Reference collections and services have changed considerably in the last three decades. We have moved from all services coming from the reference desk to a more fluid environment where users can be served in person, by phone, email, virtual reference/chat, instant messaging, texting, skyping, etc. Collections have changed too- from print collections, microfilm, microfiche and microcards to e-resources and e-books plus e-research collections in institutional archives. Although we see many libraries still providing traditional services, others have begun to move away from this model and try to develop and offer services and collections which will better serve their user population. With technology changing so fast, users expect to communicate with the library in whatever way they choose. They also want to obtain information with little effort on their part. Managing Reference Today: New Models and Practices * highlights newly developed service models that libraries are developing as well as the way they are handling changing reference collections. * describes new ways of providing reference services and new ideas of how to select and manage reference collections. * Identifies the best practices for meeting the needs of current and future library users in academic, special, and public library settings.

Here's an easy-to-follow, practical marketing book for academic and special libraries. Written by two practicing librarians who are passionate about communicating with users, the book provides both the inspiration and drive to market your library and practical tips and suggestions on how to do that effectively. Topics covered include: *The process of planning a marketing campaign and how some time spent on planning at the outset can help keep you focused and help you determine your level of success. *The importance of using brands and brand identity to help you establish your library's brand and market that aggressively to your users and potential users. Brand consistency is stressed here. *Marketing tools: oDigital publications, oSocial media, oVisual and print marketing materials, oPersonal interactions oEvents you can use throughout the year. For each topic, we will talk about best practices, what works, what often doesn't, and we share best concise case studies from all types of academic and special libraries.

In today's healthcare environment, lay people are increasingly anxious to play a more involved role in decisions that affect their well being. They actively seek medical and health information in libraries, bookstores, and on the Internet. Such high demand has left many public librarians struggling to meet their clients' needs, even as large numbers of new publications are becoming available. This book addresses the issues involved in developing a CHI collection in public libraries, with particular attention to the needs and behaviors of its target clientele.

An important component of library administration and organization in the modern age is managing projects. Once the realm of technology and business gurus, formal project management tools, techniques and schemas have become more commonplace in libraries. Using formal project management components can help libraries achieve their desired outcomes with less stress for employees. However, there can be an entry barrier to project management, since the concepts are still somewhat out of the range of the usual library administration experience. This volume of Advances in Library Administration and Organization attempts to put project management into the toolboxes of library administrators through overviews of concepts, analyses of experiences, and forecasts for the use of project management within the profession.

..".Material presented here is replete with concrete new ideas not only for collaboration, but also for funding, training, personal involvement, Web-based instruction, and other concepts too numerous to mention. And the best thing about these ideas is that they are not the usual endlessly-discussed theories these are ideas that have worked and some which have failed in the real world...Despite the myriad new works available today related to library instruction in general and information literacy in particular, none is devoted solely to collaborative efforts between teaching faculty and librarians. This is where Library User Education: Powerful Learning, Powerful Partnerships shines just as in the real world, it's all about collaboration." Angela Weiler, Portal"

How do individuals in our country converse about thorny political matters? We know that these kinds of discussions can be fraught, but there are ways that the conversations can be thoughtful and civil. In this book, ways to ensure civil conversations are explored deeply. A major thrust of the book is that the library (writ large) can be the locus for informed conversations, typified by evidence and truth. We begin with a description of the library--what it is, what purposes it can serve, what contributions it can make to civil discourse. As we will see, the theme of liberty runs throughout the commentary. Another chapter explores what discourse is, how discourse theory can inform civil conversations, and what kinds of discursive practices achieve the goal of civility. This is, admittedly, a tall order, but it is absolutely necessary to fulfill the promise of the book. The chapter further presents examples of topics that are components of political conversations today, as well as substantive sources that can inform those conversations. The final chapter returns to the library. The spirit and substance of providing a venue for civil conversation are discussed at some length. The conclusion presents how the library can be the exemplar for civil conversation. The audience for the book is not limited to librarians, but extends to all who are interested in, and committed to, reasoned discussion of the political issues that divide us today. Examples of topics of conversation conclude the last chapter. The purpose is to illustrate just how the fraught topics can be discussed in a civil and considered manner. The ultimate purpose of the book is to present a realistic manner by which political conversations can take place, fostered by libraries.

President Theodore Roosevelt called himself a "book lover" and for good reason. From his boyhood days in the 1860s to the very end of his life in 1919, Roosevelt had a deep-seated passion for reading books. Wherever he went, he brought books with him. Whether he was rounding up cattle on a ranch in North Dakota, giving campaign speeches from the back of a train, governing the nation from the White House, or exploring an uncharted tributary of the Amazon River, he always made time to read books. Theodore Roosevelt and His Library at Sagamore Hill includes an overview of Roosevelt's life as a reader, a discussion of the role that reading particular books played in shaping his life and career, and a short history of his personal library. The book also provides researchers and others interested in Roosevelt's life with a complete list of Roosevelt's books that are currently located at Sagamore Hill, his home in Oyster Bay, New York. The books in his personal library reflect his love of classic works of literature, his interest in history, and his fascination with the natural sciences. Theodore Roosevelt and His Library at Sagamore Hill concludes with an essay that Roosevelt wrote near the end of his life in which he reflected on his reading habits and commented on some of his favorite books.

