"Developing Collections to Empower Learners" examines collection development in the context of today's shifts toward digital resources while emphasizing the foundational beliefs of the school library profession. Writer Sue Kimmel includes practical advice about needs assessment, planning, selection, acquisitions, evaluation, and…

The latest and most comprehensive assessment of public librarians' education and career paths to date, this important volume reports on a large-scale research project performed by authors Jose-Marie Griffiths and Donald W. King. Presented in collaboration with the Office for Research and Statistics (ORS), the book includes an examination of trends…

Going green is now a national issue, and patrons expect their library to respond in the same way many corporations have. Libraries are going green with logos on their Web sites, programs for the public, and a host of other initiatives. This is the first book to focus strictly on the library's role in going green, helping you with: (1) Collection…

As we approach the second decade of the twenty-first century, school library media programs continue to undergo momentous changes that have heightened the importance of technology and evidence-based learning. The focus has moved from the library as a confined place to one with fluid boundaries that is layered by diverse needs and influenced by an…

"Urban Teens in the Library" is the perfect solution for the concerns and uncertainty many librarians face when supporting this group of patrons and students. From a team of experts who have researched the information habits and preferences of urban teens to build better and more effective school and public library programs, this book will show…

This theme issue contains the following articles on libraries as agencies of culture: (1) "American Libraries and Agencies of Culture" (Thomas Augst); (2) "The Sound of the Civic: Reading Noise at the New York Public Library" (Ari Kelman); (3) "High Culture, Low Culture: The Singular Duality of the Library of Congress" (Elizabeth Jane Aikin); (4)…

This book assesses the current condition and direction of the American public library. It considers the challenges and opportunities presented by new electronic technologies, changing public policy, fiscal realities, and cultural trends. The authors draw on site visits and interviews conducted across the country, as well as extensive reading of…

While librarians deliver a vital public service within diverse communities, they are often invisible in the community development process initiated by civic planners, activists, and local government officials. This book challenges librarians everywhere to get involved early and often by demanding a place at the community planning and development…

A realistic rationale for library involvement with media, media facilities, and services is needed in today's library if the function of the library as a disseminator of information is to be fulfilled. The concept of change in the role of the library must be accepted since there is a constant change in education. Although there is a definite need…

This publication, which replaces "Standards for Library Functions at the State Level" (third edition) published in 1985) acknowledges and celebrates the richness and diversity of state library agencies while documenting the reality of what they currently do. The publication is divided into two sections. The first section of these standards…

This book has three purposes: to provide a perspective for looking at how traditional reference service "fits" in with new trends and issues; to document the myriad ways in which day-to-day library services are being transformed by changes in technology, culture, and staffing; and to offer guidance and advice for evolving reference services to…

This extensive study of the Beverly, Massachusetts, Public Library begins with a description of the community, including demographic characteristics and social, governmental, and educational activities and organization. A chronicle of library governance, facilities, financial resources, and collections is also included. Library services are…

This book describes how libraries can define their service goals to better serve and empower young women, including how to establish partnerships with organizations, offer developmentally appropriate programming, and provide timely reader's advisory services. Chapter 1, "Girls in the Spotlight: A Short History," addresses the search for…

This book on digital reference services begins with an introduction entitled "The Foundations of Digital Reference" (R. David Lankes). Part 1, "The New Reference Culture: Traits and Trends," includes the following papers: "Why Reference Is about To Change Forever (but Not Completely)" (Joseph Janes);…

The book "Double Fold" is an investigation into what its author Nicholas Baker, a novelist and essayist, terms as a deception of research libraries and their maintenance of books and newspapers, their paper collections. This book is a response to Baker's writings, based on the author's perspective as an archivist. The first chapter introduces…