Computers for Librarians is aimed primarily at students of library and information management and at those library and information service professionals who feel the need for a book that will give them a broad overview of the emerging electronic library. It takes a top-down approach, starting with applications such as the Internet, information sources and services, provision of access to information resources and library management systems, before looking at data management, computer systems and technology, data communications and networking, and library systems development. It also provides an interesting set of case studies, which help to put theoretical and technical issues into context. Computers for Librarians can be read as a survey of where we are in terms of the electronic library, but it is also intended as an educational resource, and includes self-learning aids such as learning objectives, keywords and review questions for each chapter.

Keep pace with the constant technological changes you face every day as a library technician Computers in Libraries examines the impact of integrated library management systems, digital resources, and the Internet on the functions and operations of library technicians and assistants. The book provides a practical understanding of library system software, networks, online information and access, portals, open URL linking, and the fusion of digital and print collections. Each chapter opens with definitions of the most commonly used terms and closes with review questions for classroom use, making it equally valuable as a textbook and as a professional resource for updating work skills. The roles of library technicians and assistants have changed dramatically in the past twenty years as computers have transformed every area of day-to-day library operations. And nowhere have those changes been more obvious than when dealing with online data that hasn’t undergone the same quality control and selection processes traditionally used with library resources. As ordering and cataloging processes have been streamlined, and reference and research services have been turned into twenty-four hour help centers, Computers in Libraries is a practical guide to keeping pace with the changes you face—every day, in every aspect of your work. Computers in Libraries examines: how computers work Internet protocols and applications integrated management system structure and administration acquisitions financial management online cataloging standards circulation parameters and policies course reserves serials control the Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) resource sharing standards searching online databases creating online content digital libraries and electronic publishing bibliographic standards and practices Computers in Libraries is an important resource for library professionals striving to stay a step ahead in their field and for students who will need to be up to speed on the technological aspects of library work.

The 80-page study presents the results of a survey of 42 libraries with tablet lending programs or those just about to implement one. The report gives detailed data and commentary on how the programs were organized, financed and implemented and their impact on patrons and libraries. The report helps its readers to answer questions such as: how many tablets do libraries maintain for loan? Which brands do they prefer and which are they planning to purchase in the future? How much have they spent on their tablet lending programs and plan to spend? Do they load their tablets with apps? If so how do they choose them? How many tablets are lost to theft? Or to negligence or accidents? What is the fine for overdue tablets? What is the length of the lending period? What are the circulation figures for tablets? What has been the impact on other library resources, such as a pre-existing laptop lending program? Or on use of the library’s eBook collection? Which libraries do they view as models and what advice can they offer to peers? What services or training are offered to library patrons about how to use the tablets? Data in the report is broken out by library type (public library/public college/private college/special library), by size of library staff, and size of stock of tablet loaned and other variables.

Technology has become one of the three main areas of focus for school librarians, along with collaboration and leadership. To meet the growing need in this area, Technology and the School Library provides an overview of the types of technologies used in school libraries and describes how the school librarian interacts with and works with the technology. Major topics covered in this volume include information resources in the school library, the different varieties of educational software available, resources available via the web, and the importance of creating a school library web site. This book also addresses tools that can be used in classrooms and technology administration—everything from automation and filters to security on student computers and security systems in general. This up-to-date overview of technology will provide school librarians the background and breadth needed to realize the potential they have for improving library services to children.

Survey of academic libraries, chiefly in the United States and Canada, on their use of classroom response systems (clickers); whiteboards, tablets, and other presentation aids; internet technologies such as instant messaging, blogs, wikis, podcasting, photo sharing, online simulations/tutorials, virtual classroom/reality software, virtual reference software, and course management systems; instructional budgets; instructional computer labs; and instructional furniture.

This book, first published in 1989, examines the problems and benefits of installing a ready-made computer system in a sci-tech library. These systems, usually known as turnkey systems, provide a means for obtaining the network for a lower cost than a new system designed by a consultant. These papers analyse the benefits and problems with turnkey systems in a variety of different situations.

Advancements in technology are impacting many businesses and institutions, including libraries. As such, it is increasingly imperative to research purchasing methods to boost cost-effectiveness and efficiency. Library Technology Funding, Planning, and Deployment is an authoritative reference source for the latest research on the best methods of the purchase and implementation of various technology systems by libraries. Featuring extensive coverage across a range of relevant perspectives and topics, such as library systems management, Open Source software, and budget constraints, this book is ideally designed for academicians, researchers, practitioners and librarians seeking current research on library purchase and utilization of technology.

A number of people, including politicians, techies, and even librarians themselves, are convinced that if libraries are not obsolete now, it is only a matter of time until they are, thanks to the Internet. Many, though, are optimistic about the future of libraries and their continuing role in shaping a community’s cultural life. Libraries have changed, but the important things about them have not. This book is a collection of 15 essays written by the author. All of the essays consider the relationships between libraries, the communities they serve, and the technology that has become such a significant part of them. Among the topics explored are the public library and its social mission, librarians and their core values, the concept of the killer application as it pertains to librarianship, balancing competing claims on resources, why the author became a librarian, why libraries should not be re-engineered, re-imagined or otherwise changed, how technology is being used to help libraries stay local, digitizing on a budget for public libraries, why the Internet will not replace public libraries, e-books, the end of cataloging, how library technology strikes back, new competencies for library trustees, and how librarians weed books, deciding which ones should be kept and which are just taking up space.

Catch up with the many innovations now affecting sci/tech libraries! The twenty-four chapters in Innovations in Science and Technology Libraries discuss the creation of digital collections, e-repositories, personalized Web environments, and discipline-specific Web sites for students and researchers. The book also explores the use of new technologies to improve document delivery and service provision as well as demonstrations of leadership by science librarians who are willing to take risks, adapt to change, control costs, and collaborate with colleagues. Here is just a fraction of the fascinating cases and important concepts highlighted in Innovations in Science and Technology Libraries: the Drexel University Library’s transition from print to an electronic-only journal collection the benefits of adopting a just-in-time (purchase on demand) rather than a just-in-case acquisitions policy IntelliDoc—how it has raised the standard for document delivery worldwide and increased international recognition of CISTI how California State University, Sacramento, merged its science library into its central reference department—an examination of the two-year merging process the creation of branch libraries focused on electronic information—an engineering library at Kansas State University and an agriculture library at the University of Manitoba the impact of electronic information upon undergraduate science education literacy competencies in the sciences—and their implications for library instruction how the MIT libraries created and developed the Reference Vision system that now guides all of their new reference services the impact of learning communities upon library services recent additions that enhance the usefulness of the IEEE Xplore online delivery system Innovations in Science and Technology Libraries will bring you up-to-date on the latest developments, sharpen your awareness of new concepts and techniques in sci/tech librarianship, and help your library stay abreast of important changes in this ever-evolving field. Make it a part of your professional reference collection today!

In order to meet the needs of a changing and demanding society, many academic institutions face great competition for highly coveted, yet dwindling, resources. Traditionally, libraries were a centralized focus on any campus; however, these facilities are now facing budget cuts and decreased resources, forcing them to seek out the necessary partnerships to obtain the support needed to continue to provide services to students and staff. Technology-Centered Academic Library Partnerships and Collaborations examines cooperation efforts employed by librarians, allowing them to provide more services and resources to their patrons with an emphasis on the digital tools and resources being used in such collaborations. Featuring research on various types of partnerships and institutional relationships, as well as the overall benefits of these collaborations, this publication is an essential reference source for librarians, researchers, academic administrators, advanced-level students, and information technology professionals.