Advice from the expertson collecting and managing the digital resources that are an increasingly vital part of librarianship! Managing Digital Resources in Libraries is a practical guide to managing library materials in digital formats. Working librarians share their expertise in the acquisition and management of digital resources, addressing questions of licensing, funding, and providing access. The contributors also examine innovative projects and systems, such as the integration of PDA-accessible resources into a library collection and the development of all-digital libraries. You'll also find supplementary reading lists and bibliographies of additional resources, including relevant Web sites. Addressing the challenges of and barriers to the preservation and dissemination of electronic information, Managing Digital Resources in Libraries explores vital questions, such as: How are librarians coping with digital resources? How do they compare and select titles and formats to purchase? How do they allocate limited fundsto lease or to purchase high-priced electronic titles? Does consortium membership provide the answer to funding problems, or does it force librarians to pay for content their users neither want nor need? Is MARC still an appropriate format for cataloging? How can librarians make themselves familiar with the multitude of available resources? Managing Digital Resources in Libraries will update your working knowledge of: online resources open archivestheir uses and their history the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the First Sale Doctrine, and the Fair Use Doctrineand their implications for librarians e-journal cataloging and e-journal management software electronic collection development and management personal digital assistants digital licensing agreements electronic searching systems, including ELIN@, Electronic Journal Finder, Pirate Source, OPAC, and cold fusion databases

Get informed answers to your questions and concerns about integrating the materials in your library's collection Library collections have always included materials in many formats handling a mix of material types is an accepted part of library work. And in recent years, the very concept of collection has been significantly redefined by the addition of electronic resources. But are print and digital materials really merged in library collections or are they treated and maintained as separate entities? Integrating Print and Digital Resources in Library Collections examines a variety of collection management issues, combining practical theory, research findings, how-to articles, and opinion pieces to encourage efforts in establishing fully integrated and accessible collections. While achieving a truly integrated collection can be difficult, the failure to do so can lead to duplication of access, effort, and expense.Integrating Print and Digital Resources in Library Collections can help guide you through the difficult aspects of keeping your collection up-to-date, including the Big Deal and consortial purchasing, shifting the emphasis from purchasing print to procuring online resources for library reference work, analyzing use patterns of electronic versus hard copy resources, serials workflow studies, and review projects. Integrating Print and Digital Resources in Library Collections examines: the implications of electronic resource licenses future directions of academic reference collections technologies that can help integrate electronic resources into reference collections the Big Deal the purchase of access to large aggregations of materials in electronic formats integrating electronic resources into the collections of ARL libraries a corporate library's progression to an all-digital collection how to decide what can and can't be digitized how large e-book collections affect the circulation of comparable print collections and much more Integrating Print and Digital Resources in Library Collections is an invaluable resource for librarians experts and beginners seeking to develop the best collections for their patrons.

Compare and contrast library reference models and more consumer-oriented models! Digital versus Non-Digital Reference: Ask A Librarian Online and Offline analyzes the quality of commercial Ask A Librarian (AskA) and tutorial services and how they compare to traditional library services. Edited by Jessamyn Westproprietor of librarian.net and the hippest ex-librarian on the Web according to Wired magazinethe book looks at library models and more consumer-oriented models, examining a variety of services that range from Ask Jeeves (R) and Google Answers to your own reference desk and Web e-mail reference forms. Academic librarians and information specialists share their experiencesgood and badin starting, assessing, or ending AskA services and in working with collaborative reference tools and outsourcing reference services, and discuss the highs and lows of dealing with individual online services. Digital versus Non-Digital Reference: Ask A Librarian Online and Offline chronicles the experiences and interactions of librarians with digital reference, including case studies, how-to guides, and philosophical essays. The book's contributors discuss their concerns about using the Internet as not only a reference tool but as a reference medium that most libraries find inevitable to some degree. Topics include the political ramifications of offsite or outsourced reference, the truth behind the assertion that it's all available online, cultural and/or language barriers to text-based reference services, and patrons' experiences with reference tools, from a librarian's perspective. Digital versus Non-Digital Reference: Ask A Librarian Online and Offline addresses: policy, staffing and technology for telephone reference services e-mail reference in public libraries the University of Michigan's Internet Public Library archivists and remote users in the digital age success and failure with commercial AskA programs the history of Q and A NJ, New Jersey's virtual reference service multilingual chat reference systems the ongoing debate over the value of digital reference the case for nonintrusive reference Digital versus Non-Digital Reference: Ask A Librarian Online and Offline is an invaluable resource for practitioners and academics on the appropriate assessment, technologies, and methods for successfully creating and operating human-mediated, Internet-based information services.

