LITA Guides

Core Technology Competencies for Librarians and Library Staff: LITA Guide #15

Edited by Susan M. Thompson (978-1-55570-660-9, 220 pp. $65.00, $58.50 for LITA members
 
When it comes to technical know-how, do you and your staff measure up? Given the rapid pace of change in technology and library services, it is challenging to maintain the technology skills that librarians and library staff need. What are the best ways to measure and develop competencies to ensure your library is ready to support the next new technical system? If you’re ready to hire a new systems librarian, which requirements should you specify in the job description? If you’re looking for the answers, then this latest LITA Guide is just what you need.

Ideal for public and academic libraries, Core Technology Competencies for Libraries provides an excellent starting point for you to define and evaluate the right inventory of technical skills and management attributes for yourself and your staff. Lita experts share their experience on technical competencies expected of all libraries and library staff; technical competencies needed by specialists like technology managers, or systems and IT librarians, and success stories about meeting performance standards that will show you how major libraries have demonstrated best practices in technology competency. Employing the skillenhancement tools in this book will help staff that work hard to also “work smart”, and take advantage of technology to improve collections and service. Extensive appendices include core competency lists, personnel assessment checklists, job descriptions, and training curricula.

Making Library Web Sites Usable: LITA Guide #14

Tom Lehman and Terry Nikkel (978-1-55570-620-3. 208 pp. $65; $58.50 for LITA Members)

Library webmasters, usability teams, and administrators will want this authoritative reference on usability.

In Making Library Web Sites Usable, a LITA guide published by Neal Schuman, authors Tom Lehman and Terry Nikkel show library webmasters, usability teams, and library administrators how to turn confusing, unappealing Web sites into the kind of friendly, efficient information gateways that students will choose.

With clear, non-technical language, Making Library Web Sites Usable breaks down what usability assessments are, why they are important for libraries, why libraries should do them regularly, and what the most common challenges are. They also explain all of the necessary how-tos, whats, and whys for the most common assessment techniques and how to interpret results, document findings, and effectively communicate results and recommendations.

Usability-in-action success stories from Purdue, the University of Virginia, and Wright State University libraries; the Clinton Macomb Public Library in Michigan; the MITRE corporate library; and the library at NASA Goddard offer rare insights and practical advice for facing challenges like limited time, working within a budget, and rallying support for Web site changes.

Using Interactive Technologies in Libraries, LITA Guide #13

Kathlene Hanson and H. Frank Cervone  (ISBN-13: 978-1-55570-612-8.), $59.95 (LITA Members, $53.95)

Using Interactive Technologies in Libraries, edited by Kathlene Hanson and H. Frank Cervone and published by Neal-Schuman and the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA) offers in-depth information and advice for incorporating several interactive technologies that are creating the most hype today. Leading information professionals with experience using today’s high-tech library applications provide detailed examples, implementation ideas, and helpful forecasts for the future roles of major technologies including using RSS, developing Wikis, implementing blogs, and podcasting.

Using Interactive Technologies in Libraries is filled with detailed information and valuable advice about new applications, guidance for deciding whether or not to integrate them into existing programs and suggestions for using them to meeting user needs and create a high-technology profile with library patrons.

Order these LITA Guides now from the Neal-Schuman Web site