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.

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!

"Exploring the Digital Library", a volume in The Jossey Bass Online Teaching and Learning series, addresses the key issue of library services for faculty and their students in the online learning environment. Written by librarians at Athabasca University, a leading institution in distance education, this book shows how faculty can effectively use digital libraries in their day to day work and in the design of electronic courses. "Exploring the Digital Library" is filled with information, ideas, and it: discusses how information and communication technologies are transforming scholarship communication; provides suggestions for integrating digital libraries into teaching and course development; describes approaches to promoting information literacy skills and integrating these skills across the curriculum; outlines the skills and knowledge required in digital library use; and suggests opportunities for faculty and librarians to collaborate in the online educational environment.

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.

The definitive guide to U.S. government information on the Web has been expanded and updated with the latest information from the current administration, including material on the Department of Homeland Security, the Patriot Act, and the E-Government Act of 2002. Peter Hernon, one of the country's foremost authorities on government information, and his colleagues provide additional Web sites and offer valuable strategies for effectively accessing and using government information online.

More than a mere directory of Web sites, this authoritative work serves as a cardinal pointer through the government's labyrinthine structure and the myriad information resources available to the public, giving users a clearer understanding of U.S. government agencies and their online publications and services. An essential and regularly updated reference, this guide is a reliable roadmap to a vast and diverse field of important information.

Preface l. Database Management 2. Network Management 3. Online Databases 4. CD-ROM Networks 5. Management of Automated Libraries 6. Strategic Management of Modern Libraries 7. Information Policies Index

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

Electronic publishing has been gaining ground in recent years and is now a recognized part of the digital world. In the most comprehensive assessment of electronic publishing to date, thirty-one scholars, librarians, and publishers focus specifically on scholarly publishing. They analyze a number of case studies and offer original insights on a range of topics, including the financial costs involved, market forces, appropriate technological standards, licensing issues, intellectual property, copyright and associated user rights, and the changing roles of researchers, publishers, and librarians.
The editors begin with an overview of scholarly communication and develop a novel interpretation of the important role that technology now plays. Many of the following chapters are based on actual electronic publishing projects in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities, so the evidence and data are drawn from real-life experiences. Of special value are the attempts to measure costs and patterns of usage of electronic publishing and digital libraries.
Electronic publishing has moved well past the experimental stage, and with numerous projects under way this seems an appropriate time to assess its impact on the academic world, from teaching to research to administration.

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.

Are you spending money wisely? If you're a technical services manager at an academic library, an administrator, or a dean, you're tasked with proving it. Incorporate assessment and analysis work into your library's existing workflow with the guidance of this new collection from the Association of Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS). Contributors from several academic libraries draw from real-world practices to suggest new approaches for acquisition and collections, cataloging and metadata, digital preservation, and e-resources and serials. You'll find advice on such topics as assessing e-resource budgets, workflows, vendors, and collaborative initiatives; how to use multiple data sets to assess collections across subjects, formats, or other factors; working with data using common applications like Excel, Access, or MySQL; four types of preservation assessment and how to structure them for actionable results; ways to save on serial expenses while avoiding cancellations; seven key considerations for building a data warehouse; and benchmarking techniques for improving metadata processes Exploring your options for assessment will lead you to the right balance of traditional and new metrics, and this book provides a valuable overview.

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.

DEGREESI a work that provides such a comprehensive reassessment of Information Retrieval (IR) theory, with regards to the user-oriented model. -- Journal of the American Society for Information Science

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.

"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

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.

This book gives a theoretical base and a perspective for the analysis, design, and operation of information systems, particularly their information storage and retrieval (ISAR) component, whether mechanized or manual. Information systems deal with many types of entities: events, persons, documents, business transactions, museum objects, research projects, and technical parts, to name a few. Among the purposes the serve are to inform the public, to support managers, researchers, and engineers, and to provide a knowledge base for an artificial intelligence program. The principles discussed in this book apply to all these contexts. The book achieves this generality by drawing on ideas from two conceptually overlapping areas-data base management and the organization and use of knowledge in libraries-and by integrating these ideas into a coherent framework. The principles discussed apply to the design of new systems and, more importantly, to the analysis of existing systems in order to exploit their capabilities better, to circumvent their shortcomings, and to introduce modifications where feasible.