COVID-19 is profoundly affecting the ways in which we live, learn, plan, and develop. What does COVID-19 mean for the future of digital information use and delivery, and for more traditional forms of library provision? Libraries, Digital Information, and COVID gives immediate and long-term solutions for librarians responding to the challenge of COVID-19. The book helps library leaders prepare for a post-COVID-19 world, giving guidance on developing sustainable solutions. The need for sustainable digital access has now become acute, and while offering a physical space will remain important, current events are likely to trigger a shift toward off-site working and study, making online access to information more crucial. Libraries have already been providing access to digital information as a premium service. New forms and use of materials all serve to eliminate the need for direct contact in a physical space. Such spaces will come to be predicated on evolving systems of digital information, as critical needs are met by remote delivery of goods and services. Intensified financial pressure will also shape the future, with a reassessment of information and its commercial value. In response, there will be a massification of provision through increased cooperation and collaboration. These significant transitions are driving professionals to rethink and question their identities, values, and purpose. This book responds to these issues by examining the practicalities of running a library during and after the pandemic, answering questions such as: What do we know so far? How are institutions coping? Where are providers placing themselves on the digital/print and the remote/face-to-face continuums? This edited volume gives analysis and examples from around the globe on how libraries are managing to deliver access and services during COVID-19. This practical and thoughtful book provides a framework within which library directors and their staff can plan sustainable services and collections for an uncertain future. - Focuses on the immediate practicalities of service provision under COVID-19 - Considers longer-term strategic responses to emerging challenges - Identifies key concerns and problems for librarians and library leaders - Analyzes approaches to COVID-19 planning - Presents and examines exemplars of best practice from around the world - Offers practical models and a useful framework for the future

Benchmarking Library, Information and Education Services: New Strategic Choices in Challenging Times provides the foundations of ongoing research in the development of collections and services. The book contributes to practical outputs of general benefit to the sector, including customers, clients or stakeholders, offering ideas for how to identify comparative strengths and weaknesses and improve or enhance present practices regardless of how well institutions currently perform. The centerpiece of the book is a description, report and analysis of a major international QB exercise that culminates in a set of good practice statements. The benefits of the QB methodology are applicable to individual institutions. Because of the current global turbulence, individuals, leaders and whole institutions are keen to learn more about what is happening and how they can develop sustainable solutions to both immediate challenges and longer-term scenarios. These include an analysis of third sector organizations, e-libraries, marketing information services, vocational training in higher education, the creative arts, and the role of partnerships in organizational openness. - Discusses qualitative benchmarking and it's core tenets - Helps readers understand the experiences of others and compare their own experiences to learn and adapt practices - Presents tactics readers can use to identify their organization's professional identity, value and purpose - Provides an idea of what the future state of library, education and public services will look like

The Marketing of Academic, National and Public Libraries Worldwide: Marketing, Branding, Community Engagement enables readers to learn about the most up-to-date trends, as well as hands-on practices and marketing tactics taken directly from 48 highly seasoned marketing and community engagement librarians around the world, namely in Africa, Australia, Canada, Croatia, Germany, Hong Kong, Latvia and Qatar. Via a series of in-depth and semi-structured interviews, this book provides insights into successful marketing strategies librarians can use to encourage donors and patrons to understand that their libraries are a great choice for fulfilling information needs, recreational interests, intellectual pursuits, and more. - Written with a strong belief that library marketing and branding play a vital part in keeping existing library end-users and potential users informed and educated - Presents the very first book of its kind to examine various factors affecting successful marketing campaigns and long-term brand building for libraries through a systematic review of case studies around the world - Serves as a primary guide for library professionals to build their own brands via effective marketing campaigns, as well as long-lasting relationships with their communities

The abrupt shift to online learning brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the need for the adoption and application of new media, virtual training, and online skill development for the modern workforce. However, organizations are grappling with unanticipated complexities, and many have recognized the gaps between online and in-person competencies and capabilities with unaddressed needs. There is an urgent need to bridge this gap and organically grow engagement and connectedness in the digital online space with new media tools and resources. The Handbook of Research on New Media, Training, and Skill Development for the Modern Workforce exhibits how both business and educational organizations may utilize the new media computer technology to best engage in workforce training. It provides the best practices to aid the transition to successful learning environments for organizational skill development and prepare and support new media educational engagement as the new norm in all its forms and finer nuances. Covering topics such as occupational performance assessment, personal response systems, and situationally-aware human-computer interaction, this major reference work is an essential tool for workforce development organizations, business executives, managers, communications specialists, students, teachers, government officials, pre-service teachers, researchers, and academicians.

