The organizational world today has been characterized in various terms - turmoil, chaos, the age of paradox and unreason. Common to all these characterizations is that the conventional wisdom fails in responding to novel challenges triggered by the pervasive and radical change of organizations. Information, knowledge, information worker and information technology are at the epicenter of these changes and surprises. This book explores new organizational designs, such as, the network and virtual organization from the information perspective. In addition, proposed is a model of the nontraditional organization in which information work evolves around teams that directly serve customers. This model was put on a test, and elements of the nontraditional organization were identified in firms that have been around for quite some time - the public accounting industry, and specifically its technologically most advanced segment. The book aims at transferring experience and facilitating interest for methods of organizing suitable for the information age.

With more than 40% of people eventually facing a cancer diagnosis, Conversing with Cancer is a much-needed addition to understanding and improving cancer care through strong communication among providers, patients, and caregivers. Each person whose life is affected by a cancer diagnosis-patient, healthcare provider, caregiver-has information and needs information in order to make the best decisions possible under the circumstances. After studying and writing about the topics of communication and cancer for many years separately, authors Lisa Sparks and Anna Leahy combine their expertise in this new tour de force. Here, they apply principles from the field of health communication to the cancer care experience, drawing from a wide range of scholarship to offer a comprehensive view of cancer care communication and extend existing work into new insights. Engaging chapters cover all phases of the journey through cancer, from prevention to recovery or end-of-life; analyze the roles of the variety of cultural and social identities and relationships; and explore written, verbal, non-verbal, and electronic communication. In addition, this book draws from the real-life stories of cancer patients themselves to enrich the book's unique discussions and to better understand how theory can be put into practice. Conversing with Cancer is ideal for use in health communication classes, medical and nursing programs, and formal caregiver training. In addition, it is useful for cancer patient and caregiver supports groups and for individual providers, patients, and caregivers.

This book, first published in 1995, addresses the key issue facing libraries on how to survive in an age of interdependence. Increasingly, individual libraries must act as if each is part of a 'world library' Instead of being self-sufficient, each library, from the small public library to the large research library, must find ways to put materials from this 'world library' into the hands of its patrons and must stand ready to supply materials from its own collection to others, both quickly and cost-effectively through interlibrary loan. It explores the critical questions for making resource-sharing work, with particular emphasis on interlibrary loan. Cooperative collection development, economic decision models, consortial arrangements, copyright dilemmas, and the possibilities of technology are explored and a national project to revamp interlibrary loan and document delivery is described and future directions posited. Authors present historical perspective, explore the future, and report from multiple perspectives.

Whether because of budget and staffing concerns or issues with productivity and output, technical services teams have come into being in many organizations. In Teams in Library Technical Services, editors Rosann Bazirjian and Rebecca Mugridge present research and case studies demonstrating what these reasons are and how the use of teams has been and should be applied to libraries. Everything from describing the various types of teams and how to manage them-especially in academic libraries-to exploring recurring themes on the relationships between professional and support staff, the changing roles of librarians, and how managers and teams address issues such as performance evaluation, rewards and recognition, hiring, workload and workflow, and process improvements is covered. Managers and other librarians who must understand the evolution of teams in library technical services units, the application of team theory in libraries, and the practical assessment of team organizational structure will be greatly served by this work.

The transnational architecture of global information networks has made territorial borders less significant. Boundaries between spaces are becoming blurred in the evolving information age. But do information and communication technologies networks really lead to a weakening of the nation-state? This volume revisits the 'retreat of the state' thesis and tests its validity in the 21st century. It considers cyberspace as a matter of collective and policy choice, prone to usurpation by governance structures. Governments around the world are already reacting to the information revolution and trying to re-establish their leading role in creating governance regimes for the Information Age. The volume comes at a historical moment when new political dynamics are detected and new conceptual models are sought to categorize the attempts to deal with global/transnational issues. It will intrigue the reader with expert-level analysis of the role of the state in the emerging global/supranational governance structures by providing historical context and conceptualizing trends and social dynamics.

This is the first book available on the market that shows people how to create more advanced data visualizations in the Excel software tool. It provides step-by-step instructions and downloadable Excel files, that readers can use to expand how they use Excel and communicate their data to their audiences.

For over 200 years the Library of Congress has served as our national library. Since its establishment in 1800, thirteen librarians have served as the institution's head librarian. Sadly, little is known about most of them. The Librarians of Congress is the first book to contain the biographies of all these librarians. Beginning with a brief history of the Library of Congress, the book then contains short biographies of each of the thirteen Librarians of Congress, beginning with John J. Beckley and ending with James H. Billington. Each biography is accompanied by a photograph. A subject index concludes this work.

