Offers suggestions for libraries on how to develop a customer service plan to provide excellent service, create a positive environment for staff members, foster new and continued positive relationships with patrons, and evaluate customer service goals and objectives. Also discusses policies and building appearance. (Author/LRW)

This book is a hands-on guide to the philosophy and practice of young adult services in the public libraries. The following chapters are included: (1) "Young Adult Services Philosophy," including reasons to serve teens, why teens are the way they are, who serves young adults, and how to interact with teens; (2) "Youth Participation," including…

Presents tips for building a secure library system to guard against threats like hackers, viruses, and theft. Topics include: determining what is at risk; recovering from disasters; developing security policies; developing front-end security; securing menu systems; accessing control programs; protecting against damage from viruses; developing…

Discusses three major components of library security: physical security of the environment; operating procedures for library staff, the public, and security personnel; and a contract security force (or campus security in academic institutions.) Topics include risk management; maintenance; appropriate technology, including security systems and…

Written from the perspective of a working director, this book is a guide to setting fair and appropriate behavior rules and training staff in how to implement them. Policies for exhibit and meeting room use; issues surrounding street people, the mentally ill, and substance abusers; sexual deviancy and parental child abuse in the library;…

This book provides strategies for dealing with negative patron behavior in the library and presents guidelines for identifying and effectively responding to, as well as preventing a variety of behavior problems. Fifteen librarians wrote the thirteen chapters, which are divided into three sections. Part 1 deals with patrons who pose the most…

Libraries are one of the world's greatest assets. Changes in the political, social, and economic climate in the U.S. mean that people cannot take public access to information for granted. Intense competition for public, private, and institutional dollars makes it more crucial than ever that policymakers understand that libraries--public, school,…

Discusses collection development and acquisitions in virtual, or networked, libraries. Topics include electronic versus digital libraries; philosophical issues of library acquisition; user expectations, including wants and needs; strategic planning, including resource sharing agreements, retrospective conversion, and staff training; collection…

This book, written by graduate students at the Catholic University (District of Columbia) School of Library and Information Science, examines current priorities, policies, and practices of public libraries. Following an introduction, "Reinventing Libraries: Responding to the Forces of Change" (Lisa Crisman), chapters include: (1) "A…