The idea of "reading the room" borrowed from the business world applies to how school library professionals can identify and responsively meet the needs of users. By stepping up to do work even when it is not requested, and yet in alignment with our mission, we can help sustain our library programs.

Can LIS curricula dedicated to makerspaces provide an authentic learning experience for future librarians interested in makerspace-adjacent careers? This article presents a case study in which an authentic learning framework is applied to a newly developed LIS graduate-level course on makerspaces. We detail how one class project--entitled…

This case study discusses the implementation of formal organizational learning activities at the Richard G. Trefry Library, which serves the American Public University System, an accredited, for-profit, asynchronous institution of higher education. Discussed are the challenges and solutions throughout the implementation processes along with the…

Student workers are a well-established component of academic library operations. Recently, their traditional role has expanded to include responsibilities that were previously assigned to librarians, including in-person and virtual reference support. This trend has raised concerns about service quality and highlighted the importance of adequate…

Since the late 1970s, the access services librarian or equivalent position has become commonplace in academic libraries, and degreed professionals have been sought for these positions since the beginning. In 2009, David McCaslin, California Institute of Technology, examined the place of access services in American Library Association-accredited…

Academic libraries in Japan are well resourced by international standards, and support Japan's internationally recognized research capability well, but there are also ways in which they reflect Japan's strong bureaucratic culture. Recent changes to the status of national university libraries have seen a new interest in customer service, and…

Reports on research that focused on competence and performance of reference libraries in academic libraries in Nigeria. Includes recommendations for improving competence and performance, including the reference process; staffing and other resources; education for reference librarians; knowledge of modern technology; and emotional stability and…

Describes development of a comprehensive library materials conservation program at Johns Hopkins University's Milton Eisenhower Library by conservator John Dean. Discussion covers Dean's background in conservation, three major areas in the conservation program (conservation bindery, commercial binding office, paper conservation laboratory), a…

This article examines the relevance of training and skills development to modern librarianship in the first generation universities in Nigeria. The developments noticed in this sector in the universities within the past decade made it imperative to have new workers with new skills to adopt to the many changes that have taken place that are likely…

The Montana Certification Program offers librarians, library staff members, and trustees a systematic and progressive method by which to track their continuing education (CE) efforts; the program also offers library boards and managers an opportunity to recognize staff efforts to improve their skills, ability, and knowledge. This first section of…

Fourteen articles address issues related to library personnel administration in an automated environment, such as education for automation, salaries, impact of technology, expert systems, core competencies, administrative issues, technology services, job satisfaction, and performance appraisal. A selected annotated bibliography is included. (MES)

The 35 points of this policy statement recommend categories of library personnel, together with levels of training and education appropriate to the preparation of personnel for these categories that will support the highest standards of library service for all kinds of libraries, as well as the most effective use of the variety of skills and…

Staff utilization, role definition and articulation, task overlap, educational requirements, certification, and status have been difficult issues within the library profession for most of this century, and remain mostly unresolved today. Over the past 20 years, library automation and declining budgets have caused the redistribution of the library…

Discusses the current level of library development and librarianship in francophone West Africa, taking Senegal as a case in point. The topics addressed include the impact of colonialism on library development, the structure of library services, the role of UNESCO seminars in library development, and the education of library personnel. (JL)

Discussion of faculty status for academic librarians focuses on the reasons for and the impact of recent library school closings. Topics addressed include professional identity; the service functions of librarians versus teaching, research, and publication requirements of traditional tenure; accountability to the larger institution; and staffing…