Good school libraries influence student achievement and there are studies from 15 states to prove it. Several reports provide evidence that access to a good school library has positive correlation to reading scores. Higher test scores have also been linked to the presence of quality libraries in schools. Professional librarians are an essential…

Just like an engaging teacher sets the pace for a conducive classroom learning environment, it is the library media specialist who "sells" the idea of what a library media center is and what a library media center can be to all patrons who walk through its doors. How can library media specialists break up and shake up the ruts that both library…

The author is a library director whose job is to develop, organize, manage, and operate a repository for research and scholarship in the area of higher education governance. She works on both the physical and online collections. It was a big job for her even when she had an assistant. But when her assistant left, it was nearly impossible for her…

Disaster planning focuses on future function and recovery, on helping libraries expeditiously return to their original states of operation. It all but ignores the concept of continuous function throughout a disaster. This is not true in the private and government sectors, however, which have managed to cover a wider load of disaster response…

In this fully updated revision, expert instructor and librarian Peggy Johnson addresses the art in controlling and updating your library's collection. Each chapter offers complete coverage of one aspect of collection development, including suggestions for further reading and a narrative case study exploring the issue. Johnson also integrates…

The purpose of this study was to disclose the claims of an impending shortage of librarians in academic libraries as it relates to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The target population of this study was HBCU libraries that had a full-time equivalent enrollment of 3,000 students or more and that were accredited by the Southern…

In 2006, technology directors from independent schools across the country had banded together and created "Principles of Good Practice" for technology in independent schools. These principles "define high standards and ethical behavior in key areas of independent school operations" (NAIS 2006). This author decided that it was time for the National…

This paper reports on a questionnaire survey of 16 national libraries designed to clarify how national libraries attempt to justify their web archiving activities. Results indicate they envisage that a) the benefits brought about by their initiatives are greater than the overall costs, b) the costs imposed on libraries are greater than the costs…

This paper takes a theoretical and practical approach in defining the "problem" of homelessness in libraries. The author examines three fundamental problems on homelessness. The three fundamental questions are: (a) Who are the homeless? (b) Why are they homeless? (c) What are their information needs in libraries? These questions are important in…

This paper looks at the challenges that libraries in Africa face in responding to massification of higher education by discussing the University of Zambia library's response in library and information resources provision. As a result of massification of higher education, libraries have been forced not only to employ new and different strategies to…

During the period in which Duane Webster led the Association for Research Libraries (ARL), powerful commercial interests sought for their own financial purposes the information resources essential for providing education and performing research. Juxtaposed was the Internet with its inherent capacity to democratizing these resources. Commercial…

Library schools may be teaching some of the theoretical framework necessary to perform the duties of electronic resource librarianship. However, a gap remains "between practical needs, as expressed in position descriptions, and the theoretical way in which library school courses address those needs." To fill this gap, professional associations…

This article presents the results of the 2008 "Library Journal" Budget Survey. Libraries that responded to the annual "Library Journal" Budget Survey are doing reasonably well, continuing the modest growth reported last year. However, a closer look suggests that budget increases may not go far enough. While 81% of all respondents projected an…

The appeal of children's literature is large, encompassing college students and adults in addition to children, young adults, and literary scholars. The genre's literary sophistication and cultural significance is becoming more apparent to a wide variety of readers. Children's literature, however, is still often overlooked and underappreciated in…

This article provides an overview of the basic characteristics of database, or eContent, license agreements, defines general licensing terms, maps the anatomy of an electronic resources subscription agreement, and discusses negotiating skills and techniques for library staff. (Contains a list of additional resources and a sample agreement.)