Building Influence for the School Librarian: Tenets, Targets, and Tactics » (2nd Edition)

A decade after the first edition of his guide, Hartzell finds that library advocacy and librarian influence are hot topics in the field. For that reason, the latest edition spends less time on the why and more on the how of building an influence base to improve the workplace. Hartzell, a pro-library school administrator, takes the perspective not of the librarian but of organizational influence to show school library media specialists how they can put research and theory to use to improve their situations. The guide can be used to help evaluate work relationships, focus or refocus attention on specific issues, and organize priorities. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

School Library Journal

According to the introduction, the first edition of this title (Linworth, 1994) concentrated on why, whereas this one focuses on how. The author is a former teacher and principal and writes from the administrator's perspective. The text reads like a research paper, better organized and planned than many written by students, but larded with footnotes. The citations are listed chapter-by-chapter. The organization of material is good, presenting first a concept and then its implications for librarians. Workbook-style pages are liberally sprinkled throughout and range from checklists to fill in the blanks. The information reads like a manual for "How to Succeed in-." Many of the ideas presented seem banal, but might present new librarians with concepts they did not encounter in library school. Experienced librarians will find the ideas a rehash of journal articles and seminars. Librarians who first gained experience as teachers won't find anything new here.-Marilyn Fairbanks, Azure IRC, Brockton High School, MA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.