Expert advice for more effective teamwork in the library! Cooperative Reference: Social Interaction in the Workplace addresses the need for reference librarians to work together to keep the system running smoothly. This book explores the various means of developing social professionalism, collaborating on projects, and combining forces with other libraries to remain on the cutting edge of information services in this new century. Using this guide, you will learn from the first-hand experiences of on-the-job reference librarians. This book will give youas a reference librarian, administrator, library science student, or educatorideas to support cooperative efforts in the library and beyond. This book will show you how to better interact with: other reference librarians face-to-face users online users library and academia faculty other libraries Cooperative Reference reveals how patrons perceive you from the other side of the desk. This book shows that first impressionshow you dress, your attitude, how you interact with other workers, and how you address the patron's questionsdirectly affect the patron's visit and influence his or her decisions about using your library in the future. The social skills in this volume can also directly benefit your library as library budgets can no longer keep up with the skyrocketing costs of library materials. To continue viability, many libraries must be willing to work together to share costs and experience. Other topics in Cooperative Reference include: tag-team referencinga dynamic, synergistic environment at the reference desk teaching librarians about interpersonal skillshow to establish professional, collegial relationships with one another librarians teaming up to teach a class together cooperative reference desk schedulinghow to create and implement tailored desk hours collection development between librarians for different departments working together to create online services a consolidation of reference services by two separate libraries Using several case examples, this well-referenced book takes an innovative look at the ever-increasing necessity for librarians to work together for the good of the patrons, the workers, and the library structure. Cooperative Reference will improve the reference services of public and academic libraries both large and small.

Strategies and tools to help you plan, build, and maintain your library collection Selecting Materials for Library Collections takes you step-by-step through the process of planning, building, and maintaining a quality library collection. This up-to-date guide addresses the interests and concerns of academic and public libraries with expert advice on budgets, policies, and planning. The book examines print, non-print, and Internet selection resources, including the OCLC WorldCat Database and ACQNET-L. You'll find valuable information you can apply right away to help you keep any collection relevant and up-to-date Selecting Materials for Library Collections provides the tools you need to keep your library collection current. Seasoned experts share their thoughts on how to analyze your users' expectations and then provide them with the materials they need. The contributors also examine the selection aids that they use in their own acquisitions work and then look at how to achieve a balanced collection that efficiently serves their clients' needs. Supplementary reading lists and extensive bibliographies provide you with additional resources. Selecting Materials for Library Collections presents the latest information on: using print, non-print, and Internet selection resources such as OCLC WorldCat database and ACQNET-L initial collection assessment and decision making collection tool evaluations acquiring international core titles the New Thought movement approval plans set-up, maintenance, and evaluation the newest technology for media selection specialized library collections in music, art, business, economics, health, sports, leisure, and more

Discover innovative outreach services you can implement for your library! Outreach Services in Academic and Special Libraries examines the creation and delivery of outreach programs designed to promote awareness of the library by meeting the information needs of underserved or uninformed patrons. This book contains the experiences of academic and special librarians who describe a wide array of successful outreach programs that are in place throughout the country. This valuable tool introduces professional librarians and library science students and faculty to current and highly innovative models of outreach services implemented in a variety of academic and special library settings. This extensive resource shows how to use outreach programs to market new information resources and services to library constituents. Outreach Services in Academic and Special Libraries contains charts, graphs, and pictorials to help walk you through the process of creating an outreach program at your library. This book also presents bibliographies, suggestions on how to improve on existing designs, and the librarians' wish lists of ideas they'd like to try in the future. Outreach Services in Academic and Special Libraries presents case studies covering many topics related to outreach services, including: outreach to special groups of remote users multicultural outreach collaborative outreach partnerships with university and college departments and community organizations outreach Web sites targeting special groups marketing library services and resources information literacy as a form of outreach multi-media kiosks and exhibits book talks outreach to new faculty and transfer students and more! Librarians will benefit from the wide range of creative ideas and successful case studies implemented by library colleagues representing institutions from around the country. Outreach Services in Academic and Special Libraries serves as a catalyst for librarians to implement similar outreach programs at their own academic or special library.

