This guide for the design and management of information services is intended for students in information services management, both in schools of library and information science and in schools of business management. It is also aimed at practitioners - librarians and other managers - who provide information to services in business, industry, and government, either from within an organization or as external consultants and contractors. In addition, managers of computer and communications facilities and other organizations that process information, should find this guide relevant.;The text offers a basis for the design and management of information services to: provide decisison-makers with help of the management of change; make corporate decision-makers aware of information as an asset and as a strategy for improved, innovative decisions; and make information service providers potential sources of innovation for any organization that processes information.

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 series 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.
Throughout all of the chapters of this 25th volume of Advances in Librarianship runs a thread of technology that is now embraced by libraries of every nation and type. It is clear that libraries are sharing technological developments everywhere in the world, from Russia to New Zealand. Not only are rare book librarians using technology but funding agencies are supporting its spread as well.

Postcards, individually and collectively, contain a great deal of information that can be of real value to students and researchers. Postcards in the Library gives compelling reasons why libraries should take a far more active and serious interest in establishing and maintaining postcard collections and in encouraging the use of these collections. It explains the nature and accessibility of existing postcard collections; techniques for acquiring, arranging, preserving, and handling collections; and ways to make researchers and patrons aware of these collections.Postcards in the Library asserts that, in most cases, existing postcard collections are a vastly underutilized scholarly resource. Editor Norman D. Stevens urges librarians to help change this since postcards, as items for mass consumption and often with no apparent conscious literary or social purpose, are a true reflection of the society in which they were produced. Stevens claims that messages written on postcards may also reveal a great deal about individual and/or societal attitudes and ideas.Chapters in Postcards in the Library are written by librarians who manage postcard collections, postcard collectors, and researchers. Some of the authors have undertaken major research projects that demonstrate the ways in which postcards can be used in research, and that have begun to establish a standard methodology for the analysis of postcards. They write about: major postcard collections, including the Institute of Deltiology and the Curt Teich Postcard Archives the use of postcards for scholarly research postcard conservation and preservation, arrangement and organization, and importance and value Postcards in the Library describes the postcard collections in a variety of libraries of different kinds and sizes and indicates very real ways in which the effective use of postcard collections can result in and contribute to substantive, scholarly publications. It also offers advice and suggestions on the myriad issues that libraries face in handling these ephemeral fragments of popular culture.Special collections librarians, postcard collectors, postcard dealers, and historical societies will find the information in Postcards in the Library refreshing and practical. Libraries with established postcard collections or those thinking about developing postcard collections will use it as a valuable planning tool and start-to-finish guide.

The literature on the Internet and library and information services has emerged since 1990 and has exploded in 1994 and 1995. Though the amount of material on this topic has increased significantly, little has been done to organize this body of literature. This book selects, organizes, reviews, analyzes, and presents books and articles on the Internet and the library published in 1994 and 1995. An introductory essay provides a comprehensive discussion of the most important issues, trends, and challenges faced by library and information professionals as they respond to the Internet in diverse ways. The annotated bibliography that follows contains more than a thousand entries, which are grouped in topical chapters to facilitate use. The emergence of the Internet has had a profound impact on society in general and on library and information services in particular. The Internet is widely used in various library and information operations including information selection, organization, preservation, processing, presentation, and delivery. The literature on the Internet and library and information services has emerged since 1990 and covers a great variety of issues. Since 1994, publications on this topic have grown dramatically. While literature before 1994 tends to be primarily descriptive, more recent works are analytical and provide valuable information on the use of the Internet in libraries. Though the amount of literature on the Internet and library and information services has exploded, little effort has been made to organize this vast body of information. This book is a research guide to the most important books and articles published on the Internet and library and information services in 1994 and 1995. The volume begins with a comprehensive essay that identifies and highlights the issues, trends, and challenges faced by library and information professionals today, as they incorporate the Internet in their work. The annotated bibliography that follows cites more than a thousand books and articles on the Internet and library and information services. The entries are grouped in topical sections to facilitate use, and the extensive indexes further allow the reader to locate specific information.

