November 25, 2010 (New York, NY) — New technologies play a crucial role in strengthening organizations while keeping costs low. Radio frequency identification (RFID), an electronic tagging system under the umbrella term “automatic identification and data capture” (AIDC), is already changing the nature of how goods are authenticated and exchanged. Although this tool may seem like “magic,” it requires a great deal of study and understanding in order to be used effectively. RFID for Libraries: A Practical Guide, to be released in North America by Neal-Schuman Publishers on December 30, 2010, will provide librarians with the essential background they need to implement RFID in their libraries.

M. Paul Panadian offers a thorough look at the benefits and issues librarians might encounter with RFID in this practical guide. First, he outlines the history and role of RFID, listing its standards, benefits, components, applications, and markets. He then discusses the role of RFID in libraries, explaining the need, along with its advantages and disadvantages. He presents reviews of RFID systems for libraries and analyzes them thoroughly. Through detailed examples, Panadian walks readers through the process of implementing RFID in libraries. He then looks at technological social, and economical issues associated with using RFID. Panadian concludes with a discussion of the future development of RFID. Numerous figures, tables, and references clarify key points in every chapter.

Comprehensive and useful, RFID for Libraries: A Practical Guide is an invaluable tool that will give librarians a solid foundation for using RFID and determining whether or not to implement it in their libraries.

RFID for Libraries: A Practical Guide

Chandos Publishing

ISBN 978-1-84334-545-9.
2010. 6 x 9. 174 pp.  $99.95.

About the Author

M. Paul Pandian is the head of the Library and Information Resource Centre at the Institute of Mathematical Sciences Department of Atomic Energy in Chennair, India, where he recently implemented a RFID-based system for the library. He has written several research articles on library and information science and has presented papers at national and international conferences.

About Neal-Schuman Publishers and Chandos Publishing

Founded in 1976, Neal-Schuman Publishers is based in New York City with offices in London, UK. Neal-Schuman is a leading publisher of professional and academic titles in all areas of library and information studies. Since June 2009, Neal-Schuman has also been the exclusive North American distributor for titles from the United Kingdom’s Chandos Publishing, a division of Woodhead Publishing Limited.  Chandos books are a leading, highly practical source of authoritative information for professionals and researchers worldwide.

For More Information and/or Cover Art

Contact Laura Berlinsky-Schine

laura.berlinsky-schine@neal-schuman.com

100 William Street, Suite 2004

New York, NY 10038

212-925-8650

www.neal-schuman.com

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November 30, 2010 (New York, NY) — Although Roget’s Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases, first published in 1852, has almost a household word and the default tool thesaurus, today a wide range of other tools are available for information classification. Ontologies, Taxonomies and Thesauri in Systems Science and Systematics, to be released in North America by Neal-Schuman publishers on December 30l, 2010, looks at the structure and concept of these systems and the vital role they play in information studies.

Emilia Currás, a pioneer on the subjects of information classification and taxonomy, brings forth a unique guide to applying these concepts to systems. In the first part of the book she covers theory. She examines knowledge — its organization, evolution, and structure — as well as ontologies and classification. Currás moves into a discussion of taxonomies and thesauri, noting the origins, hierarchies, and virtual uses, along with a comparison between thesauri and taxonomies. She then provides a general analysis of thesauri, introducing the terminology, evolution, classes, and conditions they must fulfill. In the following section, she looks at the role of thesauri in systematics, emphasizing the similarities and differences between taxonomy and systematics, and categories, including numerical, classic, and cladist systematics, focusing on their roles in information science and information technology. Finally, Currás examines thesauri in systems theory, explaining their historical evolution, how to approach systems and apply them to the construction of thesauri, along with an analysis of their components, methods, classes, and peculiarities. Currás includes a list of topics for discussion and references in every section.

Ontologies, Taxonomies and Thesauri in Systems Science and Systematics is a timely and essential guide for librarians and professionals in related fields such as documentation and information science.

Ontologies, Taxonomies and Thesauri in Systems Science and Systematics

Chandos Publishing

ISBN 978-1-84334-612-8.
2010. 6 x 9. 133 pp.  $105.00

About the Author

Emilia Currás is a researcher, teacher, and professors of Information Science. She introduced LIS studies in Spain and a number of other Iberoamerican countries, is a founder of SEDIC, the Spanish Society for Information Sciences, and is a fellow of the Institute for Information Scientists (UK).

