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The digital age is burning out our most precious resources and the future of the past is at stake. In After Disruption: A Future for Cultural Memory, Trevor Owens warns that our institutions of cultural memory—libraries, archives, museums, humanities departments, research institutes, and more—have been “disrupted,” and largely not for the better. He calls for memory workers and memory institutions to take back control of envisioning the future of memory from management consultants and tech sector evangelists. After Disruption posits that we are no longer planning for a digital future, but instead living in a digital present. In this context, Owens asks how we plan for and develop a more just, sustainable, and healthy future for cultural memory. The first half of the book draws on critical scholarship on the history of technology and business to document and expose the sources of tech startup ideologies and their pernicious results, revealing that we need powerful and compelling counter frameworks and values to replace these ideologies. The second half of the book makes the case for the centrality of maintenance, care, and repair as interrelated frameworks to build a better future in which libraries, archives, and museums can thrive as sites of belonging and connection through collections.

Written as a textbook for LIS students taking reference courses, this fully updated and revised seventh edition of Reference and Information Services: An Introduction also serves as a helpful handbook for practitioners to refamiliarize themselves with particular types and formats of sources and to refresh their knowledge on specific service topics.The first section grounds the rest of the textbook with an overview of the foundations of reference and an introduction to the theories, values, and standards that guide reference service. The second section provides an overview of reference services and techniques for service provision, establishing a foundation of knowledge on reference service and extending ethical and social justice perspectives. The third part offers an overview of the information life cycle and dissemination of information, followed by an in-depth examination of information sources by type as well as by broad subject areas. Finally, the concluding section guides the reader through the process of developing and maintaining their own vision of reference practice.This textbook is essential reading for all preservice and working librarians, particularly those concerned with ethical and social justice perspectives on reference work.

The publication seeks to establish how information professionals are providing information services in in a sustainable society in an era of information disorder. It also provides the strategic direction to strengthen the global voice of libraries, inspiring and enhancing professional practice as well as enhancing international cooperation and collaboration among LIS educators and practitioners. The contents is divided according to the following key sub-themes that resonate with the title as outlined below: Library and information services in the information age Data and records in an era of information disorder Archives, data curation and preservation in the digital era Data science, analytics and visualization Information ethics in the digital era Information deluge in the digital era Information and knowledge management Fourth Industrial revolution The highlighted themes explore critical issues relating to how libraries, archives and related institutions are responding to the seismic shifts in the information landscape amidst a myriad of challenges and opportunities. The sub-themes bring together a tapestry of articles that explore the status, experiences and future prospects of the dynamic library and information science practice.

This third edition of Information Services Today: An Introduction demonstrates the ever-changing landscape of information services today and the need to re-evaluate curriculum, competency training, professional development, and lifelong learning in order to stay abreast of current trends and issues, and more significantly, remain competent to address the changing user needs of information communities. Specifically, the Information Services Today: An Introduction: provides a thorough introduction, history, and overall state of the field, explores different types of information communities, the varying information needs within those communities, and the role of equity of access, diversity, inclusion, and social justice in those communities, addresses why information organizations and information and technological literacy are more important today than ever before, discusses how technology has influenced the ways that information professionals provide information resources and services in today's digital environment, highlights current issues and trends and provides expert insight into emerging challenges, innovations, and opportunities for the future, and identifies career management strategies and leadership opportunities in the information professions. The new edition features chapter updates to address changes in information services, introducing new/updated topics such as emergency/crisis management/community resilience, sustainability, data analysis and visualization, social justice, and equity of access, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Information Services Today: An Introduction begins with an overview of libraries and their transformation as information and technological hubs within their local and digital communities, as well as trends impacting the information field. Information Services Today: An Introduction covers the various specializations within the field – emphasizing the exciting yet complex roles and opportunities for information professionals in a variety of information environments. With that foundation in place, it presents the fundamentals of information services, delves into management skills needed by information professionals today, and explores emerging issues related to the rapid development of new technologies. Information Services Today: An Introduction addresses how libraries and information centers serve different kinds of communities, highlighting the unique needs of increasingly diverse users.Information Services Today: An Introduction provokes discussion, critical thinking, and interaction to facilitate the learning process. The content and supplemental materials – discussion questions, rich sets of online accessible materials, multimedia webcast interviews featuring authors from this book discussing the trends and issues in their respective areas, and chapter presentation slides for use by instructors – give readers the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of and engagement with the topics.

