Ala Editions imprint: 162 books

Focusing on new reference sources published since 2008 and reference titles that have retained their relevance, this new edition brings O’Gorman’s complete and authoritative guide to the best reference sources for small and medium-sized academic and public libraries fully up to date. About 40 percent...

No library stands alone. A long-standing tenet of the discipline, library cooperation predates the founding of ALA. Although these are times of crisis and uncertainty for library consortia (by one count, more than 65 consortia have closed since 2008), the collaboration that consortia offer helps libraries...

Year after year a majority of the titles on ALA’s Banned Books list, which compiles titles threatened with censorship, are either YA books or adult books that are frequently read by teens. It’s important for YA librarians to understand the types of challenges occurring in libraries around the nation...

Michael Cart, former YALSA president and the best-selling author of Young Adult Literature: From Romance to Realism, applies his considerable expertise as one of the nation’s leading experts on YA literature to identify exceptional adult books that will satisfy a variety of young adults’ recreational...

This concise sourcebook takes the guesswork out of locating the best sources of data, a process more important than ever as the data landscape grows increasingly cluttered. Much of the most frequently used data can be found free online, and this book shows readers how to look for it with the assistance...

Everyone agrees that evaluation of library services is essential, but without a background in research it can be a challenge to apply abstract concepts such as strategic planning, evidence-based decision making, and accountability to real-world situations. Finally library managers have a workbook to...

Too much of the time our attempts at achieving a work/life balance instead amount to a rigid compartmentalization of the different parts of our lives. But the very qualities that make us human, including our thoughts, feelings, and experiences, are the keys to making us better librarians and teachers....

In times of recession, the library is more critical than ever for those who want to start a business and need to do research, and academic and public libraries are at the heart of a growing need to research business questions. An “accidental business reference librarian by trade,” Ross explains how...

When a public library invests in building relationships with business owners, professionals, and job seekers in the community, it is investing in the livelihood, well-being, and future of all of its citizens. By demonstrating how the library is a valuable resource for these patrons, the embedded business...

Planning and assessment are both crucial elements of a public library that functions efficiently and flexibly. So why are they often treated as separate processes? This concise book combines planning and evaluation in a holistic approach, helping public library managers and staff put library resources...

Coyle’s expert ability to draw from the deep historical background of cataloging theory to illuminate the potentials of library data on the Web helped win her the 2011 ALCTS Outstanding Publication Award. Here she persuasively argues that to more effectively connect library users with books, movies,...

Using a library’s facilities to bring arts to the community is not only a valuable service, but also a wonderful marketing and outreach opportunity, a tangible way to show the public that libraries offer value, thus shoring up grassroots support. Editor Smallwood has combed the country finding examples...

The daily administration of an academic library often leaves you needing quick advice on the topic at hand. Nelson, an experienced administrator writing from first-hand knowledge, delivers such advice in 30 topical chapters. Each chapter begins with an “Assertion,” a one-sentence summary allowing...

Have changes such as cloud computing, search engines, the Semantic Web, and mobile applications rendered such long-standing academic library services and functions as special collections, interlibrary loans, physical processing, and even library buildings unnecessary? Can the academic library effectively...