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5856 results in Facet Publishing

Page 246 of 293

  • 5 - Information, advice and informed citizenship

  • from Part 2 - Service themes of the modern public library
  • David McMenemy
  • Book:
    The Public Library
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    20 December 2008, pp 77-94

  • Summary

    Introduction

    The public library has a vital role to play as a source of trusted and impartial information within its community and in society. As discussed in Chapter 2, this role is historical and the library staff serve as the intermediaries for the user.

    We all need information to go about our daily lives successfully. Yet the information needs of an entire community are potentially complex, and library users require information at different levels. Some need simple forms of information, others need more complex forms. The types of information we may need are diverse, everything from a bus or train timetable, to leaflets on benefits, legal rights, health issues and careers. This is in addition to the more common reference enquiries that libraries regularly undertake, for example checking facts in encyclopedias or directories, or telephone numbers for companies or other organizations. Public libraries provide access to these and other types of information for their communities.

    Information sources selected for users need to be authoritative and accurate, and library staff need to be able to find the correct information for their users as quickly and efficiently as possible.

    This chapter will discuss:

  • ■ the types of information public libraries regularly provide for users

  • ■ the ethical and service challenges in delivering information to users

  • ■ the reference interview

  • ■ the range of services provided by public libraries that can be broadly defined as information services.

    • Information types

    Staff in public libraries must be prepared for enquiries of all types and therefore provide a range of resources, such as:

  • ■ commercially produced reference books, encyclopedias and the like

  • ■ information on the local authority and other governmental sources

  • ■ information on the local history of their area

  • ■ community information

  • ■ information on genealogy and family history.

    • In addition some public libraries offer even more specialist types of reference information, for example on careers, businesses or even health via professionals qualified in the area.

    Specialist reference materials can be an expensive resource for libraries. This high cost is not only related to the limited market for the books, but is also the result of the amount of work that goes into producing many specialist reference works. A reference work loses its usefulness if it is out of date, thus many of the more staple resources for libraries are published annually.

  • Appendix 3 - Top ten tips

  • from Appendices
  • Ayub Khan
  • Book:
    Better by Design
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    20 December 2008, pp 183-184

  • Summary

    Top ten tips

    … for ensuring that communities and individuals engage with new library spaces.

    (As agreed by library managers/local staff from Birmingham, Solihull, Telford & Wrekin, Warwickshire and Worcestershire and colleagues from MLA, the Big Lottery and Warwick University Business School – at a workshop organized by MLA West Midlands on 13 June 2007)

  • 1 Have the right staff – well motivated, knowledgeable and from diverse backgrounds.

  • 2 Act on what communities are saying – and tell them what you are doing.

  • 3 Design buildings for ‘community’ roles – develop multi-functional spaces.

  • 4 Market effectively from the outset – and continue a dialogue with users and non-users.

  • 5 Create attractive spaces – clean, lighted, signed (with contemporary decor and coffee!).

  • 6 Involve staff in planning for success – and from the very start of the renewal of a space.

  • 7 Future-proof – be flexible, be aware of trends and plan to be ICT/media rich.

  • 8 Make the most of partnerships within and beyond the local authority – avoid the silo mentality.

  • 9 Welcome the architect into the team – not as the enemy but as an equal partner.

  • 10 Look beyond the books/resources – recognize the individual and cater for personalization.

  • Appendix 2 - Ambience – discussion checklist for librarians and architects

  • from Appendices
  • Ayub Khan
  • Book:
    Better by Design
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    20 December 2008, pp 179-182

  • Summary

    Modernization of libraries

    ■ image of library service and marketing/consultation

    ■ design – responding to lifestyle change

    ■ resources and services

    ■ staff skills and customer care

    ■ buildings/facilities/presentation and layout

    ■ retail approach to be adopted, for example:

  • — bookshops that display and sell books

  • — other retail responses to market forces and leisure retailers (like Nike, Apple stores) with a wider product range than bookshops

  • – rather like libraries

  • — other sectors that libraries can refer to, in addition to retail, for example sports, health

    • Inside the library

    ■ how the layout and presentation could hinder or help

    ■ how design improvements could be made, e.g.:

  • — need to circulate clockwise

  • — use of open spaces

    • Entrance areas

  • ■ systems and procedures before products and services

  • ■ passages and corridors

  • ■ posters or plasma screen

  • ■ presumption of confidence and familiarity

  • ■ vestiges of ‘no entry without a ticket’ attitude

  • ■ restriction of spontaneity

  • ■ entrance area as event or performance space

    • Reception/greeting points

  • ■ impressions

  • ■ size and function of counters – for customers or storage?

