Monday, December 17, 2007

Government Documents Librarianship

Government Documents Librarianship : A Guide for the Neo-Depository Era. Ennis, Lisa A. Medford, N.J. Information Today, 2007. 174pp.

From the publisher:

This guide breaks down the components of government documents librarianship into manageable, easy to understand parts. Lisa A. Ennis, a “tried by fire” documents librarian, begins by looking at career opportunities in both Federal Depository Libraries (FDLs) and non-depository libraries with government document collections. Ennis discusses skills and traits; networking and training options; managing and administering people, paperwork, and collections; and both public service and technical service issues.

Government Documents Librarianship provides essential background on the GPO and the FDLP, covering the shift to a digital environment and publication of the new Electronic FDL Manual. The informative coverage is matched by an enthusiastic “can-do” approach that will appeal to any librarian considering or already engaged in government documents work.


The Joy of Computing : A Cookbook for Small and Rural Libraries


[picture and text courtesy of the MaintainIT Project]

The Joy of Computing : A Cookbook for Small and Rural Libraries. MaintainIT Project, 2007. 85 pp.

Learn about locking down public computers, use a handy maintenance checklist, and more!

Download the entire pdf (2.27 MB)

Look inside the contents and download individual chapters

Once you've used the Cookbook, please take a moment to complete this anonymous survey. Thank you.

Chapter by chapter downloads are also available:

Getting Started
Download the pdf (412 KB)
This chapter describes what you'll find in the Cookbook, how to use it, and who was behind it.

Meal Plan 1: Focusing on Your Ingredients for Success
Download the pdf (352 KB)
Learn how to develop a technology plan that keeps your computers humming and your patrons happy.

Meal Plan 2: Meat and Potato Patron Computers
Download the pdf (962 KB)
Learn practical maintenance techniques, such as how to lock down your computer and keep them virus free!

Meal Plan 3: Volunteers for the Kitchen
Download the pdf (417 KB)
Learn how volunteers can improve the services you provide!

Meal Plan 4: Getting the Technology Training You Need
Download the pdf (313 KB)
Training is more than a class. Learn how to develop a plan to keep your staff on top--and ahead--of your technology.

Meal Plan 5: Future Menus for Library Technology Services
Download the pdf (398 KB)
Take time to consider the future and your library's place in it.

Appendix A: Library Spotlight--Tips & Techniques
Download the pdf (130 KB)
Read real stories from libraries on creative ways to keep computers available to the public.


Libraries Connect Communities

Libraries Connect Communities : Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2006 - 2007. American Library Association and Florida State University, 2007. 185pp.

From press release:

Ever-growing patron demand for computer and Internet services in U.S. public libraries has stretched existing Internet bandwidth, computer availability, and building infrastructure to capacity, according to a new study “Libraries Connect Communities: Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2006-2007,” conducted by the American Library Association (ALA) and the Information Use Management and Policy Institute at Florida State University (FSU).

The study, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and ALA, found that more than 73 percent of libraries report they are the only source of free public access to computers and the Internet in their communities. Surveyed libraries said that the top three Internet services most critical to their community are online educational resources and databases for K-12 students (67.7 percent); services for job seekers (44 percent); and computer and Internet skills training (29.8 percent).

Request via ILL or download the complete PDF (6.22 MB).

Is Consulting for You? A Primer for Information Professionals

Is Consulting for You? A Primer for Information Professionals. de Stricker, Ulla. Chicago, IL. American Library Association, 2008. 95pp.

From the cover:
Libraries choose to hire consultants for a variety of reasons, from filling the gaps when they need expertise or personnel to bringing their services and programs to the next level.

Librarians and information professionals possess a unique mix of skills that are well suited to consulting. Expert author Ulla de Stricker builds on this skill set to present a range of consulting activities from highly specialized, focused activities to broad, strategic efforts.

If you've ever considered becoming a consultant, this book will help you determine whether it's right for you and give you the tools to succeed. Seasoned consultants, library directors and trainers, and companies working with libraries will also gain inspiration from the wealth of ideas offered here.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

After-School Treats and Let's Build (books)

Chumbley, T. (n.d.). After-school treats: A program manual of after-school activities for children in 2nd through 6th grades. Des Moines, IA: State Library of Iowa.
Programs are designed to be adaptable--pick and choose what works for you, adapt activities to make them your own. Programs don't all have the same features, but you'll see a lot of crafts, games/activities, songs and fingerplays, bibliographies, and clip-art. Program themes: sports, numbers, 5 senses, time, dogs, money, pizza, and snow. The last page in the manual lists several additional themes to get you thinking about other programs for your library.
Chumbley, T. (n.d.). Lets build! A program manual celebrating construction in the library. Des Moines, IA: State Library of Iowa.
Perfect for libraries under construction and/or remodeling! Manual contents: decorations and displays, reading logs, certificates, bookmarks, songs and fingerplays, program ideas, games, crafts, clipart, handouts/reproducibles, and bibliography.

These manuals were written by Tami Chumbley, a children's librarian, and illustrated by Crystal Kehoe, a youth services assistant. They have been provided by the State Library of Iowa in cooperation with North Central Library Service Area.

