Libraries are experiencing major shifts in the twenty-first century, and the authors of this book address some of the most important changes in Implementing an Inclusive Staffing Model for Today’s Reference Services: A Practical Guide for Librarians. They outline a new reference model with four aims: improving reference services user satisfaction, engaging staff with new opportunities and training, providing reference librarians with time to pursue professional opportunities, and navigating a transformative period in reference services.

To address these aims, the authors propose a tiered reference model based on a review of library literature as well as plans such as the Warner model, which classifies reference questions based on the level of expertise and resources needed to respond to questions. The authors acknowledge that, as with any change, staff may exhibit reluctance to transition to a model based on the notion that “reference is everyone’s job.” The inclusion of non-MLS staff in the provision of such service will need the support of all involved, and the authors devote an entire chapter to “Getting Buy-In” from all stakeholders. Extensive timelines for service study, training, implementation, and evaluation are provided.

The underlying theme is that librarians are needed for more complex tasks than basic reference, and this resounds throughout the book. The authors’ premise is that additional time is needed in libraries to address multiple tasks, and this idea has merit. However, other than waiting for referrals, what will librarians be doing under this new paradigm? According to the authors, they will be addressing “the challenges of new technologies, collection development and information literacy” (109). The authors note that reference librarians will not be “exempt from reference work”; instead, they will have time to answer more in-depth and complex questions, with the service approach moving to a more professional consultation-style approach. The authors acknowledge this style shift, drawing the parallel to a plumber’s services, and note that a patron may need to wait for an expert to arrive.

Evaluation methods are provided to help librarians assess the effectiveness of the service, to determine whether staff are providing users with appropriate referrals, and to determine whether the new procedures work well with the workflow of other departments.

Although the preface notes that Implementing an Inclusive Staffing Model for Today’s Reference Service is conceived with both academic and public libraries in mind, the work focuses primarily on the shift in reference service in academic libraries, as the authors all are affiliated with Eastern Michigan University. In this reviewer’s opinion, the book would be more successful if it devoted more space to public library trends and examples.

Overall, the book succeeds in its pragmatic approach. Librarians should be able to follow its formula to implement new service models at their own institutions. Recommended for academic libraries, particularly those seeking to transform their current service models, as well as recommended reading for library school courses in reference services and personnel management.