Get the tools you need to build a collection development policy that will help your library run efficientlytoday and in the future! Considering the amount and variety of topics being published, effectively organizing and guiding a library in today's accelerated world is no easy task. Collection Development Policies: New Directions for Changing Collections is the contemporary librarians guide to building or revising a first-rate collection development policy. In this up-to-date book, experts in the field take you step-by-step through the publishing process from writing an initial draft to applying the official copy. Find out what did and did not work in their own practices and get the tools you'll need to tackle any obstacles you may encounter. Collection Development Policies: New Directions for Changing Collection covers a variety of topicsincluding pricing policies and remote storage facilitieswithout leaving out the traditional concerns of space and funding. This valuable book also addresses the needs of specialized collections with information on acquisition policies for contemporary subjects collections and building subject specific policy statements. Experienced professionals examine the stability of the electronic resources market and explain how the impact of technical services is redefining the access, collection, and cataloging of libraries. Collection Development Policies also provides examples of collection policies currently in use. Read about: the subject specific policy statements of Schreyer Business Library and the women's studies collection at Pennsylvania State University Berkeley's Collection Development Policy (CDPS) and the factors hindering its revision the creation and revision of St. John's University's collection development policy Simmons College's Graduate School of Library and Information Science's term project and syllabusand how it can be applied to functioning libraries the Association of Research Libraries' Web pagesand how they have been influenced by the electronic management revolution Collection Development Policies: New Directions for Changing Collection is a valuable resource for anyone selecting and acquiring library materials, maintaining a library collection, or building a collection development policy. The information in this book will help you organize your library collection in a manner that will be beneficial not only to you, but to your clients as well.

Get the tools you need to build a collection development policy that will help your library run efficientlytoday and in the future! Considering the amount and variety of topics being published, effectively organizing and guiding a library in today's accelerated world is no easy task. Collection Development Policies: New Directions for Changing Collections is the contemporary librarians guide to building or revising a first-rate collection development policy. In this up-to-date book, experts in the field take you step-by-step through the publishing process from writing an initial draft to applying the official copy. Find out what did and did not work in their own practices and get the tools you'll need to tackle any obstacles you may encounter. Collection Development Policies: New Directions for Changing Collection covers a variety of topicsincluding pricing policies and remote storage facilitieswithout leaving out the traditional concerns of space and funding. This valuable book also addresses the needs of specialized collections with information on acquisition policies for contemporary subjects collections and building subject specific policy statements. Experienced professionals examine the stability of the electronic resources market and explain how the impact of technical services is redefining the access, collection, and cataloging of libraries. Collection Development Policies also provides examples of collection policies currently in use. Read about: the subject specific policy statements of Schreyer Business Library and the women's studies collection at Pennsylvania State University Berkeley's Collection Development Policy (CDPS) and the factors hindering its revision the creation and revision of St. John's University's collection development policy Simmons College's Graduate School of Library and Information Science's term project and syllabusand how it can be applied to functioning libraries the Association of Research Libraries' Web pagesand how they have been influenced by the electronic management revolution Collection Development Policies: New Directions for Changing Collection is a valuable resource for anyone selecting and acquiring library materials, maintaining a library collection, or building a collection development policy. The information in this book will help you organize your library collection in a manner that will be beneficial not only to you, but to your clients as well.

Combine marketing and strategic planning techniques to make your library more successful!
With cutting-edge research studies as well as theoretical chapters that have not been seen before in the marketing literature for LIS, this book examines the current and quite limited state of marketing by LIS practitioners and institutions. It provides you with examples of how marketing can be made more widely applicable within LIS and illustrates some of the usefulness of marketing in special LIS settings and contexts. The book explains how and why managers should combine marketing strategy with strategic planning and demonstrates the means by which LIS could move toward a more full-fledged use of marketing--relationship marketing and social marketing in particular.
In order to be a more effective tool, Strategic Marketing in Library and Information Science is divided into two sections: "The Basis and Context for Marketing" (theoretical information) and "The Application of Marketing" (practical applications that you can put to use in your institution). Chapters cover: existing literature on marketing in LIS--what it has to offer and what it lacks strategic planning that must take place before marketing money is spent the branding process and how it can be helpful in LIS marketing a marketing method for bridging the gap between staffing needs and the current shortage of librarians a way to use relationship marketing techniques to respond to the challenge of marketing electronic resources marketing applications relevant to theological libraries the effective use of social marketing at the Austin History Center--a fascinating case study! a fresh marketing approach to bridging gaps betweencultural history and education the importance of marketing for public libraries

