Monday, November 25, 2013

The Information Behavior of a New Generation: Children and Teens in the 21st Century


Jamshid Beheshti and Andrew Large (eds.). The Information Behavior of a New Generation: Children and Teens in the 21st Century. Scarecrow Press, 2013. ISBN: 978-0-8108-8594-3


Description: 
Contributors with backgrounds in educational psychology, computer science, education, and information studies offer essays on models of information behavior, cognitive development of youth, information literacy, cyber-bullying, gaming, and current and future systems. The hope is that this book will help build a more in-depth understanding of children's and teens information behavior.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Andrew Large and Jamshid Beheshti
Chapter 1: Concepts, Propositions, Models and Theories in Information Behavior Research Charles Cole
Chapter 2: Cognitive Development and Information Behavior James P. Byrnes & Matthew L. Bernacki
Chapter 3: Information Literacy Leanne Bowler & Valerie Nesset
Chapter 4: Everyday Life Information Behavior of Young People June Abbas & Denise E. Agosto
Chapter 5: Digital Age Libraries and Youth: Learning Labs, Literacy Leaders, Radical Resources Eliza T. Dresang
Chapter 6: Youth and Online Social Networking: What Do We Know So Far? Denise E. Agosto & June Abbas
Chapter 7: Gaming and Virtual Environments Giovanni Vincenti
Chapter 8: Everyday Life Information in Support of Enhanced Quality of Life for Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities Dana Hanson-Baldauf
Chapter 9: Defining the Line on Cyber-bullying:How youth encounter and distribute demeaning information Shaheen Shariff
Chapter 10: Systems Jamshid Beheshti & Andrew Large
Chapter 11: The Future Jamshid Beheshti & Andrew Large

Friday, November 22, 2013

Library 2020: Today's Leading Visionaries Describe Tomorrow's Library



Janes, Joseph (ed.). Library 2020: Today's Leading Visionaries Describe Tomorrow's Library. Scarecrow Press, 2013. ISBN: 978-0-8108-8714-5

Description
Joseph Janes has assembled an impressive set of essays from today's leading library enthusiasts to discuss their vision for libraries into the future. Contributors were asked to describe the “library of 2020,” in whatever terms they wanted, either a specific library or situation or libraries in general. They were told: “be bold, be inspirational, be hopeful, be true, be provocative, be realistic, be depressing, be light-hearted, be thoughtful, be fun…be yourself, and for heaven’s sake, don’t be boring.”

Table of Contents
Introduction by Joseph Janes
Part I Stuff

  1. The Annoyed Librarian
  2. Kristin Fontichiaro
  3. Elisabeth A. Jones
  4. Clifford A. Lynch
Part II People
  1. Sarah Houghton
  2. Stephen Abram
  3. Courtney Greene
  4. Marie L. Radford
  5. James W. Rosenzweig
Part III Community
  1. Michael Crandall
  2. Molly Raphael
  3. Lynn Silipigni Connaway
  4. Marcellus Turner
  5. Ruth Faklis
  6. Susan Hildreth
Part IV Place
  1. Stacey A. Aldrich & Jarrid P. Keller
  2. John Dove
  3. Bill Ptacek
  4. Loriene Roy
Part V Leadership & Vision
  1. Josie Barnes Parker
  2. Mary Ann Mavrinac
  3. Peter Morville
  4. Daniel Chudnov
Part VI My Turn- Joseph Janes

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Technology for Small and One-Person Libraries: A LITA Guide



Erlandson, Rene J. Technology for Small and One-Person Libraries: A LITA Guide. Chicago: ALA TechSource, An imprint of the American Library Association, 2013. ISBN: 978-1-55570-858-0

From the publisher’s web site:

For those working in a small library, particularly one that may have little technical support, a foundational knowledge of technology is crucial. Written for librarians, library staff, and administrators at libraries serving populations of 15,000 or less, this LITA guide shows how to successfully develop, implement, sustain, and grow technology initiatives. The contributors draw from personal experience in rural libraries and regional state university libraries to offer guidance for making sound technology decisions. Whether looking for a quick answer or starting an in-depth technology project, readers will quickly find basic information on the full range of library technology, organized into chapters with numerous headings for easy scanning. Topics include

  • An overview of library technology basics
  • Electronic resource fundamentals, including a look at licensing issues
  • Webpage development, Open-source (OS) applications, and a six-step plan for social media and social networking
  • How to create and sustain an effective technology strategy

