Library Best Practices

Library Grants, Resources & Best Practices

"Books constitute capital. A library book lasts as long as a house, for hundreds of years. It is not, then, an article of mere consumption but fairly of capital, and often in the case of professional men, setting out in life, it is their only capital." Thomas Jefferson

In Focus

Computing Takes to the Cloud

This article covers the basic concepts of cloud computing for individuals and for organizations, explores what libraries are doing in the cloud, and looks briefly at some security concerns.

Read on...

By the Numbers

Survey of the Use of RFID in Libraries

This report looks closely at the eBook purchasing and deployment practices of libraries. The study presents detailed data on eBook and eBook technology purchasing and plans, and presents data for spending on particular aggregators and for particular types of technology. The study breaks down purchasing between aggregators and individual publishers and also presents data on purchasing plans for various subject areas, as well as for eDirectories, eAudio books and eTextbooks.

The report also gives extensive information on use of and purchasing plans for eBook readers, tablet computers and eBook enabled smartphone technology, among other areas. Data are highly specific and broken out for many different types of product and manufacturer.

The study also covers how libraries are developing eBook collection plans, integrating eBooks into course reserves, developing information literacy training, and handling interlibrary loan plans, including use of eBook "borrowing" sites.

Highlights:

Approximately 46.5% of libraries have a current contract for eBooks with NetLibrary/Ebsco.
Government libraries spent an average of $142.86 on eBooks and other electronic documents from Amazon.com in the past year; public libraries spent an average of just $2.11 in this time.
A mean of 75.21% of the total eBook spending by libraries in the sample was spent with aggregators that offer books from many publishers.
16.83% of libraries currently offer Apple iPads to patrons or staff, and 10.89% plan to acquire them in the next year.
In the upcoming year, libraries in the sample plan to spend a mean of approximately $4,453 on electronic directories.

Learn more...

Grants & Funding

53 grant opportunities. Browse grants...

Knowledge Center

Learn what and how libraries around the country are doing to improve patron services and operate more efficiently.

Best Practices: Enhancing Your Library

Case Study: Integrated Library Systems

Case Study: Library Shelving

Case Study: Discovery Layers and the Distance Student: Online Search Habits of Students

Browse Knowledge Center Archives
Best Practices | Case Studies | White Papers

Showcase | Best-in-Class Products & Services for Your Library

Distinctive Chairs That Meet the Test of Time

CoxNet

Eustis Chair manufactures hardwood chairs for libraries, dining halls, chapels, clubs and other high-use spaces. Our chairs are designed for elegance and comfort, and engineered for lasting durability. They are built in our US factories, using US-grown hardwoods and other premium-quality materials. Details

Setting the Standard for Moving Libraries On Time, On Budget, and With the Highest Degree of Accuracy.

Just walk the aisles of The Library of Congress, The University of Maryland's Health Sciences Library or The Library of Virginia, and you'll see that our library moving experience speaks volumes. For over 40 years Library Relocation Services has set the standard for moving libraries on time, on budget, and with the highest degree of accuracy. Our project team has successfully managed thousands of library relocations across the country, so contact the specialists when you're ready to check out of your current location and into a new one. Details

At Worden, we’ve spent over 60 years figuring out what works best in study environments. We specialize in designing and manufacturing tables, study carrels, computer stations, shelving, end panels, circulation desks, seating and residential hall furniture. But our real work is making the kind of space that invites people in, supports the way they work, and stands up to a generation of use. Details

On a Lighter Note

Cartoon

Browse Library Humor Archives

Your Career

View sample issue of Library Bid & RFP Alert.

January 2012

In This Issue

Hot Topics

Ebooks on Fire: Controversies Surrounding Ebooks in Libraries

Libraries Succeed by Constantly Evolving

One Way to Encourage Checking-Out at the Library

Publishers vs. Libraries: An E-Book Tug of War

Web Sites Worth a Look

The Lib-Value bibliographic database includes more than 800 individual items from library and information science literature as well as relevant material from such diverse disciplines as higher education administration, museum assessment, and environmental economics.

LYRASIS launches FOSS4LIB to provide guidance to libraries about open source software.

Tools & Resources

AddALL: Book price search and comparison tool.

Free replacement for Steady State... Steadier State.

New search engine for media and documents...FindThatFile.

Discovering What Works: Librarians Compare Discovery Interface Experiences. Also see CMS Matrix.

Managing Twitter accounts:
HootSuite allows you to schedule tweets/updates on different social media networks. A real-time dashboard for manages updates on the networks you choose, and when you post links, you get weekly reports on the number of clicks they received. It also has a feature that posts updates on social networks when RSS feeds of your choice are updated. Also see CoTweet.

Creating interactive Web forms.

Trending

UC Libraries Academic e-Book Usage Survey

Citizens of Drupal: Staffing & Sustainability in the Open Source Environment: An Informal Survey

What Teens Are Really Reading

Patron Driven Acquisition of Publisher-hosted Content: Bypassing DRM