Press Release (PDF)

Southern Adirondack Library System Joins Zepheira Experimenter Program

Saratoga Springs, NY, October 13, 2015– The Southern Adirondack Library System (SALS) is excited to announce it will participate in an Experimenter Program with Zepheira, a provider of software and services that help make information more easily accessible on the Web.  After an assessment of existing catalog records, Zepheira will design an approach to publish those records directly to the web using the power of Linked Data. 

“What’s so great about Linked Data?” you ask? 

Linked Data is an incredible tool for transforming the accessibility of information. 

Think—the locations of library books & movies at your fingertips from the same search engine or app you just used to check movie times, your email & the weather!

Think—the thing you want, the location you’re looking for, the answer you need… all brought to the surface immediately!  No longer will your information be buried or bogged down under layers of sites and resources that aren’t properly connected to each other!

The Internet is an intricate structure of layer upon layer of data spun into patterns that we have to learn to navigate before we can find what we want.  With this Experimenter Program, we want to unspin the web & weave a stronger one—one that places information & resources at our patrons’ fingertips instantly and simply.

Think—Linked Data… because it’s the future!

The Mohawk Valley Library System (MVLS) is also participating in the Experimenter Program; this endeavor is supported by funds allocated by Senator Farley to both library systems.  SALS and MVLS receive technical support from the Joint Automation Project team, who will play a crucial role in this innovative restructuring of the consortium’s catalog records. 

“We are delighted to partner with these forward thinking libraries that see the benefits of exposing library catalog data to the Web,” explains John Richardson, Zepheira Vice-President for Library & Vendor Partnerships. “They help us shape the experience for libraries and current patrons, as well as open new possibilities for the regular Web and search engine user.”

The other two participants include the Westchester Library System, located in Tarrytown, NY, and Cedar Rapids Public Library in Iowa.  The program will run through June 30, 2016.

About the Southern Adirondack Library System
The Southern Adirondack Library System (SALS) is a voluntary association of 34 public libraries in Hamilton, Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties.  SALS is one of 23 public library systems in New York State; its mission is to help member libraries meet community needs.  http://www.sals.edu

About the Mohawk Valley Library System
The Mohawk Valley Library System (MVLS) is a co-operative library system supporting public libraries in Fulton, Montgomery, Schenectady, and Schoharie Counties.  http://www.mvls.info

About Zepheira
Zepheira was founded in 2007 and has extensive experience creating products and solutions focused on the modernization of library information systems. Zepheira’s founders and staff have played key roles in pioneering the next generation of the Web, including the semantic technology underlying most Web applications. http://www.zepheira.com

Press Release (PDF)

SALS to Participate in Aspen Institute Pilot Program

Saratoga Springs, NY, October 13, 2015 – The Southern Adirondack Library System (SALS) is pleased to announce its participation in a pilot initiative for the Aspen Institute, an education and policy studies organization.  The endeavor is meant to encourage professionals to rethink current services and reinvigorate outreach efforts; it complements the Institute’s 2014 report, Rising to the Challenge: Re-Envisioning Public Libraries, available at: http://as.pn/libraries 

The report identified four strategies for success:

• Aligning Library Services in Support of Community Goals
• Providing Access to Content in All Formats
• Ensuring the Long-Term Sustainability of Public Libraries
• Cultivating Leadership

The Institute has partnered with 23 libraries and systems from across the US for the 10-week project, set to conclude in mid-November.  A website based on feedback from participants is planned for launch in early winter.  The other New York institution participating is Red Hook Public Library in Northwestern Dutchess County (pop. 1,900).

“SALS is honored to be part of this pilot project.  As a result, we hope the libraries in our region will be more engaged with their communities and become key partners in community life in the digital age,” remarks Sara Dallas, Director of the Southern Adirondack Library System.

The Southern Adirondack Library System (SALS) is a voluntary association of 34 public libraries in New York’s Hamilton (pop. 4,700), Saratoga (pop. 224,900), Warren (pop. 65,000) and Washington (pop. 62,400) Counties.  Chartered in 1959 by the New York State Board of Regents, SALS is one of 23 public library systems in New York State; its mission is to help member libraries meet community needs.
http://www.sals.edu

The Aspen Institute Dialogue on Public Libraries is a multi-stakeholder forum to explore and champion new thinking on US public libraries, with the goal of fostering concrete actions to support and transform public libraries for a more diverse, mobile and connected society. The Dialogue is managed by the Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program, which focuses on projects and initiatives that address the societal impact of communications and information technologies and provides a multidisciplinary venue for considered judgment on communications policy issues.  http://www.aspeninstitute.org