Genrefication in the Library
Primary school students are very visual in their book choices. Arrangement of books greatly affects how students make choices. Since most students ask for books by broad topics, e.g. books about puppies or dinosaurs or cars or presidents, Jan decided to make the leap...
Secrets of the Catalog: Basics for Non-Catalogers
Have you ever wondered how library data impacts what we see in a record? In this session, we'll explore the interaction between the OPAC and MARC Records. Are you looking for search strategies & tips? This inside look at the catalog is a resource for everyone who...
What’s up with XML?…and why you should care
Why do librarians and those working in libraries need to know about XML? Do you know that XML is used by a variety of projects from blog feeds to library catalog records? XML is a programming language that has been used in the web environment for a while, which is...
The Digital Library Landscape: What’s out There and How You can use it (for photographs, video, text & more)
In this session, we will explore software solutions for digital projects. What is easiest to use? What is free? What works best for photographs, multimedia objects or textual materials like letters or PDFs, perhaps, even a website? We'll explore pros/cons, options,...
The Numbers Game: Quantifying the Unquantifiable
We talk about libraries being a wise investment for communities, but are we really having an impact where we think we are? Are there services or programs that we don’t realize are truly impacting the community? We cite how many items have circulated, how many...
Intellectual Freedom and the Collection Management Policy
One of the core values in libraries is Intellectual Freedom, ensuring free access to information. Collection Management is one of the key areas in that mission. Creating policies that ensure diversity and accessibility to information for our communities, while also...
Weeding: The Action
Once you have created your plan for de-selection what next? There are many ways to determine what goes and what stays and usage and age are only two of them. How do you deal with the digital collection? What about resource sharing? Should you sell, donate, or toss...
Collection Management Policies
The best defense is a good offense. Putting parameters in place for your collection management strategy, in writing, makes it easier for your staff, your board and your community when hard choices or questions arise. Aligning these with your mission and your abilities...
Weeding: The Plan
“Weeding” in library circles is often a dirty word. Why would we want to get rid of anything? Or maybe you have experienced a backlash or resistance from the community, persistent patrons, your board, your staff, or even yourself. How we approach the task is as...