Meet your library patrons where they increasingly live and work-online. This guide introduces you to the exciting possibilities online programs offer, and shows you how to set up online programs in your library-whether one-time stand-alone or half-day, full-day, or multi-day workshops and conferences. Public programs-from lectures, demonstrations, and interviews to book discussions and story hours can be delivered in real time (live) primarily over the web, utilizing a variety of interactive communication tools, including voice-over-IP, text chatting, and co-browsing. Furthermore, online programming can be used for district-wide staff training. The author explains how to integrate pre-recorded components of a program into a live, online public program; shows how to extend the reach and appeal of online public programs with podcasting and audiorecordings; and explains how to use voice-over-IP and video-over-IP to enhance online programs. In addition to outlining the costs of staring and operating a public online program, Peters also provides cost recovery methods and scenarios. Online public programs can extend your library's reach into the service population, grab the attention of some early adopters and opinion leaders in the community you serve, and convey to patrons and other libraries that your library is moving boldly into the digital future. Plus, many people are more likely to attend an online library program than an in-library public program. And because online programs are easily recorded and redistributed on demand, your library gets more bang for each buck it invests in its public programming outreach. Distance education programs in higher education, corporate and governmental training efforts, and other sectors of society have become commonplace, but this is the first guide to focus on how libraries (public, academic, school, and special) and library-related organizations (associations, consortia, etc.) can and are developing exciting online programs for library users and librarians.

A critical examination of Web 2.0 tools used in special collections, archives, and museums, with an emphasis on using interactive technology to create and preserve content. Based on surveys and firsthand research across the archivist's profession, Special Collections 2.0: New Technologies for Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Archival Collections offers essential advice and practical ideas for creating, collecting, and preserving born-digital materials for optimal long-term access—using the best of what the new Web has to offer. Special Collections 2.0 surveys the web's new options for interconnectivity and interactivity tool by tool, exploring the benefits and shortcomings of applying each to the special collection and archives profession. It combines expert analysis of the pros and cons of Web 2.0 with numerous reports of how wikis, blogs, photosharing, social networks, and more are already being put to work in this essential field. Creators, researchers, and caretakers of the historic record—even those anxious about using the Internet—will understand the best ways to put Web 2.0 to work in the service of our cultural heritage.

This is a worst-case survival handbook for protecting your library's valuable technology assets.A must-have preparedness handbook for every library and information center, this non-technical guide offers you comprehensive strategy for protecting your library's technology assets against the growing array of threats - from viruses and worms to hackers, system failures, and natural disasters. Here is a step-by-step, easy-to-implement guide for securing servers, systems, and networks against both internal and external threats.Beginning with the fundamentals, the authors will guide you through the steps necessary to build a comprehensive security plan. You will learn how to take a detailed inventory of your library's many technology platforms and identify the threats specific to each. Next is a detailed how-to for performing a thorough needs assessment leading to clear and detailed written policies, and finally, an appropriate recovery action plan.The authors explain the relevant technologies, security measures, and available software and hardware tools in simple terms, allowing you to see the big picture and create an effective security plan without getting bogged down in the technical details that are the province of the IT department. A carefully chosen collection of model plans and a glossary of technical terms round out this invaluable guide.

Answering two key questions can enhance the effectiveness of current library technologies and ensure that new investments support the library's mission. First, what technologies provide the most effective support for the library's service priorities? Second, what technologies allow administrative functions to be managed more efficiently? Answering two key questions can enhance the effectiveness of current library technologies and ensure that new investments support the library's mission. First, what technologies provide the most effective support for the library's service priorities? Second, what technologies allow administrative functions to be managed more efficiently? Find these answers and much more in the PLA-sponsored Technology for Results, the latest volume in ALA's bestselling PLA Results series. Building from the proven process outlined in The New Planning for Results, this expert step-by-step guide helps technology librarians and administrators create an actual blueprint to achieve results by creating a dynamic technology plan. It is designed to draw from the library's service priorities and patrons' needs to manage and expand current technologies. Access these latest tools and processes to: Focus on technology services that meet community interests Allocate resources to support library priorities Manage technology services based on community goals Build appropriately on available technological infrastructure Continually evaluate and improve processes and resources Using the 14 workforms, librarians can customize the planning process to sustain effective technology programs while expanding and adding where needed. Technology for Results provides the must-have answers for addressing fast-changing technology issues while meeting the library's strategic objectives. No public library can afford to be without it.

