Professional Development for PUBLIC Librarians 2024
ABC-CLIO, including the Libraries Unlimited imprint, joined the Bloomsbury family in 2022. Under our new name of Bloomsbury Libraries Unlimited, we are delighted to continue our mission to elevate librarian expertise through publishing innovative and empowering professional development materials.
Anticipating and meeting your evolving needs is at the heart of everything we do. Our new book Curating Community Collections (p. 4) provides powerful, actionable techniques for embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion not only in your collections, but also in policies and practices. Creating a Person-Centered Library (p. 6) equips librarians with advice on how to serve the growing numbers of high-need patrons in the library, as well as strategies for supporting staff working with these individuals. The Fight Against Book Bans (p. 17) is the book School Library Journal recently said provides crucial information “every librarian now needs to know.” And Revolutionize Youth Book Clubs (p. 8) shares tried and tested strategies to help even reluctant readers develop a love of reading through book club participation. We hope that these books, along with the full suite of highly acclaimed titles we publish, equip you with the knowledge and skills to further enhance your librarian practice.
We appreciate all of your efforts to cultivate inclusive and welcoming reading spaces for all patrons and provide the wider community with expertise, leadership, and inspiration in challenging times. You’re empowering readers to seek, find, and understand information that broadens their horizons and build the skills needed for lifelong learning. Bloomsbury Libraries Unlimited stands beside you and shares your passion for supporting the readers of today—and tomorrow.
BOOKS FOR YOUR PATRONS
We are proud to support librarians in the quest to foster independent critical thinking and the awareness and exploration of complex issues. Award-winning introductory reference books, originally commissioned by ABC-CLIO/Greenwood, have now joined Bloomsbury Academic’s esteemed reference portfolio. These books equip readers with unbiased, accessible, and trustworthy knowledge. To learn more, visit bloomsbury.com/ABC-CLIO-books.
Bloomsbury is home to adult and children’s fiction and non-fiction as well as academic and educational print and online resources. Learn more about our full suite of books at bloomsbury.com.
We also publish digital databases that cover core topics in social studies, combining standards-aligned content with built-in tools for lesson planning, instruction, and student research. To learn more, visit abc-clio.com
This catalog contains a selection of our recent publishing. To view our full suite of materials, please visit bloomsbury.com/BLU
Please note that while we try our best to ensure that prices, publication dates, and other details are correct on going to press, they are subject to change without notice.
Collection Development and Management
Curating Community Collections
A Holistic Approach to Diverse Collection Development
Mary Schreiber & Wendy K. Bartlett
A primary question for many librarians, directors, and board members is how to evaluate diversity in a collection on an ongoing basis. This book provides librarians with the tools needed to understand the results of diversity audits and to formulate a reasonable, achievable plan for increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion not only in the collection itself, but also in library collection policies and practices. Guidance on ways to make diversity, equity, and inclusion part of a library's everyday workflow will help ensure the sustainability of these principles. Action steps provided at the end of each section offer a practical road map for all types of libraries to curate a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community collection.
❝This excellent guide, featuring a mix of hands-on information, timetested advice, and insight into the hows and whys of creating inclusive collections, is an indispensable resource. Perfect for collection development librarians, school librarians and teachers, and seasoned and early-career librarians.
—Library Journal
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
US
Mary Schreiber is a Collection Development Specialist at Cuyahoga County Public Library, OH, USA. Wendy K. Bartlett is the Collection Development and Acquisitions Manager for Cuyahoga County Public Library, OH, USA.
Streaming Video Collection Development and Management
Michael Fernandez & Amauri Serrano
Streaming video is not new to the library environment, but recent years have seen an exponential growth in the number of platforms and titles available for streaming. For libraries, this has meant an increasingly complex acquisitions landscape, with more vendors occupying the marketplace and larger portions of the budget dedicated to streaming. This book outlines the myriad challenges of managing streaming video content across all stages of the electronic resources lifecycle, from initial collection decisions to the user's experience of accessing the content. At every step, you’ll find practical advice on how to handle these challenges regardless of the size and budget of your institution. US
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Michael Fernandez is the Head of Technical Services at Boston University, USA. Amauri Serrano is the Head of Collection Strategy at Yale University Library, USA.