  • ■ windbreaks and screens

  • ■ alternatives

    • Sight lines

  • ■ being able to see where users are going

  • ■ establishing clear sight lines

  • ■ gathering points

  • ■ staff availability for help

    • Creating space

  • ■ a fresh assessment of time-honoured use

  • ■ examining what is flexible in the building's structure

    • Use of space

  • ■ arriving

  • ■ learning

  • ■ studying

  • ■ privacy

  • ■ browsing – new groupings/arrangements of stock

  • ■ reading and relaxing/resting

  • ■ information

  • ■ younger children

  • ■ older children/young adults

  • ■ different ambiences for different spaces

  • ■ positioning of different spaces

  • ■ events and activities

  • ■ public art

    • Guiding

  • ■ clear/flexible

  • ■ visible

  • ■ attractive and dyslexia friendly – mix of very visible text and images

  • ■ house style

    • Furniture

  • ■ interior design ideas in support of use of space

  • ■ presentation of posters/leaflets

  • ■ displays

  • ■ replacement

  • ■ group seating

  • ■ study

  • ■ sofa/easy chairs

    • Shelving

  • ■ mobility and flexibility

  • ■ open/closed access

  • ■ age groups

  • ■ disability

    • Equipment

  • ■ PCs

  • ■ photocopier

  • ■ baskets and personal trolleys

    • Facilities

  • ■ refreshments/café

  • ■ vending area

  • ■ use of mobile phones

    • Colour and images

  • ■ reflecting diversity

  • ■ community of interest

  • ■ overall style to complement space/purpose

    • Lighting schemes

  • ■ variable/flexible

    • Events and activities

  • ■ transforming space for events and performances

  • 9 - Design quality

  • Ayub Khan
  • Book:
    Better by Design
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    20 December 2008, pp 97-116

  • Summary

    The design of library buildings should be addressed at three levels: urban design, building design and interior design. Each has specific requirements which involve dialogue with user and interest groups, and each level has its own exacting demands which cannot be overlooked. This chapter explores the different elements of design quality.

    Urban design

    In pointing out the importance of good urban design CABE sets out to define what that entails: ‘By good design we mean design that is fit for purpose, sustainable, efficient, coherent, flexible, responsive to context, good looking and a clear expression of the requirements of the brief’ (CABE, 2006b, 5).

    Those who are planning and designing a new public library need to bear in mind its place as a civic building, while academic libraries need to be at the hub of college or university activity. In addition to supporting their ever developing collections and needs, it is essential that libraries are close to pedestrian traffic and public transport. The external library space should be free of cars but there needs to be provision for disabled access and facilities for the storage of bicycles.

    Most libraries will have a public ‘front’ and a service entrance, the latter often at the rear or underneath the building. The public entrance is often a space where users gather together immediately in front of or outside the door itself. It should be a place where users can meet, chat and take short breaks. Therefore it can be helpful to design it in a similar way to a public mall, with attention to landscape design, seating and personal safety.

    The entrance doors themselves need to be wide and transparent; as soon as they arrive, users should be able to see, and feel invited into, the interior of the library. It should also be possible to view the major library spaces from the outside; too frequently the demands for security interrupt the physical and visible flows between the inside and outside worlds.

    Life expectancy of different functions of the building

    Buildings are comparatively permanent, while the organization and activities within them are continuously changing. ‘Shell and core’ describe the building envelope, its structure and ‘skin’ (walls and columns), and its servicing elements (stairs, lifts, lavatories, lobbies, ducts and plant rooms).

  • 11 - Occupancy and post-occupancy evaluation

  • Ayub Khan
  • Book:
    Better by Design
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    20 December 2008, pp 137-142

  • Summary

    Building occupancy is an area of planning that is often forgotten. Once the building phase is over, there is other work to be done. There needs to be careful preparation and planning for ‘the move’. There also needs to be an evaluation process. This chapter briefly explores these.

    Undoubtedly there is still a role for the information professional in a physical space. The adaptability of that space will be increasingly important.

