Amy Deschenes - Free Technology for Libraries

Amy Deschenes

ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD

Lanham Boulder New York London

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Deschenes, Amy, 1984

Free technology for libraries / Amy Deschenes.

pages cm. (Library technology essentials ; 3)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-4422-5296-7 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-4422-5297-4 (pbk. : alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-4422-5928-7 (ebook).

LibrariesInformation technology. I. Title.

Z678.9.D45 2015

025.00285dc23

2015011510

TM The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Printed in the United States of America

To my mother and grandmother, who took me to the library.

Free Technology for Libraries is an all-in-one passport to todays best free technologies that can be used in libraries for outreach and events, resource management, and even web development. The authority on free library technology, Amy Deschenes gives a complete overview of what options libraries have available to them for managing internal documentation, reference statistics, purchase requests, and more. This outstanding, practical volume guides the reader through how to implement a scalable e-resources management system, how to use screen sharing for remote reference, how to create an HTML5 Responsive website with no design experience, and much more.

The idea for the Library Technology Essentials book series came about because there have been many drastic changes in information consumption, new technological advancements, and growing user expectations over the past few years to which forward-thinking libraries are responding by devising groundbreaking ways to remain relevant in a rapidly changing digital world. I saw a need for a practical set of guidebooks that libraries could use to inform themselves about how to stay on the cutting edge by implementing new programs, services, and technologies to match their patrons expectations.

Libraries today are embracing new and emerging technologies, transforming themselves into community hubs and places of cocreation through makerspaces, developing information commons spaces, and even taking on new roles and formats, all the while searching for ways to decrease budget lines, add value, and prove the ROI (return on investment) of the library. The Library Technology Essentials series is a collection of primers to guide libraries along the path to innovation through step-by-step instruction. Written by the fields top experts, these handbooks are meant to serve as the ultimate gateway to the newest and most promising emerging technology trends. Filled with practical advice and project ideas for libraries to implement right now, these books will hopefully inspire readers to start leveraging these new techniques and tools today.

Each book follows the same format and outline, guiding the reader through the AZ of how to leverage the latest and most cutting-edge technologies and trends to deliver new library services. The Projects chapters comprise the largest portion of the books, providing library initiatives that can be implemented by both beginner and advanced readers accommodating for all audiences and levels of technical expertise. These projects and programs range from the basic How to Circulate Wearable Technology in Your Library and How to Host a FIRST Robotics Team at the Library to intermediates such as How to Create a Hands-Free Digital Exhibit Showcase with Microsoft Kinect and the more advanced options such as Implementing a Scalable E-Resources Management System and How to Gamify Library Orientation for Patrons with a Top Down Video Game. Readers of all skill levels will find something of interest in these books.

Amy Deschenes is the user experience specialist for Harvard Library and former systems and web applications librarian at Simmons College Library in Boston. She has been writing and presenting about emerging technologies and libraries for many years now, so I knew that she would be the perfect author for this book. And she far surpassed my expectations that I had for this title. Amys knowledge and expertise shine through in this exceptional book that is at once innovative and easy to read. If you want to learn all there is to know about adopting free technology in your library from start to finish, this is the book for you.