Sources: The New University Library: Four Case Studies

The New University Library: Four Case Studies. By Matthew Conner. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2014. 176 p. Paper $55 (ISBN: 978-0-8389-1193-8).

The university library can be thought of as an organic institution—it changes, it evolves, it grows, and it adapts. What should a university library do to maintain a current, modern collection and resources in the face of technological, societal, and demographic changes? How can university libraries adapt to these changes successfully?

Matthew Conner, an instruction/reference librarian at the University of California, as well as the President-Elect of the Librarians' Association of the University of California, has written a timely and insightful book on how four university libraries have adapted to change (with limited resources available in their libraries) through implementation of innovative programs and initiatives. The book begins with a very detailed overview of the history of the academic library (from the nineteenth century to the present), focusing on such topics as reference, collections, buildings, and technology. The book then focuses on specific case studies from four public universities. One of the case studies, from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, details how the university recovered its programs after a disastrous flood in 2004, making this case study particularly valuable for libraries recovering from natural disasters. Each case study includes many graphics, illustrations, tables, and data to support new programs and initiatives, and describes the results of these programs. One weak point of the book is that all of the case studies discuss changes and innovations at large, public university libraries. Perhaps including case studies of changes at small and/or private colleges would have made the book a more useful guide and reference for all types of academic librarians, but that may become material for another book.

Nevertheless, The New University Library: Four Case Studies is a useful resource for academic librarians (primarily at large public universities) who seek guidance and assistance on how to manage change at their institutions and create relevant and thriving library programs in the 21st century. Highly recommended.—Larry Cooperman, Adjunct Librarian, University of Central Florida Libraries, Orlando, Florida