Handbook for Community College Librarians

May 1, 2014

Works in library and information science (LIS) tend to focus on specific aspects of the profession, such as instruction, management, or public services, or often cover academic, public, or special librarianship as a whole. Community college librarians may be mentioned in such works but rarely are they the sole focus. Crumpton (assistant dean for administrative svcs.) and Bird (library and information studies; both, Univ. of North Carolina, Greensboro) each has extensive experience in the community college environment and have created a work that remedies the gap in the literature. The short chapters each focus on a different library task, such as reference, information literacy, or instructional design, or highlight topics such as budgeting, self-management, assessment, and diversity. Sections are well organized and grounded in recent research. As an added value, at the end of each chapter a "My Story" segment illustrates briefly the preceding concepts with personal reflection. VERDICT This work will serve as a very useful introduction for either new or aspiring community college librarians or as a text for an LIS course. The concise chapters, filled with both scholarship and practical advice, will help librarians better understand their environment.--Maria Bagshaw, Elgin Community Coll. Lib., IL

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