Pat Scales has been a passionate advocate for intellectual freedom long before she launched the "Scales on Censorship" column with School Library Journal in 2006. Decades of experience as a school librarian informs her ongoing work on these important and often volatile issues, as did her tenure in leadership roles on the American Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Committee and at the Freedom To Read Foundation. It also earned her a place among the inaugural list of Library Journal's Movers & Shakers in 2002. Since her first column for SLJ she has been in an ongoing conversation of sorts with librarians, teachers, and parents-a much needed conversation. This collection of the wide-ranging questions from readers and Scales' informative answers are gathered in broad thematic groups to help readers explore the all-too daily reality of confronting efforts to censor, ban, or otherwise limit open and ready access to materials in our schools and libraries. They were all written in response to active book challenges or questions of intellectual freedom and library ethics. These columns have a ripped from the headlines immediacy even as they reflect the core values and policies of librarianship. They are organized by topic and each is framed with a brief new introductory essay. Scales' powerful reputation and practical ethically-based solutions has made her a key spokesperson and support for librarians working under a censorship siege. Her passionate, unwavering voice provides valuable strategic and tactical approaches to censorship, fine-tuned insight into individual books often challenged, and critical moral support for managing trying conversations. Scales is focused throughout on fostering a culture that embraces and understands the importance of intellectual freedom, and the tools to make it a reality every day in our libraries, schools, and communities. Learn from her to build a background in the ethics involved in defending intellectual freedom and lean on her for insights into real-life situations. Scales on Censorship is an essential ally in the ongoing fight.

Cuneiform to Computer provides a brief history of how reference works developed, but concentrates on how they reflect attitudes of their particular period of publication. Each chapter focuses on a basic reference form and highlights the major titles in its evolution. Stress is on the inter-relationship of reference sources with social change and development.

`Two years ago, I taught an introductory level course on eGovernment. If only I had had this book to draw upon at the time.... I strongly recommend this text to students of eGovernment, whether in universities or the public sector. Each can read the book at a different level and can reap significant gain from the variety of material available. The chapters are well organized, as is the comprehensive index, while academic readers will appreciate the extensive bibliography' - Information Technology for Development Implementing and Managing eGovernment fills an important gap. It provides comprehensive coverage of the e-government issues faced by managers, consultants and other practitioners. Richard Heeks draws on international examples to guide readers through crucial e-government management issues such as the management of strategy and projects; data security; quality; people, money and policies, and dealing with political and ethical challenges. The second part of the book focuses on the implementation of e-government systems. It explores activities such as: feasibility studies, system analysis, system design, construction and marketing. Instructive diagrams, synoptic models and case studies underpin the book's content while class and practitioner assessments will help readers monitor their understanding. Additional material is also available on a companion Website. This book will be welcomed by students pursuing an MPA, undergraduates studying public policy and administration, and practitioners on government in-service training.

Invisible Search and Online Search Engines considers the use of search engines in contemporary everyday life and the challenges this poses for media and information literacy. Looking for mediated information is mostly done online and arbitrated by the various tools and devices that people carry with them on a daily basis. Because of this, search engines have a significant impact on the structure of our lives, and personal and public memories. Haider and Sundin consider what this means for society, whilst also uniting research on information retrieval with research on how people actually look for and encounter information. Search engines are now one of society's key infrastructures for knowing and becoming informed. While their use is dispersed across myriads of social practices, where they have acquired close to naturalised positions, they are commercially and technically centralised. Arguing that search, searching, and search engines have become so widely used that we have stopped noticing them, Haider and Sundin consider what it means to be so reliant on this all-encompassing and increasingly invisible information infrastructure. Invisible Search and Online Search Engines is the first book to approach search and search engines from a perspective that combines insights from the technical expertise of information science research with a social science and humanities approach. As such, the book should be essential reading for academics, researchers, and students working on and studying information science, library and information science (LIS), media studies, journalism, digital cultures, and educational sciences.

Pat Scales has been a passionate advocate for intellectual freedom long before she launched the "Scales on Censorship" column with School Library Journal in 2006. Decades of experience as a school librarian informs her ongoing work on these important and often volatile issues, as did her tenure in leadership roles on the American Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Committee and at the Freedom To Read Foundation. It also earned her a place among the inaugural list of Library Journal's Movers & Shakers in 2002. Since her first column for SLJ she has been in an ongoing conversation of sorts with librarians, teachers, and parents-a much needed conversation. This collection of the wide-ranging questions from readers and Scales' informative answers are gathered in broad thematic groups to help readers explore the all-too daily reality of confronting efforts to censor, ban, or otherwise limit open and ready access to materials in our schools and libraries. They were all written in response to active book challenges or questions of intellectual freedom and library ethics. These columns have a ripped from the headlines immediacy even as they reflect the core values and policies of librarianship. They are organized by topic and each is framed with a brief new introductory essay. Scales' powerful reputation and practical ethically-based solutions has made her a key spokesperson and support for librarians working under a censorship siege. Her passionate, unwavering voice provides valuable strategic and tactical approaches to censorship, fine-tuned insight into individual books often challenged, and critical moral support for managing trying conversations. Scales is focused throughout on fostering a culture that embraces and understands the importance of intellectual freedom, and the tools to make it a reality every day in our libraries, schools, and communities. Learn from her to build a background in the ethics involved in defending intellectual freedom and lean on her for insights into real-life situations. Scales on Censorship is an essential ally in the ongoing fight.

