The Special Collections Handbook

Cullingford, Alison. Third Edition. London: Facet Publishing, 2022. 336 pp. Hardcover, Softcover, and EPUB. Hardcover ISBN 9781783305384; Softcover ISBN 9781783305377; EPUB ISBN 9781783305407. Reviewed by Jessie Knoles, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign [PDF Full Text] Alison Cullingford’s The Special Collections Handbook, third edition, provides an overview of special collections librarianship and introduces readers to key … Continue reading The Special Collections Handbook

Placing Papers: The American Literary Archives Market

Hildreth Chen, Amy. Boston, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 2020. 192 pp. Hardcover $90.00, Softcover $26.95. Hardcover ISBN 9781625344847, Softcover ISBN 9781625344854. Reviewed by Ashley Howdeshell, University Archivist, Northeastern Illinois University [PDF Full Text] Placing Papers: The American Literary Archives Market by Amy Hildreth Chen explores the competitive marketplace of literary archives, which document the … Continue reading Placing Papers: The American Literary Archives Market

Presidential Archivist: A Memoir

By David E. Alsobrook. Mercer, GA: Mercer University Press, 2020. 275 pp. Hardcover. $29.00. ISBN 978-0881467635. Reviewed by Adina Riggins, Randall Library, University of North Carolina Wilmington [PDF Full Text] In Presidential Archivist: A Memoir, David E. Alsobrook (1946–2021) traces his archival career featuring—but not limited to—presidential libraries.[1] Alsobrook was the first director of the … Continue reading Presidential Archivist: A Memoir

Everyday Magicians: Legal Records and Magic Manuscripts from Tudor England

By Sharon Hubbs Wright and Frank Klaassen. University Park, PA: Penn State University Press, 2022. 164 pp. $22.95. Softcover ISBN: 978-0-271-09393-2.  Reviewed by Megan Guensch, Graduate Student at Louisiana State University [PDF Full Text] Everyday Magicians, by Sharon Hubbs Wright and Frank Klaassen, compiles historical records about magic practitioners in Tudor England, also known as the … Continue reading Everyday Magicians: Legal Records and Magic Manuscripts from Tudor England

A Cultural Arsenal for Democracy: The World War II Work of US Museums

Ceglio, Clarissa J. Amherst and Boston, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 2022. 240 pp. Softcover and Hardcover. $28.95. Softcover ISBN 9781625346254. Hardcover ISBN 9781625346247. Reviewed by Lily Hunter, Library Information Specialist, Missouri School of Journalism [PDF Full Text] Clarissa J. Ceglio’s 2022 book, A Cultural Arsenal for Democracy, is an insightful and enlightening text on … Continue reading A Cultural Arsenal for Democracy: The World War II Work of US Museums

In the Herbarium: The Hidden World of Collecting and Preserving Plants

Flannery, Maura C. Yale University Press, 2023. 336 pp. $35.00. Hardcover ISBN: 978-0300247916. Reviewed by Raymond Pun, Academic and Research Librarian, Alder Graduate School of Education [PDF Full Text] I recently finished In the Herbarium: The Hidden World of Collecting and Preserving Plants by Maura C. Flannery. As someone who has a very limited knowledge of the history of botany, … Continue reading In the Herbarium: The Hidden World of Collecting and Preserving Plants

Teaching Through the Archives: Text, Collaboration, and Activism

Edited by Tarez Samra Graban and Wendy Hayden. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 2022. 354 pp. Softcover $40.00. Softcover ISBN 978-0-8093-3857-3 EPUB $25.99. EPUB ISBN 978-0-8093-3858-0. Reviewed by Laura Semrau, Humanities Librarian, Baylor University Libraries [PDF Full Text] As an academic librarian rather than an archivist, I approached Teaching Through the Archives: Text, Collaboration, … Continue reading Teaching Through the Archives: Text, Collaboration, and Activism

Reams in the Desert: Papermaking in Utah, 1849–1893

Saunders, Richard L. Ann Arbor, MI: The Legacy Press, 2021. 196 pp. $25.00 Softcover ISBN 9781953421074. Reviewed by Ashley Howdeshell, University Archivist, Northeastern Illinois University [PDF Full Text] Reams in the Desert: Papermaking in Utah, 1849–1893 details the early history of papermaking in the American West. Richard L. Saunders focuses on a desert valley in … Continue reading Reams in the Desert: Papermaking in Utah, 1849–1893

Beyond Accommodation: Creating an Inclusive Workplace for Disabled Library Workers

By Jessica Schomberg and Wendy Highby. Sacramento, CA: Library Juice Press, 2020. 220 pp. $35.00. Softcover ISBN 9781634000864. Reviewed by Lily Hunter, Library Information Specialist, Missouri School of Journalism [PDF Full Text] Jessica Schomberg and Wendy Highby draw on personal experiences as librarians with disabilities in their 2020 book Beyond Accommodation: Creating an Inclusive Workplace … Continue reading Beyond Accommodation: Creating an Inclusive Workplace for Disabled Library Workers