remain relevant in the digital age.

 

A full list of titles is provided here:

Next-Gen Library Catalogs  Marshall Breeding
Today’s web-savvy users often bypass traditional library catalogues for more interactive, tech-friendly interfaces. Help your library stand out within the crowded landscape of information providers with this new, highly practical guide to interactive next generation library catalogues. ISBN: 9781856047210

Mobile Technology and Libraries  Jason Griffey
Mobile technology is fast becoming the preferred method for connecting to the Internet. Librarians must keep pace with this trend and integrate themselves into the mobile realm if they wish to deliver enhanced user services. This is a practical, easy-to-follow new resource that will walk you through the start-to-finish steps for strengthening your library’s mobile presence. ISBN: 9781856047227

Microblogging and Lifestreaming in Libraries  Robin M Hastings
Microblogging and lifestreaming applications like Twitter, Tumblr, and FriendFeed are all around you and your users in everyday life. This is a practical primer to help any library transform these cuttingedge, budget-friendly services into highly effective professional tools. ISBN: 9781856047234

Library Videos and Webcasts   Sean Robinson
Online video and imaging software gives you the opportunity to communicate with your library users 24/7—but getting started can be intimidating. This book has the building blocks you need to effectively, affordably, and easily create and broadcast highquality webcasts to your library users, staff and the social networking sites beyond.  ISBN: 9781856047241
 
Wikis for Libraries  Lauren Pressley
Wikis have emerged as powerful platforms for facilitating and improving communication and collaboration between library staff, users, and professional peers. Whether you are a wiki novice or a seasoned pro, this book will enable you to build wikis to support special events, serve as a library instruction tool, create valuable online resources—to name a few applications of this popular collaboration tool. ISBN: 9781856047258

Technology Training in Libraries   Sarah Houghton-Jan
Your library plays a crucial role as your community’s epicentre for technology whether you provide skill building resources, free access to the Web, or both. To deliver top service to your web-savvy users, you and your staff must stay up-to-date with the latest technology skills and trends. This book presents practical guidance so you can implement a low-cost, comprehensive staff technology training program. ISBN: 9781856047265

A Social Networking Primer for Libraries  Cliff Landis
Social networking is rapidly infiltrating the information environment, and it is essential that librarians understand how best to use these sites and tools with their work to better serve their users and reach people who have never before used the library. This book provides easy-to-follow guidelines for using MySpace, Facebook, and other prominent sites as a way to expand and improve crucial library functions. ISBN: 9781856047272

Library Camps and Unconferences  Steve Lawson
More and more libraries are working to organise their own library camps or ‘unconferences’ - open, friendly and refreshingly informal gatherings for librarians to unite, exchange ideas, and share knowledge. This book provides you with the guidance you need to bring your vision of organising a library camp to life. ISBN: 9781856047289

Gaming in Libraries   Kelly Czarnecki
Whether gaming is already a crucial part of your library’s core services or it’s only just been introduced, this do-it-yourself new resource will give you the practical tools you need to organise, implement, and market successful gaming events for users of all ages. ISBN: 9781856047296

Effective Blogging for Libraries   Connie Crosby
Renowned library blogger, speaker, and educator Connie Crosby shares her experience and expertise in this step-by-step guide to successful library blogging. This is the go-to resource for any librarian in search of practical, easy-to-implement instruction for creating and managing a winning library blog. ISBN: 9781856047302

The Complete 10 Volume Set (ISBN 9781856047777) is currently on campaign. Libraries please login to JBO today to see our special price which is valid until the 31st May 2011.  Order today and take advantage of these great savings.   



Tel:  (02) 8988 5000
Fax: (02) 8988 5031
Email: info@bennett.com.au


Don't have an account with James Bennett and would like to place a credit card order?  Please email orders@inbooks.com.au and let them know you've seen this on the James Bennett blog or quote reference TECHSET11 for your discounted price.

Ever had a product you can't get enough of?

...well for James Bennett staff, that product is Library PressDisplay.  We've been representing it for several years now and it's been a winner on soo many levels.  Firstly the product is great.  We'll tell you about that in a minute.  The service has been excellent.  Our account manager at Library PressDisplay is reliable, helpful and supportive of our business.  We feel like it's a team effort and we're very proud to be representing Library PressDisplay in the ANZ marketplace.  

