With their explosive sales and widespread availability over the past few years, e-books have definitively proven that they're here to stay. In this sequel to her best-selling book of the same title, expert Polanka dives even deeper into the world of digital distribution. Contributors from across the e-book world offer their perspectives on what's…

Today's library is still at the heart of all university activities, helping students and faculty become better learners, teachers, and researchers. In recent years there has emerged the formalizing of one or more of these activities into an Academic Commons. These centers of information have been labeled variously but they all share a commonality:…

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…

An organized collection of budget saving methods, materials, and strategies, these tips are all tried-and-true examples of ways to stretch the media specialist's budget and time, and change even the drabbest library into an inviting oasis of learning. Makeovers are mesmerizing. Whether it is the 400-pound man who turns into a hunk or a hovel that…

If you're new to running a library or looking for a refresher, this book can serve as your first reference source for school library operation, providing overview information on a wealth of topics, lists of resources for more in-depth information, and coverage of current topics such as Web 2.0, fundraising, digital booktalks, and cybersafety.…

Thanks in part to technology, the boundaries of library positions are dissolving. It is no longer practical to discuss the profession in terms of traditional library types, and in today's library, the relationship between librarians and technology is stronger than ever. In this informative volume, veteran author Laura Townsend Kane interviews…

There's no shortage of library management books out there--but how many of them actually tackle the little details of day-to-day management, the hard-to-categorize things that slip through the cracks of a larger handbook? "Library Management Tips that Work" does exactly that, addressing dozens of such issues facing library managers, including: (1)…

A valuable resource for new or experienced school librarians, "Collection Development for the School Library Media Program: A Beginner's Guide" is an easy-to-use guide to collection development. It provides practical and relevant information about collection development issues such as: the school users, policies, selection criteria and sources,…

This textbook attempts to introduce the case study method into the curriculum for training librarians. Cases are written with emphases on a stable activity-authority environment, good management and planning, proper response to internal and external demands, and complex business game situations. Many cases are intended for role playing use. (EMH)

There is a need for increased efficiency and effectiveness in the employment of the library's human resources. Performance appraisal can serve as a basis for salary and advancement decisions, career development, and performance improvement. Three criteria for performance appraisal can be distinguished: (1) the trait approach, (2) the job…

Work sampling is an effective device for testing efficiency in the use of library materials and personnel. An administrator can determine whether circulation or reference librarians are effectively using their time and whether the work flow should be reorganized. Key operations of a sampling should include definition of a problem, identification…

As research libraries have grown, a trend has developed to recruit specialists to support the administrative and technical functions of the library. Business, planning, automation, personnel, and facilities specialists are among those currently employed. Libraries which utilize such specialists experience significant gains in flexibility to…

The teacher of library science can use case studies, simulations, and role playing to acquaint future librarians with the realities of library management. By using models, contextual statements, incident materials, and course management materials, the students can be involved in specific library problems which will later have broad on-the-job…

In this new, expanded edition step-by-step guidelines are provided for customizing a staff development program that is both proactive and goal-oriented. Drawing on the advice of 37 top experts with a variety of skill sets, this book presents information on how to assess a library's needs and set training goals, budget appropriately, develop a set…

This book is a collection of the author's following publications and speeches, primarily from 1995-2000: "Look at All Those Beautiful Birds Overhead!""Priorities for the Research Library Budget,""What Do We Give 'Em?""The Legacy of John Swan,""Small Public Libraries-Challenges, Opportunities, and Irrelevancies,""Lead Me Not into Temptation To Do…