Book Review: The Collection All Around: Sharing Our Cities, Towns, and Natural Places

Abstract

This book is not intended to be a guide to creating outreach opportunities, nor to bringing experiences into the library. Instead, it is an attempt to bring awareness to creating shared access between libraries and their communities. Davis creates a strong argument that public libraries are not just isolated spaces but rather a well-integrated part of any community. As such, libraries have the unique opportunity and skill set to foster shared access to resources outside the library that patrons may not otherwise be aware of or capable of accessing for various reasons, including socioeconomic and physical access difficulties. Davis defines improving this access as an effort that combines outreach, customer service, event management, collection development, and acquisitions. This in turn raises the library’s visibility in the community, along with that of its community partners.