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Eberhart, George M., ed. The Whole Library Handbook 4: Current Data, Professional Advice, and Curiosa about Libraries and Library Services. Chicago: ALA, 2006. ISBN 0-8389-0915-9. $42.00.
For anyone who has ever scoured the archives of electronic discussion lists or posted questions to those lists seeking advice or information about library practices and trends, The Whole Library Handbook 4 is a resource that should be consulted often. Editor George M. Eberhart has made this latest edition of The Whole Library Handbook as valuable and timely as the previous ones. Conveniently and logically organized, the volume encapsulates practically everything anyone needs to know to be well-informed about libraries of all types and includes statistical data as well as trivia, folklore, and library humor. Students enrolled in library education programs and recent graduates will find the book ideal for reviewing theory, facts, concepts, and procedures learned in formal study, while library practitioners will find the articles, essays, lists, and other informative entries useful for keeping up with issues pertaining to the library profession. The historical information provided in the book, alone, is reason enough to refer to it frequently.
Juliet Douglas completed her MA in Library and Information Science at the University of South Florida in December 2005 and works as a public librarian in public services.
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Shontz, Priscilla K. and Richard A. Murray, eds. A Day in the Life: Career Options in Library and Information Science. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2007. ISBN 1-59158-364-0 / 978-1-59158-364-6. $45.00.
Reminiscent of Laura Townsend Kane's Straight From the Stacks (ALA, 2003), but much more comprehensive, A Day in the Life tells the stories of 96 librarians in a variety of both traditional and nontraditional jobs. Each talks about a "typical" workday (most noting that there is no real typical day!), lists pros and cons, and gives suggestions for those interested in a similar position. The book's strength lies in its collection of a broad range of specialties, showing the spectrum of options available to today's librarians. Contributors have careers ranging from traditional jobs in public and academic libraries (reference librarian, access services librarian, teen librarian) to library-related jobs with consortia, LIS schools, and vendors, to nontraditional jobs in fields like publishing and competitive intelligence. While some of the stories tend to get a bit repetitive (pros: people! cons: budgets!), LIS students, career changers, and those just interested in exploring what's out there will welcome having this wealth of options gathered together.
Rachel Singer Gordon is editor, Info Career Trends, and webmaster, LISjobs.com.