Tag: LITA Guide

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Interview with Ken Varnum, Editor of “New Top Technologies Every Librarian Needs to Know”

| Karen Doster-Greenleaf
Ken Varnum as Editor book covers

For over the past two decades Ken Varnum has become a leading expert in library technology, focusing his research on discovery systems and library analytics.  He has lent this expertise once again as editor to two recently released titles from ALA publishers, the new LITA Guide New Top Technologies Every Librarian Needs to Know and Beyond Reality: Augmented, Virtual, and Mixed Reality in the Library. He is the Senior Program Manager at the University of Michigan and the editor of Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL). In our interview he provides his insights on the landscape of library technology, future challenges, and what he hopes his reader’s take away from his books.  What technology/technologies will have the largest impact on libraries in the upcoming decade? I think there are several intersecting trends that will continue to have an impact in the coming decade. The first is consolidation of metadata into increasingly…

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News & Noteworthy

Technology Disaster Response and Recovery Planning

| Chrishelle Thomas

Check out the newest LITA Guide: Technology Disaster Response and Recovery Planning Most library disaster plans focus on response and recovery from collection and facilities disasters, such as fire and floods. But because technology is becoming ever more integral to libraries’ role in their communities, any interruption in service and resources is a serious matter. A disaster’s effect on internet and social media sites, electronic resources, digital collections, and staff and public infrastructure of PCs, tablets, laptops and other peripherals requires special consideration. Edited by Mary Mallery, “Technology Disaster Response and Recovery Planning: A LITA Guide” published by ALA TechSource, features contributions from librarians who offer hard-won advice gained from personal experience. Leading readers through a step-by-step process of creating a library technology disaster response and recovery plan, this compendium: outlines the three phases of technology disaster response, with examples of planning and implementation strategies from several different libraries; describes how…

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