Practical Guides for Librarians – serie

The demand from library users for audiovisual materials and remote access combined with the unceasing deterioration and inaccessibility of many audiovisual formats requires libraries to adapt their collections to meet current and future demands. While this changing landscape of digitization and resource management may seem daunting, it represents an opportunity to bolster a library’s relevancy and competitiveness.Managing Digital Audiovisual Resources fills a gap as a single concise guide for real world basics, broad concepts, and practical needs from technologies to collections to promotion. The easy-to-read book is geared towards the ongoing management of digital audiovisual resources, presenting real world scenarios and ways to think through balancing all of the many factors and needs for these collections, dealing with limited resources, materials with different levels of significance, materials facing different levels of preservation risk, factors for decision making, and resources for other options. The book takes a procedural and example-rich approach to the management of digital audiovisual resources. It covers: the selection of resources for digitization; how to managedigitization of physical audiovisual collections; how to select the best platforms for preservation and presentation; and, how to market collections once they are accessible.Among other useful features, this guide will provide readers with:Illustrated digitization workflows; Comprehensive lists and illustrated descriptions of equipment and formats;Real-world case studies;Common U.S. copyright situations; andResources for further study and assistance.

Web scale discovery tools index a vast number of resources in a wide variety formats and allow users to search for content in a physical collection, print and electronic journal collections, and other resources from a single search box. Search results are displayed in a manner similar to internet searches, in a relevance-ranked list with links to online content. Implementing Web-Scale Discovery Services: A Practical Guide for Librarians is a one-stop source for librarians seeking toevaluate, purchase, and implement a web-scale discovery service. The book breaks down each phase of the project into decision points and action plans which will help move the project forward in an orderly and focused manner.After reading this guide, librarians will be able to:identify the system with the best content match for their library;conduct informative product trials;negotiate for the best pricing options; and optimize customization of the selected systems to meet local needs.Implementing Web-Scale Discovery Services: A Practical Guide for Librarians guides librarians on configuring search boxes, integrating local content sources, and making full-text easily accessible. This text presents the information in check lists, decision trees, and quotes from early adopters, and includes information on how to customize these systems to meet each library’s specific needs.

Reference service remains a core function of modern libraries. However, how and where we provide assistance has evolved with changing technologies and the shifting habits and preferences of our users. One way libraries can provide the on-demand, in-person assistance while managing and developing new services and resources that will benefit current and future users is to reconsider how their reference points and services are staffed and adopt a staff-based reference model.The authors, staff members at Eastern Michigan University, chose to address this by implementing an inclusive reference model in which staff and student assistants are trained to answer certain levels of reference questions while working at the reference desk and at other service points. The result was that librarians became more available to work with students who needed in-depth assistance and users were able to get simple questions answered throughout the library. Similar training for all staff and student assistants who work in the library results in better service, more accurate answers, and improved interdepartmental communication.In Implementing an Inclusive Staffing Model for Today's Reference Services, they describe step-by-step how to transition from the traditional librarian-staffed reference desk to an inclusive reference model where non-MLS personnel are equipped and empowered to answer reference questions wherever these questions might be asked. Users ask questions of staff at all service points, not just at the Reference Desk. It is vitally important that those who work at circulation, periodicals, maps, archives and other public service points be trained in how to answer certain reference questions. When this is accomplished, users who have simple questions will not have to make useless treks to the Reference Desk.Topics covered include:Recognizing that nearly all staff answer reference questions, but few are trained to do sodocumenting the necessity for a change in reference modelgaining buy-in from all interested parties—librarians, non-MLS staff, and administratorsdetermining the optimal staffing levelcreating training materials and schedulesmonitoring the quality of reference service supervising staffevaluating the new model using multiple methodsAdditionally, each chapter contains practical resources such as checklists, forms, and sample materials, and other usable features to support readers as they implement the inclusive reference model. The book describes in detail the process of transforming traditional reference into a model that transcends departmental and job title boundaries, is focused on the user, and allows librarians to better utilize their time and talents, and include non-professional staff in their reference services.

