Sources: New on the Job: A School Librarian’s Guide to Success, Second Edition

New on the Job: A School Librarian’s Guide to Success, Second Edition. By Hilda Weisberg and Ruth Toor. Chicago: ALA, 2014. 240 p. Paper $50 (ISBN: 978-0-8389-1264-5).

Weisburg and Toor have updated New on the Job: A School Librarian’s Guide to Success. Whether the librarian is new, seasoned, starting in a new job at a new school, or changing grade levels, this book will help with the transition. The twelve chapters are presented in a logical order, covering interviewing for jobs, getting started in a library, getting to know coworkers, connecting with students and teachers, building good relationships with administration, managing and promoting the media center, developing and articulating a philosophy, growing as a professional, and dealing with intellectual freedom, copyright, and plagiarism.

The authors provide an abundance of information in a way that is not overwhelming. Each chapter begins with a breakdown of what is inside. The sections are easy to read, and each chapter ends with a list of key ideas to take away. These ideas could easily be used as a checklist of what to do in a new library position. The sections are concise but informative. At the end of each section, the authors provide thought-provoking questions about the information presented. These questions are designed to really make the reader reflect on what was read and think about how to handle issues and everyday tasks that arise in a school library. Highly recommended for any and all school librarians.—Amanda Galliton, Librarian, Kirby Jr. High Library, Wichita Falls, Texas