Examining the different bodies that publish official material, this book describes the types of material published, how it is made available and how it is recorded. Finding Official British Information focuses on the digital availability of official information and considers how much is now freely available on the web and how to locate it as well as addressing issues of web only publishing. It covers public bodies in the UK and includes publications issued by central and local government as well as the devolved assemblies and the many other organisations that issue official publications.
Quick how to find section for each areaDesigned for the non-specialistCovering central and local government, the devolved assemblies and other public bodies in the UK "

Thirty years ago, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) made a fateful decision: to allow newspapers, magazines, television, and radio stations to compete in the marketplace instead of being financed exclusively by the government. The political and social implications of that decision are still unfolding as the Chinese government, media, and public adapt to the new information environment.
Edited by Susan Shirk, one of America's leading experts on contemporary China, this collection of essays brings together a who's who of experts--Chinese and American--writing about all aspects of the changing media landscape in China. In detailed case studies, the authors describe how the media is reshaping itself from a propaganda mouthpiece into an agent of watchdog journalism, how politicians are reacting to increased scrutiny from the media, and how television, newspapers, magazines, and Web-based news sites navigate the cross-currents between the open marketplace and the CCP censors. China has over 360 million Internet users, more than any other country, and an astounding 162 million bloggers. The growth of Internet access has dramatically increased the information available, the variety and timeliness of the news, and its national and international reach. But China is still far from having a free press. As of 2008, the international NGO Freedom House ranked China 181 worst out of 195 countries in terms of press restrictions, and Chinese journalists have been aptly described as "dancing in shackles." The recent controversy over China's censorship of Google highlights the CCP's deep ambivalence toward information freedom.
Covering everything from the rise of business media and online public opinion polling to environmental journalism and the effect of media on foreign policy, Changing Media, Changing China reveals how the most populous nation on the planet is reacting to demands for real news.

Library Classification Trends in the 21st Century traces development in and around library classification as reported in literature published in the first decade of the 21st century. It reviews literature published on various aspects of library classification, including modern applications of classification such as internet resource discovery, automatic book classification, text categorization, modern manifestations of classification such as taxonomies, folksonomies and ontologies and interoperable systems enabling crosswalk. The book also features classification education and an exploration of relevant topics.
Covers all aspects of library classificationIt is the only book that reviews literature published over a decade s time span (1999-2009)Well thought chapterization which is in tune with the LIS and classification curriculum"

This book examines the problems, pitfalls and opportunities of different models of assessing research quality, drawing on studies from around the world. Aimed at academics, education officials and public servants, key features include an overview of the argument of whether research should be assessed and how research quality should be determined. Prometheus Assessed? offers a survey of research assessment models in the US, UK, Japan and New Zealand and includes an examination of citation analysis and comparison between the different models.
Should research be assessed and what is research quality?Survey of research assessment models in US, UK, Japan and New ZealandExamination of citation analysis

Public Libraries and their National Policies is aimed at practicing librarians and scholars with an interest in public libraries. It examines the various models for providing public library services around the world and discusses differences in such areas as funding sources, standards, regulations and use. At a time when public libraries are facing shrinking budgets and increasing pressure to consolidate or otherwise modify their governance structure, this book provides a timely glimpse into international best practices.
Written by a practicing public library administrator with a working knowledge of policy applicationsLittle published work exists in book form concerning international public library policies

Qualitative Research and the Modern Library examines the present-day role and provides suggestions for areas that might be suited to this type of research for the purposes of evaluation. The author discusses how the results from such research might be applied, and the overall impact of using this type of research to inform development of a more user-centred organisation. The book provides a thoughtful look at the implications of using qualitative research to inform decision-making processes within libraries and is written by an author and library researcher with international experience in various types of libraries, implementing/improving programs and services, and supporting user needs.
Fills a gap in the current literature that hasn t been found in journal articles written on this topicContains practical applications of qualitative research principles, with practical examples of select projectsWritten by an author and library researcher with international experience in various types of libraries, including work with large-scale qualitative studies, research design and evaluation of library services"

