February 20, 2011 (New York, NY) — A long-contested measure of higher education quality, student feedback, is now regarded as one of the best ways to enhance both teaching and learning. Student Feedback: The Cornerstone to an Effective Quality Assurance System in Higher Education, to be released in North America by Neal-Schuman Publishers on March 30, 2011, discusses the use of student feedback as it expands worldwide, and highlights the unique facets of its role in academic development.

Editors Chenicheri Sid Nair and Patricie Mertova bring together contributions from a diverse group of international authorities on quality in academics from respected institutions like Cambridge College in Cambridge, Massachusetts and the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. In the first part of the book, contributors provide an overview of student feedback, focusing on the role of feedback on teaching and learning performance. In the second part, they offer international perspectives, looking at student feedback in four countries, including the U.S. In the third part, they focus on tools and administration. They explore concepts like Web vs. paper-based surveys, inclusive practice in student feedback systems, the feedback cycle, and using insights from feedback to promote better performance. Throughout the text, the editors and contributors offer many practical applications of feedback.NICE PARAGRAPH

Student Feedback: The Cornerstone to an Effective Quality Assurance System offers unique and diverse perspectives of student feedback, an integral part of the higher education system. Instructors and academic librarians will greatly benefit from the candid discussions about a fundamental and growing contribution to the teaching and learning process.

Student Feedback: The Cornerstone to an Effective Quality Assurance System in Higher Education

Chandos Publishing

ISBN 978-1-84334-573-2.
2011. 6 x 9. 162 pp.  $80.00.

About the Editors

Chnicheri Sid Nair is Professor of Higher Education Development with the Centre for Advancement of Teaching and Learning at the University of Western Australia (UWA). He has extensive expertise in the area of quality development and evaluation, and is an international consultant in a number of countries in the areas of quality and stakeholder feedback.

Patricie Mertova is a Research Fellow in the Department of Education, University of Oxford, England. She has research expertise in the areas of higher education and higher education quality.

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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February 20, 2011 (New York, NY) — Text-messaging reference was just the tip of the iceberg. Organizations of all kinds are creating iPhone aps, so why not libraries? Librarians and information professionals ready to take that leap will find welcome guidance in iPhone Application Development: Strategies for Efficient Mobile Design and Delivery, to be released in North America by Neal-Schuman Publishers on March 30, 2011. LIS and emerging technologies expert Jim Hahn’s practical book offers principles and practices that readers can apply to a range of handheld devices and software. He begins by describing the overarching concepts of the book, before focusing on specific types of applications. In each chapter, he offers detailed instructions and plenty of diagrams. He covers categories like transmitting an RSS feed to an iPhone, creading a podcast application, video tour application, custom template, utility application, Xcode module, and using PhoneGap framework within Xcode. Hahn also includes appendices with a safety framework for mobile computing and an iPhone orientation.

Any librarian whose patrons use mobile computing devices, or other information specialists who rely on these tools, will find invaluable advice in iPhone Application Development.

iPhone Application Development: Strategies for Efficient Mobile Design and Delivery

Chandos Publishing

ISBN 978-1-84334-582-4.
2011. 6 x 9. 158 pp.  $75.00.

About the Author

Jim Hahn is Orientation Services Librarian and Assistant Professor of Library Administration at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He is also the Vice-Chair of Emerging Technologies Interest Group of the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA), a division of the American Library Association.

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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February 18, 2011 (New York, NY) — From public librarians helping users apply for government benefits to law librarians assisting patrons with accessing government cases, legislation, and regulations, finding government information is an integral part of librarians’ work. Fundamentals of Government Information: Mining, Finding, Evaluating, and Using Government Resources, to be published by Neal-Schuman Publishers on May 30, 2011, is the first new government information text for the 21^st century, and details essential background knowledge and tools needed to use government documents.

