Open Access: What You Need to Know Now

Crawford, Walt. Open Access: What You Need to Know Now. Chicago: ALA, 2011. 070.57973 Crawf ISBN 978-0-8389-1106-8 Academic libraries routinely struggle to afford access to expensive journals, and patrons may not be able to obtain every scholarly paper they need. Is Open Access (OA) the answer? In this ALA Editions Special Report, Crawford helps readers understand what OA is (and isn t), as he concisely · Analyzes the factors that have brought us to the current state of breakdown, including the skyrocketing costs of science, technology, engineering, and medicine (STEM) journals; consolidation of publishers and diminishing price competition; and shrinking library budgets · Summarizes the benefits and drawbacks of different OA models, such as Green, Gold, Gratis, Libre, and various hybrid forms · Discusses ways to retain peer-review, and methods for managing OA in the library, including making OA scholarly publishing available to the general public Addressing the subject from the library perspective while taking a realistic view of corporate interests, Crawford presents a coherent review of what Open Access is today and what it may become.

Assistive Technologies in the Library

Mates, Barbara T. with contributions by William R. Reed IV. Assistive Technologies in the Library. Chicago: ALA, 2011. 027.663 MatesA ISBN 978-0-8389-1070-2 There are plenty of products out there for making information accessible to all users, but how can administrators and managers determine which are the most practical and economical for their particular library? Mates, former director of the Ohio Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled, strips away the technical jargon and introduces dozens of the latest options, including hardware, software, and peripherals. This guide will help readers · Choose the products that are best for their organization, with the help of the evaluative commentary, lists of suppliers, and additional resources included · Set up work stations and train staff on how to use assistive-technology such as screen readers, Braille displays, keyboard options, listening devices, and more · Meet compliance with regulatory agencies while benefiting every member of the community This sensitively written and practical guidebook will be an indispensable resource for ensuring that a library's offerings are accessible to everyone.

Mentoring in the Library: Building for the Future

Lee, Marta K. Mentoring in the Library: Building for the Future. Chicago: ALA, 2011. 020.7155 Lee ISBN 978-0-8389-3593-4 Mentoring isn't just another component of being a good employee. It s essential to the continuing health of an institution: the sharing of knowledge and experience not only helps less senior employees improve their job skills but transforms managers into stronger leaders. Noted reference librarian and researcher Lee offers librarians at all levels both her experience and her ideas about establishing a formal mentoring process at the library. Readers will learn · The kinds of skills the mentor should have, with techniques for successful development, education, and training · How to establish formal and informal mentoring arrangements, with a chapter devoted to mentoring librarians electronically · Keys to working with students, interns, volunteers, and individuals interested in a library science career In this useful book Lee shows librarians how mentoring can be both satisfying and good for career development and personal growth

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.

Teams in Library Technical Services

Bazirjian, Rosann and Mugridge, Rebecca, eds. Teams in Library Technical Services. Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press, 2006. 025.02 Teams ISBN 978-0-8108-5294-5

Team management entered libraries in the mid-1980s in the wake of shrinking budgets, rising costs, and changing technology, among other factors. Here, editors Bazirjian and Mugridge present research and case studies indicating why and how teams apply to technical services, especially in academic libraries. Additionally, the book examines the relationships between professional and support staff and the changing roles of librarians today, including the impact of technology, and the ever-present issues surrounding performance evaluations, hiring, workloads and work flow, and reward and recognition. Sections cover "Theoretical/Historical Perspectives on Teams," "Effectiveness of the Team Structure," "Reevaluation of the Team Structure," and "Special Purpose Teams." Chapter contributors come from various sizes of academic libraries. Written for managers and administrators, this useful title emphasizes the need for an ongoing review of the organization's structure and its effectiveness in improving the performance of technical service units.