A daily diary of actual interactions between a reference desk librarian and his patrons Reference Librarianship documents a year in the life of a young librarian working in the "trenches" at a library in the Midwestern United States. This one-of-a-kind book provides a daily diary of every librarian/patron transaction-no matter how mundane or absurd-to demonstrate not only how advances in technology have affected the reference librarian's job, but how the public's expectations have changed, as well. The book also includes observations by a now-retired reference librarian on the current state of the field based on these unedited interactions. Over the past two decades, the job of reference librarian has seen many changes. But in many ways, reference desk work hasn't changed a bit, with its mix of odd, humorous, routine, and ridiculous requests that capture what it's like to deal with patrons day after day. Reference Librarianship paints a clear picture of the field for library school students, provides emotional and philosophical support to practitioners, and reminds library administrators of what life was like on the "front lines." A sampling of the daily transactions documented in Reference Librarianship: Monday, May 19, 2003: pencil pencil network down I tell people that I can't sign them up for an Internet terminal because the network is down and they just stand there, staring into space One of them asks for three days worth of newspapers microfiche machine explanation Sorry, Sir, the network is still down (multiply by twenty and insert randomly into the remainder of the day) magic tricks, but he pretty much knew where they were One of our large interior plate glass windows shattered. No one was hurt and it made a fascinating noise, like a crystal waterfall landing on soil. "Books on prostitution, you know-whores?" Someone from the County called to ask if any criminal activity had occurred on a particular street. Someone else referred her to us. She was dubious-with good reason. "Math puzzles." Okay. I show him the books. "Just math." Certainly. I show him the books. "I need them in Spanish." Grrr ... Reference Librarianship is an enlightening, educational, and entertaining look at the real world of reference desk work. It's an essential read for reference librarians (both public and academic), library administrators, and library school students, as well as anyone who works with the public.

Design and deliver traditional reference services in new and innovative ways Librarians work in an environment of constant change created by new technology, budget restraints, inflationary costs, and rising user expectations. New Directions in Reference examines how they can use new and innovative methods to design and deliver traditional reference services in a wide range of settings. The book's contributors relate first-hand experiences in libraries large and small, public and academic, and urban and rural dealing with a variety of changes, including virtual reference, music reference, self-service interlibrary loan, e-mail reference, and copyright law. Change isn't new to libraries but the accelerated pace of change is. Traditional lines that have existed between library departments have been erased and traditional notions about general and specialized reference services have been reconsidered. New Directions in Reference documents how librarians are re-thinking their roles and responsibilities to keep pace with the ongoing process of evolution that borders on revolution. New Directions in Reference examines: the skills needed to manage and evaluate virtual reference services the basics of modern copyright law and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) the changes in users, sources, and modes of access in music reference services the use of interlibrary loan management software that allows patrons to request, track, and renew borrowed materials online the Ask-A-Librarian e-mail reference service the Government Printing Office and government information online and much more! New Directions in Reference also includes case studies involving the new Martin Luther King Jr. Library in San Jose, California, and the impact of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) in providing references services for medical libraries. This important book is an essential professional resource for public, academic, and special librarians, especially those providing reference services.

Design and deliver traditional reference services in new and innovative ways Librarians work in an environment of constant change created by new technology, budget restraints, inflationary costs, and rising user expectations. New Directions in Reference examines how they can use new and innovative methods to design and deliver traditional reference services in a wide range of settings. The book's contributors relate first-hand experiences in libraries large and small, public and academic, and urban and rural dealing with a variety of changes, including virtual reference, music reference, self-service interlibrary loan, e-mail reference, and copyright law. Change isn't new to libraries but the accelerated pace of change is. Traditional lines that have existed between library departments have been erased and traditional notions about general and specialized reference services have been reconsidered. New Directions in Reference documents how librarians are re-thinking their roles and responsibilities to keep pace with the ongoing process of evolution that borders on revolution. New Directions in Reference examines: the skills needed to manage and evaluate virtual reference services the basics of modern copyright law and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) the changes in users, sources, and modes of access in music reference services the use of interlibrary loan management software that allows patrons to request, track, and renew borrowed materials online the Ask-A-Librarian e-mail reference service the Government Printing Office and government information online and much more! New Directions in Reference also includes case studies involving the new Martin Luther King Jr. Library in San Jose, California, and the impact of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) in providing references services for medical libraries. This important book is an essential professional resource for public, academic, and special librarians, especially those providing reference services.

