The Globalized Library: American Academic Libraries and International Students, Collections, and Practices. ALA. 2019. 448p. ed. by Yelena Luckert & Lindsay Inge Carpenter. ISBN 9780838989517. pap. $90. PRO MEDIA

Even in our interconnected society, the identification of American academic libraries as fundamentally globalized organizations can come as something of a surprise. Yet as editors Luckert and Carpenter (both of Univ. of Maryland Libs.) seek to show in this wide-ranging collection, international issues touch virtually every aspect of U.S. academic library work, making international librarianship a much richer and applicable field than at first it may appear. Emphasizing this fact are the book’s whopping 33 chapters, which are organized into five general themes: “Information Literacy,” “Outreach & Inclusion,” “Collections & Digital Humanities,” “Establishing Libraries & Services Abroad,” and “Career & Professional Development.” Chapters are presented formally, with separate licenses for use, introductions, literature reviews, and bibliographies—making them almost easier to read individually than as a cohesive group. However, the book’s power is in its scope and overlapping lessons, and, taken together, chapters will leave readers with a much stronger understanding of the “pulse” of international librarianship and the opportunity it presents for academic libraries to communicate their value. VERDICT A hefty yet convincing look at the international dimensions of U.S. academic library work. Especially recommended to those new to or interested in international librarianship, but valuable for others in academic libraries as well.—Robin Chin Roemer, Univ. of Washington Lib., Seattle

 

Library Services for Online Patrons: A Manual for Facilitating Access, Learning, and Engagement. Libraries Unlimited. 2019. 200p. ed. by Joelle E. Pitts & others. ISBN 9781440859526. pap. $55. PRO MEDIA

Addressing those new to the profession or to online learning, editors Pitts, Laura Bonella, and Jason M. Coleman, all librarians at Kansas State University Libraries, along with Adam Wathen (Johnson Cty. Lib., Overland Park, KS), begin with the basics of user-centered design, outline considerations for conducting needs assessments, and describe how to set short- and long-term goals using evidence-based decision-making practices. One contributor explores inclusive and universal design, some of which depends on institutional needs and expectations, and provides valuable checklists and guidelines for making materials as accessible as possible. Other chapters cover instructional design and embedded librarianship in online learning environments, marketing for online library services, building relationships in support of online learners, and advocating for online patron and user needs, particularly around licensing, technology support, and access to physical materials and creating advocacy plans around institution and patron needs. Helpful supplemental materials and case studies appear throughout, and the collection closes with a useful chapter about online services in public libraries. VERDICT A strong addition for any academic libraries starting to offer distance learning support services.—Candice Kail, Columbia Univ. Libs., New York

 

Turnbow, Dominique & Amanda Roth. Demystifying Online Instruction in Libraries: People, Process, and Tools. ALA. 2019. 112p. ISBN 9780838919378. pap. $59.99. PRO MEDIA

Instructional design isn’t a new concept for academic libraries; however, not all institutions have staff who focus solely on the creation of learning objects and experiences. Turnbow (instructional design coordinator. Univ. of California, San Diego) and Roth (instructional technologies librarian, Univ. of California, San Diego) fill an enormous gap here as they lay out the basics of instructional design work, including popular methods, learning theories, and best practices related to collaboration and workflow. While the title highlights online instruction specifically, colleagues who are primarily teaching in face-to-face settings will also find this volume incredibly helpful. The authors provide examples of instructional design in action from their own experience, and they include forms and documentation that they use to formalize their collaborations and workflows. VERDICT Librarians who lack formal instructional design training but who find themselves tasked with meeting the teaching and learning needs of their campuses will discover an invaluable primer here, as will librarians who have some expertise but have yet to formalize their workflows.—Amanda Folk, Ohio State Univ. Libs., Columbus

 

Wilson, Emma Annette. Digital Humanities for Librarians. Rowman & Littlefield.

Jan. 2020. 248p. ISBN 9781538116449. $115. PRO MEDIA

Wilson (English, Southern Methodist Univ.) has written the comprehensive textbook on digital humanities (DH) work in libraries that she never had as a student or beginning practitioner. She reviews the theoretical and historical underpinnings of DH, then delves into the practice of librarians and their many roles on DH projects. Additional chapters focus on major projects, such as the Text Encoding Initiative, which leverages markup language to describe and provide access to manuscript material, marginalia, and a variety of other corpora. The author also considers technology and provides sample markup language, platform, and vendor information. Each chapter contains exercises that would be useful in a classroom environment, as well as references to more detailed works for further consultation. The real strength is in the third section, which focuses on the “humans in digital humanities,” particularly with respect to establishing an outreach program. VERDICT This work should be a core text for courses in MLIS programs and will be helpful for librarians beginning work in DH.—Evan M. Anderson, Kirkendall P.L., Ankeny, IA