Nearly two years ago, the Center for an Urban Future published "Branches of Opportunity," a report documenting that New York City's public libraries have become more vital than ever, and are serving more New Yorkers in more ways than ever before. This new report provides an exhaustive analysis of the libraries' capital needs and offers a…

What do a pink door, reading glasses, a website, and a Beetle Kill Pine ceiling have in common? Yes, readers will find them all in this collection of great design in libraries. But the reason they're featured is their important commonality: they were intentionally and thoughtfully placed in a library to meet people's needs or otherwise engage…

Over 2000 participants made the daylong programming at the "Library Journal"/"School Library Journal" Virtual Ebook Summit, September 29, a robust conversation and not just within the summit interface but also in tweets with the #ebooksummit hashtag (and beyond) and in libraries across the country where participants logged in to take part. The…

The President of ALIA writes about expectations for the Public Libraries Summit, and provides an account of what took place on the day of the meeting, and what has taken place since. In funding terms, the most likely areas of productive engagement with the federal government are considered to be: children, early learning and a literate Australia;…

When Leslie Polott arrived at the Hudson Library and Historical Society in 1996. She headed out into the community to find out what people wanted from their library. After rounds of surveys, focus groups, and town meetings, she knew: a library that was the center of their educational and cultural lives, that provided more opportunities for…

This book provides a broad, introductory overview of issues affecting the marketing of public library collections, with examples and research results from more than 200 libraries of all sizes. This new edition of the work updates and expands the original, referencing new studies (published since 1992), encompassing more of the literature from…

Small public libraries can deliver service like big libraries, without sacrificing hometown warmth and charm. By borrowing strategies used by successful small businesses in the private sector, defining goals and exploiting low cost technologies, small public libraries can serve customer wants as well as much larger institutions. Responding to just…

Branches in shopping malls help build community by attracting new patrons to the library. They help libraries offer exciting new venues with a retail-like approach and raise awareness of the work libraries are doing. In some cases, though not at Glendale, the library is more cost-effective owing to the smaller space used to serve patrons. These…

Suggests steps in creating administrative support for serving young adults in public libraries. The steps are to determine what services are wanted, and where support is to come from; reasons for serving young adults and priority of library needs and wants; and strategies to generate support. (JMV)

Reviews the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the library guides project, a customer service project at the New Canaan Library (Connecticut). Volunteers answered basic, single-component reference questions, allowing library professionals to give greater time and effort to more complex questions. (JMV)

This report provides information on South Carolina's Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) projects for fiscal year 1995. It includes: copies of applications for federal assistance and grant award notifications; a list of LSCA staff and responsibilities; a fiscal breakdown for Titles I and III that itemizes spending on activities within…

This report provides information on South Carolina's Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) projects for fiscal year 1996. It includes: copies of applications for federal assistance and grant award notifications; a list of LSCA staff and responsibilities; a fiscal breakdown for Titles I and III that itemizes spending on activities within…

This report provides information on South Carolina's Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) projects for fiscal year 1994. It includes: copies of applications for federal assistance and grant award notifications; a list of LSCA staff and responsibilities; a fiscal breakdown for Titles I and III that itemizes spending on activities within…

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 paper suggests that by 2004, the traditional public libraries will have ceased to exist and new, attractive future libraries will have taken their place. The Libraries 2040 project of the Netherlands is initiating seven different libraries of the future. The Brabant library is the "ultimate library of the future" for the Dutch…