The free exchange of ideas is central to any democracy, and libraries are central to the free exchange of ideas. Hafner examines many of the issues at the heart of the library's role in a democratic society and demonstrates the practical importance of the library's democratic mission. In order to make informed decisions about acquisitions, librarians must be familiar with the legal and intellectual debates surrounding controversial material. The opening chapters of the volume provide an historical and theoretical context for the democratic role of the library by discussing issues related to canonicity. Later chapters discuss legal issues related to the library as a forum for free expression, the Richard R. Kreimer case, and the confidentiality of library records. Chapter authors thoroughly discuss issues that impact the daily functioning of the library. Their backgrounds in library and political science, law, management, sociology, and literary studies bring a fresh perspective to these controversial and hotly debated issues. The book will be of special interest to all practicing librarians, library trustees and administators, and to library science students.

Information technologies are having a profound impact on the ways libraries are providing traditional services. This book identifies emerging technologies and assesses their impact on two distinct yet interdependent entities, library service and library education. While other publications identify technologies and speculate on applications, this volume focuses on the impacts of information technology on several aspects of librarianship.

The book first delineates emerging technologies and their impact on reference services and bibliographic instruction. It then discusses the resultant restructuring of reference services and the relationship between librarians and patrons. Bibliographic instruction is presented as a new paradigm based on the imperative that no faculty member should teach and no student should graduate without being fully information literate. The work also discusses staffing, organization, and financial support, and the structural and political placement of the library within the parent organization.

In recent years, automation has played a vital role in library systems that handle tasks of acquisition, cataloging, serials, and circulation. The automation of these operations has, in turn, minimised the demand for human interaction. Robots in Academic Libraries: Advancements in Library Automation provides an overview on the current state of library automation, addresses the need for changing personnel to accommodate these changes, and assesses the future for academic libraries as a whole. This book is essential for library leaders, technology experts, and library vendors interested in the future of library automation and its impact on the decline of human interaction in libraries.

Libraries and Identity summarizes the role of institutional identity in the emergence of new types of libraries such as joint-use libraries and digital libraries. Professional and institutional identity has shown to be one of the most problematic, yet overlooked issues to deal with when traditional libraries such as public libraries and academic libraries develop into new shapes. The author clearly outlines the importance of identity in making change and innovation in libraries understandable. Based on original research the book comprehensively explores the role of identity as a trigger for change and development in libraries.
Based on original research which has already attracted international claimFocuses on aspects of library development which are mostly overlookedFocus on the change from traditional library types such as public and academic libraries to new ones such as joint use libraries and digital libraries

The academic landscape has been significantly enhanced by the advent of new technology. These tools allow researchers easier information access to better increase their knowledge base. Research 2.0 and the Impact of Digital Technologies on Scholarly Inquiry is an authoritative reference source for the latest insights on the impact of web services and social technologies for conducting academic research. Highlighting international perspectives, emerging scholarly practices, and real-world contexts, this book is ideally designed for academicians, practitioners, upper-level students, and professionals interested in the growing field of digital scholarship.

In 1982 the Kanazawa Institute of Technology Library Center inaugurated an international seminar program and invited noted scholars from all over the world to participate. This volume brings together distinguished papers presented over the past ten years. Thirty-three papers organized into five broad subject areas--research libraries in the Twenty-first century; information access in the new era; new technology, new media, and library buildings; library education; preservation of research materials; the technological university library; and managing knowledge in the twenty-first century--deal with topics considered to be of greatest interest to those involved with the future evolution of research libraries.

Beneficial to scholars and students in the fields of media and communication, politics and technology, this book outlines the significant role of search engines in general and Google in particular in widening the digital divide between individuals, organisations and states. It uses innovative methods and research approaches to assess and illustrate the digital divide by comparing the popular search queries in Google and Yahoo in different countries as well as analysing the various biases in Google News and Google Earth. The different studies developed and presented in this book provide various indications of the increasing customisation and popularisation mechanisms employed by popular search engines, which together with organising the world s information inevitably also intensify information inequalities and reinforce commercial and US-centric priorities and agendas.
Develops an extensive historical investigation of information, power and the digital divideProvides new social and political perspectives to understand search engines in general and Google in particularSuggests original methods to study and assess the digital divide as well as the extent of commercialisation and Americanisation worldwide"

Information is a critical resource for personal, economic and social development. Libraries and archives are the primary access point to information for individuals and communities with much of the information protected by copyright or licence terms. In this complex legal environment, librarians and information professionals operate at the fulcrum of copyright's balance, ensuring understanding of and compliance with copyright legislation and enabling access to knowledge in the pursuit of research, education and innovation. This book, produced on behalf of the IFLA Copyright and other Legal Matters (CLM) Advisory Committee, provides basic and advanced information about copyright, outlines limitations and exceptions, discusses communicating with users and highlights emerging copyright issues. The chapters note the significance of the topic; describe salient points of the law and legal concepts; present selected comparisons of approaches around the world; highlight opportunities for reform and advocacy; and help libraries and librarians find their way through the copyright maze.

