The
WebExchange Newsletter
WebClarity Home | Sales | Support
Summer 2007
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The
WebExchange Newsletter | |
| Volume 3 Issue 2 | Summer 2007 | |
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In this Issue:
A Message from the CEOWebClarity Software strives to provide libraries with leading edge tools that improve productivity, advance quality, and further the goals of open standards based resource sharing in a global information context. We continue to advance these goals through our direct R&D and are pleased to announce the next new exciting releases of BookWhere (Release 6.0) and MARC Notepad (Release 2.5). With the introduction of our new releases, I would like to take an opportunity to relate a few of our more noteworthy and recent accomplishments:
We are working hard to provide you with the best tools and services available and are confident that we are the only true, global open resource sharing model available on the market. Having achieved the goals set out in the creation of internationally recognized library standards, our tools allow libraries to work more effectively - from a cost and efficiency perspective. I am pleased that members of our staff and I have had a number of opportunities to meet with many of you over the last several months through various conference venues. Most recently we have attended MLA (Massachusetts Library Association, Sturbridge), CLA (Canadian Library Association, St. John's, Newfoundland), ALA Midwinter (Seattle, Washington), and ALC (Alberta Library Conference, Jasper). This issue of our newsletter will provide you with additional information on our new releases as well as a few tips on how to make better use of the software you already know. We sincerely hope that you discover at least one good idea as you read this. As always, I invite you to send me your comments (phil@webclarity.info). Of course, we appreciate every compliment we receive; but please do let me or any member of our staff know your suggestions for ways that we could serve you better. Thank you very much for your business. Coming in June! BookWhere 6 • MARC Notepad 2.5
Summer Re•ader
Benefits to your Library:
Benefits to your Patrons:
Summer Re•ader will let you spend more time with your patrons and less time managing paperwork and process. Further, it will significantly reduce the amount of time you spend at the end of your reading programs trying to measure their effectiveness through manual statistical analysis. Summer Re•ader is a Web-based product that will get the attention of patrons that have never been into your library. We are in a world of increasing technology; invest in a solution that will reach out to new users and continue to attract those that are already hooked. Customer feedback shows that you will engage those who wouldn’t otherwise participate in your programs. In a world of social networking via the Internet, Summer Re•ader is the answer. For more information about Summer Re•ader, please do not hesitate to contact us: sales@webclarity.info or phone our sales department: 1.866.213.8880 ext 117 Pool Side Reading* Download MARC
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WebClarity's roots go back to the early days of the Z39.50 standard. This open standard for information retrieval evolved because of the need for two or more systems to reliably exchange data easily. Historically, computer manufacturers designed and sold proprietary systems making the exchange and sharing of data extremely difficult. In order for these proprietary systems to exchange meaningful data, standards had to be developed. Z39.50 was created for the exchange of bibliographic records. MARC encoding levels were augmented to include abstracts, URL links and holdings tags among other things and Z39.50 emerged as Version 1 back in 1988, with Version 2 following in 1992.
Z39.50-1995 Version 3 edition of the standard was introduced in 1995. That same year a company, called Sea Change launched the first commercially available edition of BookWhere, one of the very few ILS-independent client implementations of the Z39.50 standard available to the library industry. April 30, 1996 was a highlight when BookWhere was featured on the Computer Journal television show on the Discovery Channel network. December 2000 saw the release of BookWhere version 3.3. In December 2001 BookWhere version 4 was released this time with AutoSync to facilitate and simplify the entire process of database updates and Z39.50 parameterization. In that same year MARC Notepad was introduced to the marketplace.
Over the years, Sea Change's primary software interests evolved and in May 2003, Sea Change formed a new subsidiary; WebClarity Software Inc. which took over all of Sea Change's software products for the library and research communities. That same year saw a new release of what we have come to know as BookWhere Online, as well as a new release of BookWhere; version 4.2.
To ensure WebClarity's commitment to the library sector, in July 2004 Sea Change Corporation concluded the sale of WebClarity Software Inc. to the shareholders of Convergent Library Technologies Inc. Convergent consolidated both teams in Barrie, Ontario. Convergent is a rapidly growing technology services company that specializes in standards-based public service technologies for libraries. Like WebClarity, Convergent's products are ILS-independent; they integrate and interoperate with all major library management systems.
Since 2004, BookWhere has undergone several major upgrades including version 4.3 and 5.0. These included workflow improvements, particularly for database selection, compliance with Unicode for multilingual record handling in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Hebrew and many other non-roman languages. BookWhere Online was also improved and MARC Notepad was completely revamped with significant functional enhancements in Version 2.0 including support for Unicode and significant workflow enhancement for bulk record editing through macros.
This month, we are excited to announce the release of BookWhere Version 6. This version introduces the concept of ranking to allow you to pinpoint tag-relevant rich records. You will be able to use this in conjunction with the Analysis Window to filter your Record List to combine high scoring records and specific material types.
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WebClarity Software Inc.
11 Victoria Street
Suite 204
Barrie, Ontario
L4N 6T3 |
These next generation products have new and interesting capabilities to help you assess data for metadata sharing. You will be able to see with a glance of the Record List the completeness of a record based on set of heuristic scoring algorithms. While record completeness will be 'scored' on a scale of 0 to 99, we have also employed the green/yellow/red/ traffic light metaphor to help you easily identify the most complete records in a result set. Additionally, BookWhere 6 has made the Analysis Window more relevant than ever before. Search results can be qualified in one simple click to restrict the results to perhaps only the most complete records or a records for a Media Type such as CDs, DVD, or Books.
Records
MADELINE MANN by Julia Buckley… “ a new amateur sleuthing series that […] will appeal to women who grew up reading Nancy Drew.” (LJ, April 15, 2007, p.38) Sounds like a perfect way to recapture summer childhood memories! Being released this August 
LUNCHEON OF THE BOATING PARTY by Susan Vreeland was released this May 2007. “One of the most significant paintings of the impressionist period […] and its hard to imagine that a novel could do it justice. Yes this new work from Vreeland does just that. [..] she creates a profoundly moving portrait of the creative process and of a community of people who came together for a moment to help create one great work. Highly recommended. (LJ, April 15, 2007, p. 77) 
SIMPLE GENIUS , by David Baldacci. Two former Secret Service agents investigate a scientist's murder while one battles her own demons. (#1 on the New York Times Bestseller Hardcover Fiction list for May 9, 2007) 
THE GOOD HUSBAND OF ZEBRA DRIVE, by Alexander McCall Smith. The eighth novel in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. (#4 on the New York Times Bestseller Hardcover Fiction list for May 9, 2007 ) 
THE RIVER KNOWS, by Amanda Quick. In Victorian England, an investigative reporter and a wealthy Londoner feign a romance while they investigate a man they suspect of murder. (#10 on the New York Times Bestseller Hardcover Fiction list for May 9, 2007) 
