The Indispensable Academic Librarian: Teaching and Collaborating for Change

Reale (librarian, Arcadia Univ.) offers a significant review of academic librarianship for faculty and nonfaculty alike, detailing the complications librarians face and how to make the best of these situations. The author's ideas are well researched, and she notes how stressful the job can be yet emphasizes that academic librarians must focus more on teaching. From research assistance to classroom instruction, they have the opportunity to help students and demonstrate their value to the rest of the faculty. The work stresses collaboration, connection, and reflection. By collaborating with faculty, librarians can forge a stronger connection with students, and by reflecting, they'll be better able to assess successes and struggles. Reale acknowledges that this can take time and warns readers not to be dismayed by slow but steady results.