Are you a librarian struggling to stay engaged in a digital age? Facing budget concerns to keep existing programs running? Don't have the staff or budget for specialized services? Wonder how to move beyond teaching your patrons HOW to use a computer? This book gives you 15, step-by-step programs, using free online software, that go beyond basic digital literacy, and provides you, the librarian, with all you need for classes that engage the digital natives and computer users in your community. It includes: 15 quick, easy classes focused on actual outcomes for patrons, without requiring a budget, dedicated facilities, or specialized knowledge. Classes that your patrons can relate to, geared towards actual needs or interests, and not just to "techy" people. How to's and other elements to effectively use simple software and allow patrons to get optimal results from their effort. Classes or workshops designed to help the average computer user so he or she can teach patrons with ease and authority. Tips for teachers or librarians on how to engage their audience and not lose them with information overload. This book is a complete computer class upgrade solution. Based on the Montessori Method, classes are problem or project based. You are given all the tools you need as a presenter to show relatable uses of technology, making sure the patron can see the possibility involved in using the software. There are step-by-step instructions that focus on your patron leaving with practical skills for everyday life using freely-available software such as YouTube, Ebay, Google, and Monster. Best practices are also included so your patron's project has the greatest chance of being successful.

Learn how to help your library patrons deepen their internet searches to more effectively find information, images, videos, statistics, maps, books, definitions, translations, and more. You know how to dash off a quick Google search, but do you know how to go further with your searching to get everything you actually need? Written in an engaging, conversational tone, this handy guide introduces you to shortcuts and some of the hidden features and filters offered by many search tools-such as limiting by site, domain, or date-and to several free but little-known search tools. With concrete examples and practical how-to tips, you'll learn to effectively search Google, Wolfram Alpha, social media platforms, and other internet search tools-and how to teach your patrons to do the same. The information comprised in this volume can be easily shared with patrons to help them in their searches and may be used in information literacy courses. Conduct more effective Google searches Become familiar with hidden features and filters offered by many search tools Learn about several different free search tools and when to use each Teach patrons practices to independently find information

Introduction to Information Literacy for Students presents a concise, practical guide to navigating information in the digital age. * Features a unique step-by-step method that can be applied to any research project * Includes research insights from professionals, along with review exercises, insiders' tips and tools, search screen images utilized by students, and more * Encourages active inquiry-based learning through the inclusion of various study questions and exercises * Provides students with effective research strategies to serve them through their academic years and professional careers * Ensures accessibility and a strong instructional approach due to authorship by a librarian and award-winning English professor

Over the last three decades enormous effort has gone into strengthening public health information systems (HIS). They are now a key element of health sector reform initiatives, but are growing in complexity. This is driven by the increasing diversity of technology platforms, increasing demands for information, the multitude of actors involved, and the need for data security and privacy. Initiatives like Universal Health Coverage and Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases are expected to place further burdens on all health systems. However, they will pose particular challenges in resource-constrained settings, such as low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where health systems have struggled to provide quality care. Public Health Informatics discusses the challenges that exist in the design, development, and implementation of HIS. Key problem areas, such as sub-adequate data and problems of inter-operability, are analysed in detail and the book looks at possible approaches to addressing these challenges in LMICs. Case studies critically appraise the experiences of countries and health programmes in the building of HISs, to determine the successes and failures of varying approaches. Finally, the book explores how future systems in developing countries can be shaped. The expert author team has two decades experience in over 30 LMICs, and includes researchers and practitioners from the fields of informatics, public health, and medicine. This uniquely comprehensive account of information systems in the public health setting will be of use to the wide range of people working in this broad cross-disciplinary field, from software developers to public health practitioners and researchers.

The modern school library supports education in a variety of ways. One essential role librarians play is that of a leader who works collaboratively to build relationships, mold culture and climate, and advocate for the needs of students and the community. In this book, a librarian and an education leader team up to reflect on the librarian’s ability to build connections in two ways. First, they discuss the benefits of bringing the outside world into the library through the use of social media, videoconferencing and other tools that allow librarians to partner with others. Then they expand upon these connections by addressing how librarians can lead in the greater educational community by sharing resources and strategies, and partnering with school leaders to tell the story of the school community. Through this book, librarians will discover the influence they can have on the school community as the library becomes the heart of the school, a place where problems are solved, content is explored, connections are made and discovery happens.

