Geek the Library: A Community Awareness Campaign. Dublin, OH: OCLC, 2011. 021.7 Geek. ISBN 978-1-55653-393-8

Geek the Library, a community awareness campaign designed to highlight the vital role of public libraries and raise awareness about the critical funding issues many libraries face, was developed based on the research findings included in From Awareness to Funding: A study of library support in America. This study, published by OCLC in 2008, found that increasing funding support for public libraries requires changing community perceptions. This new report documents the results of the Geek the Library pilot campaign conducted in partnership with nearly 100 public libraries in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Wisconsin. The results are optimistic.
The report suggests that Geek the Library can change perceptions about libraries, librarians and public library funding, and that implementation of the campaign can positively impact public library funding trends. Findings include:
· Geek the Library gets people's attention. In just five months, more than half of surveyed residents were familiar with the campaign.
· Geek the Library raises awareness. Perceptions and attitudes around the library's importance and value in the community improved in southern Georgia, and more people said they were willing to fund the library.
· Geek the Library encourages action. Over two-thirds of surveyed residents in both southern Georgia and central Iowa had planned or had taken an action as a result of the campaign, including talking to friends and family about the library or attending a library event.
The report contains details from qualitative and quantitative research, as well as interesting insights based on the experiences of participating libraries.

Reading With The Stars: A Celebration of Books and Libraries

Kniffel, Leonard. Reading With The Stars: A Celebration of Books and Libraries. Chicago: ALA, 2011. 027 Kniff

ISBN 978-0-8389-3598-9

American Libraries editor in chief Leonard Kniffel offers a compelling collection of interviews with prominent figures--all of whom have special connections to libraries. From President Barack Obama to actress Julie Andrews; from basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to former First Lady and librarian Laura Bush and many others, stars of literature, politics, entertainment, and the public arena speak with Kniffel about the ways libraries have been critical in their lives. Other highlights of this delightful volume
· TV icon Oprah Winfrey talks about library books as "her pass to personal freedom"
· Hard-boiled wordsmith David Mamet claims the public library as his "alma mater"
· Software mogul Bill Gates discusses his groundbreaking library computerization project and why he feels libraries are an important focus of his investment
· Former Vice President Al Gore addresses the "information ecosystem," including how libraries contribute to the informed citizenry that's required to manage today's challenges
With plenty to engage library advocates as well as casual readers, Reading with the Stars offers proof positive that libraries and librarians continue to perform vital services and hold a place of honor.

Workplace Learning & Leadership: a Handbook for Library and Nonprofit Trainers

Reed, Lori & Paul Signorelli. Workplace Learning & Leadership: a Handbook for Library and Nonprofit Trainers. Chicago: ALA, 2011. 020.7155 Reed ISBN: 978-0-8389-1082-5

The best kind of learning is that which never ends and a culture of training means that staff will be more flexible and responsive to new ideas and strategies, imperative in today s libraries. In this practical resource, leading workplace trainers Reed and Signorelli offer guidance on improving the effectiveness of training programs. Their book takes readers through the entire process of developing, implementing, and sustaining training programs and communities of learning, in order to:

· Empower individuals to become leaders and teachers by cultivating a culture of ongoing learning
· Connect library staff and users to information resources so they can effectively use them to their benefit
· Develop skills among both managers and workers for practicing continuous formal and informal training

Using real-life examples of trainers who serve as leaders within libraries and their communities, this book sheds light on an underappreciated but important component of library operations.

Homework Help from the Library: In Person and Online

Intner, Carol F. Homework Help from the Library: In Person and Online. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-8389-1046-7

Publisher's Description:
Children’s and young adult librarians are crucial links to effective learning for students. This straightforward handbook is filled with nuts-and-bolts advice on the best ways to help young people with their homework, no matter what the assignment. Carol F. Intner, a certified English teacher and experienced tutor, concentrates on the practical, covering

• How students’ different learning styles and current technology inform the homework process
• Staff training and community outreach
• Options for working more closely with both students and teachers

From planning a customized homework-help agenda to demonstrating how to help students successfully use their technological savvy in ways not necessarily possible at home, this book presents a no-nonsense, comprehensive approach to giving students the assistance they need.

Chapter Titles:
{1} Background: Homework Help as the Confluence of Information Services and Education
{2} First Steps: Planning Your Homework Help Menu of Services
{3} Staff Training and Professional Development
{4} Technology in the Library for Homework Help
{5} Technology from Remote Locations for Homework Help
{6} Answering Homework Queries and Interacting with Students
{7} Troubleshooting
{8} Marketing Your Homework Help Services
{9} Evaluating Your Homework Help Program

Preview:
To preview a portion of the book, see the publisher's site.

Note:
The author references the "seminal" Creating the Full-Service Homework Center in Your Library by Cindy Mediavilla. That book is also available from the Oregon State Library.

The Dominican Study: Summer Reading Programs... (book & online)

Roman, S., Carran, D.T., & Fiore, C.D. (June 2010). The Dominican Study: Public Library Summer Reading Programs Close the Reading Gap. River Forest, IL: Graduate School of Library & Information Science at Dominican University

This is one of the few existing studies on public library summer reading programs and their impact on student achievement. It was conducted by the the Graduate School of Library & Information Science at Dominican University in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University Center for Summer Learning and was funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

This study includes results, of course, and recommendations to public libraries for increases the impact their summer reading program has on children and teens.

You can read the executive summary (4 pages) and the final report (103 pages) online or by checking out hard copies from the Oregon State Library.