Librarians negotiate every day with vendors, funding agencies, administrators, employees, co-workers, and patrons-yet the art of negotiation receives little attention in library education and training. This practical guide by three experienced librarian-negotiators will help you develop the mindset, skills, and confidence you need to negotiate effectively in any situation. The authors provide an in-depth look at negotiation in theory and practice, share tactics and strategies of top negotiators, offer techniques for overcoming emotional responses to conflict, recall successful outcomes and deals gone awry, and demonstrate the importance of negotiating expertise to libraries and library careers. The result is an eye-opening survey into the true nature of negotiation-both as a form of communication and as a tool you can use to create sustainable collections and improve library service in the digital age.

Provides an overview of issues surrounding electronic media access licenses for librarians.

Electronic Resources Librarianship: A Practical Guide for Librarians will help new e-resources librarians to hit the ground running. Simultaneously a step-by-step guide and comprehensive toolkit, the book walks readers through their first few days on the job, giving them the practical skills to immediately begin engaging with vendors, diagnosing access issues, tracking usage, and making well-informed retention decisions. Further, it sets readers up for long-term success by talking about project planning and goal setting in an environment of continuous change, as well as advice on how to pass on their newly acquired e-resource knowledge to others. This easy-to-read guide addresses several ever-present issues for both new and established e-resource librarians: the need for concrete tools to implement in their day-to-day tasks, the need to gain goal setting and project management skills to thrive and not just survive, and the need to overcome feelings of anxiety and isolation. Acting as a ready reference, Electronic Resources Librarianship will help steer librarians through the intricacies of the daily e-resource grind while giving them the tools and the confidence to handle even the most complex challenges. Special Features include: Extensive technology toolkit Sample worksheets, email scripts, and checklists Real-world troubleshooting problems and solutions Practical strategies for organizing and prioritizing work Comprehensive list of support groups, so readers are never at a dead end

As budgets for libraries continue to shrink, the key challenge facing the 21st century librarian is finding how to do more with less. Learning how to increase productivity within the constraints of a difficult economy, librarians can benefit from the insights of fellow professionals and others who have succeeded in making the most of what they have. Time and Project Management Strategies for Librarians features more than thirty essays that provide valuable tips for the professional who must cope with increasing demands upon their resources. Librarians will get tips on how to: identify the most important tasks for the library eliminate non-essential functions and processes increase reliance on volunteers, interns, and students optimize daily routines and schedule staff effectively increase productivity through the use of social media and email increase project and time management skills and personal productivity through setting and meeting goals With productivity tips for all librarians—from the newly hired to the most seasoned veteran—this volume will help libraries provide better service to their users and also show librarians how to give this service without losing their personal lives and their sanity.

In a world of users that routinely click “I Agree” buttons, librarians may be the lone voice raising an alert to the privacy, use, and ownership issues arising in connection with the design and implementation of digital rights management (DRM) technologies. DRM reflects the efforts of copyright owners to prevent the illegal distribution of copyrighted material – an admirable goal on its face. A common misunderstanding is that DRM is copyright law. It is not. Rather it is a method of preventing copyright infringement; however, if unchecked, DRM has the potential to violate privacy, limit ownership rights, and undermine the delicate balance of rights and policies established by our current system of copyright. All three of these arenas are critical for both librarians and their users. Reflecting the shift from ownership to access, libraries are increasingly providing access to rights-protected digital content. Libraries strive to provide access to rights-protected content in a manner that protects both the content creator and the privacy of the user. DRM encompasses a variety of technologies and strategies utilized by content owners and managers to limit access to and the use of rights-protected content. Librarians need to understand DRM to effectively enable users to access and use rights-protected digital content while at the same time protecting the privacy of the user. Designed to address the practical operational and planning issues related to DRM, this guide explores the critical issues and challenges faced by librarians. After reading it, librarians will better understand: the digital content rights protection scheme; the various DRM technologies and how they are used; how to use authentication and authorization standards, strategies, and technologies; and, the privacy and security issues related to DRM. Edited by two librarians who also hold law degrees, this is a best practices guide for front-line librarians on how to best respond to the impact of DRM schemes on collection development, staffing, budget, service, and other library concerns.

