The April 2012 issue of Against the Grain contains a lengthy interview with SkyRiver’s Leslie Straus, accompanied by a biographical profile.

Full text of the article is linked here: ATG Interviews SkyRiver’s Leslie Straus.

Emeryville, CA—Continuous product improvement has been the hallmark of SkyRiver product development since its initial launch and has resulted in timely support of new browsers, operating systems, and new features that maximize SkyRiver’s usability. As another step in this process, SkyRiver today announced the deployment of Release 3.2 of its cataloging client software. The release has several new features which highlight some of SkyRiver’s exceptional database functionality. Other enhancements have made the SkyRiver bibliographic database even easier to navigate so that catalogers quickly find matching records.

One of the key new features is single click headings verification, which offers superior record validation against the LC authority record database. In addition, the new release includes streamlined browse searching with highlighting of previously viewed entries on browse lists and expanded use of progress bars during searches.

“My copy catalogers are thrilled with the hit rate and the fact that the SkyRiver database is cleaner than that of our legacy utility has been a great help in getting to the exact bibliographic records they need” says Regina Gong, Manager of Technical Services and Systems at Lansing Community College which recently moved to SkyRiver. She adds, “We’re saving processing time, which translates to dollars – and this is in addition to the ongoing savings in cataloging subscription fees that we’ve been able to realize.”

January 19, 2012

SkyRiver announced that it enters 2012 with a significantly stronger market position in terms of customer and database growth and an enhanced software client. Recent milestones include SkyRiver’s 50th installation, bringing the number of libraries served to more than 350. In addition, SkyRiver’s bibliographic database, with its associated open data policy, has doubled in size since the utility’s launch date.

In addition, SkyRiver continues to aggressively develop its client software, rapidly addressing client needs and functional enhancements. As clear evidence of this, SkyRiver’s first 2012 client software release (the fourth in as many months) has just been deployed.

With a continued focus on delivering an economical and productive alternative to legacy bibliographic utilities, the SkyRiver user interface continues to win accolades. “It takes minimal time to train new staff because SkyRiver is so easy to use and there’s a significant reduction in the number of ‘clicks’ from what was necessary with our previous utility to perform the same tasks,” says Carol McGeehon, Technical Support Manager at the Douglas County Library System in Oregon.

SkyRiver @ ALA Midwinter Meeting

To learn more about SkyRiver, the bibliographic utility for cataloging that brings choice, value and open data to the library community, see us at ALA Midwinter Booth #1218, January 20–22, 2012 in Dallas, TX.

The Donohue Group Incorporated (DGI) and SkyRiver announce a collaboration whereby DGI will contribute full and in-process MARC records to the SkyRiver database.

DGI’s clients include several publishers of nonprint and electronic content such as Playaway, Recorded Books, and AudioGo. These publishers have negotiated with SkyRiver to permit DGI to contribute full MARC records for their titles. "As library acquisition of electronic materials grows, DGI’s contribution of these records is a valuable new enhancement to the SkyRiver database," says Georgia Fujikawa, SkyRiver’s VP for Operations. In addition, DGI will be contributing PCIP (Publisher’s Cataloging-In-Publication) records for hundreds of their small and independent press clients.

DGI’s Manager for Business Development, Pat McCurdy-Crescimanno, notes, "We at DGI encourage sharing of records for the benefit of libraries and, since SkyRiver has a growing presence in the library community, we’re pleased to be able to expand the publishers’ audience in this way."

About Donohue Group

The Donohue Group, Inc. (DGI) is a woman-owned company of professional librarians based in Windsor, CT. Since 1984, DGI has provided a wide range of cataloging, retrospective conversion, reclassification and data conversion services to libraries of all sizes and types. DGI also provides comprehensive cataloging services to publishers, ensuring that the libraries that purchase their products receive high-quality MARC records. For further information about DGI, please visit their website at: http://www.dgiinc.com or contact Pat McCurdy-Crescimanno at info@dgiinc.com.

SkyRiver has announced a unique approach to implementing RDA (Resource Description and Access) that allows libraries to adopt this new cataloging standard on a schedule that fits their circumstances. Effective December 1, 2011, SkyRiver users have three options for viewing and exporting bibliographic data: RDA Mode for libraries preparing for or ready to move into an RDA environment; Hybrid Mode for libraries adopting RDA yet still having a need for non-RDA data elements for their local systems; and Non-RDA Mode for libraries not ready for RDA cataloging at this time. Libraries also may move from one mode of operation to another as they progress in their planning toward full RDA compliance.

The US RDA Test Coordinating Committee’s June 2011 recommendation for national adoption of RDA no sooner than January 2013 acknowledges the reality that AACR2 and RDA coding practices will need to coexist for some time. SkyRiver’s RDA support is designed to accommodate this environment by assisting libraries to position themselves for an increasingly digital world, yet at their own pace.

Along with the choice of operational mode, enhancements to SkyRiver’s cataloging client now make data entry of RDA field sets simpler and accurate. In addition, SkyRiver provides direct contextual links to ALA’s RDA Toolkit, allowing catalogers to check RDA coding rules from within a MARC record without having to log in each time a link is invoked.

Among the adopters of SkyRiver’s RDA Mode are the Utah State University Libraries. Cheryl Adams, Head of Cataloging at USU, is pleased with SkyRiver’s approach. As she notes, “SkyRiver’s RDA support ensures that we will capture all available RDA data and easily add new RDA fields. This will help to make our transition a smooth one.”