Open source software and applications are all around us, and it's no different in today's libraries. Knowing about the open source alternative to integrated library system and being able to make accurate comparisons can save a library tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars a year while more closely matching the library's functional needs. The fact is that the foundational software in place in nearly every industry is being built with open source components. Where software applications are still proprietary or closed, those systems are themselves often built upon open source applications like open source web services, database management systems, programming languages, and operating systems. It's the same story in the library world. Library software providers offering the latest and greatest software solution for many thousands of dollars a year are building these solutions with open source software. However, full-fledged open source applications built with the same underlying technologies are available to libraries at no cost for the software itself. Each of these applications have their own unique and interesting history and communities supporting them. For the reader unfamiliar with open source software or apprehensive about using these applications in their library, this guide: -introduces the history of open source; -demonstrate the global upward trend of adopting open source technologies in general and within libraries in particular; -debunk various myths about implementing and using open source technologies; -discusses several different types of library information systems including: oIntegrated Library Systems oInstitutional Repositories oDigital Asset Management Systems oOnline Public Access Catalogs oResource Sharing oElectronic Resource Management -and lastly, shares real world experiences in getting started with open source solutions, including discussing what systems and services are available and best practices for implementation and use.

This handbook is suitable for specialists and generalists in small, medium, and large public libraries, and addresses the full spectrum of library services to teens. Young adults comprise 25% of library patrons, yet nationwide only 11% of libraries have a young adult librarian. By offering services specifically for young adults, libraries will fulfill their responsibility to provide services to the entire community, rather than ignoring this fast growing segment of the population. The book focuses on topics related to young adult collections, including reader's advisory, genre fiction, non-fiction, magazines, non-print materials, trends, publishing, censorship, and restricted access to materials and services based on age. Teens' use of technology, especially the Internet, is covered as well.

Addressing the full spectrum of library services aimed at teens, this handbook is intended for use by novices as well as experts. It is suitable for specialists and generalists in small, medium, and large public libraries, and addresses the full spectrum of library services to teens. Young adults comprise 25% of library patrons, yet nationwide only 11% of libraries have a young adult librarian. By offering services specifically for young adults, libraries will fulfill their responsibility to provide services to the entire community, rather than ignoring this fast growing segment of the population.

The book focuses on topics related to young adult collections, including reader's advisory, genre fiction, non-fiction, magazines, non-print materials, trends, publishing, censorship, and restricted access to materials and services based on age. Teens' use of technology, especially the Internet, is covered as well. Other aspects include homework assistance centers, youth participation, serving underserved populations, and cooperation with other agencies. The book concludes with a comprehensive annotated bibliography of professional resources to aid readers.

This handbook sets a new research agenda in community development. The contributors redefine existing areas within the context of interdisciplinary research, highlight emerging areas for community development related research, and provide researchers and post-graduate students with ideas and encouragement for future research activity. To do this, the editors have deliberately chosen to frame this book not through a traditional sociological lens of class, race and gender, but through a "Wicked Problems" framework. Drawing upon the work of 37 international authors, in diverse settings such as West Papua, Peru, the USA and Australia; and with methodologies equally as diverse, from case studies and interviews to the use of music and story-telling, this handbook focuses upon five Wicked Problems: forced displacement; family, gender and child related violence; indigenous marginalisation; climate change and food security; and human survival in the context of disaster and recovery work. By drawing together leading scholars from community development, social work and social policy, this handbook provides an up to the minute snapshot of current scholarship as well as signposting several fruitful avenues for future research. This book is both an invaluable resource for both scholars and practitioners and an indispensable teaching tool for use in the classroom and in the field.

Comprised of fifteen chapters written by experienced consumer health librarians, The Medical Library Association Guide to Providing Consumer and Patient Health Information is designed for library and information science graduate students as well as librarians new to health and medical librarianship, regardless of library setting. It is comprehensive in scope, covering all aspects of consumer and patient health and medical information from their humble, grassroots beginnings to the ever-evolving applications of new technology and social media. In between, the mundane aspects of health and medical librarianship, such as needs assessment, costs, budgeting and funding, and staffing are discussed. Adding richness to this discussion are the coverage of more sensitive topics such as patient-friendly technology, ethical issues in providing consumer and patient health information, meeting the needs of diverse populations, and responding to individuals from various cultural backgrounds. No comprehensive picture of consumer and patient health librarianship would be complete without addressing the critical importance of marketing and strategic partnerships; such discussions round out this invaluable guide.. Patients today must be knowledgeable enough to participate in their health and well-being. Shorter hospital stays, changing reimbursement patterns and the gradual shift towards focusing on proactively maintaining health and managing disease require patients to be informed and actively engaged. Education, information and understanding are important components of actively-engaged patients. Correspondingly, in today's e-world, there is a glut of information resources available through the Internet - from YouTube videos to Googling to blogs and Twitter feeds. What is lacking in these information-rich times is the relevance of meaning and context for those who ask, "Does this health and medical information apply to me and my unique clinical picture?" or "How do I use this information?" As knowledge navigators, information technology wizards and content experts, librarians offer focused responses to individuals' specific and highly personal health and medical information queries. In a new healthcare world order of optimizing health and minimizing hospitalizations, such a service is invaluable. Sadly, there still exists in our highly networked and technological age an information gap for those who struggle in obtaining meaningful health or medical information. These individuals may be foreign-born, non-English speaking, poor, rural, aged or semi-literate. Whatever their status, librarians must have the wherewith-all to find germane resources and also help create responsive mechanisms to bridge that health information gap for vulnerable citizens. The Medical Library Association Guide to Providing Consumer and Patient Health Information will guide you on the road to providing that response.

