As librarians move into the middle of their careers, they are more ready than ever to take on new leadership opportunities. Literature on leadership is expanding in the field of library and information sciences, and more and more seminars and workshops are being offered for new and seasoned leaders. This book asks the questions: What about us? and, Where is the leadership advice and training for those who are no longer new librarians, but are also not yet seasoned leaders? The title illustrates how to work the middle, from being in the sophomore slump progressing to the next leaders in the field, to look for perspectives from others who are in the middle of their career, and how they have developed into leaders, ways to develop one s own style of leadership and grow one s career and future as a librarian and information professional.
Perspectives on leadership from mid-career information professionalsTips and tools on how to become a leader from the middle of your careerA how-to guide on making changes from the middle"

Written from the perspective of a librarian, this book offers a comprehensive overview of the impact of e-books on academic libraries. The author discusses advantages to both researchers and librarians and provides current examples of innovative uses of e-books in academic contexts. This book reviews the current situation in e-book publishing, and describes problems in managing e-books in libraries caused by the variety of purchase models and varying formats available, and the lack of standardisation. It discusses solutions for providing access and maintaining bibliographic control, looks at various initiatives to publicise and promote e-books, and compares e-book usage surveys to track changes in user preferences and behaviour over the last decade. E-books have already had a huge impact on academic libraries, and major advances in technology will bring further changes. There is a need for collaboration between libraries and publishers. The book concludes with reflections on the future of e-books in academic libraries.
Describes how e-books have changed library services and how they have enabled academic libraries to align with the e-learning initiatives of their universitiesDiscusses problems with e-book collection development and management and lists examples of solutionsExamines trends in user behaviour and acceptance of e-books

Many modern technologies give the impression that they somehow work by magic, particularly when they operate automatically and their mechanisms are invisible. A technology called RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), which is relatively new, has exactly this characteristic. Librarians everywhere are closely watching RFID technology. Advances over using bar codes on library materials, RFID tags are being touted as a way to radically redesign how library materials are handled. But it is expensive. The tags are vulnerable to wear and tear and the technology is not fully developed. It's unclear what sort of return on investment (ROI) it provides. While it is common for libraries to now have information technology expertise within their organizations, RFID may appear unfamiliar. RFID for Libraries: A practical guide examines what RFID technology is and how it works. The book reviews the development of computer technology and its effects on library operations over the last couple of decades. Further examination features the applications of RFID technology in libraries. An assessment of current implementations in libraries and the lessons learnt provides suggestions to overcome the issues faced. Concluding chapters look into the future to see what developments might be possible with RFID in libraries. Benefiting from the rich experience the author has gained during recent implementation of RFID based system for his library and the important title aids the library and information community in understanding RFID technology from a library perspective.
Written by a librarian who has recently implemented the RFID system for his libraryComprehensive review of available RFID systems for librariesStep by step guidelines for successful implementation of RFID systems in the library

The originality of this book, which deals with such a new subject matter, lies in the application of methods and concepts never used before - such as ontologies and taxonomies, as well as thesauri - to the ordering of knowledge based on primary information. Chapters in the book also examine the study of ontologies, taxonomies and thesauri from the perspective of systematics and general systems theory. Ontologies, Taxonomies and Thesauri in Systems Science and Systematics will be extremely useful to those operating within the network of related fields, which includes documentation and information science.
Ontologies and TaxonomyKnowledge classification SystemsThesauri

This book is about news search and monitoring. Aimed at professionals with a strategic need of monitoring the surrounding world, users with a need to find the best news sources, monitoring services and news search strategies and techniques will benefit from reading this book. The main purpose is to present a practical handbook with an analysis of readily available tools, blending with passages of a theoretical nature. It is also useful for students at LIS programmes and related information programmes and for librarians and information professionals. The authors aim to aid the reader in reaching a greater understanding of the core in news search and monitoring.
Presents effective tools to evaluate news search engines and databasesHarness the power of RSS (Real Simple Syndication) feeds in online news search and monitoringLearn how to navigate and critically question the news found in the blogosphere

