Digital information and networks challenge the core practices of libraries, archives, and all organizations with intensive information management needs in many respectsâ€"not only in terms of accommodating digital information and technology, but also through the need to develop new economic and organizational models for managing information. LC21: A Digital Strategy for the Library of Congress discusses these challenges and provides recommendations for moving forward at the Library of Congress, the world's largest library. Topics covered in LC21 include digital collections, digital preservation, digital cataloging (metadata), strategic planning, human resources, and general management and budgetary issues. The book identifies and elaborates upon a clear theme for the Library of Congress that is applicable more generally: the digital age calls for much more collaboration and cooperation than in the past. LC21 demonstrates that information-intensive organizations will have to change in fundamental ways to survive and prosper in the digital age.

A classic. Topics include resource-sharing networks, the importance of nonbook formats, the greater complexity of censorship challenges, and the expansion of the library's informational role.

These essays by noted Area Studies specialists at a number of US research libraries serve as a practical and theoretical guide to university and college administrators, library directors and heads of collection development, as well as selection practitioners who work to create foreign-language collections for research libraries. The volume constitutes a general introduction for new practitioners and even the most experienced Area Studies librarians will find useful practical advice for reviewing and refining their existing collecting practices. Coverage includes East Asia, Latin America, Southeast Asia, Africa, South Asia and the Romance language areas of Europe, as well as the German/Nordic/Netherlandic countries. Each essay presents the Area Studies topic in question from an historical perspective and provides background on its present status and anticipated future development. Special emphasis is placed on the techniques of both print and digital collecting and on the assessment methods by which collection strengths and future needs are determined. Guidelines for expenditures for both collections and collateral activities such as providing access and preservation are provided, and contributors also supply extensive documentation for the burgeoning array of online digital resources which have emerged in the past decade. The volume editors, Dan C. Hazen (Harvard) and James H. Spohrer (University of California, Berkeley), also provide a general introduction to the topic and a detailed summary of current cooperative activities in Area Studies collecting.

Consists of various sub-series, called: Colony series, Mining series, Political series.

Are you looking for a best practices guide to developing policies and procedures for acquisition, purchase, collection development, cataloging, and retention of e-books? Beginning with a short history of e-books and a review of the e- book publishing industry and its effect on library's selection and budget process, this how-to provides a thorough treatment of collection development issues, including the selection process and development policies, the use of approval plans, patron-driven acquisition, and practical solutions for creating your e-book collection policies. Chapters on budgeting and licensing covers ownership versus leasing models, the differences in licensing options from the major publishers and aggregators including information on digital rights management, and strategies for success in retention, access, and budgeting. The cataloging and selection chapters are the largest in the book. The "selecting e-books" chapter discusses: * e-book purchasing models * file formats and publisher/aggregator e-book platforms8 * an examination of display devices (e-readers) The technical and access services section gives you: * Best practices in cataloging e-books to include metadata. * Insight on incorporating value added features such as adding excerpts from the text, book covers, and links to related resources. * Guidance on library web page and online catalog access. * Assessment and evaluation strategies through circulation statistics, print collection selection and usage, and user satisfaction. You'll also gain valuable insight on the e-book's impact on the publishing industry, scholarly communication, and its integration into future technologies and social media. Offering multiple perspectives from electronic resource professionals at world-renowned libraries such as Harvard, the University of Michigan, Duke, and Northeastern, this book provides a comprehensive and well-rounded e-book education. Success stories highlight ea