Here, one of America’s foremost experts in public library services to children cover the basics of library services for children. Jeanette Larson highlights best practices and "toolkits" that provide tools and resources to quickly implement programs and services. She includes model programs, checklists and forms, and ready-to-use examples of programs, with an emphasis on programs that are inexpensive to implement and simple to replicate. From start to finish, learn how to plan, implement, and manage public library programs and services for children, ages birth to twelve years old. Children's services are a critical part of today's library services and staff need basic background information, practical advice, and specific examples of how to perform the fundamental duties required of them. Special features of the book include:Basic information on how to implement the fundamental services and programs of library services to childrenBackground and rationale for the provision of these services and programs Enhancements for children's programs and services that support literacy and learningTemplates for successful programsExamples of inexpensive and ready-to-use programs ranging from simple to on-going and more elaborate programsChildren’s Services Today: A Practical Guide for Librarians offers basic background, practical experience, and best practices necessary for the successful provision of children's services in today's public library. Whether you are a part-time children's librarian in a small, rural library, a generalist assigned to provide children's programming in a medium-sized library, or a paraprofessional working in the children's department in a large urban library, this practical guide will help you implement dynamic programs and services that meet the needs of today's children and families

Librarians must know how to provide essential programs and services that make a difference for the people they serve if libraries are going to survive. It is no longer realistic for librarians to rely on the idea that “people love libraries, so they will fund them” in this economic climate. Librarians must be able to prove that their programs and services are making a difference if they want to compete for funding in their municipalities, schools, corporations, colleges, institutions and organizations.Meeting Community Needs: A Practical Guide for Librarians presents a process that librarians of all kinds can use to provide effective programs and services. This requires being in close touch with your community, whether it is a city, town, or village; college or university; public or private school; or corporation, hospital, or business. Understanding what information people need, how they access it, how they use it, how it benefits them, and how they share it is paramount. The process in this book covers community assessment, designing programs and services to meet needs, implementing and evaluating programs and services, and funding options. Providing library programs and services for your entire population - not just library users - is more important than ever. Librarians working in libraries of all types must provide programs and services that meet community needs if libraries are to stay relevant and survive in the long run. Librarians must be able to measure their success and demonstrate the library’s worth with verifiable proof if they are going to be competitive for available funds in the future. Meeting Community Needs will make you take a serious look at how well your library programs and services are meeting your community’s needs, and it will show you the way to success.

Historical geographic material, like maps, plans, and air photos, although collected and persevered by libraries, archives, and other heritage organizations, are often hidden from the general public. They can be difficult to find, access, and use. Fortunately, these caches of cartographic gems have been recognized and valued for their significant contribution to research. As a result, many of these collections have been recently digitized and made available to the public, directly and freely, online. Acting as a comprehensive guide to online historical, cartographic and other visual resources, Discovering and Using Historical Geographic Resources on the Web provides library and archival staff, and their users, with information on how to locate, interpret, understand, and use these resources. Even for experts, this book can serve as a handy reference that summarizes the different types of maps published, providing comprehensive lists of where to access them. This book is written for all library staff members who answer reference questions and provide library instruction, and for those who are interested in digitizing their own cartographic collections. It will also attract history buffs and scholars in environmental studies, history, earth sciences, anthropology, and more.

Commercials for the largest subscription database indicate that the process of genealogy is simple—you just “plug in” what you know, and the database does the rest! Those ads might sell subscriptions, but they are misleading. Getting beyond that “low-hanging fruit” is not so easy; collecting the records and data needed to delineate a family tree accurately requires time, organization, and informed searching. Records are available from many places, and finding them is never a “one-stop shopping” experience. So how does the new researcher identify which resources meet his or her specific research needs? And how can libraries and librarians best help this new generation of genealogists? Genealogy: A Practical Guide for Librarians offers help on several levels:First, librarians can use this book to learn what resources, both print and online, their library should offer their patron base. This means not only what monographs to purchase and subscription databases to maintain, but what websites to highlight at the library’s webpage, what to include in their online tutorials, what adult education programming is appropriate. Critical assessments of print and online resources are given, including the strengths and weaknesses that librarians need to help patrons understand them.Second, both librarians and researchers can find here an in-depth discussion of the research process itself, including the best steps for a beginning researcher and search strategies for the experienced one.And third, anyone can use this book to become better informed about the phenomenon of genealogy itself and about the latest standards for online searching and research. The book includes practical advice for every public-service librarian and offers all researchers, from novice level to experienced, a clearly delineated context for the popular subject of family history research.