Discover the history, development, and use of EAD, EAC, and EAG Encoding Across Frontiers is a careful selection of the finest presentations from the European Conference on Encoded Archival Description and Context (EAD and EAC) held in Paris, France in October 2004. International experts explore the history and practical use of EAD in Europe, the development and future of EAC, and a data format for information about archive holders, Encoded Archival Guide (EAG). Archivists will learn the latest in technology, practical applications, and international perspectives on how to transcend the printed word. Archivists have long imagined the practical benefits of using advanced technologies in their work. Encoding Across Frontiers is a detailed look at the technologies that have been transforming archival description, revealing a future that travels beyond the limits of traditional media. Respected authorities discuss ways to use technology to bring information to a wider audience through online services, standardization of data, the development and use of EAD, the issues in EAD implementation, case studies of implementation from France and the United Kingdom, the need to structure contextual information to allow access to archival material, and funding issues. Topics in Encoding Across Frontiers include: the history, use, and spread of EAD in Europe development of standards for describing archive creators and archive holdersand the tool called Encoded Archival Guide (EAG) a case study of the Bodleian Library's conversion to EAD the status of training for archivists in the use of EAD an examination of MidosaXML in Germany as a pilot application and tool the BASYS-Fox system and the scope of EAD in the Bundesarchiv EAD's capabilities as a tool for information created by different professional communities the sharing of descriptive standards between public archives and private collections a case study of the Metrica Regni Project in Poland four projects providing EAD users the means to control the quality of archival finding tools the Archives Departementales de la Cote-d'Or's decision to use a simple and efficient software package to publish online archival descriptions and the library catalogue a discussion of three different online services that provide federated access to finding aids in the United Kingdom the influence of American and European practices on EAD the relationship of EAD and EAC as data formats to national and international content standards the SIASFI Project and the Online Guide to the State Archives of Florence EAC and the development of national and European gateways to archives and so much more Encoding Across Frontiers is crucial reading for every archive professional at any level, archive students in training, and any allied library and museum professional with an interest in EAD, EAC, and EAG.

Everything you need to know about adding e-resources to your library's servicesHandbook of Electronic and Digital Acquisitions steers librarians through the process of evaluating, choosing, and managing electronic resources as they expand their collection development policies to include electronic databases. This handy, how-to guide takes a practical approach to acquisitions, providing commonsense information on basic copyright laws, fair use guidelines and policies, offsite and in-house databases, virtual reference software, EDI, and vendors. The book's contributors draw on their own experiences, providing case studies and helpful evaluation checklists, worksheets, and templates. Electronic journals, full-text databases, and electronic books are altering the traditional purpose of the library as an "archive" for publications. The Handbook of Electronic and Digital Acquisitions provides usable tips on the practical aspects of implementing electronic resources, helping librarians develop the potential of digital media as they work to provide their patrons with top quality access and services in a rapidly changing environment. The Handbook of Electronic and Digital Acquisitions examines: * evaluating databases for acquisition, retention, and withdrawal* budgeting for electronic resources* measuring user satisfaction* online aggregated databases* licensing agreements* the TEACH (Technology, Education, and Copyright Harmonization) Act* the Digital Millennium Copyright Act* e-mail tools* and much more!The Handbook of Electronic and Digital Acquisitions is an invaluable aid to librarians working at all levels as they attempt to keep pace with their changing environment.

