New Librarian, New Job-New Book!
by Reeta Sinha, YBP Regional Manager, Collection Management & Development Group
I received a package containing a book the other day and I can't seem to stop smiling each time I look at it. It's not every day that you see your name on the cover of a book, both covers, actually-front and back!
It is hard to believe that it was over two years ago that Cory Tucker, my co-editor, and I were sitting in a library meeting when the idea to publish a book for new librarians hit us. In a matter of minutes we had scribbled out an outline for a ten-chapter book The idea was simple and one we had discussed many times as an article or a panel discussion but never before as a book. Cory's office was next to mine in the library and we often talked about the gap between library school courses and 'real-life' librarianship. As a relatively new librarian-relative to the number of years I had already worked in the field, anyway-these discussions with Cory reminded me of similar comments I had heard over the years from new librarians, particularly in acquisitions and collection development. Now, it looked like we could actually do something about it.
Judging from the response of the publisher we approached and then the number of replies received after a call for contributors went out on professional discussion lists, apparently there were others who felt a book on this subject might be useful. There were so many good ideas from these librarians that we soon expanded the outline to some twenty chapters and decided to have co-authors for many of the chapters. I still remember how the project seemed to come to life when I read the abstracts from our chapter authors. It was more than I think Cory and I had been able to imagine-the depth of experience, the variety of libraries in which the contributors worked and most of all, the enthusiasm the contributors had for the project.
To be sure, there were some bumps along the way, like when the editor we first contacted about our book idea, well, kind of disappeared. We knew our proposal had received a positive reception initially by the publisher. We were just waiting for the official acceptance so we could begin recruiting contributors. It turned out that the editor had changed jobs in the interim which meant we had to pitch our book idea to his replacement. In other words, back to square one. But, in the end our book proposal followed the original editor to his new employer and things were back on track. Then there was the surprise (read, shock) when were told that the complete manuscript needed to be submitted three months after the official acceptance. Twenty chapters, 30 contributors in three months? Naively, Cory and I agreed to this, but in that third month we asked for an extension-most of the chapters had been submitted by the contributors, but we still had to do our part-the editing! In another instance, we found ourselves scrambling at the last minute to find a contributor for a fairly critical chapter in the book. Fortunately, it took just a few days and email messages to find her. Even though this librarian was at the time changing jobs and moving from one city to another, we received the chapter well under the deadline she was given.
Which brings me to the most gratifying aspect of this project-the opportunity to work directly and indirectly with the many librarians who have contributed to this book. When the call for contributors went out my co-editor and I had an idea, an outline, but these thirty professionals took that outline and transformed it into the book that I now look at and smile. They found time in what I am sure were busy work days to share their experience, knowledge and wisdom with new librarians and others in our profession. In most cases, chapter authors worked virtually with librarians they had not met before they were paired up for this project due to the different approach or experiences they each brought to similar subjects. They are a diverse group, working in libraries all over the United States (and in Canada) and include a librarian who had just graduated from library school when she wrote her chapter to several who have worked in the profession for many years. I've had the pleasure of meeting some of the contributors at conferences in the past year or via email and hope to meet more of them in coming years. I also hope that working on this book has been as satisfying an experience for them as it has been for Cory and I. We can't thank them enough for their time and effort!
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