Here, acclaimed technology author and speaker Robin Hastings brings both her own experience as a library’s IT manager with outsourcing technical functions—including email and network backups as well as basic hardware maintenance—and that of others in her network of library techies to round out the book to help libraries of all types and sizes save money and expand services. Outsourced functions covered here range from using an outside firm to assist in creating a new library website to outsourcing basic computer maintenance and network administration. Outsourcing Technology: A Practical Guide for Librarians has something for every size and type of library:Libraries with no IT people at all will learn how to create and manage an IT department made up of outside contractors and providers;Libraries with small IT departments will learn how to supplement their existing skills and offload staff-intensive but non-essential functions to outsourced providers in order to focus on mission critical functions in-house; and,Libraries with large IT departments will learn how to use consultants and vendors to get the most bang for their technology bucks. The care and maintenance of technology is a specialized field requiring a diverse set of skills to perform properly. Many libraries find it difficult to attract skilled people because of a lack of personnel budgets, because of a location that is rural enough to have a limited applicant pool, or because the library lacks enough technological savvy to make effective hiring decisions. Regardless of the reason for the lack of technological skill in a library’s staff, there are ways to outsource major technological functions of the library so that even very small libraries can have the same access to technology as the big libraries - and big libraries can manage huge technological projects with the same resources and skills as multinational companies. Outsourcing Technology: A Practical Guide for Librarians will provide the information and guidance needed for both the smallest libraries to embrace technology and the largest libraries to get the most from their technology investments with tips and tricks for libraries of size between as well. Checklists and forms make this both a great source of information as well as a hands-on tool!

As more users expect to use their mobile devices, librarians will want and need to develop the necessary skills to reach this growing user base. Mobile Devices: A Practical Guide for Librarians will aid libraries and librarians as they go through the process of planning, developing, implementing, marketing, and evaluating mobile services. Based on research and experience using and developing for mobile devices, this guides includes information and ideas regarding:Why mobile technologies are important for librariesDeveloping mobile websites and applications for specific mobile platforms such as iOS and Android using existing web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavascriptUsing mobile devices for reference, library instruction, and shelf readingMarketing strategies to make users aware of mobile servicesEvaluating mobile servicesA must-read for librarians interested in mobile technologies and services, this guide provides librarians with practical information and examples to develop and offer mobile services in their libraries.

Here, one of America’s foremost experts in public library services to children cover the basics of library services for children. Jeanette Larson highlights best practices and "toolkits" that provide tools and resources to quickly implement programs and services. She includes model programs, checklists and forms, and ready-to-use examples of programs, with an emphasis on programs that are inexpensive to implement and simple to replicate. From start to finish, learn how to plan, implement, and manage public library programs and services for children, ages birth to twelve years old. Children's services are a critical part of today's library services and staff need basic background information, practical advice, and specific examples of how to perform the fundamental duties required of them. Special features of the book include:Basic information on how to implement the fundamental services and programs of library services to childrenBackground and rationale for the provision of these services and programs Enhancements for children's programs and services that support literacy and learningTemplates for successful programsExamples of inexpensive and ready-to-use programs ranging from simple to on-going and more elaborate programsChildren’s Services Today: A Practical Guide for Librarians offers basic background, practical experience, and best practices necessary for the successful provision of children's services in today's public library. Whether you are a part-time children's librarian in a small, rural library, a generalist assigned to provide children's programming in a medium-sized library, or a paraprofessional working in the children's department in a large urban library, this practical guide will help you implement dynamic programs and services that meet the needs of today's children and families

