T H E D I S S E M I N A T O R
V.4, #5 May, 1997
An electronic newsletter from the Nova Scotia Provincial Library
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3770 Kempt Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3K 4X8
(902) 424-2457; FAX (902) 424-0633
Available on the WWW at:
http://rs6000.nshpl.library.ns.ca/provlib/disseminator/; -OR-
http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/eppp-archive/disseminator/disseminator-h/
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Questions or comments about the activities in this issue should be directed to the contact people named. To subscribe to THE DISSEMINATOR, send a message to listserv@nshpl.library.ns.ca and enter the following text in the body of the message: subscribe dissem-list yourfirstname yourlastname. Comments on or suggestions for THE DISSEMINATOR should be directed to Sue Dirani (sdirani@nshpl.library.ns.ca).
IN THIS ISSUE:
FEATURE ARTICLES:
On May 26, the Honourable Robbie Harrison, Minister of Education & Culture, officially launched the province-wide library card and NcompasS, the automated library system and electronic network linking all regional libraries across Nova Scotia. In a ceremony at the Wolfville Memorial Library, well attended by about 75 people, the Minister spoke of the significance of a single library card for Nova Scotians and NcompasS. He outlined the significance of holding this launch in Wolfville, a branch of the Annapol is Valley Regional Library system which was the first in the province to regionalize. The Wolfville Branch Library was officially opened in 1993 being housed in a refurbished town railway station. The railway was the fastest way of transporting information at the turn of the century, so it is significant to be launching the library automated system from this building. Minister Harrison also applauded the name NcompasS indicating our ties to the sea and the need for navigatio! nal tools on the water and on the Information Highway.
To continue with the series of firsts associated with this event, the Minister was presented with the first province-wide library card, which he used to launch the automated system by borrowing a book about the Annapolis Valley, signed out to him on the system. Beginning with Wolfville and eventually encompassing all 75 libraries and the 13 mobile branches in the province, this card will then allow Nova Scotians to borrow from any public library in the province.
The NcompasS system will connect the holdings of all 75 public libraries in the province through the Internet. Housed on EDnet, the Department of Education and Culture's wide-area network, NcompasS will give Nova Scotians easy access to information resources anywhere in the province. As well, NcompasS users will be able to access the catalogues of schools, universities and colleges, putting more information at our fingertips than ever before.
"This is another example of libraries showing the rest of the community how it can be done," said Mr. Harrison. "Libraries know how to share resources and expertise and this confirms that our libraries are ready to meet the challenges of today and look forward to the future." For more information, please see the Press Release on the Web at http://www. edn net.ns.ca/educ/pressrel/current/ncompass.htm.
HIGHLIGHTS - PUBLIC LIBRARIES IN NOVA SCOTIA SURVEY
The Highlights of Public Libraries in Nova Scotia was released on Monday, May 26 to coincide with the launch of the province-wide library card. It is fitting that the Highlights report on public libraries be launched on the same day that Nova Scotia Regional Libraries celebrate one more first in a long tradition of providing quality public library service to Nova Scotians. Just as the province-wide library card symbolizes the connections that are a strength of the regional library system, the Highlights r eport emphasizes how much Nova Scotians value their public libraries.
Libraries are an essential or very important service to 98% of Survey respondents, this includes both those who consider themselves current users and those who never use the library. Respondents chose three educational roles as the most important ones for public libraries to offer to communities. Assistance from library staff and children's programming were both considered to be essential services and ones that were rated as being highly satisfactory. One area where it was felt that libraries could do a better job was in promoting new services and products to the public.
Copies of the Highlights Report may be obtained from the Nova Scotia Provincial Library, and the full report may be purchased for $10.00, by contacting Debbie Ross (rossdl@gov.ns.ca). Please see the Press Release on the Web at http://www. edn net.ns.ca/educ/pressrel/current/plsurvey.htm for more information.
