Overview

"While the profession has generated many books on information literacy, none to date have validated exactly why it is so difficult to teach. In her new book, Reale posits that examining and reflecting on the reality of those factors is what will enable practitioners to meet the challenge of their important mandate. Using the same warm and conversational tone as in her previous works, she: uses personal anecdotes to lay out the key reasons that teaching information literacy is so challenging, from the limited amount of time given to instructors and lack of collaboration with faculty to one's own anxieties about the work; examines how these factors are related and where librarians fit in; validates readers' struggles and frustrations through an honest discussion of the emotional labor of librarianship, including ""imposter syndrome,"" stress, and burnout; offers a variety of approaches, strategies, and topics of focus that will assist readers in their daily practice; looks at how a vibrant community of practice can foster positive change both personally and institutionally; and presents ""Points to Ponder"" at the end of each chapter that encourage readers to self-reflect and then transform personal insights into action. Reale's book is a valuable springboard for reflection that will help academic librarians understand the complexity of the challenges they face and then forge a path forward."

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9780838946848

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Reviews

"""A candid overview of the internal and external barriers to success that academic librarians face teaching information literacy (IL). This work emphasizes the need for librarians to find solutions in collaboration with other librarians and faculty ... Reale's vulnerable writing style and insightfulness make this a great read, especially for librarians who have felt isolated from coworkers, faculty, and students after the COVID-19 pandemic. As institutions are reestablishing a new normal, there is no better time than now to learn from Reale's experience in forming collaborations to address IL challenges."" -- Serials Review ""Reale has provided a book that can easily be used in a variety of ways: a guideline for a new librarian to delve into self-assessment, a conversation starter with an instruction team on how to tackle the nuances of being a librarian who teaches (a one-shot or lengthier class), or a roadmap for implementing a professional learning community. No matter how the reader opts to use this text, it will provide food for fodder ... Her transparency is welcoming to librarians who may be feeling burned out or those who are just starting out in the profession. Adding it to a professional development collection would provide guidance for many."" -- Public Services Quarterly"

A candid overview of the internal and external barriers to success that academic librarians face teaching information literacy (IL). This work emphasizes the need for librarians to find solutions in collaboration with other librarians and faculty ... Reale's vulnerable writing style and insightfulness make this a great read, especially for librarians who have felt isolated from coworkers, faculty, and students after the COVID-19 pandemic. As institutions are reestablishing a new normal, there is no better time than now to learn from Reale's experience in forming collaborations to address IL challenges. -- Serials Review Reale has provided a book that can easily be used in a variety of ways: a guideline for a new librarian to delve into self-assessment, a conversation starter with an instruction team on how to tackle the nuances of being a librarian who teaches (a one-shot or lengthier class), or a roadmap for implementing a professional learning community. No matter how the reader opts to use this text, it will provide food for fodder ... Her transparency is welcoming to librarians who may be feeling burned out or those who are just starting out in the profession. Adding it to a professional development collection would provide guidance for many. -- Public Services Quarterly

Author Information

Michelle Reale is an associate professor at Arcadia University near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is the author of Mentoring and Managing Students in the Academic Library (2013) and Becoming an Embedded Librarian (2015). Her research interests include embedded librarianship, mentoring, narrative inquiry, and reflective practice.

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