This revised and updated sixth edition of Reference and Information Services continues the book's rich tradition, covering all phases of reference and information services with less emphasis on print and more emphasis on strategies and scenarios.Reference and Information Services is the go-to textbook for MSLIS and i-School courses on reference services and related topics. It is also a helpful handbook for practitioners. Authors include LIS faculty and professionals who have relevant degrees in their areas and who have published extensively on their topics. The first half of the book provides an overview of reference services and techniques for service provision, including the reference interview, ethics, instruction, reader's advisory, and services to diverse populations including children. This part of the book establishes a foundation of knowledge on reference service and frames each topic with ethical and social justice perspectives. The second part of the book offers an overview of the information life cycle and dissemination of information, followed by an in-depth examination of information sources by type—including dictionaries, encyclopedias, indexes, and abstracts—as well as by broad subject areas including government, statistics and data, health, and legal information. This second section introduces the tools and resources that reference professionals use to provide the services described in the first half of the text.

In resource poor, cost saving times, this book provides practical advice on new methods and technologies involved in systematic searching and explores the role of information professionals in delivering these changesThe editors bring together expert international practitioners and researchers to highlight the latest thinking on systematic searching. Beginning by looking at the methods and techniques underlying systematic searching, the book then examines the current challenges and the potential solutions to more effective searching in detail, before considering the role of the information specialist as an expert searcher.Systematic Searching blends theory and practice and takes into account different approaches to information retrieval with a special focus being given to searching for complex topics in a health-related environment. The book does not presume an in-depth prior knowledge or experience of systematic searching and includes case studies, practical examples and ideas for further research and reading.The book is divided into three parts: Methods covers theoretical approaches to evidence synthesis and the implications that these have for the search process, including searching for complex topics and choosing the right sources. Technology examines new technologies for retrieving evidence and how these are leading to new directions in information retrieval and evidence synthesis. People considers the future of the information specialist as an expert searcher and explores how information professionals can develop their skills in searching, communication and collaboration to ensure that information retrieval practice is, and remains, evidence-based. Systematic Searching will be essential reading for library and information service providers and information specialists, particularly those in a health-related environment. It will also be of interest to students of library and information science, systematic reviewers, researchers and practitioners conducting complex searches in settings including social care, education and criminal justice.

Using an innovative, real-world approach that makes the research problem and method relevant and valuable to the reader, this book provides a broad overview of research methods used in library and information studies and associated fields.Research remains a core purpose of every library. This book provides a text for LIS students and a practical handbook to librarians and other educators who need to conduct research in their libraries. In Research Methods for Librarians and Educators, contributors reinforce the essential nature of research and provide readers with the confidence that they can conduct research to find solutions to various problems and improve their libraries and library programs.The book details various research methodologies and uses a unique perspective on research that presents authentic scenarios to immediately make the research problem and method relevant and valuable to the reader. It covers topics ranging from various research methods, including Causal, Collaborative, Design-Based Research, Longitudinal, and Mixed Methods, as well as interview methods, learning assessment, literature review, and observation and survey methods.Each chapter includes questions intended to spark discussion and deeper reflection that make the book more useful in learning settings. The summary charts throughout provide a handy and easy reference for readers who want a quick refresher on the research method without rereading the entire chapter.

Technological advancements have become an integral part of life, impacting the way we work, communicate, make decisions, learn, and play. As technology continually progresses, humans are being outpaced by its capabilities, and it is important for businesses, organizations, and individuals to understand how to optimize data and to implement new methods for more efficient knowledge discovery and information management and retrieval. Innovative Applications of Knowledge Discovery and Information Resources Management offers in-depth coverage on the pervasiveness of technological change with a collection of material on topics such as the impact of permeable work-life boundaries, burnout and turnover, big data usage, and computer-based learning. It proves a worthy source for academicians, practitioners, IT leaders, IT professionals, and advanced-level students interested in examining the ways in which technology is changing the world.

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is the leading international body representing the interests of library and information services and their users. It is the global voice of the information profession. The series IFLA Publications deals with many of the means through which libraries, information centres, and information professionals worldwide can formulate their goals, exert their influence as a group, protect their interests, and find solutions to global problems.

This book presents the current state of the art in the field of e-publishing and social media, particularly in the Arabic context. The book discusses trends and challenges in the field of e-publishing, along with their implications for academic publishing, information services, e-learning and other areas where electronic publishing is essential. In particular, it addresses (1) Applications of Social Media in Libraries and Information Centers, (2) Use of Social Media and E-publishing in E-learning (3) Information Retrieval in Social Media, and (4) Information Security in Social Media.

