Introducing new technologies to your library can be a daunting process; they can be costly, they may be unfamiliar to many staff members, and their success is far from assured. To address these concerns, Best Technologies for Public Libraries accommodates budgets large and small, providing options for both the ambitious and the cost-conscious.
Authors Christopher DeCristofaro, James Hutter, and Nick Tanzi provide a resource for staff looking to incorporate a number of emerging technologies into their library and makerspaces. Each chapter explores a new technology, including 3D printing, drones, augmented reality, and virtual reality, covering how the technologies work, the selection process, training, sample programming, best practices, and relevant policy. By describing a variety of program and service ideas across age groups, the book gives readers the ability to first evaluate them within the context of their own organization before incorporating ideas à la carte. This approach helps readers to adopt these new technologies and create policies with uses already in mind.
About the Author: Christopher DeCristofaro is the technology librarian at the Sachem Public Library in Holbrook, NY. He is in charge of The Studio, a comprehensive makerspace, and is the creator and co-host of The Library Pros podcast.
James Hutter is a technology librarian currently serving as head of computer services at the Port Washington Public Library and as a director of the Nassau County Library Association.
Nick Tanzi has been incorporating emerging technologies into the library as a children's librarian, the founding member of a digital services department, and most recently, as the assistant director of the South Huntington Public Library.
