Thursday, January 31, 2013

Reference Reborn

Zabel, Diane, ed. Reference Reborn: Breathing New Life into Public Services Librarianship. Libraries Unlimited, 2011. ISBN: 978-1-59158-828-3

This collection of essays covers a wide range of topics, including new service configurations, the impact of e-resources in reference and collection development, and innovative outreach. The essays are organized in broad themes:
  • Service Models
  • Roles of Reference Librarians
  • Technology
  • Collection Development
  • Staffing
  • Education and Training 

Check out the Table of Contents to see the wide range of topics covered. 

Monday, January 28, 2013

Genealogy and Indexing



Spaltro, Kathleen, ed. Genealogy and Indexing.  Medford, NJ: Information Today, 2003.  929.1072 Genea.  ISBN 978-1573871631

Kathleen Spaltro has assembled a wonderful collection of experts in the field of genealogical indexing. Collectively, they will walk you through the process of indexing, highlight common mistakes to avoid, and share some of their experiences that will help make your own publishing efforts successful ... you won't want to put this book down, for it holds many of the secrets needed to take our diligent, yet often disorganized, genealogical world into the future -- a well-indexed future! Illya J. D'Addezio-Genealogy Today

Teach Beyond Your Reach



Neidorf, Robin.  Teach Beyond Your Reach: An Instructor’s Guide to Developing and Running Successful Distance Learning Classes, Workshops, Training Sessions, and More.  2nd ed.  Medford, NJ: Information Today, 2012.  371.35 Neido.   ISBN 978-1937290016  

Taking a practical, curriculum-focused approach, this guide for both new and experienced distance educators allows them to develop and deliver quality courses and training sessions. Providing practices and examples, and surveying the tools of the trade, this fully updated and revised edition covers key issues including instructional design, course craft, adult learning styles, student–teacher interaction, and strategies for building a community of learners. Discussing how distance learning enables students of all kinds to earn college and graduate degrees, professional certificates, and a wide range of skills and credentials, this book details the rapidly expanding role of distance learning in higher education and the types of organizations that now offer Web-based training courses and teleseminars to their employees, clients, and other associates.

Indexing Names



Bridge, Noeline, ed.  Indexing Names.  Medford, NJ: Information Today, 2012. 025.3 Index    ISBN 978-1573874502

Don't be deceived into thinking names are easy to index! They can present a challenge that consumes a disproportionate amount of an indexer's time. Now at last we have a book wholly devoted to the subject. Coverage includes names from classical and medieval times and those belonging to particular ethnicities and nationalities, along with those peculiar to specific genres, especially biography, religion, and the performance and fine arts. Fictional, corporate, and geographical names as well as those of royalty and nobility are discussed. You'll find advice on when and how to index names mentioned in peripheral ways and guidance in avoiding the pitfalls of automated name indexing.

With Indexing Names, Noeline Bridge and her contributing experts from around the globe have created an essential reference for all indexers working in the English language and an instant classic within the field.

Reflecting on the Future of Academic and Public Libraries



Hernon, Peter and Joseph R. Matthews, eds.  Reflecting on the Future of Academic and Public Libraries.  Chicago: ALA, 2013.  027.4730112 Refle    ISBN 978-0838911877

Academic and public libraries are much different today than they were even 15 years ago. And with even bigger changes on the horizon, what lies in store? In this systematic attempt to speak to academic and public librarians about the future of library services, Hernon and Matthews invite a raft of contributors to step back and envision the type of future library that will generate excitement and enthusiasm among users and stakeholders. Anyone interested in the future of libraries, especially library managers, will be engaged and stimulated as the contributors
·        Examine the current state of the library, summarizing existing literature on the topic to sketch in historical background
·        Project into the future, using SWOT analysis, environmental scans, and other techniques to posit how library infrastructure (such as staff, collections, technology, and facilities) can adapt in the decades ahead
·        Construct potential scenarios that library leaders can use to forge paths for their own institutions
The collection of knowledge and practical wisdom in this book will help academic and public libraries find ways to honor their missions while planning for the broader institutional changes already underway.

The Embedded Librarian



Shumaker, David. The Embedded Librarian.  
Information Today, Inc., 2012. ISBN: 978-1-57387-452-6

In an era where collaborative partnerships have become vital to libraries, this timely book explains what it means to be "embedded"; placing information professionals into partnerships with the individuals and working groups that depend upon their knowledge and expertise. Not just an option for corporate librarians, Shumaker describes models for public, school, and academic librarians. As he outlines potential strategies and implementations for embedded librarians, he makes a compelling case for this approach to information service delivery. Shumaker also writes a popular blog, The Embedded Librarian.






