JOURNALS

Excellence in library service to young adults. 3rd ed.
Mary K. Chelton, ed. Young Adult Library Services Association, American Library Association, Chicago, 2000, 78pp. ISBN 0-8389-0786-5 US $25 paperback.

A useful source of inspiration for providers of library services to young adults containing case studies of programmes used in US public and school libraries. YALSA has selected the best five, and �the best of the rest� have been gathered under the headings of: collaborative efforts, education support, information services, intergenerational, reading promotion, staff development, teen read week and youth participation. Although North American in origin there are many good, practical ideas for use in other parts of the world. And there is just enough information provided, not too little, not too much and that benefit�s the busy reader.

Learn Library of Congress subject headings Jacki Ganendran. Scarecrow Press, Lanham, 2000, 120pp. ISBN 0-8108-3695-5. US $24.50 paperback.

Whilst this is essential for students and new practitioners in North America, many libraries elsewhere also use Library of Congress subject headings. It could have another use for those who are not familiar with North American practice but who search the Library of Congress catalogues online. Finding your way around them can be a problem and some �fast learning� would cut down on search time. This is likely to help.

Library evaluation: a casebook and can-do guide.
Danny P. Wallace and Connie Van Fleet, eds. Libraries Unlimited, Englewood, 2001, 237pp. ISBN 1-56308-862-2. US$ 45 ($54 outside North America) paperback. Examines the latest approaches to evaluation, providing a series of case studies describing successes and shortcomings of methodologies used in a project carried out at Kent State University. Chapters cover: the culture of evaluation, measuring organisational effectiveness, evaluating reference and information services, evaluating collections, evaluating the virtual library collection, and the nature of evaluation. It is supported by extensive citations and the index is good.

The new planning for results: a streamlined approach
Sandra Nelson for the Public Library Association, American Library Association, Chicago, 2001. 316pp. ISBN 0-83989-3504-4. US$ 55 paperback.

This is a new edition of the essential handbook for public librarians in North America based upon a tried and tested results-driven planning process. It focuses on the essential steps, providing in this edition an information-gathering toolkit for carrying out research using customer surveys. The planning time line has been cut down from 8 months to 4 months, and the planning tasks reduced from 23 to 12. With public librarians in other countries needing to allocate resources based on current and future needs, and working in a culture of accountability, parts of this handbook will be informative and useful.

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