This volume aims to help readers respond proactively and help to lead the way to collaborative learning in schools. The American Library Association has been instrumental in shaping and publishing guidelines for school libraries for 75 years. This book incorporates the standards that should help students become skillful producers and consumers of information along with guidelines and principles to help create a dynamic, student-centred programme. The book's underlying concepts feature: helping students flourish in a learning community not limited by time, place, age, occupation or disciplinary borders; designing authentic learning tasks and assessments; speaking in terms educators understand; defining your role in student learning; and joining teachers and others to identify links in student information needs, curricular content, learning outcomes and a variety of print and nonprint resources.

Everhart provides practical guidelines and ready-to-use forms for evaluating a school library media center, as well as important results derived in other studies. She includes qualitative and quantitative techniques for the areas of curriculum, personnel, facilities, collections, usage, and technology. She also gives step-by-step instructions on how to create in-house surveys, conduct interviews, and use observation to gather useful data.

Conduct research, collect statistics, and evaluate your program with this useful resource. Everhart provides practical guidelines and ready-to-use forms for evaluating a school library media center, as well as important results derived in other studies. She includes qualitative and quantitative techniques for the areas of curriculum, personnel, facilities, collections, usage, and technology. She also gives step-by-step instructions on how to create in-house surveys, conduct interviews, and use observation to gather useful data. For example, there are directions on how to assess information literacy with rubrics. In addition, each chapter gives detailed references, a list of further readings, applicable Web sites, and dissertations. A quick and easy guide to justifying and supporting your SLMC operations and effectiveness, this book is invaluable to all school library media specialists. It will also be of interest to school library media supervisors and researchers.

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.

Novice catalogers in special libraries, who are often expected to fulfill commitments to online bibliographic networks and cataloging consortia, will find this a thorough but uncomplicated guide to standard cataloging. Covering all aspects of bibliographic description, access points, indexing, classification, and related activities (e.g., authority control, catalog management, filing), the book focuses on the needs and cataloging problems encountered in special libraries, such as the cataloging of electronic media, technical reports, and unpublished materials. More than 100 examples illustrate the principles and practices involved. Chapters on law, science and technology, medical, business, music, and art libraries cover those materials and specific tools in depth, including subject- and profession-specific nonbook media, thesauri, classifications, and so on. Chapters on policies and catalog decision making point out advantages and disadvantages of various alternatives.

Whether you are a library supervisor with a few employees or an adminstrator with an entire human resources system, there are specific rights, responsibilities, and regulations that you must conform to. In plain language and with a practical, straightforward approach, Baldwin tells you about employment law relating to personnel recruitment and selection; the employment relationship; collective bargaining; wage and hour laws; employment benefits; discrimination laws; health, safety, and privacy; discipline and discharge; and income replacement. By informing themselves of these basic rights and regulations, librarians and library managers will be better equipped to deal with or avoid altogether some of the potential problems that arise between employers and employees in the public library arena. The book also reviews effective management techniques as a way to avoid potentially serious personnel problems. A glossary of employment terms is included.

This volume aims to help readers respond proactively and help to lead the way to collaborative learning in schools. The American Library Association has been instrumental in shaping and publishing guidelines for school libraries for 75 years. This book incorporates the standards that should help students become skillful producers and consumers of information along with guidelines and principles to help create a dynamic, student-centred programme. The book's underlying concepts feature: helping students flourish in a learning community not limited by time, place, age, occupation or disciplinary borders; designing authentic learning tasks and assessments; speaking in terms educators understand; defining your role in student learning; and joining teachers and others to identify links in student information needs, curricular content, learning outcomes and a variety of print and nonprint resources.

This is a compilation of 150 thoughts about library work, written by a librarian. It is intended as a soothing volume, presented in a meditations format, reminding librarians why they chose their craft, and reinforcing the importance of their work.

Increase your effectiveness as a manager by developing essential interpersonal skills with the creative approach offered in this practical reference. Designed for library school graduates, paraprofessional librarians, and aides who have the responsibility of managing school or small public libraries, this publication focuses on skills that are not part of a librarian's technical training. The techniques are easy to implement, and the book includes numerous examples that illustrate the principles. A must read for those who wish to become leaders in the field.

Documents the development and use of the public library planning process and assesses its value, offering recommendations for improving the use of the process and for revising its planning manual, Planning and Role Setting for Public Libraries: A Manual of Options and Procedures . Reviews research o

Service quality is an issue separate from internal observations of effectiveness and efficiency, and cannot adequately be conveyed by output and performance measures. Considerations of service quality require librarians to regard management and the provision of service from an entirely new perspective- from the viewpoint of the library user, for whom the outcome of a trip to the library has far greater relevance than the institutions' outputs. This book examines service quality, identifies its essential elements (including electronic service delivery), and discusses ways in which it can be assessed quantitatively and qualitatively. Based on a two-year research study, this book encourages every manager to consider the impact of accountability on the library's role within the larger organization. It identifies simple and practical methods by which to implement measures representing service quality and to narrow the gap between library services and customer expectations.