There's Another Way to Do It addresses a multitude of topics that arise in providing library services to patrons. These include the building of library collections, acquisition of resources, the organization of items to better facilitate bibliographic control, and the methods used to access them. Furthermore, alternative ways of working with students, faculty, and all the other library patrons are explored. Author Felix Chu has a unique voice and perspective that brings to these topics refreshing and original insights, which will be of interest to practicing librarians. Students who desire to improve their understanding of library services on the highest level will also learn from this book. While primarily intended for the academic library, students and professionals affiliated with any library will benefit from the insights provided in this book.

One of the ways librarians maintain the integrity of their profession is through the creation of a robust body of professional literature. In The Librarian's Guide to Writing for Publication, Rachel Singer Gordon speaks to the hidden genius in each of us. Topics covered include, but are not limited to: queries and proposals; increasing your odds of publication; networking and collaboration; marketing and promotion; and the particular demands of authorship in an electronic environment. An appendix contains interviews with several library publishers and editors, covering the gamut of publication outlets. This is a one-stop guide for librarians at any stage of their publishing career.

This new edition of Strauss's guide helps users to find current information for and about businesses of all kinds-both private and public, U.S.-based and international-related to finance, investment, industries, and entrepreneurship. Strauss's Handbook of Business Information is a resource for finding and understanding business information. It contains explanation and instruction on the key facets of business information and provides detailed descriptions of key resources within both broad and specific categories. It can be used as a guide to further understanding the what, how, and why of business information research. The changing arena of business information requires regular updating and awareness. This new edition has been thoroughly updated with three new chapters: Entrepreneurship, Competitive Intelligence, and Corporate Social Responsibility. Other additions of note include subsections on internet and mobile marketing and tax havens and related issues; coverage of new legislation (e.g., Dodd-Frank); and subsections on index funds, investment communities, regulatory bodies and laws, hedge funds, venture capital companies, assessing risks, robo-advisors, and more. The Handbook is for students, faculty, librarians, and information professionals looking to gain a broader and deeper understanding of business information. Anyone needing to gain quick exposure to business information needs and resources for solutions will benefit from the volume as well. Uses comprehensive coverage to aid business librarians in finding exactly the right information their patrons need Features logical arrangement and integration online with print resources to make information easy to find Provides clear explanations that speak to reference librarians at public and academic libraries and to students learning this field Serves as a helpful collection-development resource for business information as well as a trusted textbook

Buried in info? Cross-eyed over technology? From the bottom of a pile of paper, disks, books, e-books, and scattered thumb drives comes a cry of hope: Make way for the librarians--they can help!

Those who predicted the death of libraries forgot to consider that, in the automated maze of contemporary life, none of us--expert and hopelessly baffled alike--can get along without human help. And not just any help: we need librarians, the only ones who can save us from being buried by the digital age. This Book Is Overdue! is a romp through the ranks of information professionals--from the blunt and obscenely funny bloggers to the quiet, law-abiding librarians gagged by the FBI. These are the pragmatic idealists who fuse the tools of the digital age with their love for the written word and the enduring values of free speech, open access, and scout-badge-quality assistance to anyone in need.

This book introduces the fast-developing field of book history. James Raven, a leading historian of the book, offers a fresh and accessible guide to the global study of the production, dissemination and reception of written and printed texts across all societies and in all ages. Students, teachers, researchers and general readers will benefit from the book s investigation of the subject s origins, scope and future direction. Based on original research and a wide range of sources, What is the History of the Book? shows how book history crosses disciplinary boundaries and intersects with literary, historical, communications, media, library and conservation studies. Raven uses examples from around the world to explore different traditions in bibliography, palaeography and manuscript studies. He analyses book history s growing global ambition and demonstrates how the study of reading practises opens up new horizons in social history and the history of knowledge. He shows how book history is contributing to debates about intellectual and popular culture, colonialism and the communication of ideas. The first global, accessible introduction to the field of book history from ancient to modern times, What is the History of the Book? is essential reading for all those interested in one of society s most important cultural artefacts.