Combine marketing and strategic planning techniques to make your library more successful!
With cutting-edge research studies as well as theoretical chapters that have not been seen before in the marketing literature for LIS, this book examines the current and quite limited state of marketing by LIS practitioners and institutions. It provides you with examples of how marketing can be made more widely applicable within LIS and illustrates some of the usefulness of marketing in special LIS settings and contexts. The book explains how and why managers should combine marketing strategy with strategic planning and demonstrates the means by which LIS could move toward a more full-fledged use of marketing--relationship marketing and social marketing in particular.
In order to be a more effective tool, Strategic Marketing in Library and Information Science is divided into two sections: "The Basis and Context for Marketing" (theoretical information) and "The Application of Marketing" (practical applications that you can put to use in your institution). Chapters cover: existing literature on marketing in LIS--what it has to offer and what it lacks strategic planning that must take place before marketing money is spent the branding process and how it can be helpful in LIS marketing a marketing method for bridging the gap between staffing needs and the current shortage of librarians a way to use relationship marketing techniques to respond to the challenge of marketing electronic resources marketing applications relevant to theological libraries the effective use of social marketing at the Austin History Center--a fascinating case study! a fresh marketing approach to bridging gaps betweencultural history and education the importance of marketing for public libraries

Get a unique insight into the image problems librarians face!
The Image and Role of the Librarian addresses all aspects of professional identity for librarians, including professional roles, cultural images, popular perceptions, and future trends. The book examines historical representations, stereotypes, and popular culture icons and the role each plays in the relationship between librarian and patron. The book also looks at the profound impact the Internet has had on the services librarians provide and how electronic resources have transformed the roles and responsibilities of librarians.
From the Editors: "There seems to be no profession as preoccupied with self-examination as that of librarianship. While some of it may stem from an identity crisis, the refrain heard over and over is startlingly similar to Rodney Dangerfield's 'I don't get no respect.' This seems to be true of all types of librarians--from public librarians who (often rightly) complain of being treated like servants by the patrons they serve, to the academic librarians who are always trying to establish their 'faculty-ness' to the teaching professors."
Topics addressed in The Image and Role of the Librarian include: public, student, and faculty perceptions of librarians cinematic portrayals of librarians images of librarians in comic books librarians in children's literature male librarian stereotypes "know-it-all" librarians changing roles for specialty librarians Generation X and the future of librarianship and much more! A unique examination of professional roles and responsibilities, patron expectations and perceptions, The Image and Role of the Librarian brings clarity and recognition to theservices and functions librarians provide in their day-to-day work.

An invaluable how-to for librarians and archivists--inside insights from leading collectors This essential guide to the acquisition process covers every aspect of the search for hard-to-find materials. Out-of-Print and Special Collection Materials: Acquisition and Purchasing Options is a handbook of traditional and not-so-traditional methods for identifying, locating, and acquiring rare items from a variety of sources. The book serves as a comprehensive reference for professionals and students alike, drawing on the experiences of the foremost archivists in their fields.The book offers a unique assortment of specialized essays, informative and instructive. The assembled collectors are your guides on a journey in search of rare items--through specialty catalogs and special circumstances, libraries and bookshops, collections and book stocks--through the print underground of the acquisitions world. Topics range from the basics of acquisitions, to setting (and sticking to) a budget, building a collection, determining the market value of out-of-print materials, and more detailed looks at individual areas of research.Experienced archivists and budding collectors will find indispensable information on a variety of vital topics in this book, including: out-of-print music underground poetry acquisitions outside the United States planning a collection hard-to-find materials on science, technology, and medicine out-of-print literature

