Managing the Successful School Library

Farmer, Lesley S. J. Managing the Successful School Library: Strategic Planning and Reflective Practice. ALA Neal-Schuman, 2017. ISBN: 978-0-8389-1494-6

Program Description

To ensure their libraries survive and thrive, school library managers need to be both responsive and proactive. Looking past the day-to-day operations of a school library, Farmer’s book serves as a reality check: school libraries must align with school mission statements and policies, while simultaneously negotiating for proper budgets and resources alongside other departments. It’s a daunting prospect, but Farmer demonstrates how it can be done with the proper attention and systematic planning. Taking a deeper, more professional look at management that applies theories and principles to real-world situations, this book

• introduces the concept of school library programs and provides an overview of school library program management;
• examines professional and legislated standards for school libraries, and discusses the part a manager plays in meeting them;
• links management with leadership, differentiating the two, and showing how the school librarian can carry out both roles;
• helps readers assess their own skills, knowledge, and dispositions in order to set short-term and long-term goals;
• explains how to manage resources and learning environments to meet the needs of teachers, administrators, parents, and other stakeholders;
• offers guidance for developing and working with budgets, obtaining additional funding, and using collaboration to support the school library program;
• provides concrete advice on hiring, training, supervising, assessment, and recognizing library workers and other library team members; and
• includes tools for communicating effectively and getting the message across.

More than just a compendium of management theories, this book provides much food for thought that will help readers gain important insights into their own roles as school library managers and leaders.

Table of contents

School Libraries 3.0

Butler, Rebecca P. School Libraries 3.0: Principles and Practices for the Digital Age. Rowman & Littlefield, 2015.
IBSN: 978-0-8108-8580-6

Publisher's Description

This textbook, for school library administration courses, is written by a professor who has taught this course at least once a year for the past twenty years. Technology is interwoven throughout the book and not listed as a separate chapter or book section. This is because the school librarian of today—and certainly the school librarian of tomorrow—is working in an environment of web resources, multimedia, mixed methods, and varying programs and services. Major chapters cover the various roles of the school librarian, curricular standards and guidelines, policies and procedures, budgeting, facilities, personnel, services, programming, ethics, advocacy, and evaluation. Sample policies, procedures, and plans make this book valuable to both new and experienced school librarians.

Table of contents

Creating Inclusive Library Environments

Kowalsky, M., & Woodruff, J. (2017). Creating Inclusive Library Environments: A Planning Guide for Serving Patrons with Disabilities. Chicago, IL: ALA Editions.

Librarians are continually faced with challenges of how to best meet the needs of patrons with disabilities, whether those patrons have physical or intellectual disabilities, differing learning styles, or even temporary problems which impact their access and may change over time. And because planning considerations range from policies and organizational culture to facilities, technologies, and beyond, librarians need a guide that covers everything: areas that can be addressed quickly and easily as well as those that require long-term strategies. That guide is here. Packed with research-based best practices and handy checklists applicable to all types of libraries, this comprehensive resource

• defines what makes environments barrier-free, whether physical or virtual, and talks about how libraries can develop a user-centered culture;
• includes techniques for writing policies and procedures that are clear, realistic, and flexible;
• provides strategies for setting up facilities, training staff, and maintaining daily operations;
• discusses collaboration and outreach through community partnerships, including ways to connect patrons with nonprofits and disability organizations;
• offers programming and workshop ideas such as open houses, tutorials, and tours of the library;
• delves into assistive technology, website design, making vendor-purchased products accessible, and other information technology issues; and
• shares ideas for library assessment, realigning strategies, and staying current.

This planning guide will enable libraries to create and maintain a truly inclusive environment for all patrons.

(book description)

A History of ALA Policy on Intellectual Freedom

A History of ALA Policy on Intellectual Freedom: A Supplement to the Intellectual Freedom Manual, Ninth Edition by Trina Magi and Martin Garnar. 

Chicago, IL: ALA Editions. 978-0-8389-1325-3.