Aimed at academic library practitioners, this book describes how e-reserve services can evolve and adapt to the changing virtual learning environment of higher education. New approaches discussed include: the integration of subscribed, free, and copyrighted resources within course management systems; innovative employment of open URL link resolvers to connect e-reserve with library e-resources and services; video streaming within course documents; and the creative use of bibliographic software to produce customized reading lists. New Approaches to E-Reserve includes detailed descriptions and extensive step-by-step illustrations in order to provide readers with the tools needed to implement the techniques covered within. These combine to offer practical insight into common issues faced by academic institutions worldwide. In addition to an overview of practices and an update on new developments in e-reserve, a discussion of strategy, policy and organizational change extends this book s relevance to a much broader theme: the strategic management of current and future technological changes in tertiary education.
Provides practical how to advice, with appropriate illustrationsOffers realistic suggestions for strategic moves to integrate services, respond to user needs, and collaborate with potential stakeholders within and outside the institutionThe authors possess wide-ranging skills in audio, visual and information services in academic libraries, administrative experience with organization change and up-to-date knowledge of technologies relevant to the academic library"

Libraries/information centres are continuously evolving to keep up with rapid changes in information gathering, processing, and distribution. Corporate and non-profit special libraries face special challenges in revitalizing their physical space and providing efficient access to digital content. This book provides solo-librarians or special library managers with practical advice as to revitalize their libraries both in the physical space and the digital space. The book uses case studies, surveys and literature review to provide practical, innovative and evidence-based information to help special librarians develop information centres that will remain relevant to their organizations.
Written from an evidence-based perspectiveEach section includes case studies, interviews or examples from libraries and librariansWritten specifically for special librarians

Transforming Research Libraries for the Global Knowledge Society explores critical aspects of research library transformation needed for successful transition into the 21st century multicultural environment. The book is written by leaders in the field who have real world experience with transformational change and thought-provoking ideas for the future of research libraries, academic librarianship, research collections, and the changing nature of global scholarship within a higher education context.
Authors are leaders in the research libraries field from a variety of countriesThought provoking chapters will help guide research library transformation globallyContains a diversity of thinking on research librarianship in the 21st century

Making a Collection Count connects the various pieces of library collection management, such as selection, cataloguing, shelving, circulation and weeding, and teaches readers how to gather and analyze data from each point in a collection s life cycle. Relationships between collections and other library services, such as reference, programming, and technology, are also explored. The result is a quality collection that is clean, current, relevant, and useful, and which connects and highlights various library services.
Offers practical applications for collection librarians and managers who are practitioners in the field. It is more than just a theoretical discussion of collection quality and collection management because useful, realistic advice is offeredThis is not a book about collection development. It is unique in that the focus is on collection quality: making the most of a library collection budget, performing physical inventory, and gathering/using data and statistics about collectionsBroad, international appeal to various library types: public, academic, school, and special"

This book has been written with a view to understand the validity of the perceptions of Open Access (OA) e-journals in the Library and Information Science (LIS) field. Using relevant OA journals this book presents and evaluates journals qualitatively and quantitatively. Over the last three hundred years scholarly journals have been the prime mode of transport in communicating the scholarly research process. However in the last few decades, a changing scenario has been witnessed in their form and format. OA is an innovative idea that attracts a fair amount of support and opposition around the world because it bridges the gap between digitally divided scholars by solving the pricing and permission crises that have imbalanced the scholarly communication process. Some scholars are of the opinion that OA has led to a chaotic environment where anyone can publish anything. Scholarly Communication in Library and Information Services records, in detail, the impact by accessing the journals web site qualitatively and quantitatively in measuring the important elements such as articles, authors, countries, subjects and cited references. Finally, the book calculates the impact factor using synchronous and asynchronous approaches.
First ever study to extensively evaluate LIS Journals Web site qualitatively by using a newly developed set of criteriaLIS OA journals are also evaluated quantitativelyCounts citations of LIS OA articles in terms of formal citations by using Google Scholar"

This book examines the theory, behaviour, connections and issues of modern information organizations. Asking leading professionals where we may be in the near future, it challenges both our perceptions and preconceptions. Posing perhaps the most vital question of all... Are we prepared? Do we have a vision?

This book showcases new interdisciplinary academic research on the relationship between information literacy and learning. It combines findings with new understandings drawn from theoretical and empirical research conducted in primary and secondary schools, higher education, workplaces, and community contexts. The studies offer new insights into questions such as how transferable are the information practices and skills learned in one context to other contexts? What is the degree to which information competences are generic, to what degree are they domain and context specific? What are the kinds of challenges and outcomes that emerge from incorporating information literacy into education and training courses? And, most importantly, what kinds of theories and philosophies regarding the nature of learning, information, and knowledge, should information literacies education and research efforts be based on?