Gain an in-depth understanding of changes in technical services that have taken place over a quarter century and look at future trends and changes that may occur. Technical Services Management surveys and analyzes technical services in libraries from 1965 to 1990, a formative period and one of great change in library operations. The book also identifies trends that continue to impact technical services operations in libraries today. Readers gain a comprehensive knowledge of where the field has been and where it is now to help them plan and prepare more effectively for the future.Most chapters are historical, combined with a firm grasp of the present and a glimpse or more at the future. They are grouped to reflect the various aspects of technical services. Trends in technical services are considered in chapters on the development of technical services literature and the major changes in technical services in school libraries. Chapters on the major subdivisions within technical services--acquisitions and collection development, cataloging, and preservation--trace changes in library operations and the impact of automation. Issues in catalog design are explored in chapters on the emergence of online public access catalogs, bibliographic utilities, and approaches to authority control. Efforts to improve subject access are addressed through chapters on subject cataloging, the Dewey Decimal Classification, and indexing in the U.S. and Great Britain. To keep pace with changes in technical services, changes in professional education and development are needed as documented in chapters on cataloging education, continuing education in technical services, and the role of professional organizations. The final chapter outlines new challenges in the future and new roles for librarians in an electronic environment.Effective planning for the future includes learning about the past. Technical Services Management, 1965--1990 is a vital resource for library historians, library educators, technical services librarians, and graduate students in library and information science who need to know "how things were" in order to see more clearly "how things will be."

Library Automation and OPAC 2.0: Information Access and Services in the 2.0 Landscape brings library automation back to the forefront of cutting-edge research. In today's age of Web 2.0 and social networking, libraries are entering the new Library 2.0 era, and this reference will present current and future librarians with the necessary new library automation research they will need to keep their institutions up-to-date in today's constantly changing technological environment.

Here is unique volume offering practical advice on weeding and maintaining reference collections. It covers different types of libraries--academic, corporate, public--and problems, and librarians describe in detail methods and criteria used by their libraries in weeding their reference collections. Dr. Pierce has organized the topics of her book into relevant chapters. These chapters, bound to appeal to a variety of needs, address and discuss the problems and management of growing reference collections. As many librarians find weeding reference books a difficult task, most reference departments suffer from a lack of space as a result. Collection growth reduces shelf and seating space, and both books and people are lost in the clutter. In reading this essential book, reference supervisors will come to understand the importance of allowing reference area growth combined with effective weeding to promote an attractive and well-stocked reference area. Heads of reference will find Weeding and Maintenance of Reference Collections full of useful information, from the specific criteria and detailed methods contributed by several librarians who have found success in weeding their reference collections, to the practical hints on planning and evaluating collection contents and organization. Students and faculty of library schools and information studies will gain insight into successful management of increasing amounts of reference material as the Information Age gathers momentum into the 1990s.

A study of libraries and the role they play in both inner city areas and dispersed rural communities. It examines the library as a cultural institution, considering its spatial and symbolic presence and exploring its public service remit. The book is intended for undergraduates and postgraduates on library and information science courses and as supplementary reading for cultural and communications studies, tourism and recreation, human geography and sociology - as well as for public and academic librarians.

At head of title: International Council on Archives.

This useful book helps reference librarians understand the information seeking needs and behaviors of the diverse groups of people in the communities they serve. With the increasing diversity of the American population, librarians striving to plan and deliver excellent reference services must enhance their understanding of how best to assist many types of individuals and groups, from children to the elderly. Library Users and Reference Services provides much-needed help in this area, delivering strategies and methods to aid readers in their quest for increasingly effective service for all members of the communities in which they work. Library Users and Reference Services is divided into four sections of chapters which cover a broad range of topics to assist readers in planning and delivering appropriate services. Section One explores customer service, economics of information, and marketing as key concepts useful in studying information needs of specific groups in the population. Section Two focuses on scholars and students in three broad academic disciplines: science, humanities, and social sciences.Section Three covers groups with special characteristics such as age, economic standing, gender, or profession. Section Four discusses evaluation and provides guidance in the use of the most widely accepted measures for assessing reference effectiveness. The book's final chapter explores redesigning reference services for the future, providing a glimpse of how such services may change. Library Users and Reference Services is a practical guide to help readers understand the many issues related to serving diverse populations in a community. Reference librarians and graduate library school students and faculty will learn more effective ways to help a heterogeneous public with the help of this new book.

Modern libraries need to respond to many challenges and thus must constantly evolve. The series Bibliotheks- und Informationspraxis [Library and Information Practice] takes on new issues and questions and it aims, by contributing information and practical experience, to optimize the operations and services of libraries and comparable institutions. The series is intended for all who work in libraries or other areas of information dissemination.

