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:
Anonymity (Library Futures Series, Book 1)
Alison Macrina & Talya Cooper
ALA Neal-Schuman, 2019
020.285 MAL 2019
Formally launched in 2014, ALA’s Center for the Future of Libraries works to identify emerging trends relevant to libraries and the communities they serve, promote futuring and innovation techniques to help librarians and library professionals shape their future, and build connections with experts and innovative thinkers to help libraries address emerging issues. The first volume in a new series presented in partnership with the Center, Anonymity explores the roles and ramifications of this hallmark of technology. In the virtual realm, anonymity means that such bedrock values of librarianship as privacy, free speech, and intellectual freedom coexist uneasily with the proliferation of fake news, sexist and racist sentiments, and repugnant ideologies. As trusted guardians of knowledge, libraries and librarians can fill a growing need for reputable information and open dialog.
Macrina, founder and director of the Library Freedom Project and a core contributor to the Tor Project, along with co-author Cooper, whose important advocacy in archives informs this work, discuss apps (Whisper, Secret) and forums (Reddit) that promote anonymity as a central feature, even as so-called true anonymity remains elusive because of pervasive user data tracking. They also examine how anonymous content has become valuable fodder for both news organizations and clickbait websites. Will the rise of anonymity and the vulnerabilities it exposes, especially for governments and businesses, lead to a movement against it? Or have our society and its technology passed the point of no return? Bringing issues and viewpoints from outside the profession into the conversation, this book will encourage libraries to think about anonymity and what it means for the future of our institutions.
There is No Such Thing as a Typical Librarian
Steven John Antonuccio
Rhyolite Press LLC, 2019
020.92 ANT 2019
There is No Such Thing as a Typical Librarian pulls back the curtain on the day to day operation of working in both an academic and public library. It is a love letter to the library profession based on the personal experiences of Steve Antonuccio, who worked in libraries for over 30 years. Mr. Antonuccio began his career as a media specialist for Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Springs in 1982. He spent 20 years at the Pikes Peak Library District creating and operating the Library Channel as the manager of the educational cable access studio. The Library Channel reached 80,000 households in Colorado Springs. He produced over 100 video portraits and documentaries and was nominated for two Heartland Emmy awards and two national Cable Ace awards for his programming. After retiring from the Pikes Peak Library District in 2008, Steve went to work for the Pueblo City County Library District for six years as a branch manager. He worked on the front lines of public service and tells both poignant and humorous stories about working with the public. Steve attained a Masters in Library Science from Emporia State in 1992. This book has a foreword written by Camila Alire, former 2009-2010 President of the American Library Association.
Resilience (Library Futures Series, Book 2)
Rebekkah Smith Aldrich
ALA Neal Schuman, 2019
021.2223 ALD 2019
Resilience is the second volume in a new series from ALA’s Center for the Future of Libraries which focuses on emerging trends in the profession, provoking discussion on how to shape the future by sharing ideas and exploring joint solutions to the challenges facing libraries and society. Resilience (or resiliency) incorporates preparations for and rapid recovery from physical, social, and economic disruptions, including environmental disasters, terrorist attacks, or economic collapse. As city, state, and the federal governments adopt resiliency as a strategy for addressing potential disasters, libraries may need to align their facilities, services, and programs to demonstrate a resilient strategy. Additionally, libraries may find themselves competing for funding with other programs or initiatives, especially in an increasingly limited pool of government spending. A founding member of ALA’s Sustainability Round Table, and a longtime public library development consultant, in this book Aldrich discusses how resilience can align with library values of equity and access, and why libraries and information professionals may be ideal partners or providers in helping individuals and the communities which they serve adopt resilient practices. This thought-provoking treatment of timely topic offers important points of consideration for library administrators and managers, as well as scholars of urban planning, public policy, disaster recovery, and related disciplines.
Library Marketing Basics
Mark Aaron Polger
Rowman & Littlefield, 2019
021.7223 POL 2019
Library Marketing Basics is designed for beginners who are new to library marketing. Any librarian can market their library, but they must understand what true marketing is all about, and how to do it right. In this guide, you’ll:
- Learn what true library marketing is, and what it’s not
- Plan a large scale marketing campaign / awareness campaign on a shoestring budget
- Learn how to market yourselves as librarians!
- Develop your own professional identity and brand
- Learn tips and tricks on obtaining buy-in from your colleagues and the entire organization, even if they are resistant!
- Learn how to develop relationships with stakeholders in order to raise the profile of your library
You’ll also find practical examples from the non-library /corporate sector on how to use currently existing marketing tools and apply them to your library. The book focuses on developing a “library” brand, in addition to creating an effective marketing plan, social media guidelines, identifying assessment tools, and providing best practices when developing signage, writing website vocabulary, and designing promotional materials.
The Public Library Director’s Toolkit
Kate Hall & Kathy Parker
ALA Editions, 2019
025.1 HAL 2019
New public library directors quickly learn what seasoned directors already know: running a library means you’ve always got your hands full balancing the needs of staff, patrons, facilities, library boards, and other stakeholders with professional responsibilities like community interactions, legal and financial requirements, and whole lot else that wasn’t exactly in the job description. Whether you’re considering becoming a public library director, brand new to the role, or you’ve settled in but find yourself thinking there’s got to be a better way, authors Hall and Parker are here to help. This resource walks you through the core components of getting up to speed and then provides templates, sample documents, checklists, and other resources that will make your job easier.
Managing Cultural Change in Public Libraries: Marx, Maslow, and Management
John Pateman & Joe Pateman
Routledge, 2019
025.1 PAT 2019
Managing Cultural Change in Public Libraries argues that changes to library Strategies and Systems can lead to transformations in library Structures that can, in turn, shape and determine Organisational Culture. Drawing on Management theories, as well as the ideas of Marx and Maslow, the authors present an ambitious Analytical Framework that can be used to better understand, support and enable cultural change in public libraries.
The volume argues for radical – but sustainable – transformations in public libraries that require significant changes to Strategies, Structures, Systems and, most importantly, Organisational Culture. These changes will enable Traditional Libraries to reach out beyond their current active patrons to engage with new customer groups and will also enable Traditional Libraries to evolve into Community-Led Libraries, and Community-Led Libraries to become Needs-Based Libraries. Public libraries must be meaningful and relevant to the communities they serve. For this to happen, the authors argue, all sections of the local community must be actively involved in the planning, design, delivery and evaluation of library services. This book demonstrates how to make these changes happen, acting as a blueprint and road map for organisational change and putting ideas into action through a series of case studies.
The Tween Scene: A Year of Programs for 10- to 14-Year Olds
Tiffany Balducci and Brianne Wilkins-Bester
VOYA Press, 2014
027.626 BAL 2014
The Tween Scene: A Year of Programs for 10- to 14-Year Olds is a treasure chest of programs, tips, and ideas for serving the tweens coming to your library. No longer children, while not yet teens, tweens need to have programs geared to their interests and age level. The authors tell you how to get started, how to publicize to tweens, and provide ice breakers to get tweens talking. Included are four programs for each month of the year. Each program description offers advertisement ideas, a guide for preparation, forms, room set-up suggestions, a complete outline for the program presentation, a list of materials used, a budget, and personal comments and suggestions from the authors’ experiences. If you are thinking about initiating programming for tweens, or need fresh ideas for your group, this is the book you need. Includes many color illustrations and reproducibles.