This fascinating tale of the rise and fall of mini-computer-based integrated library systems (ILS) offers both an explanation of the technical workings-still being used daily-and a historical investigation. Parents of Invention: The Development of Library Automation Systems in the Late 20th Century traces the rise and fall of mini-computer-based ILS. In doing so, it offers an insider's view of the process of creation, the technical challenges, and the lasting contributions of librarians and programmers at a time when librarians and their automation needs forced computer companies to innovate. Organized around a series of interviews with computer programmers, librarians, and salespeople, the book discusses developments from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s, focusing on the 1980s when both ILS and the mini-computer were dominant. It documents the time when a small group of computing vendors joined with large libraries around the world to perfect systems that automated functions such as circulation, acquisitions, cataloging, and online public access catalogs. A concluding chapter, contributed by Louise O'Neill, brings the story up to date with a discussion of current developments in library automation, including the adoption of open-source systems, open-access principles, and the Semantic Web. Interviews with CEOs of libraries and computer companies, programmers, librarians, and library directors from Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States References to published material and memoranda and recourse to actual programming code and output from systems of the period Photographs of computer machine rooms depicting mini-computer equipment described in the text A glossary of acronyms, abbreviations, and special terms used in library automation A bibliography of articles and monographs on historical and current aspects of library automation

Online Searching puts aspiring librarians on the fast track to becoming expert searchers who unite users with trusted sources of information that satisfy their information needs. To unite users with such sources, master this seven-step online searching process: 1. Determining what the user really wants in the reference interview 2. Identifying sources that are likely to produce relevant information for the user's query 3. Determining whether the user seeks a known item or subject 4. Dividing the query into big ideas and combining them logically 5. Representing the query as input to the search system 6. Conducting the search and responding strategically 7. Displaying retrievals, assessing them, and responding tactically This second edition addresses the implications of new technical advances that affect expert intermediary searchers such as the library's "everything" search, the choice between classic and discovery OPACs, and the role of digital object identifiers (DOIs) and Open Researcher and Contributor IDs (ORCIDs) in known-item searching. It also advises expert searchers about how today's hot-button issues such as social media, fake news, and truth in the post-truth area figure into the searches they conduct for others and what they teach library users about online searching. Online Searching contains numerous figures and sample searches to illustrate complex concepts, questions and answers to reinforce key ideas, a sample database to show how online searching works, a technical reading to familiarize yourself with new search systems and databases, and a glossary to facilitate quick look-ups. The e-book features enhanced video content. Online Searching is your go-to guidebook for becoming an expert searcher.

An up-to-date examination of the evolving field of digital curation and its important place in libraries, covering the major technical, social, and organizational issues surrounding curation for libraries, archives, and other information-based organizations. This book addresses the evolving field of digital curation and its important place in libraries, covering the myriad issues surrounding curation for libraries, archives, and other information-based organizations. Balancing research, theory, and practice in curation, this book is a valuable resource for students, librarians, and archivists that will help them understand the technology infrastructure that supports curation, develop effective curation plans, and make the best choices when digitizing collections that aid in the long term preservation and curation of their materials. The book can serve as a textbook for graduate courses in digital curation, digital libraries, and informatics as well as be useful to librarians and archivists for individual continuing professional education. Supplies a practical and much-needed guide on an emerging and dynamic field for librarians Gives librarians the skills they need to help patrons and fellow librarians deal with the data deluge Addresses a current and highly relevant topic in library and information science and fills a gap in the existing literature on preservation

Research Data Management (RDM) has become a hot professional topic internationally because of changes in scholarship and governmental policies about the sharing of research data. This book provides an introduction to RDM for librarians and other support professionals. Starting by exploring the nature of research and the importance of data in the research process, the book reviews how RDM has developed over time, what typical research data services are, and how they relate to other research support services. It considers how a multi-professional support service can be created then examines the decisions that need to be made in designing different types of research data service from local policy creation, training, through to creating a data repository. Exploring Research Data Management is an accessible introduction to RDM with engaging tasks for the reader to follow and build their knowledge. It will be useful reading for all students studying librarianship and information management, and librarians who are interested in learning more about RDM and developing Research Data Services in their own institution.

