This book advances the belief that the library--more than any other cultural institution--collects, curates and distributes the results of human thought. Essays broaden the debate about academic libraries beyond only professional circles, promoting the library as a vital resource for the whole of higher education. Topics range from library histories to explorations of changing media. Essayists connect modern libraries to the remarkable dream of Alexandria's ancient library--facilitating groundbreaking research in every imaginable field of human interest, past, present and future. Academic librarians who are most familiar with historical traditions are best qualified to promote the library as an important aspect of teaching and learning, as well as to develop resources that will enlighten future generations of readers. The intellectual tools for compelling, constructive conversation come from the narrative of the library in its many iterations, from the largest research university to the smallest liberal arts or community college.

This book offers a fresh perspective on understanding university library work with international users in North America. It investigates what librarians, international students, and international scholars perceive the role of the university library to be in internationalization in higher education. It also explores the phenomenon of internationalization itself as it is lived and experienced by both librarians and international users. Personal definitions and experiences of internationalization offered by librarians and international users include viewing internationalization as the broadening of knowledge on multiple levels, the idea of seeing oneself as part of a greater whole, and the building of international research connections. Both librarians and international users describe elements of internationalization such as exposure, awareness, engagement, empathy, and transcending boundaries. Inherent contradictions are present as well, such as the stronger emphasis on defining differences rather than similarities and the disconnect between inward and outward looking aspects of internationalization. Finally, this book connects theoretical perspectives concerning the phenomenon of internationalization to the practice of academic librarianship in North America. It does this by presenting what librarians in both the United States and Canada think about working with international users in terms of benefits, challenges, and best practices. Practical lessons learned include the need to move beyond focusing solely on the linguistic and cultural challenges of working with international users to also consider the positive aspects of working with them, such as widening worldviews and expanding personal knowledge.

The 21st Century Academic Library: Global Patterns of Organization and Discourse discusses the organization of academic libraries, drawing on detailed research and data. The organization of the library follows the path of a print book or journal: acquisitions, cataloguing, circulation, reference, instruction, preservation and general administration. Most libraries still have public services and technical services, and are still very print-based in their organization, while their collections and services are increasingly electronic and virtual. This book gathers information on organizational patterns of large academic libraries in the US and Europe, providing data that could motivate libraries to adopt innovative organizational structures or assess the effectiveness of their current organizational patterns. - Contributes to the literature on the globalization of information and of library and information science - Analyzes and presents data in a way that allows librarians and library administrators to consider what organizational patterns are the most effective for the goals they are pursuing - Includes emerging patterns that are not widely seen in the academic library population

The Internationalization of the Academic Library presents a theoretically informed, empirically grounded analysis of the process of academic library internationalization. Drawing on interviews with library personnel from around the world, Lombard analyzes internationalization at the departmental level of an academic library. Demonstrating that college and library personnel have positive intentions when it comes to internationalization, the research presented nevertheless reveals little commitment to an intentional, holistic role in the libraries studied. Drawing on internationalization expertise and models of prominent scholars, the book argues that libraries need to be more deliberate in their internationalization efforts and collaborate with other college personnel and departments outside the library. Lombard asserts that internationalization can facilitate a better understanding of the potential for transformation of a library’s mission, vision, and policy. The Internationalization of the Academic Library cuts across the fields of library science and higher education administration, ensuring that the book will appeal to researchers and students working in these disciplines. Library professionals around the world will also find much to interest them within the book.

Academic libraries have a long history both in the USA and China, with institutions developing along different trajectories, and responding to the rapidly changing library environment globally. Academic Libraries in the US and China compares current practices within Library and Information Science (LIS) in the USA and China, giving an historical overview of instruction, government documents, and outreach in academic libraries, as well as discussion and comparative analysis.An introduction leads to chapters on instruction, government publications, and outreach. Each topic is covered both for American and Chinese academic libraries. A conclusion then gives comparative analysis of US and Chinese academic libraries. - Provides a clear examination of the historical foundations of three key areas within the academic library - Includes examples of easy-to-implement current practices - Anticipates future trends