Elements of Information Organization and Dissemination provides Information on how to organize and disseminate library and information science (LIS), a subject that is taught in many international Library Information Science university programs. While there are many books covering different areas of the subject separately, this book covers the entire subject area and incorporates the latest developments. - Presets an overview of the entire subject, covering all relevant areas of library and information science - Contains bulletpoints that highlight key features in each chapter - Written in an accessible language, this book is aimed at a wide audience of LIS academics

How better information and better access to it improves the quality of our decisions and makes for a more vibrant participatory society.Information is power. It drives commerce, protects nations, and forms the backbone of systems that range from health care to high finance. Yet despite the avalanche of data available in today's information age, neither institutions nor individuals get the information they truly need to make well-informed decisions. Faulty information and sub-optimal decision-making create an imbalance of power that is exaggerated as governments and corporations amass enormous databases on each of us. Who has more power: the government, in possession of uncounted terabytes of data (some of it obtained by cybersnooping), or the ordinary citizen, trying to get in touch with a government agency? In Missed Information, David Sarokin and Jay Schulkin explore information—not information technology, but information itself—as a central part of our lives and institutions. They show that providing better information and better access to it improves the quality of our decisions and makes for a more vibrant participatory society.Sarokin and Schulkin argue that freely flowing information helps systems run more efficiently and that incomplete information does just the opposite. It's easier to comparison shop for microwave ovens than for doctors or hospitals because of information gaps that hinder the entire health-care system. Better information about such social ills as child labor and pollution can help consumers support more sustainable products. The authors examine the opacity of corporate annual reports, the impenetrability of government secrets, and emerging techniques of “information foraging.” The information imbalance of power can be reconfigured, they argue, with greater and more meaningful transparency from government and corporations.

This textbook provides an overview of the digital information landscape and explains the implications of the technological changes for the information industry, from publishers and broadcasters to the information professionals who manage information in all its forms. This fully-updated second edition includes examples of organizations and individuals who are seizing on the opportunities thrown up by this once-in-a-generation technological shift providing a cutting-edge guide to where we are going both as information consumers and in terms of broader societal changes. Each chapter explores aspects of the information lifecycle, including production, distribution, storage and consumption and contains case studies chosen to illustrate particular issues and challenges facing the information industry. One of the key themes of the book is the way that organizations, public and commercial, are blurring their traditional lines of responsibility. Amazon is moving from simply selling books to offering the hardware and software for reading them. Apple still makes computer hardware but also manages one of the world's leading marketplaces for music and software applications. Google maintains its position as the most popular internet search engine but has also digitized millions of copies of books from leading academic libraries and backed the development of the world's most popular computing platform, Android. At the heart of these changes are the emergence of cheap computing devices for decoding and presenting digital information and a network which allows the bits and bytes to flow freely, for the moment at least, from producer to consumer. While the digital revolution is impacting on everyone who works with information, sometimes negatively, the second edition of Information 2.0 shows that the opportunities outweigh the risks for those who take the time to understand what is going on. Information has never been more abundant and accessible so those who know how to manage it for the benefit of others in the digital age will be in great demand. Readership: Students taking courses in library and information science, publishing and communication studies, with particular relevance to core modules exploring the information society and digital information. Academics and practitioners who need to get to grips with the new information environment.

This essential overview of what it means to be a library and information professional today provides a broad overview of the transformation of libraries as information organizations, why these organizations are more important today than ever before, the technological influence on how we provide information resources and services in today's digital and global environment, and the various career opportunities available for information professionals. The book begins with a historical overview of libraries and their transformation as information and technology hubs within their communities. It also covers the various specializations within the field emphasizing the exciting yet complex roles and opportunities for information professionals. With that foundation in place, it presents how libraries serve different kinds of communities, highlighting the unique needs of users across all ages and how libraries fulfill those needs through a variety of services, and addresses key issues facing information organizations as they meet user needs in the Digital Age. The book then concludes with career management strategies to guide library and information science professionals in building not only vibrant careers but vibrant information organizations for the future as well.

As we transition to a service and information-based economy, information specialists are projected onto the leading edge of an emerging science. Service Science and theInformation Professional demonstrates how the power of this new transdisciplinary field can inform and transform the current information professional world. Service Science is about people, technology, information, and organizations. Service Science can be of great benefit to Information Centres everywhere, and Information Service outlets can be a tremendous field of research for this new science. iSchools and Schools of Information Studies can join Computer Science, Engineering and Business Schools in receiving research grants for the development of Service Science. Information professionals need to know this new discipline and be inspired to participate in it. - Describes service science and its increasing relevance as a discipline - Provides relevant information to those pursuing interests in Information science, Information literacy, service science, and information management - illustrates that the transition to a service and information-based economy will require libraries to deal with both information and services - Explains why information professionals need to know more about this emerging field - Shows the value of research, and the importance of participating in this field

International and National Library and Information Services: A Review of Some Recent Developments 1970-80 is the second in a series that surveys developments in specific types of library and information services and subject fields over a period of 5 to 15 years, according to the nature of the topic. The survey is from the point of view of the role of national libraries in national and international library and information systems. Organized into 10 chapters, this book begins with a description of intergovernmental organizations; international library and information associations; and conference of directors of national libraries. Subsequent chapters discuss developments in this field of interest in the Americas, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North Africa, Asia, and Oceania. This book will be useful to public, school, and university libraries, and to schools of librarianship and information science.

