A fresh, detailed, and thoughtful examination of reference services in the context of evolving community information needs and habits, a changing technological landscape, and new search strategies. Professional practices in the field of library reference services have changed dramatically in the past decade in response to shrinking print reference collections and evolving technology, search strategies, and user needs and interests. This new guide explains all the basics of reference services, covering resource types and awareness of their appropriate uses, collection development and maintenance techniques that support reference service work, the latest online searching techniques, and best practices for service interactions through various platforms, including email, chat, text, phone, and face to face. Additionally, it addresses reference service ethics; communication and conducting reference interviews; important policies related to reference service development, provision, and maintenance; alternative reference service delivery points now in use; and professional service provider networking. Both experienced reference librarians and those new to reference service will benefit from in-depth coverage of recent changes in online reference resources and print-based resources, guidelines for authoritative evaluation of web-based resources, explanations of online catalog searching skills, and tips for reference web page construction. The book also contains an expanded section on making digitized collections accessible and relevant; information on the growing need of members of the general population for help with various federal government access programs ranging from Veterans Affairs and Social Security to health care access, income tax regulation fulfillment, and immigrant documentation; and explanations of copyright in the digital sphere of resource use and transfer.

How should Christians approach important contemporary issues like war, race, creation care, gender, and politics? Christians in every culture are confronted with social trends and moral questions that can be difficult to navigate. But, the Bible often doesn't speak directly to such issues. Even when it does, it can be confusing to know how best to apply the biblical teaching. In Cultural Engagement: A Crash Course in Contemporary Issues authors Joshua D. Chatraw and Karen Swallow Prior first offer a broadly accessible framework for cultural engagement and then explore specific hot topics in current Western culture including: Sexuality Gender Roles Human Life and Reproduction Technology Immigration and Race Creation and Creature Care Politics Work Arts War, Weapons, and Capital Punishment Featuring contributions from over forty top thinkers, proponents of various views on the specific topics present their approaches in their own words, providing readers an opportunity to fairly consider options. Unique in how it addresses both big-picture questions about cultural engagement and pressing current issues, Cultural Engagement provides a thorough and broad introduction useful for students, professors, pastors, college ministers, and any believer wanting to more effectively exercise their faith in the public square.

Every library needs to have a disaster management plan in place before disaster strikes. This short but thorough manual makes preparing for disaster less intimidating. All library staff, from library volunteers to library directors and branch managers, have a role to play in preparing for and recovering from disaster. Written by an expert in preservation services, Crash Course in Disaster Preparedness contains all of the information library professionals need to prepare for an emergency, should one arise. Carmen Cowick identifies common terminology; teaches readers how to conduct risk assessment, how to write a disaster plan, and how to design emergency procedures; and introduces readers to the basic principles of salvaging. Throughout, Cowick shows readers how to prioritize library collections during a fire, flood, power outage, and other natural and human-caused disasters so as to maximize preservation of library materials.

Learn how to improve teen services in public libraries by better understanding teen development and having positive interactions with teens to provide appropriate and interesting collections and services. A library can be a tremendous resource for teens—one that helps them to learn about themselves and the world they live in. But teenagers are intrinsically different from children and from adults, and these critical developmental differences affect the ways they interact with others, both in the world at large and in the library. Serving teens effectively in the library requires a basic understanding of who teens are and the developmental tasks they face—factors that affect all aspects of library service, from the specific programs and services we offer to the ways that staff provide assistance to the teen who is seeking help at a library service desk. This book enables library workers to better understand adolescent development, which allows them to provide a positive library experience for teens. Readers will learn how to supply excellent library services with and for teens, including in the areas of collection development, readers' advisory, reference and homework help, programming, and advocacy. The book identifies the best ways to have positive interactions with teens in the library based on their mental development and details best practices for teen services. The concluding section discusses advocating for teens, with emphasis on their right to privacy and equal access to materials and services.

This book offers time management tools, tips, and techniques for busy librarians, so they can better serve their communities and feel greater satisfaction with work and life. Being short on resources is now "the new normal" for libraries—and having too little money and too few staff members always brings library staff to the same predicament: not enough time. While it is not possible to create more time, by making use of the right time management tools and techniques, it IS possible to make huge improvements in your productivity—and as side benefits, a decrease in job stress and frustration and a greater sense of work satisfaction. This book shows how to apply powerful time management strategies so you can get more done, deliver the best service possible to your patrons, and enjoy being in an environment that fosters greater creativity and workplace satisfaction. Topics include time tracking, task management, identifying goals and priorities, beating the obstacles of procrastination and perfectionism as well as distractions and interruptions, and staying on top of time management when collaborating. Quotes and stories from individuals who work in libraries illustrate key points and concepts throughout the book. The final chapter explains how to set a personal plan for time management—using the awareness of your own patterns, obstacles, and goals, and the experience you have gained with various time management techniques and tools—to create your own unique time management strategy and make time management an ongoing, long-term priority.

The next twenty years will be completely unlike the last twenty years. The world is in economic crisis, and there are no easy fixes to our predicament. Unsustainable trends in the economy, energy, and the environment have finally caught up with us and are converging on a very narrow window of time—the "Twenty-Teens." The Crash Course presents our predicament and illuminates the path ahead, so you can face the coming disruptions and thrive--without fearing the future or retreating into denial. In this book you will find solid facts and grounded reasoning presented in a calm, positive, non-partisan manner. Our money system places impossible demands upon a finite world. Exponentially rising levels of debt, based on assumptions of future economic growth to fund repayment, will shudder to a halt and then reverse. Unfortunately, our financial system does not operate in reverse. The consequences of massive deleveraging will be severe. Oil is essential for economic growth. The reality of dwindling oil supplies is now internationally recognized, yet virtually no developed nations have a Plan B. The economic risks to individuals, companies, and countries are varied and enormous. Best-case, living standards will drop steadily worldwide. Worst-case, systemic financial crises will toss the world into jarring chaos. This book is written for those who are motivated to learn about the root causes of our predicaments, protect themselves and their families, mitigate risks as much as possible, and control what effects they can. With challenge comes opportunity, and The Crash Course offers a positive vision for how to reshape our lives to be more balanced, resilient, and sustainable.