The rapidly evolving digital world inspires much use of nautical terminology: (1) navigation; (2) discovery; (3) the voyage; and (4) the new terrain at the end of the journey. Considering how quickly new technologies are arriving on smartphones, the nautical adventure is continuing at an increased pace. Innovations in basic library services follow…

It's an obvious observation that librarians today find themselves dealing with collections of ever larger proportions of electronic content. The degree to which that shift has already taken place varies from one type of library to another. Some organizations, especially those involved with specializations in biomedical, scientific, or business,…

Minneapolis is a book lover's paradise. There are dozens of neighborhood bookstores, a sleek new $125 million Minneapolis Central Library, and Open Book, the nation's first facility devoted to the literary arts. No wonder it was dubbed America's most literate city last year. But one of the best-kept secrets is that Minneapolis and nearby Mankato…

The latest calamities to befall the economy aren't reflected in the 2008 compilation of building projects. This article discusses how public and academic buildings combine for 213 projects in 2008. The 183 public libraries and 30 academic facilities, completed between July 1, 2007, and June 30, 2008, squeaked through before the repercussions from…

Sandwiched between Los Angeles and San Diego counties, nudging up to Riverside and San Bernardino to the east, Orange County, California is far more diverse than the stereotype. Orange County has no dominant city; its two largest, Santa Ana and Anaheim--each with populations around 350,000--are, respectively, home to lower-income Latinos and a…

Jaap van de Geer, Erik Boekesteijn, Michael Stephens, and Geert van den Boogaard toured the U.S. last fall and interviewed librarians about how they are revitalizing their libraries. These four Dutch men are representatives of the Delft (the Netherlands) Public Library Concept Center and they came to the U.S. for their "Shanachie Tour." Their trip…

Steve Roskoski's accomplishments during his tenure at Multnomah County Library touch upon almost everything the library does: developing employee training, introducing chat reference, supervising a branch while the manager is on leave, conducting story times, mentoring new staffers, working on interlibrary loan and hiring, and even serving on a…

It's well known that technology is changing at an increasingly rapid pace and that many public libraries throughout the United States are attempting to adopt new technologies to better reach their patrons. In trade journals, blogs, and at library conferences, professionals in the field have continually discussed the best methods for using web…

In this explorative study, we first investigate current use of public library statistics in public library management to identify a governing framework and then carefully suggest an alternative framework with income as a goal for sustainability. The meaning of income in terms of management is also discussed. Within this framework, we conduct a…

Public libraries in Europe have supported lifelong learning for the past 500 years. Since the Lisbon Strategy emphasized the role of lifelong learning in economic policy, public libraries have been repositioning their services to respond to this new context. In some cases, these roles are undertaken with limited legislative or strategic changes…

America needs greater access to broadband Internet to spur economic growth, innovation, and job creation. To date, gains in household broadband take-up are not evenly distributed across all demographic groups or geographic areas. While from 2001 to 2007, the percentage of households in the United States with access to broadband Internet services…

Since most libraries are now hosting their own web sites, this author advocates for a social network centered on the work of building and supporting resource-rich library sites. While there are already several social networks for books, books are just one thing that libraries make available. A social network that helps people share what they are…

When they hear the word "collaboration," today's teacher-librarians immediately think of their teaching faculty and the need to incorporate 21st century information skills into the school's curriculum. But there may be another professional or two in one's community who would also be very valuable collaborators, helping one to reach and teach…

On January 19, 2009, the day before his historic inauguration, President Obama and his wife, Michelle, commemorated Martin Luther King Day by volunteering for various community service projects around the Washington, DC, area. A record number of Americans also participated in the King Day of Service, joining in over 13,000 projects, more than…

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…