This book celebrates the new IFLA School Library Guidelines and shows how the Guidelines can be used in improving school library services. Each chapter describes innovative initiatives for developing, implementing and promoting school library guidelines. The book provides inspiration and guidance for the creation of national school library standards and for the development and use of standards and guidelines to change school library practice, to define the teaching role of school librarians, to guide the initial preparation of school librarians, and to advocate for school library services. Contributors to the book come from around the world: Australia, Canada, Ethiopia, France, Malaysia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United States. Their work illustrates the shared commitment of school librarians around the world to "teaching and learning for all", as envisioned in the IFLA/UNESCO School Library Manifesto.

This book, first published in 1986, provides a comprehensive and detailed look at online biomedical database searching by end users. Experts fully assess the numerous implications of end user searching and synthesize a wide variety of views and successful practices. By examining the types of users, institutional settings, products used, and applications, this important volume probes the specific variations among programs and provides a solid overview of end user searching in the health science field. The volume includes informative chapters on determining content and structure of online educational materials, training the end user, the issues in implementing end user search systems, and much more.

The contradictory yet complementary relationship between libraries and information brokers is examined in this volume, first published in 1988. Since its escalation in the 1960s, information brokering has challenged the role of the library in society. Librarians discuss their concerns about information brokers - the impact of brokers on reference services, the competence of brokers, abuse of library services by brokers, and whether libraries should provide competing fee-based services. Brokers share their own view as 'entrepreneurs', providing background, offering advice, and explaining the risks involved in their business. This lively, often controversial discussion offers suggestions for improving relations between libraries and information brokers, while continuing to serve the public well.

This book, first published in 1986, discusses reference personnel concerns and problems and offers suggestions to administration and management for improving reference personnel performance and staff development.

This book, first published in 1989, examines the problems and benefits of installing a ready-made computer system in a sci-tech library. These systems, usually known as turnkey systems, provide a means for obtaining the network for a lower cost than a new system designed by a consultant. These papers analyse the benefits and problems with turnkey systems in a variety of different situations.

This book, first published in 1986, is a practical resource to planning science and technology libraries. Librarians who have been through the process offer guidelines, an awareness of problems to anticipate, and solutions to them.

This book, first published in 1984, examines the process of building suitable collections for sci-tech libraries. Sci-tech collections are not the easiest to develop successfully in view of the complexity of the subjects involved, the large number of choices to make, and the difficulty of even knowing about certain grey area publications, such as meetings proceedings, government documents and technical reports. Expert writers assess these difficulties and provide a guide to solutions to the problems inherent in building these collections.

This book, first published in 1988, celebrates the development of sci-tech libraries in honour of the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of the first library school in the United States. The expert contributors provide a survey of the development of sci-tech libraries as well as some thoughts about their future. This comprehensive volume covers several types of sci-tech libraries, information retrieval, and library education. Library professionals will be fascinated but the journey of progress detailed in these well-written chapters.

This book, first published in 1983, presents some useful guidelines for librarians contemplating planning sci-tech library facilities, along with a number of reports on actual examples of such projects, representing a variety of sci-tech library types.

Maps, charts and related items present special problems to libraries, for example a less organised bibliographic control mechanism, more difficult means of acquisitions, and problems of storage and preservation. This book, first published in 1985, deals with these problems and presents practical solutions for maps in library collections.

This book, first published in 1984, analyses the various ways in which sci-tech libraries are meeting the needs of end-users in an era of fast-growing technical literature and increasingly complex tools and products used for the retrieval of information.

In this comprehensive volume on the reference process in archives, first published in 1986, experts offer a wealth of ideas on making both the reference archivist's and the user's tasks more exciting and enjoyable.

This book, first published in 1987, provides important information on reference publishing, including valuable guidelines on evaluating publications and sources. The articles contained here are all written by leading experts in the field.

This book, first published in 1988, looks at the relationship between public policy and information and reports ways in which libraries respond to the need for public policy information. Chapters provide perspectives from a variety of library settings with different user groups who, in turn, have different information needs. This volume will stimulate you to examine the adequacy of your own reference services and to a greater appreciation of the dynamic relationship between public policy and information services.