The Middletown and Willimantic Service Centers buy professional library books so that you don’t have to. June was a big month for new books on a variety of topics, including digital libraries, reader’s advisory, virtual reference, storytimes, serving teens, booktalking, library design, fundraising, interviewing, and much more.
See a list of new professional titles that you can borrow from the Service Centers. You can ILL the item or use the Service Center catalog to place a hold.
First audio books on cassette were all the rage. Then automobile manufacturers started installing compact disc players in cars and audio books on compact disc took over. But compact discs were actually a pretty old technology, barely better than cassettes, and people were fumbling with an average of 10 discs per book. So then came the one or two disc audio books on MP3, but most cars didn’t have players and the lack of digital rights management on this format made content providers nervous. So now there are downloadable audio books, but a lot of library users aren’t comfortable with this computer-based technology. So now there are self-contained Playaways, that only require headphones. What do libraries buy when there are library users asking for all these audio media?
The Willimantic and Middletown Service Centers have collections of audio books on cassette, compact disc, mp3 disc, and Playaways for libraries to borrow. Your library may want to “test the market” with some of the new media you aren’t sure if your users will borrow. Or perhaps your library has a huge collection of books on cassette and now your patrons only want books on compact disc. Either way, the Centers have audio media for your library to borrow for three month loan. Visit the Centers or use the online catalog to search for items and place holds. Contact tnewman@cslib.org to find out more about borrowing from the Service Centers.
A.L.A., Neal-Schuman, Libraries Unlimited, Library Video Network. These publishers continue to produce books and DVDs that inform and enlighten librarians, but who can keep track of what they publish? And what library can afford to buy these titles? The answer to both these questions is the Library Service Centers in Middletown and Willimantic. Each month in WebJunction Connecticut, the Centers publish a monthly list of all new professional titles purchased by the Centers. Go to the list for instructions on how to borrow these titles. A sample from December’s list includes books on Wireless Networking, Running a Small Library, Reference Librarians policies, Storytimes, Salary Surveys, and Best Books for High and Middle School students.