Save time and avoid trouble as you search the Internet for reliable resources Evolving Internet Reference Resources provides both beginning and experienced researchers with a comprehensive overview of the key information sources available online in the humanities, sciences, and social sciences. This invaluable book is your guide to the best free and subscription-based Internet sites and services for 26 diverse subject areas, including law, psychology, rhetoric, LGBT studies, health and medicine, engineering, Asian studies, and computer science. Experts in specific areas review Web sites, meta sites, indexing and abstracting services, directories, portals, databases, and blogs for their accessibility and usability, saving you valuable time and effort in your search for the best academic research and reference resources on the Web. Evolving Internet Reference Resources is your pathfinder for all levels of research in crucial areas of academic and general interest. The book will lead you through the almost overwhelming volume of information available online to help you steer clear of unreliable, untrustworthy, and slipshod material as you search for dictionaries, glossaries, bibliographies, images, book reviews, career information, fieldwork opportunities, biographical sources, timelines and chronologies, audio and video clips, interactive maps, online collections, and much more. Topics covered in Evolving Internet Reference Resources include: significant developments in the availability of art images on the Web how Internet resources have transformed rhetoric, composition, and poetry why free Web sites can sometimes be unreliable organizational strategies for librarians how commercial publishers have acquired some of the best LGBT online resources the potential for Internet resources to enhance social activism in Latin America new approaches taken by librarians in creating online information government agency Web sites online versions of college guides the development of RSS (Really Simple Syndication) technology the virtual reference shelf available to nursing students and faculty ESL (English as a Second Language) Web sites Evolving Internet Reference Resources is an essential tool for all librarians (academic, school, special, and public), library science faculty, and faculty and students in a wide variety of disciplines.

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is the leading international body representing the interests of library and information services and their users. It is the global voice of the information profession. The series IFLA Publications deals with many of the means through which libraries, information centres, and information professionals worldwide can formulate their goals, exert their influence as a group, protect their interests, and find solutions to global problems.

The user-centered approach is central to the creation of usable information systems, services, and institutions. Information system design should derive from user research into information needs, tasks accomplished in meeting those needs, and resources used in the tasks. "Information Tasks" summarizes user research, then presents design sketches of systems that illustrate how design is linked to research. Also discussed are usable information services and an overview of the organization and economics of information institutions. This comprehensive user-centered approach provides an agenda for information research, design, and education that challenges many accepted beliefs and suggests new directions for information work. "Information Tasks" is of interest to library and information science students and faculty interested in information storage and retrieval, user studies, and systems analysis design. Students and scholars of human factors in systems design, human-computer interaction, and cognitive engineering also find the text useful. It reviews user research from many disciplines, and links research to practical design issues. It provides a unified model for user studies and user-centered design, and includes how-to summaries of design chapters. It shows how designers can investigate their user communities. It provides a general template for the design process. It integrates all aspects of information design, and discusses library issues in the larger information context.

Everyone talks innovation and we can all point to random examples of innovation inside of healthcare information technology, but few repeatable processes exist that make innovation more routine than happenstance. How do you create and sustain a culture of innovation? What are the best practices you can refine and embed as part of your organization’s DNA? What are the potential outcomes for robust healthcare transformation when we get this innovation mystery solved? Through timely essays from leading experts, the first edition showcased the widely adopted healthcare innovation model from HIMSS and how providers could leverage to increase their velocity of digital transformation. Regardless of its promise, innovation has been slow in healthcare. The second edition takes the critical lessons learned from the first edition, expands and refreshes the content as a result of changes in the industry and the world. For example, the pandemic really shifted things. Now providers are more ready and interested to innovate. In the past year alone, significant disruptors (such as access to digital health) have entered the provider space threatening the existence of many hospitals and practices. This has served as a giant wake-up call that healthcare has shifted. And finally, there is more emphasis today than before on the concept of patient and clinician experience. Perhaps hastened by the pandemic, the race is on for innovations that will help address clinician burnout while better engaging patients and families. Loaded with numerous case studies and stories of successful innovation projects, this book helps the reader understand how to leverage innovation to help fulfill the promise of healthcare information technology in enabling superior business and clinical outcomes.

