This paper argues that medium for information access becomes central to library and information science. The author discusses the notion of medium, medium neutrality, and personalization and suggests that the dominating paradigm of providing fast, efficient, and neutral systems and services for retrieving information has sidetracked opportunities…

During a program titled "Libraries and Museums in an Era of Participatory Culture," co-sponsored by the Salzburg Global Seminar (SGS) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), one of the discussion groups developed recommendations for skills needed by librarians and museum professionals in today's connected and…

Children's librarians are often required to be performers. The purpose of the study reported in this paper was to determine the degree to which the Masters of Library Science (MLS) programs accredited by the American Library Association currently incorporate theatrical and performance-based training. A quantitative content analysis was conducted…

Libraries often lack the in-house information technology (IT) expertise required to (1) implement mobile applications and related technologies (MAT); (2) attain maximum return on investment including patron satisfaction for using MAT; and (3) reduce reliance on expensive IT consultants. Based on secondary analysis of the experiences and advice…

Makerspaces and accompanying technologies are exciting new services being offered in libraries. However, these come with their own challenges and successes. Training for maker learning locations continues to be difficult to obtain. Inservice librarians rely on peers in the field and online resources for their training. Most preservice librarians…

According to Stearns (2009), culture shapes childhood. The way a society defines culture shapes: (a) how childhood is constructed; (b) the production of literary products and services for young people; and (c) training for library professionals. In 21st century America, children are viewed as a vulnerable population in need of protection, as…

Few academic librarians ten or fifteen years ago would have believed that those days of flat-lined budgets and miniscule raises could ever seem a golden (or at least silver) age by comparison. It turns out that there is something even worse than uncertainty, however--the absolute certainty of budgetary constriction and unwise decisions.…

In a time when information self-service and enhanced competition have sent libraries of all types into an oftentimes desperate search for a renewed sense of purpose, a fundamentally important question takes center stage: How can libraries connect with the deepest aspirations of their service communities? This article describes a new library…

A recent American Library Association (ALA) report has shown that less than 1% of credentialed librarians are African American males. This article discusses possible reasons for this dearth; and, in an effort to inform future LIS recruiting and marketing campaigns, the included study attempted to discover which factors lead African American males…

Summary of the Advisory Committee Proposal, School Library Manpower Project.

This article presents the highlights of the 2007 American Library Association (ALA) annual conference held at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Hundreds of librarians showed up early for a day of service, volunteering in libraries, schools, and other Washington-area institutions. As the conference wound down, some 2000…

She is still in the wings, but once Sharon (Sherri) McQueen arrives on the stage of library education, innovation will surely follow. McQueen comes across like a fast-forward version of Katharine Hepburn's Bunny Watson without the fear of technology. Funny and clever, she seamlessly trades her comedy mask for tragedy when she turns to the future…

The theory of behavioral instructional objectives is applicable in the design of library administration courses; however, it does give rise to a number of problems when so applied. Chief among these is that the theory of behavioral instructional objectives has been elaborated by pedagogues so that the theory is not, understandably, uniformly…