What Every Library Director Should Know, 2nd Ed.

Curzon (dean emeritus of the library at California State Univ., Northridge; Managing the Interview) has decades of experience working in academic and public libraries. In this second edition of her 2014 book, she offers a new chapter discussing assessment, idea flow, and diversity and inclusion. The book is written in the second person and is conversational in tone, presenting advice from an experienced library director to a new one. While some readers may skim over sections that seem to offer standard common-sense advice or that don’t match their leadership style, others will use this text as a how-to manual for becoming a successful academic- or public-library director. It addresses many practical day-to-day topics not covered in library-management textbooks, such as what to do when surprised by a reporter in the stacks or how to handle a coworker’s death. Librarians considering moving into a director position will appreciate the last chapter (“Do You Want To Be a Director?”) and the various quotes from successful librarians scattered throughout.