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Descriptors:
Foreign Countries; Developing Nations; Homeless People; Emergency Shelters; Nongovernmental Organizations; Motivation Techniques; Educational Technology; Children; Program Descriptions; Program Effectiveness; Capacity Building; Vocational Education; Informal Education; Training Methods; Access to Education; Enrollment; Adults; Library Services; Health Services; Libraries; Legal Aid; Documentaries; Video Technology; Educational Objectives; Reading Habits; Reading Motivation; Poverty; Community Centers; Community Education; Community Programs; Community Services; Community Information Services; Academic Libraries; Library Materials; Library Role; Community Development

Abstract:
Each night, around 20,000 people--both adults and children--make the streets of Dhaka (the capital city of Bangladesh) their home. Living amongst the noise, rubbish, and traffic, thousands of families walk down the streets of Dhaka, looking for a safe place to rest for just a few hours each night. Trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty, the pavement dwellers are amongst the most vulnerable people in Bangladesh. Pavement dwellers can be found in ferry landings, train stations, bus stations, market centers, religious shrines, parks, and on footpaths. There are very few organizations which are serving for them. CWW (Concern Worldwide) (one of the International Non-government Organizations) and DCC (Dhaka City Corporation) have jointly come forward to support 10,000 pavement dwellers through dedicated pavement dweller centres, providing them with the opportunity to make their own choices for a better future. It will also establish sustainable services for providing basic functional education for 900 children/youth and 400 adults, psychosocial counseling for 600 children and 150 adults, market-based vocational skills training for 450 children/youth and adults, entrepreneurial skills training for 400 children/youth, and life skills education for 800 children/youth. With a view to this, the project decided to set up libraries based on their shelter centres. The project realizes that as of today in Bangladesh, the poorest communities do not have access to a library. This damages educational outcomes for many. The author has been appointed as a library consultant in that project. It is an amazing experience that based on the demand of the pavement dwellers, the author had to collect the resources and different audio-visual aids. At the beginning, the author had to face tremendous challenges to get their attention because most of the children of the pavement dwellers did not feel interest to any attractive reading books or illustrative collections. They were very much fond of watching movie, cinema, drama, cartoon, Hindi film, action film, and so on. To attract them on library resources, the author has prepared and presented different video documentaries on how river erosion affected children encouraged to read and go to school, how children sex workers become curious to create reading habit which leads them to go to school. For motivating youth pavement dwellers achieving social skills on different professions (like barber, carpenter, shopkeeper, hawker, micro-investor, cooperatives, maid-labour, day-labour, rickshaw-puller, van-driver, etc.), short video documentaries have been made and presented on different IGAs (income generating activities). Thus, libraries have turned into integral part in the lives of the pavement dwellers. The basic aim of the paper is to share the ideas on how a considerable number of children pavement dwellers have been admitted in government and public schools during the last couple of years by the help of the library services. This will reveal how the youth pavement dwellers' capacity has been increased through training and library services. It will also explain a good progress in enabling better access for pavement dwellers and their children to basic services in education, health and legal aid through library and information services. Some interesting case studies will also be discussed in this paper. (Contains 4 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Art Education; Library Services; Public Libraries; Artists; Library Materials; Community Programs; Youth Programs; Art Activities; Adolescents; Library Role; Librarians; Surveys

Abstract:
One of the hottest terms among public librarians today is "content creation," which involves stuff that library patrons make instead of simply use in a library context. Videos, music, fiction, paintings, 3D printed materials, websites--all these are made in public libraries, and will increase in popularity as more libraries shift from purveyors of content to facilitators of creation. Libraries are becoming "incubators" of art, ideas, economic benefits, and community benefits. A library seething with creative energy can shock some traditionalists, who still see the library as a quiet place to read a book. Yet the mission of many public libraries is not only to inform via printed or multimedia materials but also to connect ideas and people, to build communities, and to offer transformative experiences to all by bridging opportunity divides. In light of the "library=transformation" model, art programs are a natural fit. And art programs require teaching artists to lead them. In this article the author looks at the librarians' perspective on hiring teaching artists, running successful art programs, and ways in which librarians and artists can build mutually beneficial partnerships. This article focuses on teen art programs, because few libraries currently have as comprehensive an adult art focus as they do for teens. The phenomenon of adult or all-ages art programming in libraries still appears sporadic or centered in large urban libraries. Teaching artists can use the data and discussion of this research to focus their practice in a public library setting. The author offers recommendations for getting in on the library program action, suggests ways to support the public library's goals and mission, and describes how libraries are supporting teaching artists in particular, and the arts in general. (Contains 10 images and 2 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Public Libraries; Librarians; Library Role; Library Services; Academic Libraries; Library Materials

