The transformed library

For Immediate Release
Tue, 12/04/2012

Contact:

Jill Davis

Marketing Manager

ALA Editions

1-800-545-2433 ext. 5418

editionsmarketing@ala.org

CHICAGO — A wide-ranging survey that takes stock of our institutions' strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, “The Transformed Library: E-books, Expertise, and Evolution,” published by ALA Editions, analyzes how libraries and the very concept of librarianship have been comprehensively transformed over the past few decades. A respected veteran of libraries who has witnessed first-hand the many changes in the library world, author Jeannette Woodward provides a balanced, realistic look at the situation confronting both libraries and information professionals. In an assessment that proves both provocative and stimulating, she:

  • Examines the key technological and economic developments that have already had an impact on librarianship and offers a frank evaluation of the roles libraries must fill today and in the future;
  • Sums up the trends in library management of e-books and other electronic media, in the process showing how libraries can enlarge their function as community hubs through digital innovation;
  • Analyzes the skills and versatility today’s library professionals need to survive and thrive, presenting career advice for staying current in the field’s changed professional environment;
  • Offers survival strategies tailored to librarians’ particular contexts, including academic, public and school libraries.

Woodward is a principal of Wind River Library and Nonprofit Consulting. After a career in academic library administration, she began a second career in public libraries, serving as director of the Fremont (Wyo) County Library System.  She is the author of several books, including “A Librarian’s Guide to an Uncertain Job Market,” “What Every Librarian Should Know about Electronic Privacy,” “Nonprofit Essentials: Managing Technology,” “Creating the Customer-Driven Library: Building on the Bookstore Model,” and “Countdown to a New Library: Managing the Building Project.”

ALA Store purchases fund advocacy, awareness and accreditation programs for library professionals worldwide. ALA Editions publishes resources used worldwide by tens of thousands of library and information professionals to improve programs, build on best practices, develop leadership, and for personal professional development. ALA authors and developers are leaders in their fields, and their content is published in a growing range of print and electronic formats. Contact ALA Editions at (800) 545-2433 ext. 5418 or editionsmarketing@ala.org.