Friends Groups...School Libraries

Reed, Sally G. Friends Groups: Critical Support for School Libraries [toolkit]. Philadelphia: United for Libraries, 2013.

About the Toolkit

...gives tips on gaining school support; raising the profile of the school library; generating excitement; establishing a friends group of parents, faculty and community members; creating a student friends group and more.

“With school libraries closing across the country, it is becoming more important than ever before for school librarians to develop friends groups,” said United for Libraries Executive Director Sally Gardner Reed. “Friends have been keeping public libraries open and even staving off budget cuts for years – they can do the same for school libraries.”

This toolkit is also available online.

Rethinking Information Literacy

Secker, Jane, and Emma Coonan, eds. Rethinking Information Literacy: A Practical Framework for Supporting Learning. London: Facet, 2013. ISBN: 978-1-85604-822-4

From the Publisher

Based on groundbreaking research undertaken by editors Jane Secker and Emma Coonan as part of the prestigious Arcadia Program at Cambridge University, UK, this book presents a new and dynamic information literacy curriculum developed for the 21st-century information professional. The authors adopt a broad definition of information literacy that encompasses social as well as academic environments and situates information literacy as a fundamental attribute of the discerning scholar and the informed citizen. It seeks to address in a modular, flexible and holistic way the developing information needs of students entering higher education over the next five years.

The book is organized around the ten “strands” of the new curriculum, which cover the whole landscape of information literacy development required to succeed as an undergraduate in higher education. Interweaving the editors' research and the reflections of internationally recognized experts from the library, education, and information literacy fields, including Moira Bent, Andy Priestner, Sarah Pavey, Geoff Walton and Elizabeth Tilley, it illustrates how and why this new curriculum will work in practice. Detailed appendices present the curriculum, lesson plans and tools for institutional audit, giving readers all the tools they need to implement it successfully in their institutions. 

The table of contents and chapter 1 of the book are available online.

How To STEM (book)

Gubnitskaia, V. & Smallwood, C. (2014). How to STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education in Libraries. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.

Library staff realize the importance of getting involved in STEM education, but many have difficulty finding comprehensive information that will help them plan and successfully implement STEM direction in their organization. This book is designed to meet that need. It is timely and relevant. How to STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education in Libraries is by and for libraries who are involved in contributing efforts into advancing these subjects. It is organized in 9 parts including funding, grant writing, community partnerships, outreach, research, and examples of specific programming activities. Authors are drawn from the professional staffs of educational institutions, libraries, and non-profit organizations such as science museums. 
 
The book contains eight parts, each emphasizing a different aspect of how to succeed with STEM. Part 1 emphasizes how hands-on activities that are both fun and educational can be used to further STEM awareness. Parts 2 and 3 contain chapters on the uniting of STEM with Information Literacy. Innovative collection development ideas are discussed in Part 4 and Part 5 focuses on research and publishing. Outreach is the theme of Part 6 and the programs described in these chapters offer an array of ways to connect with students of all ages. The final section of How to STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education in Libraries addresses the funding of these programs. 
 
Librarians of all types will be pleased to discover easy-to-implement suggestions for collaborative efforts, many rich and diverse programming ideas, strategies for improving reference services and library instruction to speakers of English as a second language, marketing and promotional tips designed to welcome multicultural patrons into the library, and much more.

(book description)

Serving Grandfamilies in Libraries (book)

Gough, S., Feehan, P., & Lyons, D. (2013) Serving Grandfamilies in Libraries: A Handbooks and Programming Guide. New York: Scarecrow Press.

Gough, Feehan, and Lyons have taken everything learned from their research on developing GrandFamily Resource Collections and leading grandfamily programming in several states and put it in this easy to use guide. They share the successes and failures of existing programs so other librarians can hit the ground running rather than trudge through a time-consuming and costly period of trial-and-error. It’s a lot more efficient to learn from someone else’s mistakes than to make your own.