'This book discusses the re-evaluation of the conceptual base of information value and quality found in different forms of media; and how these concepts can be analyzed in real applications and business scenarios'--

This comprehensive book prepares readers for a changing profession in the library and information field, presenting a holistic approach that examines theories and models and utilizes creative problem-solving strategies.In this rapidly changing, knowledge-based society, library and information professionals require a broad understanding of the profession. Introduction to the Library and Information Professions, Second Edition presents a toolbox of models that enable this essential understanding for undergraduate and graduate students in library and information science programs as well as practicing professionals seeking continuing education. The materials in this second edition reflect the latest trends in the library and information profession, including services and issues that stem from new advances in technology.The authors present'big picture'information that will allow readers to better plan and implement client-entered services, discussing topics such as the life cycle of information, the role of library and information professionals as change agents, models of information transfer, the national information infrastructure, and important trends and developments. The contents provide readers with clear guidance and a carefully explained rationale for lifelong careers as information professionals.

Despite new technologies, people do not always find information with ease. Do people still need help in finding the information they need, and if so, why? What can be made easier with new tools and techniques?Information Services and Digital Literacy is about the role of information services and digital literacies in the age of the social web. This title provides an alternative perspective for understanding information services and digital literacy, and argues that a central problem in the age of the social web and the culture of participation is that we do not know the premises of how we know, and how ways of interacting with information affect our actions and their outcomes. Information seeking is always a question of crossing and expanding boundaries between our earlier experiences and the unknown. We may not yet be well enough acquainted with the landscape of digital information to understand how we know, where the boundaries to our knowledge lie, how to cross them, and what consequences our actions may have. - Presents a new approach for understanding how information services help and hinder people in becoming informed - Provides an overview of how to conceptualize information services and digital literacy - Provides a model for developing new types of library and information service

Ständig fortschreitende Informationstechnologien machen es notwendig, sich umfassend mit dem Thema “Information und Gesellschaft” auseinanderzusetzen. In den letzten Jahren haben sich viele Forscher und Politiker mit der Frage befasst, wie Information verteilt ist und wie sie verteilt werden sollte. Der Band untersucht erstmals das Phänomen der Informationsgerechtigkeit aus der Sicht verschiedener Disziplinen und skizziert damit ein neues Forschungsfeld. Behandelt werden Fragen der Zugänglichkeit und Informationsethik, der Zugang zu Informationen für verschiedene Bevölkerungsgruppen sowie verschiedene Praxisgebiete im Hinblick auf die zugrunde liegenden Ansätze zur (gerechten) Verteilung von Information (Bibliotheken, elektronische Medien).

Examine the vital issues facing sci-tech libraries in today's economic and technological climate! This book addresses current challenges and changes in science and technology librariesand shows how librarians are handling them in difficult financial times. It examines issues related to closing and merging libraries, online collections maintenance and costs, assistance/outreach geared toward specific groups of library patrons, and the gathering of usage statistics in the electronic environment. You'll also find specific descriptionsand a general overviewof new technologies and case studies of the impact of new technologies on sci-tech library management. Handy tables and figures make the information easy to access and understand. Presenting a wide variety of problems and solutions, Information Practice in Science and Technology will help you understand the needs of users regarding current information technologies and how to meet them. From the editor: Among the critical challenges facing sci-tech libraries (and actually all libraries) are the need to perform detailed collection assessment and evaluation, particularly in regard to e-resource collections; the need to examine and provide appropriate public services; and the need to develop strategies for the adoption of new information technologies. This book addresses these key issues and attempts to provide both perspective and insight into these problems. Information Practice in Science and Technology examines: how merging academic departmental libraries can both improve services and smooth the transition to increased use of digital information the process of developing, managing, and providing access to an electronic collectiona case study from the University of Notre Dame, with special attention paid to licensing and publisher agreements how a limited Web interface can be enhanced and become a digital portal to a library's print collectiona case study from the Grainger Engineering Library at the University of Illinois how libraries can support academic faculty research in cross-disciplinary subject areas how to address the specialized subject area information needs of meteorologists and geologists outreach methods that the University of California uses to better connect with library patrons and demonstrate the services that the library offers Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs)the new technology for archiving and linking electronic information how to gather and benefit from usage statistics, with attention to electronic databases, statistics gathered from public library terminals, and transaction log usage statistics for electronic reserves the proposals to provide all government documents through an electronic distribution systemand what that will mean to sci-tech libraries

Vision of a digitized world, every library has rich stores of primary, secondary and tertiary sources of information including Internet resources, online databases, manuscripts, photographs and sound recordings. New technologies are also changing the services that libraries provide like virtual reference, user instruction, document delivery, consortia e-resources, self-checkin/checkout etc. As society becomes increasingly wired and lack patience in searching the required information, library use skills are essential to access information efficiently and effectively and thereby use information accurately and creatively. This book would be of immense value and useful for library science professionals including, policy makers and IT professionals to explore the various information sources including Internet technology, e-resources and databases in meeting the timely information needs of the society. This book is also of high value to the agricultural and veterinary scientists to meet the syllabus of Library and Information services recommended by ICAR, New Delhi to equip the library users with skills to identify, collect, formulate search and use various information sources including Internet, OPAC, CD-ROM and online databases.

