Virginia A. Walter

The title of this book is a misnomer. It should be aimed at children’s librarians, mostly for those serving in public libraries. Since this reviewer has spent the past three years coming to grips with the current foundational ideas of school libraries and their future, I was interested to read a major author’s analysis of what needs to happen now with an eye forward. Walter recognizes major trends are happening around us but pursues the path of incremental change and instructing the reader to develop management and leadership skills. Such a message, I think, ignores the major change in the clientele of both school and public libraries and the need to march boldly into the world where the client is rather than responding slowly and carefully. In another decade, it will be interesting to see which philosophy has been sustainable over time. It may be true that the more things change, the more they remain the same. For libraries, like General Motors, I don’t think the incremental change position is an appropriate one. The bottom line is, of course, the teacher librarian on the front lines and that fork in the road which w all seem to be facing.… (more)