"Over the past ten years, many changes have affected the roles of librarians and other professionals in research libraries. The changes have been caused, in part, by technological advances, reorganizations, more focus on libraries as learning organizations, the use of teams and team-based approaches to tasks, and a recognition of diversity's importance to organizational development. Librarians have had to align priorities with redefined institutional goals. The survey for this SPEC Kit was an effort to examine these professional changes through an analysis of position descriptions issued by ARL member institutions. What follows are the results of the survey conducted in January 1999 by the ARL Leadership Committee whose membership included: Nancy Baker, Washington State University; Joan Giesecke, University of Nebraska–Lincoln; Carolyn Snyder, Southern Illinois University; DeEtta Jones, ARL Senior Program Officer for Diversity; and Kathryn Deiss, ARL/OLMS Program Manager"--Introduction to the executive summary, page 9.

This timely edited collection examines the evolving role of health professionals and explores the role they play in the context of where they work. It aims to encourage and inspire health information professionals worldwide to take on new opportunities and ensure their continued development and recognition as valuable assets in the changing health care environment. Library and information professionals working in the health sector face many challenges. Rapid developments in information technology and the provision of information, coupled with organizational developments and the widespread adoption of evidence-based practice have ensured constant change for a number of years. How have library and information professionals met this challenge and how has this affected the roles they play? Will developments in services render the hospital librarian obsolete? Is there a need for academic health librarians amongst the Google generation of students? The key topics covered in the book are: • providing information • facilitating access to information and managing knowledge • building capacity • undertaking research and evaluation • supporting research and practice • exploiting technology • evidence-based practice. Readership: Information workers and other health professionals, as well as students on librarianship and information studies courses.

This book provides a comprehensive look at issues that shape the nature of Human Resources in academic libraries. Libraries in varying academic environments have undergone tremendous change during the last two decades of the 20th century as they have sought redefinition as learning organizations. As organizations they have experienced significant changes in the role and definition of professionalism, along with challenges from such shifting workplace demographics as age and ethnicity and technological issues, which have also had direct impact on the recruitment and retention of staff. Much of the attention of human resources administrators in academic libraries has focused on an array of issues that mirrors concerns across campuses: affirmative action and diversity, the rights of employees with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the impact of the Family Medical Leave Act and other directives on employee benefits, salary equity, and a desire among employees for flexible work schedules.

A smart library is an information center with networks of many libraries and their services in a larger informational ecosystem around the globe. The Libraries are adding new, digital resources and services while maintaining most of the old, traditional resources and services. Now the role of libraries, information services, the relationship between a library and users is changing significantly. Traditional services of a library are modified and enhanced in an online environment. The proposed book emphasizes the importance for a library to be flexible to changing needs and to adopt new technologies rapidly. With the emergence of new technologies, the traditional library, acting as a medium for sharing information, needs an integral refinement in its processes. This transformation will bring in efficiency and minimize human error in the processes with the help of smart gates, material location finders, and smart check-out booths to automate the processes of controlling access, locating items as well as issuing/returning of materials. The smart library focuses on the use of technology in a library and is designed to be a very collaborative learning environment, where participants are encouraged to contribute ideas and information. Smart library improves traditional and non-traditional library services, improve users' library experience and enhance opportunities for students learning. Libraries are facing increased expectations from users, and challenges of developing technologies including Web 2.0, Web 3.0, ebooks, digitations, and a problem of archiving digital content. Webbased technology provides users and information professionals with powerful and flexible tools for information dissemination.

Proceedings of the 6th European Conference of Medical and Health Libraries, Utrecht, 22-27 June 1998

: This book emphasizes the management of the future library and the next-generation library system in the networked and digital environment. It's astonishing how library management systems have developed. The impact of the internet and Google's incredible success story significantly impacted the role of libraries. Google continued to be ahead of the libraries because to new internet technology. Even now, this problem still exists. However, given this context, libraries and companies that provide library systems have made several efforts to enhance the search capabilities for libraries using the new Google-like discovery tools. The process of designing and creating the features of the following generation of systems also began at this time. Any library that wants to fulfill its duties and meet the needs of its patrons needs to have access to ICT.

Despite the proliferation of smart technologies, the challenges of information hygiene continue to wreak havoc on the information landscape, creating a critical need to explore and analyze how such a phenomenon can be handled. Further research is required in order to better understand the various difficulties and opportunities within the field. Library and Media Roles in Information Hygiene and Managing Information explores the concept of information hygiene at a time when citizens all over the world are deluged with an avalanche of information. The book also identifies challenges and opportunities for information science practitioners and media institutions in the fight against information disorder and explores the unhygienic practices in the information value chain. Covering topics such as information regulation, digital literacy, and records management, this reference work is ideal for librarians, computer scientists, researchers, academicians, scholars, practitioners, instructors, and students.

Becoming a solo librarian may be a daunting prospect. From collections to cataloguing, classifying to copyright, whether the individual is a solo librarian, within a small team with limited help, or working in a larger library or information hub, the range of tasks involved will remain the same. Whilst being a solo librarian does have its fair share of challenges that can include juggling multiple tasks and time management, marketing and embracing the ever-changing technologies and upcoming social media channels, and effectively managing the feeling of being isolated, there are also many advantages. With the author having been through the education process and gained work experience, information professionals will have already picked up many transferrable skills and identified some key aspects when it comes to accessing, using, and running a library. By being intellectually curious, embracing ever-changing technologies, enjoying learning and knowledge creation, and working alongside non-library colleagues, it is likely that information professionals are organised, can manage their time effectively, enjoy helping others by sharing and promoting library and information services, and will stay engaged as a team of one. As a solo librarian herself and a book not being available on the topic, she has decided to write one – which covers the lessons learnt, and templates created in order to assist others) that find themselves in a similar role &/or a small team with limited help. This Internationally applicable and practical handbook will follow a yearly planner and shows a timeline of key activities that happen throughout, in this instance, an academic year and include the following examples: - Acquisitions, cataloguing, updating library guidance (before academic year start - September) - Student and Staff Inductions (September/October) - Quarterly Business Review to review updates and library usage (Oct – Dec) - Library cover over student/staff holiday period (Dec) - Quarterly Business Review (Jan – Mar) - Quality standard(s) re-accreditation (April) - Research methods/study skills webinars (April) - Library cover over student holiday period (April) - Quarterly Business Review (April –June) - Copyright Audit (May) - Copyright Academic Rollover (June) - Quarterly Business Review (July –Sept) - Yearly e-Library review (July) - Financial Review (July) - Student Survey Results (July) - Library cover over student holiday period (August/September) Appendices will include a condensed version of 'Lucy the Librarian top tips for successful solo librarianship' (Note: Chapter 4 of the publication will expand on key elements and provide contextual examples) as well as providing templates and guidance notes that will be made available to download and used to aid those working in information, knowledge, libraries and related disciplines, whether based within the UK or around the world. The idea behind this practical handbook, therefore, is to provide guidance and templates to cover: - Understanding the roles and responsibilities of a solo librarian - Identifying library user needs, - Benchmarking, - Forming a clear structure – for Physical and Online Libraries, - Acquisitions and financial management, - Classification and cataloguing, - Archives and records management, - Copyright (incl. Referencing and Plagiarism), Intellectual Property, and Licensing, - Communications and promotion, - Where to access further Information, Advice, and Guidance, and more.