Edited by a thought leader with an international reputation, it brings together renowned authors from across the globe who are breaking traditional moulds and boundaries in a way that will have a profound impact on the way libraries and library services are conceptualized in the years to come. They represent the key links in the knowledge chain: authors, publishers, academics, community knowledge creators, librarians and institutions; the student perspective is also provided.

As the number of service learning courses and their requirements increase, it is essential for academic librarians to partner with faculty and administration to include lifelong research skills components. This crucial book provides insights and case studies that will help you do just that. Service learning—defined as community service connected to a for-credit college course—is acknowledged to be a high-impact educational practice. It provides students with opportunities to put what they learn in class into action, to engage problem-solving skills, and to reflect on their experiences. Ideally, in service learning, course materials inform student service, and students' service experiences, in turn, inform academic dialogue and comprehension. But where do academic libraries and librarians fit into this process? This is the first book to provide that missing piece, giving librarians practical information and examples of how to contribute to service learning on their campuses. It begins with an overview of librarian involvement in service learning, highlighting connections between service learning and information literacy pedagogy. Case studies focus on specific aspects of service learning that engage information literacy, illustrating ways academic libraries can partner with service learning initiatives. The book concludes with thoughts on assessment and short essays on the future of libraries and service learning.

Volume 8 of the series Creating the 21st-Century Academic Library is focused on new services, directions, job duties and responsibilities for librarians in academic libraries of the 21st century. Topics include research data management services, web services, improving web design for library interfaces, cooperative virtual reference services, directions on research in the 21st-century academic library, innovative uses of physical library spaces, uses of social media for disseminating scholarly research, information architecture and usability studies, the importance of special collections and archival collections, and lessons learned in digitization and digital projects planning and management. Data management services are highlighted in the context of a consortium of smaller liberal arts and regional institutions who share a common institutional repository. Survey research plays a role in a number of chapters. One provides insight into how academic libraries are currently approaching web services, web applications, and library websites. A second survey is used to explore the role of librarians as web designers, and provides detailed information related to job titles, job duties, time percentages related to duties, and other duties outside of web design. Comments of those surveyed are included and make interesting reading and a deeper understanding of this new function in libraries. More generally, is a survey study exploring how librarians feel about the changes that are currently happening within the profession, as well as how these changes have personally affected their job duties and their current job assignments. Case studies are include one that features QuestionPoint in the context of a cooperative virtual reference service; another shows how research and scholarship can be disseminated using social media tools such as blogs, Twitter, ResearchGate and Google Scholar, among others; a other studies explore the importance of user engagement and buy-in before moving forward on digitization; and one shows how information architecture and usability emerge from the redesign of a public library website and whose successful completion involves user surveying, focus groups, peer site reviews, needs analysis, and usability testing. Two chapters deal with the changing legal context: the importance and understanding of copyright and author rights in the 21st-century academic library, and the basics Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). It is hoped that this volume, and the series in general, will be a valuable and exciting addition to the discussions and planning surrounding the future directions, services, and careers in the 21st-century academic library.

Academic and public libraries are much different today than they were even 15 years ago. With even bigger changes on the horizon, what lies in store? This volume offers ideas to academic and public librarians about the future of library services. Editors Hernon and Matthews invite a raft of contributors to step back and envision the type of future library that will generate excitement and enthusiasm among users and stakeholders. Anyone interested in the future of libraries, especially library managers, will be engaged and stimulated as the contributorsExamine the current state of the library, summarizing existing literature on the topic to sketch in historical backgroundProject into the future, using SWOT analysis, environmental scans, and other techniques to posit how library infrastructure (such as staff, collections, technology, and facilities) can adapt in the decades aheadConstruct potential scenarios that library leaders can use to forge paths for their own institutionsThe collection of knowledge and practical wisdom in this book will help academic and public libraries find ways to honor their missions while planning for the broader institutional changes already underway.

