ALA Editions Research Articles

A Conversation with the Authors of Open Access Literature in Libraries: Principles and Practices

In lieu of a traditional editorial or book review, in this issue I offer a conversation with Karen Brunsting and Caitlin Harrington, my co-authors for the recently published monograph Open Access Literature in Libraries: Principles and Practices (ALA Editions Core, 2022; 978-0-8389-3954-3). Over the past year, Michael Fernandez and I have documented some of the work we have undertaken to make Library Resources & Technical Services open access. These efforts have, of course, been informed by our grappling with the complex topic over a much longer period of time. For several years, I have been pondering what librarians, and especially those of us at smaller or less robustly funded institutions, can reasonably do to assist in making scholarly literature freely available to all to read. Like many of you, I share my questions, concerns, and ideas with professional colleagues and friends. Sometimes these discussions lead to research projects. What follows is an example of an ongoing conversation among technical services colleagues leading to research projects, changes in our practices, and, finally, a practical guide to getting started with open access in your library.

Book Review: Transforming Technical Services through Training and Development

The new ALA Editions title, Transforming Technical Services through Training and Development, collects chapters by practitioners in technical services departments (academic, public, and consortia) discussing their approaches to training. Three themes recur through many of the thirteen chapters of this volume and help to tie them together: documentation; cross-training and engagement; and COVID-19. Documentation plays a crucial role in developing a learning culture, with the editors noting in the introduction that “successful training is impossible without a strong emphasis on current, up-to-date, and complete documentation” (xi). Cross-training staff and ensuring that they are engaged in all aspects of the training and development processes is crucial for a successful program. The final (and perhaps inevitable) theme that recurs through many of the chapters is the COVID-19 pandemic and its role in changing the way that library technical services departments have operated since 2020.

Hughes-Hassell, Sandra (2020). Collection management for youth: equity, inclusion, and learning (2nd ed.). Chicago, IL: ALA Editions. (Review)

Book Review

Fostering Student Success: Academic, Social, and Financial Initiatives. Sigrid Kelsey, ed. Chicago, IL: ALA Editions, 2022. 208 pp. Paperback, $59.99, (978-0-8389-3829-4)

As a Student Success Librarian, I am heartened to see this book and its focus on the many ways that libraries can help college students succeed in an academic environment radically altered by current events such as “the pandemic, racial justice movements, and changing student demographics” (p. ix). As noted in the introduction, Fostering Student Success focuses on how college and university librarians can support students academically, socially, and financially. Vulnerable student groups are the focus of many of the chapters—that is, students who may have challenges such as racism, childcare difficulties, financial problems, or other barriers to overcome. These vulnerable populations, according to the American College Health Association, include Black, Latinx, Native American and First Nation, Asian American, first-generation low-income, LGBTQ+, international students, unauthorized students, disabled students, and any number of intersectional groups. These students have been identified as being especially affected by the pandemic (pp. ix–x).

Review of Practical Academic Library Instruction: Learner-Centered Techniques

Abstract: Review of Oehrli, Jo Angela (2022). Practical Academic Library Instruction: Learner-Centered Techniques. Chicago: ALA Editions. 124pp.

Heidi E. Buchanan and Beth A. McDonough. The One-Shot Library Instruction Survival Guide, 3rd ed. Chicago, IL: ALA Editions, 2021. 176p. Paper, $54.99 (ISBN: 978-0-8389-4997-9).

Heidi E. Buchanan and Beth A. McDonough. The One-Shot Library Instruction Survival Guide, 3rd ed. Chicago, IL: ALA Editions, 2021. 176p. Paper, $54.99 (ISBN: 978-0-8389-4997-9).

Libraries and Sustainability: Programs and Practices for Community Impact. René Tanner, Adrian K. Ho, Monika Antonelli, and Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, eds. Chicago, IL: ALA Editions, 2021. 176p. Paper, $49.99 (ISBN: 9780838937945).

