Monday, January 24, 2011

Coaching in the Library: A Management Strategy for Achieving Excellence, 2nd ed.


Metz, Ruth F. Coaching in the Library: A Management Strategy for Achieving Excellence, 2nd Ed. Chicago: ALA, 2011. 023.9 Metz 2nd ed. ISBN 978-0838910375
Experienced librarian and coach Ruth Metz outlines a focused and results-oriented plan for achieving the best results from staff members through a coaching style of management. Real-world examples and coaching scenarios specific to library work will help you
· Be both a coach and a player by learning the terminology and techniques
· Recognize and utilize the abilities and talents of staff at all levels
· Guide individuals toward a unified goal
· Encourage innovation, flexibility, and problem-solving
· Spotlight the big-win opportunities

Complete with new forms, reader-friendly tables, and annotated references, this revised edition is for any library that wants to maximize the potential of all staff on the playing field in order to achieve peak performance.

Organizational Storytelling for Librarians: Using Stories for Effective Leadership


Marek, Kate. Organizational Storytelling for Librarians: Using Stories for Effective Leadership. Chicago: ALA, 2011. 025.1 Marek ISBN 978-0-8389-1079-5
Just as literature can be used for learning, the power of storytelling can be very effective when applied to leadership and management. Library expert and author Marek shows readers how they can use storytelling to communicate vision and values with

· A primer on how to develop storytelling skills
· Tips on how to use narratives to navigate change and build community
· Strategies for using your library s buildings and history to communicate shared goals

Applying solid management principles to a library setting, Marek provides the tools and explains the process of leading and managing through organizational storytelling.

Teen Read Week and Teen Tech Week (book)

Fink, M. (2011). Teen Read Week and Teen Tech Week: Tips and Resources for YALSA's Initiative. Chicago, IL: American Library Association. ISBN: 978-0-8389-8559-5.

Each year, the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) sponsors two national literacy initiatives: Teen Read Week™, which encourages teens to read for fun and become regular library users, and Teen Tech Week™, which encourages teens to take advantage of the free technology available at libraries. Since 2003, YALSA’s award-winning quarterly journal, Young Adult Library Services has offered guidance for librarians planning Teen Read Week and Teen Tech Week events.

For the first time, YALSA has compiled the best YALS articles on teen reading and teen information literacy into one volume, Teen Read Week and Teen Tech Week: Tips and Resources for YALSA’s Initiatives, launching its new Best of YALS series. Editor Megan Fink, middle school librarian at the Charlotte Country Day School and a former Teen Read Week chair, selected articles to form a manual that will offer guidance to librarians planning their annual events, with advice on best practices, collection development, outreach and marketing, program ideas and more.

In addition, YA authors Walter Dean Myers and Cynthia Leitich Smith and Best Teen Read Week contest winners Elizabeth Kahn and Jennifer Velásquez contributed original content about the importance of these initiatives and how they support teens’ information needs, along with an introduction by YALSA past president Judy Nelson.

This project was funded by a 2010 Carnegie-Whitney Grant from the American Library Association.

(book description)

In the Words of the Winners (book)

Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and The Horn Book. (2011). In the Words of the Winners: The Newbery and Caldecott Medals, 2001-2010. Chicago, IL: American Library Association. ISBN: 978-0-8389-3586-6.

Winners of the most respected prizes in children’s literature speak out in an exclusive collection of acceptance speeches, culled from the archives of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and The Horn Book magazine. Featuring authors and illustrators selected during the past 10 years, the book includes speeches by
  • Neil Gaiman (Newbery 2009)
  • David Wiesner (Caldecott 2002, 2007)
  • Kate DiCamillo (Newbery 2004)
  • Jerry Pinkney (Caldecott 2010)
  • Avi (Newbery 2003)
Each speech is accompanied by the Horn Book review of the winning title and a biographical profile of its celebrated creator. Three insightful introductory essays examine changes in youth publishing during the last decade, rounding out an engaging glimpse at the originality of the writers and artists whose work informs the direction of children’s literature.

(book description)

Friday, January 14, 2011

Annotated Book Lists for Every Teen Reader (book and CD)

Bartel, J. & Holley, P.S. (2011). Annotated Book Lists for Every Teen Reader: The Best from the Experts at YALSA. New York: Neal-Schuman. ISBN: 978-1555706586.

Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) stalwarts Pam Spencer Holley and Julie Bartel present a painstakingly selected trove of the very best YA literature as chosen by the members of YALSA-BK. Each book is fully annotated and generously cross-referenced, creating a rich resource that offers a wealth of ideas for any school or public librarian who works with collection development, readers’ advisory, reference or programming for young adults.

Here you’ll find thousands of book annotations organized into chapters covering dozens of hot topics, including:

• Teen issues (dating, peer pressure, suicide)
• Fantasy, horror, mystery and other genres
• Family situations
• Gender-specific literature
• Religious and inspirational fiction
• Pop culture
• Screenplays, novels in verse, books with great beginnings
• And more…

The accompanying CD-ROM features the Part I lists interspersed with the Part II annotations, making it easy for you to create booklists and bookmarks for readers. A full bibliography is included separately so you can easily copy-and-paste bibliographic information into the lists to create bibliographies for teachers and parents as well as collection development lists for your own use.

