Librarians use online mapping services such as Google Maps, MapQuest, Yahoo Maps, and others to check traffic conditions, find local businesses, and provide directions. However, few libraries are using one of Google Maps most outstanding applications, My Maps, for the creation of enhanced and interactive multimedia maps. My Maps is a simple and…

Outreach occurs systemwide at Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County (PLCMC). All branches are involved in reaching their surrounding neighborhoods and patrons. Under the guidance of the outreach manager, the outreach department provides support for these efforts and also offers focused programming via 12 staff members. The department is…

When resources are scarce, libraries have three basic options, which can be conducted in combination or separately, to bring them into balance: Seek additional funds, reduce expenses, and identify more efficient modes of operation. The authors explore whether, and if so how, the factors that consume or contribute resources--and the tradeoffs…

It seems, at times, that a frantic race persists to ensure that a child, in the crucial learning stages of early elementary education, acquires the appropriate reading level before he or she "gets behind." Though there are obvious issues with branding a book "Grade Level One" or "Reading Level 2.2," it is nevertheless…

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;…

This article gives details of the developments and changes in the Denver Public Library (DPL). Through a review of advancements in technology, vendor capabilities, staffing levels and talent, as well as outsourcing opportunities, DPL reinvented its workflow and processing. The result? The once giant stacks of books, CDs, videos, and DVDs waiting…

This article describes the Grand County Public Library (GCPL) which was awarded the 2007 Best Small Library in America, an award sponsored by "Library Journal" and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Some 4800 of Grand County, Utah's 8,826 people live in Moab and the rest in the adjacent Spanish Valley and environs. The locals are a…

Discusses the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), the new federal grant program for public libraries, and describes results of a survey of designated LSTA coordinators that was conducted to investigate how this new law has affected library development. Also examines changes from the LSCA (Library Services and Construction Act). (Author/LRW)

If the pace of construction, the size of projects, and the money spent on public library buildings represents how well libraries are regarded in America, then libraries are prized. "LJ" has been compiling data on new and renovated buildings for 34 years now, and through thick and thin libraries get built and revitalized. Overall, the average…

Today every citizen in New South Wales has access to public library services through a sophisticated network, a partnership between local and State Government. In fact, free public libraries in New South Wales only began to operate in any numbers after the end of World War II--not even sixty years ago. Why did it take so long here, bearing in mind…

With the pileup of responsibilities that range from programming to outreach to web management, more and more librarians are finding vendor-based book selection enticing. Most librarians see vendor-based selection as an option to relieve the pressure and still provide good collections to their patrons. However, using vendors to help facilitate…

The year in architecture offered grand facades, creative collaborations, and calamities overcome and viewed as opportunities. This article features 168 public building projects and 21 academic facilities completed between July 1, 2006, and June 30, 2007 that provide a glimpse of the future. Many libraries reported here achieved Leadership in…

Although a librarian for only eight years, Corinne Hill is already known in Dallas and Denton, TX, for turning dull, little-used branches into vibrant community centers. A stylish woman with a zest for shopping, Hill loves developing new collections and showing them off. She sees no reason why a library should not be as attractive as any good…

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…

This digest explores the life cycle of public libraries, presenting a "life stages" model and highlighting characteristics of each stage. It provides specific advice on what can be done in each stage to energize the library with "stage-appropriate" action. The characteristics that mark the Birth/Infant stage include: driving…