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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A well-crafted reference-guide enabling an expert understanding of the library field of study and career positioning,
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Nextgen Librarian's Survival Guide (Paperback)
The NextGen Librarian's Survival Guide by Rachel Singer Gordon (former Head of Computer Services at the Franklin Park Public Library and currently Consulting Editor to the Book Publishing Division of Information Today, Inc.) is an informed and informative introduction to the coming of Generation-X professionals to community and academic library career positions, as well as an in-depth reference creating stability in such library staff positions. Providing aspiring librarians an easy-to-follow structure, The NextGen Librarian's Survival Guide follows a format consisting of chapters dedicated to Next Generation Librarianship; Surviving Library School; Surviving the Job Hunt; Surviving Entry-Level Positions; Moving Forward; Image, Stereotypes, and Diversity; Connections; Work/Life Balance; Transforming the Profession; and a conclusive Note to Library Administration. A welcome and seminal addition to professional and academic Library Science collections, The NextGen Librarian's Survival Guide is a well-crafted reference-guide enabling an expert understanding of the library field of study and career positioning.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just What the New Librarian Ordered,
By
This review is from: The Nextgen Librarian's Survival Guide (Paperback)
As a "Nextgen" planning on going into LIS, Rachel Singer Gordon's book answered many of the questions I and many of those in my position would have.
A significant portion of each chapter was given to printing the survey results which included opinions Nextgen librarians both new to the profession and in managerial positions, and older librarians weighing in on librarianship and generational issues. Aside from the survey answers, the author does a good job of breaking down issues important to young librarians including (but certainly not limited to) the job market, librarian stereotypes, and career planning. The analysis of the surveys, and author's commentary on the various issues is straightforward, without the ageist bias that the title of the book might suggest. Though reading through the "...Survival Guide" there is some ire against stagnant librarians, unwilling or unable to change, that category is not solely delineated by age. In a slight twist, solutions to dealing with reverse ageism against younger librarians is mentioned; this is an example of the wide variety of useful information offered by the book. Two things I missed in reading the "...Survival Guide" were any numbers on entry-level salaries, or specifics when it came to chapter 8 (Work/Life balance). In researching the book, perhaps there was too much credence given to the survey answers which may have had too narrow a range. Aside from these two small misgivings, I quite enjoyed Rachel Singer Gordon's book and would highly recommend it to anyone going, or thinking about going into the field of Library and Information Science. p.s. - If anything, at least part of the worth of this book is in the appendix, where the author lists a good number of articles, books, and websites dealing with younger librarians and librarianship in general.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Might be useful for the totally green librarian,
By mimo (Honolulu, HI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Nextgen Librarian's Survival Guide (Paperback)
I think I bought this book shortly after graduating from library school in 2006. I landed a job in a public library in 2007. But I guess I was too busy to read it because I found it buried under a lot of other books. I spent some time with it today, and there really isn't anything in here that I haven't learned on the job these past two years. Basically, what I'm trying to say is there's a lot of common sense things in here, not anything that an average smart 20- to 30- something who is going through library school instruction today cannot figure out on his or her own. How to go to library school, how to get a job, how to get started being a librarian once you get the job (seriously, you just do it, your supervisor will tell you what to do. And if he/she doesn't, you open your eyes and see what needs to be done). There's chapter on "Image, Stereotype, and Diversity," which is *such* a pet peeve of mine. Yeah, yeah, we get it: librarians are cool. The book is good at identifying the issues, but it leaves more to be desired for meaty solutions.
While it does have valuable information, there's nothing in here that addresses the specific plights I have as a "Next-Gen Librarian": initiating change in an organization where people who have been there longer than me do not want to try new things; trying to avoid being the all-things-technology go-to person, just because of my age and education (i really didn't go to library school to be staff and patrons' tech support); directing and supervising library technicians when there is high-turnover and when they are offended by taking orders from someone who is/appears younger; gaining intellectual support from my peers outside Library Land(enough with the sexy librarian jokes, and help me think of ways to do things in a new way in our local community!); managing burnout. Could someone write *this* book for me? (whew, that was long-winded and much more than I meant to say)
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