June 25, Albany NY. Multi-type New York State library consortium Nylink is pleased to announce a partnership with Maryland-based library services company Library Dynamics to market and support their collection analysis suite of tools including the Spectra line of services.

Spectra Web services provide collection overview to individual title analytical capability, leveraging the time and talent of a library’s human resources. Spectra services use definitive bibliographic and circulation data from a library’s local system – mining it for copy level intelligence and normalizing it to achieve reliability and consistency. Using Spectra services, a library can analyze its collection, compare it to other libraries, library groups, or recognized sources such as titles reviewed in Choice. In reporting and working with results, Spectra’s quantitatively based visualization techniques and database management tools allow a user to work flexibly – to copy and paste plots and tables; select, sort, save, download, and e-mail title results; and link to enhancements like tables of contents, chapter titles, annotations, reviews, etc.

Dave Penniman, Executive Director of Nylink, said, "We are pleased to be working with Library Dynamics and Howard Harris to make the Spectra collection analyses and development tools available to New York libraries. Nylink is committed to offering choices to our members and implementing trusted partnerships with organizations and individuals whose products stand out as exceptional in their functionality. Spectra is such a product." Howard Harris, President of Library Dynamics, remarked, "Nylink not only by charter but by choice and by practice over time has remained closely focused on the current and evolving needs of its members; we at Library Dynamics are very pleased to be in partnership with Nylink to work to meet those needs."

About Nylink

Nylink, a membership organization of all types of libraries and cultural heritage organizations in New York state, facilitates collaboration and cooperation among its members and supports access to high-quality, cost-effective resources that enable member institutions to enhance the services they provide to their constituents. A program of the State University of New York System Administration under the umbrella of the Provost’s Office, Nylink is based in Albany. http://nylink.org

About Library Dynamics

Since 1998, Library Dynamics has offered innovative tools for visualizing, developing, managing, and interpreting library and library consortia collections. Its services include Spectra CRC, Spectra Dimension, Weedlist Plus, Bibliographic Diagnostic and Repair Services, and Consulting Services related to its services. http://www.librarydynamics.com

Multi-type New York State library consortium Nylink is pleased to announce a partnership with New York -based library services company Media Flex to market and support their Open-source Automated Library System, OPALS™.

The OPALS Open-source Automated Library System is a powerful cooperatively developed, web-based, open source program providing internet access to information databases and library collections. OPALS users include school, church and business libraries, and union catalogs with interlibrary loan needs.

Media Flex continues its role in conducting research and development, more technical support, and providing hosting services for those institutions where hosting is not an affordable option.

David Penniman, Executive Director of Nylink, says “OPALS low-cost, open-source approach to fulfilling library automation needs is timely, and we look forward to expanding and supporting the OPALS community in partnership with Media Flex.”

Harry Chan, Owner, Media Flex, says “OPALS is a proven solution to library automation needs, and we are excited about the opportunities this partnership presents for bringing OPALS to more libraries.”

About Nylink
Nylink, a membership organization of all types of libraries and cultural heritage organizations in New York state, facilitates collaboration and cooperation among its members and supports access to high-quality, cost-effective resources that enable member institutions to enhance the services they provide to their constituents. A program of the State University of New York System Administration under the umbrella of the Provost’s Office, Nylink is based in Albany. http://nylink.org

About Media Flex
Media Flex is a library services company located in Champlain, New York. The company develops, provides and services solutions that adapt to changing information technology, learning and fiscal environments and has done so since 1985. Librarians, company technicians and programmers have collaborated to develop OPALS, a twenty first century, open source, information broadcasting technology alternative. http://www.mediaflex.net