Collecting several key documents and policy statements, this supplement to the ninth edition of the Intellectual Freedom Manual traces a history of ALA’s commitment to fighting censorship. An introductory essay by Judith Krug and Candace Morgan, updated by OIF Director Barbara Jones, sketches out an overview of ALA policy on intellectual freedom. An important resource, this volume includes documents which discuss such foundational issues as

• The Library Bill of Rights
• Protecting the freedom to read
• ALA’s Code of Ethics
• How to respond to challenges and concerns about library resources
• Minors and internet activity
• Meeting rooms, bulletin boards, and exhibits
• Copyright
• Privacy, including the retention of library usage records

(book description)

Intellectual Freedom Manual 9th Edition

Magi, Trina and Garner, Martin. (2015). Intellectual Freedom Manual, 9th Edition. Chicago, IL: ALA Editions. 978-0-8389-1292-8.

Since it was established in 1967, ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) has championed the rights of library users to seek and receive information on all subjects from all points of view without restriction and without having the subject of one's interest examined or scrutinized by others. The new edition of the Intellectual Freedom Manual is more than just an invaluable compendium of guiding principles and policies. It’s also an indispensable resource for day-to-day guidance on maintaining free and equal access to information for all people. Fortifying and emboldening professionals and students from across the library spectrum, this manual includes

• 34 ALA policy statements and documents, 17 new or updated for this edition, addressing patron behavior, internet use, copyright, exhibits, use of meeting spaces, and other common concerns
• At-a-glance lists summarizing key issues such as access, challenges and censorship, access by minors to controversial materials, and advocacy
• Explanations of legal points in clear, easy-to-understand language, alongside case citations
• Numerous checklists to help readers stay organized
• A glossary and selected bibliography

This must-have tool will help librarians ensure that institutions of all kinds remain beacons of intellectual freedom.

Books Under Fire (book)

Pat R. Scales. (2015). Books Under Fire: A Hit List of Banned and Challenged Children's Books. Chicago, IL: ALA Editions. 978-0-8389-1109-9

Many things have changed since ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) was founded in 1967, but not everything: the most beloved and popular children’s books are still among the most frequent targets of censorship and outright bans. Limiting access to controversial titles such as Captain Underpants, The Dirty Cowboy, Blubber, or Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark or leaving them out of a library’s collection altogether is not the answer to challenges. In this important book, Scales gives librarians the information and guidance they need to defend challenged books with an informed response while ensuring access to young book lovers. Spotlighting dozens of “hot button” titles written for young children through teens, this book

• Gives a profile of each book that covers its plot, characters, published reviews, awards and prizes, and author resources
• Recounts past challenges and how they were faced, providing valuable lessons for handling future situations, plus a list of other books challenged for similar reasons 
• Provides discussion ideas for planning programming around banned books, whether in reading groups, classrooms, or other settings
• Includes an appendix of additional resources for librarians who find themselves enmeshed in a challenge

With this guide at hand, library managers, children’s and YA librarians, and other library staff will be prepared to champion intellectual freedom for young people.

(book description)

Intellectual Freedom for Teens (book)

Kristin Fletcher-Spear and Kelly Tyler. (2014). Intellectual Freedom for Teens: A Practical Guide for Young Adult and School Librarians. Chicago, IL: ALA Editions. 978-0-8389-1200-3

Year after year a majority of the titles on ALA’s Banned Books list, which compiles titles threatened with censorship, are either YA books or adult books that are frequently read by teens. It’s important for YA librarians to understand the types of challenges occurring in libraries around the nation and to be ready to deal with such challenges when they occur. The Young Adult Library Services (YALSA) has tailored this book specifically for these situations, providing much-needed guidance on the highly charged topic of intellectual freedom for teens. Among the issues addressed are

• How to prepare yourself and your staff for potential challenges by developing a thoughtful selection policy and response plan
• Resources for help when a challenge occurs
• The art of crafting a defense for a challenged book, and pointers for effectively disseminating your response through the press and social media
• The latest on intellectual freedom in the digital realm, including an examination of library technology

Using examples of censorship battles in both school and public libraries to illustrate possible scenarios, this guidebook gives YA librarians the foreknowledge and support to ensure intellectual freedom for teens.