The Accidental Systems Librarian

Click to enlarge 















Engard, Nicole, with Rachel Singer Gordon. The Accidental Systems Librarian, Second Edition. Information Today, Inc., 2012. ISBN: 978-1-57387-453-3


As one reader points out, this book will help drive home the point that systems work in libraries is not just about knowing computers, but engages all the skills and qualities of good librarianship. The book give a good overview of the different types of library systems and services typically supported by systems librarians, and tips on how to stay current with new technologies. This new edition provides updates on the latest library technologies: mobile devices, open source software, social networks, WiFi, ebooks, and much more. A web site is also available to keep the information in the book up to date. 

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Subject Headings for School and Public Libraries


Fountain, Joanna F. Subject Headings for School and Public Libraries. Bilingual 4th ed. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2012. ISBN: 978-1-59158-638-8

Publisher's Description
This resource on subject headings for school and public libraries reflects recent changes in Library of Congress subject headings and authority files, and provides bilingual information essential to reference librarians and catalogers serving Spanish speakers.

Libraries must provide better access to their collections for all users, including Spanish-language materials. The American Library Association has recognized this increasing need. Subject Headings for School and Public Libraries: Bilingual Fourth Edition is the only resource available that provides both authorized and reference entries in English and Spanish. A first-check source for the most frequently used headings needed in school and public libraries, this book incorporates thousands of new and revised entries to assist in applying LCSH and CSH headings.

Of the approximately 30,000 headings listed, most include cross-references, and all of the cross-reference terms are translated. MARC21 tags are included for all authorized entries to simplify entering them into computerized catalogs, while indexes to all headings and free-floating subdivisions are provided in translation from Spanish to English. This book gives librarians access to accurate translations of the subject terms printed in books published and cataloged in English-speaking countries—invaluable information in settings with Spanish-speaking patrons.

Highlights
• Presents reliable translations by native Spanish-speaking librarians of thousands of subject terms
• Includes topical terms with all personal name entries to aid in classification
• Provides a supplementary Spanish-to-English index that leads back to English terms for use in non-English library services 

Information Literacy and Information Skills Instruction


Thomas, Nancy P., Sherry R. Crow, and Lori L. Franklin. Information Literacy and Information Skills Instruction: Applying Research to Practice in the 21st Century School Library. 3rd ed. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2011. ISBN: 978-1-59884-490-0

Product Description
This book provides a comprehensive review of the current research relating to the teaching of library and information literacy skills as part of effective school library media center programming.

What are the current best practices for information literacy instruction? How should one design information literacy lessons to motivate and instruct today’s tech-savvy students? What are the best ways to foster critical thinking tasks and build searching skills? Academic research provides great insights for answering these pressing questions.

As with earlier editions, this latest revision of Information Literacy and Information Skills Instruction: Applying Research to Practice in the 21st Century School Library brings together the research literature on information skills instruction with particular reference to models related to information seeking and the information search process. It presents relevant findings on what research has deemed "best practice" and what is known about how children learn, enabling school librarians to base information skills programs on substantiated data.

The sources reviewed for this book include doctoral dissertations, research reports, academic and professional journal articles in library information service and related fields, and publications by scholars and practitioners relevant to information skills curricula. A preface, newly prepared for the third edition, explains the revision process, while the epilogue examines the importance of communication between research scholars and school library practitioners.

Features
• 30 illustrations and tables are provided to supplement the text
• A bibliography includes references and sources for cited research
• Two indexes provide quick reference by author's name and subject

Highlights
• Written by authors with academic research backgrounds as well as years of experience as school librarians
• Provides an overview of the development of school libraries and the evolution of standards in a single text
• Emphasizes new AASL standards
• Includes information on the newest standards published by AASL for 21st-century learners while maintaining a historical perspective 

Essential Documents for School Libraries


MacDonell, Colleen. Essential Documents for School Libraries. 2nd ed. Santa Barbara, CA: Linworth, 2010. ISBN: 978-1-58683-400-5

Product Description
This techno-savvy, print-ready, book and CD contains essential documents for school libraries at the preschool, elementary, middle school, and high school levels, including the latest Web 2.0 tools and technology resources.

Whether you're a veteran librarian in need of new ideas or a fledgling library media specialist, you need resources that will help improve your program, promote your facility to patrons and teaching staff, and save valuable time. The constant advancement of information technology makes it that much harder to keep your facility current.

Many school librarians face similar inquiries, such as students confused about writing citations, teachers seeking a quick way to plan a research unit, parents seeking advice on getting their child to read, or a volunteer needing instruction on shelving books. All are valid and urgent questions requiring immediate responses. In today's digital world, answering these questions is both easier and more complicated. While the plethora of online applications allows easier sharing of documents, the latest technologies have also raised new issues and added new complications.

