Quality Library: A Guide to Staff-Driven Improvement, Better Efficiency, and Happier Customers

Laughlin, Sara and Ray. W. Wilson. The Quality Library: A Guide to Staff-Driven Improvement, Better Efficiency, and Happier Customers. Chicago: American Library Association, 2008. 025.1 LaughQ isbn: 0-8389-0952-3

In an environment of budget cuts and freezes, libraries must keep a tight rein on costs and inefficiencies. The efficiency of systems and processes goes hand-in-hand with excellent customer service. Managers, however, often find themselves far enough removed from the day-to-day activities in the library that they don't know where inefficiencies, mistakes, and poor customer service may occur. Based on more than 50 years of author expertise in organizational improvement, The Quality Library offers a methodology to pinpoint trouble areas and improve processes. By developing a customer-focused system outlining library processes and networks, administrators and managers can quickly determine areas for improvement that directly apply to the library's goals and missions. Staff will also learn how to statistically document the new process's performance, giving the library a means to quantify its effects. • Gives administrators a clear understanding of their suppliers and customers • Empowers front-line staff to make improvements and better decisions• Boosts employee and team morale as they work together to bring about change• Offers real-life success examples showing how process improvement works• Includes figures, appendices, worksheets, and a glossaryBy continuously evaluating processes based on the guidelines and worksheets provided here, public and academic library administrators and managers will improve the quality and efficiency of service for patrons and staff alike.

The Newbery and Caldecott Awards 2008 (book)

Association for Library Service to Children. (2008). The Newbery and Caldecott Awards: A guide to the medal and honor books (2008 ed.). Chicago, IL: American Library Association.

Each year, the American Library Association presents the Newbery and Caldecott Awards to the most distinguished children’s books published the previous year. Librarians and teachers everywhere have come to rely on this indispensable guide to the award winners for quick reference, collection and curriculum development, and readers’ advisory.

The 2008 edition provides up-to-date annotations for all the medal and honor books since the inception of the awards (Newbery in 1922 and Caldecott in 1938), is fully indexed by title and author/illustrator, and includes background on the awards and photos of the new medalists and their books. “Newbery and Caldecott Awards: Authorization and Terms” discusses the terms and definitions that have evolved for both awards and the significance of the awards as an evaluation of children’s literature. “Media Used in Caldecott Picture Books” reveals each illustrator’s choice of media for the Caldecott medal and honor books and includes a helpful glossary of art terms.

New to the 2008 edition is a feature essay by Mary Erbach, assistant director of interpretive exhibitions and family programs at the Art Institute of Chicago. Ms. Erbach describes how children’s picture books and original picture book art have found a home in the art museum setting and are valued as links to permanent museum collections and as supplements for educational programming and hands-on activities.

This comprehensive guide will help you to introduce children to outstanding literature and illustration and support your own literature selections from the criteria used for these celebrated awards.--Book Description

A Box Full of Tales (book)

MacMillan, K. (2008). A box full of tales: Easy ways to share library resources through story boxes.
Chicago, IL: American Library Association.

This book is great for those of you developing storytime kits for your staff, to circulate to preschool teachers, for volunteer storytime readers, etc.

-Learn how to do 25 storytimes a week without "losing your mind,"

-A step-by-step guide to develop your own storytime box

-how to share storytime boxes between branches or a consortium (the book doesn't specifically talk about sharing with volunteers or preschool teachers, but the same tips can be applied!)

-How to use one box for several different programs

-50 ready made storytime box plans! These are organized by theme and list titles to choose from, recorded music, several fingerplays/songs, flannel board stories, rhymes to say with props, and craft ideas.

-Learn American Sign Language for each them!

-Storytime box plans included in this book are for toddlers, preschoolers, and all age family programs

Serving Latino Communities (book)

Alire, C. & Ayala, J. (2008). Serving Latino communities: A how-to-do-it manual for librarians (2nd ed.).
New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers.

Alire and Ayala, both past presidents of REFORMA (the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking), build the case for increased service to this important and growing community and provide ideas for making outreach a success. Chapter coverage helps library staff understand the needs of their library's Latino community; develop successful programs and services; obtain funding for projects and programs; prepare staff to work more effectively with Latinos; establish partnerships with relevant external agencies and organizations; improve collection development; and perform effective outreach and public relations. This second edition features new strategies for conducting focus groups and bilingual surveys, an emphasis on electronic Web resources to aid in preparing for services, an increased number of programming ideas, and even more examples of bilingual promotional materials. A completely revised and updated resource directory points to the best publications, organizations, and sites for more information on this growing community.--Book Description