In 2019, ALA adopted sustainability as one of the core values of librarianship, highlighting the importance of libraries to be resilient in this changing world. The conversation has morphed from merely “thinking green” to adopting the “triple bottom line” view of sustainability. Practices should aim to be environmentally sound, socially equitable, and economically feasible to be considered sustainable. This book aims to explore how libraries can address the issues of sustainability, looking into some actions that are proving successful in communities. This collection of essays constitutes a wide view of sustainability, offering myriad ways to promote the library as a leader for sustainable communities. The book is split into four parts: leadership, planning, programming, and transformation. Each section includes ideas that can be implemented at many libraries alongside suggestions that challenge how libraries operate in their communities and how we educate a new generation of librarians.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Action: Planning, Leadership, and Programming. Christine Bombaro, ed. Chicago, IL: ALA Editions, 2020. 208p. Paper.

Christine Bombaro’s edited volume, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Action: Planning, Leadership, and Programming, is thoughtful, useful, and timely. Bombaro, associate director at the Dickinson College library, introduces this compilation by framing as a moral problem the gap between academic librarianship’s stated goals around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and its actual record. She argues that we must move beyond “merely trying our best” to actually “getting it right” (xii). Bombaro’s introduction and the first chapter serve to ground the book with historical and theoretical context around DEI in academic libraries and argue persuasively that we must move past dialogue to taking action. The chapters that follow offer case studies by academic library practitioners who describe actions taken in their institutions. Each chapter follows a similar structure, with literature reviews, case details, discussion, and careful footnoting. This book covers topics that include organizational goals and plans around DEI, developing cultural competencies for library staff, barriers to workforce diversity, and the development of models for how libraries can better serve the diverse communities with whom we work.

Review of Coding with XML for efficiencies in cataloging and metadata: Practical applications of XSD, XSLT, and XQuery

Abstract Review of Cole, T. W., Han, M. & Schwartz, C. (2018). Coding with XML for Efficiencies in Cataloging and Metadata: Practical Applications of XSD, XSLT, and XQueryChicago: ALA Editions.

Rethinking Collection Development and Management ed. by Becky Albitz, Christine Avery, and Diane Zabel (review)

Reviewed by: Rethinking Collection Development and Management ed. by Becky Albitz, Christine Avery, and Diane Zabel Madeline Kelly Rethinking Collection Development and Management, ed. Becky Albitz, Christine Avery, and Diane Zabel. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 2014. 394 pages. $60.00 (ISBN 978-1-61069-305-9) Collection development and management have changed dramatically over the last twenty-five years. A quick search of the Library Literature & Information Science Index for collection development reveals the rise and demise of collection development paradigms: the decline in articles on book selection; an increase in library cooperation and serial publications; and the appearance of such terms as information resources management. Put simply, collection development has shifted and grown into something more dynamic and challenging than ever. It is in this context that experienced collections librarians Becky Albitz, Christine Avery, and Diane Zabel present Rethinking Collection Development and Management, an edited volume intended to supplement core collection development works such as Peggy Johnson’s Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management (Chicago: ALA Editions, 3rd ed., 2014). Rethinking Collection Development and Management looks at the ways librarians have pushed beyond the traditional functions of acquiring and managing resources. Contributors include serials, collection development, instruction, metadata, and media librarians, as well as consortia employees, vendor representatives, archivists, professors, and library directors. They work at all levels of the library hierarchy—from technician to dean—and represent public, academic, and special libraries. Readers will find that Rethinking Collection Development and Management succeeds in its mission to supplement earlier core collection development titles. There is a diversity of voices and viewpoints, and rather than dedicating entire chapters to traditional topics such as evaluation of print resources or writing a collection development policy, the book addresses the current environment libraries face. Rethinking Collection Development and Management is divided into four thematic sections: selection and assessment; acquisitions; access, cooperative efforts, and shared collections; and preservation and special collections. There are chapters on the publishing climate; the current state of traditional tasks such as weeding and assessment; types of materials and their acquisition; developments in access; shared and cooperative efforts; and preservation prospects. Topics that were mere footnotes in earlier works on collection development, such as demand-driven acquisitions, self-published works, streaming media, the rise of collaborative collections, floating collections (in which items have no permanent home library), and discovery services, now receive the attention they deserve. Ongoing challenges such as e-book management and Big Deals get thoughtful and comprehensive treatment. The interconnectedness of libraries is explored and emphasized in ways that promise an exciting future of collaboration. Rethinking Collection Development and Management also addresses the context of our collections, with chapters on the publishing industry, library staffing, cataloging, and library school curricula. Each chapter includes references, additional readings, and compelling case studies. Some chapters may seem outrageous or shocking, like chapter 2, which suggests that local-level collection development may be a waste of time, or chapter 20, which proposes discarding the Dewey Decimal System. Others will strike readers as less than innovative or downright repetitive. Nevertheless, even these chapters are [End Page 554] relevant to today’s collection management climate and are well argued and thoroughly researched. Rethinking Collection Development and Management is both scholarly and practical, even at its weakest points, and complements the existing literature nicely. This collection is both inspiring and overwhelming. As shrinking budgets force librarians to innovate, the variety and complexity of library materials only continue to grow. In Rethinking Collection Development and Management, librarians and administrators will find creative ideas and thoughtful approaches to the many challenges of twenty-first century collection development. [End Page 555] Madeline Kelly Head of Collection Development George Mason University Libraries Fairfax, Virginia mkelly25@gmu.edu Copyright © 2015 Johns Hopkins University Press