The second edition of Essential Documents for School Libraries provides practical written and online solutions to common challenges in school libraries. Integrating traditional and electronic means of communication, this book provides invaluable sample documents backed up by a carefully reasoned approach and practical guidelines for the strategic management of any school library. These essential documents not only improve your ability to work with teachers and students, but also help you use your library to build a positive school culture.

Features
• Provides dozens of ready-made forms in one place to help improve efficiency
• Includes a handy CD-ROM containing essential forms
• Offers a printable, web-enabled map of all documents that serves as a general guide to the contents of this book
• Supplies planning documents for achieving major goals, publicity documents to promote the library, teaching documents related to information literacy, and programming documents to facilitate collaborative teaching

Highlights
• Presents practical, hands-on suggestions for enhancing your library
• Offers all new Web 2.0 tools and strategies for communicating, promoting your library, and solving common problems
• Brings experience and expertise in an easy-to-use package to school libraries 

Assessing for Learning



Harada, Violet H., and Joan M. Yoshina. Assessing for Learning: Librarians and Teachers as Partners. 2nd ed. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2010. ISBN: 978-1-59884-470-2

Publisher's Description
In this book, theory is blended with practical application to provide a concise, up-to-date explanation of how school librarians can work with students and teachers to assess for learning in 21st-century schools.

Student assessment is the same as student evaluation. "Some students just don't learn certain skills easily; the best strategy is simply to teach it to them again in the same way." Anyone who holds these beliefs will be surprised to read a contrary view.

Coauthors Harada and Yoshina authored the first text that focused on learning assessment in a school library context. In this revised and expanded version of Assessing for Learning: Librarians and Teachers as Partners, they continue to shed light on the issue of school librarians helping students to assess for learning.

The book begins with a brief discussion of national reform efforts and the importance of assessment for effective learning within this context. The balance of the book provides numerous strategies and tools for involving students as well as library media specialists in assessment activities, emphasizing the importance of students assessing for their own learning. It also provides specific examples of how assessment can be incorporated into various library-related learning activities. All chapters in this second edition have been updated with additional information, and three new chapters on assessing for critical thinking, dispositions, and tech-related learning have been added.

Features
• Contains 116 rubrics, checklists, logs, and other tools that could be used in library-related instruction
• Bibliography provides relevant and useful books, articles, and online resources dealing with assessment

Highlights
• An updated edition of the original full-length text on assessment for learning in school library contexts
• Incorporates the new AASL standards (Standards for the 21st Century Learner, 2007) in all examples
• Contains three new chapters focused on key areas of the new standards school librarians are struggling with, such as assessing for rigorous thinking skills, assessing for dispositions or habits of mind, and assessing tech-related learning

Simply Indispensable



Gilmore-See, Janice. Simply Indispensable: An Action Guide for School Librarians. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2010.
ISBN: 978-1-59158-799-6

Publisher's Description
A structured approach to advocacy for K-12 school librarians focuses their energy on an active path that showcases library programs and resources and expresses the essential role librarians serve in school and student success.

Across the United States, school librarians are faced with cut-backs. Some librarians are asked to manage libraries in two or more buildings. Others are asked to teach classes in which they hold certification or are even placed in classrooms full-time. How can you position yourself and your library as indispensable—before cuts are announced?

Keeping a library program vital requires regular reflection about current practices and a willingness to implement changes that will position the library and library staff should they be threatened with elimination. Simply Indispensable: An Action Guide for School Librarians helps librarians do just that. The book begins with an explanation of the need to act and then offers a systematic approach to taking action. Each chapter is devoted to an active path: attracting patrons; interacting with teachers, parents, administrators, and the community; communicating; reacting to "situations;" working for reinstatement if the worst happens, and more.

The book covers advocacy—from the subtle exercise of developing excellent programs to the overt outreach of Legi-Days. Additionally, there is specific information about what to do when the RIF notice or pink slip arrives or if cuts are made, including how to properly close a library. After putting these actions into effect, school librarians will have a cadre of supporters ready to speak for them should the need arise.

Features
• Ideas and templates to help librarians systematically bring library programs into the stakeholder's field of vision
• Quizzes to reinforce suggested actions

Highlights
• Helps school librarians raise awareness so decision-makers will have a clear vision of the essential nature of the school librarian's role and how it is key to the success of the school as a whole
• Enables school librarians to follow a deliberate plan of action to effectively communicate their value and empower others to speak on behalf of the library
• Gives school librarians an exhaustive list of creative ways to get out of the library and increase their profiles
• Challenges teacher librarians to seriously examine their philosophies and evaluate all aspects of the library program, including the pros and cons of expanding the range of services they offer