Neal-Schuman Library Technology Companion: A Basic Guide for Library Staff

Foreword by Maurice Coleman

Technology infuses every aspect of every day in every library, and thus basic technology skills are a prerequisite for everyone who works in a library. Providing a one-stop overview of all technologies used in libraries today, this comprehensive primer belongs at the top of the reading list for any current or future library professional looking to stay at the forefront of technological advancement. Representing a complete update of the book under a new author, this seventh edition of the guide is bolstered with fresh insights gleaned from librarians and library staff members sharing how they work with a given technology in their library settings. Readers will learn about

• how technologies have historically impacted libraries;  
• electronic resources including e-books, full-text articles, and streaming media;
• the crucial role of free web information in supporting library research;
• discovery layers and other systems for organizing information to make it easier to find;
• desktops, laptops, tablets, and mobile devices;
• library websites, web services, screencasts, distance learning, and learning management systems;
• social networking and patron participation, with newly crafted guidelines;
• makerspaces and other possibilities for adding creative activities and technologies to libraries such as virtual reality and augmented reality;
• a comprehensive examination of how to build and maintain the library technology environment, with advice on crafting an effective plan, purchasing equipment, putting systems into operation, and preservation issues stemming from dead and dying technologies;
• Universal Design (UX) and adaptive/assistive technologies;
• protecting technology and technology users by securing collections, enhancing computer security, and safeguarding privacy; and
• possible future developments in library technology, with suggested resources for staying informed.

Robin Hastings is the Library Services Consultant for the Northeast Kansas Library System in the lovely town of Lawrence, KS. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in IT with a Master’s Degree in Library Science. She’s been working in libraries with technology since the last millennium and has written four books, a Library Technology Report, several articles and a couple of contributed chapters on library technology. She’s also presented around the world on a variety of library technology and general library management topics. She served as the Mountain Plains Library Association president for 2024-2025 and as the Koha Users Group President in 2015-2016.