(book description)

Crash Course in Dealing with Difficult Library Customers

Mosley, Shelley E., Dennis C. Tucker, and Sandra Van Winkle. Crash Course in Dealing with Difficult Library Customers. Libraries Unlimited, 2014. ISBN: 978-1-61069-283-0

Description
The book identifies the basic types of problem-causing individuals, overviews effective strategies for offsetting their actions, and explains how to successfully manage the stressful, emotionally charged situations that can arise. It addresses common situations that can happen in public service at any type of library. The authors offer practical advice that will help library staff prepare for the many kinds of "worst case scenarios"—before they arise. Administrators who need to develop policies to protect their staff and their users will also find this unique work essential reading.

Topics include: 
Dealing with Angry Patrons
Dealing with Dangerous Library Patrons
Dealing with Drugged or Inebriated Individuals
Dealing with Problem Parents
Dealing with Sexual Perverts
Dealing with the Censor
Dealing with the Extremist
Dealing with the Mentally Ill
Dealing with the V.I.P.
Dealing with Thieves

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

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

Administering the School Library Media Center

 

Morris, Betty J. Administering the School Library Media Center. 5th ed. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 2010.
ISBN: 978-1-59158-685-2  

Publisher's Description

School library administration presents a complicated challenge to professionals in the field, requiring constant adjustment to accommodate the proliferation of new technologies, as well as the latest standards and legislation focused on assessment of student learning. Every library media specialist needs an authoritative guide through this ongoing revolution in education.

This reference text provides a complete instructional overview of the workings of the library media center—from the basics of administration, budgeting, facilities management, organization, selection of materials, and staffing to explanations on how to promote information literacy and the value of digital tools like blogs, wikis, and podcasting.

Since the publication of the fourth edition of Administering the School Library Media Center in 2004, many changes have altered the landscape of school library administration: the implementation of NCLB legislation and the revision of AASL standards, just to mention two. The book is divided into 14 chapters, each devoted to a major topic in school library media management. This latest edition gives media specialists a roadmap for designing a school library that is functional and intellectually stimulating, while leading sources provide guidance for further research.

The School Library Media Specialist's Policy & Procedure Writer

Downs, Elizabeth. The School Library Media Specialist's Policy & Procedure Writer. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2010. ISBN: 978-1-55570-621-0

This book is well organized, is generous with examples, and received positive reviews in School Library Journal, VOYA, Library Media Connection, and other industry journals. The accompanying CD allows you to easily adapt sample policies and procedures to your own situation. -- Jen

Publisher's Description:
In one detailed multimedia source, you'll find everything you need to evaluate your library's current policies and procedures, and suggestions to help you develop new ones in today's more complex digital content environment. Among the many areas covered are:

* Collection Development
* Acquisitions
* Budgeting
* Equipment and Materials Maintenance
* Year-End Reporting
* Scheduling
* Web Publishing and Design
* Reading Incentive Programs
* Serving Students with Special Needs
* Copyright

You'll find more than 300 sample policies, procedures, and forms you can customize and print to help you manage each aspect of your library's operations. The accompanying CD makes it easy to tap the book's text without rekeying so you can create or revise your own library's manuals.

Table of Contents:
To see the table of contents, click the Look Inside link on the publisher's site.

Academic Manager's Forms, Policies, and Procedures Handbook

Brumley, Rebecca. The Academic Manager's Forms, Policies, and Procedures Handbook (with CD ROM). New York, Neal-Schuman, 2007, isbn 1-55570-597-9 027.7 Bruml

Review
...more than 600 policies from college, community college, and university libraries on many topics that directors or deans might find useful to adapt. --C & RL News, March 2008

Product Description
Rebecca Brumley's Public Library Manager's Forms, Policies, and Procedures Handbook (Starred Review, Library Journal) revolutionized the way public libraries create their policy and procedures manual. Now Brumley brings her winning formula to the academic library with this invaluable collection of expertly vetted sample policies, forms, and procedures for the college or university environment. This new handbook and CD-ROM package is divided into three parts: Student and Faculty Services, Administrative Policies, and Collection Maintenance. Coverage includes: Borrowing policies for students, faculty, alumni, visiting researchers, and university staff; Guidelines for interlibrary loan, reserves, holds, and recalls; Procedures for reference staffing, services, and resource sharing; Policies for computer workstation and Internet usage, and Administrative documents for facilities maintenance, fundraising, exhibits and displays, and more. The companion CD-ROM reproduces all 600+ forms, procedures, and policies, which can be used as is or customized for a specific library. This time- and labor-saving tool will find great use in college and university libraries of all sizes.