Interest in SkyRiver from academic libraries is strong. Several academic libraries, small and large, have chosen SkyRiver for their cataloging services since early summer. Recent additions to the SkyRiver customer base include Alma College (MI), Cameron University (OK), Rhode Island College (RI), San Francisco State University (CA), Utah State University (UT), as well as ARL member, the Kelvin Smith Library of Case Western Reserve University (OH). This interest across a broad swath of the academic library community reflects the growing recognition that SkyRiver provides an excellent resource for cataloging metadata as well as significant savings.

Libraries are finding that implementing SkyRiver has been a step forward for their organizations. Carol Zeile, Library Director at Alma College, says “our library staff found the transition to be as smooth as SkyRiver promised. From my perspective, the positive experience of the staff counts for a lot and, of course, we also have saved money.”

For Case Western Reserve University, although the cost savings that SkyRiver offered were compelling, the library had to ensure that that the move did not consume those savings by increasing the library’s costs for original cataloging. Functionally, SkyRiver needed to demonstrate that it offered time-saving features such as providing seamless vendor data integration for shelf-ready materials. In addition, as CWRU Deputy Director Tim Robson notes, “SkyRiver’s strong customer support and willingness to enhance its services based on the library’s suggestions were significant factors in this successful implementation.”

The University of California Davis Mabie Law Library has switched to SkyRiver for its cataloging services.

As the first law library to embrace SkyRiver, the library’s central concern was whether the database would be appropriate for an academic library with a great breadth of law specialties, ranging from ancient law to cyber law. The answer is a resounding “yes” according to Kathy Lin, Cataloging Department Head. She adds, “In addition to a high hit rate for our new titles, the database is easy to navigate and we find records more quickly since the SkyRiver database is much cleaner than that of our legacy cataloging service.”

“SkyRiver represents a multi-faceted win for us,” says Judy Janes, Interim Director. “Not only can we find the records we need but, since the database is easier to use, it will provide improved efficiencies in our workflow and we’ll also be saving money on an ongoing basis as a result of SkyRiver’s lower cost.”

About University of California Davis Mabie Law Library

The Mabie Law Library was established with the UC Davis School of Law in 1966—the youngest school to be ranked among the nation’s top 25 law schools this year by U.S. News & World Report. The library supports a diverse academic program with specialties such as business, environmental, international, and intellectual property law.

The Company announced today that its customer base increased more than 100% as compared to the same period last year. Recent new signings for SkyRiver include academic libraries such as San Francisco State University and public libraries such as Escondido Public Library in Southern California and Washoe County Public Library in Nevada.

In addition, the most recent group of customers to adopt SkyRiver services includes one of the nation’s best large urban school districts. Bill Rejebian, Cataloging Coordinator for the Denver Public Schools, says, “It’s great that we’re able to maintain our cataloging operation at its current level and have minimal disruption along with significant cost savings. We were warned by naysayers that our backlog would build, but this clearly is not happening. SkyRiver’s coverage and associated search service are excellent.”

SkyRiver continues to aggressively develop state-of-the-art cataloging services and provide a high level of customer service. Quality and service along with ongoing savings are proving to be a highly attractive combination.

Cassidy Cataloguing Services Inc., a company that provides cataloging on contract to libraries as well as Cataloging in Publication (CIP) for publishers, has entered into a sharing agreement with SkyRiver. By the terms of the agreement, Cassidy will contribute its CIP records — high quality and fully catalogued — to the SkyRiver database. Cassidy in turn will have access to SkyRiver’s database either through its contracting libraries and have unlimited full access to SkyRiver’s authorities database. Joni Cassidy, President and CEO, says "The attraction of working with SkyRiver was its data policy which claims no ownership of any kind over bibliographic metadata. We are happy to work with an organization that is bringing choice to the library marketplace and fostering competition."

About Cassidy Cataloguing

Cassidy Cataloguing Services Inc. (www.cassidycataloguing.com),a privately held company based in Rockaway, New Jersey. The company, established in 1985, is known for its commitment to excellent customer service. Among the company’s strengths is its expertise with electronic resource record sets.

Lawyers for SkyRiver Technology Solutions, LLC have filed its opposition to OCLC’s motion to dismiss its Complaint, which alleges that OCLC has engaged in predatory and exclusionary business practices in violation of federal and state antitrust laws.

“OCLC’s motion to dismiss that was filed in December misrepresented the antitrust claims made in the original complaint and our February 4th filing sets the record straight,” said SkyRiver President Leslie Straus. “We are seeking a level playing field for the development and marketing of products for libraries and an end to the anti-competitive behavior by OCLC that punishes its own members.”

Straus continued, “Non-member libraries around the world have loaded millions of records into OCLC’s WorldCat at minimal or no cost, while legacy OCLC members such as Michigan State University and California State University Long Beach are being asked to pay outrageous batchloading fees – simply because they decided to choose SkyRiver for their cataloging services.”

The introductory section in Friday’s filing addresses the deficiencies in OCLC’s motion to dismiss: “OCLC fails to address (other than to deny) Plaintiffs’ allegations of anticompetitive and exclusionary membership terms, policies and practices that have been imposed on its member libraries for years. OCLC also mischaracterizes its unlawful punitive pricing and tying arrangements.”

The filing goes on to say, “Since at least 1987, OCLC has demanded that its member libraries agree to terms of membership that prohibit sharing the metadata of their own library holdings contributed to OCLC’s bibliographic database known as WorldCat with any for-profit firms for commercial use and require member libraries to use OCLC’s services. OCLC has imposed these membership terms to prevent the development of competing bibliographic databases, cataloging services or ILL services by erecting barriers to entry in these three markets.” SkyRiver and co-plaintiff, Innovative Interfaces Inc., also claim that OCLC is using its monopoly power illegally in these three markets in its attempt to monopolize the ILS market.