    (Angela Dove (Dove, 2004, 24))

    The first year in a new building can be almost as stressful as the time leading up to the move. No new building is free from flaws, and there will be a number of construction mistakes to deal with. Also, only when the building is functioning will staff find out how people really use it, and the best laid plans can be thwarted by the flow of the new building dynamics. So this must be built into the planning and budget process.

    Handover

    This is a formal procedure in which the building is explained to the client who then takes on full ownership and responsibility for its management.

    Moving in

    The move itself needs to be planned – possibly phased – and staff need to be given an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the building and the equipment.

    The first few months in a new building are by far the most testing. All kinds of unexpected problems can occur. This is normal and the librarian and others involved should not be too hard on themselves.

    Even if construction has been uneventful and the building is on schedule, it might be advisable to delay moving in valuable material or archival collections, so the environment can settle.

    When the building is handed over to the client, many systems need to be tested in normal use, such as lifts, lights, security systems, heating, plumbing and drainage. As equipment starts to be used, the system needs balancing until everything works as planned. This is quite usual in the early days. Although many systems will need to be tested and fine-tuned, some, like heating and ventilation systems, may need a full cycle of use over a whole year in order to be fully tested.

  • 12 - Conclusion: the public library of tomorrow

  • from Part 3 - Issues in management and service development
  • David McMenemy
  • Book:
    The Public Library
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    20 December 2008, pp 197-206

  • Summary

    Introduction

    This text has sought to discuss the nature of the services on offer in the modern public library, where those services originated from, and how librarians have dealt with the service challenges facing them in the modern era. This final chapter will reflect on all of this and pose some questions for the future; as a result it may appear more polemical in tone than the chapters that have preceded it as it seeks to ask some fundamental questions.

    Predicting what will happen to public libraries over the years to come is a difficult endeavour. Certainly voices predicting their demise seem to be built on flimsy foundations, but equally it would be a brave commentator who argued that the future will be completely trouble-free and rosy. How society is synthesizing information is changing in a revolutionary way and public libraries may or may not fit into that. There is, however, an in-built ignorance in doomsayers who predict the demise of public libraries. The drop in book issues is a definite cause for concern, but in truth they should never have been used as the primary benchmark for the success of public libraries, and in a world where the modern person has a multitude of calls on their leisure time it seems complacent in the extreme to do so.

    Public libraries: an outdated concept?

    The first question that society and the profession will have to consider is whether the public library is a concept that has served its purpose. The original reasons why they were introduced could be argued to be of lesser importance today, since literacy and numeracy rates are now much higher than they were in the Victorian era. Book prices have come down considerably, especially since the collapse of the Net Book Agreement in the 1990s. Thus many more people are now able to afford books than they could even 20 years ago.

    Equally, however, the concerns with ensuring that everyone is able to access the best materials have not in any way dissipated. Although many can afford to buy what they need, many still cannot, and without a public library service they would be excluded from accessing the materials that enhance their life through the enjoyment of the recreational, learning and cultural experiences that libraries provide.

  • 4 - Project management

  • Ayub Khan
  • Book:
    Better by Design
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    20 December 2008, pp 27-42

  • Summary

    Project management is the application of good management practices in a structured manner. This technique can apply equally to both larger- and smaller-scale projects such as a scheme to introduce short-loan collections in an academic library, the implementation of a computerized issue system in a school library or resource centre or the creation of a new library. In this chapter the main components of project management are discussed.

    In the case of a small-scale project, it may not be necessary to know all the detail in this chapter, but there are fundamental principles here for project management in general, not just in the sphere of library building.

    Definition

    When the term ‘project’ is used it conjures up a variety of images in readers but each has the following characteristics:

  • ■ a finite life-span

  • ■ a defined and measurable business product (what is being created – e.g. a new or refurbished library)

  • ■ a corresponding set of activities to achieve the business product

  • ■ a defined amount of resources.

    • A project also sits within an organizational structure with defined roles and responsibilities, where often the task is unique or non-repetitive.

    One definition of project management is: ‘a management environment that is created for the purpose of delivering one or more business projects to a specified Business Case’ (PRINCE2, www.ogc.gov.uk/methods_ prince_2./asp). A more straightforward definition (offered by this author) might be: ‘A definitive task undertaken to create a specific product or service’. This might be the creation of a new library resource centre.