Libraries are becoming increasingly automated. Many libraries have already become automated, and librarians have had to confront a new set of problems in their jobs. Many other libraries are not yet automated, but will soon be acquiring new technology and new problems. This book provides detailed techniques for coping with the problems inherent in automation. While other works offer thorough coverage of the library automation process, this volume provides case studies of the personal experiences of librarians who have had to solve problems related to automation. Included are case studies from large academic libraries, special libraries, public libraries, and smaller libraries.

The first section of the book includes chapters on locally developed library automation systems and how those systems have adapted to change. The second section contains chapters on selecting, buying, and installing automation systems. The third section includes chapters on the sharing of automated systems by different libraries. The fourth section, on database maintenance and conversion, contains chapters important to all librarians. The fifth section discusses the management of automated systems. The book concludes with a bibliographic essay that overviews developments in library automation technology and lists sources for further information.

Digitisation has been a hot topic in newspaper librarianship for some years now; it came as a godsend for many bulky and space-consuming collections. The major part of this volume comprises the papers given at the international conference on newspaper digitisation held at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City (May 2006) and presents the state of the art, including experiences from current British and North American projects. This material is complemented by presentations from the World Library and Information Congress in Seoul (August 2006), focusing on the East Asian Newspaper situation.

Health sciences librarianship today demands a balance among computer files, human ingenuity, and print sources. The many information sources presently available enable health sciences librarians to do a better job, but that job has also become correspondingly more difficult. This professional reference surveys the various types of print and electronic resources important to the health sciences and provides valuable practical advice to librarians for meeting the information needs of researchers, practicing physicians, and other health professionals. Health sciences librarianship today demands a balance among electronic files, human ingenuity, and print sources. Thanks to computerization and telecommunications, librarians can do much more now than just a few years ago. While the tremendous growth in available resources has enabled librarians to provide more thorough information to patrons, the process of doing so has become correspondingly more complex. While librarians still need to use many traditional skills, they must also develop new ways of finding and utilizing information. This professional reference surveys the field of health sciences librarianship and provides extensive practical advice to assist health sciences librarians in meeting the information needs of their patrons. Because journal literature is the principal medium of information in the health sciences, the book begins with an examination of the roles that journals play as well as the large proportion of the library budget that they consume. The volume then discusses techniques of searching journal literature, such as print and electronic indexing and abstracting tools. Additional chapters are devoted to the selection and organization of health sciences books, and reference tools and services. Special attention is given to the electronic distribution of biomedical information. With important sources of health information now becoming available via the Internet, this book provides a point of departure to evaluate those sources. The final chapter discusses the various environments that shape health sciences librarianship, such as library settings, professional associations, and economic contexts.

Rapid developments in information technology and media have resulted in increasingly diverse strategies for information retrieval by readers and users. The duty to cope with this phenomenon and to master the situation forms one of the biggest challenges facing libraries. In order to strengthen the awareness of the potential of tools for management and strategic planning, a two-day meeting was held under the auspices of IFLA's Management & Marketing Section in Bergen, Norway in August 2005. Managers of different types of libraries, researchers and educators from five continents shared their experiences with research methods, data collection, evaluation, performance measurement, best practice strategies and policies. This book contains their presentations in the form of full length articles.

This book presents the current state of the art in the field of e-publishing and social media, particularly in the Arabic context. The book discusses trends and challenges in the field of e-publishing, along with their implications for academic publishing, information services, e-learning and other areas where electronic publishing is essential. In particular, it addresses (1) Applications of Social Media in Libraries and Information Centers, (2) Use of Social Media and E-publishing in E-learning (3) Information Retrieval in Social Media, and (4) Information Security in Social Media.

Very often in the operation of two-year and other small academic libraries there are common issues and concerns. Librarians working in such institutions take the opportunity to share current thinking on such topics as managing change, accreditation standards, auxiliary roles and responsibilities on the campus, marketing library services, collection development, personnel issues, cooperation with other institutions, coping with technology, and a host of unusual problems. The flat hierarchy in two-year and other small academic libraries does not always avail front-line librarians a smooth transition to management roles. Very often in the operation of these libraries there are common issues and concerns, which can be grouped under broad headings such as Management Issues, Personnel, Operations and Collection Requirements. The intent of this book is to offer librarians working in such institutions the opportunity to share current thinking on topics that fall under these broad headings. Topics of interest include managing change, accreditation standards, auxiliary roles and responsibilities on the campus, marketing library services, collection development personnel issues, cooperation with other institutions, coping with technology and unusual problems.

