Neal-Schuman Publishers, founded by John Vincent Neal and Patricia Glass Schuman in 1976, will continue to offer print and electronic publications under the well known imprint, but will join ALA Editions, TechSource and the new Huron Street Press under the ALA Publishing umbrella, which also includes ALA Digital Reference, Booklist Publications, American Libraries and ALA Graphics.

“We are very excited about Neal-Schuman joining the ALA family,” Raphael said. “We look forward to continuing the tradition that Pat Schuman and Jack Neal have established – as the best in library and information science education. We welcome the creativity and energy of the imprint and the contribution we see it making to the Association as it seeks to provide the highest quality resources, education and training in this rapidly changing digital environment.”

“Jack Neal and I are extremely proud of the company we have built over the last 36 years, ” said Neal-Schuman co-founder Pat Schuman, who has served as both ALA president and treasurer. “We see ALA as a perfect home for Neal-Schuman, where the imprint can continue to grow and evolve, serving a new generation of librarians.”

Over the next three months, ALA plans on relocating Neal-Schuman operations from New York City to Chicago. Neal-Schuman will continue to maintain a separate product line.

According to ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels, the acquisition of Neal-Schuman closely supports the Association’s strategic goals, which include making the highest quality library service available to all library users and making the highest quality, affordable face-to-face and online continuing education available to libraries.

“New technologies offer the possibility for everyone working in libraries to have access to the training and continuing education they need to provide the best possible service to their users,” said Fiels. “At the same time, rapid changes in technology and our communities themselves make it essential that those who work in libraries have access to the latest information and training on a wide range of topics. The pressure to keep up is tremendous.”

ALA Editions authors have played a growing role in online continuing education for the profession, Fiels noted, and Neal-Schuman’s rich content and many author-experts will allow ALA to offer a much broader range of online and face-to-face learning, as well as enriching ALA Editions’ growing list of e?books. Neal-Schuman publishes hundreds of well known titles, including the popular How-To-Do-It series, The Tech Set® and many textbooks used by library and information science graduate programs.

“The Neal-Schuman imprint will enable the association to expand its publishing program and to bring in new revenue that will augment support for member programs and services,” said ALA Treasurer Jim Neal. “We need to find new financial sources to sustain and grow our capacity in legislative advocacy, public awareness, intellectual freedom, diversity and the full range of ALApriorities.”  Neal also cited the rich potential for expanded international sales in Europe and Asia and the capacity to extend ALA’s electronic publishing capacity.

“Like libraries across the U.S., ALA has been challenged by the economic downturn,” according to Neal, “but thanks to careful stewardship of our resources over many decades, ALA remains fiscally strong.  It is important for the Association to invest in its future to develop new markets and products and, thus, to better serve libraries and ALA members.”

About Neal-Schuman

Neal-Schuman is the leading independent publisher of professional books for librarians, archivists and knowledge managers. Founded in 1976 by Patricia Glass Schuman and John Vincent Neal, the company is based in New York City, with offices in London, England.

Neal-Schuman is considered a premier publisher in the field because of its unique access to librarians and others working on the cutting edge of new services. Neal-Schuman has become the leading publisher of materials specifically designed  to help librarians build on their traditional skill sets and embrace new technologies. Neal-Schuman has more than 500 new, revised and backlist titles in print. In addition, the company markets or copublishes some 200 books and monographs from Chandos Publications, Facet Books (the official imprint of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals), the Medical Library Association and others.

About ALA, ALA Editions and ALA Publishing

ALA Publishing includes ALA Editions, TechSource and the Huron Street Press, as well as ALA Digital Reference, Booklist, Book Links, American Libraries and ALA Graphics.

The publishing imprint of the American Library Association, ALA Editions develops resources, mostly books, for the library and information services community. More than 100,000 copies of ALA Editions titles are purchased each year, helping to support ALA’s general programs. ALA authors are leaders across the field, with their ALA books distributed and valued throughout the world.