The Internet is not a one-way street in terms of library service as it challenges any traditional notion of its use for collecting or managing information. The information is constantly changing. It is not a static and reliable source like a book, nor is the content necessarily correct all of the time. In this resource, authors Charles McClure and Paul T. Jaeger speak to the ways in which the Internet has had more impact on public libraries than any other technology since the creation of the book. The issues presented are vital to library service, planning, evaluation, research and education - and most significantly how effectively libraries service the general public.This title helps you: learn the importance of measuring and maximizing library service through internet services; analyze new and unique Internet-enabled service roles of public libraries - expanding on the Web 2.0 environment; and, gain insight in selecting and creating Internet-enabled service roles. ""Public Libraries and Internet Service Roles"" will help ensure that public libraries remain a vibrant marketplace of ideas freely accessible to all members of the library community.

Academic, public, and school librarians who are considering an IC or are looking for ways to improve their IC will find a wealth of information here.The Information Commons (IC) strives to unite all the facts and figures of the world into a resource available to everyone. Many academic libraries are considering implementing an information commons model that reflects the contemporary way patrons use resources. Others plan on revitalizing their libraries through configurations that easily integrate research, teaching, and learning with a digital focus.This invaluable guide provides the ""how-to"" information necessary for institutions considering the development of an information commons. Offering plain-speaking advice on what works, expert authors Bailey and Tierney provide comprehensive case studies from small and large academic libraries to help librarians implement, provide training for, market, and assess an information commons.Each of the 20 case studies details: lessons learned through the successes and mistakes of building an IC; summary data charts for each library including annual budget and number of patrons; common properties and characteristics of ICs across the nation, including staff needs; physical descriptions, photos, and sample brand and graphics from other ICs; readers will learn the historical context for Information Commons and understand what practicalities need to be part of the planning process; and academic, public, and school librarians who are considering an IC or are looking for ways to improve their IC will find a wealth of information here.

In the last 15 years, the ground - both in terms of technological advance and in the sophistication of analyses of technology - has shifted. At the same time, librarianship as a field has adopted a more skeptical perspective; libraries are feeling market pressure to adopt and use new innovations; and their librarians boast a greater awareness of the socio-cultural, economic, and ethical considerations of information and communications technologies. Within such a context, a fresh and critical analysis of the foundations and applications of technology in librarianship is long overdue.

The recent announcement that Google will digitize the holdings of several major libraries sent shock waves through the book industry and academe. Google presented this digital repository as a first step towards a long-dreamed-of universal library, but skeptics were quick to raise a number of concerns about the potential for copyright infringement and unanticipated effects on the business of research and publishing.
Jean-Noel Jeanneney, president of France's Bibliotheque nationale, here takes aim at what he sees as a far more troubling aspect of Google's Library Project: its potential to misrepresent--and even damage--the world's cultural heritage. In this impassioned work, Jeanneney argues that Google's unsystematic digitization of books from a few partner libraries and its reliance on works written mostly in English constitute acts of selection that can only extend the dominance of American culture abroad. This danger is made evident by a Google book search the author discusses here--one run on Hugo, Cervantes, Dante, and Goethe that resulted in just "one" non-English edition, and a German translation of Hugo at that. An archive that can so easily slight the masters of European literature--and whose development is driven by commercial interests--cannot provide the foundation for a universal library.
As a leading librarian, Jeanneney remains enthusiastic about the archival potential of the Web. But he argues that the short-term thinking characterized by Google's digital repository must be countered by long-term planning on the part of cultural and governmental institutions worldwide--a serious effort to create a truly comprehensive library, one based on the politics of inclusionand multiculturalism.

