My October Reads

Digital Body Language

By Erica Dhawan

Pages: 288

A self-proclaimed definitive guide to communicating and connecting in a hybrid world. I found it to be a very eye-opening read into digital communication and the ways we can translate physical body language, something people rely on to communicate, into a digital context. This is especially important with the current pandemic situation and I have already tried many of the recommendations Erica made in my own personal and professional communications.

Beginning After the End: The Early Years

By TurtleMe

Pages: 237

King Grey has unrivaled strength, wealth, and prestige in world governed through martial ability. However, solitude lingers closely behind those with great power. Beneath the glamorous exterior of a powerful king lurks the shell of man, devoid of purpose and will. Reincarnated into a new world filled with magic and monsters, the king has a second chance to relive his life. Underneath the peace and prosperity of the new world is an undercurrent threatening to destroy everything he has worked for, questioning his role and reason for being born again.

I really enjoyed this one. It has a nice pace and the plot and all the mysterious exposition has me hooked and eager to start the next one in the series.

Professional Development

Be Opportunity Minded: Start Growing Your Career Now by Caitlin Williams

This was a great book for thinking about how to expand in a library career. I especially liked the emphasis of a career lattice-able to expand in multiple directions-rather than just a career ladder. Working through the exercises gave me a good idea of what I can do now and in the future to grow as a librarian.

224 pages





The CREW Method: Expanded guidelines for collection evaluation and weeding for small and medium-sized libraries revised by Belinda Boon

I'm pretty sure I read this in library school, but I wanted to read it again as a quick refresher. Unfortunately, I grabbed the copy we had in the library instead of reading the online pdf. The basic concepts are solid, but man is this 1995 copy outdated, discussing things like vinyl records and art prints, and the "new shift" to CD's and DVD's. Is it bad I want to weed a book on weeding from our collection? (No, the answer is no...)

65 pages




The Weeding Handbook: A shelf-by-shelf guide by Rebecca Vnuk

This book was great! Vnuk really does break down section by section how to decide what items should stay and which should go. This book is a lot more detailed than the CREW manual, so I may refer back to this one in any weeding projects for the future.

196 pages

Government Information Essentials edited by Susanne Caro

Wow. This book has been immensely helpful as a new government documents professional. I loved reading about the experiences of other librarians in the profession, and several of the authors I already knew from online discussion lists. It's given me tons of ideas and resources that I've already started using and plan to use in the future.

A must read for new gov doc librarians, but good for anyone interested in government information

256 pages

Be Opportunity-Minded: Start Growing Your Career Now by Caitlin Williams

Be Opportunity-Minded: Start Growing Your Career Now by Caitlin Williams

Author Williams is a career coach who has been advising librarians for 25 years and offers some of her best techniques for self-reflection and strategies that will help you keep growing in your career. She examines alternate career growth options aside from management, trends in librarianship and how they should help mold your growth plan, and worksheets to help you take action. 
224 pages.

How to Thrive as a Solo Librarian by Carol Smallwood, et al.

How to Thrive as a Solo Librarian by Carol Smallwood, et al.

A compilation of advice from solo librarians who work in a variety of settings, including academic, public, and special libraries as well as archives. Topics range from time management, community involvement, professional development, and administrative tasks to marketing and PR, collection development, and general overviews.

300 pages.