Magic Search: Getting the Best Results from Your Catalog and Beyond

Kornegay, Rebecca S., Heidi E. Buchanan and Hildegard B. Morgan. Magic Search: Getting the Best Results from Your Catalog and Beyond. Chicago, ALA, 2009. 025.47 Korne ISBN 978-0-8389-0990-4

Subdivide and conquer! "Magic Search: Getting the Best Results from Your Catalog and Beyond" showcases how to increase the power of Library of Congress Subject Heading (LCSH) subdivisions to produce astonishing results from your searches. Rebecca S. Kornegay and Heidi E. Buchanan, experienced reference librarians, and Hildegard B. Morgan, an expert cataloger, explain how, when used wisely, LCSH subdivisions can save time and provide a new level of precision in information retrieval for patrons of the library. "Magic Search" presents the 467 best-performing LCSH subdivisions that speak to the kinds of research questions librarians handle every day. This quick reference format, along with a handy index, offers a useful tool to keep for quick reference rather than a cumbersome tome to be read from cover to cover. In addition, this book provides: a thematic arrangement of LC subdivisions that yield the most successful search; chapters on discipline-specific subdivisions to hone effective search terms; and, precise, professional vocabulary useful in searches and explained in easy-to-understand language. Grasping the importance and having command of LC subdivisions, now appearing in unexpected places beyond the library catalog, is key in this rapidly evolving, 21st-century information environment. No other work explores the LCSH subdivisions is such detail or with such commitment, making this book vital to every Reference Desk.

Inside, Outside and Online: Building Your Library Community

Hill, Chrystie. Inside, Outside and Online: Building Your Library Community. Chicago, ALA, 2009. 021.2 Hill. ISBN 978-0-8389-0987-4

"Inside, Outside, and Online" provides practical advice and inspiration for building community with your library. Based on a scan of the community and technology environments that libraries operate within, related literature, and the practical experiences of hundreds of library staff actively building communities through their work, the book provides much-needed insights into the essential elements of community building through: identifying user needs and designing services to meet those needs; engaging communities with service selection, creation, and iteration; and, utilizing practical new technologies. Whatever your role, and whatever size or type of library, the principles outlined here can support anyone working to build a strong community of engaged, interested, and satisfied library users.

Licensing Digital Content: a Practical Guide for Librarians

Harris, Lesley Ellen. Licensing Digital Content: a Practical Guide for Librarians. 2nd ed. Chicago, ALA, 2009. 346.73048 Harri 2nd ed. ISBN 978-0-8389-0992-8

Harris, ex-senior copyright officer in Canada and author of Digital Property: Currency of the 21st Century (McGraw-Hill Professional, 1998), has taken a complex subject and written, in lay readers' terms, guidelines for the licensing of digital content. She includes chapters on items such as the step-by-step process of the licensing experience, tips on different clauses for the agreement, and negotiation. There is also a good question-and-answer section. The author is very knowledgeable about the subject and feels strongly that licensing is something librarians can do for themselves without hiring an attorney. If there are any negative aspects of the volume, it's the price, which seems a bit steep for a book that runs 137 pages. While global issues are supposed to be covered, the author's primary interest is U.S. and Canadian copyright law. Harris also includes an appendix of sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. those libraries that license digital materials.

Writing Resumes That Work

Newlen, Robert R. Writing Resumes That Work. New York, Neal-Schuman, 1998. 650.14088092 Newle ISBN 1-55570-263-5
Newlen, ALA Executive Board and management specialist at the Library of Congress Congressional Research Service, offers a practical approach to preparing resumes, guiding readers through the difficult process of answering key questions that must be addressed in any resume. Twenty-eight sample resumes are all explained and specifically tailored to diverse library settings, including academic, public, law school, and special libraries, as well as to different interests of library school students, recent library school graduates, experienced librarians, and librarians moving into nontraditional jobs. The advice here is solid, including the present view on not putting personal information in a resume, keeping a resume up-to-date, using software to build and update the file, as well as a short section on cover letters. This is an excellent job-search tool directly related to the special needs of librarians

Quick and popular reads for teens (book)

Holley, P.M. (2009). Quick and popular reads for teens.

Chicago, IL: American Library Association.

For more than 10 years YALSA has produced two annual lists, Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults and Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers, consisting of recommended reading targeted at young adults who are not avid readers. Quick and Popular Reads for Teens compiles bibliographic information about the books honored by these two selected lists. This one-stop reference source includes:

Essays written by young adult experts An introductory chapter for each list explaining the selection criteria Lists of the honored titles including brief annotations, publisher information, and subject/thematic descriptions A chapter on programming and display ideas Make choosing titles for teens fun, quick, and easy with this one-of-a-kind resource! (book description)

The Readers' Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction (book)

Saricks, J.G. (2009). The readers' advisory guide to genre fiction.
Chicago, IL: American Library Association.