Reflecting the dramatic changes shaped by rapidly developing technologies over the past six years, this new fourth edition of Reference and Information Services takes the introduction to reference sources and services significantly beyond the content of the first three editions. In Part I, Concepts and Processes, chapters have been revised and updated to reflect new ideas and methods in the provision of reference service in an era when many users have access to the Web. In Part II, Information Sources and Their Use, discussion of each source type has been updated to encompass key resources in print and on the Web, where an increasing number of freely available sources join those purchased or licensed by libraries.A number of new authors are contributors to this new edition, bringing to their chapters their experience as teachers of reference and as practitioners in different types of libraries. Discussions of services in Part I integrate digital reference as appropriate to each topic, such as how to conduct a reference interview online using instant messaging. Boxes interspersed in the text are used to present scenarios for discussion, to highlight key concepts, or to present excerpts from important documents. Discussions of sources in Part II place more emphasis on designing effective search strategies using both print and digital resources. The chapter on selection and evaluation of sources addresses the changing nature of reference collections and how to evaluate new types of sources. Each chapter concludes with an updated list of additional readings to guide further study.A new companion website will provide links to Web-accessible readings and resources as well as additional scenarios for discussion and example search strategies to supplement those presented in the text.

Information Markets is a compendium of the i-commerce, the commerce with digital information, content as well as software. Information Markets is a comprehensive overview of the state of the art of economic and information science endeavors on the markets of digital information. It provides a strategic guideline for information providers how to analyse their market environment and how to develop possible strategic actions. It is a book for information professionals, both for students of LIS (Library and Information Science), CIS (Computer and Information Science) or Information Management curricula and for practitioners as well as managers in these fields.

The essential handbook for every information entrepreneur, this is the indispensable guide to launching, managing, and growing an independent research firm. From beginning to end, this newly updated study navigates through every stage of the process introductory procedures, conducting the company, the ideal marketing methods, and maximizing research. From making key decisions and closing the sale to maintaining good relationships with clients and tapping into powerful information sources beyond the Web, this first-rate collection of tips, tricks, and techniques is the key to building a success.

Are we at a turning point in digital information? The expansion of the internet was unprecedented; search engines dealt with it in the only way possible - scan as much as they could and throw it all into an inverted index. But now search engines are beginning to experiment with deep web searching and attention to taxonomies, and the Semantic Web is demonstrating how much more can be done with a computer if you give it knowledge. What does this mean for the skills and focus of the information science (or sciences) community? Should information designers and information managers work more closely to create computer based information systems for more effective retrieval? Will information science become part of computer science and does the rise of the term informatics demonstrate the convergence of information science and information technology - a convergence that must surely develop in the years to come? Issues and questions such as these are reflected in this monograph, a collection of essays written by some of the most pre-eminent contributors to the discipline. These peer reviewed perspectives capture insights into advances in, and facets of, information science, a profession in transition. With an introduction from Jack Meadows the key papers are: Meeting the challenge, by Brian Vickery The developing foundations of information science, by David Bawden The last 50 years of knowledge organization, by Stella G Dextre Clarke On the history of evaluation in IR, by Stephen Robertson The information user, by Tom Wilson The sociological turn in information science, by Blaise Cronin From chemical documentation to chemoinformatics, by Peter Willett Health informatics, by Peter A Bath Social informatics and sociotechnical research, by Elisabeth Davenport The evolution of visual information retrieval, by Peter Enser Information policies, by Elizabeth Orna Disparity in professional qualifications and progress in information handling, by Barry Mahon Electronic scholarly publishing and open access, by Charles Oppenheim Social software: fun and games, or business tools?, by Wendy A Warr Bibliometrics to webometrics, by Mike Thelwall. This monograph previously appeared as a special issue of the Journal of Information Science, published by Sage. Readership: Reproduced here as a monograph, this important collection of perspectives on a skill in transition from a prestigious line-up of authors will now be available to information studies students worldwide and to all those working in the information science field.