Get an inside view of producing digital information projects Digital technology has provided great opportunities as well as colossal challenges for information professionals at Slavic libraries, collections, and archives. Virtual Slavica: Digital Libraries, Digital Archives presents leading information experts exploring the monumental task of converting Slavic manuscripts and books for presentation in the digital realm. Readers get a clear inside view of how to conquer the various challenges that arise within digital library and archive projects through detailed descriptions of specific projects discussed in easy-to-understand language. Slavic studies present innate problems when attempts are made to allow access to the material over the Internet. The Cyrillic alphabet is just one of the huge stumbling blocks standing in the way of universal access to this important material. Virtual Slavica: Digital Libraries, Digital Archives provides practical strategies for anyone looking for answers to problems within their own virtual information project. Copyright issues, digital reference, text encoding, online translation, presentation issues, and use of grant funding are some the topics comprehensively discussed to give information professionals clear solutions to the issues they may be facing. The book is carefully referenced. Virtual Slavica: Digital Libraries, Digital Archives examines: the persistence of multiple standards for digitally handling the Cyrillic alphabet presenting the Comintern archives online FEB-webits structure, the creation of digital editions, its plans for the future copyright issues in the twenty-first century Meeting of Frontiersthe reorganization of the text content of the international collaborative digital library project at the Library of Congress standardized encoding practical and theoretical programming issues the unforeseen difficultiesand solutionsto complete a grant-funded digital Slavic project and more Virtual Slavica: Digital Libraries, Digital Archives is of keen interest to librarians, archivists, Slavic studies academics, and library and information science educators and students.

The purpose of authority control is to ensure consistency in representing a value - a name of a person, a place name, or a term or code representing a subject - in the elements used as access points in information retrieval. The primary purpose of this study is to produce a framework that will provide a clearly stated and commonly shared understanding of what the subject authority data/record/file aims to provide information about, and the expectation of what such data should achieve in terms of answering user needs.

Get informed answers to your questions and concerns about integrating the materials in your library's collection Library collections have always included materials in many formats handling a mix of material types is an accepted part of library work. And in recent years, the very concept of collection has been significantly redefined by the addition of electronic resources. But are print and digital materials really merged in library collections or are they treated and maintained as separate entities? Integrating Print and Digital Resources in Library Collections examines a variety of collection management issues, combining practical theory, research findings, how-to articles, and opinion pieces to encourage efforts in establishing fully integrated and accessible collections. While achieving a truly integrated collection can be difficult, the failure to do so can lead to duplication of access, effort, and expense.Integrating Print and Digital Resources in Library Collections can help guide you through the difficult aspects of keeping your collection up-to-date, including the Big Deal and consortial purchasing, shifting the emphasis from purchasing print to procuring online resources for library reference work, analyzing use patterns of electronic versus hard copy resources, serials workflow studies, and review projects. Integrating Print and Digital Resources in Library Collections examines: the implications of electronic resource licenses future directions of academic reference collections technologies that can help integrate electronic resources into reference collections the Big Deal the purchase of access to large aggregations of materials in electronic formats integrating electronic resources into the collections of ARL libraries a corporate library's progression to an all-digital collection how to decide what can and can't be digitized how large e-book collections affect the circulation of comparable print collections and much more Integrating Print and Digital Resources in Library Collections is an invaluable resource for librarians experts and beginners seeking to develop the best collections for their patrons.

Critically acclaimed since its inception, "Advances in Librarianship" continues to be the essential reference source for developments in the field of libraries and library science. Articles published in the serial have won national prizes, such as the Blackwell North America Scholarship Award for the outstanding 1994 monograph, article, or original paper in the field of acquisitions, collection, development, and related areas of resource development. All areas of public, college, university, primary and secondary schools, and special libraries are given up-to-date, critical analysis by experts engaged in the practice of librarianship, in teaching, and in research.