Research today demands the application of sophisticated and powerful research tools. Fulfilling this need, The Oxford Handbook of Quantitative Methods in Psychology is the complete tool box to deliver the most valid and generalizable answers to today's complex research questions. It is a one-stop source for learning and reviewing current best-practices in quantitative methods as practiced in the social, behavioral, and educational sciences. Comprising two volumes, this handbook covers a wealth of topics related to quantitative research methods. It begins with essential philosophical and ethical issues related to science and quantitative research. It then addresses core measurement topics before delving into the design of studies. Principal issues related to modern estimation and mathematical modeling are also detailed. Topics in the handbook then segway into the realm of statistical inference and modeling with chapters dedicated to classical approaches as well as modern latent variable approaches. Numerous chapters associated with longitudinal data and more specialized techniques round out this broad selection of topics. Comprehensive, authoritative, and user-friendly, this two-volume set will be an indispensable resource for serious researchers across the social, behavioral, and educational sciences.

An invaluable guide for MLS professionals and students, this new book explains how librarians can select an effective method of library instruction based on their users, the objectives of the instruction and the delivery environment. The content describes the different methods available and in what circumstances the methods are most effective. It includes descriptions of curriculums for the methods currently available and describes a range of objectives the curriculums meet and the common environments librarians use for instruction. Information Literacy Instruction also introduces two new ideas for methods of instruction: one which combines information literacy with cyber-literacy (MLI) forming an instructional method appropriate for internet users and internet information and the Fully Automated Reference Instruction (FARI) that actively involves users with the instruction while completing research they are currently involved in for specific targeted classes.
Introduction to multi-literacy instructionUsing instruction to protect users from disinformation on the InternetNew active learning idea for web based instruction (MLI and FARI)

What meaning can be found in calamity and suffering? This question is in some sense perennial, reverberating through the canons of theology, philosophy, and literature. Today, The Politics of Consolation reveals, it is also a significant part of American political leadership. Faced with uncertainty, shock, or despair, Americans frequently look to political leaders for symbolic and existential guidance, for narratives that bring meaning to the confrontation with suffering, loss, and finitude. Politicians, in turn, increasingly recognize consolation as a cultural expectation, and they often work hard to fulfill it. The events of September 11, 2001 raised these questions of meaning powerfully. How were Americans to make sense of the violence that unfolded on that sunny Tuesday morning? This book examines how political leaders drew upon a long tradition of consolation discourse in their effort to interpret September 11, arguing that the day's events were mediated through memories of past suffering in decisive ways. It then traces how the struggle to define the meaning of September 11 has continued in foreign policy discourse, commemorative ceremonies, and the contentious redevelopment of the World Trade Center site in lower Manhattan.

Presents a broad examination of the nature of virtual worlds and the potential they provide in managing and expressing information practices through that medium, grounding information professionals and students of new media in the fundamental elements of virtual worlds and online gaming. The book details the practical issues in finding and using information in virtual environments and presents a general theory of librarianship as it relates to virtual gaming worlds. It is encompassed by a set of best practice methods that libraries can effectively execute in their own environments, meeting the needs of this new generation of library user, and explores ways in which information literacy can be approached in virtual worlds. Final chapters examine how conventional information evaluation skills work falls short in virtual worlds online.
Maps out areas of good practice and technique for information professionals and librarians serving in virtual communitiesProvides a clear foundation with appropriate theory for understanding information in virtual worldsTreats virtual worlds as real environments and observes the behaviour of actors within them"

This book is aimed at guiding managers towards systematic approaches to improve and facilitate necessary strategic business development and planning. Conditions in the workplace for the Library and Information Services (LIS) are rapidly changing: many organizations are experiencing budget restrictions as well as stakeholders questioning the value of the services. Strategic Business Development for Information Centres and Libraries offers methods and tools for LIS departments to ensure value and benefits are delivered to the parent organization. It argues that LIS must be prepared to change according to the parent organization's needs, to develop strategies for important activities and to seek alliances among key stakeholders. It also offers information on the best practice from five top-performing international LIS units.
Focuses on business development and planning on a strategic levelIncludes chapter tools that can be immediately applied by the readerInterviews with five practicing mangers

