Arrowhead Library System (ALS) has a long-standing commitment to maintaining a collection of current publication titles of interest to librarians, library staff and library trustees. The collection is housed at the ALS Headquarters in Mountain Iron, but all titles can be requested via the online catalog (if you have a borrower’s card from an ALS library) or via the statewide MNLINK catalog (if you have a borrower’s card from Duluth Public Library). If you have questions about borrowing titles from the ALS Professional Collection, feel free to call ALS staff! Here are the latest additions to the ALS collection:
Foundations of Intellectual Freedom
Emily J. M. Knox
ALA Neal-Schuman, 2023
025.2 KNO 2023
Enshrined in the mission statement of ALA, intellectual freedom is one of the core values of the information professions. The importance of ensuring information access to all, and the historical, social, and legal foundations of this commitment, are powerfully explored in this essential primer. Designed to function as both an introductory text for LIS students as well as a complementary resource for current professionals, this book provides a cohesive, holistic perspective on intellectual freedom. Extending beyond censorship to encompass such timely and urgent topics as hate speech and social justice, from this book readers will gain an understanding of
- the historical and legal roots of intellectual freedom, with an in-depth examination of John Stuart Mill’s “On Liberty” and Article 19 of the U.N Declaration of Human Rights, and its central concepts and principles;
- the intersection of intellectual freedom, freedom of expression, and social justice;
- professional values, codes of ethics, ALA’s Library Bill of Rights, and Freedom to Read/View Statements;
- pro- and anti- censorship arguments and their use in impeding and facilitating access to information;
- book banning and internet filtering;
- privacy and its relationship to information services;
- U.S. case law and precedents;
- the basics of U.S. copyright law, including fair use, and how it differs from international copyright law; and
- emerging global issues and their impact on future intellectual freedom.
Manga in Libraries: A Guide for Teen Librarians
Jillian Rudes
ALA Editions, 2023
025.2 RUD 2023
Manga, which encompasses comics originating from Japan, is treasured by readers of all ages. And because of its emotional storytelling, breathtaking artwork, and relatable and transformative stories about humanity, manga is especially popular with teens. Whether you provide reference services and readers’ advisory, handle programming, or teach in the classroom, this book from manga expert Rudes will show you how to connect young readers to manga for entertainment, empowerment, and literacy. You will learn
- a brief history of Japanese visual storytelling, the birth and rise of manga, and an overview of its astonishing variety of genres and audiences;
- helpful information about key manga publishers’ age rating systems and content warnings;
- collection development questions to consider along with suggested titles and authors for building a core collection;
- advice on countering book challenges and censorship through effective policies and advocacy;
- why diverse and inclusive representation in manga matters, illustrated through interviews with library workers and experts from the field, complete with guidance on appropriate manga titles for LGBTQAI+ teens, BIPOC readers, and other diverse populations;
- how to use manga to foster teens’ social-emotional learning (SEL), with suggested manga that connect with SEL and sample discussion questions;
- ways to engage teens through manga book clubs, anime watch parties, teen-led workshops, and other programming;
- examples of lesson plans and activities for teaching with manga in libraries and classrooms; and
- links to webinars, book lists, and additional resources for getting up to speed and staying current with manga.
The Librarian’s Guide to Bibliotheraphy
Judit H. Ward & Nicholas A. Allred
ALA Editions, 2024
025.5 WAR 2024
Bibliotherapy can be defined as the use of guided reading for therapeutic ends. And though you might not be a licensed mental health professional, you can—and do, even without knowing it—support mental health and personal growth by connecting patrons to books that heal. Regardless of your previous experience or existing skills, this guide will empower you to make “shelf help” a part of your library’s relationship with its community. Drawing on Reading for Recovery, the authors’ own Carnegie-Whitney grant-funded project, this guide
- begins with an overview of bibliotherapy, including its concepts and history, and sketches out how its various approaches can be adapted for library settings;
- explores the potential of bibliotherapy as an add-on to existing skills, services, practices, and collections;
- demonstrates how bibliotherapy-inspired initiatives can address the needs of diverse communities, thus advancing libraries’ commitment to EDISJ;
- offers techniques for selecting reading material for your audience with bibliotherapy in mind;
- provides a range of possible programs, from group discussions and public events to book displays and reading lists, along with a step-by-step approach to planning and implementing them;
- shares outreach tips, tools, and branding ideas to make the most of your resources and effectively reach your audience;
- demonstrates how to use assessment tools to test and tweak your program at every stage to achieve the results you want; and
- inspires you to take your offerings into new directions, such as creative writing and visual art programs, that fit your library and community.
Serving Patrons with Disabilities: Perspectives and Insights from People with Disabilities
Edited by Kodi Laskin
ALA Editions, 2023
027.6 SER 2023
Ensuring accessibility is more important than ever; however, answering questions of what needs to be done and why to make a library accessible can be an uncomfortable and daunting hurdle to true inclusion. This book is a safe, nonjudgmental tool for overcoming this awkwardness, offering readers practical, to-the-point information and guidance that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Its contributors showcase real-world stories and viewpoints that illustrate ways to provide excellent customer service and a safe environment to all patrons regardless of ability. Readers will learn about
- bridging the gap between people with disabilities and those without, through empathy, patience, and understanding;
- techniques for training staff and overcoming discomfort;
- making your library accessible for people with mobility issues;
- how to interact with and assist a person with limited sight or hearing;
- guidance for interacting with a service animal handler;
- advice on library programming for people with learning differences; and
- best practices for effective service to patrons who use a speech assistance device.
