OCLC has released CONTENTdm 5.4, the latest version of the popular CONTENTdm Digital Collection Management Software that includes the new CONTENTdm Flex Loader along with other enhancements.

Designed to complement the CONTENTdm Project Client, Flex Loader is a new Windows desktop application. It enables users to efficiently batch import large quantities of XML data in the METS/ALTO newspaper format, or the METS/ALTO monograph and eBook format, to their CONTENTdm collections. XML file formats supported by Flex Loader include the NDNP (National Digital Newspaper Program) and CCS (Content Conversion Specialists) docWorks newspaper and monograph. Compound object-level metadata and page-level metadata mapping is supported, along with support for newspaper article segmentation.

Other highlights of CONTENTdm 5.4 include new options for editing metadata for compound objects. All pages of a compound object can now be viewed and edited in a spreadsheet, giving users improved efficiency when editing compound objects.

Additionally, the Upload Manager has been improved to allow users more control of the upload process. As the upload queue is being processed, progress indicators show detailed progress of each item and the entire queue. Users also have the option to cancel the upload—either a single item or all items—and return items to the project workspace. Status of the upload persists across sessions of the Project Client, letting users continue to work while uploads progress in the background.

For those CONTENTdm users with very large digital collections, CONTENTdm 5.4 includes a new version of the FIND search engine, used by CONTENTdm (and WorldCat.org) for indexing and searching. The new version supports long-term scalability for sites with rapidly growing full-text collections by supporting automatic index partitioning along with tools for configuration and monitoring. This integrated feature will support scalability for growing collections now and in the future.

The 5.4 release, including the new Flex Loader, is available to current CONTENTdm licensees at no additional charge.

New partnership will help libraries make ebook holdings more visible, accessible through WorldCat

DUBLIN, Ohio, June 24, 2010—OCLC and ebrary, a leading provider of digital content products and technologies, are working together to add records for the ebrary ebook catalog to WorldCat, the world’s most comprehensive database for discovery of library resources.
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Save up to $3,500 on an OCLC Digital Archive subscription today with two limited-time special offers, and continue to save in the future with our new Digital Archive pricing.

OCLC’s Digital Archive™ provides a secure storage environment for you to easily manage and monitor the health of your master files and digital originals.

It provides a foundation for preservation of all your digital collections. It also integrates into the workflow of any content management system, including CONTENTdm® Digital Collection Management Software. What’s more, the Digital Archive provides tiered pricing to grow with you as your digital collections grow.

• Learn more about our current special offers and new lower pricing for Digital Archive at: http://www.oclc.org/info/digitaloffer/
• If you’re a current CONTENTdm licensee, learn more about exclusive savings for you at: http://www.oclc.org/info/daoffer/
• Hurry! These offers end June 30, 2010.
• If you have questions, please contact us at digitalcollections@oclc.org

Dates: Wednesday – Friday, August 4 – 6, 2010

Host: United States Military Academy Library, West Point, NY

The Eastern CONTENTdm Users Group Planning Committee is accepting proposals to present a pre-conference workshop, conference talks, and/or panel discussions at its 2010 Annual Meeting being held this August at the United States Military Academy in West Point, NY. Please consider participating as a speaker or part of a panel discussion. Proposals are due by June 1, 2010.

More information about the conference is available on its website, http://www.libraries.psu.edu/ecdmug
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OCLC is pleased to introduce CONTENTdm® Digital Collection Management Software version 5.3.

With version 5.3, additional platforms are supported for the CONTENTdm Project Client and CONTENTdm Server. The Project Client now runs on Microsoft Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows Vista (64-bit), and the Server now runs on Linux (64-bit) and Windows Server 2008 R2. (For a complete list of supported systems, visit www.oclc.org/contentdm/requirements/.)
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On Tuesday 12/8, representatives from the New York State Library, including State Librarian Bernard Margolis, the New York 3Rs Councils, and Nylink met to discuss digitization efforts in New York, including opportunities for statewide collaboration. The meeting closed with agreement that a smaller subset of the group would meet again for planning purposes.

Registration is now open for the WebWise Conference on Libraries and Museums in the Digital World 2010.  And it is free! This conference, co-hosted by IMLS, the University of Denver, the Denver Art Museum and BCR, runs from March 3-5, 2010, in Denver, CO.  This year’s theme is “Imagining the Digital Future” and focuses on the future of collaborative digitization programs, the use of technologies for engaging audiences and sustainability of digital projects.

Attendees do have to pay for housing, food, etc but what a deal:  the conference and preconference are free.  Plus, you can enjoy some sun, networking and great outdoor adventures all in one.    Just make sure you register early, since space is limited.

OCLC is pleased to announce the release of CONTENTdm 5.2 with improved functionality and performance. With the new release, the CONTENTdm Project Client now supports auto updates, enabling users to get updates as quickly as they are available. It automatically checks for software updates in the background, so work is not interrupted. If updates are available, they are downloaded but not installed until the organization is ready.

"Auto update is an easy and efficient way to keep all of our staff up-to-date with the most current Project Client release," said Jennifer Ricker, Digital Collections Manager, State Library of North Carolina.

To better support text-based collections, PDF print quality can now be specified in the Project Client, enabling users to select a quality level when generating optional print versions of their compound objects. For users with large, full-text collections, several enhancements improve performance and reduce indexing times. Other enhancements include the addition of a new thesaurus, Canadian Subject Headings (CSH), and configuration options to filter hits in Usage Reports.

This new release is available to current CONTENTdm licensees at no additional charge.

CONTENTdm Digital Collection Management Software makes everything in digital collections available to everyone, everywhere. No matter the format—local history archives, newspapers, books, maps, slide libraries or audio/video—CONTENTdm can handle the storage, management and delivery of digital collections to users across the Web.

Learn more at www.oclc.org/contentdm/

How can cultural heritage institutions legally use the Internet to improve public access to the rich collections they hold?

A new digitization manual from Peter Hirtle, Cornell University Library’s senior policy advisor, can help professionals at these institutions answer that question."Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for Digitization for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums," published by Cornell University Library, is based on a well-received Australian manual written by Emily Hudson and Andrew T. Kenyon of the University of Melbourne, and it conforms to American law and practice. See more information about this publication here: http://communications.library.cornell.edu/com/news/PressReleases/manual.cfm