The Library Book


Book Description

Susan Orlean’s bestseller and New York Times Notable Book is “a sheer delight…as rich in insight and as varied as the treasures contained on the shelves in any local library” (USA TODAY)—a dazzling love letter to a beloved institution and an investigation into one of its greatest mysteries. “Everybody who loves books should check out The Library Book” (The Washington Post). On the morning of April 28, 1986, a fire alarm sounded in the Los Angeles Public Library. The fire was disastrous: it reached two thousand degrees and burned for more than seven hours. By the time it was extinguished, it had consumed four hundred thousand books and damaged seven hundred thousand more. Investigators descended on the scene, but more than thirty years later, the mystery remains: Did someone purposefully set fire to the library—and if so, who? Weaving her lifelong love of books and reading into an investigation of the fire, award-winning New Yorker reporter and New York Times bestselling author Susan Orlean delivers a “delightful…reflection on the past, present, and future of libraries in America” (New York magazine) that manages to tell the broader story of libraries and librarians in a way that has never been done before. In the “exquisitely written, consistently entertaining” (The New York Times) The Library Book, Orlean chronicles the LAPL fire and its aftermath to showcase the larger, crucial role that libraries play in our lives; delves into the evolution of libraries; brings each department of the library to vivid life; studies arson and attempts to burn a copy of a book herself; and reexamines the case of Harry Peak, the blond-haired actor long suspected of setting fire to the LAPL more than thirty years ago. “A book lover’s dream…an ambitiously researched, elegantly written book that serves as a portal into a place of history, drama, culture, and stories” (Star Tribune, Minneapolis), Susan Orlean’s thrilling journey through the stacks reveals how these beloved institutions provide much more than just books—and why they remain an essential part of the heart, mind, and soul of our country.




British Librarianship and Information Work 2001–2005


Book Description

This important reference volume covers developments in aspects of British library and information work during the five year period 2001-2005. Over forty contributors, all of whom are experts in their subject, provide an overview of their field along with extensive further references which act as a starting point for further research. The book provides a comprehensive record of library and information management during the past five years and will be essential reading for all scholars, library professionals and students.




British librarianship and information work 2011-2015


Book Description

This is the latest in an important series of reviews going back to 1928. The book contains 28 chapters, written by experts in their field, and reviews developments in the principal aspects of British librarianship and information work in the years 2011-2015.




British Librarianship and Information Work 1991–2000


Book Description

This important reference volume covers developments in almost every aspect of British library and information work during the ten-year period 1991-2000. Some forty contributors, all of whom are experts in their subject, provide a robust overview of their specialities along with extensive further references which act as a starting point for further research. The book provides a comprehensive record of what took place in library and information management during a decade of considerable change and challenges. It is an essential reference resource for librarians and information professionals.




Education for Library Cataloging


Book Description

Examine cataloging and classification training programs around the world Education for Library Cataloging: International Perspectives examines the global development of educational programs for cataloging and classification in the library and information field. Library school faculty and professional librarians from more than 20 countries discuss a wide range of topics, including formal school and continuing education of catalog librarians, education and training for paraprofessional staff in cataloging and technical services, changes in library school programs, and metadata and information organization instruction. Faculty members and seasoned librarians from Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, Latin America, and the Middle East present case studies and overviews of library and information school programs, bibliographies of cited works in both Western and non-Western language literature, and plenty of helpful tables and charts. Articles presented in Education for Library Cataloging: International Perspectives are organized geographically to make it easier to check which countries are covered in each region, and to determine regional similarities and differences. Political, historical, cultural, religious, and linguistic factors were also considered to demonstrate the wide range of educational efforts and programs to cultivate cataloging professionals all over the world. Topics examined in Education for Library Cataloging: International Perspectives include: * education and training development for librarians in the University of Botswana Library * the library science school curricula in the Cross River State of Nigeria * the training of students in cataloging via distant education in South Africa * education programs in China * the education for knowledge organization (including cataloging and classification) in India * the current status of cataloging education in Japan * on the job training of catalog librarians in South Korea * the education for cataloging in Australia * how catalog librarians are trained in Germany and Austria * recent changes to the library education system in Poland * a critical study of cataloging instruction within the library and information science programs in Spain * a recent survey of graduate education and training for cataloging and classification in the United Kingdom * an overview of the education for cataloging and classification in Mexico * the current status of cataloging and classification education in Egypt * recent changes to cataloging teaching in Israel * the continuing education for catalogers in Saudi Arabia * and much more Many of the articles presented in Education for Library Cataloging: International Perspectives document the initial efforts to introduce education for cataloging in particular countries, including Egypt and Japan. This book is an invaluable resource for library and information school educators, administrators, and students.




Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science


Book Description

"The Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science provides an outstanding resource in 33 published volumes with 2 helpful indexes. This thorough reference set--written by 1300 eminent, international experts--offers librarians, information/computer scientists, bibliographers, documentalists, systems analysts, and students, convenient access to the techniques and tools of both library and information science. Impeccably researched, cross referenced, alphabetized by subject, and generously illustrated, the Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science integrates the essential theoretical and practical information accumulating in this rapidly growing field."







Opportunities for Reference Services


Book Description

This book, first published in 1991, explores the changing roles of reference services and offers advice and practical ideas to guide librarians through the increasingly tangled maze of duties being thrust upon the reference staff. Although the everyday work of the reference librarian is often taken for granted, these insightful chapters illuminate the essential service performed by the reference librarians as they facilitate access to information for a wide variety of users. Furthermore, this book helps reference librarians face the future by examining the technological and service developments that will challenge their profession. It addresses unique reference problems such as making use of the telephone as an information gathering tool, selecting reference material for the interdisciplinary field of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation (HPER), and helping non-law students with legal research. Topics related to information systems are examined such as the limitations of end-user online services, and an evaluation of the Library of Congress Information system. Authoritative contributors make recommendations on how to design services to coordinate with the new technology and how to change librarians’ roles so they can assist people in using these systems.