Fiore, Sara A. Crowdsource Your Library, Engage Your Community: The What, When, Why, and How. Libraries Unlimited: Teacher Ideas. 2018. 160p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781440861116. pap. $50;
ebk. ISBN 9781440861123. PRO MEDIA
Fiore (Rogers Memorial Lib., Southampton, NY) offers a detailed framework for librarians interested in exploring crowdsourcing platforms and knowledge sharing. The step-by-step instructions could also be easily tailored to other campaigns, such as nonprofit fundraising initiatives. The author stresses three points: maintaining focus on the final goal, having a well-organized plan, and being prepared to show supporters the results. She rates the effectiveness of Kickstarter, GoFundMe, and other platforms and presents case studies on everything from transcription projects and digital collections to programs for adults, teens, and families. For instance, the Hampton Bays Public Library, NY, used crowdsourcing to offer teens free prom dresses and accessories.
VERDICT In a time of funding cuts that have made implementing innovative projects difficult, public librarians will find practical, inspiring support here.—Emily Bowles, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison

Kroski, Ellyssa. Escape Rooms and Other Immersive Experiences in the Library. ALA. 2018. 200p. photos. index. ISBN 9780838917671. pap. $57.99. PRO MEDIA
According to Kroski (director of information technology, New York Law Inst.; Law Librarianship in the Digital Age), escape rooms, in which players solve puzzles to unlock a closed space, and immersive experiences are not only popular pastimes—they also offer exciting new ways to engage library patrons, improve information literacy and critical thinking skills, provide STEM learning opportunities, and promote the library. The author draws a distinction between escape rooms and more casual immersive experiences such as interactive exhibits. Costs range from free to $150, making these options suitable for a variety of budgets. The guide contains several examples of escape rooms at public and academic libraries, instructions on how to create one from scratch, tips on hosting an event, and ways to use these activities as team-building exercises for staffers. Lifelong gamer Kroski’s enthusiasm is palpable, and her writing is entertaining and informative.
VERDICT This important work on a relevant trend is highly recommended for librarians and library programmers.—Dave Pugl, Ela Area P.L., Lake Zurich, IL

Reference Librarianship & Justice: History, Practice & Praxis. Library Juice. 2018. 322p. ed. by Kate Adler & others. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781634000512. $35. PRO MEDIA
Library reference is on the decline. Fewer questions are asked, and there are fewer staffers to answer them as libraries phase out stand-alone reference desks and reassign reference librarians to other roles. Editors Adler, Ian Beilin, and Eamon Tewell, academic librarians based in New York City, make a powerful case for the relevance of reference services, envisioned within a social justice framework. Twenty-three contributors cover a broad sweep of topics: the New York Public Library’s reference-by-mail service for prisoners, efforts to preserve radical pamphlets and dodge censors during martial law in the Philippines, 1970s-era pilot programs to place library science students in urban minority-majority communities, attempts to construct a theory of "lesbian librarianship," and Ukrainian librarians’ struggles to navigate volatile political landscapes (in 2015, librarian Natalya Sharina was arrested in Russia on trumped-up charges of inciting ethnic hatred against Russians).
VERDICT This thought-provoking, radical, and persuasive work will excite even the most theory-averse readers and challenge librarians to see reference through a critical theory lens of empathy and social justice.—Michael Rodriguez, Univ. of ­Connecticut, Storrs