Effective leadership is key to the future of information services and professional practice, and demands on leaders within the sector are greater than ever before. Leadership skills are required at all levels of the profession, from the top, through to professional staff called upon to lead a team or to take a supervisory role. To meet these challenges, individuals must develop their leadership capacity. This book invites information professionals across the sector and at different stages in their career to reflect on and engage with the development of their leadership role and contribution. Using theoretical concepts and models, coupled with practical tools, this book encourages readers to think about their own leadership and the leadership provided by others around them as the basis for continuing improvement in management and professional practice. No other book offers such a comprehensive and topical perspective on leadership in the context of the information services and the wider information industry. Contents include: challenges in leadership; knowing yourself as a leader; leadership in context; promoting change, innovation and creativity; leading people; setting direction and strategy; leadership development; and influencing others. It has a range of features, including learning objectives, chapter summaries, reflection points, review questions, case cameos and recommendations for further reading, encourages and facilitates engagement and reflection. This book is a must have for information professionals and aspiring leaders seeking to understand leadership and to develop their own leadership practice, as well as the leadership potential in others. It is also a valuable professional education text.

There is a queue, the phone is ringing, the photocopier has jammed and your enquirer is waiting for a response. You are stressed and you can feel the panic rising. Where do you go to find the information you need to answer the question promptly and accurately?Answering queries from users is one of the most important services undertaken by library and information staff. Yet it is also one of the most difficult, least understood subjects. There are still very few materials available to help frontline staff - often paraprofessional - develop their reader enquiry skills. This award-winning sourcebook is an essential guide to where to look to find the answers quickly. It is designed as a first point of reference for library and information practitioners, to be depended upon if they are unfamiliar with the subject of an enquiry - or wish to find out more. It is arranged in an easily searchable, fully cross-referenced A-Z list of around 150 of the subject areas most frequently handled at enquiry desks.Each subject entry lists the most important information sources and where to locate them, including printed and electronic sources, relevant websites and useful contacts for referral purposes. The authors use their extensive experience in reference work to offer useful tips, warn of potential pitfalls, and spotlight typical queries and how to tackle them. This new edition has been brought right up-to-date with all sources checked for currency and many new ones added. The searchability is enhanced by a comprehensive index to make those essential sources even easier to find - saving you valuable minutes! Offering quick and easy pointers to a multitude of information sources, this is an invaluable reference deskbook for all library and information staff in need of a speedy answer, in reference libraries, subject departments and other information units.

The Desk and Beyond is intended to provide a thorough exploration of the present and possible future applications of eleven of the most promising new reference delivery methods. In order to reflect the growing role of the digital environment while still respecting the importance of in-person interaction, a balance of physical and virtual methods has been maintained. This collection is intended to provide inspiration for potential reference services at your library; each chapter provides an introduction to an innovative service concept and an annotated list of sources for additional research.

This combination textbook/workbook provides an introduction to reference work by covering the theory and principles of good reference service, major reference sources in both print and electronic formats, basic reference skills and procedures. It reviews all the major types of reference sources, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, fast facts, biographical services, geographical services, bibliographies and library catalogs, directories, indexes and abstracts, government documents, and the Internet. After completing the practice exercises, readers should have a good understanding of a variety of current reference tools and an introduction to the types of questions each is designed to answer. Also included are plentiful, clear explanations and examples; a glossary with simple definitions of technical terms; a bibliography; and an index.

One of the most perplexing aspects of research today is what to do when there's too much information on a topic. What then of the librarian, charged with teaching new generations to appreciate the search for intellectual wheat, especially when the chaff has greater appeal? The key, suggests Leslie Stebbins, is to impress upon students the importance of good filtering instincts and careful management of search results. At the same time, it is equally essential to impress upon them the particular challenges and controversies that accompany research in a digital environment. Chapter one provides a step-by-step introduction to both research and critical evaluation that can be followed for any assignment. Chapters two through seven focus on specific types of information resources: when to use them, where to find them, and how to evaluate them. Chapter eight offers guidance on how to develop a note-taking system, cite sources, avoid plagiarism, and organize references. Students and librarians alike will benefit from Stebbin's suggestions, strategies and straightforward examples.

Title from PDF cover (viewed on Sep. 14, 2007).