Imagine a records management (RM) future where the user community collectively describes the value and properties of a record using the wisdom of the crowd; where records retention, description and purpose are determined by their users, within general boundaries defined by the records manager. It may sound far-fetched, but could represent a way forward for managing records. It has never been more apparent that RM as traditionally practised will soon no longer be fit for purpose. With the increasing plurality of information sources and systems within an organization, as the deluge of content increases, so the percentage of the organization's holdings that can be formally classed as records declines. In the Web 2.0 world new technology is continually changing the way users create and use information. RM must change its approach fundamentally if it is to have a role to play in this new world. This provocative new book challenges records managers to find time amidst the daily operational pressures to debate the larger issues thrown up by the new technological paradigm we are now entering, and the threat it poses to established theory and practice. A range of stimulating ideas are put up for discussion: why not, for instance, embrace folksonomies rather than classification schemes and metadata schemas as the main means of resource discovery for unstructured data? Adopt a ranking system that encourages users to rate how useful they found content as part of the appraisal process? Let the content creator decide whether there should be any access restrictions on the content they have created? Readership: This is a thought-provoking book which questions received wisdom and suggests radical new solutions to the very real issues RM faces. Every records manager needs to read this challenging book, and those that do may never think about their profession in quite the same way again.

Here's a one-stop snapshot of emerging technologies every librarian should know about and examples that illustrate how the technologies are being used in libraries today! The e-book includes videos of interviews with librarians that are using them. The videos are available on a web site for people who purchase the print book. The first four chapters-Audio & Video, Self- and Micro-Publishing, Mobile Technology, and Crowdfunding-all look at older technologies reinvented and reimagined through significant advances in quality, scale, or hardware. Many libraries were already using these technologies in some way, and are now able to change and adapt those uses to meet current needs and take advantage of the latest improvements. The two next chapters look at new technologies: wearable technologies and the Internet of Things (simple but powerful computers that can be embedded into everyday objects and connected to controllers or data aggregation tools). The last two chapters-Privacy & Security and Keeping Up With Technology-are all-purpose topics that will continue to be affected by new developments in technology. Each of these chapters offers a brief overview of background information and current events, followed by a list of advantages and challenges to using these technologies in a library setting. The authors highlight the most useful or most well-known tools and devices, then specify how these technologies might be used in a library setting. Finally, they look at a variety of current examples from libraries in the United States and around the globe.

Using Social Media to Build Library Communities: A LITA Guide is a community-building action manual for practitioners across the profession. By bringing together an array of perspectives to explore community building through social media, this book serves as the go-to resource for professionals who want to take social media beyond marketing and promotion to build an inclusive and engaged community of library users. Each chapter contains clear explanations of important topics for building communities through social media, and readers will come away with cohesive approaches for their own libraries. Using Social Media to Build Library Communities demonstrates that an energetic and committed community exists to help and guide fellow community builders.

You've created a STEAM program in your library, but how do you work literacy into the curriculum? With this collection of resource recommendations, direction for program development, and activities, you'll have students reading proficiently in no time. Many schools and libraries are implementing STEAM programs in the school library makerspace to promote problem solving by allowing students to create their own solutions to a problem through trial and error. In order to enhance literacy development in the STEAM program, however, they need resources for integrating literature into the curriculum. In this collection of resources for doing just that, veteran education professionals and practiced coauthors Liz Knowles and Martha Smith bring readers over eight hundred recommended and annotated books and web resources, selected based on research on successfully integrating STEAM and literacy programs and organized by the five STEAM areas. Titles are complemented by discussion questions and problem-solving activities that will aid educators in both adding and using the best literature to their STEAM programs for encouraging learning. In addition to promoting literacy, these resources will help to develop creativity, lateral thinking skills, and confidence in students. Presents complementary annotated books and discussion questions to engage students in STEAM topics Offers topical project and problem-solving activity ideas for students in the library makerspace Provides research and additional resources for teachers and librarians to use in implementing successful STEAM programs