Collection Development and Management
US August 2022 | UK August 2022
160 pages
Auditing Diversity in Library Collections
Sarah Voels
Library collections serve as a reflection of their communities and the wider world, and audits are the best way to assess the inclusivity of these collections. In this practical book, Sarah Voels helps libraries meet the challenge of doing a diversity audit. Conducting a diversity audit gives library professionals a realistic and accurate assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the materials they provide their readers. Only with this information at hand can libraries work toward improvement. But what's the best way to conduct an audit? What criteria should be used? How can audits be tailored to specific communities? How much will it cost, and how much time will it take? Voels has taken away the guesswork by surveying a wide range of libraries that have performed diversity audits and sharing their successes and challenges. She suggests best practices while acknowledging that each library's specific situation will be unique. All libraries considering a diversity audit will benefit from this guide.
❝A valuable resource for public and school libraries considering performing diversity audits on their collections, as well as anyone who wants to learn more about diversity audits.
—Booklist
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarah Voels is the Community Engagement Librarian at the Cedar Rapids Public Library, IA, USA.
US June 2023 | UK June 2023
208 pages
PB 9781440880438 | $60.95 | £47.00 Bloomsbury Libraries Unlimited
Crash Course in Collection Development
Wayne Disher
The third edition of this text is a must-have for librarians just entering the field and professionals in need of a refresher in effective library operations. It provides coverage of all aspects of collection development and management in all library environments, from gathering statistics and analyzing community needs for building a collection that meets user requirements, to writing a collection development policy, budgeting, selecting materials, managing vendor relations, handling complaints, and more. New to this edition is an exploration of trends such as libraries as spaces for users, makerspaces, nontraditional collections, pop-up libraries, the digital divide, and noncirculating collections.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Wayne Disher is a retired public library director for the City of Hemet Public Library, USA.
You may also be interested in… Maximizing the Impact of Comics in Your Library
9781440868856
Adult Services and Programs
US December 2023 | UK December 2023
256 pages
PB 9781440880834 | $54.95 | £39.99
Bloomsbury Libraries Unlimited
Creating a Person-Centered Library
Best Practices for Supporting High-Needs Patrons
Elizabeth A. Wahler & Sarah C. Johnson
Helping librarians build or contribute to library services that will best address patrons' psychosocial needs, this book provides advice on addressing the growing numbers of high-needs patrons experiencing homelessness, food insecurity, mental health problems, substance abuse, and poverty-related needs. The authors, experienced in both library and social work, focus on best practices for libraries providing person-centered services and share lessons learned, including information about special considerations for certain patron populations that might be served by individual libraries. The book concludes with information about how library organizations can support public library staff.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Elizabeth A. Wahler is Professor and Director of the School of Social Work at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA. Sarah C. Johnson is Adjunct Lecturer at the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA.
WALK AWAY WITH
Best practices for libraries providing person-centered services based on real-life lessons learned
An understanding of the connection between a person-centered library and conversations related to diversity, equity and inclusion
Timely lessons learned about cultural and societal impacts on libraries from the pandemic
Strategies for library directors to support staff working with high-needs patrons
Adult Services and Programs
US July 2021 | UK July 2021
282 pages | 18 bw illus
PB 9781440862786 | $60.00 | £47.00
Libraries Unlimited
US May 2021 | UK May 2021
240 pages | 42 bw illus
PB 9781440870569 | $60.00 | £47.00
Libraries Unlimited
Libraries and Homelessness
An Action Guide
Julie Ann Winkelstein
Taking a holistic approach that will help you to better understand the experience of homelessness within the context of your library community, this book offers new strategies and tools for addressing the challenge of meeting the needs of the entire community, including those who are unstably housed. With basic facts, statistics, and conversations about homelessness, the author makes a case for why libraries should provide support, explains exactly which needs they may be able (or unable) to meet, and shows how this support can be a natural part of the library services you already provide. Topics discussed include trauma-informed care, harm reduction, and mental and physical health challenges, and stories and examples illustrate the principles and guidelines discussed. This book offers both food for thought and tools for action as public librarians strive to understand and meet the needs of a population that has traditionally been stereotyped and excluded.
