Foreword by Maurice Coleman

Technology infuses every aspect of every day in every library, and thus basic technology skills are a prerequisite for everyone who works in a library. Providing a one-stop overview of all technologies used in libraries today, this comprehensive primer belongs at the top of the reading list for any current or future library professional looking to stay at the forefront of technological advancement. Representing a complete update of the book under a new author, this seventh edition of the guide is bolstered with fresh insights gleaned from librarians and library staff members sharing how they work with a given technology in their library settings. Readers will learn about

• how technologies have historically impacted libraries;  
• electronic resources including e-books, full-text articles, and streaming media;
• the crucial role of free web information in supporting library research;
• discovery layers and other systems for organizing information to make it easier to find;
• desktops, laptops, tablets, and mobile devices;
• library websites, web services, screencasts, distance learning, and learning management systems;
• social networking and patron participation, with newly crafted guidelines;
• makerspaces and other possibilities for adding creative activities and technologies to libraries such as virtual reality and augmented reality;
• a comprehensive examination of how to build and maintain the library technology environment, with advice on crafting an effective plan, purchasing equipment, putting systems into operation, and preservation issues stemming from dead and dying technologies;
• Universal Design (UX) and adaptive/assistive technologies;
• protecting technology and technology users by securing collections, enhancing computer security, and safeguarding privacy; and
• possible future developments in library technology, with suggested resources for staying informed.

Robin Hastings is the Library Services Consultant for the Northeast Kansas Library System in the lovely town of Lawrence, KS. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in IT with a Master’s Degree in Library Science. She’s been working in libraries with technology since the last millennium and has written four books, a Library Technology Report, several articles and a couple of contributed chapters on library technology. She’s also presented around the world on a variety of library technology and general library management topics. She served as the Mountain Plains Library Association president for 2024-2025 and as the Koha Users Group President in 2015-2016. 

List of Illustrations 

Foreword by Maurice Coleman

Preface 

Acknowledgments 


PART I: Library Technology in Context 

Chapter 1 The Universe of Library Technology  


PART II: Mission Critical Technologies 

Chapter 2 Free Information Resources: Part of the Library Arsenal  

Chapter 3 Library Electronic Resources: E-books, Full-Text Articles, and Streaming Media  

Chapter 4 Organizing Information to Make It Easier to Find: Library Systems, Discovery Layers, and More  

Chapter 5 Computing Devices in Libraries: Desktops, Laptops, Tablets, and Mobile Devices  


PART III: Technology That Makes Library Services Run 

Chapter 6 Library Websites and Web Services  

Chapter 7 Social Networking and Patron Participation: Marketing and More 

Chapter 8 How Library Staff Learn and Teach: Screencasts, Distance Learning, and Learning Management Systems  

Chapter 9 Makerspaces and Libraries  


PART IV: Building and Maintaining the Technology Environment in Libraries 

Chapter 10 The Right Technology at the Right Time: Planning, Evaluating, Buying, and Implementing Technology  

Chapter 11 Meeting and Supporting Patron Technology Needs: Universal Design and Adaptive/Assistive Technologies  

Chapter 12 Building the Technology Environment: Infrastructure, Ergonomics, and Sustainability  

Chapter 13 Protecting Technology and Technology Users: Securing Collections, Enhancing Computer Security, and Protecting Privacy  

Chapter 14 The Death of Technologies: Preservation Issues and Saying Goodbye  


PART V: Where Library Technology Is Going and How to Stay Informed 

Chapter 15 Our Technological Futures: Maintaining Library Services in Infinite Possibilities  

Chapter 16 Keeping Track of Technology Changes  


Glossary 

About the Author 

Index