Book 29: Librarians as Community Partners

Librarians As Community Partners: An Outreach HandbookTITLE: Librarians as Community Partners: An Outreach Handbook
AUTHOR: Carol Smallwood (ed.)
STARTED: September 14, 2010
FINISHED: October 5, 2010
PAGES: 205
GENRE: Library Science

FIRST SENTENCE: What part of a book does a reader look at first?

SUMMARY: [From Amazon.com] Including 64 focused snapshots of outreach in action, this resource reflects the creative solutions of librarians searching for new and innovative ways to build programs that meet customer needs while expanding the library s scope into the community. This contributed volume includes:
  • A huge array of program options for partnering with other community groups
  • Outreach in action through writing essays, poetry, and fiction
  • Event planning for library anniversaries, book festivals, science projects, and student athletes
With a wide range of contributors, this book will give you a multifaceted approach for reaching out within your community.

THOUGHTS: My ideal library job is one where I am tasked with reaching out to people to either a.) get them into the library b.) offer information literacy instruction or c.) lobbying on behalf of libraries and literacy. Librarians as Community Partners is a great book (at least for me) because it gets the imagination wheels in my brain turning. Libraries do not exist in a vacuum and this book highlights great examples of the library as community member.

The book is composed of essays sorted into different categories. I read the book straight through, but a reader could also pick and choose which essays they are most interested in reading. Every essay offers individual insights and lessons from outreach and instruction events. All the essays were well conceived and written but some essay activities seemed far more feasible than others.

Librarians as Community Partners serves as a great jumping off point. I could easily see myself adapting these events and lessons into my own line of work. While some of the essays did seem repetitive after awhile, they all served to showcase just how important it is for librarians to be proactive and receptive to their community's wants and needs.


RATING: 7/10 [Very Good]

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