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The article focuses on the yoga program being offered by public libraries across the U.S. to patrons of all ages. Topics include remarks from Jenn Carson, author of "Yoga and Meditation at the Library: A Practical Guide for Librarians," about offering yoga classes for children at her public library, the creation of Let's Move in Libraries, a collaborative of librarians in the U.S. and Canada, and a yoga program developed at Cottonwood (Arizona) Public Library (CPL).

The article discusses the results of the "Library Journal's" 2021 survey on readers' advisory (RA) services in U.S. public libraries. Topics include the challenges reported by RA librarians, the necessity for multilingual RA resources, and the most useful question one asks patron when conducting one-to-one RA.

The article offers a guide for libraries to serve their Generation Z users who want to read at low or no cost. Topics covered include some of the cheap online platforms available such as Scribd, Wattpad and fanfiction repositories, tips for libraries on developing a methodology for providing access to materials outside mainstream publishing like zines and need for librarians to be familiar with popular podcasts and podcasting platforms to be able to recommend audio for Generation Z patrons.

The article discusses the highlights of the American Library Association Panel entitled "Library Leaders: How to Be a Rainbow Ally" on June 26, 2022. The panelists included Pinson Public Library director Allison Pinson and Berry College library director Sherre L. Harrington. Tips for librarians on supporting the LGBTQIA+ community and handling angry library patrons are provided.

The article shares stories of censorship and personal attacks experienced by librarians from public library patrons. These include the confrontations at the library, online, and in media reported by a public teen librarian in Maryland, harassment by a trustee experienced by a Massachusetts public librarian, and experience by a children's librarian in a former public library job.

The article discusses the online offerings by public libraries in the U.S. in the middle of COVID-19 pandemic in summer of 2020. Topics covered include the move by Scottsville Library in Scottsville, Virginia to go virtual with its programming according to branch manager Megan England, the main goal at the Normal (Illinois) Public Library to make sure that young patrons keep reading this summer, and common concern among librarians who are trying to keep summer programs afloat strictly online.

The article discusses best practices for library collection development. Particular focus is given to the responsibility of collection development librarians. Options for selecting library materials include publisher newsletters, the Library Reads recommendation tool, and the Edelweiss discovery tool. Also discussed are the need to interact with library patrons, monitoring authors who visit local bookstores, and budget considerations.

The article discusses how some librarians are using digital technology to ignite interest in the art, literacy and more among tween library users. Topics covered include Hack the Library program at the Hudson Area Library's armory space involving tweens and local artists, Digital Dancing program that combined dance and augmented reality and the Litcraft immersive game built on the Minecraft platform developed by Sally Bushell of Lancaster University.

The article focuses on programming ideas from several U.S. librarians and libraries to promote library use among tweens, the children from eight to 12 years of age. Topics covered importance for librarians to know the likes and interests of tweens, popularity of hands-on activities like making slime and do-it-yourself sewing, service-oriented programs that promote humanitarianism and charitable work, and examples of successful programs for tweens.

The article looks at issues related to privacy and electronic surveillance of particular interest to librarians and offers a resource list of books, websites, software applications, and DVDs on these issues. Topics include the privacy rights of library users, an 1890 essay in the "Harvard Law Review" on technology and the right to privacy, and the documentary film "CitizenFour" concerning whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Comments on library blogs. Potential of blogs for promoting library services to the community; Question of how to compel readers to return regularly to the library blog; Observation that there is a technology available to feed blog postings directly into courseware sites; Author's experience starting up a blog for his library; Ways to interest students in reading blog content; Suggestions for successful blogging; Reasons for optimism about library blogs. INSET: Tips for Successful Blogging.

Evaluates several databases available for librarians and library users. Features of the Academic Search Elite from EBSCO Publishing; Pros and cons of ProQuest Research Library from ProQuest Information and Learning; Searchability of FirstSearch-Base Package with Full Text from OCLC Inc. INSET: Other sources.

Stresses the important services an online catalog offers and lists some of the most important trends and changes in library cataloging. The emergence of a trend to link local catalogs to each other; Changes in the way library users search the catalog; Assertion that many librarians lack understanding of the role that catalogers should play; Commitment of the American Library Association to address the recruitment of catalogers; Efforts of librarians to ensure that the bibliographic records created can be used in the catalogs of all libraries; Discussion of MARC formats and ways to order bibliographic records on the online catalog screen; Opinion that a change in the approach to subject cataloging could accomplish a great deal. INSET: The National Coordinated Cataloging Program.