Book Review: Rethinking Collection Development and Management

Rethinking Collection Development and Management is an anthology of essays authored by professionals active in the field, broadly conceived. The treatment of each topic is highly contemporary and carries with it the distinct perspective of personal experience. This pronounced subjectivity distinguishes this volume from more directly instructive texts such as Peggy Johnson’s Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management, 3rd ed. (ALA Editions, 2014). Indeed, the publisher recommends the volume as a supplement to its more traditional textbook counterparts.1 Taken as a whole the volume seeks to situate contemporary collection development and management as a field evolving in many directions at once.

Book Review: Developing and Managing Electronic Collections: The Essentials

Developing and Managing Electronic Collections: The Essentials. By Peggy Johnson. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2013. 186 p. $65 softcover (ISBN: 978-0-8389-1190-7). As Johnson comments in the preface, her goal is to offer practical advice in working through the many issues involved in providing library users access to online resources. She focuses on indexing and abstracting services, e-books, e-journals, and streaming multimedia; she does not address locally produced content, digital textbooks, games, or software. The book opens with a brief history of electronic resources in libraries. Although some readers may be tempted to slap the history, it both explains the context for many of the issues librarians face and introduces some essential vocabulary. For example, Johnson introduces terms like Open URL, link resolver, and digital rights management (DRM) as developments that helped libraries manage and provide access to electronic collections. In chapter 1, she also introduces issues such as equitable access, collection stability, and the differences in how publishers offer popular and scholarly content to libraries. Throughout the book, Johnson focuses on factors to consider when selecting, acquiring, and managing e-resources. For example, in the second chapter, she lists a dozen selection criteria, in addition to the standard criteria for all materials, which libraries should consider when selecting electronic resources. She explains the importance of criteria such as persistent content, discussing the implications of leasing content from an aggregator versus a publisher and of purchasing content with annual hosting fees. She also gives practical examples, such as Penguins decision to pull e-books from the aggregator OverDrive, of why these criteria are important for all types of libraries to consider. The chapter on licenses should be required reading for every library employee, not just those directly responsible for negotiating licenses. Johnson emphasizes that license terms override copyright law, then gives examples of how license terms can affect ILL, course reserves, patron use of the content, and patron privacy. She also explains key elements of licenses and introduces common language, such as authorized use and perpetual access, with brief examples to illustrate their importance. Throughout the licensing chapter, Johnson emphasizes that state law sometimes requires or prohibits certain terms. Finally, she tells readers that legal training is not essential for negotiating licenses; the author recommends sites for finding model licenses and discusses best practices in developing guidelines for license negotiation. Two chapters, on conducting business with suppliers and on working across organizational units, stress the importance of good communication. These chapters outline many issues peculiar to e-resources, such as issues to consider before agreeing to become a beta site for new products or major upgrades. …