About Neal-Schuman Publishers and Chandos Publishing

Founded in 1976, Neal-Schuman Publishers is based in New York City with offices in London, UK. Neal-Schuman is a leading publisher of professional and academic titles in all areas of library and information studies. Since June 2009, Neal-Schuman has also been the exclusive North American distributor for titles from the United Kingdom’s Chandos Publishing, a division of Woodhead Publishing Limited.  Chandos books are a leading, highly practical source of authoritative information for professionals and researchers worldwide.

For More Information and/or Cover Art

Contact Laura Berlinsky-Schine

laura.berlinsky-schine@neal-schuman.com

100 William Street, Suite 2004

New York, NY 10038

212-925-8650

www.neal-schuman.com

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November 10, 2010 (New York, NY) — Factors like the Web, financial constraints, and the perception that the library is not as central to communities at it once was are causing a shift in library environments. Libraries need new tools and plans to revitalize these environments and reclaim their status as a focal point for knowledge and information. Imagine Your Library’s Future: Scenario Planning for Libraries and Information Organizations, to be released in North America by Neal-Schuman Publishers on December 30, 2010, will help LIS professionals re-conceptualize the future of their libraries through scenario planning and implementation.

Steve O’Connor and Peter Sidorko guide readers through each step of the process of restructuring their library’s image. In chapter 1, What are Scenarios?, they describe the value of different approaches and options. Chapter 2, The Complexities of Our Informational Environment, shows readers how to study their current organizations in order to plan for the future. Chapter 3, The Future and the Past: Models are Changing, looks at the development of libraries, the current situation, and what might happen in the future. Chapter 4, Understanding Choices, describes the consequences and outcomes of planning and decision-making. Chapter 5, Toward a New Way of Thinking, advises readers on how to create a space that breeds and accepts good ideas. Chapter 6, Designing Your Own Process, examines the development of techniques to facilitate the realization of scenarios in everyday work and life situations. Chapter 7, Scenarios and Implementation, focuses on creating real situations from scenarios. Chapter 8, Choice, Chance, and (Less Than) Certainty, looks at the planning and operations process. Chapter 9, Case Studies, provides examples of real-life scenarios. In chapter 10, Implementation and the Impact of Change, Peter Sidorko describes the implementation of the vision.

Imagine Your Library’s Future: Scenario Planning for Libraries and Information Organizations is an engaging and useful guide that will help all LIS professionals, particularly those in management positions, revitalize their libraries and information organizations in a new era of knowledge and information.

Imagine Your Library’s Future: Scenario Planning for Libraries and Information Organizations

Chandos Publishing

ISBN 978-1-84334-600-5.
2010. 6 x 9. 213 pp.  $80.00

About the Authors

Steve O’Connor has extensive experience in managing large and small Organizations. He has researched, published, spoken, consulted, and taught in areas of change, organizational management, information delivery, collection transition, scenario and strategic planning, and the wider library and information environment.

Peter Sidorko is the Deputy University Librarian at the University of Hong Kong. He is also a part-time lecturer in the University of Hong Kong’s Information Science programs.

About Neal-Schuman Publishers and Chandos Publishing

Founded in 1976, Neal-Schuman Publishers is based in New York City with offices in London, UK. Neal-Schuman is a leading publisher of professional and academic titles in all areas of library and information studies. Since June 2009, Neal-Schuman has also been the exclusive North American distributor for titles from the United Kingdom’s Chandos Publishing, a division of Woodhead Publishing Limited.  Chandos books are a leading, highly practical source of authoritative information for professionals and researchers worldwide.

For More Information and/or Cover Art

Contact Laura Berlinsky-Schine

laura.berlinsky-schine@neal-schuman.com

100 William Street, Suite 2004

New York, NY 10038

212-925-8650

www.neal-schuman.com

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November 15, 2010 (New York, NY) — “Librarians need to serve as leaders as well as followers, insisting on the implementation of those systems, technologies, and innovations critical to today’s and tomorrow’s library but retaining flexibility to respond to the needs and wants of the community they serve and to listen and respond carefully and sensitively to that community’s concerns,” David Del Testa writes in the foreword to Building a Digital Repository Program with Limited Resources.