While the importance of writing has often been recognized, the role of books and especially that of libraries has just as often been slighted. Knowledge, once generated, has to be communicated, preserved, and accessible. Books in their varying formats from clay tablets to scrolls and manuscripts to pixels have been instrumental in spreading knowledge, although relatively little attention has been given to the story of books themselves. A Social History of Books and Libraries from Cuneiform to Bytes traces the roles of books and libraries throughout recorded history and explores their social and cultural importance within differing societies and changing times. It presents the history of books from clay tablets to e-books and the history of libraries, whether built of bricks or bytes. Following an introduction that sets the theoretical basis for the historical importance of books and libraries, chapters alternate between the history of the book and the history of libraries. Included within the chapters are short excursions on some particular development, such as book emblems or cataloging. Case studies are given as thematic illustrations of libraries everywhere. Patrick M. Valentine argues that social and cultural forces have been more influential in determining the nature and status of information, books, and libraries than has technology. But A Social History of Books and Libraries is far from a jeremiad against technology; rather it presents history within the subtle yet shifting context of time and place. Although written primarily for librarians and library students, it will also be of interest to a wider audience of scholars and those interested in books, libraries, and cultural history."

This book was compiled and edited by a librarian who was instrumental in getting funding from a Library Services and Technology Act grant to carry out an internship program in public libraries. The grant allowed the MCLS consortium of public libraries in the Los Angeles area to place library school students in paid internships in MCLS member libraries. The successful program was called 'From Interns to Library Leaders' (FILL), and led in part to this book, which offers firsthand 'advice from the field' provided by former public library interns and internship site supervisors. Contributors include a diverse group of voices and representative experiences from around the country, who had either worked as or supervised a student intern in one of the many fields of public librarianship (e.g., public services, children's, technical services, branches, etc.). The result: eighteen chapters written by practitioners and library school faculty, who generously share what it's like to participate in a public library internship.

In January 2004, daytime television presenters Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan launched their book club and sparked debate about the way people in Britain, from the general reader to publishers to the literati, thought about books and reading. The Richard & Judy Book Club Reader brings together historians of the book, literature scholars, and specialists in media and cultural studies to examine the effect of the club on reading practices and the publishing and promotion of books. Beginning with an analysis of the book club's history and its ongoing development in relation to other reading groups worldwide including Oprah's, the editors consider issues of book marketing and genre. Further chapters explore the effects of the mass-broadcast celebrity book club on society, literature and its marketing, and popular culture. Contributors ask how readers discuss books, judge value and make choices. The collection addresses questions of authorship, authority and canon in texts connected by theme or genre including the postcolonial exotic, disability and representations of the body, food books, and domesticity. In addition, book club author Andrew Smith shares his experiences in a fascinating interview.

The term smart city has become a buzzword. City planners develop ubiquitous connectivity through Wi-Fi hotspots, establish science parks, introduce bike and car sharing, and push entrepreneurship. All this is happening under the flagship of becoming a knowledge city. This book investigates the digital and cognitive infrastructure of 31 cities and how they meet the demands of the knowledge society in an increasingly digitized environment.

A Chronology of Librarianship, 1960-2000 continues the work of Josephine Smith in her original Chronology of Librarianship (Scarecrow, 1968). It updates and completes her work up to 2000, paying special attention to the progress made on technological and international fronts that have significantly altered the role and function of the librarian, especially the rise of the internet in the 1990s. The ramifications of this new level of global connectedness and of the new role of the librarian are of primary concern for author Jeffrey M. Wilhite. This book covers all areas of library literature that inform the history of librarianship and ranges over multiple continents. Its broad scope lends itself to wide use by scholars and students of library history and library literature. The chronology is presented in a dictionary format and separated into decades. It is complemented by a comprehensive bibliography and name index.

The role of providing public access to the law is a critical one for librarians. It has been over ten years since the last law librarianship textbook was published. Since that time, much has changed in the profession, and with the emergence of new technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing, law librarians must master legal materials and a thorough understanding of the latest technologies in order to best serve the public. Law Librarianship in the 21st Century, a text for library and information science courses on law librarianship, introduces students to the rapidly evolving world of law librarianship. With no prior knowledge of the law required, students using this book will find practical answers to such questions as: What is law librarianship? How do you become a law librarian? How does law librarianship interrelate with the legal world? Individual chapters provide a concise treatment of such specialized topics as the history of law librarianship, international law, and government documents. Standard topics are dealt with as they apply to the law library, including collection development, public services, technical processing, administration, technology, and consortia. The textbook also includes an explanation of the common acronyms and special terminology needed to work in a law library.