The web site is a library's most important feature. Patrons use the web site for numerous functions, such as renewing materials, placing holds, requesting information, and accessing databases. The homepage is the place they turn to look up the hours, branch locations, policies, and events. Whether users are at work, at home, in a building, or on…

Libraries should stock their shelves with this practical guide to assist patrons in the search for their next great job. This Library How-To Handbook includes expert advice on the most effective ways to: (1) Conduct proper research; (2) Build networks of friends and colleagues; (3) Create a strong resume and cover letter; (4) Prepare for an…

The purpose of this study is to gain a finer-grained picture and better understanding of the travel patterns of library users, and the activities, demographics, and other factors that affect library access. Previous studies of physical accessibility of public libraries, which have focused on library users' single-destination trips and their travel…

Due to the absence of a Georgia Educator Certificate in instructional technology, and the lack of state-wide staffing guidelines or requirements for instructional technology specialists, there is a lack of consistency in the qualifications and staffing of P-12 instructional technology specialists in Georgia public schools. The result is a lack of…

Building a culture of reading in a school requires the participation of the entire school community--students, teachers, administrators, staff, parents, and patrons. To be successful, the whole community must be on board with books--not just the helpful librarian in the school library. Implementing library programs to encourage students to read…

Being a solo librarian today is certainly challenging; however, because of technological interconnectedness, today's solo librarian is definitely not alone. Technology allows a school librarian to immediately and constantly connect and interact with other school librarians. This article discusses online resources and websites that will allow a…

Research supports the use of games in public, academic, and school libraries as a way to engage patrons and students, and to help develop important skills. Games provide stories and information, presented in a new format. They encourage critical thinking and problem solving and accomplish objectives of curriculum frameworks and meet AASL Standards…

Communities of practice offer reference librarians a conceptual model through which to develop and maintain general and subject specific knowledge. Reference librarians acquire general and subject-specific knowledge in many ways, sometimes independently and sometimes collaboratively. Applying the concept of the "community of practice" to reference…

Users across academic disciplines utilize different information sources based on the resource's usefulness and relevance. This study's findings show that users from arts and sciences disciplines are much more likely to utilize university library website resources and printed materials than business users who heavily rely on commercial websites.…

YouTube, the video hosting service, offers students, teachers, and practitioners of qualitative researchers a unique reservoir of video clips introducing basic qualitative research concepts, sharing qualitative data from interviews and field observations, and presenting completed research studies. This web-based site also affords qualitative…

Rare is the inspirational, spontaneous, transformative moment shared among 20 million people. In the summer of 2010, people around the world were moved by the sighting of a double rainbow--almost a triple rainbow--"all the way across the sky" in Yosemite National Park. Caught on video and posted to by YouTube by Paul Vasquez in January 2010, the…

Collecting and presenting children's literature takes on new meaning when the audience is comprised of students who are affluent and represent the dominant culture. As a school librarian, the author of this article believes that children's literature provides a means by which she can introduce the diversity of society into the classroom.…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe some of the problems and issues faced by online library catalogues. It aims to establish how libraries have undertaken the mission of developing the next generation catalogues and how they compare to new tools such as Amazon. Design/methodology/approach: An expert study was carried out in January…

This paper considers the results of an online questionnaire survey that collected user data on e-book collections held at Essex County Libraries over a two-year period between April 2004 and June 2006. The research was funded by the Laser Foundation, 1 and specifically considered e-book collections held on Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) devices,…

"Digital Advocacy Stories: A Pedagogical Tool for Communicating and Strengthening Library Values" is a case study conducted in LS5633: The Art of Storytelling. The purpose of this study was to investigate graduate student candidates' development of library values through the use of digital tools to create and disseminate advocacy…