Librarians have a responsibility to serve the technological needs of their patrons, a task that is becoming increasingly demanding in today’s digital age. Creative and sustainable repository programs showcase libraries as knowledge, information, and technology centers. Building a Digital Repository Program with Limited Resources, to be released in North America by Neal-Schuman Publishers on December 30, 2010, gives LIS and technology professionals useful guidance on how to implement a fully functional digital repository program in any library or information center.

Seasoned LIS professional Abby Clodbridge provides a thorough foundation for building a digital repository program in this much-needed guide. In the introduction, she offers a set of guiding principles and refers to them throughout the book. The first part focuses on the initial stages of development. Clobridge provides guidance concerning strategic planning, including goals, the needs of core constituencies, resources, legal issues; a technical overview, in which she describes the structure of a digital repository system, advises readers on how to keep costs low, and describes other technical aspects of the project; and staffing needs. The second part looks at building and sustaining the collections in the long-term. Clobridge examines topics like metadata, collection building, content recruitment and marketing, Open Access, and Web 2.0. She also provides suggestions for sustaining and assessing the program and its services. A section of concluding thoughts helps readers further analyze their systems, and appendices explore working with metadata and digital repository application. The book also includes ready-to-use templates, worksheets, workshop exercises, and assessment tools, along with thorough examples.

Building a Digital Repository Program with Limited Resources is a thoughtful and informative book that will provide a solid foundation for new librarians and technologists just beginning work in the digital repositories, and will serve as a useful handbook for experienced professionals.

Building a Digital Repository Program with Limited Resources

Chandos Publishing

ISBN 978-1-84334-596-1.
2010. 6 x 9. 239 pp.  $99.95

About the Author

Abby Clobridge is the Associate Director of Research and Knowledge Services at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government Library. She has over ten years of experiences working in library and information science.

About Neal-Schuman Publishers and Chandos Publishing

Founded in 1976, Neal-Schuman Publishers is based in New York City with offices in London, UK. Neal-Schuman is a leading publisher of professional and academic titles in all areas of library and information studies. Since June 2009, Neal-Schuman has also been the exclusive North American distributor for titles from the United Kingdom’s Chandos Publishing, a division of Woodhead Publishing Limited.  Chandos books are a leading, highly practical source of authoritative information for professionals and researchers worldwide.

For More Information and/or Cover Art

Contact Laura Berlinsky-Schine

laura.berlinsky-schine@neal-schuman.com

100 William Street, Suite 2004

New York, NY 10038

212-925-8650

www.neal-schuman.com

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November 10, 2010 (New York, NY) — Today, many people rely on the Internet as their main news source. The Internet offers a wealth of information, but finding the best sources for individual purposes can be a challenge. News Search, Blogs and Feeds: A Toolkit, to be released in North America by Neal-Schuman Publishers on December 30, 2010, will equip searchers with the knowledge they need to navigate the most effective news search tools.

Information professionals Lars Våge and Lars Iselid look at all aspects of news searches in this exhaustive guide. In chapter 1, Introduction: The Nature of News Search, they explain what users can expect to find with a news search tool. Chapter 2, Free News Search, describes sources like broadcast news, news agency material, press release wires and others that are available at no cost. Chapter 3, Professional News Search Services, looks at fee-based services like Factiva, Dialog, and Lexis-Nexis. Chapter 4, News Monitoring Services, analyzes the benefits news monitoring tools offer businesses and other users. In chapter 5, Evaluating News Search Tools, the authors examine the factors involved in choosing news search engines, and what consumers should consider in making their decisions. Chapter 6, Keeping Track of the Blogosphere, looks at news and information in blogs, and how to search and find new blogs. Chapter 7, The Power of RSS, describes the value of RSS feeds. Chapter 8, News Discovering Via Social Networking Tools, examines microblogs, like Twitter, that transmit news. In chapter 9, the authors offer concluding remarks and highlight key points in the previous chapters.