Complete table of contents and more information available from ALA Techsource.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Ebooks and the School Library Program


Leverkus, Cathy, and Shannon Acedo. Ebooks and the School Library Program: A Practical Guide for the School Librarian. Chicago: American Association of School Librarians, 2013.
ISBN: 978-0-8389-8672-1

Publisher's Description
Whether you have an interest in starting an ebook collection for your school library program or are working on enhancing an ebook collection you’ve already established, this handbook is for you. The world of ebooks is both vast and intricate. Exploring the many articles concerning ebook publication, vendors, devices, and copyright laws can be overwhelming. The writers of Ebooks and the School Library Program have organized their learning to share with their peers from several years of building ebook collections for their individual school library programs. This guide will help familiarize school librarians with ebooks and facilitate decision-making about their ebook collections in a rapidly changing landscape.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

Chapter 1: What is an Ebook?
Chapter 2: Sources of Ebooks
Chapter 3: Why Purchase Ebooks?
Chapter 4: Ebooks and Self-Publishing
Chapter 5: Ebook Devices
Chapter 6: Device Distribution and Technological Factors
Chapter 7: Ebook Circulation/Access
Chapter 8: Developing an Ebook Collection
Chapter 9: Ebook Acquisition
Chapter 10: One-Time ‘Purchase’ or Annual Subscription?
Chapter 11: Cataloging Ebooks
Chapter 12: Budgetary Factors
Chapter 13: Librarian Support Groups—Learning From Peers
Chapter 14: Legal and Ethical Considerations
Chapter 15: Fast-Changing Landscape
Chapter 16: Musings: Larger Philosophical Questions, Future Challenges, Concerns, and Developments
Chapter 17: Conclusion

WORKS CITED

Appendix A: Resources
Appendix B: Publications from AASL
Appendix C: AASL Position Statement on Digital Content and E-books in School Library Collections
Appendix D: Glossary
Appendix E: Index
Appendix F: Tables & Figures

Reference Skills for the School Librarian


Riedling, Ann M., Loretta Shake, and Cynthia Houston. Reference Skills for the School Librarian: Tools and Tips. 3rd ed. Santa Barbara, CA: Linworth, 2013. 
ISBN: 978-1-58683-528-6

Publisher's Description
...Written specifically for K–12 librarians and teachers, the authors present helpful tools and easily applied strategies for every major area in reference, from the reference interview to encyclopedias and dictionaries. This textbook teaches basic reference processes, sources, services, and skills; and provides authentic, real-world school library media reference scenarios as well as exercises for reflection and guided application in today's reference world.

Highlights
• Updated edition provides a wealth of new print resources and web-based tools that are specifically appropriate for grades K–12
• Covers the full range of reference processes, sources, services and skills, from major issues to the nuts and bolts of daily operation
• Includes webliographies that add dimension to any reference toolkit
 
Sample Topics
Abstracts
Biographical Sources
Dictionaries
Encyclopedias
Geographic Resources
Indexes
Questioning Skills
Reference Interview
Reference Skills
SLM Reference Skills, Tools, and Tips


Essential Reference Services for Today's School Media Specialists


Lanning, Scott, and John Bryner. Essential Reference Services for Today's School Media Specialists. 2nd ed. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 2010. ISBN: 978-1-59158-883-2

Publisher's Description
...Today's school media specialist is an active instructional partner, an advocate for information literacy and media center resources, and a reference librarian.

Essential Reference Services for Today's School Media Specialists: Second Edition is an overview of today's reference environment covering the essentials of reference services, from selecting resources to weeding the collection, from the advantages of chat reference to the types of library instruction. This book is the place to start for information on reference services. It begins with a discussion of information and information literacy and also covers using and evaluating print and electronic reference sources, providing and evaluating reference services, creating web resources, teaching the core curriculum, and more.

Grades K-12

Features
• Offers a database search worksheet to use with students
• Includes a list of print reference sources available for further reading

Highlights
• Provides a concise overview of the current state of reference services
• Discusses information power, the 21st-century learner and Big6 Skills and how they apply to reference services
• Discusses the reference transaction and the Behavioral Performance Guidelines from RUSA
• Examines the strengths and weaknesses of the various methods for providing digital reference service and discusses how to evaluate sources to find quality information

Guided Inquiry Design


Kuhlthau, Carol C., Leslie K. Maniotes, and Ann K. Caspari. Guided Inquiry Design: A Framework for Inquiry in Your School. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 2012. 
ISBN: 978-1-61069-009-6

Publisher's Description
Guided Inquiry prepares today's learners for an uncertain future by providing the education that enables them to make meaning from myriad sources of information in a rapidly evolving world. The companion book, Guided Inquiry: Learning in the 21st Century, explains what Guided Inquiry is, and why it is now essential now. This book, Guided Inquiry Design: A Framework for Inquiry in Your School, explains how to do it.

