The Changing Role In Children S Work In Public Libraries

The book is designed to give students and new library workers the skills they need to succeed as well as get experienced librarians up to speed on the new developments in technology, publishing, and education. The book takes a broad view of all aspects of library work with children, addressing the dramatic and ongoing changes in school and public libraries. - Back cover

Major changes in public libraries throughout the world have led to an increased focus on governance issues. Forging successful futures for public libraries depends on effective governance. This book defines governance and examines its many facets in relation to public library provision internationally, differentiating governance from the policies, processes and practices of public libraries. The perspectives of leaders, practitioners, researchers, decision makers, and service users are presented, offering a variety of views from the past, the present and potential approaches in the future. Decision-making and the roles of decision makers involved in governance are explored. Prominent figures from the public library community throughout the world have contributed their knowledge and experience. Wicked problems facing the public library sector are identified and the varying approaches adopted internationally to deal with them are outlined. There are many practitioner and professional practice issues associated with provision of libraries and views on library usage and delivery vary according to user and practitioner standpoints. Globally diverse content provides directions for the future development of public libraries and for dealing with the emerging challenges facing the library world.

More than 6.5 million children in the US receive special education services; in any given community, approximately one child out of every six will get speech therapy, go to counseling, attend classes exclusively with other children with disabilities, or receive some other service that allows him or her to learn. This new revised edition is a step-by-step guide to serving children and youth with disabilities as well as the family members, caregivers, and other people involved in their lives. The authors show how staff can enable full use of the library’s resources by integrating the methods of educators, medical and psychological therapists, social workers, librarians, parents, and other caregivers. Widening the scope to address the needs of teens as well as preschool and school-age children, this edition also discusses the needs of Spanish-speaking children with disabilities and their families, looking at cultural competency as well as Spanish-language resources. Enhanced with checklists, stories based on real experiences, descriptions of model programs and resources, and an overview of appropriate internet sites and services, this how-to gives thorough consideration to Partnering and collaborating with parents and other professionals Developing special collections and resources Assessing competencies and skills Principles underlying family-centered services and resource-based practices The interrelationship of early intervention, special education, and library service This manual will prove valuable not only to children’s services librarians, outreach librarians, and library administrators, but also early intervention and family support professionals, early childhood and special educators, childcare workers, daycare and after school program providers, and policymakers.

There are some fine collections of essays on Canada's early library history, and a number of scholarly articles devoted to biographies of early Canadian librarians, but the story of children's services in the public library in Canada has yet to be written. Through a case study of children's services in the largest public library system in Canada, Toronto Public Library, during the years 1912--1949 when its children's services were first officially inaugurated and grew to international recognition for excellence, the present work offers a more detailed examination of the service than has yet been undertaken. Though many of Toronto Public Library's internal records are no longer extant, a number yet remain, and through an examination of this evidence, together with interviews with retired staff members, a picture emerges of the early years of children's services. The consistency with which the children's services staff followed and upheld their philosophical ideals was both the Boys' and Girls' Division's strength and its weakness: as the Division grew in size and reputation its internal operation became increasingly rigid and separate from the system as a whole. As the study ends an era of change was about to begin, where the Division would be reabsorbed into the larger structure. Yet for many years it served the purposes of both the library system and the Division to foster different approaches to service for the adult and children's services departments, and for a time, the educational role of library service for children was an important argument for library expansion and equalization of service. This study examines the period of establishment and growth of children's services, during years of political turbulence and economic upheaval, when libraries, like so many social and cultural organizations, began to allocate resources specifically for the needs of children. Toronto Public Library had impressive results to show for these early years. Though the structure of the children's services Division may have changed, children's librarians will recognize the values and ideals in place in their work today, as well as challenges that can only make one exclaim, plus ca change ...