A Librarian’s Guide to an Uncertain Job Market

Woodward, Jeannette. A Librarian’s Guide to an Uncertain Job Market. Chicago: ALA, 2011. 020.2373 Woodw ISBN 978-0-8389-1105-1

During these tough economic times, more people are relying on libraries than ever before, even as library funding is being slashed or eliminated altogether. The hard truth is that many seasoned librarians are losing their jobs, and many recent LIS graduates are having a hard time finding one. Being unemployed is potentially devastating; without a clear, well-thought out game plan and considerable attention to their own personal well-being, those affected may find it difficult to recover. In this ALA Editions Special Report, Woodward, a veteran librarian with decades of experience, helps at-risk librarians:

· Prepare for budget crunches by showing them how to develop versatile skills and plan ahead for potential changes in employment
· Educate themselves about which library positions are being phased out and which will hold steady or expand
· Adjust their career goals, repurpose their existing skills for non-traditional librarianship, and even search for work in non-library settings
This Special Report provides the compassionate guidance and pragmatic support that librarians will need to survive possible career crises and reenter the job market with renewed confidence.

Reference Sources and Services for Youth (book)

Harper, M. (2011). Reference Sources and Services for Youth. New York: Neal-Schuman.

With so much content available, the challenge for K-12 library media specialists, teachers, and youth services librarians alike is how and where to direct students so they spend time on productive research rather than aimless Internet searches. This user-friendly book will help you teach and support students as they learn to access, evaluate and use print and electronic information successfully.

For library professionals, there are skill-based exercises and case study scenarios in each chapter. These tools will sharpen your professional reference skills and your insights into reference collection management specifically for the school and young adult library setting.

For paraprofessionals, aides, and non-degreed staff working in children s and young adult services, this book provides valuable professional development support. College and graduate-level Library Science faculty will find multiple applications for this information, as both a core and supplemental course resource.

(book description)

Using Qualitative Methods in Action Research: How Librarians Can Get to the Why of Data

Cook, Douglas, and Farmer, Lesley, eds. Using Qualitative Methods in Action Research: How Librarians Can Get to the Why of Data. Chicago: ACRL, 2011 025.5877 Using. ISBN 978-0-8389-8576-2.

While quantitative research provides librarians with calculations and metrics of effectiveness, qualitative research, in its exploration of assumptions, value, and opinion, makes possible a deeper understanding of the subtleties of user interaction with library services and collections. This volume explains the basic tenets of qualitative research in an easily understandable fashion, and details action research projects that academic librarians can undertake with their patrons.Part 1 provides a theoretical and practical overview of the process of qualitative and action research. Part 2 includes reports of a number of research projects on fairly common problems found in libraries. The final section of the book includes examples of qualitative research and assessment focused on such topics of the day as information literacy.

Meeting, and Exceeding Expectations: A Guide to Successful Nonprofit Board Meetings. 2nd ed.

Flynn, Outi. Meeting, and Exceeding Expectations: A Guide to Successful Nonprofit Board Meetings. 2nd ed. Washington D.C. : BoardSource, 2009. 658.456 Flynn ISBN 978-1586861155

Are your board meetings inspiring, productive, and efficient? Or are your board meetings tedious, unproductive, and dominated by one or two people? Do they leave board members wondering why they volunteered in the first place? In Meeting, and Exceeding Expectations, you’ll find ready-to-use information that will help your board members provide the valuable input that will propel your organization to greatness. This must-have resource poses critical questions, provides easy-to-implement answers, suggests tools, and clarifies legal and ethical expectations. It also shows you how to insert some fun into your meetings.

Practical Pedagogy for Library Instructors: 17 Innovative Strategies to Improve Student Learning

Sittler, Ryan L. and Cook, Douglas, eds. Practical Pedagogy for Library Instructors: 17 Innovative Strategies to Improve Student Learning. Chicago: ACRL, 2008 025.5677 Pract ISBN 978-0-8389-8458-1

Practical Pedagogy for Library Instructors: 17 Innovative Strategies to Improve Student Learning (Doug L. Cook and Ryan L. Sittler, eds) gathers seventeen case-studies using unique instructional methodologies framed by sound pedagogical theory. As the mission of academic libraries has moved away from maintaining collections toward educating users in research methodologies, a need for new approaches to teaching are required. Many librarians come from disciplines other than education and therefore need to upgrade their skills in the area of instruction. This practical casebook is of great advantage to librarians who have had little formal training in education. Cases included cover the broad spectrum of education from behavioral to cognitive to constructivist. Each chapter is grounded in the educational and library literature and explores the potential of using pedagogical approaches which closely match instructional aims.