A collection of versatile best practices for promoting literacy development by utilizing local community connections in school and public libraries. Modern libraries are recreating themselves as idea centers for today's Internet-savvy, digitally driven clientele. This book provides a fresh approach to learning as well as guidelines for creating dynamic and relevant library programs for children, teens, and families. Organized thematically, each chapter includes relevant topical research and three to eight community-focused approaches. Programs range from small, single-library initiatives in rural communities to multi-site, cross-border initiatives. This essential reference includes collaborative and locally inspired programs, many of which can be scaled to the budget of any library, school, or community organization.

Inspired by trends in U.S. public libraries, this book teaches librarians how to create a welcoming environment that enriches, enlightens, and engages their library's growing aging community. The number of adults aged 50+ coming to public libraries is steadily increasing. These patrons include active, healthy, tech-savvy professionals; people who have little or no computer training; retirees; travelers; and those who have age-related health and behavior issues. Public libraries have an opportunity to provide services for this growing and varied group. This book teaches librarians how to develop and expand adult public library programming and services, turning their library into a welcoming environment for the aging community. Public Library Programs and Services for Midlife and Beyond offers practical examples in areas including community collaboration, outreach, marketing, engagement, technology and social media, funding, and lifelong learning. It also incorporates up-to-date findings from the ALA's Guidelines for Library Services with 60+ Audience: Best Practices. Examples gathered by the author from extensive interviews with public librarians and directors illustrate what a range of libraries is successfully doing for the midlife-and-beyond community and encourage creative thinking about new programs and services.

This book was compiled and edited by a librarian who was instrumental in getting funding from a Library Services and Technology Act grant to carry out an internship program in public libraries. The grant allowed the MCLS consortium of public libraries in the Los Angeles area to place library school students in paid internships in MCLS member libraries.

This book provides practical strategies and step-by-step plans for developing advocacy initiatives for school libraries. School libraries provide an essential service to the community, but without proper funding few libraries stand a chance to maintain the resources they offer—or to survive at all. School librarians can play an instrumental role in the survival of their programs. This how-to book provides school librarians with effective advocacy and activism strategies for promoting and improving their library programs. Activism and the School Librarian: Tools for Advocacy and Survival offers straightforward, practical approaches for creating advocacy programs. This guidebook examines the characteristics for becoming an advocate, explores the meaning of advocacy/activism as an effort that is ongoing and proactive, and provides the steps required for initiating a successful program. The contributors address the various types of advocacy and activism, including legislative advocacy at the local, state, and national levels; school and district level programs; and community-based initiatives. The book includes expert advice from successful advocates and provides helpful reproducible tools.

Covering every essential topic ranging from circulation and literacy instruction to reference and security, this benchmark text provides an up-to-date, broadly based view of library public service and its functions. Supplying essential, foundational reading for students of library public services as well as an up-to-date overview for practitioners who wish to refresh their knowledge or acquaint themselves with a new area of responsibility, this book's broad and solid coverage will benefit anyone concerned with developing or maintaining the public face of the library. A revision and expansion of Libraries Unlimited's Introduction to Library Public Services: Seventh Edition, this edition has new chapters covering such topics as e-resources, collections, print and other media, and facilities and funding. Additionally, every chapter has been substantially updated and reorganized to better reflect the role of technology in library services today. The book begins with background information on public services in libraries and an analysis of the library's public service philosophy. Then, the authors delve into staffing and assessment of services, moving logically to major functional areas of public services—reference, instruction, document delivery, circulation and reserves, collections, programming, safety and security issues, and facilities and funding. Real-life anecdotes from public, academic, and school libraries illustrate principles and concepts throughout the book. For each topic, the authors detail its role and philosophy, and offer key points to remember, references, and lists for further reading.