Editors Eric J. Forte, Cassandra J. Hartnett, and Andrea L. Sevetson, along with numerous noteworthy contributors, use their extensive experience researching, teaching, and presenting government information to create a thorough text filled with insights, background, and strategies for navigating government information expertly. In the first part, they offer an overview of key government information resources. They present a history of government information and explain why people should and do have access to these documents. They also offer general tools and strategies, before exploring literature surrounding Congress, regulations, the law, and the president. In the second part, they take a closer look at the specifics of government information. In individual chapters, they look at the executive branch, statistical information, health information, education, scientific and technical information, environment and energy information, business, economic, and consumer information, census, and historical and archival information. The editors include more than fifty chapter exercises and offer models and techniques throughout the books. They also provide two complete indices arranged separately by subject and agency for easy reference.

Practical and easy-to-use, Fundamentals of Government Information: Mining, Finding, Evaluating, and Using Government Resources is much-needed resource for librarians, library and information sciences students, and information seekers of all kinds.

Fundamentals of Government Information: Mining, Finding, Evaluating, and Using Government Resources

ISBN: 978-1-55570-737-8.
2011 | 6 x 9 | 450 pp. | $75.00

About the Editors

Eric J. Forte is a Member Services Consultant with OCLC. He has worked as a librarian with government information at the University of Illinois, Western State College of Colorado, the University of California at Santa Barbara, and Boise State University. He has taught, presented, and written about government information in various venues.

Cassandra J. Hartnett is U.S. Documents Librarian, University of Washington Libraries. She has worked at the University of Michigan Library, the University of Michigan School of Information, and Detroit Public Library. She served as an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Washington Information School. She is a co-founder of the Northwest Government Information Network (NGIN) and was 2008-2009 chair of the American Library Association’s Government Documents Round Table.

Andrea L. Sevetson is a trainer with ProQuest. She has worked as a government documents librarian at the University of California, Berkeley, the U.S. Census Bureau, and LexisNexis. She served as the chair of the American Library Association’s Government Documents Round Table, and was appointed to the U.S. Depository Library Council to the Public Printer and served as its chair. She is the recipient of several prestigious government documents librarianship awards.

About Neal-Schuman Publishers

Neal-Schuman Publishers is a leading publisher of professional books for librarians, archivists and knowledge managers. 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 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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New book gives librarians and faculty 60 interactive class scenarios, plus educational tools and expert advice

February 15, 2011 (New York, NY) — Whether students are playing “Information Literacy Jeopardy,” “Confectionary Classification,” or “Winning Wordles,” games liven up the classroom and energize students and teachers. Let the Games Begin! Engaging Students with Field Tested Interactive Information Literacy Instruction, to be published by Neal-Schuman Publishers on July 31, 2011, includes sixty successfully-tested educational games created by librarians and professors that will help students learn information literacy skills and concepts through fun, interactive exercises.

Editor Theresa R. McDevitt brings more than thirty years of library experience to her selections of the best information literacy games from librarians and instructors. She opens the book with a literature review explaining how incorporating games into instruction improves learning in the classroom and describing the benefits of using games in information literacy instruction. The contributors offer a wide array of games across thirteen sections. Sections include ice breakers, such as “Tinker Toy Towers: Building Research Projects in Team,” and one-stop library orientation sessions, like “The Library Mystery Scavenger Hunt.” The contributors tackle concepts like organizing information sources, research processes, and online search techniques through the games “The Library Quest: A Game for Understanding Database Searching,” “Topical Full Monty,” “Twitter and Tagging Your Research Paper,” and many more.

Readers will learn new ways to build students skills in crucial areas, including evaluating the quality and authority of information resources, bibliographical citations, plagiarism awareness and prevention, and locating primary sources, by playing games like “Truth or Conseqeuences: An Internet Site Evaluation Game,” “Bibliography Tournament,” and “Ellie Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Archives.” Final sections cover games to assess and wrap up information literacy instruction sessions and library orientation techniques to help navigate new territory.

Each game description includes the title and author, an introduction, objectives, information literacy competency standards addressed, game background, audience, time required, materials and equipment needed, preparation, instructions for playing the game, evaluation, tips for introducing subject faculty to the game, and contributor contact information. McDevitt also offers tips on getting started with games, and includes an annotated list of articles, books, and Web sites.

