Reader’s Roundup: Monographic Musings & Reference Reviews Column Editor: Corey Seeman (Director, Kresge Library Services, Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan; Cell Phone: 734-717-9734) <cseeman@umich.edu> Twitter @cseeman Column Editor’s Note: As I write this, late as usual, I am contemplating the end of the 2020-2021 academic year at the University of Michigan. Graduation was held virtually this past Friday and Saturday. The year was long, challenging and tiring. Though to be fair, it is not a situation that is unique to the Wolverines of Michigan — it was faced and faced again by schools and students and faculty and librarians from sea to shining sea. Who are we kidding, unless you are in Australia or New Zealand, it was really bad for you. At the close of the academic year, we have that strange experience when the year ends, but almost immediately, it starts up again. This Friday, the Ross School of Business welcomes new students in the Weekend MBA program. What is more special about this event is that we will have in-person orientation. So I will be at Ross, this week, talking with students about library services that we provide. The best part is that I will be able to be in the same room as they are. So it will come with the pressure that if I tell a funny story, I will know immediately if they thought it was humorous. I guess that is the upside of orientations over Zoom. Schools are bound an determined to make this Fall Term look more like what students have come to expect. Though it will not be exactly like 2019 and earlier, it will hopefully be more in-person and more interactive than Fall 2020. With that return of students to campus, we expect that the staff will return as well. This will also mean that the work normally done on campus will return. One of the elements that will return will be that time-honored tradition of receiving boxes of books to provide our students with a way for a deeper-dive into a subject. Like with students returning in bigger numbers this Fall, the same might be true for books. With the ability to select books again, I hope you find books here that will bring joy to the readers who take them from your shelves. I am very fortunate to have a great crew of reviewers for Against the Grain. I thank my reviewers Jessica Brangiel (Swathmore College), Janet Crum (University of Arizona), Mary Gilbertson (University of Arkansas), Jane Meland (Michigan State University), Michelle Shea (Texas A&M - Central Texas) and Katherine Swart (Calvin University). If you would like to be a reviewer for Against the Grain, please write me at <cseeman@umich.edu>. If you are a publisher and have a book you would like to see reviewed in a future column, please also write me directly. You can also find out more about the Reader’s Roundup here — https://sites.google.com/view/ squirrelman/atg-readers-roundup. Happy reading and be nutty! — CS
Allan, Barbara. The No-Nonsense Guide to Leadership, Management and Teamwork. London: Facet Publishing, 2019. 9781783303960, 245 pages. $81.99. Reviewed by Mary Gilbertson (Monographs Cataloging and Acquisitions Unit Head, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville, Arkansas) <mag@uark.edu> Author Barbara Allan is an author and trainer who has written numerous books on librarianship. Her works focused on business skills in libraries include: The No-Nonsense Guide to Training in Libraries, Project Management, and The No-Nonsense Guide to Project Management. Her background includes managing in the workplace and in academic libraries. This book offers a comprehensive guide to the practice of library management. It covers many of the basic topics needed to become a good manager such as strategic planning, managing finances and projects, and human resource management practices. It also includes some topics that are not as deeply covered by the existing literature. These topics include taking care of one’s self, work life-balance, and a “duty of care” for employees. Allan presents a useful explanation of the different leadership styles exhibited by library managers. It is worthwhile to more than just managers, but also useful to those wondering about the pressures and approaches of their manager. The inclusion of case studies is a practical and useful addition that adds a more functional aspect to this book rather than only writing about theory. It also includes advice for the solo librarian who works in a small library environment and the management practice of leading from the middle. The book stresses that managers be clear about their role, responsibilities, and boundaries and encouragement to be moral leaders. It discusses teamwork, even discussing working with virtual teams, volunteers, and crowdsourcing. It discusses process mapping, setting objectives, delegating tasks, and emergency preparedness. Managing change is also discussed. The author states that “The people side of change is vital and this includes managing stakeholders as well as supporting people through change.” Human resource management is covered from the recruitment management to the disciplinary actions and beyond. Money management is covered as a basic skill for library leaders and managers. Communication techniques are covered from briefings to email to social media. The book ends with a stress on lifelong learning including not only conference attendance but also mentoring. The introduction to and summaries of these chapters are useful. The bibliography is well-rounded and the index is useful. This book would be most suited for a new library manager or to someone who is interested in moving into a management role in libraries. ATG Reviewer Rating: I need this in my library. (I want to be able to get up from my desk and grab this book off the shelf, if it’s not checked out.)
24 Against the Grain / June 2021
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