Inspirational! Future-oriented best practices by libraries in both the Philippines & other countries

Abstract

Libraries around the world, and particularly in Asia, are embracing exciting new efforts to enhance their services, quality, management, and management. This paper presents an inspiring overview of these new efforts. Actual, real-life libraries will be profiled, showing the exciting steps, strategies, and vision they are employing. Examples will cross all types of libraries (Public, School, Academic, Government/National), and address many of the topics of the PLAI conference. For example: (1) Project Management: a Philippine academic library using creative marketing to inspire student use. (2) Knowledge Management: a Singapore academic library launching innovative new graphical catalog software. (3) LIS Education: a U.S. school library using social media videos to increase information literacy. (4) Library Quality Assurance: a Malaysian academic library using responsive quality assurance measures to promote better services. (5) User Services: the Hong Kong public library using mobile apps to encourage greater public e-access. (6) LIS Research: the Singapore National Library Board conducting visionary studies on the socio-ethnic needs of library users. These, and many more spotlighted examples, directly address the PLAI theme of “Philippine Libraries: Future Possibilities” by putting inspiring practices to the forefront of Philippine librarians’ awareness. These efforts are not theoretical “maybes,” but actual endeavors that librarians can use, adapt, and model in their own libraries.