An invaluable how-to for librarians and archivists--inside insights from leading collectors This essential guide to the acquisition process covers every aspect of the search for hard-to-find materials. Out-of-Print and Special Collection Materials: Acquisition and Purchasing Options is a handbook of traditional and not-so-traditional methods for identifying, locating, and acquiring rare items from a variety of sources. The book serves as a comprehensive reference for professionals and students alike, drawing on the experiences of the foremost archivists in their fields. The book offers a unique assortment of specialized essays, informative and instructive. The assembled collectors are your guides on a journey in search of rare items--through specialty catalogs and special circumstances, libraries and bookshops, collections and book stocks--through the print underground of the acquisitions world. Topics range from the basics of acquisitions, to setting (and sticking to) a budget, building a collection, determining the market value of out-of-print materials, and more detailed looks at individual areas of research.Experienced archivists and budding collectors will find indispensable information on a variety of vital topics in this book, including: out-of-print music underground poetry acquisitions outside the United States planning a collection hard-to-find materials on science, technology, and medicine out-of-print literature

Explore ways to bring and keep your library's electronic services up to date!From editor Di Su: "Some years ago, if you were told that a library's catalog would be available on a 24/7/365 basis, you'd think it was just another fiction. Perhaps as influential as Johannes Gutenberg's invention of movable type printing, the Internet is one of the most significant happenings in the information world in modern times."In addition to showing you how library services have been influenced and enhanced by the advent of the Internet, Evolution in Reference and Information Services: The Impact of the Internet will enable you to make the most of the new opportunities that current technologies offer. This valuable book will also help you and your library avoid the pitfalls and new challenges to professional competency that come along with electronic research.Evolution in Reference and Information Services: gives you a review of the history of electronic reference looks at the increasing role of librarians as teachers and providers of technical help for users provides case studies and ways to evaluate electronic research methods suggests strategies for providing effective electronic services examines government Web sites explores Internet sources of health information shows you how to establish electronic services through your library's portal site looks at how to manage a library computer lab and much more!

Explore a compilation of reference service works by Charles A. Bunge, a leader in the field!This informative and delightful book highlights the contributions of Charles A. Bunge to the literature on reference service. From Past-Present to Future-Perfect: A Tribute to Charles A. Bunge and the Challenges of Contemporary Reference Service offers reference librarian professionals the reprints of selected articles by Charles Bunge, bibliographies of his published work, and original articles that draw on Bunge's values and ideas in assessing the present and shaping the future of reference service. Through this guide, you will explore four categories of Bunge's work, which include measuring the effectiveness of reference service, the reference environment, reference sources, and reflecting on the past and future of reference work. This important book will assist you in creating and maintaining an effective and ethical reference service that will help patrons find the materials they need. With From Past-Present to Future-Perfect, you will gain access to some of Bunge's most important articles on the reference environment. Some of the helpful reference service information you will examine includes: ways of putting joy back into reference work to counteract the situation of low morale among practicing reference librarians discussions on the challenge of continual learning for reference librarians and strategies for updating knowledge and skills understanding and organizational strategies for handling stress in the library workplace exploring the realm of an ethical reference practice and how a reference librarian should act or behave in providing reference services peer coaching programs for reference librarians to assist the learning and sharing of knowledge among colleagues organizing electronic reference sources assisting patrons with their reference questions using technology in the reference environmentThorough and comprehensive, this excellent resource explores the changes that have occurred in reference and information resources, and techniques for setting goals and objectives for your reference department. From Past-Present to Future-Perfect looks at the exciting and challenging world of reference librarianship and gives you valuable insights and ideas on how to improve and update your reference department.