    There is no right or wrong way to manage a project. There is, however, agreed best practice to help increase the chances of project success. Many projects fail for a number of common reasons, including:

  • ■ lack of well defined requirements

  • ■ lack of communication

  • ■ lack of change control leading to ‘scope creep’ (the project taking on additional tasks and remit)

  • ■ lack of sound business reasons for the project

  • ■ lack of senior management commitment

  • ■ lack of planning.

    • Projects that are successful usually have defined deliverables (what will be achieved), well defined objectives and a worthwhile and viable business case. These characteristics are particularly important in building projects.

  • 4 - Putting the ‘e’ into libraries and learning: study, pedagogy, content and services in the digital age

  • from Theme 1 - Libraries, learning and distance learning
    • By David Baker, Principal, University College Plymouth St Mark and St John
  • Edited by Jillian R. Griffiths, Jenny Craven
  • Book:
    Access, Delivery, Performance
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    20 November 2008, pp 39-54

  • Summary

    Introduction

    This chapter focuses on the history, development, application and future of information and communications technology (ICT) in the field of learning and teaching with special reference to UK higher education (UKHE). The work of the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) in improving the take-up of ICT is highlighted.

    Background

    Just over ten years ago, a report was produced by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE, 1997) that looked at the reasons behind the low take-up of ICT in learning and teaching activities within UK HE. Although technology was already pervasive in higher education institutions (HEIs), its usage at that time had been primarily for administrative or ‘housekeeping’ activities rather than the delivery of teaching or the support of learning. This was despite the fact that there had been a significant investment in the development of ICTbased teaching and learning aids (courseware, computer-assisted or computerbased learning packages, websites, portals and gateways, virtual and managed learning environments – V/MLEs) notably through a series of national initiatives within the higher education (HE) community, and primarily – at the time – the Computers in Teaching Initiative (CTI), the Teaching and Learning Technology Programme (TLTP) and a whole series of projects commissioned and funded by the JISC. The Dearing Report on the future of higher education published that same year (National Committee of Enquiry into Higher Education, 1997) stressed the significant knowledge gap in HEIs with regard to ICT, including at the most senior levels, where a ‘deep understanding’ of the key issues seemed to be sadly lacking.

    In the 1990s, ICT applications were seen as a way of gaining productivity and maintaining quality at a time when there were fewer members of teaching staff because of economic cutback, though the Summative Evaluation of Phase 3 of the eLib Initiative (Whitelaw and Joy, 2001) subsequently concluded that there had been no real cost savings as a result of the Follett Report (Joint Funding Councils’ Libraries Review Group, 1993); rather there had been both an increased functionality and an increasing empowerment of the user, at least in terms of learning and teaching. Follett also recognized that it was important not to graft new technologies onto old (as has happened in previous ICT-based learning and teaching programmes and projects to some degree) but to look afresh at the issues and the appropriate applications as a whole.

  • 8 - Institutional repositories in tertiary institutions: access, delivery and performance

  • from Theme 3 - Changing directions of information delivery
    • By Rowena Cullen, Associate Professor and Director of Research, School of Information Management, Victoria University of Wellington (VUW), New Zealand, Brenda Chawner, Senior Lecturer, School of Information Management, Victoria University of Wellington (VUW), New Zealand
  • Edited by Jillian R. Griffiths, Jenny Craven
  • Book:
    Access, Delivery, Performance
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    20 November 2008, pp 113-144

  • Summary

    Introduction

    Academic libraries have played a key role in the scholarly communication process for the past 150 years. They have experienced major changes in the creation, dissemination and preservation of knowledge, through changing social, philosophical and educational paradigms, and taken advantage of new technologies to fulfil their mission. Academic librarians have shown themselves to be adept at adjusting to these changes, and been proactive in advancing research, scholarship and knowledge. With the advent of institutional repositories, they are being asked to adopt another new technology, one that brings with it the potential for a further paradigm shift in scholarly communication. Roosendaal and Geurts (1997) identified four key functions of scientific/scholarly communication:

  • • registration: identifying the ‘owner’ of the intellectual property

  • • certification: establishing the quality of the research

  • • awareness: making the research available to others

  • • archiving: long-term preservation to make the results available to future researchers.