The official opening of the Petit de Grat Branch Library in Richmond County on May 21 was well attended with a crowd of 75-80 people on a rather cold and blustery Spring day. After a welcome address by David Cumby, Acting CEO of Eastern Counties Regional Library, and an invocation by Father MacMillan of St. Joseph's Parish of Petit de Grat, Mrs. Julia MacQuarrie, the Chair of the Library Board reminded everyone of the original opening of this branch 15 years ago in her Welcome and Opening Remarks. Similar to that opening, this new expanded library branch in its beautiful seaside setting has come about through the vision of members of the local community, the Regional Library Board and staff complement, supported by the cumulative efforts of Nova Scotia Department of Education and Culture and the Municipality of the County of Richmond.
The usefulness of partnerships between Petit de Grat library branch and its surrounding community was then very visibly demonstrated when everyone saw and heard Ministers Allister Surette and Richie Mann in Halifax from the video conference facilities of the adjoining College de l'Acadie. Although everyone had initially been disappointed that the weather had prevented the Ministers from flying in from Halifax to attend in person, this innovative use of communication technology was a resounding success. Thei r separate congratulatory addresses and good wishes for the improved and expanded services for the library, with its access via EDnet to the Internet and to NcompasS, the regional libraries automated system, was very well received by all who were in attendance. For more information on the opening, please see the Press Release on the Web in English at http://www.ed net t.ns.ca/educ/pressrel/current/peteng.htm! or in French at http://www.ed net t.ns.ca/educ/pressrel/current/petfre.htm.
REGIONAL LIBRARY FUNDING REVIEW BEGINS
As the current funding arrangement for regional library boards in Nova Scotia, implemented in 1995, concludes with the 1997-98 fiscal year, a new Library Funding Review Committee is currently being formed with the following specific objectives: to allocate the operating grants budget for regional libraries for the 1998-99 fiscal year based on established Principles of Library Funding and the funding formula; to examine the funding arrangements for April 1995 to March 1998 fiscal years and to preview the fea tures of the current formula and their impact on regional library boards; to evaluate results of fund raising requirements; and to explore ways of using existing resources to provide a more cost-effective service.
The Library Boards Association of Nova Scotia, the Council of Regional Librarians, the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities and the Association of Municipal Administrators have each been asked to name representatives to the Funding Formula Review Committee. The Department of Education and Culture will be represented by Wayne Doggett, Executive Director of Policy Branch, as Committee Chair as well as by Doug Nauss, Acting Deputy Minister, and by Marion Pape, Provincial Librarian. The Committee will meet app roximately every two weeks starting June 6 with the final report being expected by October 30.
The Council of Regional Librarians met on May 1 and 2 at the Nova Scotia Provincial Library with all regional library directors, the Provincial Librarian, and the Nova Scotia Provincial Library coordinators attending.
Several interesting presentations added some variety to the very full agenda. Robert Arkin, legal advisor to the public schools, was present during the discussion surrounding the Cancopy negotiations in light of his work in negotiating an agreement for Nova Scotia public schools. Carolyn Smith, of the African Canadian Services Division of the Dept. of Education and Culture, and Cecil Wright, of the Halifax North Memorial Branch Library, presented some suggestions for library service to African Canadians; Carol Morris and Gillian Webster of the User Services Section of the Provincial Library demonstrated the reference databases that are being considered by the regional libraries and the Provincial Library for possible joint subscription; and Susan Murray, of the Consumer Health Information Project located in the Metro-Toronto Reference Library, spoke on the valuable service offered to health information consumers across Ontario. The next CORL meeting will take place in Novem! ber.
AUTOMATION WORKING GROUP MEETS
The AWG met at the headquarters of Annapolis Valley Regional Library in Bridgetown on April 25, with everyone very eager to see NcompasS in action in a regional bank for the first time. To begin, Charlotte Janes from AVRL demonstrated how the OPAC of a regional library's bank actually appears to the public and various functions in the Circulation and Collection Exchange modules, including the use of various models of barcode readers. This very worthwhile hands-on session was good preparation for many regio nal libraries who have not yet reached this stage of automation.