ALA Editions’ roots go back more than a century.  The American Library Association committed itself to publishing useful materials for library professionals and researchers. It established a Publishing Section at its 1886 conference in Milwaukee. The Term “Editions” replaced “Books” in June 1994 as the reorganized operation looked forward to a future of multiple formats. With more than 450 new and backlist titles, the publishing program consists of three separate imprints: Editions books and e-books for professional development; TechSource periodicals and online training; and Huron Street Press, a new list for the public.

Having grown up in an increasingly digital environment, many of today’s college students think that they can conduct research by simply Googling a topic. But doing so will not yield fruitful results. Engaging First-Year Students in Meaningful Library Research: A Practical Guide for Teaching Faculty will help academic librarians and other instructors instill successful research skills in the new generation of scholars.

From the press release:

First-year students have had trouble conducting research tasks since the dawn of time, but today’s generation of undergraduates faces the increasingly complex online information environment with too- frequent reliance on Internet tools like Google. Academic librarians and other instructors have the immense challenge of teaching students not only how to conduct research, but often what research really is. Engaging First-Year Students in Meaningful Library Research: A Practical Guide for Teaching Faculty, to be released in North America by Neal-Schuman Publishers on January 20, 2012, discusses the importance of instilling information literacy competencies in first-year students and offers practical strategies for doing so, arming them with skills they will need throughout their college and professional careers.

Click here to find out more about this and other titles in Neal-Schuman’s press release database.

John N. Gathegi, an information and law professor who has also practiced as a lawyer, presents The Digital Librarian’s Legal Handbook, a jam-packed resource to help you understand every aspect of copyright law and how it affects your day-to-day-operations. From the press release:

“Intellectual property rights, particularly copyright law, is one of the most important compliance issues facing digital librarians, computing managers, and chief information officers. Copyright law can be confusing, and it is important to avoid the multitude of legal pitfalls in this area. The Digital Librarian’s Legal Handbook, to be published by Neal-Schuman Publishers on December 16, 2011, explores the intellectual property challenges in digital content, with a focus on copyright law issues. It is designed to give the digital librarian a clear understanding of copyright law and how it affects the management of digital content, providing methods for avoiding many of the legal pitfalls that abound in this area and answers to the most frequently encountered legal questions in digital libraries.”

Click here to find out more about this and other titles in Neal-Schuman’s press release database.

Teaching has become a primary job function of academic librarians, and it may be unfamiliar territory for some. Fortunately, Becoming Confident Teachers: A Guide for Academic Librarians, a new Chandos Publication distributed exclusively in North America by Neal-Schuman Publishers, will help them teach knowledgeably and effectively.

August 31, 2011 (New York, NY) —Whether they teach the occasional class, on the spur of the moment, or spend the majority of their working hours in front of students, academic librarians are teaching more frequently than ever before.   Where can they turn for tips on becoming better at it? Becoming Confident Teachers: A Guide for Academic Librarians, to be released in North America by Neal-Schuman Publishers on October 15, 2011, gives academic librarians the skills and knowledge to fill their instructional roles with confidence and enthusiasm.

Click here to find out more about this and other titles in Neal-Schuman’s press release database.

Looking for fun, interactive ways to spruce up your storytimes? Look no further than Fairy Tale Fun!, a soon-to-be released collection of programs that use popular tales to promote creativity and literacy in children, written by Nancy Polette, a professor of children’s literature for more than 40 years and the author of more than 110 books. From the press release:

“September 10, 2011 (New York, NY) — When paired with creative, engaging activities, classic fairy tales spring to life promoting imagination and literacy in a new generation of children. Fairy Tale Fun!, to be published by Neal-Schuman Publishers on October 31, 2011, gives librarians, teachers, and parents 38 complete programs, along with listings for free YouTube videos, to teach favorite tales to children and spark their creativity and love of reading for years to come…”

Click here for sample activities and other free preview content.

