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Weekly News Digest

March 5, 2007 — In addition to this week's NewsBreaks article and the monthly NewsLink Spotlight, Information Today, Inc. (ITI) offers Weekly News Digests that feature recent product news and company announcements. Watch for additional coverage to appear in the next print issue of Information Today. CLICK HERE to view more Weekly News Digest items.

Nature Publishing Group Introduces Networking Site for Scientists

"I'm delighted that we can further our commitment to stimulating and facilitating scientific communication and collaboration in such an innovative, accessible and democratic way," said Timo Hannay, NPG's Web publishing director.

Nature Network also offers local hubs with global tools, area news, features, blogs, job alerts, and events. Nature Network Boston (http://network.nature.com/boston), which was released in beta on a trial basis during the past 8 months, was the first local site to be introduced. This premiere local site is now rolling out major new features along with the global platform to support, celebrate, and connect scientists in the Boston area. The site also includes rich editorial coverage of Boston-area research; researchers; bloggers; local lectures, seminars, and conferences; and local job listings for scientists.

Later this month, Nature Network London (http://network.nature.com/london) will be introduced as the second hub. As with Nature Network Boston, London's site will offer free global networking tools, London bloggers, professional and public event listings, local science jobs, and daily commissioned, contributed, and curated content.

NPG, a division of Macmillan Publishers, Ltd., serves the academic, professional scientific, and medical communities. NPG's flagship title, Nature, was first published in 1869; other publications include Nature research journals, Nature Reviews, Nature Clinical Practice, and a range of academic journals including society-owned publications. NPG also provides news content through news@nature.com and scientific career information through Naturejobs.

ProQuest CSA’s Marketing Toolkit for Public Libraries Makes Its Debut

"This toolkit is an outgrowth of work we've done with a number of libraries and consortia to develop marketing strategies that build awareness and desire for the library's online collections," said Lynda James-Gilboe, vice president of marketing and customer support for ProQuest CSA. "We created ads and press releases, but more importantly, we helped these libraries position their resources versus the open [W]eb. We felt it was such valuable information that we're now sharing it with all libraries."

The Library Marketing Toolkit combines how-to advice from Beth Dempsey (library marketing expert, speaker, and author) with print and digital marketing collateral materials to boost patrons' awareness of their public libraries' online resources. The program's components include the following:

• A how-to guide on marketing a library's online resources
• Sample database descriptions in user-friendly language that patrons will understand
• A customizable promotional flyer and advertisement
• A customizable press release template
• The Getting Started Demo, a digital ad that can be downloaded to the library's home page

"ProQuest CSA gave me a great opportunity to ‘consult' with thousands of libraries and help them break down barriers between them and their patrons," said Dempsey. "I think anyone who uses this kit and pays attention to its messages will get better at viewing the library from the patron's point of view. Once you've conquered that, it's so much easier to communicate what the library has to offer."

The Library Marketing Toolkit, which is now being mailed to public libraries across the U.S., can also be downloaded from the ProQuest Web site (http://il.proquest.com/division/libraryadvocacy.shtml).

ProQuest CSA, part of Cambridge Information Group (http://cambridgeinformationgroup.com), was formed in 2007 when CSA acquired ProQuest Information and Learning.