In a library, circulation is the process of lending books to borrowers and accurately reshelving them after they have been returned so that they will be retrievable by the next user. This basic cycle has many elaborations and sub-cycles attached to it, such as those for overdues and holds, the record-keeping process, and the reserve book operation. These sub-cycles vary from library to library, but the basic cycle remains the same in every library that allows patrons to remove books. Connie Battaile provides a detailed volume written for those new to the circulation department of small academic libraries. The author presents not the definitive way to run a circulation department, but rather she provides a variety of possible methods. Because the circulation department is the main public contact point, many library "housekeeping" chores are assigned to it. Again, these additional responsibilities vary from library to library, but the author provides various procedures. The physical environment of the department and the stacks, the staff, effective communications, and scheduling are covered in full detail.

A view of the mutual dependence between libraries and vendors As technology advances, libraries are forced to reach beyond their own resources to find effective ways to maintain accuracy and superior service levels. Vendors provide databases and integrated library systems that perform those functions for profit. Library/Vendor Relationships examines the increasing cooperation in which libraries find they must participate in, and vice versa, with the vendors that provide system infrastructure and software. Expert contributors provide insights from all sides of this unique collaboration, offering cogent perspectives on the give and take process that every librarian, publisher, and database provider/producer can use. The symbiosis between libraries and vendors of databases relies heavily upon open communication to achieve each one's beneficial results. Library/Vendor Relationships explores this partnership between profit and nonprofit entities in detail, focusing on issues of crucial importance for both sides. A variety of diverse types of libraries and vendors give voice to the multitude of issues facing them. Several charts, graphs, and other helpful visuals are included. Topics in Library/Vendor Relationships include: options for preventing systematic downloading of material benefits and challenges of delivering products on multiple platformsusing the American Psychological Association's experiences as a case study book vendors' efforts to help libraries become more efficient comprehensive online support services to help increase interaction between libraries and academic publishers Anatolian University Libraries Consortium's effective relationship with vendors publisher and vendor use of library advisory boards to provide needed feedback a review of the database marketplace fostering a good relationship between library and vendor the future of government libraries in an increasingly technological age collaboration in standards development integrated ecommerce the relationship between OCLC and member institutions libraries' position between commerce and science vendor/community college library relationships e-mail discussion lists and more! Library/Vendor Relationships is stimulating, insightful reading for academic librarians, government librarians, public librarians, deans, directors, reference librarians, publishers, and database providers.

Today we can find almost any information on a computer or the Internet. Without too much thought, we search, browse and use it in our daily lives, work and study. Yet the issues hanging on a button-press can range from needless time-wasting, through frustration at failed searches and missed information, to mistaken and even dangerous conclusions for users' knowledge, careers, finance, health, travel or relationships.;This work is a reader-friendly summary of the latest research in psychology, computing and information science, that shows how we search and use information, what can go wrong, and why. It sheds light on online information seeking in many different contexts, to increase awareness and effectiveness as a user.

Cutting-edge information about providing access to research library users The ultimate goal of librarians is to provide comprehensive informational access to library users. Portals and Libraries provides an in-depth look at various libraries' challenges and the cutting-edge technology used in providing high-quality electronic access to users through portal systems. Respected authorities detail efforts to build a new kind of search and retrieval system that includes access to the Web as well as other vital collections and academic resources. The book discusses the implementation of access systems and their supporting technology, and spotlights strategies designed to encourage quality system-user feedback, increase the cooperation and diligence of staff, and more. Portals and Libraries comprehensively reviews library portals from their roots to their current state, with a look at assorted products, their implementation issues, and each one's advantages and shortcomings. The overall state of the portal system today as well as where it is heading in the future is examined in detail. The book also provides the ARL Scholars Portal Working Group Final Report from May 2002 summarizing the group's work from its inception, and includes their recommendations of key portal features and needed functions. The text includes helpful screenshots, useful descriptive figures, and extensive references. Portals and Libraries discusses: the history of library portals the MyLibrary@NCState Web portal after five years of use Portals to the World Library of Congress guide to Web resources the role integrated library systems will play in the future of portals features and services to be added to library portals for greater success portal technologiestheir structures and functioning planning portal implementation online catalogs usability testing and interface design nine key issues that will impact the future of portal development Portals and Libraries is crucial reading for library educators and students, college and research librarians in reference, library system professionals, and technical services professionals focused on applying cutting-edge technology to library services.