In a world where computing power, ubiquity and connectivity create powerful new ways to facilitate learning, this book examines how librarians and information professionals can utilize emerging technologies to expand service and resource delivery. With contributions from leading professionals, including lecturers, librarians and e-learning technologists, this bookl explores strategic approaches for effectively implementing, living with, and managing revolutionary technological change in libraries.
Explores the impact of the social and technological aspects of Web 2.0 on libraries and library servicesDraws on empirical researchExperienced practitioners

Throughout its history, the Western library has played a significant role in bringing the book to the hands of Western scholars. This book analyses that history, examining constructs of librarianship, publishing and scholarship within that history as gate keeping access to knowledge. Exploring significant events in the field from the time of the Lyceum to the present day in the development of repositories of books and their access by scholars. Gatekeepers of Knowledge engages in an analysis of those events from a perspective that makes visible the ways in which the production, storage and access of books, have been privileged, while others have been marginalised.
Examines its material as analyses of significant events in the development of libraries, books, and scholarship in the western worldEmbeds those developments in significant political, economic, social and cultural fields of particular erasTies scholarship to class structures and associated protocols in its treatment of scholarship as the generation of knowledge

The primary purpose of Pursuing Information Literacy is to inspire individual thinking and application. The book reviews important information literacy and its social significance and the application of information literacy in a number of different sectors. The future of information literacy is explored in concluding chapters.
Philosophical framework and practical approachesBeyond academia; different equationsConsistency and comfort as concept; expansion of domain

This book explores recent trends in human resource management practices and presents options for their application within the special context of libraries, especially academic and research libraries. It lays out a set of the most pressing HR management issues facing senior library leaders in the context of continuous organisational change in the 21st century and offers library practitioners effective tips for people management.
A practical how-to book that provides realistic and proven solutions to real-world challengesProvides examples from organizations to highlight concepts and their applicationsSummary of key points at the end of each chapter, as well as specific tips in three areas: A - Attention (things to pay attention to); R - Results (initiatives that help to achieve desired results) and T - Techniques (ways to apply the concepts presented."

The sustainability of Networked Collaborative Learning (NCL) is a key topic of discussion amongst the institutions where it has been or may potentially be introduced. In order to determine the extent of NCL's sustainability, the added value university education may yield by adopting collaborative learning strategies must be quantified. In turn, an understanding of the implications NCL produces in terms of design and management is gained. After comparing NCL with other Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) approaches and discussing the possible reasons for adopting it, a multidimensional model for the sustainability of NCL is proposed. The model is characterized by four dimensions: pedagogical approaches, e-teacher professional development, instructional design models and valuation/assessment approaches. Each of these dimensions is examined on the basis of the author s direct experience gained through applying NCL to his university teaching.
Delineates a framework for NCL sustainabilityProvides an instructional design model for NCDescribes an original approach to the evaluation of collaborative learning processes"

A practical guide to cataloguing and processing the unique special collections formats in the Browne Popular Culture Library (BPCL) and the Music Library and Sound Recordings Archives (MLSRA) at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) (e.g. fanzines, popular sound recordings, comic books, motion picture scripts and press kits, popular fiction). Cataloguing Outside the Box provides guidance to professionals in library and information science facing the same cataloguing challenges. Additionally, name authority work for these collections is addressed.
Provides practical guidelines and solutions for cataloguing challengesDraws on the authors varied experiences with these special materialsAddresses specific, unique special collections materials"

Aimed at library science students and librarians with newly assigned administrative duties the book is about improving one s thinking and decision making in a role as a library manager. Most librarians get very little exposure to management issues prior to finding themselves in a management role. Furthermore, most library science students do not expect that they will need to understand management yet they quickly find that there is a need to understand this perspective to be effective at almost any library job. Effective library management is about having some tools to make decisions (such as a basic understanding of management theory and how it applies in the library environment, understanding common traps we all fall into, etc.), knowing yourself, being able to motivate others, fostering a diversity (especially within workgroups), being able to communicate effectively, and having an understanding of one s organizational culture. The book touches on all of these aspects of library management.
Provides a concise understanding of theories from management, psychology, etc. and applies them to practical every day library issuesContains real world cases for considering how theoretical concepts might apply in real library-related situationsCuts out much of the extraneous material often found in books of this kind and focuses more on what you actually need"