Language is the Key (book and DVD)

Washington Learning Systems. (2006). Language is the key: Video programs for building language and literacy in early childhood. Seattle, WA: Washington Learning Systems.

Language is the Key is an evidence-based early literacy program you can present to patrons at your library without any special training. The State Library has this program in both English and Spanish so be sure to specify which language you want when you make your request to document delivery.

When you check out Language is the Key you will get:

+ One DVD of the video program "Talking and Books" (20+ minutes).
+ One DVD of the video program "Talking and Play" (20+ minutes).
+ Resource Guide with handouts and instructions for trainers.

"Talking and Books" teaches adults how to use language facilitation strategies when looking at picture books with young children. The strategies are easy to learn, and very effective for promoting language development and early literacy.

"Talking and Play" shows teachers and parents how to promote language development when children are engaged in play or day-to-day activities. The program reinforces the strategies taught in "Talking and Books" and helps trainees transfer the strategies to different settings.

Reproduction Policy: Yes! You can make copies of these videos and print materials. However, copies cannot be sold.

You can visit Washington Learning System’s website to preview the videos.

Intellectual Property (book)

Wherry, T.L. (2008). Intellectual property: Everything the digital-age librarian needs to know Chicago, IL: American Library Association.

The new information landscape is raising more questions than ever about intellectual property. The advent of Google, YouTube, iPods, and URLs has led to a plethora of court cases involving copyrights, trademarks, and patents.

Against this rapidly changing background, copyright expert Timothy Wherry takes a grounded look at intellectual property issues and provides the perspective and tools library patrons and staff need.

Written in an easy-to-read style, Wherry’s step-by-step guidance will help you

· Distinguish among the three types of intellectual property: patents, copyrights, and trademarks
· See how technology has increasingly bumped up against intellectual property law
· Answer frequently asked questions about patents and trademarks
· Determine how copyright relates to different media (e.g., podcasts)
· Conduct patent and trademark searches

Packed with examples, trivia, and accounts of real-life court cases that bring alive the issues in intellectual property, Intellectual Property: Everything the Digital-Age Librarian Needs to Know protects you from overstepping the bounds of legal use in a fast-changing digital environment.

(This description was take from the back of the book.)

Ideas for Librarians Who Teach (book)

Lederer, N. (2005). Ideas for librarians who teach: With suggestions for teachers and business presenters. Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press.

Containing nearly one thousand individual ideas and bits of advice for teaching, Ideas for Librarians Who Teach is tailored primarily to librarians, but most of the suggestions put forth can be applied to anyone who will be getting up in front of a group to teach (e.g. teachers, business trainers, workshop leaders, craft instructors). If someone has some knowledge or skill to share, this book will help him or her teach it with confidence.

Chapters cover diverse topics that range from preparing for a session to looking over the classroom, and from dealing with questions to using visuals, Web pages, and handouts. There are suggestions for teaching audiences with different learning styles as well as teaching foreign students (and vice versa). Group learning ideas and practical suggestions for what to put on feedback forms are also included. Promoting library instruction, teaching via distance education, dealing with disruptive students, and coping with burnout are addressed with applicable recommendations. There is an extensive bibliography and recommended resources throughout for additional or more detailed descriptions of some of the ideas. Also, example syllabi and a workshop outline are provided as appendixes.

Whether using this book as a base for a semester-long course or for a workshop on teaching, librarians who teach, or who are about to start teaching, will find this book very helpful. Every academic, public, school, and corporate library should have this book.

(This description is from the publisher.)

Sex, Brains, and Video Games (book)

Pierce, J.B. (2008). Sex, brains, and video games: A librarian's guide to teens in the twenty-first century. Chicago, IL: American Library Association.

How do we best reach our teen patrons? Young adult librarians and others who serve them constantly strive to better understand this often-unpredictable audience.

In this insightful guide, Jennifer Burek Pierce provides a fascinating look at today’s teen through the lens of neurological, psychological and educational research. Putting this research in the context of library services, she challenges librarians to question their assumptions about teen patrons and provide new answers based on research finding. Much like early literacy research informed library services to youngest patrons, this provocative book outlines what others who work with adolescents have learned from their professional activities and how that knowledge can encourage new priorities and partnerships in youth services.

Use this research to:

· Help sort out the facts from fiction about adolescent brain development and sexuality
· Equip staff to understand and sensitively interact with teens
· Foster understanding about teens, technology, and multitasking
· Incorporate teen friendly services and activities into the library

(This description was take from the back cover.)

Monday, December 10, 2007

DVD - Mapping the Library Landscape: Finding the Trends that Matter

DVD - Mapping the Library Landscape- Finding the Trends that Matter. Soaring to Excellence Teleconference Series, College of DuPage.

Presenters Steven Bell and Catherine Wilt discuss how what's happening in the world influences consumer desires, and therefore the way in which libraries should be poised to meet patron expectations. This program offers practical advice and resources for developing a level of awareness to identify the trends that matter.

021 Soari (DVD)

2007 ALA-APA Salary Survey: Librarian -Public and Academic

2007 ALA-APA Salary Survey: Librarian -Public and Academic. Chicago: ALA 2007.
isbn:978-0-8389-8442-0
331.2810232 ALA 2007 ed.