❝Essential for every library's staff collection. An excellent resource not only for libraries but also for government, social service organizations, schools, and religious congregations.
—Library Journal
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Julie Ann Winkelstein, PhD, MLIS, is an activist, writer, and teacher who worked as a public librarian for 20 years. She teaches a library school course on homelessness, poverty, and libraries at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA.
The Passive Programming Playbook
101 Ways to Get Library Customers off the Sidelines
Paula
Willey & Andria L. Amaral
Passive programming is a cheap, quick, fun way to make all library customers feel like part of the community. It can support reading initiatives, foster family engagement, encourage visit frequency, and coax interaction out of library lurkers—while barely making a dent in your programming budget. Passive programming can be targeted at children, teens, adults, or seniors; used to augment existing programs; and executed in places where staff-led programming can't reach. This book offers 101 passive programming ideas that are extendable, adaptable, customizable, and above all, stealable—so your passive programming never runs dry.
❝Both public and school librarians can get inspired by these fun ideas; teen library councils could also have a great time designing and implementing these passive programs.
—Booklist
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Paula Willey is Book Selector and Partnership Advisor at First Book, a nonprofit online bookstore. Andria L. Amaral plans and develops public library programs and collections and services for students in grades 6–12.
Children’s and Young Adult Services and Programs
Revolutionize Youth Book Clubs
Strategies for Meaningful and Fun Reading Experiences
Stacy Brown
How do you get the kids in your library to read? These tried and tested strategies help even reluctant readers develop a love of reading through book club participation. Author Stacy Brown, who has facilitated book clubs for more than twenty years, shows you how to build active engagement through hands-on activities, reflective discussions, and theme-related tips and tricks, even in the face of time and budget constraints. Learn how to attract participants, brand and market your book clubs, and keep attendees returning for more. You’ll be changing the world—one book club at a time.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stacy Brown is the Director of Innovation and Professional Learning at The Davis Academy in Atlanta, GA, USA. US
WALK AWAY WITH
Ready-to-implement activities to reinvent the book club experience and attract diverse audiences
Tactics that ensure a high level of engagement and contribute to developing a reading culture within a wider community
Ways to customize the book club experience to meet budgetary constraints and time limitations
Low-input, high-impact marketing strategies to build a strong, relevant book club that endures over time
Children’s and Young Adult Services and Programs
US February 2025 | UK February 2025
192 pages
PB 9781440870378 | $49.95 | £36.99
Bloomsbury Libraries Unlimited
US October 2022 | UK October 2022
376 pages
PB 9781440875670 | $60.00 | £47.00 Libraries Unlimited
Youth Social Action in the Library
Cultivating Change Makers
Gina Seymour
This book outlines school and public library programs, activities, and collaborative projects that will help students learn how to accomplish their social action goals in their communities. Highlighting the role of the librarian in fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills, the book explores controversial topics to qualify and expand best practices. UN Sustainable Development Goals are addressed, making this book not only community-based but global in scope. Numerous examples of youth activism from volunteering to protest marches are explained and are broad enough to be applied not only to current trends but also to future causes.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gina Seymour is Library Media Specialist at Islip High School, USA.
Kids' Books and Maker Activities 150 Perfect Pairings
Marge Cox
You may also be interested in… Making the Most of Teen Library Volunteers 9781440865626
Books and maker activities help children to associate reading with hands-on learning. Providing connections to the AASL standards and the ISTE Standards for Students, this book enables librarians to use books to create maker activities that deepen the reading experience. For librarians looking for additional ways to engage 4 to 12 year olds in reading and maker activities, this book provides the perfect hands-on connection.
❝This is the tool every librarian has been looking for and needs. Marge Cox created a phenomenal and invaluable resource with an abundance of ideas to level up your library programming. Whether you are looking for inspiration for STEAM lesson, family events, or makerspace activities, this is your must-have, go-to resource.