Presents information concerning changes which have been made to the Dewey Decimal Classification system (DDC) by the Decimal Classification Division (DCD) staff at the Library of Congress. System in which libraries may feel that it is useless to report feedback from librarians and library users concerning the system to DCD; Argument that initiatives and surveys concerning the use of the system in libraries have not had an impact on the DCD; Criticism that the index volume needs to be revised; Concern that those in charge of the DDC do not understand the complaints of librarians about the system; View that a revision solution would be to integrate new or expanded topics within existing schedules by adding digits to current numbers, reviving latent notations, or redefining the scope of active numbers.

The article profiles emerging technology librarian Nate Gass and reference librarian Haley Samuelson at Cook Memorial Public Library District in Libertyville, Illinois, who were honored in the Movers & Shakers 2000 of the "Library Journal." Topics discussed include their class started to help patrons identify fake news, their effort to reach more patrons, and the Be a Voter initiative they started to prepare patrons for the April 2, 2019 district elections.

The article looks at how a comparison of database administration offerings reveal service gaps. When librarians license databases, they must configure features for maximum patron utility. According to the article, a standardized set of factors is needed, including validation methods, linking tools, and title list services. The article discusses Counting Online Usage of Networked Electronic Resources, user validation, OpenURL linking, and title list filtering.

The article discusses the Traveling Library Center (TLC) implemented by the King County Library System in Issaquah, WA. Two box trucks and one cargo van sit at the edge of the parking lot. Around the corner sit a renovated Winnebago called the Techlab, the slightly smaller ABC Express, and an older van. This fleet, and the outreach technicians and librarians who run it, is KCLS's answer to how to reach those who can't get to the library. TLC visits 130 nursing homes, assisted living and retirement facilities, senior centers, low-income housing, rehab centers, and hospitals across King County. Beyond TLC's dedicated collection of 44,802 items, the staff draws from the KCLS collection. Such intensive service is expensive. In 2003, each TLC circulation costs $10.19 compared with an average circulation cost of $5.38 across KCLS. The answer to lowering costs might be to tap volunteers, who already do approximately 29 percent of the homebound runs, and work with getting technology into patrons' hands, automating some of the manual activities, and working with remote holds. INSET: On the road.

Looks at how to maintain quality in a Web site and the development of conventions in Web site design. Idea that librarians create Web sites which contain terms employed by library users; Belief that many sites have well-designed homepages but inferior secondary pages; Perception that sites must be user-friendly.

Explores the changes being brought by the Internet to libraries and library users in the U.S. Marginalization of school libraries by state and federal regulations; Overview of how library professionals can establish the media center as the central foundation of a school; Potential use of podcasts and blogs by students and teachers.

Presents letters from readers of ' Library Journal' concerning issues covered in the previous issues of the United States periodical. Measure of a librarian; Protection of legitimate users of libraries; Online searching by library users.

The article suggests ways for librarians to become more comfortable with science fiction (SF) and fantasy and better at connecting library patrons with the genre. Topics discussed include popular titles with fantastic or science fictional elements, the emergence of genre blending as a trend in sf/fantasy, and the importance of understanding a reader's key appeal factors in matching them with the right book.

The article offers a guide to a librarian who is not familiar with genre fiction categories. Topics discussed include the anxiety being experienced by many library staffers when asked to recommend titles in genres with which they are unfamiliar, finding of a 2014 survey on the first most commonly cited cause of readers' advisory (RA) anxiety, and suggested RA columns such as "RA Crossroads" and "Wyatt's World" by Neal Wyatt.

The article offers suggestions for librarians on assisting readers of horror fiction. Topics discussed include the hardest thing for non-horror-loving library user to understand, characteristics of the best horror novels, and suggested authors and titles of horror fiction. Also mentioned are resources to help stay current and find more great suggestions including the book "The Readers' Advisory Guide to Horror" 2nd edition and its online home RA for All: Horror.

The article reports on research which has been conducted on both librarian and patron satisfaction related to Integrated Library Systems (ILS) at both academic and public libraries. Statistics are offered from a survey by the periodical "Library Journal," in which respondents answered questions including which ILS does their library currently use, what features would they like added to their ILS, and whether they would recommend their ILS to a colleague.