More an art than a science, the reference interview requires not only knowing a specific set of skills, but also how to apply those skills in an ever-changing world. Good reference interviews accomplish three goals: establishing contact with the user, determining what the user’s information need actually is, and checking to make sure that the answer actually meets that need completely. Built around timeless service principles including Ranganathan’s Five Laws, The Reference Interview Today: Negotiating and Answering Questions Face to Face, on the Phone, and Virtually is a practical field guide to conducting reference interviews in every modality: face-to-face, phone, chat, text, virtual world such as Second Life, and even mashup reference interviews where multiple modalities are used to answer the question. Following a concise presentation of reference interview basics, the heart of the book is 12 different reference interview scenarios set in different modes and demonstrating a specific principle. Each of these twelve follows a similar construction: a general overview of the principle (for example, save the time of the reader), a script of the reference interview, and then learning questions designed to demonstrate the principle(s) as illustrated in the script. Examples range from assisting faculty members with scholarly resources to helping a high school student with a paper to assisting a hairdresser with a reference question. One scenario is based in the year 2025 to emphasize the timeless nature of reference service. Seamlessly combining both time-honored principles and multiple technologies, this practical book demonstrates how librarians can be as relevant and necessary in the digital age as in the print world. Appropriate for both novice and experienced librarians as well as for LIS students, this concise handbook speaks to those working in or preparing for careers in public, school, academic, and special libraries..

"Homelessness is a perennial topic of concern at libraries. In fact, staff at public libraries interact with almost as many homeless individuals as staff at shelters do. In this book Dowd, executive director of a homeless shelter, spotlights best practices drawn from his own shelter's policies and training materials" --

"Copyright law and contract language are complex, even for attorneys and experts. Authors may be tempted to sign the first version of a publication contract that they receive, especially if negotiating seems complicated, intimidating, or risky. But there is a lot at stake for authors in a book deal, and it is well worth the effort to read the contract, understand its contents, and negotiate for favorable terms. To that end, Understanding and Negotiating Book Publication Contracts identifies clauses that frequently appear in publishing contracts, explains in plain language what these terms (and typical variations) mean, and presents strategies for negotiating "author-friendly" versions of these clauses. When authors have more information about copyright and publication options for their works, they are better able to make and keep their works available in the ways they want"--Publisher.

"Depending on the structure of a library, acquisitions may involve or work with collection management, subject librarians, electronic resources, preservation, cataloging, and library administration due to the management and use of collection materials budgets. Acquisitions staff will also be involved in working with material library vendors. Taking on acquisitions responsibilities requires learning how to order materials in a variety of formats; learning basic accounting and budgeting practices; a knowledge of institutional fiscal and procurement policies and practices; along with strong communication skills as acquisitions librarians truly interact with staff in all library departments, as well as outside vendors. Some aspects of the work, such as managing collection budgets, allocations, expenditures, and encumbrances can at times be daunting, especially when end-of-year deadlines are looming. However, the variety of responsibilities that come with acquisitions make this one of the most rewarding service points in a library. If you have just taken on acquisitions responsibilities, you will want to understand the basic concepts and philosophy behind acquisitions work and develop an understanding for the day-to-day workflow"--

Putting library management into the unique context of the not-for-profit world, this work offers you invaluable guidance on how to manage your library effectively. Managing a library presents a significantly different challenge than managing a small business, a corporation, or even a school or charity organization. To be effective managers and excel in their careers, librarians must understand their unique position in the social landscape and leverage that role to become influential leaders. This guide shows librarians how to make the most of their inherent skills and develop new leadership strengths in order to become better library managers, advance their careers, and sustain their libraries—in spite of changing environments and shrinking budgets. The book examines many facets of managerial leadership, defines what managerial leadership is, and describes how to assess and increase leadership skills. The chapters also identify the constraints unique to libraries and explain how you can develop positive relationships with government boards, turn a vision into a practical strategic plan, and exercise fiscal control. You will gain invaluable knowledge about fund raising, developing political skills, advocacy and lobbying, and legal and ethical concerns, specifically in the library environment. The final section of the book is devoted to people skills—understanding yourself and others, developing staff, collaboration, negotiation, meetings and presentations, and creating future success.