Commercials for the largest subscription database indicate that the process of genealogy is simple—you just “plug in” what you know, and the database does the rest! Those ads might sell subscriptions, but they are misleading. Getting beyond that “low-hanging fruit” is not so easy; collecting the records and data needed to delineate a family tree accurately requires time, organization, and informed searching. Records are available from many places, and finding them is never a “one-stop shopping” experience. So how does the new researcher identify which resources meet his or her specific research needs? And how can libraries and librarians best help this new generation of genealogists? Genealogy: A Practical Guide for Librarians offers help on several levels:First, librarians can use this book to learn what resources, both print and online, their library should offer their patron base. This means not only what monographs to purchase and subscription databases to maintain, but what websites to highlight at the library’s webpage, what to include in their online tutorials, what adult education programming is appropriate. Critical assessments of print and online resources are given, including the strengths and weaknesses that librarians need to help patrons understand them.Second, both librarians and researchers can find here an in-depth discussion of the research process itself, including the best steps for a beginning researcher and search strategies for the experienced one.And third, anyone can use this book to become better informed about the phenomenon of genealogy itself and about the latest standards for online searching and research. The book includes practical advice for every public-service librarian and offers all researchers, from novice level to experienced, a clearly delineated context for the popular subject of family history research.

Librarians must know how to provide essential programs and services that make a difference for the people they serve if libraries are going to survive. It is no longer realistic for librarians to rely on the idea that “people love libraries, so they will fund them” in this economic climate. Librarians must be able to prove that their programs and services are making a difference if they want to compete for funding in their municipalities, schools, corporations, colleges, institutions and organizations.Meeting Community Needs: A Practical Guide for Librarians presents a process that librarians of all kinds can use to provide effective programs and services. This requires being in close touch with your community, whether it is a city, town, or village; college or university; public or private school; or corporation, hospital, or business. Understanding what information people need, how they access it, how they use it, how it benefits them, and how they share it is paramount. The process in this book covers community assessment, designing programs and services to meet needs, implementing and evaluating programs and services, and funding options. Providing library programs and services for your entire population - not just library users - is more important than ever. Librarians working in libraries of all types must provide programs and services that meet community needs if libraries are to stay relevant and survive in the long run. Librarians must be able to measure their success and demonstrate the library’s worth with verifiable proof if they are going to be competitive for available funds in the future. Meeting Community Needs will make you take a serious look at how well your library programs and services are meeting your community’s needs, and it will show you the way to success.

Apple Inc. has sold more than 500 million iPhones, iPads, and iPodTouches. Library patrons are increasingly coming to libraries with the expectation that their Apple devices will work flawlessly with library services—or that they can find an iPad to use at the library if they don’t have one of their own. Libraries and librarians today are expected to be adept with the latest technology and to be able to apply it to popular use as well as scholarly research. Using iPhones and iPads: A Practical Guide for Librarians offers library professionals a clear path to Apple readiness. The authors, a librarian and a software developer at a prominent research library, combine their experience in library public services and mobile technology to provide easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions to help you get up to speed on:Ensuring that your library website and online resources are iDevice-friendlyCreating a custom app for your library and making it available in iTunesStarting an iPad lending programUsing iDevices for librarianship and library workAssessing and advertising iDevice programsAcquiring, configuring, and deploying iDevices to usersRecommended apps that can help you and your usersWhether you work at a large academic institution or a small public library, this book will show you how to become iDevice-literate quickly and easily.

Do you want to improve the usability of your library website, but feel that it is too difficult, time-consuming, or expensive? In this book, you will learn that in-house usability testing on a budget is not only feasible, but it is practical, sustainable, and has the potential to lead to remarkable improvements of the content, design, and layout of your website. Usability Testing: A Practical Guide for Librarians will teach you how to:Make the case for usability testing Define your audience and their goalsSelect a usability testing method appropriate for your particular contextPlan for an in-house usability testConduct an effective in-house usability testAnalyze usability test results and make decisions based on those resultsCreate and implement a plan for ongoing, systematic usability testingStep-by-step instructions, along with a myriad of examples, allow you to use this book as a practical guide, and adapt the techniques for your own context. Techniques are appropriate for libraries of all types, including academic, public, and special libraries.