The article presents several charts on the satisfaction of integrated library systems (ILS) users. Topics discussed include library patrons, librarians, and the differences between public and academic libraries.

The article focuses on genealogy tools used by librarians. It is stated that librarians have to meet their patrons' expectations, for which librarians use an array of genealogy tools, but patrons value time spent with a librarian. Genealogy expert Debra Dudek, head of adult and teen services at the Fountaindale Public Library District (FPLD) in Illinois, says that with a Fountaindale library card, patrons can check out two hours with her, but genealogy requires an investment of time.

The article presents insights about mentorship by millennial librarians. It discusses ways on how to interact with patrons and colleagues which include being approachable, reaching out with a colleague who is having difficulty, and listening to younger colleagues. Particular focus is also given to Vanessa Christman of the Los Angeles Public Library.

The article focuses on the role of data in the library-wide user experience (UX) improvement project at North Carolina's Chapel Hill Public Library (CHPL). Topics discussed include the methods used by CHPL staff to gather data, information on service blueprinting as a data-related tool, and the use of data for a library's major decision making.

The article offers the author's insights about the remarks of public librarian Steve Barker in his "Wall Street Journal" (WSJ) article "In Age of Google, Librarians Get Shelved," which focuses on the diminishing role of librarians and public libraries. Topics include the book "Part of Our Lives: A People's History of the American Public Library," American public library users, and the American Library Association (ALA).

The article shares tips on how librarians can help enhance user experience (UX) in the library. Some of these tips include performing a library UX assessment to determine areas that need improvement, hiring of the right people and the training of the library staff, and setting goals to improve library UX.

Looks at the latest in consumer software and electronics, and their implications for librarians. Argument that video games have serious implications for learning, information production, sharing and retrieval; How libraries are starting to include gaming nights or tournaments, as well as circulating video games to patrons; Sophistication of gaming technology; Outlook for the release of three new machines, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Revolution; Online connectivity; Role of high definition; Why users are attracted to individual machines; All-in-one media devices; Storage.

The article discusses the significance of instant messaging to libraries and librarians. Maybe your library isn't using instant messaging (IM), but you can be certain that a good number of your users are. IM is also making inroads in the corporate world, on the desktops of more than 11 million Americans. With such a wealth of participants out there, it makes sense that librarians jump into the IM fray to make their services available to their unique audience via this technology. This is not just any audience; many IMers are those hard-to-reach Millennials who grew up in the 1980s with computers and don't think of them as technology. "IM is essential because it aligns library services with the preferred technology of this target population of users--a huge mass of future library and information users who could, potentially and scarily, become nonusers," says Stephen Abram, vice president of innovation at Sirsi. But is it reference? IM reference works in much the same way as do other flavors of reference--just think of it as a sped-up email transaction. Questions generally begin with a cordial preamble, just like at the reference desk. With IM, the reference interview doesn't float away in conversation, it's right there before you. The types of questions received via IM are similar to those received via telephone, and IM works well with what Ashley Robinson, librarian at Pennsylvania State University Libraries, calls "just in time" reference: questions about library services, phone numbers, or a URL. Emailing articles from subscription databases and getting immediate patron feedback are also great ways to employ IM. In the process, librarians can truly be their users' personal guide through the information ocean. INSET: Libraries That IM.

This article looks at research on readers of science fiction. Despite the stereotype of the average reader as a young male engineer, probably white, sci-fi readers are male and female, straight, gay, trans, young, and old. They span the racial spectrum and have various education and employment backgrounds. A person is a sci-fi reader because he or she reads sci-fi. Look carefully at the differences between a reader and a fan, terms that are used almost interchangeably in much of the available work on sf reading. Generally, fans self-identify, and, as both Joyce Saricks and Patty Campbell have pointed out, they can be very demanding patrons yet have low expectations of libraries. Science fiction and fantasy are both fantastic, speculative genres, but the speculation in sci-fi is based on science and technology. In most fantasy, the speculation is based on myth, magic, and the supernatural. According to the study, the three strongest goals, or "purposeful reasons," for reading sci-fi are the exploration of ideas, the affirmation of worldview, and escape. To help a reader select sf, it is important to find out what the particular sf reader is looking for at the time. The reader may have goals that change from time to time, yet will still look for and be satisfied by science fiction.

Provides advice about the common mistakes of librarians in public libraries and how to avoid the mistakes. Dependence of librarians on the OPAC database; Problem of public librarians when conducting a readers' advisory interview; Importance of improving interpersonal communication between librarians and library users. INSET: 9 More Real-Life Readalike Mismatches.

