Comprehensive resource presents compelling practices and programs for empowering new library professionals

New York, NY (November 4, 2008) – How do librarians transform new and less-experienced librarians into future leaders in their fields? They invest in engaging, encouraging, and effective staff development. Staff Development Strategies that Work!: Stories and Strategies from New Librarians, to be released by Neal-Schuman Publishers on December 5, 2008, is a compendium of stories and advice that, as noted in the book’s forward by Dr. Brooke E. Sheldon, demonstrates “the essence of what it takes to create a work environment for new library professionals”.

This breakthrough publication presents a wealth of ideas and suggestions proven to both inspire and foster professional growth. The book uses a unique approach in presenting readers with compelling lessons and best practices from the perspectives of eighteen relatively new library professionals. These librarians discuss the practices and programs from which they benefited most, and explain what inspired them, provided them job satisfaction, built their leadership skills, and successfully transformed them into excellent managers and supervisors.

“One of our main goals was to turn the idea of staff development on its head,” say editors Georgie Donovan and Miguel Figueroa. “So often, ideas come only from the top down. While that knowledge is incredibly valuable, we knew from personal experience that numerous new librarians also had many excellent ideas and lessons to share.”

Divided into two parts, the nine chapters in Part I: In the Library include recommendations for management styles, formalized staff development programs, and options for allowing new librarians to participate in the professional process. In Part II: Out of the Library, various authors discuss the important areas for staff development that occur outside of the library. These eight chapters explore formalized, external development programs, conference and association involvement, and community engagement. To further support library staff growth, each chapter features a recap of best practices and lessons learned, covering everything from building personal networks and creating innovative job descriptions to mentoring programs, organizing first-year experiences, and providing intensive training.

As the profession’s newest members take their places in libraries, it is vital to understand how to engage them in becoming successful managers and leaders. Staff Development Strategies that Work!: Stories and Strategies from New Librarians combines valuable real-life experience with bold and grassroots innovations from experienced professionals to create a practical, dynamic resource for developing and supporting a new generation of library professionals.

Staff Development Strategies that Work!: Stories and Strategies from New Librarians
ISBN: 978-1-55570-644-9
2008. 6 x 9. 230pp. $75.00.

About the Editors
Georgie L. Donovan is the lead acquisitions librarian at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. She earned a master in information resources and library science degree from the University of Arizona, where she worked in the Libraries as special assistant to the dean.Donovan is an active member of ALA and the Progressive Librarians Guild.

Miguel Figueroa is Network Services Coordinator for the National Network of Libraries of Medicine Middle Atlantic Region at New York University Langone Medical Center’s Ehrman Medical Library. He trains and supports users of the National Library of Medicine’s products in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Figueroa is a graduate of The University of Arizona School of Information Resource and Library Science and the Knowledge River Program.

About Neal-Schuman Publishers
Founded in 1976, Neal-Schuman Publishers is based in New York City with offices in London, UK. Neal-Schuman is a leading publisher of textbooks in all areas of library and information studies, from library science to archival and records management, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

For More Information and/or Cover Art
Contact Sarah Eisenberg
sarah.eisenberg@neal-schuman.com
100 William Street, Suite 2004
New York, NY 10038
212-925-8650
www.neal-schuman.com

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Guide helps librarians build top-notch nonfiction collections for new readers

New York, NY (October 10, 2008)—How do librarians best serve adults who struggle with English, whether they are recent immigrants, poor readers, adults with learning disabilities, or students of English as a second language? Easy Information Sources for ESL, Adult Learners & Other New Readers, to be published by Neal-Schuman on November 17, 2008, annotates over 250 wonderful nonfiction books originally written for children that won’t embarrass or insult adults.

Author Rosemarie Riechel recognizes the broad range of challenges that affect struggling readers and targets the book accordingly. “The most informative resources in the world are useless to an adult who cannot handle the reading level of the book,” says Riechel. “The nonfiction children’s collection offers an abundance of resources written at varying reading levels and covering a vast array of topics and subjects areas.”

