Out Front with Stephen Abram [Paperback]

Judith Siess (Author), Jonathan Lorig (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 30, 2009 | ISBN-10: 0838909329 | ISBN-13: 978-0838909324 | Edition: 1

Tap into the insights of one of the world s leading library visionaries. Stephen Abram has the knack for seeing and expressing the obvious long before most people become aware of the issue. Although he s one of the most prolific writers and speakers in the industry, this is the first time his writings are being collected in one volume.

Addressing the many audiences within the library profession public, school, and special libraries, vendors, corporate librarians, and technology specialists Abram offers a clear-sighted overview of the complexities of the information landscape in the 21st century.

To organize the multitude of his writings and audiences, articles are collected under four key themes:
# Advocacy Reiterating the value and importance of libraries and librarians
# Technology Mastering technology in service to library users
# Communities and Generations Understanding the changing face and needs of the audiences
# The Future Synthesizing massive amounts of information across all library disciplines gives rise to uncanny predictions for the future of libraries

Complete with extensive bibliography of Abram s works and recommended reading list, this paradigm-shifting volume gives perspective on the future of the library profession, challenges preconceptions, and helps librarians stay ahead of the learning curve.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Stephen Abram is vice president for innovation at SirsiDynix, a leading library automation firm. Known throughout the US and Canada, and across the library spectrum public, academic, special, and school libraries Abram travels worldwide speaking on technology and marketplace trends. He is past president of the Canadian Library Association and President-Elect of the Special Libraries Association (SLA). Library Journal identified Abram as one of the Top 50 People ... Shaping the Future of Libraries and Librarianship. He is a prolific author, contributing to SirsiDynix s OneSource e-letter, his blog, Stephen s Lighthouse , SLA s Information Outlook , among others. He earned his MLS from the University of Toronto.

Judith A. Siess is a recognized expert in one-person librarianship and interpersonal networking. She has been the editor/publisher of The One-Person Library: A Newsletter for Librarians and Management since 1988 and has drawn from her over twenty years' experience for six books, including The New OPL Sourcebook: A Guide for Solo and Small Libraries (Information Today, Inc., 2006); The Essential OPL, 1998-2004: The Best of Seven Years of The One-Person Library: A Newsletter for Librarians and Management, with Jonathan Lorig (Scarecrow Press, 2005); The Visible Librarian: Asserting Your Value With Marketing and Advocacy (ALA Editions, 2003); and Time Management, Planning and Prioritization for Librarians (Scarecrow Press, 2002). She is a member of library associations around the world and has spoken to groups of librarians in Spain, England, Germany, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and all over the USA. She has been an active member of the Special Libraries Association (SLA) since 1980 and was the first chair of its Solo Librarians Division, which is now the fourth largest division of the association.

Jonathan Lorig is a Technical Systems Coordinator at the Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his M.S. LIS from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign via the LEEP online degree program. He also earned a B.S. Civil Engineering at UIUC. He collaborated with Judith Siess on The Essential OPL, 1998-2004: The Best of Seven Years of The One-Person Library: A Newsletter for Librarians and Management (Scarecrow, 2005).

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Amer Library Assn Editions; 1 edition (January 30, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0838909329
• ISBN-13: 978-0838909324
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,284,178 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thoughtful survey of current and future challenges to be met by librarians everywhere, June 9, 2007

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Out Front with Stephen Abram (Paperback)

Compiled by interpersonal networking expert Judith A. Siess and technical systems coordinator Jonathan Lorig, Out Front with Stephen Abram: A Guide for Information Leaders is a guide addressed to all types of library professionals - not just public and school librarians, but also special and corporate librarians, vendors, technology specialists, and more. Out Front with Stephen Abram especially focuses upon the most complex aspects of the twenty-first century information environment. From recent and project future changes is library clientele, to the impact of modern technology including PDAs and Google, and how to communicate the value of libraries to the public, Out Front with Stephen Abram offers statistic-supported research as well as tested, practical advice. "Librarians usually are not nextheads; we tend to be textheads... Today the printed text represents only a small fraction of all stored data and information, and in some markets like business, it represents a very small portion of content acquisition budgets. However, de-emphasizing text has driven a further change that we need to explicitly acknowledge - the dominance of educated persons who decode and internalize 'text' well is ending." A thoughtful survey of current and future challenges to be met by librarians everywhere, highly recommended.