How to be a frugal librarian

CHICAGO — Fewer employees, shorter hours, diminished collection budgets, reduced programs and services—all at a time of record library usage. In “The Frugal Librarian: Thriving in Tough Economic Times,” published by ALA Editions, library expert Carol Smallwood demonstrates that despite the obvious downsides, the necessity of doing business differently can be positive, leading to partnering, sharing and innovating. This collection speaks to universal concerns, presenting creative and resourceful solutions from dozens of librarians representing a wide variety of institutions. “The Frugal Librarian” helps library professionals:

• find supplementary funding sources, including grants;
• save money by sharing resources, using tiered staffing for technical services and implementing green IT;
• tap into grassroots movements to save neighborhood libraries;
• preserve and enhance important library functions like programming, outreach and staff development, despite a tight budget.

Smallwood is editor of the ALA Editions books “Writing and Publishing: The Librarian's Handbook” and “Librarians as Community Partners: An Outreach Handbook.” She has also authored or edited numerous books for Scarecrow, McFarland, Libraries Unlimited, Pudding House Publications, Peter Lang and others. A 2009 National Federation of State Poetry Societies Award Winner and a finalist for the 2009 Eric Hoffer Award for prose, she has served as a library consultant for school, public and special libraries. Her novel “Lily's Odyssey” was published in 2010.

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.