Click here to find out more about this and other titles in Neal-Schuman’s press release database.

Literacy is the cornerstone of any school program. School librarians looking for effective tools for teaching students the skills necessary for their development will find everything they need in Developing 21st Century Literacies: A K-12 School Library Curriculum Blueprint with Sample Lessons. From the press release:

“August 11, 2011 (New York, NY) —Developing 21^st Century Literacies: A K-12 School Library Curriculum Blueprint with Sample Lessons, to be published by Neal-Schuman Publishers on September 30, 2011, is an authoritative guide that gives school librarians a blueprint for teaching the skills students must master to function effectively as learners and citizens.

Experienced library coordinators Mary Jo Langhorne and Denise Rehmke, along with numerous active and retired teacher-librarians from the Iowa City Community School District (ICCSD), have created a stellar curriculum blueprint based on the realities of schools today. “

Click here for a sample lesson and table of contents.

Click here to find out more about this and other titles in Neal-Schuman’s press release database.

“As virtual worlds like Second Life phase in and out of popularity, they generate information about themselves and their virtual realms. Understanding, assessing, and using this information requires skills distinct from dealing with information in the physical world. Information Dynamics in Virtual Worlds: Gaming and Beyond looks at the theory, practice, and techniques for learning about virtual worlds and accessing the information within them.”

Click here to find out more about this and other titles in Neal-Schuman’s press release database.

Now that computers and the Internet are a staple in most libraries, it is increasingly important for libraries to make sure they have the funding they need to continue to provide reliable electronic services. The E-Rate program helps fund these programs with substantial budget assistance. Writing a Winning Technology Plan for E-Rate Compliance will guide you through the process of drafting an E-Rate technology plan that will ensure that your library receives the funding it needs. From the press release:

“American Libraries recently reported that the government-subsidized E-Rate program is now offering at least $2.25 in fundingfor electronic services for public and school libraries. It is more important than everbefore for libraries to create compliant and concise technology plans for E-Rate inorder to continue providing services indispensable to so many patrons. Writing aWinning Technology Plan for E-Rate Compliance: A LITA Guide, to be co-publishedby Neal-Schuman Publishers and LITA on July 31, 2011, offers clear guidance forwriting an E-Rate technology plan that will help libraries receive funding and keeptechnology services thriving…”

Click here to find out more about this and other titles in Neal-Schuman’s press release database.

Repair old, damaged, or worn books in your library with time-tested techniques. Artemis Bonadea has revised the second edition of Kenneth Lavender’s gold standard reference Book Repair to provide the most up-to-date information on preserving your collection. From the press release:

“Whether a book is rare, a first edition, or simply too costly to replace, knowledge of lasting repair techniques is vital for everybook collection. Book Repair: A How-To-Do-It Manual®, Second Edition Revised,to be published by Neal-Schuman Publishers on July 31, 2011, is the thoroughlyupdated edition of the book that has provided invaluable information for nearlytwo decades, guiding LIS professionals through the crucial process of mending old and damaged books…”

Click here to find out more about this and other titles in Neal-Schuman’s press release database.

Learn how to incorporate the latest digital trends to keep your library exciting and cutting-edge! Do You Web 2.0?, an upcoming release from Chandos Publishing, will show you how to use Web 2.0 in your library to ensure that you are providing your patrons with up-to-date services. From the press release:

“Web 2.0 is a digital revolution unlike anythingwe have seen before. Twitter, Facebook, wikis, and blogs have become their owncultures, and librarians must incorporate these trends into their services in orderto keep their libraries relevant to their patrons. Do You Web 2.0?: Public Libraries and Social Networking, to be released in North America by Neal-Schuman Publishers on July 10, 2011, offer guidance on utilizing Web 2.0 tools to theirfullest extent to provide timely and engaging library services.”

Click here to find out more about this and other titles in Neal-Schuman’s press release database.