This book discusses the combined fields of Intellection Property and Information Science. At this crossroads of these two disciplines are lawyers, educators, intellectual property specialists, searchers, librarians, and consultants, each requiring a lengthy list of skills necessary for the job. The results of the work they do is used for business and legal decisions across many sectors of our society, including industry, academia, government, and non-profits, to name a few. This book originated from the American Chemical Society (ACS) Symposium entitled "IP to IP: Intellection Property for Information Professionals," presented in Washington DC on August 19th, 2009. It was organized to highlight the specialty training and education required to work in this field. The book is targeted towards Information Scientists learning about Intellectual Property. Traditional education sources such as universities are represented, and are specialty offerings from the pharmaceutical sector and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
The original six sessions from the Symposium are included in this text as separate chapters: Education and Certification of Patent Information Professionals in Europe; The PERI Patent Information Course; Law Librarianship: Exploring current trends in the 21st century; The USPTO: Education of the Inventor Community; Copyright Basics; Recent Developments in Patent Reform. Additional chapters and content have been added to more fully develop this text.
Although this Symposium captured several intellectual property topics with current information for mid-2009, this content should still prove to be a valuable resource to the reader in future years. This book is an resource for students or others looking to take the next step into intellectual property as a new career choice.

Aimed at professionals and trainee professionals within the library and information service (LIS) fields, this book reminds the reader of the frequently ignored communication-gulf between the professional and the layman, and in particular the lack of true communication between LIS professionals and the user. It focuses especially on non-standard users, such as non-native speakers or those with some disability. The author provides accessible examples of good practice, assesses their degree of success and suggests further ways to improve performance in information provision.
Written by a poacher turned gamekeeper - an information professional who is also an experienced adult educatorJargon-free and accessible style of deliveryHighlights the human aspects of using libraries, even if this is in a virtual environment"

This book reviews both the historical and future roles that public, private, academic and special libraries have in supporting and shaping society at local, regional, national and international levels. Globalisation, economic turmoil, political and ethnic tensions, rapid technology development, global warming and other key environmental factors are all combining in myriad and complex ways to affect everyone, both individually and collectively. Fundamental questions are being asked about the future of society and the bedrock organisations that underpin it. Libraries and Society considers the key aspects of library provision and the major challenges that libraries - however defined, managed, developed and provided - now face, and will continue to face in the future. It also focuses on the emerging chapter in cultural, economic and social history and the library s role in serving diverse communities within this new era.
Looks at all types of library in a period of major and discontinuous change, tackling the fundamental questions of the future of libraries in the context of major societal, political and environmental issuesPoses important questions for the profession and policy developmentFills a major gap in literature (recent discourse and debate on the future of democracy, for example, the library is rarely included)"

Web 2.0 technology is a hot topic at the moment, and public librarians in particular are beginning to feel the pressure to apply these tools. Indeed, Web 2.0 has the potential to transform library services, but only if the policy and strategy for those services are ready to be transformed. The author not only reviews these tools and provides practical advice and case studies on how they can be applied in the public library setting, but also recommends the policies and business cases that begin to create a new strategy for public libraries.
Particularly geared to the public library settingAdvice on using in conjunction or integrated with other public library servicesExamples of best practice

This book, divided into two parts, provides an introduction to the quality management issues and gives a general overview to the use of ISO 9001 in the library environment. The second part presents the main features of ISO 9001:2008 with practical comments and examples on how to implement its clauses in libraries. Whether in the public or in the private sector, libraries can be seen as service organisations: they act in very dynamic environments where users are increasingly demanding new types of services. Thus the adoption of a quality management system helps each library in meeting the needs of the customers. This book covers some key ideas about how to approach the ISO 9001 standard in library terms, or any other information service unit. Managing Your Library and its Quality offers not only a useful approach to quality but it is also an excellent guide on how to manage knowledge within organisations and, a priori, thus should be utilised by the information professional.
Helps guide the implementation of a quality management system using ISO 9001, a standard widely and successfully used already in all types of organisations around the worldTranslates the ISO 9001 standard to the terms and language used within the librariesPresents a systematic approach to the quality management in libraries

