Public librarianship is a constantly changing field, and the direction of its development depends on theoretical and applied research. This book examines many of the research needs in public librarianship and discusses appropriate strategies to meet those needs. The chapters, written by active researchers in the public library field, reflect a variety of issues and opinions. Included are chapters on the evaluation of collections, community awareness of the library as an information source, models for library siting, and communication between librarians and public library educators. Recommendations for further investigations provided by the researchers identify possibilities for increasing knowledge in this field, and a bibliographic essay organizes and summarizes much of the work discussed in the text.

Collecting several key documents and policy statements, this supplement to the ninth edition of the Intellectual Freedom Manual traces a history of ALA’s commitment to fighting censorship. An introductory essay by Judith Krug and Candace Morgan, updated by OIF Director Barbara Jones, sketches out an overview of ALA policy on intellectual freedom. An important resource, this volume includes documents which discuss such foundational issues as The Library Bill of RightsProtecting the freedom to readALA’s Code of EthicsHow to respond to challenges and concerns about library resourcesMinors and internet activityMeeting rooms, bulletin boards, and exhibitsCopyrightPrivacy, including the retention of library usage records

This volume begins by defining the challenges that rural and small libraries face before shifting to an analysis of ways that these obstacles can be overcome or mitigated. The authors explore ideas for enhancing community partnerships and outreach by using rural and small public libraries as centers for local cultural heritage activities.

Over the past thirty years, significant shifts in technology, political ideologies, and policy goals have resulted in an environment in which public libraries face the highest expectations to serve community needs against unprecedented political, economic, and policy challenges. Drawing on two decades of original research conducted by the authors, this book provides a data-driven examination of the interrelated impacts of political discourse and public policy processes on public libraries and the ways in which they are able to serve their communities, explaining the complex current circumstances and offering strategies for effectively creating a better future for public libraries.

Public Libraries and Their Communities: An Introduction provide an overview of public librarianship today. It covers library organization, policy development, staffing, fiscal organization including funding sources and budgets, the legal framework, relationships with local and state governments, advocacy, services and service development for different age groups and for different groups of users, development of programming and outreach, collection development, promotion and marketing, and current issues and trends. In addition to context and concepts, the book uses many examples from both large and small public libraries to bring principles to life. Examples include real library policies, case studies, strategic planning, organization charts and library budgets. Many think that public libraries are not complicated to run.This book aims to show that public libraries are very complicated and require much skill on the part of the director, staff, and Board of Trustees to meet the needs of their local users.Advocacy and marketing have become important parts of the work of public libraries. Funding is always challenging so public libraries must constantly be making the local government and its citizens aware of the public library – its programs, collections, and services. This book's focus is on how public libraries reach beyond the walls of their buildings and touch the lives of their citizens.Meeting community interests and needs is essential for 21st century public libraries. For students the book offers discussion questions at the end of each chapter. These questions also provide discussion starters for public library staff development.

A comprehensive look at contemporary trends and practices in public libraries Current Practices in Public Libraries combines research, surveys, and practical experience to examine a variety of trends, issues, and practices in public library administration. The leading researchers in the field explore vital contemporary topics ranging from literacy instruction and advocacy to ethical concerns in the acquisition of foreign language materials. This practical professional guide presents examples of successful programs at individual libraries as well as results of comprehensive national surveys about funding, computers and Internet access, and branch closures. Current Practices in Public Libraries presents an extensive look at advocacy, ethics, multicultural outreach, literacy training, marketing, and mentoring in today’s public libraries. This comprehensive resource examines a wide range of issues, including public library funding; contributing factors to the quality of public access computing and Internet services; the impact of public library closures; recent human rights violations in U.S. public libraries; supporting local small business development; how multiculturalism and automation can affect collection development and technical services; new leadership models; the use of marketing and advocacy to build and sustain support for public libraries; promoting family learning activities; and the case for small, independent libraries. Current Practices in Public Libraries explores: library funding library expenditures budget shortfalls fiscal planning Internet access and connectivity library siting library Bill of Rights entrepreneurs customization of library services targeted services acquisitions collection development and management outsourcing state library agencies and associations federal library programs and legislation government relations information literacy tutoring and much more Current Practices in Public Libraries is an essential resource for librarians and library administrators working in public and academic settings, and for library sciences faculty and students.