In an economic climate where cuts are becoming the norm, a boutique library service may seem a contradiction. In some academic libraries the trend is still towards centralisation programmes or offering generic services. However, the student as the customer now has an even greater vested interest in the learning process as their financial commitment increases and they are demanding better services. Personalised library services are tailored with a specific clientele in mind and will provide the enhanced service demanded by today's students. These services need not cost more money; but they do require inventive and customer-facing staff. They celebrate and promote collaborative ventures along with excellent communication and marketing. This book unpacks the boutique model and is full of practical advice, supported by a unique set of case studies reflecting international practice including Australian, American and Russian and UK library services.

Leadership in Academic Libraries highlights model examples of the move from leadership theory into actual practice. A consideration of leadership theories provides a working vocabulary to facilitate discussions of abstract concepts, while specific topical investigations and case studies illustrate those concepts and show the manner in which theories play out in practice. Chapter authors speak from experience as well as theoretical grounding, and include practitioners, researchers, and formal and informal leaders. Topics include transformational leadership across generations; developing a research agenda in library leadership; methodologies for studying library leadership; connections between leadership models and library-focused research; engaging with business, psychology, and educational administration literature; leadership styles; organizational culture; the role of mentoring in leadership; and the role of women in academic library leadership. Two chapters highlight the dichotomy between positional leadership and socially constructed leadership roles. The research methods used include case study, survey, and action research. Extensive bibliographies for each chapter provide a solid foundation for further research.

Academic libraries cater to the diverse needs of scholars, scientists, technocrats, researchers, students, and others personally and professionally invested in higher education. Due to advancements in information and communication technologies (ICT), the vision and mission of academic libraries are changing in developing countries. Challenges of Academic Library Management in Developing Countries provides the latest theoretical frameworks and empirical research into academic libraries, investigating concerns such as illiteracy, budgeting, software development, technical training, and others. In particular, this book will be of use to professionals and researchers working in the field of library and information science who are looking for new methods and best practices in the management of effective academic libraries. This book is part of the Advances in Library and Information Science series collection.

University libraries around the world have embraced the possibilities of the digital learning environment, facilitating its use and proactively seeking to develop the provision of electronic resources and services. The digital environment offers opportunities and challenges for librarians in all aspects of their work - in information literacy, virtual reference, institutional repositories, e-learning, managing digital resources and social media. The authors in this timely book are leading experts in the field of library and information management, and are at the forefront of change in their respective institutions. University Libraries and Digital Learning Environments will be invaluable for all those involved in managing libraries or learning services, whether acquiring electronic resources or developing and delivering services in digital environments.

Offering a broad overview of consequential changes in the landscape of reference services, this guide also provides practical guidance on how to meet the new challenges they present. For the past decade, librarians have been lamenting the demise of reference services. Encouraging recent research shows that reference librarians are actually in more demand than ever; however, nearly everything about reference has changed—from technologies, tools, and techniques to models of service. What are these changes, and how can the profession respond to and prepare for shifting priorities and user needs? In this volume, business librarians Diane Zabel and Lauren Reiter bring together a host of experts to answer these timely questions. Topics range from the education and training of professionals to meeting the needs and wants of employers. Covered are trends in chat reference, research consultations, do-it-yourself reference, tracking trends with user populations, assessment, and data-driven decisions about reference services. Grounded in the principle that, regardless of the evolutions in service, the user remains at the center of reference, this guide offers readers an exciting look at the future of this important public service.

This timely book addresses physical space in university libraries in the digital age. It considers the history of the use of space, integrates case studies from around the world with theoretical perspectives, explores recent developments including new build and refurbishment. With users at the forefront, chapters cover different aspects of learning and research support provision, shared services, and evaluation of space initiatives. Library staff requirements and green issues are outlined. The book also looks to the future, identifying the key strategic issues and trends that will influence and shape future library spaces. The authors are international, senior university library managers and academics who provide a range of views and approaches and experience of individual projects and initiatives.