— Leslie B. Preddy, School Librarian
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Marge Cox served as Library Media Specialist at Veterans Memorial Elementary School, USA and is now an independent educational consultant.
Children’s and Young Adult Services and Programs
US April 2022 | UK April 2022
230 pages | 16 bw illus
PB 9781440877179 | $55 | £43
Libraries Unlimited
Bringing Heart and Mind into Storytime
Using Books and Activities to Teach Empathy, Tenacity, Kindness, and Other Big Ideas
Heather McNeil
Learn how to use books to open conversations with children to teach such concepts as patience, tenacity, kindness, and teamwork. McNeil shares research on brain development, social-emotional learning, and the importance of play, but she also emphasizes maintaining the fun of storytime. She recommends songs, action rhymes, games, and crafts that contribute to fun and healthy storytimes. Extensive lists of recommended books will help you find the right ones for your audience.
❝McNeil's conversational and personal approach to SEL storytimes engages the reader while giving solid practical advice.
—Booklist
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Heather McNeil is a professional storyteller and retired youth services manager.
US October 2022 | UK October 2022
162 pages
PB 9781440876394 | $55 | £43
Libraries Unlimited
Social Justice at Storytime
Promoting Inclusive Children's Programs
Shannon Adams & Lauren Hough
This real-world, hands-on guide to storytimes enables you to help young people become more socially aware, empathetic, and confident. The suggestions in this book are designed to help broaden children's understanding of the often-confusing situations they see and hear around them. It is possible to discuss race, gender/ sexuality, and diverse abilities in a child-appropriate way. Making social justice a part of an existing or new storytime practice provides an early literacy approach to including children in timely conversations.
❝A necessary resource for public libraries.
—Booklist
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Shannon Adams, MLIS, is an amateur storyteller and librarian who enjoys learning and helping to bring social awareness to children and adults. Lauren Hough has more than nine years of experience working with children and teens in school and public libraries and more than three years presenting social justice-themed storytimes and programming.
You may also be interested in… Supporting Diversity and Inclusion with Story 9781440867071
A Complete Guide to Training Library Staff
From Onboarding to Offboarding
Emily Leachman & A. Garrison Libby
Written for library managers and training leaders, A Complete Guide to Training Library Staff presents a comprehensive lifecycle for staff development with a focus on tools and techniques to build a sustainable training program, set staff up for success in their positions, and develop a positive and supportive community across the library. This practical guidebook offers a comprehensive plan that allows new staff to quickly become acquainted with the operations of the library, provides ongoing training to make staff aware of new procedures and services, and creates a collaborative and supportive training environment to empower staff to learn and lead.
❝This is a great resource for library administrators or managers of staff training who want to build a culture of learning in their libraries. I wish I'd had it when I was first building a library training team.
—Tiffany Hayes, Education Design and Development Manager, South Carolina State Library, USA
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Emily Leachman is the Senior Librarian for Public Services at Central Piedmont Community College, USA. Garrison Libby is the Head of Research Services at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA.
US June 2023 | UK June 2023
232 pages | 1 bw illus
PB 9781440879111 | $74.95 | £54.00 Bloomsbury Libraries Unlimited
Creating a Staff-Led Strategic Plan
A Practical Guide for Libraries
Katy B. Mathuews & Ryan A. Spellman
Taking a step-by-step approach, this book guides grassroots strategic planning for libraries of all types. Topics include aligning with institutional and community values, creating vision and mission statements, researching stakeholder needs, conducting environmental scans, collaborative drafting of the plan, communication strategies, and implementation and assessment of the plan. A unique feature is the book’s emphasis on the ways different library types can collaborate to meet shared goals. This is a one-stop-shop, providing everything library staff will need to create a strategic plan without searching for additional sources.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Katy B. Mathuews is the Senior Director of Administration at Ohio University Libraries in Athens, OH, USA. Ryan A. Spellman is a Library Support Specialist in the User Services Department at Ohio University Libraries' Alden Library in Athens, OH, USA.
