This timely special report from ALA Editions provides a succinct but comprehensive overview of the "privatization" of public libraries. It provides a history of the trend of local and state governments privatizing public services and assets, and then examines the history of public library privatization right up to the California…

With their explosive sales and widespread availability over the past few years, e-books have definitively proven that they're here to stay. In this sequel to her best-selling book of the same title, expert Polanka dives even deeper into the world of digital distribution. Contributors from across the e-book world offer their perspectives on what's…

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…

Anyone at the helm of a small public library knows that every little detail counts. But juggling the responsibilities that are part and parcel of the job is far from easy. Finally, here's a handbook that includes everything administrators need to keep a handle on library operations, freeing them up to streamline and improve how the organization…

Do we add that edgy urban novel to our teen collection? Should we initiate social networking? What about abandoning Dewey for a bookstore arrangement? Change is risky business, but librarians must be prepared to initiate change to best serve teens. YA (young adult) service innovators Linda W. Braun, Hillias J. Martin, and Connie Urquhart explain…

There's no shortage of library management books out there--but how many of them actually tackle the little details of day-to-day management, the hard-to-categorize things that slip through the cracks of a larger handbook? "Library Management Tips that Work" does exactly that, addressing dozens of such issues facing library managers, including: (1)…

Fewer employees, shorter hours, diminished collection budgets, reduced programs and services--all at a time of record library usage. In this book, library expert Carol Smallwood demonstrates that despite the obvious downsides, the necessity of doing business differently can be positive, leading to partnering, sharing, and innovating. This…

Here are 250 tested ideas for lively libraries, from GO (Getting Outside) to PEP (Programs, Exhibits, Projects) and POP (Positive Operating Procedures), collected by the Mercer County (New Jersey) Library at Trenton. GO ideas include public relations and outreach ideas ranging from ads at the drive-in movie to attending high school sports events…

Since the publication of its first edition in 1965, this book has been a standard resource for setting up and managing cutting-edge small public library facilities. Completely revised and updated, this fourth edition continues that tradition with many more figures (28 in this edition), case studies and sample policies, and new content on grant…

This book examines the ways in which children's librarians can manage their services so collections and programs reach the intended audience. In the introduction to this second edition, the author considers recent changes in demographics, economics, social patterns, media and technology trends, and consequent changing emphases in managing…

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…

Public libraries must operate in a time of increasing change, both within the library community and throughout the larger social and economic environments in which the library must function. This book is a guide to the strategic management of change in community libraries. It addresses the unique circumstances and needs of public libraries and…

This book on public library design and construction contains the following chapters: (1) "Beginning the Plan"; (2) "Data for Planning"; (3) "Location: Finding a Site"; (4) "Interior Design"; (5) "Furnishing and Equipping the Library and Its Environs"; (6) "Other Views," including "Using Small College Library Planning Techniques in Public Library…

This collection of essays focuses on group social and political action as it relates to libraries and their environments. The introduction discusses the group-concept approach to studying library and information science. The essays are case studies of interest group politics, including: (1) the imprisonment of a librarian who refused to give…

This guide discusses how collections budgets are planned, built, defended, and implemented. Each topic is illustrated with sample budgets and allocations typical of academic and public libraries serving their respective communities. Step-by-step guidance is offered to administrators and boards for meeting patrons' needs while addressing today's…