Librarians have long used data to describe their collections. Traditional measures have simply been inputs and outputs: volumes acquired, processed, owned, or circulated. With the growth since the 1990s of cultures of assessment, librarians have sought statistics that are evaluative rather than simply descriptive. More recently, exponentially increasing journal prices and an economic recession have intensified the need to make careful purchasing decisions and to justify these to administrators. A methodical evaluation of a library collection can help librarians understand and meet user needs and can help communicate to administrators that the library is a good use of the institution’s money.Collection Evaluation in Academic Libraries: A Practical Guide for Librarians equips collections managers to select and implement a method or several methods of evaluating their library collections. It includes sections on four tools for evaluation:• Comparison to peer institutions• Core lists• Usage statistics from circulation and ILL• Citation analysisChapters on each of these approaches present the advantages and disadvantages of each method, instructions on data collection and analysis—with screenshots—and suggested action steps after completing the analysis. With a unique combination of step-by-step instructions and discussions of the purpose and role of data, this book provides an unusually thorough guide to collection evaluation. It will be indispensable for collection development librarians and anyone looking to strengthen the culture of assessment within the library.

Teaching Google Scholar in your library instructional sessions can increase students’ information and digital literacy skills. Students’ familiarity with Google Scholar’s interface works to the instructor’s advantage and allows more time to address students’ information needs and teach foundational information literacy skills and less time teaching a new database with a less-intuitive database interface. Teaching Google Scholar: A Practical Guide for Librarians will illustrate instructional methods and incorporate step-by-step guides and examples for teaching Google Scholar. It begins with providing you with essential background:What Google Scholar isHow to set up Google Scholar using OpenURLHow to design Google Scholar instructional sessionsHow to incorporate active learning activities using Google ScholarAfter reading it, you will be ready to teach students critical skills including how to:Use specific Google Scholar search operatorsIncorporate search logicExtract citation data, generate citations, and save citations to Google's My Library and/or a citation management programUse Google Scholar tools- including “cited by,” “alerts,” “library links,” and “library search”Google Scholar is a powerful research tool and will only become more popular in the coming years. Learning how to properly teach students how to utilize this search engine in their research will greatly benefit them in their college career and help promote life-long learning. Google Scholar instruction is a must in today’s modern information literacy classroom.

Providing library users with actual pieces of technological equipment that they can borrow is a continuously expanding service at many libraries, especially as faculty and teachers require multimodal projects. For some libraries, loanable technology may include calculators, gaming devices, headphones, e-readers, laptops, and tablets. Increasingly though, there is also demand for all types of cameras, lighting, voice recorders, microphones, external storage devices, projectors, peripherals and converters, among hundreds of possibilities. Based on their successful program at a large research institution, the authors provide a practical manual, complete with examples, forms, and templates that cover all aspects of establishing and maintaining a loanable technology program. Going Beyond Books to Loaning Technologies: A Practical Guide for Librarians provides the nuts and bolts and the “behind-the scenes” details of developing a program and walks librarians and information technology professionals through even some of the complex decisions and processes, such as: needs assessment budget allocation selecting, cataloging, processing and storing equipment; circulation, billing, and troubleshooting training collaborating with others to offer consultation servicesmarketing, and assessment Practical and easy to understand, here is a one-stop guide for anyone interested in lending technology to patrons.

Google Earth is a research, mapping, and cultural exploration tool that puts the whole world in your hands, then hands over the tools to let you build your own world. The uses of Google Earth in academia, in libraries, and across disciplines are endless and each year more innovate research projects are being released. Since its launch, Google Earth has had an enormous impact on the way people think, learn, and work with geographic information. With easy access to spatial and cultural information, and with customizable map features and dynamic presentation tools, Google Earth is an attractive option for anyone wishing to host projects and to share research findings through a common online interface. This easy-to-read, practical guide:Demonstrates how Google Earth has been used as a resource for researchShowcases library path finders, discovery tools, and collections built with Google EarthDiscusses how Google Earth can be embedded into various library services Highlights effectives uses of Google Earth in specific-discipline education, and provide step-by-step sample classroom activitiesIntroduces Google Earth features, data, and map making capabilitiesDescribes Google Earth-related online resourcesAfter reading this guide, librarians will be able to easily integrate Google Earth’s many facets into their services and help teachers integrate it into their classrooms. Because so many librarians are educators and subject specialists, they can customize the learning outcomes for students based on the subject being studied. This book presents a cross-disciplinary overview of how Google Earth can be used in research, in teaching and learning, and in other library services like promotion, outreach, reference and very importantly collection and resource exploration and discovery.This comprehensive guide to using Google Earth is for public, school, academic, and special libraries serving from the elementary level through adult levels. Although articles have been written about specific subjects and specific library projects, this is the first published that offer a one-stop-shop for utilizing this online product for library-related purposes. Librarians reading this book will gain the Google Earth skills required to be able to not only use it themselves, but also teach others in how to use this online technology.