Content Licensing is a wide-ranging and comprehensive guide to providing content for dissemination electronically. It outlines a step-by-step introduction to the why, how, and frequently asked questions of digital content and how to license it. In addition, it examines the context in which licensing takes place. What makes the book unique is that it examines licensing from a range of perspectives.
Practical tips for cost-effective licensingGuidance on how to ensure the most effective use is made of electronic resourcesInvaluable for publishers, libraries and distributors

Virtual Research Environments examines making Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) usable by researchers working to solve grand challenge problems in many disciplines from social science to particle physics. It is driven by research the authors have carried out to evaluate researchers requirements in using information services via web portals and in adapting collaborative learning tools to meet their more diverse needs, particularly in a multidisciplinary study.
This is the motivation for what the authors have helped develop into the UK Virtual Research Environments (VRE) programme. They illustrate generics with specific instances of studies carried out comparing portal technologies and evaluating usability. This work, and further development of collaboration and Webbased research tools has been carried out with international collaborators, in particular using the Sakai framework and other recent Java-language based portal programming frameworks and associated standards.
The book is divided into a number of chapters providing motivation, illustrations, comparisons of technology and tools, practical information about deployment and use and comments on issues and difficulties in ensuring uptake of e-Science and Grid technology by already practicing researchers.
Definition of Virtual Research Environments and e-Research with analogies to Virtual Learning EnvironmentsCompilation about how e-Research is carried out with reference to work in UK and USA on portals and services for collaborative learning, shared information services and repositories and their application for multi-disciplinary researchDescription of Science Gateways to distributed research resources (Grid computing, data and Web 2.0 style collaboration tools) and their relevance to the grand challenges facing research requiring large teams"

Reviews the current landscape of scholarly communications and publishing and potential futures, outlining key aspects of transition to best possible futures for libraries and librarians.
Explains complex concepts in a clear, concise mannerDesigned to quickly bring the reader up to speed on scholarly communicationsWritten by a well-known international expert on scholarly communications and open access

User-Generated Content and its Impact on Web-Based Library Services examines the impact of user-generated content on web-based library services. It begins with an overview of Web 2.0 tools and technologies and a brief look at the emerging semantic tools of Web 3.0 and their implications for libraries. The book investigates the changing role of the end user as both a creator and consumer of web content and what this means for society s perception and understanding of information. The author addresses the advantages and challenges of using these tools to bring community expertise and opinion into the library, from reinvention of the library website as a community rather than a collection to the issues of moderating user-generated content. The book also explores the notion of low-fidelity authority, understanding that by acknowledging the value in content that does not necessarily meet traditional definition of authority, it creates the potential to achieve a much greater level of relevance and engagement with users. Throughout the book, conceptual discussion is illustrated with real-world examples and practical suggestions for library practitioners.
Relatively new and extremely relevant topic, with which many libraries and librarians are currently grapplingProvides conceptual discussion and practical examples of sound strategies for managing user-generated contentThe book is about rethinking what we do as librarians, and surrendering some of our traditional notions of authority and control to the expertise that exists in the community "

Aimed at students and professionals within Library and Information Services (LIS), this book is about the power and potential of ontologies to enhance the electronic search process. The book will compare search strategies and results in the current search environment and demonstrate how these could be transformed using ontologies and concept searching. Simple descriptions, visual representations, and examples of ontologies will bring a full understanding of how these concept maps are constructed to enhance retrieval through natural language queries. Readers will gain a sense of how ontologies are currently being used and how they could be applied in the future, encouraging them to think about how their own work and their users' search experiences could be enhanced by the creation of a customized ontology.
The authors, a librarian and software consultant, use their expertise to convey both the information science and technical aspects of ontologies and semantic searchWritten for librarians. Unlike most work on ontologies which is highly technical and written for professionals in computer science and knowledge management, this text is easy to understand and highlights applications of this technology that are most relevantCase studies of real life ontologies give a practical look at how they are currently being used

Targeted at Library and Information Science (LIS) professionals, this book concentrates on usability evaluation methods used to design usable and user-centered library websites. Aimed at the practitioner, it is a practical guide to methods that are used to gather information from potential users that shape the design of the website based on an interactive design process. From planning the study to writing the report, this book guides the reader through the process of usability evaluation using examples from the author s experience with usability evaluation of library interfaces. It describes usability techniques, procedures, report writing, and design changes that lead to a user-centered interface.
A concise, practical guide to completing usability evaluation methods with an emphasis on creating user-centered library websitesIncludes examples that draw on the author s practical experience with usability evaluationUseful guidelines to creating participant recruitment letters, scripts, thank you notes, and forms illustrated with practical examples"