The rest of the day was devoted to discussions around the multibank environment which the regional libraries are now entering. Issues such as whether there was any need for dial-up access beyond the regional community nets were discussed, as were expected improvements to response time predicated on the restructuring of EDnet's routing due for implementation this Spring, procedures for cataloguing paperbacks already in a library's collection, and the development plans for DRA/MultiLIS software as it heads f or object oriented design. In addition, it was confirmed that Bank 3, containing the bibliographic records of the former Dartmouth Regional Library prior to amalgamation, would be deleted from NcompasS immediately but the merged bibliographic records for Halifax City and County would remain available for Recon purposes for some time to come.
MCLENNAN HISTORY TO BE DIGITIZED
The Cape Breton Regional Library has received a grant from the "Young Canada Works in Heritage Institutions" programme of Heritage Canada to finish a digitisation project, begun last year, to create a Web resource concerning the McLennan Family of Westmount, Cape Breton. This project began in the summer of 1996 when a student was employed under the same programme to write a narrative about the family and to prepare an inventory of the Library's substantial holdings concerning them.
The McLennans' story is not well known although they've had a significant influence on the history of Cape Breton in this century. They were involved in many areas including the coal and steel industries, publishing, the arts, and they had a major role in the early development of the Fortress of Louisbourg site. Their estate, Petersfield, on the shores of Sydney Harbour was an architectural showcase and the formal gardens surrounding the structures featured species of trees and flowers that were introduced to the Island by the family. The location is now a Provincial day-use park. The Library was left scrapbooks, photo albums, paintings, ephemera and copies of source documents accumulated by J.S. McLennan while he was writing his seminal study "Louisbourg: From its foundation to its fall".
This summer the Cape Breton Regional Library expects to hire two students to develop a digital site using the materials available at the Library and the narrative written last year. We hope to be able to show some of the contributions of this family to both Cape Bretoners and other Canadians. -- Ian MacIntosh, Cape Breton Regional Library
Western Counties Regional Library launched its "How Much Is A Million?" penny campaign in all branches on May 15. The goal of the campaign, sponsored by the Royal Bank of Canada, is to collect one million pennies in each county in the region (Digby, Shelburne, & Yarmouth) between May 15 - Aug. 15. A million pennies ($10,000.00) will enable the library to purchase an additional 400 titles for the county in which the money was raised.
Based on population statistics, the following amounts will be needed from each resident to reach the goal of one million pennies per county: Digby - 46 cents; Yarmouth - 36 cents; Shelburne - 55. In terms of volume, 35x18.9L containers (supplied by Sparkling Spring Water Ltd.) are being used to hold the one million pennies. Containers are in place at all branches of WCRL and all Royal Bank branches in the region. Smaller penny jars have been placed in businesses, schools and other organizations in th e region.
Borrowers were notified of the up-coming campaign weeks in advance by having a 1/4 page notice slipped in their books when the material was being checked out. Over $1,000 in donations and coins have already been received and the Weymouth branch has reported the first full "jug of pennies"! As each jug is filled ($287.72), or the equivalent in donations received, the "penny metre" for the county reporting the success will rise by one slot (35 slots in all).
Groups, organizations, individuals or businesses can support the campaign in a number of ways: purchase a jug of pennies; make a donation to their local library (their branch will receive a "penny credit" in the amount of the donation); or sponsor an event (car wash, talent show, bingo, penny drive, & flea market are already in the works). Penny stacking contests have already been held at several library branches and the pennies were donated to the "How Much Is A Million?" campaign. All coins will be sorted and rolled by Acadian Vending in Yarmouth. -- Paulette Sweeney Goodwin, Western Counties Regional Library
Finally - a suggestion! A reader (who wanted to remain anonymous) asked me to discuss sites that help people find BUSINESSES. Apart from using the general search engines to find a company's web site (if one exists), try some of the following business directories on the Web. If you know of any interesting sites or if you would like to suggest a theme for future columns, please e-mail me (sdirani@nshpl.library.ns.ca).
