One of the ways school librarians can become a leader in the school community is to design, organize, and present professional development opportunities for fellow educators. Running professional development is a chance for school librarians to become leaders in the school, as well as an opportunity to collaborate with fellow educators, advance…

The Digital Talking Books Program was developed between the 1990s and the 2000s to replace the Analog Cassette format, which had been developed during the 1960s to allow people with disabilities to access reading material. The Digital Talking Books Program was built around flash memory technology. The reasons for which the National Library Service…

Despite the clear negative impact of high textbook costs on students, limits--including space, funding, and policies--prevent many academic libraries from fully supporting textbook collections. Partnering with other campus units on textbook lending requires creative thinking but can provide students access to other services in addition to the…

Studies about diversity initiatives in academic libraries have primarily focused on large research libraries. But what kinds of diversity work occur at smaller libraries? This study examines the status of diversity initiatives, especially those aimed at students, at national liberal arts college libraries. Results from a survey of library…

Open Educational Resources (OERs) are online classroom content that can be reused, modified, and shared freely. The University of Maryland University College (UMUC) undertook a project to redesign its undergraduate curriculum using OERs in place of traditional textbooks. UMUC librarians have played a critical role in this project, helping to find…

The 21st-century student is highly technological. In order to encourage and enable the technologically advanced students, the authors wanted to develop a technology equipment service in the library at Texas A&M University-Commerce. They had an idea of what they wanted to accomplish but were unsure of how to get started. They started a small…

Students with low-incidence disabilities frequently receive less than optimal psychoeducational services because the specialized tests and instructional materials required to meet their idiosyncratic needs often are unavailable due to budget constraints, inadequate training of school personnel, and the difficulty school personnel have keeping…

Fewer employees, shorter hours, diminished collection budgets, reduced programs and services--all at a time of record library usage. In this book, library expert Carol Smallwood demonstrates that despite the obvious downsides, the necessity of doing business differently can be positive, leading to partnering, sharing, and innovating. This…

Do we add that edgy urban novel to our teen collection? Should we initiate social networking? What about abandoning Dewey for a bookstore arrangement? Change is risky business, but librarians must be prepared to initiate change to best serve teens. YA (young adult) service innovators Linda W. Braun, Hillias J. Martin, and Connie Urquhart explain…

As libraries face a veritable explosion of electronic resources and as the interconnectedness of print and online resources becomes increasingly complicated, many librarians are challenged to find efficient and cost-friendly ways to manage these resources. In this article, the authors describe how a team of people from various library departments…

This article assesses developments in public library provision for Black and minority ethnic [BME] communities in the UK since the publication in 1969 of the results of research into the needs of "Indian and Pakistani communities". It includes a brief discussion of some major societal issues, and then sets public library services in this…

The need to plan for operating and service patterns and to establish priorities for services to readers in the new Reference and Bibliographical Center at the Newberry Library guided this self-study. From December 1983 to August 1984, 32 staff members (grouped into 1 study team and 4 task forces) investigated the critical issues of bibliographic…

A complete guide to developing a library-wide preservation program, this book can help library staff to map out a system that is both preventative and curative. By decentralizing preservation activities and integrating them into ongoing library functions, libraries can preserve materials effectively, efficiently, and with buy-in from staff. The…

This document presents guidelines for establishing, modifying, and building library media programs which effectively meet the needs of students. It is divided into five sections: (1) The Process of Program Development, which discusses planning a library media program and its relationship to curriclum development; (2) The School Library Media…

This annual report from the Colorado State Library describes highlights of developments that took place in the past year. Discussion includes Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) administration; school library media development; programs to promote library literacy and diversity; the State Publications Library; StateLINC distribution program…