New recognition within society of previously unserved populations has created the need for librarians to also recognize these groups and to find ways to serve them equally. Reference Services for the Unserved provides information, guidance, and inspiration to library professionals in their work with previously unserved populations so that these persons may be absorbed into the larger, served population groups. It helps librarians adjust to making accommodations for these new user groups, recognizing that many people in these populations have very specific needs and bring with them some specific limitations in their abilities to take advantage of existing library services. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has transformed the lives of disabled and challenged people by mainstreaming disabled children in public schools, moving mentally and developmentally disabled people into community-based residences and workshops, providing services to disabled college students, and enhancing workplace accommodations. At the same time, the ADA has presented new challenges for the library community. Reference Services for the Unserved guides library professionals in meeting these new challenges by bringing together research and descriptions of several successful attempts to meet the information needs of previously unserved populations. In guiding library professionals and administrators in effectively serving currently unserved populations, authors in Reference Services for the Unserved tell readers how to: approach services for patrons with mental illness--examines issues of behavior "inappropriate in the situation" and ways for librarians to understand this behavior in order to carry out their professional objectives of providing access to information, improving quality of life, and meeting the legal mandates of the ADA. address the needs of disabled students in the academic library--recognizes that the information needs of disabled students are not different from those of traditional students; the differences are in means of access, overcoming barriers to access, and the need for adaptive technologies and techniques. meet the information needs of battered women--suggests ways library professionals can better assist individual battered women, social service providers, and public policy or decision-makers. integrate technology into the library setting--focuses on people with severe and persistent mental illness (the improvement of access to information sources on behalf of people with cognitive disorders whose ability to process text-based information is impaired) and reports on the use of computer-aided instruction (CAI) and multimedia technology to meet their information needs. develop or upgrade services to patrons with special needs--a bibliography of useful material for guidance.Combined with strong administrative support, the information in Reference Services for the Unserved provides a strong foundation for making positive and effective changes to better accommodate disabled and challenged patrons. Library professionals and administrators and students of library and information sciences will find it a necessary guide in their attempts to provide effective and quality services to all patrons.

Here is unique volume offering practical advice on weeding and maintaining reference collections. It covers different types of libraries--academic, corporate, public--and problems, and librarians describe in detail methods and criteria used by their libraries in weeding their reference collections. Dr. Pierce has organized the topics of her book into relevant chapters. These chapters, bound to appeal to a variety of needs, address and discuss the problems and management of growing reference collections. As many librarians find weeding reference books a difficult task, most reference departments suffer from a lack of space as a result. Collection growth reduces shelf and seating space, and both books and people are lost in the clutter. In reading this essential book, reference supervisors will come to understand the importance of allowing reference area growth combined with effective weeding to promote an attractive and well-stocked reference area. Heads of reference will find Weeding and Maintenance of Reference Collections full of useful information, from the specific criteria and detailed methods contributed by several librarians who have found success in weeding their reference collections, to the practical hints on planning and evaluating collection contents and organization. Students and faculty of library schools and information studies will gain insight into successful management of increasing amounts of reference material as the Information Age gathers momentum into the 1990s.

This useful book helps reference librarians understand the information seeking needs and behaviors of the diverse groups of people in the communities they serve. With the increasing diversity of the American population, librarians striving to plan and deliver excellent reference services must enhance their understanding of how best to assist many types of individuals and groups, from children to the elderly. Library Users and Reference Services provides much-needed help in this area, delivering strategies and methods to aid readers in their quest for increasingly effective service for all members of the communities in which they work. Library Users and Reference Services is divided into four sections of chapters which cover a broad range of topics to assist readers in planning and delivering appropriate services. Section One explores customer service, economics of information, and marketing as key concepts useful in studying information needs of specific groups in the population. Section Two focuses on scholars and students in three broad academic disciplines: science, humanities, and social sciences.Section Three covers groups with special characteristics such as age, economic standing, gender, or profession. Section Four discusses evaluation and provides guidance in the use of the most widely accepted measures for assessing reference effectiveness. The book's final chapter explores redesigning reference services for the future, providing a glimpse of how such services may change. Library Users and Reference Services is a practical guide to help readers understand the many issues related to serving diverse populations in a community. Reference librarians and graduate library school students and faculty will learn more effective ways to help a heterogeneous public with the help of this new book.

Here is an in-depth book on the process of evaluating your acquisitions and collection management programs. No project, no matter how ingenious or innovative, will be granted support by a funding agency without a solid evaluation plan. Evaluating Acquisitions and Collection Management discusses the reasons evaluation is held in such high regard by administrators. The authors describe a variety of evaluation activities that cover both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The first section of the book covers current trends and the impact on collection development and acquisitions, and how the evaluation of collections can reveal patterns of program support that can then be compared between peer institutions. Other topics include the process of assigning relative value to acquisitions activities, performance appraisal, and methods for improving procedures of acquiring materials. Acquisitions librarians and administrators will find this book extremely helpful in streamlining their acquisitions and collection management programs.