The target population, grandfamilies, and most specifically, grandparents raising grandchildren have become a statistically-significant group worthy of attention in many communities but library practitioners may not have explored further due to a lack of resources and money.

Special features include:

• List of Web resources (government agencies, support groups, etc.)
• List of grants and funding opportunities
• Sample grant applications
• List of possible community partners for the library
• Sample surveys or some tactic for getting to know the needs of one’s target population
• Sample marketing plans
• Sample promotional materials
• Sample activity sheets
• Sample release forms, etc.

With this practical and comprehensive guide, your library will be ready to jumpstart or easily expand a stellar program for the grandfamilies in your community. (book description)

XML for Catalogers and Metadata Librarians

Cole, Timothy W and Myung-Ja K. Han. XML for Catalogers and Metadata Librarians. Santa Barbara, California: Libraries Unlimited, an imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC. 2013. ISBN: .
978-1-59884-519-8.

From the publisher:

This book provides a foundation of knowledge for catalogers, metadata librarians, and library school students on the Extensible Markup Language (XML)—one of the most commonly listed qualifications in today's cataloger and metadata librarian job postings.

How are today's librarians to manage and describe the ever-expanding volumes of resources, in both digital and print formats? The use of XML in cataloging and metadata workflows can improve metadata quality, the consistency of cataloging workflows, and adherence to standards. This book is intended to enable current and future catalogers and metadata librarians to progress beyond a bare surface-level acquaintance with XML, thereby enabling them to integrate XML technologies more fully into their cataloging workflows.

Building on the wealth of work on library descriptive practices, cataloging, and metadata, XML for Catalogers and Metadata Librarians explores the use of XML to serialize, process, share, and manage library catalog and metadata records. The authors' expert treatment of the topic is written to be accessible to those with little or no prior practical knowledge of or experience with how XML is used. Readers will gain an educated appreciation of the nuances of XML and grasp the benefit of more advanced and complex XML techniques as applied to applications relevant to catalogers and metadata librarians.

Features:

• Covers XML from basic concepts, such as core syntax and grammar, to advanced topics, such as transformation and schema design
• Provides an in-depth look at metadata standards used in the library domain, including MARC, Dublin Core, MODS, and others
• Introduces available XML tools, utilities, and XML related technologies
• Includes case studies that draw from real-world applications that show how XML is used in library cataloging and metadata workflows

Sample Topics:
Creating XML-Based Metadata Application Profiles
Essential Syntax and Grammar of XML
Implementing Metadata Crosswalk with XSLT
Library Metadata in XML
RDF and XML
XML and Descriptive Cataloging
XML in Cataloging and Metadata Workflows
XML Schema and DTDs
XPath and Extensible Stylesheet Language for Transformations (XSLT)

Organizing Archival Records: A Practical Method of Arrangement and Description for Small Archives (American Association for State and Local History) 3rd ed.

Carmicheal, David W. Organizing Archival Records: A Practical Method of Arrangement and Description for Small Archives (American Association for State and Local History) 3^rd ed.  Lanham, MD: AtlaMira Press, 2012. 025.1714 Carmi, 3^rd ed.  isbn 978-0759121690

Many of our nation’s historical records reside in small historical societies, libraries, cultural organizations, houses of worship, and museums. The hard work of non-professional archivists is to thank for preserving much of our documentary heritage. Organizing Archival Records equips non-professional archivists with the skills to tackle one of the most challenging tasks of archiving: arranging and describing archival materials. Carmicheal offers step-by-step guidance to understanding the purpose of organization and the essentials of how to do it. He covers the basic terms and theory of organization, and how to avoid some common pitfalls.

Carmichael brings this third edition into the 21st century with extended discussions about computerizing the process, making descriptions available on the web, and organizing electronic records. With real-world examples, exercises, and step-by-step directions, anyone can organize archival materials in a professional manner. Organizing Archival Records is an excellent resource for both computerized and manual organization and recordkeeping.

