Neal-Schuman Library Technology Companion: A Basic Guide for Library Staff

The first sections of this guide by Burke (library director, Miami Univ., Makerspaces: A Practical Guide for Librarians) review the day-to-day equipment and software utilized by libraries. After that, the author focuses on library websites, social networking, screencast software, maker spaces, and learning management systems while discussing learning possibilities for librarians and staff to use these technologies to meet community and student needs. The last part presents a helpful list of considerations for technology planning and dives into potential planning and implementation pitfalls while introducing the concept of universal design, security systems, patron privacy, and the role of adaptive technologies in libraries. Burke closes with a list of trends and technologies to watch—a checklist that libraries should be utilizing or planning for in their near future, such as designing websites to promote access and discovery.