This timely special report from ALA Editions provides a succinct but comprehensive overview of the "privatization" of public libraries. It provides a history of the trend of local and state governments privatizing public services and assets, and then examines the history of public library privatization right up to the California…

The latest and most comprehensive assessment of public librarians' education and career paths to date, this important volume reports on a large-scale research project performed by authors Jose-Marie Griffiths and Donald W. King. Presented in collaboration with the Office for Research and Statistics (ORS), the book includes an examination of trends…

The best kind of learning is that which never ends--and a culture of training means that staff will be more flexible and responsive to new ideas and strategies, imperative in today's libraries. In this practical resource, leading workplace trainers Reed and Signorelli offer guidance on improving the effectiveness of training programs. Their book…

This book is the result of a set of case studies that were performed in four American public libraries between 1989 and 1992. The goal of the research was to describe the effect that planning has had in a representative set of libraries, focusing planning as a social phenomenon. The city, county, federated, and suburban library are examined.…

Public libraries are often a vastly underused resource for businesses and business people. This book shows librarians how to aggressively pursue businesses until they turn naturally to libraries for their information needs. The book provides a step-by-step process which teaches librarians how to identify the information needs of businesses,…

This book defines the role and obligations of the library trustee in a wide range of situations and also discusses keys to successful communication between the trustee and library director, staff, and patron. Chapters are: (1) "The Trustee in Today's World" (F. William Summers); (2) "Duties and Responsibilities of Trustees"…

This book provides a systematic, step-by-step process and includes practical ideas and program materials for library staff to use in their development of library services to Latinos. Designed primarily for public libraries, much of the information in the book can be adapted to school library media centers. The information in the book can also be…

Administrators of public library youth services departments and managers of school library media centers often rely on broad sources for advice on managing their specialized youth services. This book is designed to assist youth services librarians in becoming well-versed in management skills crucial to the continued existence of quality service to…

This book draws on an extensive literature review and personal experience to examine cross-cultural issues in the development of libraries for Arctic indigenous communities. Although the book highlights circumstances in Alaska, its geographical scope is circumpolar, including Canada, Greenland, and the former Soviet Union and present-day Russian…

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…