Libraries, Community, and Technology
Libraries, Community, and Technology

Author: Andy Barnett

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2010-06-25

Total Pages: 172

ISBN-13: 9780786480203

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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.

Partnerships and Collaborations in Public Library Communities: Resources and Solutions
Partnerships and Collaborations in Public Library Communities: Resources and Solutions

Author: Ellis, Karen

Publisher: IGI Global

Published: 2011-12-31

Total Pages: 255

ISBN-13: 1613503881

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"This book shows how partnerships can be cultivated through projects, programming, funding, and extending the library's presence through unique avenues, offering librarians a better understanding of what might be possible for their situational requirements and limitations"--Provided by publisher.

Technology-Centered Academic Library Partnerships and Collaborations
Technology-Centered Academic Library Partnerships and Collaborations

Author: Doherty, Brian

Publisher: IGI Global

Published: 2016-06-09

Total Pages: 330

ISBN-13: 1522503242

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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.

Community Technology Projects: Making Them Work
Community Technology Projects: Making Them Work

Author: Margaret Heller

Publisher: American Library Association

Published: 2019-07-03

Total Pages: 121

ISBN-13: 0838918379

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As a newly minted librarian, Heller volunteered at a grassroots independent library founded to bring together the work of disparate art communities of Chicago. Since then she has participated in many library technology communities with stints on boards, working groups, conference planning committees, and social media-based outreach. Grounded in her research of dozens of community tech projects, Heller presents a guide exploring how they work, how to get involved, and how to make them better. Library technology managers, grantmakers, scholars, and project managers will all benefit from Heller’s incisive discussion of such topics as a historical overview, including the humble beginnings of OCLC and early library computerized cataloging projects, that offers lessons for today; how to find community needs that match your motivation; using personas to learn about community members; choosing a name and legal structure for a new community; five in-depth case studies, including Project Bamboo, Hathi Trust, and the Digital Public Library of America; techniques for project management, documentation, and discussion; forging a path from small, grant-funded projects to a sustained collective good; reconciling hacker ideology and geek culture with inclusive communities; proven methods for supporting tasks and emotions in library tech communities; and successes and challenges of vendor user groups. For readers who want to get started with community technology projects, as well as those who are already engaged in collaborations, the techniques and best practices in Heller’s guide will provide the tools and inspiration to make better library technology communities.

Tech for All
Tech for All

Author: Lauren Comito

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2019-02-08

Total Pages: 217

ISBN-13: 1538122197

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How can libraries ensure that patrons from all socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds have access to advanced technology training and hardware? Everyone knows libraries provide access to computers and the internet for day to day use, but many libraries have gone beyond those basic services. Makerspaces and advanced tech training are often not equitably distributed between differing communities. The digital divide is still very real, and by not providing equal access to maker spaces and other similar services libraries may be unintentionally contributing to that divide. This book examines how the unequal distribution of resources between communities can limit access to emerging technologies. Chapters from librarians across the country give real world examples of libraries going the extra mile to bring more than just email access to their communities, regardless of economic status or geographic distribution. You’ll find practical plans put forward by working professionals who have sought pragmatic solutions to issues of digital literacy. Access is a through line in this work as people look at the larger ideas of access as inclusive of training, diverse technologies, and the time and space to make genuine growth in tech literacy. Chapters include: working with immigrants, low cost laptops for library use, deep dives into the underpinnings of the maker movement, and developing community-focused technology training. After reading this book, librarians should have practical ideas to address the issue of equity in access to emerging technologies in their own communities.

The Transforming Public Library Technology Infrastructure
The Transforming Public Library Technology Infrastructure

Author: American Library Association

Publisher: American Library Association

Published: 2011-12

Total Pages: 54

ISBN-13: 0838958346

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Library Technology Reports August/September 2011 vol. 47 / no.6 This issue of Library Technology Reports, conceived and coordinated by the American Library Association's (ALA) Office for Research and Statistics, focuses on the evolution and current state of public-access technologies in public libraries from the infrastructure, services, and resources perspectives. This issue brings together longitudinal data, key issues, trends, and best practices that will provide library staff with tools for planning, advocacy, and service enhancements. A number of prominent library professionals contributed their expertise to this issue. Authors and topics include John carlo Bertot, Paul T. Jaeger, Emily E. Wahl, and Kathryn I. Sigler on Public Libraries and the Internet: An Evolutionary Perspective; Nicole D. Alemanne, Lauren H. Mandel, and Charles R. McClure on The Rural Public Library as Leader in Community Broadband Services; Robert A. Caluori, Jr. on Successfully Planning a Scalable and Effective Patron Wireless Network; Nancy Fredericks on E-Government and Employment Support Services; Larra Clark and Marijke Visser on Digital Literacy; and Stephanie Gerding on Transforming Public Library Patron Technology Training.

Building Community Engagement and Outreach in Libraries
Building Community Engagement and Outreach in Libraries

Author: Kathryn Moore Crowe

Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing

Published: 2022-07-07

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13: 1803823674

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An important addition to the research on how libraries can work with their communities to provide critical services and resources. Providing valuable insights about the diverse ways that outreach can be accomplished within and through communities, this volume serves as a significant resource for library managers, staff and their partners.

Designing Adult Services
Designing Adult Services

Author: Ann Roberts

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2017-11-01

Total Pages: 195

ISBN-13: 1440852553

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Focusing on adult patrons ages 19 through senior citizens, this book explains how libraries can best serve this portion of their community's population at different life stages and foster experiences that are "worth the trip"—whether actual or virtual. Adult library patrons are busier than ever before—working, taking classes and studying for advanced degrees, caring for children, helping their aging parents, taking care of their homes or rental properties, planning and nurturing careers, managing investments and retirement funds, and inevitably retiring. Each of these endeavors can require highly specific learning and education. Throughout their lives, adults continue to have different information needs that the library and its services can fill. Designing Adult Services: Strategies for Better Serving Your Community discusses the many ways libraries can serve adults of various ages and at different life stages, covering online services, collection development, programming, and lifelong learning. This guide's unique approach simplifies the processes of designing and carrying out a successful adult services program for adult library users in all the various stages of life. The book is organized by age groups, with the respective information needs and life challenges. Each chapter suggests programs, services, and collection development strategies for the life stages. Public library administrators and managers as well as adult services librarians in public libraries will find this guide a must-read.

Reconceptualizing Libraries
Reconceptualizing Libraries

Author: Victor R. Lee

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2018-08-15

Total Pages: 254

ISBN-13: 1351388711

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Reconceptualizing Libraries brings together cases and models developed by experts in the information and learning sciences to identify the potential for libraries to adapt and transform in the wake of new technologies for connected learning and discovery. Chapter authors explore the ways that the increased interest in the design research methods, digital media emphases, and technological infrastructure of the learning sciences can foster new collaborations and formats for education within physical library spaces. Models and case studies from a variety of library contexts demonstrate how library professionals can act as change agents and design partners and how patrons can engage with these evolving experiences. This is a timely and innovative volume for understanding how physical libraries can incorporate and thrive as educational resources using new developments in technology and in the learning sciences.