The first three chapters provide an overview of the Guided Inquiry design framework, identify the eight phases of the Guided Inquiry process, summarize the research that grounds Guided Inquiry, and describe the five tools of inquiry that are essential to implementation. The following chapters detail the eight phases in the Guided Inquiry design process, providing examples at all levels from pre-K through 12th grade and concluding with recommendations for building Guided Inquiry in your school.

The book is for pre-K–12 teachers, school librarians, and principals who are interested in and actively designing an inquiry approach to curricular learning that incorporates a wide range of resources from the library, the Internet, and the community. Staff of community resources, museum educators, and public librarians will also find the book useful for achieving student learning goals.

Highlights
• Provides example session plans with starter, worktime, and reflection for each phase in the inquiry process as well as examples for pre-K though high school levels
• Describes how to organize, design, and implement in three member instructional teams
• Presents a complete framework for Guided Inquiry with visuals from opening to creating and sharing, accompanied by recommendations for building beyond one inquiry unit
• Provides inquiry tool templates to implement each phase of the process

Table of Contents

Note: Accompanying the book is the companion CD.


With this CD-ROM, you can now visually reinforce Guided Inquiry Design concepts and engage learners with 29 images ready for printing, posting, and learning.
FEATURES:
• A 17" x 34" poster of the full Guided Inquiry process
• Eight posters of the individual phases in Guided Inquiry (Open, Immerse, Explore, Identify, Gather, Create, Share, and Evaluate), each 11" x 14"
• Reproducibles for 20 figures
Sample Topics
Collaborative Culture
Core and Extended Instructional Team
Design Framework
Guided Inquiry Process
Information Literacy
Information Search Process (ISP)
Inquiry Community
Inquiry Tools
Integrated Learning
Museum and Community Resources
Third Space

Concise Guide to Information Literacy


Lanning, Scott. Concise Guide to Information Literacy. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 2012. ISBN: 978-1-59884-949-3

Publisher's Description
...The American Library Association defines "information literacy" as "a set of abilities requiring individuals to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information." The Concise Guide to Information Literacy gives students the tools they need to develop those abilities, including the search techniques and evaluation methods that will help them pinpoint what actually is academically sound information.

Using the Association of College and Research Libraries' Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education as a framework, this much-needed sourcebook covers all the major facets of the information literacy process. For students, it is a ready-to-use guide that explains what information literacy is, why it is so important, and how to put it to use in both print and online research. For teachers, it is a helpful classroom resource that can serve as the basis for an information literacy course, a supplemental text, or a handy reference for research in any subject.

Highlights
• Addresses a core problem of the information age—how to determine which information sources are reliable
• Gets high school and college students thinking about the validity of their information gathering early—a perspective that will serve them throughout their academic and professional careers
• Provides specific steps for putting the ACRL's standards for information literacy into action
• Emphasizes the ethical use of information in school assignments and projects
Sample Topics
Boolean Operators
Choosing a Topic
Citing Sources
Copyright and Fair Use
Effectively Utilizing Printed Resources
Evaluating Information
Finding Information
Full Text vs. Abstracts
Getting Help from the Librarian
Keywords and Subject Searching
Primary vs. Secondary Sources
Scholarly Publications
Search Engines and Directories
Searching Databases
Information Literacy Exercises

Table of Contents

Successful Minute Taking

Baker, Heather. Successful Minute Taking: Meeting the Challenge. Lancashire, UK: Universe of Learning, 2012. 
ISBN: 978-1-84937-076-9

Product Description
I'd rather throw myself downstairs ... That was how I used to feel about minute taking; this book is for those among you who feel the same. Learn the skills you need to be an excellent meeting secretary.
  • Example minutes and agendas
  • How to develop your skills in notetaking
  • Becoming more confident in your role
  • A checklist of what to do before, during and after the meeting
  • Help with layout and writing skills    
  • Learn what to include in minutes
  • Understand how to become a better listener
  • How to work well with your chairperson
  • Lots of exercises and easy to read
  • Free downloadable workbook