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

This book provides an overview of organizational decision making and the use of information in the process. In addition, it draws on original empirical work to establish general principles for design of information systems, which are tuned to the way managers actually behave and make decisions at the highest level of the organization. The book also gives insights into the ways higher education institutions operate and deal with complex problems that are messy and have broad political ramifications. It offers a solid basis for the necessary shared understanding between managers and information providers that will enable the information resources of an organization to be effectively harnessed to support decision making activities. It demonstrates the way decision making occurs in organizations and shows how information contributes to the these with a high-level decision group and, on the basis of the empirical tests, proposed a new theory of complex decision making and information in organizational settings. For readers interested in theoretical aspects of complex decision making, or in research in decision making and information, the book builds on the two theories of decision making with the highest profiles in the organizational literature. It also shows new ways of testing those theories in the real world of organizations.process. A key feature of this volume is its contribution to the development of a theory of high-level decision making in organizations that takes into account the function of information in the process. This is accomplished through an account of a research project that formulated two broadly based theories of decision making and information use, tested

This handbook provides helpful guidance for the information services practitioner and manager. It contains a wealth of concrete information necessary for managing technology and its applications and for providing technological leadership. Although there are a plethora of monographs allocated to general and specific aspects of automation, computerization, and technological innovation in libraries and information centers, this volume is unique in offering a conceptual framework for implementing and managing technologies plus a detailed discussion of technologies in relation to both the needs of information seekers and the changes they have wrought in delivering services to users. The volume will also be of interest to students because it provides a historical context for recent changes brought about by technological applications, describes current practices, and explores issues and trends on the horizon.

A "New York Times" Notable Book
A "Los Angeles Times "and "Cleveland Plain Dealer" Best Book of the Year
Winner of the PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award
From the bestselling author of the acclaimed "Chaos "and "Genius" comes a thoughtful and provocative exploration of the big ideas of the modern era: Information, communication, and information theory.
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Acclaimed science writer James Gleick presents an eye-opening vision of how our relationship to information has transformed the very nature of human consciousness. A fascinating intellectual journey through the history of communication and information, from the language of Africa's talking drums to the invention of written alphabets; from the electronic transmission of code to the origins of information theory, into the new information age and the current deluge of news, tweets, images, and blogs. Along the way, Gleick profiles key innovators, including Charles Babbage, Ada Lovelace, Samuel Morse, and Claude Shannon, and reveals how our understanding of information is transforming not only how we look at the world, but how we live.

Successful after-school programs are just a part of this detailed study of the impact of unsupervised or latchkey children on the community in general and on libraries in particular. For school librarians who have found themselves in the new and undefined role of after-school supervisor, this book is the first to examine the phenomenon and share exciting and successful ideas you can use to meet the needs of latchkey children in your library. Latchkey Children is also a comprehensive reference source on facts and information, including valuable research findings appearing in print for the first time.

Evaluation, which is a critical component of the planning process, assesses the effectiveness and efficiency of library programs and services in the context of stated goals and objectives. This book views evaluation as a type of research study in which evaluators collect either research or management data. Chapters discuss steps of the evaluation process and provide practical examples of the application of these steps to specific library problems. The overall objectives of the volume are to introduce readers to the relationship between planning and evaluation; to discuss the components of an evaluation study in clear prose so that readers can easily understand the different steps; to foster an attitude that recognizes the importance of evaluation for the development of library programs and services; to offer examples of each component of the evaluation process; to identify writings on evaluation in libraries and information centers; and to encourage organizational change and underscore the importance of evaluation to library decision making.

This handbook assists students in understanding statistics and the types of decisions that the selection of a test entails. At the same time the volume will assist a broad audience by reviewing the research process; by presenting fundamental statistical concepts and methods; by identifying writings on library management using statistical analyses; by discussing statistical applications to library management, decision making and problem solving; and by familiarizing library managers with statistical tables and analysis and graphics software. The purpose of this volume is to supplement statistical textbooks and to inform library managers and library school students about the application of selected statistical tests and the interpretation of statistical findings. This volume presents basic statistical and research concepts clearly. It is not intended as a textbook that identifies numerous statistical tests and merely details their computations. Rather, the book complements the pool of existing textbooks by placing selected statistical applications in the context of the research process and library decision.

By becoming practical futurists, school librarians can help their libraries not only to survive sweeping changes in education but to thrive. This book shows how to spot technological trends and use them to your library's advantage. During this time of rapid modernization of technology and educational reform, this book is a must-read for school librarians tasked with ensuring their libraries meet evolving standards. This title provides the research and organizational techniques and skills they need to gain seats at the table of the three power committees: technology, curricula, and strategic planning. School librarians need to collect and publicize national and local school-based evidence that shows the positive correlations between school librarians and student achievement. Craver notes correlative sources and provides ideas to employ them to ensure that school librarians remain indispensable. In addition, acquiring technological skills and becoming expert at their application are paramount for librarians. Even more important is the need for librarians to assume sole responsibility for designing and integrating information literacy and critical thinking skills throughout the curriculum. Craver analyzes studies that show students' inability to discern fact from fiction, ads from news, and information bias in electronic information sources and recommends six actions that school librarians take to ensure that they become active participants in their future rather than its victims. School librarians will recognize the need to become future forecasters in an age of rapid technological change School librarians will understand the serious employment challenges they face in a time of technological change and understand the steps they need to ensure the continuation and value of the profession School librarians will gain confidence that they can cope with predicted trends by following recommendations for instructional and organizational change

