The Strengths of this Volume... The Librarian as Book Reviewer

Abstract

This presentation advocates for theological librarians to engage in the practice of writing and publishing book reviews. Reviewing books for academic and popular publications is one avenue through which librarians are uniquely situated to contribute to scholarly conversations and engage our communities. Reviewing can be a manageable way for busy librarians to publish, it contributes to professional development, it can promote diversity in our collections and institutions, and it can sharpen reference skills. In addition to discussing the value of reviewing (both for librarians and for the academic communities they serve), I will offer some practical suggestions for how librarians who have little or no experience reviewing books can begin to do so.