Learn leadership skills from achievements at special libraries in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Central America! Leadership and Management Principles in Libraries in Developing Countries is a compilation of success stories epitomizing management and leadership strategies from developing nations around the globe. This book focuses on library administrators from Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Central America who have significantly transformed their library services in spite of limited funds and a lack of resources. You'll learn about their achievements, their techniques, and the strengths and skills they usedwhich can help you become a stronger leader at your own library. Leadership and Management Principles in Libraries in Developing Countries is a collection of selected entries to the Special Libraries Association Leadership and Management Division's 2003 International Paper Competition for special librarians in developing countries. Each author describes the effective leadership and management that made their special library initiatives successful, providing references, tables, step-by-step instructions, and handy checklists for other librarians to use.In Leadership and Management Principles in Libraries in Developing Countries, library officials discuss the development of successful programs at special libraries such as: the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, Indiawhere a team of people with diverse backgrounds worked together to digitally modernize their traditional library the Agricultural Libraries and Special Libraries in Tropical Biology located in Indonesiawhere special librarians found innovative ways to access funding support and expertise from foreign institutions, international relief agencies, and library associations the Information Resource Centre at The Mildmay Centre in Kampala, Ugandawhere the new Mobile Patient Library Services project provides information materials to patients with HIV/AIDS and their caregivers the American Cultural Center Library (now called the Rosa Parks Library) in Niamey, Nigerwhere the library was restructured from a simple reading room into a diverse cultural resource of exhibitions, seminars, and multilingual reference materials the Federal Ministry of Industry headquarters Library in Nigeriawhere the library transformation was made possible through good leadership style, managerial expertise, and effective staff organization the University of Swaziland Libraries in Swazilandwhere a strategic planning initiative helped the library widen Internet access, secure subscription funding for database access, and purchase updated equipment to enrich the instructional, research, and administrative functions of the library This book represents a body of practical experience, problems, lessons, and techniques that can be shared and tried by those who want to know more about or deal with the special needs and circumstances of librarians in developing countries. Leadership and Management Principles in Libraries in Developing Countries will show you how to improve both service and outreach to your local community by becoming a leader at your special library, whether you are the librarian, mid-level manager, director, or information consultant. Library science faculty and students will also find that this book illustrates the benefits of good leadership and management.

It is a widely accepted that Knowledge Management constitutes a key asset for the information professional. Management theory has always pointed to the fact that libraries and librarians in particular play an important role in an organization (be it an enterprise, a city, or a society as a whole). The papers collected in this volume demonstrate why and how - from the libraries'perspective. They discuss some fundamental implications of Knowledge Management as a key activity area for libraries, analyse key issues and instruments and give some best practice examples. Among the contributing authors the reader will find Larry Prusak, James Matarazzo, Michael Koenig, Rafael Capurro, Susan Henczel, Irene Wormell and Rainer Kuhlen. The book brings together eighteen important texts for the topic not only from IFLA workshops and conferences but also from other sources such as the SLA (Special Libraries Association). The inclusion of several original contributions makes this reader essential for all concerned with the future role of the library in business and society.

Offering the advice, insights, experiences, and encouragement would-be Internet entrepreneurs need to establish a successful independent research business, this book provides an insider's view of Internet businesses and their unique services. Eleven entrepreneurial super searchers representing a broad range of topic specialties and business focuses are interviewed. Also discussed are the details for getting started, developing a niche, finding clients, doing the research, networking with peers, and staying well informed about Web resources and technologies.

The goal of this book is to improve reference service in libraries and information centers, by improving the accuracy of answering capabilities. The authors provide a detailed analysis of the question-answering process and methods of evaluating the completeness, usefulness, user satisfaction, and accuracy of the information provided. This is an important contribution to library studies, and it will be a useful textbook for teaching references courses in library schools. Powerful research models help explain what is happening in the reference transaction. It encompasses a comprehensive review of the research literature. It offers a unique systems analysis of the reference transaction and includes a detailed appendix of the concepts, operational definitions, and research variables used to measure outcomes as well as statistical results from all known prior studies.

Combine marketing and strategic planning techniques to make your library more successful! With cutting-edge research studies as well as theoretical chapters that have not been seen before in the marketing literature for LIS, this book examines the current and quite limited state of marketing by LIS practitioners and institutions. It provides you with examples of how marketing can be made more widely applicable within LIS and illustrates some of the usefulness of marketing in special LIS settings and contexts. The book explains how and why managers should combine marketing strategy with strategic planning and demonstrates the means by which LIS could move toward a more full-fledged use of marketingrelationship marketing and social marketing in particular. In order to be a more effective tool, Strategic Marketing in Library and Information Science is divided into two sections: The Basis and Context for Marketing (theoretical information) and The Application of Marketing (practical applications that you can put to use in your institution). Chapters cover: existing literature on marketing in LISwhat it has to offer and what it lacks strategic planning that must take place before marketing money is spent the branding process and how it can be helpful in LIS marketing a marketing method for bridging the gap between staffing needs and the current shortage of librarians a way to use relationship marketing techniques to respond to the challenge of marketing electronic resources marketing applications relevant to theological libraries the effective use of social marketing at the Austin History Centera fascinating case study! a fresh marketing approach to bridging gaps between cultural history and education the importance of marketing for public libraries

Become more versatile, competent, and resourceful with these practical suggestions!Becoming a first-class reference librarian demands proficiency in a wide range of skills. Doing the Work of Reference offers sound advice for the full spectrum of your responsibilities. Though many aspects of a reference librarian's work are changing with astonishing speed, the classic principles in this volume will never go out of date. This comprehensive volume begins with hints for orienting yourself to a new job and concludes with ideas for serving the profession. On the way, Doing the Work of Reference covers such diverse topics as working with student assistants, offering reference services to remote users, and keeping up your professional development. In addition, you will find strategies for dealing with technological change--not high-tech information that will become obsolete before the ink is dry, but ways of approaching the process of change that will work today, next week, and ten years from now.Doing the Work of Reference will help you increase your competence in: getting along with other staff members marketing the library to users and faculty handling ephemeral materials keeping students'attention in library instruction courses maintaining good relations with faculty increasing your subject knowledge and much more!This comprehensive guide is an essential handbook for librarians in the trenches. Whether you are a new librarian or a veteran at the reference desk, Doing the Work of Reference will help you burnish your skills.