The perfect guide to jumpstart an information brokerage firm Here is an instructive guide for any librarian planning to start an information brokerage, whether as an entrepreneur or as a member of a document delivery group in a library. The methods used by successful firms and librarians are gathered together in this helpful book. Information Brokers: Case Studies of Successful Ventures identifies specific skills and relevant characteristics required to establish a successful information brokerage firm, and provides a descriptive model to assist you in running an information brokerage firm as a viable business venture.This guide is full of information gleaned from questionnaires sent to successful information brokerages throughout the United States and from in-depth interviews conducted with the principals of six of these firms. During the interviews, these individuals were questioned about many relevant issues of the field including: establishment of the business company history what specifically made each business a success general concepts concerning information brokering pertinent literature that helped them, and can help youLibrarians looking for a career change or who find their jobs in jeopardy as a result of budget cuts may want to look into the field of information brokerage. With Information Brokers: Case Studies of Successful Ventures, you can discover if the information brokerage field is for you

This helpful guidebook makes it easy for librarians to select the most appropriate periodical or serial for their proposed articles. A subject index with cross references ensures quick access to the alphabetically listed titles. The Guide to Publishing Opportunities for Librarians provides the following comprehensive information for each publication listed: bibliographic entry name and address of editor to whom manuscripts should besubmitted names of indexing and abstracting services which include the publication editorial aim/policy scope and content intended audience manuscript style requirements acceptance rate review procedures for submitted articles Both novice and experienced authors will be able to quickly select the most appropriate periodical or serial for proposed articles from a wide variety of publications. In addition to the more familiar organs of national library associations, societies, and library schools, the guide also includes regional publications, newsletters, bulletins, scholarly journals, interdisciplinary and general periodicals, subject-specific publications, and electronic journals. Public, academic, special, and school librarians, as well as other information specialists seeking to publish in the library science field, will find the Guide to Publishing Opportunities for Librarians a valuable tool for promoting professional development.

This well-conceived annotated bibliography of 497 items covers all areas of hypermedia and hypertext through the end of 1989. Though not meant to be exhaustive, it does a very good job of identifying many important books, articles, proceedings and ERIC documents pertaining to hypertext/hypermedia and related issues. . . . This bibliography is the most thorough compilation of works in the field of hypertext/hypermedia and it deserves a place on the reference shelves of any large academic or public libraries. Any individual interested in finding information on this fast growing field will find this book extremely helpful. Choice This is the only comprehensive annotated bibliography on hypertext/hypermedia. Hypertext refers to units of information interconnected with links. Hypermedia involves the extension of this concept to include information units in the form of graphics, music, animation, video, or any type of media that can be digitized. Hypertext/hypermedia systems allow users to access and interact with information. Listing nearly 500 citations, the bibliography represents the work of over 350 authors. Extremely up-to-date, the book is comprehensive through the first half of 1989. Hypertext/hypermedia applications in such areas as education, automobile diagnostic and repair systems, job training, medical diagnostic systems, electronic publishing, and job training are some of the ideas covered in this bibliography. The bibliography contains items in the following formats: books, book chapters, journal articles, conference proceedings, ERIC documents, government publications, and hypertext documents. Dissertations, technical reports, and items in languages other than English are not included. The bibliography is arranged alphabetically by author. Primary access is provided by subject and author indexes. Each entry includes sufficient bibliographic information to locate the item in a library, acquire it through interlibrary loan, or purchase it. The book is suitable for all libraries.

Volume twenty one of "Advances in Library Administration and Organization" offers timely articles from scholars and administrators working throughout the world. It adapts theory to practice in a variety of areas of interest to those who manage libraries. These include a demographic study of Canadian librarianship, an article on the implementation of ISO9000 in Thailand, pieces on information literacy programs in the United States, and a discussion of organizational culture within libraries from South Africa. The idea is to provide food for thought for practitioners and theorist alike so that they might be spurred to think about the challenge of making libraries run well. Whether one is interested is service philosophies as discussed in a symposium held in honor of Johannah Sherrer, the definition of command work, or the process used to thoughtfully develop and refine an assessment program in a Colorado university library, there is something here for every manager that will help them confront the challenges facing them. The articles address obstacles facing all of us every day and offer insights that can be of value as we seek a vision for libraries and librarianship in the 21st century.

This book analyses: the 'dysfunctional' concept in the professional and academic LIS discourse by exposing the internal problematics of libraries, especially at the social and organizational level. dysfunctional nature of modern libraries, while simultaneously proposing solutions to reduce and alleviate dysfunction. This book will be essential reading for librarians and LIS students currently working or preparing to work in public, college, and university libraries.

