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Just because a set of responsibilities isn’t formally called management doesn’t mean that it isn’t management. And this vital text speaks to a reality that all current professionals already know: that is, everyone studying to enter the profession needs an introduction to the topic of management. Because no matter what one’s role in an academic or public library context, it will involve decision-making, planning, and organization skills. Newly revised and updated, this book pulls together management best practices from library management experts teaching in LIS programs across the U.S. and Canada. Among the many topics discussed are

• classic and contemporary theories of management, and how they apply to the library;
• human resource planning;
• marketing and public relations;
• negotiations, mediation, and financial management of the library;
• facilities management;
• information technology management and future trends;
• change management, organizational culture; and
• ethics and confidentiality.

Effectively marketing libraries by persuasively communicating their relevance is key to ensuring their future. Speaking directly to those in senior leadership positions, Anderson lays out the structural and organizational changes needed to help libraries answer the relevance question and maximize their marketing and communications efforts. Focusing on big-picture strategies, she shares lessons learned from her 20+ year career in library marketing and communications. No matter what type or size of library you help to lead, by reading this book you will

• gain insight into why libraries need to tell their stories more effectively than they are today;
• be able to craft a strategic roadmap for marketing your library and communicating its value in a variety of ways that resonate with key audiences;
• see why improvements to the structure of your marketing and communications team can lead to better results;
• learn practical methods for incorporating audience research into your planning;
• know how to remove customer barriers and discontinue practices that are thwarting your marketing efforts;
• receive guidance on preparing for potential crises;
• understand how to be more community-focused by forming and sustaining partnerships; and
• feel confident in engaging with stakeholders so that they become your library’s best ambassadors.

After a career of more than 40 years, Murray-Rust, former Dean of Libraries at Georgia Tech and a self-proclaimed library disrupter, sees our profession’s central challenge as simply this: how to turn the library outward in order to make a difference in the lives of individuals and the community. In this book she encourages readers to look an uncertain library future square in the eye. She shares stories from her transformational years at Georgia Tech Libraries which present both inspiration and practical advice on how to stand up for values while changing the ways we act upon them. Organized around seven action steps for change, this book offers takeaways and activities you can adapt to your work style and organizational culture. You will learn from such stories and lessons as

• the three different kinds of information you need for measuring impact;
• using new frameworks, outside fragmented, risk-adverse library structures, to get the work done;
• the limitations of trying to manage your way through major cultural change;
• embedding in the community to develop visions and strategies for improvement;
• painful and challenging times that set Murray-Rust on a path of self-learning;
• how an uncomfortable assignment led to a sought-after seat at the table for a university-wide capital construction project;
• the bold promise that got the library onto the high-priority list for renovation;
• visiting a Toyota plant to learn how to encourage employee engagement and creativity; and
• learning to listen with the "turning outward" philosophy of Harwood Institute.

Since the first edition of this landmark guide was published, there has been increased interest in services for library patrons on the autism spectrum; indeed, more people of all ages now self-identify as autistic. Those who understand the unique characteristics of autistic young people know that ordinary library programming guides are not up to the task of effectively serving these library users. Well qualified to speak to this need, Anderson is an educator, library researcher, and former public librarian who has helped to develop two IMLS funded initiatives that train library workers to better understand and serve autistic patrons. Here, she offers librarians who work with children and teens in both public library and K-12 educational settings an updated, comprehensive resource that includes

• an updated introduction to the basics of autism, including language, symbolism, and best practices in the library rooted in the principles of Universal Design;
• step-by-step programs from librarians across the country, adaptable for both public and school library settings, that are cost-effective and easy to replicate;
• contributions from autistic self-advocates throughout the text, demonstrating that the program ideas included are truly designed with their preferences in mind;
• suggestions for securing funding and establishing partnerships with community organizations; and
• many helpful appendices, with handy resources for training and education, building a collection, storytimes, sensory integration activities, and a “Tips for a Successful Library Visit” template.