This is effectively the eighth edition of Aslib's flagship reference work, Handbook of Special Librarianship and Information Work, which has provided the seminal text on modern information theory, practice, and procedure since 1957. Scammell draws on a substantial background of research and best practice to provide a pragmatic approach to information management in the workplace. This volume covers strategic, legal, management, and marketing issues and highlights the importance of new web-based delivery mechanisms. It includes contributions from outside the UK, mirroring the global nature of information management.Includes:• essential reference to core theories and principles of information organization, retrieval and dissemination• a new chapter exploring the legal issues involved with information on the Internet• new topics including: freedom of information, project management, digital library research, the hybrid library, the effective website and the intranet.

Provides a systematic method of identifying, evaluating and comparing information needs, as well as a framework to enable information services to gather information from users to aid information system design, and monitor the effectiveness of an information service. Examines the role of the Internet in meeting information needs.The section on collecting data now includes web log analysis and focus group interviews. Introduces the concept of the I-player, the digital information user.

Offer your patrons the cutting-edge reference services they demand!In the past, a reference librarian needed to develop a command of a few reference works, master the skills of the reference interview, and interface with library users in person or via telephone. Today's reference librarian is faced with much, much more. New Technologies and Reference Services suggests ways you can tame the information explosion and take advantage of new technologies.This comprehensive volume recounts the ways reference librarians have adapted traditional services to deal with the changes in both information technologies and library patrons. New Technologies and Reference Services offers tested techniques for fostering information literacy in patrons daunted by the high-tech edge of the new library. Even computer-savvy younger students may need help learning specialized searching skills. This practical volume suggests several innovative ways to teach those skills using interactive classrooms, drop-in seminars, and required courses.New Technologies and Reference Services discusses the other implications of new technologies, including: developing trends in publishing, including value-added services and the death of the printed encyclopedia the effects of CD-ROM, electronic publishing, and the Internet on copyright issues videoconferencing at the reference desk collection strategies and budgets in an era of multiple formats decentralizing library reference services information apartheid, the growing gap between the information haves and have-notsThis helpful volume gives practical, tested advice and ideas on the broader issues of information technology. With plentiful Web addresses, New Technologies and Reference Services presents new ideas sure to make your job easier.

This bibliographic guide offers users a basic overview of the current trends and the best, most important, and most up-to-date paper and electronic information resources in the field of physics. The author has selectively chosen and succinctly annotated a list of hundreds of major tools used by physical scientists and researchers, including bibliographic sources, abstracting and indexing databases, journals, books, online sources, and other subject-specific non-bibliographic tools. Stern also provides information on grants, personal bibliographic database tools, document delivery, copyright and reserves. In addition, he discusses future developments, directions, and trends in the field, and in the concluding chapter he outlines the history and developments of the physics. Designed to help students, new researchers in the field of physics, and working physicists in need of additional information resources outside their normal field of study, this is an invaluable reference, research, and collectio

The aim of each volume of this series Guides to Information Sources is to reduce the time which needs to be spent on patient searching and to recommend the best starting point and sources most likely to yield the desired information.The criteria for selection provide a way into a subject to those new to the field and assists in identifying major new or possibly unexplored sources to those who already have some acquaintance with it. The series attempts to achieve evaluation through a careful selection of sources and through the comments provided on those sources.

An essential resource for any library where research on aging is conducted--a guide to important and unique holdings in the field.

Searching for Health Information reviews the research on the process of seeking health information and contributes to that literature by analyzing the largest available database on health-information-seeking behavior, the Cancer Information Service (CIS), a referral service sponsored by the National Cancer Institute. But the book is not only about CIS. Vicki S. Freimuth, Judith A. Stein, and Thomas J. Kean describe the general context in which people search for health information about a variety of diseases and other health concerns. They then present a theoretical overview of the nature of information and the way people search for it. By analyzing data obtained from more than a million calls to CIS over a four-year period and by studying follow-up surveys of over 7500 of these callers, the authors contribute to our understanding of the process of information seeking. The communication of health information is increasingly important, and this book breaks new ground in its analysis of one successful system.