Best Technologies For Public Libraries

Emerging technologies can intimidate with their cost and uncertainty—this book provides flexible options for adopting the most popular ones. Introducing new technologies to your library can be a daunting process; they can be costly, they may be unfamiliar to many staff members, and their success is far from assured. To address these concerns, Best Technologies for Public Libraries accommodates budgets large and small, providing options for both the ambitious and the cost-conscious. Authors Christopher DeCristofaro, James Hutter, and Nick Tanzi provide a resource for staff looking to incorporate a number of emerging technologies into their library and makerspaces. Each chapter explores a new technology, including 3D printing, drones, augmented reality, and virtual reality, covering how the technologies work, the selection process, training, sample programming, best practices, and relevant policy. By describing a variety of program and service ideas across age groups, the book gives readers the ability to first evaluate them within the context of their own organization before incorporating ideas à la carte. This approach helps readers to adopt these new technologies and create policies with uses already in mind.

In this much needed book, Kenneth Varnum and his hand-picked team of contributors look ahead over the most important technologies likely to impact library services over the next five years. It shows library technology staff and administrators where to invest time and money to receive the greatest benefits. Their ideas will stimulate strategic thinking and help library staff make informed decisions about meeting user expectations and delivering services.Highly informative for any library, the diverse chapters include: • Impetus to Innovate: Convergence and Library Trends• Hands-Free Augmented Reality: Impacting the Library Future• Libraries and Archives Augmenting the World• The Future of Cloud-Based Library Systems• Library Discovery• Web Services as the New Websites for Many Libraries• Text Mining• Bigger, Better, Together: Building the Digital Library of the Future• Open Hardware in Libraries.Readership: This leading edge collection offers an expert-level view of library technology that’s just around the corner and is essential reading for systems librarians, students and all librarians who are looking to the technology future.

This work skeptically explores the notion that the internet will soon obviate any need for traditional print-based academic libraries. It makes a case for the library’s staying power in the face of technological advancements (television, microfilm, and CD-ROM’s were all once predicted as the contemporary library’s heir-apparent), and devotes individual chapters to the pitfalls and prevarications of popular search engines, e-books, and the mass digitization of traditional print material.

Emerging Library Technologies, is written for librarians/information professionals, teachers, administrators, researchers, undergraduate/graduate students, and others who are interested in learning about some of the most popular emerging technologies in the media today such as artificial intelligence, robotics, drones, driverless vehicles, big data, virtual/augmented reality, 3D printing, and wearable technologies. This valuable resourse shows how they can be used in libraries and resource centers, and how to get stakeholder buy in for implementing these technologies. Covers innovative insights on how these emerging technologies can be used in all types libraries and resource centers. Discusses how to get key stakeholders on board before implementing emerging technologies including a checklist to complete before presenting your technology proposal to senior management. Brings unique perspective for assisting people who will be displaced by these emerging technologies. Includes resources at the end of every chapter on keeping abreast and building expertise on the emerging technology topic. Contains tips on how professionals can forge strategic relationships to collaborate on emerging technology projects such as preparing students for STEM and STEAM careers. Poses engaging questions for further discussion after each chapter. Includes comprehensive glossary at the end of each chapter.

In Information Tomorrow, Rachel Singer Gordon brings together 20 of today's top thinkers on the intersections between libraries and technology. They address various ways in which new technologies are impacting library services and share their ideas for using technology to meet patrons where they are. In addition to a preface by the editor, the book's foreword by Stephen Abram and 16 chapters feature insights and opinions from these library leaders, bloggers, and futurists:

While it's inspiring to ponder the libraries of the 22nd century, it's a lot more practical to think ahead to the next five years. That's just what Varnum and his hand-picked team of contributors have done, showing library technology staff and administrators where to invest time and money to receive the greatest benefits. Their ideas will stimulate strategic thinking and help library staff make informed decisions about meeting user expectations and delivering services. Sure conversation starters and informative for any library, chapters include “Impetus to Innovate: Convergence and Library Trends,” by A.J. Million and Heather Lea Moulaison“Hands-Free Augmented Reality: Impacting the Library Future,” by Brigitte M. Bell and Terry Cottrell“Libraries and Archives Augmenting the World,” by William Denton“The Future of Cloud-Based Library Systems,” by Steven Bowers and Elliot Jonathan Polak“Library Discovery: From Ponds to Streams,” by Varnum“Exit As Strategy: Web Services as the New Websites for Many Libraries,” by Anson Parker, VP Nagraj, and David Moody“Reading and Non-Reading: Text Mining in Critical Practice,” by Devin Higgins“Bigger, Better, Together: Building the Digital Library of the Future,” by Jeremy York“The Case for Open Hardware in Libraries,” by Jason Griffey This compendium offers an expert-level view of the library technology that’s just around the corner.

Emerging technologies can intimidate with their cost and uncertainty—this book provides flexible options for adopting the most popular ones. Introducing new technologies to your library can be a daunting process; they can be costly, they may be unfamiliar to many staff members, and their success is far from assured. To address these concerns, Best Technologies for Public Libraries accommodates budgets large and small, providing options for both the ambitious and the cost-conscious. Authors Christopher DeCristofaro, James Hutter, and Nick Tanzi provide a resource for staff looking to incorporate a number of emerging technologies into their library and makerspaces. Each chapter explores a new technology, including 3D printing, drones, augmented reality, and virtual reality, covering how the technologies work, the selection process, training, sample programming, best practices, and relevant policy. By describing a variety of program and service ideas across age groups, the book gives readers the ability to first evaluate them within the context of their own organization before incorporating ideas à la carte. This approach helps readers to adopt these new technologies and create policies with uses already in mind.