Archives for the Lay Person: A Guide to Managing Cultural Collections

Hamill, Lois. Archives for the Lay Person: A Guide to Managing Cultural Collections. Lanham, MD: AltaMira Press, 2013.  025.3414  isbn 978-0759119727

For volunteers or staff at small organizations, collections management can be a daunting task. Archives for the Lay Person is a guidebook for people who care for historical records, photographs, and collections but do not have the appropriate professional training. Lois Hamill provides practical, step-by-step guidance for managing all facets of archival collections, from acquisition, arrangement, and description to storage and security. The book also offers advice on how to utilize PastPerfect software for collections database management.

Handbook for Community College Librarians

Crumpton, Michael A. and Nora J. Bird. Handbook for Community College Librarians. Libraries Unlimited, 2013. ISBN: 978-1-61060-345-5

Publisher's Description
This book covers all aspects of librarianship that apply to community colleges. It provides information that enables the librarian to become more successful in the community college environment and reflects on its unique qualities, identifying the specific skills required and the differences from other library settings. The authors address instructional design and highlight the distinctions in the types of information literacy appropriate to the specialized curriculum and certification needs of a community college. Besides being an outstanding professional development tool, this handbook will also be useful to library and information science students studying service in community college libraries as a career option.

Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Administrative Structures and Competencies
Chapter 3: Reference and Information Seeking
Chapter 4: Standards, Accreditation, and Supporting the Home Institution
Chapter 5: Information Literacy
Chapter 6: Instructional Design
Chapter 7: Managing Yourself
Chapter 8: Place, Budgeting, and Facilities
Chapter 9: Collection Development
Chapter 10: Diversity Considerations
Chapter 11: Introduction to Technology
Chapter 12: Assessment
Chapter 13: If You Supervise

Appendix A: IMLS Grant Proposal from 2010
Appendix B: The 21st-Century Community College Librarian Survey Results

Expect More: Demanding Better Libraries for Today's Complex World

Lankes, R. David. Expect More: Demanding Better Libraries for Today's Complex World. [R. David Lankes], 2012. ISBN: 9781477476352

Description

This short book addresses the issue of what libraries need to do to thrive in their communities. He makes the case for libraries as the center for learning about privacy, intellectual property, and economic development. It is not just about books and literature anymore, and communities should be expecting more from their libraries.

Reading in the Wild

Miller, Donalyn, with Susan Kelley. Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2013. ISBN: 978-0-47090-030-7

Publisher's Description

A companion to the bestselling The Book Whisperer, Reading in the Wild explores whether or not we are truly instilling lifelong reading habits in our students and provides practical strategies for teaching "wild" reading. Based on survey responses from over 900 adult readers and classroom feedback, Reading in the Wild offers solid advice and strategies on how to develop, encourage and assess key lifelong reading habits, including dedicating time for reading, planning for future reading, and defining oneself as a reader.

• Includes advice for supporting the love of reading by explicitly teaching lifelong reading habits
• Contains accessible strategies, ideas, tips, lesson plans and management tools along with lists of recommended books
• Co-published with Editorial Projects in Education, publisher of Education Week and Teacher Magazine

Packed with ideas for helping students choose their own reading material, respond to text, and build capacity for lifelong reading.

For the Love of Reading

Baumann, Nancy L. For the Love of Reading: Guide to K-8 Reading Promotions. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 2013. ISBN: 978-1-61069-189-5

Publisher's Description

This insightful book reviews the current research on literacy programming, examines the latest standards for strengthening reading skills, and provides educators, families, and caregivers methods for building successful reading habits in and out of the classroom.

Research indicates that children need more than classroom instruction to become proficient readers. Unfortunately, few parents realize how simple, everyday practices can build a lifelong love of reading. Educators, diligent with employing mandatory literacy standards, may overlook families and support systems as tools for improving student performance. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the various methods of reading instruction, analyzing the pedagogy behind Sustained Silent Reading (SSR), the importance of reading aloud to children, and the necessity of working the home-school connection.