Book Review: Getting Started with Evaluation

Getting Started with Evaluation. By Peter Hemon, Robert E. Dugan, and Joseph R. Matthews. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2014. 242 p. $65 softcover (ISBN: 978-0-8389-1195-2). Articles, books, blogs, and webinars about assessment of technical and public services in both academic and public libraries abound. Getting Started with is the latest American Library Association contribution to this mix. The authors of this title have published often in the subject; each has extensive experience in the field of library management, especially in the area of evaluation. All three have taught in library schools at some point in their careers. They acknowledge, however, that most practicing librarians did not take a course in research methods during their studies. This book is intended to provide an introduction to evaluation to those librarians as well as to current students in information management and research methods courses. The book is logically structured to serve this need. Chapter 1 begins with an overview of the topic of evaluation, complete with definitions and lists, providing vocabulary to enable subsequent examination of the topic. As the authors note early in the text, Evaluation is the process of identifying and collecting data about specific services or activities, establishing criteria by which their success can be measured, and determining the quality of the service or activity--the degree to which it accomplishes stated goals and objectives (2). The authors establish this relationship between management and evaluation immediately and continue to reference it throughout the book, using further chapters to explore the evaluation process, library metrics, the audiences for evaluation (both internal and external), specifics about measuring, and how best to communicate results. As each of these topics is explored, the emphasis remains on the integration of evaluation into everyday library management. The explanation of the process for evaluation includes practical suggestions for how to accomplish each step (e.g. the SPICE model for determining a question to study appears on p. 19). The authors provide a range of actions and suggestions for how to assess a variety of library metrics (surveys, return on investment studies, cost-benefit analyses, etc.), from simple to complex. They include a variety of topics that are on my radar, like ethnographic research and measuring library contributions toward the completion agenda, a pressing issue at community colleges. Readers are urged to adapt these metrics to their own environments. There are many examples of ways to evaluate; both internal sources of data (collected at library and institutional levels) and external sources of data (sets of data available elsewhere for comparison) are described in detail. The authors generally discourage self-reported data in favor of measuring actual behaviors of library users while acknowledging that qualitative measures are required for a complete picture of the user experience. The goal of changing fives through exposure to libraries and library services is repeatedly emphasized throughout these sections of the book. …

Copyright Questions and Answers for Information Professionals: From the Columns of Against the Grain