An international cadre of leading thinkers and experimenters provide their considered opinions concerning the influence of digital technology on teaching and learning in general, and the role of the library in the educational enterprise in particular. Topic treatments include envisioning the future, facing major challenges, creating projects and programs, and developing digital libraries. A must-read for anyone involved in higher education. The Kanazawa Institute of Technology is Japan's largest institution of higher education specializing in engineering and technology. It is a world leader and collaborator in electronic initiatives, often on the forefront of systems design and telecommunications advancement. It is also the site of an annual symposium series on digital library development. Marcum and George have pulled together an international cadre of leading thinkers and experimenters, all of whom have participated in these symposia, to provide their considered opinions concerning the influence of digital technology on teaching and learning in general, and the role of the library in the educational enterprise in particular. Their contributions have, in turn, been arranged into four thematic groupings, which range from envisioning the future, and facing major challenges, to creating projects and programs, and developing digital libraries. An informative read for anyone involved in higher education.

Librarians are affected by technology in every aspect of their jobs, yet they often have little understanding of the technologies underlying the systems they use every day. Nancy Courtney and 15 well-known contributors discuss such technologies as Wireless LANs, Radio Frequency Identification, OpenURL and other essential technological innovations in everyday language. Wireless LANs, Radio Frequency Identification. OpenURL. Chances are you've heard these terms. But could you link them to their definitions on Jeopardy? Librarians are affected by technology in every aspect of their jobs, yet they often have little understanding of the technologies underlying the systems they use every day. Such a situation, according to Nancy Courtney, is untenable. Every librarian, no matter how low-tech his or her position, needs a basic understanding of computer technologies. To this end, she has assembled an impressive cast of contributors to discuss some of the more essential concepts and tenets in simple terms. Their combined intent is not to turn unsuspecting readers into IT practitioners, but to improve their technological literacy about topics currently of interest in the library community so that they can communicate effectively with systems personnel, their users and their funding authorities. If you are a librarian, and your primary job responsibilities are not in information technology, this book is for you!

The second edition of Understanding Search Engines: Mathematical Modeling and Text Retrieval follows the basic premise of the first edition by discussing many of the key design issues for building search engines and emphasizing the important role that applied mathematics can play in improving information retrieval. The authors discuss important data structures, algorithms, and software as well as user-centered issues such as interfaces, manual indexing, and document preparation. Readers will find that the second edition includes significant changes that bring the text up to date on current information retrieval methods. For example, the authors have added a completely new chapter on link-structure algorithms used in search engines such as Google, and the chapter on user interface has been rewritten to specifically focus on search engine usability. To reflect updates in the literature on information retrieval, the authors have added new recommendations for further reading and expanded the bibliography. In addition, the index has been updated and streamlined to make it more reader friendly. text for courses in information retrieval, applied linear algebra, and scientific computing. Because of the authors' informal, conversational tone, readers with nonmathematical backgrounds also will appreciate the less technical chapters of the text.

It's no secret that well-executed exhibits in libraries and museums can make attendance numbers skyrocket. Dynamic exhibits not only provide information and entertainment for your existing customers, but they are also opportunities to reach out to new customers and to widen your market. A great exhibit can be the hook that brings people in the door for the first time.

Creating a Winning Online Exhibition will help you to do just that -- conceive, design, and execute a compelling online exhibition. Different than a digital collection, an online exhibition is a selective presentation of objects organized around a thematic and narrative structure. Digital librarian Martin Kalfatovic takes you through the process of developing an exhibit that will attract users, increase your visibility, and showcase your collection and services. With case studies of successful online exhibitions, sample artwork and screen shots, up-to-date information on mark-up languages such as HTML and XML, and discussion of online databases and software programs, you will be equipped with all you need to pull off a winning exhibition. Also included are helpful samples of:

-- Project proposals

-- Exhibition scripts

-- Time lines

-- Database structures and guidelines

-- Tips on working with outside contractors

Online exhibitions are ideal for collections of manuscripts, handwritten documents, and other materials that might be limited if displayed in traditional ways. This comprehensive guide provides the "how-to's" for selecting materials, developing an overarching theme, and creating a narrative presentation that goes beyond the traditional to deliver a winning exhibition.