For the Love of Reading: Guide to K–8 Reading Promotions provides strategies and tips for setting up successful reading environments for children, including having a well-stocked library collection; engaging students through book clubs, reading lists, and prepared book talks; and involving student and adult volunteers. The author asserts that the entire school community—teachers, librarians, parents, caregivers, and administrators—must work together to promote literacy.

Features
• Includes a step-by-step implementation and explanation of each reading program
• Features forms, book talks, recommended book lists, photographs, and valuable websites
• Provides literacy workshop agendas for parents and caregivers
• Offers methods for soliciting and working with literacy volunteers
• Each reading program is described in detail to facilitate replication at public schools, public libraries, and home-schools
• An extensive list of vendors, professional development materials, and websites offer additional teaching support
• Prepared book talks, reading lists, and templates for programs provide the basis for immediate implementation
• Reading programs proven successful in inner city, rural, and suburban elementary and middle schools as well as public libraries are included

Sample Topics
Benefits of Book Clubs
Building a Reading Habit
Collaborating with Teachers and Administrators
Home-School Connection
Importance of a Professional Librarian
Importance of a Strong Library Collection
Importance of Reading Aloud at Any Age
Independent Reading Time
Involving Families and Caregivers
Literacy Skill-Building
Mock Newbery
Prepared Book Talks
Professional Development
Reading and Television Viewing Habits
Reading Lists
Reading To Children
Standards-Based Reading Programs
Sustained Silent Reading (SSR)
Vocabulary Development
Working with Volunteers

Read It Forward

Kay, Linda. Read It Forward. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 2013. ISBN: 978-1-59884-808-3

Publisher's Description

Most school librarians have experienced the phenomenon of suggesting a title to a young patron only to have the student unconditionally snub the recommended novel. Two weeks later, the same student returns begging for that title because, this time, a friend suggested it. Such is the power of peers—and of Read It Forward.

With this practical guide, it's easy to implement the proven fun—and learning—of a read-it-forward program in your middle school library. Teens recommend books to other teens, offering a surefire way to promote books and reading.

Finding the right book for each student is almost impossible if you serve several hundred students, as most school librarians do. Read It Forward offers an innovative way around that problem: a program that lets librarians saturate the school with a title that encourages middle school students to read for pleasure. As an added bonus, Read It Forward (RIF) creates learning opportunities that can be leveraged across the curriculum.

The program presented here is based on the author's experience with a community RIF project that was a collaborative effort among nine middle school librarians from schools with varying needs and socioeconomic levels. This thoroughly practical book takes librarians through the process step by step, offering specific examples of what worked and what didn't, then showing how the process can be extended to almost any book. The author also discusses other aspects of running a successful RIF program—such as getting buy-in from school administrators, the PTA, and department chairs—so that parents and teachers can collaborate in the experience.

Features
• An easy-to-follow process for creating an RIF program in any middle school
• Testimonials from those who have initiated and run RIF projects
• Specific examples of what works and what doesn't
• Resource lists from which librarians can draw in creating their own programs
• Offers librarians step-by-step guidance in running a read-it-forward project in which students are encouraged to read books then pass them on to others
• Shows how RIF encourages interest in reading for middle school students during a period when they often stop reading for recreation
• Discusses how RIF can provide a focus for library programming throughout the school year, connecting it to academics
• Demonstrates ways to get students excited about reading by connecting it to the curriculum they are studying

Sample Topics
21st-Century Learning
Curriculum Connections
Extra-Curricular Activity
Library Public Relations
Literacy
Pleasure Reading
Reading and Technology
Reading Program
Reading Promotion
Real-World Connections to Reading

The Creative Imperative

Jones, Jami B., and Lori J. Flint, eds. The Creative Imperative: School Librarians and Teachers Cultivating Curiosity Together. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 2013.
ISBN: 978-1-61069-307-3

Publisher's Description

New Common Core and state standards demand creative teaching and learning.