Master all the skills you need to deliver a tabletop role-playing game programme in the library! For librarians or teachers who aren't players themselves, the scope of role-playing games can seem overwhelming. Starting from the basics, Let's Roll is a practical guide to delivering a tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) in a school or public library, all within the time constraints imposed on library sessions. Coverage includes: A step-by-step guide to setting up a TTRPG programme in your school or public library including an example of a TTRPG proposalAdvice on bringing senior management on board to a TTRPG programme How to attract players, basic table rules, and preparing as a game master The health and learning benefits of TTRPGs including creativity, teamwork, cooperation, boosting confidence and encouraging reading. A comprehensive list of TTRPG games and how to implement them Featuring case studies from librarians around the world focusing on their experiences setting up TTRPGs, Let's Roll will help librarians, teachers and other educators deliver an engaging programme that delivers significant benefits on a budget – and is a huge amount of fun!

The first comprehensive guide in English to libraries and archives in Belgium, The Netherlands, and Luxembourg, this book gives humanities and social science researchers easy access to numerous important unexplored collections. The detailed entries fill the void between international directories (which provide minimal information) and country-specific guides in the vernacular (which are largely unknown to U.S. scholars). The thorough descriptions are based on selected on-site visits, direct correspondence with researchers, librarians, and archivists, and bibliographic research about the collections. Part I contains a 90-page, annotated bibliography covering five categories of publications: national bibliographies, union catalogs, biographical dictionaries, directories and guides to collections, and subject guides and bibliographies. Part II provides detailed descriptions of the principal research collections in Belgium, The Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The descriptions include basic directory information, profiles and histories, notes on special collections, and details on regulations affecting access. Institutional, subject, and author and title indexes are also provided. This book is an important research tool for national and academic libraries and archives, museums, scholars of social science, and Netherlandic studies, and European Community depository libraries.

Following the pattern of the first volume, the second volume of Libraries in the early 21st century: An international perspective extends the range of countries covered. Each chapter covers a different country and describes the modern history, development of libraries and library technology. The careful selection of countries achieves good representation of professional library work on all continents. This two-volume work represents an excellent contribution to international librarianship and allows comparative studies both at graduate and professional level.

The convergence of technologies and emergence of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary modus of knowledge production justify the need for research that explores the disinterestedness or interconnectivity of the information science disciplines. The quantum leap in knowledge production, increasing demand for information and knowledge, changing information needs, information governance, and proliferation of digital technologies in the era of ubiquitous digital technologies justify research that employs a holistic approach in x-raying the challenges of managing information in an increasingly knowledge- and technology-driven dispensation. The changing nature of knowledge production for sustainable development, along with trends and theory for enhanced knowledge coordination, deserve focus in current times. The Handbook of Research on Records and Information Management Strategies for Enhanced Knowledge Coordination draws input from experts involved in records management, information science, library science, memory, and digital technology, creating a vanguard compendium of novel trends and praxis. While highlighting a vast array of topics under the scope of library science, information science, knowledge transfer, records management, and more, this book is ideally designed for knowledge and information managers, library and information science schools, policymakers, practitioners, stakeholders, administrators, researchers, academicians, and students interested in records and information management.

Here's an exciting new edition of a work that helps you to encourage independent reading skills in children ages 4 to 7, to develop your collection of first readers, and to plan thematic, literature-based programs. With a new user-friendly organization, this guide profiles some 3,750 of the best first readers published mostly within the past decade (with a few classic and benchmark titles included as well). These books feature lively interaction between text and illustration, and cover topics and themes with true kid-appeal. Every entry offers bibliographic information, a brief plot summary, and critical comments that help you make informed selection and programming decisions. Detailed indexes of titles, illustrators, series, and reading levels, in addition to the subject index, provide easy access to the books. PreK-3. Here's a brand-new, extensively revised edition of the classic guide to first readers. Use it to encourage independent reading skills in children ages 5-8, to develop your collection for this age group, and to plan thematic literature-based programs. With a user-friendly, subject-based organization like its companion guide to picture books, A to Zoo, this annotated volume profiles some 3,750 of the best books for emerging readers. First readers feature lively interaction between text and illustration, and cover topics with true kid-appeal. Entries cover titles published mostly within the past decade (a few classic and benchmark titles are included as well). Each entry offers bibliographic information, a brief plot summary, and description of illustrations and other features to help you make informed selection and programming decisions. A list of outstanding first readers, chosen for their exceptional language and treatment of subject, makes collection development easy, and four indexes - title, illustrator, series, and reading level - provide additional access points. Lexile levels are given where available, making this volume particularly valuable for reading teachers as well as for librarians and parents, and children in kindergarten through the beginning of third grade who are starting to read independently. A boon to librarians, teachers, and parents. PreK-3.