Examines an incident related to a plan of librarians to participate in a statewide reciprocal borrowing and lending program for libraries. Factors to consider in joining a statewide reciprocal borrowing program; Advantage of joining a statewide lending program; Details on the indicators of library usage.

Provides an analysis of tools for managing public access computers (PAC) in libraries. Systems that help manage desktop security; Fortres Grand Corporation's Fortres 101 which is a widely used system; Librarians who should explore how a product handles patron data; Systems that control print management.

Discusses how different librarians manage their staff. Consideration of a librarian who suggests that the library be used as a voter registration center; Advice about how managers can anticipate basic operational questions; How to prioritize patrons; Effects of a lack of preparation and tactical error.

Presents a case study of the interaction between a librarian and library user, and presents advice for better library-user relations. How the requirements for obtaining a library card may be strict, requiring two forms of identification; View that individual libraries should form a network or cooperative for reciprocal borrowing privileges; Topic of stereotypes of librarians; View that sometimes, making the customer happy is more important than following strict policies.

The article discusses the introduction of the Internet Screening in Public Libraries Act (ISPLA) to the Illinois General Assembly, focusing on opposition to the bill by the American Library Association (ALA) and Illinois Library Association (ILA). Other topics include information on supporters and opponents of the bill, the bill's resemblance to the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), and how the bill puts the burden of determining legitimate research on patrons and librarians.

The article presents questions and answers related to librarians including the concern of a librarian that censorship was never addressed in any of her library school classes, a librarian who was accused by a parent of stunting her daughter's intellectual growth, and a problem with a guy in a public library who likes to call the staff's attention to Internet sites that patrons have viewed.

Discusses job stress at different levels of library service and questions whether the use of CD-ROMs alleviates or increases this stress. Observation that CD-ROM workstations are constantly used in libraries; Nonreference duties which may take time away from answering substantive reference questions of library users; Thoughts on the idea that librarians are becoming like technicians; Finding that library users caused the most stress for library employees, especially those who use the CD-ROM workstations, because they act impatient or lazy; Feelings of inadequacy which are experienced by some librarians when faced with the knowledge needed to use CD-ROM sources and to teach others how to use them.

Discusses the professional responsibilities of librarians in acquiring books for library collections. Thoughts on how the decisions of some librarians may be affected by the opinions of library users; Challenges facing academic librarians who may be pressured by faculty to purchase certain publications; The impact of Phil Donahue and Oprah Winfrey on library acquisitions decisions; Reflection on the expertise of librarians in purchasing books in public and academic libraries; Argument that librarians must be able to define and explain the purpose of the library in order to build a collection for it.

Discusses the conflict between librarians and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), concerning the issue between an FBI asking librarians to keep an eye out for suspicious-looking library users, particularly those with foreign names. Importance of national security; Problems with the concept of foreign-sounding name; Legal steps to ensure national security.

Relates how two librarians at a public library put together a proposal to build a collection of computer software. Areas that needed to be addressed; Selection of three systems; Software selection; Circulation; Their experience processing and packaging the disks; Reaction of the public; Economical approach; Outlook for software lending by libraries.

The article presents information on how music librarians can assist library patrons with music recommendations without being judgmental or condescending, and focuses on relationship building between librarians and patrons. Topics include listening and conversation skills for librarians, the musical knowledge of music reference librarians, and ways to advise library patrons.

Letters to the editor are presented which comment on articles in the October, November, and December 2013 issues including Rebecca Miller's editorial "Protect Thy Patrons," Matt Enis' article "Digital Firsts," and Stephanie L. Maatta's article "The Emerging Databrarian."

The article discusses the role of a mobile device, such as the smartphone Iphone 5S, with people in general and librarians in particular. It discusses how libraries interact with their users by sharing images of library signs using mobile devices. It explains how mobile devices can provide a world of information to the user. Pew Research Center senior researcher Aaron Smith mentions the use of cell phones by younger adults and lower-income Americans for accessing online content.

The article discusses the importance and effects of the Impact Survey in helping librarians understand how and when patrons are interacting with the access to technological resources that they provide and demonstrate the value of the services to local governments. A brief historical overview of the Impact Survey is presented. Particular focus is given to how the Impact Survey is used according to library director Maggie Buckolz.