Public access to government information forms the foundation of a healthy liberal democracy. Because this information can be precarious, it needs stewardship. Government Information in Canada provides analysis about the state of Canadian government information publishing. Experts from across the country draw on decades of experience to offer a broad, well-founded survey of history, procedures, and emerging issues-particularly the challenges faced by practitioners during the transition of government information from print to digital access. This is an indispensable book for librarians, archivists, researchers, journalists, and everyone who uses government information and wants to know more about its publication, circulation, and retention. Contributors: Graeme Campbell, Talia Chung, Sandra Craig, Peter Ellinger, Darlene Fichter, Michelle Lake, Sam-chin Li, Steve Marks, Maureen Martyn, Catherine McGoveran, Martha Murphy, Dani J. Pahulje , Susan Paterson , Carol Perry, Caron Rollins, Gregory Salmers, Tom J. Smyth, Brian Tobin, Amanda Wakaruk, Nicholas Worby

The emergence of a decentralized, fragmented, and low-cost Internet opened up possibilities for persons with disabilities to lead an independent and inclusive life, which had been denied to them in the physical world. However, despite advancement in technology persons with disabilities have been excluded. With the digital divide opening up before them, there is a danger that social injustice faced by persons with disabilities in the physical world may be replayed in virtual space. Since the Internet is largely dominated by corporations, this digital divide cannot be bridged without questioning their role. This book explores the interplay between human rights of persons with disabilities and corporate obligation towards the creation of an inclusive and accessible Internet. In the modern day and age, since a large part of everyday functionalities is carried through or from the Internet, rights enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) cannot be effectively realized unless access to the Internet is ensured to everyone, including persons with disabilities. The book engages with the contemporary discourse on the nature of the right to access the Internet, and contextualizes the same within the framework of emerging disability rights jurisprudence. It articulates that the existing digital divide is an extension of social injustice to persons with disabilities from the physical world to the virtual world. It is argued that conceptualizing the right to access the Internet as merely an enabling right is oversimplifying an otherwise complex issue. The book advances the argument that under disability rights jurisprudence, the right to access the Internet is a human right.

For this new fourth edition, expert instructor and librarian Peggy Johnson has revised and fully updated this textbook to provide a timely and valuable new resource for LIS students and professionals. Each chapter offers complete introductory coverage of one aspect of collection development and management, before including numerous suggestions for further reading and study. A range of practical case studies are included to illustrate and explore all of the issues discussed. Content covered includes: - traditional management topics including organization of the collection, demonstrating value, staffing, and policymaking - cooperative collection development and management - licenses, negotiation, contracts, maintaining productive relationships with vendors and publishers, and other important purchasing and budgeting topics - changes in information delivery and access technologies and how they continue to reshape the discipline - the evolving needs and expectations of library users - new roles for subject specialists - marketing, liaison activities, and outreach. This book will be useful as a comprehensive introduction and learning tool for LIS students, a timely update for experienced librarians with new collection development and management responsibilities, and a handy reference resource for practitioners as they go about their day-to-day work.

This hands-on guide provides both new and seasoned information professionals with a practical foundation for electronic resources management: how it came to be, where it is today and the essential tools needed to get the job done. Electronic resources management is a dynamic and ever-changing area of librarianship. Fundamentals of Electronic Resources Management cuts through the complexity of the role and offers advice on methods, tools and workflows with emphasis on the interconnection between workflows and systems. Content covered includes: - the full range of purchasing options, from unbundling package subscriptions to pay per view - evaluating both new content and current resources - common clauses in licensing agreements and what they mean - selecting and managing Open Access resources - understanding methods of e-resources access authentication - using a triage approach to troubleshoot electronic resources access issues - the basic principles of usage statistics, and ways to use COUNTER reports when evaluating renewals - tips for activating targets in a knowledge base - marketing tools and techniques - clear explanations of jargon, important terms, and acronyms. This guide will prove invaluable, both as an introduction for those preparing to enter the field, as well as a ready reference for current practitioners.