This book tells the story of how information evolved since the mid-nineteenth century. It argues that information increased in quantity, became more specialized by discipline (e.g., mathematics, science, political science), and more organized. Information increased in volume due to a series of innovations, such as the electrification of communications and the development of computers, but also due to the organization of facts and knowledge by discipline, making it easier to manage and access. I do this by looking at what major disciplines have done to shape the nature of modern information, devoting chapters to the most obvious ones. I argue that understanding how some features of information evolved is useful for those who work in subjects that deal with their very construct and application, such as computer scientists and those exploring social media and, most recently, history. The book continues my more than twenty years of studying how information became a central feature of modern society, building on prior books I have written, most notably as a sequel to All the Facts: A History of Information in the United States since 1870 (OUP, 2016) and Building Blocks of Society: History, Information Ecosystems, and Infrastructures (R&L, 2021).

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 series 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.

This volume: * Uses the Coronavirus pandemic to explore the link between news sentiment and global financial markets * Shows how the COVID-19 crisis differs from the Global Financial Crisis of 2008 * Focuses on the Noise vs Signal in news sentiment * will be invaluable for business professionals, bankers, media professionals, and investment consultants.

The Intelligent Nation proposes a systemic and radical transformation of the organisation, management, ownership and performance of the services of the state by capitalising on the potential offered by contemporary information capability and fulfilling the rights and obligations both to and of citizens. In this book, John Beckford shows how, by adopting the principles of an Intelligent Organisation, the state can thrive and meet the needs of its citizens. He proposes a complete rethink of the state as the enabler or provider of public services. In particular, he points to the failure of the public sector to significantly emulate the massive gains in productivity and customer focus experienced in both manufacturing and services (e.g. finance, retailing, insurance). Governance and all public services must be redesigned to align to the contemporary needs of the citizen and exploit the power of information to enable a transformation of their effectiveness, redefine efficiency and support human-based services in crucial areas. Each chapter provides the key learning points, a discussion of the problem in theory and practice, integrated case studies, and discussion points. Written in an accessible style, the book provides thought-provoking supplemental reading for masters and undergraduate students reading organisation theory, organisation development, political science, public administration, healthcare, information systems and business and management science.

The growth of the Internet and the availability of enormous volumes of data in digital form has necessitated intense interest in techniques for assisting the user in locating data of interest. The Internet has over 350 million pages of data and is expected to reach over one billion pages by the year 2000. Buried on the Internet are both valuable nuggets for answering questions as well as large quantities of information the average person does not care about. The Digital Library effort is also progressing, with the goal of migrating from the traditional book environment to a digital library environment. Information Retrieval Systems: Theory and Implementation provides a theoretical and practical explanation of the latest advancements in information retrieval and their application to existing systems. It takes a system approach, discussing all aspects of an Information Retrieval System. The importance of the Internet and its associated hypertext-linked structure is put into perspective as a new type of information retrieval data structure. The total system approach also includes discussion of the human interface and the importance of information visualization for identification of relevant information. The theoretical metrics used to describe information systems are expanded to discuss their practical application in the uncontrolled environment of real world systems. Information Retrieval Systems: Theory and Implementation is suitable as a textbook for a graduate-level course on information retrieval, and as a reference for researchers and practitioners in industry.

Improve the delivery of library services by implementing total quality management (TQM), a system of continuous improvement employing participative management and centered on the needs of customers. Although TQM was originally designed for and successfully applied in business and manufacturing settings, this groundbreaking volume introduces strategies for translating TQM principles from the profit-based manufacturing sector to the library setting. Integrating Total Quality Management in a Library Setting shows librarians how to improve library services by implementing strategies such as employee involvement and training, problem-solving teams, statistical methods, long-term goals and thinking, and an overall recognition that the system (not the staff) is responsible for most inefficiencies.Total Quality Management in a Library Setting describes the principles of TQM, its origins, and the potential benefits and barriers to be expected when adopting quality management approaches in libraries. Chapters provide guidelines for planning and implementation to help libraries use total quality management to break down interdepartmental barriers and work on continuously improving library services. The contributors, who have begun to think about using or who are already using TQM in a library setting, present specific planning and implementation issues that can be put to immediate use in libraries. With this innovative book, library managers will learn that by working together on problem solving teams to address specific operational questions, and by developing a shared knowledge of problem-solving tools and techniques, staff members grow personally and gain a larger sense of organizational purpose. Other TQM methods introduced in this book include the concept of the internal customer, which teaches staff to recognize how other staff members use the results of their work, and the principle of continuous improvement, which enables libraries to set measurable goals based on quantitative performance indicators, and to monitor progress toward those goals.