Abstract:
This article puts forward a credo of librarianship, particularly public librarianship. The writer addresses the differences between academic and public librarianship and suggests that there is little actual difference, and that apparent differences are differences in how librarians react to the environment in which they operate. The effects of the professional reaction to the academic environment on the public librarian are examined. The future of the public library is examined, the practise of librarianship as an ancient and honourable profession is described, and a call is made for the defence of librarianship as a profession. The article was originally given as an address to the Queensland Branch on December 8, 1987. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Public Libraries; Library Role; Human Capital; Quality of Life; Cultural Centers; Internet; Access to Computers; Immigrants; Urban Areas; Career Readiness; Older Adults; Library Services; Electronic Publishing; Adult Literacy; Games; Library Administration; Technological Advancement; English Language Learners

Abstract:
As more and more New Yorkers turn to digital books, Wikipedia and other online tools for information and entertainment, there is a growing sense that the age of the public library is over. But, in reality, New York City's public libraries are more essential than ever. Far from becoming obsolete, the city's three public library systems--Brooklyn, Queens and New York, which encompasses the branches in Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island--have experienced a 40 percent spike in the number of people attending programs and a 59 percent increase in circulation over the past decade. Although they are often thought of as cultural institutions, the reality is that the public libraries are a key component of the city's human capital system. With roots in nearly every community across the five boroughs, New York's public libraries play a critical role in helping adults upgrade their skills and find jobs, assisting immigrants assimilate, fostering reading skills in young people and providing technology access for those who don't have a computer or an Internet connection at home. The libraries also are uniquely positioned to help the city address several economic, demographic and social challenges that will impact New York in the decades ahead. Despite all of this, New York policymakers, social service leaders and economic officials have largely failed to see the public libraries as the critical 21st century resource that they are, and the libraries themselves have only begun to make the investments that will keep them relevant in today's digital age. One way or another, New York needs to better leverage its libraries if it is to be economically competitive and remain a city of opportunity. This report takes an in-depth look at the role that New York's public libraries play in the city's economy and quality of life and examines opportunities for libraries to make even greater contributions in the years ahead. (Contains 38 endnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Public Libraries; Data Analysis; Internet; Library Services; National Surveys; Federal Legislation; Questionnaires; Census Figures; Information Technology; Library Facilities; Library Materials; Library Personnel

Abstract:
The Public Libraries Survey (PLS) is a voluntary survey conducted annually by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). IMLS collects these data under the mandate in the Museum and Library Services Act of 2003 as stated in SEC. 210. The U.S. Census Bureau is the data collection agent for IMLS. The fiscal year (FY) 2009 survey is the 22nd in the series. This report provides summary information about public libraries in the 50 states and the District of Columbia for state FY2009. It covers service measures such as number of uses of electronic resources, number of Internet terminals used by the general public, reference transactions, interlibrary loans, circulation, library visits, children's program attendance, and circulation of children's materials. It also includes information about size of collection, staffing, operating revenue and expenditures, type of legal basis, and number and type of public library service outlets. This report is based on the final data file. The PLS is designed as a universe survey. The survey frame consists of 9,277 public libraries (9,225 public libraries in the 50 states and the District of Columbia and 52 public libraries in the outlying areas of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands), as identified by state library agencies. (Public libraries in one outlying area, American Samoa, are not included in the survey frame because their state library agency has never responded to the request for participation in the survey). A total of 9,082 of the 9,277 public libraries in the survey frame responded to the FY2009 PLS (including Guam and Puerto Rico), for a unit response rate of 97.9 percent. Item response rates are included in the tables in this report. The data were submitted over the Internet via a web-based reporting system. This report includes the following major sections: (1) Introduction, which includes (a) Survey Purpose and Data Items Included in this Report; (b) Congressional Authorization; (c) Key Library Terminology; (d) Types of Tables Included in this Report; (e) History of the Public Libraries Survey; (2) Findings from the FY2009 data collection; (3) Tables (including State Ranking Tables in Appendix A); (4) Technical Notes (Appendix B); and (5) Survey Questionnaire (Appendix C). (Contains 77 tables, 38 figures and 8 footnotes.) [For "Public Libraries Survey: Fiscal Year 2008," see ED534451.] Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Research Libraries; Correlation; Library Materials; Library Services; Sport Psychology; Library Role; Performance Factors; Performance Technology; Library Research; Information Services; Exercise Physiology; Performance Based Assessment; Foreign Countries; College Athletics