US October 2022 | UK October 2022
222 pages
PB 9781440878954 | $50.00 | £39.00 Libraries Unlimited
The Art of Communication
A Librarian's Guide for Successful Leadership, Collaboration, and Advocacy
Hilda K. Weisburg
Learn communication skills that help you develop as a leader, build community, and advocate for your library. Being able to effectively communicate as a sender and receiver of messages is a vital leadership skill, and librarians must master all the multifaceted ways people exchange information in order to grow as leaders. Throughout the book, you will learn communication basics and the obstacles that interfere with successful communication. Walk away feeling confident about using your newly learned communication skills for advocacy. As your value to the library community grows, you will be able to strategically use the relationships your communications have built to create positive change.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hilda K. Weisburg was a librarian in public and school libraries for more than 30 years.
US February 2024 | UK February 2024 160 pages
PB 9781440880216 | $39.95 | £28.99 Bloomsbury Libraries Unlimited
Conducting Original Research for Your Library
Caitlin Gerrity & Scott Lanning
A concise manual for professionals in the field, this book helps librarians master the skills to conduct, interpret, and analyze their own original research. This guide combines elements of multiple traditional text topics into one concise manual for professionals in the field, teaching types of research methods, how to do research in the field, and how to run and interpret statistical tests. From research ethics to statistical significance and everything in between, this primer is the point-of-need resource for librarians in public, academic, and school libraries who wish to use original research to support the profession.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Caitlin Gerrity is Associate Professor in the Department of Library and Information Science at Southern Utah University, USA. Scott Lanning is Professor in the Department of Library and Information Science at Southern Utah University, USA.
LEARN HOW TO:
Identify a research problem and find background information
Write a literature review and manage your information sources
Share your research with others
Select the right research methods and data gathering procedures
Understand statistical significance, power and effect size
Run and interpret statistical tests
Combine your research together
Reference and Information Services
US September 2024 | UK September 2024
728 pages
PB 9781440880483 | $79.95 | £59.99
Bloomsbury Libraries Unlimited
Reference and Information Services
An Introduction
Edited by Melissa A. Wong & Laura Saunders
This textbook is essential reading for all preservice and working librarians, particularly those concerned with ethical and social justice perspectives on reference work. It serves as a helpful handbook for you to refamiliarize yourself with particular types and formats of sources and to refresh your knowledge on specific service topics.
ABOUT THE EDITORS
Melissa A. Wong has been an online instructor for the University of Illinois, USA, since 2001, teaching courses in reference, instruction, management, and academic librarianship. Laura Saunders is Associate Professor at Simmons University School of Library and Information Science, USA, teaching in the areas of reference, instruction, and academic libraries.
Reference and Information Services
Helping Library Users with Legal Questions
Practical Advice for Research, Programming, and Outreach
Deborah A. Hamilton
According to the National Center for State Courts, in 76% of civil cases in the United States at least one of the parties represents themself. As more people represent themselves in court, more are coming to the library to seek answers to legal questions. Do you ever feel panicked when someone asks you a legal reference question? Are you not sure where to look for information or how much information you can provide? What can American libraries do to assist self-represented litigants? Learn the difference between legal information and legal advice as well as how to connect with community groups who provide legal services. In this book, Hamilton teaches you how to teach yourself about legal research and resources, as well as offering practical ideas for types of legal programs and outreach that you can proactively offer patrons.
❝This guide would be helpful to anyone who provides reference services, especially those new to legal reference.
—Library Journal
US July 2021 | UK July 2021
206 pages
PB 9781440872006 | $60.00 | £47.00
Libraries Unlimited
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
Deborah A. Hamilton is the Strategic Services Librarian who oversees the law collection at Pikes Peak Library District. She has served as president, vice president, and secretary for the Colorado Association of Law Libraries.
US November 2021 | UK November 2021
262 pages
PB 9781440867316 | $70.00 | £54.00
Libraries Unlimited
Librarian's Guide to Games and Gamers
From Collection Development to Advisory Services
Michelle Goodridge & Matthew J. Rohweder
As games grow ever-more ubiquitous in our culture and communities, they have become popular staples in public library collections and are increasing in prominence in academic ones. This book provides the tools to help adult and youth services librarians to better understand the gaming landscape and better serve gamers in discovery of new games—whether they are new to gaming or seasoned players— through advisory services. This book maps all types of games—board, roleplaying, digital, and virtual reality—providing all the information needed to understand and appropriately recommend games to library users.