Find out what makes metadata an exciting addition to resource description Metadata: A Cataloger's Primer provides catalog librarians and students with a comprehensive instructional resource on the ongoing convergence of cataloging and metadata. Equally valuable in the classroom and as a professional reference tool, this unique book serves as an introduction to the concepts of metadata within bibliographic contexts, demonstrating the potential for resource description. The book introduces various metadata schemes, including the Dublin Core, Encoded Archival Description (EAD), and Extensive Markup Language (XML), and discusses how to plan and implement a metadata-driven digital library. Metadata: A Cataloger's Primer is more than a mere introduction to metadata applications and management. The book's contributors present basic operational definitions, an outline of the evolution of metadata in the cataloging community, and a discussion of basic metadata techniques, calling on hard-earned knowledge gained from their experiences as educators working in cataloging and metadata applications. They provide work forms, work plans, and practical examples that demonstrate the application of metadata for resource description and depository development. Metadata: A Cataloger's Primer examines: data structures MODAL (metadata objectives and principles, domains, and architectural layout) framework literary displacement knowledge domains discourse communities information ecologies personal metadata electronic resources authorship attributes cultural information resources instantiation data modeling DTD (document type definition) digital libraries and much more! Metadata: A Cataloger's Primer is an invaluable learning resource filled with introductory and theoretical material, original research, and instructive material for cataloging librarians and students.

As advertised, the book offers a source of strategies and practical solutions to vexing and recurrent problems which readers can tailor to their individual needs. By and large, the authors eschew the theoretical and anecdotal extremes in favor of applied, first-hand experience with good effect. The book is carefully edited, well indexed, has a serviceable binding, and clear sharp type. It is highly recommended as an important resource that belongs in the professional collection of every small academic library. Journal of Academic Librarianship The Smaller Academic Library, which is a collection of thirty essays by diverse hands on the management of libraries in colleges of up to about 7,500 students, should help practitioners build that kind of leadership and sense of mission. It contains, in general, an excellent body of information on the administration, personnel, budgets and finance, collections, user programs and services, and physical plant that touches on virtually every aspect of the administration, management, and operation of smaller academic libraries in a lively and useful fashion. Wilson Library Bulletin This handbook is intended for librarians involved with smaller academic libraries, that is, those which serve institutions with enrollments from 200 to 7,500 students. Consisting of contributions from librarians actually working in these libraries, it is intended to provide solutions to recurrent problems. The contributors offer their own strategies for use both as models and as starting points from which readers may generate their own solutions. They possess a wide range of experience and discuss a broad spectrum of pertinent topics. This is apt considering the diverse character of smaller academic setting, may also evidence a common set of problems. Each chapter includes either references or a bibliography, and a bibliographic essay completes the volume.

Integrate the freshest research with clinical practiceOccupational therapy (OT) practitioners often lack the fundamental skills to conduct or effectively use research, illustrating a disturbing gap between the advancement of theoretical concepts and the extent to which concepts are actually applied. The Scholarship of Practice: Academic-Practice Collaborations for Promoting Occupational Therapy closes this gap by presenting a conceptual framework that integrates theory and research with clinical practice. Leaders in the field provide insightful, thought-provoking ideas and strategies to promote research and facilitate effective new concepts and theories to hands-on practitioners.The Scholarship of Practice is a model that blends education with practice, dynamically applying theoretical principles of occupational therapy learned in the classroom to their actual clinical practice. This framework is a planned, focused, practice-relevant way to educate students, build a tradition of independent scholarship, consult with community-based organizations, and contribute to best occupational therapy practice. Case studies show how partnerships and collaborative efforts can foster and apply important advances and rehabilitative strategies within communities. Examples of faculty-practitioner partnering at Duquesne University and the approach to scholarship at the University of Illinois are clearly discussed. This cutting-edge compilation of ideas and research is extensively referenced and filled with useful diagrams and tables.The Scholarship of Practice: Academic-Practice Collaborations for Promoting Occupational Therapy discusses: evidence-based scholarship participatory action research single case study designs approaches that provide scientific evidence supporting OT services how theory, models, or frames of reference are modified as a result of practice demands or expectations best practices in education continuum of care services the "New Doors Model" that provides occupation-based services--while providing new opportunities for occupational therapists the Practice-Scholar Program at Duquesne University the Concerns Report Method research on the outcomes of practice that support improved services creative fieldwork education that engages students in the scholarship of practice and more The Scholarship of Practice: Academic-Practice Collaborations for Promoting Occupational Therapy makes important, enlightening reading for occupational therapists, OT educators and scholars, and graduate students preparing for advanced roles in OT.