Here is unique volume offering practical advice on weeding and maintaining reference collections. It covers different types of libraries--academic, corporate, public--and problems, and librarians describe in detail methods and criteria used by their libraries in weeding their reference collections. Dr. Pierce has organized the topics of her book into relevant chapters. These chapters, bound to appeal to a variety of needs, address and discuss the problems and management of growing reference collections. As many librarians find weeding reference books a difficult task, most reference departments suffer from a lack of space as a result. Collection growth reduces shelf and seating space, and both books and people are lost in the clutter. In reading this essential book, reference supervisors will come to understand the importance of allowing reference area growth combined with effective weeding to promote an attractive and well-stocked reference area. Heads of reference will find Weeding and Maintenance of Reference Collections full of useful information, from the specific criteria and detailed methods contributed by several librarians who have found success in weeding their reference collections, to the practical hints on planning and evaluating collection contents and organization. Students and faculty of library schools and information studies will gain insight into successful management of increasing amounts of reference material as the Information Age gathers momentum into the 1990s.

Get the most out of your reference information systems and technology!Reference Services and Media meets the information challenges that overwhelm and assist us today with computerization, electronics, and telecommunications changes in the reference services of our libraries. As a professional in the library science field, you will discover innovative theories and researched solutions on many technology problems and challenges such as formatting and compatibility, training of reference professionals and library users, costs, and information have and have nots. With the year 2000 and beyond upon us, emerging technologies afford tremendous opportunities for reference librarians and for improved and enhanced public access to information. In Reference Services and Media you will learn about planning for staffing, troubleshooting fund-raising, and budget developing to support the use of information technologies. You will also examine the impact new media has on academic libraries, specifically video and movie clips that are transferred over intranets and internets and their opportunities and legal implications. In Reference Services and Media you will also explore: desktop conferencing and web access for reference services versus personalized contact desktop conferencing with personal computers in remote areas for reference service assistance positive and negative aspects of using each technology in reference use instruction creative methods for procuring funding for an electronic information literary instruction classroom providing a digital library for a state library network raising confidence levels of public service librarians in using electronic resources to answer reference questions Reference Services and Media includes case studies, tables, and an annotated bibliography that serves as a librarian's media reference toolkit, making it essential for effective media reference work. An excellent source for the reference librarian, Reference Services and Media will assist you in adopting and incorporating new information technologies for the present and future.

The most proactive source for business reference librarian information on the market, Business Reference Services and Sources: How End Users and Librarians Work Together shows you that the librarian-customer relationship is as synergistic as ever. It gives you timely facts about how librarians and users work together and how those partnerships are built. In it, you?ll encounter group projects done by faculty, students, external users, and non-librarian supervisors and discover an enlightening spirit of collaboration lacking in most research literature today. Further establishing the marketability of contemporary research librarians, Business Reference Service and Sources goes to the front lines of business reference service, solidifying and updating the librarian-user partnership. You?ll see how research librarians can reach users at the crux of their needs. Overall, individual chapters address the needs of such people as students, business school officials, and corporations. Specifically, you?ll read about these areas: Internet business research and ESL students corporate home pages as supplements to traditional business resources networking with community business sources synergy in the information specialist-customer partnership avoiding information overload in bibliographic instruction the Internet's impact on government documents assessing the validity of electronic journals underprivileged, nontraditional students and bibliographic instruction Today, in our climate of negative ad campaigns directed at libraries and librarians in general, business reference librarians face many challenges, academic as well as professional. But if you?re one of the vocal, proactive supporters of productive librarian-customer partnerships, this book will help you "grow feet" and move out from behind the restrictive comfort of your desk into the world's classrooms and manufacturing teams. Certainly, Business References and Sources will convince you that collaborative projects between contemporary reference librarians and end-users are alive and well.

