Holt, Leslie Edmonds & Glen E. Holt. Public Library Services for the Poor:
Doing All We Can. ALA. 2010. 168p. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-8389-1050-4. pap. $48. PRO MEDIA
At a time when the news is full of stories of people resorting to their public libraries during the economic downturn and of libraries experiencing drastically declining budgets, this book could not be more useful or necessary, with its thoughtful theoretical and practical advice for providing public library services to the poor. Leslie Edmonds Holt and Glen E. Holt, both editors of Public Library Quarterly, bring together their combined 30 years of experience in the St. Louis Public Library system with research of poor and otherwise economically disadvantaged users of the library to offer advice on how to plan, create, deliver, and evaluate library services to the poor, while also addressing the biggest challenges and obstacles that libraries might face. VERDICT This clear, sensitive, considered, and timely book, the first of its kind since Karen M. Venturella's Poor People and Library Services (1998), should be read by all concerned public library staff.—Jessica Moran, Metropolitan Transportation Commission-Assoc. of Bay Area Govt. Libs., Oakland

The Readers' Advisory Handbook. ALA. 2010. 232p. ed. by Jessica E. Moyer & Kaite Mediatore Stover. index. ISBN 978-0-8389-1042-9. pap. $55. PRO MEDIA
This great generalist title offers guidelines not only on readers' advisory (RA) but on related matters of collection development and marketing books to different reading audiences. Moyer (Research-Based Readers' Advisory) and Stover (head, readers' services, Kansas City P.L., MO) gather information and instruction from 15 contributing public and school librarians on self-education, managing and improving groups of selectors, making quick but thorough evaluations of different types of materials, writing reviews, and working with book groups as well as other kinds of programming. The information throughout focuses on the practical, such as "how to read a book in ten minutes." VERDICT This title is appropriate for supervisors of RA librarians with collection development responsibilities in public or high school libraries serving larger populations. It is especially good for the busy librarian, who can dive into the most appropriate chapter, grab the pearls of wisdom, and emerge armed with real-world advice and a great new recommendation for the patron.—J. Sara Paulk, Fitzgerald-Ben Hill Cty. Lib., Fitzgerald, GA

Roberts, Ann & Richard J. Smith. Crash Course in Library Services to People with Disabilities. Libraries Unlimited: ABC-CLIO. 2010. 100p. index. ISBN 978-1-59158-767-5. pap. $30. PRO MEDIA
Persons with disabilities make up the largest minority group in the United States, accounting for almost 20 percent of the population. Aging baby boomers will only increase this number. Roberts (adult svcs. consultant, library development, Missouri State Lib.) and Smith (former director, Wolfner Lib. for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Jefferson City, MO) understand many of the issues facing both the disabled and the libraries that serve them. Their entry in the "Crash Course" series offers practical information on the wide range of disabilities a librarian may encounter. Included in the book are chapters dealing with assistive technology, serving older adults, mental disabilities, learning disabilities, basic facilities planning, and services to the visually and physically handicapped. In addition to providing overviews of these topics, the book includes examples of policies, services, and programs that can be easily adapted to fit either academic or public libraries. There are a number of work sheets to help evaluate a particular library and its services, and useful additional resources are listed throughout. VERDICT Recommended for all libraries exploring their service to the disabled.—Carrie A. Herrmann, Boone Cty. P.L., Burlington, KY

Singer, Paula M. with Gail Griffith. Succession Planning in the Library: Developing Leaders, Managing Change. ALA. 2010. 160p. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-8389-1036-8. pap. $55. PRO MEDIA
Singer (president, Singer Group; coauthor, Winning with Library Leadership) and Griffith (former deputy director, Carroll Cty. P.L.) have put together an amalgam of examples of succession-planning stories and tools from public libraries around the country. Loosely arranged following the linear path of the succession-planning process, the book takes us through several approaches to topics such as "identifying key roles" and "building bench strength." By far the strongest chapter comes near the end: "Succession Planning for the Library Director," i.e., planning for an upcoming vacancy in the director's chair, is designed to calm staff and board members while giving them a starting point. It assumes neither an unlimited timetable nor that the outgoing director will necessarily participate in the planning. Other chapters are relatively generic, differing from mainstream publications mostly through the inclusion of LIS vocabulary. Work sheets and examples from numerous public libraries are scattered throughout. Verdict Managers strongly grounded in strategic planning aren't going to find much insight here, but the wealth of examples and sample work sheets makes this a useful resource for first-time planners and library administrators facing a "graying" workforce.—Brian Walton, Tampa-Hillsborough P.L., FL

Stueart, Robert D. & Maureen Sullivan. Developing Library Leaders: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Coaching, Team Building, and Mentoring Library Staff. Neal-Schuman. 2010. c.105p. ISBN 978-1-55570-725-5. $75. PRO MEDIA
As library directors and senior managers retire, libraries need to develop the next generation of leaders. This book is intended to help with that task, but it doesn't fully deliver on its promise. Stueart (dean, emeritus, Simmons Coll. S.L.I.S.; Library and Information Center Management) and leadership consultant Sullivan introduce theories of leadership and the leader's role, emphasizing that leadership is a learned competency rather than an inborn talent. Subsequent chapters cover specific leadership skills: influencing and persuading others, leading teams, managing projects, coaching, mentoring, and succession planning. Each chapter includes references to both library and management literature. The chapters on mentoring, coaching, and team building are the strongest, presenting a solid introduction to each topic with key concepts and practical tips. Unfortunately, other chapters are less useful because they are overly general, poorly organized, and redundant. A few real-life examples would have made it easier for readers to apply the information presented here. The authors also use a great deal of management speak and the passive voice, which sometimes makes the text a chore to read. VERDICT An optional purchase for staff development collections.—Janet A. Crum, Lee Graff Medical & Scientific Lib., Duarte, CA