Library work is really all about people. And the inclusive, welcoming nature of the library means that all kinds of people pass through its doors. Not all difficult patrons are dangerous, but some frighten staff and other library users, which can lead to situations that are distracting, troubling, and fraught with liability. For more than a decade, Albrecht, a 15-year police veteran, has presented workshops for libraries on dealing with challenging patrons. His no-nonsense advice will empower library staff in their personal security and give them the tools to confidently communicate with their colleagues, patrons, and members of law enforcement regarding inappropriate behavior. In this book he addresses security issues important to all libraries, including

• Specific guidance for common situations, such as unruly teens, unwanted sexual advances, chronically homeless substance abusers, and more
• The elements of an effective Code of Conduct and how to enforce it
• Tips on how to manage internet usage to minimize potential problems
• How to align with patrons and use language that defuses the conflict
• Forming partnerships with service organizations, homeless shelters, mental health advocacy groups, and other community resources
• How to know when it's time to call the police, plus ideas for increasing law enforcement support
• Ways to make the library more secure through changes to facilities

As part of our mission to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all library patrons, our profession needs to come to terms with the consequences of mass incarceration, which have saturated the everyday lives of people in the United States and heavily impacts Black, Indigenous, and people of color; LGBTQ people; and people who are in poverty. Jeanie Austin, a librarian with San Francisco Public Library's Jail and Reentry Services program, helms this important contribution to the discourse, providing tools applicable in a variety of settings. This text covers practical information about services in public and academic libraries, and libraries in juvenile detention centers, jails, and prisons, while contextualizing these services for LIS classrooms and interdisciplinary scholars. It powerfully advocates for rethinking the intersections between librarianship and carceral systems, pointing the way towards different possibilities. This clear-eyed text

• begins with an overview of the convergence of library and information science and carceral systems within the United States, summarizing histories of information access and control such as book banning, and the ongoing work of incarcerated people and community members to gain more access to materials;
• examines the range of carceral institutions and their forms, including juvenile detention, jails, immigration detention centers, adult prisons, and forms of electronic monitoring;
• draws from research into the information practices of incarcerated people as well as individual accounts to examine the importance of information access while incarcerated;
• shares valuable case studies of various library systems that are currently providing both direct and indirect services, including programming, book clubs, library spaces, roving book carts, and remote reference;
• provides guidance on collection development tools and processes;
• discusses methods for providing reentry support through library materials and programming, from customized signage and displays to raising public awareness of the realities of policing and incarceration;
• gives advice on supporting community groups and providing outreach to transitional housing;
• includes tips for building organizational support and getting started, with advice on approaching library management, creating procedures for challenges, ensuring patron privacy, and how to approach partners who are involved with overseeing the functioning of the carceral facility; and
• concludes with a set of next steps, recommended reading, and points of reflection.

Libraries are community connectors, places where people come together, think together, and learn together. Libraries support and nurture strong, resilient communities. Day in and day out, the library workers at these institutions are doing much more than ensuring equal and equitable access to information; and their impact stretches far beyond the books, programs, and services they facilitate. Featuring contributions from such library leaders as Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, the late Nicolette Sosulski, and Erica Freudenberger, this collection of inspiring first-hand stories from across libraryland spotlights the countless ways in which library staff are making a difference for their communities. A sharing of the hearts, minds, and spirits of library staff from across the country, the uplifting personal narratives in this book include

• when a routine reference query inspired a librarian to reach out to a senior patron;
• how a public library’s annual Diwali celebration has strengthened the social fabric of the surrounding community;
• the story of a library that burned down, was hit by a hurricane, got sued twice, and yet still reemerged stronger than ever;
• how the team at the Fayetteville Free Library (FFL) of New York has strategically nurtured a culture of innovation by integrating Syracuse University students into the staff, holding technology “open houses,” and developing other initiatives; and
• the intervention of a public library staff member that helped a mother keep her son enrolled in school and receive his diploma.

Library workers change and save lives every day, and this book is a powerful and nourishing reminder of exactly why libraries are essential.

Linked data has become a punchline in certain circles of the GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums) community, derided as a much-hyped project that will ultimately never come to fruition. But the fact is, linked data is already happening now, evident in projects from Big Tech and the Wikimedia Foundation as well as the web pages of library service platforms. The goal of exposing cultural institutions’ records to the web is as important as ever—but for the non-technically minded, linked data can feel like a confusing morass of abstraction, jargon, and acronyms. Get conversant in linked data with this basic introduction from the Association of Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS). The book’s expert contributors

• summarize the origins of linked data, from early computers and the creation of the World Wide Web through RDF;
• walk readers through the practical, everyday side of creating, identifying, and representing semantically rich linked data using as an example the funk classic Mothership Connection album from the band Parliament;
• explain the concept of ontologies;
• explore such linked data projects as Open Graph, DBpedia, BIBFRAME, and Schema.org’s Bib Extension;
• offer suggested solo and group entry-level projects for linked data-curious librarians who wish to dive deeper; and
• provide a handy glossary and links to additional resources.  

This valuable primer on linked data will enable readers at any level of experience to get quickly up to speed on this important subject.