Search engines, subject gateways, descriptive metadata, Web cataloging--everyone is looking for ways to support information discovery and retrieval on the Internet. To become full partners in new digital access ventures, library and information professionals need to be familar with effective tools and stategies, and need to make decisions about what is appropriate for different resources, settings and communities. This book takes a look at what has been done in providing subject access to networked resources, and what is around the corner.

Accompanies by ample illustrations and complementary online material, topics include: Metadata, as a potentiator of subject description; classification schemes and directories; alphabetical subject engines in all their variety; and trends in subject decription and access. A book directed to information professional, educators, and students involved in Web design, cataloging, indexing, reference, and information retrieval.

How good is your library's Website? Unless you're the librarian who set them up, online library services can be hard to navigate. In fact, many users give up in frustration without ever finding what they're looking for. Nowadays, many of the search and retrieval services that previously were database-driven are now Web-based and part of the library's official Website. So as libraries increasingly use the Web to deliver both in-house and remote services online, it is critical that their sites are engaging, easy to navigate, and created with the end user - the library customer - in mind. This soup to nuts guide will help beginners and experts alike to determine, in a systematic way, how well their Websites are performing for their customers. Applying the best practices of usability testing, you will learn how to gauge: How easy it is for new users to learn how to navigate and use the site; How easy it is for trained users to interact with it; How effective the site is in pointing users to the information they're looking for; Whether or not users are motivated to use the technology The expert author team walks you through not only the process of performing usability testing, but also creating allies among decision-makers to support testing, revisions inspired by collected data, and cost management. For all types of libraries, this step-by-step manual is a sure-fire tool for creating a winning Website for savvy library customers.

Rational and methodical, systems analysis has been used successfully by business, industry, and research organizations. This new edition employs basic elements from the business world to show users how to apply systems analysis effectively to any library setting. Updating Osborne and Nakamura's previous work, the book fills a tremendous need in the field. It introduces readers to the steps in the process-from identifying and defining problems and collecting and analyzing data to selecting strategies for implementation and proof of the systems. The limitations of systems analysis, an overview of the rationale for applying it to problem situations, and many real-life examples illustrate the principles. A new chapter on object-oriented techniques, additional idea-generating techniques, and the inclusion of case studies invites readers to put these principles into practice. Practical and easy-to-read, this work will benefit students of information studies as well as professionals in the field, particul

Designed to assist beginning searchers, whether they are students or practitioners, this text offers a comprehensive introduction to online systems that primarily provide information in the form of bibliographic citations. Walker and Janes give basic how-to information on the use of online systems, discuss topics for which there are no accepted paradigms, and present alternative points of view within a framework of previous research. Expanding on their immensely popular and critically acclaimed first edition, the authors have added extensive new material addressing Internet search and retrieval techniques as well as the more traditional Dialog and Lexis-Nexis services. Invaluable as a textbook for students in online retrieval courses, practicing librarians, and online searchers in library settings, this book can be used as a quick reference tool and as a handy guide for in-service training. Information seekers who want to perform their own searches for bibliographic information using an online sea

Teach students valuable information retrieval skills and build information literacy with this excellent guide and activity book. Along with a simplified explanation of Boolean logic and how it is used for online searching, it offers reproducible worksheets that lead students through decision-making and powerful strategic techniques of search process. These skills help online searchers make decisions and gain access to the desired person, place, or thing; off-line, they can be used to narrow a topic and search through library information with focus and direction. They can even be used in everyday situations, such as choosing pizza toppings. A must-buy for school libraries and computer labs, this book can also be used by classroom teachers and for independent instruction with older students and adults. A great tool for working through the cobwebs of online searching.