Google Earth is a research, mapping, and cultural exploration tool that puts the whole world in your hands, then hands over the tools to let you build your own world. The uses of Google Earth in academia, in libraries, and across disciplines are endless and each year more innovate research projects are being released. Since its launch, Google Earth has had an enormous impact on the way people think, learn, and work with geographic information. With easy access to spatial and cultural information, and with customizable map features and dynamic presentation tools, Google Earth is an attractive option for anyone wishing to host projects and to share research findings through a common online interface. This easy-to-read, practical guide:Demonstrates how Google Earth has been used as a resource for researchShowcases library path finders, discovery tools, and collections built with Google EarthDiscusses how Google Earth can be embedded into various library services Highlights effectives uses of Google Earth in specific-discipline education, and provide step-by-step sample classroom activitiesIntroduces Google Earth features, data, and map making capabilitiesDescribes Google Earth-related online resourcesAfter reading this guide, librarians will be able to easily integrate Google Earth’s many facets into their services and help teachers integrate it into their classrooms. Because so many librarians are educators and subject specialists, they can customize the learning outcomes for students based on the subject being studied. This book presents a cross-disciplinary overview of how Google Earth can be used in research, in teaching and learning, and in other library services like promotion, outreach, reference and very importantly collection and resource exploration and discovery.This comprehensive guide to using Google Earth is for public, school, academic, and special libraries serving from the elementary level through adult levels. Although articles have been written about specific subjects and specific library projects, this is the first published that offer a one-stop-shop for utilizing this online product for library-related purposes. Librarians reading this book will gain the Google Earth skills required to be able to not only use it themselves, but also teach others in how to use this online technology.

Planning and implementing a 3D printing service in a library may seem like a daunting task. Based upon the authors’ experience as early adopters of 3D technology and running a successful 3D printing service at a large academic library, this guide provides the steps to follow when launching a service in any type of library. Detailed guidance and over 50 graphics provide readers with sage guidance and detailed instructions on:planning a proposalprinter selection tipspreparing the locationaddressing staff concerns for new servicedeveloping service workflows and proceduresmanaging inevitable disastersdeveloping policiesconducting the “reference interview” for 3D printingstaff training tipsoutreach activitiesThis book brings into one place all the guidance you need for developing and implementing a 3D printing service in any library.

With the world becoming increasingly more dependent upon the Internet, libraries offer an essential service by providing access to this worldwide network. To help their patrons, modern librarians must have a thorough understanding of this technology. Integrating the Web into Everyday Library Services: A Practical Guide for Librarians is a comprehensive guide to a variety of aspects of Internet use and research. The book is basic, assuming only a basic understanding of computer use and Internet research. This guide begins with:a basic explanation of the mechanics of the Internet and World Wide Web, then moves on to explore the variety of ways that a user can discover online information,how information is stored online via the cloud, and how a librarian can enhance his or her library's online presence. Later chapters explain:how to use the Internet to communicate, how to help patrons research and evaluate information, and how to protect patrons and yourself from online dangers. The final chapter is devoted to helping librarians solve basic computer problems that their patrons may encounter, including troubleshooting Internet connections.

With the world becoming increasingly more dependent upon the Internet, libraries offer an essential service by providing access to this worldwide network. To help their patrons, modern librarians must have a thorough understanding of this technology. Integrating the Web into Everyday Library Services: A Practical Guide for Librarians is a comprehensive guide to a variety of aspects of Internet use and research. The book is basic, assuming only a basic understanding of computer use and Internet research. This guide begins with:a basic explanation of the mechanics of the Internet and World Wide Web, then moves on to explore the variety of ways that a user can discover online information,how information is stored online via the cloud, and how a librarian can enhance his or her library's online presence. Later chapters explain:how to use the Internet to communicate, how to help patrons research and evaluate information, and how to protect patrons and yourself from online dangers. The final chapter is devoted to helping librarians solve basic computer problems that their patrons may encounter, including troubleshooting Internet connections.