Provides a solid, foundational understanding of creativity that enables readers to elicit creative performance from their students.

The first book of its kind in the school library field, The Creative Imperative: School Librarians and Teachers Cultivating Curiosity Together assists educators, school librarians, school counselors, and parents in learning about creativity and inquiry as well as how to foster these desired processes in school settings and beyond. The work begins by addressing the foundational aspects of creativity, and then discusses creativity within the educational setting, exploring how educators can be more creative themselves and coax creative performance from their students. The final part of the text focuses specifically on school libraries and the role of librarians in developing environments and opportunities for inquiry that nurture creativity.

Features
• Presents unique content from prominent, expert authors on the contemporary topic of fostering creativity
• Challenges current practices in the quest to foster creative thinking
• Provides access to additional resources for reader follow-up
• Supplies practical how-tos for practitioners

Sample Topics
Application of Standards
Bibliocreativity
Collaboration
Creative Process
Habits of Mind to Encourage Creativity
Inquiry
Research on Creativity
Strategies for Fostering Creativity
Technology

School Library Makerspaces

Preddy, Leslie B. School Library Makerspaces: Grades 6-12. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 2013. ISBN: 978-1-61069-494-0

Publisher's Description

An essential resource for intermediate, middle, and high school librarians that guides the planning, learning, and implementation of a school library makerspace.

The roles of school library media specialists and school libraries themselves are ever changing in response to the needs of the community and the evolution of human thinking, interaction, and learning processes. A school library makerspace can provide patrons with a place for learning, doing, and creating. It offers a location for tackling inventions, fine arts, crafts, industrial technology, hobbies, e-textiles, foodcrafting, DIY couture, fabrication, upcycling, and STEM right in the middle of the information gateway—the library. This book completely explains the makerspace concept and supplies real-world implementation guidance and inexpensive programming ideas that can be used as-is or adapted to suit a specific library or community's needs. Readers will be able to hit the ground running to implement their own makerspace with practical project ideas they can put to use immediately.

Features
• Explains how to transform school libraries—always considered a destination for thinking and learning—to also be the place of doing, creating, and producing
• Supplies practical guidance on makerspace design, safety, instruction, budget, mentoring, and more
• Includes a "Think, Create, Share, and Grow" section with each makerspace activity that supplies learning and enrichment resources, guidance, and step-by-step how-to instructions
• Provides appendixes of national and local events; of ideas and supplies for makerspace activities; and of maker communities and maker resources

Sample Topics
Books Repurposed
Crafts and Hobbies
DIY (Do It Yourself)
Hobbies
Learning4Life
Makerspaces
Pathfinders
School Libraries
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
Traditional Crafts Redefined
Upcycling

What You Need to Know About Privacy Law

McCord, Gretchen. What You Need to Know about Privacy Law: A Guide for Librarians and Educators. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 2013. ISBN: 978-1-61069-081-2

 

Publisher's Description

U.S. privacy laws are confusing and hard to interpret. This book provides clear, substantive guidance to educators who work with minors in these rapidly changing, technological times.

Privacy is now an area of major concern as the use of social media, web beacons, tracking cookies, webcams, GPS-based cell phone tracking, and other 21st-century technologies increasingly proliferate. Educators who work with all ages of students have specific responsibilities to safeguard the students' personally identifying information. Protecting students' privacy is particularly critical in the case of minors. Unfortunately, U.S. privacy law is a mystifying patchwork of federal and state laws. Authored by an experienced attorney who specializes in copyright and privacy law, this book overviews laws pertinent to educators and explains how to recognize, analyze, and handle privacy issues as they arise in specific situations in the educational context.

The information in this work is critically important for anyone working in the educational arena, from professors, classroom teachers, and aides to librarians at all levels and administrators. The book's contents will also help parents to recognize situations that might implicate their child's privacy rights and provide parents with the appropriate steps to follow to work with the school to protect their child.

