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Put simply, there is no text about public librarianship more rigorous or comprehensive than McCook's survey. Now, the REFORMA Lifetime Achievement Award-winning author has teamed up with noted public library scholar and advocate Bossaller to update and expand her work to incorporate the field's renewed emphasis on outcomes and transformation. This "essential tool" (Library Journal) remains the definitive handbook on this branch of the profession. It covers every aspect of the public library, from its earliest history through its current incarnation on the cutting edge of the information environment, including statistics, standards, planning, evaluations, and results;legal issues, funding, and politics;organization, administration, and staffing;all aspects of library technology, from structure and infrastructure to websites and makerspaces;adult services, youth services, and children's services;associations, state library agencies, and other professional organizations;global perspectives on public libraries; andadvocacy, outreach, and human rights. Exhaustively researched and expansive in its scope, this benchmark text continues to serve both LIS students and working professionals.
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Actually not terrible like textbooks tend to be. I pulled a lot of interesting facts and figures out of the chapters, which was a pleasant surprise. The book also had lengthy discussions about supporting readings, which I made extensive notes about for later, and helpful links and things for websites in each chapter.
All that said, it's still a textbook at its core. The chapters read dry for the most part, and are extremely lengthy in some cases. The information is relevant to today's library world (I read the 3rd edition, published 2018), but there's a lot of “but we'll see where this trend/thing/technology/legislation goes in the future” hand waving.