Ex Libris and Endeavor Merge
Posted On Nov 21 2006Francisco Partners, the company that bought Ex Libris Corporation this year, has announced that it will also purchase Endeavor Information Systems from Reed Elsevier. The two companies will be merged and run under the Ex Libris name and senior management, led by Matti Shem Tov. In a press release issued today (pdf), Shem Tov states, “Leveraging the extensive experience and technologies as well as the dedicated, skilled staff of both companies, we will now be even better equipped to provide our customers with next-generation library products. We welcome Endeavor’s customers to the Ex Libris community and, with this important acquisition, …
Children’s (e)Book Week
Posted On Nov 17 2006I did something really radical for Children’s Book Week this year–I read a book to a group of children! It was my second time being invited to Olds Elementary in Raleigh, and with no offense to my Libraryland colleagues, it was once again one of the most rewarding speaking engagements of my career. I think I have even hit upon a recipe for success for talking to the kids in Mrs. Gordon’s media center (I still wish they would call it a library). I talk about being a writer, about being a reader. I tell them that if you can …
Information Ecosystem
Posted On Nov 12 2006I am just back from Charleston, South Carolina, and the increasingly popular “Charleston Conference,” after three long weeks of fall travel. And what a way to finish up! This is only my second time at this conference, which is celebrating its 26th year, and it is one of the best I have ever attended. The crowd of technical services librarians, collection managers, and scholarly publishers is not my usual crowd, so I was flattered to be invited to present at two plenary sessions. The theme of the conference was “Unintended Consequences,” and many of the topics covered the advent of …