The intricacies of copyright law can be difficult to navigate for even the most knowledgeable of information professionals. While there are many books available to help with this daunting task, few are as much a pleasure to read as Laura Gasaway's Copyright Questions and Answers for Information Professionals. Gasaway has written a column in the periodical Against the Grain for almost fifteen years, in which she answers questions posed by Against the Grain readers. Copyright Questions and Answers is a compilation of those columns. This work is organized into thirteen chapters and an epilogue that cover everything from copyright basics to emerging challenges in copyright. In between, there are chapters on copies for users, permissions, performance, recordings, interlibrary loan, preservation, the Internet, and digitization. Also included are an appendix, “When U.S. Works Pass into the Public Domain” that features easy-to-read chart and an extensive index that gives page and question numbers for each topic. Each chapter begins with a brief overview of the chapter topic as an introduction. Almost any question a librarian could think of pertaining to copyright is covered in this book. Who owns the copyright of a letter, the writer or the recipient? Are emails copyrighted? Or photographs? Is it better to post links to a web page, or can you reproduce it on your own website? Is it enough to obtain permission for use through an email, or do you need it in a hard copy? These are just a few examples of the many questions that Gasaway answers in a clear, accessible style. The work has a “plain language” approach, which is welcome for a subject that can often be confusing and sometimes dull. It is a different format than more traditional books on copyright, such as Copyright Law for Librarians and Educators (ALA Editions; 2012; ISBN: 978-0-8389-1092-4) by Kenneth Crews, because Gasaway is answering questions posed by real-life librarians. For example, in chapter 10, which covers interlibrary loan and document delivery, the following question is asked: “More and more frequently the library is being asked to reproduce a whole journal for document delivery. Is there any reason not to do this?” (p. 190). Gasaway's answer begins, “There certainly are reasons not to reproduce entire journal issues for document delivery. The first question is what is meant by ‘document delivery.’” Gasaway then explains that there are different answers to that question depending on whether the “document delivery” is inside an organization or to an outside entity. An example from chapter 4 on permissions and licensing is, “What are the copyright rules for downloadable books?: (p. 75), and the answer, “It is more likely that the downloading of e-books is governed by a license agreement (contract) rather than just by copyright law. Copyright certainly applies, but a license agreement most likely covers such e-book issues as access, reproduction, distribution, display, and so forth.” Gasaway is well qualified to answer copyright questions, and her credentials are spelled out in the book's foreword. She is the Paul B. Eaton Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill. She was “co-chair of…a task force appointed by the U.S. Copyright Office to study section 108 of the Copyright Act and suggest needed changes” (p. ix). But as Gasaway explains in the preface, she is more than an expert on copyright law. She is also a librarian. She earned her master's of library science in 1968 and worked in the University of Houston Law Library while going to law school there. Her interest in copyright was sparked by the Williams & Wilkins Company v. United States, which affirmed the right of the National Library of Medicine to provide copies to medical researchers. This alone should endear her and her book to medical librarians. Copyright Questions and Answers for Information Professionals is a valuable reference tool, expertly written by an authority on the subject. I highly recommend it for its thorough coverage of copyright issues and its straightforward answers to copyright questions librarians all have.

Books Received

Books Received Mark I. West Walking Along: Plains Indian Trickster Stories. By Paul Goble. Pierre: South Dakota Historical Society Press, 2011. Graphic Novels in Your School Library. By Jesse Karp. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2012. This book begins with a concise discussion of the nature and history of graphic novels. It also includes annotated reading lists of notable graphic novels that are appropriate for inclusion in school library collections. The Hunger Games Companion: The Unauthorized Guide to the Series. By Lois H. Gresh. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2011. Intended for aficionados of Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games trilogy, this guide includes useful background information about the trilogy’s connections to Roman gladiators, reality television programs, and many other topics. The book’s value as a reference work, however, is hindered by the fact that there is no index. Listening to Learn: Audiobooks Supporting Literacy. By Sharon Grover and Lizette D. Hannegan. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2012. The authors of this book convincingly argue that audiobooks can play an important role in developing children’s literacy skills and appreciation of stories. They also provide an annotated guide to some of the best audiobook versions of notable works of children’s literature. Play: A Polyphony of Research, Theories, and Issues. Edited by Lynn E. Cohen and Sandra Waite-Stupiansky. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 2012. This collection of ten essays delves into the psychological and cultural complexities related to children’s play. The contributors draw on a wide variety of theorists, including Mikhail Bakhtin, Sigmund Freud, Ernst Jentsch, and Jean Piaget. Although none of the essays focuses specifically on children’s literature, several of them deal with the narrative elements in children’s play. Walking Along: Plains Indian Trickster Stories. By Paul Goble. Pierre: South Dakota Historical Society Press, 2011. This richly illustrated collection features six Iktomi (spider-trickster) stories associated with Lakota culture. The book also includes a foreword by Albert White Hat, Sr., a Sicangu Lakota educator and author. [End Page 228] Copyright © 2012 Children’s Literature Association

