Fandom and geek programming has exploded in libraries in recent years. From anime-themed library lock-in events, cosplay contests, and video game tournaments, to an annual Harry Potter Yule Ball, libraries have embraced their inner geek and are hosting a wide variety of fandom programs. For those librarians who have no idea about the importance of Doctor Who, or the Star Trek vs.Star Wars debate, planning for such programming can seem daunting. Teen Fandom and Geek Programming: A Practical Guide for Librarians covers major fandom and program themes, as well as real-world event, club, and program ideas to help librarians provide this type of programming to their communities. Specifically, detailed coverage is provided for: *Major fandoms, including superheroes, anime, Harry Potter, Dr. Who, Sherlock, and video game fandoms including MMOGs, Nintendo, and RPGs *Fandom clubs *Fanfiction programming *Cosplay programming *STEM programming through fandoms (graphic design and art; video editing and design; 3D printing) *Large-scale geek events *Promoting inclusivity through geek programming Use the tips and how-to knowledge in this practical guide to get more teens into your library!

How librarians can be radical positive change agents in their communities, dedicated to learning and making a difference. This book offers a guide for librarians who see their profession as a chance to make a positive difference in their communities-librarians who recognize that it is no longer enough to stand behind a desk waiting to serve. R. David Lankes, author of The Atlas of New Librarianship, reminds librarians of their mission: to improve society by facilitating knowledge creation in their communities. In this book, he provides tools, arguments, resources, and ideas for fulfilling this mission. Librarians will be prepared to become radical positive change agents in their communities, and other readers will learn to understand libraries in a new way. The librarians of Ferguson, Missouri, famously became positive change agents in August 2014 when they opened library doors when schools were closed because of civil unrest after the shooting of an unarmed teen by police. Working with other local organizations, they provided children and their parents a space for learning, lunch, and peace. But other libraries serve other communities-students, faculty, scholars, law firms-in other ways. All libraries are about community, writes Lankes; that is just librarianship. In concise chapters, Lankes addresses the mission of libraries and explains what constitutes a library. He offers practical advice for librarian training; provides teaching notes for each chapter; and answers "Frequently Argued Questions" about the new librarianship.

This book connects wayfinding and signage with user experience (UX) design principles to assist libraries in creating positive, welcoming signage that communicates effectively and efficiently. Take a more user-centered approach to crafting library signage with this handy guide. Well-designed signage is clear, direct, and reduces confusion and frustration among library users and library workers alike—and also complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), bolstering accessibility

At a time of rapid social, economic, and organizational change, community benefit organizations (CBO) have a nearly unprecedented need for managers and leaders who are not just ethical and mission-centric, but also competent-managers and leaders who have the whole picture of the CBO landscape and the skills to efficiently and effectively guide it in its mission, increase value, and achieve lasting impact. Conversational and well-paced, Supervision, Management, and Leadership draws on classic, time-tested perspectives while fully integrating emerging priorities, practices, and tools of the digital revolution. This book provides readers with a roadmap for moving up in an organization and a handbook for how to develop as a competent manager and leader.

Published in partnership with the International Association of School Librarianship, this work gathers together the latest and most important research on the topics of social justice and cultural competency in school libraries. Education systems today are expected to advance national goals related to fairness, equity, and social cohesion. Comprising articles written and collected in the journal of the International Association of School Librarianship and new articles written especially for this anthology, this book documents both empirical research and promising practices to help school librarians and teachers work together to promote social justice and develop learners' and educators' cultural competence. Both coeditors are experienced in working with authors from around the world and have participated in the development of standards and guidelines for school library practitioners that are effective and ethical. Brief real life case studies of school librarians and teachers in action showcase efforts to improve the lives of marginalized or under-served students. School librarians inside and outside of the United States, school library educators and policymakers, and academic librarians building school librarianship collections will find this guide valuable. Includes evidence-based approaches to dealing with challenges to the educational and moral purposes of schools Features fresh perspectives on shared concerns from colleagues Provides access to research and promising practices

Using concrete examples, The School Librarian's Technology Playbook offers strategies for school librarians to initiate and support innovative practices throughout their school community. The role of school librarians has evolved: no longer do they primarily support teachers with reading and literacy resources. Many librarians now support teachers in integrating technology tools and innovative teaching practices in their classrooms. At her school, author and learning coordinator Stacy Brown has pioneered the transition to innovation and technology use in the classroom. In The School Librarian's Technology Playbook, she showcases different technology tools and innovative strategies that can be incorporated into the classroom, such as 3D printing, augmented reality, green screen applications, gamification, coding, makerEd, and more. She details the many ways in which school librarians can support teachers as they implement these new practices into their curriculum. School librarians will learn how to collaborate with teachers and how to empower them to step outside of their comfort zones to try new tools and teaching methods. Readers of this book will also learn how to support teachers as the technology continues to change in this dynamic educational landscape. Readers will be inspired to reimagine the role of the school librarian as a primary influencer of innovation within the school community Readers will discover specific strategies to achieve buy-in from administrators and managers to allow school librarians to lead the school in innovation and professional learning Readers will learn about relevant resources in technology and innovation and practical approaches to using them in an elementary and middle school curriculum Readers will acquire specific strategies for librarians to form partnerships with teachers to introduce resources and alternative teaching strategies into the classroom Readers will learn practical approaches for shaping the school library as an innovation hub to pilot ideas and resources and launch them into the larger community