In the 21st century, information literacy emerges as the cornerstone of educational development. Despite its paramount significance, a stark reality persists — students often traverse the corridors of academia without acquiring essential information literacy skills. This deficiency is exacerbated by a shortage of faculty training, leaving academic libraries to shoulder the responsibility of cultivating information-savvy individuals. Examining Information Literacy in Academic Libraries delves into the core challenges and solutions surrounding this critical educational imperative. This book illuminates the role of academic libraries as bastions of information literacy instruction. The capacity of students and information consumers to seek, evaluate, and utilize information is paramount for informed decision-making ethically and legally. Regardless of whether or not students were brought up in the digital age, many lack the fundamental information literacy skills required for higher education. This deficiency manifests in academic malpractices, such as plagiarism, which compromise the integrity of educational institutions. Moreover, this imperative work contends that the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is not a distant concept but a present reality. The recent global upheaval caused by the Coronavirus pandemic accelerated the adoption of new technologies, necessitating a swift reassessment of our collective ability to navigate this everchanging digital and information landscape. Focusing on media literacy, data literacy, and digital literacy, with information literacy as the overarching domain, this book serves as a beacon for educators, librarians, and policymakers.

Becoming a solo librarian may be a daunting prospect. From collections to cataloguing, classifying to copyright, whether the individual is a solo librarian, within a small team with limited help, or working in a larger library or information hub, the range of tasks involved will remain the same. Whilst being a solo librarian does have its fair share of challenges that can include juggling multiple tasks and time management, marketing and embracing the ever-changing technologies and upcoming social media channels, and effectively managing the feeling of being isolated, there are also many advantages. With the author having been through the education process and gained work experience, information professionals will have already picked up many transferrable skills and identified some key aspects when it comes to accessing, using, and running a library. By being intellectually curious, embracing ever-changing technologies, enjoying learning and knowledge creation, and working alongside non-library colleagues, it is likely that information professionals are organised, can manage their time effectively, enjoy helping others by sharing and promoting library and information services, and will stay engaged as a team of one. As a solo librarian herself and a book not being available on the topic, she has decided to write one – which covers the lessons learnt, and templates created in order to assist others) that find themselves in a similar role &/or a small team with limited help. This Internationally applicable and practical handbook will follow a yearly planner and shows a timeline of key activities that happen throughout, in this instance, an academic year and include the following examples: - Acquisitions, cataloguing, updating library guidance (before academic year start - September) - Student and Staff Inductions (September/October) - Quarterly Business Review to review updates and library usage (Oct – Dec) - Library cover over student/staff holiday period (Dec) - Quarterly Business Review (Jan – Mar) - Quality standard(s) re-accreditation (April) - Research methods/study skills webinars (April) - Library cover over student holiday period (April) - Quarterly Business Review (April –June) - Copyright Audit (May) - Copyright Academic Rollover (June) - Quarterly Business Review (July –Sept) - Yearly e-Library review (July) - Financial Review (July) - Student Survey Results (July) - Library cover over student holiday period (August/September) Appendices will include a condensed version of 'Lucy the Librarian top tips for successful solo librarianship' (Note: Chapter 4 of the publication will expand on key elements and provide contextual examples) as well as providing templates and guidance notes that will be made available to download and used to aid those working in information, knowledge, libraries and related disciplines, whether based within the UK or around the world. The idea behind this practical handbook, therefore, is to provide guidance and templates to cover: - Understanding the roles and responsibilities of a solo librarian - Identifying library user needs, - Benchmarking, - Forming a clear structure – for Physical and Online Libraries, - Acquisitions and financial management, - Classification and cataloguing, - Archives and records management, - Copyright (incl. Referencing and Plagiarism), Intellectual Property, and Licensing, - Communications and promotion, - Where to access further Information, Advice, and Guidance, and more.

Innovations in library services are rapidly developing within numerous areas including building design, program and event planning, patron experience and engagement, literacy program development, and administration and management. To ensure these changes are implemented and considered successfully, a closer look at the challenges, trends, and practices of these innovations is crucial. Technological Advancements in Library Service Innovation examines the recent activities of successful and groundbreaking research and practices around the world surrounding library service innovation and presents various forward-thinking initiatives. It also provides an overview of libraries’ successful experiences, identifies emerging global themes and trends, and offers guidance to library practitioners on how to pursue the recent trends in their own library environment. Covering topics such as technology adoption and organizational structures, this book is ideal for library professionals, researchers, academicians, instructors, and students.