❝A superb book for early-career librarians, librarians who are new to games and gaming, academic librarians hoping to install games into the collection, and anyone looking for a fresh perspective on gaming.
—Library Journal
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Michelle Goodridge, MA, MLIS, is Liaison Librarian at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada. Matthew J. Rohweder, MA, MLIS, is Liaison Librarian at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada.
US May 2022 | UK May 2022
152 pages
PB 9781440876776 | $50.00 | £39.00
Libraries Unlimited
US November 2022 | UK November 2022
532 pages | 16 bw illus
PB 9781440859076 | $80.00 | £62.00
Libraries Unlimited
LGBTQIA+ Inclusive Children's Librarianship
Policies, Programs, and Practices
Lucy Santos Green, Jenna Spiering, Vanessa Lynn Kitzie & Julia Erlanger
This book breaks new ground, offering librarians serving younger children a roadmap for implementing and upholding queer-inclusive programs, policies, and services. School and public librarians are serving ever greater numbers of LGBTQIA+ children and families. In seeking to make programs and services inclusive and equitable for these growing populations, librarians may court controversy and face community backlash from patrons who feel queer-inclusive content is inappropriate for young children. This book codifies a set of best practices for librarians as they rise to this challenge, defining queer-inclusive programs, identifying potential barriers to implementation, and offering strategies and resources to overcome them.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Lucy Santos Green, EdD, is Professor of Information Science at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA. Jenna Spiering, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Information Science at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA. Vanessa Lynn Kitzie, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Information Science at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA. Julia Erlanger, MSLIS, is a youth services librarian for Sacramento Public Library in Sacramento, CA, USA.
Disabilities and the Library
Fostering Equity for Patrons and Staff with Differing Abilities
Clayton A. Copeland
Librarians need to understand the needs and abilities of differently abled patrons, and anyone responsible for hiring and managing librarians must know how to provide an equitable environment. This book serves as an educational resource for both groups. It helps you to understand the challenges faced by people who are differently abled, both as patrons and as information professionals. You will learn to assess your library's physical facilities, programming, staff, and continuing education to ensure that your library is prepared to include people of all abilities. Inclusive programming and collection development suggestions will help you to meet the needs of patrons and colleagues with mobility and dexterity problems, learning differences, hearing and vision limitations, sensory and cognitive challenges, autism, and more.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Clayton A. Copeland, PhD, is Director of the SLIS Laboratory for Leadership in the Equity of Access and Diversity (LLEAD).
You may also be interested in… Serving Teens and Adults on the Autism Spectrum 9781440874819
US September 2021 | UK September 2021
240 pages | 10 bw illus
PB 9781440875830 | $60.00 | £47.00 Libraries Unlimited
A Librarian's Guide to Engaging Families in Learning
M. Elena Lopez, Bharat Mehra & Margaret Caspe
Libraries are increasingly focusing on families. Educational research confirms that family engagement in children’s learning and development predicts school readiness, positive social behaviors, high school graduation, interest in STEM careers, and post-secondary education. This book will inspire libraries and librarians to innovate and promote family learning from a child’s earliest years through adolescence. By bringing together research and practice, it deepens librarians’ understanding of families’ role in education and shares ways to build positive and trusting family partnerships that honor diverse cultures and languages, as well as to develop leadership for community impact.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
M. Elena Lopez, PhD, is an independent researcher on the ecology of learning that includes the home, school, and community. Bharat Mehra, PhD, is professor and EBSCO Endowed Chair in Social Justice in the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Alabama, USA. Margaret Caspe, PhD, is an educator, researcher, and writer who focuses on how families, early childhood programs, schools, and communities support children's learning.
