February 24, 2016

Our long-standing discount offer on CountryWatch has been renewed for 2016. CountryWatch features extensive country data, plus products covering cultural information, economic projections and election coverage - a real benefit this year!

Since our last renewal, CountryWatch has completely overhauled their web interface, making the site easier to use, more interactive and visually appealing. New features include:

• Informative and user-friendly home page displaying a featured country and top news stories
• News Ticker featuring breaking news stories from around the world
• New menu bar to allow access to all your CountryWatch resources within the same window
• All new CountryWatch Data with 5 years of Macro-Economic, Metals, Agriculture and Energy data on all 194 countries

All LibraryLinkNJ members receive a 25% discount. New subscribers save an extra 10%! Full offer details are on the CountryWatch discount page.

Imagine Easy, makers of EasyBib and ResearchReady, have rolled out two new products that will be replacing the former products by June 2016. The company often received the same feedback from users: make it easier to partner with teachers and increase usage of the products. Imagine Easy listened and now offers Scholar and Academy.

Like EasyBib, Scholar develops analytical reading, writing and critical thinking skills. It has many new tools and can be integrated with Google Apps for Education, a variety of LMSs and the Microsoft environment.

Academy, like the former ResearchReady, uses texts in multiple content areas to allow librarians and teachers to integrate information literacy skills into appropriate subjects.

LibraryLinkNJ public, academic and K-12 school libraries receive 15% off. Full offer details can be found on our Scholar and Academy discount pages.

Our discount offer on Beanstack has been extended through March 31, 2016. Many NJ libraries have already taken advantage of this offer!

Beanstack is an early literacy web service that engages families with young readers and facilitates your library's summer reading program. Check out the discount page for full offer details, including upcoming webinar dates.

Renewals Round-Up

All of LibraryLinkNJ’s year-round discounts are renewed once annually: either at the end of the fiscal year (July 1st - June 30th) or the end of the calendar year. In addition to CountryWatch and Imagine Easy, above, the following offers have been renewed for calendar year 2016:

• Infobase Learning - offer includes Facts on File, ebooks, e-learning modules, as well as streaming media from Classroom Video on Demand, Learn 360, Films on Demand, and Access Video on Demand.
• LearningExpress Library - same test prep product, now owned by EBSCO.
• Mango Languages - offer available to academic and K-12 school libraries, as well as public libraries. Mango Premiere, a module for language learning through feature films, is included.
• Mosio for Libraries - makes text messaging with patrons easy for staff.
• NoodleBib - a citation, research, and writing service, NoodleBib has products for upper elementary students through college.
• Pronunciator - language learning service, now includes citizenship module.
• TumbleBook Library - products include animated picture books for young children, ebooks for teens, and audiobooks for teens and adults.

Webinar: Fresh Lit: Crossovers & Cross-unders for Middle Grade & YA
Presented by Sarah Bean Thompson, Springfield-Greene County (MO) Library

Date & Time: Thursday, March 10, 2016 | 3:00 - 4:30 PM 
Target Audience: Librarians, Library Assistants and Library Associates serving children (and teens) 

Description & Learning Objectives:
Middle Grade readers (ages 8-12) can be a challenging group to serve in readers’ advisory. Their interests and reading levels vary widely, and they often aren't ready to make the leap to YA. How can we best serve them through literature in the library? What current and backlist titles are must-haves for middle grade readers? What's trending in middle grade? And what wonderful books are on the horizon?

After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Develop talking points for current, backlist and forthcoming middle grade and YA titles in a variety of genres to use in readers’ advisory and booktalks
• Identify and share great older titles to use in simple reader's advisory for middle grade readers
• Discuss current trends in middle grade fiction and nonfiction
• Identify and share young adult titles suitable for middle grade

Registration is free, and we will be archiving this webinar, so if you can't participate live, you'll be able to review the recording and share Sarah's presentation slides with colleagues later. Registration for this webinar is nearly full - secure your seat today!

HSLANJ Workshop: Emerging Technologies for the Busy Librarian

Date & Time: Tuesday, March 15 | 10 AM - 3 PM
Location: New Jersey Hospital Association Conference Center in Princeton, NJ
Presenters: Gabe Rios of Indiana University and Melissa DeSantis of the University of Colorado
Cost: $95 for HSLANJ and LibraryLinkNJ members
Participants will earn 4 Medical Library Association (MLA) CE credits

Registration is open for this workshop, co-sponsored by HSLANJ, the Health Sciences Library Association of New Jersey, and LibraryLinkNJ. The workshop will follow continental breakfast and the HSLANJ Annual Meeting. Full details are available at the HSLANJ website.

Webinar Archives: Learn At Your Leisure! 

We know attending live webinars isn’t always possible, so we archive them all for your convenience. No login or registration necessary - just click and learn when it’s convenient for you.

Internet Famous: Strategically Marketing Your Special Collections Online
Presented by Colleen Theisen, University of Iowa Special Collections

You’ll learn how to:

• Build your brand by using your institution’s unique materials to educate the public about historic materials, and developing a sense of place and shared history
• Handle, photograph, and/or digitize historic materials in many formats safely
• Apply straightforward methods and techniques using everyday equipment
• Develop a workflow for social media work with limited staff, time, and budget 

Fresh Lit 2015! New & Forthcoming Literary Fiction for Readers & Book Groups
Presented by Roz Reisner, Readers’ Advisory National Treasure

You’ll be able to:

• Recommend current and forthcoming literary fiction to your Readers’ Advisory patrons
• Identify and use print and online resources for staying abreast of new and upcoming titles
• Learn which small presses are publishing interesting, award-winning, literary fiction

Strategies for Effective Web Writing
Presented by Heidi Steiner Burkhardt, University of Michigan Libraries

You’ll learn how to:

• Identify the various types of web content your library sends out into the world
• Initiate the development of established voice and tone guidelines for your library
• Write web content using best practices and strategies