Whether gaming is already a crucial part of your library's core services or it's only just been introduced, this do-it-yourself new resource will give you the practical tools you need to organize, implement, and market successful gaming events for users of all ages. Author Kelly Nicole Czarnecki shows you how to host gaming events for all different types of users. You'll learn to select systems and resources best suited to your library and budget, plan programs, and develop a circulating collection. Czarnecki gives you step-by-step instruction for implementing an array of different programs, including video games, board games, magic gatherings, Guitar Hero Fests, and more. You'll also find helpful techniques and best practices for marketing your gaming program and evaluating its success, as well as examples and insight from librarians running highly successful gaming programs.

Apple has "Siri," Amazon "Alexa," Google "Google Assistant," and Microsoft "Cortana." Learn how you can use a popular technology to improve library services, increase their efficiency, and excel in your career. Digital assistants such as Alexa and Siri can play music, podcasts, audiobooks, and the radio; answer questions; provide factual information; tell stories; and even control devices in your home. What can they do for you in your library? This concise, practical guide will help you to understand the basics of voice computing platforms and appreciate its relevance to you as a librarian, outlining specific applications for this technology in the library. Discussions of potential applications will inspire you to include voice computing in your library services and events and give you the tools you need to do so. You'll also find a list of the best sources on voice computing. In short, you will find everything you need to know about this important and growing technology and how you can use it in your library.

This book offers a novel, more efficient, and mutually beneficial approach to attracting, training, and working with short-term staff in ways that benefit all involved: the organization, the short-term staff, and library personnel in general. After recent cutbacks in funding, many libraries now suffer permanent gaps in their staffing—gaps that have necessarily been filled by temporary staff and volunteers in order to complete essential work. Unfortunately, short-term staffing presents its own issues. But having temporary staff doesn't have to be problematic or frustrating: this book shows how short-term workers can offer libraries much more than just a solution to being shorthanded. This book will help readers better plan and more efficiently manage short-term staffing arrangements, covering how to best work with community volunteers, students earning service or academic credit, library school internships, grant contract staff, librarian post-graduate residencies, and work-study student employees. The authors present models of temporary staff human resource development and demonstrate how to apply them effectively in libraries of any size, describing how to train and enculturate short-term staff into your organization to maximize productivity. When temporary and long-term staff are set up to work together properly, having temporary staff benefits the organization with more than just their labor—the situation can refresh and update the skills of incumbent employees, too.

A recent study showed that only 53 percent of projects come in on budget and only 49 percent on schedule. So what does it take to be an on-time finisher? Successful project management may seem like a quixotic pursuit, but it doesn’t have to be. Searcy, a certified Project Management Professional as well as a librarian, takes readers through mastering the key skills that will make it happen: initiating, planning, executing, monitoring, and closing. Applying project management principles in a library-project context, this book provides to-the-point guidance on running effective and productive meetings by using a checklist approach; treating people fairly while openly sharing information; ways to simplify workflows by choosing the most suitable software program; how to write a project charter; the agile concept of self-organizing teams; identifying risks and planning for the downside; managing scope creep by maintaining realistic expectations; and using a checklist to close projects so they stay closed. Library staff at all levels will be feel confident planning and executing projects with Searcy’s expert tutelage at hand.

This comprehensive book covers the philosophy behind RFPs to prime readers to understand how to most effectively write them and provides instruction on navigating the submission process as it applies to multiple types of libraries. For many years, only large academic and public libraries and a few library systems regularly used RFPs. Now, smaller schools, public libraries, and library systems use RFPs as tools to select vendors for computer equipment, online systems, databases, and materials. Library consortia frequently use RFPs to select databases and integrated library systems. In this useful book, readers will learn more about the types and advantages of RFPs; the timelines and logistics for submitting RFPs; how to write different types of RFPs; how to evaluate vendor performance; the transfer process when a new vendor is selected; vendor perspectives; and RFP ethics. An appendix includes sample RFPs and evaluation materials, and a glossary defines language necessary to writing and understanding RFPs. This book is essential reading for librarians who need to select vendors to provide library materials including books, serials, and media in all formats as well as for those who are choosing integrated library systems, security and inventory systems such as RFID, computer equipment and software, online and streaming materials such as books and music, or services such as digitization. Teaches readers how to acquire an appropriate product from a vendor at the lowest price Provides practical examples of questions to use in various RFPs as well as lessons learned Includes sample RFPs and evaluation materials Incorporates perspectives of librarians and vendors with experience in various aspects of the RFP process

How do school librarians best serve students, classroom teachers, and principals simultaneously? The key, argues Moreillon, is to lead. By embracing a leadership role, school librarians can work collaboratively to positively impact school cultures, curricula, and teaching practices. The inspiration, guidance, and strategies presented in this book will support school librarians as they make and sustain connections and advocate for their central role in future-ready learning