Covering significant historical and cultural moments, public figures and celebrities, art and entertainment, and technology that influenced life during the decade, this book documents the 1950s through the lens of popular culture. On the surface, the 1950s was a time of post-war prosperity and abundance. However, in spite of a relaxation of immigration policies, the "good life" in the 50s was mainly confined to white non-ethnic Americans. A new Cold War with the Soviet Union intended to contain the threat of Communism, and the resulting red scare tinged the experience of all U.S. citizens during the decade. This book examines the key trends, people, and movements of the 1950s and inspects them within a larger cultural and social context. By highlighting controversies in the decade, readers will gain a better understanding of the social values and thinking of the time. The examination of the individuals who influenced American culture in the 1950s enables students to gauge the tension between established norms of conformity and those figures that used pop culture as a broad avenue for change-either intentionally, or by accident. Presents a balanced perspective on the decade that debunks the popular myth that the 1950s was uniformly a happy, carefree time of wholesome fun and "the good old days" Documents the suburban transformation that drastically changed American society Provides data that shows television viewing statistics and viewer ratings that helps readers see the influence of television media in the 1950s Includes a section that explores how the changes within the 1950s have a legacy that continue to affect our current cultural climate

This book outlines issues surrounding diversity among students, faculty, and staff and how one urban university library is working to embrace and celebrate the diversity found in its building, on campus, and in the local community. This book illustrates how universities are uniquely situated to engage students in discussions about diversity and how academic libraries in particular can facilitate and ease these discussions. A Diversity Council and the projects and programs it has developed have been instrumental in this work and may serve as an inspiration and launch pad for other libraries. Diversity Programming and Outreach for Academic Libraries details anecdotal experiences, and provides practical suggestions for developing diversity programs and forming collaborations with other campus units, regardless of size, staff, or focus of the academic library.
Written by three academic librarians currently active in university level diversity initiativesProvides real-world examples of diversity programming and events for academic librariesIndicates how to find commonalities in the range of diversity issues at universities internationally

iPhone application development is explained here in an accessible treatment for the generalist Library and Information Science (LIS) practitioner. Future information-seeking practices by users will take place across a diverse array of ubiquitous computing devices. iPhone applications represent one of the most compelling new platforms for which to remediate and re-engineer library service. Strategies of efficient mobile design and delivery include adapting computing best practices of data independence and adhering to web standards as articulated by the W3C. These best practices apply across the diverse range of handheld devices and accompanying software development tools. This book is essentially a how-to guide for application development, laying out foundational principles and then moving toward practical implementations.
Overview and step-by-step development guide with Web Based Applications (the Dash code application)Overview and step-by-step development guide using the Native Application Developer (the Xcode application)Explaining principles of portability and transferability of systems

This essential textbook provides a clear and authoritative introduction to qualitative and quantitative methods for studying media and communication. Written by two highly experienced researchers, the book draws on a wide range of media and communication research to introduce students to the relative strengths of the different research approaches. Beginning with an overview of the changing contexts and trends in media and communication research approaches, the book demystifies 'research' and the 'research process' by offering practical and accessible guidance on how to design, plan and carry out successful research projects in media and communication. This is an indispensable text for all students of media and communication studies, particularly those undertaking their own research projects or taking modules in research methods.

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"

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

This book explores issues surrounding all aspects of visual collection management, taken from real-world experience in creating management systems and digitizing core content. Readers will gain the knowledge to manage the digitization process from beginning to end, assess and define the needs of their particular project, and evaluate digitization options. Additionally, they will select strategies which best meet current and future needs, acquire the knowledge to select the best images for digitization, and understand the legal issues surrounding digitization of visual collections.
Offers practical information for the busy information professionalConcentrates solely on image managementFocuses on unique needs of born digital and digitized images

This book addresses the question of how knowledge is currently documented, and may soon be documented in the context of what it calls semantic publishing . This takes two forms: a more narrowly and technically defined semantic web; as well as a broader notion of semantic publishing. This book examines the ways in which knowledge is represented in journal articles and books. By contrast, it goes on to explore the potential impacts of semantic publishing on academic research and authorship. It sets this in the context of changing knowledge ecologies: the way research is done; the way knowledge is represented and; the modes of knowledge access used by researchers, students and the general public.
Provides an introduction to the semantic web and semantic publishing for readers outside the field of computer scienceDiscusses the relevance of the semantic web and semantic publishing more broadly, and its application to academic researchExamines the changing ecologies of knowledge production"