Big Yellow Business Directory
http://s16.bigyellow.co
m/h
home_infobutton.html
- Yellow pages listings for over 16 million US companies. Entries include
address, phone number and type of business. Fax and toll-free numbers do
not
appear to be included.
BOSS - Canadian Company Capabilities
http://st
rat
tegis.ic.gc.ca/sc_coinf/ccc/engdoc/homepage.html
- Searchable list of Canadian companies produced by Industry Canada.
Information includes contact information, markets, products,
importing/exporting activities. An equivalent to the printed BOSS
directories (though not nearly as comprehensive...yet)
Canada 411
http://canada411.sympatico.ca
- Over 10 million Canadian residential and business listings. Entries
include mailing address and phone number only.
Nova Scotia Commerce Directory
http://www2.nova-scotia.com
/co
ommerce.html
- Directory of NS commercial enterprises with a web site. The information
is
broken down by business categories first and then alphabetically by company
name.
Canadian Trade Index
http://www.palantir.ca/t
he-
-alliance/cti.html
- Directory of over 25,000 Canadian manufacturers and distributors. Users
must register before accessing the directory but there is no fee.
Searchable
by company name or product. -- Sue Dirani
More reference questions received at the NS Provincial Library which were answered using the Internet.
Q. Patron wants the price for a 1989 Chevrolet 3/4 ton truck with extended cab.
A. Edmund's Automobile Buyer's Guides (http://www.edmunds.com/) was found by entering the phrase "used truck prices" in the Excite search engine (http://www.excite.com). Once connected, readers can scroll down to the "Used Car Information" section and click on the icon for "Used Car and Truck Prices".
Q. We have the title and reel number of a document on microfilm which was found in a National Archives publication. How can a library obtain this?
A. Go to the National Archives of Canada site (http://www.archives.ca/MainMenu. htm ml). Click on "Other research and services" and then on "Borrowing microform". There is a form there called the "online loan request form" which libraries can use to borrow microfilm provided they already have the reel number. -- Carol Morris
This month's column features two recently acquired publications. These items can be obtained from the Provincial Library's professional collection through regular interlibrary loan channels.
1) Nevitte, Neil. The Decline of Deference: Canadian Value Change in Cross-National Perspective. Peterborough: Broadview Press, 1996. (Call # Prof. 971 .964 Nev)
The author's main thesis in this book is that remarkable changes have taken place in Canada in the last decade and that many of these changes have to do with transformations in values. Prof. Nevitte provides a detailed analysis of Canadian values and value changes by comparing these changes with those of other highly industrialized nations and by examining values from economic, social and political perspectives.
2) Yaakov, Juliette. Public Library Catalog. 1996 Supplement to the Tenth Edition. New York: H.W. Wilson, 1997. (Call # Prof. 017 .1 Pub)
The Public Library Catalog is a list of recommended reference and nonfiction books for adults, classified by subject. This 1996 supplement is used with the 10th edition of the Public Library Catalog, along with the 1994 and 1995 supplements. While originally designed to serve the needs of the small and medium-sized library, the catalog has also proven useful in college and large public libraries.
NOTE: The Provincial Library has recently joined FOLUSA (Friends of Libraries U.S.A), an organization which promotes excellence in library service, assists in the formation of Friends of Libraries groups, sponsors programs for "friends" groups, sponsors publicity programs, maintains a speakers bureau and produces publications. We received a kit including a membership packet with fact sheets on every aspect of Friends of Libraries groups. If you would like any information from the kit, please contact Fra nk Oram (foram@nshpl.library.ns.ca). You might also be interested to know that FOLUSA has a home page (http://www.folusa.com) and the organization can be reached by e-mail at folusa@libertynet.org. -- Frank Oram
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