Of all the buzz words used in the school library media profession, "collaboration" evokes the strongest feelings--and not all of those feelings are positive. Some library media specialists are not convinced that collaboration is an essential part of their programs, yet collaboration seems to be essential in many other professions. In fact, there…

A curious amount of unease surrounds Google's initiative to scan thousands of books in major research libraries and make them available online. Google's initiative will not make books obsolete; it will make the information in them more widely available. Search engines are the new subject indexes to virtually infinite amounts of information on the…

This article features Chelsea District Library (CDL), Michigan, which claims recognition as the 2008 Best Small Library in America, an award sponsored by "Library Journal" and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The aggressively responsive staff of CDL has created a model for small libraries all over America. There, careful…

Many librarians at small academic institutions have been wondering if they can, or even should, support the use of geospatial technology on their campuses. At the Middlebury College Libraries, we have developed a model of support for geospatial technology which we think might be versatile and transferable enough to try elsewhere.

Children are natural visual learners--they have been absorbing information visually since birth. They welcome opportunities to learn via images as well as to generate visual information themselves, and these opportunities present themselves every day. The importance of visual literacy can be conveyed through conversations and the teachable moment,…

"LibraryThing" is a great way for library media specialists to keep track of the books they personally read. "LibraryThing" allows them to create a personal library, give their books tags, choose book covers, give star ratings, generate citations, and review books. Library media specialists can also connect to other readers and see their reviews.…

Stoan's distinction between library skills and research skills based on different philosophies of information seeking suggests the value of training in research methodology for the librarian. Such training could lead to more effective patron consultations, committee/administrative work, and personal research. Thus, a convenience sample of…

Librarians role as partners in education is to instruct customers on how to find information. Their purpose is to get information to customers. Often, that takes the form of delivering a book. Sometimes, it is accomplished by typing a URL into a web browser, reading text, and copying some of it into a text document for manipulation and…

This article describes the opportunities out of the 2007 turmoil precipitated by the dramatic shifts that redefined the industry in 2006. The turmoil made companies that avoided major business transitions more attractive and sparked explosive interest in open source alternatives. Some companies held a steady course and benefited from the fallout.…

It is not unusual for library media specialists to experience having their staff cut. The author has experienced this scenario twice. Each time, she and her colleagues redefined and restructured their library media centers to maximize teaching and learning. In this article, the author discusses some of the things she has learned about coping with…

This article presents an approach for developing a theory related to university library group work. Next, it reviews generic group-related phenomena indicated by the approach, applying these phenomena to university libraries. Finally, the article surveys this theoretical development, revealing that most of it remains to be accomplished.

Beginning in 1994, a series of collection analysis and assessment projects of community college library/LRC collections in Florida has been conducted by the College Center for Library Automation (CCLA). The purpose of the assessments conducted through LINCC, the network for Florida community colleges, was to provide data for improvement of…

Special-subject libraries can be particularly intimidating for casual and seasoned patrons alike. Music libraries, with their variety of materials, formats, and vocabularies, can present particular challenges for the user. With this proposal for a model of service delivery, as well as many tips gained through experience working the front-of-house…

Second Life is a virtual world that's entirely built and owned by its residents. This vast digital continent is teeming with people, entertainment, and opportunities. It offers museums, concerts, immersive learning environments, a 19th-century world, and more. The Alliance Library System is one of the nine regional multitype library systems in…

Place reminds us to tailor our professional work to the shifting concerns, and indeed the shifting criteria, of our shifting constituencies, rather than to a placeless professional vision of what librarianship, society, and literacy should be. Every place maker must make do, make sense, and make place in an environment that is technologically…