Features
• Addresses the complicated topic of privacy law and specific issues for pre-K–12 educators in an easy-to-read, accessible manner
• Supplies valuable resource lists for staying current with ever-changing law and issues in privacy law
• Organizes and presents information in a fashion that enables readers to think critically and make independent analyses of their specific environment

Sample Topics
Bullying and Privacy Issues
Identity Protection and Theft
Privacy and Sexuality Issues for Minors
Privacy Conflict
Privacy in the United States
Search and Seizure in the Online Environment
Social Media
Student Safety

Handbook of Reading Interventions

O'Connor, Rollanda E., and Patricia F. Vadasy, eds. Handbook of Reading Interventions. Reprint ed. New York: Guildord, 2013. ISBN: 978-1-4625-0947-8

 

Publisher's Description

Comprehensive, authoritative, and designed for practical utility, this handbook presents evidence-based approaches for helping struggling readers and those at risk for literacy difficulties or delays. Leading experts explain how current research on all aspects of literacy translates into innovative classroom practices. Chapters include clear descriptions of effective interventions for word recognition, spelling, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing, complete with concrete examples and teaching scripts. Coverage also encompasses preschool literacy instruction and interventions for older readers, English language learners, and students with learning disabilities, as well as peer-mediated and tutoring approaches.

Handbook of Language & Literacy

Stone, Addison C., et al, eds. Handbook of Language & Literacy Development and Disorders. 2nd ed. New York: Guilford, 2013. ISBN: 978-1-4625-1185-3

Publisher's Description

An acclaimed reference that fills a significant gap in the literature, this volume examines the linkages between spoken and written language development, both typical and atypical. Leading authorities address the impact of specific language-related processes on K-12 literacy learning, with attention to cognitive, neurobiological, sociocultural, and instructional issues. Approaches to achieving optimal learning outcomes with diverse students are reviewed. The volume presents research-based practices for assessing student needs and providing effective instruction in all aspects of literacy: word recognition, reading comprehension, writing, and spelling.

New to This Edition

• Chapters on digital literacy, disciplinary literacy, and integrative research designs.
• Chapters on bilingualism, response to intervention, and English language learners.
• Incorporates nearly a decade's worth of empirical and theoretical advances.
• Numerous prior edition chapters have been completely rewritten.

Mobile Library Services: Best Practices

Harmon, Charles and Michael Messina (eds.) Mobile Library Services: Best Practices. Scarecrow Press, 2013. ISBN: 978-0-8108-8752-7

Description

Eleven libraries discuss how they have implemented technologies to meet library user demands for services on mobile devices, including The Valley Library at Oregon State University! Case studies describe the development of specific applications as well as library services and activities specifically designed for the mobile library user. 

Table of Contents

• A Student-Library Collaboration to Create CULite: An iPhone App for the Cornell University Library by Matthew Connolly and Tony Cosgrave, Cornell University Library, Ithaca, NY
• Launching a Mobile Initiative: Outreach Strategies by Alexandra W. Gomes, Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library, George Washington University, Washington, DC
• Oregon State University Libraries Go Mobile by Laurie Bridges, Hannah Gascho Rempel, and Evviva Weinraub, The Valley Library, Oregon State University, Corvallis
• Making the Library Mobile on a Shoestring Budget by Helen Bischoff, Michele Ruth, and Ben Rawlins, Georgetown College Library, Kentucky
• The Orange County Library System: The OCLS Shake It! App” by Cassandra Shivers, Orange County Library System, Orlando, FL
• The NCSU Libraries’ Mobile Scavenger Hunt by Anne Burke, Adrienne Lai, and Adam Rogers, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh
• Responsive Web Design for Libraries: Beyond the Myth of the Mobile Web by Matthew Reidsma, Grand Valley State University Libraries, Allendale, MI
• Using iPads to Revitalize Traditional Library Tours by Amanda Binder, Sarah Sagmoen, Natalie Tagge and Nancy Weichert, Brookens Library, University of Illinois, Springfield
• Going Mobile at Illinois by Joshua Bishoff, University of Illinois Libraries, Urbana
• The Gimme Engine: A True Story of Innovation, Creativity and Fun by Aimee Fifarek and Ann Porter, Scottsdale Public Library, Scottsdale, AZ
• Building the Montana State University Library Mobile Web App with the jQuery Mobile Framework by Jason A. Clark, Montana State University Library, Bozeman