Divided into two clear, organized sections, Easy Information Sources for ESL, Adult Learners & Other New Readers helps public and reference librarians, teachers, and others who work with adults who don’t speak or read English well identify top-quality children’s nonfiction books that cover a wide range of topics. In addition, the book offers special tips for reference librarians, who are often the link between customers and the information they’re seeking, including effective verbal and nonverbal behaviors, avoiding technical terms, and asking the right follow-up questions.

The book’s first section provides specific sources for finding information on children’s nonfiction books (journals and newspapers, public libraries, online booksellers, children’s book publishers, industry and author websites and blogs), the right criteria to employ when selecting from recommended books, and the elements required to successfully connect adults with the appropriate children’s non-fiction titles. Riechel also includes real-life examples to illustrate best practices for training staff and housing and promoting a nonfiction children’s collection.

The second section of the book includes a comprehensive, annotated bibliography that will be indispensible to any librarian or professional looking to build his/her collection. The list includes over 250 recommended titles spanning 15 topics such as architecture, the arts, computers, history and geography, medicine and health, pets, and sports.

Easy Information Sources for ESL, Adult Learners & Other New Readers is a unique and increasingly vital resource that will teach libraries how to best serve ESL and literacy students and other patrons who struggle to speak or read in English.

Easy Information Sources for ESL, Adult Learners & New Readers
ISBN: 978-1-55570-650-0 .
2008. 6 x 9. 427pp. $65.00.

About the Author
Dr. Rosemarie Riechel is a member of the American Library Association, The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and the Long Island Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators. She has a Master of Library Science, an Advanced Certificate Degree, and a Doctor of Library Science from Columbia University. As head of the Information, Public Catalog and Telephone Reference Division of the Queens Borough Public Library in New York for a number of years, Dr. Riechel was responsible for policies, procedures, and staff training for online systems and services.

She is the author of a number of books on library science, and has also published articles on public library reference service and online searching in periodicals and proceedings.

About Neal-Schuman Publishers
Founded in 1976, Neal-Schuman Publishers is based in New York City with offices in London, UK. Neal-Schuman is a leading publisher of textbooks in all areas of library and information studies, from library science to archival and records management, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

For More Information and/or Cover Art
Contact Sarah Eisenberg
sarah.eisenberg@neal-schuman.com
100 William Street, Suite 2004
New York, NY 10038
212-925-8650
www.neal-schuman.com

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Training Paraprofessionals for Reference Service Provides Training Tips and Tools for Paraprofessionals

New York, NY (October 6, 2008)—As librarians and information science professionals juggle shrinking budgets, new technologies and the shifting role of the reference desk, many have found that providing top-notch reference service is more challenging than ever. Oftentimes, libraries find that integrating paraprofessionals into their staff is an essential practice to ensure superior reference service and standards. In Training Paraprofessionals for Reference Service, 2nd Edition: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians, to be published by Neal-Schuman publishers on November 19th 2008, Pamela Morgan provides all of the best practices, tips and checklists for knowing how and when to hire paraprofessionals.

Morgan, a reference librarian and information consultant for the University of Alabama, contends that paraprofessionals should complement services provided by professional librarians, and explains that a successful collaboration between the two will results in the best possible service.

The 10-chapter book offers advice on writing an appropriate job description and creating a comprehensive training and orientation plan for paraprofessionals. It also includes new and useful checklists that detail both the basic and advanced reference skills that paraprofessionals need to serve effectively in a reference department – everything from online catalog training to evaluating internet sources to more complex online searching skills.

In addition, Morgan’s book includes six ready-to-use training modules that cover general encyclopedias, international information, statistics, government individuals and agencies, company information, and consumer medical and health information. She covers the basic communication skills required at the reference desk and concludes with information on performance management (feedback, coaching, and evaluation) and a how-to on evaluating your training program and other professional development resources.

As the staffing situation in libraries continues to pose challenges, the need for more training on the role of paraprofessionals in reference services will accelerate. Training Paraprofessionals for Reference Service is a must-read for anyone involved in managing reference services and library training and staff development.