Make separate library services for distance learners a thing of the past Internet Reference Support for Distance Learners takes a comprehensive look at efforts by librarians and information specialists to provide distance learners with effective services that match those already available on campus. With the development of the World Wide Web and the evolution of Web-based services, reference librarians are adding a human element to the virtual library, blurring the difference between distance learners and traditional users. This unique book examines how they deal with a wide range of related topics, including standards and guidelines, copyright issues, streaming media, and chat and digital references, and presents a historical overview of how reference and instructional services have been delivered to distance usersbefore and after the creation of the Internet. Internet Reference Support for Distance Learners reveals that librarians do not make a sharp distinction between reference and instruction within the context of distance learning, and that there is no clear boundary between true distance learners and more traditional students who might use services designed for nontraditional users. Online capabilities have allowed reference librarians to approximate services advocated by published guidelines and standards, including the ACRL Distance Learning Section's Guidelines for Distance Learning Library Services, to provide a framework for librarians to plan services for off-campus students. Internet Reference Support for Distance Learners provides practical information on: how librarians can keep IT simple when designing methods to access reference support why library Web sites are vital sources of communication between the distance learning student and the reference-based instructional component how to set up a university chat service, including software selection, staff training and assessment how to provide students services beyond traditional provision of resources, including advising, enrollment, and payment of fees how to create an online assistance site that incorporates online versions of traditional print handouts, FAQs, subject guides, course-specific guides, learning modules, and instructional videos in one central location how to work with faculty to create online support for students in Blackboard courses the pros and cons of using open-source software how to create an online library assistance site how to create online information literacy course to teach independent research skills to remote students how to avoid copyright infringement and how to educate library personnel about copyright law how to use Camtasia Studio, a screen capture program to create audio and video for online presentations Internet Reference Support for Distance Learners is an invaluable resource for librarians working in academic, school, special, and public settings, and for library science faculty and students.

Find out what makes metadata an exciting addition to resource description Metadata: A Cataloger's Primer provides catalog librarians and students with a comprehensive instructional resource on the ongoing convergence of cataloging and metadata. Equally valuable in the classroom and as a professional reference tool, this unique book serves as an introduction to the concepts of metadata within bibliographic contexts, demonstrating the potential for resource description. The book introduces various metadata schemes, including the Dublin Core, Encoded Archival Description (EAD), and Extensive Markup Language (XML), and discusses how to plan and implement a metadata-driven digital library. Metadata: A Cataloger's Primer is more than a mere introduction to metadata applications and management. The book's contributors present basic operational definitions, an outline of the evolution of metadata in the cataloging community, and a discussion of basic metadata techniques, calling on hard-earned knowledge gained from their experiences as educators working in cataloging and metadata applications. They provide work forms, work plans, and practical examples that demonstrate the application of metadata for resource description and depository development. Metadata: A Cataloger's Primer examines: data structures MODAL (metadata objectives and principles, domains, and architectural layout) framework literary displacement knowledge domains discourse communities information ecologies personal metadata electronic resources authorship attributes cultural information resources instantiation data modeling DTD (document type definition) digital libraries and much more! Metadata: A Cataloger's Primer is an invaluable learning resource filled with introductory and theoretical material, original research, and instructive material for cataloging librarians and students.