Designed for librarians who work with all age levels from youngsters to seniors at all educational, reading and language backgrounds, who must fulfill responsibilities that run the gamut from instructing patrons on information literacy skills to using electronic tools to marketing the library to locating funding, Infographics: A Practical Guide for Librarians provides librarians with the following:Section I: Infographics 101 contains definitions, history, importance in today’s society, types and examples, advantages and disadvantages, general uses, uses in libraries, tools for creation and design tips.Section II: Practical applications show how to use infographics in academic, public, special and school libraries. Included are visual examples and step-by-step instructions to create two infographicsIncluded in each section are exercises, tables with URLs to more ideas and materials and references. This practical guide will help every type and size of library use infographics as a powerful part in their 21st century game plan. Whether it's marketing the public library, improving students information literacy skills in a school library or showcasing the accomplishments of the academic library, infographics can be a vital part of the library's playbook. The book describes ways to use infographics to:raise funds for a public libraryteach critical thinking and 21st century skills in the school libraryillustrate why libraries matter by relaying value of academic librariesmarket the libraryimprove information literacy in academic settingsadvocate for resources and services.

Designed for librarians who work with all age levels from youngsters to seniors at all educational, reading and language backgrounds, who must fulfill responsibilities that run the gamut from instructing patrons on information literacy skills to using electronic tools to marketing the library to locating funding, Infographics: A Practical Guide for Librarians provides librarians with the following:Section I: Infographics 101 contains definitions, history, importance in today’s society, types and examples, advantages and disadvantages, general uses, uses in libraries, tools for creation and design tips.Section II: Practical applications show how to use infographics in academic, public, special and school libraries. Included are visual examples and step-by-step instructions to create two infographicsIncluded in each section are exercises, tables with URLs to more ideas and materials and references. This practical guide will help every type and size of library use infographics as a powerful part in their 21st century game plan. Whether it's marketing the public library, improving students information literacy skills in a school library or showcasing the accomplishments of the academic library, infographics can be a vital part of the library's playbook. The book describes ways to use infographics to:raise funds for a public libraryteach critical thinking and 21st century skills in the school libraryillustrate why libraries matter by relaying value of academic librariesmarket the libraryimprove information literacy in academic settingsadvocate for resources and services.

This enlightening new book in the Practical Guides for Librarians series presents the practicalities of developing, implementing, and evaluating use-driven acquisition (UDA) in academic and special libraries, from the multi-dimensional perspectives of collections, acquisitions, and e-resources. Now that UDA is a proven method of collection management being utilized by an array of libraries around the globe, the need for a straightforward, uncomplicated guidebook is more essential than ever. This book is both a reference source and a guide for current and future librarians. In addition to chapters highlighting e-book, print, and article-level UDA plans, the book will also include considerations for budgeting, interlibrary loan, consortia UDA, ongoing management and assessment strategies, and stimulating future trends. Of special interest are project management cycles detailing each phase and steps of implementing UDA plans, and relevant case studies involving librarians and vendors who have established UDA plans in libraries of various types and sizes. This book provides a practical methodology for setting up use-driven acquisitions plans to acquire access to print and e-books for users in academic and special libraries. Every chapter covers important collection development and budgeting objectives of the library, and proposes methods to assess cost and usage of the content received to determine effectiveness and potential modifications to UDA plans. Practical features that can be used in day-to-day operations include: • Project management lifecycle with phases and steps for successful implementation• Sample reports and executive summaries for administrators• Marketing and branding strategies• Step-by-step checklists• Assessment tools and examples• Multiple case studies of various types of libraries, including budgets and current UDA policies • Evaluative survey questions • Interview transcripts• Glossary of terms and acronym explanations