Let the Games Begin! Engaging Students with Field-Tested Interactive Information Literacy Instruction is an exhaustive collection of unique, interactive games for teaching information literacy. Instructors and librarians looking for creative methods of engaging students in information literacy sessions and in the classroom are sure to find plenty of ideas in this book.

Let the Games Begin! Engaging Students with Field-Tested Interactive Information Literacy Instruction

ISBN: 978-1-55570-739-2.
2011 | 8.5 x 11 | 150 pp. | $65.00

About the Editor

Theresa R. McDevitt is a Government Documents/Reference Librarian at Stapleton Library, Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Previously, she was a Public Services Librarian, a Government Documents Specialist, a Special Collections and Archives Librarian, and Acting Associate  Dean and Interim Dean of Libraries.

About Neal-Schuman Publishers

Neal-Schuman Publishers is a leading publisher of professional books for librarians, archivists and knowledge managers. 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 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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Facet titles Evaluating the Impact of Your Library and Measuring Library Performance were both described as “Must Read Resources” in a recent report by the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL). The report, entitled The Value of Academic Libraries: A Comprehensive Research Review and Report, may be downloaded by clicking on the link.

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Leading Public Library Expert and Scholar Kathleen McCook Updates Her Comprehensive Introduction

January 30, 2011 (New York, NY) – When someone sets out to learn what public libraries are, how they developed, what they do, how they’re governed, and what leading experts expect their future to be, what authoritative sources exist? Whether the intended reader is a city council member, a newly-elected mayor, or a student considering a career in librarianship, a one-volume overview from America’s leading public library scholar is sure to be the best resource. Neal-Schuman Publishers will release Introduction to Public Librarianship, Second Edition on April 30, 2011.

Award-winning LIS professional Kathleen de la Peña McCook provides a thorough review of public librarianship, looking at the its history in terms of cultural movements, landmark literature, the evolution of standards for public library service, the effects of politics, adult and youth services in light of changing societal trends, ideas, principles and goals that continue to shape public librarianship, and human rights that continue to drive its mission. McCook begins with a summary of today’s public libraries, before tracing the history of the public library back to the mid-nineteenth century, focusing particularly on the influence of women and the roles of the American Library Association (ALA), state and national library associations, and advocacy, She looks at public library statistics and the development of ALA library standards. She also describes how the public library functions within a political and economic context, in terms of funding, legalities, and advocacy. Next, she explains the structure of library administration and staff. McCook explores the history of public library buildings, emphasizing the Library Services and Construction Act, security, and disaster planning. She then looks at adult and youth services separately, each in the evaluating each in terms of the public sphere, cultural heritage, education, and information. The chapter on youth services is coauthored by Alicia K. Long, and includes a list of recommended Web sites for youth. A subsequent chapter by Barbara J. Ford provides a global perspective on libraries. McCook concludes with a discussion of the future of public librarianship, in a chapter coauthored by Katharine J. Phenix. McCook augments each chapter with references to the appendices filled with selected readings, documents, and bibliographical information important to the study of public librarianship.

As the most current and exhaustive guide to public librarianship available, Introduction to Public Librarianship, Second Edition is an essential book for new librarians, library trustees, students, and the general public seeking to gain a greater understanding of the foundations of public librarianship. As McCook so eloquently describes her readers’ relationship to libraries, they are the “future inheritors of this fundamental institution of democracy.”

Introduction to Public Librarianship, Second Edition

ISBN: 978-1-55570-697-5.
2011 | 6 x 9 | 440 pp. | $65.00

About the Authors

Kathleen de la Peña McCook is Distinguished University Professor at the School of Information, University of South Florida in Tampa. She was honored as the Dr. Jean E. Coleman Library Outreach Lecturer at the 2010 American Library Association conference. She is also a Visiting Scholar at Valdosta State University in Georgia. She is past president of the Association for Library and Information Science Education and was 2002 REFORMA Latino Librarian of the Year (Trejo Award). She has received numerous awards from prestigious library associations, such as ALA.

About Neal-Schuman Publishers

Neal-Schuman Publishers is a leading publisher of professional books for librarians, archivists and knowledge managers. 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 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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