Join NETSL

I just received my renewal notice for NELA. I expect you did, too.

Don't forget to check off NETSL at the bottom of the page. It doesn't cost anything extra and you get to be part of an elite cadre. You'll also get an invitation (which includes a free drink) to attend the NETSL reception at the NELA conference in the fall.

The NETSL Executive Board is already hard at work planning its Spring Conference which will be held at Holy Cross College on Friday, April 17. And it's soliciting nominations for the NETSL Award for Excellence in LibraryTechnical Services which will be presented at the conference.

There's lots going on in NETSL; don't be left out!

New Book

CMRLS just received a copy of Learn Dewey Decimal Classification (edition 22) by Mary Mortimer. It is now cataloged (in Dewey, of course) and listed in C/W MARS.

This is a great workbook for understanding how DDC works. It goes into necessary detail of the different parts of the 4 volume set explaining how each section works and how to use them together. There are lots of excellent exercises.

We also own the earlier edition and will keep that in our collection. Even though some of the numbers are different (I actually haven't comared the two editions side-by-side), the process is still the same.

I'll be using this book in my upcoming Cataloging Workshops, so it is not available for circulation until after April 7, but please take a look at it when you can. It will likely answer all of those Dewey-related questions you have.

More CE Opportunities for Tech Services Staff

I didn’t want my last post to be too long, so I saved this information for a separate post.

There are some Roundtables coming up to put on your calendar. As always, if you have any questions, suggestions for Roundtable topics, or suggestions for Technical Services programs in general, please let me know.

Serials Roundtable – Friday, March 27, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. While staff members of Public and School Libraries are invited, the topics discussed apply more to Academic and Special Libraries who are members of OCLC.

Technical Services Roundtable – Friday, April 10, Lawrence Library, Pepperell. Here, the focus is on Public Libraries, tending toward workflow, acquisitions, labeling, packaging and repair issues. Graphic novels are often a concern: selection, organization, classification, etc. However, we can all learn from each other, so Academics, Schools and Specials are certainly invited to attend.

TS staff are likely to be involved in Digital Treasures. If so, Beyond Digital Treasures will be held on Wednesday, May 27 at the Jacob Edwards Library in Southbridge. If some of your library’s items have been scanned and mounted in Digital Treasures you can use those images to help market the collection and your library in more ways than with a simple link on your library’s web page. If you’ve not yet become a part of this digital library, this is a chance to talk with those who have and find out what’s involved.

Last, but not least, and not just for Tech Services people, CMRLS will be offering a workshop on Stress Reduction and Relaxation techniques on Thursday, April 9. Zayda Vallejo, from the Center for Mindfulness at the UMass Medical School will offer participants a variety of ways to make the most of these stressful times.

Register for these programs on the CMRLS website.