Farmer, L. (Ed.). (2012). Youth-serving libraries in Japan, Russia, and the United States. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.  ISBN 978-0-8108-8225-6

In recent years, interest in International Librarianship has grown rapidly and will continue to grow as globalization influences education and librarianship. In countries around the world, public and school libraries have unique roles and their staffs collaborate across types of libraries to varying degrees. Library staff preparation, training, and ongoing learning and organization of youth-serving librarians mirror each country’s values and priorities.

The essays in Youth-Serving Libraries in Japan, Russia, and the United States address the universal and culture-specific aspects of library services to children and teens in these three countries. This collection shows how libraries have developed in light of each country’s political, educational, and social history. They examine how government and citizen roles in youth-serving libraries also reflect culturally defined social structures. The chapters highlight unique collections and services within each country and also show how librarians deal with the challenges they encounter, both from within their culture as well as from outside—including natural disasters. Each country’s authors discuss contemporary issues that face youth-serving libraries, such as information literacy, reading in a multimedia world, and the overarching influence of technology.

Editor Lesley S. J. Farmer coordinates the Library Media Teacher program at California State University Long Beach, where she also serves as a reference librarian for the university’s library. She is the author and co-author of numerous books, including Technology Infused Instruction for the Educational Community (Scarecrow, 2004) and Information Literacy Assessment in K-12 Settings (Scarecrow, 2007).

Associate Editor Natalia Gendina is professor for the department of information technology at Kemerovo State University of Culture and Arts in Russia and directs the Information Technology Research Institute of Social Sphere.

Associated Editor Yuriko Nakamura is associate professor at Rikkyo University in Tokyo. Nakamura has published several books and academic papers. She has been working as a committee member of the School Libraries and Resource Centers Section of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions since 2005, and serves as Information Officer for the section.