Ala Techsource imprint: 49 books

Spaces that have been designed to allow users to create, build, and learn new projects and technologies, makerspaces employ a variety of tools such as 3-D printers, AutoCAD design software, and even open-source hardware like Arduino Kits. Developing a community around shared use of space and equipment,...

According to a 2012 Ithaka study, 80 percent of faculty in the humanities and 70 percent in social sciences use video, film, and non-textual resources for teaching undergraduates. Streaming video is not simply an accommodation to distance learners; rather, it’s an expectation for the curriculum, and...

Computers increasingly collect, manage, and analyze data for scholarly research. Linked data gives libraries the ability to support this e-research, making it a powerful tool. Libraries are at a tipping point in adoption of linked data, and this issue of Library Technology Reports explores current research...

Families share stories with each other and veterans reconnect with their comrades, while teens edit music videos and then upload them to the web: all this and more can happen in the digital media lab (DML), a gathering of equipment with which people create digital content or convert content that is in...

While it's inspiring to ponder the libraries of the 22nd century, it's a lot more practical to think ahead to the next five years. That's just what Varnum and his hand-picked team of contributors have done, showing library technology staff and administrators where to invest time and money to receive...

Everyone agrees that innovation is a worthy aim, but what does innovation actually entail? And what does it mean for a library organization? For this issue of Library Technology Reports, Jason Vaughan reviewed professional literature, both scholarly and mainstream, and surveyed library directors to learn...

E-book vendors continue to experiment: adjustments to business models, consolidation of content, and mergers with competitors mean constant change. What’s good for innovation can equal confusion when it comes to choosing an e-book platform for your library. Making a sound purchasing decision requires...

Tablet computer ownership on university campuses has tripled in the past year, according to a Pearson Foundation survey in March 2012. At the threshold of the Post-PC era, as students’ expectations change, reference and instruction librarians are responding with new services. In this issue of Library...

Maintaining a library website is as important as its initial development. In this issue of Library Technology Reports King draws from his team’s four-year experience running the acclaimed digital branch of the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library (TSCPL). From website tweaks to staffing issues, King...

Some have viewed the ascendance of the digital library as some kind of existential apocalypse, nothing less than the beginning of the end for the traditional library. But Weiss, recognizing the concept of the library as a "big idea" that has been implemented in many ways over thousands of years, is not...

To get to the bottom of a successful approach to Electronic Resource Management (ERM), Anderson interviewed staff at 11 institutions about their ERM implementations. Among her conclusions, presented in this issue of Library Technology Reports, is that grasping the intricacies of your workflow—analyzing...

As a provider of public space and digital content, your library is duty-bound to promote equitable access to all users, regardless of whether they use assistive technology. In this issue of Library Technology Reports, editor Booth makes the case that that attention to the core principles of consistency,...

Since the National Science Foundation joined the National Institutes of Health in requiring that grant proposals include a data management plan, academic librarians have been inundated with related requests from faculty and campus-based grant consulting offices. Data management is a new service area...

Supplementing your local collection through resource sharing is a smart way to ensure your library has the resources to satisfy the needs of your users. Marshall Breeding’s new Library Technology Report explores technologies and strategies for sharing resources, helping you streamline workflows and...