Training Paraprofessionals for Reference Service, 2nd Edition: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians
ISBN: 978-1-55570-643-2.
2008. 6 x 9. 205pp. $65.00.

About the Author
Pamela Morgan is currently a Reference Librarian/Information Consultant at the University of Alabama. Before making a career switch to academic librarianship, she worked in cataloging and indexing, ran a small corporate library, and has nearly a decade of reference experience at a large urban public library (including Government Publications and Business Science and Technology).
Morgan is an active member of the American Library Association’s Reference and User Services Association. She graduated with a Masters of Science in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1993.

About Neal-Schuman Publishers
Founded in 1976, Neal-Schuman Publishers is based in New York City with offices in London, UK. Neal-Schuman is a leading publisher of textbooks in all areas of library and information studies, from library science to archival and records management, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

For More Information and/or Cover Art
Contact Sarah Eisenberg
sarah.eisenberg@neal-schuman.com
100 William Street, Suite 2004
New York, NY 10038
212-925-8650
www.neal-schuman.com

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International experts teach librarians, faculty and students to adapt to new expectations for academic, physical, and virtual support

New York, NY (September 25, 2008)- The student learning experience in modern higher education settings is rapidly changing, and the traditional linear approach to learning is often replaced with a holistic model that focuses on the total learning environment. Students in contemporary academic settings expect that an increasingly flexible support system will be built into their courses, and Transformative Learning Support Models in Higher Education, to be published in October 2008 by Neal-Schuman Publishers, showcases the groundbreaking new approaches and best practices for enhancing current support services to maximize students’ learning potential and meet their changing needs and expectations.

Editor Margaret Weaver and her team of international contributors impart proven methods and models to help librarians and faculty successfully adapt their learning support systems to an evolving academic environment. (Find out more about the contributing authors at www.neal-schuman.com/tlsm). Instruction is bolstered by actual academic scenarios and innovative research from professionals throughout the United States and Europe, and in all service areas including libraries, key skills teams, student support services and IT departments.

The collection is divided into three main parts, each conveniently and independently organized to allow for reading in any order. Part one covers support model transformation through strategy, policy and organization, with a specific focus on the needs of students (not what faculty think they need) and the importance of working collaboratively. Part two covers transformation through delivery, with instruction on the most effective ways to reshape the physical, virtual and temporal facets of learning space, as well as several real-life examples to demonstrate the successful facilitation of learning through such integration. Part three discusses the significance of transforming practitioners themselves, like the development of teams that include of a wide array of education, library, and information professionals, and the importance of participating in ongoing research.

Used as a strategic planning tool, Transformative Learning Support Models in Higher Education can teach a range of stakeholders-academicians, librarians, student support managers, and administrators—how to maximize success and benefit from all aspects of the total learning environment.

Transformative Learning Support Models in Higher Education
ISBN 978-1-85604-644-2.
2008. 6 x 9. 192 pp. $99.95

About the Editor
Margaret Weaver BA MCLIP MSc HEA is Head of Learning and Information Services at the University of Cumbria (formerly St Martin’s College). She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Teaching Fellow of the University.
Contributors:
Pat Atkins, Peter Brophy, Scott C. Brown, Philip Cohen, Jen Harvey, Hannah Hough, Philippa Levy, Sara Marsh, Lindsey Martin, Glynnis Platt, Kent Porterfield, Frank Rennie, Sue Roberts, Craig G. Stephenson, Jan Stewart, Les Watson, Margaret Weaver.

About Neal-Schuman Publishers and Facet Publishing
Facet Publishing titles are exclusively available in the United States through Neal-Schuman Publishers, a leading provider of library management, Internet, and information technology resources. Facet is the imprint of the prestigious Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (formerly the British Library Association). Founded in 1976, Neal-Schuman Publishers is based in New York City with offices in London, UK.

