It is an exciting time to be a librarian. Advances in technology have let libraries expand far beyond walls and lead the way in information delivery, while transforming the physical library into a place where customers can connect to information in new ways. It is also a challenging time to be a librarian. With continual change as the new normal, staying current can seem overwhelming. Even as they face budget shortfalls and staff reductions, librarians are tasked with finding the time and resources to keep abreast of rapid changes. This book offers a cornucopia of practical advice about how to acquire new skills (and formal and informal credentials) through all stages of a career. The 27 essays cover formal and online education, conferences, fellowships, workshops, networking, teaching, mentoring, balancing personal with professional lives, and money matters--and are filled with practical, honest and real-world advice.

Presents international research and professional issues in libraries, the information industry, education and development of information professionals. This title is suitable for practitioners, researchers, students and faculty members seeking literature and solutions to various issues in library and information science and related fields.

Academic Librarianship: Anchoring the Profession in Contribution, Scholarship, and Service is needed now as a response to how much has changed in academic librarianship as a profession (from the smallest academic libraries to large research libraries). Much has been written recently about the status of the profession of librarianship, i.e. whether or not it should still be considered a “profession,” are the same credentials still required/enough, should things change dramatically in SLIS programs in response to the new normal, and what is the impact of hiring PhD’s in disciplines outside of librarianship. Major topics covered include: State of the profession of librarianship today Status of librarians Tenure or not Move away from faculty status in some (more) academic libraries Contributions to the profession -- scholarship What is produced How are librarians conducting research Where is it taking place -- who is producing scholarship Why Trends Contribution to the profession -- service and professional associations LIS Education Tomorrow -- what are the implications for the future of our profession Author Marcy Simons explores the history, current status, and future of the profession of academic librarianship. She clearly demonstrates the need for a shared understanding of how we will work together in order to continue our transformation.

In George Bobinski's sixty-year career as a library professional (1945 - 2005), libraries underwent massive changes and epochal advancements. In this important work, Bobinski summarizes the major trends and events that have transformed the library world and the profession of librarianship into what it is today. Libraries and Librarianship begins with a historical review of the core of librarianship, focusing on the information formats available in or through libraries; the organization of library information sources; changes in reference service; trends in library management; and the all-embracing impact of technology on libraries. Bobinski also addresses library types and the growth of library cooperation and resource sharing; the spread of collaboration through library systems, consortia, and networks; federal funding, library philanthropy, and the important role of the Council on Library and Information Resources since its establishment in 1956; the growth and activities of professional library associations; the shifting roles of gender and ethnicity; and the changes in library buildings. Furthermore, a list of eminent individuals who had the greatest impact on the field during this period and influenced the dramatic changes that have taken place in library and information science education is included. Concluding with a discussion of the major developments in the field and providing a look into what the future might hold for libraries, this book will be embraced by library students, practitioners, and professors alike.

The field of librarianship has undergone traumatic shifts (mostly downward) due to the global financial meltdown that began in 2008. This title addresses the ripple effects of the economic recession from the point of view of librarianship, the need for advocacy, and the necessity to tout the value that libraries bring to their communities.

Profiles philanthropic programs in the United States associated with private foundations, corporate foundations, and corporate direct givers. All of the funders in the directory have either made grants to libraries within the last few reporting periods or have listed libraries as a typical recipient category.

This professional reference provides solid advice to academic and public librarians for managing performing arts collections. The volume is divided into sections on the history of performing arts librarianship, dance collections, film studies collections, music collections, and theater collections. Each chapter is written by one or more expert contributors and presents current and reliable information on collection management. They discuss personnel management, collection development, technical services, public services, the impact of new technologies, facilities management, financial planning, and political considerations. Each chapter closes with references cited in the chapter, and the volume concludes with a valuable selected, annotated bibliography of important background sources and management tools.

This unique new volume considers how well new librarians are being prepared for the profession. Here, in one easy-to-reference volume, are the valuable opinions, perspectives, and facts of those who influence library education, those who are responsible for it, and those who are the recipients of it. Intended for those who are considering entering the library profession, professors of library and information science, current students in library school, and for administrators of academic, school, public, and special libraries that employ library school graduates, this comprehensive volume features chapters that are both candid and philosophical. In Library Education and Employer Expectation, the question of preparation is discussed from several perspectives by individuals representing various aspects of the library profession. Potential employers of those with library degrees spell out their expectations of potential employees, voice their views on how well library education is preparing those who choose to go into the profession, and give suggestions aimed to help library educators to better meet employer expectations. Persons representing academic, school, public, law, health science, and state libraries, as well as a major network and the archival profession are among the contributors. This volume also represents the library school perspective. Deans of a public and private library school explain present library education philosophy, tell of specific objectives of their schools, indicate the type of student they like to attract, spell out constraints under which they work, and indicate expectations they have of future employers of their graduates. Another important dimension presented is that of the recent gradute who has been on the job for a few years. These authors indicate why they decided to go into the profession, detail why they chose the library school they did, tell what they expected to get out of library school education, and spell out how well library school prepared them for the profession. Another perspective represented in Library Education and Employer Expectations is that of the accreditation body. A thorough coverage of the Committee on Accreditation's role in library education is given by the Chair of the committee. An issue very much associated with the topic of library education and employer expectations is that of the value of the ALA accredited degree. A recented study undertaken by a librarian reports on how Association of Research Libraries’directors value the ALA accredited degree for potential employees. Included in the study is a summary of what appears in job ads in the professional literature about ALA accredited degree requirements.