Finding Good Reads on Goodreads

In 2009, Kaite Stover examined expansion of reader-centered social networking sites and what she called the wild appeal factor (see Stalking Wild Appeal Factor, Reference & User Services Quarterly 48, no. 3 [Spring 2009]: 243-46). Stover looked at several then-new sites that might be of interest to readers' advisors, particularly in terms of how readers talk about books and reading in their own words. As Stover pointed out, conversation about books is taking place on web in a variety of forms, and as reflective practitioners, we need to be aware of those conversations happening outside library walls. In this issue's column, Yesha Naik expands on this discussion by looking at how members of one bibliocentric social networking site, Goodreads.com, talk with each other and broader reading community about books and reading. Yesha looks at reader discussions of titles in five diverse genres and what we learn from those discussions about reader interests. She then moves from this examination to explore how readers' advisors might take advantage of this knowledge in their daily practice. Librarianship is Yesha's third career, but she finds that her previous incarnations as middle school teacher and college admissions counselor have well-prepared her for working as a YA librarian in a bustling neighborhood branch of Brooklyn Public Library. A 2011 graduate of Queens College GSLIS, her professional fascinations include readers' advisory, teen and children's services, diversity in YA literature, and serving immigrant populations in public library setting. She blogs at http://bookishdesi.wordpress.com.--Editor When librarians think about readers' advisory, we usually focus on professional implications of term: what it means to provide RA services to patrons, whether through one-on-one conversations, recommended reading lists, book displays, or even titles featured on our library websites. Thus far in literature on role of librarian as readers' advisor has been highlighted. We have clear cut ideas about how to go about helping patrons find a book, which could include using a database like NoveList, creating a reading map as recommended by Neal Wyatt (see Reading Maps Remake RA, Library Journal 131, no. 18 [2006]: 38), or referring to appeal terms as described by Joyce Saricks (see Readers' Advisory Service in Public Library, 3rd ed. [Chicago: ALA Editions, 2005]). However, avid readers don't think in terms of readers' advisory. They simply are interested in finding good books to read and then perhaps discussing them with others, and librarians may not necessarily be their first go-to source for book recommendations. In pursuing their reading interests, readers are turning to online communities to discuss books and even to give and receive unofficial readers' advisory help. Neal Wyatt was among first RA librarians to recognize power of book-centered social media participation when she stated that it expands RA discussion and connects collection and readers to each other in original, flexible, and idiosyncratic ways. It allows for reader-to-reader conversations sparked by interest, whimsy, and personal knowledge. It makes greater use of librarian expertise as well, offering another way to interact and offer suggestions. This larger and more fluid virtual conversation is in turn amplified by sociability of tools that support it, and result is an ongoing discourse that continually grows and adapts. (1) Wyatt explicitly lays out various practical ways that librarians can use bibliosocial networking sites to facilitate their RA services. It is important to note that at a time when one could bemoan sites such as LibraryThing and Goodreads as taking away role of librarian, Wyatt enthusiastically embraces these sites and encourages other librarians to do so as well. …

Food and Travel

Sometimes we can get so caught up in the minutia of our daily work that we forget the passion that brought us to the library profession, and to readers’ advisory work in particular. In this issue's column, Brad Hooper rekindles some of that passion as he looks at the connections that readers’ advisors can make between food writing and travel writing. Reader interest in narrative nonfiction continues to grow, and Hooper offers here some excellent suggestions on how librarians can support and build on that interest. He reminds us that it is okay to be passionate about books and to communicate that passion to our readers. Brad Hooper is the adult books editor at Booklist. His most recent book is Writing Reviews for Readers’ Advisory ( ALA Editions, 2010 ). His other works include The Short-Story Readers’ Advisory, The Fiction of Ellen Gilchrist and Read On … Historical Fiction.