What is the future of the academic library, and how are institutions coping with the challenges that are already being imposed by its changing functions and purpose? Using the results of a year-long study, Conner profiles four academic libraries that are transforming themselves with extraordinary ingenuity and diligence. Topics such as reference, personnel, technology, collections, buildings, campus roles, and library culture-and how they're changing in response to current trends-are examined at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which has adapted amidst the forces of change to become one of the premier academic libraries in the nation The University of California at Merced, an institution which prioritizes collaboration and networking, offering a living, working example of the library of the future The University of Hawaii at Manoa, whose focused rebuilding after a disastrous flood in 2004 spurred a rethinking of priorities, showing how a library can thrive despite limited resources The University of California at Davis, a model of the public university system, with an agricultural legacy that makes it a paradigm of the land-grant university Eschewing abstract theory and speculation, Conner details real-world practices and innovations that point the way forward for all academic libraries.

This book will be invaluable for those in the academic library who want to understand how best to serve students on the autism spectrum and how those students can contribute to the library. As a large number of students on the autism spectrum come of age and enter college, increased awareness of autism spectrum disorder is necessary among those who work in academic libraries so that they can respond to and meet the unique needs of these students. This book fills a scholarship gap while serving as a practical resource for working with the neurodivergent student population in academic libraries. McMullin and Walton explain issues that are likely to arise when interacting with students on the autism spectrum and offer practical solutions for handling them. They discuss how to work with neurodiverse students in different contexts, including at service points, in the classroom, as employees, and through outreach programs. They highlight possible concerns about the physical environment of the library and demonstrate ways that the library can be an especially positive place for students with ASD. Personal anecdotes from students with autism as well as library faculty and staff round out this valuable work. Serves as an essential resource on how to serve students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) Offers an overview of characteristics of students with ASD that is tailored to those working in academic libraries and shows how those characteristics will affect various types of interactions Provides practical solutions for common issues that librarians/ and staff may encounter when communicating with ASD students Features tips and ideas for librarians and library staff working at service points (e.g.i.e., reference desk, circulation, etc.) and in the instruction classroom

This book explores how mental illness is portrayed in 21st-century young adult fiction and how selected works can help teachers, librarians, and mental health professionals to more effectively address the needs of students combating mental illness. Mental Illness in Young Adult Literature: Exploring Real Struggles through Fictional Characters highlights American young adult literature published since the year 2000 that features characters grappling with mental illness. Chapters focus on mental disorders identified by the most recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD, and OCD. Each chapter begins with a description of a mental illness that includes its prevalence, demographic trends, symptoms, related disorders, and treatment options before examining a selection of young adult texts in depth. Analysis of the texts explores how a mental illness manifests for a particular character, how that character perceives him- or herself and is perceived by others, and what treatment or support he or she receives. The connections between mental illness and race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and identity are examined, and relevant research from education, psychology, and adolescent health is thoroughly integrated. Each chapter also provides a list of additional readings. An appendix offers strategies for integrating young adult literature into health curricula and other programs. Offers extensive analysis of contemporary young adult fiction featuring youth with mental illness to help school and youth services librarians make informed collection development and readers' advisory decisions Examines the symptoms and warning signs of mental illness in adolescents in addition to how various disorders are diagnosed and treated Offers strategies for teachers and librarians to integrate quality texts into middle and high school curricula and into community initiatives aimed at confronting the stigma associated with mental illness Follows a standardized chapter format that makes it easy for readers to learn about the books and the mental illnesses they highlight Provides an extended list of resources at the end of each chapter that includes additional young adult fiction and nonfiction as well as adult fiction texts

This book demonstrates how aesthetics, design elements, and visual literacy can be implemented in the library to enhance spaces, programs, services, instruction, and outreach so that your library will appeal to all users. Libraries have come to accept that they must rethink how they appeal to users, and harnessing the power of design can be a powerful means for addressing the changing needs of the community. Decker and Porter introduce "engaging design"-an umbrella term that incorporates multiple design frameworks with a focus on a three-prong approach: aesthetics, design thinking, and service design. These frameworks can be used to guide design choices that will aid in teaching and engaging current and potential library users. In the course of a lively and interesting narrative, Engaging Design introduces basic concepts of aesthetics and good design and explores examples of its successful uses in the academic, public, and special library. It provides simple steps for implementing subtle, but powerful, techniques to improve instruction, human-computer interaction, e-learning, public services spaces, wayfinding signage, and all manner of library programs, events, and services. In addition, the authors recommend easy-to-implement best practices that will help librarians to enhance library-goers' experience. Library administrators will also look to this book for assistance in best addressing the needs of the modern library user. Clearly explains how to recognize, understand, and interpret basic design techniques Teaches librarians how to attract and target their efforts towards specific groups of library users Outlines principles of good design in instruction programs, space planning and design tasks, outreach initiatives, and other library programs and activities Offers easy-to-follow steps to good design for wayfinding, instruction, and library usage