E-Learning in Libraries: Best Practices

Harmon, Charles and Michael Messina (eds.), E-Learning in Libraries: Best Practices. Scarecrow Press, 2013. ISBN: 978-0-8108-8750-3

Description

Nine case studies are presented, demonstrating the wide range of e-learning programs at different types of libraries. Topics covered include online credit-based instruction for undergraduates, digital reference, information-literacy e-learning collaboration, open-source software that supports online interactive learning, and screencasting for instruction. 

Table of Contents

• Introducing Online Credit-Based Instruction for Undergraduates by Lauren Pressley, Wake Forest University Library, Winston-Salem, NC
• NCompass Live: Educating Nebraska’s Librarians Online by Christa Burns and Michael P. Sauers, The Nebraska Library Commission
• Digital Reference that supports E-Learning at the University of California by Teal Smith and Donald Barclay, University of California, Kolligian Library, Merced
• The Critical Thinking Skills Initiative: An Information Literacy E-Learning Collaboration
  by Barbara Carrel, Jane Devine, Ann Matsuuchi, and Steven Ovadia, City University of New York Libraries
• Cutting to the Quick: Library Instruction in the Age of Happy Distraction by Lura Sanborn, St. Paul’s School Library, Concord, NH
• Developing and Sharing an Open Source Software Tool that Supports Online, Interactive Learning by Leslie Sult, The University of Arizona University Libraries, Tucson
• Screencasting for Instruction & Reference by Greg Notess, Montana State University Library, Bozeman
• Promoting Faculty Adoption of E-Learning Solutions and Library Services through Streaming Videos by Coleen Meyers Martin and Lynn D. Lampert, California State University Library, Northridge
• E-Learning and Holocaust Education in a School Library by Margaret Lincoln, Lakeview Schools District, Battle Creek, MI

Using Social Media in Libraries: Best Practices

Harmon, Charles and Michael Messina (eds.) Using Social Media in Libraries: Best Practices. Scarecrow Press, 2013. ISBN: 978-0-8108-8754-1

Description

Successful strategies for deploying meaningful social media library activities are covered in this book. The case studies provide practical advice from a range of library types.

Table of Contents

The Library in the Social Network: Twitter at the Vancouver Public Library by Kay Cahill, Vancouver Public Library, Vancouver, Canada Beyond the Teen Space: Reaching Teens through Social Media by Laura Horn, Farmington Public Libraries, Farmington, Connecticut Blogging for Readers by Robin Hastings, Missouri River Regional Library, Jefferson City, Missouri Successful Blogging Strategy & Design by Jason Paul Michel, Miami University Libraries, Oxford, Ohio  Navigating the Virtual Horizon: Finding Our Way Using Social Media in Hospital Libraries by Yongtao Lin and Kathryn M.E. Ranjit, Tom Baker Cancer Knowledge Centre, University of Calgary Libraries, Calgary, Canada Visualizing Information with Pinterest by Cynthia Dudenhoffer, Smiley Library, Central Methodist University, Fayette, Missouri The United Nations Library is Seriously Social by Angelinah C. Boniface, Dag Hammarskjöld Library, The United Nations, New York Social Catalogs: Implementing an Online Social Community as an Extension to Our Physical Libraries by Laurel Tarulli, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Customer Service in Libraries: Best Practices

Harmon, Charles and Michael Messina (eds.) Customer Services in Libraries: Best Practices. Scarecrow Press, 2013. ISBN: 978-08108-8748-0

Description

Librarians from  across the country describe their libraries’ best practices in the area of customer service. Model policies for customer service as well as specific advice in areas such as social media, technology planning, and services to home schoolers are covered. 