There's something very special about having a wonderful relationship with a supplier.  Our Publisher Relations & Marketing Communications Manager, Rachael McDiarmid recently said "we work with thousands, if not tens of thousands of suppliers on a regular basis.  There's nothing better than having one that works with you and is aware of the service level expectations of your customers.  PressDisplay is definitely one of those suppliers.  It's a must-have product for libraries and the service from them todate has been nothing short of exceptional. I can't recommend them highly enough."  

So, what exactly is Library PressDisplay?

More than 1700 newspapers from 92 countries in 48 languages

Library PressDisplay is a web-based portal which provides anyone, from the casual reader to the formal researcher, access to over 1700 newspapers and magazines from more than 92 countries in 48 languages. The easy-to-use interface allows patrons to access the most current editions of international and local newspapers and magazines. Your patrons can search any newspaper, use instant translation, select articles in a table of contents and share them with other patrons.

Library PressDisplay automatically allows you to serve a wider audience with a variety of newspapers and magazines, complemented with a variety of digital tools, accessible from home or within your library. No installation of any software or plug-in software is required. The product would saves delivery costs of print subscriptions, staff resources and shelving space.

Interested?  You can contact your sales executive or you can email the dedicated eResources team at James Bennett on eresources@bennett.com.au   We're more than happy to answer any of your Library PressDisplay enquiries and to set you up on a free 30 day trial.  Contact us today!

Reasons to choose James Bennett as your vendor of choice

Are you looking for a new supplier to manage the acquisition needs of your library?


Here are 10 reasons to choose James Bennett as your vendor of choice:

• Global reach—local service
• Competitive and flexible terms for customers
• Speed of supply—the right book at the right price in the quickest timeframe
• Expertise in working collaboratively with libraries on profiling & selection services
• Single representation for consistency and knowledge of your library workflows
• Proven track record in workflow development and liaising with libraries to streamline their supply chain
• Full service supplier
• Experienced and professional staff
• No compromise in quality, range, or price
• WE AIM TO REDUCE YOUR ACQUISITION COSTS

Contact us today to see how the services we offer will help you meet your collection development needs.

Tel: (02) 8988 5000 or email: info@bennett.com.au



In a future edition of The Bennett Blog we're going to share some information about our Profiling & Selection Services.  Profiling and selection is the fastest growing part of our business, particularly in public libraries, and our new system JBS has been custom-built with library requirements in mind.   We look forward to telling you all about it!

Welcome

I'm the first to admit it.  I never thought we would have a company blog.  What message do we want to send?  Will anyone read it?  Is it an appropriate forum to engage our customers?  What about our suppliers - is this something that publishers will embrace?

In this digital world, all businesses are supposed to have an online presence.  I took this to mean a website, and more importantly for our customers, JBO - our online selection and acquisition interface.  Anything other than the primary services to our customers was not high on my priority list.  Yet here we are.  We have The Bennett Blog.  We're also now on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook so if you use these sites for business communications please "follow" or "like" us to stay up-to-date with news, special promotions and other offers.
 
Do we have a message that is relevant to all those we have the privilege of doing business with?  Well the answer is a resounding YES.  Afterall James Bennett has been recognised as an industry leader by many in the publishing and bookselling world.  We have staff who are incredibly knowledgeable on all parts of the supply chain, particularly ebooks and digital reference.  We have a stable Management Team who continue to lead the organisation through an ever-changing industry.  Our sales representatives, profiling & selection staff, and operations people work hard to deliver a uniquely James Bennett service that supports the acquisition needs of our customer base.  And our customer service staff receive more accolades than we sometimes know what to do with!  In a nutshell: we know our business, we know our industry.  It's a continually changing world out there.  And we have much to share with you.

So where do we go from here?  The first thing is to have someone look at the broader communications plan.  I've already appointed an experienced marketing communications champion to look at relevant subject matters, the timing, the delivery mechanisms.  We're excited about new product offers, eResources, business developments and how the James Bennett business will deliver new and competitive services in the year ahead.

As always, let us know your expectations.  How would you like to engage with us?  We've been partners for many years.  Let's take it to another level.

Chris von Hinckeldey
Managing Director