You’ll quickly come to rely on Annotated Book for Every Teen Reader: The Best from the Experts at YALSA-BK for its time-saving organization, the sweeping scope of its coverage, and the instant helpfulness of its carefully written annotations. With its extensive cross-references, even veteran YA librarians will find that this book sheds new light on the entire field of YA literature.

(book description)

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

The Extreme Searcher's Internet Handbook: A Guide for the Serious Searcher


Hock, Randolph. The Extreme Searcher's Internet Handbook: A Guide for the Serious Searcher. 3rd ed. Medford, NJ: CyberAge Books, 2010. ISBN: 978-0-910965-84-2

Did you start your library career before the days of the Internet?
Are you a good Internet searcher looking to improve your strategies?
Do you have trouble finding images online? Videos? Podcasts? Info on the deep web?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, this book -- parts or in its entirety -- should be useful. -- Jen

From the publisher:
The Extreme Searcher's Internet Handbook
is the essential guide for anyone who uses the internet for research—librarians, teachers, students, writers, business professionals, and others who need to search the web proficiently. In this fully updated third edition, award-winning writer and internet trainer Ran Hock covers strategies and tools (including search engines, portals, and social networks) for all major areas of internet content. Readers with little to moderate searching experience will appreciate Hock's helpful, easy-to-follow advice, while experienced searchers will discover a wealth of new ideas, techniques, and resources. Anyone who teaches the internet will find this book indispensable. Supported by the author's web page.

Reviews:
Library Journal: “[Hock's] clear and useful guide will help anyone interested in going beyond Google, explaining when, why, and how best to use various search tools and other web resources.”

Choice: "The author retains his clear writing style, nice glossary, and handy surfing tips. ... should be required reading for librarians, online professionals, and anyone else who wants to get the most out of the internet. Recommended."

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Reid's Read-Alouds 2 (book)

Reid, R. (2011). Reid's Read-Alouds 2: Modern-Day Classics from C.S. Lewis to Lemony Snicket. Chicago, IL: American Library Association. ISBN: 978-0-8389-1072-6

Need a one-stop resource for jumpstarting sleepy library visitors? Ready to add punch to classroom discussions? In this companion to his best-selling book Reid’s Read-Alouds, children’s lit guru Reid dips back into the classics to highlight outstanding titles published between 1950 and 1999 that continue to connect with kids and teens today. From humor and drama to science fiction and history, Reid makes it easy to find just the right place to begin, with unique 10-minute read-aloud suggestions drawn from 200 carefully selected titles. Along with his field-tested great reads, he includes
  • Brief plot summaries and appropriate age levels for each title
  • Program planning suggestions
  • Indexes by subject, author, title, and grade-level
An excellent time-saver for the busy librarian or teacher, Reid’s guide will enliven audiences and make reading fun.

(book description)

Monday, January 10, 2011

Winning Library Grants: A Game Plan


Landau, Herbert B. Winning Library Grants: A Game Plan. Chicago: ALA, 2011. 025.11 Landa ISBN978-0-8389-1047-4
Tightening budgets and shrinking sources for funding have made winning grants more important than ever before. Winning Library Grants offers a practical and comprehensive manual that guides you through grant fundamentals. This work will help you
• Find relevant funders
• Write grant applications and evaluate outcomes to pave the way for success with future proposals
• Increase chances of success by using additional tactics to “sell” your institution to a funder.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Brain-Based Early Learning Activities (book)

Darling-Kuria, N. (2010). Brain-Based Early Learning Activities: Connecting Theory and Practice. St.Paul, MN: Redleaf Press. ISBN: 978-1-933653-86-0

Give children stronger, more meaningful learning experiences with 80 brain-based activities that engage both hemispheres of the brain. Each activity promotes learning in the areas of language, mathematics, science, art, music, and the environment and encourages physical, social, and emotional development. Included are materials lists, extension activities, variations for multi-sensory exploration, components for diversity, and an explanation of the brain connections being made.Brain-Based Early Learning Activities also provides a comprehensive overview of early brain development and key components necessary to create a brain-based early learning environment.

(book description)

Superbaby (book)

Berman, J. (2010) Superbaby: 12 Ways to Give Your Child a Head Start in the First 3 Years. New York: Sterling. ISBN: 978-1-4027-7033-3

The first three years of life are the most important for nurturing a child's full potential: that's when they start forming attachments, developing a sense of self, and learning to trust. During this time, there are critical windows of opportunity that parents can take advantage of-if they know how. In a dozen succinct yet information-packed chapters, award-winning columnist and professional therapist Dr. Jenn Berman gives parents the knowledge they need. Her enlightening sidebars, bulleted lists, and concrete, easy-to-use strategies will help parents raise happy, healthy babies…who grow to be flourishing toddlers and successful adults.

(book description)