The Makerspace Librarian's Sourcebook, edited by technology expert Ellyssa Kroski, is an essential all in one guidebook to makerspaces written specifically for libraries. This practical volume provides an invaluable resources for librarians seeking to learn about the major topics, tools, and technologies relevant to makerspaces today. Containing cutting-edge guidance from a range of international experts, this collection is packed with practical tips and case studies for the field's most tech-savvy innovators. This book: * Shows readers how to start their own makerspace from the ground up, covering strategic planning, funding sources, starter equipment lists, space design, and safety guidelines * discusses the transformative teaching and learning opportunities that makerspaces offer, with tips on how to empower and encourage a diverse maker culture within the library * delves into 11 of the essential technologies and tools most commonly found in makerspaces, ranging from 3D printers, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and wearable electronics to CNC, Legos, drones, and circuitry kits * includes an assortment of practical, ready to implement, project ideas. This hands-on sourcebook will be useful reading for librarians using technology in teaching and learning in their libraries, as well as those considering whether to set up a makerspace, or with one already up and running.

In its new fifth edition, which has been completely updated and reorganized, this one-stop overview of all technologies used in libraries today is more comprehensive and compelling than ever. The perfect primer for LIS students, Burke's guide should also be at the top of the list for any current or future library professional looking to stay at the forefront of technological advancement. It gives readers a sound and sensible way to consider, access, and use library technologies to better meet the needs of library users. Its incisive coverage includes: complete analysis of the librarian's technological toolbox for teaching, security, databases, and more; expert advice on how to compare and evaluate competing technology solutions; mobile devices and technology, social media, streaming media, and privacy; makerspaces and other technology programing; updated content on open source catalog systems, discovery layers, and related elements of library management systems; a new section on learning management systems (LMS); websites, web-based services, and free information resources; improved guidance on usability; new technology predictions for the future, with tips on how to stay up to date with the latest developments; and a glossary of useful terms. Informed by a large-scale survey of librarians across the spectrum of institution types, this guide will be a true technology companion to novices and seasoned LIS professionals alike.

Specifically focusing on the resources on federal government available online, this book supports the education of young citizens and supplies directions for conducting programs for youth on the government. Government documents offer a wealth of useful information that is often ignored or misinterpreted—even by librarians. And while improved search engines have improved access to online documents in recent years, patrons—especially young people—typically need help navigating and understanding the sites. Free Government e-Resources for Youth helps librarians promote online government information to youth and to assist youth in using it to become informed and educated about our federal government and how it works. Author Dorothy Ormes—a Federal Depository Library Program librarian at the university level—has created a guide to government resources that public and school librarians can use to support the education of young citizens. The book covers various areas of K–12 curriculum, highlighting activities and lesson plans based on national and state standards, and gives helpful directions for creating displays and conducting programs for youth on the government. The book also provides a brief explanation of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) and describes how a public library can work with FDLP librarians or take advantage of an unprecedented opportunity to join the FDLP as active participants and benefit the community.

A comprehensive guide for all sizes of libraries, this book guides you through the entire process of effectively redesigning your library's website-from evaluating your current site and understanding user needs, to creating a budget, through to launching and maintaining your updated site. For today's increasingly web-savvy patrons, your library's website is a critical aspect of your services and user experience. If it's time for a website makeover for your library, this book will take you through the process step-by-step, sharing lessons learned and pointing out pitfalls to avoid. The end result? You'll delight your patrons with easy-to-find information, wow your director with an easy-to-use content management system (CMS), and impress your board with a website that clearly communicates your library's value. Written by two veterans of the process who have presented workshops on this topic, this book covers the entire process of library website redesign: from evaluating your current website, to making the decision of whether to hire a web developer or do it in-house, to usability testing. It also addresses budgeting, making content and design decisions, the launching process, marketing, and upkeep of your new site. Presents an approachable, complete guide that covers all steps in the process of revamping a library website, turning a potentially daunting challenge into a doable project, even for those without technical backgrounds Describes various ways of handling specific steps for different sizes and types of libraries-from a "DIY" approach to cost-effective ways of hiring outside professionals Provides an invaluable resource for librarians and library staff members charged with the task of designing or redesigning their library's website as well as for web developers and designers who work with libraries