News Search, Blogs and Feeds: A Toolkit is an essential book for all professionals and Web users looking for ways to narrow searches and save time by using accurate tools for finding and accessing the best news sources.

News Search, Blogs and Feeds: A Toolkit

Chandos Publishing

ISBN 978-1-84334-602-9.
2010. 6 x 9. 233 pp.  $99.95

About the Author

Lars Våge is an academic librarian at the Mid Sweden University Library in Sundsvall, Sweden. He is currently a systems librarian and also teaches information retrieval to students in the Information Technology department.

Lars Iselid is an Information Architect at the Swedish IT company Teknikhuset, where he is working with digital library solutions. He worked at Umeå University Library for 16 years.

About Neal-Schuman Publishers and Chandos Publishing

Founded in 1976, Neal-Schuman Publishers is based in New York City with offices in London, UK. Neal-Schuman is a leading publisher of professional and academic titles in all areas of library and information studies. Since June 2009, Neal-Schuman has also been the exclusive North American distributor for titles from the United Kingdom’s Chandos Publishing, a division of Woodhead Publishing Limited.  Chandos books are a leading, highly practical source of authoritative information for professionals and researchers worldwide.

For More Information and/or Cover Art

Contact Laura Berlinsky-Schine

laura.berlinsky-schine@neal-schuman.com

100 William Street, Suite 2004

New York, NY 10038

212-925-8650

www.neal-schuman.com

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November 15, 2010 (New York, NY) — The Web is reshaping the way people research in the 21^st century. In the humanities, digital technologies allow access to a wealth of media and resources, expanding the scope of the research process. A Practical Guide to Electronic Resources in the Humanities, to be released in North America by Neal-Schuman Publishers on December 30, 2010, will help readers navigate the digital research process in all the major humanities disciplines.

Humanities LIS experts Ana Dubnajokic and Patrick Tomlin provide a thorough look at research in philosophy, religion, visual arts, performing arts, languages, and literature. They look at a variety of categories of online research, including abstracting and indexing databases that provide full bibliographic information, and in some cases full-text versions of scholarly articles, books, and other publications; Web directories and information portals with links to Web sites and resources; Web sites for professional societies and organizations with resources such as bibliographies and news feeds; archival collections of digitized and “born digital” primary texts; academic electronic mailing lists that provide discussions and news; and audio, video, and image databases. Each chapter includes an introduction explaining the current state of Web resources for the discipline explored, and individual entries provide URLs and annotations describing the source.

In the introduction, the authors summarize the online research process, and discuss open access journals and repositories. Chapter 2 covers resources in performing arts, including music, theater, dance, and film. Chapter 3 looks at materials in arts and architecture. Chapter 4 explores classical Greek and Latin, Germanic, Romance, Slavic, and Asian languages and literature. Chapter 5 focuses on resources in philosophy and religion. The book includes a complete bibliography and recommendations for further reading.

Thorough and easy-to-use, A Practical Guide to Electronic Resources in the Humanities will simplify and improve the research process for all librarians and humanities students and scholars.

A Practical Guide to Electronic Resources in the Humanities

Chandos Publishing

ISBN 978-1-84334-597-8.
2010. 6 x 9. 341 pp.  $99.95

About the Authors

Ana Dubnjakovic is Performing Arts and Foreign Languages Librarian at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. She is also Co-editor in Chief of Music Reference Services Quarterly, and has published several papers.

Patrick Tomlin is Assistant Professor and Head of the Art and Architecture Library at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He has published several essays and articles.

About Neal-Schuman Publishers and Chandos Publishing

Founded in 1976, Neal-Schuman Publishers is based in New York City with offices in London, UK. Neal-Schuman is a leading publisher of professional and academic titles in all areas of library and information studies. Since June 2009, Neal-Schuman has also been the exclusive North American distributor for titles from the United Kingdom’s Chandos Publishing, a division of Woodhead Publishing Limited.  Chandos books are a leading, highly practical source of authoritative information for professionals and researchers worldwide.

For More Information and/or Cover Art

Contact Laura Berlinsky-Schine

laura.berlinsky-schine@neal-schuman.com

100 William Street, Suite 2004

New York, NY 10038

212-925-8650

www.neal-schuman.com

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