Booknote: Defining Relevancy

This is a very minimalist review on the book that I wrote for my GoodReads list. As I mention in the review, I did take some notes as I was reading of parts that made me think. To an extent, I wish I could really jot down here some of the thoughts I had as I was reading it, but I will be the first to admit that this choice is basically a case of self-censorship. There are some realities I deal with regularly in my workplace that do not match what is described in the book, which I find frustrating (to put it politely). Anyways, here is the review:

Defining Relevancy: Managing the New Academic Library by Janet McNeil Hurlbert

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is another one of those I would label a "must read" that will likely not be read by the people who should actually be reading it (namely library managers and higher education administrators). Like many library science books, the essays vary from very relevant to things I already knew already. Personally, this is a small occupational hazard for me: I read so many different things in the library literature that often they repeat, or I have seen them before. At any rate, there are some good thinking points in this book. I ended up jotting a few ideas I wanted to remember in my personal journal, taking notes as I read. For one of these books, when I find myself taking notes, that is a good sign of engagement. I am not sharing some of those notes because, well, let's be honest, let's just say the at times idealistic descriptions in the book do not match the harsh reality I have to work with and leave it at that. I will say the essay on keeping academic reference service is a good one and worth reading. So, I do recommend it, and I am sure a few library managers will likely pick it up. Whether their bosses pick it up, and more importantly, choose to act on some of the recommendations in the book, that is a separate story.


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