Coming of Age in Reference Services: A Case History of the Washington State University Libraries focuses on the triumphs, trials, ideas, and difficulties of the Holland Library and how these experiences can help other professionals enhance services for patrons. The articles, written by reference librarians at the library, discuss topics such as departmental history and culture, training reference professionals, and user education programs to give you insight into how other librarians solve problems or implement changes. From Coming of Age in Reference Services, you'll receive advice from experienced professionals that can help you create change in your library and help you adapt to the many technological advances related to librarianship.Coming of Age in Reference Services allows you to gain first-hand experience that will guide you through problems or issues that may occur in your library. Addressing the uses and intricacies of electronic information, this book offers you information that will help you with a variety of other topics, including: training and retraining in reference skills and subject knowledge, interpersonal abilities, and thinking skills in order to improve services for the 21st century defining "Generation X," being a member of this generation, and their growing need for information and learning opportunities exploring how long reorganization plans take to be implemented and how the library environment can enhance services for users by discussing the history of Holland Library Public Services focusing on freshman taking English 101 to better teach them how to find information through cultivating better relationships with academic departments, creating web modules to reach more students, and understanding departmental cultures integrating techniques for finding books and using encyclopedias into the University's World Civilization course to encourage critical thinking discussing the impression of American Academic Libraries through the experiences of a Library Fellow from Lithuania Coming of Age in Reference Services leads you through the transformation of the Holland Library, allowing you to learn about the decisions, planning, and ingenuity involved in establishing a modern and more efficient information center. Containing appendices and a chronological timetable documenting the library's history, Coming of Age in References Services offers you knowledge from experience concerning library reorganization and the ever-changing world of a successful reference librarian.

This important book explores the many questions challenging librarians who work with gifts and exchanges (G&E) as part of their daily responsibilities. Too often, because of shrinking library budgets, library gifts are considered burdensome and unprofitable drains on both financial and personnel resources. However, Gifts and Exchanges: Problems, Frustrations, . . . and Triumphs gives you solutions that will allow you to embrace your library's gifts as rewards. In this book, you will discover the latest ways of disposing unwanted materials, planning and holding book sales and auctions, and operating a full-time bookstore with Friends of the Library.Gifts and Exchanges covers the many questions that are currently challenging librarians who work with gifts and exchanges--the problems, such as limited space and an understaffed team, frustrations, and triumphs that make up your daily routine in book donations. The many chapters in Gifts and Exchanges will assist you in solving your worst gift and exchange nightmares as you explore research and solutions on: the importance of a gift policy and its interpretation a template for drafting a gift policy G&E procedures in libraries not affiliated with the Association for Research Libraries answers to todays G&E problems disposing and profiting from unwanted gifts encouraging the gifts you want Gifts and Exchanges is a valuable reference that will help you swim through your department's sea of gifts and exchanges. As a library profesional, you will benefit from this book's current and well-researched answers to the problems that flood your G&E department.

Explore a compilation of reference service works by Charles A. Bunge, a leader in the field!This informative and delightful book highlights the contributions of Charles A. Bunge to the literature on reference service. From Past-Present to Future-Perfect: A Tribute to Charles A. Bunge and the Challenges of Contemporary Reference Service offers reference librarian professionals the reprints of selected articles by Charles Bunge, bibliographies of his published work, and original articles that draw on Bunge's values and ideas in assessing the present and shaping the future of reference service. Through this guide, you will explore four categories of Bunge's work, which include measuring the effectiveness of reference service, the reference environment, reference sources, and reflecting on the past and future of reference work. This important book will assist you in creating and maintaining an effective and ethical reference service that will help patrons find the materials they need. With From Past-Present to Future-Perfect, you will gain access to some of Bunge's most important articles on the reference environment. Some of the helpful reference service information you will examine includes: ways of putting joy back into reference work to counteract the situation of low morale among practicing reference librarians discussions on the challenge of continual learning for reference librarians and strategies for updating knowledge and skills understanding and organizational strategies for handling stress in the library workplace exploring the realm of an ethical reference practice and how a reference librarian should act or behave in providing reference services peer coaching programs for reference librarians to assist the learning and sharing of knowledge among colleagues organizing electronic reference sources assisting patrons with their reference questions using technology in the reference environmentThorough and comprehensive, this excellent resource explores the changes that have occurred in reference and information resources, and techniques for setting goals and objectives for your reference department. From Past-Present to Future-Perfect looks at the exciting and challenging world of reference librarianship and gives you valuable insights and ideas on how to improve and update your reference department.