The Library Security and Safety Guide to Prevention, Planning, and Response (Book)

The Library Security and Safety Guide to Prevention, Planning, and Response, by Miriam B. Kahn, Chicago : American Library Association, 2008. 129p.

From the ALA website:

Libraries need to be open and inviting, yet safe for patrons, staff, and collections. How can you ensure your library is both accessible and secure? Security planning, part of disaster response and continuous operations planning, is the key to proactively addressing potential safety issues.

Look over the shoulder of disaster expert Kahn as she walks through key safety and security issues step by step. This new book outlines hands-on plans to:

• Identify potential security problems
• Put prevention strategies in place
• Create guidelines for libraries and staff in case something does happen
• Minimize risk, whether to building, collections, patrons, staff, or computers

Case studies, along with 20 checklists and 10 sample policies and forms, are the basis for organizing and evaluating security plans tailored to your institution. Library administrators, building managers, special collections and preservation staff, IT managers, and facilities directors at libraries and cultural institutions of all sizes and types can easily adapt the tools. Follow these proven strategies to keep problems small and manageable, and know what to do “in case of emergency.”

About the author:
Miriam B. Kahn, founder of MBK Consulting, helps libraries, archives, corporations, and cultural institutions plan for, recover from, and prevent disasters that interrupt services. Since 1989, she has been working in the field of preservation, consulting on disaster response, and offering hands-on assistance during disasters. She is the author of Disaster Response and Planning for Libraries, second edition and Protecting Your Library’s Electronic Resources (ALA Editions). She is a popular presenter and teacher, offering courses at Kent State University’s Graduate School for Library and Information Science and throughout the Midwest. She holds an MLS from Queens College.

What Every Librarian Should Know About Electronic Privacy

Woodward, Jeannette. What Every Librarian Should Know About Electronic Privacy. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2007. isbn 978-1-59158-489-6 025.50285 Woodw

This book addresses many forms of privacy invasion and the parties who are responsible for them. It includes an index and glossary of terms and acronyms....No treatment of electronic privacy would be complete without a study of government privacy intrusions; Woodward provides a critical analysis of the U.S. government's track record on privacy invasion, noting how the government's overdependence on technology has led to inefficient and inadequate law enforcement....Every library should have a copy of this book. It is an excellent guide to the kinds of privacy intrusion that libraries and those who frequent them experience and how to avoid them.

Sharing, Privacy and Trust in Our Networked World: A Report to the OCLC Membership.

Principal contributors, Cathy De Rosa, Joanne Cantrell, Andy Havens, Janet Hawk, Lillie Jenkins ; graphics, layout and editing, Brad Gauder, Rick Limes ; contributors, Diane Cellentani ... [et al.] Dublin, Ohio, USA : OCLC, c2007.

From the OCLC website:

The practice of using a social network to establish and enhance relationships based on some common ground—shared interests, related skills, or a common geographic location—is as old as human societies, but social networking has flourished due to the ease of connecting on the Web. This OCLC membership report explores this web of social participation and cooperation on the Internet and how it may impact the library’s role, including:

• The use of social networking, social media, commercial and library services on the Web
• How and what users and librarians share on the Web and their attitudes toward related privacy issues
• Opinions on privacy online
• Libraries’ current and future roles in social networking

The report is based on a survey (by Harris Interactive on behalf of OCLC) of the general public from six countries—Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States—and of library directors from the U.S. The research provides insights into the values and social-networking habits of library users.

Library Collection Development Policies (book)

Hoffmann, F.W. & Wood, R.J. (2007). Library collection development policies: School libraries and learning resource centers. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.

This book will remind you of all the aspects of policy you need to think about, provide you information to help determine what is best to include for your library and community, and includes examples from real library policies.