Pre And Post Retirement Tips For Librarians

Smallwood’s volume offers insight, inspiration, and tips for those already retired as well as those thinking about retiring.

Written by contributors from across the field, this eclectic guide offers best practices suitable for managers in all types of libraries.

Creative Management of Small Public Libraries in the 21st Century is an anthology on small public libraries as centers of communities serving populations under 25,000 that make up most of the public library systems in the United States. A wide selection of topics was sought from contributors with varied backgrounds reflecting the diversity of small public libraries. The thirty-two chapters are arranged: Staff; Programming; Management; Technology; Networking; Fundraising; User Services and provide tools to lead a local public library with relevant and successful services. This volume shares a common sense approach to providing a small (in staff size or budget) but mighty (in impact and outcome) public library service. The contributors demonstrate that by turning the service delivery team outward to the community with enthusiasm and positive energy, it is possible to achieve significant results. Many chapters summarize best practices that can serve as checklists for the novice library director or as a review for the more seasoned manager working through new responsibilities. Chapters are tactical, focusing on specific issues for managers such as performance evaluations, effective programming, or e-reader services. Time management is crucial in a small or rural public library as well as the challenges associated with managing Friends and volunteers. While most public libraries do not have the resources to satisfy customer expectations for instant gratification, ultra-convenience and state-of-the-art technologies, The authors of this book details strategies and methods for providing top-notch customer service while moving beyond customer service to the creation of meaningful customer relationships. This volume makes an important contribution to the literature by reminding us that public libraries transform communities of every size. In fact, never before has the role of the public library been a more critical thread in the fabric of community life.

As budgets for libraries continue to shrink, the key challenge facing the 21st century librarian is finding how to do more with less. This book features more than thirty essays that provide valuable tips for the professional who must cope with increasing demands upon their resources. Librarians will get tips on how to identify the most important tasks for the library; eliminate non-essential functions and processes; increase reliance on volunteers, interns, and students; optimize daily routines; and more.

Increasingly, libraries are struggling to deal with a growing diversity in the cultural background of their patrons. Problems arising from this cultural diversity afflict all library types--school, public and academic. Library Services for Multicultural Patrons is by and for all libraries that are striving to provide multicultural services to match the growing diversity in the cultural background of patrons. The book is designed to offer helpful tips and practical advice to academic, public, and school librarians who want to better serve the multicultural groups in their communities. The contributors to the book are themselves practicing librarians and they share creative ideas for welcoming multicultural patrons into libraries and strategies for serving them more effectively. Librarians will find in these chapters tried and true tips and techniques for marketing and promotion, improving reference services for speakers of English as a second language, and enhancing programming that they can easily implement in their own libraries and communities. The chapters are divided into the following categories for ease of access: 1) Getting Organized and Finding Partners, 2) Reaching Students, 3) Community Connections, 4) Applying Technology, 6) Outreach Initiatives, 6) Programming and Events, and 7) Reference Services. Librarians of all types will be pleased to discover easy-to-implement suggestions for collaborative efforts, many rich and diverse programming ideas, strategies for improving reference services and library instruction to speakers of English as a second language, marketing and promotional tips designed to welcome multicultural patrons into the library, and much more.

Both new librarians and those changing directions in the field can benefit greatly from a relationship with a positive and supportive mentor. In this book, public, school, academic, and special librarians, as well as LIS faculty and consultants, offer expertise and wisdom for those wishing to become a mentor or a protege or to implement a mentoring program. Topics include reasons for choosing mentoring relationships, practical tips on setting up a program, internships, practicums, job shadowing, virtual reference, opportunities for those new to the profession and those in mid-career, and mentoring across disciplines. By sharing their personal successes as well as their failures in mentoring, the 35 contributors offer sound advice backed by years of experience, advice that will aid all librarians who seek guidance or want to guide the future of the library profession.

Concise, how-to case studies from practicing public, school, academic, and special librarians provide proven strategies to improve brand management, campaign organization, community outreach, media interaction, social media, and event planning and implementation. Intended for the novice and the old hand, individuals and large staffs, this valuable guide provides librarians with the effective marketing tools necessary to help their libraries thrive in these challenging times.

This Special Report provides the compassionate guidance and pragmatic support that librarians will need to survive possible career crises and reenter the job market with renewed confidence.