Calendar • WISCATS Tips and FAQ • Call for Mailing Bags • Merlin Matters • Useful URLs • Reflection

December 22, 25, 29 NWLS Office Closed

January 1 NWLS Office Closed

January 11 WISCAT Basics, 10:00 a.m., Sayner PL

January 12 WISCAT Basics, 10:00 a.m., Superior PL

January 20 NWLS Board of Trustees Meeting, 12:00 p.m., NWLS

March 17 NWLS Board of Trustees Meeting, 12:00 p.m., NWLS

2007 UW-Madison's School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS) Continuing Education Courses:

• January 22-March 18 YA (Young Adult) Services and Literature Online Course.
• January 22-March 31 Core Elements of Children’s Services (Online)
• January 22-April 7 Basic Public Library Management (Online)
• January 22-April 13 Basic Reference (Online)
• February 7-March 21 Creating Public Library Programming for Adults Online Course.
• February 19-March 18 Basic Reference (Online)
• February 19-March 18 Topics in Library Management (Online)
• June 25-29 Public Library Administration (on-site), UW-Madison
• August 13-17 Cataloging (on-site), UW-Madison

For more information, contact Anna Palmer at 608.263.4452 or ahpalmer@wisc.edu.

PAGE UP

WISCAT ILL Tips and Frequently Asked Questions
From Linda Bailen, NWLS Reference and Loan

User records: Is a user record created each time I submit a request in WISCAT for a new patron? The answer is no. You need to create a user record for a patron if you want that patron to be available in the list when using the "Patron Lookup". With Patron Lookup, you can type in the patron's first and last name, then click on the link and choose the patron from a list. After choosing the patron from the list, patron information will be automatically filled in on the ILL request form (address, telephone number, email). When creating the user record in User Admin, please be sure to categorize each person as "Patron" and not as staff. Staff accounts should be created only if you want to create a special login for a staff member.

Requesting audiovisual materials in WISCAT: Please be sure to include a note with the type of format you would like (CD, audio-cassette, DVD, videocassette, etc.) when submitting a request in WISCAT. The description currently does not show up on the Pick List or on the "New Requests" full printout. It is especially difficult for a clearinghouse to know what format you need, since many times we are receiving your requests with no call number or ISBN included.

Retry status: What should be done with requests that come back to my library in "Retry" status?
Requests with this status can be sent again at any time by updating the request with "Approved-Send". You may want to let some time pass before doing so, since lenders that previously received the request will receive it again. If you do not want to keep the request in retry status, you can delete it by going into the request to remove locations from the lender list. While in the request, change it to "Delete" status with the drop-down menu and "Submit."

Help screens: Keep in mind that help screens are available in most areas in WISCAT ILL (AGent). To see an example, go to the Search screen and click on the Help link in the upper right-hand corner. You will get help tips for the type of search that is on your screen at the time (Advanced, Keyword or Browse). Once you are in the help you also have access to the contents and index of the help database to look for help in other areas.

PAGE UP

Call for Mailing Bags
From Karen Boggess, NWLS Delivery and Mail-A-Book

NWLS is very low on mailing bags, specifically the two largest sizes (the 18-inch bags and the big bags with handles). If you have a any extras at your library, please send them back to NWLS ASAP. Thanks!

PAGE UP

Another Merlin Tapeload to WISCAT
From Mike Sheehan, NWLS Cataloging

On December 6, NWLS sent 654,467 records to WISCAT. The update covered everything in the Merlin database up to December 1, 2006. Temporary records, miscellaneous records and magazines were not included, as per the usual request from Reference and Loan Library. If all goes well, RLL will have the records added to WISCAT by mid-January 2007. NWLS will receive a "no-hit" report on the quantity of the records actually loaded when this is all complete. I'll be sure to supply updated information on this latest WISCAT load as it occurs.

Popular Holds

The following titles have eight or more Merlin holds:

Holds/copies
56/28 .. The Innocent Man by John Grisham
49/6 .... The Da Vinci Code (DVD movie)
44/21 .. Cross by James Patterson
39/18 .. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
31/17 .. Wild Fire by Nelson DeMille
28/4 .... Pirates of the Caribbean. Dead man's chest (DVD movie)
27/9 .... Click (DVD movie)
26/8 .... Cars (DVD movie)
25/8 .... The Break-Up (DVD movie)
24/7 .... The Lake House (DVD movie)
20/5 .... Ice Age. The meltdown (DVD movie)
20/9 .... A Prairie Home Companion (DVD movie)
20/19 .. Motor Mouth by Janet Evanovich
19/2 .... An Inconvenient Truth (DVD movie)
19/7 .... Over the Hedge (DVD movie)
19/13 .. Santa Cruise by Mary & Carol Higgins Clark
18/3 ... Superman Returns (DVD movie)
16/24 .. The Collectors by David Baldacci
15/7 ... Mission: Impossible III (DVD movie)
15/19 . Echo Park: A novel by Michael Connelly
14/0 ... Talladega Nights. The ballad of Ricky Bobby (DVD movie)
14/2 ... You, On a Diet by Michael F. Roizen
14/13 . State of Denial by Bob Woodward
13/3 ... Scoop (DVD movie)
12/2 ... The Ant Bully (DVD movie)
12/5 ... Inside My Heart by Robin McGraw
12/7 ... Brother Odd by Dean Koontz
11/0 ... Red Leaves by Belva Plain
11/6 ... Thank You for Smoking (DVD movie)
10/1 ... The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
10/7 ... The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
9/3 ..... Stick It (DVD movie)
9/19 ... H.R.H. by Danielle Steel
8/6 ..... Next: A novel by Michael Crichton
8/6 ..... Treasure of Khan by Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler
8/12 ... The Shape Shifter by Tony Hillerman

PAGE UP

Let’s Say Thanks
From Librarians' Internet Index, http://lii.org

Sponsored by Xerox, the Let's Say Thanks website offers you the opportunity to recognize U.S. troops stationed overseas with free personalized postcard greetings. The postcards, depicting patriotic scenes and hometown images, were selected from a pool of entries from children across the country.

Click on your favorite design and either select the message that best expresses your sentiment or draft a personal note. The postcards are then printed on the Xerox iGen3® Digital Production Press and mailed in care packages by military support organization Give2TheTroops® .

Holiday Giving Guide
From Librarians' Internet Index, http://lii.org

Looking for a charity you can trust? The Holiday Giving Guide site provides tips for making decisions about donations, statistics, information about workplace donation campaigns, and a list of the highest and lowest rated charities in various subject areas. From Charity Navigator, an organization that "works to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace by evaluating the financial health of America's largest charities."

PAGE UP

"The unselfish effort to bring cheer to others will be the beginning of a happier life for ourselves."

-Helen Keller

PAGE UP

Contact NWLS for subscription services to the Streams news: newsletter@nwls.lib.wi.us

NWLS • 3200 E. Lake Shore Dr. • Ashland, Wisconsin 54806 • Telephone: 715.682.2365

Home • About NWLS • For Librarians • For Patrons • For Trustees • Libraries • News