The "LJ" Index of Public Library Service 2010, "Library Journal"'s national rating of public libraries, identifies 258 "star" libraries. Created by Ray Lyons and Keith Curry Lance, and based on 2008 data from the IMLS, it rates 7,407 public libraries. The top libraries in each group get five, four, or three stars. All included libraries, stars or…

In the library world, there seems to be a fundamental conflict between reference and readers' advisory (RA). But in fact, the two are similar in approach, an insight that goes back to James Wyer's 1930 "Reference Work: A Textbook for Students of Library Work and Librarians." It defined the reference librarian as a mediator of information,…

This article features Chelsea District Library (CDL), Michigan, which claims recognition as the 2008 Best Small Library in America, an award sponsored by "Library Journal" and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The aggressively responsive staff of CDL has created a model for small libraries all over America. There, careful…

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…

Public libraries were indispensable resources for newcomers during the height of European immigration to the United States. They were havens for the poor and jobless during the Great Depression and bridges between rural and urban communities during times of major demographic change. An increase in the Spanish-speaking population has inspired…

Activities in 2006 pointed to strategic shifts in library automation. The dynamics of the business environment changed rapidly from a fragmented industry to a highly consolidated one. Though the integrated library system (ILS) continues to represent the largest portion of revenue, products that deal with electronic content and deliver better…

The ability to search and receive results in more than one database through a single interface--or metasearch--is something many users want. Google Scholar--the search engine of specifically scholarly content--and library metasearch products like Ex Libris's MetaLib, Serials Solution's Central Search, WebFeat, and products based on MuseGlobal used…

Considering Kirsten Thompson's career in the Milwaukee Public Library (MPL), it is no surprise that as an undergraduate she studied both computer programming and psychology. The combination is the driving force behind her multiple projects at MPL, which have all focused on bringing technology to users. "Having the computers is great, but you…

From the ascendance of the reference database and web sites offering endless opportunities for cyber-promotion to the crowds swarming through the doors to avail themselves of new computers, the Internet has transformed the way public libraries do business. That is not news. What is exciting, though, is how the Internet continues to change public…

This article details the work of Lucia Chen of the New York Public Library. Lucia Chen combined her two passions--organization and beautification--in her recent project, creating an online version of the New York Public Library's (NYPL) legendary picture collection. Artists ranging from set designers to filmmakers have long used the collection,…

Eva Miller has a knack for creating order out of disorder. She single-handedly brought Oregon's virtual reference service, Answerland, live in just under 90 days, says Rivkah Sass, now director of the Omaha Public Library. Miller created its web site, designed the graphics, developed marketing materials, and recruited and trained librarians--all…

When Mary Ellen Icaza became Electronic Services Librarian at Montgomery County Public Libraries, she noticed that the readers' services information on the library web site was invisible, even to librarians. "And if staff can't find it," she says, "customers can't." She set out to help people find that material-and to turn a…

Like many young people, Aaron Schmidt loves electronic gadgets. But not for their own sake. He believes the future of libraries depends on how well we meet the needs of today's young adults, who are far more tech-fluent than most librarians. As reference librarian and all-around technology guru at Thomas Ford Memorial Library, Schmidt created the…

Examines public library budgets by the population size served. Discusses total budgets, salary budgets, and materials budgets; funding and technology, including e-rate for Internet access and Internet filtering; and fundraising. (LRW)

He may be fated to look boyish when he's collecting social security, but Steven M. Cohen, proprietor of the blog Library Stuff, is as grownup and dedicated a librarian as one will ever meet. His first library job was as a reference librarian and Internet trainer in a public library. He loved its "overall feeling of democracy in action"…