What is a systems librarian? Both history and practice indicate a wide variation in the field, strong commitments to local arrangements and a lack of functional standards. Library administrators and managers struggle with the broad requirements of the position, weighing the skill sets of degree holding professionals and the non-MLS technologists. Systems librarians are often designers, planners, implementors, consultants, technology representatives or facilitators. This text provides an assessment of what system librarianship is and what it can be, outlining the type of training needed for people to fill these positions, and illustrates challenges for libraries - and systems librarians - in computing and networking.

If you are in the process-beginning, middle, or end-of automating your catalog, you will welcome the wealth of information in this concise, easy-to-use handbook. Created for librarians new to MARC and for those accustomed to using MARC data, it explains all three types of MARC records, and it gives considerations and specifications for MARC database processing, MARC products, and online systems. Byrne addresses MARC format integration in a separate chapter new to this edition and thoroughly explains the new and changed MARC codes that resulted from MARC format integration. In another new chapter she covers the MARC Format for Community Information. All information has been updated- including that on MARC authority records and holdings records.

"Get this book. Read it. Get copies for your board, your administration, and all the other stakeholders in your library... Reach for Future Libraries when they say you don't need staff, space, or collections...that the virtual library will do it all for less...a valuable antidote to the flood of hyperbole about libraries without walls, electronic texts and virtual collections". -- Journal of Academic Libraries

"(A) joy to read...a view of a continuing future in which librarians...play an important role in providing service to people, enhancing access to knowledge and understanding, and defending key ethical concerns". -- Wilson Library Bulletin

Original articles and excerpts from School Library Media Annual, 1994 (Libraries Unlimited), redefine the role of the school library media specialist in order to meet the challenges of the future.Such notables as Virgil Blake, Roxanne Baxter Mendrinos, Michael Eisenberg, and Daniel Barron discuss topics ranging from CD-ROM, LM_NET, and thinking skills to information curriculum and distance education.

Novice and advanced online searchers can prepare for cost-effective electronic database searching with this new resource. Starting with approximately 50 typical reference questions, the cases track through the steps and components of successful searches. The process includes conversation and question negotiation, strategy formulation, discussion of alternative approaches, search algorithm, file selection, search results, evaluation, and further steps if necessary. The tone of the work is conversational and advisory, and emphasis is on practical and creative problem solving. A great practice tool for beginners and a valuable supplement to any text (such as "Online Retrieval" by Walker and Janes-see above) or course in electronic information access.

This volume uses a social model to analyze issues of database ownership and copyright among automated library networks. It explores the possibility that the barriers to networking regarding database ownership and copyright are not specific to the context of libraries, but are instead part of a larger recurring theme in social groups, organizations, and systems. This social network model is significant because it explains ownership issues as a consequence of the dynamic nature of library network relationships, which have been complicated by environmental forces and a confusion of network roles. The research in this work focuses on the Online Computer Library Center's (OCLC) decision to copyright the database and the reactions of regional networks and libraries. The debate over ownership is a direct outgrowth of issues of centralization between OCLC and regional networks, issues that have strained relationships between OCLC and the regional networks that attempted to develop their own services independently. Resolving the conflict will require overcoming the problems of governance, competition, communication, policy formulation, and role definition that recur in library network relationships. Solutions are required in order to share information internationally and to link national bibliographic utilities and information networks in a common system

How to Manage Information is the first authoritative discussion of the techniques and evaluative procedures necessary for the successful development of an efficient information management system--or the improvement of an existing one. The entire process is presented in seven chapters, each one covering a step in the process of selecting and implementing a system, and the monitoring of a system's ability to meet its requirements. In addition, the book is packed with illustrative figures, from organizational and budget charts to sample inventory and systems requirements tables.