This timely special report from ALA Editions provides a succinct but comprehensive overview of the "privatization" of public libraries. It provides a history of the trend of local and state governments privatizing public services and assets, and then examines the history of public library privatization right up to the California…

This article presents two recent studies, an AHRC-funded exploration of the role of empathy in community librarianship (Study 1) and an investigation of the role of empathy in service to minority ethnic users (Study 2). Qualitative elements of each methodology are presented, namely a series of focus groups with frontline staff, interviews with…

This paper presents case study research of a job rotation pilot involving six library assistants in Cardiff University Library Service (ULS). Firstly, it investigates whether job rotation improves motivation and secondly, whether there is an improvement in skills, both technical and "soft". Following a review of the literature,…

This manual provides librarians and library managers with a performance appraisal system that measures staff fairly and objectively and links performance to the goals of the library. The following topics are addressed: (1) identifying expectations for quality service or standards of performance; (2) the importance of a library's code of service,…

This document is one of a series of guides to self-evaluation. It builds on the advice given in "How good is our school?" (revised edition 2002) and, more specifically, "Taking a Closer Look at the School Library Resource Centre" published in 1999. This guidance is intended for use in the primary, special and secondary sectors.…

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Library participated in the statewide conversion to a new integrated library system in the summer of 2002. Prior to the system's implementation, various local and statewide committees coordinated efforts to train their staffs so as to ensure a seamless transition. This case study analyzes, in…

Like most academic libraries, Purdue University Calumet depends heavily on student workers for its daily operations. After the investment of time and effort involved in training student workers, it is important to retain them from one year to the next. This case study examines training procedures that are designed to cultivate a sense of mutual…

This reference book explains how to create, implement, and evaluate formal and informal preservation education programs in school, public, academic, and special collections. It's seven chapters include 43 papers by contributors from a wide range of positions in librarianship and academia. Chapter 1, "Preservation Issues and the Community of…

In order to meet today's financial challenges, libraries must be ready, willing, and able to enter the arena of politics and compete for scarce public funding. This book offers librarians, library workers, trustees, and friends' organizations practical advice, case studies, and step-by-step guidance for evaluating the existing local political…