The Fight against Book Bans Perspectives from the Field
Edited by Shannon M. Oltmann
Book bans and challenges frequently make the news in the United States, but when the reporting ends, how do we put them in context? The Fight against Book Bans captures the views of dozens of librarians and library science professors regarding the recent flood of book challenges across the USA, gathered in a comprehensive analysis of their impact and significance. It also serves as a guide to responding to challenges. Chapter authors provide first-hand accounts of facing book challenges and describe how they have prepared for challenges, overcome opposition to certain books, and shown the value of specific library materials. Library science faculty with a range of specialties provide relevant background information to bolster these on-the-ground views. Together, the chapters both articulate the importance of intellectual freedom and demonstrate how to convey that significance to others in the community with passion and wisdom. This volume provides a timely and thorough overview of the complex issues surrounding the ongoing spate of book challenges faced by public and school libraries.
❝ABOUT THE EDITOR
Shannon M. Oltmann is Associate Professor in the School of Information Science at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY, USA.
Highly recommended for people seeking information on how to address book challenges and increase advocacy efforts, as well as anyone working in libraries facing censorship who needs to know they aren’t alone.
—Library Journal
You may also be interested in… That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America
9781639733545
Information Systems and Technology / Ethics
Making the Most of Your ILS
A User's Guide to Evaluating and Optimizing Library Systems
Lynn E. Gates & Joel D. Tonyan
The integrated library system (ILS) plays a central role in every library's operations, but is your ILS optimized to ensure maximum productivity? Are you taking advantage of the features added since you implemented it? Walking readers through a wide-ranging ILS review, this book will help you ensure systems are properly configured, produce better documentation, and evaluate staff workflows. You’ll feel confident with this comprehensive plan for an ILS, starting with planning the project and deciding whom to include. Get to grips with basic ILS security principles, including keeping patron data safe and the importance of reviewing staff permissions, followed by an indepth explanation of reviewing codes and figuring out how different parts of an ILS work together as well as how to review those areas. Finally, access ideas on how to stay up-to-date with your ILS, such as where to look for information on issues, updates, and new features. Several methods for analyzing and documenting workflows are also discussed.
A refreshingly hands-on, no-nonsense approach to a potentially intimidating and overwhelming process, this holistic and practical text has something to offer for new, aspiring, and seasoned technical services or systems librarians alike.
—Laura E. Daniels, Assistant Director, Metadata Production, Cornell University Library
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Lynn E. Gates is Director of Collections and Content at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Kraemer Family Library, USA.
Joel D. Tonyan is Director of User Experience and Associate Professor at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Kraemer Family Library, USA.
US January 2022 | UK January 2022
168 pages
9781440874109 | $70.00 | £54.00
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Library Patrons' Privacy Questions and Answers
Sandra J. Valenti, Brady D. Lund & Matthew A. Beckstrom
Emerging technologies create new concerns about information privacy within library and information organizations, and many information professionals lack guidance on how to navigate the ethical crises that emerge when information privacy and library policy clash. What should we do when a patron leaves something behind? How do we justify filtering internet access while respecting accessibility and privacy? How do we balance new technologies that provide anonymity with the library's need to prevent the illegal use of their facilities? This book presents clear, conversational, evidence-based guidance on how to navigate these ethical questions in information privacy. Ideas from professional organizations, government entities, scholarly publications, and personal experiences are synthesized into an approachable guide for librarians at all stages of their career. This guide, designed by three experienced LIS scholars and professionals, is a quick and enjoyable read that professionals of all levels of technical knowledge and skill will find useful and applicable to their libraries.
A superb starting point that emphasizes the importance of library policies while simultaneously showing that policies cannot render the final solution when privacy issues arise. —Library Journal
Sandra J. Valenti is Assistant Professor in the School of Library and Information Management at Emporia State University, USA.
Brady D. Lund is an Assistant Professor of Information Science at the University of North Texas, USA.
Matthew A. Beckstrom is Systems Manager/Librarian at the Lewis and Clark Library in Helena, MT, USA.
ABC-CLIO databases combine thousands of historical primary sources with built-in tools for research and accessibility, empowering learners of all ages to succeed.
17 databases to choose from
From core disciplines like American history to unique lenses on popular culture and anthropology, Bloomsbury / ABC-CLIO’s subject-specific databases provide opportunities for everyone looking to learn.
Learn more at www.abc-clio.com/public-library-databases
