- Email: [email protected]
Teaching the new library
is sprinkled with clear charts and models, illustrating the author’s ideas. The absence of an index is unfortunate, although the table of contents is fairly detailed. Since I tend to consult the most useful management books long after I have read them, I find these simple organizational devices essential. Academic libraries attempting to offer comprehensive management/organizational development collections will find this book a useful addition. While I do not think this will be among the management books I continue to consult most often, it was definitely worthwhile to read.-Nancy L. Baker, Director of Libraries, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 991643610 .
Teaching the New Library, by Cheryl LaGuardia, Michael Blake, Lawrence Dowler, Laura Farwell, Caroline M. Kent, and Ed Tallent. New York: Neal-Schuman, 1996. 155~. $45.00. ISBN l-55570-214-7. In the rapid world of transformation and adjustment in our profession, instruction librarians are constantly faced with how to design programs, utilize space, and come up with innovative ways of enticing and enabling users to locate information in all existing formats. In three parts, spread over 14 chapters, Teaching the New Lihruy succinctly and brilliantly tackles the era of technology and how instruction librarians can engage in effective teaching that will graciously and usefully guide users through the sometimes mystifying and labyrinthine maze of information. In the first part, the authors answer the who, what, when, and why by defining the new library, the new librarian, the new and old users, as well as service to them. The new library will be characterized by two major factors: library materials and their nature. Examples are physical and networked space, with doors open to walk-ins, remote access via networks, telephones, faxes, electronic mail, and video conferencing. The authors then go on to single out instruction as the most important characteristic, and the most formidable challenge in teaching the highly perplexing nature of the new library. In the second part of the book, the authors answer the how, that is creating the teaching program. In 12 steps, they provide comprehensive guidelines to the new teaching program. Among
the topics mentioned are need determination, drumming up for administrative and collegial support, gathering information, assessing instruction needs, determining the appropriate type of instruction, recruiting teachers from a wide array of expertise and personalities, training, launching the program, evaluation, and constant revitalization. In the final part, answering the where, that is, the instructional setting, LaGuardia and her colleagues provide a very extensive coverage of the new reference desk-encompassing electronic arcades, electronic classrooms, the remote user, and distance education and its concomitant implications. An unglossary, that is, jargon that is better left out of instructional endeavors, and a glossary, bring the book to a close. The pluses of this book are too many to enumerate in a short review. However, many points are worthy of note. The authors provide a very careful, detailed, comprehensive, and unbiased approach to teaching the new library. Both pros and cons of ideas and scenarios offered are provided for readers. In a truly how-to-do-it fashion, the authors have successfully provided a step-by-step guide to teaching the new library. I personally find the user-centered approach utilized by the authors as one of the countless positive qualities of the book. Abundant sample forms for evaluation feedback add so much to the value of this book. Finally a book about teaching the library is written by enthusiastic and lively instructors who teach both the new and the traditional library. This book is a must acquisition for all types of libraries. It should be a required reading for library professionals directly or indirectly involved in library instruction: administrators, public services librarians, technical services, systems, and automation professionals, and non-librarians. This book will be an excellent textbook for library instruction programs in schools that have instruction as part of their curriculum, or are beginning to explore the addition of such a sine qua non component of their curriculum. For those who may think they know it all, I challenge you to read this book. The powerful presentation of the materials, and the friendly, humorous, and invigorating manner in which the materials are covered will make you rethink library instruction in the new era.-Kwasi Sarkodie-Mensah, Manager, Instructional Services, Boston College Libraries, Chestnut Hill MA 02167-3810 [email protected]>.
November
1997
539
Teaching the New Library, by Cheryl LaGuardia, Michael Blake, Lawrence Dowler, Laura Farwell, Caroline M. Kent, and Ed Tallent. New York: Neal-Schuman, 1996. 155~. $45.00. ISBN l-55570-214-7. In the rapid world of transformation and adjustment in our profession, instruction librarians are constantly faced with how to design programs, utilize space, and come up with innovative ways of enticing and enabling users to locate information in all existing formats. In three parts, spread over 14 chapters, Teaching the New Lihruy succinctly and brilliantly tackles the era of technology and how instruction librarians can engage in effective teaching that will graciously and usefully guide users through the sometimes mystifying and labyrinthine maze of information. In the first part, the authors answer the who, what, when, and why by defining the new library, the new librarian, the new and old users, as well as service to them. The new library will be characterized by two major factors: library materials and their nature. Examples are physical and networked space, with doors open to walk-ins, remote access via networks, telephones, faxes, electronic mail, and video conferencing. The authors then go on to single out instruction as the most important characteristic, and the most formidable challenge in teaching the highly perplexing nature of the new library. In the second part of the book, the authors answer the how, that is creating the teaching program. In 12 steps, they provide comprehensive guidelines to the new teaching program. Among
the topics mentioned are need determination, drumming up for administrative and collegial support, gathering information, assessing instruction needs, determining the appropriate type of instruction, recruiting teachers from a wide array of expertise and personalities, training, launching the program, evaluation, and constant revitalization. In the final part, answering the where, that is, the instructional setting, LaGuardia and her colleagues provide a very extensive coverage of the new reference desk-encompassing electronic arcades, electronic classrooms, the remote user, and distance education and its concomitant implications. An unglossary, that is, jargon that is better left out of instructional endeavors, and a glossary, bring the book to a close. The pluses of this book are too many to enumerate in a short review. However, many points are worthy of note. The authors provide a very careful, detailed, comprehensive, and unbiased approach to teaching the new library. Both pros and cons of ideas and scenarios offered are provided for readers. In a truly how-to-do-it fashion, the authors have successfully provided a step-by-step guide to teaching the new library. I personally find the user-centered approach utilized by the authors as one of the countless positive qualities of the book. Abundant sample forms for evaluation feedback add so much to the value of this book. Finally a book about teaching the library is written by enthusiastic and lively instructors who teach both the new and the traditional library. This book is a must acquisition for all types of libraries. It should be a required reading for library professionals directly or indirectly involved in library instruction: administrators, public services librarians, technical services, systems, and automation professionals, and non-librarians. This book will be an excellent textbook for library instruction programs in schools that have instruction as part of their curriculum, or are beginning to explore the addition of such a sine qua non component of their curriculum. For those who may think they know it all, I challenge you to read this book. The powerful presentation of the materials, and the friendly, humorous, and invigorating manner in which the materials are covered will make you rethink library instruction in the new era.-Kwasi Sarkodie-Mensah, Manager, Instructional Services, Boston College Libraries, Chestnut Hill MA 02167-3810 [email protected]>.
November
1997
539