Abstract:
To demonstrate the effectiveness of university libraries, we investigated the relationship between university students' sports performances and their libraries collections of sports. By examining approximately 20 university libraries' collections and their sports ranks, as indicated by Waseda Sports 2008, we demonstrated their positive correlation. In particular, the books whose topics are limited to enhancing specific sports performances are more correlated than those about sports in general. (Contains 4 tables and 3 footnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Printed Materials; Special Libraries; Public Libraries; Reference Services; Library Services; Librarians; Academic Libraries; Library Science; Masters Degrees; Electronic Learning; Online Courses; Users (Information); Higher Education; Community Colleges; Two Year Colleges; Electronic Libraries; Computer Mediated Communication; Undergraduate Students; Bibliographies; Library Materials; Library Role; History; Libraries

Abstract:
The job of the contemporary reference librarian has a virtual component unimaginable a generation ago. Today's library professional can obtain an MLS (or equivalent) online with a minimal residency requirement. Not only the degree, but also library sources, and indeed patrons, have become virtual. Both books and periodicals can be consulted by remote access. What happens when a virtual librarian comes to work in a bricks and mortar library with flesh and blood patrons who need bound and print resources? This generational divide permits us to view the evolution of the reference librarian in academic (including community colleges) and public libraries over the past decades. The evolution of service offered by reference librarians followed three main lines of development: refinement of technique, subject specialization, the impact of technology. Unfortunately, libraries have not maintained consistency in the level of service offered to patrons. Libraries and librarians often provide a minimum level of reference service to the mass of undergraduates, and operate as something of a special library when dealing with more advanced (for example, faculty) or specialized clientele. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Library Services; Institutional Mission; Influence of Technology; Technological Advancement; Library Development; Library Materials; Organizational Change; Institutional Characteristics; Access to Computers; Electronic Publishing; Library Role; Library Automation

Abstract:
The core mission of libraries has always centered on making content and related services available to patrons. The form in which that content is delivered has changed continually. The most ancient libraries or archives organized clay tablets or cylinders written in cuneiform. Centuries ago, the transition from scrolls to codices must have been traumatic. Many may have seen the humorous video where a scholar in the middle ages who was used to unwinding scrolls experiences a book for the first time and struggles with how to open it and find information in the unfamiliar format. In the present times, these kind of radical transformations happen not every few centuries but every few years. In recent decades, libraries have worked their way through a succession of changes in technology and in media that creates opportunities for library services that may or may not endure. The author does not anticipate any end to the ongoing cycle of technology-related services offered by libraries, as long as libraries adapt quickly to each round of change. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Research Libraries; Library Services; Foreign Countries; Library Materials; Library Research; Academic Libraries; Evaluation Methods; Outcome Measures; Value Judgment; Measurement Techniques; Consortia; Use Studies; Information Services

Abstract:
Demonstrating the value of library and information services has been a theme in library discussions in recent years. The application of many different approaches to evaluation has waxed and waned together with the development of theories of evaluation across the humanities and social sciences. Over the past two decades research and activity on library value has seen the adoption of new approaches and an increase in the number of studies. There has been a new enthusiasm for harnessing increasingly sophisticated methods and a great range of metrics has resulted from these approaches. The development of more complex means of valuing library services has taken the road from simple output measures to calculating broad social value measures. This paper provides a summary of a report by Outsell commissioned by the Group of 8 University libraries in Australia which was led by Vic Elliott, then University Librarian, Australian National University (Elliott 2010). (Contains 9 tables and 4 graphs.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Literacy; Leadership; Library Services; Nonfiction; Elementary Secondary Education; Librarians; Leadership Role; Librarian Attitudes; Library Materials; School Libraries; Public Libraries; Academic Standards; State Standards

Abstract:
Librarians say they view the common core, with its emphasis on explanation, complex text, and cross-disciplinary synthesis, as an unprecedented opportunity for them to really strut their stuff. Adopted by all but four states, the standards have prompted coordinating discussions among the library-association divisions that represent librarians in public schools, city libraries, and higher education. All librarians are affected by the new expectations: those who help at K-12 schools, at city libraries during the after-school and weekend hours, and those on college campuses, who have had to support students unequipped for college-level research and inquiry. The common standards have prompted school librarians to "take a hard look" at their collections to weed out dated material and bolster challenging fiction and nonfiction resources. In doing so, they are looking especially closely at the rigor of the readings they offer, since the standards emphasize assigning students "on-grade-level" texts, even if that means extra supports are needed to help them. Librarians are also looking to better balance their collections with high-quality nonfiction since the standards use such texts as content-builders and vehicles for the teaching of discipline-specific literacy skills. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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