Our New Public, a Changing Clientele: Bewildering Issues or New Challenges for Managing Libraries?

Just beginning to enter the workplace, Millennials have never known a world that wasn't connected by email, instant messages, text messages, and the Internet. For libraries, the challenge is clear: how do we serve older and more established clientele, yet sustain progress? How do we welcome this new generation into our professional midst? These 18 chapters explore the pervasiveness of change: in personnel selection and training; budget planning; marketing and promotion; fund raising; health issues for staff and clientele; retirement and recruitment; staying current; inter-library and inter-agency cooperation; joint-use facilities; furnishing and refurnishing; evaluating and selecting new format materials and technologies; and lifelong learning. Each offers practical experience and advice which, regardless of type of library, is adaptable to all. For managers and would-be managers of libraries everywhere, and anyone who provides service to a younger demographic.

James R. Kennedy is the University Librarian at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa.

Lisa Vardaman is the Education/Instructional Media Librarian at Troy State University in Troy, Alabama.

Gerard B. McCabe is the retired Director of Libraries at Clarion University in Clarion, Pennsylvania.