Table of Contents 

• STARS: Launching a Customer-Service Model in Riverside County by Mark Smith, Riverside County, CA Library System
• Technically Speaking by Karen C. Knox, Orion Township Public Library, MI
• Reader Advisory at Darien Library by Alan Kirk Gray, Darien Library, CT
• The Darien Library’s Picture Book Reorganization: A Collection Designed with Patrons in Mind by Kiera Parrott, Darien Library, CT
• Service Delivery Chains as a Strategy for Improving Library Customer Service by John J. Huber, J. Huber & Associates, Tulsa, OK
• The Collaborative Conversation: Connecting Libraries and Readers using Web 2.0 Tools by Judi Repman, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro
• Improving Customer Service by Utilizing an Existing Technology Innovatively by Adriana Gonzalez, Texas A & M University Libraries, College Station
• Service is Personal: The Howard County Library System Customer Service Program by Lewis Belfont, Howard County Library System, MD
• The Buzz on Patron Service by Shannon Hodgens Halikias, Lisle Library District, IL
• Make Your Library Fantastic for Homeschoolers by Abby Johnson, New Albany-Floyd County Public Library, IN

Google Search Secrets

Burns, Christa and Michael P. Sauers. Google Search Secrets. Chicago: Neal-Schuman, an imprint of the American Library Association, 2014. ISBN: 978-1-55570-923-5 

From the publisher:

Google can be an incredibly powerful tool for research, but the top-of-the-page results are seldom the most beneficial to library users and students, and many of the search engine’s most useful features are hidden behind its famously simple interface. Burns and Sauers reveal the secrets of effective Google searches in this invaluable resource showing how to get the most out of the service, with:

• An overview of all the tool’s search services, including Image, Maps, News, Blogs, Discussions, Scholar, Patents, and Books
• Ready-to-use instructions on how to go beyond the simple search box and top results to get library users the answers they need, fast
• Straightforward guidance on using filters to refine search results, with examples of common searches like images with Creative Commons licenses, news searches set for a date range or into an archive, and videos with closed captioning
• An explanation of the bibliography manager feature of Google Scholar, which allows students and researchers to build bibliographies with ease
• Tips for configuring Safe Search on workstations in children’s departments and schools

Copious screenshots walk readers through each topic step by step, making this a true how-to guide for everyone who uses Google.

Data Management for Libraries: A LITA Guide

Krier, Laura and Carly A. Strasser. Data management for libraries: A LITA Guide. Chicago: ALA TechSource, an imprint of the American Library Association, 2014. ISBN: 978-1-55570-969-3

From the publisher:

Since the National Science Foundation joined the National Institutes of Health in requiring that grant proposals include a data management plan, academic librarians have been inundated with related requests from faculty and campus-based grant consulting offices. Data management is a new service area for many library staff, requiring careful planning and implementation. This guide offers a start-to-finish primer on understanding, building, and maintaining a data management service, showing another way the academic library can be invaluable to researchers. Krier and Strasser of the California Digital Library guide readers through every step of a data management plan by:

• Offering convincing arguments to persuade researchers to create a data management plan, with advice on collaborating with them
• Laying out all the foundations of starting a service, complete with sample data librarian job descriptions and data management plans
• Providing tips for conducting successful data management interviews
• Leading readers through making decisions about repositories and other infrastructure
• Addressing sensitive questions such as ownership, intellectual property, sharing and access, metadata, and preservation

This LITA guide will help academic librarians work with researchers, faculty, and other stakeholders to effectively organize, preserve, and provide access to research data.