This revised edition provides a way of understanding the vast universe of genre fiction in an easy-to-use format. Expert readers’ advisor Joyce Saricks offers groundbreaking reconsideration of the connections among genres, providing

•Key authors and themes within 15 genres
•An explanation as to how the different genres overlap
•The elements of fiction most likely to entice readers

Provocative and spirited, The Readers' Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction, 2nd Edition offers hands-on strategies for librarians who want to become experts at figuring out what their readers are seeking and how to match books with those interests.
(book description)

Recommended Books in Spanish for Children and Young Adults, 2004 - 2008

--> Schon, Isabel. Recommended Books in Spanish for Children and Young Adults, 2004-2008. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow, 2009. Print.
ISBN 978-0-8108-6386-6
If you buy books for a children's or young adult Spanish-language collection, you've likely heard of Isabel Schon. This is her latest work, and it includes more than 1,200 recommendations for books in Spanish, both for those published in the United States and elsewhere. Each annotation provides the title of the book in English and Spanish, a 1/3 to 1/2 page explanation of what the book is about and why Schon recommends it, and the approximate grade level and price. The work is divided into 4 sections: reference, nonfiction, publishers' series, and fiction. Finally, it includes three indices--author, title, and subject--as well as an appendix listing dealers of books in Spanish. -- Jen
Booklist Online Review
"Detailed annotations, which include complete bibliographic information and a recommended grade level, are sufficiently descriptive to facilitate the selection process. A comprehensive subject index provides further guidance....Whether creating a new collection or increasing existing holdings, libraries serving Spanish-speaking patrons will find this volume timely and accessible."

The Handy 5

Losey, Betsy, et al., eds. The Handy Five: Planning and Assessing Integrated Information Skills Instruction. 2nd ed. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow, 2007. Print.
ISBN 978-0-8108-5908-1

The Handy 5 is like the Kansas Association of School Librarians' version of the Big 6. However, they have many unique twists on the process and are very focused on collaboration with teachers. Regardless of your approach to teaching an information literacy process, this book provides useful tools and resources that can be adapted to your own needs: assessment rubrics; charts that compare the language of the Handy 5 to related language used across the curriculum; outlines of the Handy 5 in kid talk; sample lessons for elementary, middle, and high school levels; a chapter devoted to simplifying the process for primary students; and more. The Handy 5 process strikes me as being very practical, straightforward, and user-friendly, as are the ideas, suggestions, and tools presented in the book. -- Jen

VOYA review:
"This volume will be a welcome addition to the professional resource collections of school librarians, especially those seeking involvement in student assessment, and might also be a good tool for public librarians looking for ways to collaborate with schools and other educational institutions."

Protecting Intellectual Freedom in Your School Library (book)

Scales, P.R. (2009). Protecting Intellectual Freedom in Your School Library: Scenarios from the Front Lines. Chicago, IL: American Library Association.

Pat Scales uses her experience and expertise to offer an intellectual freedom title tailored to the school library environment. This title presents a number of scenarios in which intellectual freedom is at risk and includes

Case studies that provide narrative treatment of common situations tailored to your library type Easy and motivating ways to prepare new hires for handling intellectual freedom issues Sidebars throughout the book that offer sample policies, definitions of key terms, and analysis of important statutes and decisions Detailed information on how to handle challenges to materials in your collection

Protecting Intellectual Freedom in Your Academic Library (book)

Jones, B.M. (2009). Protecting Intellectual Freedom in Your Academic Library: Scenarios from the Front Lines. Chicago, IL: American Library Association.

Barbara Jones uses her experience and expertise to offer an intellectual freedom title tailored to the academic library environment. This title presents a number of scenarios in which intellectual freedom is at risk and includes:

Case studies that provide narrative treatment of common situations tailored to your library type Easy and motivating ways to prepare new hires for handling intellectual freedom issues Sidebars throughout the book that offer sample policies, definitions of key terms, and analysis of important statutes and decisions Detailed information on how to handle challenges to materials in your collection

Hosting a Library Mystery (book)

Karle, E.M. (2009). Hosting a Library Mystery: A Programming Guide. Chicago, IL: American Library Association.

Hosting a Library Mystery contains five example mystery scripts, each targeted to a different audience, but all original, expertly created, and thoroughly researched. These scripts serve as an excellent starting point for you to acquaint users with a wide variety of your library services as well as library personnel, special collections, and research skills. In addition, this book provides

•Complete instructions for program planning, from how to write clues to organizing the investigation
•Hints for adapting scripts to fit particular situation
•Examples and extras to construct an entertaining event in which all kinds of patrons can engage in active learning

With a one-of-a-kind book filled with creative ways to bring the community into the library and give them an incentive to stay, the only mystery will be why Hosting a Library Mystery wasn’t in your collection sooner!