Book review of Burkhardt, J.M. and MacDonald, M.C. with Rathemacher, A.J. 2010. Teaching information literacy: 50 standards-based exercises for college students. 2nd edition. Chicago: ALA Editions

Book review of Burkhardt, J.M. and MacDonald, M.C. with Rathemacher, A.J. 2010. Teaching information literacy: 50 standards-based exercises for college students. 2nd edition. Chicago: ALA Editions

A History of Innovation and a Future of Possibility

Close to fifteen years ago some very bright people in RUSA decided to create a space where the most significant reference research of the year could be shared with RUSA members and other ALA Annual Conference attendees. The Reference Research Forum, sponsored by the RSS Research and Statistics committee, highlights three research projects and informs the community of cutting edge and vital considerations in the field. Over the past fourteen-plus years, the forum has stood as an example of the best of RUSA. It was innovative and allowed to happen--we are really good at trying new ideas. It was focused on front-line staff we are all about the work that happens at the desk with the user. And it was collaborative--we are big on bringing people together. We have a long history of doing good, and our past inspires our future. Long before the Reference Research Forum was conceived, RUSA established such venerated institutions as the Dartmouth Medal, the Notable Books List, and the Isadore Gilbert Mudge Award. All three groups select the best of our profession--the best reference book of the year; the most notable fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for adults; and the librarian who has best embodied our ideals. If RUSA's achievements stopped at the creation of the Reference Research Forum, Notable Books, Dartmouth, and Mudge committees, we would have much to be proud of in our history But RUSA has done a great deal more and is solidly focused on a future full of possibility. RUSA's guiding principle is its focus on the user, and much of our work is designed to help librarians working on the front desk or managing a department. We have national guidelines that inform professional practice, help us set benchmarks and local policy, and develop internal training and standards. Just recently, RUSA revised its definition of reference--a definition long recognized as a core document of the profession--and our guidelines on virtual reference (VR) have been used as part of the foundations of a new book on offering VR in your library. Virtual Reference Best Practices: Tailoring, Services to Your Library by M. Kathleen Kern (ALA Editions, 2008) illustrates how RUSA's guidelines can be used to shape local policy and guide implementation. If you have never spent time looking through the guidelines RUSA offers, take some time to do so. You will find the best thinking of our profession, sharply honed to help address any number of issues. Looking toward the future, RUSA has many projects underway that will help us figure out what is next. MARS, the Machine-Assisted Reference Section of RUSA, debuted the MARS Virtual Poster Session, a project run by the MARS Management of Electronic Resources and Services Committee, at ALA Annual Conference 2008. The sessions all focused on using evaluation data to change and improve virtual reference. In future years the poster sessions will examine other hot topics in the field. Hot off the presses, as it were, RUSA founded a juried book list that selects the best single book in eight different genres. The Reading List marks the first time ALA has focused its collective experience and attention on genre literature. …

Briefly Noted

Briefly Noted Sex, Brains and Video Games: A Librarian's Guide to Teens in the Twenty-first Century, Jennifer Burke Pierce. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2007. 152p. $35 (ISBN: 0-8389-0951-5) Though this work is really aimed at those who work closely with young adults at public libraries, the lessons might be equally interesting for academic librarians who are teaching these same teenagers as they enter the college years. Chapters on the teen brain and the "connections and limitations" of the wired generation should be of broad interest to librarians, perhaps less so than those on teen sex and adolescent perspectives on multiculturalism (T.J.) * * * Complete Guide for Supervisors of Student Employees in Today's Academic Libraries, David A. Baldwin and Daniel C. Barkley. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2007. 304p. $50 (ISBN 1-59158-335-7) This is just what it sounds like—a guide for supervisors, probably especially useful for those who are new to the role of supervising student assistants. The work includes in-depth chapters on financial aid, issues related to legal employee/employer relations, compensation, orientation, specific supervisory techniques that may be more effective with students, and evaluation of student employees. Perhaps of most practical use will be the chapter on "effective management," which covers termination and "difficult employees," and the chapter on job descriptions, which includes several dozen examples. (T.J.) * * * Crash Course in Marketing for Libraries, Susan Webreck Alman. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2007. 192p. $30 (ISBN 1-591-58430-2) This is part of the "Crash Course" series that is generally aimed at public librarians—and, in many ways, specifically those at small libraries. Nevertheless, with academic librarians often interested in marketing ideas, plans, and communication techniques, this promises to be useful for some who are in need of a brief and basic overview of the process of planning and developing a marketing plan. (T.J.)