A collaborative approach to grant seeking can stimulate and reshape the culture of your library organization. The exciting and rewarding activities of developing a successful grants program can yield enormous dividends for the benefit of your staff, patrons, and community. Collaborative Grant-Seeking: A Practical Guide for Librarians will share new insights for those who want to access grant funding without reinventing the wheel. Based on years of practical grant writing and collaboration development experience, this resource provides a complete guide for setting up a library grant-seeking program, and for combining forces with community partners to increase grant funding to libraries. Venturing into the grants world can be scary and unpredictable. This book offers detailed strategies and practical steps to establish a supportive and collaborative environment that creates the capacity to consistently develop fundable proposals, and gives readers the confidence needed to make grant-seeking activities commonplace within libraries.Collaborative Grant-Seeking will share featured topics unavailable in other grant writing publications, such as:interpreting sponsor guidelinesidentifying appropriate funding programsdetermining the feasibility of project ideasasset-based (vs. need-based) proposal development strategiesactual examples of successful and unusual library projectsinitiating and sustaining collaborative relationships

A collaborative approach to grant seeking can stimulate and reshape the culture of your library organization. The exciting and rewarding activities of developing a successful grants program can yield enormous dividends for the benefit of your staff, patrons, and community. Collaborative Grant-Seeking: A Practical Guide for Librarians will share new insights for those who want to access grant funding without reinventing the wheel. Based on years of practical grant writing and collaboration development experience, this resource provides a complete guide for setting up a library grant-seeking program, and for combining forces with community partners to increase grant funding to libraries. Venturing into the grants world can be scary and unpredictable. This book offers detailed strategies and practical steps to establish a supportive and collaborative environment that creates the capacity to consistently develop fundable proposals, and gives readers the confidence needed to make grant-seeking activities commonplace within libraries.Collaborative Grant-Seeking will share featured topics unavailable in other grant writing publications, such as:interpreting sponsor guidelinesidentifying appropriate funding programsdetermining the feasibility of project ideasasset-based (vs. need-based) proposal development strategiesactual examples of successful and unusual library projectsinitiating and sustaining collaborative relationships

Selected as a 2025 Doody’s Core TitlePeople tend to consider a “librarian” to be someone who works in a library. However, a professional librarian who is empowered with a good understanding of his or her capabilities and library resources can become a strong knowledge partner for organizations beyond the library walls. Embedded librarians build collaborative relationships outside of libraries, tailoring services to resolve problems and fulfill information needs. Librarians who are embedded into organizations make an impact within the essential activities of these groups. Successful embedded librarian programs create great relationships between organizations and libraries that develop strong library advocacy support in communities. Embedded librarianship is not limited to academic librarians who regularly guest-lecture or are integrated into courses. An embedded librarian may work as an essential and transformative partner in any working group of people. Most librarians are aware of the benefits of embedded librarianship but need help in getting started. Embedded and Empowered: A Practical Guide for Librarians offers library professionals from all types of libraries a plan for success in creating successful embedded partnerships by providing easy-to-follow instructions, tips, and exercises to:Understand trends in embedded librarianship as well as why specific programs are successfulAnalyze the needs of the stakeholder community and librarian professional skill setsDevelop a plan of action to create and design an embedded librarian initiative Learn techniques and specific scenarios that work with different personalities and groupsImplement, manage, maintain, and evaluate the progress of an embedded programEvaluate and recommend technology tools for embedded communities

Story time is a popular activity in public libraries. Unfortunately, many librarians (and not just children’s librarians) are thrust into the role of providing this service have not taken a course or had the necessary experience of performing story times. Story times are so popular that they are now offered to children of many ages, not just to preschoolers. This book will help librarians who have never done story time to learn to promote, plan, and perform story times, and will be useful to experienced librarians to build on their story time repertoires.Because story times are essential components of library service to children and in such demand, in many libraries, even librarians who have never done story time before are being asked to step into that role. Story Time Success: A Practical Guide for Librarians is comprehensive handbook which can help any librarian learn to promote, plan, and perform story times even with no prior training or experience. Key elements include: Customizable planning templates Hints for choosing appropriate books and other materialsSuggestions for overcoming performance anxietyTroubleshooting for common story time problems and pitfallsEvaluation rubrics for performers and supervisorsVeterans and beginners alike will find many useful pointers for establishing and improving their story time skills and repertoires.