Classroom Management for School Librarians
Hilda K. Weisburg
ALA Editions, 2020
027.80973 WEI 2020
Your library is your classroom, and you are responsible for it no matter what’s happening there. Ineffective classroom management can hamper or completely negate your efforts at creating a strong library program, and that’s true whether you’re a new school librarian just starting out or one with many years under your belt. This powerful resource from Hilda K. Weisburg, drawing from her decades of mentorship and hard-won wisdom, will show you how to prevent, deal with, and overcome discipline problems you may face when communicating with and teaching K-12 students. You’ll also learn ways to make the library a welcoming environment and incorporate trauma-informed learning into your practice. As you read, you’ll gain crucial insights on issues such as
- how to stay centered and focused by drawing up plans, guidelines, and policies that will give you a formal basis for your decisions and actions;
- the differences between management and control;
- cooperation, collaboration, and co-teaching—and where curriculum fits in;
- techniques for handling distractions, disruptions, and defiance;
- practical steps for creating a safe and welcoming space through guidance on equity, diversity, and inclusion;
- time management as a tool for juggling extra responsibilities such as book clubs and extra-curricular activities;
- strategies for coping with stress when you feel overwhelmed; and
- ending the year right by creating your own checklist of “closing” tasks, including assessment and reflection.
Foundations of Information Law
Paul T. Jaeger, Jonathan Lazar, Ursula Gorham, and Natalie Greene Taylor
ALA Neal-Schuman, 2023
342.08 JAE 2023
Learning the basic concepts of information law and the many legal concepts that come into play in the field of librarianship can seem like an overwhelming endeavor. Drawing upon the authors’ unique backgrounds in both law and librarianship, this text is designed to empower readers to understand, rather than be intimidated by, the law. It melds essential context, salient examples of best practices, and stimulating discussions to illuminate numerous key legal and social issues directly related to the information professions. Helping readers better understand the role of law in their work, this primer
- discusses information law as part of a continuum of interrelated issues rather than an assortment of discrete topics;
- examines information law in the context of different types of libraries;
- delves into the manifold legal issues raised when interacting with patrons and communities, from intellectual freedom topics like censorship and public activities in the library to the legal issues surrounding materials and information access;
- elucidates operational and management legal issues, including library security, interacting with law enforcement, advocacy, lobbying, funding, human resources, and liability;
- promotes literacy of the law, its structures, and its terminology as a professional skill;
- gives readers the tools to find and understand different sources of legal authority and demonstrates how to interpret them when they conflict; and
- explores information law as a national and cross-national issue.
Complete Copyright for K-12 Librarians and Educators, 2nd Edition
Carrie Russell
ALA Editions, 2023
364.7304 RUS 2023
Particularly in places of learning, technology is all-pervasive; because everyone is always making copies, copyright is center stage. And copyright law, when misapplied or misinterpreted, affects not only the way that you teach but even what you teach. With decades of experience interpreting the intricacies of copyright law as it pertains to librarianship, Russell is the ideal authority to address the concerns of librarians, teachers, and teaching librarians who work in the K–12 environment. Her book will encourage you to stop allowing your fear of copyright issues to limit how and what you share or teach, and instead be more involved in shaping copyright law to better serve your learning community. Through scenario-based discussions, it covers key topics such as
- the reasons librarians and teachers have so many misconceptions about copyright, and why understanding copyright is a process, not a one-time event;
- recent legislative and policy developments that impact schools and libraries;
- situations often encountered by educators, such as using copyrighted material in class assignments, digital lesson plans, bulletin board displays, social media, school plays, and band performances and talent shows;
- the use of licensed content in a variety of settings;
- what constitutes “fair use,” so that you can be empowered by knowing exactly what’s possible within the law; and
- guidance on making long-term strategic decisions and developing copyright policies
Using Open Educational Resources to Promote Social Justice
Edited by CJ Ivory & Angela Pashia
Association of College and Research Libraries, 2022
378.199 USI 2022
Using Open Educational Resources to Promote Social Justice explores the opportunities and challenges of moving the discussion about open educational resources (OER) beyond affordability to address structural inequities found throughout academia and scholarly publishing. OER have the potential to celebrate research done by marginalized populations in the context of their own communities, to amplify the voices of those who have the knowledge but have been excluded from formal prestige networks, and to engage students as co-creators of learning content that is relevant and respectful of their cultural contexts.
Using Open Educational Resources to Promote Social Justice offers something for everyone who advocates for open pedagogy and OER across campus, from librarians to teaching faculty to centers for teaching and learning. It demonstrates ways that open pedagogy—and especially practices that encourage students to participate in building or localizing OER—can provide a way to incorporate a wider range of perspectives into original research projects and add these crucial perspectives into the scholarly discourse.
This book is also available as an open access edition at https://bit.ly/ACRLOERSJ.
Halo Data: Understanding and Leveraging the Value of your Data
Caroline Carruthers & Peter Jackson
Facet Publishing, 2023
658.4038 CAR 2023
The past two decades have seen an explosion both in the volume of data we use, and our understanding of its management. However, while techniques and technology for manipulating data have advanced rapidly in this time, the concepts around the value of our data have not. This lack of progress has made it increasingly difficult for organizations to understand the value in their data, the value of their data and how exploit that value.
Halo Data proposes a paradigm shift in methodology for organizations to properly appreciate and leverage the value of their data. Written by an author team with many years’ experience in data strategy, management and technology, the book will first review the current state of our understanding of data. This opening will demonstrate the limitations of this status quo, including a discussion on metadata and its limitations, data mining, data enrichment and Big Data. Following this, the book will present a new concept and framework for understanding and quantifying value in an organization’s data and a practical methodology for using this in practice. Ideal for data leaders and executives who are looking to leverage the data at their fingertips.
