The lyrics from the Ervin Drake song made famous by Frank Sinatra, "It Was a Very Good Year," kept coming to mind in 2010, despite the economy. While the quantity of works produced declined, and publishers suffered along with everyone else, there was no diminution in quality. With reduced budgets for collections, librarians were forced to make…

First offered to public libraries in 2004, downloadable audiobooks have grown by leaps and bounds. According to the Audio Publishers Association, their sales today account for 21% of the spoken-word audio market. It hasn't been easy, however. WMA. DRM. MP3. AAC. File extensions small on letters but very big on consequences for librarians,…

Public libraries were indispensable resources for newcomers during the height of European immigration to the United States. They were havens for the poor and jobless during the Great Depression and bridges between rural and urban communities during times of major demographic change. An increase in the Spanish-speaking population has inspired…

Community information (CI) isn't a new concept for libraries. In some communities it's as old as library service itself. When librarians began collecting, maintaining, and delivering CI to patrons, they worked with a variety of nonprofits and other governmental agencies to develop card- or notebook-based systems to connect people with information.…

The librarian's role in bringing order and understanding to the drug dilemma is described. (Author)

Examines special-purpose entry points to library Web sites. Discusses in-house homepages; branch-specific pages or single library system-wide pages; staff use pages; versions in different languages; "MyLibrary" pages where users can customize the menu; standalone "branded" sites; publicly accessible pages; and best practices.…

The Public Information Center Project started with four tasks in mind: (1) identify information needs, (2) inventory information sources and services, (3) define the library's role in connection with these needs, and (4) help the library serve the needs identified. (4 references) (Author/NH)

Examines how librarians are customizing their services and collections for handheld computing. Discusses the widest adoption of PDAs (personal digital assistants) in libraries that serve health and medical communities; PDA-friendly information pages; the reference focus; journals and databases; lending materials; publicity; use of PDAs by library…

Guidance for libraries in implementing the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is provided in question and answer format. Topics covered include library services and materials, employment issues, and parking requirements. (LAE)

Discusses online searching and the characteristics that make librarians good searchers. Topics include curiosity; creativity; enjoying the research process; research methodology to help in decision making; information sources other than the Web, including print sources and commercial databases; Boolean logic; and job opportunities for searchers.…

Discusses teaching information literacy in academic libraries and describes programs developed at California State University that considered new technologies; changing student characteristics, enrollment patterns, and skills; determining authenticity and quality of information sources, particularly on the Internet; curriculum development;…