For More Information and/or Cover Art
Contact Sarah Eisenberg
sarah.eisenberg@neal-schuman.com

100 William Street, Suite 2004
New York, NY 10038
212-925-8650
www.neal-schuman.com

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Publication helps librarians, healthcare professionals, and researchers find the data they need

New York, NY (September 23, 2008)—The world of drug and pharmaceutical research and development grows at such a rapid rate that it is difficult to garner the best resources for prevalent, of the moment fact. Bonnie Snow, wielding over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceuticals industry, brings her most current scholarship to Drug Information: A Guide to Current Resources, 3rd Edition, just published this September by Neal-Schuman Publishers. This comprehensive guide navigates the maze of drug information resources and references. It covers topics about drugs, drug therapy, and the development and marketing of pharmaceutical products.

Co-published with the Medical Library Association, Drug Information surveys more than 400 print and electronic publications aimed at providing data needed by health science information professionals in corporate, academic or hospital settings—librarians, and scientific or business researchers working in the pharmaceutical industry. Annotations in the guide include information on more than 100 additional titles accessible through the databases or Web sites described.

Drug Information profiles the most current Web sites, online databases, ready-reference compendia, and subject-specialty news services. Many resources are not listed on “site maps” and are not easily located through site-specific search engines. Each of Snow’s detailed entries describes source content, with extensive background information on the subject area, topics likely to be the focus of inquiry, and practical applications of data users will retrieve. Her discussion highlights legal and commercial issues affecting information availability, identifies points to consider in source selection, and defines specialized terminology often needed to locate relevant data quickly and efficiently.

Chapters that are devoted to broad subject areas include: drug nomenclature and identification, laws and regulations, pharmacology and therapeutics, adverse reactions and interactions, analysis, formulation and compounding, investigational drugs still in the pipeline, and pharmaceutical market intelligence. Each chapter is further subdivided into applications-oriented sections.
Because of the book’s careful organization and finding aids, readers can quickly locate where discussion of more specific topics can be found, such as guides to nonprescription drugs and dietary supplements, parenteral incompatibilities, hazardous substances directories, product approvals and basis-of-approval documents, and verifying U.S. patent term extensions. Drug Information also includes a detailed subject index to assist readers in finding sources that will help answer questions with a narrower focus, such as bioequivalence ratings, excipients, drug-induced ocular side effects, discontinued products, or Phase IV post-marketing commitments.

Given the increasing demand for information about medications available abroad and about drug regulation in the European Union, plus the somewhat U.S.-centric nature of most pharmaceutical resources, Snow deftly expands coverage of global sources. Second only to having Snow’s incomparable knowledge in person to focus a search, Drug Information will boost users’ retrieval success and avoid hours of unfruitful research.

Drug Information: A Guide to Current Resources, 3rd Edition
ISBN 978-1-55570-616-6.
2008. 6 x 9. 546 pp. $195.00.

About the Author
Bonnie Snow, BA, MS, has more than 30 years of experience as an online educator, writer, and information management consultant. She currently works in product development as Research Director of Clinical Content and Applications for Pharma/Chem Markets at Thomson Reuters. She has also served as Director of Pharmaceutical Market Applications for Thomson Dialog, consulting education officer for Excerpta Medica, lecturer in library and information science at Catholic University, and librarian at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science.

About Neal-Schuman Publishers and the Medical Library Association
Neal-Schuman Publishers is the leading provider of library management, Internet, and information technology resources, and is the Medical Library Association’s co-publisher. Founded in 1976, Neal-Schuman Publishers is based in New York City with offices in London, UK.
The Medical Library Association, founded in 1898, is an educational organization of more than 1,100 institutions and 3,600 individual members in the health sciences information field, committed to educating health information professionals, supporting health information research, promoting access to the world’s health sciences information, and working to ensure that the best health information is available to all.

For More Information and/or Cover Art
Contact Sarah Eisenberg
sarah.eisenberg@neal-schuman.com

100 William Street, Suite 2004
New York, NY 10038
212-925-8650
www.neal-schuman.com

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