    • The first two have traditionally been carried out by hard copy scholarly journals, particularly registration (by tracking the date an article was submitted for publication) and certification (via the review process). Physical collections in libraries distributed the archiving function, and awareness was largely the responsibility of secondary sources, in particular abstracting and indexing services. Institutional repositories have the potential to change the way all four functions are carried out.

    This chapter covers key concerns that led to the development of institutional repositories (IRs). This includes selected national and international initiatives, issues related to the creation, maintenance and use of repositories, and discussion of the extent to which IRs can meet the high expectations their promoters place on them.

    History

    In the late 20th century, existing channels for scholarly communication, particularly in the sciences and medicine, suffered from time lags in refereeing and publishing journal articles. Systems for distributing paper pre-prints by mail or facsimile were clumsy and slow, and researchers found it difficult to keep up with new developments in their fields. In the early 1990s, the rise of the internet and the web made other communication and publishing options possible, starting with e-mail distribution, then moving to the web. The first web-based pre-print server, arXiv, was started at Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1991. It initially accepted physics pre-prints, and has been extended to include aspects of mathematics, computational linguistics and neuroscience.

  • 5 - Library services for visually impaired people: a UK perspective

  • from Theme 2 - Widening access to information
    • By Jenny Craven, Research Associate, Centre for Research in Library and Information Management (CERLIM), Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU)
  • Edited by Jillian R. Griffiths, Jenny Craven
  • Book:
    Access, Delivery, Performance
    Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    20 November 2008, pp 57-74

  • Summary

    Introduction

    As Head of the Library and Learning Resource Service (LLRS) during the 1990s at the University of Central Lancashire in the UK, Peter Brophy was involved in developing the delivery of services for students with disabilities offered within the LLRS through the Specialised Learning Resource Unit (SLRU). The work of the SLRU continues to offer a range of specialist services to provide students with disabilities the opportunity to access the same library resources as everyone else, the aim being to promote ‘an accessible and inclusive university’ (www.uclan.ac. uk/slru/mission.html). It is interesting to note that the SLRU was developed before existing disability legislation had come into force, thus showing a commitment to social inclusion driven by moral beliefs rather than legal requirements. This belief in the importance of social inclusion is evident throughout Peter Brophy's career, not least in the significant contribution he has made to improving library and information services for people with visual impairments.

    As Director of the Centre for Research in Library and Information Management (CERLIM), research projects he has led such as Resources for Visually Impaired Users of the Electronic Library (REVIEL) (www.cerlim.ac.uk/projects/reviel/index.php), Non-Visual Access to the Digital Library (NoVA) (www.cerlim.ac.uk/projects/nova/index.php) and more recently the European Internet Accessibility Observatory (EIAO) (www.cerlim.ac.uk/ projects/eiao/index.php) are good examples of how research has fed into good practice and advice in this field.

    This chapter will start with a brief look at the general provision of library services for visually impaired people, primarily in the UK but with reference to other countries and then to a more global perspective, and then look more specifically at developments in the provision of electronic access to the digital library, with a particular focus on access by visually impaired people.

    A note on terminology: the term ‘visually impaired person’ is used in this chapter to refer to someone with a serious sight problem. This could include total blindness, partial sight or low vision, as well as cognitive impairments such as dyslexia, which may result in a print impairment.

Access, Delivery, Performance
  • The Future of Libraries without Walls
  • Edited by Jillian R. Griffiths, Jenny Craven
  • Published by:
    Facet
    Published online:
    08 June 2018
    Print publication:
    20 November 2008
  • This book celebrates and acknowledges the contribution Professor Peter Brophy has made over a career spanning 37 years to the field of library and information studies. Whilst reflecting on his work, it is forward looking and challenging, and offers strategies for the future direction of library and information services in the virtual era. Following an introduction and tribute to Peter on his retirement, the text is contributed by an international team of acknowledged leaders in their fields, and focuses on four key themes that have preoccupied Peter during his career and that remain of pre-eminent importance for the future of the profession: libraries, learning and distance learning; widening access to information; changing directions of information delivery; and, performance, quality and leadership. The book concludes with a comprehensive bibliography of Peter's work. This timely book addresses issues and concerns transferable across different areas of the information sector, including academic, public and special libraries, and will be stimulating reading for anyone working, studying, or teaching within the profession.

Page 246 of 293